Domestic Bliss, by lyradaemon

Chapter 5: Behind The Pom Pom Beanie

Disclaimer: Same as always

A/N: Many thanks to dancingwithinbrokendreamsiluvchocs and JadeGodess for their prompt reviews: seems like I'm not the only one who finds the idea of Daemon in that hat amusing…! Which reminds me: you will find the little story behind the hat in the next chapter, as well as the beginning of an epic game of hide and seek, engineered by everyone's favourite Eyrien! Enjoy!!!

"Where's Daemonar?"

Lucivar fought back a grin. Things were going to get interesting.

Gabrielle frowned in response to Jaenelle's question. "And Luc too; we've been here for two hours and he still hasn't come out of Daemonar's room."

Several other voices raised in protest before Marian stood up. "Don't worry, I'll go and have a look for them," she said in a reassuring voice before heading deeper into the eyrie.

Fat chance of finding them Lucivar smirked to himself. They're already gone.

He had given the signal to Tassle as soon as Morghann and Khardeen had appeared on the doorstep. Anyone who had heard Tassle's barking would have assumed he was simply being a guard dog. Or wolf. Still, the minute the children had heard Tassle they had done what he'd told them to do: he'd double checked and they were no where to be found.

Marian returned a few minutes later, looking concerned. "I can't find them anywhere," she said, frowning. "I checked Daemonar's room, then the den. They're not there. And I know they couldn't have gone outside: there aren't any footprints in the snow and they can't air walk." Lucivar chuckled silently. Poor, naïve Marian… Then she held up a piece of paper. "But I did find this." Unfolding it she read the short note. " 'Dear Mother, We have decided to play a game. It begins with 'h' and end in 'k'. Love, Daemonar' " Marian shook her head. "Any ideas?"

Oh clever Daemonar, Lucivar thought. He'd been trying to find a way to point the adults in the right direction as to where the children were. And his son had done it perfectly.

"Begins in 'h' and ends…hide and seek?" Aaron offered.

"Hide and seek?" Daemon asked sceptically. "I think we would have noticed by now if they were hiding."

It's hard to take him seriously in that hat, Lucivar thought absently.

"Don't be stupid Daemon, there are plenty of places to hide in this eyrie. Isn't that right Lucivar?" Jaenelle said scathingly, turning to him.

"What? Oh, yes, loads of places," he replied enthusiastically.

"See? So all we have to do is go look for them." Jaenelle jumped to her feet. "Anyone coming?"

Daemon promptly tried to look inconspicuous but due to the abundance of pom poms he failed miserably. Jaenelle grabbed her husband's arm and hauled him to his feet. "Right. Daemon and I will search the den. Aaron, Khardeen and Chaosti can search the bedrooms. The women will stay here and look in the kitchen and laundry room. I'm sure it won't take long to find them. After all, they are only children." She paused, waiting for the others to get up. When they all just sat there she frowned. "Do you want me to pick you up by your balls? No? Then get moving." When that little statement was met with startled looks from the women she sighed. "No, not you. I'll just set the males on you and give them permission to fuss for a day or two."

That got them moving.

When Jaenelle had finally got her little army of adults on the move, Lucivar leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head.

He was going to have SO much fun with this.

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Thirty minutes later and still no sign of any of them.

They had searched everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. Behind curtains, under beds, on top of wardrobes, in cupboards, everywhere.

They had simply vanished.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Jaenelle made her way back towards the kitchen. Just as she was turning the corner a figure jumped out at her. Screaming in terror she stepped back – into a stool, which promptly sent her backwards onto her ass with a thump. Yelling in surprise and fury she looked up in time to see her Consort keel over into a heap and start howling with laughter.

"Daemon what the hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled at him, getting more furious by the second as his torrent of laughter refused to abate. Instead he just sat there, pom pom topped head in his hands and crying with laughter at –

"Y-your f-face…" he gurgled. Gurgled? Daemon was actually gurgling? Tears streamed down his face as he raised his head to look at her before crumpling again. "Mother Night…what a picture…"

Footsteps sounded down the corridor and another Warlord Prince came into view. Chaosti.

The Dea al Mon took one look at Daemon before turning to Jaenelle. "And the reason behind Daemon's sudden demise is…?"

Jaenelle gave him her best glare before pouting sullenly. "That idiotic male over there decided to jump out on me-"

"I didn't j-jump, I stepped-"

"And he seemed to find it so amusing that he just crumpled up into a heap on the floor." She sniffed disdainfully. "Though what is so funny about terrifying a woman, I don't know-"

"I didn't mean to…" Daemon choked, gulping in breaths. He hiccupped before collapsing into giggles again. "You just walked around the corner into me and then…" more hiccups "…and then you decided to fall over…"

Jaenelle snarled at him.

