This is gonna be more than one chapter :3
Ships- Desert duo, Lizzie and Joel, Flower husbands, and Nature wives :D (their all kids in this chapter (so no ships in this chapter) but Joel does get a crush on Lizzie instantly when they meet)
In a far away land, there was a peaceful kingdom ruled by Queen Cleo, whose family had been in power for generations. She was aided by two very special children named Bdubs and Scar, who grew up under her guidance and protection. Despite the kingdom's serenity at present, it had recently endured a catastrophic war, which resulted in the tragic loss of her beloved husband King Etho. The source of the conflict between the kingdom and the Watchers was the watchers' desire for control over the kingdom and its resources, leading to a devastating conflict.
The Watchers were a powerful race of humanoid creatures with black wings and purple feathers lining the wings. They were known for their advanced technologies and abilities, often sporting a mask with a purple portal symbol to assist with espionage and surveillance. In this kingdom, the Watchers' leaders called a particular family up to the castle to discuss matters of state. A ruler of the Watchers called The Moons family into the castle to discuss a matter of importance, which led to some tense feelings in the room. The ruler then proceeded to explain the situation to them. "Hello the Moons family." The ruler addressed the three individuals standing in front of them. "Yes, my lord, you called us, what do you want with our services?" The older woman, representing the family, asked, sounding somewhat fearful and hesitant. The ruler responded, detailing the task at hand. "We would like you three to decide among yourselves and spy on the dear kingdom we're having war with." The woman was clearly taken aback but remained professional in her response to the ruler's request. "Y-yes, my lord," she said, stuttering slightly and holding her young children close. The ruler gave additional instructions for their assignment and proceeded to detail an accompanying group. "You will be accompanied by another family called the Shadows." The woman seemed relieved to have some backup on this assignment and asked another question. "Thank you my lord, when would you like us to part?" The ruler then clarified the time frame for the operation and provided further information about their target. "Later today they're holding a festival for their prince's 4th birthday. I would like you to sabotage the celebration," the ruler replied. The woman's face fell at the mention of sabotaging a celebration for a young child's birthday, but she was dedicated to fulfilling the ruler's mission. She nodded in approval with a sense of acceptance.
The woman remained professional as she left the kingdom's castle, but once she entered the cramped hut she called home the reality of the situation set in. She started crying and was met with the concerned gaze of her 5-year-old daughter, Pearl. "Mummy, what's wrong?" Pearl inquired gently as she held her mother's hand. The mother tried to hold back her tears and wipe them from her cheeks, putting on a brave face for her daughter. "Nothing, Pearl dear, we're moving." The mother tried to reassure Pearl, but the girl could see through the facade. "I don't want to move," Pearl said sadly, as she continued to hold her mother's hand tightly. "I'm sorry, my dear, we have no choice," the mother said quietly, not wanting to further upset her daughter. This decision was not one the mother had made lightly, and she was clearly in a state of distress over it. Pearl looked at her mother with a frown, and the mother realised she needed to better address her daughter's concerns. The mother was trying to find the right balance between reassuring her daughter and explaining the situation in a way that she would understand. She addressed her daughter's concerns about making new friends and assured her that Lizzie and her family would be joining them, which made Pearl feel better. However, she also needed to make clear that they had only a few hours and only had time to bring the essentials. Her tone remained calm and caring as she gave instructions to Pearl and reminded her that baby Grian would be just fine.
The Moons family arrived at the gates to the outside of their kingdom along with the Shadow family who were accompanying them on their assignment. Lizzie's father, named Theo, showed concern for the two families, asking Clare, "Are you okay?" Clare responded, reassuring him that she was "fine," a bit worried about the safety of theirs and the Shadow family's children. Theo smiled back and said, "I am too but I think we'll be fine." He was carrying his youngest child Jimmy and holding the hand of 5-year-old Lizzie.
