A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.1****
Azarese sat on the bed. Hands slammed the door shut and locked it. She looked around the room. Minimalist and very neat. There were no paintings but framed achievements written on papers. And also picture frames. In front of her, just above the scorched fireplace, is a big frame of his perfect family.
Hands panicked when her tears began to fall. She palmed her head. It sinked into her again; she lost her sons.
"I've been good and I've been bad. It's not about who and what I am. I was simply...born to suffer and live through hell. Did I deserve that?" She asked Hands as her tears cascade. Her pair of palms catch every piece of her tears.
Watts Xirquit stood before the door she slammed shut. He placed his hand on the doorknob yet he couldn't bring himself to twist and push it open. So, he just stood there and gently pressed his forehead against the door.
Prince Maxigaufeas helped his brother the Emperor get up from being on his knees. The Emperor went back to his knees and gave his mother a look. Disappointed with a scratch of fury. The chance was there. It's right next to their fingertips had their mother not flick it away. They almost had it. They almost had their father back on track.
"You will cause the death of my father."
Empress Dowager Clastigaufeas was dumbfounded, stunned and in disbelief. Her eyes welled with tears and her eldest son refused to see more of her. He excused himself and left. And on his way to somewhere, he met King Liorei and his daughter. The Princess is in distress and the King was stressed about it.
"C-Claxiord!" The Princess called so casually and ran to him.
"Have you seen Solana and my stepmother?"
King Liorei was a few steps behind.
"Forgive me, but I wish to be left alone as of the moment. Thank you." And he left. The Princess tried to run after him but the King stopped her.
Azarese tweaked her hair, in her wit's end.
'Keep it together. Keep yourself together.' She screams to herself, barely holding on.
'Let it all go. Burn them with your blood,' the voices in her head earnestly advised. They're not provoking her. They are merely saying what must be done.
Then Krone whispered, "Hush, sweet girl. Allow me and you will never have to go through this again. You are good, and good people are welcome to go to Heaven. I can get your sons back for you, if you would allow me to,"
Azarese shook her head and stand up. She paced back and forth.
"I know what you are. I don't know why you're in my head, but it will never happen. It will never happen!"
Krone sighed, "You don't understand a thing. Poor girl," and it left her be.
Meanwhile behind the Princes' Door stood the afraid boy Valerian. Streaks of glittery gold tears were running down his cheeks. His brother' were taken and he was left alone. He was out, chasing the butterflies. When he returned to their safe place, his brothers were gone. He looked everywhere, but they were gone. And he's so afraid. He's alone.
"Ambry... Maxi... Ivy... Hnngh... Kuya Zoddy, where are you?" He mumbled between his sobs.
He's been standing before their door, waiting for his brothers to come back. He wanted to open it himself but he's afraid that he will be scolded. After all, there's no telling where the door will lead him to once he open it. He doesn't even know where to go, so what would the door know about where his brothers are?
"Kuya... Brothers..." He looked around him again. The silence scares him.
Where did his brother' went to? Why was he left behind? So many thoughts inside his innocent mind. That maybe they left him because he's different. His brothers were all beautiful. Blessed with beauty, very much like their parents. But him?
To describe Prince Valerian, he have a body of the color of the shadow with trails of black and gray smoke. A pool of darkness looms on his feet. Long and slender fingers, pointed and with claws and sharp horns. His eyes were full circle, and they're as red as the boiling magma in a volcano with flecks of gold.
Prince Maximilien once called him a monster. "A monster, he is! His father must be a monster, too! I don't like a monster brother!"
Before he was, Prince Valerian already is. And before Prince Valerian was Prince Zodiac.
"He is not a monster," said the eldest Prince with a smile, "He just doesn't know how to control his power. You will be surprised. Valy is much better than you. Before there was light, there was darkness. And our Valy here will inherit that,"
The Prince cuddled his brothers. Prince Maximilien winced and groaned as he push his brother away.
