Chương 159: Chapter 149 - The Princess's Glow

Chelsea"Twins," Adriane said slowly. She sat near the side of Chelsea's bed with little Aurora cradled carefully in her arms. The newborn slept against her chest, wrapped snugly in a pale blanket.

"Chels, don't you think you're doing too much? You're nineteen and run a literal empire. Even for you, adding twin newborns is too much." Chelsea looked down at Belle, who was sleeping just as peacefully in her own arms.

"Mom, I couldn't just leave them there. And what, the Empress of Forgotten Children should just drop some babies she can't handle off at an orphanage?" The idea alone bothered her. Chelsea had spent the past month removing children from places where they had been neglected. She couldn't imagine finding two newborns on the edge of death and then handing them off because caring for them might be inconvenient.

"Plus, I fell in love with them. Look at their little noses and blonde hair. They totally got that from me." Adriane gave her a flat look.

"Uh-huh. Have you asked Dewey and Fia for help? They could give you some great newborn pointers."

"Nah, I didn't want to bother them with babies while they're settling into their new place." Chelsea shifted Belle slightly when the infant stirred. The movement settled her, and the baby quickly relaxed again.

"By the way, you need to meet some of your other new grandkids just outside that door is a sea of them." Chelsea smirked at her mother.

"So, do you want to be called Grandma? Nana? Meemaw?"

"Chels, really?" Adriane asked. For one of the few times Chelsea could remember, her mother appeared genuinely flustered.

"Any promising new Wixxes? Any Chelseas?"

"Summoned kids? Nah, I'm fresh out. There are a few standouts, though." Chelsea looked down at the baby in her arms.

"With these two sweet girls topping the list. One I swear is going to run the thieves guild, Robbie. Then Kira, she's a knight princess who uses her fists instead of a weapon." Chelsea looked down at the newborn adoringly. Adraine smiled and looked down at her own.

"They really are adorable." Her expression softened as Aurora made a small sound in her sleep. Adriane adjusted the blanket beneath the baby's chin before looking back toward Chelsea.

"Ivy said she was heading to the Junstruce castle. What's the deal with that?"

"Getting into politics?" Chelsea asked with a laugh.

"I was going to invite them to dinner. I really like Junstruce and want to have a good relationship with them."

"And how are you and Freya?" her mother asked.

"We're doing amazingly well. For being the god of battle, she's surprisingly patient with the kids."

"I see," Adriane replied. She considered it for a moment before nodding.

"You know, Dewey and Fiona were sure you'd be pissed about this whole grandkids thing."

"I was," Adriane replied.

"At first."

"What changed?" Chelsea asked.

"It was you. I realized you're Chelsea Wixx, and this is just something Chelsea would do." Adriane gestured toward Belle, still asleep in Chelsea's arms. Adriane accepting it without a fight had left all of those carefully rehearsed points unused.

"I had this whole argument in my head about how this is what my class wants, and denying me children is like the Silver Sword not being allowed to use swords." Adriane laughed.

"Had to get it out, huh? Feel better?"

"Yes! I came up with that line about two weeks ago, and I was so proud of it." Chelsea smiled broadly as she looked down at Belle again. The twins remained asleep in their arms while mother and daughter sat together in the quiet bedroom. Amber Amber felt like she was killing it. She could hold her head up on her own now, sometimes for several seconds before it tipped to one side. That was serious progress. Her stupid, fat baby tongue still refused to cooperate.

She could make noises that weren't crying, but actual words remained impossible.

"Amber," her mom called. It was strange how quickly this woman had gone from Fiona, or simply the lady who had given birth to her, to Mom. Amber answered with one of her usual coos. Fiona walked over and peered down at her.

"We were invited up to the cathedral. Want to go?" They were still using the open-eye, closed-eye method of communication, so Amber kept her eyes wide and stared up at her.

"Good, me too. By the way, your cousin went a little overboard on your closet." Her closet? What did that mean? What had Chelsea done? Giving a baby an entire closet seemed ridiculous. Fiona picked her up and carried her toward a door Amber hadn't been through yet. The room beyond was dark until her mother touched several strange spheres along the wall. Soft light spread across the space. Calling it a closet felt dishonest. The room was massive, nearly twice the size of Amber's bedroom back on Earth.

Clothing filled the walls, with smaller outfits near the front and larger ones continuing deeper into the room. Chelsea had included dresses for Amber to grow into. Of course she had thought of everything. Amber noticed something strange as Fiona carried her farther inside. A large portion of the clothing was white and gold. She reached toward one of the dresses.

