. "火の娘" (daughter of fire)
. (Part II)
. scenario/au ; the heir of the contract demon is revealed and Morax and Aether are determined to figure out who her mother is. unfortunately, people from Mond can't help but interfere.
(AU only, not officially part of the story.)
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Alastor gently stroked the girls hair, murmuring soft words of worry and concern. They were in Aether's teapot, and after the identity of the girl was revealed, the rest of their party had gone speechless ―excluding Zhi You who was desperately trying to heal his daughter. After a few minutes of Alastor doing nothing but hold his daughter and threaten everyone around him as if the world was ending, Zhi You had slapped some sense into him.
Now the girl was sleeping peacefully on his bed ― with bandages wrapped around her arm and abdomen.
With trembling hands, he gripped his daughters hand, pressing the back of it against his lips. His child... His beloved child and the last thing he had of his late wife― wasn't as invincible as him. She was his daughter, but a complete demon. The blood running through her veins was not completely infernal.
"She's recovering. Thankfully, you took out the karma in time." He heard Zhi You say, glancing at the blonde haired demon of anarchy. She was leaning against the doorframe, her eyes stuck to the unconscious demoness.
"Al..." She carefully called for him. "The others― Venti, Diluc, Jean, Ganyu Hu Tao, and Childe are here." She cautiously explained, flinching as she heard a vicious crack.
"Why?"
"Uh... I don't really know. I think Aether alerted them, since they were supposed to be part of the expedition regarding the rogues. Anyways... Paimon is extremely agitated, she's..." Zhi You trailed of, pursing her lips.
"It's fine... Paimon is the talkative type and the more scared she is, the more she cannot stay silent." Alastor hummed, not motivated to even chuckle. He was focused on his daughter. His thumb rubbed against her hand, quietly pushing his own energy into her to accelerate her healing.
"... Alastor..." Zhi You tried, pressing a hand against his shoulder.
Alastor exhaled, holding his daughters hands with his own. "She... I sent her to Natlan for her protection. She wasn't supposed to come here― her mother would come back from the dead if she ever got hurt." Alastor grit his teeth, unable to take his eyes of his daughter. "Sigrid is the last of my blood and my only child."
Zhi You shook her head. "Don't worry so much. Your wife named her Sigrid because it means victory. She's your daughter and that person, she's not going to loose so easily." She scoffed, looking at the girl fondly.
She had helped raised Sigrid with Alastor and his wife centuries ago, and to see her so hurt broke her heart.
"Tsk... That bastard Alatus... I should just rip his heart out." He murmured, gently setting Sigrid's hand down.
His child looked more like him than her mother. Something Alastor had once resented when Sigrid was born before his late wife had endlessly praised their daughter's appearance. Sigrid looked like him, aside from the strands or sections of hair that was the same color as her mothers, as well as the red eyes that didn't match Alastor's naturally blue and yellow ones. The red wasn't exactly the same as the orange tinted optics of her mother owned.
They were red, and Alastor knew very well that those eyes were because of him. But he couldn't help but notice the slightly orange specks in Sigrid's eyes. A part of him believed she looked like her mother.
Sigrid, his daughter, his heir, and the last reminder he had of his mother. His beloved daughter who he had protected for centuries, making sure she was kept secret from both Barbatos and Morax for her safety. He hid her, like the diamond he considered her to be, and made sure that no one who planned to take her from him were to see her.
Sigrid Caelentis.
"My parents and brother would have loved her." Alastor mindlessly whispered. "My Master would have adored her."
He dryly chuckled, cupping Sigrid's cheek and planting a soft kiss to her forehead. "My beloved star... Our little wolf."
Zhi You giggled, "Lion cub. You and Your wife would have been bickering by now whether or not Sigrid is a wolf or a lion."
Alastor rolled his eyes, "Definitely a wolf. Have you seen her?" He gestured to the girl.
The demon sighed, "Take care of her while I deal with the others. They'll have questions..."
"Especially Morax... The man looked heartbroken." Zhi You snorted, replacing Alastor's place on the chair beside Sigrid's bed.
"Heartbroken... You know it will never works." Alastor sighed hopelessly as Zhi You hummed.
"I know... But, let's be honest here. Jeckyll and Hyde have their own preferences... Between Aether and Zhongli, which one does either evils like better?"
A question that Alastor never answered.
"Neither... My capability to love was lost the day my wife died... I tried Zhi You, I really did." Alastor pressed his hand against the doorknob. "And it ended with Gwyneira going insane."
