Project Motherhood: Parasoul

by Gamer95

The Dursleys, bored with their nephew, decide to sell him off into slavery. Fortunately for him, the princesa of the Canopy Kingdom will be there to save him from this living nightmare...

4. Chapter 4

The next morning came, and this time, Parasoul knew she had to work. Sighing, she rose from her bed, hugging a still sleeping Harry close to her shoulder and smiling warmly at how cute he was as he slept. Kissing his cheek once more, she gently tucked him back into bed and made her way into her washroom to change into her sweater and miniskirt. Going back to her bed, she gently shook her son awake. "Harry... Time to wake up now, sweetie..." She said softly. He let out a soft whine and stirred from his slumber.

"M...m..mama..?" Harry mumbled, stubbornly struggling to wake up form his sleep. Parasoul grinned and patted his back as he slowly pulled himself up and out from sleep into the land of the living.

"Good morning sweetie." Parasoul cooed, kissing her son on the head, earning a smile from him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhmm... you're really comfy." Harry mumbled.

Parasoul snorted slightly in amusement. "Why thank you, deat." She said, patting his back with a smile. He rubbed his tiny eyes and yawned again. "Hmm... Why don't we get you in the shower, dear? That will wake you."

Harry nodded in agreement. Parasoul stepped back into the bathroom, carefully rolling up her sleeves to turn the water on.

After making sure it was just right, she gently helped Harry undress and helped him into the shower.

About five minutes later, she took her now clean and awake son out, and laughed at the state of his hair. When it was soaking wet, it went flat downwards, and was now completely covering his eyes.

"Uh... I can't see mama." Harry said in a very innocent tone. Parasoul picked up a comb and tired to clean up his hair.

"We need to get this cut at some point..." She remarked.

Harry perked up at those words, smiling slightly. "I always wanted a haircut..." He said softly. "I don't like it when my hair is in my eyes." Parasoul let out an understanding hum and continued to fix his hair.

"Yes, I guess you never had one before... And it really does show. You're much too shaggy for such a little boy."

"Oh. Sorry for being shaggy. I didn't mean to."

"Oh, you have nothing to apologize for my sweet." Parasoul cooed, kissing him on the nose. Harry giggled lightly as Parasoul scooped him up into her arms and took him to get dressed. Once he was ready for the day, Parasoul smiled down at him, heading towards breakfast.

"So, Harry. I have to work today, so you'll get to see why my job is like." She stated.

"Is... is there gonna be a lot of people?" Harry asked nervously.

"Yes dear, but if you feel uncomfortable surrounded by people, I can have Auntie Umbrella look after you during that."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded his head in understanding. He was nervous, but he was still willing to try for his mommy's sake. "I'll... I'll try, mama..." Harry said softly. Parasoul beamed with pride and joy and gave him a kiss on his forehead before nuzzling his face gently, causing him to let out a coo.

"Good boy... I'm very proud of you." Parasoul said with a warm smile, getting a smile from the boy.

Harry simply smiled and cuddled up, relishing in his mother's praise.

Parasoul was very proud of the boy. Here he was, willing and ready to step out of his comfort zone, just to be with her.

The two arrived at breakfast, with Parasoul seating her son on her lap. The two enjoyed their meal, but the Princess noticed that her son was clearly unnerved by something. She knew what it was, and was upset she didn't really know how to help him in this scenario. He was going to have to overcome his fear and trauma eventually, but this seemed like it might be reinforcing it... she'd just have to make it up to him later tonight, or maybe she could get the Egrets to watch him... actually on second thought, she wasn't sure how Harry felt about them, aside from Molly.

It seemed, at least for now, that Umbrella was the better option. She wanted to be the designated babysitter anyway, and would likely get angry if passed up in favour of the Egrets...Perhaps she could assign Umbrella to introduce him properly as she worked. But that was only assuming he couldn't take the pressure of being at work with her... Shaking her head, she simply focused on feeding her son, smiling contently as he ate happily. Then she realized something. Umbrella had not shown up for breakfast. Where on earth was that sister of hers?

Back in the room they had sparred in last night, Umbrella was still lodged headfirst into the wall. Her legs hung limply in the air as she snored away.

She had given up trying to get out about an hour into her being stuck here, and had simply decided to sleep. Parasoul assumed that she was either pulled out by the workers, or had gotten herself out, so she was rather surprised when she found her sister still stuck in a wall.

"Umbrella?" She asked bewildered, her sister stirring from her sleep.

"Mmm?" The young princess called out. Parasoul grabbed her feet and pulled with all her might, trying to pull her out of the wall. Umbrella popped out with a grunt, landing on her butt, then glared in annoyance at her sister.

"This area doesn't get cleaned on Tuesdays, dear sister of mine." Umbrella grunted angrily.

"And?" Parasoul asked nonchalantly.

"I was in there all night."

"And?"

"I had to SLEEP. In the WALL."

"And?"

"You're enjoying this too much."

"And?"

"I'm going to take Harry now."

"An-Wait!" Parasoul snapped back from her sister's usual routine moments after Umbrella had taken Harry from her.

"Mine." Umbrella said defensively, holding Harry close as he giggled slightly at their antics.

"Umbrella, must you be difficult?"

"Night. In. The. Wall."

"After you instigated the fight."

"I am your baby sister."

"My baby sister who needs to learn to behave."

"I just wanted to be with my nephew."

"It waa his bedtime!"

"And?"

Parasoul groaned and rubbed her face in exasperation. "Umbrella, you really must stop instigating these things..."

"Just watch your back, sis. By the end of the day, I'm gonna get you stuck in a wall."

"Sure." Parasoul said flatly. "You've said that every time we've fought."

"And it's going to happen."

"No, it isn't."

"I can pay the egrets to help."

"If they value their jobs, they'll decline."

Harry just looked back and forth at his mother and aunt arguing, he couldn't do much else, as he was held close to Umbrella's chest, so he just enjoyed being with her. She had a presence that Harry thought a friend would have. But since he had never had a real friend, he wasn't totally sure... but he liked it nonetheless.

"You won't beat me in a fight, Umbrella."

"Who said anything about a fight?"

"Oh, pleaae tell me you don't mean..."

"There is gonna be a prank waiting for you later."

"And it will be set to put me through the wall?"

"Yep! Watch your back, sis. Because you'll be kissing that wall later tonight." Parasoul just sighed and rubbed her temples. She would admit that the prank would not be entirely unwarranted, but that didn't make her okay with it. Even worse was the fact that her sister's pranks always seemed to get her, no matter what.

"...Umbrella. I am willing to tolerate your pranks, but if any of your pranks EVER hurt Harry, there is nothing you can do to protect yourself. Am I clear?" Parasoul finally sighed. Umbrella seemed shocked by the implication but nodded.

"Of course! I'd never think of doing anything to hurt my widdle nephew!" Umbrella exclaimed, kissing Harry. "If anything, I want him to help me!"

"No." Parasoul said, her eyes narrowing. "Don't you dare."

"Aww, you couldn't get mad at this sweet widdle face, could you?" Umbrella asked rhetorically, holding Harry up for Parasoul to see. The princess' heart briefly melted at the timid, unsure look on Harry's face.

"Him, likely not. You, on the other hand, I would very much get angry at." Parasoul said sternly, putting her hands on her hips.

"Hmph! You are SO biased!" Umbrella huffed, sticking her nose up.

"Well, yes. He's my son. You're my sister." Parasoul admitted. "One of you has been horrifically abused and mistreated your entire life, and the other one is you."

"Well that's fai-Hey!" Umbrella began but realized she had been insulted. She glared at her sister and huffed childishly, before returning to giving Harry her attention. Parasoul had been hoping she wouldn't be paying attention and she could take her son back... but no such luck.

"Nope, you called me a stupid spoiled snot nosed brat that's more rotten than a month old egg out of the carton." Umbrella said before sticking out her tongue.

"Okay...now you're putting words in my mouth." Parasoul said flatly. Umbrella simply turned away and cuddled Harry close to her breast. Parasoul sighed, but decided to put up with it. Her sister did spend all night in a wall after all.

"Is this going to be our new normal?" Parasoul sighed, rubbing her face. "I just want my son back.

"I want a Harry." Umbrella stated.

"'Brella, he's not a dog! He isn't his own species of being." Parasol groaned.

"I wish he was... he's a widdle angel! And I just wanna hug him and give him all the love in the world!"

Parasoul couldn't help but smile at that. Her sister could be rather childish at times, but when it came down to it, she was one of the sweetest, most genuine people she had ever met. If she wasn't royalty, Parasoul had no doubts that her sister most likely would've gotten a job at a hospital or nursery.

The children would most certainly love being around her... She just had a natural affinity for making them smile and laugh.

She had volunteered a few times at children's homes and was a big hit.

She was proud of her sister for having such a big heart.

Now if only her heart was big enough to willingly relinquish her child back to her.

It didn't help that the pinkette seemed to be subtly rubbing the fact that she had Harry right in her face. The smug grin, the nonstop gushing, the nuzzling... Yep. Umbrella was definitely mocking her. And it was irritating.

"Do you want to go back in that wall?" Parasoul asked flatly.

"Do you want to hurt your son?" Umbrella retorted, and Parasoul's eyes widened almost comically.

"That. Is not fair." She growled.

"Neither is leaving me in a wall all night. Or keeping my little nephew away from me." Umbrella shrugged, kissing Harry's head, making him giggle. "See? He likes being with me!"

"Yes, but surely he prefers his mother."

"Well, yeah, sure, but he still likes me, so therefore I deserve to cuddle him too and you can't keep him all to yourself, so there."

"Umbrella... You really are a pain."

"Really? Funny you should say that. My head is still in pain from hitting the wall." Parasoul realized her sister was never going to let her live that down.

"Fine. I'm sorry. Can I have my son back now?" Parasoul muttered.

"Hmmmm... I don't think you really meant it." Umbrella replied after thinking it over, continuing to nuzzle the top of Harry's head.

"Umbrella." Parasoul said. "You're most likely going to be spending a lot of time with him when some of the royal duties come back into affect after purging most of our staff after the slave incident. You're the first name on the list I have for people to watch Harry. You're going to be able to give him all the love you want then, can I please have him?"

"But I wanna give him love now!" Umbrella said childishly.

"That's it. Panzer!" Parasoul shouted. "Get up here!"

Umbrella's eyes widened. "You're calling him?!"

"Yes. If that is what must be done." Parasoul said with a huff as loud footsteps were heard running up the stairs.

Then the door was thrown open and Panzerfaust rushed in, standing tall with a salute. "Princess! Panzerfaust is here to report for duty, sir!" Parasoul rolled her eyes at his formalities. Honestly, what had her father done to intimidate the egrets so much that they would refer to their clearly female boss as 'sir'?

"Panzerfaust? Get my son from Umbrella for me."

"Yes, I will do this! ...How?"

"Anyway that doesn't hurt Harry." Parasoul said with a shrug, and the large cybernetic Egret turned and looked at Umbrella as if assessing the way to cause minimal damage to her and their surroundings.

"...that makes this more difficult. But I will not hurt the young boy." He remarked, now looking up to the ceiling, then to a nearby window. "Princess Umbrella, I will give you until five to relinquish Prince Harry to your sister."

Umbrella gulped, but held strong. "Or what?" She demanded. "I already spent an entire night inside a wall, what could you possibly do that's worse than that?" Panzerfaust looked up at the ceiling and pointed.

"That is where you keep your ice cream stash, yes? I will blow hole in ceiling and vaporize whole thing if you do not give back child." Umbrella paled at that and looked horrified, giving Harry a nervous glance.

