Mia's gone...
Her eyes opened to a sun lit room, eyes caressing the room with wide disbelief. Bundled in a blanket and gathered in strong muscular arms, rocking her almost hesitantly, like they were afraid that they might break her.
The room looked like a classic regency style room, above was a ceiling painted with depictions of godly looking beings in a flower field. A crib filled with silk and lace, hues of pink against embroidery of flowers. The walls painted in a soft pink, golden lamps mounted with the purpose of bringing light.
Mia wakes up to see she was a baby being awkwardly carried by her father, but the warmth that she felt and his loving gaze was enough that it was comfortable.
"Where...?" Mia looks around as much as her baby head can turn "What, where?? What the fuck??!"
"Hmm, hmm, hmmmmmmm" The racing of Mia's heart drowned her jumbled thoughts as she desperately grasps composure.
"Okay, m'kay, okay..." Taking in a deep breath "No, seriously, what the fuck"
"Dream??" Mia looks around again "Mhmm, oh yeah. Totally not"
"God, I don't- Hoooo. Okay, OKAY, calm down Mia" Mia takes another breath, pausing her thoughts enough to calm herself "Sooooo, Isekai, buddy, didn't know you actually exist"
Slowly her bravado falls, the pieces putting itself together.
"Reincarnation, I really did reincarnated" The fact was sinking into Mia's heart, then twisting it dry mercilessly.
Looking back of what she's done, dying for a reason so foolish. Mia already was mourning and missing her family.
Tears were swelling up in her eyes as she berates herself. Feeling the numbness cover her and her sight darken.
"Idiot, stupid, selfish, I'm stupid, I'm so fucking stupid"
Suddenly Mia founds herself in her own body, not even noticing it as she grips her hair in anguish.
"Mom... mom, dad, I'm so sorry"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"
"I'm sorry"
"I'm so, so sorry..."
The cries of a child echoed in the midst of her own.
But in it was a deep rumble of a voice, feeling a warm hand cupping her cheek, cooing and whispering sweet words
"Tamiel, my precious goddess..." Though those words were still unknown to her at that moment.
Mia looks up, suddenly back in the body of the child. The man reassuring her until her sobbing died down. His rocking now felt different to Mia, his hug was grounding and safe. Like a warm house in a stormy night.
"Mia is gone now" Mia thought when she had calmed down "I need to change, I will change myself in this new life" Mia silently vow in her heart.
Looking at the man thankfully, she finally assessed everything more clearly.
Mia looks silently and concludes that this man is her father by how he looks at Mia so.
Her father looks handsome, in a rugged and wild way. Dark green unruly hair long enough to cover his ears, the color surprising her that she stared at it, wondering if her hair was also green. Gold bright eyes framed by sage green eyelashes painted the picture of an afternoon sun cutting through pine trees. Tan skin made his eyes almost glowing
His jaw sharp and bare from hair, his brows strongly pronounced.
"My father looks like the very definition of 'Hunk'... God, smite me now for having these impure thoughts" Mia closed her eyes, trying to banish the untoward images in her mind.
"Hmm? Wait what is that?"
Surrounding this man was an aura of yellow and pink, his halo a fascinating sight to see.
"Magic...? Is there magic in this world?" Those thoughts and excited emotions were quickly cut off by her own.
"Don't! No matter how amazing this world is, it does not justify my death!" Reprimanding herself and her inner fantasy reader.
The man opens his mouth, his voice was a deep but reassuring rumble. The words foreign as much to Mia's horror, her father continues on in what sounds like a story she judges, by the moments of his attempts in changing his voice to fit a character in the story. Enthusiastic did Melkmiell regale to Mia the tales of when he was in battle, a story not befitting to tell a eight month old babe.
"Hmm, Let's put aside the prospect of magic and this man's aura, first order of business: Taking in information. It's going to be hard to learn a new language when my mind is already set with one"
Mia curiosly tried to speak, her tongue heavy and felt like only flopped up and down by her attempt.
But her father stopped mid sentence and quietly looked at her trying to speak with a smile getting bigger by the second.
"Such a quiet child, yet I could see an intelligent mind in her" Melkmiell looked at his daughter promising in his heart that he will protect his little goddess with all of his might.
