Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

Paliciosa

Returning to the Southeastern Sea of Paliciosa, Niowei reads a book while sitting on the seat beside the still unconscious Alosrin.

Yasana comes into the room after a knock, "Good morning, Yllathanise."

"Good morning," Niowei looks up from her book to greet the young dragon.

"What are you reading?" Yasana walks over to Niowei and leans to see the title, "'A Guide to Not Fear Death', what an interesting read."

The little girl quickly hides the book behind her back and puts on a serious look on her baby face.

"Sorry." Yasana slowly backs away, but Niowei grabs onto Yasana's finger.

"Teach me how to become strong... Strong enough to break a tree with my hands," Niowei's eyes are full of seriousness.

On the other hand, Yasana holds in a smile of admiration.

"And why should I teach you?"

Niowei lets go of Yasana's finger, and with a sad tone, "It's okay, I'll ask someone else."

"I didn't say I won't teach you. I want to know why you want to become strong, so I would know if I ought to teach you."

The little girl takes a second to think about it before nodding her head.

"Okay, I'll tell you." She points to the unconscious Alosrin, "I want to protect my mommy."

And Yasana can see the sincerity in the big blue tearful eyes.

"It will take a thousand years to be strong enough to break a tree with your hands, but you will be able to do it. Do you still want to learn?"

Niowei recollects herself and thinks about it. She easily figures out that a thousand years is too long.

She wants to protect her mother now if not soon.

"I promise to study really hard. Can you teach me everything today?"

Yasana bursts out with joyous laughters.

Niowei feels belittled by Yasana's action, and she climbs down her seat to hide in Alosrin's side.

Seeing what she has unintentionally done, Yasana tries to appease Niowei all the ways she knew how.

"How about strawberry crèpes for breakfast?" Yasana offers without knowing that strawberries are Niowei's detested food.

And unfortunately this is a Northern Conqueror, and like her father, she is stubborn to the very end.

"Then right after we can have a strawberry sundae as dessert?"

Niowei shakes her head and mumbles, "No. I only want my mommy."

Yasana sighs and gives up on the little human girl, she checks Alosrin's vitals and writes them down on a little notebook to report back to Asana.

Soon, the young dragon gives one more try on breakfast for the little girl, but it was a fruitless gesture.

When noon comes around, Artemis and Juda come into the room with a small plate of food for Niowei.

Once she sees them, she closes her book and goes to hide by Alosrin's side.

Artemis sits where Niowei sat, and with a slightly heavy tone he says, "I heard you want to grow strong and protect your mommy."

"What I want to say is... There's no easy way to say this. Will Thanise allow Uncle to protect both you and your mommy?"

The dragon's hands tremble with anxiety.

"No! That's daddy's job... But he's never here to protect mommy," Niowei begins to quietly sob. "So it's 'my' job to protect mommy."

"Can I help you protect your mommy?" Artemis offers not because he is in love with Alosrin, but he worries about him and Niowei's future.

In his heart, he believes Alosrin would rather him take care of Niowei than for the Northern Conquerors to claim her as their Princess.

"No. I don't need anyone else to help me protect mommy. We waited for uncle, but you took forever. And big brother Juda lied to me, he wasn't going to help mommy and me, he tricked us."

Juda looks at Artemis with displeasure and vice versa.

Both disappointed by the other.

Niowei wipes her tears but continues to hide her face, then her stomach growls loudly.

"Would you like to eat something?" Juda offers before Artemis has the chance to.

Niowei turns her head around and nods.

She wasn't willing to eat on the bed because she knows Alosrin wouldn't have wanted her to.

So she moves to the table and forces the two grown males to follow her, it's her way of protecting her mother.

"Can uncle have a little bite?" Artemis slightly opens his mouth although he knows not to expect much compassion from Niowei.

On the contrary, Niowei picks up a slice of fruit and offers it Artemis and another to Juda.

They are surprised by her kindness because it's unexpected. Yet, it is the first time they've asked something of her.

"I promised Asahi's mommy that I'll make my mommy smile more," Niowei wipes her hands and pouts sadly.

"Who's Asahi?" Juda accidentally asks out loud.

"My nephew," Artemis answers nonchalantly because he assumed Juda would know since he was 'inside' the Aarthian Royal Council.

Juda flinches, "Okay, bro. No need to be offended."

"Who's offended? You must be because I'm not," Artemis retorts back, although he usually doesn't.

"It can't be me because I'm not offended," Juda makes a face at Artemis.

The little girl laughs at their silly argument, and it seems that Artemis and Juda decide to tease one another for Niowei's sake.

"Quit looking at me, it's gonna make me horrendous," Juda crosses his arms and rolls his eyes.

"If you weren't looking at me, then you wouldn't have noticed me staring at you."

"So you do admit staring at me."

"Then the same thing applies to you."

Juda turns away, "Nope. It doesn't because I was avoiding your lustful eyes."

"How can I look away when you look like a person from my fantasy?"

"Ew!" Juda shivers from the supposedly abhorrent thought.

And after a few roasts back and forth grows a spark of chemistry that both immediately deny.

How can a dragon and a fairy fall in love? It has never happened, so it can't be possible, right?

After all, each is supposed to be the adversary of the other.

Niowei chuckles, "I think Uncle is in love with big brother."

"That's not right, Thanise. Uncle can never see a fairy as attractive," Artemis says bluntly while staring at Juda for a reaction.

An eyebrow of the wingless fairy twitches, "If I'm not attractive to you, then quit looking my way! It gives off a different gesture than what you wanted."

Niowei sucks in her lips teasingly as she glances back and forth between Artemis and Juda.

Artemis narrows his eyes and continues to stare a hole right through Juda's head and butt.

Juda tries hard to ignore the glaring crimson eyes of the dragon.

And as this goes on, the sleepy elf arises from his slumber.