A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.1****1"Dad!"
Princess Lorreign left the table where she's having tea with her twin and Princess Eowyne to run to her father.
King Liorei wore a smile on his face and swing his daughter around when he caught her.
"My lovely Princess. How have you been?"
"I've been well! How are you? Hmmp, I'm sulky because you and Wattsy are not including me in your meetings! I want to see Watts's office, too!"
King Liorei chuckled and only kissed his daughter's head. Then, he looked at the other ladies.
"Good day, ladies. I see that you're getting along well," he said with a meaningful smile. He didn't expect that the twins will be hanging out with Princess Eowyne. Though he knew she's always been different from the rest of her family, it's still a surprise.
Duchess Selene was about to answer when her fiancé arrived with his brother, Prince Maxigaufeas.
"Oh, darling! I missed you!"
Emperor-to-be Claxiord caught her in his arms so fondly and tightly. He buried his face on her neck, recharging.
King Liorei cleared his throat, "Well, I should go. Princess, sorry but I have to leave you again for a moment. Wattroid will accompany me back to that place. I'm bringing Dad's inventions to entrust them to Watts."
It was a decision he made himself. They also left Watts's office to get some fresh air and also because King Liorei wanted to see his daughter. If he leave his father's inventions to Watts, he will surely apply the new technology on it and made them work outside without relying on the Tower.
"You will leave me with these lovebirds!? My single ass can't!"
King Liorei laughed and so her twin.
"That's why you should find your man! You're getting older. Build your own family now."
Princess Lorreign pout, "I will, if someone is brave enough to ask my hand from Dad."
"That's right. They have to go through me first. I'm glad you know that." The King pinched the Princess's cheeks and kissed her forehead.
Wattroid then showed up behind him and waved at everyone with his gummy smile. The King then had no choice but to bring the Princess with her.
Skadi Eira yawned. She's sitting below the shade of a huge tree. The spot she found was a ground in front of the Heart Palace. A square green field between the paths. Bushes surrounds the square field. And in every square field, there were million years old trees in them.
It's noon and the sun will soon set. She's sitting on the grass, no mat because is yet to arrive. The breeze is cool and fresh, the chirps of the birds are music to her ears. So, she look up to watch the birds, and found a nest over her. The birds met her gaze and chirped much sweeter and livelier. It's like they are trying to please her.
Tiny birds peeked over the nest. Skadi smiled. They're a family.
"Why is everything obsessed with having a family?" she asked herself and looked down when her neck starts to hurt.
Bored and annoyed for no reason, she opened her hands and created her own child. A golden egg was formed between her hands. She made it grew until it's sitting on her lap. Then, she begin to form her child. A temporary child. She's so curious that she want to see it for herself. After a month, this child will return to her as essence. Perhaps she will turn it into a bird like the White Phoenix and set it free for it to live forever as another creation of her.
Now, her child is complete inside the egg. A fully developed baby---a baby the size of Prince Zodiac, because she never saw a real baby. Therefore, her child is with intelligence and strength. It just need to hatch and there, her baby.
"What's taking Celia so long? And what's taking this thing so long from hatching?" she dawdled in boredom and yawned.
From the day she got out from the mountain to this day, Skadi Eira did not sleep a wink at all. Now, fatigue and exhaustion is catching up on her.
King Liorei, Princess Lorreign, and Wattroid crossed the portal. The Princess stretched her arms up as soon as they arrived in front of the Heart Palace's doors. She twisted her body side by aside, until she found her mother.
"Oh? Is that my future stepmommy!?" She pointed Skadi Eira and screamed.
"MOM---" King Liorei instantly covered her mouth as soon as he found the woman sleeping.
"Princess, shhh! She's sleeping," he whispered to her, eyes fixated on the shimmering and glowing thing she is holding.
Then, they found Celia from afar, running with a basket and mat in her hands.
"Hmm! Hmm!" The Princess tried to call Celia while waving her hand. She first removed the King's hand off her mouth.
"Celia~!" She called her name, getting the servant's attention.
Wattroid then lead the King and the Princess to meet Celia halfway.
"Y-Your Majesty, Your Highness," Celia bowed.
