Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Mama? Mama? Maaaaamaaaaa? … Mama!”

Caramel Arrow let out a snort of surprise as something small but heavy landed on her abdomen, jolting her out of her sleep into the waking world. She blinked her eyes, trying to get the last remnants of sleep out of them before glaring down at the source of her awakening.

“Dark Fudge! What on Earthbread are you doing?!”

“Hi mama!” The young child beamed up at her mother, oblivious to the elder’s exasperation. “Morning!”

Caramel Arrow glanced to the window, frowning deeply when she saw that the sky was still dark out. Slivers of the moon peeked through the clouds, a rarity in this land and its constant winter. “Dark Fudge, it’s nowhere near morning. You should be asleep in bed.”

“Can’t seep! Too hungy.”

“… you’re hungry?”

“Ye!”

A groan left Caramel Arrow as she covered her face. “Dark Fudge, I told you that you needed to finish eating your dinner! You can’t keep eating only half of it and waking me up every night because of hunger! Why didn’t you eat the rest of your dinner?”

“Didin wanna eat.”

“Why not?”

“Yucky.”

“The food was perfectly fine, Dark Fudge. Your grandmother worked hard making it for you.”

“It yucky.”

“It was not yucky! It was all the food that you liked!”

“Didin wanna!”

“Dark Fudge–!” Caramel Arrow took a deep breath, trying to cool her temper. “Fine. Fine. What would you like to eat then?”

“Bungeo!”

“Bun–?! No, Dark Fudge, you can’t have that! That’s a dessert. You need to eat something that’s for dinner.”

“Ta-coo-yak?”

“Takoyaki. It’s pronounced ta-ko-ya-ki. And you can’t have that either. You didn’t like the spicy taste.”

“Ummm… Yakit!”

“We don’t have any chicken to make yakitori.”

“… gwapon?”

“That’s also a dessert.” Letting out a sigh, Caramel Arrow got up, stretching her limbs. “How about we go and see what’s available to eat? I’m sure your grandmothers have something in the kitchen that you can eat.”

“K!” Dark Fudge quickly got to her feet, swaying slightly as she tried finding her balance before quickly toddling off towards the kitchen.

Caramel Arrow shook her head, unable to hide the small fond smile forming upon her face as she followed after her daughter.

Daughter.

It was an odd word that she never thought she would ever say.

A young two and a quarter year old daughter, wild and energetic with a bit of an attitude. Her mothers claimed she was just the same when she was young, but Caramel doubted she was ever this wild and disrespectful when she was young. She suspected that Dark Fudge got her attitude from her father’s side.

Her father’s side.

Her smile faltered for a bit before she quickly shook her head, pushing the thought out of her mind, and entered the kitchen. Dark Fudge was already rummaging through one of the cupboards closest to the floor, dragging out pots in pans in search of food.

“Sweetie, what are you doing?”

“I look ‘or ‘ood!” Dark Fudge happily declared, pulling out a pot that was half her size. The weight of the pot was a bit much for the young girl, toppling backward and landing on her rear with a little ‘oomph!’ sound. Caramel tried to hide her smile, shaking her head as she went over and put everything back in the cupboard.

“I don’t think there’s any food in there. How about this? If you promise to go straight to bed after you’re done eating, I’ll whip up my best seven-minute stew. How about that?”

Dark Fudge’s eyes widened, a squeal of delight leaving her mouth as she waved her arms. “Mama stew! Mama stew! Mama stew!”

“Shh. Not so loud. Your grandmothers are still sleeping.” Caramel quickly shushed her daughter. Dark Fudge quickly covered her mouth with her hands, giggling softly.

Sending her daughter off to play, Caramel got to work on cooking.

The stew she was making didn’t have a set recipe. Watchers who didn’t know how to cook often threw whatever was edible into a pot and prayed silently to whichever deity was listening that they wouldn’t get food poisoning. Caramel knew how to work around the little rations of food she was supplied with to make something edible and filling. She was rather glad that she had taken up the habit of making the sauce for the stew a day or two earlier, as it helped with the flavoring.

She had all the necessary ingredients set up when she felt a small tug on her hanbok, looking down to see Dark Fudge staring up at her. “What’s the matter, sweetie?”

“I help!”

Caramel blinked in surprise. “Help? With cooking?”

“Ye!”

“Oh, sweetie. I don’t know. There’s not a lot you can do to help…” Dark Fudge’s eyes grew wide, her lips quivering slightly. Caramel felt slightly bad as her daughter stared up at her like that, her will crumbling under that puppy dog face. “… I guess you can help out.” Her daughter’s face instantly lit up, and Caramel knew there was no way she was going to be able to say no now. “Go grab a shallow pot from the cupboards.”

