Falling asleep again after the family painting is done, I wake up in the Queen's arms.

It still feels so surreal that everyone is so huge now…Or I guess that I'm so tiny. I'm hungry again…It feels like I'm constantly either eating or sleeping.

"Ugh, gu!" (I'm hungry)

The queen looks down at me with her giant nightsky face and starts cradling me a little.

It feels nice…

"Pololi anei ʻoe, e Eleanor?" (Are you hungry, Eleanor?)

"Uuuh…" (Food)

Taking out the big black bottle, she holds it to my mouth and I start drinking. I try to look around to see where I am now but it's really hard to make out. I can only see things close to me clearly, everything further away than I can reach is really blurry and it doesn't help that everything looks so much bigger now. I do think we might be back in the castle though or at least a castle of some kind.

Maggie's voice chimes up, "Is Sammy awake again?"

"ʻAe, ua ala ʻo ia." (Yes, she just woke up)

Seeing Maggie's giant blurry body come into view, she puts her giant finger towards my hand and I grab it, "Oh my gosh~ You're so cute! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you! There is no way you'd suddenly be so cute~"

Taking the bottle out my mouth I try to answer, accidentally spitting out a mouthful of the black liquid in the process, "Ba Buh…" (Shut up)

"Hahahaha! So cute!"

While wiping my mouth clean again, the queen speaks up, "E kali iā ia e pau, ma mua. Hiki ke kamaʻilio ma hope." (Wait for her to finish first. We can talk after she's done.)

"Oh, yeah. Sure."

I'm not sure what they're talking about but it seems to make Maggie shut up and just stare at me with a cute face while I eat.

When I'm done eating, the queen takes my bottle away again and puts the giant translation necklace around my neck.

Putting her head a bit closer to me, she asks, "Good morning, Eleanor~ Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah…"

"And how was the parade?"

"Nice…But I also felt weird and lonely."

Looking concerned, the queen hugs me tightly, "Why did you feel lonely?"

"I dunno…I feel a little left out when I just sleep all the time and can't understand what you're saying…I was really happy when Maggie talked to me though, even if I couldn't answer…"

Giving me a giant kiss on the forehead, the queen answers, "I will try to make you feel more involved from now on but a bit of the loneliness you feel is also intended. If we just translate everything to you, you won't learn our language."

"I guess…But…Can Maggie still talk to me…I sniff I miss having people to talk to Waaaaaagh"

The queen puts me close to her chest and gently rocks me up and down, "Shhhhh…It's alright, my little snowflake. You are of course allowed to talk to your sister as long as it isn't all the time."

"Uuuugggh"

"I know…It's tough, huh? There there~ Mommy is here for you."

This is so embarrassing…It's like ever since I turned into a baby I can't control my emotions anymore…I just cry and eat…I'm such a burden…

"Oh my~ Someones' having a bad day~ Shhh~ It's alright Eleanor…"

After what feels like an eternity, I manage to calm down again.

I feel so exhausted…And I hate to admit it but it feels nice to have someone hug you when you cry…I'm so selfish…

"Are you feeling better now, my little snowflake?"

"Yeah…"

Maggie asks sheepishly, "May I hold you then, Samuel?"

"Sure…"

The queen answers, "Go sit down next to me, Maggie. I'll show you how to hold her."

"Okay!"

"See how I am holding her like this? Make sure to pay special attention to her head, it needs to be supported well."

"Okay, got it."

I then feel myself being passed over. It's kinda scary, I feel like I could get dropped at any-

"There we go!" Maggie says, smiling down at me, "Are you comfortable, Sammy?"

"Yeah…But my arm is a little squished in…"

"Oh! I'm sorry," picking my arm up, she moves it into a more comfortable position, "Is that better?"

"Yeah. But you need to stop apologizing. It's a bad thing in fey society."

"It is?"

The queen interjects, "To apologize, means to admit that you are in debt to the other person and that you leave the discretion of how much you owe the other person to them. It is one of the highest forms of submission you can do. If you are lucky, the other person will not take advantage of it, if you are unlucky you could end up in slavery."

"Okay. Wait. Hold on. Slavery is legal here?"

Cogging her head, the queen answers, "Yes."

Getting a little angry, Maggie continues, "So in the country that you own, owning another person is legal? Do you and your husband make the laws here?"

