A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.1***1"S-She's pregnant? What do you mean she's pregnant?"
Mistress DEATH's eyes widened in shock when Cecilia relayed the message to her.
She doesn't know what to feel. Excited, because she will be a grandmother again? Or anger, because her daughter just turned of age, but already with child?
"Please do not stall and come with me. The Empress wants to meet her...father."
Mistress DEATH felt the weight of Cecilia's hatred against them but she had to present herself before them with the grace of her Empress.
'There must be a mistake. I thought she loathe him?' the Mistress thought to herself as she make a decision.
In the end, she sent a knight to bring her 'sulking' husband. By force if the knight have to. Next, she summoned her sons and told them about the news. She will bring Prince Izaac with them only and they wouldn't be long. While away, she will leave Prince Davorin in charge.
King LIFE entered the room, all gloomy. A swaying veil is draped over him. His skin is with blank tints and lethal spikes. He is LIFE but without it for real. His tired eyes were fluttering slowly, swollen and to this day, still crying big tears.
"Fix yourself, Dragunovv. We're meeting my daughter. She's about to give birth and she wants to meet you. So, fix yourself."
How it got into did not matter for the Mistress of Death. She was the first to cross the portal, then her son, the King, and lastly, Cecilia.
Cecilia pushed the grand doors open, revealing the people from each sides of the doors to each other. Emperor Ohms and Watts Xirquit were kneeling on each side of their wife, acting as supports to her weight and from weakness, while the Ki'zaar is hugging her. Though she's unconscious, she didn't want to lie down the bed.
The Mistress of Death roamed her eyes around, and they were stuck on the place where the Princes are. They were looking at her with wonders because of how much she resembles their mother. The amount of blood on the floor stings to the roof of their noses. She hate to admit it but the sight of her grandsons excite her. Yet she couldn't dare go to them, meet and greet them...just because.
"You must be my wife's mother, Siofra Warlock. And her eldest brother, Izaac." The Ki'zaar has spoken sternly while showing off what he's made of, trying to intimidate them.
Surely they are, but they immediately adapted and adjusted to his overwhelming presence.
"Boo, boring reunion. I expected drama," Skadi Eira snorted and cut a slice of the strawberry mousse cake.
The Ki'zaar touched Azarese's red face, wiping the tear off her face, "Mi'zaar, he's here. Wake up. Darling of my skies, wake up."
Her eyes fluttered. And slowly, they open. The Xirquit brothers stand up.
"Mama?" The clueless Prince Vars looked at the Mistress of Death, then to his grandfather who shook his head.
"No. Mama Ma."
Azarese draws her stares to the King. At first, her sight was blurry. As soon as it adjusted, her breathing hitched as her grip on her husbands tightened like her chest.
"What... What..."
The King, back to his natural form as a human, almost stumble as he try to close the distance between them. Just then, Azarese started screaming and throwing everything around her.
In a twisted trick of memory and fear, she could only see the cruel, domineering figure from her past, the man whose mere presence had once left her trapped, frightened, and powerless.
"NO! NO!"
Azarese screamed as loud as she could. The horrified King was pushed back from whatever is happening to his daughter. Another pool of blood burst from her womanhood. She almost slipped from trying to escape, but Hands was very careful with her.
"Mi'zaar!"
"WIFE!"
"Hey, that's mine!"
Azarese pointed the bread knife at them. She's going back more like a frightened little girl.
Their throats ran dry and screeched when she pointed the knife to her belly. She began laughing like a maniac. Eyes bulging with fears and traumas...and hands trembling with determination. Determination to kill the devil's spawn in her womb.
"This is not my baby..." She said while smiling at them. A broken one, while sobbing.
"THIS IS NOT MINE! NO! I don't want it! Don't come! I will kill it! This is not my baby! I don't want his baby! This is his baby... I don't like it. I need to kill it. I don't want his baby!"
"M-Mi'zaar---..."
The Mistress of Death, and so King LIFE, were frozen in their places from the words that came out of her mouth.
Celia carefully stepped in. She's swallowing her pain every time, holding her tears back, as she tame her, "Your Imperial Majesty... My Empress, please... Drop the weapon. The baby is not his. It's yours."
Azarese glared at her. She stepped back but it's already the wall.
She faked a laugh, shaking her head while keeping her frightened eyes on Celia.
"No, " she whispered while giggling, "I will run away today, Celia. Look, I'm free. My hands... My feet... They're not bound. I will run away. Then... Then I..."
She gulped, "Where do I go, Celia? Where do I hide? They left me... They left me... My brothers... They left me---"
She ducked down while tweaking her hair, "No. I don't have brothers! I'm not Azarese! Don't call me that, Celia! That's not my name! I hate it! My name... My name..."
Hands wrapped themselves around her belly to protect the egg.
"My name is Azazel."
King LIFE finally lost his ability and was slumped to the floor.
Azarese screamed and stabbed the egg.
"MI'ZAAR!"
"WIFE, NO!"
"MOMMY!"
Luckily, Hands had thought in advance and the knife didn't went through.
Finally, whom she needed stepped in. His footsteps were light and all his guards were down. He made it to her in time and gently wrapped his hands on hers where the knife is.
