Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The rebuilt Golden Cheese Palace.

The walls and floors, polished to their finest, are glittering and shining in the fine sunny day. Pictures of historical importance are scattered throughout the palace and are placed aesthetically in their correct position. There are portraits of Golden Cheese herself and important achievements that the kingdom has experienced throughout its existence.

Walking through the place's halls, scanning her environment around her, Golden Cheese has noticed that something feels off. Not with the palace, it’s located in the middle of the desert, so no invaders should possibly come.

(Well, after the Wild Spices attacked, she’s been on guard ever since.) 

Also, the Cheesebirds did such a wonderful job rebuilding the castle. She’ll need to thank them later with something grand somehow.

It’s also not her treasure’s Soul Cheese. Every day after she and Smoked Cheese had arrived back in the Kingdom, she had personally been checking on the conditions of the Soul Cheeses after putting Smoked Cheese back in his own (begrudgingly so).

No, it's something else.

Something…

Deep inside of her…

Craving.

That same craving in the weeks following her kingdom’s collapse, and when 5 messengers told her to let her kingdom go and not let them be trapped in her digital illusion.

Golden Cheese sighs, ‘Now, how should I fill the empty void of mine?’ She decided to use the hot springs to relax her mind, distract herself, and not think about her problem.

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°

Her clothes were tossed haphazardly to the side, but still within her reach. She shimmied her body in the water while outstretching her arms to the edge of the spring. She tilted her head, looking up at the sky. There was only a single cloud up there, covering the sun. Otherwise, it was a beautiful day with a crystal blue sky stretching as far as her vision would allow. Yet, she wasn’t enjoying it. Her brows furrowed tightly; she stared up at the sky and gave it a death stare, acting as if the sky had a personal vendetta against her and ruined a perfect day. At last, after a few minutes of just staring at the sky and not enjoying the spring, she got up, dried off, slid her clothes back on, and started walking somewhere, not knowing what her destination was going to be.

After a few minutes of wandering within the place's grounds, a newfound boredom and a new interest in restoring her kingdom to its former glory sprouted within her. Golden Cheese walking turned into speed-walking, then sprinting, and finally flying straight to the Cheese Vaults, where her treasures lay in their digital slumber. The Cheesebirds guarding the entrance to the vaults nodded and moved away from the door once seeing Her Radiance approaching. She opened the doors with a thud that startled the Cheesebird that was working inside the vault.

“Oh, who coul-, OH MY CHEEZE, I.. I am sorry, chirp, I should have greeted you prop-”

“It’s quite all right, and I should be the one who should be apologizing to you. I came here for my treasures. So if you could excuse me, I would like to awaken them.”

“Alright then, all start heading out now, chirp.”

Golden Cheese would have talked a little longer and been less blunt to the bird, but she was impatient, and her boredom was slowly eating her alive. 

Once the Cheesebird had left, she looked all around her and counted to make sure that everyone was in the same room. Once she confirmed that all was accounted for, she began to power her will through the Soul Jam. In a blink, a flash of light, then the room slowly dimmed to give way to figures slowly awakening from their slumber.

“Mmmh, where…” groaned Mozzarella as she slowly sat up from the ground.

“... just let me sleep some more.”

“No Smoked Cheese, I require help,” sighed Golden Cheese. “As you all know, I cannot build this kingdom alone. I need each one of your help to bring my, no, our kingdom back to its former-”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just stop it with the sappy stuff and just tell us what to do. Or not! I would looooooove to continue ‘sleeping.’”

The whole room (or chamber, rather) fell silent the millisecond he finished his sentence. They were all staring at him, astonished that he could even say something like that. He looked around, leaned back, and put both their elbows on the floor, then proceeded to lie on their back, hands behind their head.

