"I want my Mama!" Pixie cried, voice trembling as she clung to her blanket, her tiny fists rubbing tears from her eyes while Vivi tried, unsuccessfully, to calm her down.
"Doll, what's wrong?" Neko muttered groggily, opening one eye. He had been awakened by her cries, unlike Milo, who was still fast asleep beside him, snoring as if the world could crumble and he'd still be dreaming.
It was the first time in over a thousand years they had all slept soundly.
"She woke up and Mother was gone," Vivi answered calmly, brushing Pixie's hair with her fingers. "Pixie, stop crying. Do you want Mama to be upset when she finds out you cried?"
Neko sat up fully now, scanning the room. For a moment, he thought maybe this had all been a dream. They'd done it before, entered Vivi's crafted dreams where their mother was with them. Only to wake up to a cold world that doesn't have her.
But this time... it was real.
They had truly found her.
"No! I want my Mama!" Pixie screamed louder, little shoulders shaking with grief too deep for her small frame.
Just then, the door opened.
Delphine entered, carrying a silver tray of breakfast with a few attendants trailing behind her. She froze for a second at the sight of the distressed regent before quickly setting the tray down and walking over.
"Regent, what's wrong?" Delphine asked gently, kneeling beside Pixie as Vivi moved to check the waffles and fruits the attendants had brought.
"I want my Mama!" Pixie sobbed again, burying her face in her knees.
Delphine smiled softly and wiped the little girl's tears.
"Stop crying, Regent," she soothed, her voice tender. "The Empress is just in the garden. She's very busy this morning."
"Does she not want me anymore?" Pixie hiccupped, eyes swollen and desperate. "Is that why she's busy?"
Delphine's heart clenched at the pain in her voice.
"No, no. Of course not. She's busy because… she's preparing something for you," Delphine whispered like a secret, leaning in close. "A surprise party."
Pixie froze.
"A… surprise party? For me?" she asked, voice small and unsure.
"Mhm," Delphine nodded, brushing stray strands of hair behind Pixie's ear. "And there are balloons. Lots of them," she grinned, "It's a tea party."
"A tea party?" Pixie echoed, blinking.
"Yup," Vivi chimed in, now standing by the window, munching on her waffle. "Mother's there. I'm seeing her with Comet and Seiryu. They're putting up chairs. Really tiny ones."
Pixie immediately tried to jump off the bed, but Delphine gently stopped her.
"I want to see!" she pouted.
"Look," said Neko, joining Vivi by the window. "Those really are a lot of tiny chairs."
Pixie squirmed in Delphine's arms again.
"Regent…" Delphine chuckled, trying to hold her back gently. "The Empress doesn't wake up early. But she did today, just for you. You don't want to ruin her surprise, do you?"
Pixie hesitated, lower lip trembling.
"I'll only peek a little," she bargained, widening her eyes dramatically. "Please?"
Delphine gave her a mock-serious look. "Well… you could peek, but if the Empress finds out, she might be sad…"
Pixie froze again, visibly torn.
"Is it really that nice?" she asked her siblings.
"Nice?" Vivi scoffed. "Your tea party back at the Black Tower was nice. This one is ten times better."
"Oh! Look, " Neko pointed out the window. "I think those are the guests arriving."
Outside the palace gates, children from the orphanage were slowly walking in, wide-eyed and in awe of the palace gardens.
"Looks like you'll have lots of playmates today, Pixs," Vivi added, glancing back at her sister with a grin.
"You better take a bath now, Doll," Neko teased, "or Vivi's going to pop all those balloons."
"I sure will," Vivi agreed wickedly, biting into her waffle.
"No! Those are my balloons!" Pixie stomped one tiny foot on the bed.
"But it's not like you know how many there are…" Vivi sing-songed teasingly.
"I'll help you take a bath, Regent," Delphine intervened before the playful bickering escalated. "The faster you're done, the faster you get to see your surprise."
"Okay…" Pixie finally relented, sliding off the bed. "But don't let them pop my balloons, okay?"
"I promise," Delphine said with a chuckle as she led her to the bath chamber. "And I'm sure the Empress won't let anyone pop a single one."
