I won't fall for the queen who burned my world-Chapter 339: Banquet decoration

The sun was barely past its highest point, sending slanting golden beams through the tall windows of the banquet hall. Elysia stood at the center of it all, arms folded, surveying the chaos.

Two days. In just two days, Kaelith would celebrate her very first birthday, and already it felt as though the castle itself buzzed with anticipation.

It was hard to believe how quickly the year had flown—months tumbling past in a wild, joyful blur of sleepless nights, first steps, first words, endless laughter and just as many disasters.

Elysia smiled at the memory of Kaelith’s triumphant "Mama!"—the way her daughter had grinned, all dimples and pride, as if she’d conquered the world.

Now, the hall had been transformed. The old, cold stone seemed to glow beneath swaths of silk and velvet.

Tapestries shimmered with delicate embroidery: dragons, phoenixes, scenes of fire and starlight, chosen by Malvoria herself.

Great bouquets of roses—red, black, and gold—cascaded from crystal vases on every surface.

Banners in the house colors hung from the rafters, and the long banquet table was set with polished silver, gleaming glass, and enough candles to rival the sun.

Malvoria, of course, was prowling the perimeter, hands clasped behind her back in full "General on Inspection" mode.

She was frowning thoughtfully at a cluster of lanterns suspended above the dessert table. Elysia watched her wife’s brow furrow, then relax, only to furrow again.

"It looks beautiful," Elysia called softly, crossing the room to stand beside her. "Truly. It’s perfect."

Malvoria grunted, not quite convinced. "It could use...something." She tilted her head, her red hair falling across her brow in a way that made her look younger, almost boyish.

"Something brighter. Or maybe—" She trailed off, clearly distracted by the sheer number of sweets already arranged beneath the lanterns. "Did we order too many cakes?"

Elysia grinned. "There’s no such thing as too much cake at a first birthday. Besides, you know Kaelith—she’ll try to taste every single one. If we’re lucky, she’ll only get icing in her hair, not in her ears this time."

Malvoria snorted, unable to hide her amusement. "She’ll find a way."

As if summoned, Kaelith herself appeared at the far end of the hall, hand-in-hand with Veylira.

The toddler was resplendent in miniature black trousers and a crimson jacket her "practice outfit" for the big day—tiny boots tapping determinedly against the marble.

She took one look at the rows of sweets and let out a delighted shriek, wriggling from her grandmother’s grasp.

Veylira, who had years of experience with willful children, let her go, only calling after, "No climbing the tables, little queen!"

Kaelith paused, considered, and then clearly decided that climbing was exactly what she wanted to do.

Elysia sighed, but her heart was too full to scold. She moved to intercept her daughter, scooping her up just as Kaelith set a determined foot on the chair nearest the cakes.

"Not yet, little one," Elysia said, nuzzling Kaelith’s downy hair. "You have to wait for the party."

Kaelith pouted, bottom lip trembling theatrically. "Mamaaa."

"Here," Malvoria said, swooping in to offer a small sugar rose from the nearest cake. "Just a taste."

Kaelith’s mood transformed instantly. She took the flower and crammed it in her mouth, eyes sparkling with delight.

"She’s got your focus," Veylira commented dryly. "And your appetite."

"Don’t blame me for that," Malvoria said, smirking. "You’re the one who used to sneak pastries from the kitchens." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Veylira placed a hand to her chest in mock offense. "I never sneaked. I merely conducted quality inspections."

Sarisa, holding baby Aliyah in her arms, entered next with Lara trailing behind, her hair still damp from a morning spar.

Aliyah was wide-eyed and utterly fascinated by the lights, waving her tiny fists at the floating lanterns as if she could command them to dance.

"Kaelith will try to eat those," Lara said, nodding at the lanterns as she joined the group. "I give her ten minutes before she’s hanging from the ceiling."

"Less, if she teams up with Aliyah," Sarisa replied, smiling at Elysia. "Did you ever imagine you’d have this much chaos in your life?"

"Honestly?" Elysia said, shifting Kaelith to her other hip. "No. But I wouldn’t trade a single moment."

The sound of shattering glass cut through the conversation. Everyone turned—just in time to see a banner slip loose from its mooring, tugging a candelabra from the wall.

For a moment, it hung suspended by the barest thread of magic, then crashed to the floor in a shower of wax and broken crystal.