"That window is also over the garden, it is this time when the workers spread the fertilizer. Yeti was here this morning dropping off the new batch. We all know the stench that will be left behind on clothing when it comes into contact with it."

"Y..you really think you'll be able to grab Harry before we both go out the window?" Umbrella asked nervously.

"I would not make threat if I was not positive in my abilities."

Umbrella stood tensely, glaring at Panzerfaust in a challenging manner. All the massive man had to do waa take a single step forward for Umbrella to give up right then and there, hurriedly setting Harry down on the floor.

"Fine, fine, fine..." She grumbled, crossing her arms with a pout. Harry blinked, looking confused and a little unsure.

"Um... Why do you fight over me so much...?" He asked.

"I do not know little guy." Panzerfaust shrugged, picking Harry up and handing him back to Parasoul. "But it was my duty to get you back... for some reason. Still, I do not question what Parasoul asks. Usually."

Parasoul smiled as she took her son back, holding him close and kissing him on the forehead.

"Don't worry about it Harry, you didn't do anything wrong." She remarked.

"I... I don't think Auntie Umbrella did either." Harry admitted.

"Ha!" Umbrella laughed victoriously.

"Well... Auntie Umbrella needs to learn to stop being such a pest." Parasoul said, giving her sister a pointed glare. Umbrella pulled down her eyelid and stuck out her tongue in a very childish manner that got an eyeroll out of her sister.

"Well you need to learn to share, you great big Harry hogging bossyboots!" Parasoul facepalmed at her sister's antics.

"He's my son, Umbrella."

"And he's my nephew, what's your point?"

"Mother ranks higher than aunt."

"...I just wanna have someone like Harry." Umbrella admitted, and Parasoul was taken aback by the statement.

"Brella?" Parasoul asked confused.

"Sorry, not... sorry." Umbrella shook her head, her energy picking up again. "I just LOVE having the little sweetie, can you blame me for that?!"

"No, but I can blame you for stealing him."

Umbrella sulked, then gave her sister a challenging glare. "Fine then! I'll find a cute cuddly little boy of my own, just like Harry!"

"Hmm... Good idea."

Umbrella was taken aback by her sister's response. "Wait, what? I thought for sure you were gonna try and talk me out of it."

"No, no. You'd be a wonderful mother." Parasoul replied.

"Thanks." Umbrella smiled, her smile one of the most genuine smiles Parasoul had seen in years. But now she cared more about having her son back, and smiled down at him warmly, enjoying his content smile as he tried his best to hug her. There was a lot she had to do today, and she wasn't sure how Harry would react to all of it, so for now, she just wanted to give him affection and let him know he was loved.

"Well now, Harry... You've had your breakfast... Now you get to come and work with mommy. Are you excited?" Harry nodded his head eagerly, which warmed her heart, but then she noticed Umbrella staring at her. She turned to her younger sister with a frown. She could tell what message the pinkette was trying to convey just by looking at her. Umbrella was saying 'Really? You're gonna spend the day boring him to tears?'

Parasoul just smirked with a 'I get to spend the day with him, and you don't.' look as she carried her son off to her office. Thankfully, Umbrella had actually done her job while she was away, and the stack of paperwork wasn't as large as she had expected. It was nearly as tall as her, but still, it could've been worse.

'Although this isn't much better.' Parasoul muttered to herself, then looked down and saw her son in her arms. 'Okay, maybe it is better.'

Sighing, she sat down and set Harry down in her lap. Cracking her knuckles, she grabbed the sheets one by one and set to reading them over at a very fast pace, signing the ones that she deemed good or bad. She was used to working at a fast pace. As such, the stack of papers next to her dwindled at a rapid pace.

A half hour later, the stack was completely gone, each paper approved or denied, and Parasoul let out a content huff.

Harry still remained on her lap, looking up at his mother with his usual wonder. Parasoul chuckled softly and kissed his forehead.

"That wasn't too boring for you, was it?" She asked, somewhat rhetorically. Harry just shook his head in response. It was clear he probably didn't know what was happening, but liked watching his mama work. His presence was an energy anchor she never realized she needed while working through this slog...

"You see, Harry, when you've done something for a really long time, it becomes second nature. Then you can do it perfectly in record time."

Parasoul really should have expected the response she got, but damn it, it did not hurt any less to hear him casually explain how good he was at gardening or cleaning toilets or washing dishes or cleaning gutters or holding his breath for a really long time to avoid getting beaten for literally breathing the wrong way.

Deciding work could, and would, wait a few minutes, Parasoul pulled her son close, kissing his head comfortingly and trying to show him all the affection she could. It hurt seeing Harry unaware of how horrifically he had been treated, and she wished she could make it go away... but for now, all she could do was hold him. Thankfully, that seemed to be all Harry wanted as he happily snuggled closer to her embrace, burying his head in her chest. It was a sweet gesture, and made the Princess blush somewhat at the sweet sign of affection.

Leaning back in her chair, she looked up at the ceiling and huffed out a small sigh, shaking her head slowly. This whole situation was just unreal. Harry's entire life was unreal. It was absurd just how much these people had gone out of their way to harm him. It was downright unrealistic, in fact, but it was all true. Harry could heal himself, and they had gleefully taken advantage of this in order to bring him as much pain and agony as they possibly could. To think they could do this to such a sweet child...

Still, what hurt more was the thought of how many other children had been hurt, beaten, or sold off before she had been able to shut that nightmare down. She knew fully well it wasn't only children, but they by and large would be the most affected by it. Now, all she could do was help those that could be helped, and hunt down those that couldn't and help them by removing those that hurt them. It could take years, maybe decades, but she knew she'd do everything she could to help them all...

"Thank you mama." Harry mumbled, hugging her waist.

"For what, sweetie?" She asked.

"Everything." Harry said happily, and Parasoul felt her heart melt

She tightened her hold on her child and planted a kiss on the top of his head. He really was a precious little thing... Thinking to thank her for all she'd done... Showing his gratitude in the only ways he knew how... He wanted her to know that he appreciated her, that he felt safe with her. That he loved her. Yes... Love from her child was the most fulfilling thing she had ever experienced. This warmth, this care... It was intoxicating. "...You're welcome, Harry... My precious son..." She whispered softly.

He cooed happily and snuggled in close...

And then he let out that cute little yawn of his.

Parasoul smirked. "Dear oh dear. Seems someone's ready for their nap."

She looked back to the paperwork and sighed in annoyance. She looked around then found another chair and set her son down it it. Slipping her jacket off, she slipped it over him to act as a blanket as she returned to her work. Harry yawned and snuggled down in the chair, drifting off to sleep in the chair as Parasoul sat back down and groaned. She HATED this stuff...

Well, fuming about it wouldn't get it done any faster. Shaking her head, the princess buckled down and got to work, occasionally glancing up to look at her son and check on him before turning back to the stack of papers before her. It was a long, hard process to be certain... And when she was halfway done, she received a most unpleasant interruption in the form of her whimpering son tossing and turning in his sleep

"No... no you poor thing..." Parasoul moaned, hurrying over and scooping him up. Holding him close, she rocked him in her arms, trying to keep his nightmares (or day-mares) at bay. "It's all right, Mother's here."

Harry however, kept turning in her arms, clearly in a deep dream of some sort. And Parasoul wasn't sure of what to do. Should she wake him up? Most likely he'd blame himself for that... and then she'd have to explain heartbreakingly that it wasn't his fault, and then-

Parasoul kissed his forehead, deciding to go with what usually seemed to work, and thankfully it did seem to

He relaxed slightly in her embrace and nuzzled in close, whimpering softly as his eyes slowly opened. "Mama...? Mama, help..." He mumbled groggily, prompting her to shush him gently and rock her body back and forth.

"It's alright, precious... Just a bad dream... You're safe... No one here is going to hurt you..." She whispered. Harry processed the fact that he was now awake, and he snuggled into Parasoul's chest with a soft whimper.

"I don't like having bad dreams, mama... They're scary..." He whimpered. Parasoul sighed sadly and rested her chin atop his head as she held him close.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry..." She mumbled. "If I had found you sooner, if I had... If I..." She trailed off, knowing there was nothing more she could say. She had done everything possible, but the damage was still clear, and she wasn't sure how much help she would be in the long run, when she remembered something. "Harry, do you remember Miss Molly?"

Harry looked up, somewhat confused, but finally nodded.

"Well, Miss Molly is trained to help people who've been hurt." Parasoul gently explained. "She's more than willing to help you, if you feel like talking to her."

Harry remembered his last encounter with Molly. She was nice. She was the one that offered to help him. But... how would she help him? What could possibly make these fears, these nightmares stop plaguing him? He couldn't wrap his tiny little head around it. If his mother didn't know, then...

"All she'll be doing is talking to you, dear." Parasoul said softly.

Just talking to him? Would that really be enough to help him? Just... sitting down and talking? It seemed too easy to be true...

"I don't get it." Harry admitted timidly. "How is that gonna help?"

"Well, remember how you felt better after telling me about what you had been through?" Parasoul asked, and Harry nodded. "Well, she's trained to talk with people who have been hurt, and help them figure out what causes that pain, and how to overcome it."

Harry still didn't seem to know what to think, and Parasoul didn't want to push him any further than she already somewhat had. This needed to be his choice, she couldn't make it for him.

"Do you... really think it'll help me...?" He finally asked in a soft, quiet tone.

"Yes, dear, I do think so. Molly is an expert in her field. She's helped many of my men overcome past traumas, and I know she will do the same for you... If you'll allow it that is. I'll even attend every session with you to ease the process." Harry bit his lip and thought about it, long and hard...

"I...I think I can do it... Especially if you'll really be there with me..." He finally spoke, and Parasoul felt a wave of pride wash over her.

"Wonderful, you're very brave, my sweet." Parasoul cooed, kissing his head once again. Harry giggled ever so slightly and leaned into her touch.

"Mama? Can... can I stay awake?"

"Of course!" Parasoul smiled, sitting down at her desk with her son on her lap.

"Now I just need to finish the last of these papers..." She set to work, writing as fast as she could while also making sure to do it right.

Harry was amazed at how fast his mother could do her job.

He was honestly getting a hand cramp just watching how fast she was writing.

When she was done, Parasoul pushed her chair back and sighed in relief. It was over. Finally. It was over! She was about to stand up and leave when she remembered the weight in her lap. With a smile, Parasoul held her son, and spun the chair lightly, not wanting to make him sick, but making him laugh nonetheless. When they came to a stop, her phone buzzed and immediately she tensed.

"Notmorepaperworknotmorepaperworknotmorepaperwork..." She mentally groaned as she checked it. Thankfully, it was just a message from her sister, essentially telling her things were fine, more of the slaver market had been found and shut down for good, she was still upset about the wall incident, and was asking if she had introduced Harry to any of her friends outside of the castle.

Parasoul frowned as the realization came that she had not. Yes, she kept in regular contact with her friends, but she hadn't quite had the opportunity to speak with them since finding Harry. She realized that introducing him could be very good for the poor boy. It would benefit him to interact with people outside his home for a little while. It might help him open up more and become more social, like a boy his age should be...

Her phone buzzed, and she looked down to see the other message. 'There's one more thing... The search results for Harry's case in England came in yesterday... I didn't tell you yesterday because I didn't wanna spoil your fun day... But I left it in a drawer in your room... What they found is... seriously screwed up..."

She mentally groaned, not wanting to look at it, and not while he had her son with her... She resolved to look at it after Harry had gone to bed, but wanted nothing more than to hug him close and let him know he was loved right now. Harry didn't pick up on his mother's mood shift, he was just happy to be with her, and Parasoul quickly bounced back from her slightly soured mood.

"You're so cute." She cooed.

"I am?" Harry asked, still unsure if he was or not. that statement merely solidified her opinion of him.

