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Chapter 14 Sneak Peek

Militus Terrus POV

He watched boredly as the clockwork servants scurried around the palace, some carrying decorations while others perfectly balanced trays full of food, a hand absentmindedly rubbing the bandages still around his throat. It had just became afternoon, so he knew he still had more than plenty of time until he had to get ready for the ball later that day. He could hear the crowds of people in the throne room, the various nobles and royalty presenting their gifts to Lucette.

‘Presents. Presents back then used to have special meaning and love in them. Now, they only give them to her when they want something from her in the future.’ He remembers how Mrs. Favero would spend almost a full hour wrapping Lucette’s presents from her, carefully tying the ruby red bows until they were perfect. 

He always thought it strange how much time she spent on something stupid like a bow but now he understands. Even the smallest things can go a long way to showing someone how much you care for them. He recalls fondly of stealing coins from his pathetic excuse of a father’s pocket and running to the marketplace to find a gift for his friend. It was always hard, some stores, suspicious of him because of how poorly he was dressed, would refuse his money while others didn’t have what he was looking for. When he went back to Mrs.Favero and cried to her that he didn’t have a gift for her daughter, she only laughed, telling him that he didn’t have to buy her a gift. 

“A gift can be made or passed down from someone else. It does not have to be something elaborate or expansive, it could be simple.” She had told him, looking down at him with a soft smile that brought back memories of his own dear mother. With those words, he had ran off, going to a kind old florist and asking for a small bouquet of Lucette’s favorite flowers. When he brought them back to Mrs. Favero to wrap them with a blue ribbon, the smile she gave him could’ve cleared storms. The smile Lucette gave him when presented them to her could’ve moved mountains.

The Little Kitten

So @piecesofchess has been having a hard time and I have been in a sorta unmotivated mood lately, so I decided why not write some cute Baby!Lucette short stories! It’s very very short but I think it’s cute. Enjoy.

King Kane of Valencia, more commonly known as Supreme Commander Kane, had a very strange problem. A non harmful problem, but a problem nonetheless. And it involved his niece, Princess Lucette Favero.

She won’t stop meowing. And refuses to speak.

The problem first popped up when her maid, Alma, contacted him saying that Lucette was not behaving herself. A rarity. Lucette was usually a well behaved child, but a child she still was. And like any child, she had her acting outs. Most of the times they would be corrected by Alma and done with but on occasion, Kane himself would have to speak stern words to her.

However, this particular situation might prove to be one he may have to accept defeat on.

“Lucette.” He groaned, trying again to make his nine year old niece see reason.

“Meow.” She responded, the same as before.

“Are you a kitten or a princess?” He asked,rising to his full height to look sternly down at her.

“Meow meow.” 

He hated that he knew exactly what she said just from the cheeky grin on her face.

“Fine then. And just how long are you going to do this?” He asked, sighing heavily. His little niece’s bright blues blinked and stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes in thought, nose scrunching up in concentration before going back to him and holding up one finger.

“One hour?” He guessed, only for Lucette to shake her head no. She held up one finger again and then pointed to the sun that shone through her giant Polarian style windows.

‘One sun? Oh.’

“One day? You are going to meow for the entire day?” He questioned, irritated by her persistence. But when she nodded her head with that serious look on her face, he sighed, accepting her condition. Sometimes, it was best to give the victory to the child rather than wrestle with them. Something he had learned over is years of raising his niece.

Finally dinner time, at least for Lucette. While his Elites talked about the events of the day, he kept his eye on Lucette who had been enjoying her favorite dish of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. An oddly simple meal for a princess but one that she liked and one that didn’t require many resources. At the moment, however, she was trying to reach the pepper shaker with little success. After watching her struggle for a few more minutes, he decided to intervene.

“Lucette.”

She perked up, her head whipping towards him with her eyes wide.

“Do you need help to get that?” He inquired, getting a smile and head nod from the little girl.

“What do we say when we need help?” He pushed, watching her mouth open with a bit of smug satisfaction as she began to fall right into his trap. 

Only for her to freeze, eyes narrow then slowly shut her mouth with a smirk.

‘Of course she caught on.’

“Meow.” She said instead, her nose high in the air.

“Well I am not going to get it for you if you do not ask properly.” He replied back, settling back into his chair. Lucette’s face fell, and she slouched down in her chair, puffed cheeks telling her anger. Until a gleam appeared in her eyes and a sneaky grin spread on her face.

‘What is she planning now?’ He wondered, his head tilting as he curiously watched his niece stand up on her chair and grab the table cloth.

‘She wouldn’t dar-’ His thought was cut off as she did actually dare. She pulled the table cloth towards herself, before reaching with her entire little body and snatching up the pepper shaker. As she settled into her seat, she shot him a triumphant, wide smug grin before shaking the desired amount of pepper into her soup and continuing on happily eating, ignoring the confused looks of the Elites.

He was getting through his paperwork in his study when he heard the door to his suite open and close. At first, he thought it some meddlesome assassin or pirate gotten lucky, reaching over to where his sword was hidden next to him behind his desk. It wasn’t until he listened closely that he realized that the heartbeat of the intruder was far too small to be the heart of an adult and was far too calm to be the heart of someone who didn’t belong. 

