"Mama! No! Mama!" my son whined as he tightly pulled down against me.
"Alright, hold on, I was just moving my points!" I complained as the recently fear-stricken child refused to let go of me. But, I couldn't be angry at him for this behaviour because I did disappear suddenly. It was honestly quite shocking when I walked back to the Garden-Mount! A whole army had spread out just for me...
And now that same army was making sure I never disappeared again. I could understand why completely, yet, I was still frustrated by it. Privacy just did not exist for me right now. A thorn -always- had to be present.
But it wasn't so bad while I was out in the open belly of this sacred mountain. And while my son was playing around with the soil and dirt often, we weren't here to do that. We were in fact doing a more ceremonial aspect of something I have wanted to do for so long. We just needed to find a piece of metal ore that we could use.
Yet, being a mother was distracting me completely from it as my son just wanted to play. Any insect he found he shoved near my face. And, the ones he put near his own I had to stop from moving. I also had to be holding his hand the entire time as per his own demands to keep me around...
"Mama, look!" he let out with confused excitement as he tug out something hard from the earth.
"Well, would you look at that, we best go show this to Papa!" I let out with relief as he had by complete accident stumbled across one of the pieces or ore inserted for the ceremony. But, he just shook his head and dropped it.
"No... Boring..." he let out before he began to dig again.
"No, exciting!" I corrected on his behalf before I picked him and the ore up so we could go elsewhere. Fun as it was to play with him, sitting in the loose earth was not very much so after a while.
"Fine..." he complained before he clung onto me tightly.
"No, ease up."
"No!" he snapped as he made sure not even me loosening my grip would see him drop.
"What will I do with you..." I mutter under my breath as I brought myself and him back to our flower. Walking up to the necessary petals and handing them the ore before presenting myself before my lover. It wasn't an overly grand thing, the making of my son's first pair of tubes. But, being what I was, it couldn't help but try to be grand.
"You found some metal?" my lover asked as he happily took our filthy son onto his lap while all his other lovers looked on.
"He eventually did..." I answer before putting on an air of smugness as it was my son that was being focused on right now. The son I provided my lover was the centre of his attention and a dominant force in his heart! I suppose this is what Rose'lhia felt like once upon a time.
"Then I guess it is Papa's turn to do his bit!" he excitedly let out as he left our son in the throne while he got up. And, before us, some petals brought before us a simple forge for which my lover could do his task. Although, the metal we found was not the one he would use. Instead, it was something I chose.
I was quite thankful to discover that we had it as well; rose gold.
"Would you like to come closer or are you fine there?" I decided to ask my son as I moved a little closer to him.
"Stay..." he let out with uncertainty before I slithered up next to him. Letting him fall back against my angled chest while our shared love got to work. To the flutter of my heart as well, our son suddenly jumped when the loud banging of metal started. And, it was only made even more impressive to watch as our son's age meant the metal lacked magic.
So my lover could just mould it in his hands or bend it as he pleased. The crudeness it would produce as well would be more fitting for his first pair as well. That was something we agreed upon a long time ago. But, we never were able to put it into words why we felt that way.
It was just what we decided.
"Papa strong!" our little one cheered after he tried to damage the chair all of a sudden.
"Aw..." I let out as I kissed the hand he hit the throne with.
"I want to be strong like Papa!" he told me as he pointed at him with his free hand.
"Then you best listen to him when he tells you things. He can teach you how to be even stronger!" I told him as I smiled and cupped his cheek.
"No... Papa the strongest!" he corrected as he started to cheer the actions of his father on. And, though I could tell he was trying to hide it. I saw that smile on Oak'endoor's face. I saw it!
Eventually, though, it would come to an end and he would come back to us with a pair. Freshly made and beaten well by a well-meaning father. Of course, our son just looked at them cluelessly before he was pulled forward slightly. However, once they were slipped onto his frail points, his excitement was immeasurable.
"MAMA! MAMA! LOOK! MAMA! I GOT THINGS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!" he screamed happily as he kicked his legs about. But, with this excitement came risky hastiness that nearly saw him fall over.
"Not so fast!" I caution him with as I take ahold of his hand as he slipped all over the place.
"Slowly now, Spruce'endoor. Slowly." his father told him as he showed him proper posture. But, that was not enough to get our son used to it. So we both held one of his hands and started to walk alongside him. And, as it was also something he would probably have to do later anyway.
We decided to take a tour of the flower so my lover could perform whatever duties he had to. On our way, we received compliments at such a frequency that it nearly blinded us. Eventually, as well, our son stopped trembling and swinging with each step and began to walk more so on his own. Although, we never once let go of his hands.
"Okay, now, let's try over there." I suggested to the pair of them once we came across an appropriate spot. So, from solid marble and other precious stones, we went back into the soil and bare earth. And once he had sunk into the earth properly, we let his hands go. Waving him off to go play with the other children before I turned to my lover.
"Is she alright?" I was then asked by him.
"Rose'lhia?" I asked, making sure I was understanding it properly before we carried on. And, in particular, I paid attention to how hurt he seemed to be when he started to ask this.
"Yes, I know you disappeared to go and find her."
"She is alright, I have seen to it that she makes it through the initial part of her journey." I said with a sigh as I moved my solemn gaze to the ground below.
