The Legend of the ruthless Empress Freya

- POV General -

While the first operation had already been launched a few hours ago, in the mansion, dozens of people in the corridors were hurrying in all directions. The departure of the Imperial family was coming soon and everything had to be ready in exactly one hour as ordered. Their destination was unknown to everyone, but they knew it was very important and related to the vampire who would be accompanying them.

On the highest floor of the mansion, in the enclosed living room of the imperial private quarters, the whole family was together, alone and this time everyone was conscious. Yet, for the first time, a heavy silence could be felt in the large room, an almost awkward silence. On the two sofas facing each other, a strange scene was playing out, far from the laughter and smiles that usually filled the room.

On the first one was sitting Freya, dressed in black, her legs crossed, her long black hair falling down her back and her violet eyes fixed straight in front of her. Beside her, Kalaa, same posture but more elegant, her long pure white hair tied in a ponytail and her equally intense eyes looking in the same direction. Both of them weren't moving, not knowing what to say considering the situation.

Those in front of them could not deny the fact that they looked almost exactly alike and that a special aura emanated from them when they were together. However, it was not because of this that the room was silent but because of two children on the other side. Gaya was sitting on the couch breastfeeding Tyle and Altaïs who seemed to be paying no attention to anything but the same could not be said for Shiro and Angel.

Both were hiding behind the dragoness who, with her hands already busy, could do little to stop them. The little 10-year-old dragon, still smaller than his age but healthy was hiding behind his big sister, wary of the she-wolf. Freya had saved his life partially before her daughter used her powers but the little boy still remembered the pain he felt that night.

Angel with the long crimson hair had been trying to open up a little more to others for the past few days, but his older sister's wife terrified him. Despite the horrific ten years he had lived, the pain was still embedded in his mind as well as the two purples eyes staring at him at that moment. It was an instinctive fear that would go away in time but for now, the little dragon was still not talking and hiding.

For Shiro it was different, she was standing behind her mother but it wasn't because of the she-wolf but rather the one standing next to her. When she woke up, it had been briefly explained to her who Kalaa was and more importantly why they both looked so much alike. The little moon of the Empire had understood immediately and even if the reunion with her biological mother could have been filled with happiness, it scared Shiro.

For the little Princess, her first mother was the Empress, the one who had saved her from a miserable life and who had been able to make her smile...no one else. She who was always smiling and talkative, for the first time showed herself distant, silent and with her tail between her legs. Nothing and no one was going to yet her status as the daughter of the Empress and Queen but for a little girl, it was hard to understand right away.

"Sigh...well...we're all getting ready to go on a trip together so it would be a matter of relaxing. Kids, how about we go ask Lia when the snack is ready ? hehehe~"

Kira who was standing and fed up with the heavy atmosphere had raised her voice, offering the two little ones to eat. At her words, Shiro's violet eyes lit up for a few seconds before she turned to Angel on her left. After looking at each other, they both nodded with determination before moving. Slowly, the two children slid onto the couch, not taking their eyes off Freya and Kalaa for a second.

They were holding hands, which did not make it easy, but they managed to reach the edge of the large armchair. The first one to jump was Shiro who was swinging her feet in the air trying to touch the ground but too small to do so even with all the will in the world. Then, as she decided to move forward a little more, she slipped before dragging Angel by the hand unhappily in her fall.

"Be careful !"

Disappearing behind the coffee table for Freya and Kalaa who were in front of it, Gaya and Kira had a good view on what had happened. The two children had landed face first on the carpet in just a few seconds in a way that was admittedly quite funny. Although the girl with three tails had exclaimed, they seemed to be fine because soon, white and crimson hair appeared.

Their two little heads had risen very quickly, their squinted eyes just reaching the level of the table, still staring at the two sisters with a suspicious eye. Then, after a short while, Shiro and Angel stood up before running to Kira who of course was grinning widely. Grabbing her niece's hand, the fox girl would walk with them to the door before closing it behind them, heading to the mansion's kitchen.

"I apologize for our daughter's behavior, it's...I didn't think she would act this way"

As soon as they came out, Gaya, who found herself alone in front of her wife and older sister, immediately spoke up to humbly and sincerely apologize. She was very honest and even though she understood the situation, as a mother, she felt obliged to apologize. At her words, Kalaa opened her eyes wide, taken aback by this sudden show of respect from a woman who seemed to be born to be a Queen.

"N-No, please Gaya, don't apologize ! I-It's nothing..."

"..."

"After all I come out of nowhere and tell her I kind of gave birth to her, leaving her afterwards in this world, alone, until you arrive. I am a complete stranger..."

"No matter what your past is, you are still Freya's big sister and a member of our family. Children can be a little mean sometimes but they are just following their emotions before they can understand them. Don't worry~"

The dragoness, still with her radiant smile, was rocking the twins in her arms who had fallen asleep trying to reassure the former Goddess. She was talking to Kalaa but also addressing Freya who was undergoing a bit of the same thing with her little brother. Her voice was soft, reassuring and her lilting tone soothed as much as it comforted which very quickly, caused the white-haired woman to react unexpectedly.

"I...Gaya...I am truly sorry."

Kalaa had suddenly stood up before bowing respectfully to the Queen who, not expecting this, did not understand what was happening. The woman in front of her had her head bowed, her body trembling slightly and her fists closed in guilt. She couldn't look Gaya in the eye and it was that unique kindness she had shown her that had caused her to apologize in this way.

"Please don't..."