As the parents continued talking, the two girls, Pearl and Lizzie, decided to have a conversation of their own. They were startled by the appearance of the Watcher who stood in front of them and thanked them for their service. The Watcher informed the families that their service would be remembered and stated that they would be observed during this mission. It was also made clear that the mission was to sabotage the Prince Scar's second birthday party, which would involve all the guests in the kingdom. The Watcher then issued a warning to be careful since the entire kingdom would be in attendance at the party. The Watcher informed them of the details for the mission, namely that the birthday would be held August 19th, giving them four days to prepare. They also made it clear that they would not be able to watch them while they were inside the kingdom, indicating that they had to be careful and stay alert. After the Watcher retreated back into the castle, Theo looked at Clare with concern as they both put on black coats to cover their wings. They then held their children in their arms and walked outside the gate for the very first time, into the unknown where the mission would begin.
They walked for several hours before arriving at a kingdom that seemed so different from the one they were leaving behind, full of color and life. It was stark contrast to their homeland, which was dominated by danger and uncertainty. Clare was awed by the kingdom's beauty and said "This is beautiful." Theo urged her to keep moving and find a hotel to stay in, knowing how dangerous it was for them to linger. They needed a safe place to stay and prepare for the mission ahead, and the sooner they located such a place the better.
After the two families found a hotel room to stay in, they were both surprised to be greeted with friendly and cordial interactions from the locals. The contrast to their own kingdom was quite stark, as the adults there rarely experienced such kindness. When Clare laid both her children down, she said "These people seem so nice, I feel bad just by the thought of hurting their prince..." Theo acknowledged her concern and responded, "I do too, I don't want to hurt anyone either, but if we don't, we might get killed." Theo proposed that they get some rest, since they had a lot to do to prepare for the mission and it was of the utmost importance. Clare acknowledged his suggestion and said "Goodnight Theo," then lay down into bed with her children. Theo then turned off the lights and made his way into the other room to get some sleep of his own.
For the next few days, Theo and Clare had been utilizing their time to gather necessary materials for the upcoming sabotage of the birthday party. Meanwhile, their children Pearl and Lizzie were tasked with taking care of Grian and Jimmy, the two young children. Despite the difficult circumstances of being separated from their father, the kids were doing their best to look after the two toddlers. Pearl asked her mother "Mummy, why can't we go outside yet?" Clare explained that it was dangerous for them to go outside as children, but she assured her child, "I'm very sorry." Pearl then posed another question, asking "But why can you and Mr. Shadow go outside?" Clare explained that adults were more capable in handling the dangerous situation compared to the children, who needed to stay indoors. Claire further attempted to assuage her child's worries, saying "We'll take you kids outside tomorrow, I promise you that." After hearing her mother's word, Pearl's eyes lit up with excitement as she finally had some hope that she'd get to go outdoors. She smiled at the prospect of this possibility, saying "Really!" in an excited tone. Clare responded by telling her child that she would be able to go outside, but she must stay in close proximity to Claire at all times. Pearl gave a playful response as she called Clare "Sir," a joke which elicited laughter from her mother. Claire playfully tickled Pearl in response, making her giggle and light up further. Pearl had expressed her excitement to go outside and walked away from her mother, who was left with a feeling of concern. She knew that she couldn't leave Grian and Pearl alone during the big night ahead, especially considering the loud noise that would be present. She turned to Theo, revealing her worries and concerns about the plan. "I'm just worried that if we fail what would happen?" she asked, to which Theo reassured her "Everything will go to plan I promise." Clare showed a small smile in response to Theo's attempt to reassure her. However, she didn't seem completely convinced by his promise, as demonstrated in her response of saying "That's a big promise, Theo." The tone of her voice hinted at a lingering doubt, as if she were still reluctant to fully believe in his words.
The day of the big night had arrived, and the atmosphere in the kingdom was jubilant. The townsfolk had erected decorations all throughout the kingdom, with music and food abounding. Lizzie and Pearl were struck by wonder and awe at all that they saw. Lizzie held fast to Theo's hand, exclaiming, "Dad, this is amazing!" They were filled with a great sense of wonder at all that the kingdom had to offer, making the day both thrilling and terrifying for the two little girls. Theo expressed his agreement with Lizzie's statement with a smile and responded, "I know, Lizzie." He then suggested that they head towards the castle itself, adding that there was an ocean near the castle which would add to their excitement. With all these possibilities ahead of them, the two kids' excitement grew exponentially. They looked forward to exploring and taking in all that the castle had to offer.