“K!” Dark Fudge eagerly toddled off, and Caramel quickly set to work cutting the vegetables and meat.

It took a while for Dark Fudge to return with the correct pot, having made a few mistakes of grabbing the wrong one several times before finally acquiring the right one her mother was looking for. Pleased with her daughter’s efforts, Caramel allowed her to help shape some minced meat into small orbs and help set the ingredients in the pot.

It wasn’t long before the warm smell of the stew was in the air. Caramel almost felt tempted to pour herself a small bowl, but she held back. This food was for her child, not for herself. Even if her child only wanted food because she had refused to finish her dinner.

“Here you go.” Caramel set a small bowl in front of her daughter, having the forethought to get her a small glass of milk just in case the stew was too hot for Dark Fudge to handle. “Mama’s special stew. Enjoy.” And please don’t only eat half of it. She silently pleaded.

“Tank you!” Dark Fudge chirped, digging in immediately into the stew.

Seeing her daughter eat, Caramel let out a small sigh, turning her focus on cleaning. Mother would be upset with her if she came down tomorrow and saw the mess in the kitchen. Mother never minded any late-night raids in the kitchen, though she did mind if there was any mess left behind.

As she was cleaning the last of the dishes and making a mental note on what needed to be restocked in her Mother and Eomeoni’s pantries, her daughter spoke up. “Mama?”

“Yes Dark Fudge?”

“What dada like?”

Caramel froze. “… what?”

“What dada like?”

Silence hung in the air for a while before Caramel sighed, setting the last dish out to dry and turning her focus on her daughter. Bits of stew were smeared around her mouth and dotted the table with small droplets, her fingers coated and dirty with food, and Dark Fudge’s eyes… her big, beautiful eyes were locked onto her. Innocent and curious. Not fully grasping the world around her just yet.

Those same eyes that reminded her so much of her father…

“Your… dada…” Caramel struggled with her words. She always tried to deflect or change the subject about Dark Fudge’s father. No one would be able to understand if she told them, and she doubted that her own child would understand the circumstances around him until she was much older. “… he’s… a very complicated being… but a nice one. He has a warm smile and kind eyes, but could be a little stubborn at times when he sets his mind on something. He’s tall… strong… handsome.”

Her mind drifted, recalling all her fond moments with the person she loved most.

His smile. His confidence. His unwavering will.

The way that he looked at her that made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. The way he held her hand tenderly, placing the lightest and delicate kisses upon it. How he held her close, whispering promises for a better future for the kingdom. The camellias she would find on her bed back at the barracks with small notes attached to them. The gifts he would present her when they met up in secret. The hours they would spend talking to each other in warm embrace.

The tears she shed when news of his banishment reached her ears.

How she spent many long nights searching for him.

How their last night together had them both in tears, holding each other tightly while he whispered apologies to her, over and over till his voice broke and he forced himself to part away with deep reluctance, his gaze filled with nothing but sorrow and regret as his one working eye held her gaze for what could have been hours before finally turning and leaving her behind.

Unaware to both of them that he left not only her but someone else as well that night.

She gazed softly at her daughter, taking in her features.

Her mothers claimed that Dark Fudge looked a lot like her when she was little. Warm-toned, dark brown skin, thick, long hair that reached down to her shoulders, and a pudgy little face that would one day lose that baby fat and become thin and beautiful in the eyes of many. She could definitely see herself in her daughter… but she could also see parts of her father mixed in as well.

Jet black hair with streaks of caramel brown and snow white. Burgundy eyes that were almost close to carmine. And most notable of all was the tail.

Her eyes lingered on the tail, watching it sway slightly behind her daughter. Dark scales glinting softly in the low firelight, with short dark fuzz trailing down along its spine. 

There was only one family that shared this trait with her daughter. One that would instantly reveal to everyone who Dark Fudge was related to if they ever laid eyes upon her.

Her Eomeoni kept begging her to tell the king about Dark Fudge, but she swore against it.

She had a bad feeling that if she told His Majesty about Dark Fudge, there was no telling what he might do to her daughter. Or to her, for that matter.

She couldn’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to her little girl. She wasn’t even sure how the kingdom would take it if they knew. It made her sick with worry, even when she tried telling herself that nothing bad would happen as long as she could keep her child safe.

She just wished that… that her father could be here with them.

He would have loved Dark Fudge. She knew he would.

She had instantly fallen in love with her child the moment she finally held her in her arms; she was sure that if he ever laid eyes upon her, he would instantly love her as well.

“He would love you if he had the chance to meet you…” She shook her head with a sigh, grabbing a towel. “But some things are just not meant to be.”