"You like that one?" Amber quickly closed her eyes.

"So you don't like it?" Amber opened them and blinked several times before pointing toward another white-and-gold dress.

"You don't like the color?" She blinked again.

"Are you wondering why there are so many that color?" Amber stared up at her mother and attempted to nod. She had only recently gained enough control over her neck to try, and the movement immediately went wrong. Her head started falling forward, but Fiona shifted Amber's body to compensate before she could lose control entirely. Leave it to Fiona Wixx to adapt instantly.

"Those are the holy colors. Once per week, we're supposed to wear them for some bullshit godly reason. Freya would never care what we wore, only that we hope it's one day splattered with the blood of our enemies." Amber let out a giggle. She hadn't managed many of those yet. Everything had to align properly for the sound to come out instead of a squeak or breathy coo. Fiona immediately looked down at her, joy filling her face.

"Like that, did you?" She pressed her enormous face into Amber's neck.

"I know it's probably strange hearing me talk about Freya like that. I mean, you were related to her or whatever, and she's sort of just a person in your life. For us, though, she's our goddess." Fiona lifted her head enough to look at Amber again.

"I don't expect you to follow in our footsteps. At least not when it comes to worshiping her and following her ways." Amber reached both hands toward her mother's face. Fiona leaned closer, allowing Amber to wrap her tiny arms around her. Amber had expected her mother to be overbearing about religion. Fiona and Dewey's lives revolved around Freya's doctrine, from the way they fought to the values they taught. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Knowing they weren't going to force that onto her meant more than Amber could express with her limited body.

"Are you hungry?" Fiona asked. Amber hated when she asked that. It was strange enough eating from her mother. They didn't need to discuss it every time. A silent agreement worked perfectly well. Amber closed her eyes in answer. Having Fiona essentially ask whether Amber wanted her breast in her mouth still felt deeply uncomfortable, especially now that Amber was beginning to truly think of her as Mom.

"All right. Then let's get dressed and head to the cathedral. Do you see an outfit you want to wear? It's not Fifth Day, so you can wear anything." Amber looked around the enormous closet. After a moment, she spotted a simple little princess dress. It happened to be white and gold, but she liked it more than any of the others. She pointed toward it.

"That's what I meant. You don't have to wear that today. The whole closet is available to you as long as it fits." Amber rested her head against Fiona and pointed at the dress again.

"Fine, fine. You win. I'm sure you'll be the best dressed there. We've got to outdo Chelsea's kids." Fiona laughed. The main entrance of the cathedral was as lively as ever when they arrived. Amber's eyesight had improved enough that she recognized a few people from her previous visit. Worshippers moved through the open hall while attendants directed them toward different lines. Knights stood near the entrances, watching the crowd without interrupting the steady flow of people.

Fiona joined one of the lines with Amber held against her chest. When their turn finally came, the woman behind the desk greeted them with a practiced smile.

"Blessings to you. How can the Church be of service today?" Her attention lowered toward Amber.

"Oh, and don't you just look adorable."

"We're here to see the Empress," Fiona replied. The woman blanched. Her eyes moved from Amber to the enormous maul strapped across Fiona's back. Amber sometimes forgot the sort of presence her mother gave off. Fiona was already massive, and the weapon made her look as though she had arrived to fight the cathedral itself rather than visit Chelsea.

"I'm so sorry, but Her Grace… uh… I mean… we don't allow weapons in…"

"Hello, are you Miss Fiona and Miss Amber?" a small voice asked from behind them. Fiona turned, bringing Amber around with her. A beautiful fairy stood only a few steps away. Amber hadn't seen many fairies since arriving in this world. She was always excited to meet someone who wasn't another boring human.

"We are," Fiona replied.

"Who are you?"

"I'm so sorry." The fairy curtsied.

"My name is Samantha. I'm one of the Empress's children."

"You're not glowing," Fiona replied cautiously. Samantha glanced down at herself.

"Ah, yes. Well, I haven't officially been adopted yet. Mother is waiting for a specific time. I'm supposed to let Stan, the elevator operator, know that you two have arrived." Amber studied her while the women spoke. She had seen another fairy before, but never from this close. Samantha's wings were incredible. They were thin and nearly transparent, with glittering material moving through them whenever they shifted. Amber reached toward them. Both women noticed.

"You want to go to her?" Fiona asked. Amber looked up at her mother and kept her eyes wide.

"Okay, she wants you to hold her for some reason. Do you mind?"

