The boy placed both fists on his waist and grinned, triumphantly. "You may call me Mage-Knight Dusk, the Dragonslayer.
Queen Alina clapped her hands, excited, "Dawn and Dusk, what a perfect pair. Will thou escort thy Princess and thy Queen, my knight?"
"I'm not a princess right now, mom! I am an adventurer!" Lumina protested.
"Oh, pray tell me, why can't thou be both? A daring princess that fears not standing up for what she believes, how wonderful would that be? You can be a princess and an adventurer, dear daughter."
The girl puffed her chest and looked around like the world belonged to her. "Then it shall be so. I'll stand for truth and justice wherever villany is found."
Alina smiled and held the kids by the hand. Taking them back to the gazebo with the refreshments while beaming a thousand rays of sunshine, she stopped as they reached the shaded area to chide the boy.
"Good, good. Now, I think our hero Dusk owes an apology. Young mister, don't you know raisins are poisonous to our princess? Our scones have no raisins and it must be thy duty to protect her from ever eating them."
Aidan looked down, face on fire. He said some really mean things to her without knowing her situation, "I am sorry, Lu... Dawn. I had no idea they were poisonous to you."
"You're forgiven, Dusk. Shall we eat?"
That summer, several monsters were slain and treasures found. The legendary fountain of juice, courtesy of the court water mage. The stolen earth-stars, rare crystals that shone with the power of the night heavens, pieces of uncut quartz enchanted by the Queen's magic. Dawn, Dusk, and Queen Alina ventured through all the castle while a quartet of brave adventurers faced the real world in search of a unique treasure.
They got the first sign that something was wrong during one adventure in the castle's tallest tower. Aidan looked behind and rushed his playmate.
"Hurry up, Dawn. I can't believe you are this winded after climbing just a few flights of stairs!"
Almost a whole flight behind him, the princess was panting and trying to catch enough of a breath to speak,
"Wait, Dusk. It's mom. Mom fell behind. I'm worried, I think I heard she coughing."
Aidan climbed down the stairs, jumping two steps at a time. He took Lumina's hand and smiled to cheer the girl up, "Then let's go see if we can be of use to the Queen. Come!"
They descended three more flights and found the Queen being helped back on her feet by Claire and her mother, Juniper the governess.
"Mom! Are you okay?" Lumina rushed the last steps and almost headbutted Alina. "Mom! Are you coughing again? Please don't push yourself like this. Father is returning soon, I am sure of it."
Both Claire and Juniper looked away. Aidan didn't know then but now with the addition of Lumina's memories, he did. King Helios, Archmage Astromelicus and both of Aidan's parents were out on a quest for a special medicine for Queen Alina. She contracted a rare and mystical wasting malady that was eating at her mana and destroying her body. Young Aidan was left at the castle to allow his parents to go on that quest.
Aidan didn't know what to do. He tried to support the Queen, but he was too short. Claire saw him doing more harm than good and gave the boy an errand he could do.
"Aidan, run downstairs and call Prince Lucien. He should be in the training grounds at this time."
"Yes, mistress!" He dashed downstairs, barely hearing the sigh the handmaid made: "Whose mistress am I?"
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From that day onwards, the Queen's condition deteriorated. She was no longer able to follow the children in their antics against the Topiary Army of the Royal Gardener. The atmosphere in the castle was gloomy. Aidan knew something was wrong, but the little boy had little understanding of what was happening. His playmate was broken, sitting at the bedside of her mother and crying.
"Lumina, Aidan came to play with you," The Queen pointed out showing the shy boy trying to make himself even smaller by the bedchamber doors. "Why don't you go and play with him? Allies are important to have, friends, are even more. You are a Princess, you don't understand how invaluable a true friend is for one in our position. Please go, daughter."
"No! I don't want to play with a stupid boy with only fantasies in his mind!" The princess protested. "I want to be with you, mother? Can't I?"
"Princess Lumina of Yutis," Alina called with a stern voice, "I am tired and desire to rest. You are to remove yourself from these chambers and go play with your guest."
"Fine, mom. I'll leave but you cannot make me play with him. It is his fault that you are this weary. If he hadn't pulled us into all those antics and expeditions exploring the castle, you wouldn't be so tired!" Lumina unjustly blamed him as she stomped past Aidan out of the Royal Bedchamber.
