"Xavier?" she called still unsure.
Xavier shut the door with a smile and she immediately screamed his name, running to jump on him. "Xavier!" she screamed, jumping on him and hugging him really tight. It's been ages since she'd seen him. He left for school when she was 10 and ever since she's only seen pictures and heard the voice notes he left her.
"Hey little sis, you're all grown!" Xavier exclaimed hugging her tight as well. He really missed her alot.
"I-I don't get, why are you here?" Cruella asked after breaking the hug. Xavier glanced at Nila who gave him a welcoming smile.
"Cruella please sit down," Nila said tapping the space beside her which Cruella obeyed and she began telling the story
***
"It all began when your father went to war , leaving your brother and I. I had no idea then that I was pregnant.
Palena made me live with her because she feared the other clans would come looking for us . She had already foreseen the fall of the Irish but your father insisted on going to Battle.
When..when I heard of his death I went into depression and when I found out I was pregnant..I just couldn't handle It, i couldn't even imagine raising Xavier on my own and now I was carrying another. Palena took care of me throughout my gestation period but after you were born, it all changed.
Flashback...
"Push Nila, push!" Palena, the oldest midwife and visionary shouted.
Nila tried as hard as her little strength could let her and finally she heard the cry of her baby.
"it's a girl." palena said , placing the baby in Nila's arms. She felt so relieved carrying her baby weakly in her arms. Palena came closer to the mother and child and almost immediately, the baby stopped crying and opened her eyes causing both the mother and palena to gasp.
"Grey!" Palena exclaimed, referring to the baby's eyes and carrying a sad expression.
Nila looked at the baby heartbroken. She knew what this means, she had given birth to an Irish. Her husband was the last living Irish, even her first son isn't an Irish. They called them Irish because they didn't have a definite description of their kind. They were more powerful than any hybrid , possessing both vampire, werewolf, witch and necromancer powers but the males weren't as powerful as the females. The female Irish were feared and killed at birth because they loose themselves to their powers and turn evil but even with the full knowledge of these, of the trouble that would surface if this child should live, Nila couldn't possibly kill her baby girl.
"Nila, give her to me." Palena said , stretching her arms
"I-how can I kill such an innocent creature?" Nila asked with tears running down her cheeks.
"This innocent creature is very dangerous, we need to get rid of her now before it's too late."
"She's my daughter! She won't cause any trouble."
"How do you know that?, Palena cut in , you've seen countless women kill their children, why should yours be different?"
"Cause I'm the queen!" Nila shouted in pains.
This baby is my last memory of my husband. I can't possibly give her up, I won't.
"You're risking the safety of the world over a memory?" Palena asked in an annoyed tone. Nila was about responding but couldn't because of the excruciating pains she started feeling from her opening, like something or someone was trying to come through.
"Ahhh!" She wailed griping her child tightly to avoid her falling. Palena immediately took the baby away, trying to figure out what's happening.
"Nila I think you're..." were the last words Nila heard before she blacked out.
**
Flashback end.
"I woke up later that night and the first thing that crossed my mind is the thought of my baby. I tried getting off the bed but felt too weak. Palena walked in and made me lay back on the bed. Where's my baby, please tell me you didn't.."
"She's sleeping..she's safe," Palena assured me but I wasn't buying any of that.
"I want to see her..I want to see my baby!" I insisted and she left with a sigh, coming back not long after with my baby in her arms. A faint smile settled on my face on seeing her peacefully sleeping in Palena's arms but then I remembered what happened after and decided to ask.
"What was happening to me?" I asked remembering the pain I felt before and I was currently feeling now as well.
"I'm sorry Nila, you...you lost the other one, palena said sitting beside me on the bed.
"What other one?" I asked a bit confused.
"There were two of them but we wasted time bringing her out." Palena said constantly shifting her gaze from left to right.
I became speechless after hearing her. I didn't know if I should cry or be happy that at least I had one alive.
"Nila, you know we can't keep her right?" Palena said snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Please palena, I'll do anything to keep my baby..I can't loose her too, Please."
"There's only one way I know we can protect her and the world. In 500years to come this world would be in ashes if this baby lives." she said somewhat bitterly.
"What way?" I asked weakly.
"You will put her to sleep..that's the only way."
I looked at Palena a bit confused. How can putting an already sleeping baby to sleep solve the problem.
"I mean with the Luxa spell," she said as if hearing my thoughts.
"I-I can't possibly do that...the Luxa spell is very powerful, shes just an infant!"
"She's not just an infant Nila, is either that or you kill her!" Palena yelled coldly.
"The Luxa spell requires great sacrifice, what could I possibly give up to perform it?" I asked sadly.
