I Am The Third Warlock Lady

A/N: The chapter ahead has been grammar-checked but may need proofreading and editing. The author will do so if she has free time in the future.

***

"His Majesty the King has arrived—"

LIFE made his way to his wife's labor area by shoving the imperial announcer aside. In minutes, he sprints from the palace's main entrance to her room on the third floor.

He thrust the twin doors open with his powerful hands and surprised everyone in the expansive bedroom. In response to the heart-dropping surprise, they jumped and screamed. LIFE didn't pay them attention at all. Even though he was out of breath, he took giant steps toward her and kissed her forehead.

She murmured weakly, "You came...?"

Her worn-out expression screams, "exhaustion." There are dark circles under her eyes, which is unusual. Then there was the fact that she had wrinkles for the first time."

"Of course, I have to be here." He kissed the back of her hand. Empress Siofra smiled as she cradled his hand on her belly.

When he turned to face the people in the room, the sweetness of his expression changed into roughness. "She's been in labor before I left, and she's still laboring now that I have returned? How can you tell that our baby is still alive? "

Voltage Xirquit, whom they believe is the only man with fearless guts, is the subject of their sneaky glances. They expect him to be the one to answer the demon lord in front of them.

"She's been laboring for four days now. And I can confirm that your baby is still alive—-"

"How am I supposed to believe you when this baby has been inside her for 21 years!?"

They all covered their ears simultaneously when he opened his mouth to roar.

The infuriated quadruplets pout angrily at their father because of the unbearable noise he makes.

"Why are you yelling so loudly, Dad!? How annoying!" Before he unleashed a wave of flames, Fiery screamed in frustration. Nobody was alarmed because Ocean was right there to douse the fire with his water and extinguish it.

"Your yelling is getting louder and louder, too! You're making a lot of noise, too! You're just like him!" To his brother, Zephyrus points his finger. Because of his accusations, Fiery's face deteriorated further.

Terra sighed, "Brothers, please don't fight," as he walked between his brothers.

Their eldest brother, while giggling, walked up behind them and sank to their level. Those who dislike him patting their heads smack his hand away, and it's only Fiery. Terra and Ocean liked his head pats. Their cheeks were in a rosy blush as they expressed a small smile. 

"Your hand enrages me! Only Mommy can touch my head!"

Izaac's laughter grew more raucous. "Oh, please forgive me; I promise not to do it again," he said while patting Fiery's head.

A dragon-like breath of fire spewed out of Fiery's mouth at his older brother. Izaac smiled sweetly as he drifted the fire breath's path toward the open window, avoiding it with a chuckle.

When Davorin, the family's third son, arrived, he sighed at the scene that welcomed him. It's not a surprise anymore, but it still gets to him every time. 

"It's easy to see why the baby resists the urge to be born. She probably thinks you are savages," he commented as he approached his mother. He leans in to kiss her on the cheek with a slight smile.

"Davorin!" They chanted his name, welcoming him.

Empress Siofra just nodded and gently nuzzled her son's face.

Until that smile turns into a wince.

They were alerted by the sudden change in her expression. As a result, Voltage and Xerene, the two doctors, took the lead. Davorin stepped back. LIFE knelt beside her before encasing her hand between his palms.

Fiery advances beside her with a frightened expression on his face. He called her shakily, "Mom," 

Empress Siofra smiled and gently caressed her son's face.

As Xerene moved in front of the Empress's separated legs, the Empress drew in heavy and sharp breaths. Voltage will keep an eye on her vital signs from the other side.

At the same time, anticipation and anxiousness filled the room. They can't stop themselves from biting their nails and crossing their fingers. Their anxiety and worry are gnawing them from the inside, and they know it.

They've been reassuring everyone that the Empress's pregnancy and baby are both healthy and sound. They are confident that the baby is still alive, but they cannot help but be concerned and uncomfortable about it. It is true when LOFE said that the baby's been in her womb for 21 years now. This is the first time something like this has ever arisen. The children of Empress Siofra were only in her womb for a short time (5 or 6 months at most), and they are perfectly healthy and normal. The only thing unusual about them is their extraordinary magical ability.

