A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.1***1"I know what's outside," Skadi Eira claimed.
A day has turned and Azarese is still going through it. As she struggle and suffer, Skadi Eira stayed beside her while eating, as if it's an entertainment.
"The Whitecloaks?"
She nodded.
"One of it had been watching me. I think it approached me, but I forgot when. They recruited me in their cult."
"Wow, and you didn't join?"
Skadi Eira scrunched her nose at Azarese, "You want me to? I'd wipe you out in a blink of an eye, girl. "
They rolled their eyes on each other.
"As I was saying, they're a cult. I don't think they have relations with the Church despite being 'white',"
"A cult... For what? Of whom?"
The children came again with flowers, freshly picked from Empress Clastigaufeas's garden. They are very dirty.
"Mommy, flowers!"
Watts Xirquit stopped them by the bed, reminding them not to get too close since they're dirty. The flowers still have their roots on with soil.
"Pet, put me down. I'll give mine to Mommy," ordered Prince Maximilien to his grandfather. He's riding his neck.
"Ask me again."
"I'm asking you properly! I will make you bald!"
Afraid to get bald, the Emperor helplessly squat.
"Kids, have snacks then take a bath, okay? We will put the flowers in the vase," Watts handled with a smile and took the flowers from them.
Solana refused and gave the a whole bouquet to her mother.
"You did this? You actually have talent?" she teased Solana who pouted.
"Ih, Mommy! The nice Auntie helped me! She's very sweet and she gave me this dress! Look!"
She went down the bed to twirl around.
Skadi Eira accepted the bouquet and placed it beside her.
"Meh. It's basic. Anyways, go to the side and starve---I mean, eat, Eggo. These flowers are ugly, but okay."
"Okay, Mommy! Be honest next time! Hihihi!" She joined the Prince's for their snack time on the side.
Skadi Eira smirked but she's really smiling.
"So, the Whitecloaks are cult for a...?"
Skadi Eira checked on her bouquet and answered, "Him."
Her audience was clueless.
"The Creator. That's what it said to me before. Followers and believers of Him. Since I am His Equal, they must've thought they could bring me in,"
"Why didn't you?"
Emperor Maxism put macaroons in his mouth and joined their circle. Voltage Xirquit lean over to whisper what they were talking about.
Skadi Eira pulled one flower and smelled it. Her mind is blank.
"Something about them is not right. It feels not right with me. They just...popped out of nowhere. How long have they been in that cult? How old is that cult? Who are they and why are they on the move again?"
So many questions flow in her mind that it started to hurt. She hate thinking deeply. It drains her energy---and starves her.
Her drained self rot on the bed, "I miss Celia. Your Celia is cold to me. My Celia pampers me with food. I want my Celia," she croaked as she slowly wither.
That's when they remembered their Side's Celia.
"Yeah! I mean, where is our Celia? I mean, this part's or world's Celia?" Emperor Maxism wondered and gave Watts a look.
And he's so pale.
He forgot about her.
"She's with the monsters. My poor Celia, she must be crying every night because she miss me. My Celia will never leave me hungry like this. I'm dying..."
"You're so fucking d-dramatic---hnnngh!"
"Shut up, watermelon."
Emperor Ohms turned away while covering his mouth because he's trying not to laugh.
"Oh, you find that funny, huh? That's funny to you, Ohms Tesla Xirquit?" Azarese.
"N-No---Pfft. No."
'He find it funny.'
Watts then ordered Wattroid to fetch Celia. According to His Equal, she's in the Diamond Palace. The poor maid was left all alone by herself. They hope she's doing well.
"Oh, the Whitecloaks are the one who took his sister, too."
"They can't touch us here. Love, we're safe. We're safe," Colt Forest told his wife softly.
Aviana Lavender closed her eyes tight. Her warm tears trailed down her face.
"I know... But they're over us. You know what they are. Please, I want it all to end. Please... I don't want to remember it anymore."
Paris Kean, guarding them secretly outside the balcony, heard them.
Emperor Maxism couldn't move. He wanted to clench his fists but he couldn't move his nerves.
"W-What do you mean?"
"I said, they're the ones who took your sister. I looked into its mind before it fade away after I refused it. I saw a glimpse of her face, that's why she looked so familiar to me now."
Voltage Xirquit threw his hands around the Emperor when he collapsed. Prince Maximilien watched them attentively, ignoring the fun of his brothers with Solana.
"Don't be hasty. They can make one forget another's existence completely. Even traces of the subject. That's how powerful they are, so you should be careful. There's no good in fighting the unknown."
It fascinated her when the Emperor pulled himself together with just a deep breath.
"Thank you for telling me. Allow me to excuse myself."
"Max..."
"Don't worry, Volt. Don't worry," he assured with a smile and left.
"Wow, how could he be so cool?" His Equal was very amused.
"That's already cool? Behind closed doors, he's crying like a bitch." Azarese.
"Like you?"
"I want to kill you."
Skadi Eira stuck her tongue out while laughing mockingly.
"Then why after our sons? What does that have to do with them?" The Ki'zaar asked.
"The Warlocks are made from the Creator's body. Their group is not only for worship...but something more. Why did they take Aunt Aviana? I don't know. Why are they after the Princes? Because they're Warlocks, sons of a lady from Heart," Watts concluded.
"That doesn't make sense because her mother, Siofra, had other sons. Why did they not show up when she returned? And why did they not attack when she was weakened, when it's the perfect chance to?" Voltage Xirquit.