While Pixie was in the bath, Ceres entered the chamber with a warm smile on her face.
"Good morning, loves," she greeted Neko and Vivi, who were in the middle of their breakfast. Both immediately stood, hurrying over to her with hugs and kisses on the cheek.
"Good morning, Mother," Neko greeted with a bright smile.
"Why didn't you wake Milo?" Ceres asked with a chuckle, glancing at the boy still sprawled across the bed, completely dead to the world.
"He always starts his day around lunchtime," Vivi said dryly, returning to her seat, Neko following suit.
Ceres walked to the bed, kneeling beside it. She gently brushed the hair from Milo's face and whispered, "Milo, wake up." She kissed his forehead softly. His eyes fluttered open, and a small smile appeared on his lips.
"Come on, have breakfast," she coaxed, then turned back to the others. "And after eating, you need to bathe. We have a big day ahead for Pixie's Tea Party. I also… prepared costumes."
With a flourish, she pulled out several outfits from the dimension ring, formal and whimsical pieces made from luxurious materials, each tailored for Pixie, Vivi, Milo, and Neko.
"No!" the three of them groaned in unison.
"Mother, I am not wearing that princess dress," Vivi protested, scandalized. She was a shorts-tshirt-flat-boots type of girl, definitely not into lace and ruffles.
"Okay, okay!" Ceres laughed at the look of utter disgust on Vivi's face. "We'll go with something more boyish for you. Compromise?"
"Deal. I can wear anything but a dress," Vivi replied with a grin, accepting the middle ground.
"Mama!" came a high-pitched cry.
Pixie had just entered the room, freshly bathed and immediately reaching for Ceres from Delphine's arms.
"Good morning, baby. Have you eaten yet?" Ceres asked, kissing her cheeks.
"Not yet," Pixie pouted.
"Not yet because she cried and threw a tantrum earlier," Neko tattled, smirking.
"I did not!" Pixie whined indignantly. "I just missed you, Mama. I woke up and you weren't there."
"It's okay, baby. I'm sorry about that," Ceres whispered, embracing her. "But I was preparing a surprise just for you. So let's eat now, and afterward, I'll help you get dressed so we can go downstairs and see what I've prepared."
She kissed her daughter again, then called Milo once more to join them at the table.
Their breakfast was lively and full of chatter, Pixie bouncing in excitement, Neko and Vivi trading playful banter, and Milo finally dragging himself to eat. When they were finished, Ceres, along with Delphine and the attendants, helped the children dress.
Ceres found herself smiling, genuinely smiling, as she helped button coats, pin bows, and tie ribbons. She never imagined she'd enjoy these motherly tasks… yet she did. She loved it. Every moment.
"My gosh! You all look so perfect," Ceres gushed, clapping her hands together as she admired the finished looks.
The children were dressed in elegant, enchanted variations of prince and princess outfits. Even Neko, barely an adult, played along with her vision, standing tall in a fitted regal coat.
Delphine handed her the tiara meant for Pixie. Ceres delicately placed it on her daughter's head, smiling down at the beaming little girl.
"You look like a real princess," she whispered. "I won't carry you down, okay? I don't want to ruin your dress. So we'll walk together."
"Okay, Mama," Pixie nodded, looking like a doll come to life in a white ballgown accented with gold ribbons.
Together, hand in hand, they descended the steps toward the Empress Garden.
"Ready, baby?" Ceres asked, just before they reached the entrance.
Pixie nodded eagerly.
And with that, they stepped forward into the transformed garden, now a wonderland of color and whimsy. Floral arches, pastel parasols, and floating tea trays filled the space. Laughter and music echoed gently across the air.
Pixie gasped, squealed, and giggled all at once as she took it in, eyes wide with disbelief and joy.
"Your Highness! Is this dress really ours?" Maureen spotted them and ran up, twirling in her extravagant gown, clearly thrilled.
Ceres smiled as more children rushed forward in wonder and excitement. She hadn't just invited the children from the orphanage, she had invited all the children of Aquilonis, noble and commoner alike.
"Yes, Maureen, you can keep it," Ceres said warmly. "There are more dresses waiting for you to change into later, and you can keep every single one you wear today."