"Oh yes. I could list all the things that make you just so very precious. There's your cute little nose..." She gently poked his nose with her index finger. "And your adorable little face..." She pressed three kisses on his face, specifically on his forehead and cheeks. "And you're so adorably tiny, and cuddly, and you just love to be held close..." She held him closer and rested her chin atop his head gently.

Harry felt something grow within him... His self esteem...

His mother's praise was making him feel so much more confident... Not too much so, but enough to be noticeable.

"Thank you." Harry said genuinely. They enjoyed one another's embrace, then Harry looked to the stacks of paperwork. "Mama. Am I going to have to do all this someday?" His voice had a mixture of curiosity and foreboding dread which made Parasoul genuinely laugh in surprise.

"Possibly dear." She admitted with a nod. "But don't worry, it will be a long, LONG time before you have to do that." Lowering her voice, she jokingly added: "And you can make Auntie Umbrella do the work for you."

Somewhere else in the castle, Umbrella froze, her eyes narrowing and darkening as she looked around, not seeing anyone.

She shook her head, then went to find her personal ice cream stash. She had one bowl per day, and she was using it right now! Parasoul chuckled to herself at her sister's overdramatic nature, then rose to her feet with Harry. "Well then, that will be all for paperwork today, my dear." She said, booping his nose.

Harry giggled, then smiled up at his mother. "Okay, mommy! So what do you have to do next?" Hr asked innocently. Parasoul looked over at her schedule that was set up on the wall, looking for her next job of the day.

"Hmm... It would seem I'm clear for the time being... Shall we go and get a little snack then, dear?" She asked her son.

"Yay!" Harry cheered in his little voice. Tucking her son at her side, Parasoul left her office, heading towards the kitchen, unsure of what Harry would like, but also having a feeling he wouldn't complain too much. While there was still a long way to go on the road to recovery, even over the past two days, Harry seemed to be making some pretty big steps. She was proud of him, as even though he was traumatized and damaged beyond belief or reason, he didn't seem to let that stop him from trying his best to be happy, at least when she was around.

She just hoped she could also have that happiness when she wasn't there one day... Sighing, she stopped in front of the cupboards and looked over what they had, donning a thoughtful expression as she hummed lightly. "Harry... Would you like to help me bake some cookies?" The way the boy perked up gave her the answer she was expecting to hear. She chuckled. "Okay then... Chocolate chip is all we have, but I'm sure you'll like it just fine all the same." Harry nodded his head, and she held him up so he could grab the ingredients, wanting him to feel useful as much as possible.

Holding him up at the counter, she watched as he stirred the batter in the bowl, seemingly very invested in the process of baking. Parasoul wasn't sure if this was because he truly cared this much about cookies, or if it was because he had been forced to make food in the past, and had been hurt should he make a mistake... Either way, he seemed to be doing a good job.

"All right... now we need to wait for the oven to preheat." Parasoul nodded, holding Harry in one hand she turned on the oven then leaned against the counter.

The two sat quietly for a few moments as they waited on the oven before deciding to strike up conversation. "I'm very proud of you, Harry. You know that, right?" Harry looked up at her smiling face, a perplexed look on his own little face. "You've been through so much... But you're still holding onto the hope that things will get better, and taking steps to make that happen. You're a very strong boy, and you make me proud."

Harry felt a pleasant feeling welling up in his chest. It was a happy feeling, but there was more to it... Could it be...pride?

This felt weird, but really nice. It was a feeling of warmth that was different from the one Miss Parasoul usually gave him. It felt like he was in control, like he was taking back his life, and making something new out of it. He smiled up at his mama and his smile said the thanks he wanted to.

"You're so adorable, you know that, right?" Parasoul laughed gently.

He giggled softly as she nuzzled his tiny face. Sighing, Parasoul took a seat on the nearby chair and watched the time closely with Harry. "The waiting process can be quite grueling, but in the end, it will be worth it." Harry found that resonated with him. He had a grueling wait for a loving family that took care of him...

And he certainly thought it was worth it.

Parasoul wasn't sure what to do next, so she gently poked Harry's ribs, trying her best to make the tiny boy giggle. As she played with him, his laughs grew more audible as she went from poking to tickling, eventually, she had to stop and catch him as he nearly fell off of the chair they were sitting in. Re-adjusting him, she pulled him close, then gave him another playful poke, making him squirm in her lap. He looked up at her with adoring eyes, and Parasoul had to remind herself that this was the same boy who was so broken he couldn't speak to her just under a week ago. Sure, it maybe be surface-level healing, but it was still good!

'Still, that does leave the question of what I'll need to do to help that deeper level pain heal.' Parasoul thought.

She knew deep down, he would always be afraid and nervous to an extent. Abuse on the level he had suffered... it would never be forgotten... The psychological scars were there to stay... It was absolutely horrible, but it was just a fact of life. Childhood trauma would always stick with the ones that experienced it, and this was no exception. But she could ease it. She could help him build happy memories in order to combat the terrible ones and make him feel like he could overcome his past. All she had to do was keep trying, keep him safe, keep him loved... and protect him with her life.

Though maybe not literally for that last part. If she really did lose her life protecting him, that...would hurt him.

She was holding Harry's head to her shoulder, and smirked as he squirmed again, then seemed to be looking out the kitchen window. Rising to her feet, she walked over and adjusted him so he could have a good view of the kingdom. From here, he got a better view of some if the town below, as this section of the castle was lower compared to some of the other parts of it.

He looked over at the town, and he felt intrigue as he inspected all the buildings and people. "Mommy, is this your kingdom?" He asked, to which the princess nodded her head, holding him up so he could take a better look. Harry was amazed that his mother ruled over all this. It was really clicking with him that he was adopted by a queen. His adoptive mother had the most important job in the whole wide world.

Parasoul smiled at her son, thinking about how much there was that she'd have to show and teach him, and one day... he'd rule all of this. That was a thought that made her heart warm... with the way things had been going, when he was in charge, so much of the issues plaguing her home would be gone, and she had no second thoughts that Harry wouldn't be a wonderful ruler.

Of course that was if Umbrella didn't end up being the one to take over... And if he actually wanted the role in the first place... She didn't want to pressure him into taking a job he didn't want. His happiness was the most important thing in the world to her. She would support him, whether he wanted to be a king, or a scientist, or even a janitor! (Though she did hope he wouldn't set his goals quite that low)

The oven dinged and her attention went back to the food. Setting her son down, she slipped the pan into the oven, then turned around seeing her sister holding her son.

"No."

"One sec." Umbrella said, squeezing Harry before handing him back over. "Adam wanted you to know, the next stack of papers will be here tomorrow." Umbrella grinned as her sister audibly groaned before using Harry as some sort of stress-hug device. "Also, there's some news for the little sweetie."

"Really?" Parasoul asked, and then frowned when she saw her sisters' face change to a more solemn one.

"Your... your old family has been taken into custody back home." Umbrella said. "They'll most likely never see the light of day again, they won't hurt you ever again."

Harry tensed up very slightly at that. Okay, so it wasn't bad news in the slightest, but... he hated thinking about his old life...

"Oh..." Was all he said.

"Yeah, they're gone forever... They're gonna get what they deserve in that prison cell, and you're already getting what you deserve right here, so...you don't have to be scared anymore, okay? They're all gone..."

Harry nodded his head slowly. He...would always cling to the fear that they would somehow come back and find him...

But the knowledge that they were locked up in prison cells was very comforting... It meant they would find it harder to reach him...

Still, he was a small boy who had been through unspeakable pain, so all he wanted was for someone to show him affection and kindness, the kind of love a mother would show- wait. He had that. Blinking, Harry smiled ever so slightly as he leaned back into Parasoul's embrace. He was safe, his mama would keep him safe... and he loved her as much as she loved him.

"D'aww..." Umbrella cooed. "Why is he so precious?! Also, what are you two making? Something smells good."

Parasoul sighed softly. "We're making chocolate chip cookies." Umbrella perked up and opened her mouth to speak. "Yes, you can have some, but only some. You're on a diet, and I'd like for Harry and I to be able to have some as well." Umbrella simply nodded, in a cookie trance. "And please stop drooling. It's most unsanitary." The younger princess pouted and closed her mouth, huffing indignanrtly through her nose

"I was not drooling." She said in a grumpy tone of voice. Parasoul just rolled her eyes. "Well I wasn't! You were just seeing things."

"Sure."

Harry squirmed, watching the interaction between his aunt and mother once more. He began wondering who else there was that he knew... there were mama's friends who seemed nice, his aunt... and that was all. Still, he liked being with his mama, so it wasn't a huge deal to him.

But should he have more friends...?

He thought about the idea and started to wonder if it was possible. Maybe someday he could be more sociable... But...maybe that could wait just a little longer... He just wasn't ready to put himself out there like that... He was just getting used to human contact that didn't involve him in constant pain and agony.

Both women clearly noticed this and looked to one another, silently agreeing on something for a later day.

"Hey." Parasoul said, squeezing her son. "When you're ready, I can introduce you to some of my friends, they'll love you!"

"Really?" Harry asked, a mixture of hope and hesitation clear in his voice.

"Mmhm." Parasoul smiled at him, thinking about it.

She began to debate which of her friends would be the best to start with. All of them would be fine options...

Filia and Cerebella would most likely scare him at first though... They would want to relentlessly cuddle him...

Patricia was a bit too... over the top for him at the moment.

Beatrix, Carol and Nadia...actually, they'd be perfect. They weren't overtly smothering with their affections...

Then she remembered Nadia had headed off on whatever adventure life would take her on. But she knew the thief, or ex-thief (whichever she was this week) wouldn't be gone forever. She kept coming back eventually, either because she wanted to get some of her friend's dagonian food, or because... well, she had her reasons. Still, she'd probably like Harry. Despite some of her... less admirable traits, she was kind-hearted at her core.

Still, Beatrix and Carol were prime candidates. Beatrix was a very skilled magic user that could serve quite well as Harry's magic teacher, and as for Carol... she was just all around a very sweet young girl that showed love and kindness to everyone, with only a few very understandable exceptions... And she had some very heartbreaking common ground with Harry in just how much they had both suffered in life...

And Carol was good friends with Filia, so hopefully she could help keep her *ahem* calm, so to put it, when she met Harry.

"O..okay." Harry nodded, clearly nervous about meeting new people, but trying his best not to show it. Parasoul was proud of his little courage, it showed he wasn't broken beyond repair.

"Only when you're ready, love." Parasoul stated matter-of-factly. 'Or when one of them shows up for some inexplicable reason...'

That wasn't really a common occurence, but it did happen on occasion. Most of them were at least polite enough to knock...

But Peacock and Nadia had a bad habit ot just...showing up uninvited. It was rather inconvenient at times. Still... she appreciated having them as friends... Life was quite lonely when you were the ruler of a kingdom...

In fact, she was almost grateful for the last skullgirl attack. It not only took out a huge chunk of the Medicis... but also introduced her to all of her friends...

Things had thankfully calmed down somewhat since the last attack a year prior, but it occurred to her Harry would have to learn and experience that one day. She grit her teeth slightly in irritation at the thought, he was too pure for that... but there wasn't much she could do about it. Either way, things were different now, she had her son, and she had her friends, and one day they'd all meet. She knew they'd all like Harry, but the question was, how would Harry react to them?

Oh, what was she thinking? He'd like them just fine. They would all adore him with all their heart, after all... Especially Filia, she always had a soft spot for cute things... She smiled down at him proudly, feeling newfound confidence flow through her. Her son was far braver than she gave him credit for. She would have to put more faith in him. Surely he could handle meeting them...one at a time, at least. And probably one of the more subdued ones first and foremost... The couple of Beatrix and Cerebella would be a good first choice.