“What? What’s wrong?” He looked around the room until he laid his eyes on Golden Cheese. He smirked and purred slightly. “Now, now, what is this~? Did the cat bite your tongue? On the other hand, I love the dazzling outfit. And your wings! Where and how did yo-”

Golden Cheese strode up to them and kicked them in the stomach, hard. While they were wheezing, trying to catch their breath from the sudden attack, she gripped their shoulders like she was trying to hold on to her only lifeline. 

Now, usually, she would endure these kinds of insults. She already got them from Smoked Cheese all the time. Even in the off-chance that they both decided to work together, they had both really pushed her to the edge before. But now, it’s just too much, the events of Beast-Yeast and the … Beast she’d rather not think about, the energy of being awakened and being more tired and irritable than before, and that craving, deep down in her heart, that she wonders why, just why, it isn’t satisfied when seeing her precious treasures waking up. Them just insulting her is truly adding salt to the injury right now.

“Listen right here, Powder Cheese, I had to deal with so many things while you were in your digitalized slumber. And now, I woke you all up, happy to see you again after so many months, but all I get in return is an insult. All I wanted was just a little help.

So it's either I put all the workload on you, or let you stay in your endless slumber and not wake you up until I'm ready.”

Everyone looked at Golden Cheese, as she never once lost her cool like this. Powder Cheese, after listening to her threat, whose shoulders ached and burned like they were on fire, simply nodded and muttered, “Yes, ma’am.”

Golden Cheese stared at him, sighed, and took her hand off his shoulders. “Whenever you're ready to come out, I’ll be in my throne room.” She walked, but as soon as she reached the entrance of the vault, she stated, “Any mention of this incident, and I’ll find the appropriate punishment for you. Do I make myself clear?” Everyone nodded their heads. She took one good look at the room, then spread her wings and flew off.

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

The first to arrive was Smoked Cheese, with Powder Cheese following behind, embarrassed. The next arrival was Burnt Cheese and String Cheese. They both bowed before her, Burnt Cheese greeting her while String Cheese stayed silent. String Cheese was always quiet; selectively mute. Nobody knows what caused his muteness, but Golden Cheese didn’t want to bother him with memories that are possibly traumatic for him. The next to arrive were Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, and Finger Food, who were discussing what they're going to do next. Nymphaea and Fettuccine were the last to show up inside, as the rest took positions outside of the palace. Golden Cheese handed them the assignments to complete (most were given to Powder Cheese as promised, with Smoked Cheese having a good laugh at that) and then proceeded to show Mozzarella where the new Control Center Room is located.

As the hours seem to slip by, from morning to the early evening, Golden Cheese finds herself fading in and out of focus, and it only gets worse as the day soon comes to an end. Golden Cheese is happy! She has the people that she treasures and loves dearly with her, alive and breathing.

…

Alive and …

Breathing 

…

Are they really, though?

Mozzarella was the first to notice.

“Hey… are you alright?”

Startled out of her trance, her wings twitched slightly as she faced Mozzarella with a questioning look.

“Yes, I am fine. Are you daring to question your Queen?”

Mozzarella chuckled slightly while putting her hand in a mock surrender.

“Well, I’m simply asking because I’ve noticed that you’ve been dozing off throughout the entire day. I just wanted to suggest that you should retire for the day early. You did, uh.. *cough* “mention” to Powder Cheese that you are feeling more tired than usual.”

She stared at Mozzarella, then sighed, squeezed her eyes shut, and then pinched the bridge of her nose. However, she did contemplate the idea. It will give her time to sort out her troubling thoughts away from prying eyes. It was also a good time for her to examine a letter that was brought to her during the day from a peculiar bluebird that she was sure wasn’t from around these parts.

Concluding the debate in her mind, she let go of her nose and slowly opened her eyes. Taking a deep inhale and then exhaling, she waved her hands at Mozzarella, signaling that she was excused. Mozzarella nodded and took a bow before swiftly turning on her heel and walking away from Golden Cheese and towards the Control Chambers. Golden Cheese stared at her until she took a turn out of her sight, then proceeded to take the shortest route to her quarters.