Once Lizzie got closer to the ocean, the rush of a cool ocean breeze enveloped her senses and took her breath away with its invigorating presence. Her excitement only grew as she made her way right to the water's edge, where she started to play in its cool waves. Her father, Theo, grew frantic at the thought his daughter running so eagerly towards the water and not waiting for him. He shouted "Lizzie, wait!" but it's not too bad he thought as he saw her getting lost in the fun she was having. Lizzie then made her way towards a boy close to her age who was creating a massive sand castle in the sand. He responded "My name is King Joel the coolest king in the whole wide world." Despite his confidence, Lizzie wasn't impressed by this arrogant child, but she tried to be nice anyway. She replied softly "That sounds like a great title, but I'm still cooler." Lizzie wasn't going to allow this kid to steal her thunder, so she quickly came up with a creative title to match his boastful claim. She proudly proclaimed "Well I'm Queen Lizzie the... Uhhhh... Ocean Queen!" Joel was momentarily stunned by her response, but he quickly recovered and responded "Wow really!" showing his acceptance of her grandiose title. After Lizzie gave herself such a grandiose title, she thought it best to end the conversation with Joel before their competitive streak got out of hand. However, it seemed like Joel wasn't going to accept defeat just yet. He once more declared proudly, "I'm sorry for my misunderstanding but I still think I'm the coolest and best ruler in the whole wide world!" Lizzie sighed at his persistent need to argue, but she decided to try a different approach. She inquired, "What are you building anyway?" as she looked at the large sand castle with awe. "My castle of course!" said Joel in a prideful tone. Lizzie was stunned at the amazing work he had done in creating such a majestic castle from the sand. She was in awe and looked at the large castle with bright eyes. She responded with an honest, "Wow, that's amazing!" praising the castle and adding to Joel's inflated ego.
"Elizabeth, don't run off like that again!" Theo called out anxiously to Lizzie while Clare walked behind him carrying their sleeping children Grian and Jimmy, while Pearl held onto her shirt. The little girl then responded with a soft tone while looking at her father, "I'm sorry dad I just got excited." Theo then shifted his attention to Joel, questioning "Who's that young boy?" The young child continued to be boastful as he introduced himself, and Theo responded with a sarcastic smile. "No need to apologise my king, I will have to steal dear Lizzie back." However, Joel wasn't having any of it, and he quickly came up with what he thought was a genius idea. He pulled out a wooden sword and jumped in front of Lizzie to "save" her. "Don't worry Queen Lizzie, I will save you!" Joel yelled as he brandished the wooden sword in front of him. Theo smiled bitterly at the child's persistence to steal his daughter and then played along. He pretended to fall to the ground and played dead to add to the theatrics and to allow Joel to "claim" his prize. Theo gave out quite a hearty chuckle after playing out the scene with Joel. He then went to Clare and said with a smile, "Come on Queen Lizzie, let's get lunch." Lizzie nodded and said goodbye to Joel, hugging him and bowing as a sign of her appreciation. She then went to stand beside Clare and Pearl who were both giggling at the antics that had just taken place.
As they were all settling down for a lunch of foods bought from the town, the two younger children, Grian and Jimmy, started to wake up. As soon as Lizzie saw her younger brother, she exclaimed "Jimmy!" and began to sit down next to him, along with their mother, Clare. Grian also sat down with them, rubbing his eyes and coming back to full consciousness. Grian and Jimmy just woke up from their nap, and looked around at their surroundings. Lizzie seemed to be very excited about their current location, and Jimmy didn't really know how to react. However, a sparkle in Jimmy's eyes was evident as his sister announced that they would be going to the castle that night. He replied excitedly, "Woah! Really!" They seemed to be looking forward to the evening with so much excitement. Clare provided Jimmy with some food and gave it to him kindly, to which Jimmy gave her a grateful expression in response. Pearl then chimed into the conversation and asked Jimmy if he knew of their sister's marriage to a guy. The little boy looked stunned and surprised by the suddenness of this revelation, and replied with a frantic, "What no!" to which his older sister quickly added a denial of the claim as well. Pearl continued to toy with the little girl and the concept of her becoming a married woman at such a young age. She teased by saying "Are you sure Lizzie? I think he likes you!" In response, Jimmy immediately felt sadness and fear at the prospect of his sister being married without his permission. He interjected, saying emphatically "Lizzie you can't be married without my permission!" Clare gently reprimanded her daughter, Pearl, for teasing Lizzie. She said softly, "Pearlessent, stop teasing Lizzie." Pearl apologised for her actions by saying "Sorry mother," but she couldn't contain her excitement and giggled at the same time.