There was a loud 'Ding!' and Parasoul smiled, setting her son down on the counter and pulling the cookies out. She looked back and saw Harry's eyes widen in amazement and hope at them. It was such a sweet gesture, and then she bit her lip when she realized why he seemed so amazed.

"Heh. They look perfect." Parasoul smiled, picking her son up again, then realized she was still wearing the oven mitts.

She carefully slipped them off, then stroked the boy's hair lightly. "Now all we have to do is wait for them to cool, and then we can enjoy them." She heard a yelp and looked over to see Umbrella had tried to grab a cookie preemptively. The pinkette shook her hand with a pout as the elder princess rolled her eyes.

"Okay, before you say anything, it's not my fault these cookies are so enticingly good smelling." The younger princess said with a pout.

"No, but it is your fault for not thinking, as per usual." Parasoul chided, and Umbrella pouted. The three walked over to some chairs, and Parasoul sat down with Harry on her lap as was her new usual.

"So, how'd the little sweetie enjoy the drudgery of paperwork?" Umbrella asked jokingly.

"He got to sleep through most of it... lucky little guy..." Parasoul muttered.

"What!? I sleep through work and somehow I'm at fault, he sleeps through it and somehow that's okay?"

"He wasn't the one that had to do the work, Umbrella." Parasoul retorted, rolling her eyes. "He was a casual observer, nothing more." Umbrella still pouted and crossed her arms with a huff. "Oh, don't give me that."

"Work is sooooo BORING though!"

"And yet, it must be done. No matter how much it bores you." Parasoul said sternly.

"Yeah, yeah... Sis, I need you to find the holy grail and become immortal so you can be queen forever and Harry and I don't have to deal with the hassle."

Parasoul gave her a flat look, understanding that what her sister was asking was technically possible... but she didn't want that to happen. She didn't remember who had said it, but she had met someone in what she believed was a bar of some sort who had told her that immortality was one of the darkest curses there was, as everyone she cared for would continue to age, while she'd remain youthful, forced to watch everyone she cared for age and eventually die.

"Or you could grow up and take responsibility."

"Ha, right."

Parasoul sighed in exasperation. "You will be the death of me someday..." She muttered softly, although she was still smiling slightly despite herself. Umbrella really did like to play up the bratty younger sister role to get under her skin, but she knew her sister to be far wiser and more mature than she cared to admit. She was more than capable of leading the country if she set her mind to it. It just seemed that she didn't want to set her mind to it. It was frustrating, but maybe she just needed to stop feeding the troll...

"By the way, my wall prank is gonna getcha."

"Oh. You're still threatening me with that, are you?" Umbrella shrugged, then took Harry away, hiding a small smirk.

"Didn't notice my snare trap? Guess I'll just activate it."

"Wait. What-" Parasoul remarked, then felt herself being pulled into a wall. Somehow, a series of wires had shot out and wrapped around her, and now restrained her against the wall. "UMBRELLA!"

"Ha! Got you!" Umbrella laughed, hugging Harry close.

"Umbrella, get me down from here!"

"No. You're staying there all night." Umbrella replied childishly. "C'mon sweetie, let's have some cookies and ice cream."

Parasoul thrashed angrily against her restraints. "Umbrella, when I get out of here, you are in so mucn trouble, do you hear me?!" She yelled angrily. Umbrella just snickered mischievously and gave her a toothy grin.

"Look at it this way. You didn't go in headfirst."

"Umbrella..."

"Unless you want me to put you in headfirst? I can do that too!" The pinkette chirped, enjoying this far too much.

"Umbrella, I- how did you even set this up?!" Parasoul finally asked, bewildered beyond words. She knew her sister could be crafty, but this wasn't just a prank, she somehow set all this up, and then concealed it.

"I got the idea watching those First Blood movies." Umbrella grinned, holding Harry with one arm and taking the now cool cookies with the other. "Don't worry, I won't show them to Harry... but I gotta go. Me and my nephew are gonna have some fun!"

For one last metaphorical kick while she was down, Umbrella left a single cookie just out of reach of her older sister.

As she carried Harry away from the scene, Umbrella leaned down and whispered to him. "Don't worry, I won't really leave her there all night. I know you wanna sleep in your mommy's bed tonight. I'm just getting a little bit of payback."

Indeed, she knew her sister would be found there sooner than later and be released by the servants, she just wanted Parasoul to be the one to feel trapped for a change. She was trying to pull her head out of walls since she was eleven, being on the giving end was a welcome change of pace.

Harry still looked uneasy though. "Um... Do you think mommy will be mad at me when she gets out of there?"

"Of course not!" Umbrella shook her head. "This is between me and her, she might be upset with me, but it has nothing to do with you, so don't worry about it." She sat Harry down on a couch and left for a moment, returning with some ice cream as she pulled him onto her lap. "All right sweetie, open up!"

Much to Parasoul's annoyance, it was a few hours before the servants found her, as they had been busy with their jobs or on break. She also had tried (and failed) to break free form her sister's trap, but somehow she had made it relentlessly tough.

And so she spent about four hours just seething in her restraints, promising swift vengeance upon her younger sibling for this act of cruelty against her. When the servants found her and released her, she fell over the second she touched the floor due to the fact that her legs were asleep.

Growling, she pushed her upper body off the floor and forced herself into a sitting position before grabbing one of her legs and shaking it in an attempt to force feeling back into the appendage, a slightly gradual process.

It was another fifteen minutes before she could walk again, and took the cookie and ate it as she stormed off after her sister. She didn't know WHAT she was going to do... but Umbrella would hate it.

"Um-" She began, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her sister asleep, Harry sleeping in her arms. "Dang it."

She looked them over for a second, then gently snaked her arms around her son, and gently lifted him out of her arms. Quietly stepping out of the room, she adjusted her still sleeping son, and headed to her room to tuck him in so he could continue his nap, and she could get revenge.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself so she could think rationally. 'Okay... She's an adult now, so grounding is no longer an option... Hmph... I suppose I could threaten the personal trainer again...'

Eventually, she shook her head. Her sister did spend the entirety of the night prior headfirst in the wall, that was punishment enough...

Deciding to forego such things, at least for the moment, she carried Harry to her room to tuck him into bed. Then, as soon as she reached her room, her foot triggered a rope that caused a heavily frosted cake to go flying right into her face, completely covering her from head to shoulders in frosting.

"Okay. I'm going to kill her." Parasoul muttered, then heard someone laughing. "Roxie, if you don't stop, I will double your-"

"Don't care." Roxie cut her off with a smug grin. "You can fire me for all I care, this is just hilarious! How have you forgotten EVERYTHING we were taught?"

"As your ruler, I am ordering you to stop."

"Yeah... that's not gonna happen."

"Very well. You're covering Panzerfaut's shift on bathroom detail next month. Also, please put Harry to bed, I need to deal with my sister."

Snickering, Roxie accepted the sleeping child out of her ruler's arms. "All right. This gonna turn into another prank war?"

"Hmph. Most likely. And this time, I am not going to lose." Roxie tried her best to hide her snort. She failed.

"Yeah right. She always wins."

"Things change, Roxie."

"Princess, princess, princess... Your sister is like the goddess of pranks. I don't even know how she does half the things she pulls off."

"Yes, but I'm not going to-" She was cut off as rapid fire slew of pillows flew in from nowhere, knocking Parasoul to the ground.

"I think my point is made." Roxie remarked, stepping into Parasoul's room, deciding to do a parameter sweep to make sure there weren't any traps that would go off on Harry. Also, she liked holding him.

As she pushed the now ripped and torn pillows off, they spilled their contents onto her, and she realized something. They weren't pillows. they were bags... of... fertilizer...

Her eye twitched violently in her anger, and she let out a loud yell of frustration directed at her younger sibling.

Roxie whistled. "Damn. Another prank? Umbrella must be pretty pissed off with her big sis this time." She chuckled, shaking her head as she made her way to the room to get Harry tucked in as the princess ordered.

As for Parasoul? First, she was going to take a long, hot shower. Then she was going to have words with her sister.

Meanwhile, Roxie set Harry under the warm blanket and turned to leave. When she got to the door, she heard an audible murmur and stopped. Turning around, she saw Harry squirming around in his bed. At first, Roxie thought he was trying to get comfortable... but then she realized what was happening. Wordlessly, she sat on the bed and placed a hand on Harry, and it seemed to work.

Shrugging to herself, she simply sat in place and kept her hand on the child. She wasn't really the cuddly type, but hey... She could keep the kid at ease until his mom came to see him.

It was clear the kid had been and still somewhat was, living in a nightmare. Roxie couldn't exactly be upset with him for suffering the clear aftermath of abuse and trauma. Besides, he really did seem to make Parasoul happy.

"Unlike her sister..." Roxie muttered with a slight laugh. She didn't know how this was going to end, but if it escalated to another prank war, it might be best for Harry if they found another place to stay while the sisters fought, and Parasoul lost. There were many things Parasoul was better than most at, but when it came to-

"AGH! WHO PUT HOT SAUCE IN THE SHOWER HEAD!?"

Well, that point was made.

Parasoul grumbled to herself as the hot water gradually overtook the hot sauce until there was none of the spicy condiment left in the pipes. She washed off the awful substances covering her upper body and groaned softly.

"Honestly. When did she even have time to set all this up?" She muttered in frustration, huffing as she scrubbed her hair with shampoo. "That girl is going to be the end of me... One of her pranks will be my downfall... And it will be a very humiliating death indeed..." She muttered to herself in annoyance.

Well... It gave her a sense of familiarity at least.

All the bad stuff that used to happen to her still did.

Umbrella had only been pretending to sleep when her sister had arrived, knowing she needed to make herself scarce, and fast. Once Parasoul had taken Harry, the younger princess had disappeared from her room, making her way deeper into the castle, preparing more of her traps as she did so. Yes, this was complete and total overkill. No, she didn't care.

It was like those Home Alone movies, except with less bodily harm. Not that she didn't think her sister could take it, but the idea of actually physically hurting Parasoul was a bit much even for her. Humiliation in front of her staff, on the other hand, was a-okay in her book. Snickering, she prepared the banana peel just outside the bathroom door for her sister to slip on. "Leave me stuck in a wall will you..."

For the next two hours, Parasoul's life was an absolute nightmare... everywhere she went, everywhere she went, there was a trap. Every door she opened, she had to wait ten seconds before entering out of fear of things falling on her. She didn't know where her sister was, or what she wanted. Okay, that was obvious, revenge. But she had no idea how her sister set all this up.

All she knew was that Umbrella would be facing consequences for this. Very severe consequences. She was not going to sit by idly and take this in stride! She would make sure her sister paid dearly for her fun! This was what she kept saying to herself as she triggered another trap that knocked her out the window. She landed headfirst in the garden, and was buried headfirst up to her waistline, her legs pointed rigidly in the air

"Is this going too far?" Umbrella wondered, looking out the window at her sister's attempts to free herself. She casually reached over and pushed a bucket full of tomato juice off the edge. "Nah."

Back in Parasoul's room, Roxie sighed slightly as Harry continued to peacefully sleep. It was clear why he was upset, and he had clearly had a few nightmares, but thankfully he seemed to be comfrtable with her, so he remained asleep.

She could have sworn she heard something, almost like a muffled scream, and it piqued her interest enough to stand and look out the window to see just what was the matter. Nothing of note at frst...

But then she saw the garden, and she frowned in confusion. "Well that's one weird looking plant. Only two stalks, weirdly curvy, red and white, waving around...Wait, now it's pushing against the ground with...its...feet. Oh. That's Parasoul, isn't it?"

