XX DEATH I

In the sewage smelling underground tunnel of Victorian London, Lady Adelaide Taylor clung on the dirty walls as she heaved in large breaths of air.

Her flushed freckled face was drenched in sweat, her light brown hair clung to her face as her green court gown painfully gripped her flat figure.

Thundering footsteps hurried towards her, echoing through the empty tunnel.

Her expression alarmed, as her green eyes were widened in horror; she looked back at the dozens of royal guards that pointed their spears at her.

"Offender Adelaide Taylor, as a part of the House of Taylor you are under the arrest of felony." A familiar figure of Louis Cook, the Captain of the Royal Guards bellowed while pointing his sharp spear at her.

Adelaide frowned as she saw the twelve men, all fully glad in their shining armour surrounding her in a crescent shape. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest as she stared wide eyes at all the familiar faces before her.

Why?

What possible felony could the House of Taylor ever commit, considering how loyal we were to the royal family?

Light rain began to drip down, before a thundering downpour started. The loud pitter-patter of rain echoed through the heavy atmosphere of the passageway.

Thunders rolled and not so long after lightning struck, however no one spoke, all staring at each other, none willing to make the first move.

"What has happened to the rest of the house?" Her voice was steady as she spoke, completely different from her shaking figure that looked like it was about to collapse at any given moment.

"They are all caught; waiting for execution at the earliest hours of dawn." Her question was met with an even more calm reply.

Adelaide closed her eyes avoiding the cold pair of sugar brown eyes of the man before her, forcing the tears that stung her eyes to go back in.

Her breathing became difficult as her vision became unclear. She collapsed onto the cold ground as if the answer had finally caused whatever power had been used to hold her up to crumble.

No one spoke for a while as they allowed the small fragile figure on the floor to collect her thoughts.

However, the guards were losing their patience, no matter how well they knew this woman they cannot delay her capture. The longer they delayed, the earlier their own deaths were.

After five minutes had passed, Louis sighed as he handed one of his subordinates his spear before scooping the trembling woman into his arms. "Deli," he began to walk to the entrance of the tunnel, "no matter how much I would like to help, it would not change the fact that the House of Taylor has been proven of felony. The King is furious and has ordered the whole House along with the slaves and servants to be beheaded in the morning."

They reached the end of the tunnel, stepping out, the heavy rain pounded onto their bodies.

Adelaide stared unfocused as she was gently carried towards the place of her death, "it is no matter, it is our loss that we were unable to protect ourselves," no matter if her death was near, her voice was still steady. Nevertheless, her eyes were now red seeming as if menacing; blaming the world for its unfairness.

Louis sighed he spoke without looking down, "sleep, you will feel better when you do."

In the early morning of the next day the House of Taylor was cursed as they were beheaded in public.

However, a phenomenon occurred as the stars that were supposed to have disappeared during that hour appeared along with the enlarged moon and the blazing sun accompanying it. Snow miraculously fell and streaks of light adored the skies.

Some said it was God's approval that the House of Taylor was beheaded, but a few was left thinking that the Heaven's themselves came and welcomed the House of Taylor to eternal rest.

××××××××××××××××

PINEFALL FOREST. KINGDOM OF IESIERA

The weather was beautiful on this day, something unheard of in the Kingdom of Iesiera.

Within the gentle atmosphere of the forest, a pregnant woman and a flustered man could be seen within the greenery next to a crystal blue lake.

One was kneeling while the other laying on the grass, leaning against a large boulder in pain as she clutched her stomach, "the baby's coming!" Calypso screamed in pain as her gorgeous face was scarily twisted.

Ulysses' handsome face was full of sweat as he didn't know where to place his hands, his large figure felt powerless as he didn't know how to lessen the pain that his beloved wife was going through. "Honey, you should breathe! If you keep talking, you'll be wasting baby-pushing-power!" Ulysses clumsily patted her soft blonde hair.

Hearing this, Calypso blanked for a second before her breathe caught in her throat, choking she really wanted to beat up this stupid husband. Flushed, she angrily glared at the man who looks two thirds worried and a third excited.

His whole existence seemed to be shining even more than usual as his face didn't know whether to settle into a frown, a smile or a grimace as his wife clutched his hand painfully.

"Darling, aren't you supposed to push the baby out at this moment?" His IQ has of course disappeared at this point. He didn't think about moving his wife back to the manor, which was a one-hour hike, as he allowed her to lay on the lush grass.