He nods his head in what looks like approval and then spoke a word repeatedly and slowly.
"Taaa...miii...el" Slowly did he said the vowels of the word.
Mia's mouth tried to copy only to sound like she was spraying spit, of which she was.
"Ta... mi.. el, Tamiel" He said again.
Trying again only to get the same results.
"Well... poopy" Mia thought, trying to censor her curses now.
Melkmiell still rejoiced, knowing now that Tamiel was indeed trying to copy him and try to say her own name "My daughter is blessed with the mind of Gildistien!" Looking up he praised and thank Izri, tears welling up in his eyes of how proud he is of Tamiel.
"My goddess Tamiel, you and your mother are my fire in the winter night. I vow that I will slay any man that would even have a thought of harming you. Oh, my little goddess Tamiel..." Words continues on, spouting of promises and threats on any man that so much as looks at her. His aura had flared tenfold, like a flame swallowing a forest.
Mia looked at her father clueless of it all, yet there was something very clear in him that would not need explaining "One word on what my father looks like right now: Fanatic" She thought, not knowing how true she was.
"... I'll teach you myself how to ride a mana Flyte-beast, I'll show you the wonders of the world if you so wis-"
A knock was heard from outside the door, interrupting this father's ranting "Sir" and a sigh only the speaker could hear "Your meeting" a silence issued between them.
Lich, Melkmiell's knight stood outside in front of the door just as he had countless times before since the birth of Tamiel.
His lord, loving his child as much as ID to Abys. Though it is sweet, Lich and the rest of the knights were tired of his countless attempts of running off work to spend time with his newborn.
Meanwhile Melkmiell kept his silence in the hopes that his knight would go away.
"Sir" The man spoke again, not even hiding his annoyance anymore "Lady Mildred is coming to see you off"
"Ah" Not fair, you fight dirty my love Melkmiell silently complained to his wife.
Mia sees her father sigh before calling a maid that takes Mia in her arms, noting the flirty look she tossed to her father, her brows raise in judgement "Oh, wow"
Though it would seem her father had not even looked at her before he walked out of the room, parting with a kiss planted on Mia's forehead.
The maid layed Mia down her crib, immediately going beside the window to read.
The maid's aura was sickly, as what Mia could only describe, it was sticky like hot sap. It's color was purple and dark green, it was unpleasant to Mia to see.
The maid, Cryst, straightened her dress cursing the baby in her head she picks up her book to the window and re-read the more spicier parts in it "At least she's quiet, the poison finally taking effect on the brat"
Mia rolled to her side, careful not to accidentally lay in her face as she remembers the cases of when babies suffocate themselves by laying facedown.
Her mind wonders to the Isekai types of web novels she used to read, recanalization was at that moment a high and prevalent theme in novels nowadays "I don't think I can use my modern knowledge to be any use in this world at all, I don't have the memory of something detailed enough to make a product to make me rich or a way of fighting that will make groundbreaking change in the way of battle. The most I could remember are tactics in wars, though that came to because I had a bit of fondness of general/tactician main characters, mainly because I was interested in their way of thinking and mentally" She looks around her and rolls to her back "This pretty princess vibe is sickening, though this means that my family is well off enough to spend so much for an infant"
Deep in her thoughts she was taken back to reality when the maid carried her to the chair where she had been previously reading. Sliding off a strap of her dress and untiying her undergarment to lead Mia's lips to her breast.
Mia recoils in the suddenness of things. Her pride and morals of a 18 year old woman still fresh in her, were fighting her eight month old needs and instincts "Hmm, I, well... This is awkward"
Cryst held the baby close, feeling the cold graze her exposed skin. She shakes the baby in annoyance whe she notices that the infant just stares at it like it was the most confusing thing in the world.
Seeing the child turn her head away as if disgusted a sudden spike of anger erupted in her, causing her to shout "Will you just hurry up?!"
Mia startles and looked up the maid with wide eyes, looking at the exposed breast hesitantly she finally comes to terms and decides to not starve herself. Sucking on the nip did later on let warm and sweet milk fill her cheeks. Letting go and forgetting her earlier resistance, drinking greedily as if she was parched for several days now.
