40 - Dine

A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.1****

Franchette was about to grab the whole lobster when her mother smacked her hand lightly.

"Did you wash your hands?"

"Have you?"

Everyone on the dining table choked and coughed because of her rebuttal.

"Always. With blood even. Want me to use yours?"

Voltage Xirquit gave his wife a glance and she's only smirking while wiping her mouth

Franchette stared at her mother. Elektra raised her eyebrow at her. The daughter noticed how her mother touch the knife on the table beside her plate, as if she was giving her a sign. She grunted, rolled her eyes, and excused herself to wash her hands.

"The ladies of this family is weird," King Liorei commented while smiling on the little lady.

"I-I'm sorry, Your M-Majesty! My daughter... I-I will discipline her..." Bartholomew bowed. Elektra lift his chin using the knife.

"You can't handle her. I can, so leave her to me. You're so cute. What's your name again?"

Bartholomew frowned at her with a pang of sadness.

She chuckled and grinned, "Much cuter when frowning. Mom, do you like it too when Dad is sad because of you? Because I do to my husband. He's so cute."

"Of course. As much as I love irritating Ohms. They're the same."

Ohms Xirquit hissed as soon as he heard her, "Please don't compare. I'm a better Xirquit."

"You wouldn't be here if not for me. If only I knew my first son will turn out like this, I should've let your Mom swallow you---"

His wife immediately shut his mouth by pinching and pulling his cheek hard, digging her nails into his flesh.

"Ouch."

"Oh, I do that, too!" Elektra exclaimed while clapping her hands. Her brothers have never been so disturbed, except for Watts who's only smiling but deep inside, he doesn't know what they're talking about. He can't keep up.

"What? I'm a grown-ass woman! I can do that, too!"

Bartholomew covered his face, crying silently in shame and embarrassment.

"Please, stop. Mom and Dad will get mad at me..."

On the other hand, their children already began digging when their little sister returned.

"What did you swallow, Mommy? Can I swallow it, too? Does it taste good?" Matthew asked with his mouth full.

"Matt, the adults are talking. Don't butt in," Leandrew.

Elektra chuckled mischievously, "Secret, bunny. Eat well. Granma and granpa made them with lots of loveeee~ for you!"

"REALLY!?" His eyes sparkled and turn to his grandparents, "You made these for me, Granma? Granpa? I love you so much! Thank you! I will eat them all!"

Voltage and Franchetti Xerene smiled at him.

Wattroid excused himself to them and went to see the droids in the playroom.

"When are you leaving to meet the Axeores, Watts?" King Liorei to break the building awkward silence between them.

"Hmm, maybe two days from now. We have lots to accomplish. I had Wattroid finalize my schedule for the whole month starting next week. After our lunch, I'll tour you around my office. But we'll wait for Uncle Paris and His Majesty Claxiord. Ate, do you mind if we entrust them to Maxigaufeas? Ah, no. I will bring him and Thirdy here, too. Ate Selene and Ate Lorreign are there anyway. Maybe they can look after them."

"I miss them! I miss Auntie Selene and Auntie Lorreign! They always give me chocolates!" Matthew happily shared while dancing on his seat.

"Aunties always give me kisses. I like them very much! I think I should marry them so I get kisses and chocolates from them always!"

King Liorei smiled at the boy. He's glad that he sees his daughter in a nice way. Princess Lorreign is very sweet.

"Why? I always kiss you, too!" his mother said, pouting.

"But Mommy, you're already married! I can't marry you?"

"Oh, you're right."

Ohms Xirquit bitterly rolled his eyes on their stupid logic.

Franchette snapped the whole lobster into half with her bare hands. She put the first half on her plate, the other back to its place. Everyone is looking at her, surprised about her strength.

She roamed her eyes around and squinted them at everyone, "What? Want to fight?"

"Easy, girl. Why so mad?" Spike winced. The girl only clicked her tongue.

"I heard rumors," she said, shifting the topic. She began removing its shell.

"What rumors?" Her mother.

She paused and looked beside her, at her Uncle Watts, then smirk.

"About Moon. Is it true that she's dead?"

Watts instantly lost his strength. The utensils slipped from his grasp and fell on his plate.