"Hello, Princess," Getty greeted, standing beside Maureen.
Ceres looked down to see Pixie peeking from behind her skirt.
"I'm not a princess," Pixie mumbled, her voice muffled as she tried to hide. "I'm Regent."
"Hello, Regent," said Kidd, his cheeks turning red as he gave a small wave.
"Is she your daughter, Your Highness?" Lily asked curiously. "She looks so much like you."
"Yes," Ceres answered with a gentle smile. "She is. And these are her big brothers, Neko and Milo, and her big sister, Vivi."
The three older children gave a polite wave.
Ceres leaned down slightly to whisper to Pixie, "It's okay, baby. Introduce yourself to them. Show them around your tea party."
"Okay," Pixie said, still a little shy, but her voice was steadier this time. She took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Hello. You can call me Pixie… if you want to be my friend."
The children swarmed her in an instant, excitedly introducing themselves, all wanting to be friends with the little Regent. Laughter quickly filled the air.
Many of the noble children had come accompanied by their mothers, women who had once ignored or whispered about Ceres behind painted fans. Now, they hovered close, doing everything they could to gain her attention or favor.
But Ceres remained civil to the hypocritical mothers. After all, they were still her citizens. And this moment, this joy, was not about her.
It was about Pixie.
The party blossomed in full color. Ceres moved throughout the garden, making sure every child was included, that no one felt out of place. Activities bloomed in every corner, face painting, a small puppet theater, and painting stations where attendants guided the little ones.
Especially Pixie. Ceres kept checking on her, never too far.
"Do you think it's a success, Delphine?" Ceres asked, her gaze fixed on the children now getting their faces painted, having changed into more comfortable outfits to freely run and play.
"Very much so, Your Highness," Delphine said. "This is the first time I've seen the Regent smile like that. Her tea parties back in the Black Tower were only tea and cake. No friends. No games. Just formality. I'm sure this is the best one she's ever had."
"And we'll make sure it's not the last," Ceres replied softly, her voice catching.
Tears shimmered in her eyes, unbidden.
"What?" she asked with a light laugh when she noticed Delphine staring.
"I was just thinking," Delphine said quietly, "You're… very good at being a mother."
Ceres blinked, surprised. "Really? I don't know about that. I've always liked children, back on Earth, but I never thought of myself as the mother type. Maybe more like the cool older sister."
She gave a self-deprecating chuckle, then her smile softened.
"But there's one thing I do know for sure."
"What is it?" Delphine asked gently.
"If Zeus and I had children back on Earth… he would have been the best dad." A wistful glint appeared in Ceres's eyes. "You know, he actually wanted ten. Nine boys, and the youngest, a girl. He said he'd spoil her rotten. He already had it all planned out… how he'd carry her around everywhere, throw her up and catch her like she could fly, braid her hair even if he had no idea how. He even told me how he'd walk her down the aisle himself, only if the guy passed his standards, of course."
Ceres couldn't stop the tears from falling. The memory of the life she and Zeus never got to have, of the family they had dreamed of, clawed its way out from the depths of her heart. It ached, raw and real, as if time itself bent to let the grief bleed again.
She was about to wipe her eyes when suddenly,
A warm hand gently covered them from behind, steadying her shoulders in a firm but familiar hold.
Delphine gasped, startled.
"Your Highness…"
Ceres froze.
Her lips parted as instinct kicked in, her hand rising to pry the hand away, but she stopped.
Because then…
She felt the arms. The embrace. Wrapping around her waist.
Pulling her back against a chest she had only known in dreams lately.
And then…
Soft, reverent kisses landed on her hair.
She gasped.
The scent. The warmth. The way her body recognized him before her mind could catch up.
Everything inside her crumbled as her knees nearly buckled.
She broke.
Tears poured in silence, not out of grief,
But out of that aching, desperate joy only a soul who thought they had lost forever could feel.
"Shhh... Don't cry, love," the voice murmured low and deep against her ear. Velvet.
The voice that haunted her nights.
That calmed her storms.
The voice she never thought she'd hear again.
"Zeus," she whispered, her voice cracked and trembling.
And she didn't need to turn around to know.
It was him.
He was here.
Her Zeus.
Her love.