"Ouch!" Cryst cried out when she felt small teeth graze her nip. Seizing the mouth of the child, forceful pulling the child away.
Tying up her undergarment and slipping back the strap of her dress, she reaches into a hidden pocket of her dress a small vial.
Mia watched her, still disappointed and already missing the warmth of the milk
"I can see why people have a kink for this" Mia thought
The light catches the reflection of the bottle, the glass stained brown with it's contents swinging to and fro.
The maid pops the lid open, Mia thinking that it was some sort of vitamins didn't resisted to opening her mouth. A yellow liquid fell in droplets to her tongue, but the moment she tasted them she had involuntarily gagged.
The taste foul with an overwhelmingly bitter taste, making her cry loudly
"What was that?! Bleh!"
Mia's pride battled with the newborn instinct to cry, reprimanding herself, reassuring herself, and even singing to herself.
Though soon after a growing headache came and assaulted her sanity. Trying to squint the headache away, rolling over to her side to find a comfort spot and perhaps rock herself to sleep, a sudden wave of dizziness came when she moved, feeling puke rising up in her throat.
It went like that in Mia's head, full of incoherent sentences for the purpose to try to ignore the pounding headache.
Her eyes glance at the maid, an uncaring lady she was assigned to be taken care of
An accusing glint in her golden eyes
"This bitch fucking poisoned me"
Soon after the cries of the baby died out as Mia lost consciousness from the poison.
Cryst stood up and re-dressed her lady, making sure to hide the puke stained dress deep in the basket of laundry.
Cryst looked satisfied with herself before continues reading her book.
"Soon... soon I will be with my prince. After her death I won't have to suffer the absence of my rightful crown"
Unbeknownst to the people in the room, eyes watch with an amused smile.
෴
Mildred looks at her daughter, humming a tune made especially for her. Tamiel is weak, her skin paler than most, time spent more on sleep or crying.
The mother watched worriedly and prayed for Tamiel's health to recover.
Lady Mildred's retainers sat quietly, the untied curtain in their lady's bed hung down to give the mother and daughter some privacy.
The first thing Mia notices is how a different set of arms were now holding her they were thin and soft, rocking her pleasantly with a tune in the air.
Mia felt the graze of her mother's fingertips caress her cheek lovingly, already feeling a sort of attachment to this woman of whom she presumes her mother "Hmm" Mia thought pleasantly, a delighted giggle rising to the child's lips.
"Tamiel" Mildred said happily, greeting Tamiel awake.
Mia looked at her mother and became very curious of her own face "Beautiful"
Her mother had long, straight black hair and green eyes with specks of blue, her ivory skin glowing against her dark hair. Though her face was with a warm smile, her face structure was sharp with high cheekbones and a tall nose with the only thing soft in her face was her big doe eyes. Like her father, her aura was also of variating hues of pink and yellow.
"I wonder who I took after?" Mia thought "Do I have green hair like my father? Or do I have black hair?" The memory of her father's golden eyes stuck in her mind "They looked so intimidating, so glaring and a bit terrifying. If I could equate how those eyes made me feel in a word it would be 'All seeing'"
Mildred sang and kissed her silent daughter from time to time, feeling the warmth and the smoothness of the child's cheek as a reassurance to her worries.
Mia yawns in contentment "It seems I wouldn't need to worry on my physical appearance" Mia thought back on her pervious life, her face plain and not eye-catching at all "No" Mia tells herself "I won't compare myself to downplay or put me down"
Mia had not even noticed when she had fallen asleep while she was thinking, waking up only to find herself in the arms of the maid being moved to where she could assume to her own room.
As they walk by Mia could see the opulence in the corridor. Gold casted mounted lamps spaced evenly on the beige painted walls. Pictures of scenery hang in the absence of windows, though just as beautiful as if you're peering into different worlds.
When they turned a corner they were met by a group of maids carrying trays of sweets and tea, Mia presumes for her mother. Seeing them the servants quickly stood by the side with their heads hanging down.
The maid carrying Mia stopped in front of the quiet maids all lined up. Mia looked around curiously, ignorant of the tension in the air.
