Rowan

"You're almost done," Ben whispered to his wife with a look of unfiltered adoration. "Just a couple more pushes. You've got this." he motivated, trying to ease her tension. He became the embodiment of euphoria just thinking about the fact that he would soon become a father. His elation made him temporarily forget the harsh reality of what having this baby will bring. It was rare for his kind to conceive young so no one would blame him for momentarily losing his wits. His wife clutched at the bedsheets around her. "Shut up, you did this to me, you ungodly swine." she seethed and let out a scream that made dogs howl in the distance. He tried his best not to flinch when his wife dug her fingernails into his skin. With a half-smile, he gently freed himself from her vice grip. "The pain is only temporary, you're much stronger than this." The scathing look that he received made him regret ever opening his mouth. "The baby is crowning." The doctor stated, reminding the bickering couple of his presence. "I need you to push hard Mrs. Carter." Sweat rolled down her body as her face contorted into sheer, toe-curling pain. And here she thought, marrying Ben was the most painful thing she experienced. Ben stood beside his pain-stricken wife and rubbed soothing circles onto her shoulder. With every fleeting second his heart sunk a little deeper. His timed happiness was deflating, giving way to miserable thoughts of reality. "I can't do this." Marsha's tired voice cracked. "You have to." The couple shared a look filled with unspoken fears. "Push!" The doctor urged, successfully dragging them back to the present. With one last, blood- curdling shriek, Marsha went limp as fatigue crawled into her body. Her muscles instantly relaxing. The soft cry of a tiny voice made her lazily open her droopy eyes and summon whatever strength she had left. Her fingers tingled at the thought of embracing her baby. "Congratulations Mrs.Carter, she's adorable." The doctor coddled the baby in a fluffy white towel and handed her to her mother. Ben was glued to his spot, anxiety itching at his skin. He could sense his daughter's powerful aura already. It's just a matter of time before they found him. He needed to put his plan into action and he needed to do so quickly. "It's a girl." Marsha's voice cracked as her eyes swelled with fat, salty tears. The corners of her lips curling. Ben's heart faltered when he took in the view of his beloved cradling their child as is she was the most valuable of treasures. A rogue tear escaped down Marsha's cheek. "I'll give you guys a moment of privacy, your midwife is on standby if you need anything." The doctor assures and politely left the room. The baby's soft cooing noises were the only echoing sound. "Marsha." Ben's voice cracked. "I know." She replied, with her gaze still glued onto her baby. "If there was another way..." he trailed off. "I understand." With her free hand, she reached for her husband "You should at least hold her before you go." Without hesitation, he gently scooped up his little treasure. Her deep honey coloured eyes were so hypnotic that he felt his soul bear. Her crimson coloured hair that she inherited from her mother vibrantly gleamed like a crown of fire. She was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. "She looks like you." Ben's lips tilted as he switched his gaze back onto his wife. With glossy eyes she spoke, "What if you don't come back?" "We've been over this." He hugged his daughter closer to him and forced himself to give her back. "If I'm not back in a week, Thaddeus will know what to do. Until then, keep the Rowan berries tied to her wrist. It should last for several months." "I love you," Marsha spoke as he turned around to leave. He did not want her to see him break down. For he was the only one who knew what would truly happen if he failed to come back within a week. "I live for you." Was his last words before he vanished into a portal of water. -------------Seven months later ------------- The Realm of Darkness. Heavy, thunderous footsteps resonated throughout the castle. It sounded as if a person was being chased by an angry woman asking for child support. Prince Thaddeus sat in the library, enthralled by the book he was currently reading, when the footsteps became clearer, causing him to scowl in annoyance. "Sire, I've found her," the voice of the footsteps all but screamed, bursting through the library doors. Thaddeus shot the man an icy glare for ruining the serene atmosphere. "What the hell are you going on about, Gareth?" Gareth grasped at his knees, inhaling air like it was cocaine. Exhaustion was eminent through his posture. "I have found the girl." Thaddeus put down his book and glided towards Gareth. "Are you certain this time?" he asked, his expression flickering