A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.1****1
"MOM! DAD!"
Voltage Xirquit and Franchetti Xerene jumped out of their beds with weapons in both of their hands. They scanned the room, ready for a fight, when they found their son in his pajamas, catching his breath, with his tears dripping from his eyes.
"Oh, my love. What's wrong?"
She gave her weapons to her husband and walked to her son with open arms.
"I... I dreamt... Mom..."
"Shh, shh. Calm down. Come, come. Volt, cook."
He yawned.
"But I wanna hear."
She glared at him.
"COOK."
"Yes, Mother." And he left to carry out her orders.
They lay down on their bed. Watts buried his face on his mother's chest, sobbing one last time until he's calm.
"What is it?" She kissed his head and cuddled him.
"I dreamt of Zodiac for the very first time, Mom,"
"Really? That's amazing. What happened?"
He sniffled, "He thanked me. He knew about the amusement park. He told me he liked it. But he said he's still waiting for his airplane. He's watching me, don't he? Mom, he's watching over me. My Zodiac is watching me."
A smile bloomed on her lips and ruffled his hair. He starts to cry again.
"What else, my love?"
His embrace tightened.
"I dreamt...of Moon."
She pauses.
"The Academia... I saw her wearing the school's uniform."
Franchetti Xerene breathes in, "And?"
"That's it. Then I noticed the pin on her collar... It has the Matriarch's symbol. Mom... I think I've been praying to the wrong higher being all this time."
"What do you mean?"
He closed his eyes and searched the most comfortable place on her mother's chest, "None of the Deities I prayed for listened to any of my prayers. But the Matriarch... Maybe she took pity on me and gave me a sign. A prophecy about the Princess's return. I didn't think of that at all. That the Matriarch is watching over the ladies of her lineage."
She did not respond and gave him the silence for the peace of his mind. But she's listening. She listened. It's just that...she doesn't know what to say.
Until she found the best thing to tell him.
"Open the Academia."
He lifted his head and opened his eyes to see her. She's smiling down on her, just a mask to hide her hurt for her baby boy. She's been watching him. She's a witness to his hurt. She never wanted to see him hurting. Until now, she's thriving to be the perfect and the bestest mother in the world. But who is she fooling, she already failed to be.
"Open the Academia. She's your scholar, remember? So, send her another letter. Bring her sky-blue friend so she won't be sad. My son, I know you see your self so little ever since you knew that her husband were Princes. But they didn't know you have your own kingdom."
"King...dom?"
She smiled even wider and kissed the tip of his nose.
"The Academia, Watts. The Academia is your kingdom. That brain of yours is your weapon. If you wanted to be a conqueror, let us be your tentacles. Own the world. Be the human that will take over this godforsaken world."
He got up.
"Do you mean that?"
"Of course. We don't give a fuck about what people will say. Actually, we never did. You're a Covry-Xirquit. You have a free-pass to be a villain and everyone will believe that they deserve your revenge. Go and see it yourself. Otherwise, come back and slap Mommy."
"I will never hurt you, Mom."
She wriggle on the bed with the feels before wrestling her baby with cuddles.
"Stawwp! But go. Spike and Elektra will return later. Hope they bring good news, though."
He nodded and walked to the door. But before he left, he looked back and she gave him an assuring smile. He felt supported, knowing that his mother have faith in him, he left with a strong resolve to do what must be done.
"My boy is the strongest," she said to herself as she gaze at the door. Then it opened again; her husband entered with a food trolley.
"Where is he?"
She laid back down to the bed and tapped his place beside her.
"Said he dreamt of her wearing the Academia's school uniform, so I told him to go and open it. How's the task he entrusted to you, though?"
He set up the foldable table on the bed and transferred the plates from the trolley on it. Then he joined her.
"Could hardly find any. Not that the people refused to talk, but because they hardly know anything about their royals. None of them could tell how they Bloodline works. Their crimes and sins, they admitted. But that's not what we're looking for. But right now, I was told there were two who used to work for them the longest. Fugitives. I sent out our people to tail and capture them."