“Why papa not see?” Dark Fudge asked, shifting a bit as her mother started cleaning her face. “Is I ugly?”

Caramel let out a snort, her lips curling into a smile. “No, sweetie. He just… just had to go somewhere far, far away from where we live.”

“Why?”

“… he…” She struggled with her words, wondering how she could tell her child that her father had been banished after attacking the king and causing the kingdom to fall into ruin. “… he… was sent on a special mission. One that he has to complete on his own.”

“Mi… sin?” Dark Fudge echoed, blinking her eyes owlishly at her mother. “Wat dat?”

“A mission is a task that someone is set to do. Like how mama’s mission is to guard the king?” Dark Fudge pulled a face at the word king. Caramel worried that might be a slight problem in the future, but brushed it aside for now. “Dada has a really important mission, and that mission sent him far away from home. But one day he’ll come back. And when he does, he’ll give you the biggest hug and love you from your head to your toes.” She poked her daughter’s forehead gently before tickling her feet, earning sets of giggles from her child.

She felt bad for only telling her daughter half of the truth, but she swore that when Dark Fudge was older and understood the world better, she would tell her the whole story.

And, a secret, deeper part of her had to believe that her father would come home one day.

Home to the kingdom.

Back to his rightful place.

Back to her as he tearfully promised he would when he left.

Back to the family he unknowingly left behind.

Caramel smiled softly as her daughter let out a yawn, showing her tiny, little fangs before rubbing her eyes. “Ready for bed, little dragon?”

Dark Fudge nodded her head, lifting her hands up and clenching and opening her fingers in silent plea to be carried. Caramel happily obliged, lifting her daughter up into her arms, keeping in mind to set her empty bowl in the sink to be washed later, and carried her daughter back to bed, already wishing she could stay at her parents’ home a little longer before her duties called her back to the Citadel for another month.

Chapter Text

There were two important things Caramel Arrow kept in mind whenever she dropped by her parents’ home to see her daughter.

The first thing was that she had to make sure that Mother hadn’t forgotten to stock up on food again. With a young grandchild to watch after, rations would quickly dwindle, and Mother tended to be quite forgetful in her age. Even with Eomeoni’s help.

Since there were now three people to feed, and one of them being a small girl who needed all the nutrition to grow up healthy and strong, Caramel had taken it upon herself to bring extra rations when she came home. Her mothers would always claim that they were doing fine and she didn’t need to bring any food when she visited, but Caramel insisted. After all, she knew fairly well that Dark Fudge was a very picky eater and tended to eat her meals only halfway. Plus, she worried about her mothers’ health.

They weren’t as young and able as they were in the past.

Her Mother was frail and forgetful, often getting lost between rooms with no clue to remember where she was heading. And her Eomeoni wasn’t any better. She insisted that she was still strong and fit to do most of the work around the house, yet Caramel had once caught her struggling to chop a block of wood halfway through, and her limp had gotten worse from her last visit.

She always tried to convince them to move closer to the village or at least take residency in the Citadel. It would ease some of her worries if someone in the village looked after them in her stead or be closer for her to take care of them more often.

But her mothers firmly denied moving. They had always lived in that house.

They built it together. Lived in it together. Raised Caramel Arrow there together. They were adamant to stay living in that house till the end of their days.

Without help.

Caramel wished she could say that her parents weren’t so stubborn, but it seemed stubbornness was deeply rooted in every person in the kingdom. Even in her own daughter.

Which led to the second most important thing when she dropped by.

Keeping an eye on her child, who had the stubborn tendency to do whatever she liked.

“Dark Fudge, get back here!” Caramel Arrow nearly screamed as she chased after her toddling daughter around the house. The First Watcher was fast and swift, easily chasing down foes through snow and hail, never giving up pursuit through thick mountains and tough terrain, and determined to stay on the hunt till she caught her prey.

Dark Fudge was giving her mother a difficult time catching her. “No!”

“Dark Fudge, stop running at once!”

“No!”

“Dark Fudge!”

“NOOO!”

The pair darted in and out of rooms, running up and down the halls and circling around objects. Caramel’s mothers were of no help, having been herded by their daughter to sit next to the warmth of the fire, assured over and over again that she could handle everything, including her daughter, and were quietly watching the chaos unfold while sipping their tea.

Just another casual Thursday.

“Dark Fudge, You Will Get Your Butt In The Tub And Take A Bath Or So Help Me!”

“NOOOOOOOOO!”

“Do you hear something, dear?” Chewy Caramel asked her wife. Burnt Sugar gave a sniff, shaking her head.

