Reincarnated as the Villainess's Unlucky Bodyguard-Chapter 206: Family Reunions and Pineapple Diplomacy

Whatever darkness lay ahead, tonight they would be stronger than fear because tonight, hope had been brewed carefully, deliberately, into every cup.

I glanced around the tea room, savoring the quiet comfort of flickering candles, the scent of warm pastries, and the gentle murmur of voices blending into a comforting hum. Nyleth's tea room had always been strange and delightful in equal measure, a tiny refuge from the chaos that seemed intent on tearing apart our world. But as I raised my cup, inhaling the delicate fragrance that promised optimism or at least slightly less despair I realized how fragile this peace truly was.

I was proven right the moment the door burst open with an energy that could only belong to one specific individual.

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"Enara!" came the unmistakable voice of my mother, Queen Verida, echoing through the room with the kind of volume usually reserved for battlefield commands. Her deep crimson cloak fluttered dramatically as she strode inside, her golden cat-like eyes piercing straight to me, a fierce mix of relief and urgency dancing in their depths.

I nearly choked on my tea. Beside me, Daena calmly sipped hers, her lips twitching ever so slightly into what might have been amusement. It was difficult to tell Daena had always possessed an enviable poker face, honed through decades of royal intrigue.

"Mother," I managed, rising awkwardly to my feet, trying not to notice how every other patron in the tea room had stopped mid-sip, frozen in various states of shock or terror.

Behind my mother, Queen Nyssara entered, her lavender skin softly glowing in the candlelight, her silver spiral horns reflecting tiny flickers of flame. She moved gracefully, almost silently, offering me a gentle smile that did nothing to hide the steely resolve shimmering in her lilac eyes.

Before I could utter another word, a third figure waddled imperiously through the doorway, looking utterly incongruous amid my regal parents. Ananara, the sentient pineapple, paused dramatically, his spiky leaves quivering with barely contained indignation. He glared around the tea room, disdain etched into every curve of his bright yellow form.

"Well, isn't this just charming," Ananara announced loudly. "I see you've all decided to hide from impending doom by drinking tea brewed with existential dread."

"Ananara," I said, pressing my fingers against my temple to ward off the impending headache. "Must you?"

"Must I?" Ananara scoffed, somehow managing to look even more offended despite being, quite literally, fruit. "You dragged me across half the kingdom, only to have me witness you and Daena engaging in therapeutic tea drinking while the world burns around us."

I glanced helplessly at Daena, who was suddenly deeply interested in a pastry shaped suspiciously like a small dragon, deliberately avoiding my eyes.

"Not that this isn't lovely," my mother interjected, cutting off Ananara's tirade with practiced efficiency, "but we have slightly more pressing matters to attend to."

Nyssara placed a calming hand on Verida's shoulder, her gentle smile soothing. "Perhaps we might sit and discuss this calmly? After all, panic seldom leads to wise decisions."

Nyleth chose that moment to glide forward gracefully, completely unfazed by the sudden appearance of two queens and an overly opinionated pineapple. "Welcome, Your Majesties. Might I interest you in some tea? Tonight's special blend is particularly suited for handling world-ending crises."

Ananara puffed up indignantly. "Do I look like someone who requires tea to manage a crisis?"

"Yes," Daena murmured quietly, finally breaking her pastry-induced silence. I shot her a look, and she shrugged elegantly. "What? Someone had to say it."

My mother cleared her throat pointedly, effectively silencing the escalating pineapple-based drama. "Nyleth, tea would be wonderful, thank you."

With practiced ease, Nyleth disappeared into the depths of her tea room, leaving us to settle ourselves around a table that suddenly felt too small, crowded with tension, royalty, and fruit. I took a moment to study my parents. Verida, ever fierce and commanding, sat rigidly, her crimson skin glowing faintly with suppressed energy, while Nyssara remained calm and poised, the very picture of celestial elegance. Yet beneath her composed exterior, I saw the strain, the worry they both carried.

"So," I said finally, breaking the heavy silence. "How dire is it?"

"Dire enough," Verida replied bluntly, fingers drumming against the tabletop. "Azael's forces are on the move, and Eldermire has already fallen."

My stomach tightened painfully, but I forced myself to nod calmly. "We heard."

Nyssara leaned forward slightly, her voice gentle yet firm. "We've mobilized our own forces, but the scale of Azael's army is…unprecedented. And with Liria at her side, the situation grows increasingly complicated."

The mention of Liria sent a sharp ache slicing through my chest, a pain I quickly buried beneath a mask of calm determination. Daena shifted slightly beside me, clearly feeling it too, though her expression betrayed nothing.

"Then we prepare," Daena said quietly. "We fortify our defenses, rally allies, and strike back before Azael can devastate everything in her path."

"Exactly," Verida agreed, her golden eyes blazing with fierce pride at Daena's unyielding resolve. "We cannot afford hesitation."

Nyssara glanced at Ananara, her expression turning curious. "And you, Master Ananara? Will you aid us?"

