The silence that always filled the Castle was now replaced by the loud wailings of a little cat.
Zaliyah woke up not to the sound of the heavy rainfall or the smell of jasmine, but to a loud agonizing sound that felt felt like a rusted blade sawing through his skull.
He groaned, pressing his hands on his throbbing forehead. His body felt like it had been dismantled and put back together.
Every muscle was a dull ache, a lingering souvenir of how he was cut opened last night.
He had thought that surviving the pregnancy and birthing the child was the mountain peak, who would have thought raising the child would be more difficult?.
"Is there an alarm? Why is there an alarm in my head?"
"It's not an alarm, Your Highness," a maid whispered, hurrying to his side. "It is the Little Princess."
Zaliyah sighed, a long, weary sound that ended in a grimace as he sat up.
The sheets felt heavy, like leaden blankets. As he moved to swing his legs over the side of the bed, the maids rushed forward, reaching out to support his elbows with hovering hands.
Zaliyah pulled away with a smile flashing across his face. "Thank you, truly, but I'm not 'double' anymore." He slided his hands against his flat stomach.
The maids blinked, shrinking back in synchronized embarrassment. In the chaos of the gold-turning water and the impossible rain, they had momentarily forgotten that Zaliyah was no longer a pregnant man but just a father.
Zaliyah stood, his legs feeling like overcooked noodles, and made his way to the nursery.
Inside, the scene was one of pure, domestic pressure.
Iruna was pacing desperately, across the room , her face flushed and her eyes brimming with the kind of tears that only come from trying to put a hungry baby to sleep.
"Your Highness," Iruna gasped, her voice trembling. "She won't stop. I've rocked her, I've sung to her, I've checked her wrappings. She simply refuses to be silent."
Zaliyah walked forward, his heart doing a strange, fluttering dance as he took the child from Iruna's trembling arms. "Hush now, hush now, little monster. Don't cry. You're going to wake the snow monsters, and then we will all be in trouble."
The blue-eyed bald headed girl, simply wailed louder, her face turning a shade of pink that rivaled a tomato.
"What is it? Are you hungry?" Zaliyah turned to the head maid with pleading eyes. "Is she hungry? Is that how this works?"
The door creaked open, and Thalassa stepped inside, her silver armor clinking softly. She looked entirely too energized for the hour. "Of course she's hungry".
Zaliyah rolled his eyes. "Well, I am also hungry, and I would much rather be gobbling down a steak than pampering a creature that sounds like a tea kettle."
Thalassa laughed, reaching out to scoop the child into her own arms.
She held the baby with a surprising ease, leaning down to nuzzle the tiny, bald head. "Who's the prettiest little monster in the North? You are. Yes, you are." She pinched the baby's cheek, then looked at the child with a smirk. "Are you hungry? Well, Daddy is right here to feed you."
At the mention of the word feed, the baby's screaming cut off instantly, replaced by a series of bird-like chirps.
Thalassa handed the baby back to Zaliyah, whose arms were stiff with confusion. "And what exactly am I supposed to do now?"
Thalassa's smile was warm, but her eyes held a mischievous glint. "Feed her. It's a very simple biological transaction."
Zaliyah stared at her, then down at his own chest. "I don't know if you've noticed, commander," he spoke, sliding a hand down the flat, white silk of his robe, "but I don't exactly have 'bazookas' to offer. I am as flat as a dining table."
The room erupted. The maids hid their faces in their aprons, and even Iruna let out a giggle.
The absurdity of the statement broke the tension, but the problem remained.
"Your Highness," Iruna spoke up, her face still slightly red. "Why don't you just... give it a try?.
Zaliyah looked disgusted. "Easy for you to say," he muttered, his eyes inadvertently falling on Iruna's chest. Iruna had a full, generous bust that seemed far more suited for the task.
Thalassa's gaze followed his, her tongue flicking out to lick her lips in a way that was far from professional, she wanted nothing more but to deep her face in those "bazookas ".
