"Dad wait!" Mornstein yelled, giggling as his small legs carried him to his father.

He tackled Socrates and latched onto his leg.

"Ha-ha I got your leg I got your leg!" He squealed happily, looking up at his father.

Socrates let out a small chuckle and picked Mornstein up. Mornstein bopped Socrates' nose, laughing at the fact that it twitched whenever he did that. Socrates did the same thing to Mornstein's nose.

"I can do the same thing to you," he said with a quiet laugh.

Mornstein covered his nose and giggled.

"Can't get my nose now!" He laughed and bopped Socrates' nose again.

"True. But there's one thing I can do that you can't!" Socrates said as he started to tickle Mornstein.

Mornstein let out a high-pitched squeal and started laughing.

"Noooooo, not the tickle monster!" He begged, while still laughing in the process.

Socrates didn't stop and kept tickling Mornstein. Mornstein's face got bright red.

"Stop stooooop! Hahahahahahaaa!" He kicked and tried to shove his father away, but his attempts were futile.

Socrates eventually stopped and looked at Mornstein.

"I love you Mornstein. I love you and Meriwether and Meadowlark and Mommy. You know that right?" Socrates asked, sitting Mornstein on his lap.

"Yes I do know that Daddy!" Mornstein said with a bright smile.

Socrates laughed a little.

"Good. Don't ever think that Daddy don't love you no more ok? No matter what, Daddy will always love you and your brother and sister and your Mommy." Socrates stroked Mornstein's fur and gave him a warm smile.

He started to fade away as Mornstein started to wake up.

"Daddy?" Mornstein mumbled and shifted, curling into a loose ball.

His eyes opened a little, and he sighed.

"Oh...it was just a dream," he realized, a little disappointed.

He sat up and let out a long yawn, stretching in the process by habit.

"How long was I asleep for?" Mornstein rubbed his eyes and stood up.

He slowly walked upstairs, his ears twitching as a familiar sound started to ring through the air.

'I'm coming Meriwether, I'm coming...' he thought silently to himself.

Mornstein rubbed his eyes and yawned again as he headed for Meriwether's door. He knocked on the door.

"Meriwether? Can I come in?" Mornstein asked, a little worried.

"Y-yeah, you can come in," Meriwether said coughing.

Mornstein opened the door slowly and looked at Meriwether.

"You alright?" Mornstein asked, walking towards the bed and crouching down by it.

Meriwether choked and coughed, his ears bending back. He shook his head.

"Do I need to get Alois?" Mornstein rested his hand on Meriwether's forehead.

He nodded his head slowly, collapsing onto his back. Mornstein stood up and walked out of the room.

'Go get Alois, and then go get into some more reasonable attire,' Mornstein reminded himself.

He walked downstairs where the servants are at, talking and laughing.

"Alois?" Mornstein said, causing all the servants to stop and look at him.

"Yes sir?" Alois said as he steps out of the group.

"I would like you to go upstairs and take care of Meriwether for the time being." Mornstein said as he ran his hand through his fur.

Alois nodded and walked towards the stairs past Mornstein. Mornstein turned and whispered in his ear.

"Make sure he isn't getting worse please. I really can't deal with a sick sibling along with the kingdom and the rest of the family." He said.

"Too much stress I'm assuming my Lord?" Alois questioned.

"Indeed. Just, do the best you can alright?" Mornstein asked, looking at Alois now.

"Yes sir." Alois headed up the stairs and into Meriwether's room.

Mornstein looked at the rest of the servants.

"Ciel?" He called out another name.

A small, younger looking hedgehog stepped out of the group.

"Yes sir?" He asked, looking up at Mornstein.

"I need you to keep an eye on the boys for me. I have some business I need to attend to." Mornstein said, turning to go back up the stairs.

"Is there anything we need to do sir?" Twin brothers Kronos and Kratos asked.

"Hm, now that I think about it, the gardens need tended to," Mornstein said with a smirk, knowing that Kronos and Kratos love taking care of the many bunches and varieties of vegetation that surround the castle.

Kronos and Kratos brighten up as they heard the words come out of Mornstein's mouth.

"I'd love to!" Kronos exclaimed.

"Dido!" Kratos squealed.

They ran out of the castle, laughing and jumping with joy.

"Have fun you two!" Mornstein said as he chuckled. "So much energy," he snickered as he headed back upstairs to his room.

Someone bumped into Mornstein.

"Oh. Sorry sir," the younger, much brighter colored, hedgehog apologizes as he tries to keep the items he's carrying from creating a catastrophe on the floor.

"It's alright Alejandro. You seem to be carrying a little much don't ya think?" Mornstein said as he cocked his head slightly to the left.

"Oh no no no sir, I'm perfectly fine." Alejandro said he stumbled a bit.

Mornstein sighed and laughed a bit.

"You sure?" He asked, not wanting to risk the safety of any of the royal servants, or his family for the matter.

"Y-yes my Lord." Alejandro said hesitantly, almost dropping something.

Mornstein caught the item and looked at it.

'Why a Russian doll? How odd.' Mornstein thought to himself as he looked up at Alejandro.

"Perhaps, I should get Balthazar to help you." Mornstein replied, running his hand across the smooth and brightly painted Russian doll's face.

"I-I'm sure sir, I can take care of this myself." Alejandro protested, just as Balthazar was walking up the stairs.

'Well, speak of the devil. How convenient.' Mornstein thought to himself with a smile.

"Balthazar. Could you please help Alejandro?" He asked as Balthazar made it up the top of the steps.

"Oh yes sir." Balthazar said as he walked over to Alejandro.

Mornstein walked past them, making sure not to knock anything over. He slipped into his room and closed the door silently. He still had the Russian doll in his hand. He set it on the table and walked towards the closet.

'Hm formal or casual?' Mornstein thought thankfully to himself.

'Uhm, Formal or casual wear? Well, it's not that important so, I'll be casual' he decided, getting dressed in about five minutes.

He adjusted his crown on top of his head just as Azura came in.

"Well, doesn't someone just look fancy," she joked a bit.

Mornstein looked at her and smirked.

"You know I can't just walk out of here looking like a mess," Mornstein said, laughing in the slightest.

"Well, I think you look perfectly fine Mornstein," Azura said, adjusting her own crown. "And I'm sure the boys would agree,"

"Well, I guess we'll have to find out, now won't we?" Mornstein suggested with a somewhat childish smile.

He took a quick look in the mirror and tilted his crown a little to the left.

"There we go," Mornstein said in satisfaction.

He walked towards the door, his cape flowing behind him. Azura followed him, her own transparent, somewhat jeweled, cape gliding behind her. They head down the stairs hand in hand. At the same time Zander went running down the hall into the same room his parents were in.

'Heh, right on time'