Cryst raised her head higher arrogantly
"Finally, I get the respect I'm due" She thought. Cryst narrowed her eyes when she spots one of the maids squirm under her gaze.
"You" Cryst said, stepping closed to her.
All of them raised their heads, fear and worry reside in their eyes from the rumors they've already heard.
"Y-yes, Cryst?" The poor girl stuttered, struggling to meet her eyes.
Cryst ticked her tongue in annoyance "It's ma'am to YOU. Impertinent idiot"
"Y-yes, m-ma'am"
"Stop stuttering, or had Bizith layed seed on your mother on the night of Caros?"
Mia watched as Cryst contined to nitpick at everything the girl says. Watching the girl shake as she answers Cryst in the midst of confusing euphemisms.
The surrounding was covered with their auras, gloomy blue and yellow green made Mia's eyes hurt.
Only when the poor girl's tray was clattering in her hands did Cryst relented and went on her way. Satisfied by the ego boost and hearing the muffled sobs of the poor girl.
With a huff Cryst sat down by the window to breastfeed Mia, again untying her undergarment.
Mia now realizing that this woman will only do the bare minimum of taking care of her had immediately drank greedily, making each gulp count.
As it did before it only took a few seconds until Cryst covered herself up and laid Mia down in her crib.
Mia bracing herself for the foul liquid, after fighting with the maid to open her mouth, tried to turn her head away so only one droplet went into her mouth.
Cryst in a sudden flair of annoyance punched the child in the stomach, hard enough to leave Mia breathless. Mia rolled to her side, crying louder than ever as shock was still reeling her that a woman would even lay a hand to a child.
Sludge green of annoyance and blood red of amger had flooded Mia's eyesight when she looks at the maid.
Cryst not minding to pour more as she only have this one vial, just wiped the stray drops with her apron before going to her chair to read.
The dizziness soon came after Mia, making her wish for release till she blacked out.
With no one the wiser, a pair of eyes were missing from where they used to reside
Running off to right a wrong.
෴
Melkmiell ran like a mouse caught in a trap, footsteps and the clank of armor echoed in his ears as he ran through the underground tunnels.
"Where are they? What-" It was then Melkmiell had a sudden realization and stopped in his tracks.
"The light is constant, the floor all of the same level, the sounds of running and moving armor are the same" Standing still he sharpen his hearing "Same words being echoed"
Melkmiell swung his Ilt to block a swinging chain, breath steady and heart light.
All sound stops but the blade's whistle and the sound of chains.
A man dressed in a black cloak held a chain taunt against Melkmiell's strike.
The chain held a spiked metal ball at the end, while the other was adorned a handle of steel and leather.
"Give it to the Sage General to break off compression distortion" The man spoke nonchalantl.
"Compression disto-" His breath caught in his throat before the man wrapped his blade in chains, then kicking Melkmiell's hands off the handle of his sword. The blade flew in the air, the man catching it by the handle with a flourish.
But before the robed man can look back to his opponent Melkmiell charged, quickly moving forward to take advantage of his enemy's blind spot.
Melkmiell unsheath the dagger strapped to his shoulder where it was hidden by his cape, and swung forward.
Grasping the man's right arm that held his blade, pulling him foward while Melkmiell stomps his foot on the man's left thigh.
The man falls, his left arm trapped beneath him as Melkmiell looms over him with a dagger pointed at his throat. His sword clattered out of the man's grasp easily, dropping it within reach to Melkmiell.
"Kill me" The words that would ordinarily be a sign of resistance or commitment to ones pride, the words came across as a plea. As if he was prolonging a man's overdue death.
Melkmiell towered over the man of which his hood had already fallen off.
The man, who is infact a boy, had beige curly hair and dark skin, his features soft almost like a girl, yet his fish gray eyes looked dead as it was framed of long eyelashes like a golden frame depicting a solem picture.
What was most shocking was that the boy was missing both of his ears, the place of where they were supposed to be was a poorly drawn oblong shaped scars.
The curly hair that usually covered them layed limp, letting all to see that he's a...
"Slave" Melkmiell said keeping his voice neutral.