"I've lost my husband and my queenship since I went into hiding. I also lost one of my babies. what more do I have to give up?"
"You still have your powers," Palena said calmly and I gave her a questioning look.
"Why would you want me to give up my powers?How will I protect them if I'm powerless?"
"I'll give you a new identity..you can go into the human world and live normally with your son. Don't worry, you'll still have your immortal life."
"Living in the human world? Are you insane? It's like you've planned this a long time ago..how do I even explain being alive for too long?" I asked her a bit annoyed. Leaving the throne to hide in her witch house isn't enough and now she's asking me to leave Neville? My home?
"It's easy, you'll change identity each passing century." she said like we were talking about a causal two plus two debate.
"And what about my son? Or my daughter?"
"You're daughter won't be a problem Nila. You need to make this sacrifice if you want your family to be safe. As for Xavier, he'll find a way."
Then, Xavier was only 13 years old. Going into the human world wasn't really my plan but I had to, to protect my family.
"How do my being over 500 years old have anything to do with what you just said? Cruella interrupted, paying kin interest to every word Nila said. Estella on the other hand carried a confused look. This was a different story from the one palena told her. And she knew Nila wasn't lying because of the truth box she had earlier placed on the table.
The truth box is a very powerful lie detector. The moment a lie is spoken, it'll shine so bright on the person telling it.
Since Nila started talking, the truth box haven't even moved a bit.
"I-I had to give up my powers to put you to sleep." Nila said in tears
"Fo-for 500 years?" Cruella asked feeling hurt. How can a mother spend 500 years without her so called cherished baby girl? It can only mean she never truly loved her.
"I'm sorry Cruella, I know you feel hurt but I was hurt too.
"I've been in hiding for centuries...I'm tired of hiding..if I can get my powers back, I'd love to go back to our world, to my home, Nila said in tears. Xavier stood from his chair , approaching her. He bent slightly and kissed her forehead.
"Don't cry mom, everything will be fine soon."
"Xavy you knew about this?" Cruella asked, her eyes were also teary. She lost 500 years of her life because of a stupid prophecy.
"Yes," came his simple reply.
"That can't be true!" Estella yelled out, finally loosing her cool, causing everyone's attention to divert to her.
"You...I don't know how you manage to tell all these lies without being detected by the truth box but I don't care. Tell her the truth!" she yelled.
"Estella what are you talking about?" Nila asked a bit confused. She told the story exactly how it happened so what else could she mean?
"Tell her how you gave me up because I'm an Irish! Tell her how you chose Cruella over me! Tell her how you abandoned me the moment you had the second baby girl with black eyes!" Estella yelled bitterly. Her tone was high but one could easily tell she's in pain.
"Tell her how you rejected me" she said the last part as a whisper, a tear sliding down her cheek.
"Estella I have no idea what you're talking about. Palena told me my second baby died.."
"You're lying!" Estella cut her off. "You're second baby is Cruella! I'm the first, I'm the one with the grey eyes! You gave me to Palena and took Cruella because she wasn't born Irish. She's only growing her powers now."
Nila looked at Cruella and Estella then back to Cruella. Now that Estella mentioned it, she did notice that Cruella's eyes only started turning grey not long but Estella's eyes are naturally grey. She never noticed this before but now it all made sense now. Palena must have lied to her..she-she must have switched the babies when she passed out. She made her give up her powers to put Cruella to sleep for nothing, she-she did all this intentionally!
"Es-Estella I-I never did all of those..I-I swear I never did it," Nila defended.
Estella looked at the truth box and it still didn't shine. Could it be that this woman speaks the truth?
Logan stood up from his chair with a fed up look on his face.
"Alright alright, so now we know the truth let's get this over with." He said causing everyone to look at him confused.
"Logan what are you talking about?" Estella asked not quite understanding what is happening anymore. She didn't know what to believe anymore. She's lived for 541 years, hating the woman whom gave birth to her, waiting patiently for the right time to make her pay for hurting her so much and now she's here, she learns that her wait and hatred were all in vain?
"Nila's right, everything she said is true.. grandma lied to you." He said coldly.
Estella felt like a knife had passed through her chest at his words. She had been living a lie, hating the woman who gave birth to her not knowing it was all a lie. Her mother had sacrificed a lot to protect them not knowing she was being used.
"Don't be sad, Palena's voice rang out in the room and almost immediately she appeared.
"You!" Estella yelled and tried charging at her but a simple spell froze her on the spot.
Nila, Cruella and Xavier sat there confused at what was happening.
"Yo-you lied to me, you took my baby from me, you made me give up my Powers, you made me loose my queenship, you made me live in the human world for centuries in a believe that I'm protecting my family?" Nila asked looking heartbroken.
"yes I did all that," Palena replied coldly.