Meanwhile, Mozzarella walked to where Smoked Cheese was talking to Nymphaea about medical supplies and a center. She pulled him aside for a quick talk.

“Hey, before you sleep for the night, can you check on Golden Cheese? She’s not acting like her usual self.”

Smoked Cheese stared at her before sighing and agreeing to her request.

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°

Golden Cheese arrived at her chamber, exhausted out of her mind. She began gathering items for her nest, including some of her favorite pieces of jewelry and clothing. After arranging it to her liking, she removed the crown, which housed her Soul Jam, and placed it on top of the drawer on the side of her bed. In the same drawer, she pulled out the letter from inside and closed it. She noticed that the seal has the signature blue and symbol that only comes from the Vanilla Kingdom. Between the seal and the letter was a Vanilla Orchid, further indicating its authenticity. She carefully removed the orchid from the seal, then took the paper from inside the envelope and read through it.

Dear Golden Cheese,

I hope that you are doing well and your day has brought you joy! I have missed you dearly and can’t wait until we are all back together again! Speaking of which, I have important information for you that is of the utmost importance, so I hope you’ll be able to act on it quickly. 

After the events of Beast-Yeast, we need to form a plan to not only protect our kingdoms but also Cookiekind. I cannot say much in this letter, which is why it seems short.

But what you need to know is that in two weeks, we'll have a meeting in the Crème Republic with Council Clotted Cream.

I hope we’ll see you then, and I’m looking forward to catching up and talking, just like the good old days.

With Lots Of Love from Your Friend,

Pure Vanilla

P.S. Please send a letter to me with the date you’ll arrive so the Paladin can direct you to the right place and avoid drawing too much attention to you.

Also, but not to alarm you, but prepare your kingdom for war. Do not bring anyone with you.

Golden Cheese stared at the letter. She blinked once, then twice. Finally, she placed the letter back in the drawer and lay down on the bed, and stared at the ceiling.

“Huh, a meeting? Well, it's been a while since I visited Pure Vanilla and the others.” She muttered out loud. It would be nice to see them, but she honestly doesn’t want to. The reason is obvious, White Lily. No matter how many times she reminds herself, 

she 

still 

sees 

Her. 

She wrapped her wings around herself, forming something akin to a protective shield as she rolled on her side, hugging her legs to the fetal position.

Everything that she had, everything she’d owned,

gone.

Just like that.

Maybe that’s why she’s feeling like this the entire day. Loneliness, craving for connections for people who are living, well, and alive.

She turned to the other side of the nest, wings lying outstretched on the bed, legs now let go, hands reaching for the nearest fabric to hold on.

Maybe that’s what she’ll do, create life, or more like new bodies, for her treasure to have life in. But how? Golden Cheese lay in her bed, thinking about how she could achieve this. Her Soul Jam can only support souls, not make entirely new bodies. She knew this when she first attempted to revive her kingdom. There is one person that she could ask, but… no, she would rather not.

Then, at the same time, brainstorming possible ideas that could solve her problem, Smoked Cheese knocked on the door. Golden Cheese sat up in her bed and told Smoked Cheese to come inside the room. Once inside, Smoked Cheese questions her.

“Mozzarella has informed me that you weren’t feeling well. I will fetch Nymphaea to make some Yansoon Tea for you, to help with the lightheadedness and tiredness.”

“Smoked Cheese.”

“Mmmh?”

“I want a child.”

“Fuck no.”

Chapter Text

A week has gone by, and Golden Cheese is ready to depart for the Crème Republic. She didn’t take anyone with her, exactly what the letter said. She’s looking forward to reuniting with her old friends.

When Golden Cheese landed, she didn’t even attempt to conceal her identity. All the jewelry she’s wearing reflects the sun to the citizens who have just started their day. This drew their attention to her, and people started mumbling and muttering to themselves.

“Who is this person?”

“I wonder where she is from?”

“Maybe a foreign country? I would love to visit the place she’s from!”