"Of course not," Samantha replied. Fiona passed Amber into the fairy's arms. Samantha settled her against her chest and began moving one finger back and forth in front of Amber's face.

"Oh my goodness, aren't you just the sweetest wittle thing?" she asked in a baby voice. Amber looked back toward Fiona. Her mother was struggling not to laugh. Amber ignored them both and focused on the wing fluttering behind Samantha whenever she moved. She held her hands out toward it, trying to make her intentions clear. Samantha looked around before recognition brightened her face.

"You just want my wings, don't you? Oh, you cheeky little thing." She smiled down at Amber.

"You can't have those. I need them." Amber's mind immediately began working through the possibilities. Why did fairies need their wings? Were they required for flight, or did they serve another purpose? Samantha hadn't flown yet, but Amber had barely seen her move.

"Miss Fiona, you don't need to dress her in holy clothing on First Day. I don't know if anyone has explained it. It's only required on Fifth Day."

"I let Amber pick out what she wore today," Fiona replied.

"Ah." Samantha nodded with the careful expression of someone placating a strange woman. Amber let out a giggle.

"Oh, gods, she's so cute!" Samantha returned her to Fiona a moment later. They exchanged their farewells after she explained the situation to the elevator operator. Stan waited until Fiona stepped inside before pulling the accordion-style fence closed. The elevator climbed for nearly a full minute. Amber watched the walls pass until the platform stopped in front of a featureless black section.

"This is it," Stan said as he pulled the fence aside. Fiona stared at the darkness.

"Um, we're meant to meet Chelsea, the Holy Empress?"

"From what I've come to understand, step into that black space and you'll be taken to her room," he replied.

"Okay. That sounds like Chelsea. I don't understand why she couldn't just meet us in the throne room." Fiona took a cautious step into the darkness.

"All I can say is that there's actually a good reason," Stan replied with a smile and a wink. She took another step, then one more. The elevator immediately began moving again behind them.

"Sorry, I'm not allowed to see how this floor works, per the Lord Commander's orders. Have a wonderful day." Stan disappeared down the shaft before Fiona could respond. The sound of the elevator faded, leaving her and Amber in complete darkness.

"Well. I think we might've been tricked. This very much feels like a trap," Fiona said with a sigh. Amber couldn't see anything. She reached out and felt a ton of mana in the room. She used it as her eyes but all she could see in the room was… junk? This room was where they shoved things that broke around the cathedral. There were broken chairs and desks. Even a lamp that had a torn shade.

She felt her mother shift beneath her, but without any visual indication of movement, she couldn't tell whether Fiona was walking or only turning in place. Even the glow from the cathedral had vanished. She could see her mother's legs working with the mana but she had no context for the movement. It was like being back in the womb.

"Chelsea?" Fiona called. Silence answered her. Maybe Stan had dropped them off on the wrong floor. Amber had no idea how anyone was supposed to navigate a room without walls, lights, or any visible floor. Fiona sighed again.

"What the hell," she said in exasperation. A narrow vertical line of light appeared several feet in front of them. It widened into an opening, revealing a familiar glowing girl standing on the other side.

"Kira?" Fiona asked.

"Aunt Fiona! Hey, come on in." Fiona carried Amber toward the doorway. Amber stared past Kira into the space beyond and immediately struggled to understand what she was seeing. It looked like the fever dream of an eight-year-old girl who had become obsessed with Lisa Frank and then gained the power to remake reality. Bright structures filled the enormous space. Children raced across the grass beneath trees covered in colorful decorations, while toys and play areas seemed to occupy every available section.

Fiona stepped through the doorway, and the darkness vanished behind them. The place was somehow even more overwhelming from inside. There were children everywhere. A little girl noticed Amber and came running toward them.

"Is she going to be my new little baby sister?" she asked excitedly. Kira reached out and gently swatted her away from Fiona.

"No, she's your cousin. Now shoo. Leave them alone." The girl retreated, though only by a few steps. The other children had already noticed the newcomers. Conversations quieted as dozens of faces turned toward Fiona and Amber with open fascination. Kira guided them toward a large cottage that… god dammit Chelsea. She lived in a house that looked like it was literally made out of candy.

"You two head on in. I'm just getting back from training and I stink. I'm going to go take a quick bath." Kira turned and started walking toward another building, this one looked more normal. By normal it looked like it was painted like an underwater jigsaw puzzle. Amber did notice that it wasn't completely Lord of the Flies. There were several adult women guiding small groups of kids around. Must be nannies or something. Fiona knocked on the door and heard a quiet "come in" from the other side.