Ananara straightened, his leaves rustling importantly. "Aid you? My dear, without me, you'd likely be running in circles, sobbing into your tea cups."

"Of course," Daena murmured dryly. "How could we ever manage without you?"

"Precisely," Ananara agreed imperiously, entirely missing or perhaps deliberately ignoring Daena's sarcasm. "You'll find my tactical mind unmatched."

Despite everything, I felt a reluctant smile tugging at my lips. It was oddly comforting, amidst all the chaos, to know some things would never change including Ananara's unshakeable arrogance.

Nyleth reappeared at precisely that moment, setting fresh tea before us, the aroma calming despite the grim circumstances. "Drink up," she instructed gently. "This blend should provide both clarity and courage."

We each took a cup, sipping in silence, gathering strength. The tea tasted faintly of mint, lavender, and something indefinable yet soothing perhaps courage really did have its own distinct flavor.

Finally, I lowered my cup, meeting each pair of eyes around the table. My parents, strong and determined; Daena, calm and resolute; and Ananara, stubborn and somehow reassuring in his absurdity.

"Then it's settled," I said firmly. "We stand together, face whatever comes, and remind Azael exactly who she's challenged."

Ananara's leaves quivered slightly, and for a moment, he almost seemed moved until he cleared his nonexistent throat dramatically. "Yes, yes, very inspiring. Now can we please discuss how we'll defeat an evil overlord without further fruit-related distractions?"

Daena shook her head softly, lips curving into a faint, reluctant smile. "As insufferable as you are, Ananara, you might actually be right."

"Of course I am," Ananara sniffed, somehow puffing himself up further despite being fundamentally incapable of puffing. "Now, let's get strategic. Enara, have you considered weaponizing me? I'm quite sharp, you know."

My mother, Verida, stared at him in disbelief, her expression caught somewhere between horror and fascination. "Are you suggesting we use you as an actual weapon?"

Ananara scoffed loudly. "Well, clearly, Queen Verida, you underestimate the power of a sentient pineapple. My leaves can cause severe discomfort, I assure you."

Nyssara placed a gentle hand on Verida's arm, her voice serene as always, though amusement danced faintly in her eyes. "Perhaps we should keep Ananara's role more…advisory."

Ananara made a noise that was suspiciously close to disappointment, though he didn't argue further. He settled for grumbling quietly, his mutterings about being "criminally undervalued" and "tragically underutilized" mostly lost beneath the sounds of the tea room returning slowly to its usual rhythm.

I cleared my throat gently, pulling the conversation back to the seriousness of our situation. "If we're going to fight Azael's forces directly, we'll need more than courage and optimism."

Verida nodded sharply, eyes gleaming with familiar intensity. "Agreed. I've already sent word to our strongest allies. The Southern Demon Lords have agreed to reinforce our armies. And Seraphina's Celestial Guard will join us as well."

A small shiver ran down my spine at the mention of Seraphina. She was powerful, yes, but her distaste for chaos—particularly the chaos associated with Ananara—was legendary. I glanced sideways at the pineapple, imagining the inevitable clash between the celestial's icy dignity and Ananara's relentless ego. It would either be catastrophic or hilarious. Possibly both.

Daena's eyes met mine, clearly following the same thought. "Are we sure that's wise?" she murmured, though her tone suggested she was more amused than genuinely concerned.

"Wisdom doesn't always win wars," Verida pointed out dryly. "Sometimes, we just need overwhelming power."

"And occasionally," Nyssara added mildly, sipping her tea calmly, "we need an irritable Celestial to counterbalance an overly arrogant pineapple."

Ananara bristled. "I heard that."

"We know," Nyssara replied serenely. "That was intentional."

The tea room door opened again, and everyone turned instinctively, half-expecting another dramatic entrance. Instead, a young demon soldier stood nervously in the doorway, eyes wide at the intimidating assembly before him.

"Speak," Verida commanded gently, though her voice brooked no hesitation.

"My Queens," the soldier stammered slightly, his gaze darting anxiously to me and then swiftly away again. "Scouts report that Azael's forces have begun their advance toward the border towns. They move swiftly and Liria is leading the charge."

Silence fell heavily around the table. Daena's fingers tightened imperceptibly around her cup, while my heart twisted sharply at the mention of Liria's name. Even Ananara fell uncharacteristically quiet.

Verida stood decisively, her cloak fluttering behind her. "Then we move tonight. We gather our forces and march to meet them before they can reach the capital."

Nyssara rose beside her, calm yet resolute. "We'll give them a fight they won't soon forget."

The soldier bowed quickly, retreating hurriedly back into the night.

Daena looked at me, her expression steeling, masking the pain that lingered behind her eyes. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"

"Yes," I said quietly, though my heart felt heavy with the weight of inevitable battle. "We don't have a choice."

Ananara, breaking the heavy moment, cleared his nonexistent throat dramatically. "Well, since we're marching off to glorious battle, might I suggest we bring extra pastries? Wars are notoriously poor on snack options."