“Why is she wearing so much jewelry?”

“Mama, that person looks pretty.”

“Can’t she conceal herself?”

“She’s showing too much skin. What is she, a barbarian?”

She ignored most of these comments, focusing on her search for a particular building. Since Pure Vanilla hadn’t described what the building looked like, she wandered the city trying to locate it, all the while pretending to know exactly where she was going.

Meanwhile, Pure Vanilla was looking at two letters. Squinting, one is from Hollyberry, whose contents state that she will arrive tomorrow. Pure Vanilla smiled at the thought of seeing her again. He dropped the letter and picked up White Lily’s. He read through the contents and frowned a little. She said that she cannot come as she has some important business to address in the Faerie Kingdom. However, she kindly requested a review of any details discussed in the meeting. Pure Vanilla will have to remember that. He stood up and smoothed down his shirt, which Strawberry Crepe and others have dubbed the “Pastel Blue” outfit. He really liked the outfit and thanked Mont Blanc profusely when he saw the final result. He gravitated towards his staff and gave it a little thunk on the floor. Its eyes open, and Pure Vanilla was soon about to exit his guest bedroom, until he was stopped abruptly by Madeleine. He had a panicked look on his face, which was unusual for the energetic and optimistic knight.

“Uh, King Pure Vanilla? We have a problem.”

He slightly scrunched his eyebrows together and frowned a little.

“What is it? And please, drop the formalities.”

Madeleine hesitated, but continued to talk.

“Is there a chance that you have a friend that has, uh, big, majestic wings, golden-looking, and wears lots of jewelry?”

They stared at each other for a split second until Pure Vanilla’s eyes opened wide. He rushed past Madeleine and quickly knocked on Dark Cacao’s door. He answered quickly, but Vanilla rapidly headed to the exit before explaining the situation to Dark Cacao. While watching Pure Vanilla, Madeleine came up and just told him to follow.

Arriving at the main square, Pure Vanilla used his staff to look around, but he found no signs of Golden Cheese. Madeleine and Dark Cacao caught up to him and started questioning him.

“Why would you just run off without telling me what's going on?”

Pure Vanilla avoided Cacao’s question and had his attention straight to Madeleine.

“Where is she, Golden Cheese?”

He blinked once, trying to catch his breath, and started leading the way.

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°

Golden Cheese is absolutely lost. She’s fatigued from her journey here, and now she’s being followed by an immense crowd of people that apparently don’t have anything better to do with their day. After being followed and wandering around, she found a little cafe where she could at least rest. The bell rang, and all activities in the cafe came to a halt when Golden Cheese walked in. ‘Great, I’ll still be stared at. Might as well order.’ Strutting up to the cash register, people started parting to let her get through. Not out of fear, but they can stop staring at her magnificence and have the need to let her get what she wants (Amazing, isn’t she?). She scanned through the menu and decided to get a box of macarons and scones. She thanked the employee and paid generously. The employee was brought to tears; they could now pay their rent.

She strode to the exit, but then suddenly staggered when she saw Pure Vanilla. He looked… different. For once, he has longer hair. She chuckled airily to herself. She knew he would look better with longer hair. He also has wings? This was a surprise to her. Maybe she can teach him how to fly; that would be fun. He also has a cute outfit on. Wonder who mad-

Before completing her thought, she was then tackled by Pure Vanilla. While she was lost in her thoughts, Pure Vanilla was looking for her, half panicked, half impatient. When he attained eye contact with her, he left Madeleine and Dark Cacao again to tackle her into a hug. Taking a step back to rebalance herself, she looked down to see him, only to be blocked by his hat. Dark Cacao was the first to greet her properly.

“Welcome back, Golden Cheese. It's… really been a while, hasn’t it?”

She could only manage a nod before handing the pastries to him. She then proceeded to use her free hand to hug Pure Vanilla back.

“Hello, Pure Vanilla,” she managed to choke out.