“Mm, nah. Don’t hear a thing.” She took a sip of her tea, watching as Caramel tripped over herself while still managing to keep a grip on her daughter’s clothes. Though that did little to stop Dark Fudge, as the young girl merely slipped out of her clothes, already halfway dressed when her mother tried to get her ready for a bath.

“Dark Fudge!” Caramel cried out in exasperation as her child ran away without a shred of decency to cover her. “Put your clothes back on!”

“NOOOOOOOO!” The young girl shrilled, running around the house yet again with her mother hot on her tail. She quickly dodged her mother’s attempts, running directly to her grandmothers and flung herself at Chewy Caramel’s lap.

“Oh! Burnt Sugar, look! A stork dropped off a babe!” Chewy Caramel cooed, scooping up Dark Fudge under the arms and lifting her up with a smile. “My! Look how cute she is! Can we keep her? Please?”

“Gammy! Help!” Dark Fudge whined, making grabbing motions at her grandmother. “No want bath! No bath!”

“My my! And where did you come from, little one?” Burnt Sugar asked with a fond, if slightly mischievous, smile as Caramel marched up to them, irritation written all over her face. “You look a little lost. And hungry! Why don’t you have a snack?”

“Eomeoni!” Caramel groaned in irritation as Burst Sugar handed her granddaughter a bungeo-ppang. “She doesn’t need a snack. She already had lunch! She’s going to get an upset stomach if you keep feeding her.”

“Did you hear something?”

“It must have been the wind, dear.” Chewy Caramel smiled sweetly, hugging Dark Fudge close to her as the younger nibbled on the fish-shaped pastry.

“There is no wind!” Caramel almost whined.

“Oh my, are there wolves howling at this time of day?”

“Eomeoni!”

“It must have been the spirit of a poor lost soul!”

“Mother!”

“No, no. Spirits don’t whine like a petulant child.”

“Eomeoni!”

“Hmm, maybe it was only the wind.”

“Mother.”

“Yes, yes. It must have been just the wind. Couldn’t have been anything else.”

Rolling her eyes with a deep sigh, Caramel turned and stormed off. “You two are impossible.”

Burnt Sugar watched her go, making sure that her daughter was out of sight before turning her head to wink at her granddaughter. “I think we managed to scare her away.”

“Yay!” Dark Fudge cheered happily, tail thumping against Chewy Caramel’s lap. “No bath!”

Chewy Caramel let out a laugh. “I suppose so! Guess you will have to take a bath some other day.”

“No.” Dark Fudge huffed, puffing her cheeks out. “No. No bath. No.”

Burnt Sugar let out a bark of laughter as Chewy Caramel poked her granddaughter’s cheek, both cooing at her cuteness as the little girl ate her snack contentedly, thinking she had outsmarted her mother.

Only for Caramel to enter the room minutes later just as Burnt Sugar was about to hand another bungeo-ppang to her grandchild. “Alright, the water has cooled down now. Time for bath.”

“No!” Dark Fudge shouted in defiance, giving her best glare and pouty face. “No bath!”

“Yes, bath.” Caramel placed her hands on her hips, staring down at her child. “You need one. You are covered in filth.”

“I not! I clean!” Dark Fudge held out her hands. “Clean!”

Crumbs and bits of red bean paste covered the little girl’s hand, as well as around her mouth and bits of her chest. There were even bits of crumbs in her hair, and red bean paste splattered on her tail. But to Dark Fudge, she was clean enough.

“Mm-hm. Of course you are.” Caramel reached out her hands. “Come on. The sooner you’re in the tub, the sooner you can get clean.”

“No!” Dark Fudge quickly clung to her grandmother. “No bath!” She turned her gaze on her grandparent, believing that she would drive her mother away like she had before and save her from the dreaded bath. “Gammy! Gammy! No bath! Make mama go!”

The young girl expected her grandmother to take her side, to drive away her mother, and keep her far away from the dreaded tub. Instead, Chewy Caramel hooked her hands underneath her granddaughter’s armpits, lifting her up and handing her off to her mother. “Make sure to remember to wash behind the ears, dearie.”

Dark Fudge let out a cry of shock as her mother scooped her up into her arms, looking at her grandmother in betrayal. “Gammy! No! No bath! No bath!”

“And don’t forget to scrub the nails.” Burnt Sugar added, wagging a finger at her daughter. “Plenty of filth gets caught under those.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Caramel nodded her head in thanks, keeping her hold on the squirming child who couldn’t understand her grandmothers’ sudden betrayal, crying out in disbelief over such deception as her mother carried her off.

“Oooh, poor sweetheart. I think we made her upset.”

“She’s just like her mother.” Burnt Sugar huffed. “Running around and trying to get out of things like this.” 

Chewy Caramel sighed. “Reminds me of when we used to be young.”

