Wings

Mariposa attempted to make small talk with the King as they're flying, but he never stayed engaged for long, making it challenging to keep a conversation with him. So, Mariposa stops trying. She chalks it up to him probably not enjoying small talk. But, on the plus side, since they're not talking, it makes it easy to remove her arm from his.

She started to lag behind the King, going back into her mind after a few seconds. She wanted to make sure that what happened in the throne room wouldn't happen again. She was lucky that Catania decided to help her since Mariposa couldn't think of anything herself.

Mariposa was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Catania and Sophie come up next to her.

"-riposa. Hey, Mariposa!" Catania whisper-shouted at her. "You there?"

Mariposa shook her head to clear her thoughts, then looked over at Catania. "Oh, uh, Hi!" Mariposa glanced over at King. "Uh, should I be talking to you?" She whispered.

Catania giggled, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. I started the conversation. So if us speaking is so bad, then I'll take the blame."

Mariposa glanced at King Regellius one more time before giving Catania a small smile. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

"Well, you don't need to. I like you well enough to do that anyway." Catania said with a smile.

The butterflies returned, but Mariposa pretended they didn't. Just like she pretended that she wasn't blushing.

"Oh, thank you for saving me in there, by the way. I don't know what I would have said if you didn't help." Mariposa said, rubbing the back of her neck and smiling sheepishly.

Catania waved her off. "It was no problem. Really. My father can be a bit intense when you first meet him. Especially since you're, you know, a butterfly fairy."

"I hope that's not going to be a problem, with all the stereotypes, I mean. I don't want everyone to be afraid of me..." Mariposa trailed off, playing with a loose strand of her hair anxiously.

"I'm sure everyone will love you, even if they don't want to right away. You're great! I mean, I already like you, and so does Sophie!" The pegasus whinnied at the sound of her name, shaking out her mane.

"Aw. I like you too, Sophie. And you too, Catania, of course." Mariposa laughed, hoping that her face wasn't reddening as much she thought she was.

"Thank you." Catania stared at Mariposa for a while before talking again. "You know, you're nothing like the stories about you and your people."

Mariposa raised an eyebrow at this. "What do you mean?"

Catania shrugged, landing Sophie just before the doorway to the terrace. She dismounted, before continuing. "You're beautiful." She said casually with a smile, then walked out to join her father at the table that had been set up, not seeming to notice the state that she left Mariposa in.

Mariposa was hovering a bit away from the door, her face a deep red. Had she heard that correctly? Did Catania call her beautiful? Her? No, she must have imagined it. Yet, she couldn't have. She was paying too close attention to have made it up. But then, why?

Zee nudged Mariposa's shoulder, concern in her eyes. Mariposa smiled at Zee reassuringly, took a deep breath to calm herself, then flew out onto the terrace, sitting down in between Catania and King Regellius. Catania was just being nice, no need to overthink it.

They drank their tea in silence at first, no one wanting to start the conversation. And Mariposa swore that she saw Anu throw something at Zee, but was too focused on her tea to notice fully.

Then, the King cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "So, to defeat the Skeezites, your people must be trained as warriors from birth."

"Oh! No, we're not warriors." Mariposa started, "I mean, we have warriors, but we're a very peaceful people."

Mariposa didn't notice Talayla trying to get around her wings until she stuck her head around to ask, "More tea?"

Mariposa turned to look at her and nodded. "Yes, please." But she turned back around once she heard the King address her, bumping her wings into Talayla again.

"But I was under the impression that butterfly fairies were built for battle. The armored scales, the vice-like pincers, the fire breath!" He said, gesturing vaguely.

"Fire breath? Um, we actually don't have any of those." Mariposa said, shaking her head. Talayla was still trying to get around her. 

King Regellius made a thoughtful humming noise, staring down at the table in thought, then cleared his throat again and took another sip of his tea.

Mariposa looked up at the crystallites that were woven into the centerpiece and how they were glittering. "I love how the crystallites shimmer in the sun-" she reached out to touch them when the King moved to stop her. 

"Don't touch that!" He said quickly. "The crystallites are only to be touched by crystal fairies."

Mariposa quickly retracted her hand. "Oh! Of course."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Talayla said, leaning over Mariposa slightly, making a gesture with the tea. "If I could just..."

"Oh! Excuse me." Mariposa said, moving out of the way. But in the process, accidentally hitting the King with her wings. 

"Ugh! My word!" He exclaimed, trying to move away from them. 

Catania gasped, her eyes going wide.

"Oh, no!" Mariposa said, quickly moving away, this time hitting Talayla and making her drop the teapot. Mariposa ducked and flinched as some of the hot tea hit her arm. She didn't notice how Catania had a matching flinch and rubbed her arm in pain, even though none of the tea had hit her.

The teapot hit the table and splashed over Zee, making Anu laugh. Zee growled and threw a jelly tart at him, knocking him back.

"I'm so sorry," Mariposa said, already trying to clean up the spill. "This is awful! Let me help." As she was moving the teapot away, she knocked over the bowl of sugar. "Oh! My bad. Sorry!" Why did she have to be clumsy now? Of all times, why now? Did the universe hate her or something? 

Catania laughed and got up. "Here, allow me." She said, starting to pick up the sugar cubes.

Mariposa sighed in relief and smiled at Catania. "Thank you." But, the universe decided that it was having too much fun messing with her to stop yet. Since to seconds later she knocked over the pastry tower with her arm as she cleaned up.

It fell directly on the King, who groaned and checked himself over.

Mariposa gasped when she saw this, turning to him. "Oh, did I get you? Let me see." She moved towards him but stopped as he stood up. 

"Please! I'd prefer you'd didn't!" The King sighed. "Perhaps, madam Ambassador, it would be best if you'd simply sat down." 

Mariposa didn't say anything, and she just sat down dejectedly.

"And moved a bit farther back from the table." 

Mariposa nodded. "Of course, your majesty." She said, standing up and grabbing her chair. She moved back until the King said she was okay, which wasn't until she was off of the terrace, holding onto her chair tightly and could barely hear them.

Catania watched Mariposa with a sympathetic expression, glancing at her father.

The King yelled a 'thank you' to Mariposa, then went back to his tea.

Anu decided that that was the perfect time to throw another tart at Zee, who deflected it off of her shield and onto the King's face. 

Mariposa gasped and dropped her chair. "Oh, no!"

The King stood up and threw the tart onto the ground. "This Royal tea is over!" He declared. "Come, Catania."

Catania glanced over at Mariposa for a brief second, then sighed and went to follow her father, giving Mariposa a small shrug and a helpless look.

Mariposa sighed and looked down dejectedly. 

"Well!" Talayla said, suddenly next to Mariposa. "That went better than expected, don't cha think?" She asked, holding the tray of cookies out to Mariposa, who groaned and took one without even looking at Talayla.

Mariposa had ruined everything. She was sure that the King didn't like her. Maybe he even hated her now.

But, at least she knew she still has Catania on her side. Maybe, just maybe, she could turn things around.