Once she realized who and what it was, she knew she had two options. One, go help her ruler and most likely be dragged along for whatever attempt at retribution she would invoke on her sister, only for it to blow up in her face. Or two, stay and watch over the sleeping prince like she had been asked to do. It took her about five seconds to make up her mind as she texted Adam.

'Parasoul's in the garden. Go get her.'

Adam's response was swift. 'She told us not to get involved with this stuff, remember? She said very clearly this was her battle to fight and hers alone.' Roxie chuckled and shook her head. That woman was just too stubborn for her own good, but hey, if she wanted to spend a few minutes lodged headfirst in the dirt, then who was she to stop her? Smirking, she took a seat and reclined, awaiting her return.

Parasoul was still pushing her feet against the ground for freedom.

She had assumed, no, expected the servants or Egrets to come help her in this scenario. But no one did. Add to this, Umbrella was casually and inexplicably dropping buckets of water on her every few minutes. Thankfully, this softened the earth, but not enough to help her escape... Then, suddenly, someone or something grabbed her exposed leg and pulled her out of the ground. Standing up dirty and soaking, Parasoul wasn't in the best of moods right now.

"Like... do I even, y'know. Wanna know?"

"No. You don't." she growled at the one who made the fertilizer she was buried in.

The figure let her go, and she growled up at her sister. "Umbrella, you will rue this day, do you hear me?! Rue it!" She snarled, stomping her way back into the castle. "I am going to make you work like a dog as punishment for all you're putting me through... I'll leave you in the wall for a whole week, you little..." Then she triggered a trip wire which dumped a bucket of honey that completely coated her body. Then tar, covering her in a second coating of goop. Then feathers, which clung to her and made her look like a weird chicken monster.

Then there was a pile of garbage dumped on her head, the sludgey mound of trash leaving her one uncovered eye the only discernible part of her.

Until a bucket fell and landed on her head, getting stuck.

"Damn." The fertilizer-supplier blinked. "Well, my job here is done."

About two hours later, some of the Egrets decided they kind of had to do... something. So, Adam and Molly found Parasoul in one of the anger shower areas trying to clean herself off.

"Need a hand?" Adam laughed.

"You stop. Right now." Parasoul's muffled voice could be heard from deep under... everything.

"You won't get too far with that bucket stuck on your head."

"Fine. You have my permission to remove the bucket. After that, leave me be." The elder princess huffed in anger. Adam grabbed the bucket and tugged as hard as he could. After three tugs, it finally came off.

Parasoul huffed and stomped into the shower.

And the second she entered the room, a pie came flying out of nowhere and hit her in the face, adding to the mess she was covered with. At this point, she was a walking blob.

"...okay, how is she doing this?" Adam asked, bewildered. "I know Umbrella's good at this, but how is she pulling all this off? Is there some sort of cosmic entity she's friends with that is helping her pull these pranks?"

"That's a terrifying thought." Molly muttered as they left their ruler to deal with the mess she was currently in.

Umbrella checked off the final prank on her list and took a deep sigh of satisfaction. Her revenge was officially complete, and this time she had actually won at something for a change. This was... the only thing she could win at...

She felt a spike of pain in her heart at that. All she was good for was causing her sister misery. Parasoul was much better than her at everything else.

"..." Umbrella wanted to say something to herself, either out loud or in her mind, but nothing came to either. So, she decided she needed to get out. Both to get some air and escape the dull castle life, and because Parasoul probably wanted her dead now... great. Had she ruined her relationship with her sister?

She shook her head. She had done much worse than this and her sister still cared for her... She would be mad, but she would still care... She decided to stop by her ice cream stash and pick up some strawberry for the road... She felt like she needed to comfort eat after her depressing little realization...

It was quiet the rest of the walk. She found her stash surprisingly unguarded and slipped out a back door to the castle. She pulled a hood over her head to keep herself out of the public eye. Still, she wasn't going that far away from the castle.

Just to her special spot in the nearby town. The bench in the city park. She liked to sit and eat her ice cream as she watched the people passing by, going about their business, and the occasional argument that was like a real life soap opera.

It was a cool day today, so while the ice cream seemed a bit colder than usual, she didn't mind much. The sun was mostly obscured by clouds, but there was an oddly comforting glow to the clouds now, so they were nice to look at. As she sat there, she just thought. She asked herself question after question, coming to answers she liked, ones she didn't, and ones she ignored. At the end of it all, she knew her sister would make her life a living hell... but she had won. Something. Finally. She didn't care about much else...

It was the only thing she would ever beat her sister at, after all. Parasoul was the smart one... She was the hot one... She was the cool one, the best fighter, the best dancer, the mature one, the only hope for the family... She knew what the public was saying about her behind her back, she knew they were comparing her unfavourably to her older sister... And it hurt. She would never let it show, but it really did hurt. She was only second banana to her much better elder sibling, and this fact would haunt her for the rest of her life.

It was about twenty minutes of her just enjoying the afternoon, when a voice finally spoke up.

"Umbrella?"

Casting a brief glance over her shoulder, Umbrella sighed when she saw her sister standing nearby, holding Harry in her arms, who seemed (somewhat adorably) concerned for his aunt.

"Cleaned off already, huh, sis? Figured you'd be spending your time taking care of Harry." She said tonelessly.

"Hmm... Well, you need your daily lecture, you know."

"Oh joy, I can't wait. Look, you left me in that wall all night long. I slept there. I just wanted a little payback, that's all."

"..." Parasoul blinked, her anger spinning around in her mind, but also fading away as the breeze gently rustled the leaves around them. Her sister seemed... wrong. She seemed almost like Harry had been when Parasoul had first found him. This wasn't right, and this most definitely wasn't the sister she knew.

"Go ahead, get it over with. We both know I won't listen, you'll get mad, and we'll be at this again by tomorrow." Umbrella shrugged, still not looking back to her sister.

Okay, something was definetly off. Umbrella was never this downcast, she was always-

She was always behind her, below her. Never as good as her. Never the winner in their fights, never the one who... Oh. Now it all made sense.

The elder princess sighed softly and opted to take a seat next to her younger sister on the bench. "Umbrella... Do you feel inferior to me?" The silence, and Umbrella turning away slightly, was all the answer she needed, and she let out a deep sigh. Her sister often acted out for attention... And now, she acted out to feel good about herself...

"It's all I'm really good at, all right? Sure, I can do stuff, but ever as well as you can. This is all I have." Umbrella confessed.

Parasoul felt an understanding come over her.

"Umbrella... You are a young woman of many talents. You don't have to rely on your cruel pranks to have a sense of identity."

"Sure. I'm stuck in that castle all day, every day. Everywhere I go, everyone talks about you and all the wonderful things you do for this kingdom. Me? They barely notice me. And I'm okay with that! It's just... whenever I'm with you, it's clear you're better at everything, everyone notices it much more then. So what's the point of trying to be better? It'll be the same thing over and over, and there's no way out of it. This is just our lives, and we've gotta deal with it."

"Umbrella, that's..." Parasoul began but trailed off. she wasn't sure what to say. She didn't think her sister was right, per say. But it was hard to say she was wrong as well. she was kind, optimistic and friendly, and she hated the royal duties she had to deal with because of who she was. Those two things didn't really work to make one's life normal. And then there was everything Parasoul did that her sister couldn't, or felt like she couldn't.

She took a deep breath, then gently placed Harry in her sister's lap. Umbrella looked mildly surprised, then she wrapped her arms around him with a small smile. "Umbrella, you have many things you are better at than I." Umbrella snorted. "No really. You do. For instance, you... you are so free. You are never afraid to be who you truly are inside, no matter the situation, and while I may chide you for it, I admire that you have the confidence to express yourself while I do not." Parasoul looked up.

"And aside from that... You have a much easier time making friends than I do. The only real friends I've had until the last Skullgirl incident were the ones I paid. You? You have always had a circle of friends. You had the courage and the social skills to actively pursue friendships. It took me years to form my friendships with my lieutenants, and if they weren't always there, I likely never would have..."

"Fair enough." Umbrella shrugged. There was something more, something deeper, and Parasoul wasn't sure what to do.

"I, well, I don't think I ever asked. Is this because of our parents?" The Princess asked, and noted that Umbrella tensed for a few moments. "I don't understand."

"You have Harry, you became... you became his mother." Umbrella finally began to explain after a few moments. "Seeing you two, seeing the love you gave him, and that I gave him, I guess it reminded me of her. And it reminded me she's gone."

Parasoul looked at Umbrella sadly and put a hand on her shoulder. Umbrella sighed softly and hugged herself.

"I never even got to meet my own mom... I barely know anything about her... I know my dad's a scumbag, but..."

She took a deep breath. "The way you describe our mom, she sounds like she was such an amazing woman, and a really good parent, and I...I never got the chance to see what she was like firsthand. I never even met her, and I still miss her..."

Umbrella felt Harry hugging her now, and smiled down at him. At first, it seemed like he was simply reacting to his Aunt's somber tone, but neither woman expected what happened next.

"I didn't know my mommy or daddy either." Harry admitted. "Apparently they died when I was a baby... My aunt told me they didn't love me, and it was better they were dead... but... I dunno..."

Umbrella bit her lip and tightened her hold on her nephew. "Aww, Harry..." She whispered softly, stroking his back gently. "I think they're lying. Your parents probably loved you very, very much..." Harry hummed softly in response.

Parasoul looked to her son in shock. That's what had happened? That would explain why he was with his Aunt and Uncle. She knew they were dead at this point, and Harry probably saw his mother in her, if their first interactions were to be believed.

She wordlessly ran her fingers through her long red hair. A similar hair colour, perhaps... But did his mother and father really say they didn't want him? She very much doubted it. It was likely another tactic employed by the Dursleys to hurt him further.

Either way, she was his mother now, and she'd do everything to make sure he knew he was loved. She had an odd but warm feeling that she was right, as if Harry's parents were watching from above. Which indeed, they were, and were happy their son had someone who loved him.

"Umbrella? I'm sorry." Parasoul finally spoke, and her sister turned and blinked.

"What?"

"I'm sorry." Parasoul repeated. "I assumed you were fine these past few years, and it never occurred to me what you might be going through. I should've paid more attention to that, and I'm sorry if you feel like you were second to me, I didn't mean to."

Umbrella looked away, not entirely sure what to say. She hated this mushy stuff, it always left her feeling awkward, weird, and yet still happy afterwards. It was hard to explain, and that frustrated her to no end. Still, she felt a good portion of the pent up anger she harboured toward her sister fading away...

"Um... apology accepted."

Silence.

"And I'm... sorry about all the pranks. I went too far, I admit it... It seemed like it was the fair response at the time, but I guess I was just really mad and wanted to take it out on you... So yeah... sorry..."

"I'm being totally serious here. Should the kingdom ever descend into war again, I want you to assist us in strategizing our fights. I don't know HOW you set up everything like you did, but it was honestly impressive." Parasoul replied, figuring that positive reinforcement was probably what her sister needed right now. Umbrella laughed slightly, then looked down at Harry.

"Let's just hope that we don't end up there again, yeah?" She remarked, squeezing Harry before handing him back to Parasoul. The small boy had been almost eerily quiet the whole time, but he also seemed to be trying to listen so he could help in some way.

It was almost as if he could tell that this was a moment that Parasoul and Umbrella, his mother and his aunt, needed to have together. It was impressive for a child his age to be so okay with taking a backseat and letting his family talk things out while he remained silent. Parasoul beamed down at him with pride. "You're such a mature child... You make your mother so very proud..." She whispered.

Harry felt joy welling up inside him at her praise, and he looked up at her with a big happy smile. Smiling back, she leaned down and gave him a kiss on the forehead, heart warming as he gave his usual happy, joyful reaction.