Pure Vanilla didn’t respond, but just hugged her tighter.

Madeleine watched the scene from a distance, feeling bittersweet, melancholic, and nostalgic all at once. It’s really been a long time since they’ve seen each other, hasn’t it?

He chuckled and jogged toward them, leading the trio back to the place where they would be temporarily staying.

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

“This will be your room,” Madeleine introduced.

It was a modest little bedroom. A large and tall bed was tucked into the top right corner of the room, while the window was in the middle of the wall. The sheets and blankets were fresh and crisp on the bed, in the same way as if freshly washed. Beside the bed, there was a petite drawer, and directly in front of the bed was a bookshelf with books to read when bored. Directly across from the window was the bathroom door.

Golden Cheese looked around once and decided that the room wasn’t perfect enough for her, not grand or exquisite enough for her taste.

“I request another room. One that is filled with your finest sheets and beddings.”

It was brief and swift, straight to the point, stating her needs with a tone expecting the request to be executed quickly. Madeleine hesitated for a moment before taking a profound bow in apology.

“I’m afraid that I cannot implement your request at this moment, as these were the four rooms we have organized. The servants had spent meticulous time preparing for your arrival. If we start preparing another room, you might not have time to sleep before the next day.

Golden Cheese didn’t respond; her back facing Madeleine. He took a little peek up before standing back to his full height.

“If you need anything, just call us! One of the servants, my aunt, my mother, or I will come to help you!”

Golden Cheese did a slow nod. Madeleine took it as a signal to leave her to her thoughts, but she stopped him before he left.

“You have never mentioned your name to me. What is it that it garners no introduction to me?”

He blinked once, then smiled and did a hasty bow.

“Ah, yes. Sorry for the late introduction. It was never my intention to offend you. My name is Ser Madeleine of the House of Madeleine. I’m the Knight Commander of the Crème Republic and a noble Paladin of the Light. Anything that our heroes need, I’ll be at your service.”

She sat on the bed and smirked lightly. She looked him up and down. He had huge and majestic wings at his back, while on his cheekbones, a pair of angel wings on each side. From the root, it had his skin color, but towards the tip, it faded into a pure white, like fresh snow falling. His pupils are changing, going from a blinding white light to a delicate light blue, until they settle to white. He must have become uncomfortable with the staring; the wings on his face were slightly twitching, betraying the happy-go-lucky look on his face.

“I’m sorry for staring, but I must ask a question. Why do you have this form? Does it deal with “Paladin” and “Light” you were talking about?”

She was tired and blunt about it. But Madeleine brushed it off as irritation from the long journey. The wings on his face relaxed and started explaining.

“Your observations are correct. Some people believe in the Light and train hard to become a Paladin. Once they do their knight ceremony to become a Paladin, they get a little blessing from the Light. But there is a case where the Light chooses a person to become imbued with its power. We call them the "Chosen Ones.” But the specifics of this process are a secret, so I cannot tell you.”

“Let me guess, you and your family are the keepers of this secret.”

“You're right, ma’am!”

Golden Cheese pressed her lips together before asking her last question.

“Can these powers, by chance, be passed down by bloodline, or you can’t say?”

Madeleine shook his head.

Finally getting all these questions out of her, she stood up and walked to him to shake his hand.

“Thank you for housing us.”

“You're welcome! Remember to call us if you need anything!”

Golden Cheese nodded, and Madeleine left her in the room.

She dropped the pastries in the drawer and went inside the bathroom. All the accommodations were already there. All she needed was to take a good, long shower, sleep, and see what the day would bring tomorrow.

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

The sun was peeking through the closed curtains, slowly lighting up the dim room. Golden Cheese lay in her bed, sound asleep, wings stretched out until they touched the ground. Dark Cacao gently knocked on the door three times. She groaned and stirred in bed until her wings faced the window and her face stared at the door. She slowly got up and told Dark Cacao to wait for her to change. Once done, she opened the door to greet him. Dark Cacao is in his usual outfit, just armour. Sometimes she wonders how he feels comfortable wearing that armor every single day. She bets he sleeps with that thing on in the name of “protection.” Golden Cheese leaned on the doorway and asked what was going on.