"Hmm…Not entirely. While we do enjoy many privileges unique to us, we would still have to go through the council of Elders to have a law added or changed. While I can suggest laws to them, they would have to approve them first and likewise my husband and I have the right to veto any major law they propose."

"Then go and propose the abolition of slavery as soon as possible!"

A bit confused, the queen asks, "Why?"

"Why!? Because slavery is abhorrently evil!"

Seemingly still confused, the queen thinks for a bit and answers, "If you are worried about the treatment of slaves, I assure you we have laws in place to ensure they are treated humanely."

Maggie seems really pissed now, "Look. I'm from the South. I have heard all the apologetics, it doesn't matter 'How well you treat your slaves' or 'Whether they would be better off with you than fending for themselves' the concept of owning another person is by itself abhorrent. No matter how you spin it!"

"Hmm…I am interested in your opinion on this issue, especially since you seem so passionate about it but could we talk this through at a different, pre designated, time? If we're going to have a political discussion, I would like to be able to have time to consider my view on it and I would prefer to have it without Eleanor present."

Biting her cheek, Maggie answers, "Fine. But this better not be a cop out where you just constantly extend when we have that talk."

"Don't worry. Unless there is an emergency that I need to take care of personally, I will be there. Let's not talk about heavy topics now though. Eleanor is starting to get anxious."

Looking down at me, Maggie gets a worried expression, "Is that true, Samuel?"

"Well…Maybe a little…But you can keep going….You don't have to-"

"No, it's fine. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll stop. I wanted to talk to you anyways, not with your mom. I'm sorry that you felt lonely, Samuel. I'll make sure to talk to you more, even if you can't answer."

"I'm glad."

She gives me a smile, "So! Now that you have the chance, tell me everything you wanted to say~"

"Uhm…Now I can't think of anything…"

"Then how about I ask you some questions?"

"Sure."

"For starters, how is your new body?"

"Uhm…Kinda weird. I get tired really easily and moving is super exhausting. I also have trouble seeing things that are far away, so a lot of sounds and things not close to me can be really scary. Also, it's really hard to control my emotions."

"Hmm…This might sound a little weird but do you really need to control your emotions?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…You're a baby. And yeah, of course I know your mind isn't completely that of a baby but…How do I say this without coming off weird…I…I know you held back a lot of your emotions when you were Samuel and to some extent you had to but…You have a second life now. Perhaps it would be best to just…Go with the flow, I guess? You're a baby now, no one expects anything from you and there are no societal pressures you need to follow, so perhaps…Just use this as an opportunity to let go. Loosen up so you can be happy in this life when you're older."

"I dunno…I already feel like such a burden…I can't do anything and I just take and take…"

Lifting me closer to her face, Maggie gives me a somber smile, "Samuel…No…Eleanor, I know it probably feels weird and I get that this is a super strange thing for you…Honestly it is for both of us but…This is a new life. You died. You got a second chance now. A second chance at life and a second chance to be happy. You don't have to be scared of dad anymore or what other people will say. I'm sure that your new parents love you deeply and they promised me that they would shower you with love, care and kindness. I know it sounds really tough to do but…Please, at least try to let go of your old life as much as possible. You were so unhappy as Samuel and I don't want you to keep carrying that around with you."

She's not wrong…I hated myself in my last life. Heh, it's so weird to say that, last life, huh… Either way…Maggie knows me best and I trust her a lot but I…I don't think I even know where to start.

"How…How do you think I should do that…"

Asking that seems to make Maggie's eyes sparkle in a hopeful way and she answers, "How about you start by just letting go of your inhibitions for now? You're a baby so who cares what you do! Scream when you want to, even if it's just for fun, laugh when you want to, cry when you want to and be as selfish as you want to be. Stop holding your emotions back, you'll have to do enough of that when you're older again but for now, just fuck it! There are no consequences, just have fun."

"I…I can't do that…"

"Of course you can!"

"No I…I can't."

Raising an eyebrow, she asks, "Why not?"

"I…I don't want to share unless it's just between us…"

Looking over to the Queen, Maggie asks, "Would it be possi-"

"I will close my ears and not listen to your conversations but I won't leave the room, for safety reasons."

The queen leaves my field of vision and a few seconds after, Maggie takes off her own translation necklace and nods at me, "It should be okay now. I also took my necklace off, so if someone listens in on us they can only understand you."

"O-Okay…"

"So, what do you want to say?"