At the end of the lunch, everybody had a good time and finished their food, and were left in high spirits as they prepared for the evening's festivities. That night, the entire kingdom's population was gathering inside the castle walls, eager to witness their marvellous ruler and queen, Cleo. There was not a single person who wasn't excited about the grand occasion that they would be witnessing that night. The sound of trumpets was heard from within the castle and immediately, the chatter of the crowds died down and all eyes were drawn towards the balcony. Queen Cleo emerged from the balcony door, her regal presence instantly captivating the attention of everyone present. The people were awestruck to behold such a beautiful and majestic sight. "Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the palace! Today, we will be celebrating my oldest son's 2nd birthday!" Cleo announced, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Her voice was filled with warmth, affection, and love, which added to the atmosphere. The people looked to be filled with so much joy as they celebrated the son's birthday, and were happy to share in the joy of the royal family. After creating the dramatic entrance, Queen Cleo lifted her arm up in the air with all her regal glory. Then suddenly, fireworks appeared behind her, creating a breathtaking display of bright colours and loud explosions that filled the sky. With a graceful movement, she announced, "Now, let's celebrate this wonderful day!" as the doors to the castle opened up. This was meant to signify that the festivities were officially beginning and it was time to enter the castle and join in the celebrations.
As the people flooded inside the castle, Theo was reluctant to let go of his children, and gave Clare one big hug with Jimmy and Lizzie before entrusting them to her care. He also kissed them both on the forehead as he assured his daughters, "Elizabeth, take care of your brother James when I'm gone. I love you both so much." As he spoke with his children, Lizzie then asked her father with a tone of concern, "Father, what's happening where are you going?" The little girl, Lizzie, didn't want to accept the reality of her father leaving her once again. Theo realised her distress and tried his best to assuage her concerns. When she began crying and pleading with him not to leave, Theo gently held her in his embrace and reassured her. He said, "Tonight is the night you will never forget my dear. If I don't come back Ms Moon will take care of both of you." He wanted to lessen the pain of the situation and prevent her from experiencing the same anguish as she did during the absence of her mother. "But... But I don't want you to leave! But if you have to leave I want to come with you so I can be with you!" Lizzie cried, her little heart broken over the news of her father leaving her. Theo felt sorry for her and couldn't bear to see her like this, but he knew he didn't have a lot of choices in this situation. He hugged her tightly, saying, "If I don't come back I will be with your Mother watching you all the time and taking care of you even if you don't know it." Lizzie held on to her father tightly as tears streamed down her cheeks. He tried to soothe her with his comforting words, but she was devastated by the thought of losing her father yet again. As she held on to him, she cried more, and Theo felt awful for making her cry. He had no choice but to leave, but she didn't seem to grasp that possibility. As she continued to cry, her grief only grew harsher with the fact that she wouldn't know for sure if her father would be back or not.
As Theo was forced to leave his beloved daughter behind, her cries only grew louder, and none of their attempts at soothing her seemed to be working. Clare tried her best to try to comfort the little girl, saying, "Lizzie my dear, lets go, your Father wouldn't want you to be sad on this happy day." The child didn't seem to be able to stem her tears but eventually she managed to somewhat calm down. However, a twinge of sadness still lingered in her soft, beautiful gaze. As Clare tried to ease the little girl's sorrow with her gentle words, she also tried to keep her children occupied by encouraging them to explore the castle as much as possible and engage in the festivities along with the others.
When they were inside the castle, they were immediately greeted by the sounds of music and dancing people everywhere. There was also a mix of food and conversations going on at the same time. The whole atmosphere of the place was filled with a joyful aura that made it hard to be sad for long. Clare saw it best to try to keep the kids occupied so they wouldn't fall back into a state of despair during their father's leave. She brought them out to the garden where they could have fun and play, and it certainly helped raise their spirits. Jimmy responded happily with "Okay Ms Moon!" as he was always eager to have some fun. On entering the garden, they saw a sight that made Clare happy. The place was filled with various activities, games, food stalls, and even children playing and laughing together. It was a sight that filled her with hope, and so she decided to let the kids explore the garden on their own and make some friends while she observed them from a careful distance.
