Chapter 11: The Great Cookie Conspiracy
The Dragon Palace of Arcania had withstood earthquakes, divine beasts, intercontinental wars, and one particularly memorable party hosted by Aunt Beatrix the Berserker Queen. But nothing—and I repeat, nothing—could have prepared it for what was about to happen on an otherwise peaceful morning in the Violet Sun Garden.
Phoenix Bennith Nightshade, age one and three-quarters, was on a mission. A very serious mission. A mission of the utmost urgency.
"I want the cookies!" he declared, standing atop his highchair in the breakfast hall, pointing dramatically at the enormous jar of honeyed moon-choco-chip cookies resting behind ten different layers of magical lock and preservation enchantments.
The royal pastry chef, Sir Muffington the Third (yes, he came from a long line of Muffingtons), looked nervously toward Empress Rose.
"Milady... shall we grant His Tiny Majesty his... sugary request?"
Rose, reclining with a book in hand and a silk mask on her eyes, did not even look up. "If he can break through the wards, he deserves the cookies."
Phoenix's violet-red eyes gleamed.
---
Enter Stage Left: Nine overly dramatic older sisters.
First to arrive: Thalassa, the sea sorceress, who floated into the room on a miniature wave.
"Brother! Cookies are for AFTER training!"
"But I trained in my dreams!" Phoenix insisted, now attempting to summon a fireball with his pacifier still in his mouth.
Cassiel, the battle maiden, dropped from the rafters.
"We trained you not to cause destruction indoors!"
"Technically, you trained me to dodge falling teacups," Phoenix countered.
Meanwhile, Elowen the illusionist conjured a dozen cookie decoys which Phoenix immediately saw through.
"Fakes," he said, unimpressed, setting one down and watching it fizzle into sparkling air.
Saphira, the diplomat, tried reason. "Dear brother, don't you think cookies taste better when shared peacefully?"
"Yes," Phoenix said. "I will share them... with the inner Phoenix in me."
---
At that moment, the cookie jar glowed, sensing his intent. The first lock clicked open.
Sir Muffington fainted.
The second and third wards shattered as Phoenix levitated upward using Windy Wiggle, his patented baby wind-boosting spell (which also had the unfortunate side effect of flinging nearby servants into hedges).
Outside the palace, Rudeus Bennith looked up from his diplomatic scrolls.
"Ah," he said, stroking his chin. "The cookie crisis begins."
---
Soon the entire palace was in motion.
Guards erected cookie barriers.
The chefs armed themselves with batter-cannons.
The palace cats held strategic positions on windowsills, ready to pounce.
Phoenix? He just giggled.
"Operation Snacktime is go!"
He summoned a tiny dragon made of fire mana, which he rode like a war chariot, blasting through wards four through seven.
Athena, the healer sister, chased after him on a flying bed sheet yelling, "YOU'LL GET A STOMACHACHE!"
Vanya the tactician had already formed a full war table in the living room.
"We flank the cookie jar from the left, send decoys right, and distract Phoenix with a new plushie prototype: Cuddle-Drake Supreme."
"I can hear you," Phoenix called from the hallway.
"Curses," muttered Vanya. "He's developing anti-eavesdrop ears."
---
Down in the magical vault, final ward #10 remained.
Phoenix stood before it, arms crossed.
Behind him, his sisters slowly filed in.
"Phoenix," said Solara, the celestial dreamweaver. "Why cookies? Why now?"
He turned slowly, dramatic lighting flaring (likely from Elowen).
"Because... sometimes, a prince must rise. Not for war. Not for glory. But for dessert."
Cassiel wept a single tear. "He's... so noble."
And with a snap of his chubby fingers, the last ward broke.
The jar opened.
Silence.
Then...
CRUNCH.
Phoenix bit into the first moon-choco-chip cookie.
Angels sang.
Somewhere, the Cookie God nodded.
And then—he offered the second cookie to his sisters.
"Share?"
---
Later that evening, after a palace-wide nap from mana exhaustion and cookie crash, Rudeus and Rose stood watching their son snuggle between nine snoozing sisters.
"He broke ten magical locks," Rose said. "In under an hour."
"And united his sisters through baked goods," Rudeus added. "He may be unstoppable."
"He is," Rose whispered, kissing Phoenix's forehead. "Our little chaos bringer."