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“If there’s anything good about those two having being born on Valentine’s Day, it’s that we don’t have to deal with the shitty duties Magic Knights have on that day.”
Vanessa gave Zora a side-glance, even though she couldn’t really disagree with him. But as someone who absolutely loved Valentine’s Day and its actual meaning above all the cheap marketing and gaudy, superficial merchandise, she was always on the defensive when her squadmates mocked that day.
Too bad that most of the Black Bulls weren’t as romantic as she was.
But to be fair, Zora wasn’t wrong. There was surprisingly a lot of work for the Magic Knights on Valentine’s Day. Be it citizen call duty at HQ that day, or patrolling through the towns, especially the ones in the noble realms, because many couples (nobles, to be precise) put such a fuss or where dating their lovers instead of their spouses or any other problem due to relationship issues.
But Vanessa wouldn’t let anything spoil the joy she felt today. Because on this Valentine’s Day, her wonderful twin daughters, Nymphea and Valentina, turned five.
She held Nozels hand and he gave her a gentle squeeze back as they watched over their twins discovering their presents. Valentina was of course unwrapping her gifts as wild as possible, while Nymphea took her time. The wrapping of her presents was neat enough to be used again one day.
Right now, the twins discovered the huge dollhouses Nozel got them for their birthday. He ordered them from a skilled toymaker in the Common Realm and Vanessa was still amazed by the work done. The dollhouses were almost as big as Asta, with some little towers, the most detailed little furniture and even some secret rooms. Those were more than masterpieces, those were true work of art.
“You really surpassed yourself again with the birthday presents for our griffins, honey.”
“They deserve the best. And this toymaker from the Common Realm is incredibly skilled in his art.”
“Look at you, complimenting a commoner and his work. A few years ago, you wouldn’t even have try to find an artist outside of the Noble Realm.”
“A few years ago, I didn’t have you to free me from my cold. And to be honest, most toymakers in the Noble Realm lack imagination. And there’s still one gift left…”
Vanessa giggled and winked at him, before giving her sweet husband a peck on the lips.
“Stop smooching, it’s your girls birthday, not yours.”
“Shut up, Solid.”
Vanessa giggled as Nozel rolled his eyes before giving his siblings a warning glance. It was incredible how much the Silvas truly bonded with each other over the last years, finally becoming real siblings and acting like it.
Maybe it helped that each of them got their own families, which in Vanessas books made some good bonding topics.
Noelle and Asta finally got together a few days ago (it had been painful and hilarious to watch) and since last June, were the parents of an adorable little Loreleï, with silver hair and green eyes. The baby had been very calm, poor Noelle and Asta panicked a lot during the first weeks, thinking that their daughter was sick or something. But of course, Loreleï Silva just happened to belong to the calm Silva babies.
Right now, Noelle held her daughter in a sling, while Asta got excited by the dollhouses as well and planned to have one for Loreleïs first birthday, completely forgetting that a dollhouse was not the right toy for a soon one year old.
Solid was pouting, holding his own baby boy Eis in a sling as well, while his wife Rosette took a look on the children books the twins got. Starting with an arranged marriage, they actually got to love each other. Which surprised a lot of people, even someone as romantic as Vanessa. Solid Silva in love? This was almost like Charmy stopping to eat. But it did happen and Vanessa suspected that the positive influence Rosette had on Solid played a role. And the fact that they adopted an Emerald Turtle, Crush, who belonged to the Silva family just as much as the humans.
Just a few days before Loreleïs birth, they also got their own child, an adorable little Eis with Rosettes white-blonde hair and Solids blue eyes. Having children around the same time actually helped Noelle to finally bond completely with her other brother. Solid always had been the hardest for her to bond with.
Meanwhile, Nebra and Zora had their two year old quadruplets in a leash. Which would seem harsh, but knowing Diego, Odette, Nebel and Zinnia, it was actually very necessary. Vanessa loved her niblings, of course, but those four were absolute brats. No wonder, with those parents. Diego, who looked like a mini Zora and Zinnia, who was basically a pink Nebra, were the loud and wild ones, but the other two, while calmer, still needed a leash. Odette, who looked adorable with her silver curls and Zoras blue eyes, could be very spooky and while Nebel looked sweet with his pale pink hair and his soft purple eyes, he could already judge anyone with a single glare. And he was only two.
Right now, Zora and Nebra held each two quads, already looking exhausted. Vanessa decided to give them some little heart shaped cakes, for their nerves.
“Thanks, Vanessa,” Nebra sighed while making sure Diego and Nebel didn’t slip from her arms. “I love those scrotch goblins but boy, where do they get that energy? I certainly won’t have any more kids, four at once is already too much.”
“For once I agree with you, Little Miss Royal, what did we… Zinnia, this ribbon belongs to Odette, not you! Geez, Vanessa, how did you manage to get angels with Braids of all people!”
“It just happened.”
Vanessa looked at her daughters again. Nymphea could easily be compared to a mini-Nozel, even the attitude was the same, but the waves of her already long silver hair definitely came from Vanessa. Meanwhile, with her straight, pale pink hair and her joyful being, Valentina was definitely Vanessas daughter, but she already showed a loyalty that could easily matches Nozels.