Lizzie and Jimmy's stroll around the garden took a pleasant turn as Lizzie witnessed Joel with his friends once again. While Jimmy was a bit shy in the background, Lizzie couldn't contain her excitement at seeing someone she was already familiar with. She greeted him excitedly and said, "Hi Joel!" Joel responded with a playful remark, asserting his dominance over her as always. She wasn't bothered by it and responded, "Sorry King Joel anyway this is my younger brother Jimmy!" She then introduced Jimmy, her sibling, to the older boy. Joel introduced the two people around their age, calling them Katherine and Etho, and then explained to Jimmy and Lizzie that Katherine was his younger cousin, whom he had to take care of, while Etho was his best friend. Jimmy was still a bit shy and hung behind his sister, but was still interested in this turn of events. They both greeted the two strangers with a soft hello while maintaining a friendly smile on their faces. Katherine teased him, "Is this the girl you were talking about?" while Etho added, "The girl of your dreams." Joel was obviously flustered by the teasing and tried to act innocent, but failing miserably. He tried to deny what they were saying but their teasing only made Lizzie giggle louder.
Pearl and Grian found themselves in a playground, and there, they saw only three kids around their age who were playing. Pearl couldn't resist approaching them, so she went off to befriend them by introducing herself and her younger brother. She was quite friendly, unlike her younger brother, and so she took the lead in introducing her brother as well. She walked over to the children and greeted them softly with a, "Hello, I'm Pearl, and this is my younger brother Grian. Do you think we can play with you guys?" The kids turned out to be very friendly just as Pearl had hoped for, and she was relieved. They introduced themselves and their friend with ease, which made Pearl glad. The girl with ginger hair called herself Gem, and said her neighbour was Impulse, who was the boy with brown hair, and their friend was Mumbo. They appeared to be in good spirits, and Pearl and Grian were excited to have other kids to play with as well. During the conversation, Pearl wanted to know how they all became friends and found out it was through their parents. Gem explained that their parents all worked at the castle and that was how they ended up getting to know each other. There was also a hint of a possible bond from shared experiences, which added to the conversation.
As the conversation among the children was picking up, the sudden sound of a bell rung from inside the castle, which caught their attention and made them rush back to Clare. Upon seeing their caretaker, they got a little nervous and began seeking guidance in this uncertain situation. Pearl then asked Clare, "Mum, what's happening?" Clare couldn't provide a concrete answer to the question, so all she could do was try to keep the children close to her and try to reassure them as much as possible as they made their way back inside the castle. As everyone entered inside once again, the atmosphere was now tense as people were eagerly waiting for something to happen. Clare made sure to keep the children close to her as they were understandably feeling anxious about the situation. As they stood inside, people were wondering what the occasion was for the bell's ringing, and that was also something the children were eager to know. The announcement from the queen brought a sudden chill to the atmosphere during the gathering in the castle. All the adults went silent with concern and anticipation for what the queen would have to say. When she began to speak, she mentioned the bell's tolling was due to someone invading from the Watchers' land, which made the situation even more ominous and urgent. As the queen announced that someone from the Watchers' land had infiltrated their kingdom, the situation got more frightening. Clare's heart was pumping fast, and she was filled with fear and worry for the children and her beloved Theo. Just as she was urging everyone to be vigilant, there was a sudden blackout. The lights turned off, and even the fireworks suddenly went out. It was a scene of sheer chaos and panic as people started screaming and running around everywhere.