Hearing the question, one of the veins in her forehead burst as her lips twitched, furiously she squeezed his hands even tighter, "keep talking and I won't let you touch our child!" She knew! She just knew that she shouldn't have agreed to go for a 'baby-walk' as her husband like to call it with him today! Else she wouldn't be here in labour in this very forest.

Calypso released another pained scream, her face streaked with tears as she sobbed, "darling, we're never having another child every again unless you're birthing it!"

Ulysses lips twitched as he pouts, his hand that was about to break. Maybe for the sake of his left hand or any other hand he might strangely have in the future, he should let the baby making session be put on hiatus for a while, "alright, alright anything for my darling wife."

Suddenly there was a slight ripple on the surface of the calm lake, causing Ulysses to stiffen, becoming alert as he scanned the surrounding. His heart pounding loudly against his ribcages, his palms finally became sweaty as he worriedly looked for any threats in the area.

"Human, do not panic," a gentle voice sounded as water rose from the lake before forming a small figure of a child. Ulysses' eyes narrowed at the luxurious gold and white cladded figure that was smiling before him.

"Great One..." Calypso breathed out; her eyes widened as she seemed to have realised the aura surrounding the child.

Nymph?

As if to confirm his suspicion the child grinned before cutely titling her head, "I am Creusa, daughter of Gaia and the River God of Peneus." She gave a slight curtsy before turning her attention to Calypso...or rather her bulging stomach. "Child you're in a painful labour...to be expected since your child has suffered before coming here..." Creusa's voice drifted as she came to squat on the other side of Calypso.

Her hands reaching to caress the stomach causing Calypso to stiffen and Ulysses to clench his teeth as he stared dangerously at that pair of hands.

However, not long after Calypso relaxed, her pain lessened as the Great One seemed to have transfer magic to lessen the pain in her body, "human relax, water attribute is known for healing in the Realm of Magic."

Hearing this didn't lessen the worried Ulysses' poor heart, he was human while his wife was a nymph. Nevertheless, he was only in contact of priests and clerics who had healing abilities from the neighbouring kingdom, Nymphs seems to live in a completely different dimension off the Continent of Aloeus hence he didn't know much about them, only things that his wife had taught him about her race.

But...uagh! That's his baby that this little child is being touchy-touchy with! What happens if his beloved baby becomes fond of this brat because she keeps touching his kid?!

Feeling vexed Ulysses kept his mouth shut.

Completely ignoring the humouring father-to-be, Creusa gently tapped the nymph's belly, her silver eyes, a trait of powerful nymphs, narrowed. The child's lifeforce was strong, however it wasn't complete. The River of Dunamis of the child was flowing without blockages; however, the life seed hasn't been planted inside the body.

Meaning that the body itself is functioning, however there isn't a soul within the body hence the mother of the child shouldn't give birth just yet.

Several hours passed as Creusa poured her power into the body of Calypso, lessening the pain.

Suddenly her body stiffened, she quickly retreated her hands before spurting three mouthfuls of blood out in succession.

Ulysses stiffened after having let his guard down since long ago, "hey little kid, you alright?" Worried he checked his wife first before turning to look at the person who had just finished coughing up blood as they were now wiping the corner of the remnants with a white hanky.

"No matter, the baby is prepared to come out. Child be ready, remember to push...it'll be painful, but it'll be worth it." Creusa's heart shivered in fear as she advised Calypso.

Earlier she had suddenly been repelled by such a powerful soul spirit. Her heart was pounding in anticipation as her own life essence trembled in excitement.

The mythical, fae, nymphs and other nonhuman beings has been waiting for the birth of this child. Nothing can go wrong! She had noticed long ago that this whole forest has been set down with arrays after arrays, arrays so powerful that even Gods won't be able to interfere! The whole supernatural race is prepared to welcome this child into this world, and no one can prevent it!

It didn't take long for the cries of a baby to echo through the still forest. Creusa legs trembled before she dropped to her knees, but no one saw as the whole world was suddenly dropped into the pit of darkness.

Million of stars appeared in the sky, as the sun and moon intertwined in the multicoloured streaked sky. Gentle white snow fell and began to quickly cover every inch of the continent in a white blanket.

Ulysses who had the bloodied child in his arms panicked as he held the child closer while his other arm was circled around his wife who had fainted, scared at the current phenomenon.

Nevertheless, the occurrence didn't last for long, as before anyone could make out what was happening, the whole world returned to normal. Only the fallen snow was a reminder of what had happened had been infact real.

"What was that?!" Shocked, Ulysses asked the small kid who was patting her clothes seeming to get rid of invisible dust for no reason.

Creusa shrugged her shoulders, her eyes never leaving the child, "the world probably forgot to do a rain check today."