"Well, I-I'm only telling you this because you said you want to hear things like that…I haven't even told Hildi yet."

"Okay…Go ahead, I'm listening."

"Well…So, the reason I can't just stop suppressing my emotions is…Because then I will get a lot of dark thoughts and memories that come up and I…I don't know what will happen when I let that happen…"

"Oh, we already know about that. It's fine, Eleanor. I'm sure it won't be pleasant to have these memories come up but we will all be there for you. Also your mom is a Nightmare Elemental, right? So, she probably has some powers to lessen the bad memories."

"I-I know and that-that's part of the problem…I don't- I don't want her to see the things I have seen…The thing I- The thing I haven't told anyone yet was…When I-When I was at Boss' camp, I…He…"

Looking at me concerned, Maggie puts me up to her chest and gently pets my back, "It's okay, Samuel. Take your time."

I can hear her heart pump as I try to calm down again…

I'm so glad Maggie is here…Without her…I don't…I don't know what I would do…

Talking a few more deep breaths to calm down, I continue, "I…I told you all about how…How he would hurt me and threaten me and the….The fire…but I…I didn't tell you about…He…He threatened to rape me."

Maggie lets out a gasp, "What…"

"He…He told me that if I didn't tell him what he wanted to hear, which I physically couldn't because I didn't know, he and his men would have turns with me and be as rough as possible… They then…They…They brought me to a tent where the women were held and I…I can't get those screams out of my head anymore…Ever since a few days ago, when it's quiet and I close my eyes, I see all of them again, their screaming and…and…UGHHHHHH"

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Maggie listens with horror to Eleanor's story, she suddenly screams in her arms and black goo starts growing over her body.

"Samuel!? What's-"

Suddenly feeling herself getting shaken awake, Maggie opens her eyes to the sight of her old room in the care facility she was sent to after Samuel's death. In front of her, stands Ms. Simmon, a slightly overweight middle aged black woman, "Magdalene, get up. If you want to make it to school this week you need to-"

Jolting up, Maggie breathes heavily as she stares in shock at the scene in front of her.

"No, no, no, no, no, this can't be! Samuel! Samuel, are you here!?"

Letting out a sigh, Ms. Simmons sits down next to Maggie on her bed, "Magdalene…Your brother is dead."

Could-Could this all have been a dream…No…I-I'm sure it was real, I remember too much of it to be a dream.

"Samuel! Samuel, where are you!?"

"Good Lord, she trippin…", taking out her radio, she speaks into it, "I'm gonna need medical and security up in Ms. Gardner's room she'-"

"Shut the fuck up! I'm not crazy! You aren't real! None of this i-"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Breathing heavily, tears running down her face, Maggie now finds herself back in the castle with her necklace back on and the queen's arm around her.

"What!? What's going o-"

"Eleanor used her power on you by accident. I'm saddened I can't do much for you right now to comfort you but I need to concentrate to cancel out her power, it's spreading throughout the whole castle. Please give Eleanor to your father or the nanny when they arrive."

Looking to her left, in shock, Maggie can't utter a single word as she looks at Eleanor's body completely covered in black shadowy armor with a screaming naked woman made of shadow having her arms locked around Eleanors neck from the back, clinging onto her like a horrifying cape. The queen then closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, turning into a moth-like shadow creature with glowing red eyes while muttering words of reassurance to Eleanor.

This…This is insane…What the hell is going on!? I-I I don't know what to do, I'm—I'm so scared. No! I- I need to protect Samuel!

Getting up, scared but determined, Maggie picks up the writhing, screaming mass of black goo out of the queen's arms. It feels like gripping into wet cotton and the screams for help are bloodcurdling. She then presses it against her body, the mass hardening upon her touch, runs to the door towards the hallway, kicks in the door and starts yelling for help.

It doesn't take long for Dalan, holding Hildi in his arms, to appear and Dalan to instantly disappear again.

"Here! Samuel is having a fit! Go and calm him down!"

Quickly grasping the situation, Hildi picks up Eleanor, the writhing mass around her thrashing around and causing small cuts on her while Hildi gently cradles her and starts to sing, "I'm here for you my child, I'm there for you all times, even when the light of the sun goes down, I'll be there for you, even when the dunes crumble, I'll be there. Even when the last drop of water is gone, I'll be there. Even after the last drop of blood has left, I'll be there. I'll be there for you. Always..."

