I Am The Third Warlock Lady

A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.1***1The Prince floated and twirled in the air, "All of us are. We transcend above Ancients, Daddy. My brothers are better than me, so one of my duties as their cool, dependable, and reliable eldest brother is to keep them safe. I'm their guardian. But if you're really curious, I will tell you one of my abilities."

The Prince appeared to be more holy and golden under the sun as he smile dearly at his father,

"I can grant others powers."

They held their breaths.

"Sorry to hurt you, Valy, but it was me who gave the girl the ability to see the future. I only used you. But it's okay, right, Valy? It went according to my plan."

"I'm happier that we worked together, brother. This is why I like Maximilien sometimes! He never failed to draw me closer to you."

"Is that a compliment? You're offending me, Valerian!" The mentioned Prince huffed and hissed.

"Can you grant me the power of fire?" Emperor Maxism wished, silencing the their environment.

"Why would I?" Prince Zodiac tilted his head to the side, "Are you worthy?"

The Emperor didn't think that it would be possible, that he will be granted instantly. He only tried, to try the Prince and his truth.

"You think I am bluffing,"

"I-I didn't---"

"Doubting me after what I did for you. I didn't know you are an ingrate."

Emperor Maxism's eyes widened in horror, "No! I am sorry---"

Prinxe Zodiac swiped his finger in the air, zipping the Emperor's mouth.

"Z-Zodiac!" Watts Xirquit lifted his hands, asking for him, so the Prince landed in them, "Undo it. Uncle Max didn't mean it. If he have offended you in any way, forgive him. He's going through a lot. Please understand."

But Prince Zodiac's doe eyes, though looking innocent, they do not care for the Emperor.

"Daddy, you're so gullible. I think that's a charm." He kissed his father's cheek with a smile.

"I have no need for people who does not have faith in me. You should, too. Why must he doubt me? I am Zodiac Astrophel Nikolai Xirquit-Warlock, blood of the Creator and the Matriarch. What about me is untrue?"

Watts Xirquit wanted to blink but he couldn't, for his son is displaying a personality so new to him.

"You're like your mother," said Emperor Ohms, "That personality. That's not his."

He brought Prince Vars with him to show him to his eldest brother.

"This is Vars Hertz. Are you not going to greet him?"

"Dada?"

Prince Zodiac looked at him, then down to the child.

Prince Vars looked straight into his eyes; he wiggled while giggling. Prince Zodiac's face was blank, and he subtly ignored their existence.

"I can't wait to meet Mommy. I think she's done laying the egg!" He said after turning his back on them.

"Like a chicken,"

Prince Zodiac turned to Prince Maximilien with a threatening sweet smile. The Prince looked away, sweating.

The Ki'zaar roared. Lord Feryzen put up a barrier beforehand to protect them from the sound. And with his roar, the dragon descents in the Empire celebrated with tears.

"Another heir! Hurrah to the Mi'zaar!"

The Ki'zaar smiled and kissed Azarese's face. She's still inside his wings. Using his snout, the Ki'zaar rolled the glowing egg to her chest. Azarese opened her tired eyes to see her egg. It brought her tears of joy. Finally, her first natural birth.

"Thank you, Mi'zaar. Thank you for giving me another blessing," the Ki'zaar gratefully expressed through telepathy.

He looked at the children and smiled again, "Come see your brother."

And he unfurled his wings, revealing their mother and the egg she's holding. The most majestic egg they've ever seen. It was a hundred times better than Prince Valor's and Prince Valerian's, even better than the Ki'zaar's shell.

The bottom half of the egg is adorned with rough, dark stone-like scales that curve around it, forming a rugged foundation. From these scales, golden, root-like tendrils rise, branching out as if they are reaching upward to cradle the upper half. These roots shimmer with an inner light, giving them an appearance of molten gold that pulses gently, hinting at the life within. The top of the egg is translucent, glowing faintly with hues of deep blue and soft amber. Faint flecks of stars in a slow, cosmic dance swirl within this crystal. So inviting, so majestic.

"It's---IT'S BEAUTIFUL!" they gasped.

Prince Valerian's face turned red as he went to his mother while sobbing. He was overwhelmed by the sight of the perfect egg. It was so beautiful that his mother's pain was worthwhile. So much that the surge of emotions made him cry.

"Don't cry," Azarese smiled and touched his head.

Their mother shrinked, so Prince Zodiac grew into a fine man and put his mother on his lap and arms.

"Mommy, you're the most amazing person ever. I'm so jealous; a brother better than me. But I'm very happy that I have a brother that's better than me."

Azarese's vision adjusted to recognize whose over her face and why does the voice sound so unfamiliar. When it cleared and locked on Prince Zodiac's heavenly appearance, she knew.

She get up to face him.

"Mommy, don't move!" they stopped her but she did not listen.

Her diamond tears leak from her wide eyes as she trace every nook and cranny of the Prince's face. Her shaking hand touched his face, and he closed his eyes to feel it.

"Zo... Zodiac...? Is this really... Are you really...?"

The Prince smiled and wrapped his hands on his mother's, pressing it more against his face.