“Come outside, it's a surprise.”

“Oh? The cold and stern King of the Dark Cacao Kingdom is doing a surprise? For me, of all people? Hmph, didn’t you say it yourself that you found me intolerable?” Golden Cheese smirked while poking his chest playfully. Dark Cacao swiped her hand away from him.

“I didn’t organize this; it was Pure Vanilla. I also do not know what this supposed “surprise” is. Pure Vanilla said to meet him outside, so let's go.”

They headed to the entrance of the château and opened the door just enough to see Pure Vanilla talking to someone and hugging them, but not the other person. Pure Vanilla saw them at the door and signaled for them to come outside. Golden Cheese was the first to approach, while Dark Cacao followed close behind. The unidentified figure rushed past Pure Vanilla and made a beeline straight to her. Before she could react or brace for impact, she was scooped up into the air and was subsequently squeezed. Very tightly. Golden Cheese was choking on her saliva and wheezing, trying to get air into her lungs. She tried using her arms, but they were also trapped in their hug.

“Golden Cheese! It’s been a long time since we’ve met each other properly! How has it been?” Hollyberry exclaimed happily. Golden Cheese was still choking and unable to breathe; her wings were twitching wildly, as it was trapped in her hug. She’s trying to use her legs to escape from the hug, to no avail. Dark Cacao approached Hollyberry to try to calm the situation and let her go.

“Hollyberry, let Golden Cheese go. I know that you're happy to see her again, but can’t you see that it’s starting to become unbearable for her?”

Hollyberry dropped Golden Cheese to the ground with a thump. She landed on her legs, but quickly lost balance due to being disoriented and the lack of oxygen to her brain. She fell backwards, but Dark Cacao was quick to swoop down and catch her. She put a hand to her chest and continued to wheeze to try to catch her breath. Hollyberry’s face turned from happiness and excitement to relentless worry in the snap of a finger.

“OH MY– I’m so sorry, I didn’t know I was hurting you! Ah, uhm…” She looked for Pure Vanilla and called him over. He put his hand over Golden Cheese's torso and stomach to see any signs of broken bones, but found no issue. “She just needs to take some deep breaths and space, but otherwise, no other major complications. When she’s alright, please, tell her to come to breakfast so we can all eat under the same roof.”

Dark Cacao nodded and picked her up to her feet, and then let one of her arms wrap around his neck while he firmly placed his arms around her waist. He then led her back to her assigned room. Once inside, he gently laid her on the bed and loomed over her, not leaving. Her glassy, golden-yellow eyes drifted to his dark violet ones. They stared at each other until Golden Cheese broke the silence.

“Why are you still here?” She heaved out.

“Trying to make sure you're okay.”

“Humph, this is the first time that you’ve shown concern for me. You’ve always called me reckless and stated that ‘If you ever get hurt from your stupidity, I will not help you in any shape or fashion.’” She relished, attempting to mock his voice when he was younger. “What changed, what is new? And sit down, please, I don’t want you breaking your old back from standing too long and looking down on me from that angle.”

Dark Cacao grimaced at the voice change attempt while he sat down near her legs.

“I was… simply worried for you. We had a meeting like this, you weren’t here, and…”

He sighed.

“It's been a while since I've seen you.”

Golden Cheese smirked while putting a hand to her cheek. She has never seen Dark Cacao be so sentimental, but decided not to comment on it. She then sat up on the bed and stretched her arms and wings while yawning.

“I can say the same for you all; it has really been forever since we last met. Anyway, I’m hungry. Are we eating breakfast or not?”

She reached on top of the drawer on the bed to grab the pastries that were brought yesterday. Dark Cacao curiously raised an eyebrow.

“Recovered already?”

