The Uncrowned King

New Life

When Éclair Martizo opened her eyes, it was at the sight of another monster looming over her. This one had many heads and drooling. 

She did the first thing she could think, scream.

“UWAAAA!” The scream was carried on by the winds startling all manner of creatures in the country of Callin. It was accompanied by a great wave of frost, instantly freezing the monster looming over her and everything around her.

That came out weird. She thought, staring up at the frozen monster before. 

Something is weird. Why does she feel so small?

Éclair tried to move her body but all she could do was squirm sluggishly. Like her limbs were too heavy for her and she was wrapped like a burrito.

What’s happening?! She tried to scream but what came out was a shrill wail.

“Waaaaah!”

What the f**k?!

“Waaaaaaah!”

Holy s**t!

“Waaah!”

There was a great rumble of wind, like the laughter of the dragon in her dream. Dream? Was that a dream? Where are her friends?

Lance?

“Waah!”

Reverie?

“Waaah!”

Arthur?

“Waaaah!

What on earth is happening?!

“UWAAAAAH!”

WHY IS UWAAA THE ONLY SHE COULD SAY? She sounded like a baby!

Éclair had turned silent, an epiphany strikes. It can’t be. How can it be? She tried to move again, squirming uselessly on the ground. She really was wrapped like a burrito. Her fingers seemed had lost its strength. She couldn’t move them.

And her head, she couldn’t even turn it to take a look of her surrounding. The full moon above her was quite mocking as it continue to shine brightly.

“Waaaaah!” Her throat sounds like it could only produce a wail.

Éclair mentally paced because apparently she physically couldn’t. Because she is currently a baby! How on earth is that possible?

Panic started to settle in her stomach as she tried to assess her situation. But it was useless. She couldn’t calm down. Éclair doesn’t understand what happened to her. There’s a lot of questions swimming inside her head.

Where are her friends? Something painful lobbed itself in her heart and she couldn’t stop the wail that came out of her baby lips. Did they die in the car crash? She did saw Arthur and Reverie’s body bouncing like rag doll but she wasn’t quite sure they were dead. And Lance! Lance had protected her mostly from the impact covering her small body with his. 

“UWAAAAAH!” Éclair wailed in anguish, not noticing the bewildered group of knights that was approaching her.

She abruptly stopped wailing when one entered her line of vision.

Oh this one is obviously a human. Dressed oddly though. Éclair thought.

Then another epiphany hit her.

She got the attention span of a baby!

“Alive.” The man breathed out, puff of white coming from his mouth. “You’re alive.” Cerulean blue eyes stared at her with so much awe Éclair couldn’t help but stare back. His hair was white, cropped shortly to frame his old chiseled face.

“Forgive me young lady for my tardiness. You must have been terrified. ” Tears escaped from his wrinkled eyes as hands started to gently lift her from her.

Young lady? Dude! I’m way too young. I’m a freaking baby!

“Waaah! Uwaah!” Is what came of Éclair’s mouth. The old man's eyes soften with her childish babble, removing his own cloak to provide her some more warmth. Which is odd, she can feel the cold wind of the night but she doesn’t really feel that cold.

This is embarrassing. Éclair closed her eyes and willed not to make any more sound.

“But how can that be? She was already cold dead when I laid her on the ground!” She heard a man wail somewhere around them and a couple of clanking noises. Like steel grinding each other.

She curiously opened her eyes to take a peek of the man that was holding her. A gleaming silver was covering his chest with some sort of emblem in it. An armor? What the hell?

First a car crash. A dragon in her dreams. Was that really a dream? She doesn't remember much. Everything was blurry aside from the shape of the dragon. What is wrong with her and everything around her?

Then another sort of monster loomed over her? And then a man wearing an armor.

Where on earth is she?

“Clearly you are lying. For the child is alive and lively in my arms.” The man growled lowly.

Yah, lively. Éclair mentally scoffed. Was the jerk talking about her? She certainly feel alive. Breathing normally in a body of baby. Her mind was still processing at that fact.

“That monster may have been smart enough to talk but to actually let it reign over you with such demands. You and you’re people had carelessly let your fear devour you’re feeble minds. Sacrificing our children! The future of the Kingdom! All of your accomplices will pay for this!” the old man continue to rant, anger suiting well his scowling eyebrows.

“Your highness! Please understand!” sobbed the man that was starting rub her wrong.

“Of what exactly, you fool?” The silver head man roared, his eyes glowing and Éclair could feel something rise in the air. Something that smells cool. “What is there to understand other than the fact you’re feeding the very monster that was terrorizing our country?”

“We,--I.” the man spluttered, clearly overwhelmed by something that Éclair couldn’t understand.

“Your highness! It is as we suspect! Hatchlings!” Someone shouted earning a murmur from the gathered crowd. “Frozen like ice!”

“Hatchlings?” the same spluttering man give an undignified squeak.

“Frozen?” Her silver head carrier scowled deeply, eyes glancing down on her. “Could it be?”

Dude, don’t look at me. I have no idea. Éclair mentally shook her head, wishing the old man could read her mind. Wouldn’t that be a shock?

“Yes! Same as their…mother?”

“Shatter them to pieces! Each and everyone of them!” the old man commanded to the people before him. “And you! Where is this child parents? I wish to speak to them!”

Parents? She have parents in this place? What about her real parents?

“They’re… dead, your highness.”

Wow, you suck. Éclair thought, even she could tell he’s lying. And she hasn’t see his face yet.

“Dead.” Silver head repeated. “Speak the truth.”

“Killed, your highness.” The man whimpered.

Eclair slowly closed her eyes, suddenly feeling numb and tired. This is not happening. This is definitely just a dream. Yep, a nightmare induced by her Juliet role.

“What of her name?”

Dude, shut up. You look good and all. But you’re just a dream.

“I don’t know.

You shut up too. You’re annoying me.

“…Very well, I shall take her and give her a new name.”

“Sire?”

“Miracle.”

Éclair forced to open her eyes and willed it to glare at the man regarding her carefully. “Uweeh!”

Its Éclair, mister. What is that cheesy name? Your naming sense sucks. Don't do this to me.

“Winter Delvaux.” He continued firmly. “Yes, you shall have my name.”

Mister, that name too long and cheesy and its Éclair. And did you just pick up a kid to adopt her? This is adoption, right? It sounds like one.

“Your highness, that is…a little bit hasty.” Someone smart warily commented.

The old man chuckled deeply. “No. This is fate.”

Bitch please. Éclair mentally face palmed. I hate this dream. I hate you too, old man. Your highness or whatever. You’re crazy.

“Little Miracle Winter Delvaux. You will bring blessings into this land.”

No I don’t. I will wake up from this dream and kiss Lance for how many times he wanted for that goddamn play. This is crazy.

Éclair felt something churned in her stomach. That’s it. She’s about to wake up!

Poof.

A rancid smell filled her nose. Like rotten milk. And something hot filled her lower back. Something squishy, Éclair shivered. This is…

“UWAAH!!” A high pitched cry came out of her mouth, embarrassment flooding her senses.