Claire was going to follow Lumina, but Alina held her hand. The boy was frozen with doubt at the door. Had he hurt the Queen? He was the villain, not a hero! Why was Lumina so upset? He wanted to apologize, but words failed him.
"Claire," The Queen called with teary eyes. "Please, mend this rift. I don't have much time left but I want you to hear from my own mouth. I love you all as if you were my children. I know your mother already told you who your father is. No, no. Don't lie to me trying to deny it. I love you as my daughter, Claire. I was the one that picked this name for you."
The nine years old girl was ahead of her age by force of her own reality and occupation, "Your Majesty. I am not worthy of your worries. Please focus on getting well."
"Our names..." Alina coughed hard, "Our names mean the same thing, Claire. Please look after your sister. And make sure she and that little boy eavesdropping on us remain good friends. Be the light in their paths when I am no longer there for them. Promise me."
Claire said something but Aidan didn't listen. He was running away after he was singled out by the Queen.
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Sometimes heroes are not enough. They could kill dragons. FIght titans. Sunder mountains. Slay gods. But they could not stop time. They could not save a flower from wilting after her time was over. And sometimes they couldn't find the object of their quest. Sometimes the fabled medicine was just a rumor. When four mighty adventurers returned to Yutis, it was one such time.
King Helios barged into the castle, horse and all. He leaped off his mount only when it was physically impossible for him to proceed further.
"Make way for the King!" One of the guards tried to warn his coworkers of the incoming storm.
Like an unstoppable flood, Helios barreled through doors, corridors, stairs until he found himself shedding dust and road grime at his wife's bedside. Crying.
"We failed, Alina!"
The Queen ran her hand through the locks of her husband's hair, removing twigs, leaves, and dust with a smile across her face. Alina was not upset. Hope was a fleeting dream, not a stone cold promise.
"It is good to see you, my love. Please shed no tears for me. I'm glad I got to see you one more time before the end."
"We failed. There was no medicine. The Elixir of Life was a hoax. I'm so sorry, I'm sorry." He buried his head on the sheets and repeated himself.
"Stand tall, King Helios III of Yutis." She spoke with a calm voice like a lake on a windless day. "For you will have to be strong enough to be both King and Queen, both father and mother. Four children I leave in your care, only two of my own womb. They are the future of our Realm, but it will fall on you to be their guide. Come here. Give me your lips for just a moment and feed my hungry heart."
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Alina made an effort and joined the returning champions on the dining room. Astromelicus' life magic could grant her a brief respite from her weakness, but it could neither delay for too long or reverse the damage. She surveyed the room. Her two children were sitting on her left, Claire, unfortunately, was waiting on Lumina and resting against the wall. Astromelicus was after Lucien and on the right side past Helios next to her Aidan, his father and mother were lined up. The food was still some time away. The expedition was assembled to show their spoils.
"Please tell me, my dearest friend," Alina asked Aidan's mother, breaking the silence, "What is that lovely patch of auburn fur that I see behind you?"
Alina already knew who was that, but she was no the one to make the introductions. She was well aware of the traditions involving that secretive family of the God-Slayer. Of how they had a millennia-old pact with the squirrel-kin tribe to have one of their own selected each generation to be a companion to them.
"Oh, This? Come ahead, my dear. The Queen wants to meet you. I'm sorry, Ally. She is so shy! Come out, Sora. Meet our family."
From behind her came a small girl of about nine years old the same height as Claire if not for the long, round ears covered in even longer and thin fur. Except for her chin, cheeks, and forehead, a thin layer of auburn fur covered her otherwise humanoid body. A fluffy tail, as wide as she was and taller than her ears by a whole hand covered her back.
"Your Majesty, may I introduce you Sora of the squirrel-kin tribe. She was only now selected to be Aidan's companion. Say hello, Sora."
The girl picked the hem of her skirt and curtsied perfectly. For someone grown in the savage wilds, as the northwestern section of the continent was called, it showed how much effort and practice was put in her training.
"Greetings, your Majesties King and Queen. I am Sora, and I'll be Lord Aidan's companion if he would have me."
"Whoa! A new friend!" Aidan immediately ran to hug Sora and his father grabbed the boy by the scruff of his clothes.
"Don't ever touch her tail, do you hear me, boy?"