They couldn't answer him.
"The first son will always be the most powerful," Emperor Ohms asserted, "Izaac is and so was Zodiac. She may be weakened but Izaac was not."
"You're implying that they are afraid of him? But dared to touch Aviana?" Voltage Xirquit.
Emperor Ohms snickered, "I mean, who the fuck is she? Why would they fear this loser of a family, Dad? What will Clastigaufeas do? Make a hundred copies of weapons and armors for her imperial knights? I said they're intangible. As long as we don't solve that problem, we're not winning. It's like stabbing water."
"Or maybe because our sons are much special. Mix of the purest bloods." Ki'zaar.
Skadi Eira poked Azarese's growing belly and grinned, "Or they only want this one. The conception of the perfect blending. Those Princes are made from intercourse. This one is not. Hmm, what kind of dragon will this one be, I wonder?"
Azarese smacked her hand away.
That made their hearts skip a beat.
That's right. It must be because of that. It must be because the second Prinsiaze is the most special of all. Empress Siofra gave birth to her children the natural way, too, and not through blending. The second Prinsiaze happened from blending; they blended and balanced their power in this egg.
No, it's not balanced at all because Azarese wanted to dominate the Ki'zaar while he wanted to give his all to her. Then poof, the egg.
The Ki'zaar knelt beside his wife and placed his hand on her belly, "I will protect you, Mi'zaar. Please push it out so I can protect it better. I won't let them have him. Once I'm incubating it, they're not touching the Prinsiaze,"
The exhausted Azarese found herself smiling.
"Makes me want to keep it inside me. As long as it's inside me, no one's touching my baby."
"Mi'zaar, please... I don't want you to suffer like this anymore. I am sorry... I didn't think this through. We rushed our union and now, this. I do not regret it, but I wished I was more prepared. Forgive me."
Voltage Xirquit slowly turn to his son: to his son who gave the Ki'zaar the idea and made him do it. The Emperor feigned ignorance, refusing to meet his stares.
When Celia arrived, so was the servants sent by Emperor Maxism to His Equal.
"For me? Really?" Her eyes were teary because of joy. The dishes before her were all shining and inviting.
"Yes, His Equal. The work of Chancellor Titania and our Empire's best chefs," the head servant smiled genuinely, happy to serve her.
"Yey!"
Azarese get up and held onto the Ki'zaar for support. There it goes again, the pulsing and hot feeling. It's driving her crazy.
Other Side's Celia stepped forward until she's standing with Their Side's Celia face to face. Other Side's Celia is a few inches taller and looked rougher and more mature, while Their Side's Celia may look experienced but still refined and graceful. It's like Other Side's Celia is looking at her past self, when she's nothing but 'just a maid' and not the Empress' ninth hand.
She bowed before Other Side's Celia deeply to show her great respect for her. They may be the same, but they are quite different in many, many ways. But there's one thing they will agree that they are guilty to.
Holding themselves back even when they don't have to.
Her bow lasted for a long time and so was everyone's silence. Other Side's Celia placed her hand on her.
"You can do better. We can do better. For Her Imperial Majesty, for the Imperial Highnesses,"
Their Side's Celia's closed eyes became wet with tears.
"Raise your head, Cecilia,"
By Azarese's orders, she did.
"You are now Cecilia. She will be Celia because she came first, and you will be Cecilia. Celia is better and you're still lacking. I need her by my side, so watch after the children. Can you do that?"
Cecilia straightened her back and opened her tearful eyes. Then, she bowed again and gratefully.
"I understand, Your Imperial Majesty. I will not fail you. I will be better."
Celia led her to the children's table and Solana was very happy to meet her again.
"Son, don't make it hard for mommy, please? Come out. Let's have fun outside. You're a good boy. So, come out now. Don't make mommy suffer like this. My second sweet dragon, I will take you to the skies once you're out."
They didn't really expect it to work, but it actually did. Azarese could feel the egg turning to its top shell, poking and pushing itself out.
"All of you make me feel smart for not getting the same idea I got. I will tell you, but you're forgetting something," Skadi Eira pointed the bread knife at them, "My promised memory fragment, where is it? The one that's in one of your kinds's possession."
The Ki'zaar may be lost but Lord Feryzen remembered. He asked for forgiveness first before dashing to search for it. While he's gone, Skadi Eira continued eating while listening to some music---Azarese's screams.
"I want... I want my Dad... It hurts so much... I want my Dad," she blubber on the Ki'zaar's shoulders.
He helped her stand up. Her legs were apart and shaking and her bleeding is alarming. It doesn't pose a threat to the Prince but the pain that twists her insides and hot claws-like scratching her flesh are unbearable.
"Y-Your Dad?"
Everyone looked away when the Ki'zaar glances over them, "She needs her Dad. Bring him here at once."
"No. She hate him." Watts Xirquit.
"Not happening. I'd rather see her suffer like this than let her meet with that fucker."
"I SAID!"
Hands slapped them all away for wasting her time and patience.
She passed out. Breathing so heavily and grunting, the Ki'zaar hand out a solid order to Cecilia under the will of her true master.
Right then, everyone was having qualms as they wait for Cecilia's return. Even she was against it; but if Azarese wanted to meet him, then they had no choice but to let them meet. She will only need him this time. Because she's laboring and giving her best. If seeing him will make her feel at ease somehow, then they must meet.
They shouldn't meet.