During her song, the mass slowly disappears with the screaming woman being the last to let go, as if clinging to Eleanor for dear life, before disappearing as well. Now all that is left in Hildi's arms, is a sleeping, yet heavily breathing Eleanor, that looks like she is having a nightmare. There are traces of black and blue liquid, with white snowflake shaped spots, down her eyes and nose. It looks like she was crying.

Gently rubbing her tears and snot away, Hildi gives Eleanor a kiss and whispers 'I love you's' to her while cradling her. This seems to slightly slow her breathing again but it still looks like she's suffering.

Only a few seconds later, Dalan returns with the King in his arms. Looking at the situation in front of him, he quickly rushes over to Maggie and gives her a hug, "How are you doing, Maggie?"

What the hell is wrong with this guy?

"Why are you asking me!? You should go help your daughter!" Looking at her determined, he answers, "I am. It seems like Eleanor is already being taken care of but you seem like you're still distraught."

To Maggie's shock, he then puts his cold hand on her cheek and says, "It must have been scary," before hugging her.

I-I what is this…I don't understand. Why is he hugging me!? He should be hugging Samuel or heck, his wife. Not me. His body is all cold and gross too and yet…Why…Why do I feel comforted by it?

Suddenly feeling all the shock and exhaustion all at once, it's like a dam bursting open when Maggie starts to break down in her adoptive father's arms.

It's about five minutes later, when Maggie is slowly calming down again, that the queen leaves the room in her regular appearance and picks up Eleanor from Hildi's arms, "You did a good job, Hildegard."

"I appreciate the praise."

Moving over to Maggie next, the Queen puts her hand on her shoulder, "I don't know what you saw in your nightmare but it couldn't have been pleasant. It saddens me that you had to go through this. I can assure you though that your sister did not do it on purpose."

"I-I know. Samuel would never harm me. Actually, can we talk without Eleanor? I need to tell you why this happened."

Looking at each other, the king and queen give each other a nod. After giving Eleanor a kiss on the forehead, the queen gives her back to Hildi, "Take care of her, we'll be back soon."

"Of course, your majesty."

The queen then leads the way back into the cozy living room, while the king reassuringly keeps his hand on Maggie's back as they follow behind.

Sitting down on a couch, with the king and queen sitting down on a different one facing hers, Maggie says, "The reason that Eleanor had this outburst right now is because she told me something in secret, that she hasn't told anyone yet. Not even her nanny. I would appreciate it if you act like you know but never tell her I told you."

"Of course, we understand," The queen answers.

"Well…Apparently, while she was stuck in the bandit camp where they tortured her…They also threatened to rape her."

The queen grips the king's hand tightly but neither of them say anything.

"They then brought her into a tent where multiple women were raped…She told me she can't get the screams out of her head anymore…Apparently it started a few days ago that she starts hearing the screams when her mind is unoccupied. And…" Maggie grips her arm tightly, "I know Eleanor pretty well and I…I don't think she would tell me if she was raped herself…I'm not saying I know for sure but…I suspect that…I suspect that she didn't escape unscathed as she claims she did."

Bluish liquid with white snowflakes in them drops from the king's eyes as he hears this news. The drops turn into snowflakes once they fall off his face while the queen stays eerily quiet, gently brushing her hand over her husband's back. Not saying a word.

Forming a fist, Maggie continues, "I also have a request for you. Please…If there are any obligations Eleanor has when she grows up…Please let me fulfill them. I want her to live a life where she can heal and live without any burdens."

Breaking her silence, the queen answers, "I admire your resolve but we can't allow that."

"Why not!?"

"Because as your parents, we must not let you shoulder her burden alone. I understand you want to protect and help her and I will let you do it to some extent because you seem determined to do so but if at any point it looks like you're sacrificing your own happiness for her, we will intervene."

Getting a smile on her face, Maggie answers, "That's fine! I can't be happy if Samuel is suffering so it won't matter."

Getting a somber look on her face, the queen answers, "I understand that you feel like this now but I will work towards making sure you will not stay this dependent on your sister. It's not healthy. To have a relationship where you can depend on each other is one thing but what you're proposing is unhealthy."

Letting out a chuckle, Maggie leans forward, "Well…That's because I'm not healthy. I'm barely holding together as is. If anything ever happens to Samuel again I…I will shatter without repair. I don't just want to protect him because I love him, I also need to protect him."

