258 Chapter 258 A Personal Guardian

"So, you have to give this queen cookies to ensure she doesn't send her killers after our baby?" repeated Frederik for the seventh time.

"That's right," said Aella, patting Aadya's back to help her burp. "I'm going to have the cook downstairs make several dozen and I'm going to give them to her personally. I'm pretty sure she's addicted to chocolate cookies, and is hoping I bring her more chocolate."

"This is crazy," he sighed, sitting back in his chair. "How do I fight fairies? Fairy ninjas, right?"

"That's right," nodded Aella, with a small smile. If she hadn't seen the little things, she would think this was crazy too. "I think having a plate of cookies out at all times around her, should keep her safe from them. They seem to have a huge weakness for sweets."

"Great. I'll have to teach her not to eat them herself. Our daughter is going to be so fat!"

"No, she's not," sighed Aella.

"Do you want me to take care of her while you deliver the cookies?" he asked with a frown.

"Of course. Unless you want me to have Bridgette watch her? I know you have several nobles lined up to speak with, and it doesn't look very impressive when the king is holding a baby."

He thought about that seriously, obviously warring with the two options.

"As much as I hate to agree with that statement, I'm afraid you're right. If Bridgette will agree to watch her while you deal with this queen, I'll see to it she gets a year's worth of ink as payment."

"Be careful," laughed Aella, "If you put the bar too high, she might become too expensive to use as a babysitter."

"What do you get paid when you have to babysit?" asked Frederik, not really paying attention, as he prepared to speak with the nobles.

Aella's grin disappeared into a scowl and she teleported to the library without answering him.

"Aella?" asked Bridgette, looking up from a book she was currently reading. "What… is that a baby!!!?"

Aella smiled as Bridgette jumped up and rushed over to see the baby in excitement.

"Whose is it? Are you taking it over to Josephine?" asked Bridgette, cooing over the baby's fine hair.

"No," smiled Aella. "She's mine."

"What?" asked Bridgette, deadpan. Her hand was frozen half an inch from Aadya's head.

"It's hard to explain, but she's mine and Frederik's. Her name is Aadya. Would you mind watching her while I deliver cookies to a crazy queen of fairies?"

Bridgette licked her lips and stepped back to look Aella in the eyes. "Are you joking with me?"

"No, I'm perfectly serious. I don't know how the Queen of the Fey even found I had her, but she's threatening to send ninja's after my daughter if I don't pay her cookies."

"That's… wait. Fey? I think I remember reading about them!" cried Bridgette, running over to a ladder and climbing up it to a higher shelf. Grabbing a book, she slid to the bottom and rushed over to her table, flipping it open and scanning the pages until she found what she was looking for. "Don't you have a hydra?"

"Yes?" replied Aella, moving over to see what was written in the book.

"They're totally terrified of them! Apparently, hydras can see them, not matter how hidden they are, and love to eat them. They taste sweet, apparently. So, if you keep your hydra with your child, the fairies should leave her alone."

Aella thought about that carefully. She might be able to do something with that information.

"Thank you, Bridgette. How are you doing?"

"Well, the last child was kind of hard, but I've upped my nutrient intake, and I expect the next one will be much easier."

"Wait, how many do you have now?" asked Aella, looking at Bridgette in shock.

"I have three and am pregnant with another on the way," chuckled Bridgette. "I love them! They are so inquisitive and I have plenty of information to share. It's going to be interesting to see which one becomes the next sage."

"Wow, Bridgette, congratulations?" said Aella, not sure how to respond. She gave her head a little shake and said, "I need to go and deal with this fairy queen. Thanks for the help!"

Bridgette looked at where Aella had just been, wondering if she meant to leave the baby or not, then shrugged and went to put up the book. There was plenty more books to read and organize!

Aella looked around the trade town carefully, then spied the hydra dozing near the portal to the turtle city.

"Ruth?" she called. "Frank, Louie?"