Pearl started crying and clinging onto her mother tightly when the chaos and the sudden blackout hit the scene. Clare tried to reassure everyone by urging them to stay close to her, but she was pulled to the middle of the hall with the crowd's force. When the situation became dangerous, she was forced to leave the children, who were also pulled away by the crowd, leaving them out in the open. The crowd was going in all kinds of directions, which pushed and shoved Clare around, making it hard for her to maintain her balance. The people were in a rush to escape and were unaware of the other people around them or how they were hindering their movement. Clare tried hard to hold onto her coat tight so her wings wouldn't be revealed but she stumbled as someone bumped into her and accidentally knocked her to the ground. With the crowd's rush on her coat, it slid off of her and fell to the floor, revealing her wings. When the person saw Clare's wings, they called out in a horrified voice that caught the attention of the whole crowd. The crowd parted away from Clare suddenly, as all eyes were on her. Even the queen was now watching Clare with a look of concern and horror in her eyes. There was a moment of silence before the crowd began to murmur and whisper among themselves and started to grow uneasy and restless. Seeing the crowd's reactions, Clare felt like a zoo animal as everyone's eyes were on her and they started to treat her differently. She couldn't really speak and all she could do was cry, making her feel even worse. The queen got upset when hearing her explanation and snapped at her with a questioning tone, "What are you doing here Watcher?" The queen asked. Clare tried to speak but she had a hard time due to her emotional state and instead cried even more, "I'm so-sorry my Queen. W-we had no choice or w-we would d-die." In spite of the situation Clare was in, she spoke with honesty and didn't try to hide anything, even though it came at the cost of worsening her situation. She responded to the queen's question by saying, "My king sent us here to find more information about your kingdom and sabotage... This wonderful festival of our dear prince's birthday." Clare spoke clearly and without any hesitation, despite not being proud about the act. In response to this, the queen questioned her, "What do you mean by 'We'?" Clare, who was clearly still shaken from the crowd's reaction, tried to respond and explain further to the queen. However, she didn't seem able to really finish her sentence properly due to her emotional state. Clare seemed to want to explain more but didn't know how to get it out. She could only stutter in response and said, "My-my young kids and I was a-accompanied by the Shadows family, a f-family of three."
Suddenly, during the conversation, four children ran toward Clare, with Pearl bringing up the rear. She was crying and came over to hug Clare tightly and cling onto her in fear. The whole situation became more chaotic as the children's voices began to mix with the shouting and whispers of the crowd. Clare found herself in an awkward position, having to deal with her children while also addressing the Queen's questions. Clare was relieved when Pearl and the other kids ran back to her and hugged her tightly. She was relieved to see that her children were safe and hadn't gotten lost in the chaos. As the kids ran to her and hugged her tightly, she felt a sense of hope and relief to see that they were untouched by the scary events that had just unfolded. When the queen asked if those four children were Clare's kids, she didn't hesitate to state the truth immediately. "My name is Clare Moon. Pearl and Grian are my kids, but James and Elizabeth aren't. They are Theo Shadows' kids." The queen's face suddenly softened and she asked further, "So, who is Theo Shadows? What is his role in all this?" As Clare suddenly realized that her beloved Theo was still out there alone to complete the plan that they had worked upon, her fear and anxiety started to rise. The whole scenario was so overwhelming for her that the queen's question about her wellbeing barely registered with her. Though the queen asked her this question, as she was more focused on finding and keeping her children safe. Once Lizzie whispered into her ear about her father's whereabouts, Clare's tone turned into more worry and urgency. "Queen Cleo! Where's Prince Scar?! Go find him quickly! Get the guards! Hurry!"
The guards immediately ran into action when the queen commanded them to get to Prince Scar's room, but just as they were about to leave, they heard sudden yells and screams come from inside the room. The sudden noise caused the queen to also get worried and she rushed past the guards to get to the room herself. As she ran into the room, she screamed out for Prince Scar in worry. The sudden scene that Queen Cleo came upon was one of dread and horror. She saw Prince Scar with blood on his face and the two Watchers surrounding him. As the Watchers were ready to kill the prince, Theo was pleading and begging to let him off just for being a child. However, the Watchers didn't seem to have any compassion left in their hearts and laughed sarcastically at Theo's words. The Watchers' mocking laughter made Theo grow increasingly irritated, and as they were about to stab the prince with their knives, Theo tried to stop them by jumping in front of the blade. When the blade hit Theo's chest, he staggered back and fell to the ground, unable to move any further. Upon seeing Theo was injured and barely conscious, Queen Cleopatra didn't hesitate to call on the guards to quickly take him away and find a doctor for him. However, being the generous queen that she was, she even directed her guards to try and save the Watcher from dying even though he was their enemy. The guards quickly followed her orders and carried Theo out to get medical help while the other Guards tried to locate the departing Watcher as well. As the guards took Theo out of the room to give him emergency medical assistance, the other watcher, realizing they were outnumbered, chose to flee the scene. The watchers may have been skilled fighters, but they weren't going to take chances with the large Guard force, especially when the Queen of the region had taken an open stance against them. With Theo receiving medical treatment the Watchers fleeing in fear, the Queen's quick reaction is likely to give them an advantage.
