A Star's Life : Growing Up, Growing Old

Blanket

Esper shivered in the cold that existed on the mortal plane. She hated not having her scales to keep her protected. She hated not having her curly hair tucked away in dreads. She missed her midnight touched skin. Her pride and joy had been hidden away in need for survival.
Esperanza slipped into the castle. Little to their knowledge they had been in the heart of a feral cold storm. Esper had no idea why she of all witches, she could hurl at the idea of belittling herself as being one of them. Yet she walked down the long and mostly empty hallway towards where the royalty sat.
"You requested me your highness?" Esper felt bile rise in her throat at bowing to someone who wasn't her true queen.
"Guards, I order you to leave at once, leave me and my subject to our own. Anyone caught eaves dropping shall have their ears chopped off." The regal lady ordered with no room to question herself. The guards didn't stop to question either. They knew the punishment for questioning the queen after last time.
"You can go back to your natural form dear." The queen spoke gently. Esper was shocked she knew about her disguise. But Esper wasn't going to waste an opportunity to be herself again. The wishing dragon practically ripped off her illusion charm. Esper beamed at her midnight skin, she stared delightfully at her long dread locks. It seemed as if the queen admired her just as much.
Quen Splendidas cleared her throat. "I've called you here today because I need help." She admitted clearly. Esper nearly choked at hearing the queen admit to needing help. Esper had lived through four queens, never one had ever admitted to needing help.
"What can I help you with, your Highness?" Esper's tone magically curved showing the smallest glance of her power in her voice.

Esper didn't imagine to find herself as a baby sitter for a little witch. Specifically a baby witch with no magic. Don't get her wrong, she wasn't upset with the request. In fact she's kind of glad that she wasn't asked to stop a plague or something extreme like the other queens would've asked.
Esper just sighed, watching the infant squirm about in her crib. She was so tiny and helpless, nothing like wishing dragonets. By the time the little hatchlings are three days post hatch, they're biting tails and screaming their tiny lungs out. Esper thought is was so charming that this little being, no more than a breathing mound of flesh was so silent, so content with existing and being taken care of.

Esper was bored out of her mind by the time the evening sun had reached the window. The baby had only woken up a couple times for food. She didn't cry, well she didn't have time to. Esper was surprised how easy it was to read a little witchlet's mind, as if the thoughts wiggled their way into her own mind. She got up to close the door, if she was bothered by the cold then the baby was definitely not having fun with it either.

Okay maybe Esper got a little too attached by day five of just watching over the baby. Maybe a little too attached to be preparing a bit of a big spell. Okay Esper is way too attached to someone else's kid. Queen Splendidas will thank her later.
"Are you ready my little mellitula?" Esper knew from much trial and error that the little princess couldn't respond. But she seemed to coo at the nickname. Esper smiled as she gathered a rather large sum of magic into her palm. The green wisp like energy coiled around itself like unruly vines in her palm. Esper reached for the tiny infant, letting the magic slide off her palm and onto the baby's back. There it danced a few brief moments before tricking just underneath the skin. Maybe Esper had overestimated the capacity for magic the baby had cause for the first time in days the poor thing became fussy.
Little Mellitula's face grew red as she loudly complained. Her little hands flailed. Esper had no idea how to deal with a fussy baby so she thought up the quickest solution she could. She hauled up a significantly less amount of magic and watched it weave itself into the softest blanket she could. Spells of calming and contentment sewed themselves seamlessly into the magic fabric before tucking itself over the baby. Within moments little Mellitula hushed, another moments gone and she was back to sleeping peacefully. Esper sighed in relief settling to taking her first rest in the past two weeks.