"Princess," he called her peacefully with a smile. A trail of tear cascaded down his face, "You were looking for me?"
Her grip loosened.
"D-Daddy... Daddy Liorei..."
King Liorei smiled sweetly and removed the knife from her grasp. He gave it to Celia and embraced his daughter.
"Yes, it's me. I'm here. You're doing well. I know it hurts, but you're doing well."
"Don't leave me again..."
King Liorei looked up to stop his tears from falling. Then he smiled, caressing her head gently with so much love and care.
"I won't anymore. I will choose you over anything. I won't make the same mistake. So, please, forgive me. My daughter..."
Blood and water spilled on the floor. Azarese wailed as her flesh tear when the egg is already becoming impatient.
"Stellandriavia!"
The spirit come into being beside him with a sweet smile, "Yes, my glorious Deity's treasure?"
"What's your solution for her to birth the Prince safely?"
Skadi Eira flicked her finger, sending the spirit back to where it belonged.
"Nah, I have the best solution. Hang in there, bestie. Let's wait for my memory fragment," she smirked, "Oh, they're here."
Lord Feryzen almost slipped when he made it to the bed. He politely and carefully presented the shining memory fragment before His Equal, wrapped and laid on a fine fabric.
Emperor Maxism, Duke Paris, and Franchetti Xerene came because they heard that King LIFE and the Mistress of Death was there. The Mistress of Death glared at Franchetti Xerene, rolled her eyes after clicking her tongue. She remembered that the former Grand Duchess tried to assassinate her over a misunderstanding...that is still not resolved until now.
Skadi Eira opened her palm. The memory fragment floated and went to her.
"Let me see what you hold. Make it worthwhile,"
A clear hologram light up from the memory fragment.
The setting was simple: the Frostbite Mountain when it's still gentle. The characters in it were His Equal...with Daro.
"Speak the truth to me. I do not want these thoughts to bother me anymore. I know your heart beats for Orithyia. Do you wish to sit with her for eternity, or stand behind and follow her only?"
Daro was caught off guard. He didn't expect her to be so direct. His Equal's tone and mood is very different from her usual being.
He lowered his head and went down to one knee.
"I will accept any punishment. His Equal, grace me with your mercy. I have failed you and the Princess. I tried to suppress it, but I stumble every time I will see Her Highness. A grave sin for betraying you."
"Why won't you claim her? Orithyia feels the same way for you,"
Daro clenched his hand that's on the ground into a fist.
"I beg of you to not wash my mind that way. Must it be true, but I must not indulge myself into that fantasy. There's more to life for Her Highness. I am but a mere being unworthy of her affection. A lowly being. I will only disgrace Her Highness as I had disgraced my Deity. Her Highness would not want us to be either."
"And why is that?"
"Because Her Highness is the brightest more than anyone and could look into the future. I am afraid, His Equal. I am afraid of the future. I have a role to fulfill and that is to be the Knight for the God---"
"She told me she saw you with a boy. A son. With descendants, even."
Daro's widening eyes raised to meet hers.
"Make up your mind. If you wish the boy to be from her, then claim her. If not, you will only bring despair to your descendants. The power to change the future is within your hands, Daro. Choose to shatter her precious heart, then I will hunt you and the boy."
"Go and tell her. Not about this meeting, but the affection you are harboring for her. It is one of my duties to make my subjects happy."
Daro flashed a small smile as he rise from the ground.
"You have given me courage. I cannot claim Her Highness; but she can claim me if I am worthy and deserving enough to share a vow with her. Once our happiness bears fruit, a boy, that is, I hope His Equal will take a liking to him. I will return the happiness you have given me with ours, to you."
His Equal acted as if she was puking, "A child? I will eat it."
Daro smiled warmly, "I am certain our son will be a good match for His Equal. That way, we will become a family---"
"Eww! I don't want to call you 'father'!?"
Daro let out a robust laugh. His Equal was seriously bothered.
"Just---go. Do not forget my threat. I will haunt you and your boy if it's not Orithyia's. I will hear the good message soon."
"I must deliver it to you sooner."
Daro turned his back with a smile and determination. He opened a portal. Before crossing it, he looked back to His Equal and nodded. When he's gone, His Equal sighed and called her slave---subject to attend to her.
"I am doing this for your happiness, Orithyia," she said to the water as she soak in it.
That's the end of her memory's duration. Skadi Eira enclosed the fragment in her palm and placed it on her chest. Then she take it in, reliving the same memory in her mind for the second time around. Her shoulders fell down and her face looked sad.
What went wrong, she wonder? Why did they not end up together? Surely, Daro did not blow it all up. Then, is the fault on the Matriarch? Prince Astaroth must have gotten his traits from the Matriarch: stubborn and strict believer of fate and destiny. She must've refused Daro. That's the only thing His Equal is certain about. She will know more once she obtain another memory fragment.
"Gigantification," she revealed, "Increase her size until she can accommodate to birthing the egg."
"Yes!" they cheered, "But nobody knew how to perform that yet," they were instantly depressed.
His Equal rolled her eyes, "Then I will."
