As the sun set on the kingdom, Queen Safira excused herself early from dinner with the Royals of the planet. She had been on a long journey and had just saved a goblin clan. The Royals were grateful, as they had been struggling with the bandit problem for ages.
Queen Safira made her way to her appointed room, where she began to set up formations to quiet the room and make sure no one eavesdropped.
As she settled in, she called out to her daughter, Fenris. "Fenris, can you heat the water for us to bathe?"
"Of course, Queen Safira," Fenris replied. "How warm would you like it?"
She then made her way to the bath, unloading a chest of doors from her ring.
Queen Safira thought for a moment. "Not too hot, I don't want to burn the little one. But those salts were wonderful. Can we have them again and remind me to get more." She began to undress the boy.
Fenris put her hands in the water, heating it to the perfect temperature.
The boy let Queen Safira undress him with ease, and soon both she and the boy were naked, making their way to the bath. Fenris added the salts and stood by, ready to help.
Queen Safira climbed into the bath and sat down, deep in thought.
The boy looked up at her and asked, "Safira... strong?"
Fenris quickly replied, "The strongest, little one." She smiled at him and he smiled back.
As Fenris washed Queen Safira's hair, she asked, "Fenris, is that your full strength?"
Fenris looked puzzled. "No, Queen Safira. I'm not even using 60% of my strength. Why do you want me to go harder?"
Queen Safira leaned in and kissed Fenris' hand. "Is that your true 60% strength or your locked 60% strength?" she asked, trying to discern something important well kissing her.
Fenris felt her mother's kiss on her forehead but was taken aback by her question. "My locked strength, Safira? Why do you ask?"
A deep, sorrowful sigh escaped Safira's lips. "Fenris, will you promise to do something for me? It's a very selfish thing, but I need you to do it for me, my sweet darling." She averted her gaze, clearly upset about whatever it was she was about to ask.
Fenris was startled by this sudden request. Of course, she would do anything for her, no questions asked. So why was she being asked to do something like this? "Yes, without a second thought, Safira. What's going on? Please talk to me."
Queen Safira's expression grew serious, and the water in the bath began to heat up as she released heat from her scales. "Fenris, I need you to hurt me with all the strength you can muster. Use your claws and flames on me. I'm worried about something and there's only one way to test my theory."
Fenris's heart raced as her hands began to shake at Queen Safira's request. "Um... " she stammered, falling back onto her butt in shock.
"Fenris, you promised without a second thought," Safira reminded her, forcing a pained smile.
She then grabbed the boy and placed her hands on his ears, pulling him close and extending her wings out of the bath to shield him from the sight to come.
Fenris trembles but stands up to do as she is asked. "Yes, Safira," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
She began to undress, taking off her silver robe and dropping it to the floor, then her black shirt and pants. She reached up to release her long black hair from its clips and then, with a trembling hand, reached for the black bracelet on her right wrist.
"I'm sorry and I love you so much, sweetheart," Queen Safira says as a tear falls from her eyes.
Fenris also has a tear running down her cheek, her all-black iris and red pupil eyes glistening with emotion.
Sniffing sadly, Fenris grabs the bracelet and yanks it off, blood leaking out of the location where the bracelet once was. She grunts but clamps her teeth shut to keep from screaming.
"I'm truly sorry for my selfish request, my child. I know how much you hate that form because of your father," Queen Safira says through her tears.
Fenris starts screaming so loudly that the mirror shatters. On her head, two little horns start protruding out, and in the middle of her forehead, a third eye rips open. Her eyes turn blood red, the black iris turning yellow and merging with her pupils, matching the middle eye that's sideways.
Long, canine teeth extend from her mouth down to her bottom lip. Her skin goes from tan to grey, with wavy lines in patterns appearing and flames coming out in red colour.
Loud cracking sounds are heard from her spine as fists appear and rip through her skin, causing a second pair of arms to appear. Her hands turn into claws. A fluffy, long, black tail appears out of her tailbone, catching fire just like her hair. A flame ring appears behind her back with runes on it. Her toenails extend to claws as well.
Queen Safira hasn't stopped crying this whole time. The boy tries to stroke her face worriedly, not understanding what's going on, but wanting to help.
Fenris cries bloody, red-hot tears and breathes heavily, steam coming out of her body. After five minutes of crying, she slowly starts to stand using the bathtub's rim for support.
"I...I...am...sorry," Fenris says before Queen Safira turns and grabs her hand.