There was a collective gasp. Kaelith let out a delighted squeal. Malvoria cursed under her breath and strode forward, hands already glowing with a faint shimmer of magic to keep any further disaster at bay.

Veylira started laughing, a bright, genuine sound. "There you have it! No party is complete until something explodes."

Lara grinned. "Good thing the floor’s already scorched from last winter’s banquet."

Aliyah, in her mother’s arms, began to fuss at the noise. Sarisa bounced her gently, shushing her with practiced ease. "Don’t worry, darling. That’s just your cousin’s doing. You’ll learn."

Elysia looked at the mess, then at Malvoria, who had knelt to examine the damage. For a moment, she caught Malvoria’s eye, and despite everything—the mess, the noise, the chaos—they both started laughing.

The tension eased, replaced by a bubbling joy that only this family, this madness, could inspire.

Malvoria straightened, brushing glass from her hands, and addressed Kaelith in a tone that was half-solemn, half-amused.

"That’s a warning for your actual birthday, young lady. No breaking things until after the cake is served."

Kaelith, still chewing her sugar rose, looked between her parents, then grinned and nodded solemnly.

Veylira caught Elysia’s eye and winked. "You know, when you two first announced your engagement, I warned Malvoria that life would never be calm again."

Malvoria rolled her eyes, but her lips quirked in a smile. "And you were right."

Elysia kissed the top of Kaelith’s head. "Chaos or not, I wouldn’t change a thing."

The staff began to sweep up the broken glass, and for a while, the only sound was the rhythmic sweep-sweep of brooms and the soft babble of Aliyah in Sarisa’s arms.

Lara found a stray streamer and tied it around her head like a crown, then knelt beside Kaelith to offer her a matching one.

Kaelith, delighted, tried to tie the streamer to Malvoria’s boot instead, only to get distracted by the flicker of candlelight on the silver plates.

Elysia took a step back and simply watched her family. There was something almost magical about this moment.

The hall still glowing despite the mess, the people she loved gathered and laughing, the knowledge that even if everything went wrong on the day of the banquet, this—this chaos, this laughter—was all that really mattered.

Malvoria joined her, sliding an arm around her waist and drawing her close. For a moment, they stood together in the center of the great hall, partners in more than just war and rule and parenthood.

"What do you think?" Malvoria murmured, eyes soft. "Will she remember any of this?"

Elysia smiled, leaning into her warmth. "Maybe not the details. But she’ll remember the love. The laughter. The way everyone comes together for her. That’s all any of us really remember, isn’t it?"

Malvoria pressed a kiss to her temple. "Then we’re doing something right."

As if on cue, Kaelith pulled free from Lara and toddled over, arms raised. "Up!"

Elysia scooped her up and spun her in a slow circle, Kaelith squealing in delight. The broken decoration lay forgotten for now.

The mess would be cleaned. And the memory of this room, this light, this laughter would linger long after the banners had come down.

Somewhere behind them, Veylira was telling the staff to double the dessert order. Malvoria was still mentally rearranging the lanterns.

Elysia grinned and whispered to her daughter, "Happy almost birthday, little star. Let’s see what trouble we can get into next."

As if Kaelith took this as a royal decree, her eyes immediately darted to a mountain of carefully stacked dessert trays at the end of the hall glazed pastries, cakes, and frosted towers artfully arranged for tomorrow’s banquet.

Kaelith wiggled in Elysia’s arms, stretching chubby hands out with alarming determination.

Before Elysia could react, Kaelith’s tiny, but surprisingly powerful, magic sparked at her fingertips—a shimmer of purple energy arced toward a nearby display.

Time seemed to slow.

Malvoria’s warning call "Not the tower!" and Lara’s sudden lunge "Save the tarts!" came a fraction too late.

The tallest dessert stand wobbled, teetered, then, in a spectacular and sugary collapse, crashed onto the marble floor.

Eclairs, candied roses, and towers of cream-filled pastries rained down in glorious, sticky chaos.

For a heartbeat, there was only silence—Elysia staring at Kaelith, Kaelith looking entirely unrepentant and delighted, her face already smeared with stray icing.

Then Veylira burst out laughing, Sarisa covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, and even Malvoria’s stern facade cracked.

"Well," Elysia sighed, pressing a kiss to Kaelith’s hair, "at least she has a talent for memorable parties."