Parasoul pulled her sister into a hug as well, surprising the smaller princess, but she didn't fight it. when she let go, Umbrella was going to say something, but frowned when she her something crinkle. It took a minute, but she pulled a piece of paper off of her pack with 'Kick Me' written on it. She gave Parasoul a look that at first said 'So everything we just talked about was pointless?' until Parasoul smirked.

"There. I got YOU this time." She laughed.

The two princesses stared at each other for several seconds. Then they burst into laughter. Harry looked back and forth between the two with a small smile, glad everything was sorted out nicely. When they stopped laughing, the two sisters sat on the bench in better spirits. "Hey sis?" Umbrella said. Parasoul turned to acknowledge her. "Um... Thanks. I feel a lot better now." Parasoul smiled.

"You're welcome, Umbrella."

"And thank YOU sweetie." Umbrella added, kissing Harry on the nose, making his giggle then turn away in embarrassment. "None of the pranks-"

"No, none of them." Parasoul cut her off before her sister could finish the question. "I had Roxie put him down for a nap before... I think it was the first fertilizer prank? Maybe the second one? Either way, he seemed fine when things finally calmed down. It was a little awkward for him and Roxie, but he seemed happy with her when I got back."

"Heh... Harry, someday I'll show you how to do what I do!" Umbrella grinned, and Parasoul felt her spine freeze.

"No." She said in a dark tone, a voice she didn't know she had.

Umbrella pouted and crossed her arms over her bust. "And why not? Just give me one good reason!" She demanded.

"Because I don't want you corrupting my child and turning him into a shameless prankster. That would absolutely destroy that endearing innocence he has about him." Parasoul explained calmly, causing Umbrella to take pause as she realized that was a valid point. She grumbled and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, sorry, auntie Umbrella, but mommy said no. And I really don't wanna hurt anyone..." He mumbled softly.

"Aww... You're so cute it's unfair!"

Eventually, the family decided to head home, but as they began the walk back, a familiar voice spoke up.

"Parasoul?"

Turning around, the princess smiled when she saw her friend (and the only decent Medici she knew) Filia, taking headphones off as she approached them.

"Hello Filia." Parasoul smiled.

"What are you doing out he- why do you have a child and why is he so cute?"

"In order... I was looking for Umbrella, I just adopted him, and he's a gift to us from a higher being." Parasoul answered.

Harry blushed.

Filia let out a soft squee. "Aww, he's shy!" She gushed softly, clasping her hands beneath her chin with sparkling eyes.

"You don't know the half of it!" Umbrella chirped.

"And how are you, Samson?" Parasoul asked.

"Good... confused, but good." The Parasite remarked, making himself known. He noticed almost immediately Harry wasn't looking to Filia, but to him. "Hey."

"Hi." Harry replied, oddly not seeming as afraid as he was of Filia. "Uh... are you her hair?"

"Eh... sorta." Samson chuckled. "I'm a parasite, but yeah. I'm also her hair."

"Oh."

Samson popped up from behind Filia's head to get a better look at Harry. "Huh. Well you're a small little guy, huh?"

"Uh-huh. It's okay though. My mommy likes it."

"I like it too!" Filia cooed. "You're so cute!"

"Thank you."

"Where'd you find him?" Filia asked, and then immediately saw the look on the Princess' face. "What?"

"Filia..." Parasoul began, but looked away. Filia's eyes widened in terror, then narrowed in anger, then in defeat.

"Oh." She said, looking away from Harry.

"Miss Filee?" Harry asked, feeling he had done something wrong. "Did... did I upset you?"

"No love." Parasoul shook her head. "Filia... Filia's family are the ones who did those things to you."

Filia flinched and looked at Harry like a kicked puppy. "I'm...sorry. I'm so, so sorry... I promise I'm not like them..."

Harry looked at her and tilted his head. She was the family of the bad men who had hurt him... But she had never hurt him..

"It's okay. You're not them." He said matter-of-factly.

Filia perked up with a wide smile. "Really? You forgive me?"

"Um... I don't have to. You didn't do anything."

Harry was suddenly grabbed by Filia in a tight hug. While at First Harry was surprised, he sensed that what he had said was of great relief to her, so he didn't fight it.

"Thank you... thank you..." She said quietly. Harry just leaned into the hug as best he could. "He's so sweet... it's not fair..."

Parasoul simply hummed in agreement. Filia was absolutely right. It wasn't the least bit fair. But it happened anyway...

"It will be alright, Filia... The royal family is doing all we can to pick up the pieces and give him a good quality of life."

"If there's anything I can do to help, let me know! And Samson and I will do what we can!"

"We?" The Parasite asked flatly.

"Yes. WE." Filia said sternly, before turning her attention back to the tiny boy in her arms. "Ooh... he's so tiny! He's like a little stuffed animal!" She cooed, nuzzling the top of Harry's head. Harry was a bit confused, but it felt nice, so he leaned into the embrace.

Parasoul put her hands on her hips and shook her head in amusement. "That seems to be the role he plays more often than not."

"Aww, but he loves the cuddles." Umbrella chipped in.

"Yeah, just look at him, all happy and cuddled up to me... He's a sweet widdle hugger." Filia cooed.

"I wanna keep him..."

"Yer on your own then." Samson remarked off-handedly. "I ain't fighting her. Before you ask, one, we'd be assaulting the ruler of the kingdom, and two, we've fought before, and remember how that ended?"

Filia pouted, giving Harry a kiss on the cheek, before handing him back to Parasoul.

"Oh, Cerebella and Beatrix say hi." Filia added, remembering something.

Parasoul smiled at that.

"Can you believe Beatrix was once Cerebella's greatest rival?" The weightlifter and the magician had shown such vitriol to each other the last she had seen of them. Filia giggled softly, putting a hand to her mouth.

"Oh, they've gotten very close as of late."

"They're dating. They're super into public displays of affection. It's hot." Filia casually punched Samson in the face.

"Samson... there's a kid here." Filia muttered.

"And?"

Filia looked to Harry, who looked confused, but didn't say anything. She muttered something to Samson under her breath, and the Parasite laughed regardless.

"Still, they're happy." Filia nodded. "They've been able to try and make something out of the aftermath of everything... I'm sure they'd love to meet the little cutie."

Parasoul smiled warmly. "They will. Very soon, they will."

"I'll tell them all about him!"

Harry was a bit nervous. He was going to meet two new people, on top of Filia? Would they be as nice as she was?

Well... Now that he thought about it, if they were friends with his mama, they had to be nice. His mama wouldn't spend time with mean people.

Parasoul could tell what he was thinking and gave him a friendly squeeze. He looked up at his mother and smiled, enjoying her embrace. After the conversation was done, they said good-bye, then headed back to the castle. Parasoul was a bit surprised to hear Cerebella and Beatrix were together, but if they were happy together, that was great for them. From her few interactions from a distance, she knew Beatrix could be rather... cold. But if she was changed when she was with the weight lifter, then she hoped for Harry's sake she wouldn't be too cold. Then again, Cerebella probably could be the 'warmth' for both of them.

The tightrope walker, in spite of her... questionable loyalties in the past was a very pure-hearted person. When she had sentenced her to community service for her assistance of the Medici mafia, she had gone with it with no fuss whatsoever, and had done such a good job that she had been let of early on probation for good behaviour. And yet, she chose to stay with it and see her punishment through to the end. She had been absolutely determined to atone for all of her actions, and she was so warm and friendly to everyone she encountered while doing it. It was inspiring how pure she was.

he really had been torn up about her past, she had believed that the Medici's had cared for her. It just went to show how despicable they truly were, they took her in as a child, and made her essentially into a weapon. Used her for years, and then would've thrown her away when they were done with her.

"I'm surprised you weren't more confused by Samson, hon." Umbrella remarked as they walked, and Parasoul nodded in agreement. Most people -when they first saw a parasite- usually had a lot of questions, or were too shocked to ask anything. But Harry? It almost seemed like he had seen them before.

"Oh. Uh... he reminded me of a snake." Harry said, somewhat awkwardly. "I used to see them in the garden, they were nice."

"Aw, that's cute!"

"I could talk to them."

"What?"

He looked up at the sky. "They were kinda grumpy sometimes, like Mr. Samson seemed, but they were just upset cause they were having a hard time finding a place to stay... I helped them find spots in the garden where Aunt Petunia wouldn't find them and they came to visit me sometimes when I was working in the garden.

The two princesses exchanged glances and then looked at Harry. "So uh... you just know what they're saying?" Umbrella asked. Harry nodded, and the pink-haired princess looked to her sister to ask if this was normal. Catching on, Parasoul shook her head, thinking deeply about this new information.

"This is a very rare ability, dear. You're absolutely sure?" Harry timidly nodded his tiny head in affirmation.

"Yes mama."

"I see..."

"Is... Is that bad...?"

"It... it's a unique gift." Parasoul said slowly, thinking about the history she had learned of in her studies. While the gift was extremely rare, it was only found in magic users, and those who had it were predominately... not good people. But Harry was being so sincere and honest, was he telling the truth? Parasoul had no reason to believe he wasn't. Then, something played back in her mind, and while it felt like a stab to the gut, it shone light on this whole thing.

"...said the kid could heal from anything... That was the big selling point apparently... They're gonna try and see just how much he can take... Probably won't stop until they've almost killed the kid..."

Harry had magic, that much she had figured out, but how did he have that gift in particular? And from what she had read, magic this powerful in someone this young was unheard of.

Her child was a very gifted little wizard, that much was certain... But the issue was, none of her Egrets were magically gifted in the least. She had no witches or wizards under her employment. That meant she had no one to teach her son how his magic worked. And if no one taught her son how to work his immensely powerful magic, then it would likely do something beyond his control and end up hurting somebody. And she knew that if Harry ever hurt anyone, even on accident, it would scar the boy for life...

Then she remembered that she did have someone that could teach him. A former Medici worker that was dating the Cirques de Cartes' star performer.

Beatrix could teach Harry how to work his magic. She was willing to pay the magician to help nurture her son's power.

But she also knew that Harry clearly was afraid of his magic, so they'd need to figure it out eventually. Still, he had been wonderful in overcoming his past traumas, so perhaps that could be done again. Parasoul wanted to ask Harry about it, but decided against it. Things had been emotional enough today, Harry clearly was trying his best to be a comforting presence to his Aunt. So the last thing she wanted was to upset him by bringing up magic once more, remembering that he had referred to himself as a 'freak' and he did 'freaky things'.

She shook her head in disgust. It was deplorable that those people had conditioned him to fear his own magic. To a witch or wizard, their magic was a core part of who they were. They had taught her child to fear himself. Beaten this fear into him over the slightest provocation. He couldn't let even the slightest bit of magic slip out, or else he would be beaten and tortured... Oh how she hated those people. She was so grateful they were facing the punishment they deserved, and she hoped Juju and her husband could snuff out all of the awful things they no doubt taught Dudley. She just wanted both of them to be able to move away from those people. They were no good for either of them.

If she cared, she might have wondered what happened to them, she may have wondered if they were even still alive as 'Jackals' didn't tend to last long in prison... but honestly? She couldn't care LESS. They were deplorable people, and they deserved whatever was coming their way. They had tortured her son, sold him like meat, they deserved no sympathy, or even a second thought from her.

"You good?" Umbrella asked, noticing something. "You have that thing with your eyes..."

"My eyes?"

"Yeah, when you get really upset, and like, REALLY upset, there's something about your eyes I can tell."

The elder princess blinked and shook her head. "It's fine, Umbrella, I was juat...considering recent events is all." Umbrella hummed and nodded her head in understanding. She felt the exact same way, although she was quite a bit more vindictive than her sister, actively hoping the Dursleys were being tortured by their fellow inmates. But hey... At the very least, they were where they belonged: with the rest of the scum and lowlives.