They all popped their heads up with wide grins and climbed to their feet to charge at her.

"Momma! We missed you!" cried Ruth as they skidded to a halt in front of her.

"You were gone for so long!" said Louie with wide eyes.

"Were you busy?" asked Frank.

"I was very busy, and I have a new job for the three of you that is super important," said Aella, kneeling down and uncovering Aadya's face where she had covered her while she slept.

"Who is this?" asked Ruth.

"Is she yours?" asked Louie.

"Did you steal her?" asked Frank.

"No, I didn't steal her," laughed Aella. "She's my daughter, and her name is Aadya."

"What's our job?" they all asked at once.

"The fairy queen has said I needed to give her cookies to keep her from sending her fairy ninjas after Aadya. I heard that fairies taste yummy and sweet to you hydra's but I don't want you to hunt them unless they come for Aadya."

"That's so mean!" cried Ruth.

"Can I taste one to see?" asked Louie.

"So, you're making us her personal guard?" asked Frank.

"No, you can't taste one, but you are going to be her personal guard. I'm going to give the queen some cookies, out a sign of friendship, and introduce you to her. I was told you can see fairies no matter how hard they try to hide, so we're going to test that theory."

"Alright!" they all chimed in excitement.

"Can some of us go, as well?" asked a masked demon stepping forward out of the shadows. "We've dealt with some of the ninjas and would like to see where they come from."

Aella thought about that for a moment, then nodded, watching as three more stepped out of the shadows so she could teleport them all.

"Do you have the cookies?" asked Ruth.

"In my pocket," smiled Aella, before teleporting them to the mushroom forest.

Fairy ninjas immediately appeared all around them, but none approached her.

"I am requesting an audience with your queen," said Aella loudly, pulling the cover back down over her daughter's head.

"Do you think it wise to bring a baby before me?" said the queen from out of the shadows. She wasn't hiding from anyone as most all of the eyes in Aella's group had found her the moment they arrived.

"I bring cookies to the Queen of the Fey in a sign of friendship," said Aella, holding out the plate of still warm cookies.

"They smell wonderful, but don't think that will keep my ninjas away for long," said the queen, her eyes glued to the plate. "Is that molasses I smell?"

"These are gingersnaps, I believe," said Aella with a smile. "And in response to your obvious threats to my daughter, I wished to introduce you to my daughter's personal guardian. Ruth, Louie and Frank. They are a hydra that, I hear, can see your ninjas regardless of how well they try to hide. If any of them get anywhere near my daughter, your ninjas will be eaten."

The queen's eyes darted to the baby hydra and studied them carefully. "I've never seen a hydra, but I've heard of them. They are usually much larger. Wasn't there one in your last castle?"

"Yes, and I believe your fairies tasted quite sweet and delicious to it. My hydra here is only a baby and hasn't had a chance to taste a fairy yet. I'm sure if you insist on sending ninjas to threaten my daughter with, they would love the opportunity to see if the rumor is true."

"There will be no need for that. I will accept these cookies as a sign of friendship and wish your daughter well as she grows. Perhaps we can be friends when she is older."

"I doubt it," smiled Aella, watching the queen as she took the plate and backed away from the sniffing noses of the hydra. The queen smiled back and nodded to her, as she glanced at the assassins around her to make sure they were ready to leave.

Returning to the trade town long enough to drop off the assassins, she took the hydra back to the castle.

"Why did you bring the hydra back with you?" asked Frederik curiously as she appeared in front of him.

The throne room was empty, save a few of his advisors as they finished up some of their documents.

"Bridgette told me the fairies are terrified of hydras so after confirming the truth of it by taking the hydra with me to the queen, I've decided the hydra will be the personal guard of our daughter."

"Aella," he sighed, rubbing his brow before standing up.

"Should I have told you first?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If it keeps our daughter safe, then I am alright with it," he said with a smile.