After the queen tells Maggie to hold her hand, she knocks on the door. It takes a bit of time before mom opens it. She still looks as she always did. Like a less pretty and more burned out version of Maggie with long blonde locks, a dress and a cardigan draped over her.

"What do you want? Maggie!? What are you doing here!?"

The queen speaks up, "I have adopted your daughter. She would like to go get some of her old things before we move away."

Seemingly quite happy, she answers, "You have a good eye. You definitely chose a great kid. You also seem rich so I'm glad she gets to live in a better place, please come in. Would you like some coffee?"

"No, I'd rather not, though our Nanny and I would like to have a chat with you while she and her sister look through her old stuff."

"Sure! Come on in."

They then move into the kitchen while we go upstairs.

"Hey Maggie, are you okay if we listen into their convo instead of getting our stuff?"

"Totally, if you didn't ask I would have."

"Dalan, could you maybe get us a little cl-"

It then feels like I teleported again as we are now suddenly right next to the kitchen door.

Dalan whispers to me, "Way ahead of you, your highness."

The queen then starts the conversation, "The reason we wanted to speak to you, is because we wanted to hear the circumstances of why your daughter ended up in a foster home from you as well. Additionally, some insights into your daughter would be nice."

Looking happy, mom nods her head, "Yeah, good on you for trying to get the info straight from the horse's mouth instead of other peoples gossip. There are a lot of nasty rumors going around."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Like how my husband killed my son. That's complete bullshit, it was just an accident."

"Oh? Please, do tell me more."

"My husband was just disciplining the boy. If he wasn't such a compulsive liar he should have just told us he got hurt a little too much. Then all of this crap could have been avoided."

Staying calm, the queen asks, "So…You're saying it was his fault he died?"

"Oh, a hundred percent. He turned an accident into a homicide."

Maggie takes my hand, looks at me, then quickly goes back to watching the kitchen.

"Why was he being disciplined in the first place?"

"Well, to be honest, the boy was never quite right. He was always a weird kid and would have grown up into a fag anyways, so it's best he died while he was still under our protection. If my husband had been more lenient he'd end up a sinner like his sister. His big sister to be clear, not Maggie."

"You seem to hold Maggie in quite high regard compared to your other children, why is that?"

Mom lets out a chuckle, "That's an easy question to answer. While the other two weren't even able to be normal, Maggie was exceptional. Great grades, popular in school, cheerleader. The perfect daughter."

"What would you have done if it had turned out that she was gay as well?"

"She would never be. Like I said, she is not a deviant."

"I'm going to be blunt with this question, would you say you're glad your son is dead?"

"I'm not glad about the circumstances around it but yeah, he was a bad influence on this family and even in his death he tries to ruin us one last time. Thank God you saw the value in Maggie, otherwise he'd have dragged her down too."

Tightening her hand a lot, Maggie seems really angry.

"Did you ever love your son?"

"Yeah in the beginning, before he became a disappointment."

"Alright, Miss Hildegard, you take over now. I need to compose myself."

"You are a horrible mother," Hildi says bluntly and without hesitation.

"Excuse me?"

"I can tell from the way you talk about your children that you never loved any of them. They were all just actors in a play to you. Whenever they didn't perform how you wanted, you stopped showing them any signs of affection."

"You're just a Nanny, who gives a crap about-"

"Shut your dirty mouth, you wretched excuse of a mother. I've been doing more good things for your child in the short time I spent with her than you have her whole life. The only good thing you have ever done is give birth to her and even that you regret!"

Getting up from her seat, mom yells, "Who the hell are you even talking about!? Wait…Are you Beth's girlfriend or something?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that you did nothing for your children!"

"Nothing!? I bathed them, I dressed them, I fed them and I housed them!"

"That's not an achievement, you just did the bare minimum for them to survive! In fact you did even less because you allowed your husband to abuse them!"

Mom slams her hand on the table, knocking over her coffee, "My husband didn't abuse anyone! He's a fine man, a great father and a good Christian!"

"No wonder Sammy ended up like that with a mother like you…"

"Samuel's death was his own damn fault!"

"You're delusional! Tell me what would you do if by some miracle he walked through that door right now!?"

"I'd tell him to go free his father and then go back to hell where he belongs!"

Slap

"Ouch, fuck! Are you crazy you goddamn bitch? I'll sue you for assault-"

I can then hear another slap and the sound of porcelain breaking and chairs falling over.

"What the hell are you doing you crazy bitch!?"

"I'm going to make you feel a fraction of the pain your children went through."

I then reach for the door before getting held back by Maggie, who asks me, "What are you doing?"

"I'm stopping this, it's going too far."

Pulling me back, she replies, "No you won't. She deserves this."

