**Chapter 10: The Royal Kitchen Catastrophe and the Great Pudding Heist**
In the western wing of the Obsidian Flame Palace, beneath the enchanted chandeliers and shimmering spirit-flames, lay the heart of delicious creation — the Royal Kitchen. It was a place of legend. A place where mana-infused spices danced in midair, where culinary tools sang lullabies to boiling pots, and where the chefs were so skilled, they could bake pies that told your fortune.
And on this fine morning, that heart was about to explode.
---
### **The Breakfast Blow-Up**
Princess Thalassa had declared a special breakfast: "Tidalberry Pancakes with Moonlight Syrup and Starlight Sprinkles."
Everyone was thrilled.
Well, almost everyone.
Phoenix, age 9 months, had decided he was done with "baby food."
As he watched a chef mana-whisking pudding ten feet away, his eyes glinted with suspicion. Why was he being served soft-mashed starfruit when there was *pudding magic* happening right there?
He pointed.
He demanded.
"Pud!" he declared with royal authority.
The chef bowed, apologetically. "My prince, this pudding is not yet—"
*BOOM!*
With a mischievous giggle, Phoenix activated a personal teleport bubble. He popped out of his high chair, leaving behind only a faint glitter trail and a shocked palace nanny.
Three seconds later, he appeared on top of a floating fruit bowl near the stove, launched himself with chaotic baby physics onto the pudding counter—and face-planted right into the mixing bowl.
"...Pud...!" he said, mouth full and victorious.
The pudding exploded in a magnificent swirl of caramel, chocolate mana, and giggles.
---
### **Sisters to the Rescue**
A palace-wide alarm flared.
"CODE PUDDING! CODE PUDDING!" shouted the kitchen guardians — enchanted spoons clanging themselves against pots.
Within moments, five of Phoenix's elder sisters barged in:
* **Seraphina** (fire spells ready, eyes glowing)
* **Elowen** (shield spells already activated)
* **Aislynn** (with a flying towel to clean the mess)
* **Lysithea** (summoning her crystal monocle)
* **Thalassa** (with a jug of Moonlight Syrup, obviously)
"What did he do now?" groaned Elowen.
"He's making pudding angels," Aislynn said, watching Phoenix spread pudding on the counter with his limbs and roll around in delight.
Seraphina glared. "He hacked the teleport wards *again*! This child's OP!"
Lysithea adjusted her monocle. "According to my calculations, Phoenix's current magical energy output exceeds that of a mid-tier adult elf."
Thalassa dropped the syrup jug. "...He's not even a year old."
---
### **The Pudding Heist Escalates**
Phoenix, not content with pudding angels, now eyed the Mana-Cake Vault — a chamber with desserts so enchanted they were *alive*. Literally.
Before anyone could stop him, he *waddled* toward it, giggling maniacally.
The guards — two serious-looking golems made of gingerbread and iron — stood ready.
"Authorization required," they rumbled.
Phoenix raised both hands.
"I is Pud King."
The golems hesitated.
One of them blinked.
The ancient enchantments within their sugary cores recognized royal mana.
*Access Granted.*
"NOOOO!" all five sisters shouted.
But too late. Phoenix entered the vault.
And unleashed **Dessertageddon**.
Flying custard missiles. Cake beasts made of frosting. Pudding elemental spirits that giggled and danced. A jelly donut that sang operatic revenge.
The kitchen was overrun.
Thalassa summoned a water dome to contain the chaos.
Seraphina counter-blasted molten sugar golems.
Lysithea attempted negotiation with a tiramisu wyvern.
Meanwhile, Phoenix rode a whipped cream dragon around the ceiling, laughing like a maniac.
"Pud King rules all!"
---
### **Empress Rose Intervenes**
Finally, Empress Rose entered the scene.
Hair perfect. Eyes glowing. Gown untouched by mess.
The desserts *froze*.
Even the jelly donut stopped mid-aria.
She walked up to Phoenix, who now wore a crown made of candied cherries.
"Phoenix Bennith Nightshade," she said softly. "Did you enjoy your adventure?"
He blinked.
Then grinned.
"Mama! Pud!"
She sighed.
"I suppose you earned it. But next time…"
She clapped once.
All desserts immediately de-animated.
The whipped cream dragon sighed and melted into whipped puddles.
The pudding spirits bowed respectfully before disappearing.
"Mama's domain trumps all," whispered a stunned golem.
---
### **Aftermath and Cleanup**
The sisters gathered Phoenix, cleaned him, and changed his chocolate-covered royal robes.
Back in the nursery, he was curled up in his enchanted floating crib, snoring peacefully with a tiny cupcake in one hand and his loyal sock Sir Sockles in the other.
The sisters watched him in silence.
Then they burst out laughing.
"He's going to take over the world with *pudding,*" said Aislynn.
"No," said Seraphina, "with sheer chaos."
Lysithea scribbled notes. "I need to increase the kitchen wards by 200%."
Thalassa brought extra syrup. "Just in case."
Elowen sighed happily. "It's never boring with our little prince."
---
### **Sibling Glossary (Updated)**
| Name | Age | Specialty | Personality |
| ----------- | ------ | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| Seraphina | Eldest | Fire Magic & Combat | Fiery, protective, dramatic |
| Thalassa | 2nd | Water Magic & Emotions | Gentle, nurturing, overplanner |
| Elowen | 3rd | Shield Magic & Protection | Calm, rational, stoic |
| Aislynn | 4th | Wind Magic & Healing | Playful, kind, scatterbrained |
| Lysithea | 5th | Crystal Magic & Analysis | Smart, nerdy, obsessed with data |
| Celestielle | 6th | Star Magic & Celestial Charts | Dreamy, mysterious, poetic |
| Nyxaria | 7th | Shadow Magic & Stealth | Sarcastic, cool, sleepy |
| Ophelia | 8th | Ice Magic & Aesthetic Spells | Fashionable, elegant, sassy |
| Virellia | 9th | Flora Magic & Illusions | Whimsical, quiet, loves flowers |