Fiona grabbed the peppermint colored door handle and pushed it open. Chelsea was seated across from Auntie A. at the far end of a massive bedroom. They weren't alone. In each of their arms were a new born baby. Kira"Ahhh…" Kira sank into one of the personal tubs and allowed the perfectly heated water to rise around her shoulders. The bath carried the scent of some expensive herb she couldn't identify, but she didn't care what it was as long as it helped. Training had gone surprisingly well that day.

Mom had decided against having her train with the other Holy Knights. Fighting them triggered Kira's rage too easily, and there wasn't much point in sparring if every session ended with her losing control. Instead, one of the trainers from Valhalla had begun working with her privately. Kira had spent the past several days trying different weapons. Today had been devoted to learning how to use a two-handed axe. She had discovered muscles she swore the human body wasn't supposed to have.

Her back hurt more than it ever had before, and even lowering herself into the water had made several muscles tighten painfully. Her trainer had assured her that the soreness was good and instructed her to soak in a bath to release some of the tension. She had also given Kira a vial of potion and told her only to use it if muscle spasms kept her from sleeping. Apparently, it was better for the body to recover without magical assistance whenever possible.

Mom swore by the Valhalla trainers, so Kira followed every instruction they gave her. She remained in the bath until the tightness across her back began to ease. After washing the sweat and training grime from her hair, she climbed from the tub and dried herself. The personal bathing stalls opened into a shared changing room. Each person had a drawer containing clean clothing, though Kira still didn't entirely understand how it worked.

The drawer was somehow connected to the dresser in her bedroom, allowing anything placed in one to appear in the other. It was either magic or divine nonsense. Kira had stopped trying to distinguish between the two in her mother's domain. Once dressed, she continued rubbing a towel through her damp hair and decided to check on Samantha. Her newest older sister had been on Kira's mind more often than she expected. Kira felt strangely desperate to become closer to her, though she couldn't explain why.

It wasn't because Samantha was a fairy. Maybe it was simply because she seemed approachable in a way most people weren't. Kira stepped into the open area of the domain and spotted Samantha crossing the main square.

"Samantha!" she called.

"Wait up!" The fairy turned to see who had called for her.

"Oh! Princess Kira, hello again." She gave a small bow.

"Don't do… ugh." Kira continued drying her hair as she approached.

"We're sisters. Just call me Kira. Hey, what's going on?" The greeting felt awkward as soon as it left her mouth. Kira didn't know how to make friends. She had heard knights who liked one another greet each other that way, so she hoped it sounded natural. A broad smile spread across Samantha's face.

"Babies!" she nearly shouted.

"Her Gr…" She stopped herself and began again nodding out the first word.

"Mom got two newborns. Oh, Kira, it was so, so sad. Someone threw them out when their mother died giving birth. Want to come with me to see them? I already met them, but I can't get enough. So cute."

"Oh, gods! That's horrible." Kira's attention shifted toward the candy cottage across the domain.

"I'm kind of dying to see them now, as long as I don't have to hold one." She laughed awkwardly.

"Knowing me, I would drop one." The pair crossed the square together. Samantha moved with barely contained excitement, while Kira's sore back forced her to take shorter steps than usual. They reached the cottage, and Samantha gently knocked on the door.

"Come in," their mother called quietly from inside. Samantha carefully opened the door. Before Kira could follow, pain tightened across her back and spread beneath one shoulder. She stopped outside, pressing a hand against the muscle until the spasm passed. Through the doorway, Kira could see Mom seated with one of the newborns. Fiona and Amber were there as well, along with a woman Kira didn't recognize. Samantha bounded into the room with her becoming too familial enthusiasm.

Across the room was the familiar face of Aunt Fiona, Amber and Her mom. There was someone Kira didn't recognize. It was a woman in her early thirties. Kira, decided to do her best not to be Samantha and embarrass her mother. She was a Knight Princess. She could hear her mother quietly introduce Samantha to the woman and Chelsea's eyes met with Kira's. Kira continued crossing the room.

"And this is one of the ones I was telling you about. This is Knight Princess Kira Wixx." The woman looked… Stern. Kira had a feeling she knew who this was. Mom said Grandmother Adriane was supposed to come visit finally back from some S-Rank mission.

"Kira and Samantha." Chelsea's voice took on that silly regal tone she did sometimes.

"This is the great and powerful Adriane Wi…" She stopped talking immediately. Her head whipped to the older woman. Kira kept walking and noticed a strange glowing pendant around Adriane's neck as she got closer.