The Heart Palace has been home to Voltage and Xerene for two decades. In addition to the mage doctors, they become the Empress's most trusted doctors. Their heads will be separated from their necks if they are wrong. It's engulfing them. Fear is nibbling them away from the inside out, despite how calm and natural they appear on the surface.

Knowing LIFE, he will not hesitate to have their heads chopped off if they discover that his child is long dead, even though they are two of their most reliable confidants.

"M-Mommy, is it hurting you?" Fiery asks his distraught mother with teary eyes.

She told him she was right with a wry smile before her mouth gaped open, and she screamed as she pushed her child out.

"Mommy!"

Izaac swoops in and grabs hold of Fiery as he attempts to climb the bed.

"I don't want a sibling again! Never again! The baby is hurting you!" Zephyrus sobbed. Izaac laughed at his brothers' reactions. Terra and Ocean were still beside him, watching 'normally.' They knew their Mom would make it. And they are not as shallow as Fiery and Zephyrus. 

"Sio, you need to work even harder! The head is visible now!" Gasps were heard as Xerene waited for the baby to come out.

After seeing its hair color and the two protruding objects on its head resembling horns, Xerene comes to a complete halt.

"Xerene, the newborn!" Volt's call brought her back to reality. That's why she had to remove the baby. When she slapped its butt, it started crying.

Astonishingly, they cannot believe the baby's appearance. The paint on its nails and toes is pitch black. Her nails resemble claws in shape. Sharp. And its hair color is very different from that of its parents. Instead, it reflects the moons' silvery glow. And her ears...

They are not natural ears but pinkish buds. Like a flower bud. A familiar, pinkish flower bud. 

Empress Siofra's baby is a mystery to them, and they refuse to accept it.

Voltage's stares dropped to its genital area.

His eyes grew wide. As soon as he realized the third lady was born, he bent his knee and bowed his head in reverence.

"Congratulations on the birth of Her Imperial Highness, the third lady of Heart,"

They gasped in bafflement at what he had to say. After checking the newborn's private parts, Xerene nearly cried with delight. As they knelt in reverence to their little sun, they put aside any thoughts about her strange appearance.

Tears and sweat mix on the Empress' face. With her free hand, she reaches for her first daughter: her very first daughter.

"How can this be? Is this real?" LIFE was at a loss for words when expressing his feelings. His facial expressions are constantly changing. He tries to hold back the tears with trembling lips, but they leak out.

He exchanged passionate glances and smiles with his wife before fusing their brows. They burst into tears of joy. They finally have what they've been waiting for. They had hoped for another child. Having many sons is advantageous because Princes are associated with passing on their lineage. But a Princess, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, is in their arms.

"Look how lovely she is. Our daughter... My daughter..." Empress Siofra caressed the Princess's face with her cheek. She continues to cry, but nothing can be heard above the sound of their rapid heartbeats as a result of their joy.

The sons gathered around the bed. With their happiest smiles, they held their mother and beautiful sister tightly in their arms.

"Wow, I worried for nothing!" Zephyrus boisterously laughed. 

"Good that you know how stupid you and Fiery were earlier," Terra nonchalantly commented. The three turn to Fiery and catch him about to bite their sister's fingers.

As Voltage approaches, Xerene's gaze is tinged with nervousness and skepticism. Voltage is feeling the same sensations, but he can't bring himself to ruin their intimate moment because of it.

...when LIFE gave them a look of impending execution.

That was when they realized they owed him and the Empress an explanation if they still wanted to keep their head and necks intact.

***

"Now, Xirquits, I'd like a word from you."

By Volt's side, Xerene stood firm. She's pale; she cannot focus, for her intertwined thoughts are chaotic. No matter where she turns, there's no explanation for the Princess' bizarre appearance.

The Empress had been her home for 21 years. They don't know why she stayed inside her for that long. Although they offered to perform a cesarean on the Empress several times, she refused each time, claiming that her baby wasn't ready yet and its development was still ongoing.

Xerene muttered, "W-We don't know what to say, Van," as she refused to look him in the eye.

At this moment, LIFE is snuggled up next to his wife, who is breastfeeding their infant daughter. She strokes her palm on the Princess's head, squeezing her little horns with the tip of her finger.

"What's the deal with the horns? Mom, do you think she's a demon spawn?" Poking at his sibling, Fiery clenches his teeth and raises his lips in a mocking snort. As the Princess sways her clenched little hand, she turns her head.

