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“Cassiopeia” Lizzie scowls, crossing her arms over her comically large belly.
It's the last week of September, they're staying in Gem's Empire, in the cottage made just for Lizzie and Cleo.
“Diana” Pearl hooks her chin on Gem's shoulder, arms looping around the fawn as they sprawl on the big sofa..
“Guys.” Cleo sighs, closing their 'History of Ancient Myths volume. They're sitting on the opposite armchair, watching as Lizzie paces to alleviate her back pain.
They throw the book at Pearl after she sticks out her tongue at them.
The wolf yelps and jerks always, letting go of Gem, who falls to the ground with a sound 'oof'.
“Pearl.” Gem laments, sitting up.
The wolf smiles sheepishly, "Sorry..."
"And it should be Stella" the fawn turns to Cleo then to Lizzie, standing behind the sofa with her mouth covered with both hands, hiding her grin.
"No" her hands shoot down to cradle her tummy, “She needs the name of a Queen”.
“Nooo! No! Look! Clearly, the name of a moon deity would fit her so much better” Pearl argues.
"...Why would it?" Cleo arches an eyebrow at her, but Pearl ignores her.
“No, hey,. An astral body?” Gem mutters.
"You're must going to ignore me?" Cleo asks, in disbelief.
"Sorry, mate" Pearl laughs. Cleo huffs, sliding down the cushions.
"Hey, no. Cleo, give us a name" Lizzie urges, being outnumbered.
"Daphne?" they try, but Lizzie frowns.
"Mh. No"
Pearl laughs, "It's actually kind of cute? No, though".
“What about a precious stone… Opal?” Gem suggests,
“No, now- You know that's ours!” Pearl objects with a light growl.
“Right. Sorry, dear. Gosh… She's from you two. It should be a Queen's name…” Gem sighs, jabbing her elbow against Pearl's leg when she made a noise of objection.
“I've been saying! What about Helen?” Cleo suggests, fingers tapping on their knees.
“No.” Pearl sniffs, ear flickering.
“Penelope” Gem adds on.
“Nope” Lizzie huffs, leaning on the sofa.
“Eleanor?”
“Cute? I already know like fifty Eleanors, though. She's special. She's mine.” Lizzie scrunches her nose, annoyed.
“Sophia?” Cleo asks.
“No.” All three answer.
"Why do I bother?" They slid onto the ground, groaning excessively.
—
September has passed. October, too, spent taking care of the egg that Lizzie laid in the cottage house.
The month ended with Gem's birthday and the hatching of the baby, who decided to arrive in the world on her mother's birthday, making two (three, counting her uncle fWhip) in the Royal Quartet Halloween babies.
It's November 2nd, now. Word has been sent out to all the Empires that the axolotl princess was finally born.
It's currently late at night, and the room is filled with small whimpers from the small baby that just two days ago, rocked their world.
Lizzie is leaning in on the cradle, which is pushed up against the bed, her arm is bent in an awkward position as she carefully holds the little girl's soft hand. Her scales are very delicate.
Next to her, a pressure dips the bed, and Lizzie's eyes silently fall on Cleo.
“Hi. Couldn't sleep?” they whisper, leaning in to check on the baby, too.
Fortunately, she's sleeping soundly.
“Could you?” Lizzie retorts softly.
“...No” Cleo sighs, chin hooking on her shoulders, brushing on the soft satin of her nightgown.
“It's hard. I keep worrying that she'll disappear” Lizzie continues, eyes falling to the baby again.
“She's safe, and all of us are ready to protect her. The people of the Empire are ready to protect her. She's your spawn, next in line. She's important." Cleo says, the voice of reason.
“I know… But look at her, she's so small…” Lizzie whimpers when the baby girl tugs at her finger.
It's true. The baby axolotl is unbelievably small, despite her parents' size.
Would she take after Lizzie's giant axolotl form, or her nymph stature? Barely reaching Cleo's shoulders?
But, after all she just hatched from an egg the size of a boot.
"Liz, seven Empires would go to war for her. Your brothers would kill people for her, and they haven't even met her. Gem and Pearl are downstairs, keeping an eye out." they reassure her, arms coming up to snake around Lizzie's waist.
A kiss is pressed against her blue, shimmering cheek.
Cleo looks down at their baby, and admires her.
She's silvery, the rosy of scales present only on her face and limbs, which isn't even pink, but teal. There's a splotch of dark blue on her elbow. Her membranes are silver, too. She could fit in Cleo's hand.
She's wonderful. She's only two days old.
“She'll grow” Cleo reassures herself and Lizzie.
“I know… That's the worst part” the Queen sighs, wishing to envelope the baby in her arms and to never let go.
But she's so comfortable, and finally silent. She needs sleep.
A silence of exhaustion and fascination befalls the room.
“I never thought I could make something so precious” Cleo whispers, eyes still fixed on her daughter's snoring form.
Lizzie takes their hand, slow.
“When I think of everything she's survived, everything I did that could've torn her away from me, when I didn't even know of her existence…” Lizzie mutters, voice wavering.
Cleo squeezes her tighter, their heart junking with the anxiety of the thought.
A kid born from two titans, two monsters riddled with curses, fated to die, shaped into something different and equivalent all the same. Cleo wonders if the baby even suffered, or if Cleo's zombie curse made her immune to deaths somehow.
“You are the sweetest gift” Lizzie whispers with a soft smile, bringing them out of their thoughts, finger trembling as the baby's fat fingers curl around it.
Their daughter whimpers, yawning in her sleep. Her gummy smile breaks Cleo's heart in twenty pieces.
“So tiny, and she's already so strong. Our little... So strong” They coo, one hand coming down to cup her round face. On her head are short white cowlicks.
“I don't think she'll appreciate the name 'Strong’ when grown” Lizzie jokes, leaning hee head on Cleo's.
Their hair is cats with blue light from the window next to their bed, the moonlight turning the warm tone of their orange hair to something colder, almost fuchsia. It almost resembles Lizzie's.
“I know, I was actually thinking…” they mutter then stop, eyes lost in Lizzie's blue pools. Her eyes are huge, and Despite the deep bags of exhaustion, beautiful.
“Yeah?” the Queen breathes out.
“I keep thinking to the poem about her” they reveal, and Lizzie shivers suddenly at the mention of the Prophecy.
“Yeah?” she prompts, fringe falling on her eyes and breaking the spell.
Cleo leans back, and looks down their daughter. “It'll become true one day, we can't do anything about it”
“I know”
“But that's good. She's praised and complimented as the heart of new empires and as next in line to you.”
“I know"
“So... I wanted to give her a name that doesn't carry all that meaning. She might be all that, but truly, she is mainly our Heart.”
“Oh. I'd like that. She can be… Just her. Precious.”
“I've been looking to past manuscripts and old names for deities, I was looking at some stuff, while choosing the name of my Empire, Chronos... And I stumbled upon a few more names, not the ones we've discussed”
“What are you proposing?” Lizzie whispered, tilting her head.
“I thought… Korē. It meant “maiden”, and was used for Persephone sometimes.”
“Queen of Spring and Summer and of the Underworld?”
“She comes from us, so she's tied to those, but she's also a clean slate. She's herself. Korē, just a little maiden”
The baby whimpers, suckling on a finger.
“I love it” Lizzie whispers, one finger caressing Korē’s cheek.
“So, Korē?” Cleo smiles, crowding closer.
“Korē is good. It's perfect” Lizzie smiles, tired and content.
The baby, axolotl princess of the Oven Empire and Chronos, shall forth be known as Korē.