"Forgive me, my child. Please. I'm the one who should be sorry. I should never have asked this of you," Queen Safira cries at her daughter, who is in so much pain.
The boy looks at Fenris, who now looks completely different. He looks up and down at the fiery figure touching Queen Safira, trying to understand where Fenris is and who this new person is now that's in front of him. He accidentally pinches Queen Safira again, who feels it once more.
Fenris holds Safira's hand tightly as flaming tears fall again. "No, Safira. I owe you my all. I just forgot how much it hurts and the memories resurfaced," Fenris says, looking at her with a serious look.
Queen Safira holds out her left arm from the bathtub and gestures for Fenris to hit it. Fenris stands up and channels her flames into the claws of her left hand, focusing all her power.
Queen Safira, cast a protective light shield around the boy and the room, ensuring extra safety. Fenris, her daughter, swung down and unleashed a massive explosion, causing black clouds with flames to shoot out and hit the barriers.
'Kabooooom'
The smoke and ashes dissipated after 30 seconds, and Fenris's hand was still burning. The room was soundproofed by Queen Safira, so the S squad and royal guard couldn't hear the commotion.
Queen Safira was in shock as she looked at her daughter, "This is impossible, how much strength was that my darling daughter?"
Fenris trembled and her hand ached, she looked at her mother and replied, "All 50% I was allowed access to in this realm." She couldn't believe she wasn't scratched or burnt, no pain absolutely nothing.
Queen Safira moved the boy to her right side and kept the protection up, then pulled Fenris into the tub with her and cuddled her, causing the water to rapidly heat up. She kissed her daughter's forehead and said,
"My Fenris, my beautiful baby girl, I'm so sorry for that selfish request. You have grown into such a beautiful, strong woman."
Fenris hugged her mother tightly and asked, "Safira, why did you make me do that?"
Queen Safira breathed deeply, contemplating whether or not to tell her, and then she heard a voice.
The boy said, "Is...Fenris?"
Fenris placed a hand on her chest and replied, "Yes, Fenris."
The boy looked at Queen Safira, who nodded, and reached out to touch Fenris's face. Fenris pulled back in fear of burning him, but Queen Safira reassured her, "It's alright, I have a barrier around him." Fenris leaned forward and allowed the boy to touch her facial markings, horns and warm hair.
As the water in the bathtub began to steam and evaporate, Fenris couldn't help but let a tear of joy fall from her eye as she heard the young boy say, "Be...beaut...Beautiful Fenris." She smiled at him warmly, her hand gently caressing his face.
Queen Safira, who was watching them from the side, couldn't help but smile at the cute interaction between the two.
"You are going to grow up to be a lady killer, that melts girls' hearts when you grow up," Fenris said, her hand still on the boy's face.
The boy rested his head on her hand and looked up at her with wide eyes.
Queen Safira knew it was time for them to get out of the bath before Fenris's flames evaporated all of the water.
Fenris put her bracelet back on and changed back to her locked form, the process was still a little painful but bearable. She then combed both of their hair before Queen Safira did the same for her since her hair had gotten wet in the bath.
"Safira, can you please explain now why I did that? I don't understand why you asked that of me if you were so sad about it," Fenris said as she played with the boy on her lap.
Queen Safira took a deep breath and explained her reasoning to Fenris.
As she listened, Fenris looked at the boy in a new light and asked Queen Safira if she was sure, to which Queen Safira responded with an unwavering "yes."
Fenris touched the boy's nose and smiled. "Are you hiding your power like me, little one? Safira, could this mean he's maybe from a higher realm? If so, this could be great," she said.
"I don't know, sweetheart. Let's wait and see when we get him tested with the machine. Then we will have an answer," Queen Safira replied as she walked over to her jewel box and took out a custom hair clip. She placed it in Fenris's hair and smiled at the beautiful accessory.
Fenris smiled at the clip and then looked at the boy. "And how do I look?" she asked him, but he didn't understand a word of what she was saying.
Queen Safira smiled at him and touched Fenris's face. "Beautiful, right?" she said, and the boy nodded his head, making Fenris even happier.
The three of them then got up and lay down on the bed to sleep. Queen Safira held them both in her arms as Fenris smiled and enjoyed the cuddles she hadn't had in ages.
The boy fell asleep with his back being tickled and a song being sung to him.
"Night, Safira," Fenris said with a smile.
"Night, my daughter. Love you lots," Queen Safira replied as she held them close.
"Love you as well," Fenris whispered as she closed her eyes, content in the warm embrace of her mother and the young boy.