They heard a chuckle from the Empress and saw a frown from LIFE. "Here, you are the demon's spawn. She is an angel." LIFE took a big snort.

"You are the demon, you know!" Before making a face, Fiery places his wrist on his forehead and raises his pointing fingers. Everyone in the room laughed as he growled.

"Could she develop these characteristics due to spending so much time inside Mom?" Davorin had a hunch after watching his younger sister. He's giddy on the inside. He wants to show her how much he cares for her but is afraid he will lose his composure if he does so.

"That's one of the possibilities we're considering, but considering the Empress's maternal development, such traits are impossible. Unless, of course, her peculiar appearance is not related to her internal development, but rather to her external."

Everyone was left perplexed and thinking after hearing what Voltage had to say.

"What exactly is wrong here?" Voltage shook his head as Izaac considered his alternatives.

"Cursed. So what I'm implying is that the Princess may have been cursed."

"OUTRAGEOUS!" Everyone was shocked by LIFE's ferocity. The Princess's brows furrow in shock.

The Empress gave her husband a scathing look. "I'm sorry." LIFE sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

A moment of long silence reigns between them.

LIFE's gaze was drawn to his sleeping newborn daughter. She appears to be comfortable and hasn't shed a tear. So pleasingly behave. She's most likely in a fantasy world.

Until a forsaken memory spiked his mind.

His chest tightens as he absorbs the gravity of the situation. He couldn't say anything, so he closed his eyes and expressed shame at what had happened to his daughter's appearance.

He gently rocked the Princess after taking her from her mother's arms. He cradled her head in his arms and shut his eyes.

"He cursed her. I only just realized it. He did this to her, "

The revelation caused their eyes to widen. They were familiar with the person he was referring to. It's the long-lost foe they thought they'd vanquished. Although he's long gone, he still manages to leave them a memory of him.

A curse. The Princess is cursed.

~

Time calmed LIFE. Anyone wishing to hold his daughter in their arms will have to meet his solid refusal. Despite their frustration, they are used to his avarice towards his newborn children. He did the same thing to his sons. He's so in love with them that he built walls around them to keep strangers away. He's a nuisance, and it never failed to get on their nerves.

"Can we get her name now?" The Empress is soundly snoozing away. LIFE is seated beside her, holding their daughter firmly in his muscular arms.

In his mind, he whispered to her, "I'll protect you, my star." He then kissed her cheek.

"Holy Azarese Elyzena Dragunovv-Warlock. That will be her name," LIFE powerfully stated with confidence.

'SO LONG!' 

"I'm envious! Yes, Davorin, Astaroth, and I are! Wait, there's more: Ascel and Eddrien! Their names are identical to yours, but ours are not! We seek equality!" Izaac outburst. He believes it is entirely unjust!

"That's just right! You are adopted, after all!" Before sticking his tongue out, Fiery attacks. The remaining three are occupied with watching their younger sister sleep. Their eyes sparkle, and they are utterly fascinated.

"Stupid, I am the first son. YOU ARE THE ONE WHO'S ADOPTED!" Izaac retaliated, pointing at him.

"If you are truly my parents' son, how come your name is not a combination of theirs?" He challenged more with a provocative smirk.

Izaac bit his lower lip in an attempt to suppress his emotions. Davorin taps his shoulder to calm him down.

"This demon spawn is starting to grate on my nerves," Izaac murmurs stiffly.

Izaac Tyrant Eclipse. His 'Izaac' came from his father. LIFE gave him the name 'Tyrant,' something he finds amusing. The 'Eclipse' is added by the others following their experience of an unexpected eclipse during his birth.

LIFE's illegitimate daughter, Selene Azazel, is named after the Empress's previous name, 'Azazel.' Even though she was born from a mistake, they treated her like a family with no prejudice.

Astaroth Corbin is the third. Their inventor and scientist. Then Davorin Zeus. Eddrien and Ascel followed.

The twins, Eddrien and Ascel, began their youth as ladies. The Empress desired to have a daughter after birthing sons in a row. She anticipates the twins to be girls but is discouraged to discover that they are, again, males. Thus, she deceived them by changing their genders using her magic. The twins' real and true appearance and sexes were revealed as soon as the magic wore off. 

