Chapter Text
Withers are made for their stars. Made to die, made to kill. Created as mindless beasts who are born into the world for destroying it. Kristen didn't die, she survived, but now she's living. She fell in love, a strong winged Emperor that never minded the deadly flowers blooming over her pale skin. He shows her the beauty of living, of peace. War pulses through her, a feeling to kill at every corner, and yet he is steady. When the urge for death runs from her, he's steady.
A Queen of Death, they whisper. She married, had a child of her own. A beautiful baby boy with golden curls and snow skin. "Hello Theseus," she had greeted. Prince Theseus, they cheer. He grows faster than he should, Wither blood, a pulsing star in his chest where a heart should beat. Her beloved Philza never says for disappointment of their son, he loves the boy and she loves to watch them. The boy squeals as he's tossed up at three, her chest rumbles comforting at night while he lays with her.
Her son is a wonderful child filled with love, death, and war thruming through his blood. His deadly flowers spring through blonde curls and his shining blue gaze flashes red with rage. He is hate, life, and peace in a balanced act of humanity.
"Come back here, he shouts. George, however, does not listen-" He giggles when Philza reads characters voices in a funny way, and his flowers bloom thorns of death when Kristen is belittled. Such a loving if hateful Prince, they murmur.
---
Life as a Wither is hard, they don't have instincts besides to protect themselves. Her gut confuses her, the little voice for Philza that goes nestling when he looks at Theseus calls pup for her. It's strange, baby Wither's are no such thing yet Kristen finds herself with certain feelings she can't push through that he is as important as her own star. Her humanity knows and influences her Wither parts as much as the opposite.
She frets over her son, distressed on what instincts he could develop that she doesn't feel. He is part avian, but the Wither part tugs at her saying she and him are the same. It concerns her how he will deal with the thoughts of death, the urge to guard and protect. Philza worries not, calls them his loves, and that such is enough for him. They will look over him, protect him and his star until he is big enough to do so himself.
She tucks her worries away, and it gets easier as he grows older, bigger. Her Wither parts are joyous in the ways he takes after her.
His extended height, strength, and endurance from his star are calming. He shoots up taller than Kristen; big enough to protect himself. Of course his more human bits are obvious. His blood flowing she doesn't have, his need for sleep and food. It's not enough to pass as human though, with only a few naps a week and gapples taking hold of his diet.
Skin paler than healthy for a person of course. His veins visible when inspected yet she loves to see the parts of herself and Philza, which parts are whos. Her chin yet his nose, her cheekbones and his sharper jawline. Theseus eyes flash between the two of them with flaming blue and raging red. Philza's golden curls however offset as Philza's is more pale and straighter. (That and the grey they poke fun at each other for.)
When Theseus at fourteen tells them of two young boys he met years ago, turns to her and says pups, they've already made up their minds. Technoblade and William, picked out by themselves, however the names are often shortened. They fit snugly onto Tommy no matter how much they and the rest of the castle get on like fine wine and mace. The two twins look less like twins after a year in the castle. William taking to shorter brown curls where Technoblade's long wavy pink locks flow down his back. They call her son Tommy, and she loves her son's pack. They are her own after all.
---
"Mum, I want to ask you and Dad something." Theseus says one day. The whole family is in the personal quarters common space. More uncommon these days with the brothers getting busy with their studies, hobbies, and others. "Of course, is everything alright Theseus?" She asks him and he smiles that reassuring grin at her with black ink stained lips like herself. "I wish to court a guard boy, he has enraptured me I'm afraid." He says, the smile doesn't falter when his parents pause.
His brothers have known this of course, the way the eldest sits with the purple guard. Techno and Wilbur share a glance from where they've curled up together on top of Tommy. "Purpled? The one outside the library?" Philza finally says, Theseus nods. "Him, I will produce an heir, worry not for that. But he's besotted me, acting as a friend and not my subject." Kristen cares little if her blood son produces an heir, but watching him take in every stray he can manage makes her hope for little ones running around at his feet.
He's a very sweet boy, and she's pleased at his excitement over the guard boy. "I don't fret for an heir Theseus, be happy is all I ask." She says, his curls bounce as he nods. "If he pleases your star, have him as you will." Philza tells him.
The mother and father of our Princes would not make their sons share a burden to continue a line of Crafts.
------
Theseus is smitten, everyone has noticed. He has eyes for a peasant; a low guard who stands by the library.
They spend the Prince's free time together when they can. They're.. close. Of course no one tells visiting nobles of this for fear of war. The crown Prince pining after a 'low-life'? They would never hear the end of such, and Philza would like to keep his son from either fighting in anymore wars or having to run the kingdom early. His beloved already worries for the scars that flesh of Theseus skin. But his star pulses steady, and his deadly flowers push away the regular path of danger. Philza's son is smart, strong, tactical at only seventeen, and if the Emperor has to wait another moment for the Prince to show up he might flee.
Philza has always despised holding balls at the castle. The only thing making it barable is his wife and son, neither are with him. Kristen and Theseus unnerve people with simply their presence and Philza has never ached more for that ability then now. A Prince and Duke have managed to corner him, and even as Emperor, he can't find a way to escape without being rude. Philza has defeated armies with only himself and a small group to aid him, and yet social awkwardness creeps up on him.
Tommy certainly gets his friendliness from Philza, however, where he got the confidence and grace to leave an interaction he doesn't want to be in? The Emperor has no idea as Kristen will simply drag her eyes over someone in a bored manner before walking away and Philza finds himself talking to someone for two hours if no one comes to excuse him. Thankfully tonight is not one of those nights for destined. Oh Theseus, Phil should get him a gift.
"Hello gentlemen, might I?"
The two fumble a moment before bowing. "Of course my prince, do not mind us." Tommy smoothly hooks their arms together and starts walking away. He chatters consistently and smiles at anyone who looks their way but doesn't stop.
Goodness, does Philza have a favorite? Kristen's going to be cross.