"I understand. We will work on finding you alternatives and if Eleanor truly grows up as fragile as you think she will, we will of course take care of her her entire life. You don't have to worry. She is safe with us."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Maggie gets up and says, "Thanks…I think I'm going to go to bed now…I-I'm exhausted."

Getting up herself, the queen slowly walks towards Maggie, "Wait. Before you leave, isn't there something else you need to tell us first?"

Confused, Maggie answers, "No? I already told you everything about Eleanor."

Putting her hand on her shoulder, the queen objects, "But you haven't told us about yourself yet. You seem distressed and you were crying heavily while affected by the nightmare. Please tell us about how you felt, what you saw and what you need."

"I…"

Why is she asking this? Why does she care how I'm feeling? Do I look that bad? Is she just trying to make sure I'm not dragging down Samuel?

Clutching her arm, Maggie asks, "Why do you want to know?"

Now picking up both of Maggie's hands with her own, the queen gently rubs over the back of Maggie's hands with her thumbs while answering, "Because we care about you as well. I know it doesn't feel like it for you yet but you are part of this family, not just an extra we keep around for Eleanor."

Doubtful and confused, Maggie answers, "The entire reason you even have me here is because of her though. It's not like you want me. You just want Eleanor to be happy."

Giving her a smile, the queen answers, "That's not true," gently leading her back to the couch, she says, "Come on, sit with us."

A bit hesitant, Maggie follows her and sits down on the couch between the king and queen.

"It's true that the reason we learned about you and considered taking you in was because of Eleanor but…If we didn't like you and think you were charming as well, we would not have brought you in as our daughter. You would have just been Eleanor's personal maid."

"What?"

"You know Hildegard, right? I hate that woman. Her presence fills me with disgust. Even if it is not rational, my heart tells me that this woman stole my daughter from me. She is here for the reason you think you are. Because she makes my daughter happy. But that's it. I hold no affection for that woman," she grits her teeth, "The second my daughter grows tired of her, she will leave this castle and never return…"

Putting on a gentle expression again, she continues, "As for you though. We had you monitored from the moment we found out about your location. We watched some of your life in that orphanage and we had Cosmic mages divine potential futures as well as show us glimpses of your past."

Feeling uncomfortable, Maggie asks, "So you guys were stalking me?"

"You could say that, yes. We wanted to make sure we had a good idea of the type of person you are before we met you and after some talking to each other we both came to the conclusion that, provided you wish to join Eleanor, we will welcome you as our daughter."

"But…But why?"

The king answers, "Because we like you. I personally really admire your compassion and how you stood up for those in need."

The queen adds, "And I admire your strong will, your leadership and your perseverance."

Putting his cold arm around Maggies's back, the king continues, "If you allow us to become close to you, I'm sure we will come to love each other as family in no time."

Also putting her arm around her, the queen agrees, "We want to be your real family, Maggie."

Her teeth chattering, Maggie lets out an awkward chuckle, "If you keep saying things like that, I might even believe you one day, haha…"

The king answers, "In that case we will say it again and again until you believe us. You are part of this family and we want you to be our daughter."

Going silent, Maggie holds back her tears and says nothing for a bit, there is not a single word floating in her head, her mind is completely occupied by uncertainty, confusion and anxiety.

After a few minutes of this, Maggie breaks her silence, "When…When Samule affected me with that nightmare I…I dreamt that I was back in the care facility. I dreamt that I woke up and everything was just a dream, that none of this is real and Samuel is still dead…It's-It's my biggest fear."

Tightening his arm slightly, the king answers, "That must have felt horrible. I can only imagine how scary it must be to live with the fear of losing everything you hold dear at any moment…"

Thinking for a bit, the king gets a smile on his face, "I have an idea! Why don't we do cheerleading together, you and me?"

Letting out a chuckle, Maggie asks, "What? Why? Where did that come from?"

"Well~ You're afraid you're in a dream, right? I'm sure being in a strange new environment without anything to do physically enforces that. Using your body and exercising gives you a feeling you can't authentically get in a dream, right? So, how about you teach me cheerleading and we practice together?"

Staring at the king's excited and sincere looking face, Maggie can't help but laugh, "Hahahaha, sure. Let's- snort Let's do that, hahaha. Not today though, I really am quite tired. How about we start tomorrow?"

The king seems really happy, "Of course! Do I need to prepare anything?"

