The Elementalists

16.

Swallowing my pride hurts.

I stayed quiet to any further retorts and remarks as I took their orders down. I could see Wafi wasn't enjoying this as well. I'm a Royal too now, I shouldn't have to deal with shit from other royals.

As soon as I was through the kitchen door, I placed the notepad down and braced myself against the counter for some fortifying breaths.

"That bad, huh?" Brett spoke softly from behind. "I was watching. You seemed to be hating it. Don't worry, I'll go. You stay here."

I shook my head. "I hate that guy and his pompous ass but I'm not giving up. I'll manage the rest of their order, Brett."

"Atleast tell me what happened?" He continued. "The Fire Prince Regent seemed confused but the Wat-"

"Call them by their names, please." I straightened up. "Both their titles are a mouthful."

There was a short pause where I had to turn to see if Brett was still there. He seemed to struggle internally with what was probably decades old tradition. I sighed. "Fine. Call them whatever you want. I don't care either way."

"The Water Prince seemed to be enjoying humiliating you." He continued after a relieved exhale. "What happened between you two?"

I sighed. Here we go again. "Did you hear about the fiasco at the Initiation Dance?"

Brett scoffed. "Who hasn't? Some idiot attacked Elizabeth."

I sighed as I started to crush ice for their drinks. "I didn't attack her intentionally. She threw me through a glass door and I acted on my instincts."

Dead silence. Just the sound of ice being crushed as Brett probably wondered how to fire me gently.

"She threw you through a glass door?" He whispered. "She's that strong?"

"Her water projectile hit me square in my side. I crashed into the door. It's why I didn't show up for my first shift." I shrugged nonchalantly. "Sorry. If you want to fire me now, I get it."

"I don't want to fire you. But I must admit what you did was stupid. She's a royal and she's stronger than you."

"Her attack on me was unprovoked." I paused, questioning if I should continue. "She... Christopher and her were enjoying a private moment when I accidentally walked in on them. I tried to leave silently, she spotted me, I apologized. The rest is in my medical history. And hers, of course."

Pouring their drinks into separate glasses, I placed them on a tray. "Set the french fries in the deep fryer, please. I have to make their stuff when I get back."

Nudging the door open with my hip, I rounded the counter and headed towards the special table. The café was almost empty. The last few people had to pay their bill. My two patrons suspiciously shut up as I approached their table.

"Sunrise Surprise and chocolate smoothie." For Christopher and Wafi respectively. We did share the same taste. But everyone likes chocolate anyway. Maybe he just went with the safest choice.

Christopher sceptically eyed the bright orange drink  I sighed, tucking the tray by my side. "I didn't put anything fishy in it. Go ahead, it's our best drink."

It was a tall curved glass. The drink inside darkening from Orange at the bottom to a luscious red, topped with a sprig of mint alongside a black straw. He gave me another worried glance, I rolled my eyes. "You want me to taste test it for poison or something?"

He scowled and I heard Wafi choke on his own drink. Rising to the challenge, Christopher took a small sip and seemed pleasantly surprised. His blue eyes widened slightly as he pulled back from the straw and glanced up at me once before looking away. He didn't seem to want to verbalise his appreciation.