The People We Are

Chapter XXIV; Soleil

There was a knock at the door, and Soleil rushed to answer it. True Queen and True Lover walked in, along with a woman Soleil hadn't seen before. The woman held a baby, swaddled and asleep. "Luna! They're here!" she called out to her wife, who came around the corner in a hurry. True Lover helped his pregnant wife sit down on the couch as the woman sat in Luna's chair. Soleil sat in the other chair, squished in with Luna. "Thank you so much, True Queen." Soleil said as the woman holding the child set it down. "You're welcome, Soleil. Though traitors," She's never going to let that go, is she? Soleil thought. "I do think you two will make good parents." she said, smiling. "As will you two." Luna remarked, seeing True Queen's state. "Should we begin?" the woman asked. In the end they decided to name him Soren, their beautiful baby boy. His father had been killed in the Shiv War, and his mother died giving birth to him. Now, he was the child of the two who had played a major part in that same war. When True Queen, True Lover, and the adoption woman had gone, Soleil carried her son into his new nursery that she and Luna had been setting up for him. Luna left to make lunch, and Soleil stayed by the crib, staring at her child. He was wide awake, and so she sang him the lullaby she had always known she'd sing to her future children since she was fifteen. "Walls have ears, doors have eyes." she began. She heard footsteps behind her, but didn't stop singing. "Trees have voices and beasts tell lies." she continued. When she began again, Luna was by her side singing too. "Beware the rain, beware the snow, beware the man you think you know. Be like glass, if he breaks you; cut him, 'cause a fish with its mouth closed never gets caught." Soren had drifted to sleep as his new mothers sang. "How do you know that song?" Soleil whispered once they left the nursery. "I don't know, it's just something that came to me." she answered.

That was so long ago.
But for Soleil, it was a moment she'd always waited for.
It was something she could remember so vividly.
Now her teen years were gaining that same vividness.

Beau ran off the boat, crying. "What's with him?" Luna asked, looking down from her and Soleil's spot in the crow's nest. "I overheard him saying something about finally asking Anastasia out. I guess it didn't go so well." she responded, watching Beau run away. "Huh. I wonder why." Luna asked, not too long before Ideus and Anastasia came out from the lower deck holding hands. "Oh, I guess that's why." Soleil joked, seeing them. The two climbed down the crows nest and talked to the new couple, happy that all three of the Zellaridian Princess had found someone.
"You'll come to Imperial City soon, won't you?" Luna asked when they were alone again. "Of course, my love. But before I can, I'll have to make sure Zellarid is alright. I'll send a letter when I can, of course." she responded. I don't care if she's my downfall. She's worth every second. The two kissed before running back to the camp, hand in hand. When they got there, they saw that they were the last to arrive of the seven. They began to say goodbyes to friends they made, and as they got to saying farewell to their loves, they heard a loud noise from beyond the beach.
"Get out of the way, or be brought down too!" they heard a voice yell from the ocean. "Doel's fiance..." Xayah whispered to herself, but Soleil heard the sheer terror in her voice. Luna ran forward, but her father held her back. However, her father didn't stop her mother. She, as well as all the other parents ran forward to confront the massive army that floated on makeshift rafts. Doel's fiance stood at the front, holding his love's head. Many others held the other heads, and they stared into the souls of every other Iphica in sight. Xayah and Ideus ran forward and pulled their parents back, and Soleil ran to do the same, but Luna's father held her back too. "Get back!" he yelled behind the young couple he restrained. He shoved them down into the sand and ordered the rest of the seven back with them. Luna helped Soleil up and they ran forward, pulling Luna's father back. The rafts had gotten closer to the shore, and the parents that remained got closer to them. "Suit yourself!" Doel's fiance yelled. "This is what happens when you mess with us!" he screamed as Leod ran to him. "Ander! What are you doing!" he yelled at Doel's fiance. "What are you doing? You're with the humans now? You, Foja and Cordelia? I thought better than you, brother-in-law." he mocked. "What did Doel ever see in you?" Leod told him. "Leod, you can come back with us. Redan would love to see you." Ander said, reaching out to Leod. "Tell Redan I'm not interested. Go on, go back and tell her." Ander shook his head. "I can't just yet. Now!" he yelled, throwing Doel's head up in the air. Perhaps it happened too fast, perhaps fear blinded her, perhaps she was too far away, but Soleil couldn't see what exactly happened after that. All she knew was that her parents were dead, as were many of her friends' parents, and there was a large canyon in between Zellarid and Mirirejar.
"Mom! Dad!" she called out, as did many, as she dropped to the ground. She and Luna hugged, and her dad hugged them both in all of their grief. "Let's go! Varvarikos still remains, we must conquer it, and correctly this time!" Ander yelled as they all paddled away. "What now? Soleil asked through her tears. "I don't know, Queen Soleil." Queen.... That's right, I'm Queen now...