And finally, the quadruplets, the recently youngest ones of the family.

Fiery Lucrezel. Terra Azacrese. Zephyrus Elyzel. And Ocean Flyril. They are called the Elemental Quad due to their ability to wield elemental magic. Their names are derived from the magical abilities they possess.

How did they determine who wields what?

During the Empress's delivery, their friends and families are present. They desired to witness their children's deliveries and thus clustered near her.

When the oldest, Terra, was born, he altered the properties of the floor on which they were standing. It transformed into a quicksand, and hell and heaven know how close their panic came to killing them.

Zephyrus, the Prince of Wind, came next. Tornadoes were created, which blew the roofs off their homes. It came dangerously close to catching them, but thanks to Schionna's reflexes, their niece and Astaroth's daughter escaped after erecting a solid barrier.

Their experience during the Empress's delivery became increasingly traumatic and infernal for them. When Ocean first cried, water streamed out of his eyes in surges. They are then submerged in water while still stuck in the quicksand. Schionna was compelled to remove her barriers, or they will drown. When she did, the tornado snatched them up and swung them around in circles, leaving the Empress with the first three safe.

Finally, there is Fiery, who has been aggressive and intense since birth. The Empress delivers him in a single push since Xerene and Voltage are also caught in the tornado. He incinerated the entire island on which they lived. The quicksand transforms into mud and then into lava. His fire vaporized Ocean's water and Zephyrus' tornadoes. Everyone suffered third-degree burns and came dangerously close to death.

Among the four, Fiery's birth is the most traumatizing.

Following that, the Empress healed them.

On the other hand, their families and friends were absent from the Empress's delivery this time. Resolving their workloads had them occupied. It has not been long since the war ended. They are still working on the changes they implemented in Cosmo-Vale.

"Since it is still early, let us begin planning a celebration," LIFE says as he places his daughter beside her mother. The Empress smiled, turning to her side to hug her child.

"In that appearance?" Voltage mentally stated it but did not imagine it slipping out of his mouth.

They froze and shivered as the ignited LIFE's chilling aura ensnared them in his hostile domain.

"What's the deal with that tone? Must I conceal her from the public eye? Is that what you're saying?" He rose from his seat and made his way over to Voltage. Voltage Xirquit cannot be shaken by anything or anyone. However, he admits his mistake, stating that he did not intend to express his thoughts vocally. However, given his familiarity with LIFE, he cannot help but get cold chills. His face remains stolid, but he's freaking out like a gay man on the inside. He desired to communicate. He liked to retract his remarks. On the other hand, his throat is parched, and his lips are sealed. He is unable to.

LIFE comes to a halt in front of him, facing directly across Voltage. A strand of sweat cascades down his cheeks from his forehead. Izaac approached them, ready to stop whatever his father planned to do to Voltage. On the other side, there's Xerene, as well as others.

Voltage shuddered as he felt a sharp blade against the back of his neck. Excalibur was flying next to him, controlled by LIFE.

"I'm going to let this pass. Regardless of who they are or their status, anyone criticizing my daughter will have the honor of experiencing Excalibur through them. Voltage Xirquit, there are no exceptions. There are no exceptions."

LIFE brought Excalibur closer to Voltage's neck, tearing his skin. He bleeds. Although Izaac and Xerene are present to thwart him in any way possible, they are powerless. The quadruplets are concealing themselves behind Davorin, who is silent—feigning ignorance of what is occurring to save himself.

LIFE withdrew three steps from Voltage. Excalibur vanishes as he lifts his finger.

"As your private punishment, you will organize the party. For one year, your salary will be halved. Lashings until noon, beginning at daybreak, for your public penalty. Following that is the March of Shame. Finally, you will be at the forefront of the Veil Obliteration—-"

"That, I believe, is already excessive. Such penalties are excessive and overwhelming." Finally, Davorin spoke up.