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"So, in conclusion, Alastor has a secret daughter who," Childe trailed of, pointing towards Xiao. "this one attacked just because she was being suspicious? Oh, this is great!"
Childe cackled like a madman, "The contract demon already despises you and your nation and has only started to warm up to you. He's never gonna step foot in Liyue ever again."
"Tartaglia!" Diluc yelled, glaring at the harbinger. Yet deep down, he knew that everything Childe said was right.
Alastor had treated Diluc, Razor, Bennett, Hu Tao, and Paimon like his own children. He was deathly protective of them like a wolf and would not hesitate to fight anyone for them. While they were seemingly adopted, the child Xiao had attacked was Alastor's biological daughter from the descriptions and tidbits of information Zhi You provided.
Childe rolled his eyes, "What? It's true! If this has happened in Snezhnaya, everyone in the vicinity would be hounding shortie here. Good for Alastor to protect his daughter." He huffed. As a Snezhnayan, he had an extreme belief of protecting family. He actually admired Alastor for his will to literally fight a god for his daughter.
"Please, we need to calm down. This Alastor and his hatred for the adepti we are talking about." Jean sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"Brace yourself then." Diluc told Xiao. "There is a high chance he'll attack you."
Childe couldn't help but smirk at how bold Diluc was to bluntly warn the adeptus. Xiao growled, still trailing a hand over the bandages covering his neck. The burn marks hadn't faded, hadn't healed. It was a sign of how angry Alastor was.
"I have done no wrong! That girl was being suspicious, especially with the rogues around. What if she was going to attack? If she really is that demons child, then she is―"
"If you speak another word about my daughter, I will slice your tongue of and shove it down your throat."
Everyone flinched at Alastor's cold voice, a growl leaving the man's lips as he descended the stairs. Zhongli's fingers twitched at the sight of Alastor's infernal marks creeping up his arm. Yet, he couldn't fault his counterpart for wanting to harm Xiao.
"Alastor..." The god of contracts pleaded, but Alastor paid him no mind.
"My daughter has done nothing to you and you blatantly attacked, by the simple cause of your bias towards your old enemies." Alastor snarled. "Your exactly Morax."
Zhongli flinched, unconsciously shrinking away. Exactly like Morax.
"You attacked my daughter, just because you saw her as a threat."
"She's a demon―"
"Not everyone can be born human or adepti!" Alastor snapped, causing the others to recoil. "My blood may run through her veins, but she isn't like me. She's my daughter, but she isn't my replica! For fucks sake, she's more like my wife than anything."
Zhongli and Aether simultaneously closed their eyes. My wife, a phrase that confirmed any sort of suspicion they had. Alastor was once married, and the child of his spouse was now knocked out due to Xiao's mistakes.
"This is why I sent her to Natlan! To get her away from the likes of you who would endanger her." Alastor pursed his lips, unconsciously glancing at Venti and Zhongli who immediately noticed. They both lowered their heads in shame.
"Why is she even here?" Xiao scoffed.
"The Reva Clan is from Natlan. Sigrid's territory is between Natlan and Snezhnaya. What the hell do you think she's doing?! She's doing a better job than you, that's what!"
Aether fidgeted, abruptly standing up and doing his best to calm Alastor down. He couldn't feel any envy, rather, he was worried and concerned for the girl known as Sigrid.
Hu Tao had also moved to comfort him.
"Snezhnaya? Wait, she's positioned between Natlan and Snezhnaya?" Childe asked, a stupid and inconsiderate question considering the situation, but Aether silently praised him for the distraction.
Alastor simply sighed. "Sigrid is favored by Murata, the Tsaritsa, and the current Hydro demon, Eudora. So I can somewhat trust those three to take care of her."
"You... You trust the Tsaritsa more than me?" Venti suddenly spoke, looking heartbroken.
Alastor gave him a cold look, "Between me and Xiao, who would you have chosen?"
The question shocked them, as all the atrention was turned to Venti who was red in the face. He couldn't speak, opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. The god of freedom gulped, and as he stared into Alastor's eyes, they both knew the answer.
Venti went silent, staring at the ground.
"See? She's my daughter. Do any of you actually think that the Adepti wouldn't threaten her? Not even once? I mean, look at what has happened! She's trying to help us and this― covered in wounds and unconscious, is how she is repaid. She's never gotten this hurt until she step foot into Liyue!"
Those from Liyue immediately flinched, especially Zhongli who could no longer speak.
"Once she's recovered, I'm sending her back― actually, do me a favor tartaglia." Childe was mildly surprised at Alastor addressing him. "Send a letter to the Tsaritsa requesting for Sigrid to stay in the Zapolyarny palace for a few days. I'm not letting her work until she's recovered."