"Please, do not hold it against me for what I did..." he sadly muttered.
"You did not listen to me and went through with one of the worst punishments you could muster... To our own Ivy-Mother of many years..."
"She and you both admitted to what she had done. Even a testimony from my own son..."
"You still didn't need to go through with it..."
"I did, not even someone like her can be exempt from our laws. If we let one through, we let it all through over time."
"Oh, stop... I was begging you to stop the entire time and you all turned on her for something she had redeemed herself over." I tell him as I cross my arms. Doing nothing as he slowly moved me into his grip.
"Then please, please temper my anger as you did once upon a time. Please do not leave me the harsh man I have become in your absence..."
"I won't leave you, my Love. Not until Undwote comes for us all." I tell him before I lovingly kiss him. Making sure he understood properly that this was only a brief issue we could work our way out of.
"I cannot change my decision, I hope you realise that..."
"No, look at me, Oak." I said to him improperly as I reminded him of how close we were.
"Dandel..." he said slowly as I placed my head against his chest.
"I know she met a lot to you as you were both intrinsically involved with each other as your roles commanded such a thing... But, we just have to let this be in the past." I tell him before I turned my gaze back out towards our son.
"Just make the most of what she has done for us..." he let out regretfully as we watched as our son laughed and played.
"It's all we can do, really. But, when I see him, I have no problem with that." I comment with a smile before I move out into the soil like our son was. And, with a giggle escaping my mouth, I enticed my lover to follow as he rarely ever felt the bare earth upon his skin. It was even amusing to watch him approach the edge of the flower so tentatively.
"Where do you think you are going?" my lover demands to know with a smirk as he starts to chase me across the soil.
"No! No! NO!" I let out excitedly as I started to run away from the giant of a man. Laughing all the way until he tackled me to the ground like a skilled predator.
"Mama being attacked by Papa!" our son nearly screamed before he and all the other children came rushing over with big sticks.
"He- ow!" my lover started to complain before our son and his army started to beat him down. And I couldn't help but laugh at the state of it as my lover tried to protect himself.
"Get him! Punish him!" I demanded from my saviour as I held him close and peppered his cheek in kisses.
"N-No!" his father complained as the beatings carried on.
"Keep going, I'll give you lots of pudding later!" I bribed our son with. Laughing heartedly as he perhaps went a little too far with his attack.
"P-Please! I'll give you more! No!" his father tried to tell him before one of the other children got involved.
"I want pudding too!" they said before they all started to say so.
"Fine! You all get more pudding after dinner, just stop those two!" my lover decreed as he put some pride back into his body. Excitedly holding my son before I ran away with him in my arms as dozens of children ran after us. A growing horde even came about as the promise of dessert spread to more of them.
"I'll protect you, Mama..." my son let out with terror as the scope of things started to clearly get out of hand.
"Don't worry, you are very strong." I whisper into his ear as I find a place for us to stop. And, to his confusion, I sit down behind him as the swarm of playing children come to a stop before our rock.
"Pudding!" one cheers as I start to guide my sons arm.
"AWAY!" he let out as he started to swing his arm wildly. And, as he did so, I channelled my magic across his stick until the area around us glowed bright.
"EVERYONE! RUN AWAY!" his father cried with a mock tone of fear before all the children ran away at our son's supposed arcane might. And when it came to a stop, I couldn't stop myself from laughing as he tried to do it again. And it only confused him when nothing happened.
"Mama... I did something..." he let out with uncertainty before he decided to drop the stick so he could properly sit between my legs.
"Well, aren't you strong!" his father cheered as he rubbed his head and moved down to his eye level.
"I am so strong I deserve all the pudding!" he let out with a laugh as he went back to trying to use magic. And I laughed a little more before I focused on my lover.
"You just had to mention something sweet..." he complained as he looked back at all the parents who had gathered as a result of all those children. Some were consoling their scared children while others were telling them off. Others just listened to their plentiful daughters and rare sons as they explained what had happened.
But, regardless, I shrugged at my husband whilst smirking, "Learn your son better."
"I have all the time to do so, now." he informed me with a smile as he pulled us both close.
"I think we should have pie." I then whisper to our son who lit up at the word.
"Is the lady gonna make it!?" he demanded to know.
"Maybe, she just might." I lied for the sake of his smile. Smiling with equal intensity as he jumped for joy at the thought of it. Of course, though, I would not be able to deliver on my claim. So I just had to hope his recently found love of pie would be satiable here.
"Pie?" my lover decided to ask me quietly as he was clearly hooked by the interesting details of our words.
"When we were travelling with Rose'lhia, we stopped by a human inn and there was a lovely old woman there who was very pushy but very skilled at cooking." I explain to him with a grin as he nodded in understanding.
"Then I am sure we can sort something out!" he let out with a smile as he brought me to my tips before we both did the same for our son. And as we walked back to the flower, he swung between our arms.
"A pie for them and a pie for them... Pie for them! Pie for everyone!" our son tried to sing as we went back to the flower.
"Might as well make something of it if we're giving all the children pie..." my lover remarked as he looked down at all the children with curiosity-filled eyes. Their ears even twitched in excitement as they heard our son's voice.
"An evening of pie?" I laugh out.