He was likely to remain silent, but upon hearing the penalties meted out to his Uncle, he broke his silence. He is the only one in this room with the fortitude to speak up. It's a trait he shares with Astaroth's fearlessness. However, Astaroth's audacity has yet to be matched. He is simply following in the footsteps of his courageous brother. He is cowering deep within. He is frightened of his father. He, and everyone else, is well aware of the lengths he will go if he is stimulated by anger. LIFE was previously ranked lower than the others. But anyway, take a look at how far he has risen. Only Astaroth is capable of defeating him in an argument. Only Astaroth is capable of folding LIFE. Regrettably, he is away with his family.

LIFE cast piercing glances at Davorin, assessing his unusual courage. Davorin pressed his lips together, taking his father's intimidating glares in stride.

"How did it become excessive, Davorin, when this cretin mocked your sister's appearance?"

The four boys, concealing themselves behind Davorin, tremble. They are completely overcome by fear. Even if their eyes are welling up with tears, there is no way of knowing whether their father would sympathize with them and apologize for his rage. Even if they use their charms on him, it will be ineffective. Their father is sometimes colder than Ocean's water.

"I understand that you are offended. I am, too. However, I believe Uncle Volt did not intend it to be that way. He is concerned that the public will mock her. We can punish them, but the penalties you've stated sound like tyranny to me. Utilizing your authority to such an extent constitutes abuse. If I were to read his mind, he's probably considering concealing her appearance until we can figure out how to fix her---"

"Fix her, you say,"

Davorin's eyes widened when he realized his error. It might have worked out better had he not been so careless with his choice of words. He's already persuaded him, but now he's exacerbated their predicament.

"You said it as if your sister were a broken doll needing fixing, Davorin."

LIFE widened his eyes in the direction of Davorin. Excalibur flew to Davorin's place from behind as he clenched his fist. An unexpected backstab. They reacted too slowly. Everything happened so quickly that they barely had time to lift a hand.

1 centimeter.

Excalibur would have stabbed Davorin through if its momentum had not been halted. It was a centimeter gap that brought Davorin to his knees. His face flushed, and his complexion paled as he stared at his menacing father, who had every intention of murdering him for making a mistake.

"I was aware of it. You, one of the last Veil Lords standing, should have also been obliterated."

The familiar tone of voice took them aback. His arrival became a source of hope for them. There is another Astaroth. He possessed the same boldness and courage as him and the trait of never giving a fuck about whom he was going up against.

Izaac Dragunovv's only child, Izylidas Dragunovv.

"Ah, my baby!" 

Flowers bloom, and a blinding light shines on Izaac's heart when he sets his eyes on his son. The heaviness and fear he was experiencing moments ago had been washed away by the arrival of his son, their salvation.

He runs momentarily towards Izylidas, laughing moronically as he opens his arms wide to cuddle him.

Izylidas clicked his tongue and flicked his finger, sending his father flying away. Aurora Vermont-Dragunovv, his mother, peers out from behind him. She held her mouth when she saw her husband affixed to the window.

"H-He—wo, my wife..." Izaac smiled and waved his hand.

"Oh, sweetheart. Why are you sleeping over there?" Her graceful, low voice soothes the hearts of the other individuals in the room. Izylidas relieves the force holding him against the window. Izaac fell, but he regained his footing.

"He did that to me!" Izaac expressed while feigning injury and sadness in the manner of a puppy.

Aurora purses her lips and tucks her arms around her waist. She shifts her gaze to Izylidas. "Izy, bad! You remember how I told you to get along with Daddy?"

"He deserved it, Mom," he hissed, his gaze fixed on his father. He averted his gaze from him; he grimaced as he scanned LIFE from head to toe.

"The only time you're this protective of your children is when they're small. But when they grow up, you're so insensitive that you can already kill them. Is there a way for you to make a change? You stung. What's the deal, GRANDFATHER?" He mocked, highlighting the final word.

LIFE's brows drew together.

The way LIFE looked at him annoyed him. So, he warns him, "Do not look at me as if you intend to harm me as well, Dragunovv." He addressed him as if he did not share the same name.

"I'm curious as to why it's so easy for you to thrust that divine sword into the necks of others. What should one expect from a Veil? I would have you executed if I were the Empress. You are the most inhuman being I have ever encountered. What makes you remarkable is your strength and breeding ability. However, being a father does not even raise the bar."

LIFE felt the sting of his words penetrate his body.

Izylidas strolled to his grandmother and little aunt, paying no attention to LIFE. He even pressed his shoulder against his. The spectators are pleased. They are internally cheering for Izylidas.