"Darkness is scary. But without it, we will not see how beautiful the night sky is."
Remembering his eldest brother made him cry more. Then he thought of one person who might know where his brothers be: their Daddies. He's never seen Ambry and Ivy's Daddies yet, so he can't go to them. He's seen Maximilien's Daddy, but he's scared of what Prince Maxigaufeas might do to him if he sees him. After all, Maximilien did something so terifible to his Dad. So, that leaves him his eldest brother's Daddy, Watts Xirquit.
"Please, Door. Take me to Sir Watts Xirquit. I'm scared."
Voltage Xirquit laid Ohms on the sofa for him to rest. Wattroid is getting the guest rooms prepared and cleaned with the help of the bots that were named after the Xirquits. Lord Thirdy is still playing. Archduchess Miss President is playing, too, but without the enthusiasm. She don't understand how everyone has the time to play when they're in a tight situation. The arcade excited her, but there are more pressing matters they must attend to. Her being an Archduchess now hasn't sinked into her yet.
Ohms Xirquit opened his eyes. He tried getting up but his sister pushed him down.
"Nah-uh. Where are you going?" She asked with a brow raising.
"To piss."
Elektra grimaced and let him go, "Eww."
Ohms Xirquit rolled his eyes and get up. He sat and caught his head in his palms. He's dizzy, head heavy. He's still feeling hot. His blood is boiling but he could manage. Must be a side effect. He's never done it before---it was his first time. It was worth it, otherwise, he will never know when the 'right time' will come. At long last, he said the truth to his mother.
"Where is Mom?" He asked before looking up to his father.
Voltage Xirquit is looking down on him so sharply, chilling enough. He wanted to throw a fist to his son. Beat him up and everything, but that won't change a thing. It is on them because they spoiled their eldest too much? What went wrong? They only strived to be the best parents their own couldn't to them.
He couldn't help it anymore but do it.
Elektra shrieked in surprise when her father sent his strong fist to Ohms. Ohms has seen it coming, but when it actually came, he almost lose his consciousness. His neck even almost twist and break. It was so strong: filled with things his father want to say to him.
Everyone's jaw were dropping and Duke Paris was the first to collect himself and went between the father and son. However, the father is not yet done and gave his son more punches.
Watts came running down from the second floor and pulled his father apart. His mother went our from the kitchen, best believe she's more than angry than what her husband did to their son.
"VOLT! Enough! He's still sick!"
Voltage Xirquit kept his cool and gently removed his youngest's hand on him.
"I'm sorry, it just sinked in on me. That was unsightly, I admit, but that must put him back to his place."
Franchetti Xerene went to Ohms and checked his face. He's already beaten to pulp but when he smiled, his mother immediately shielded him with herself from his father. Spike pulled Matthew for a hug and covered his ears with his hands. Matthew hugged him tightly and didn't look.
"It certainly did, Dad," said Ohms as if he was high. He's laughing.
Watts went between them and pushed his father away.
"Calm down, Dad."
He hold his father's hand. It's bleeding, so he nodded at Wattroid to get a first-aid kit. They don't have a healer with them as of the moment.
Skadi Eira pauses and turn her head back when she felt something odd. A good feeling, no sense of danger at all. But the good feeling is with grief, so familiar because it's alike Azarese's.
It surprised not just her but everyone when the door manifested in the space between her and them. However, the door is in black and white. With cracks as if sooner or later, it will crumble.
Watts left his father and stood before the door. Franchetti Xerene aided her eldest son, shifting glances to the familiar door. Everyone's looking at it. They knew what it was.
Watts stared at the Imperial symbols on it, before glancing to the closed door where Azarese is. She's drowning in her own grief that she didn't noticed the manifestation of her children's door. Hands did though.
The door knob moved. Slowly, it was pushed open. They held their breaths when Valy peeked his head out.
"Kuya Zoddy's Daddy...?"
