Chapter 2
Adam slowed to a stop in front of his mother's bedroom. He motioned behind him for his sister to be quiet as she ran down the hallway towards him.
"Adam," she whispered upon reaching him, "What are we doing?" The young prince smiled and winked at her. He turned back to the door and clenched his sweating hands.
"Adam, tell me!" Dagger softly stomped on the floor. But Adam only chuckled and grasped the slick brass door handle. He took a deep breath, twisted the knob and pulled. Nothing happened. Adam cocked his head to the side and stepped back.
"Dagger, what happened?" He looked inquisitively up at her. She shrugged and approached the door. She told him to let her handle the door-opening parts, and grabbed the handle. Just as she twisted, the door was flung open. Dagger stumbled back in surprise, and fell over on her brother. Zidane smiled and stepped through the door.
"What are you two doing?" He asked as Dagger rolled off the younger boy. Adam sat up and rubbed his head.
"We were trying to surprise you and mommy." Dagger pulled herself to her feet and dusted off her overalls. There was a slight hole in the knee, and she picked at it absent-mindedly. Zidane gave a slight laugh and scooped his son up in his arms. The boy's tail swooshed back and forth happily as his father rustled his messy blonde hair.
"Adam, looks like your sister gave you a little cut there." Adam looked down to where Zidane was pointing. His arm had a slight gash in it. Dagger rubbed her horn with the back of her hand.
"Sorry 'bout that, daddy. Can we see mommy now?" Zidane's smile faded. He placed his young son back on the floor and knelt down.
"Your mother's sick." His head lowered, shining his sparkling aqua eyes. "She's in bed now, but the doctor doesn't think you should see her yet." Adam sat down before his father and rested his head on the man's knee. He could feel him shiver through his thin pants, and looked up to his hidden face.
"Is she gonna be okay?" His father hesitated, then nodded. His smile returned, but this time in a different way. It became sad and ragged, unfit for such a glorious king. Dagger stepped back when he began to tremble. She could see a slight sparkle between her father's hair. She had never seen Zidane cry before, and it scared her. The lie in his voice was obvious as he reassured his son of her recovery. It was obvious to Alexandria's princess-the Queen was going to die.
Zidane looked up as a young knight ran to his side.
"Pluto Knight Weimar reporting, sir! I bring important news from Miss Claudia!" Zidane leapt to his feet.
"Tell me on the way. Children?" He turned to the puzzled royalty. "Go back to your rooms." With that, he and the knight ran full speed down the thin hallway. Dagger turned to her confused brother and folded her skinny arms across her chest.
"You don't honestly believe that, do you?" Adam looked up at his sister. His tail flicked back and forth expectantly as she combed a hand through her mop of messy brown hair away from the dull white horn. "You know mom's going to die, and there's nothing we can do about it."
Adam slowed to a stop in front of his mother's bedroom. He motioned behind him for his sister to be quiet as she ran down the hallway towards him.
"Adam," she whispered upon reaching him, "What are we doing?" The young prince smiled and winked at her. He turned back to the door and clenched his sweating hands.
"Adam, tell me!" Dagger softly stomped on the floor. But Adam only chuckled and grasped the slick brass door handle. He took a deep breath, twisted the knob and pulled. Nothing happened. Adam cocked his head to the side and stepped back.
"Dagger, what happened?" He looked inquisitively up at her. She shrugged and approached the door. She told him to let her handle the door-opening parts, and grabbed the handle. Just as she twisted, the door was flung open. Dagger stumbled back in surprise, and fell over on her brother. Zidane smiled and stepped through the door.
"What are you two doing?" He asked as Dagger rolled off the younger boy. Adam sat up and rubbed his head.
"We were trying to surprise you and mommy." Dagger pulled herself to her feet and dusted off her overalls. There was a slight hole in the knee, and she picked at it absent-mindedly. Zidane gave a slight laugh and scooped his son up in his arms. The boy's tail swooshed back and forth happily as his father rustled his messy blonde hair.
"Adam, looks like your sister gave you a little cut there." Adam looked down to where Zidane was pointing. His arm had a slight gash in it. Dagger rubbed her horn with the back of her hand.
"Sorry 'bout that, daddy. Can we see mommy now?" Zidane's smile faded. He placed his young son back on the floor and knelt down.
"Your mother's sick." His head lowered, shining his sparkling aqua eyes. "She's in bed now, but the doctor doesn't think you should see her yet." Adam sat down before his father and rested his head on the man's knee. He could feel him shiver through his thin pants, and looked up to his hidden face.
"Is she gonna be okay?" His father hesitated, then nodded. His smile returned, but this time in a different way. It became sad and ragged, unfit for such a glorious king. Dagger stepped back when he began to tremble. She could see a slight sparkle between her father's hair. She had never seen Zidane cry before, and it scared her. The lie in his voice was obvious as he reassured his son of her recovery. It was obvious to Alexandria's princess-the Queen was going to die.
Zidane looked up as a young knight ran to his side.
"Pluto Knight Weimar reporting, sir! I bring important news from Miss Claudia!" Zidane leapt to his feet.
"Tell me on the way. Children?" He turned to the puzzled royalty. "Go back to your rooms." With that, he and the knight ran full speed down the thin hallway. Dagger turned to her confused brother and folded her skinny arms across her chest.
"You don't honestly believe that, do you?" Adam looked up at his sister. His tail flicked back and forth expectantly as she combed a hand through her mop of messy brown hair away from the dull white horn. "You know mom's going to die, and there's nothing we can do about it."