His wife nodded while enjoying the food he prepared.
"And yours?"
"Same thing. Can't find traces of his 'twin'. Either she was hidden or she's dead. Her death is not recorded, so there's a possibility that she's alive and hiding. Or hidden."
He nodded, too, and helped her first before helping himself fill his stomach.
In the middle of their breakfast, Voltage Xirquit suddenly stopped and think, "Are we... Are we forgetting something? I think I do?"
His wife looked at him, clueless, then ate the pasta while digging her mind for things she might've forgotten about.
"I can still remember Spike, though?"
Spike, who's in the car with his sister, sneezed like it was his last.
"What the fuck was that! You stupid and gross---WIPE ME!"
Voltage Xirquit dropped the utensils carefully on his plate and covered his mouth when he finally remembered.
"Fuck. We completely forgot about Ohms for a whole fucking year!"
Franchetti Xerene gasped until her lungs deflated, drawing the most shocked face she could pull and screamed,
"We did!? Oh my god, is he dead!? Oh my, that's so sad. Thank God I don't give a fuck."
"Really? He's our eldest. He's still our son!"
He left the bed and looked around, searching for something, and remembered that Elektra and Spike are using the car that's why the keys are not on the bedside drawer.
"Let that idiot be. Instead, let's go check on Lorreign."
"But Ohms?"
She swayed her fork in the air, "Leave him be. He's an adult. He can handle himself. Probably made new enemies on his way, but he can handle it. Don't worry about him. He'd go back crawling to us someday for some loving."
He sighed and went back to his place: beside her. They enjoyed their food but they're still not quite full, so they ate each other, too.
"Daddy?"
Solana tiptoed by the bed side to see King Liorei. She turned one year old and is very stylish thanks to Princess Lorreign's fashion taste. She's the one who cut Solana's bangs, always doing her hair in different styles. Today, she gave her a twin pigtails with big ribbons on them.
Solana is a very magical being. She could change the color of her hair, and Princess Lorreign love every second she spends with her baby sister. Solana is the best. Her new best friend. She's sure that Selene will love her, too. They will dress her up, go into shopping sprees, do lots of girly things altogether---she's so excited.
For today's look, Solana's hair color is blonde.
"Daddy..." Solana frowned with a pout.
Every day, after styling her, Princess Lorreign will bring Solana to his room. They will talk to him, read him stories, watching him sleep, and waiting for him to wake up. The Princess is Solana's teacher. So far, Solana knows how to write now and recognize letters. She knows how to count, tell the names of every colors, and even the names of the animals, thanks to the instructional materials the Princess prepared and created.
"Daddy, wake up. Wake up~"
The sun is setting. Princess Lorreign is in the kitchen, cooking their dinner. She left Solana in the living room with her drawing materials, but she got bored and sneak into their father's room.
Solana let out her wings. She's still not used to flying, still unstable, but she wanted to climb the bed and that's why she let them out. She put them back in when she safely landed on the bed. She removed her shoes before walking to the King who's fast asleep.
"Daddy?"
King Liorei's eyes fluttered. Then, they slowly opened. Solana instantly put the brightest and sweetest smile on her face when she saw him gaining consciousness. It wowed her to see the King's beautiful pair of eyes. Golden. And his hair is turning golden blonde. Holy like the colors of light. It's slowly fading the color of his black strands, as if the dye is being washed away.
"Daddy! I am Solana!" She introduced as soon as his eyes were half open.
The King, who's strength is yet to be replenished, smiled and lifted his hand. Solana crawl to get close to him and dived in his arm. She threw her hands around him, giggling while kissing his cheek.
"You're...a big girl now, Solana..."
"Thank you, Daddy. It's because Ate Lori looks after me. She's the best! And Mommy comes here to play with me, too! I always cry when she's here, but I love Mommy because she gave me a swan!"
