Aimée had make a decision. She wouldn't came out of her blanket for the rest of the night. Not while the monsters known as nightmares were waiting outside. Maybe the blanket wouldn't be the safest, but it was better than nothing.

Of course, Aimée would have preferred if she could go to her parents instead. But that would mean to go out of the blanket and face the monsters. Which was out of the question.

If only her parents would come to her instead. Mom and Dad were Magic Knights, they were strong, they could fight the monsters. Aimée was only four, her birthday had been two months ago. She didn't exactly what that meant yet, two months ago or whatever, but her mother said so and why shouldn't she trust her mother?

Aimée heard the door of her bedroom open and close. A new monster? She rolled herself more in her blanket.

"Aimée?"

Wait, that wasn't the voice of a monster. That sounded like her father. Trembling, Aimée dared to take a glance outside her blanket.

Thankfully, it was her father, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking her hair.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yes and now there are more monsters and they don't want to leave me alone."

Aimée looked around in her room carefully as she went into Nozels arms. It was very dark, no moon was shining because of the heavy rain outside. She couldn't really see the monsters, they were smart after all to not show themselves fully. But the shadows were scary. Monsters seemed to love shadows.

Nozel hold her tightly and Aimée felt already safer than rolled in her blanket. This was her father, after all.

Aimée closed her eyes. Her father always smelled like lavender and she loved it. It wasn't a strong scent and it didn't stink like uncle Asta after he worked out for very, very long. It was subtle and so reassuring.

"Daddy?"

"What is it, my little one?"

"Can I sleep with you and Mommy tonight, please?"

"Of course. We won't leave you all alone with monsters."

"Thank you, Daddy."

Nozel stood up, holding Aimée firmly and grabbed her gryphon plushie that she got for her last birthday, before going out of his daughter's bedroom.

The Silva palace was so silent at night. It wasn't that heavy silent of guilt and pressure he had known for years, but a more peaceful one.

Even after four years, even after all those troubles were over, Nozel still needed to get used to it.

Aimée was clinging to him and Nozel walked swiftly, even though his and Vanessas bedroom was nearby. His daughter was scared and she was only four years old. She still needed her parents. Nozel remembered vaguely how he used to ran in his mothers bed when he was that age and when he had a nightmare.

How times have passed since… Now, he was a father.

Vanessa already sat up on the bed as he entered the room with Aimée.

"Oh, my sweet little witch, what happened?"

Vanessa spread her arms and Aimée willingly let go of Nozel to hug her mother instead. Her father wasn't even envious, as he just watched at his two girl with love.

"Aimée had a nightmare," he said as he sat down next to Vanessa and Aimée.

"Yes, and more nightmare monsters came in my room and they didn't wanted to leave me alone."

"My poor, sweet, little snookum," Vanessa whispered as she kissed Aimées silver curls.

Aimée cuddled more against her mother, humming in reassurance as her father caressed her hair. While Daddy smelled like lavender, Mommy always smelled like the sweetest roses. Aimée knew that, she could already tell even the most subtle differences between all kinds of flowers, as well as their smells. One day, she would also learn the different messages and symbol of flowers. The so called flower language. Aimée had no idea what this could mean, but she couldn't wait to learn.

She always felt safe with her parents. Which was normal, they were always there for her and they were Magic Knights. Daddy was even a captain! Which meant that they were strong to defend her and themselves against the monsters. But it was still a wonderful feeling. It was always a wonderful feeling.

The monsters wouldn't do anything to her while her parents were here. Oh, they were still here, Aimée saw the scary shadows. But she wasn't that scared anymore. Still a bit, but she was with her parents. So, she surely had nothing to fear.

"Shall Mommy and Daddy tell you a secret?" her mother whispered after a while.

"Hm?"

"We also have nightmares from time to time."

"What, really? But you're Magic Knights!"

Vanessa laughed. The naivety of children was just so cute most of the time and she found it even more adorable when it came from her little daughter.

"Oh, Aimée, sweetie… we're not free from nightmares just for the sole reason we're Magic Knights. Right, honey?"

"Yes."

Aimée frowned. Somehow this didn't make any sense. But maybe it was adult logic?

"But… you're never scared right?"

"Wrong, sweetie," Vanessa replied with a soft smile. "Fear is a needed emotion when we're Magic Knights. It helps us to get a grip of ourselves when we need to surpass our limits."

"Besides, if you're not scared, you can't be brave," Nozel added, giving his daughter a kiss on the crown of her head.

"Of what can you be scared?" Aimée asked. She has no reason to not believe her parents. Why would her parents lie to her? But it was still difficult to believe.

"Well, for examples, we're your Mommy and Daddy, so we're scared of something really bad happening to you," Vanessa replied, immediately cuddling Aimée like there's no tomorrow, making the little girl giggle. "You wanna know another secret, sweetie?"

"Hm?"

"Nightmares are especially scary when you're alone. But around other people, they can't hurt you. Daddy and I are here also to protect you, little gryphon. Until you learned to be brave and to face the monsters, you can always come to us if nightmares bother you again."

"Thank you," Aimée whispered. This was so reassuring. She had the best parents ever.

She began to feel really sleepy. Aimée hugged her gryphon plushie while Mommy was rocking her as well as singing her favourite lullaby and Daddy was caressing her head, so softly that it already felt like a dream. It wasn't long before she fell asleep, this time without any nightmare.

"I don't think she will wake up again this night," Nozel said as he softly took his daughter from Vanessas arms to lie her down in the middle of the mattress. "She never has more than one nightmare, if there's one."

"I know, honey," Vanessa smiled as she tucked one of Aimées silver curls behind her ear. Just like when she was only a baby, her little girl sleeps mostly peacefully through the night. Her nightmares weren't frequent, thankfully.

She watched as her handsome husband lied down as well on his side of the bed, but still near enough so that his arm could easily reach both her and Aimée.

"Fatherhood suits you so well, honey."

"I might have heard it that once or twice since Aimée was born."

More than once or twice, but they both knew that. Nozel and Vanessa smiled at each other, before focusing on their sleeping daughter again.

Aimée breathed in softly, hugging her gryphon and she already started to roll a bit, just like a cat.

"You know, Nozel? I think that Aimée would be such an amazing big sister."

"In other words, you would love to have more children."

"Oh, I have nothing against it, on the contrary. But I really think that our little one here would be a wonderful big sister. She must got that from me, I'm still the Black Bulls official big sister after all. Oh, and a part has also to come from you."

Nozel just chuckled. Vanessa wasn't wrong, after all. But he knew that she would love more children as well.

"Don't tell me that seeing Nebra pregnant made you wish to give Aimée some siblings."

"Not exactly," Vanessa giggled quietly. A pregnant Nebra was indeed a strange reason to wish for more children. Her sister-in-law was now in her eighth month, could only move with heavy cautious, complained a lot and was driving everyone nuts, especially her husband. Even though Zora seemed kinda to enjoy it.

But it was understandable. Nebra was enormous. Much bigger than Vanessa was when she had been eight months pregnant with Aimée. Maybe she was expecting twins?

"Let's wait a bit with that, honey. Nebra is already causing a ruckus, maybe we should wait until her and Zoras baby is born. And then we can ask Aimée her opinion about having younger siblings."

Nozel nodded, smiling. He leaned over Aimée carefully to draw Vanessa into a slow, soft kiss. She gave in immediately, still amazed after all those years that even the softest of his kisses could fill her with such a fire and passion.

Both parents finally lied down, Aimée between them, and slowly fell back to sleep. Happy to make their daughter feel safe.