"It's going to be easy for you since you already look the part." Bardumond made it sound easier than it actually was.
Something about the thought didn't sit well with her.
"How exactly am I going to do that?" She asked, thinking in her mind that he was crazy if he thought she was really going to ettempt such a thing.
"I don't know. You think of something." He brushed a hand through her hair. Her eyebrows scrunched in a frown and he knew that she would consider it. "See you at dinner."
"See you." She muttered out a whisper, cringing at the thought of Dairon's interaction with Blaze. Would they break into a fight as soon as they saw each other? She could only hope that they wouldn't, but there was only one way to find out.
It was not difficult to convince Dairon to join her and Blaze's family for dinner so that evening, they both went to his castle.
Dairon was still uncertain of Blaze's intention as the servants welcomed them cordially as though they were regular visitors.
"I don't have a good feeling about this." He gripped her hand protectively.
"Why would you say that?" She jabbed him to lower his voice so the servants would not overhear them.
"The firefly would never invite us over for no reason. I don't believe for a second that he is inviting us for a good reason either. He must be plotting something." He whispered for her to hear.
"You can't say that in his own residence. Who knows? He could be overhearing us." She warned him sternly.
Thanks to her warning, he remained silent for the rest of the walk down the hallway until they came to the regal dining chamber.
Lolanthe was the first to react to their arrival.
"There you are. I was starting to worry that you would not come." She set down the tray in her hands on the enormous dining table and greeted Dairon first, placing a kiss on each of his cheeks. She would have done the same to Jasmine if she didn't look away defensively.
She rubbed her nose awkwardly. "Hi, Jasmine."
"Hi." Jasmine looked around for Blaze uncomfortably. Or Bardumond, or anything that could keep her from having to force a conversation with Lolanthe.
Understanding that Jasmine was still unable to forgive her, Lolanthe forced a smile and looked at Dairon. "Why don't you two have a seat? Dinner is almost ready."
"Thank you." Dairon pulled his mate to sit at the chairs that Lolanthe pulled for them. It was strange that they were in the dining room even before the hosts, and even more strange that they would be sitting very close to the head seat.
Blaze would sit at the head of the table, Dairon guessed. So he switched positions and let Jasmine take the seat next to her father's. In a few minutes, Lolanthe led two maid servants who brought cutlery, and instructed them as they arranged it.
He watched as they placed a set at the head of the table, their spots, then at three spots after that. His brows knitted in confusion. They were the only ones dining with Blaze's family. Why was there an extra spot?
He turned to Jasmine to ask if she knew of any other invited guess, only to realize that the demigoddess beside him was trembling.
"Are you okay?" He asked as she clearly wasn't.
She shook her head.
"It's Goddess Lolanthe." Jasmine rubbed her palms against her arms. "Something about her is giving me the chills. I don't know what it is."
He shot a look at the door where Lolanthe had left just a moment ago, "If you are too uncomfortable to have dinner with her, we can leave."
"It would be best if I stayed to find out." She decided and looked around. "Why isn't anyone here, anyway? They don't expect us to make ourselves at home in their home without them, right?"
"But this is your home, Little Jasmine." Interjected Blaze, who had come in just in time to hear that part of their conversation.
"Papa," Jasmine smiled as she stood up to hug him, and he rewarded her by patting her head.
"You called him papa." Dairon explained in a whisper. She still couldn't get it. Since when did deities refer to their children as good girls?
Bardumond came in and saw the confusion on her face, which made him laugh. "Don't be so shocked. Father has been spending a lot of his time…"
"Bardumond!" Blaze glared at his son.
"What a bummer that I'm being told to shut up." He grinned in mischief. "If you want, I can tell you later when father is not listening."
That was not needed, because Lolanthe exposed her own husband . "Blazey has been spending a lot of time studying the human realm so he would know how to interact with you."
"Is that so? That's so sweet of you, father." She hugged him again and Blaze was relieved, having thought that she would find him annoying.
They all sat down, and Jasmine took the chance to whisper her question to Dairon. "What does this have to do with me calling him papa?"
"That's what you call Harry." He whispered back. It was true, but she felt it was only an excuse he had come up with. What was the first thing on his mind? It didn't take long for her to figure it out. His tensed expression answered her. It must have been what Catalyah called Blaze after spending too much time in the human realm. Not that she minded it.
She noticed the unoccupied seat beside between Blaze and Lolanthe which was opposite hers and cast a glance at Bardumond. Was there something he didn't tell her?
The answer walked in before she could ask about it.
"You've got to be kidding me!" She muttered under her breath when King Rian walked in with his entourage.
"What's the meaning of this?" She shot a look at Blaze.
"My dear, King Rian just decided to join us for dinner. He only told us about it a few minutes ago." Blaze explained nervously, afraid that Jasmine would walk out in displeasure.
Her response was to turn at Lolanthe intently as though she knew what was going on, but she simply smiled. "I see."
"Aren't you happy to see me?" King Rian's taunting words were aimed at Jasmine, with a smirk of victory on his face. He liked seeing this troublesome duo squirm.
"Of course I am. What's better than having dinner with you, grandpa?" She smiled exaggeratively and nearly gritted her teeth. What did she just call him?
She was not the most shocked. Dairon tried to hide his smirk in vain, while Bardumond sported a full smile and secretly gave her a thumbs up that she couldn't understand. On the other hand, Blaze, King Rian and Lolanthe looked like they had seen a ghost.
It wasn't long before she understood their reaction.
"I have told you a million times not to call me that. Human realm nicknames annoy me." He grumbled, looking like he was about to flip out.
So that was why they were all shocked. She had accidentally said something that Catalyah liked saying to annoy him.
"I didn't know that it irked you, considering you have never told me so." She smiled at him.
He frowned in confusion and she knew that he must have realized that he was over thinking."Now you know."
"I will not call you that again." She lied. "I don't know why I did. It just felt so natural, like I should call you that."
She looked down so her eyes would not express too much delight at his discomfort.
Perhaps Bardumond was right. Making him believe that she could be Catalyah was going to be helpful and too much fun!
The servants went around putting food in their plates, and Jasmine looked into hers with mischief. She then turned to Blaze. "Papa, have you ever tried food from the human realm?"
Blaze was taken aback. "I have, but why do you ask?"
Her smile was sinister as she continued. "It's delicious, but I'm certain that grandpa—I mean, grandfather—has never tried it. If we employ a chef from the human realm, it will be much easier to let him know how they taste, don't you think?" She suggested, peeking at the enraged god from the corner of her eye.
"Jasmine, we are gods." He fumed.
"I know. But that doesn't mean much. I was a goddess in my last life but I still loved human realm food." She stabbed a fork into her food and enjoyed the shocked gasps for a moment before correcting herself. "I mean, a demigoddess.. Haha."