The Cursed Tyrant and His Reluctant Queen

When my family arrives at the Palace, they're brought to their lodgings and let to accommodate and freshen up before visiting me.

The first one I see is Lucia. She storms into my sitting room as soon as the doors are opened, and she throws herself at me. We hug, and I can notice how much she's grown up in a few months only. Oh, she's almost a lady now!

«How have you been?» I ask her, and she just bites her lips before hugging me again.

Only later, when we've had enough warmth for a long time, we split. She takes a step back and giggles before curtseying.

«Your Majesty,» she says, her eyes shining content.

Since I don't reply, she jumps in place and runs back to me.

«See? I've learnt etiquette! Am I not good? Was it clumsy?»

«It was perfect,» I point out.

«Then praise me a little!» she pouts.

«Oh, Lucia. I've missed you... Also, don't you know you're now an aunt? You have to be proper and elegant now.»

«Aunt...» she repeats, in a daze. «I want to see him! How was his name? Lars?»

«Laurentius, but I call him Lars.»

«Does he resemble you?»

«Just a little.»

«Oh, what a pity...»

«It's not a pity,» I chuckle. «I love how much my son resembles the King.»

Even though it's not that much. But it's fine, my Lars is his own person.

«Can I finally meet him? Mother says he can convey energy, and I want to play with him too!»

«Oh, I see. He's in his room. We can visit him a little later, he's sleeping right now. Where are the others?»

«Freshening up and getting ready to meet with you.»

«Mother is hiding her aura, isn't she?»

«Yes, of course.»

«Too bad it won't be enough,» I sigh. Flavius will notice, of course. He can notice everything, that brat.

«Can I see my nephew? I mean, his Highness, the Prince?»

«You can,» I concede. «But don't wake him up if he's sleeping. Babies need to sleep a lot to grow up healthy.»

«Sure. I'll just take a look and come back!»

She runs after Bea who opens the door for her.

«Please, come this way, Lady Lucia.»

«You know me?»

«We've been informed about her Majesty's family to serve her better. Especially now that you've come to visit.»

«Oh, good...»

While they leave, I sit on the sofa and relax a little, but Lucia's fast steps come back sooner than I thought.

«Sister... Sister,» she complains, reaching out to my hand and pulling me up. «There's a strange person with my nephew! Please, come and send him away!»

Her eyes are filled with tears, small drops decorating the corners. She's concerned about... Oh, Flavius!

«I told him to stay hidden for today,» I comment while marching back.

I didn't want to introduce him to my mother just yet. Now, he'll steal the scene away and be the centre of attention.

«Hey,» I say, «didn't we have an agreement?»

«Yes, that's true,» he admits. His hair is flying in the air like usual. Is he getting addicted to the lightning? That would be the weirdest soul illness I've ever heard of.

But what else could make him come here so often? A baby isn't all that interesting, come on!

«Give me my son back,» I order, taking the sleeping baby... He's electric even while sleeping, goodness me.

I step away from Flavius while his hair slowly returns down. He observes Lucia with a frown, unhappy that she stole his daily entertainment with her presence.

«Can I also play?» she asks, in fact.

«That's a baby. You do not play with babies,» Flavius spits out.

Are they going to fight? I'm not ready to defend either. Lucia has just arrived, and Flavius is displeased because I took Lars away.

«You were supposed to guard him,» I point out. «Don't play with him at every chance!»

«No one said I could not.»

«No, but a baby using magic will need even more energy to grow up! You might be all right, but Lars is exhausted!»

«Oh...» Hearing my words, Flavius bows his head. «I didn't know that. I'm sorry.»

Now, I'm the one feeling guilty.

«It's fine,» I sigh. «Lars will grow up all the same. We just need to be careful not to overdo it, right? At least while he's sleeping?»

«Who is this strange person, sister?» Lucia inquires, reaching my side to take a peek at the baby. «Is he related to his Majesty?»

«No, he's... ehm, they're friends.»

In my words, Flavius seems to forget his little depression. He's radiant, now that someone said he and Ignis are friends. It would be a little cute if only we were talking about my very husband. I don't want to share him with many friends, and Flavius is rather clingy. And, now, he's aiming at my son!

«Hey, you said it, not me!» he murmurs, raising his hands, the open palms turned towards us in a sign of defence.

I might have started glaring at him without realising.

My attention, however, is stolen when Lara moves his legs and giggles. He's awake and, for some miracle, not crying. He beams when I hold his hand, and his legs short fingers wrap around mine.

«He resembles you!» Lucia comments. «He has your eyes!»

She bows forward to see better and dares to offer her finger too. When I hear her quiet giggling, I realise he's at it.

«Does it tickle?» I ask.

For me, it's different. I don't feel anything happening to my body. The energy just uses my body to reach the outside, and it's directed to people touching me. I guess my son doesn't want to play when I'm involved... Rather, he's... protecting me? Oh, my little thing is so possessive, isn't he? If only his father was as well!

«You're getting distracted again,» Flavius says from his corner. He crossed his arms and is waiting, so patiently for him, for us to be done to continue playing with Lars.

«How can I not be distracted?» I wonder. My son is just so charming.

«Mother will be here soon,» Lucia says. «I came forward to see the Prince before she can monopolise it. Since he's special, you know... There's a chance they forbid me from playing, so I came here earlier,» Lucia explains.

«Do you want to hold him?»

«Just for a little while, but I'm afraid to hurt him.»

«You won't. Come to the sitting room. Settle on the sofa, and I will show you how to hold a baby.»

«I will do so with my babies too, in the future!»

«Oh, don't think about babies yet.» My sister isn't going to get married anytime soon. Maybe... Until thirty?

I'm sure father will agree with me. We have to protect her from suitors even if she has this sudden idea of having many babies.

«So pretty,» she murmurs while clumsily holding Lars. She doesn't dare move and just observes my son's calm expression.

He's even more well-behaved than usual.

«Does this mean he likes me?» Lucia asks, blinking fast and waiting for my response. «He's not crying, so he likes me!»

«Oh, well... I'm not sure, Lucia. But he will love you as he grows up: I'll make sure of it.»

Why do people waste so much worry around a baby's likings? I mean, it's a baby! One shouldn't think too hard about it.

Lars will grow up and learn to love everyone, especially in his family. Now, all he has is magic and instinct. He might use that to differentiate people, but it will soon when he starts gaining consciousness about himself.

«For sure, he likes me!» Flavius comments, proud like a peacock. «We play together so often, and it's always funny.»

Lucia observes Flavius for a moment only before ignoring him and returning to Lars.

«Little Lars will become powerful,» she says. «Mother is worried, but I know it will be all right. After all, you are his mother, sister. He will be protected by you until he can do it by himself, right? There's nothing to worry about.»

«I'm not as powerful as you see me,» I chuckle. «But I will do my best for Lars. And I'll teach him to protect our people like mother does and how I'm trying to do.»

«He will be the King, one day.»

«Yes, that's right.»

«Then, won't it be too much for a single person? Both Mages and humans?»

«I don't know, Lucia.»

«What Mages and humans?» Flavius inquires. «Being a King and being a Mage are two different things, but they aren't so distant as to be impossible.»

«Oh...» Lucia realises. That's right. Flavius still doesn't know.

Mother will choose whether to tell him or not. I have no power in this matter, for now. And it's a decision so difficult that I'm relieved it's not on me.

«It's still a lot,» I say.

Lucia nods, sighing after checking Flavius's expression. She's still too young for the Palace.. Even with the etiquette lessons, she's not ready to hide everything about herself from the world.