Centuries Long Love || Cartaphilus/Joseph (Discontinuted)

Chapter 12

"Well Chise, do you want to hear the story of our past now?"
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We sat on the dark beige sofas while Ruth perched beside Chise; her sage irises continued to sparkle when she waited for me to begin, "Would you like me to start with Luka's past?" She nodded, finally composing herself. My chin rested on my palm as I closed my eyes, "Her parents appeared as normal humans, who wielded no magic, yet she was born as a Sleigh Beggy." Using my magic, I materialised a child version of Luka. The robin gawked at the little girl as she frolicked, in a lavender garden, with her hands in her parents, "Her family was financially challenged, yet they were happy." The image ahead of us transformed into a scene of Luka in her cramped room. Before I could speak, the brown-haired girl spoke.

"Look! Father gave me a present today." Different species of fairies laid on her bed while others fluttered around her head to observe the canary ribbon, "Oh my, our Princess is adorable." The girl giggled before shaking her head. She lifted a woolly bug, who relaxed on her bed, "Don't call me Princess. We're friends, right?" Gasps filled the room while the child rubbed her cheek against the fluffy fae; Luka tilted her head at the sharp inhales until the Ariels, but also the Vodyanois, grinned at her innocence. Hums of agreement replaced the gasps. "Princess, how old are you?" Luka sulked into the woolly bugs fur before smiling to answer their question, "I'm turning six in a week!" She hopped off her bed, still holding the fae in her short arms, "Mother said six is a special year."

Walking over to her bookshelf, Luka grabbed a thin book after some trouble. She dragged a worn-out teak stool towards the window; the woolly bug napped on her lap while the soaring creatures moved next to her. Before Luka read her story, the sleeping fae began to slip off her legs. She threw the book to catch the fae though she tripped on her ankle while doing so. The Ariels and the Vodyanois winced at the clumsy girl: she landed face first while the fae flopped on her back. A couple of the sprites hoisted the sheep-like creature on the bed before the others supported Luka into an upright position. "Ouch." She massaged her nose but ignored the worried calls from the Ariels as she bounced up to check on the sheep. "Are you alright?" The lily-coloured fae rolled around until it glided to her head; a chuckle, as sweet as chocolate, chimed from her vocal cords, "I'll take that as a yes."

I opened my eyes to look at Chise: her eyes downturned before she focused on her lap. "Friendly faeries always surround Luka, which influenced her personality a little." The robin played with her thumbs before glancing at me; her grass eyes locked on me after she cleared her thoughts, "What happens next?" I clicked my fingers, which caused the event to dispersed into blood-red glitter. Chise's pupils averted from me to the new image, "Her sixth birthday."

"Happy birthday, Little Princess!" Loki surprised his child as she hopped down the stairs; her signature ribbon styled her hair into a ponytail, "Thank you!" He lifted her to carry her towards Freya. Her mother concentrated on frosting a five-inch cake with vanilla buttercream. As the blue-eyed man tiptoed, Luka placed a peck on her mother's head, which startled the woman. "Happy birthday, my sweet Princess." She returned the kiss from her daughter before resuming her task. "Mother, you're so talented!" A grin smeared on the pale-haired woman's lips while she finished the cake off; she swiped a dollop of leftover cream to leave it on Luka's nose. The child crossed her eyes to look at the sweet icing, which earned laughs from her parents. After tidying her equipment away, she took Luka off her husband's arms, "Dear, can you get your special book?" The child tilted her head at the request, yet she fulfilled it anyway. As Luka ambled upstairs, a smirk replaced Freya's loving smile while her husband's face morphed with distress.

When the optimistic girl reached her room, her faerie friends leapt out to wish the Sleigh Beggy a 'Happy Birthday'. She stepped back from the sudden wishes, yet she kept her shrieks in to make sure her parents didn't hear. After thanking her many friends, they followed her when she stepped towards her bookshelf. Before she could search for her book, a Fire Sprite nibbled the cream off her nose, which tickled the purple-eyed girl. Her eyes scanned her novels, but her favourite story disappeared, "Hm? Where is it?" As Luka scrambled around, Ariels circled her to land on her shoulder. "What have you lost?" She started to turn her room upside down in the hope of finding her story; her organised room became a wrecking yard, "My favourite book!" The faeries calmed her down while they assisted her in finding it. Luka crossed her legs as she leaned against a wall; she stared at the many faeries until they discovered her book under the bed. Jumping up, the excited girl bowed to her friends as they hovered over her book, "Thank you so much!"