She gave her sister another glance, frowning slightly.

"Think you'll need to have a rant at some point?"

"Perhaps later, after Harry has been put to bed." Parasoul replied.

When they returned to the castle, Parasoul stopped at the doorway and looked to her sister. Umbrella blinked in confusion, then laughed.

"Relax! All the traps were set off!" She insisted. Parasoul frowned, and begrudingly handed Harry to her sister, not wanting to take ANY chances... she went through the front door-

SPLASH!

-and a buck of water fell on her. She blinked, and glared at her sister, who seemed genuinely shocked.

"That wasn't me. I swear." She insisted. As the sisters started to argue, Molly looked to Roxie and muttered:

"Y'know... that's kinda mean actually."

"Yeah." Roxie shrugged. "It's also hilarious."

"She's going to cut your pay clean in half when she finds out you know." Molly said sternly. Roxie just smirked.

"There's about a fifty percent chance she'd find out, and if she does, I say it was well worth it." Roxie chuckled.

Parasoul heard her. Roxie was getting a pay cut.

Shaking her head, she walked off to find a towel so she could dry off, Umbrella following behind.

"Seriously, Roxie is such an amateur. I mean, water? Really? Not even a bucket full of glue? Seriously lame."

"Do not bring up your awful glue prank."

"But it's such a good one."

"No. It wasn't." Parasoul said, pointing at her sister with narrowed eyes.

"I think Harry should be the judge of that."

"Did the conversation we had twenty minutes ago mean NOTHING!?"

"I know... I know..."

Parasoul groaned, realizing that while the pranks may (thankfully) slow down, her sister was going to go out of her way to try and get under her skin by re-wording everything she said to use it against her.

"Just stop, Umbrella..." The elder sister groaned.

"Hey, you're juzt way too much fun to mess with."

"Just becauze something is fun does not mean you should do it."

"A spoilsport as always."

Parasoul gave her sister a flat, disapproving look. "Umbrella, your 'fun ideas' got you stuck in bed with broken appendages multiple times."

"Yeah, what's your point?" Umbrella asked with a shrug. Parasoul groaned in annoyance, and decided to let it go.

"C'mon love." She said, holding Harry closer. "I need to talk to Roxie..."

"She's nice." Harry said, looking up at his mama. "She took care of me when you weren't there."

Parasoul smiled softly at her son. "Oh, is that right now?" She asked. He nodded his head in affirmation.

"Yeah. She didn't hug me like you do, but she stayed there."

No surprises there. Roxie simply wasn't the 'touchy-feely' type as she herself put it.

"Hm, that's good to hear." Parasoul said with a smile.

"Miss Molly is really nice too... she talked to me after I had a bad dream before you got back. She was really nice, and she didn't get angry with me..."

"She wouldn't. Ever." The Princess shook her head. "She's too kind hearted for that."

Honestly, she couldn't imagine why anyone would get mad at a child for having a nightmare.

Unless they were evil trash like those good for nothing Dursleys. But he was far away from them now and his nightmares would be handled properly.

"Please never be afraid to come to anyone when you're scared, my child. We will all help you." She said softly.

"M'kay mama..." Harry said. When Parasoul stopped walking she felt like she was being attacked once more.

"Stop." She ordered.

"I didn't do anything." Roxie shrugged defensively.

"Yes, you did."

"Since you got here? No I haven't."

"That. Stop... that."

"Stop what, dear Princess?"

"THAT! Your... your self-righteous smugness!"

Roxie snickered into her hand. Parasoul narrowed her eyes and let out a low growl of anger. "Don't you DARE laugh."

"So my trick worked?"

"Ah. You freely confess to it then."

"Oh, I sure do."

"I thought you'd be smart enough to at least try to cover up your crime."

"Eh, you were gonna find out anyway."

"And you know what happens next?"

"A pay dock?"

"That and you're on laundry duty for the next month."

"Damn it..." Roxie muttered.

"Two months."

"What!?"

"Don't swear in front of the child." Parasoul said flatly.

"Beowulf's gonna suffer because of that, isn't he?"

"Not likely. The man is great with kids."

"Seriously? That...is adorable."

"You really have a large crush on him, don't you?"

"He's a big cute teddy bear, alright?"

"Well you'd make an interesting couple."

"Bet I could beat him in an arm wrestle."

"I doubt that."

"Hey!"

"What? It's just true." Parasoul shrugged. "He's almost three times your strength. I think Cerebella is the only person I know who's physically stronger than him."

"Don't bring the big chested wonder into this!"

"Why? Can't keep up with your love rival?"

Yex, this made up the bulk of their interactions. Despite Parasoul's royal status, Roxie could get away with saying just about anything to her. The perks of being friends.

Harry just watched, he didn't know who exactly they were talking about, and he couldn't fully tell who was winning the argument.

"I think she could." Harry finally said, getting their attention.

"Ha! Your son backs me up on this!" Roxie laughed.

"Yes, but he doesn't know the whole story." Parasoul slyly grinned.

"Don't you dare." Roxie growled with narrowed eyes.

"You see Harry, Miss Roxy is in love with a man named Beowulf. He's a nice man, and very strong! Much stronger than Miss Roxie. The only person I know who's stronger than him would be Miss Cerebella, and Roxie is jealous about that.

"Oh." Harry blinked. "I think Mr. Wolf would be stronger..."

Roxie drooped in defeat. "Kids these days, so easily led on by their parents..."She muttered grumpily. Parasoul just smitked.

"Or he simply has common sense."

"No, you're just manipulating him." Roxie replied flatly.

"N..no she's not..."

The two women looked to Harry, who seemed either hurt or frightened, and Roxie's face softened.

"Hey, I was just joking kid." She said, messing with his hair. "But for real? You should get this cut at some point."

Harry nodded his head. Then he revealed anofhwr tidbit about his past.

"Aunt Petunia used to cut my hair. It was ugly."

"Dear oh dear..." Parasoul shook her head in disapproval. "Did she give you bad haircuts on purpose, precious?"

Harry nodded his tiny head in affirmation. "She wanted to hide my scar. She said it was too freaky and too ugly..."

'I hope they suffer.' The Princess mentally scowled, before speaking: "Don't worry love, we'll make sure you're clean and cute!"

Harry smiled, the kind words meaning more than he could possibly explain. He believed her without hesitation, knowing she wouldn't lie to him.

And it would be nice to have shorter hair. His hair was so long and shaggy that it often draped over his eyes.

"Umbrella can cut your hair. She seems to have an odd gift for it." Parasoul assured her son with a warm smile.

"M'kay." Harry nodded, trusting his mother on this. He still wondered if he was a freak or if there was something wrong with him. But every time he did, and every time he remembered that he had been told he didn't deserve love, he remembered his mama. He remembered everything she had told him, all the love she had given him... and it made him feel better.

He was so lucky that everything had turned out the way it had. If his mother hadn't seen his old family, if she had never been informed that he was in trouble, he had no doubt in his mind that he would still be getting tortured by the mean scary bad men. His mother had saved him through luck and luck alone. And he was very grateful for this luck... But also worried greatly that it would run out.

Despite how well he thought he hid his fears and emotions, Parasoul was quick to pick up on them. She could tell mostly through the way Harry would unknowingly shiver when he was afraid of something, or how he would slightly tense when he was questioning something. But in all honesty, she couldn't blame him. He was scarred mentally and physically. The abuse, nearly being sold as a slave, these weren't just going to disappear. And if she had to guess (correctly) Harry was afraid he'd wake up one day and this would all be gone.

She worried that he feared he would wake up back in that disgusting cupboard, or in that awful room those inhuman Medici filth kept him in... So she would have to really work with him on that and help him see that everything was okay... That he was safe and that nothing would ever hurt him within the confines of the castle walls. Therapy sessions with Molly would be a great first start. And frankly, she had no problems attending each and every one with him so he could take comfort in the fact that she was right by his side.

But for now, Harry was in her arms, clearly just trying to enjoy the time he had with his mother, and that was what mattered most. Parasoul smiled, then froze when she approached another doorway. She didn't think Roxie would go as far as Umbrella, but considering the events of today, it might be possible she had developed a phobia of doorways. Especially ones that seemed completely normal and safe. Which was most of them. A few minutes later, she had discerned there were no traps, and continued on her way.

"So, what would you like to do now love?" She asked, poking Harry's nose and making him giggle at the question.

"Um... I don't really know. What can we do?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. Parasoup donned a thoughtful expression. She couldn't take him out on the town just yet, too many people... They were caught up on Annie of the Stars... Perhaps they could go and play some games in the backyard for the time being. A nice game of cards on the patio and a little snack seemed like a nice way to spend their time. It was a perfect day for it too. Content with the decison, she carried Harry to the kitchen.

She entered and began searching the cupboards for a good snack. She decided on salmon spread on crackers.

Harry watched with interest as she made the snacks, seeming particularly curious about the salmon spread.

"Have you never had Salmon before?" Parasoul asked. "Or were you not allowed to have it?"

"I've never seen it." Harry answered, his answer being the best-case scenario in this moment. "It's... it's a fishy, right?" He asked, trying to think about where he had heard about it.

"Correct!" Parasoul beamed, kissing him on the head and making him giggle at the contact. "But they aren't Dagonians, so this isn't anything... unethical."

"Dra..dragonins? Harry tried to repeat the word, but admittedly failed miserably. Although it was kinda cute. "The fishy people?"

Parasoul nodded her head in affirmation. "Yes, the fishy people. Fish is their specialty, now that I think about it..."

"My cousin used to have a pet fishy." Harry commented.

"Oh, did he now?" Parasoul asked, remembering the time Umbrella had a pet goldfish back when she was Harry's age.

Needless to say, there were no more fish for her until she was eight years old. She still felt awful for that poor creature...

"Dudley accidentally killed his fishy when he got mad and pushed the bowl off the counter." Harry explained.

'What did those assholes do to their own kid?' Parasoul mentally muttered, surprised at how... blunt, she was thinking. But still. She didn't answer right away, unsure of what to think or say, until Harry spoke up again.

"Mama? What happened to Dudley?"

"Well... some people I knew took him in." Parasoul explained, not sure how Harry would react to this. "Unlike your Aunt and Uncle, he seemed rather remorseful for what he did. In fact... if he hadn't come to me when we happened to meet, I might not have met you."

Harry's eyes widened in shock at this new information. "R-Really...? Dudley sent you to get me?" Parasoul smiled and nodded her head. Harry was astounded at this new information. His bully of a cousin had helped him?

But Dudley hated him.

He remembered all the times Dudley and his friends had beaten him up. All the times Dudley had gotten him in trouble for things he didn't do. All the times he had shoved him into snowbanks... Why would he help him?

Maybe he did feel bad... maybe... Harry didn't know... He looked around, as if the answer would somehow be there. Parasoul stopped and looked back at her son, seeing his confusion and set the food down and picked him up in a hug.

"Hey... hey... it's okay." She spoke softly, rocking him in her arms to soothe him. "You're safe now, you're safe with mama."

He looked up at her and smiled. "I am safe when you're here... But... Dudley helped me... I thought he hated me and liked to see me hurt... He... He was the one that hurt me the most times..." The boy whimpered softly.

Parasoul hummed sadly and stroked his messy dark hair gently. "People can change, dear. For better or worse, they can change."

"Oh." Harry said quietly. Parasoul realized this might be a new concept to him... the only people who were kind to him were kind from the start, everyone else abused, used, or sold him...