Under the combined pressure of the baby's renewed whimpering and their persuasion , Zaliyah relented. "Fine. Everyone, turn around. Backs to me. If I catch even a glimpse of a maid's eye, I'll have Xulthas turn you into a footstool."
The maids scrambled to comply.
Zaliyah sat on the edge of a velvet chair, his heart hammering. He loosened his robes, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over him. As he guided the tiny lips to his nipple, the child's mouth flew open.
The reaction was aggressive.
The baby latched on with a strength that made Zaliyah hiss. Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of aggressive sucking.
"Damn," Thalassa remarked, her back still turned. "She's a beast".
"In under an hour, you've called her a monster and a beast," Zaliyah retorted, though his voice was strained. "I suppose that means she was truly hungry."
As the child drank, Zaliyah felt a strange, heavy pull behind his ribs. It was more than a physical sensation, he felt as if his very vitality, his very light, was being siphoned out through his skin. A cold sweat broke across his brow. His muscles began to feel like overcooked noodles, and the strength in his arms turned into a dull, aching lead.
Thousands of miles away, in the heart of the Capital, the air was filled with the scent of expensive incense in the "Entertainment Room," a place where Malachi frequented for the sole purpose of relaxation.
On some days, the room was filled with pornographic performer's, sometimes it was erotic dancers and singers but today, it was silent, save for the click of game pieces.
Uphior sat Opposite him, his head bowed in concentration. Kizari was seated on Malachi's lap, her legs crossed seductively. She twirled a lock of his dark, wavy hair around her finger, her eyes fixed on the game board.
Ryuna stood behind them, her hand placed on the hilt of her sword as usual.
A spy, clad in the ink-black silks of the covert corps, appeared in the shadows.
"Report," Kizari commanded, her voice echoing in the room .
The spy bowed low. "Long live His Royal Highness, he bowed so low his face almost touched the floor. The Consort birthed a girl child yesterday."
Malachi's hand froze over a game piece. His brows furrowed, a deep, dangerous line appearing between his eyes. He lifted a hand, signaling the spy to vanish.
Despite the exile, despite the fact that he had cast Zaliyah into the ice to rot for five years, Malachi could not stop the hunger for information. He needed to know what Zaliyah was up to.
"A girl?" Kizari mused, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "If she looks like him, she will be a heart-stopper. A little silver-haired siren."
Malachi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the game board.
"Do you want me to take care of the child?" Kizari asked, her hand sliding down to trace the line of his jaw. "I could have her brought here. She could be a pet for the council."
Malachi's hand shot out, his fingers clamping around Kizari's chin with a force that made her gasp. "Do not touch the child, Kizari," he growled, "She is not for you to play with."
He released her, his eyes returning to the game. It was a bizarre contradiction. The Demon King, a man who had slaughtered entire lineages, had a strange, untouchable reverence for children. He could destroy a kingdom, but he could not bring himself to harm a baby. It truly overshadowed his beastly nature.
"Everything has been settled here," Kizari continued, undeterred by the threat. She leaned in, her breath hot against his ear. "The subjects are back to being loyal puppets. The Council is purged, all those venoms are dead. Why not bring him back? The Northwest is a frozen wasteland.
Malachi moved his piece, his eyes cold. "If you miss him so much, Kizari, I could order the servants to prepare your carriage. You can spend the next four years in the snow with him."
Kizari giggled, but the threat only seemed to fuel her. "And what if I just... brought him back myself?"
"I would kill you both," Malachi said, his voice devoid of emotion.
Kizari's cheeks burned a bright crimson. The threat acted like an aphrodisiac, heat spreading through her limbs, white liquid slowly dripping down her legs. She began to kiss Malachi's neck, her hand sliding down his torso and into his pants.
Uphior didn't dare look up. He kept his eyes fixed on the game pieces as Kizari's tongue explored Malachi's face .