Burnt Sugar nodded her head, hearing a particular loud shriek vibrating through the house. “I should get started on dinner then. Caramel’s going to be stuck in there for a while before she can get that one clean.”

“I hope Dark Fudge doesn’t hate us for pulling such a mean trick.”

“You shouldn’t worry about that. We pulled the same trick on our daughter countless times when she was but a small child herself.” Burnt Sugar snickered, pulling herself up to her feet. “She always forgave us in the end.”

“Because you kept feeding her snacks whenever she was upset at you.”

“It worked, did it not?” Burnt Sugar snickered as her wife rolled her eyes, limping over to the kitchen to prepare food.

By the time Caramel returned with a fresh, clean toddler, dinner was ready and set on the table. Dark Fudge glared at her grandmothers, deeply hurt by such betrayal, and intended to never forgive them… until Burnt Sugar set a plate of dorayaki in front of her, and all was forgotten and forgiven in the young child’s mind. 

Chapter Text

Dark Fudge was a wild child.

There was no denying it.

Each time Caramel Arrow came to her parents’ house, she found her daughter doing odd and impossible things.

Climbing the walls, tracking mud inside the house, once getting stuck halfway inside a vase, running around the house screaming at the top of her lungs, and even messing with her Mother’s makeup and all her old clothes.

Caramel nearly wanted to laugh as hard as she wanted to scold her child when she saw the messed-up makeup Dark Fudge had applied all over her face and the clothes that were too large and hung off her tiny body. She kept telling Mother to hide her makeup or at least keep it out of her daughter’s reach, but her Eomeoni would scoff at her.

“As if you never pulled the same stunt when you were a babe.” Burnt Sugar huffed as Chewy Caramel helped Dark Fudge style her hair. “Let her have her fun while she’s little and young. She won’t get many opportunities to smile and laugh when she’s older.”

She hated to admit it, but her Eomeoni was right.

Childhood was fleeting in these lands. Every family knew that in order to survive, one must know how to fight.

Every child in the Dark Cacao Kingdom were required to learn the art of weapon-wielding before the age of ten. For five years, they would train endlessly with their chosen weapons until they were old enough to partake in the coming-of-age ritual.

Caramel remembered her coming-of-age ritual very clearly. How she set out into the forest with her teacher, hunting down not one, not two, but three Cream Wolves. She had wanted to prove a point to everyone that she was not someone who would settle for being just the daughter of a former warrior. She would become a warrior, one who would reach high in the ranks and serve the kingdom with great honor to her last crumb. 

Nothing else and nothing more.

Only that nothing more never happened.

Not when she encountered him.

Not when they became lovers in secret.

Not when he was banished and left her with something more precious than any treasure in the world.

“Ta-da!” Dark Fudge twirled around, showing off the baggy clothes that barely clung to her figure, slipping off her arms and tripping her tiny legs. Her tail didn’t help much, tangling in the excuse fabric trailing behind her. If the clothes on her tiny body weren’t enough, her face certainly was very eye-catching.

Lipstick was smeared all over her lips, cheeks, nose, and neck. White pearly powder clung to bits of her hair, eyeliner scrawled over her eyelids, and traced her ears. She even managed to find Brunt Sugar’s nail polish, covering her fingers in the thick red liquid.

In short, her daughter was a complete mess.

And she was the most adorable being in the whole world.

“You look very nice, sweetie.” Caramel complemented, feeling a swell of pride as her child held her head up proudly, parading around the room as if she was showing off to the whole world. Though it was only her mother and grandmothers present in the room, cooing and crooning in affection.

Caramel couldn’t help but wonder what her daughter would look like when she was older.

Would she grow up to have more of her mother’s appearance? Looking like almost an exact carbon copy of her mother? Or would more of her father’s features start showing through as she aged?

It was very likely so. Caramel knew that the tail wouldn’t be the only thing that linked her to her father.

Her father, and even his father, had horns, claws, ears, and scales littering their bodies that were draconic. Features of dragons, though Dark Fudge’s grandfather hid his away, not wanting or wishing to appear different than anyone else.

Dark Fudge’s father preferred to keep a few scales on his body and his horns out. Stating that keeping that if he kept them hidden for so long would only give him a splitting headache that would last for days. More unpleasant than the days when his horns started to bud out of his head.

The way he had described it, it sounded awful. She hoped that Dark Fudge wouldn’t have to go through such pain when she got older and her horns grew in, though she knew that was only wishful thinking.

Just as she had once thought her future would be by her lover’s side for many years, thinking that they would always be together. She never could have imagined she would be spending time apart from her with a child under her care.

“Look at you~ You’re so cute~” Chewy Caramel cooed as Dark Fudge spun in a circle. “Oooo, I can already imagine you in your wedding dress!”