They were so different, yet also similar, which wasn’t only because of the amethyst purple eyes both got from Vanessa.
As their mama, I am surely biased. But it’s true, my daughters are angels. I’m the most blessed mother in the world to have them.
It was a long party, of course all of the Bulls came and also some Vermillions. Charlotte as well, as she came with Yami and their little son, Asahi, who was the same age as Nymphea and Valentina.
Yami had of course brought a self-made gift for the twins, a bunch of griffin figurines he even painted himself. But while her twins had loved it, it was the dollhouses who got most of their attention.
Which for some reason pissed Yami off. Vanessa was always amused by the one-sided competition her captain had with her husband when it came to having gifts for her daughters. And yet, the best gifts he made were of course for his son. Asahi got a wooden katana toy, craved in detail by Yami.
Now, the only of the guests who was still here was Charmy, who after eating to her hearts content, fell asleep on a couch.
“Should we call Finral back, so that he can take Charmy?” Noelle asked while rocking her daughter softly.
“No, he spend pretty much the whole day playing taxi for everyone and he deserves a calm evening with Finesse. Charmy can stay here for a night. You’re not against, honey?”
“She already considers our castle as a second home, so I don’t see the problem.”
“Be careful, Braids, she might eat all of our royal food before the next lunch.”
“Not if we let her cook breakfast and lunch with the chefs,” Rosette replied simply. “I know our children would love if their aunt Charmy stays to cook them something.”
“YES, absolutely!” Valentina squeaked, before running towards her parents. “Mama, Papa, this was the best birthday ever!”
“We’ll have other birthdays, you know,” Nymphea simply said, following her twin, while holding her new porcelain doll in her arms, a gift from Gauche. “And thank you for the dollhouses, papa. I’m sure that our Lavender and Cordelia will love to have such homes.”
“She is so much like Braids it’s scary,” muttered Zora, before getting elbowed by Nebra and for some reason bitten by Zinnia.
Vanessa smiled at her girls, before kneeling in front of them. “You know… Papa and I have another gift for you.”
“I forgot one?” Valentina panicked before running through the whole room, looking for another present.
“But the party is over!” Asta wondered, already looking so confused.
Nymphea just shook her head, before looking her parents straight into their eyes.
So much like Nozel…
“It’s a special gift, isn’t it?”
“Your clever, little Water Lily.”
Nozel and Vanessa smiled at each other. They had played with the thought to announce the news while the rest of their guests were there, but in the end, they agreed to tell their direct family first.
“What’s a special gift?” Valentina asked, running back to them but not before snatching herself a heart shaped strawberry cake.
“One that can be wrapped in colourful paper like the ones you got today,” Nozel replied softly, kneeling down as well.
“Oh, that sounds better than normal gifts!”
“Of course it does, Val, it wouldn’t be a special gift otherwise.”
Vanessa couldn’t help, she had to hug her daughters. Gosh, she loves them. So much.
“But you hug us every day, Mama.”
“Oh, of course, but that’s not the gift I was talking about, little Knight. That special gift will take a while, but you will get it fully in September, probably.”
“But that’s long!” Valentina protested, while Nymphea put a finger on her lip, like always when she was thinking.
Vanessa saw Rosette raising her eyebrows, already getting the hint, same for Nebra and Zora. Noelle and Solid frowned while Asta of course looked beyond confused.
Nozel finally smiled and asked, “Would you be happy to have a little brother or a little sister, who will arrive in a few month?”
There was a silence in the room, only interrupted by Crush munching one of the little heart cakes.
“OH… MY… CLOVER!!!” Noelle exclaimed, almost waking her daughter up.
“And you only tell us this NOW! How long did you KNOW? I mean- OUCH, Diego, Mamas hair is not your fluff toy!”
And Solid, Zora and Asta just looked at them, still processing. Vanessa almost giggled, their shock was just too funny. As if the Silvas didn’t got already eight members of the new generation in about five years.
But she mostly focused on her daughters.
“Wait, a sibling? Like Ny and I, but younger? Like our goblin cousins?”
“My dear niece, I know it’s your birthday, but my peasant husband and I are the only ones allowed to call your cousins like that. Nebel, leave your uncle Asta alone, this is his headband!”
“So… what do you think?” Nozel asked the twins. They both looked at them for a few moments, before a huge smile went on their lips.
“This is even better than the already overcool dollhouses! Thank you Papa, thank you Mama!” Valentina screamed, already jumping in excitement.
Nymphea just smiled, but it was clear as crystal that she was excited to be a big sister. And that she was definitely agreeing with her twin.
Noelle and Rosette congratulated them with huge smiles, Solid even grinned and gave them a thumb up, while Zora and Nebra actually took their own children and tried to make them understand that they’ll have a new cousin around the time they’ll turn three.
Vanessa and Nozel took a twin each and got up, looking at each other. They had to agree as well with Valentina. This was probably the best gift they could give their daughter.
And thus, another wonderful Valentine’s Day in the house of Silva came to its end.
At the end of September of the same year, Lavinia Silva came to the world…