"Yes, it's me. Mommy, it's so nice seeing you again---"

Azarese don't have much strength that her embrace was loose. Prince Zodiac buried his face on her shoulder. He was calm, he's not crying. That doesn't mean he's unhappy about their reunion. He just couldn't pinpoint which emotion weighs more. So, he kept a straight face and calm demeanor. He listened to his mother's sobs, how she broke down in every way in his arms, and how him being there healed her, too.

"My sweet boy. My baby.. My baby. Zodiac... My heartbeat. You're here. My sweet heartbeat,"

Azarese broke free from their hug to cup his face. The Prince flashed a sad smile.

"Mommy, don't cry."

He shrinked into a child again. Now, he fits best in his mother's arms. She collapsed and fainted from exhaustion.

"No... Zoddy... Don't leave Mommy..." She whispered as she try to hold onto him.

Prince Zodiac grew again and stopped them from taking his mother just yet. He kissed her lips, revitalizing her body; relieving all her pain, healing her wounds.

"Mommy, you're so much better than me. If it was me.." His caring gaze sharpened and went cold when it slowly drifted to where they are, "There will be not a day where they're not suffering."

Prince Izaac put his mother behind him and deflected the invisible arrow that's going their way. But another came, and another---everywhere, and one successfully pierced through his side.

"Bloom,"

Prince Izaac didn't get the chance to do anything when a gigantic flower bloomed from his injury. More flowers bloomed from his eyes, mouth, ears, and everywhere on his body.

"IZAAC!" The Mistress of Death shrieked.

"This is why you don't come to a party with empty hands. He make a good flower bouquet, don't you think so, Mommy? I know you will like it."

They were speechless.

Prince Zodiac is...

He finally let his mother go. Celia was the one who came to collect his mother. Emperor Ohms stared at the Prince one more time and left to oversee his wife's accommodation. Prince Vars was left to his grandfather's care, who wiggled to be brought down.

Prince Zodiac stretched his hands forward. His palms gently laid on the egg and brought it to his lap. He tried to look what's beyond the shell but the shell was protecting it. He probed his finger on the top shell: it felt soft and somewhat elastic.

"I can't wait to see you," he smiled. The Ki'zaar reverted into his Ancient form and sat with him.

"Ki'zaar, I think your sons are my favorite. First, my Valy. Now, him. I hope he will be kind like Valy. He's better than me."

The Ki'zaar studied him. The Prince shrinked into a child once more.

"Thank you for showing fondness and affection. What brought the first Prince here?"

"First, I want to apologize to you. I said that I will show you my Valy when he was still an egg, but I pondered that the memory was gruesome. Therefore, you wouldn't enjoy his beauty."

Suddenly, the Prince's sunshine personality took over and is brimming with cheerfulness and wit.

"So, I brought the shell with me instead! I kept it because it's so pretty! I don't like the mattresses in Vanrahim, that's why I sleep inside his shell. Valy's shell... It's the best."

The Ki'zaar's face twitched. He sleeps in his son's empty shell? He doesn't know what to feel about what he said. It was weird. It was very weird.

The shell popped from the nothingness and gently descended beside the Ki'zaar. The egg shell was preserved, that even its colors remained with life. It was gilged in opal scales surrounding its sides upwards, while the middle seemed like a portal to a new universe. The stars, galaxies, and the space was frozen in its shell.

The Ki'zaar became emotional. Prince Valerian approached to see his shell. It was as tall as his height now and as wide as his span.

"Actually, it was very small when it was took out. It only grew that much when it's out. Here, see, it was punctured. I only patched it up again. Because of that, Valy was put in a critical condition. I had to do something to save him. I used myself to fill the hole. I was very weak before that's why this is the size I could handle. My Valy was born prematurely, that's why he looked like that. Like the black thing! Like an egg for breakfast. Do you get what I mean, Ki'zaar?"

Prince Valerian went inside his shell and smiled, "Quack, quack!"

Prince Zodiac's heart swell, "O-Oh, my! Valy, you're so cute! Wahaha! You're so bad for my heart!"

The Ki'zaar placed his hand on the Prince's head and smiled at him gratefully.

"Thank you, Prince. I couldn't express it enough with words. You've done so much for my son. It was you who raised our sweet dragon. You raised him and taught him values. As you are already a good brother, I know you will be a good husband, too."

Prince Zodiac felt proud. Then he turned to Solana with a mischievous grin, "Heard that, my lady? I will be a good husband to you someday."

The terrified Solana his behind his mother, "Mommy, that boy scares me. I'm afraid."

"You ain't getting a piece of this, boy," His Equal.

Prince Zodiac chuckled, "Let's become a family soon, Divine Almighty!"

That fired up Skadi Eira. Icicles around her, pointing at the Prince.

"Huh? You're asking for a death wish, child!?"

"Mommy! No violence!"

Prince Zodiac laughed while deflecting the icicles away effortlessly.

The Ki'zaar sighed but smiles anyway. They only stopped when Prince Vars, who crawled all the way to them, joined their circle.

"Da!"