Caramel and Burnt Sugar let out a gasp of alarm.

“Mother!” Caramel exclaimed in alarm, rushing over and clasping her hands over Dark Fudge’s ears. “Don’t say that!”

“What?” Chewy Caramel tilted her head, looking at her family in confusion. “Did I say something wrong?”

“You bet you did!” Burnt Sugar restrained herself from crowing.

“She’s too young to think about the prospect of marriage!” Caramel hissed, keeping her hands over her daughter’s ears. “You shouldn’t fill her head with ideas that she might not even want.”

“What’s wrong with thinking about finding her a potential husband or wife–?”

“Ah! La la! La la!” Burnt Sugar covered her ear. “Not hearing this! I don’t hear anything! I do not hear anything about my grandkid and this nonexistent idea of her future!”

“But it could happen!” Chewy Caramel protested, huffing as her wife kept trying to ignore her. “Dark Fudge might find a good suitor to spend her life with when she gets older!”

“She’s never getting older! She’s staying as my tiny baby!” Caramel wrapped her arms around her child, hugging her tightly and confusing the poor child greatly.

“Caramel Arrow. You don’t really believe your child will stay small forever, do you? She’s going to grow up one of these days and might find someone who fancies her and–”

Chewy Caramel’s words were drowned out by her wife’s and daughter’s repeated refusal, unable to imagine Dark Fudge finding someone when she grew. Not that Dark Fudge understood anything that was going on.

She just wanted to play dress up, and now everyone was acting strange… oh well! Not her problem!

Chapter Text

Dark Cacao wasn’t sure what he was staring at.

Were his eyes playing tricks or…? No, it was still there.

Even when he blinked a few times, nothing changed.

He had been a little suspicious when things had been quiet for the majority of the day. Normally, around this time, he would be having meetings with various subjects who came to him for guidance or judgment.

Oddly, only a handful came to see him, coming to him with important matters like wild beasts being spotted near certain villages, a lack of food, a sickness that needed immediate treatment. These matters were important, yet he wondered why only so few of his people were coming to see him.

He had received news that plenty of his people had come to see him, but so far, he hadn’t seen the reported number of visitors today. Perhaps his Watchers had miscounted, but he highly doubted his warriors would make a mistake such as this.

The most logical answer he could think of was that his people managed to find their own answers or found a solution to their problems without his input or judgment, and had gone home. It seemed like the most logical thing, but something told him that wasn’t the case.

It was around noon that he decided to see for himself what was going on, getting up from his throne and making his way down the halls of the Citadel to find out why so few had come to see him.

He only found the answer when he was near the centre of the building. 

Though he wasn’t sure what exactly he was looking at.

What stood before him was… well, it looked like a mock version of the kingdom’s wall. From one end of the wall, all the way across the floor to the other side, books, scrolls, vases, helmets, and various other objects were placed and arranged into a wall-like structure. Mock watchtowers were set up, and various stuffed toys had pieces of armor placed on them, with weapons tied to their nubby arms, and had been placed on top of the structure. A banner of the kingdom’s flag had been strung up on the structure’s side, displayed proudly for all to see.

It was almost impressive.

Though a poor imitation, the height and details were a nice touch.

He looked at his warriors, expecting an explanation for this structure that clearly hadn’t been there yesterday. The answer he was expecting never came. His warriors only shook their heads and stared at the structure in a mix of awe and stupor, just as he had moments ago when he first laid eyes upon it.

Turning his focus back on the mock wall, Dark Cacao sighed. He had a clear idea of who could have done this. And while he was impressed by the structure, it had to come down.

Signalling his guards, he moved to take down the barricade. He had just grabbed the first object when the flat end of a wooden sword came down hard on his hand.

“HALT!”

Dark Cacao jumped back, looking in surprise as a figure jumped out of the structure.

They would have been intimidating… if it wasn’t for the fact that the armor they were wearing was much too big on their small body and the helmet was twisted sideways on their head, obscuring their view.

“No One Touchys The Wall!” The figure proclaimed loudly in a way that was almost akin to a real Dark Cacao Warrior on duty.

“So the culprit finally shows themself.” Dark Cacao shook his hand, feeling the sting fading away quickly.

“CULPPIT?! There A Culppit?!” The figure swiveled around, trying to find the so-called culprit, but had no such luck thanks to the helmet on her head blocking her sight.

“Dark Fudge.” Dark Cacao sighed again, reaching down and plucking the helmet off his granddaughter’s head. Burgundy eyes instantly locked on him, blinking owlishly up at him. “Just what are you doing?”