Astaroth and Izylidas are eerily similar, almost like father and son.

"To me, she remains endearing. I'm certain her peculiarity will distinguish her. She has the same aura as you but cherishes her family."

'CRITICAL HIT!' The spectators gripped their fists and whimpered.

There is no more satisfying show than witnessing LIFE criticized by a blood relative. It's a source of amusement for them.

Izylidas stroked the Princess's face, infusing his mind with her uniqueness. She is tiny, easily broken, and harmed---oblivious to the events around her. She is a child he wishes to protect and remove from her father's twisted grasp.

"I feel sorry for your children. Your affection for them is limited to their infantile state. Then, as they age, you discard them. Why? Are you afraid that they will bare the fangs you cut at you? Your approach to parenting is a load of bullshit. Seeing you alongside the Empress makes my stomach turn."

He shrugged and walked away from the Princess's side. He confronted everyone.

He locked his gaze on his father. Izaac trembled. "Stupid Izaac, you wield the most authority in this situation. Whether or not he is your father, you can easily order Uncle Volt and Aunt Xerene to take him away if we include our rankings here. After all, he is the Empress's lapdog and breeder, not the crowned Emperor." Izylidas smirked in response, hoping to elicit an outburst from his grandfather.

"As you stated, if the rankings are included, he can easily order Uncle Volt and Aunt Xerene to assassinate you as well,"

Their attention was drawn to the speaker. Ascel is standing on the windowsill.

He leaped to his feet and walked right to his mother. She's probably too exhausted from childbirth to sleep despite the commotion in this family.

"Veil Lord, Excalibur wielder, Knight, a descendant of the empire's first and longest-living honorable knight, and our father, the King. While I admit that his attitude and personality can be unpleasant, we must not forget that he is still the Empress's husband. Although he has not been crowned, he retains the authority of an Emperor."

His eyes met those of Izylidas. They lock gazes with the same amount of coldness and pride.

"I'm not sure if you're attempting to emulate Brother Astaroth or seek attention; whatever it is, I will not tolerate you disrespecting my father by running your mouth in front of my unaware mother. I am neutral, but he is still my father. Do you believe my mother would keep him if she hadn't memorized his most insignificant flaws?"

"So, instead, you tolerate your father's obsessive and possessive behavior toward your mother and his insanity? You allow him to come dangerously close to murdering your brother, being as callous and cold-blooded as he is?"

Izylidas waited for his Uncle's response following his rebuttal, but he did not receive one.

"What? Are you going to say it's a matter of discipline?" He giggled. Ascel clenched his fists, restraining himself from punching his disrespectful nephew.

"Regardless of what you say or how we look at it, pointing Excalibur to Uncle Davorin's neck just because he made that minor mistake is wrong. That is not how you should treat your child. If Izaac does that to me, I will not like it." Izylidas shakes his head in disbelief, palming his head. He then pauses for a moment before continuing.

"This explains Uncle Astaroth's absence. He despises seeing his face. After everything that has transpired, an apology will never be sufficient. Had the Empress not there that time, then his wife—"

"I think that is enough." Davorin drew himself back and walked between them, attempting to appease them. He doesn't like where it's already going. They might indeed press blades against each other's necks if they continue.

LIFE remained mum, recollecting what had happened. All of Izylidas's assertions are true, which is why he cannot dodge him. He is powerless to deny it. He is incapable of speaking up and acting cleanly. He cannot help himself; regardless of how hard he tries, he finds himself brandishing Excalibur at anyone who mocks his wife and now his newborn daughter.

Voltage took a deep breath and collected himself. "I will take responsibility for my mistakes. I am willing to pay any penalty."

Xerene frowns, concerned for her husband.

"Putting this aside, we should be concerned about the light outside." Ascel straightened his posture and proceeded to open the balcony's double doors. They gathered and made their way outside.

Their eyes squinted as their hearts continued to beat steadily but rapidly. They mistakenly assumed it was the sun. They'd lost track of time and were unaware it was already dark. They've watched the Empress and the Princess for so long inside her room. And so, they supposed it was still morning due to the light outside. It transpires that it is not the sun.

The Oracle Tree is aglow.