"Harry. It wasn't just your cousin who's changed." Parasoul began, remembering something. "One of the two your Aunt and Uncle sold you to, Guzz, seems to have changed. He's expressed more than once deep regret for what he did, and he tried to help us find where you were." Parasoul explained, while Harry looked up with a wide array of emotions dancing through his eyes. "In no way does that make what he did right... I don't want you to think that for even a second. But bad people can be good, it's just hard to see it sometimes."

Harry hummed softly in thought, considering her words. Truthfully, he always thought he was the bad one that needed to change, based off of what he was told all his life, and that didn't change until he waa adopted.

Was he the bad one that was changing for the better...? Well, in a way, he supposed he was... He was used to feeling bad and miserable his entire life. Then his mama came and took him away from all the bad, acary stuff that made him feel that way and he started to feel better and better as the days went by. But then, that really wasn't the same thing, was it? He wasn't a bad guy that had done wrong by someone else and felt remorse for it... He was the victim that had been hurt by the real bad guys...

He tried his best to find some sort of resolution, some sort of answer, but all he could figure was that life was HARD. What (to him) should've been a simple answer was much harder to say than he expected... he didn't feel stupid though, at least, not in the way his Aunt and Uncle belittled him over any mistake he made, he felt like even his Mama didn't have an answer. Or at least, one she figured would be satisfactory.

Life was confusing, complicated and mildly frustrating, and he wished he could understand it better. Alas, Harry was just a little boy, still struggling to find his way in the world with the help of his adpptive mother. Even most full grown adults didn't fully understand how life was supposed to work... But he was going to try his best to understand. One day, he would grasp his life and know why things had happened the way they did...

Parasoul kissed him in the head, breaking him from his thoughts. He looked up with a smile and was kissed again, and again, and again... his worries melted away as he broke down into giggles as Parasoul did what she knew would make him smile. After about a minute, she held Harry at her hip and took the contenti in the other hand, and made her way to a nearby table. Setting the plate down, and then Harry. Something she immediately changed her mind on when he reached up to her and let out a very quiet whine.

'That's not fair. How can something be so adorable!?' Parasoul thought.

Shaking her head with a smile, she picked him back up and sat down, setting him on her lap. "All right, dear, I'll hold you for a few more minutes, but I would like to show you some card games that would require me to put you on the chair next to me. Okay?" Harry nodded his head and nuzzled in closer, closing his eyes to relish in the affection his mother gave him. As she held him close, he felt...safe and happy. Yes, his mother was going to protect him from everything that would harm him...

"Now then... Let's play go fish." Parasoul set Harry down.

She took the deck of cards and spun them about as she shuffled them with a flourish. Harry watched in awe, and Parasoul noted she'd need to have Filia show Harry what she could do when she shuffled a deck... or Beatrix, possibly. Magician, card tricks, right? She'd ask next time she saw them.

She passed the cards to Harry, who struggled to hold them for a moment, but seemed to figure out a way to do so.

"Now then... Harry, do you have any threes?" She asked. Harry nodded. "Excellent. Now you give it over to me..." Harry obediently relinquished his card to his mother, and she set it near her on the table. "Now, look at your cards and ask me if I have any of the ones you do." Harry looked over his cards, tilting his head.

"Um... Do you have any of those funny looking clown men?" He asked. Parasoul realized he meant the Joker.

"Yes." She nodded, passing them to Harry. "Do you have any fours?" When Harry shook his head, she smiled and picked up a card.

"Do you have... seven?" Harry asked, studying the card for a second. Parasoul looked down. She had three. She passed them over mentally thinking 'beginner's luck, that's all...' and the game continued.

He got the hang of it very quickly, with her only needing to explain a few minor things about the game to him here and there.

She also found he was incredibly lucky with his hands. This entire game, he only had to go fish about three times compared to her twenty seven. The boy just had a knack for winning games it seemed.

Even when he started trying to lose, he kept winning. He tried his best to find a way to not know what cards his mother had, but every time, he got it right.

'But...how...?' She thought as she drew another card. She had changed decks after a few games, questioning if the deck was loaded or something. But nope, Harry kept on winning.

She eventually decided there was no point in fighting it. He was extremely lucky when it came to these kinds of games.

"Well, it seems you've won again, dear." Parasoul said with a smile as she gave him the last of her cards.

"Yay!" Harry said with a childish amount of joy, making her smile. They set to their game, and it went much the same. This time however, Parasoul seemed to match Harry card-for-card, ultimately bringing them down to three each. Parasoul looked at her cards and mentally screamed.

They were all threes.

'Why...?! Why?!' She mentally demanded some higher force answer. 'Why does this keep happening to me!?'

She briefly wondered if they played any other card games if this would be the same result... she assumed yes.

"Mama? Do you have any threes?" Harry asked innocently. Parasoul sighed deeply and handed over all of her cards. Harry perked up, happy to have won again, and Parasoul's negative feelings toward the situation vanished right there. Seeing the boy happy was far more important than winning some silly card game.

"Well done dear."

After that, she decided to show him another card game: Memory. She set down all the cards facedown on the table.

"Now, all you have to do is find two of the same card. If you find two threes, for instance, you get to take them. Whoever has the most when the game is over wins."

Harry nodded and the game began. It was slow at first, Harry made more mistakes than Parasoul did at first, but then he seemed to understand that this wasn't a game of strategy as much as it was luck. And when that happened, Parasoul realized she had no chance of winning.

"Uh... those two." Harry said, pointing to two cards. When the Princess flipped them over, they were the same.

She was just plain impressed at this point. For a brief moment, she wondered if he was using his magic to cheat, but she quickly squashed that thought down, as it was much too out of character for her child to consider such a thing. He was just very good at games, it seemed. She watched him get three hands in a row.

When her turn finally came, she sighed as she failed to find a pair, which Harry found mere seconds later.

She couldn't help but laugh somewhat at the absurdity of it, but Harry seemed happy, so she dared not say anything to ruin it for him. They played a few more rounds, then Parasoul decided it was time for a snack. She got the food, and picked up Harry with one arm, sitting back in her chair with her son on her lap.

She picked up one of the crackers from the plate and held it out to them, idly noting how strange it was that the snacks had gone mostly untouched while they were playing the game. Seemed they were just too focused on victory to bother with them... The princess watched him eat his cracker and light up at the taste of the salmon spread.

"That's yummy..." Harry said, clearly liking the new taste. Parasoul nodded, simply letting him eat in peace. He seemed oddly fixated on the snack, as if he was trying to find some deeper meaning in it. Or maybe he was thinking about what he would do differently to improve on it. That was something he had mentioned at one point, he was forced to cook for his family... maybe he still enjoyed it though, and would want to try it once more after things had settled down. The Princess didn't doubt for a single solitary second that the kitchen staff would object to having Harry help in some way.

Still, she didn't want to strip the poor child of something he clearly had a passion for... So she would see about supervising him as he prepared some kind of small meal. After all, it wasn't like she was incapable of cooking by herself or anything.

Now, if Umbrella asked Harry to help her cook... that was another story. It wasn't that her sister was bad at cooking, she was bad at keeping the kitchen clean. And making food that wouldn't give you a heart attack if you tried to eat it all in one sitting. But, Parasoul also reasoned with herself that her sister's extreme treats would be rather nice for Harry on his birthday, or if things got especially bleak and he really needed something to cheer him up.

She smiled softly, feelings of gratefulness for her sister beginning to well up within her. Umbrella had been so good with Harry since the very day she had first brought the boy home. She played with him, she cuddled him, she treated him like family the instant she had first seen him. And she could tell that it was very, VERY gradually bringing the boy out of his shell. Umbrella was every bit as necessary to help him recover as she was.

She thought about their conversation they had earlier in the day, and was happy with its resolution. There were many things she could've done better as a sister, things which she couldn't go back and change, but now she had a new understanding on how Umbrella worked. She understood how to be a better sister to her, and by extension, a better mother to Harry.

She rested her chin atop the boy's head with a small smile as he happily ate his crackers. She was a very lucky woman... Lucky to have found this child... Lucky to have received the absolute privilege to be called his mother...

Harry was feeling the same thing right now, he felt like he was the luckiest boy to have a mama who loved him so much, to have an aunt who cared for him so much. To have a family he didn't need to be afraid of saying he was scared to, a family he could open up to. In the past, he had only ever had a few dreams of such a thing happening, but now that it actually was happening? It put the dreams to shame.

He always had some level of restraint in those dreams, because he hadn't felt he deserved to be happy, to have a family that would help him overcome this traums he had experienced, to tell anyone about how awful things had been for him... But his mama had shown him otherwise, helped him understand that he did deserve to be happy, he did deserve a safe place to live, he did deserve the things a normal boy did...

Now, he had those things, and so much more.

"Hey, Harry... would you like to see one of Mama's favourite places?" Parasoul asked slyly, and the shine in his eyes said it all.

"Yes please!"

Rising to her feet, Parasoul walked a good five minutes across the length of the palace. Finally, she arrived at an old wooden door. She pulled it open, despite the moans and creaks of the door, and started up the stone stairway. Harry wanted to ask where they were going, but he knew it probably was a surprise.

"Okay, close your eyes, love." Parasoul ordered, and Harry obeyed. "And no peeking!" It was another two minutes until Harry felt them stop moving, a scraping sound was heard, and Parasoul sat down in something, setting him on her lap. "Okay! You can open them!"

Harry opened his eyes and was taken aback by the view! They were up in the tallest spire in the castle, seated in an old but comfortable chair, looking out further than Harry thought possible.

It was such a breathtaking sight...

He could see the entire city from this position. The cars driving down the street, the buildings, even some people walking along.

"Pretty..." He breathed.

"Yes, Harry, it is pretty, isn't it? This...is the kingdom that I rule over. These are my people... And by extension, yours as well. Because you are my little prince. And by extension, you are also their prince. They don't know about you yet. But someday, they will. And when they do, you will be beloved by all."

Harry began... crying, it was quiet at first, so quiet Parasoul didn't even hear it, but when she realized it, she gasped and held him close.

"What's wrong, my little prince?" She asked with great concern.

"Y..you're so nice..I...I don't...don't kno..know...w..wh-h-hy!" Harry managed to get out between his tears, and Parasoul smiled sadly, feeling herself tear up a little bit. She hugged him tightly and rested her cheek on his head.

"Because, you're my son." Parasoul said in a soft voice. "You're my little baby boy, you're an angel that was given to me, you're my life, my love. You're everything I could ever want in a child, and so much more. I'm nice to you, because I LOVE you, and nothing, NOTHING, can ever take that away from you, or me."

Harry looked up at his mother with a teary look and hugged her tightly. Parasoul smiled sadly and stroked his messy dark hair.

It truly shattered her heart that her child was so broken...

"It's going to be all right, my son... You are going to recover from this trauma and one day you will find that life can be so much greater than you think... One day, the past will be stuck in the past where it belongs..."

Harry said nothing. He just stayed pressed tightly against his adoptive mother's chest, clutching tightly at her sweater and sobbing softly. He desperately clung to the first source of affection and care he ever knew, enjoying the warmth she gave off as she cuddled him and rocked him gently in her arms.

They remained there for some time. Harry taking in all the love he had been denied for so long, and Parasoul letting all the love she had pour out onto her son. She knew there'd be days when things got rough, when things weren't as easy as hugging him, kissing him and saying everything was all right. But those days were far away, and today... today was a day when she could forget about her royal duties, forget about her usual schedule, and could just spend time with her family. Her sister, and her son. They looked out over the kingdom, Harry pointing and asking what things were occasionally, and Parasoul would answer to the best of her ability. Things were calm, things were good. She hadn't really expected to end her duties of hunting down and destroying the Medici slave market by taking a tiny bundle of love with her, let alone adopting him. But now that it had happened?

She couldn't imagine life any other way.