Watts gently went down to his knees.
He smiled kindly at the child, "Hello. We met again. You're Valy, right?"
The Prince nodded and hiccuped.
"Kuya Zoddy... My brothers are gone. Are they here?"
The Earthlings looked away but Watts didn't. Now they know what brought the child to them. His brothers were taken and he must be the only one who isn't.
Watts opened his arms, "Come."
The Prince hesitated. Then his tears poured harder, and he pushed the door open to run to his brother's father. Watts accepted him in his arms and made him feel safe and sound.
"Kuya Zoddy! Uwaaah! Amrby, Ivy! Even Maxi! They're not home! I'm scared! I'm so scared, Uncle!"
Azarese slowly put her hands down from covering her face when Hands kept on shaking her. They spelled 'Door' to her and she's never bolted out so fast in her whole second life but now. Hands took down the door for her, startling everyone.
She was taken aback by the sight of what the door have become.
Hands stretched themselves and brought her down, standing before the door. All that she could see is the door. The door she made for her children and with her children. Once full of colors other than the ones in the rainbow. Now, it's black and white and crumbling.
And it made her feel worse, for she knew that she returned too late for them.
"My s-sons..."
She tightly closed her eyes and shook her head while hugging herself.
Prince Valerian freed himself from Watts's nice embrace. He cautiously walked to his mother. And when he finally reached her, he reached out his hand and lightly hold onto the fabric of her onesie.
"Mommy..."
Azarese's eyes almost instantly opened. Watts stand up and stepped back, giving the mother and son the space they need.
She looked down. Hands gathered over her to see the child too, and bet they were surprised and spooked. Azarese stepped back so quickly that the Prince let her go. She examined everything about him: and no, she have no memory of the child, nor a memory of her mind creating him out of nowhere.
"Who are you? Who are you calling 'Mommy'?"
The Prince's eyes became sadder, squinting and squeezing his tears out.
"Mommy, I'm Valy. My name is Valy!"
He ran to her but she went away. So he stopped and realized that his mother doesn't like him.
"I'm from the door, too. Look, that's mine." He pointed the door, and specifically, the symbol between Prince Zodiac's and Prince Maximilien's.
"You have no memory of him," Skadi Eira pointed out as she step in. She stood next to Azarese, with a distance between them, only to see the child closer, "But he's very much like you. A Veil."
The people in the room still gasped even though they already had the same thought in their heads. Even the child.
"I'm not a Veil!" He thundered before brushing his eyes with his hands.
"I'm not a Veil. Kuya Zoddy said I'm not a Veil. I'm not a monster! I'm a baby. I'm Mommy's baby. Valy is not... Kuya Zoddy said..."
Solana was awakened by the Prince's voice.
"You look like one---"
Azarese raised her hand to stop Skadi Eira from speaking more. She finally collected herself and approached the child. She went down to his level, sitting down.
How could she doubt the child?
"You're my blood."
Her tears welled up. With both hands, she cupped the Prince's face. He put his hands down and his fluttering eyes reflected the image of his mother. Azarese pulled him for a tight embrace and cried her eyes out.
"I'm sorry. My sweet boy... I'm sorry. Your brothers... I will bring them back. I'm sorry. Mommy is here now."
At first, the Prince was astounded. This is the only time he got to feel his mother. He was always in the shadows, not showing himself to her even when she was still golden. Always hiding from her sight, watching her shower his brothes with love and kisses---all because he knew she never wanted him. A mistake. Unloved.
Now, his heart is draining all the envy and jealousy he kept inside from all those times. And when it's empty, his mother's love finally filled it.
He called for her over and over again. He hugged her the tightest he could, wishing that his arms will never get tired so he won't have to let go. The eyes watching them could only watch with tears. Their reunion was beautiful and they feel for them. They were parents, too. Back on Earth, some lost their children earlier. Like Elektra. Though she never show them such fragility, her husband is a witness. The deaths of their sons broke her. Especially during Leandrew's death. They spent weeks finding his remains. And within that week, she was losing her mind.
