Chapter Text
Aster was the proud father of three mischievous children who were a perfect blend of him and his sorceress wife. Too perfect at times.
His youngest was a boy of two with wavy golden-white hair like his with blue eyes that shone like starlight named Caléndo. While the boy was a carbon copy of himself, from his light olive skin to his hair and eyes, Caléndo was thankfully more like his mother in personality as he grew.
His second oldest, Zahir, was a troublemaker of a four-year-old with sharp brown eyes like his mother. His skin and hair decided to compromise between his two parents with light copper skin and light brown-blond hair that would curl this way and that, just like his own developing magic. While Caléndo was a carbon copy of himself, Zahir was the only one who could perfectly mimic Aster’s mischievous grin.
Then there was his oldest, Izar. His sweet six-year-old Izar with bronze skin and dark brown hair braided into pigtail cornrows. While her eyes were dark brown, they held a brightness in them that could rival the developing magic she held within her. Izar reminded him the most of his wife when he first met Asha in her mannerism of playfulness, brightness and most of all, her kindness.
Unfortunately, she was also his daughter too and all of Aster’s children were tricksters like him. When it came towards bedtime, she would lead her younger brothers and make it into a game of hide and seek with him, throwing Aster into the role of seeker to avoid going to bed.
However, Aster always had a trick up his sleeve.
“Whoever makes it to their bed first and ready to sleep will have the pleasure of choosing tonight’s bedtime story!” He screamed into their cottage. Immediately, his young children shrieked with cheer as they all made a mad dash back towards their beds to the one room they all shared.
Aster smirked before he frowned as he found his only daughter shuffle with a sad sigh.
“What’s wrong Izar?” He said as he kneeled down next to her.
“I never win at these games, my brothers are all faster than me!” Izar whined, tears in her eyes.
“Hmmm…they might be faster, but I bet they did not listen to what I said.” Aster smiled as he booped her nose.
“What do you mean Papí?” Izar said, her brown eyes wide and curious as she sniffed.
“I said whoever makes it to their bed first and ready to sleep will win. You know your brothers will run straight to the bedroom without preparing for bed?” Aster grinned.
Izar’s mouth shifted into a grin.
“Papí, can you please help me change into my pajamas and brush my teeth?” Izar grinned.
“Of course, my najma.” Aster said as he snapped his fingers. Sparks flew around his fingers before they surrounded his daughter. In a flash, Izar’s tunic and breeches was replaced with her nightgown before Aster carried her up and took her to the water bowl in the kitchen. He placed Izra on her stool before he handed his daughter a toothbrush prepared with a cleaning paste Asha made that morning. Then he prepared his own toothbrush.
The two brushed their teeth together before rinsing into the water bowl. Aster magicked it away where it would go into the nearest cesspool before following his daughter back to her shared room with her brothers.
Izar jumped into the bed and threw herself under the covers and stared at him with those bright brown eyes, eager as a beaver like her mother.
“I win! Papí, I did as you said! Can I pick the bedtime story now?” She begged with puppy eyes that she definitely inherited from him.
“No fair! Me and Zahir in our beds first!” Caléndo whined as Zahir looked towards his younger brother and frowned.
“Yeah, but we didn’t follow the rules.” Zahir grumbled as he got out of bed. “Come on Calén, we need to brush our teeth!”
“Please pick good story Izar!” Caléndo begged as Zahir dragged his other son out of the room. Soon enough, all of his children were back in bed. Caléndo was hugging his goat plushie as Zahir petted his stuffed golden-furred dog. Izar was the only one who had a non-animal plushie. It was a star.
“So, what story do you want tonight my najma?” Aster said as he sat on his daughter’s bed.
“Can you tell me the story of how you and Ommi fell in love Papí?” Izar said.
“No boring love stories!” Zahir protested.
“Yeah! Love stories are boring!” Caléndo echoed.
Aster laughed.
“My love story with your Ommi is anything but boring!” Aster grinned. “It’s filled with adventure, an evil entity and the greatest magic of all, love!” He said as he looked at each of his children, starting with Zahir, Caléndo then at Izar. “This is the story of how your Ommi tamed the wild far-flung wayward star, saved Rosas and got to be the Royal Magician. And it all started liked this. Once upon a time…”