Chapter -- 4 : "A Friend, Not a Guardian"

They landed in a cloud of flour.

One second Elias was blinded by gold light, the next he was on his knees in a room that smelled of butter and panic. Pots clanged, a loaf of bread flew past his head and a baker screamed," Ghost in the Souffle!"

Kip coughed, then sneezed, sending another puff of flour into the air. He looked around, grinning . "Ah, the royal kitchen. Excellent choice. Always wanted to appear in a bread - based dimension."

"This -- this isn't funny!" Elias sputtered, brushing flour from his cape. " We just disrupted my coronation!"

Kip examined a try of pastries. "Technically I disrupted it. You just looked adorable while panicking."

He bit into a tart." Mmm. Your cook haven't changed".

The kitchen staff scattered toward the far door, shouting for guards. Elias groaned. "They're coming!"

"Good," Kip said, popping another pastry into his mouth. " I like an audience."

"Stop eating!"

"Why? They'll confiscate it in about --"Kip glanced toward the corridor where bootsteps thundered"-- ten seconds. Waste not."

The double doors brust open. Four palace guards filled the doorway, armour gleaming, expressions bewildered at the sight of their flour - covered prince standing beside a barefoot man stealing tarts.

"Your Highness?" one managed."We heard --"

"That!" Kip said brightly, pointing at Elias.

"That's him! Arrest that man. He's menace."

The guards blinked. Elas buried his face in his hand.

Then came the Archmage s voice echoing down the corridor; "Hold them! The construst.As if Kip were just a defective toy.Kip leaned close, whispering,"He's not fond of me is he?"

"No," Elias whispered back," and he'll destroy you if he catches us."

"Well", we can't have that ." Kip snapped his fingers. Every pot and pan in the kitchen began to hum, spinning lazily in mid - air like metallic fireflies.

The guards hesitated, weapons half raised.

"Don't you dare!" Elias hissed.

" Relax," said Kip." Just a bit of music."

The pans began to ring like bells -- widely out tune. One guard ducked as a ladle floated past his ear. Another tried to grabs it and the entire rack of utensils clattered to the floor in a symphony of chaos.

"Enough!" Elias shouted, surprising even himself. His voice cracked through the room; every thing froze -- floating pots, guards, even Kip's gain faltered.

Elias stepped forward, heart hamming.

"No one is harming him. That's an order."

The nearest guard hesitated." But -- Your Highness -- the Arch mage said --"

" I don't care what he said!" Elias snapped.

"You'll do as your king commands."

The words shocked the room silent. He wasn't king yet -- not officially -- but something in his tone left no room for argument.

For a beat, even the hovering pans seemed to listen.

Kip studied him with a half smile that was equal parts pride and amusement.

" There's the prince ling I remember ". Elias turned to him, still trembling. " You're impossible."

"Incorrect," Kip said. "I'm imaginary. Entirely different category."

Somewhere in the distance, more shouts echoed. The Arch mage was closing in.

Kip tilted his head toward a small service door." Exit strategy, right there."

Elias hesitated only a moment before nodding. " Fine. But no more --"

Before he could finish, Kip snapped his fingers again and every oven in the kitchen belched a plume of harmless, glittering smoke, filling the room like carnival fog.

As the guards coughed and flailed, Elias grabbed Kip's wrist. Together they darted through the side door and into the maze of corridors beyond -- flour trailing behind them like a comet's tail.

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