"Maggie, that's your mom!"

Fletching her teeth, with eyes full of rage, she answers, "Yeah, a mom that just said she's glad you're dead and never loved you. I might not have the courage to beat her myself but she deserves this. If you can't stand listening to this, go upstairs, I'll join you later but I won't let you stop them."

"Why are you acting like this Maggie? You've been cursing more than you used to and I don't remember you having a cruel side to you…"

"Yeah!? Well, let's just say having your father murder your big bro, while your mother just stands there and watches, changes a girl. Now go upstairs if you don't want to see this."

"I…Okay. Dalan, could you get me upstairs?"

"Of course your Highness."

He then, in the blink of an eye, gets me upstairs, where I direct him to go to my old room. But to my shock, when Dalan opens the door, behind it is now just a guest room, devoid of any of the things I used to own.

"It's all gone…"

"Is there something missing your Highness?"

"Yeah…Everything. They even repainted the walls."

He gently rubs his thumb over the back of my hand as he answers with compassion in his voice, "Perhaps they just moved them. Does this house have some sort of storage area?"

"Yeah, we have a shed outside and a barn."

"Shall we go outside and take a look then?"

"Sure…"

In a flash, we appear outside. It seems to be night.

"Wait a second…Wasn't it still afternoon when we entered the house?"

"Yes, your Highness."

"Then how come it's night already?"

"I believe it might be her Majesty's doing. It is a lot rarer for her to do so than your father but sometimes when she gets extremely emotional, she loses control of her powers for a bit."

"Does that scare you?"

"Why do you ask, your Highness?"

"Well, having one person be able to create a blizzard or block out the sun just because they are having a bad day is pretty insane right? Even I made it snow on accident before and I'm not even an adult. It's hard to imagine the destructive power they could have if they want to do harm with those powers."

"Ahahaha, ahahaha."

"What's so funny?"

He gives me a heartfelt smile, "I am just overjoyed once more about the type of person you are, your Highness. To have firmly grasped the weight of the crown at such a young age is truly commendable. To answer your question, yes, sometimes that massive power scares me but never for long. Every time I feel afraid of their power, I am quickly reminded that the ones holding that power are great people and great rulers. Right now, the feelings leaking out of your mother are not ones of malice, they're feelings of righteous anger towards someone that hurt her child. She has all that power and yet the only times she has a hard time controlling herself is when she feels compassion for others. As for your father…May I speak frankly?"

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Sure."

"He is a bit of an oaf sometimes. He has a hard time controlling his emotions, to him they're like a tidal wave he can't suppress, so he needed to learn how to ride out the wave instead. He often makes it snow without realizing and lacks control in controlling the cold emanating from him and yet all I ever feel from him is warmth. I'm not sure if it's just my imagination or if there is something more to it but your father is a very warm person, being around him lifts your mood and makes you forget your place. He is like a storm of positive emotions and kindness that just makes you feel like you've always been together and only after you have left his presence do you remember that you barely know him."

"Are you one of those people that barely know him?"

"Hmm, I hope not. Your father and I have been close since we were children."

"How old is my father?"

"I actually don't remember the exact number from the top of my head because I don't keep with my own but he is around eighty-six-thousand years old."

"Huh!? What!? And the Queen!?"

"Around eighty-nine-thousand."

"And you!?"

"I'm five years older than your Dad."

"I…How…Do you not get bored of living? I can hardly imagine being a hundred years old but like…You must have done everything that's possible to do at least once, right!?"

"Ahahaha, not even close! There are so many things to experience in life that no one will be able to experience it all. Especially, since the beautiful thing about life is that it's always changing. So if anything, I feel like I don't have enough time sometimes. Just recently, my wife and I wanted to go to this restaurant we heard great things about. Turns out, it closed fifty years ago, ahahaha. So, we ended up asking around and found a new shop that had opened and had a wonderful experience eating different types of food we never even heard of! Humans seem to think that life is precious because it ends but life is precious because of the experiences we make. Certain death just forces you to feel regret for all the things you couldn't achieve in that small time. It doesn't make the experiences any more special."

"I think I believe you, it's just…So hard to imagine."

"That's because you're still but an infant, your Highness. You'll understand with time."

"..."

"Can I ask you something Dalan?"

"Of course."

"Do you think I'm actually safe now? I'm not saying this because I don't trust your abilities, it's just…I'm scared. When they remove my flesh prison, I won't even be able to run away on my own for a long time. I'm not sure I can trust others to keep me safe, especially not if there is a person out there, as powerful as my parents, actively trying to harm me. He even knows my true name. And…Worst of all, there is this feeling swelling inside of me that will put me in even more danger…I want revenge, Dalan. I don't think I will ever find rest while he is still around."