They brought Azarese to the grand hall, but Skadi Eira thought it will be cramped for all of them, so they transferred to another place.
"To our land,"
The Ki'zaar crossed a portal to cast layers of protection and invisibility barrier all over their land. That way, the children can go with them without being found by the Whitecloaks. He created an enormous cushion for her to lie down, too. When done with all the preparations, the others finally followed.
"Pass the Mi'zaar to me, son of Daro," the Ki'zaar demanded with open arms. So, he did.
"Why are you here?" Emperor Ohms raised his brow at the Warlocks.
"We're her family," Prince Izaac reasoned. The Emperor and his brother looked at each other. While Watts Xirquit frown, his brother mocked what he said with a frown.
"A fucking hypocrite. Everything you've done is irredeemable, Izaac. Don't even try to, it's making me upset even more. But alright, stay and see how better she is without any of her 'family'."
After wiping Prince Vars's drooling face with a handkerchief, he threw the handkerchief on them and passed them by. Watts Xirquit ignored them completely and followed his Emperor brother.
"Mi'zaar, a little longer."
The Ki'zaar sat on the cushion and placed her on his lap.
"I-I can't..."
"You can. You're amazing."
Then he placed her on the cushion to transform into a mid-sized dragon. Prince Izaac, King LIFE, and the Mistress of Death were mystified.
"Daddy, so cool! My Daddy is so amazing!" Prince Valerian applaud while jumping in delight. Prince Valor picked him up and kissed him.
The dragon Ki'zaar shook his head and body while smiling at the Prince. He looked at His Equal and took that as the sign to cast magic on Azarese. She grew and grew like Alice in the Wonderland, and when her size is enough for the egg to fit, she stopped growing and the Ki'zaar adjusted his size to match his wife's. He embraced her, touching her very carefully.
He wrapped his wings all over her, "Now, let it all go."
"Uncle, I can't see! Why did Daddy do that?" The Prince asked his Uncle. He couldn't see his mother. Only her lustrous and luminous hair and feet. The cushion turned red from all the blood she's losing.
"Maybe he's eating her!" Prince Maximilien. Emperor Maxism covered his mouth.
"Don't say that. It's scary."
Solana went to her mother, couldn't take her eyes off of the Ki'zaar and Azarese.
"Mommy, am I going to do that someday?"
"Do what?"
Solana touched her belly, "Have a baby?"
Skadi Eira scrunched her nose while looking so disgusted and upset.
"Don't ever ask that again. You will be a widow without a husband."
But someone said otherwise.
"Actually, yes, my lady. Once we are husband and wife, we will have as many we can."
Solana jumped in fright from the sudden appearance of Prince Zodiac beside her.
"Surprise!"
"KUYA!"
Prince Valerian's feet instantly moved on its own to run for the eldest Prince. His brother caught him in his arms when he jumped and spinned him around.
"Ahahaha! My Valy, you've grown! I'm so happy, I'm crying!"
"Yes! Yes, Kuya! But I thought you are...?"
Prince Zodiac cupped his face to kiss his cheek and nibble it.
"Hmm! Nom, nom, nom! Your cheeks are so fluffy as ever!"
Prince Valerian chuckled and embraced his favorite brother ever. When Prince Zodiac felt a strike in his mind to remind him his purpose, he became gloomy. It was the Matriarch who reminded him.
"My grandma is so mean. I just met my Valy," he faked tears and nibbled his brother's cheeks again.
"Son, are you not going to greet me at least?" The pained Watts Xirquit smiled but it's forced. His eyes are glistening with tears and his cheeks are turning red.
Prince Zodiac's face light up once more, much brighter, and teleported over his father to land on his face, "Of course I will, Daddy!"
Watts Xirquit accepted him in his loving arms that missed him so much.
Emperor Ohms smiled at them and it has a bitter after-taste.
"I'm sorry, Daddy. Last time, I showed up but you're sick. I said I will visit you in your dreams, but I changed my plans and I'm here! It's much better, right?"
Watts Xirquit nodded, his tears wetting the Prince's stomach. He's hugging the Prince around his waist.
"Y-Yes. This is much better. I missed you. Please don't leave Daddy. I'm sad without my baby."
Prince Zodiac smiled and rested his head on top of his father's head.
"I know, but you have to be patient, Daddy. I'm very destructive! I'm very strong! I don't want to hurt Daddy!"
"You won't. Even if you do, I will be alright. You're my boy. Tell Daddy what you're doing. Is it because I'm weak? Do you not need my help?"
"Daddy, if you know how powerful you actually are, you wouldn't think so little of yourself. You think you have awakened but you don't yet! It's because of you why I'm like this. Well, mostly because of Mommy's powers... But you're amazing!"
Prince Zodiac crawled down and faced his father. He kissed his cheeks, his forehead, the tip of his nose, his chin, then his lips.
"You're my first kiss this time! Don't tell Mommy, okay? She will get jealous!" He giggled. He wiped the joyful tears of his nodding father.
"What's your powers? Would you tell Daddy?"
Prince Zodiac grinned.
Then he winked with a mischievous grin.
"I'm a god."