The next day since the dramatic events of the birthday celebration took place was a different scene as Clare, Jimmy, Lizzie, Grian, and Pearl were kept in a smaller room in the castle. They were awaiting further instructions from the queen, who was now present as opposed to the previous night. The queen expressed her gratitude to Clare and Theo for helping save Prince Scar, but she had some unfortunate news to follow it with. "Thank you, and thank Theo for all that you have done for my kingdom. I am glad to know that things turned out well, and my son is safe. However, I regret to inform you that your beloved Theo may not survive the injuries he sustained." As the queen broke the devastating news to Clare, she felt her heart sink and her hope for seeing Theo survive begin to fade. She couldn't believe it was true but also couldn't bring herself to ask for more concrete confirmation. Her eyes focused on the children and saw Lizzie holding Jimmy tightly as they cried together. The queen gently asked the children if they would like to see their father, and they both nodded yes without hesitation.
The queen guided the children to the room that Theo was being kept in, hoping to see him smile at least once more before he passed away. Theo was looking quite pale and weak, as if life was slowly getting sucked out of him, and that worried the children even more. When Lizzie sat beside him, she asked her father in a hopeful and heartbroken tone, "Will you leave us too?" Theo's smile slowly began to fade as he looked towards the children with a sad look in his eyes. He knew the truth of his situation but refused to let his children lose hope. He weakly smiled and replied with a sense of calm, "No, I won't leave you." Though it would have been heartbreaking, if only for just a moment, he didn't want to let his kids down, so he kept up his brave face when he was actually in a lot of pain due to his injuries. "Will you always be watching over us?" Jimmy asked curiously, eager to know that his father wasn't really going away but just going somewhere else. Theo joked in his weak and tired voice with a soft smile on his face and replied with a chuckle, "I will, that's why we were called Watchers." His kids smiled at his little joke and continued to engage in their conversation, forgetting for a moment the seriousness of the situation. When Jimmy asked what if he didn't want his father to go, he couldn't help but laugh even though his heart was breaking. The kids were both still young and innocent, and it was breaking the father's heart to know he wasn't going to be with them for much longer. He kept a brave and cheerful face in front of them so they wouldn't worry too much but deep down he knew his time was running out. To reassure them, he smiled and nodded, "I love you both very much. I know Ms Moon will take good care of you. I trust you both to behave." When he kissed the children on their foreheads, a sense of warmness and comfort washed over them. Theo then closed his eyes, trying to stay calm and composed even when his heart and body were under the strain of the severe injuries and lack of blood. The children kept watching him with tears in their eyes as they slowly began to grasp the reality of the situation. Theo knew that his time was running out and all he could do was stay calm and reassure his children that he was there with them and that they were going to be okay. Though his eyes were closed, his children could still sense a sense of warmth coming from their father, as if he was sending them all his love in his last moments. As Theo took his last breaths, both children could tell that he was slipping away and their hope of him returning alive slowly faded away. They continued to watch him with tear-filled eyes, watching him take each laborious breath and listening to his ragged and slow breathing. Ultimately, he took his last breath and had a peaceful smile on his face as he slowly faded away. Both Lizzie and Jimmy could only cry, watching their father pass away in front of them, and wishing for more time with their beloved father.
Oml.... This chapter took so long and it's just part one(2nd to the 5th of January just finish writing not including editing and other stuff.....) I hope you're enjoying it so far :D
6412 words :0
Btw all the for kingdoms chapters are already written I'm already up to a different thingy when I publish this :P I started writing the first and second chapter around 27th-29 of December and around 2-4 days to publish with all the editing and stuff. (I have too much free time and motivation somehow💀)