The air between us was so very tense. The table was nothing but a mere obstacle keeping both Hade and Apollo at bay. My head was starting to hurt so I slumped my back as I closed my eyes while massaging both of my temples as they were pulsing.

    "Are you okay?" I did not even bother to open my eyes and just nodded.

    "That''s because you''re weak-"

    "Honestly Hade I don''t fucking care and no one does. If you have nothing nice to say then you are very much welcome to leave. If you don''t want to then please consider to shut the hell up because I am very hungry. I came here to eat in peace and if you won''t give me that then I''ll gladly stab you with this fork. Shut the fuck up!" I snapped while glaring at him. I swear that if looks could kill, Hade would be lying in the clinic right now with a bunch of life support.

    Everything went dead silent aside from the ticking of the old mechanical clock from the hallway not too far from the room that we were dining in..

    "Oh really now? You see what I''m saying Apollo? He''s very enticing." Kaval groaned in annoyance as he slammed his hands on the table silently before leaning in to look at Hade wo raised his eyebrow at Kaval.

    "Hade, just say you like Alexander and stay quiet. Can you do that? Thank you." We heard Dianne snicker making Hade more agitated. He looked at us with a dangerous glare before slumping back at his seat.

    Dianne called the waiter who was nearby and ordered for Hade who was now thankfully quiet. We sat in now a not so comfortable silence as we could no longer freely express our thoughts as Hade might end up having a mini rant which would be the last thing I would want to further have with an angry stomach.

    Not minding the people around me, my thoughts drifted back to that creature in my room that Nate and I encountered. How bizarre for it to show up out of nowhere and say that I summoned him. I was about to ask the others about it when a number of servers came with our food. They sat the food on the table swiftly and left like they were never here. Despite that, I still gave them my quiet thanks as my mother always told me to always give my gratitude to those who prepares my food as every ingredients is like a piece of their time, consumed in making something special for me to eat.

    I looked at the food served in front of us and dare I tell you that the aroma coming from these food are beyond heavenly. It''s my first time seeing such food with intricate details on them. Kaval cleared his throat before saying that we should eat. I grasped both the fork and spoon with my hands before I started to eat.

    As the food touched my tongue, if I was alone, I would''ve groaned loudly and rolled my eyes back. I know that sounded kind of wrong but that is how I would feel. But since there are people with me, I just smiled and hummed in content.

    "You like it?" I heard Apollo asked. I smiled and nodded at him before realizing that we were having the same as I looked at his plate.

    "I like it too." He spoke. I smiled and went back to eating. This was beyond what I imagined foods to be. In my kingdom, we serve exquisite dishes to our guests from the lands and they would always have the same reaction as me. Maybe because they don''t have it often? I guess the same thing applies to me.

    I was eating in silence when someone dipped grabbed a piece of what I''m eating which is a type of meat by the way and dipping it into a sticky substance. I looked at Hade with a weirded expression but he paid me no mind. He then placed his fork which had the meat he stole from my plate in front of my mouth.

    "What you expect me to eat that?" I spoke with my mouth full. Hade only looked at me with a bored expression. Not wanting him to rant again, I took the food in my mouth and dare I say that I cursed.

    "Worth it isn''t it?" I heard him spoke calmly for the very first time tonight. And for the first time since meeting him, I looked at him with a genuine smile before nodding like a kid.

    "Childish." I heard him snicker.

    "Says the one who rants like a ten year old brat." I retorted back but he only laughed and continued on eating. What he placed into my mouth was the best thing that I have tasted yet. No words can explain how amazed I am that foods can taste like these.

    "That was chicken dipped into gravy." He spoke while still eating.

    As soon as he spoke chicken, I dropped my fork and spoon on the plate as I stared at him with wide eyes. All of them looked at me with a questioning look but the only thing in my mind as of the moment was that, I ate an animal that looked so little and clueless about the world. It probably didn''t have any chance to fight back.

    "Y-You eat chicken? Y-You mean that I just ate a poor and defenseless animal?" I stammered. Hade just looked at me with a nonchalant expression while nodding as if it was nothing.

    I gasped and then went on to slap his shoulders repeatedly. He looked at me as if I was some sort of maniac for slapping him repeatedly. The others tried to tear me away from him but I refused to be held by them. The chicken''s death shall not go in vain!

    "How dare you make me eat that poor animal! When I thought you were evil, I didn''t think that you would reach at this point! You monster!" I continued to slap him.

    "Now that''s enough." Apollo held me back with his strong hold.

    Hade only looked at me with furrowed eyebrows before chuckling. I gasped at his action. He was so evil that he had the audacity to laugh at an animal''s demise.

    I was about to talk back but the others laughed along with him which made me look at them with confusion.

    "Curse you all for not telling me that it was a chicken dipped in mud! Including you Apollo!" I snapped at them but they only laughed harder. At this point I was very close to crying as I feel like they were all ganging up on me. What''s wrong for feeling bad after eating a chicken. They shouldn''t be served on a platter like this as of their lives meant nothing. They are amazing creatures who has a purpose. They should be allowed to roam this world without having to fear that they might get eaten.

    "Oh Alexander, you amuse me." I heard Hade spoke. I glared at him and pushed away the plate.

    "Oh don''t be overexaggerating. Chickens or poultry as widely known here, are like cows. We raise them for foods. It''s completely normal so don''t feel to bad. There are roughly ten million poultry in the land as chickens are known for being one of those animals who are able to reproduce really fast."

    I looked at the others to check if what Hade said was true and they all just nodded. I even looked at Apollo and he agreed. I slumped back on my chare with a sad face and pulled the plate closer to me. I didn''t want to dive in further but I couldn''t help it. With a heavy heart, I brought the chicken meat dipped in that muddy substance called gravy close to my mouth before feeling even more guilty. I sighed as I remember how everything went when the four of us first met without Apollo;

    "Is it good?" I looked up to see the female one looking at me with eyes that I cannot seem to fathom. She looked like she wanted to know really bad if it was any good. I figured she was the Princess of Nature. Her glowing skin, green fabric wrapping her as her gorgeous green eyes were mesmerizing. She was indeed really pretty. I have heard that royals like them are blessed by mother nature to have such breathtaking complexities and to see it now. I guess what I have heard was true.

    "It is out of this world if I say so." I said with a slight smile that relieved her in some sort.

    "That means you''re doing your duties well Diane." Kaval spoke which made Diane smile sweetly.

    "Diane Motriquenfé" She said smiling while bowing her head lightly. She was also starting to eat her food.

    I recall having such conversation with Dianne then went on to have a fight with Hade and Kaval. How the time has passed for us to be able to dine like this together. We may have been on each other''s throat at the beginning of tonight''s dinner but at least it went on to proceed smoothly. Being friends with Hade after this is not guaranteed but it''s nice to be able to eat with him without his insults.