"…and that was it. Don't blame me."

Jaenelle huffed and folded her arms. Ignoring the odd noises coming from Daemon's direction she looked up at the bemused looking Warlord Prince. "Did you find any children?"

"Nope. Seems like they just vanished. Did you manage to find anyone before," he threw an amused glance at Daemon, "you were brutally attacked?" That just sent Daemon into howls of laughter again.

Jaenelle glared at him again. "I don't know what you find so amusing, Daemon, considering you're the one wearing that ridiculous hat."

That shut him up.

"You were the one who chose it!"

"No I didn't! It was you who-"

"Oh stop it, both of you," Chaosti said. He went over to Jaenelle and helped her up. "Come on, let's go children hunting."

Jaenelle threw Daemon a disgruntled look before following Chaosti.

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Lucivar surveyed the increasingly agitated gaggle of adults as he sipped his coffee. They still hadn't tagged onto the fact that he was doing nothing while they scurried around in search of children who just weren't there.

Mother Night, I didn't realize it would take this long.

Just then someone knocked on the door. Frowning, he went to answer it, wondering who it could be. Who would be calling at this time anyway?
He opened the door and found-

Saetan.

His father stood there with a mild look on his face. When he noticed his other son rush past in what looked suspiciously like a red pom pom hat, he cleared his throat politely. "Bad time?"

Lucivar groaned inwardly. "No, not at all, come in." He ushered the High Lord in. "Tea?"

"Yes, thank you." Saetan followed Lucivar into the kitchen where Kalush was talking anxiously with Aaron and Morghann. "Is something happening that I don't know about?"

Just then a whirlwind which appeared to be his daughter-in-law swept past, thrust a piece of paper into his hand and yelled "Your Grandson" at him. Saetan blinked at the note before reading it. He re-read it. Twice. And blinked again.

Clearing his throat several times he glanced up. "Your son…"

"Has decided to play a game of hide and seek. With the other seven children. And we can't find them anywhere," Lucivar replied mildly as he set the mug of tea in front of his father.

"You seem surprisingly calm about all this."

"Ah well, I'm sure they'll come back eventually."

"Indeed."

Lucivar just looked at him.

Turning away Saetan caught sight of his other son – and daughter – and gestured for them to join them.

"Papa!" Jaenelle said, sounding relieved. "Good, maybe you can-"

"If you're going to say help I'll throttle you."

Jaenelle blinked. Daemon choked. Which brought Saetan's attention to him.

"That's a fetching hat you've got there boyo."

Daemon scowled at his father. "I didn't-"

Jaenelle put her hand over his mouth to muffle the words. "It's alright darling, I'll tell him. Since you owe me for terrifying me like that." She glared at Lucivar as he opened his mouth to question that little statement. She turned to Saetan and give him a bright smile. "Daemon and I were shopping in Amdarh yesterday when Daemon saw that hat. He laughed at it and said, 'could you imagine Saetan wearing that?' and proceeded to sit down in the middle of the shop and howl with laughter. Which," she looked at her husband, "he seems to have gotten into a habit of doing. Anyway," she ignored her audience's questioning looks, "I said if he thought you would look so amusing, then maybe Lucivar would look just as amusing. That prompted him to collapse into hysterics. So I bought three."

Saetan and Lucivar frowned. "Three?"

"Exactly. One for each of you and one for Daemon. Since he thought you would look so ridiculous in them, I figured he, as he's your son and brother, would look just as stupid." She shrugged. "Seemed fair to me. So," she called in two small wrapped packages. "Here they are."

Saetan and Lucivar opened the parcels. One blue and one green hat, identical to the red one Daemon was wearing.

"You don't-"

"Go on, put them on," Jaenelle urged with a slightly feral smile. "After all, the colours really do suit you."

"I don't suppose 'Go to Hell' is an appropriate response at this point?" Lucivar asked sulkily. When Jaenelle's smile turned into more of a grimace, Lucivar sighed resignedly and pulled the hat on. As did Saetan.

"Oh, wonderful Saetan," she said, clapping her hands together. "I just knew the colour would suit you."

Giving each of them a kiss on the cheek – although omitting Daemon – she practically skipped off.

Saetan and Lucivar just looked at each other. "Can't I just dump her in a fountain?" He asked sourly.

His father shook his head sadly. "Wouldn't do any good. We'd still be stuck with these hats."

"Well can't we just-"

"Vanish them?" Daemon asked. "Doesn't work; already tried. She's put something on them so that you can't get rid of them. They don't even burn."

The three men looked at each other. At the pom poms. And groaned.

Mother Night.

A/N: Yes, very silly I know. Still, it didn't seem fair to only make Daemon wear one. Besides, the thought of Saetan wearing one…! Hope you liked it! Lyradaemon x