"I understand. There is no absolute safety but I can assure you that you will be kept maximally safe. No one will be able to have better security than your Highness. I admit, we were careless before. To think that anyone would be so bold as to kidnap your Highness directly after her birth and enslave her was not something we had expected. We were drunk on your parents happiness and the prospects of an heir but something like this will not happen a second time. However, while I understand your desire for revenge, as head of the royal guard I can not allow you to seek revenge in person. I can however teach you martial arts to give you the skills to defend yourself. Perhaps that will give you some peace of mind. As for him knowing your true name, it is definitely a disadvantage but your true name is just a key to your soul, it might make attacks easier but it's not impossible to defend against them. I heard your familiar is a royal guard himself, he can teach you about repelling attacks on the soul. As for magical defense, the entire court's mages would be willing to give up everything for the chance to teach you."

"Could I ask for a specific teacher?"

"Do you have someone in mind already?"

"Yeah, he goes by Thunderbird. He is a fence for illegal artifacts and works with the Silent Leaf. I did my magical aptitude test with him. Hildi should know where to find him."

He seems conflicted, "Hmm, I'm going to look into this person because your Highness explicitly wishes for him but I can't say I'm pleased about having you be trained by a criminal."

"I appreciate that Dalan."

"Shall we go and see if we can find your old possessions now, your Highness?"

"Yeah…"

We then first move to the shed but there is nothing of interest in it, so we decide to go to the barn instead. But my things aren't inside of it either. However, looking in the corner, there is one thing I remember. The chain my dad beat me with the day I died. He didn't use it like a whip because it would have been hard to control where it hit me, instead he used to tie the chains around his hands like gloves and punched me with them. Dad used to be a boxer at one point, so he knew exactly how to throw a punch that would hurt but not knock someone out. Just being here makes me remember that pain again.

Starting to shiver as horrible memories come back to mind, I close my eyes, "Hey Dalan…"

"Yes, your Highness?"

"I…I don't feel so good, is it okay if I rest a little?"

"Of course your Highness. Would you like me to bring you to bed?"

"This…Is fine for now."

Exhausted, I then fall asleep. I dream of lying on someone's lap while getting my head pet, I can't really see their face but it feels relaxing.

When I wake up, I'm in my bed, inside the castle, wearing my nightgowns. Jolting up, I look around and Maggie is sitting next to my bed.

"It wasn't a dream! You're really here!"

"Pfft, shouldn't that be my line?"

"Haha, I guess. How long was I out?"

"Just four hours or so, which apparently is a short time for your naps. I heard you passed out for up to a few weeks at times."

"Yeah…That was after I got burned."

Bringing that up seems to give Maggie a pained expression on her face before she asks, "I do have to ask you something though. I was kinda surprised that you didn't bring it up much yourself but…You're a full girl right now, right? With all the parts that come with it?"

"Yep…"

"So…Do you like it? I mean you kinda always wanted to be one, so how does it feel?"

Pulling the blanket up to my nose, I feel a bit embarrassed when I answer, "It…It's kinda hard to describe. I guess I just feel…Right? At first I was kinda not okay with it because I was stuck in a shitty situation and I just wanted to get back home. Then I had a hard time accepting the new treatment I got as a girl because I was still kind of fighting accepting that I like it and I also felt guilty about being in that body. It was only when Hildi accepted me for who I was, after I got burned that I…Just came to accept how I felt. In terms of how it feels…I guess I barely think about it, because before I used to think a lot about what being a guy feels like and how I didn't like it. But now…I just feel like I have more important things to think about. It's not something constantly on my mind anymore and I get to even feel good about my body from time to time."

Maggie lets out a sigh, "Okay that's good. I'm glad you like it."

"So…How do you feel about it?"

"About what?"

"That I'm…You know…A girl now."

Getting a little closer to me, she answers, "Hmm…It's a little strange because I'm not used to it but I guess I'm mostly relieved."

"Relieved? Why?"

She smiles, "Because you can be happy now. I didn't really get it but I knew you were suffering. Hearing that you feel normal now is great news!"

"So…You don't have a problem with it?"

"Not at all, I didn't mind either when you were still Samuel. I was more worried about you missing your window to transition than that you're trans."

"That…Makes me feel very relieved."

"So, do you have a new name now? The others seem to call you either Sammy or 'My little snowflake', which, not gonna lie, is a little cringe, haha."

"Pfft I guess so, yeah. As for my name... I do have a new name but I go by Sammy because when people learn your true name that makes it easier for them to control your soul."

"Hmm, so you can't tell me your real name?"

"I can but you are not allowed to share it with others okay? That's very important."

"Okay I promise."

"You don't have to promise…My true name is Eleanor. I think I also have a bunch of titles and probably a last name but I don't know them all."

