Zeph played on Zella's old piano. The time was drawing closer and closer to when his little girl was supposed to be born. I still don't know what to do. He slowly started to play their national anthem. Very slowly...
I can't just come out and tell her, I know that. I don't have any backup and if the King suspects anything I'm gone. Zeph continued to press the keys with no spirit. I can't just be a typical Guard when the kid is born though. He sighed as he stared at the keys on the old piano. I don't want to do it, but it's regulation. I'm supposed to help her find a compatible mate that will never leave her or the baby but I don't want to. He hit the keys hard on the last part. Why don't I want to? I should want to see her settled down, not a husbandless mother. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Maybe I just don't want it raised by some other guy. He finally came to his conclusion. It's mine, I've been here for it ever since. Guard or not, it's mine and I should be able to stay.
How could he? The most he could ever stay is maybe another year. If he stayed longer, everyone would figure out that something was up. There was no such thing as the same client for life. I can't come out and say it. I mean, what could I say? 'Yeah, you know, I was that guy'? I go prowling around as a Guard so others wouldn't guess? That's not me.
He knew he was running out of options and time. She's going to be born soon. He played the piano faster. I wonder what she'll look like? I bet she'll end up having Zella's personality. Hopefully, it'll be scary if she has mine, he said chuckling. She'll probably have the cutest little ringed tail anyone's ever seen. That's when his smile faded. Hiding underneath silver spray. What a time to be born in. How long have I even hid beneath this silver spray myself? He glanced at his tail curiously. "No one will fight back." Ha, correction. No one knows how to fight back. He groaned. What a world for a little girl to grow up in.
"Zeph?" Zella's voice startled him from behind.
Zeph turned to look at her. Her expression was off, there was something in her eyes. Confusion. "What is it?"
Zella held the remote in her hand and sat down on the couch as she turned on the TV. "I was working when I heard something on the radio. I don't like it."
Zeph left the piano and sat down with her. He listened intently to the station.
"And so on this mighty day the Warno King Sheward and the Waryes King Gunner have now signed a peace treaty!" The announcer on the TV smiled brightly. "The purest lineage of waryes' will remain within their own kingdom. In the warno kingdom, only the closest to pure warnos will remain. As for the rest of us, we shall be given our new kingdom just called the Warmix kingdom!" He chuckled. "Original, sure, but it works for me! Details on what will and won't be allowed in this treaty are very sketchy."
Zella turned off the TV "Am I right in thinking that maybe-"
"It's an obvious treaty that will backfire and destroy the last warno lineage left?" Zeph finished for her in a growling voice. "Warnos are so carefree, they won't even see it coming." He stood up and began to pace. "Why would King Sheward sign that? He knows they're up to no good."
"Distraction maybe?" Zella offered. "Or pressure?"
"Probably a combo without any fries and a drink," Zeph groaned. "Crazy. Oh well, it'll be fine."
"It'll be fine?" Zella frowned. "They are going to gather the last of the purest lineages. How? Based on what? Tails? What if it's by tails? What if they'll only let those skin tails in?"
"King Sheward is not as dumb as you think," Zeph disagreed. "He won't let everyone get butchered. Trust me, he knows what he's doing."
"Yeah sure, trust him." Zella growled bitterly. "I will never trust him."
Zeph didn't comment. He knew Zella had a feeling that it was the king that was responsible for the one night stand, but he couldn't agree to that. Not without being considered a traitor.
"Backstabbing, lying, conniving…" Zella muttered.
"Ease up mommy to be," Zeph chuckled trying to get her to relax. "You know that's not good for you."
Zella groaned. "Yes, yes I know. I just detest the king with my whole heart."
"Yeah, he's not my favorite but waryes' will always top the chart," Zeph said. "There's nothing worse in this world than them." He went back over to the piano and began to play. "I'll never let them win for good."
Zella strolled over and sat next to him by the piano softly humming the national anthem he started to play.
Zeph smiled at her as he continued to play. He closed his eyes briefly remembering happier times. Their anthem was always light but playful. He hit the last note of the song and left his hands on the keys. "The Warno National Anthem." He sighed. "Soon that is going to be the next thing to go."
"You don't think we'll sing our national anthem?" Zella had to ask. "Well, we don't have our colorful tails…or our hair…"
"Yeah, so if you're hiding why would you sing such an obvious song," Zeph said bitterly. "I remember when I was younger, we sang it all the time. Makes you wonder how many kids even know it anymore." He looked at the piano sadly. "Ever have fantasies about getting out of here?"
Zella chuckled. "Getting out of here. You know, I have actually thought about that. A nicer world, one at peace that had inhibitors." She looked down at the piano. "It wouldn't be the same though, this is home." She stared out the window nearby them. "The trees, the water, the whimsical smell in the air. No planet would ever be like this." She wrapped her shawl tighter. "This is home."
Zeph looked at the piano again. "Maybe you're right. Eh, it'd be really hard to live without inhibitors anyhow. We'd be like wild animals, unable to think." He looked outside the window. "There's no planet that would be like this, but there'd also be no waryes'. That's where you and Carressela should be, someplace safe."
Zella's cheeks tinted pink. "If we ever got it back though, you couldn't ever want such a wonderful world. So much life, so many crazy wonders in this world."
Zeph smiled at the piano. "Yeah, it is a zany world." He played on the piano again.
Zella joined his playing on her side of the piano. They banged the keys twice on the very last note.
"Enjoy it while we still can," Zella said, smiling tenderly at him.
Zeph looked back at the piano. "Yeah, while we can."
Zella became quiet and looked away before she got up and left. "Dinner will be ready soon."
Zeph continued to look at the piano as he watched her start to leave. How can I ever just leave them, especially now? He started to play softly again. Zella and Carressela will both have perfect lineage. They'll be easy targets. How can I just find someone to take care of them and leave them?
Zeph took a few more minutes at the piano before he entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. Time to get it over with. "Undercooked or overcooked?"
"Hopefully neither." Zella dished up his serving and placed it in front of him, not even looking at him.
Zeph stared at the plate. "It looks edible."
Zella didn't reply as she scooped up her own food. She sat down at the table quietly.
Zeph looked over at her. "Is something wrong?"
"No," she answered blandly as she bit into her food.
Zeph looked back at the living room then to where Zella was sitting. "Are you feeling okay? You were fine in the other room now you're just…" He stuck his hands out to her. "There."
"It's nothing." Zella took another bite of food.
Zeph crossed his arms. "Your hormones have never fluctuated that dang fast, so what's wrong?"
"Will you just leave me be?" Zella moaned.
Zeph put his hands up in defense. "Or I could be wrong, sorry?" He looked at the food on his plate. "Looks good?" Zella didn't answer. "Doesn't then? What's wrong? Did you get bad news at the hospital or something? Did something happen there?"
"Nothing bad," Zella spilled, "I'm not having a little girl."
"Boy?" Zeph said it a little too excited.
"Both." Zella moved her food around her plate. "I'm having a twin boy and girl, like Muin."
"T…twins?" Zeph's expression burst out with pride. "Holy heck, we're having twins?