"Are you looking for my stepmommy? She's there," the Princess giggled and pointed where the woman is.
Celia gasped, "O-Oh... I've been looking for her everywhere. It's past noon, now. Oh, what to do. She wanted 5o have a picnic,"
"Let's get her first. The sun is setting," decide King Liorei and walked to her.
The nearer they get, the more they realize that what she's holding is an egg.
"Woah~ What's that egg?" tuned the Princess as her eyes twinkle, reflecting the light coming from the golden egg. It even has intricate details all over it. So majestic.
"Let's not wake her and bring her in."
King Liorei reached his hand out to the egg. He gently laid his hands on it and was about to take it carefully when the egg began to shake.
"D-Dad, what are you doing!?" The Princess panicked.
"I-I---I didn't do anything!?"
"OMG! You broke it!?"
The Princess's noise woke Skadi Eira. Their widening eyes were the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes, next were their stupefied faces.
"What---" she was cut short when she heard a crack.
She looked down and saw the egg hatching, with the King's hands still attached on it.
She frowned at him, "Thief. Are you going to steal my baby?"
"Excuse---!? Why would I? And me...? Your baby?"
More cracks happened on the egg. As it shake more, King Liorei removed his hands from it. That's when the egg levitated over their heads. And soon, its shell exploded and the blinding light burst from it.
"Kyah!? My eyes!" The Princess exclaimed and covered her eyes when tiny shards of egg shell got into her eyes.
When the light faded, they slowly opened their eyes again to see what came out of the egg.
They found a winged being flying over their heads, with a pair of lazy, doe eyes looking down at them.
"Why a girl?" Skadi Eira blurted with the greatest disappointment known to Cosmo-Vale.
Suddenly, her luminous sky blue opal eyes welled up with tears, and the cry that followed it next shook the world, freezing their surroundings and the Palace itself.
"What in the world!?" The Princes in the Palace exclaimed, and the first thing they did was to gather around and secure the safety of their mother, the Empress, who saw everything from her balcony.
Skadi Eira crossed her arms, wondering what went wrong. Did she not made the child a boy? And behaved, just like Zodiac?
"Omg! Omg, Dad! We're going to die! Omg, it's because you broke it!" The Princess panicked and started crying too.
"I didn't!? It hatched on its own!" The pale King defended himself. When he looked at Skadi Eira, she's frowning and look so annoyed and frustrated.
"Are you not going to do something!?"
Skadi Eira clicked her tongue. King Liorei's jaw fell open.
"What to do? I made that child out of a whim. Why is it a girl, though? I'm very sure I made it look like Zodiac."
His jaw fell even more.
"Y-Your child...? Out of a whim?"
The child cried harder. Her tears were wet, but as soon as they fell down from her face, they turn into pixie dusts.
Princess Lorreign screamed when the pixie dusts got into her eyes.
"Ahh, Dad! I'm gonna be blind! Huhuhu! My eyes!"
Though the dusts felt cool, it still made her uncomfortable. What if it's toxic or something? She's be blind for real. First, the egg shards. Now, magical tear dusts?
King Liorei stand up and wrapped his hand around the child's naked body. He pulled it close, until it's in his arms. He placed it in his arms so carefully to not fold her pretty wings.
"Hush, baby. Shh, it's alright. You're safe. Don't cry," he soothe while caressing the child's head.
It immediately stopped crying. He stopped rocking it when it smirked at him.
"Heh. Daddy."
***
"Please get your child off of me," King Liorei asked Skadi Eira, who's laying down on the long couch while eating. He's sitting across her, straight, while the child is sitting on his shoulders and not getting off of him.
"Nah, it will die on its own after a month. Just endure. For a month."
He was so disturbed.
Princess Lorreign came in with lots of paper bags from her shoulders down to her hands. Wattroid and Celia are behind her, carrying lots of boxes and more paper bags.
"Dad! I'm back with the toys and baby clothes for my sissy!" She said with the brightest smile.
"Kyaaah! My baby sis!" When she dropped the paper bags on the floor, she ran to the child and carried it.
She hugged the child, pressing their cheeks together and the Princess couldn't stop laughing and giggling.
"Omg, she's so fluffy and squishy! I love her so much!"
