Chapter 103 103 - Family Reunion[Cuteness Overload Warning]
Flying up high with her wings spread wide open, Rose couldn't believe that she was once again feeling the relinquishing breeze of the upper skies. Spiraling in the air, doing loops and dives, she was giggling out loud as she enjoyed the joyous moment.
"Fire dragon Insignia!" Like a beacon her body lit up in flame, creating a dragon-faced crest for her children to witness.
As she kept on soaring through the open plains right outside the thawed tundra, a spark of flame as well as a cool glint of ice caught her eyes from a very long distance. Approaching her at unrivaled speed were her youngest pair of children.
"Tiara! Doroke!" Flying at them with open arms, she caught as they flew at her like a bullet. "I'm so glad to see you!"
Held in an embrace that didn't ever wanna let them go, the two dragonkin glared up at Roselia with their big teary eyes. Crying out like the children they were, both of them began beating their arms against their mother's belly.
"Why didn't you visit soon?!" Tiara cried, pressing her lips together tightly.
"Y-yeah! We've been waiting for so long to meet you!" Burying his head into his mother's belly, Doroke's tears turned Rose's dress into a wet and snotty mess.
Holding them even tighter, Rose felt delighted and relieved to finally meet them after so long.
"I missed you, I missed you so much!" Raising them in her hands, she playfully snuggled her nose onto their bellies. "I'm glad you missed me too, but you don't have to anymore, I'm not leaving!"
Showering them with kisses, hugs, and brushing her face against their cheeks, Rose managed to turn their cries and snorts into innocent little giggles. Laughing alongside her kids, Rose pulled back for a moment to take a look at their cute faces.
"Oh by the dragon-lords, how did I stay away from such innocent faces for so long?" Smiling to herself, she pulled them into a hug once again.
Closing her eyes as she held them, all those days in captivity somehow felt extremely tame. Staying bound by her arms, the three stayed floating in the air for a while until finally for the sake of being conspicuous they finally decided to come down.
Back on their feet, Rose turned to the two to ask an extremely important question.
"Where are your other brothers and sisters?" She asked, a bit worried for their safety.
Still clinging onto her, the two weren't letting go of her dress. Glaring up at her wanting to be picked up, they didn't speak a word until Rose held them both in each of her hands.
"Soooo? Where are they?" Resting their heads on her shoulders, the two gave wide grins to each other.
"Big brother is hiding them for now," Tiara replied, snuggling onto her mother's neck.
"Yeah, he says it's not safe to stay out in the open so we're the only ones who could come out," Doroke added, and following Tiara's lead, he nuzzled up to Rose as well.
"Mama, how did you escape? I thought you couldn't come without that Snow boy," like any curious child they had many questions of their own and they weren't afraid to ask.
"OH!" Raising his head up, Doroke looked Roselia right in the eye. "Where's Uncle Klian?! Has he been freed too?!"
Upon hearing him call out Klian's name so excitedly, Rose's heart contorted inward. She knew trying to explain everything to her kids was not a viable option, and thus making sure to keep their knowledge about everything that had happened in the Frost castle to a minimum, she told them only what they needed to know for the moment.
"Your uncle, he's been freed, yes, but it's gonna take a while until he can travel again, you know?" Wearing a weak smile, she couldn't bear looking into their bright innocent eyes. "Uhm…I'll make sure to bring him here next time, that is if he starts feeling better."
"Is he sick?" Asked Tiara.
"Can we not just visit him?" Doroke suggested.
Barraged with questions once again, she decided to think things through before answering any more of their questions.
"Why don't we visit a lake or something first? It's been a while since I've bathed with you two," playfully throwing them high, she shocked them both before grabbing them mid-air. "I know a spot nearby."
Carrying them both in each hand, she flew them at a speed that they couldn't dream of matching at such a young age. Distracted by the amusing flight, Tiara, as well as Doroke, enjoyed their time giggling and laughing as their mother flew them far off towards a massive waterfall visible from a distance.
'Sooner or later Haruki will probably ask for their involvement in his plans, until then I want to protect their innocence even if it was for a fleeting moment.' Although it pained her heart knowing that she'd offered her family for willing servitude to the incubus duke, there was not much to be done now, especially since not accepting that offer would've resulted in her brother's death. 'I don't plan on involving any of my other children in this though, they can stay safe as long as their older brother keeps them safe in a space tear.'
Looking down at the two with a weak smile, she felt heartbroken for her youngest to be the ones being pulled into this mess.
"Mama, are you sad?" Noticing the gloom on Rose's face, Tiara quickly pointed it out.
"No sweetie, I was just thinking about how much I missed you two," almost reaching the waterfall, Rose forced on a wide grin.
Glancing at the pooled-up water under the waterfall, she flung them out of her hands and dived headlong into it as well. Startled by the sudden throw, the two had little to no time to spread out their wings, and thus as they fell into the water they glared at Rose with two big huge frowns.
Realizing the mistake she'd made in her excitement, Rose tugged on her ears as an apology, however, letting out a fit of giggle the siblings had her completely fooled.
"Throw me again!"
"Me too! Me too!"
Hugging their mother by the waist, the two demanded so cheerfully that Rose couldn't possibly deny the angels.
"Alright then! Let's see who can dive from the greatest height!" Pulling them both close to her again, she couldn't help smiling. "Just don't freeze the ice or evaporate it all, or I'll be really mad okay?"
Nodding at her instructions, they both agreed to not do such life-threatening stunts. Not as though, diving in a pond of water wasn't threatening enough as it is.
'I missed this, I love being a mother.'