"There is a time and place for morals, Melkmiell" He reminded himself.
The boy's eyes closed as if impatient for death to come, not even attempting to answer.
"In the name of my Queen, confess your-"
"Before I die" The boy says almost in a whisper "there is something you may want to know.
Slowly did he opened his eyes again, looking at the man holding a dagger against his throat with quiet anticipation.
"Kinky" the boy casually thought.
"Say your last words" Melkmiell urged him to continue.
The boy widen his legs, the spiked ball between his legs finally not touching the more sensitive parts of his body.
Melkmiell noticing his movements a moment later, inched the dagger closer to the man's neck.
"Don't move" Melkmiell warned as the blade drew blood.
The boy frowned "I don't think you'll be comfortable having a spiked ball poking at you're own balls, General" He thought.
"Cryst Baulayne" The boy started "The maid you assigned to be the caretaker of your child, Tamiel Estelle Milishriil"
"God, what a mouthful" He thought
"Is poisoning your daughter"
Melkmiell furrowed his brows "How do you know my daughter? And where did you get this information from?"
"Baulayne... that name sounds familiar"
"I watch her" The boy said simply as if it was obvious "And to your second question, it would be me"
Melkmiell tightened his grip on his arm yet the boy only sighed in disappointment to the pain.
"Watch your tongue. Stop playing games, boy" Melkmiell grinded the words through his teeth.
The possibility that the words of this boy being right was crushing his heart, though it is foolish to simply trust a strangers words, worse yet a stranger with a knife being pointed at them and would say anything to survive. But his sight says that he speaks the complete truth, for once he cursed his powers "My gods, please let these be lies. My gods please"
Though as if to mock his prayers, the boy look back at him with the same face he had when he asked to be killed "I see no merit or merry by playing a game of lies with you. Especially to a beholder of the eyes of Gildistien"
Melkmiell looked at the boy silently, a battle raging within him.
The silence dispersed when his knights came huffing and puffing "Lord Melkmiell!" His head knight, Lich sighed in relief to see his lord safe.
Melkmiell stood up, making sure to bind the boy in mana before finally speaking.
"Jael, take this boy to a cell, and keep him there until I say otherwise. Leah clean up here and give me a report tonight" His female knight nods before hurrying and rallying the others to give her orders. The knight Jael took the boy away, of whom suddenly looked mournfully at the dagger that was still stained with his blood, watching it being wiped and tucked away as if parting with a lover "Mazrich, Axel, and Reech go and interrogate the ones we've captured, report back to me the earliest you can"
"Sir!" The called out people bowed before also taking their leave. Melkmiell licked his lips in hesitation before looking at the last two knights "Lich and Sech, you two come with me back to my house"
Lich looked worried by the blank face of his lord, knowing from all of his years serving his lord, is when he makes that face is when he is most troubled.
Melkmiell shook his head, not to answer his knight's silent question but more as to shake himself out his thoughts "I may be worrying a bit too much by idle sayings of a stranger, but I'd rather not risk my daughter's life by turning my head away from Gildistien's benevolence"
෴
Images filtered in and out, consciousness seemingly had eluded Mia as memories turn sparse and blank.
Memories turn into snippets like a choppy movie. The last and longest memory Mia could recollect was when moments before the yellow poison could fall into her mouth as usually the maid did after breastfeeding her. Like a boom the door opened. Melkmiell shouted at the maid in fury, catching her with the evidence to charge her with her crimes in her very hand.
Shouting erupted in the dead of the night, arousing the people in the manor from their slumber. The pure cries of a child cutting through the anger and accusations flying in the air.
The colors were the most vivid part of the memories; Red rage and grief, green envy, yellow betrayal, and orange defiance.
The maid was pushed away, the droplets pelted Mia's face, letting it run down her cheeks. Mia looks at her father who is usually fawning over her with a goofy grin and soft voice, was red with fury and with a voice booming like the crack of thunder.
Soon guards carried the shouting and crying maid away.
Melkmiell held his daughter in his arms, wiping the poison on off her face with shaking hands.
That was the last time she could remember the name Mia, as Tamiel was whispered in her ear by her father.