“Anna!” Elvis called out to his wife as he rushed to hold her.
Anna is motionless as her husband holds her to prevent her from falling. He is shocked with what had happened to her as everything had happened to sudden in front of his & his twin children.
“Pixar!” Queenie called her attendant.
“As your will mistress.” The attendant responded.
Pixar places her right palm in front of Anna’s fact & a short flash blue light glowed from it. Seconds later, Anna Swansong begins to regain her consciousness after fainting from the shock she had earlier from her revelation.
“It’s Dixon…. Mason… Pauline…. They are going to take him from us….” She told her husband sobbingly.
“Girl, don’t cry over spilled milk. Once a chick has fallen off from its nest, it is already lost to the hands of fate.” Quennie rebutted her the moment she started to shed her tears.
“Why you bitch!” Elvis shouted & charged at her.
Before he could do anything, a flash of light in a shape of a rectangle with the size able to fit in a man appeared in front of him. The speed which it appears does not give Elvis any time to avoid it which resulted in him slamming into the magic barrier which has been erected in front of him.
“Lord Applegate, good to see you in time to join us.” Queenie turns to greet a warrior which had just arrived to the scene.
“It is rare to see a new kin of an ascended being to be named, how could I miss such an auspicious occasion milady.” The Great Master replied.
“Elvis, are you alright?” Anne checks on her husband’s condition who is now bleeding from the nose.
Elvis has been flung a few feet away from a man who appears to be dressed like a knight in his tunic after colliding with the magic barrier which has been conjured by him the moment he had made an attempt to threaten Queenie by force.
“Worry not good lady, he is fine with some headaches.” The Great Master of the Celestial Knights assured her.
“Pixar, fix the man.” Queenie commanded her attendant again.
“As you wish milady.” She replied while obeying her mistress commands.
Making the same gesture that she did with Anna earlier when she fainted, Pixar healed Elvis from the light injuries that he got from his attempted scuffle with her mistress & Lord Applegate. Those injuries are the outcome of him colliding with the energy shield conjured by Lord Applegate in defence for his mistress.
“You… Anymore of these nonsense & you will be marooned in a backwater realm. Do you understand?” Pixar warned him.
Elvis nodded his head, showing that he understand the grave situation he is in now. The leader of the Swansongs got up & follows the rest of them with his family in tow who are now entering the wardroom which will be the meeting place between the De la Croix & them.
Surprise after surprise comes after them where this time, they found that both Mason & Pauline now looked so young where they are now in their early 30’s. They are no longer using their disguises which made them look like people who are in their early 60’s & this had alarmed them too.
“Mr. Swansong & family, I am Captain McDonald & I will be the chair of this negotiation.” A man seated in at the centre of the table stands up greets them.
Elvis is silent & so do the rest of his family, in response to the captain’s greeting to them, as they are unsure how to respond to the current situation at hand now. Their eyes are now looking at Dixon who is now sitting beside the captain.
“Dixon, thank goodness that you are alright.” Anna expresses her relief.
“Pa, Ma, I’m alright. They did nothing to me.” The young man tried to assure his birth family.
“That is good, if they touch even a hair I will make sure they pay for it.” Elvis said to his son.
“Elvis, it won’t happen as the conditions it requires will not be fulfilled.” Mason responded to his statement.
“What do you mean Mason?!” Elvis reacted in anger before Mason could complete what he wanted to tell him.
“Mr. Swansong, if you wish to vent your spleen, this ship has all the facilities to accommodate it. You are welcomed to use them with our supervision. But first, there are more pressing matter such as your son’s health & wellbeing.” The captain interrupted.
Hearing that, Elvis stopped the conflict that he perceived to have with Mason. In actual fact, there is never such intention for Mason to have a verbal blow with him. Elvis has overreacted due to the stress that he is facing at the moment with them & they understood it from his point of view.
Seeing their eldest son is fine, Elvis & Anna calmed down a little. The couple however did not allow themselves to be lax as the business they had with Mason & Pauline has just started.
Present for the meeting this time are Dixon, the Swansongs, the De la Croix’s, Gwynne the AI, Dixon’s group of friends, & officers of the Celestial Sanctuary who are authorized to attend to Dixon when he was being brought onboard the Celestial Sanctuary for his energy rampage treatment.
“Mr. & Mrs. Swansong, Duke & Duchess De la Croix. We will now begin our negotiations for the adoption Dixon Swansong, first born of the Swansongs & the ward to be of The Realm, Passage & Gate Foundation under the guardianship of the De la Croix who will be his foster parents. Do we have the acknowledgement of all witnesses here?”
The captain started off the meeting with his opening statement which initiated the negotiations efforts between two parties that are involved. Everyone there answered “Yes”, acknowledging the existence of the meeting & the issue present currently.
“Before we move on further, Mr. Skystrider, can we have something to keep the twins occupied?” The captain made his request to his Science & Arcane Officer.
“Aye sir, we do. It is children friendly as required.”
Skystrider conjured two objects out of this air much to the amazement of the twin children, who thought they are seeing a magic show like what they have seen happened to their parents earlier.
Those objects which had appeared are virtual reality headsets that are similar to the ones which people on Earth use whenever they wanted to interact with something which are not present with them but at the same time desired.
The friendly officer brought these items to the children who are now curious of them. They hesitated to accept them, but did so when their parents gave them their approval by nodding their heads when they looked at them for such answer.
With the children now occupied with the entertainment which is being provided by the crew of the Celestial Sanctuary, they continue with the proceedings of the negotiation, starting by introducing the Swansongs to the main cause of why Dixon has been selected to be a ward of the foundation.
“Now, we can now continue with business. Pixar, Skystrider, both of you may begin.” The captain beckons them to start their session.
