Chapter Text
Chapter 1:
Temperance’s Song
✰✰✰“Salted Caramel Cookie, someone is here to see you.” Shouted Caramel Strawberry Cookie.
Salted Caramel Cookie stood up from her throne. She could never get enough of the beauty that thing. Yet temperance drove her to stay away from it. After all, a royal, much less the queen of the Caramel kingdom, proving that they didn’t need to indulge in the throne is one of the greatest shows of her kingdom’s values.
The castle, which was built by the order of Caramel Strawberry, not Salted Caramel, was indulgent to say the least. She didn’t enjoy it one bit. It showed the exact opposite of temperance, the virtue that she vowed to embody.
“Now, where is my visitor?” Salted Caramel asked. “After all, I can’t talk to someone who I can’t see.”
She looked around the castle. Through the caramel colored banners stamped with the symbol of the kingdom, a cup of flowing water.
Her eyes looked towards the orange azaleas that decorated the entire kingdom. The smell that she, despite her objections, famously carried around with her.
The vases with waves cut so perfectly that they might as well start flowing a river are more than perfect for the flowers. Even Salted Caramel had to admit it herself.
She allowed her eyes to hug the flowers and their vases, before pushing herself away. She instead focused on her duties as the holder of the soul jam of Temperance.
She allowed her eyes to continue scanning, occasionally pushing herself away from admiring the room. But no matter how much she looked, she couldn’t find the person who was meant to see her.
On second thought, she couldn’t see any of the people who would normally be in the court. Even Strawberry Caramel Cookie, who was required by the contract that he signed to always be by her side, was missing.
“I’m right here.” A deep voice hit her from behind.
Salted Carmel turned around to try and find the source of the voice, she couldn’t find them, at whatever location that they were.
“Alright now. Wherever you are, show yourself!” She forced herself to scream. Her vocal fcords didn’t take the first scream in witches know how long very well.
“I’m right here.” The voice, a lot closer this time, whispered in her ear. “You just have to look for me.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to do.” Remarked Salted Caramel, not aiming her words towards anyone. “And I give up on whatever this game you're playing is.”
A cold dread washed over her, and she could feel his hands grabbing onto her neck and shoulders. It felt nice, but she pushed away out of fear of indulgence.
“Do you know where I am now?” He replied, his grip on her became harder. “I can give you a bigger hit if you want.”
Salted Caramel turned her head around completely, and when he finally came into full view, she could only scream.
Standing right in front of her was HIM, her other half, her polar opposite, the holder of the soul jam of indulgence.
And worst of all, he was the one who came into her castle, knowing what just his presence would do to her.
“Opulent Ganache Cookie…” She forced out. “It’s been a while.”
He was definitely surprised that she could even speak in his presence. But he was acting like this was simply any other day in the life of Opulent Ganache.
He certainly didn’t look like he was here to destroy Salted Caramel. His dark hair was perfectly spread across his head, his incredibly detailed red and black suit was as intact as it was the last time that she saw him. The dark still rejects the reflection of the sun as it once did.
But absolutely the worst part of him are the eyes. Dark, deep and velvety. One could indulge themselves in those eyes for centuries and not lose interest for one moment. Salted Caramel Cookie hated those eyes more than she hated anything in this world.
“Yes, quite a while since that.” He replied. Giggling to himself, as if this was his intention. He wanted to risk his own capture in order to see her in this state. “Quite a lot has changed since then.”
“You can say that.” She mumbled. Pushing herself far past her limits, she glanced at her shoes, basic leather sandals, before allowing herself to even look at his skin.
“Oh, don’t be scared dear!” Opulent Ganache pushed out. “I just wanted to catch up on my old friend. Why are you scared?” While there was a line of truth to his question, Salted Caramel knew fully well that he was still playing with her.
“I’m not scared, I’m trying to stay true to my virtues.”
But was she? Salted Caramel found herself asking that question to herself. No, she wasn’t scared of Opulent Ganache, what she was really doing was pushing away from indulgence and closer towards temperance.
“But if that’s really the case, then you would look at me and not fall into indulgence.” He replied with a giggle, “but if you ever want to, I promise, you’ll enjoy it.”
“My lady!” Strawberry Caramel’s voice breaks through into Salted Caramel’s head. “Are you alright?”
“No Strawberry Caramel. I am nowhere close to alright.” Whispered Salted Caramel, not expecting anything.
“Why talk to that regular mortal cookie when I am here?” Asked Opulent Ganache, panic slowly cutting into his voice.
“Please help me.” Whispered Salted Caramel, wishing upon her own soul jam that she would be able to reach Strawberry Caramel. “Grab me, hug me, touch me, do whatever you need to. Bring me back.”
“Did you hear me? Hello? Salted Caramel Cookie!” Panic was the most obvious thing in his voice now. He was throwing blades of indulgence at her. She was yet to move out of the way in order to allow indulgence even a home in her kingdom.
“My Lady!” Caramel Strawberry’s voice pushed her into a calm state. One not at all influenced by Opulent Ganache. “I’m coming.”
“Salted Caramel.” Said Opulent Caramel with the authority of a king. “Forget everything, allow yourself to fall into the indulgence.”
The song of temperance was there. Fresh flowing water was music to her ears.
“Alright, but remember, you chose this.” Opulent Ganache leaned down and moved his hand to Salted Caramel’s left eye. “Now look!”
At the very same moment that he first touched her, Strawberry Caramel did the exact same thing.
Salted Caramel finally opened her eyes, away from the illusion that was the work of indulgence, and into the castle.
“Thank y-“ her mouth began to form the words before giving up. Instead she just bowed down slightly, the temperance’s way of showing affection.
“Don’t even worry about it Manam.” Chirped Caramel Apple Cookie, “It was so fun! Strawberry Caramel went in like, Bam! And I threw out my own mind tricks that I learned fr-“
“Caramel Apple…” Salted Caramel cut her off almost immediately. “Remember what I told you?” She turned over to Strawberry Caramel before saying, “And you too, remember what I told you?”
“If anyone finds out about where we came from then it is our burden to deal with, and so, we don’t want anyone to know.” The two said in almost perfect unison.
“And then I would no longer have a Manam.” Caramel Apple added on.
“Yes and that too.” Salted Caramel agreed, “and remember the details that can reveal your origins.”
Caramel Apple gleefully recited the surprisingly short list of details that can never be revealed.
Salted Caramel could only suppress a smile. While the two hadn’t reached the point of the mom-daughter relationship that she wished they could have, Caramel Apple being able to remember information pivotal to her being able to stay in the kingdom was enough for Salted Caramel.
Because it showed that she cared about staying in the Caramel Kingdom.
“Now, my witches blessing, let’s get you back in your room. I have some very important things to deal with.” Said Salted Caramel as she started leading her daughter into her room in the castle✰✰✰