“I being warrior!” The three-year-old proudly proclaimed, standing tall with her chest puffed out.

“A warrior?”

“Yeah! Like mama and papa!”

“Like your mother and father. ” Dark Cacao corrected. “You can’t keep calling your parents ‘mama’ and ‘papa’ in such a childish manner.”

“But mama an’ papa say that I still child, an’ it okay. An’ mama an’ papa like be mama an’ papa!” Dark Fudge huffed, puffing her cheeks out and giving Dark Cacao a look that dared him to argue with her.

The king knew it was rather pointless to try and argue with her. She was a stubborn little thing, and arguing with her would last for hours. So, he turned his focus on the structure before him. “And what exactly is this supposed to be?” He asked, tapping the structure with a finger.

“It the wall!” Dark Fudge happily said, grinning ear to ear while her tail wagged like a puppy behind her. “See! See! There the watchtown! An’ the watchys stanbing guard! An’! An’! The flag! Flag most important part of WHOLE wall!”

One of the guards behind him cooed softly.

“I… see.” Dark Cacao eyed the structure. “And… why exactly did you have a replica of the wall made in this hallway?”

“Cause.”

“… cause?”

“Yeah!”

“… just cause?”

“Yeah!”

The king closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He could already hear Hollyberry’s voice chiding him to be patient with his grandchild. “Dark Fudge, you know you are not supposed to be playing in the halls of the Citadel.”

“I know.”

“If you know, then why are you playing pretend in this very hall?”

“It not preten! I guardy the hall!”

“Guarding the hall? Really?”

“Yeah! Guardy the hall! For my taining!”

Dark Cacao raised an eyebrow. “Training?”

“To be a REAL warrior!” Dark Fudge happily declared, holding her toy sword up high proudly. “Mama an’ papa say I need lot of taining to be warrior! So! So! I need to guardy something an’! An’ I deci… dec… de… um… I built this!” She proudly pointed at the childish mock wall.

“Hmm, I see now.” Dark Cacao nodded his head. Now it was all making sense to him. His grandchild wasn’t ‘playing’, she was actively ‘training’ herself to become a warrior when she grew older. Clearly, she knew the duties of being a princess and was already heeding the call of becoming a Dark Cacao Warrior. Though this wall was a poor imitation of the real thing, he had to admit that his grandchild had the proper motivation, like her father had before her.

Speaking of her father.

“Dark Fudge.”

“Yeah?”

“Did you get permission from your father to build this wall here?”

“… yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah?”

Dark Cacao looked at his granddaughter with disapproval. “… take down the wall, Dark Fudge.”

“NO! It MY Wall! Go Get Own Wall!”

“She. Did. WHAT?!”

“Threw a book right at my face.” Dark Cacao explained calmly. “Despite the circumstances, I must admit that I am thoroughly impressed by her aim.”

“Father! This isn’t something to be impressed about! She threw a book at you!”

“Not the first thing she’s ever thrown at me when she has a tantrum.”

“But she injured your eye!”

Dark Cacao shrugged, taking a sip of his tea. “It’s not that bad of an injury.”

“Oh really? Not that bad? Half of your face is covered in bandages, father!”

“This is nothing.” The king grunted. “Compared to when you were her age, you threw a much bigger tantrum.”

“But at least no one got hurt.”

The king shot his son a look with his one eye that clearly screamed, ‘Yeah, no. You were just as bad as your kid back then.’

“… r-right.” Clearing his throat, Dark Choco tried keeping his face neutral. “Anyway, Caramel Arrow already had Dark Fudge in time out, so at least try to get some rest before she comes seeking revenge on you for taking her wall down. She was not all that happy when she learned that you had it dismantled.”

“I appreciate the effort she put into making it and her dedication to practice being a warrior later on, but did she really need to build such a thing in the hall?”

“She claimed that her room was too small and she wanted it to be exactly like the real thing. Which means she wanted it to be, in her own words, as tall, imposing, and loooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnng as the real wall itself.”

“I see.”

“She also wanted me to tell you that you’ve been demoted to ‘awful grandpapapa’ and will no longer be receiving huggies and kissies from general king marshal high lord of the pineapples supreme turtle ruler snu-snu oh hear their name and sniff the marshmallows ra ra dabloon.”

Dark Cacao pulled a face at his son. “… you and Caramel Arrow need to teach her how to speak properly.”

“She’s three years old! Cut her some slack!”

Chapter Text

Sixteen weeks.

That’s how far along she was.

Sixteen weeks of torment and suffering.

Sixteen weeks of morning sickness, back pain, cramps, cravings, mood swings, and many other assortment of symptoms that plagued her.

AND SHE NEEDED TO SUFFER TWENTY FOUR MORE WEEKS BEFORE THIS WAS ALL OVER!