"Uhhh…Some comfortable clothing that's easy to move in and a place with firm but not too hard ground to practice on should be fine for now."

He grins widely, "That won't be a problem."

"Pfft, Yeah I didn't think it would be," getting up from the couch, Maggie awkwardly scratches the back of her head as she smiles at them, "Thank you for this," and then leaves to go to bed.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waking up, I feel horrible. I'm exhausted, in pain, tired and thirsty and I…I also feel scared. Looking around as much as possible, I seem to be lying on a cushion next to the king's face. He seems to be asleep.

I don't- I don't want to wake him up but I…I feel so uncomfortable…But…Maggie said I should be a little selfish too so…I guess it's fine to just ask for something to drink.

"Ughhh" (Hey)

No reaction.

"Wiiih wa bu!" (Please wake up)

Still no reaction.

Why is he not waking up…Did something happen? Should I call for help?

"Weeee Waaaaaaagh!" (Hey! Help!)

Opening his eyes, the king gives me a sleepy smile, picks me up and puts his hand on my cheek, "Aloha kakahiaka, Eleanor. Ua ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi o kou manaʻo?" (Good morning, Eleanor. Are you feeling better?)

"Ooooh eeee." (Food please)

He picks me up and sits up from his bed before putting the bottle to my mouth which I quickly gulp down.

I really needed that…I feel a lot better now.

He then gets up and carries me up and down the room, gently cuddling me to his chest and petting my back. He says a lot of things to me during that time but the only words I understand are 'I love you' which he says multiple times.

Opening my eyes, I'm in the arms of the queen…

Looks like I fell asleep.

Feeling fresh and cold air on my skin, I try to look around. I think we might be in a garden but I'm unsure.

I then hear Maggie's voice echo through the garden, "Great! Alright, follow me. One, two, one, two, one, two, three, four, spin, three, four, five…Great!"

A pavilion of some kind then comes into view, with Maggie and…The King? Dancing together. Things are slightly blurry but I'm sure that's Maggie and…I'm pretty sure that's the king…

As we get closer and join them under the pavilion, I am now sure it's them. The picture in front of me is not entirely sharp but I can make out that both of them look happy, excited and determined.

Taking a step forward, Maggie taps her foot rhythmically, "Alright, get ready. In position."

The king follows her instructions and I…I'm pretty sure this is from her cheerleading practice but…Why would the king-

Maggie sings, "Starships were meant to fly~ Hands up and touch the sky~ Let's do this one more time~ Can't stop, Go! One, two, one, two, one, two, three, four, spin, three, four, five."

They're…They're actually cheerleading together…And not only that, dad is surprisingly good at it…He's of course not as good as Maggie and he sometimes missteps but his rhythm is great and most of his steps are actually on point. This…It's kinda…

Giggle

This is hilarious.

Giggle

Looking at me, Maggie starts laughing and jogs over to me, "What are you giggling about, Eleanor~ That's the first time I heard you laugh since you turned into a baby. It's really cute~"

The king then joins us and the queen gives him a kiss, "Me he mea lā ua hauʻoli ʻo Eleanor i kāu hana." (It seems Eleanor enjoyed your performance)

The king gives her a cheeky smile, "ʻAe ~ ʻO Eleanor wale nō ka mea i hauʻoli?" (Oh~ Was it just Eleanor that enjoyed it~)

The queen chuckles in response, "Ua hauʻoli nō hoʻi au iā ia akā pono ʻoe i ka hoʻomaʻamaʻa hou e hoʻohauʻoli iaʻu ~" (I did enjoy it as well but you need more practice to impress me~)

They then kiss once more, squishing me slightly between them with dad's long beard ticking my nose.

I wonder what they're talking a-a-

"Achoo!"

Letting out a chuckle, the king takes out a handkerchief with an embroidered deer on it, cleans my nose and gives me a kiss.

He then whispers some more things to me, one of which is 'I love you,' again.

He seems to say that a lot but…Have I ever looked at the king's soul before? I don't think I have…It kinda just felt like I didn't need to. Hmm…Soul seeing eyes, ON!

Hmm…It's pink, just as expected. So is Maggie's, though interestingly, I'm not sure whether it's because she has been in the fey realm for a while now or not but her soul has vines surrounding her. It also looks like I can see a lot clearer with these eyes on. My field of vision is a lot larger than before, the only downside is that I can't see people, only their souls. Looking around, it seems we're in one of the courtyards of the castle. There are multiple soul blobs going their way and-

Feeling something put around me, I hear the queen's voice say firmly, "Eleanor, stop using your gift. Now."