between unnamed emotions. "Yes sire," Gareth assured. "I swear on my unborn child and if it is that I am untruthful, may the Gods curse my fam-" "Be quiet." the prince cut him off, mid-oath. "Just tell me, where is she?" "Onafrost, street eleven, apartment fourteen," Gareth stated and for a split of a second, if you looked closely, you'd see a flash of sympathy that Gareth held for the girl. "The shield cracked, her aura was detected ten minutes ago." A slow smile of triumph played on Thaddeus's face and in a flash of death, black smoke he vanished into thin air. "God have mercy on her soul." Gareth prayed, dejectedly bowed his head and tiredly slumped down on one of the couches. --------- Thaddeus appeared in a room adorned with pinks of every shade. In the corner stood a magnificent white crib with a baby-pink canopy caressing the edges. He walked carefully, trying not to step on any of the discarded toys that littered the floor. Peaking into the crib he was surprised to find the baby wide-awake, playing with her toes. He had not expected her to be awake at this ungodly hour of the night. He observed her with a small, unconscious frown, taking note of how engrossed the little creature was at trying to capture her toes. It was almost hard to believe that something that small opposed such a threat to all five realms. Well four, he keeps on forgetting the wipeout of the water realm. "So, you're the pest that got Queen Isadora shitting herself." He scoffed, almost breaking into laughter. Who would've thought that Isadora, queen of the high and mighty light weavers would be threatened by a child, no bigger than half a sack of potatoes? Hearing Thaddeus's voice, the child let out a hearty giggle and looked at him as if she understood his predicament. "This would've been much easier to do if you had been asleep." the prince sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Deep down he knew, even if the child had been asleep, the task would still be one of the most difficult he'd have to endure. Sure he was the most deadly darkness weaver in his realm but when it came to murdering the Innocent, that's when his actions faltered and conscious kicked. Shoving his doubt away, he knew that what he was about to do was the right thing. If he killed her now, she wouldn't have to endure Isadora's wrath, which was way worse than the ice-cold clutches of death. Besides he had a promise to fulfill. A promise he had not considered the weight of. Taking a breath, He brought his large hand over the baby's heart, intending to cease the rhythmic beating. He waited a minute. And another, And another... His eyebrows twitched in annoyance, why the hell wasn't his powers working on her? With a growl of annoyance, he decided to use both hands, and still nothing. This was madness, he had wanted this to be quick, easy and painless. With no other option, he pulled out a silver dagger from his leather coat pocket. He hesitated but finally brought the dagger up and sped it down the dead center of her chest, before the glinting, metal could meet her flesh, he felt tiny fingers curl around his index finger. The dagger turned to dust, The creature stared at him with her doe-like eyes, making him feel a rush of unexplainable emotions. Electricity cracked where his darkness met her light. She squeezed his finger, looking completely unharmed from his power, that could make a grown man spontaneously combust into ash. He pulled his hand away. "I don't suppose you can do me a favour and drop dead, right now?" He asked the child flatly. She blew a raspberry at him in reply. Deciding it was worth a try, he pulled out his blade of etherion, an enchanted knife that never missed a target and could slice through flesh like melted butter. He swung the dagger towards her heart, not holding back. Instead of splattering blood and gurgled cries, the razor-sharp piece of metal disintegrated into fine stardust and vanished into air. "You've got to be kidding me!" He growled in frustration, wanting to know why the hell she's untouchable. "Don't mock me." He grumbled, looking at the almost devilish grin on her face. "I may not kill you now, but I will kill you one day." He gently reached out for her hand and married her wrist with a mark that resembled a T-shaped tattoo, "But until then, I've got to keep you safe, from things way worse than me" Raising both hands he conjured up a dark ball of black smoke with bursts of tiny sparks pulsing through it. With enough force to take out mount Kilimanjaro, he flung it towards the almost asleep child and hoped for the best. The ball diffused before coming an inch away from the sleeping child. Thaddeus shrugged his shoulders "Worth a try." He mumbled to himself "Sleep well, Rowan." the prince bid farewell and gracefully absorbed himself into the night.