Ceaseless Devotion || Garroth Ro'meave x OC

8: Declarations of War

The morning after the two pendants fused was silent and uneventful yet the lingering anxiety was overwhelming. Tensions were high once everybody realised how dangerous and highly valued the relic was, setting everybody on edge, especially Garroth.

Seeing the look of worry on his face was not something Cecelia wanted to see this morning, especially not on him. She hated to see him so anxious and paranoid, yet given the situation, it was impossible not to.

'The cons of being a guard, I suppose.'

Regardless, she'd arranged a short period of time in which she'd be able to attend Kiki and Leona's baby shower today. Garroth feared that it'd take away from Phoenix Drop's defences but Cecelia assured him that she'd only be gone for a short moment.

Garroth was deathly paranoid that somebody would break into the village and steal the relic, as was the rest of the guard, Cecelia included, but she thought one quick stop wouldn't be that bad. All she would do is quickly drop in, congratulate Kiki once more, grab a slice of cake, and leave.

The party had been going on for a little while now with Garroth positioned by the entrance. Cecelia greeted him with a smile and a soft nod which Garroth returned. Despite his smile, Garroth still looked immensely worried. His grip around the hilt of his sword was tighter than usual, his posture was tense, and the glint in his eyes silently told her, "be quick." It didn't take words for Garroth to know what her answer would be.

Making her way through the front gates of Kiki's barn house, Cecelia caught sight of her and Leona from across the room and beelined directly to them.

"I'm glad to see little Leona is doing alright," Cecelia commented, staring down at the baby that was peacefully sleeping in her arms. Kiki spun at the sudden voice before smiling, all while gently bouncing Leona in her arms.

"Ah, Cecelia! Hello!" She greeted, "I cannot thank you guards enough for the help last night, you all did so great."

"It's no problem, Kiki, It's what we do." Cecelia smiled at Kiki's praise, "I'm just glad Leona is doing well, especially with this crowd!"

She stepped a tad closer to get a better look at Leona's peacefully sleeping face, cautious to not overstep into Kiki's personal space. She must've been tired of everybody crowding around her like this. Kiki didn't seem to mind this and stepped closer herself.

"Oh yes, she's doing wonderfully! Although she has had her moments..." She quietly laughed, patting the child's behind in a gentle, rhythmic pattern.

"I bet!" Cecelia replied, quickly washing her eyes over the group of people in the barn, as well as the few remaining animals that weren't roaming the paddock outside. Her eyes then accidentally landed on a table in the centre of the room that was covered in cakes, treats, drinks, and other snacks. Her gaze may have lingered for a little too long because Kiki noticed and spoke up.

"You go enjoy the party, alright? I have a few more people to greet." She giggled, nudging Cecelia with her elbow before walking off to a small group of village ladies that were nearby.

"Sure thing," Cecelia responded before departing and making her way to the table. When she arrived she was met with two large cakes, one vanilla and the other chocolate, both beautifully decorated and frosted. Beside the table stood Kawaii~Chan, serving various party guests a slice of their choice.

"So are these some of Kawaii~Chan's famous cakes I've heard so much about?" Cecelia commented, hoping she couldn't tell how much her mouth was watering at the sheer sight of the cakes. Kawaii~Chan's ears perked up and she turned to Cecelia with a grin.

"Oh, Cecelia~Sama! Yes, these are some of Kawaii~Chan's super duper sweet cakes! Kawaii~Chan wanted to gift Kiki~San the best gift she could! Would you like a slice?"