"Franchette Xerena." Elektra called sternly, emphasizing every word strongly.

The girl shrugged, "Why? I'm just asking. Something was revealed to me by my friend from the woods. It said it's a prophesy the Church is keeping from us. Actually, they've been hiding so many prophecies from us. For example, the hidden Deity will be found and set free,"

Now, thats a different matter.

"What do you know?" they asked seriously but the girl is being playful.

"Who knows? I want to fight something strong. I also want to meet this Deity and ask her for a fight. If it's a Deity, then it's probably strong, right? But I also want to have my own woods. Forest. Just vast land with lots of creatures I've never seen before. Or, impress me. It depends."

Ohms Xirquit lift his glass and drink, with his lips secretly forming into a smirk.

Watts breathes in deeply.

"Do you want to go to school?"

"Wattsy!" Her mother called; her tone is against his idea.

"Every four years, we open The Academia for new students. They have to go through entrance exams before they've become a true Academian. If you go, then you'll never regret saying yes to me."

"Heh~?"

She cracked the lobster's shell while looking at her Uncle.

"Sure. But that's not enough. What I know is more expensive than you thought it is, Uncle. I could give you discounts, though, if your offer gets better."

Voltage Xirquit swallowed his food, and King Liorei put meat in his mouth. The tension is building up. The little lady surely is built different. She's unlike Ohms, hut she got guts like him, negotiating abilities like her Uncle Spike, and insanity like her mother. She got various qualities from them, but none from her Uncle Watts yet.

Good thing Watts knows how to play with people, too. Credits given to his Uncle Maxism and King Liorei.

The little lady is waiting for his next card while swinging her feet under the table.

"You don't have an artifact yet, right?"

"WATTS!"

His sister smashed her hands on the table. No, she won't allow it. Her brother doesn't know what he's getting himself into, and what he's making her daughter go into!

"Elektra, silence. Everyone knows that your daughter is a psycho. You have it. Your brothers have it and we have it. I know you're afraid that she will get out of hand. But you should know a cub will never stray far from its mother. What's more, from her family."

The Lady gaze at her mother in disbelief. But when she looked deeper into her, she saw. So, she calmed down and nodded.

Franchetti Xerene Xirquit lift her gaze to her granddaughter who's already looking at her seriously while smiling. The little girl's grip on the lobster's body tightened and everyone noticed how her hands tremble.

"We can always have another Franchette Xerena. You're young, my love. We haven't known each other for long yet, and that what makes you replaceable. But I like you. Very much. Show us what you've got. We can't blame you for being like that. It's in our genes. You got most of mine," she winked at her after. Though she sound so sweet, every word is poisonous and true.

And she liked it.

She love her grandma and her mother for being as different as her.

"You are the best grandma."

Spike looked at his father and he only shook his head.

"I'm scared. Why am I here?"

Watts gave him a sorry smile and went back to his business.

"So, what do you think, niece? I will make it, you decide."

The little lady gave him her hand, "Deal!"

And they closed it with a handshake.

"Who is this 'friend' you're referring to?" King Liorei asked right off the bat.

"A god."

They were puzzled.

"It said it is. I met it and we made a pact---"

"You made a pact with a suspicious as hell being!? And you're telling us just NOW!?"

Franchetti Xerene laughed at how her daughter reacted. Elektra is truly acting like a mother now. She's showing a side they only see when her children are with them.

"Uh, yes? It said it's looking for a vessel and I was there. So, I let it in---"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LET IT 'IN'!?"

Franchetti Xerene burst out into laughter, smacking her husband's arm and was breathless.

"Mom, stop! This is not funny! My daughter---My daughter is---Oh my God!"

Elektra Xirquit aggressively left her seat and paced back and forth while palming her face. King Liorei watched them as he enjoy the food, chuckling.

"X-Xerena, what do you mean? Come here. Come," Bartholomew panicked and pushed his chair back to leave a space for his daughter.

Franchette Xerena jumped off her seat and traveled to him by going under the table.

"We've been through worse when it was you, Elektra. At least you know the level of stress we have to endure when we had you," Voltage Xirquit said calmly but he's as disturbed as her.

