Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband-Chapter 107: (Xmas Special) The Solstice Feast

At the daycare dining hall, this was the final night

The Solstice snow was beginning to soften outside, signaling that the festival—and the reprieve from reality—was coming to an end.

But inside the Little Whiskers Daycare, the temperature was rising.

It was time for the Grand Feast.

The dining table had been magically extended by Archduke Cassian until it stretched from the kitchen all the way into the hallway. It needed to seat:

Five Warlords (Bastion had joined them).

One King.

One Nanny.

Two Foxes (Jax and Finn).

One Bunny Guest (Luna, who was holding Jax’s hand under the table).

And seven hungry cubs.

Cooking for this group was not a task for the faint of heart. It was a logistical nightmare involving three different dietary requirements:

The Carnivores (Wolves, Tigers, Panthers, Foxes) required meat. Lots of it. Preferably rare.

The Herbivores (Bunnies) required high-quality greens, roasted roots, and absolutely no meat touching their plates.

The Piscivores (Leviathans) required fish, seaweed, and things that smelled like low tide.

Primrose stood in the kitchen, staring at the mountain of ingredients.

"I need reinforcements!" she yelled.

General Rajah stepped in, rolling up his sleeves. "I shall handle the roast beast. Fire is my element."

"I thought you were a Metal mage?" Primrose asked.

"I am," Rajah said, grabbing a pan. "Which means I conduct heat efficiently."

King Caspian took the seafood station. "I shall prepare the Salmon of the Deep. It requires a delicate touch."

Lord Rurik tried to help by mashing potatoes. He mashed them with his fist. The bowl broke.

"The potatoes are subdued!" Rurik announced.

While the food was being prepared, Archduke Cassian was in the dining room, trying to organize the seating chart with Jasper.

"If we place Vali next to Clover," Cassian murmured, moving a name card, "productivity increases, but food spillage risk rises by 40%."

"Correct," Jasper noted. "If we place Arjun next to Ellia, heart rates increase, but digestion slows due to nervousness."

"We shall place them together," Cassian decided. "It is amusing."

"What about Jax and Luna?"

"Place them at the end," Cassian sighed. "They are emitting New Couple pheromones. It is distracting."

The Feast Begins

Finally, the food was served.

It was a masterpiece of chaos. A massive roast boar sat in the center (courtesy of Rajah). A platter of glazed salmon sat on the right (Caspian). A tower of roasted vegetables sat on the left (Primrose).

"Dig in!" Vali howled.

The sound of silverware clattering filled the room.

Vali ate like a vacuum cleaner.

Clover nibbled daintily on a carrot, occasionally feeding a piece to Vali, which made the Wolf Cub blush.

Arjun was trying to cut Ellia’s steak for her. "Here. I am good with knives."

Ellia giggled. "Thanks, Arjun."

Jax and Luna were sharing a plate. Every time Luna laughed, Lord Cottontail (who had sent a fruit basket but declined to attend due to blood pressure) probably felt a disturbance in the force.

Halfway through the meal, the noise died down.

Grand Duke Bastion stood up. He raised a goblet of nectar.

"To the Solstice," Bastion said, his deep voice filling the room. "And to the return of the light."

He looked at Ellia, who was laughing with Arjun.

"The West Wing has been dark for a long time," Bastion admitted. "But this year... the sun found us."

"To the Sun!" Rurik cheered, raising a turkey leg.

Then, King Caspian stood up.

He looked tired. The dark veins on his neck were visible above his collar, a stark reminder that while everyone else was celebrating a beginning, he was facing an end.

He looked at Primrose.

"To memories," Caspian said softly.

The table went quiet. The Warlords knew about the curse. They knew the clock was ticking.

"Memories are fragile," Caspian continued, his hand resting on Orion’s shoulder. "They can be stolen. They can fade like footprints in the snow. But tonight..."

He looked around the table. At the Warlords who had become his brothers-in-arms. At the cubs who had become Orion’s pack. At Primrose, who was his anchor.

"...tonight is a memory that even the Void cannot eat," Caspian vowed. "Because it is written in stone. In this house. In this family."

He raised his glass.

"To the Daycare."

"To the Daycare!" everyone shouted.

The feast ended. The cubs were asleep in a pile on the rug (again). The Warlords were drinking brandy by the fire.

Primrose walked out onto the porch for a breath of fresh air.

The snow was melting. The roof dripped.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

It sounded like a countdown.

General Rajah walked out to join her. He held two mugs of tea.

"Tutor," he said, handing her one.

"General."

They stood in silence, watching the stars.

"We leave tomorrow," Rajah stated. "For the Fox Sanctuary."

"Yes," Primrose nodded. "The roads are clear."

Rajah took a sip of tea. "It will be dangerous."

He turned to look at her.

"Caspian is getting worse," Rajah said bluntly. "He dropped a fork tonight. His hand went numb."

"I know," Primrose whispered, gripping her mug.

Rajah hesitated. Then, he placed a heavy, comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We will get him there, Primrose. The Pack protects its own. And the Fish... annoying as he is... is Pack now."

Primrose smiled, leaning into his touch slightly. "Thank you, Rajah."

He pulled his hand back. He looked toward the Palace, visible in the distance as a glowing silhouette.

"Did you... send a letter?" Primrose asked gently.

"To Leonora?" Rajah looked at the distant lights. "No. Not a letter."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, dried violet flower.

"I sent this," he said. "With a message: I am going to save a King. When I return... I will come for the Queen."

Primrose’s jaw dropped. "Rajah! That’s... that’s so smooth!"

"I am a tactician," Rajah smirked, though his ears were pink. "I plan my sieges carefully."

He turned back to the door.

"Get some sleep, Primrose. Tomorrow, the holiday ends. Tomorrow, we go to war with the Void."

Primrose stayed on the porch for a moment longer.

She looked at the melting snow. She looked at the Tree of Stars glowing through the window.

The Solstice was over. The game was entering its final act.

"Hold on, Caspian," she whispered to the cold night air. "We’re almost there."