Ashes of the crown

POV: Ariya (with Everyone Joining the Mayhem) 🥧🎭💃

The town of Thistlefair was supposed to be a quiet detour — a place to rest, resupply, and maybe sneak in a hot meal before heading to their next mission.

What they hadn't counted on… was walking straight into the annual Pie & Masquerade Festival.

"I am not putting on a mask," Kael said firmly.

"You're putting on a mask," Lyra said, shoving a glittery half-face fox design into his hands.

"Why does Jax get the cool one?" Kael protested, eyeing Jax's silver dragon-themed mask.

"Because I picked first!" Jax grinned. "Also, look at this cape. I feel fabulous."

Ariya, dressed in a flowing crimson cloak and golden phoenix mask, tugged her hood lower.

"Let's just stay low, blend in, get our supplies—"

BANG! A pie exploded nearby. Literally.

"WHAT THE—?!"

A kid shrieked, "PIE WAR!!" and flung another cream bomb across the square.

"Too late," Lyra sighed. "We're involved now."

Within seconds, it was chaos.

Children, merchants, and disguised townsfolk were lobbing pies like it was a matter of national pride. Ariya ducked behind a hay cart.

Kael slid in beside her, hair now dripping with berry filling.

"I hate everything about this town."

"You look like a fruity soldier," she said, giggling.

"You're not covered in—" SPLAT. A lemon tart hit her square in the back.

Jax cheered. "Welcome to the jam!"

Somehow, the group ended up in a team challenge — "The Great Thistlefair Relay."

They had no idea what the rules were.

Just that they had to:

Race in oversized cabbage shoes

Answer questions while eating hot pickled eggs

And, yes — win the final pie duel.

Round One: The Shoe StumbleKael fell immediately.

Jax tried to surf the cabbages and faceplanted.

Lyra cursed the gods of agriculture.

Ariya? She fire-boosted herself forward and knocked over the mayor.

"Ten style points!" Jax yelled from the ground.

Round Two: The Egg of Truth

The mayor asked Lyra: "What's your most embarrassing secret?"

"Once I tried to flirt with a forest spirit and got slapped by a vine," she admitted through spicy egg breath.

Kael snorted soda through his nose.

Final Round: The Pie Duel

It was Ariya vs. a tiny, determined child named Milo.

"You don't stand a chance," Milo whispered, serious as stone.

Ariya narrowed her eyes. "Game on, kid."

They circled. Dramatic music played (Jax provided beatboxing). The town held its breath.

Then—

SPLAT. Ariya took a full custard to the face.

Milo raised his hands in victory. "I am inevitable."

They didn't win the festival.

But they were given "The People's Pie Medal of Chaos" and free bread rolls for life.

"Not a total loss," Jax said, trying to pry crust out of his hair.

"I'm going to smell like blueberry for a week," Kael grumbled.

"You love it," Ariya teased.

Kael didn't deny it.

That night, they collapsed into their rented loft — still laughing, still sticky, still alive.

Ariya stood by the window, the mask in her hand, smiling as she watched lanterns drift into the sky.

Behind her, Kael leaned on the doorframe.

"You laughed a lot today," he said.

"So did you."

"We should do that more."

She turned to him. "What? Get attacked by pies?"

"No," he said, voice soft. "Just… laugh. Together."

She didn't say anything. But her smile said everything.

And maybe, just maybe…

She liked the sound of "together."