Diluc, although was bitter about the fatui, couldn't help but stare daggers at Childe, as if daring him to refuse. Said harbinger gulped at the fiery stare of the two pyro users, and happily accepted the favor.
Before Alastor could speak any further, he froze at the familiar voice.
"Father?"
Heads turned towards the young looking lady slowly descending the stairs. One of Alastor's jackets wrapped around her, as her eyes immediately landed on said demon. Alastor reacted immediately, darting towards the stairs and helping her get down.
"Why are you up? You're still injured." He spoke softly, supporting her as she smiled at him.
"I'm fine. Zhi You's healing is a remarkable thing." She chuckled, before glancing towards the people who's attention was on her. Her scanned through the group, gaze lingering on Diluc and Zhongli with a sense of familiarity.
And she did the unexpected.
"I apologize for causing such an inconvenience. If I had known that my presence would agitate you, I would have spoken to the adepti before investigating the rogues from Natlan. Please forgive my mistakes."
Silence reigned over the room as they stared at Sigrid in shock. Alastor's daughter, the man who was known for temper and hatred towards the adepti, was sincerely apologizing towards the adeptus, even though she was the one who was severely hurt.
Alastor stared with wide eyes, before pulling his daughter back into his arms and pressing her face against his chest. He glared at Xiao who was as shocked as the rest, before turning his attention to Sigrid.
"You don't need to apologize. The rogues are your business and you're just doing your job. It's Alatus," he spat the name out like venom, "who attacked without a proper reason! Quite being so noble, and valiant, and, and―"
"Like mother?"
Alastor shut his mouth. Perhaps that's why it hurt him so much. Sigrid may look like him, but his daughter inevitably acted like her mother. An honorable woman who's sense of justice would have been praised by the Hydro Archon. A sense of Justice Alastor did not have.
Sigrid smiled softly at her father, cupping his cheek before turning towards the others once more. "I am Sigrid Caelentis, Alastor Caelentis' only daughter and the heir to the title of contract demon. It is a pleasure to meet you all."
They were hesitant to see such polite mannerism from Alastor's child. Well, to be fair for them, most of Alastor's students were eccentric and often times did not have proper manners. Example was literally Diluc, who although was once a kind and polite child, he ended up becoming a man with a temper and a vindictiveness towards his enemies. Right in front of them was the demons biological child with a woman they did not know.
Their minds went to Gwyneira, but the girl didn't have any resemblance to the frost demon. Sigrid had Alastor's dark hair with streaks of red, and scarlet eyes, contradicting to the Caelentis clan's signature sapphire hues.
Although there was hesitation in the air, Hu Tao, being extremely excited, darted towards the girl and held her hands. "Hi! I'm Hu Tao, Wangsheng Funeral parlors 77th director." She introduced herself in the manner she usually did. "Alastor's kind like my gege, but I guess you can be my jiejie."
Sigrid blinked in surprise, but softened at the welcoming presence Hu Tao gave her.
"Hu Tao... Father wrote about you."
Hu Tao immediately brightened.
"Tao meimei." Sigrid gently called her, and Hu Tao blushed immediately.
As the others slowly warmed up to her, Diluc was the next to move. Naturally, the first ones to approach Alastor's daughters were the ones the demon had accidentally adopted. Sigrid immediately recognized the man and smiled at him.
"It's nice to finally meet you Diluc! Father wanted me to meet you before, but I was often a bit too busy with my territory. Although I did see you when you were burning down the fatui headquarters in Natlan.." the last part she had whispered so only Diluc heard. The man turned as red as his hair, while Alastor snorted from behind his daughter.
As they began to speak to one another, Venti inched towards the girl with a curious gleam in his eyes. But stopped dead in his tracks as he screeched. He startled the others, pointing a finger from Sigrid to Alastor. The contract demon closed his eyes, turning away as he expected the inevitable.
Of course it was Venti who would recognize it first.
"Why the hell does your child look like Vanessa?!"
Zhi You popped up from behind Alastor, "Well that was quick."
"YOU MARRIED VANESSA?!"
―
author's note;
I know it seems weird, but this part has some spoilers for some of Alastor's past which I will be mentioning for often in the future chapters! Vanessa, just so happens to be part of his past in the main story, just not his wife.
Happy birthday JokersPetCat
The ones to guess who Sigrid's mother is:
kitsuu_neh0
-ZZORROW
IsUrWorstNightmare