The expression on the child's face looks so done and irritated.
King Liorei palmed his face. Just what did he got himself into?
They're in the Heart Palace's living room. There were guards watching them and servants attending to them other than Celia. The Princes? They see them one time but got sent away by the child with a single flick of her fingers. That's why none of the Imperial Family are with them.
"Princess, careful. The child looks so done with you, can't you see?" the King sighed.
The Princess, who's now dressing up her sister, gave her a goofy, innocent look.
"Hmm?"
The King just sighed heavier.
"Ooh, are you hungry? Give me a kiss and I'll feed you. Here,"
The child smacked her face away.
"I told you."
Skadi Eira smirked, proud of what her child did.
"Daddy. I want my Daddy." The child mumbled and got up from sitting on the table. She walked to King Liorei and opened her hands.
"Daddy."
"I'm not." He refused firmly, "Go to your mother. She's also your father." He pointed His Equal.
Skadi Eira shoot the chocolate in her mouth.
"Mommy, dumb."
Skadi Eira choked.
Celia immediately helped her.
The child sat down. Her wings fluttered.
"I'm hungry."
"WATTROID, BRING AUNT TITANIA HERE AT ONCE! MY BABY SIS IS STARVING TO DEATH!" The Princess ordered like it's the law when she recovered.
"No food. Milk."
"WATTROID, BRING ALL THE COWS! MY SISTER IS PARCHED, CAN'T YOU SEE!?"
Princess Lorreign snaked her way to her sister and pinched her soft skin.
"Wait for milk, oki? Play with big sis first, please? I bought lots of nice things for my baby sis~"
The child looked at her, then to the things she bought.
"Myik."
Princess Lorreign covered her mouth with a gasp when the child mispronounced.
Her crystal tears fell.
"You are the cutest thing that ever happened in my life, baby sis!"
King Liorei scratched his cheek. His daughter is so exaggerating.
"Just why did you made her if you're not going to take responsibility?" Now, he's serious.
Skadi Eira hissed, "I said, out of a whim. I was curious. Then shala~ I created it."
King Liorei massaged the bridge of his nose and laid back against the couch.
"You don't make children out of a 'whim'. And what? After a month, it will die? After you created it, you'd watch it die? You were never in the right state of mind, are you?"
His statement changed the relaxed, lazy expression on her face.
"How dare you? It's my creation. It's not even yours---"
"You created it because you're curious. A child is a responsibility. It's not just a 'something'. They're not for 'practice only', Skadi Eira. I don't know what got into you and you created her, but stop. You don't know how to raise one. You don't know how to care for one. You can't be a mother yet, if that's what you wanted to be. It will die after a month? Did you even consider what it would feel? Did you really think that you won't be attached to her? Do you think you won't be sad once it's gone?"
Her eye twitched when she felt anger forming in her system.
"Why are you getting so worked up? You like her already? Perhaps, you liked the feeling whenever it calls you 'Daddy'? Oh, I see. It's because you never see your own as a child and never had the chance to watch her GROW UP."
King Liorei glared at her.
"At least I'm biologically a father and not some dumb creator who created a child 'out of a whim'. My daughter was planned and is loved. She was raised by people who knew how to take responsibility and cared and raised her. You created yours and so disappointed when it's not a boy, and even more than willing to left it there. So, if you think you can hurt me with that fact, try again."
Princess Lorreign covered her sister's ears. However, the being is not dumb. It was born with the gift of intelligence. She's aware of what's happening and can understand very word that comes out of her parents' mouths.
Skadi Eira flick her hair behind and calmed herself by sipping juice from the straw below her chin. It was King Liorei who challenged her into a staring game and she won't back down.
"Then teach me," she said now that she cooled down.
King Liorei raised his eyebrow at her.
Princess Lorreign exchanged meaning stares with her sister. She dropped her hands so her sister will hear what's next. Her heart...is pumping in excitement!
"Since you're an oh-so-loving-and-perfect father, with an experience at that, teach me how to raise that kid. If I happen to like it, I'll let it live. If not, then it can die right now."
"What the fuck?" the King gasped in disbelief.
"Are you for fucking real?"