Solana get up. She gently pushed the cloud on her side aside to see who were crying.
"Show yourself to me." Azarese asked her son while pressing her forehead against his.
The form is not truly his form. She doesn't know why, but there must be a reason why the Prince looked like what he is.
"But I'm ugly."
And Azarese smiled at him while wiping her tears, "I don't make ugly babies."
The Earthlings then shifted their gaze to Watts Xirquit.
The Prince looked down. His mother lifted his chin up. She cupped his cheeks and looked into his eyes.
"I love you."
The Prince heart almost burst. Words he often hear her say, but not to him. However, that was all before. He's proud of himself. He's proud that he chose to leave the door.
"Please hold my hands, Mommy."
She did and she even kissed them.
There, the ethereal darkness that had always surrounded him began to recede. His small, hazy outline grew clearer, and the amorphous swirls of shadow and smoke gave way to the delicate features of the Prince in his human form. First, they saw what must be the fairest skin they've ever seen. His long hair bounced down, as dark as the empty space the Creator once found before he created his own universe. His black hair is lustrous and silky, but they're so long that it covers his face and naked body.
Pointy ears.
The Prince have pointy ears and a pair of golden horns on his head.
With shaking hands, Azarese parted his hair to see his face. Her knees gave out, kneeling before her son. She was in awe. If not lovestruck, then she can't tell what befell on her when he saw him is.
She hate to compare, but the color of Prince Valerian's eyes puts the Vernignac's eyes to shame.
Majestic markings also adorned his forehead and face. These markings, intricate, elven, and elegant, were unmistakable symbols of his royal lineage, one that is yet to be known, and inherent supremacy, imbued with the mystique of darkness and the celestial power of the moons.
Etched into the alabaster skin of his forehead were delicate, flowing lines that formed a crescent shape, the primary symbol of the moons. The crescent was bold and graceful, its tips pointing towards the sky, signifying an eternal connection to the skies. Around this central crescent, smaller, more intricate patterns spiraled outward, reminiscent of ancient elven drawings with lines that seemed to shimmer faintly.
Descending from the crescent, symmetrical markings extended down the sides of his face. These lines were more angular, embodying the essence of darkness. They followed the natural contours of his cheekbones, tapering down to delicate points just above the jawline. At the center of his forehead, just beneath the crescent, was a small, intricate symbol representing the union of darkness and light. This symbol, a star encased within a shadowy circle, was the ultimate mark of his royal heritage.
In their presence, the Earthlings could not help but feel the weight of his supremacy, a testament to the ancient lineage he embodied. The markings on the prince's face were a regal proclamation, a visual narrative of his connection to the celestial and the darkness.
"Just... Whoever called you 'ugly'?" His mother breathlessly asked as she gather his long hair back to see more of his face. She's trying to see the features that may belong to his unknown father, hoping that it will return her missing memories of him. But nothing comes to her mind.
"Maxi. He's a bully," he told her, his exhausted eyes fluttering softly. Every flick of his eyelashes is so majestic. His father must be a beauty, too.
"Are you sleepy?"
The Prince flinched, and he immediately shook his head.
"No, Mommy. I'm not sleepy. I don't want...to sleep. What if...this is just a dream?"
It tore her heart to pieces.
She gently pulled her son close to her chest and then she carried him like a newborn.
"It's not. I will be here. I will be the first thing you'll see when you wake up."
It made the sleepy Prince smile.
"I'm hungry, Mommy."
Azarese stand up and looked at Watts, "Bring my son something to eat before he sleeps. I'll bath him."
Prince Valerian rested his head on his mother's shoulder. He's gently tapping his mother's back, and when she turned around and found Watts Xirquit, he smiled at him. That's the first time they saw his face.
Azarese is proven to only produce beauties beyond compare.