“Yes, I am an immortal goddess.”

“Tell me how those two things connect.”

Golden Cheese snorted as he slowly got up and both headed to the hallway. There, they meet a servant who then guides them to the dining hall. Once the doors opened, Pure Vanilla and Hollyberry fronted their direction and smiled warmly, greeting them until they got to their respective seats. Golden Cheese glanced discreetly at her environment. Sitting at the head of the table is who she would assume is Madeleine’s Mother. She has the same wings as him on her back, but instead of a pair of wings on each cheekbone, there are four instead. Now turning to her right, she sees three more women who she assumes are the aunts based on her conversation with Madeleine before. 

She grabbed the pastries at her side and opened them up, smiling, seeing that they were still in their prime quality.

The woman sitting at the head of the table stood up gracefully. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth moved as if she were rehearsing a speech. Once done, she opened her eyes and started her greeting.

“Hello, and Good Morning to my family, and the esteemed guest residing under our roof, The Ancient Heroes. My name is Grand Madeleine, and The House of Madeleine is eternally grateful that, even though not everyone could make it, you decided to stay here until the end of your stay.”

“You don’t have to say all that. We are the ones who should be thankful that you even decided to house us!” Pure Vanilla gushed while the rest of the Ancient Heroes nodded in agreement.

Grand Madeleine smiled and nodded slowly before continuing. “Very well then. You must be famished from your trip, no? I will not delay it any further and let the maids know to start serving breakfast. And please, eat as much to your heart's content.”

As soon as the words left her lips, the maids rushed in, delivering breakfast in paced steps. Assortments of bread, meat, and drinks arrive at the table. Grand Madeleine was the first to gather food on their plate, and everyone followed soon after.

.

.

.

Maids and servants shift in and out of the dining hall as everyone is concluding their breakfast. Glancing to her side, Golden Cheese frowned slightly as she realized that she hadn’t eaten the treat that she had brought. As Grand Madeleine, Madeleine, and the 3 aunts were about to leave, Golden Cheese stood up and walked over to them.

“Before you leave, I just want to give you a little something, a gift, if you will.” She handed Grand Madeleine the two boxes of pastries.

“... I’ll take just one, no more, no less. Thank you for this generous gift, but it will be much preferred if you share it with your friends.”

“Very well then.”

Grand Madeleine took only one treat from the box on top, which was a macaron, and took a bite out of it. As they were walking away, Madeleine tapped on Grand Madeleine’s shoulders, said something, and opened his mouth. Grand Madeleine softly chuckled and popped the macaron she didn’t finish inside his mouth.

Golden Cheese thought that it was quite cute.

She wished she could have moments like that, too.

She turned back and sat down at the table, since none of the others had left yet.

“What were you talking to her about?” Hollyberry leaned towards her as she inquired.

“Ah, nothing, just wanted to give her a little present. By the way, would anyone like to have pastries? I bought them just yesterday.”

She opened the two boxes and took some macarons and scones. The rest proceed to do the same, except for Pure Vanilla.

“Hey,” Hollyberry whispered. “Eat some, especially the one that Golden Cheese bought for us. You didn’t eat much for breakfast, so at least take one to have some energy throughout the day.”

Pure Vanilla solemnly nodded, then took one of each. ‘Hollyberry’s right, especially for the long day we have ahead.’

“Ah, Vanilla, there’s something I want to ask of you.”

His attention quickly left the food at hand to look directly at Golden Cheese.

“Hm? What’s wrong, Golden Cheese?” He questioned with a quizzical look.

“Is… White Lily not coming? Grand Madeleine did say that not everyone was able to arrive here.”

“Ah, yes, she sent a letter stating that she has an important matter at the moment, so she’s not able to come here today.”

“Hm, makes sense,” Golden Cheese left off. She continues eating the pastries, and on the outside, she might look calm and composed, but on the inside, she profusely thanked the witches that she wouldn’t need to deal with unnecessary tension, drama, and stress today.