Malachi tried to continue the game, but his focus was splintering. He made a move a bad one and lost his lead to Uphior.
"Kizari!" Malachi snapped in an annoyed tone.
She ignored him, her hands sliding up and down Malachi's adam apple .
Malachi let out a low, guttural sound of frustration. He forcefully grabbed her neck, pulling her into a rough, punishing kiss.
Uphior stood up, bowing his head in a silent signal to Ryuna, who stood behind the throne. They slipped out of the room, leaving the King and Queen to their primal hunger.
Back in the Northwest, the baby finally pulled away, her eyes brimming with satisfaction. Zaliyah felt a strange, cold hollowness bloom in his chest.
When he tried to lift his arms to hand the child to Iruna, they trembled much he feared he'd drop her.
"Take her," he whispered.
Iruna scooped the baby up, her eyes wide with worry. Zaliyah fell back against the pillows, his body feeling like a battery that had been short-circuited.
Just one time of breastfeeding and he felt so tired? And he was supposed to do this everyday?he imagined how he had looked after breastfeeding for a week straight; He looked wretched his hair disheveled, deep eye bags already beginning to form under his eyes.
Thalassa pulled him from his imagination .
"You're weaker than I thought," Thalassa noted, leaning against the bedpost.
Zaliyah rolled his eyes, though the movement was slow. "Thanks, Thalassa. I could have sworn I was the most powerful person in the two realms. Truly, your insight is a gift."
"At least she stopped crying," Thalassa said, glancing at the bundle in Iruna's arms.
"I can't do this every day," Zaliyah groaned, glancing down at his swollen, aching chest. "If I continue, I'll be competing with Kizari for the biggest tits in this Realm."
The room burst into laughter. A curious maid leaned forward. "The Empress? Have you seen the Empress, Your Highness?"
Zaliyah nodded before he realized his mistake. These people were supposed to think he was just a noble from the Capital, not the King's discarded consort.
An eager maid was about asking a question when Iruna told her off.
Iruna stepped in quickly. "No more questions, Back to your duties!".
they were finally free from the grasp of the empress, and she would like it to stay that way.
The maids scurried away, leaving the inner circle.
"You'll rest for three days," Thalassa said, her voice turning sharp with military authority "then you will start training".
Zaliyah blinked, looking at his shaking hands. "Training? For what? Am I a guard now? Do I need to learn how to polish your armor?".
"No," Thalassa said, her eyes boring into his. "You're a father. And a father protects their own. How do you plan to protect your daughter if you're so weak an infant can drain you to the point of collapse?"
Zaliyah was speechless. The logic hit him like a physical blow.
"Commander...." Iruna spoke up, her voice small. "He just gave birth. He's exhausted. Why are you dunking on him?"
"Because if you truly have his best interests at heart, Iruna, you'll see this is for his own good," Thalassa countered. "Who will protect his daughter if not him? Malachi? The wind?"
"I will protect her!" Iruna cried.
"And if you are not there?" Thalassa stepped closer, her shadow falling over Iruna. "If the Capital comes? If the snow monsters break the wards?"
"But I will-"
"Silence, Iruna," Thalassa cut her off.
"This is the Commander's decision, and it is final. You will not debate it."
Iruna bowed her head, her shoulders sagging. "Yes commander."
"One more thing," Thalassa added, turning back to Zaliyah. "A nanny will be arriving soon. Consider it my gift to the baby. She is... experienced with demons , high-born hybrids , you name it ."
Zaliyah rolled his eyes. The Demon Realm's obsession with "gifting" people was a culture shock he doubted he'd ever get over. But as he looked at his sleeping daughter , the tiny creature , the weight of Thalassa's words slowly settling in.
He couldn't live at the mercy of the twins forever. If he was to keep Karas's daughter safe from Malachi , who murdered those he couldn't control, he had to become more than a beautiful ghost in a frozen land, he had to finally embrace his lineage, and use his hybrid core to his full advantage.