"I know we had already spoken but I beg you once again to forgive me for what I have done in the past and the mistakes I have made. Because of me...your family...the earth dragons...I..."

When the former Goddess of Time and Wisdom had awakened again, the three in Kira's company had brought up her story. She had not been able to tell everything and had not yet mentioned her past as a deity with Lucifer but had explained what had happened in this world. So, Gaya and Freya were now aware of the Age of Extinction or more specifically, the origin of the humans' hatred for the other races.

"I-I...I have no excuse and I feel ashamed...ever I...it was...back then I was blinded by revenge without thinking of the consequences. Pathetic for a former Goddess of Wisdom, isn't it ? N-Not only am I the source of all hatred but I...I caused tragedies until today...I'm so s-sorry...I-..."

Kalaa's throat tightened as she spoke until she couldn't get a single word out of her mouth, choked with remorse. She squeezed her eyes hard and tears could be seen in their corners as her body shook more and more. Freya's older sister couldn't bear to know what her actions had caused for decades and decades after and was sincerely feeling the weight of the guilt.

To her, she was responsible for everything that happened to the other races, and most of all, for the extinction of almost all the earth dragons on the continent. Humans, afraid of coming across a different and powerful creature again, started hunting. Those like the Gaya or Naïa capable of taking a humanoid and bestial form had unfortunately and still were, the main targets and victims.

"I-I beg you don't bow to me, please stand up~"

While Kalaa had stopped talking, sinking alone in this growing guilt, the dragoness had finally been able to speak and act. She had laid the twins gently on the couch before rushing to the woman still reclining and trembling before her. Gaya had grabbed her shoulders and helped her raise her head gently before her bright amber eyes darted into the purple of hers.

"Look at me~"

Again, a warm, soothing, yet firm voice came from the Queen who had never stopped smiling even after Kalaa's words. She knew very well that what she had said was not totally wrong but it was not totally true either. Yes the dragoness had suffered and the memories were still painful but today she had been able to move on and blaming one being for it was out of the question.

"Kalaa~ I appreciate what you just said but know that I hold no grudges against you and not once have I held you responsible for the tragedy I experienced. I have also experienced that rage and desire to destroy everything after the loss of a loved one so I can only understand. Please, I don't blame you so don't do it yourself, okay ?"

Gaya had grabbed both of her sister-in-law's hands and from her simple words removed a huge weight that had been weighing on her heart for the past few days. The guilt was of course not going to go away right away, but it was important that the white-haired woman hear those words. The Empress and the Queen still had a lot to learn about her and what was going on in the shadows, but this was no time for blame.

"You know Kalaa, having lived in this world in a different time, I can assure you that humans always find a way to wage war. You are responsible for the thousands of deaths thousands of years ago but today, humans indulge in this hatred. The Being that threatened humanity in this era is only an excuse, because in the end...humans never change."

To support her wife's words, Freya had placed herself at her side smiling in turn in a tender way, grabbing Gaya by the hips. She supported her words and no matter how involved her older sister was, it didn't matter anymore. Besides, the Empress and the Queen knew full well that if anything were to happen to any of their family members, they would also go into a huge wrath.

"T-Thank you Gaya, thank you Lucif-...Freya."

Wiping away the few tears that had just begun to run down her face, it was the beautiful white-haired woman's turn to smile. In front of her was her little sister that she had thought she had lost forever and the woman she had decided to spend her life with. That vision alone was enough to blur any doubt, especially when that woman turned out to be a person with a heart of gold, as wise and gentle as it was kind.

"Even if we are going for a particular reason, let's try to use this trip as a family to learn more about each other. The past has hurt us all in one way or another, but it's up to us to make our future, a bright one, don't you think ?"

At that moment, Freya had walked towards the door with an almost childish smile immediately making the other two women's hearts beat for two different reasons. The dragoness who was madly in love was blushing while the former Goddess saw a reminiscence of the child that Lucifer had been. It was rare to see her smile like that, very rare so they were enjoying the moment as the young Empress went to open the door.

"Honey~?"

"Yes, my love~?"

"Aren't you forgetting something important~?"

Just as her hand touched the knob, Gaya's voice rose in the room stopping her dead in her tracks with her sudden rather fishy question. Turning slowly, the she-wolf who had been squinting for a trap then saw her wife holding the sleeping twins in her arms. At that moment, Freya understood immediately, scratching the back of her head with a nervous laugh, turning back to help by grabbing her daughter.

"You could help me a little more, your Highness~ Jeez, I didn't do them by myself !"

"Ouch ouch ! Yes yes, sorry my love it's promised, I would be more careful haha~"

The Queen had grabbed the cheek of the Empress and was pinching it while scolding her for forgetting her own children who would probably have stayed on the couch. She was not really angry, the she-wolf was not really in pain and the scene was more cute than serious. It was one of those moments that would remain hidden from the people, not imagining for a second that their leaders could act like that.

"Pffffhahaha~"

Kalaa who was no longer choked with guilt, couldn't help but bring a hand to her mouth and giggle happily at the sight. Never could she have imagined the great Lucifer being scolded like that by her wife, let alone laughing fondly at it. Every second the old Goddess became more and more aware that her little sister was the same despite her memories still forgotten in the depths of her soul.

Lucifer had not changed but was now Freya and was still different as incoherent as this statement could be. The two of them, who had all had different pasts, had been brought together to form a family that despite the ups and downs supported each other more than anyone else. The Empress' older sister herself would soon realize how strong the bonds between her new family were.

The journey ahead of them could be long, but one thing was certain, they would spend every moment together, no matter what threats they faced.