“Lilli is asleep?” Jean asked, looking at her crib.

     “Yes,” Titania said, as she snuggled the sleeping girl.

     Mirriam’s shoulders slumped as she sighed.

     “What’s wrong Mirri?” Jean asked.

     “I wonder what…” she snapped in response.

     “I don’t know,” she sighed, a hint of annoyance crossing her face. “Why don’t you just tell me, I don't feel like playing the guessing game.”

     “You should be able to figure this out! Jean!” she snapped. “You were always the smart one!”

     “Just tell me what this is all about!” Jean said, raising her voice before being shushed by Titania.

     Mirriam sighed again and rubbed her eyes, “Why did my daughter trust you over me? How come she didn’t say something sooner? How could I have been so stupid as to not see how different she was?”

     “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Mirri,” Jean replied, putting her arm around her sister.

     “How can I not be!?! My daughter told you before her own mother! I’ve failed as a parent,” she said softly as tears formed in her eyes.

     “It's not like that.”

     “How could you know?”

     “Because I basically forced her to tell me!” Jean practically shouted.

     “What do you mean?”

     “You’re her mother, she cares so much about you that the stress of this made her black out.”

     “What do you mean you forced her?” Mirriam insisted.

     “You know how I can tell when someone lies to me?”

     “Annoyingly yes,” she said, looking away.

     “I never told you how.”

     “So how do you then?”

     “Everyone has ether, even if they can't use it. While I can’t see it like Lilli does I can see faint traces of it, like heat lines coming off someone. When people lie, those lines waver, change directions, or halt entirely. I accused Lilli of being someone else. When she tried to hide Titania’s existence, I forced her to reveal it.”

     “So she didn’t want to tell you?”

     “No, at least not that I believe. I think she wanted to be a normal kid.”

     “So how did you figure it out then?”

     “She bowed, that's not something she should have known.”

     “So everything she said is true? Breaking the barrier, learning magic, and deciphering the language of the sigils? How is that even possible?”

     “She's very special, and she hasn’t told us everything. Like how she’s deciphering the language. No one has ever been able to translate even a single word, yet she has already worked at least two sigils.” 

     “We need to come up with an excuse to keep her from prying eyes.”

     “Her blindness is a perfect excuse,” Jean suggested. 

     “For now, but some noble will insist on marrying her into their family ‘for her protection’ just as a way to get close to us.”

     “Perhaps ask the king?”

     “If I need to.” 

     “I have a suggestion,” Titania said, floating up from the crib.

     “And whats that?” Mirriam asked coldly.

     “Hide her away,” she said protectively. 

     “And where would you suggest?” she sneered.

     “The fae woods, no one would think to look for her there.”

     “Absolutely not! You just want to steal her away for this repository, of yours.”

     Tani flew up close to her face, set her hands on her hips, and spoke in an aggressive tone, “I care about her just as much as you do! I’d say more because l’ve been with her all day every day minus the two weeks I had to report to my queen. If I wanted to steal her away, I would have already. And I don’t want her just because she might be able to open the repository. And just so that you know, she was worried to death about her family finding out about her,” she huffed and returned to Lilli’s crib, snuggling back up with her.

     “HOW DARE YOU…!”

     “MIRRIAM!” Jean cut her off. “We need to calm down. We all want the same thing here.”

     “I’m sorry,” Mirriam said.

     “I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to provoke you,” Titania said. “I originally came because I saw her power. I stayed because of her potential. And I love her for her personality and her intelligence.”

     “Since we are in agreement,” Jean said, overriding Mirriam’s look. “We need to come up with a way to keep her safe. Taking her to the Fae Forest should be the last resort.”

     “I can make a request to his majesty at the next opportunity,” Mirriam added. “I have already had two different noblemen drop hints at marrying her off. We may have to come clean about her to him, at least partially.”

     “Mirri do you trust me?”

     “Obviously, I leave you alone with my daughter all day.”

     “Sign a contract, put her in my care, at least until she becomes an adult. That way no one could interfere, even his majesty would hesitate to cross me. It’ll be very beneficial to me.”

     “How so?”

     “She’s already improved my Auto Carriage, and I know she has more beneficial knowledge. I will make sure to pay her appropriately of course.”

     “Fine, we can handle that tomorrow,” she said, waving her hand. “Now Titania, what have you been teaching my daughter?”

     “I’ve been teaching her sigils,” she began, leaving out the fact she was using them. “I've also been teaching her history, geography, and anything interesting for a child.”

     “A child?”

     “She may have memories of an old life, but she is still Lilli. She loves playing with her toys, gets really excited when she learns something new, and her smile lights up an entire room.”

     Lilli groaned softly as she rolled over before sticking her thumb in her mouth. Tani stood up and looked at her face, but saw her smiling pleasantly.

     “She's ok, just having a dream, probably.”

     “My baby girl is precious,” Mirriam said, standing up she went to the crib. Brushing her daughter's hair out of her face. "Sleeping like this she looks just like her sister." A smile crept across her face as she watched her daughter sleep. Jean got up from her chair and joined her sister, placing her hand on her sister's shoulder.

     “I’ll stand beside you and her. Even if the whole world should turn against us.”