"Huh? Why?"

The voice gets a little sterner now, "I said NOW, Eleanor."

A little anxious, I turn them off, "Okay…"

Looking up, I can now see the faces of the king and queen again, they look…Concerned and…Almost fearful.

"Eleanor, you're forbidden to use this gift again! Darling, go take care of her. I need to give the white queen a visit…"

She then pushes me into dad's arms and storms off.

Feeling scared, I ask, "Wh-What's going on? Did I do something wrong?"

Hugging me tightly, the king answers, "Not at all. Just please, don't use that gift again."

"Why not?"

"Because it's bad for you. Very bad."

"Oh…Okay…But I didn't feel-"

The wind suddenly picks up speed and chunks of hail begin to rain down as he looks at me with a stern face, I didn't know he could make, that looks really intimidating, "Don't do it again."

"Sob Okay, I sob I'm sorry…Waaaaaaaagh."

Suddenly getting a really apologetic face, he hugs me closely again, "I didn't mean to scare you…Just please, my little snowflake, for your own good, don't do it again…Shhh…Let's go inside, have some food and cuddle, okay? Maggie, come inside with us. The weather is going to become turbulent."

"Uhm…Alright but can you explain what is going on?"

"Yes, I will a bit later."

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Entering the White Queen's castle, Ellaine is absolutely furious. When she appears in the throne room, a dozen guards point their weapons at her while the queen just sits leisurely on her throne giving her a smug grin, "It seems like you have some anger management problems dear, perhaps you should try some Yoga, I hear th-"

"What have you done to my daughter!?"

"Oh? Which one? I hear you have two now~"

"You know exactly who I speak of! What have you done to Eleanor!?"

Theatrically stroking her chin, she answers, "I believe I took care of her well so far, I gave her a guard, helped her find her sister and even gave you a tip on how to find you~"

Her shadowy form lashing out black tendrils to keep the guards' weapons at bay, Ellaine steps closer, "That boon you gave her. Why does it turn her white?"

The queen yawns, "Pavel, dear. Could you come over~"

Pavel then appears next to the white queen, looks at Ellaine and does a little bow before drawing his weapon, "Your Highness, please calm down. I do not wish to fight you and her Majesty wishes to have a conversation, otherwise you would not be here. So please settle down, I do not wish to kill Eleannor's mother."

Elaine does not visibly calm down but she does at least stop advancing.

"I am glad, your Highness." Looking over to the white queen, he continues, "Please stop teasing her, your Majesty."

"Hohohoho, it seems that Elleanor truly has your wrapped around her finger~ I remember when you were blindly loyal but now," her neck elongates and her back breaks as her eyes grow and her jaw dislocates, revealing sharp teeth and a mouth filled with caterpillars, "It feels like you could betray me at any moment. It's truly exhilarating~"

Saluting, Pavel answers, "Your Majesty, you know my loyalty best. I would never betray you."

Staring at him for a few seconds, the queen returns to her usual form and rolls her eyes, "How boring~" Sitting up straight now, she looks at Ellaine and asks dismissively, "So, what are you mad about again?"

Clenching her teeth and forming her hands into fists, she answers, "Why does my child turn white when she uses your boon?"

"Oh that? Why are you even asking that? You should be well aware that using my boons temporarily has small effects on your body."

"Yes, red eyes or white hair not a completely changed facial structure and tribal change. She turned completely white down to her neck, completely erasing all features of her ancestry."

Seemingly disinterested, the queen answers, "Is that so?"

"Yes! And I want an expl-"

The queen holds up her hand, "I am bored of this conversation now. Let's talk about something different. How are the joys of motherhood treating you~ Personally, I would have my daughter raised by a lowly nanny that does the hard work for me until she is a little older. Why not do that with Elleanor~ She loves her nanny more than you after all~"

Ellaines's eyes start to glow in a bright red now with the tendrils of her moth shaped body growing bigger and more violent, "Elleanor is MY Daughter! I will be the one raising her, not that damn nanny!!!"

The white queen gets a smug grin on her face, "So you believe that blood relation is what matters~ I hope you will remember that in the future. Either way, todeloo~" —-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.