When the soft patter of small feet met his audio, he relaxed, pulling his hand away from the sword and waited. As he thought, when the door to the study squeaked open, familiar blue eyes peeked in.

“Meow?”

“Yes Luce mia, you can come in.” He answered. The second he ended his sentence, Lucette left her spot and climbed into her usual spot of his lap, cuddling into his white blouse. Snatching up his coat from a nearby chair and curling it around herself like a blanket.

“I am correct to presume that you are more than pleased with yourself for not only your dinner stunt but for the entire day?” He asked, even though he had no need because he can tell she has that cheeky grin on her face again.

“Meow.” She answered proudly, hopping a bit. He looked at the clock on his desk, noting that it was five minutes before midnight.

“You know you are going to be punished for that, right?”

“Meow meow meow meow.” She replied, unbothered by the prospect of grounding. He isn’t surprised. She had Aleta’s stubbornness and the Favero family pride. Or is it the Lionerian Royal family pride she inherited? Perhaps even both.

That’s when the bells from the clocktower in Florenza began to ring, signalling midnight. They both remained silent until it finished before looking at each other.

“Daytime over!” She said, finally in words.

“Yes, meaning that it is time for little princesses to get their rest.” He stated, picking her up and rising from his seat. 

“Can’t I sleep on your bed tonight, Uncle?” She pleaded, doing her best to convince him with the puppy eyes. 

“Do you think you deserve to sleep on the big bed tonight?” He asked. If he were human, he would have raised an eyebrow at his niece.

“Yes!” She answered firmly, not at all sorry for her behavior. Were he anyone else, he would have been surprised by the audacity of his niece. But he was not, a faint flickering of pride appearing.

“Very well then. You will find out your punishments tomorrow. I will humor you for tonight.” He said, carrying her to the rarely used bedchamber. Laying her under the blanket and covering her up, he placed a small kiss on her forehead before going to leave only to be stopped by his niece.

“Buona notte, Zio. Ti amo.”

He was silent for a second before quietly responding.

“Buona notte, Luce mia. Ti amo anch’io.”

A Son’s Most Powerful Woman

“Imagine the most powerful woman in the Spiral, Alonzo.” 

Alonzo nodded his head. He could. He sees her perfectly. 

“Her hair,”

 Her hair was black, the curls bouncy and reflected the light around them, crowning her head like its own crown. It was long, draping past her waist to the back of her thighs, swishing like a cat’s tail whenever she moved. Her two “horns”, as Uncle Able called them, curled at the top of her head, announcing her presence whenever she walked through a crowd. 

“The color of her eyes,” 

That one wasn’t hard. Her eyes were her most notable feature. A shade of bright blue that almost looked as if they were glowing. Clear and shining whenever she smiled down at him, twinkling with delight. Stormy and burning with the fire of rage whenever someone dared to challenge her. Cold and sharp as ice whenever she faced her enemies, in battle or otherwise. He sort of inherited, the mixing of those blues and the gray of his father giving him the harsh steel color of blue gray for him. 

“Yes, but the strength of her posture. The poise of her entire being. Do you see her?” 

Yes, he could see her as clear as day. He has always seen her. Her spine as straight and unyielding as worked steel as she sat on top her golden throne, matching the steel of her gaze. Her poise radiated “predator” to all who even dared to think of the idea of challenging her. Ready to pounce and tear apart at the drop of a hat. But never toward him. Whenever he appeared, her stature shifted from Queen to Mother. Her stony face cracked apart to reveal the bright smile and the pride in her eyes. 

“Yes. I do see.” 

“And who is she?”

 Just as he was about to answer, the doors opened to reveal the most powerful woman in the Spiral. Mama. Empress Lucette. At her appearance, his face broke into a wide grin. 

“Mama.”

Maybe Not Her Mother....

Despite being such a beautiful sunny day, Lucette only felt like she was standing underneath a dark storm cloud. This emotional dark cloud only made her more upset. While everyone else was gifting flowers and objects to their mothers, she was laying a wreath of flowers on her mother’s grave. 

“It’s not fair.” She mumbled to herself, blinking quickly to push back her tears. Everyone else was dressing up in bright colors and laughing and talking with their mother’s while here she was, dressed head to toe in black, kneeling before her mother’s grave. She shouldn’t be here. Her mother shouldn’t be underground. She should’ve been waking up to her daughter and husband bringing her breakfast in bed. Sailing through the skyways to her favorite islands. Running through flower filled meadows, barefoot and laughing. 

“And yet, here I am. Wallowing under a perpetual cloud that only darkened on this special day.” 

“Indeed, but it is only reasonable and expected of you to be here on this day.”

Startled, Lucette spun around to see a familiar beautiful clockwork standing a few feet behind her. Queen.

“Queen. What are you doing here?” She questioned.

“Looking for you. Protecting you. Supporting you.” Queen replied, smoothly making her way over to the saddened princess and kneeling next to her, her eye holes fixated on the grave. Lucette felt comforted by her presence. Though Queen wasn’t her mother and can’t replace her mother, no one could, but Queen did a good job supporting her like one. 

“Thank you, Queen.”

“It is my pleasure, colombina.” 

And when the women made their way home to the palace, Lucette’s mourning veil was off her head and Queen had a gentle arm wrapped around her shoulder.