*****

     “Of course this language wouldn’t be easy,” I say to myself, rubbing my eyes. Staring at the document in front of me. The spells I had deciphered there proved my fears. “Oh well,” I shrugged, before my mind palace went dark and I lost consciousness. 

     “Morning flower,” Tani said, seeing me wake up.

     “Morning,” I replied, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I stood up in the crib in my room and looked around, but no one was here. “Where’s Auntie?”

     “She said she’ll be back in an hour unless you need her then I can activate this,” she pointed at something round filled with ether, “and she’ll come immediately.”

     “No, I need to say something first.”

     “What is it?”

     “Thank you for being here with me, I really do love you.”

     “Of course, it is my pleasure. And I love you too.” 

     Tani’s words sent me into a giggle fit as I hugged her gently. “I wish I could hug you better.”

     “Me too.”

     “So I found something interesting in my mind palace,” I began before sitting down.

     “What? And I noticed you didn't tell them about that.”

     “I already told them a lot, I didn't want to seem more strange. But I found that some words are doubled up.”

     “What do you mean?”

     “So like the word to which seems to mean of or on depending on context. Like this watch.”

     “Ok,” Tani said, sitting in my lap.

     Lifting my hand, I spoke, “Setan na tect.” Causing a distortion as a barrier formed.

     “Oth to sai,” I said, causing a ball of fire to appear in the barrier. “This seems to translate to ball of fire. Zetten to morth,” I spoke, causing the ball of fire to turn into ice. “That translates to place on ice.”

     “How do you know it means place?”

     “Because of zetten ilc sorven, which is the spell to place a levitated object back down. Since the spell to levitate, Mav ilc sorven, shares the same sorven word. Which I assume translate to object or thing.”

     “That's very impressive,” Tani said, clapping for me. 

     “Thankiees,” I giggled. 

     “You want me to call your aunt?”

     “No, I don’t need to potty, and I just want to snuggle with you.”

     “So about last night, how come you didn’t tell your mom about actually casting magic.”

     “Oh that, thank you for not telling that I have. Because auntie didn't tell her about the barrier in my play room, I don't want mommy worrying about me using magic. Also, please don't tell her you’ve taught me combat magic.”

     “Ok,” she said.

     The last week has been really stressful for me, but in the end I'm glad I told mommy. And I'm happy she didn't reject me. Tani, Auntie, and Mommy, with them on my side everything will be alright. I'm not sure how long we snuggled before the door swung inwards. Auntie strode in, closely followed by Mom.

     “Morning, sweetie,” Mom cooed when she saw I was awake.

     “Morning Mommy,” I smiled back.

     “Do you need to go to the restroom?” She asked.

     “Yes mommy,” I felt my cheeks grow warm. Auntie wouldn’t ask normally. She picked me up and set me down.

     “I always knew you were special,” she said as she led me to the bathroom. “And now I know how special.” She smiled at me and patted my head, before picking me up and setting me down on the toilet.

     “Mommy, when are sissy and brother coming back?” 

     “Aww, you miss them?” She asked, I nodded and she continued. “They will be coming back in two weeks.”

     “Fourteen days?”

     “So you know your days too, my baby girl is so smart,” Mom fawned. I felt my cheeks grow warm again. 

     “Mommy?”

     “Yes baby girl?” 

     “I love you,” I smiled. 

     “I love you too,” she said, her light filling the room. After I finished going potty, she helped me wipe and wash my hands. Once again, I'm glad this world at least has indoor plumbing. After that, she picked me up and carried me back into Auntie’s room.

     “Let’s get you dressed then get you fed,” she said, tickling my side.

     “Okay,” I said happily. 

     When mommy said dressed, she really meant dress up. Between her, Auntie and Tani they thoroughly enjoyed their game. I was treated to a seemingly endless stream of ‘what about this?’, ‘She’ll be adorable in this.’, and ‘This one really highlights her eyes!’. For an hour, AN HOUR! They changed me into so many outfits, I began to wonder if they weren’t simply magicking up new ones. Just as they were getting ready to put me in another outfit, my stomach growled loudly.

     “Guess someone’s hungry,” Auntie said sweetly.

     “I’m sorry Lilli. Mommy got caught up in how adorable you are, let's get some food in your tummy.”

     “Okay, mommy,” I smiled at her. I tried to hop down from the stool I was standing on, but mom picked me up.

     “I know you can walk, sweetie, but it's a bit far for a baby like you,” she said in response to my look.

     “Okay,” I said sadly.

     She carried me on her hip, one arm wrapped around my waist, the other under my butt. I held on around her neck, Tani settled down on my shoulder and went invisible again.

     “I wish Tani didn’t have to hide,” I sighed. 

     “I’m sorry baby girl, while I trust my staff, I can't guarantee they won’t let her existence slip.”

     “It’s okay mommy, it's for the best. At least I can see her still,” I said, gently nuzzling her.

     I was happy, embraced by the two people I loved the most. And Mommy accepted Tani far easier than I thought. The repository can wait, I’m happy that I don't have to hide my memories or Tani anymore.

Crissyfox

Sorry for the delay, got a little stuck on something else I was doing and between that and job hunting my time has been a bit lacking of late. I'm thinking about going back and cleaning up my previous chapters and correcting any errors I missed.