Aidan grumped and struggled to get free, "I know their sacred traditions, father! I am not marrying any girl! Of course, I won't touch her tail not even by accident. Let go of me!" He approached and bowed before Sora as if she was a court lady. The girl blushed but right after that returned the grin the boy beamed at her. "I'm Aidan and I would be honored if you would be my playmate, Sora. Whoa! Your arms are so awesome, it is like you are wearing fur armor all the time! And those ears, I bet you can hear an enemy a KILOMETER away!"
"Nice to meet you too, milord," Sora said while she curtsied again and offered her hand for him to kiss.
"I'm no Lord! I'm a Mage-Knight and a Hero! You don't need to act meek next to me, I know you are strong, Sora!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her back to his seat, "C'mon, let's eat, I'm starving!"
"Not so fast, Mr. Hero! We have gifts for all you."
Prince Lucien received a mithril longsword from his father. Alina a robe woven with angel feathers. Claire discreetly got a jeweled hair comb enchanted to repair split and broken hair strands. And then Aidan's father placed two ridged eggs about two hands tall on the table. One was viridian green with white accents and the other red with brown undertones.
"For our two bravest and youngest heroes, we have these eggs," King Helios declared. "Come, Lumina, you can pick yours first."
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The Princess kept silent and still this whole time. She knew the expedition was meant to find a cure for her mother, but she also knew that they failed in doing so. Lumina could not understand why they were so happy. Why they were celebrating and trading gifts when her mother was withering and dying before her very eyes. Worse yet, her companion Dusk traded her for an animal girl. A filthy beast full of fleas, she was sure of it. And now they wanted her to pick an egg? Was she supposed to be happy her friend was stolen and her mother was dying because of an egg?
Preposterous.
Lumina walked around the table doing her best to hide her emotions. She wanted to scream. She wanted to demand they go back out there and find the damn cure. She wanted to get that filthy squirrel out of her castle before she shed fur everywhere. She wanted her Dusk back at least.
"I choose this one here." She picked the green egg up and tossed it down, breaking the shell and spreading foul-smelling humor on the marble floor. She didn't notice the reptilian-like embyro that slid underneath the table, "Oops, this one was broken."
She was going for the other egg when Aidan dashed and put himself between them with arms spread open. "Stop it, Lumina! What are you doing! Are you crazy?"
"NO!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. "I am not crazy, you are the crazy ones! What travesty of a celebration is this, when my mother is dying and you trade gifts? Why have you returned if not with the cure! GO BACK THERE and find it! Save my mother for all that is holy!"
"Lumina, my dear," The Queen implored, "Stop making a scene. There was no cure, it was a rumor only. Nobody is to blame for that! Let's celebrate being together, please!"
Even her own mother was against her. Why? Lumina could not understand it. Dusk was there, angry and glowering at her. Weren't they supposed to be together forever? It was the beast girl's fault. Of course. They stopped to pick up some smelly filthy peasant somewhere and missed her mother, the Queen's cure!
"It is all your fault, you filthy beast! Get away from my friend! Dusk is mine! Mine! MINE!" Lumina pounced on Sora and the beastkin girl cringed and walked back. Sora slipped on the egg yolk and fell on her back but Lumina never reached her target.
Aidan drove a punch on her stomach, taking out all the air in the Princess' lungs. "Stop it, Lumina. This is not how Dawn would act. Dawn would understand that adventurers celebrate coming back alive even when they fail their missions. Because being an adventurer means risking your life for nothing sometimes. You only lose when you die."
Eleven-year-old Lucien roared and jumped on the table, drawing his brand new mithril sword, "I'll kill you, bastard! You assaulted a Royal!"
His sword never reached his target. Alina blocked him, earning a gash along her entire left forearm. "Everyone stop this madness NOW!" She commanded, summoning the remaining of her strength to display her regal aura. "Lucien and Lumina, Get to that corner now and don't move until I say so!"
Astromelicus immediately threw a healing spell the Queen's way. Aidan's father took the remaining egg, that would over the course of the next year hatch Skippy. Aidan's mother helped Sora back on her feet. Her tail was soaked in dragon egg yolk. Helios was with elbows on the table, hiding his face on his hands.
"Helios, I believe it is for the best if we retire for now." Aidan's father grabbed his comrade-in-arms' shoulder, "See to your family and our hearts will be with you always."
They were going out as Prince Lucien met Aidan's eyes and roared, "If I see you again, brat, I am going to kill you!"
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Queen Alina died next winter.
Aidan and Sora did not attend the funeral. His parents were away, fighting a colossal sea monster.