"A...swan?"
Solana nodded fast, "Yes! She said it lays golden eggs! Also, the egg is a very good vitamin! Like a syrup!"
King Liorei felt his heart quake, "Y-You ate your pet's b-baby??"
Solana chuckled, "Yes! Mommy said she created it for that, for you! Ate feed you with it. I got sick before but I got better when I drink the syrup. It's very good! It worked on you too, Daddy!"
King Liorei closed his eyes again, cursing Skadi Eira in his mind for being a stupid and fucked up creator. She's probably laughing evilly every single day, knowing that she yet again did not fail to cause him stress.
Solana's cheeks blushed harder as she shyly smile, playing with her fingers.
"Daddy, please get better soon. I want to play with you. Mommy gave me a pony. Let's ride together outside, Daddy. With Mommy and Ate Lori."
He opened his heavy eyes. Solana couldn't look straight into his eyes and kept on looking around. It made him smile somehow. He can't wait to regain his strength and make it up to his daughters.
Daughters?
"You're so beautiful, baby. Let's do that. We'll do that."
Solana's face beamed with joy and cuddled her father.
"Thank you, Daddy! I love you!"
The King was taken aback; he kept his silence and only chuckled while caressing the back of her head. He kissed her head.
"Don't tell Mommy that I'm awake. I want to surprise her. Tell your sister too, okay? Let's keep it a secret."
Solana nodded like the good girl that she is.
"Oki! Promise, Daddy. Go back to sleep now. Oh eat this!"
She get up and shove her tiny hand inside the pocket of her dress. She pulled a leaf out. It's green and shining.
"What's that, baby?"
"I dunno! But my fairy friends gave it to me when I told them that you were sick. I think it's a vitamin! I always drink vitamins!"
Solana transferred the leaf to his hand and guided him to put it to his mouth. She's looking forward to seeing him eat it. But he trusted her and willingly ate it. Solana watched him chew it.
"Is it sweet, Daddy? My vitamins are both sweet and bitter. I don't like bitter vitamins! But Ate said they're healthy, so I drink them!"
King Liorei faked a smile.
The leaf was the most bitter shit he's ever tasted. It taste so bad that it makes him want to throw it up, but he couldn't do that to his sunshine daughter.
"Thank you, baby. I think I'm feeling better already."
He feel like dying.
"Really!? Oh my, I'm so happy! Here, I have more, Daddy! Eat them all!"
King Liorei's eyes widened and was about to refuse when she shove the leaves right in his mouth. She can't wait for him to heal. Once he's well, she can finally walk her first pony out! With her Daddy and his horse!
Princess Lorreign, who's watching them by the ajar door, chuckled lowly. Her baby sis is so innocent and pure.
Azarese, sitting before the vanity mirror, Is combing her thick, gray hair. Her gaze is far, thinking so deeply, but in all honesty, her mind is empty.
Meanwhile, Skadi Eira is watching her, observing her. Whenever she's feeling bored, it's either she will eat more or pay her daughter a visit. There's joy in making Solana cry, her sole source of entertainment for a whole year.
Well, what else would she do in the Diamond Palace? Her 'friend' wasted a year in her life molding a child made of clay, only for her to fail miserably despite perfecting its anatomy. That, too, she found so entertaining. Ah, emotions. They're like bubbles and she love poking them and watching them burst.
"I'm so bored. Do something, girlie," she dawdled to Azarese before grabbing popcorn from the bowl. When she got nothing, she looked at it and see that it's already empty.
"Patience. Something is going to happen soon," Azarese said and placed the comb on the table. She gathered her hair on one side and began braiding it into a fishtail.
"I want chaos. You promised me."
Azarese stand up and went to the bed, still braiding her hair. Then, she noticed a black thing lying on the pillow.
Then she realized what it is, and remembered something she completely forgot about.
"Hands!"