He placed his hand on Prince Zodiac's lap, and how shocked they are when the Prince slapped his hand away from him.

He instantly realized what he did, but he's not guilty nor sorry about it.

"Don't touch me."

He said with a faint smile. Prince Vars looked at his hand, then to his grandfather, then back to his hand before finally looking at his eldest brother. His lips pursed, cheeks puffing, cheeks turning red and eyes watering as he try not to cry.

"Kuya! Why would you do that to our Vars? Oh no, Vars. Don't cry~ It's okay, don't cry~"

Prince Valerian stepped out of his shell and carried his brother. A laugh slipped out of Prince Maximilien's mouth. He covered but everyone already heard him.

"That's new. A brother Zodiac dislikes? What's the story behind this hostility! Hear! Zodiac hates our second youngest brother!"

"Maximilien," Prince Zodiac called him with a warning.

"What, 'Kuya'? I'm just curious!"

Prince Valerian put Prince Vars inside his shell. How shocked he was when Prince Zodiac pushed the shell to remove the poor Prince out of it!

"Don't get your shell dirty, Valy! I sleep in this. This is my bed. I don't want filth on my bed."

Prince Maximilien's grin turned into a vicious smirk. Emperor Maxism saw the expression he's making, so he placed his hand on his head to remind him.

"Kuya, this is so wrong! Don't do this to Vars! Do you not like him?"

"I don't." How direct!

"Why?"

"I just don't. Valy, if you ask me again, I will be upset."

Prince Valerian's mouth went agape for a moment. He was shock; he never imagined his brother who doted on him and only showed him love and nothing but love seriously reprimanded him. Like what the adults always do to his naughty brother Maximilien.

And it upset him. But what upset him most was Prince Zodiac's irrationality and unfairness. So, he carried Prince Vars and faced his eldest brother fearlessly.

"NO."

Prince Zodiac's forehead furrowed.

"We are brothers; Vars is our second youngest brother now. If Kuya doesn't like Vars, then I don't like Kuya anymore! He's just a baby, so why do you dislike him so? Tell me! Enlighten me so I will understand! I won't let you bully Vars like this!"

Prince Vars's eyes twinkled, "Waah~" His Kuya Valerian...stood up for him! How very cool!

"Valerian, are you really going to test me like this? I am your eldest brother."

The Ki'zaar wanted to step in but he felt that he must not. The brothers are going into a heated argument, both are standing on their ground. On the other side was Prince Maximilien, watching them closely with an evil grin. He won't even blink. He might get something from their fight and use it against them later on.

"And I am second to the eldest. I'm doing this not only for Vars but for us! We are brothers, Kuya! We're supposed to be Mommy's walls; but if we're cracking like this, what's the use of it? You are being unreasonable. You've changed. You changed. What happened to you?"

Prince Zodiac crossed his arms and breathe.

"Not only that, you've become so cold to your daddy's Kuya, too! Why is that? You were not before!" Prince Maximilien butt in, agitated to escalate things further.

Prince Zodiac glared at him, "That is because he's their Ohms, not that Ohms."

"Son..." Watts Xirquit approached him and went down to his knees. He touched the Prince's face with the back of his fingers carefully, "May I know the reason why you suddenly dislike Kuya Ohms? You don't have to bring Vars in this. He's an innocent boy. A baby. How about you tell Daddy? We will resolve this."

Prince Zodiac's weakness is his father. But resolve the matter? He wonder if they could, if he could handle it, once the truth is revealed. No. He won't let the truth spill. Nobody, other than him and Emperor Ohms, will know about the truth.

He cupped his Daddy's face and smiled cheerfully, "Aww, Daddy. You're so cute. No matter what happens, you will always be my Daddy. My one and only Daddy. Because I love you!"

Watts closed his one eye when the Prince kissed his cheek. He smiled but he was fearful. Maybe it's because he's never known his son yet.

"Of course. You said the same so before. As I will always be your Daddy, you will always be my Zoddy."

Prince Zodiac squirmed and gave him more kisses.

"Daddy, give me kisses, too!"

Watts's heart melted and gave his son a kiss. He poured all his love for him in that kiss, on his cheek, while hugging him close to his body. His son is small but already firm and strong. The Prince was so elatrd; he threw his head back while laughing.

"Bababa!" Prince Vars clapped his hands for them.

The Ki'zaar pulled his son close to give him a kiss, too. He also kissed Prince Vars and their youngest, still an egg.

Emperor Maxism looked down on Prince Maximilien. His expression was blank, but he was watching them with half-moon eyes. The Emperor ruffled his hair, irritating the haughty Prince.

"Jealous?"

The Prince punched him, "And why would I? I only need Mommy in my life!"

He shrieked when Prince Zodiac teleported beside him and kissed him.

"EWW! What was that for!? You're gay!"

"And you're salty. Come, don't associate yourself with them. They will hurt you."

Prince Zodiac offered his hand before the Third Prince.

Prince Maximilien was stunned.

Emperor Maxism placed his hand on the Prince's head. His mouth is unzipped.

"I will not. I care about my grandson genuinely."