“Yeesh. You look terrible.”

Caramel Arrow snapped her attention at her companion, glaring at them with the ferocity of a Snow Peek Prowler on a hunt.

“IN GOOD WAY!” Crunchy Chip threw his hands up in surrender. “I mean that in a good way!”

“How exactly is ‘looking terrible’ a good thing?”

“You could look worse?”

Her glare sharpened.

“I’M SORRY I’M SORRY! I Don’t Know! I’m Not Good At This, Okay?!”

She glared at him a bit more before turning away with a sigh, placing a hand over her abdomen. Physical signs of her condition were still easy to hide, but it wouldn’t be long before her abdomen became impossible to hide. She could make flimsy excuses about her symptoms and her sudden mood swings, but sooner or later, someone was bound to figure out her condition.

And she wasn’t sure how she was going to explain to His Highness if he caught word that she was expecting.

Or how he would take it if he found out that she was carrying his grandchild.

“You good?”

“Do I look good to you?”

“Hey, I’m only asking. Can’t be any fun with what you’re going through right now.”

Caramel sighed, rubbing her middle. “… if I’m being honest, I feel like I’m dying most days. And it’s not due to any pregnancy symptoms that have been plaguing me for weeks…”

“You’re talking about him, aren’t you?”

“…”

“Come, Cara, there’s nothing you could have done. Especially after what he did.”

“I could have done something.”

“You could have gotten hurt. He was lucky that His Highness was so merciful after what he did!”

Caramel let out another sigh. She didn’t want to argue with Crunchy Chip. He would only make her angry, and that wouldn’t be good for the little royal inside her.

“Oh!” Caramel suddenly jolted, startling her companion.

“What?! What’s Wrong?!” Instantly, Crunchy Chip was by her side. “Are you okay?! Where are you hurt?! Do you need a Healer?! Quick! Let’s get you to–!”

“I’m fine.” Caramel sighed, shaking her head with a small fond smile. “I’m fine.”

“But! But you–!”

“The baby.” A wide smile crossed Caramel’s face. “I felt them.”

Crunchy Chip stared at her for a good long moment. When the words finally processed in his mind, his eyes widened. “REALLY?! You Serious?!”

Caramel nodded, hugging her middle. “I just felt a sudden flutter. Right here.” Crunchy Chip moved closer, staring intently at the spot Caramel indicated.

“Woooow. I can’t believe they’re already kickin’! I would’ve thought it would still be a while before you felt anything!”

“Well, my Eomeoni did say I was pretty active when I was still developing.”

“Can I feel?” Crunchy Chip asked, already raising a hand to feel.

“Um, sure? I doubt you’ll be able to feel anything, though. They’re still too little to do much.”

Crunchy Chip didn’t seem to hear her, running his hand over the spot and seemed only more excited by the minute. “Hey there, little warrior! I’m Crunchy Chip! I’m captain of the Cream Wolves! I’m a friend of your mom! I can’t wait to meet you! So you better grow up quick in there and come join us out here, ky? Oh! And stop being a brat to your mom! She’s doing a lot just to make sure you’re safe in there and you’re not helping with all the morning sickness and mood swings!”

“Crunchy!”

“What? It’s never too early to discipline someone for bad behavior!”

Caramel rolled her eyes, unable to help the small smirk on her face. At least she had one person she could rely on.

She was nearly getting close to twenty weeks when she requested to move her position a bit away from the Citadel.

Her abdomen was now starting to show a noticeable bump, and she was worried that someone would start to question her sudden weight gain that she didn’t have a few weeks ago. Crunchy Chip had already put in the request for some assistance, just as she had told him to do when she couldn’t hide her growing abdomen with thick clothing anymore.

Thankfully, the king didn’t question her request to assist Crunchy Chip, and she was soon moved to the far border of the kingdom.

“Are you sure you want to keep doing your duty?”

“I’m sure. I swore an oath to defend the kingdom no matter what!”

“Sure, but…” Crunchy Chip’s eyes trailed down to her middle, staring at her twenty-nine-week bump. “Don’t you think you should be focused more on your kid? You’re getting close, right?”

“I’m nowhere near close! I still have a few weeks left before this child is born, and I will use all the time I have now to defend our lands!”

Crunchy Chip held up his hands in surrender, watching as Caramel stormed off. She was starting to get pretty aggressive, and Crunchy Chip knew it was just pregnancy that was talking, but he was starting to get worried for his friend. He could admire her resolution to protect their home, but she had to start thinking about the kid, right?

“I hope I never have to deal with that if I ever find someone.” He muttered grimly to his canine companion, making a mental note never to have kids.