"Pfft. Hahahahaha!"

Feeling anxious, I ask, "What's so funny?"

"I just remembered something. Remember when we were kids, you told me that when you grew up you wanted to be a fairy princess after we watched that Barbie movie together. Guess wishes do come true sometimes, hahaha."

"Pfft, you're right I completely forgot about that, haha."

"Now scoot over a bit I'm about to go to sleep too."

"Didn't they give you your own bed? There's like thousands of castles here."

"Yeah they did, but I wanna sleep next to you."

"Pfft, aren't you a little old to sleep in my bed?"

She gives me a smug smile, "Nah, I'm just a big sister taking care of my baby sister~"

I roll my eyes and move over a bit. Cuddling up next to me, she says, "But to be honest…I'm also just scared that you'll be gone when I wake up. I just want to make sure I don't lose you again."

"It's all good Maggie. I don't have a problem with it."

She puts her head on my pillow, "Sniff Did you put perfume on?"

"Nope, they actually perfume my sheets with something that helps me sleep."

"Damn, you really are a rich girl now, huh?"

"I guess…But so are you now, right?"

"Hmm? Why?"

"Because you got adopted by my biological mom."

"When did that happen?"

"Didn't you hear her introduce herself as your adoptive mom at the door?"

"I mean yeah but that was just so we have an alibi for why we're home, right?"

"Nope, Fey can't lie. That would be a deception if she did that, so she totally meant it!"

"Huh…Can Fey not play a role? Like if it were a theater performance, could they play as an actor or would that be lying?"

"I…Have genuinely no idea. That's a good question. Hmm…I think it would work but only if the one acting knows for sure it's not to deceive people but to entertain… Like one time I sang that cheerleading song "Hey Mickey" and I even changed out the name to Hildi. And I definitely wouldn't call Hildi 'So fine she blows my mind' so I guess if it's entertainment it's probably okay? But either way she wasn't playing a role, so you're still adopted. Which means you're probably like a lesser princess too."

"Huh…I'm not sure how to feel about that."

"Why not? That's a great thing! You can stay here with me and you prolly get a lot of benefits from it too."

"Yeah…But, in the end they only adopted me because they love you, not because they want to be around me. It's the best option for the both of us right now but still, I don't really want to be the third wheel to your new family."

"You'll always be my first wheel though!"

"Pfft, Yeah, you'll stay my 'first wheel' too haha. By the way, why were you singing a cheerleading song?"

"Well...Hildi wanted to know what cheerleading was, so I...Kind of just copied what you did."

"Pfft So YOU did some cheerleading!? Mr. two left hand and feet?"

I chuckle, "I know it's hard to believe but I was actually doing quite well, I even did a jump split."

Giving me a look of doubt, she asks, "Did you dream this? Do you have any idea how long it takes to do a jump split properly?"

"Well...Yeah but I legit just managed to do it. I did hurt my pelvis though when I fell and I couldn't get up after..."

"Wait... Pfft Don't tell me you didn't try to break your fall?"

"Well...I didn't know I'd need to."

"Ahahaha, Well...I guess it's a good thing you turned into a girl, if you didn't you would be one after that. Ahahahaha."

"Pfft I had the same thought, hahaha."

When we calm down again after sharing a laugh together, I ask, "Soo…Maggie. Have you already decided if you want to become Fey too?"

"Yep. I'm not excited about it but I am going to do it."

"Why are you not excited about it?"

"Because I like myself. Changing something so fundamental as being Human just seems very scary to me."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Because your second life is a second chance for the both of us. I don't want to just keep doing nothing and be the good daughter anymore. From now on, I'm going to take care of you."

"You really don't need to do that for me."

"I know. I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for me. Samuel…Sammy, I'm not sure you understand the extent of how much I was hurting when you died. It's by far the worst thing I have ever experienced. We were always together, you were both my brother and my best friend, the only family that really cared about me and then you just died. I wanted to kill myself every day after that but I couldn't muster the courage. I have completely shattered and broken when you died, it's only now that you're back, that I feel like I might be able to heal. If anything bad is going to happen to you again I might shatter so much that no one can put the pieces back together."

"..."

"I don't know what to say."

"That's because there is nothing to say. You don't have to pity me or apologize or whatever else. In this life, I want to protect you. I don't want to ever see you be bullied or getting hurt again, especially not for my sake or the sake of someone else. All I want from you, is to be my brother…Or I guess my little sister and stay with me."

"I-I can do that."

"Thank you. That's all I need. I love you Samuel."

"I love you too, Maggie."

Shivering a little, she holds back tears when she says, "Please still be here when I wake up tomorrow."

"Okay."

We then fall asleep together after some more talking, crying and cuddling.

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