"Am I for fake?" and she rolled her eyes.
The child's wings fluttered and glitters fell off from it. Princess Lorreign combed her silky, shiny short hair. Like a bob haircut. And it's curly.
"I wanna be a baby. So Daddy will watch me grow," she said with a yawn, and began to shrink.
"O-Oh no! Dad, help! She's shrinking!"
King Liorei left his seat and scoop the child---who is now a literal baby. It cried as soon as it became small. Now that she is a baby, she lost her awareness, intelligence, as well as her consciousness.
"Dad, hold her properly! You're folding her wings!" Princess Lorreign smacked his arm when she saw her sister's tiny wings folded.
"Can you remove the wings? Put it back when she can use them right."
Skadi Eira made a face and pointed her finger at her daughter. A trail of magic went out from the tip, going to the child's back, and poof, her wings are gone.
"Your Majesty, her name? I'm afraid she doesn't have a name yet," Wattroid reminded before they forget it.
They looked at the one who made her.
"Just call it birdy. Or eggy."
"That are the most horrible name suggestions I've ever heard. Would you like it if I were to name you 'Birdy'?"
"Then name her!?"
King Liorei clicked her tongue and went back to his seat with the baby in his arms. Princess Lorreign followed her. She's tickling her feet, trying to make her laugh.
"Let's name her 'Fairy'! She's so cute!"
King Liorei put his finger in her mouth. When she began sucking it, he knew that she's hungry.
"Celia, go get the child her milk. Her mother won't feed her."
"Yah," Skadi Eira threw the straw to him, "You're not even sure about that. I don't even know how to feed stupid babies.",
"Mom, don't call her stupid! She's very bright. Don't listen to her, baby sis." Princess Lorreign happily kissed her head.
"And to feed a baby, you breastfeed them!" she added.
Disgust was all over Skadi Eira's face.
"Eww. I'm not doing that. I don't have milk."
She look down on her breasts. She even squeezed them with her hands before looking at the King with an evil grin. But he's not looking at her because he was so focused on the child.
Princess Lorreign chuckled. She saw it.
"Solana Gwyneira," blurted the King, "They mean 'sunshine' and 'blessed snow'. Let's name her Solana Gwyneira."
Right there, Princess Lorreign fell in love with her sister's name. And so Skadi Eira. It was beautiful. She's not gonna lie. She liked it.
"Warm and cold. Her name is so beautiful. Like her!" The Princess kissed her little hand.
Celia returned with the bottles and formula.
"Watch. This is how you make milk for the baby," he told Skadi Eira. She nodded, watching.
He scoop the formula and transferred it to the bottle with warm water. After four scoops, he closed the bottle to shake it. He then fed the baby, shutting it up from crying so much.
"Woah," Skadi Eira clapped in amusement.
"Waah~ She's so heavenly~" Princess Lorreign tuned in while watching her sister eat. Her opal eyes looked at her. She squirmed with feels and kissed the baby's hand.
King Liorei smiled at his daughter and caressed the Princess's head, "You're happy."
And the Princess grinned, "Of course. I have a baby sister to look after now. She's so small and soft~" she sniffed her scent, "And smell much better!"
"Right? You were this small, too. Very cute." He pinched her cheek. He can't tell who is cuter now. He both have her and Moon's baby picture in his wallet.
Skadi Eira suddenly popped beside him and went down to smell her daughter.
"Nice. She smells nice."
She hold her hand and brought it to her mouth, and bit her finger like it's candy.
The baby flinched and cried out in pain.
"You're an idiot!"
King Liorei pinched her cheek away from the baby.
"Aah! I just checked if she's edible or not!?"
"She is, if you are a cannibal!"
"Oh no, Shh! Shh, baby sis! Toy? You want toy? Here~ Lalalala~" The Princess shake the pompoms and showed her other gifts.
King Liorei hissed at her mother and held the child closer to him. He rock her and put the nipple back to her mouth. She was silenced when her mother healed her with a grudge.
"Princess, did you buy her clothes?"
"CLOTHES!? YES!" She clapped her hands and Celia brought all the branded clothes to her.
Skadi Eira crossed her arms, thinking whether it is right that she created a child or not.