"Or we can put it back to your womb. Push it out when she's grown into a mature and fine lady," Ohms Xirquit suggested and it didn't make things better.

"Xerena, will you tell Daddy what you did? I promise, I won't get mad. Hmm?" He fix her hair and kissed her forehead.

Xerena licked the lobster's sauce on her fingers.

"Do you know what it is? What it's called? Or you can describe us what it looks like."

"It looks like us," she said, "It's slender. Very white. It's like its body is porcelain. Its ears are pointy with big shiny eyes. Long hair, white and very thin. It look harmless. It didn't hurt me when we met. At first, it spoke an unknown language. But when it touched my head, it spoke the language we're speaking now."

Everyone looked at each other.

"It was hurt when I found it. There were cracks on its body, some were slowly, very slowly returning to the heavens as they call it. Its particles are cold. My whole arm got frostbite at first touch. But it healed me. It's a nice being. I like it."

"I called it a god since it seemed like one to me. However, it told me that she is not but one of the Deity's worshipper. When I asked it who it worships, it tried to say the Deity's name... When it tried, it's like it choked on something and coughed up blue blood. Then it turned purple, then red. Then, its body got more cracks. I was the one who proposed to be its vessel since it is what it needed that time. And of course, it's not for free."

"What did you ask in return?"

The little lady smirked, "The strength to step on others, what else?"

Ohms Xirquit covered his mouth when a laugh almost slipped from it.

"What?"

The little lady shrugged, "Well, I'm already rich? Aren't we rich? Material things are within my reach. You'd give me anything I will ask for, so what's the use of asking it for treasures? I'm already strong to begin with, but I want to be stronger so I cheated to get stronger faster."

Finally, Ohms let out the laugh he's been holding back.

"Point proven," Elektra grunted and rolled her eyes, "What else?"

"Being its vessel is free. It wished me one thing."

"That is?"

The little lady suddenly stopped. She crossed her arms then looked up, squinting her eyes, trying to remember it.

"I think I forgot."

"WHAT!? You're kidding us, aren't you!?"

"But I really do! I can't remember it anymore! It's fun being strong!? I got busy doing business in the woods! I have my priorities, alright!?"

Everyone palmed their faces.

"Oh my god."

"T-The prophecy then. Tell us that," Watts shifted to not disrupt the flow of their conversation.

"When it told me two, I get that it will happen in the future. Anyways, I'll tell it based on how I understood it, alright? How it phrased the words were complicated to me, so I didn't bother to memorize it and just stick to how I understand it."

Bartholomew hold his daughter a bit tighter. They're all ears, deeply invested.

"The hidden Deity will be found and be freed. The truest of all truths lies in the Deity's scattered memories. By then the real evil will be revealed. A daughter and son of different but quite same suns, and a son of the moons' mother. If aligned, the heavens and hell will break. In between there will be a warp and the cries of the sacrificed will shatter the world."

Cold sweat trail down from their temples down to their cheek. They couldn't move a limb. They were not frozen by time but the chill of the prophecy they heard. It shoot an arrow of fear through their hearts and they could feel their souls trembling. So scared that Leandrew and Matthew were crying.

But she did not stop there.

"The girl will live twice. She will avenge herself. Her own blood will spill and only the wise can hold her back, but not truly. She won't take what were stolen back, for they have been hers in the beginning. A golden throne, bathe in her blood, is where she must sit. The darkness is beneath her feet. She will use a fake to test time. Her own blood tainted the fake; she lost her head."

Xerena looked around to see their faces, then smirked.

"---And that's what happened to Moon. When I heard the rumors, I instantly knew the second was about her. Though that's how I understood those prophecies, it's still beyond my understanding. Maybe because I simplified it, but there are still meanings under disguises. For example, 'the daughter and son of different but quite same suns'. What does it mean? And 'her own blood tainted the fake'? Does it mean literally or in another way? Don't we use sometimes the word 'taint' when we do something bad to someone? For example again,"

Franchette Xerena glide her eyes to where King Liorei is seated.

A challenging smirk was seen on her lips.

Kendrew shook his head at her.

King Liorei accepted her challenging gaze, face so serious and cold.

"King Liorei tainted my grandmother, and that's how Auntie Lorreign was conceived."