One exception

Part seven  warped wood

The king of the nether was a ruthless man, if you even consider him a man anymore.

but many did see the sliver of humanity he had, especially when the young princess came to be. It was not an uncommon occurrence to see a little Hoglund dragging around her father to do small activities. And Technoblade enjoyed it whether it be playing in the garden, or drinking tea and listening to his daughter's ramblings about a book she just read.
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Technoblade was speaking to a member of his council about trading with humans, and the demand for more water, until he felt a harsh tug on his crimson Cape. The king taught himself to know when it was his daughter so that way he would never scare her.

"Yes, my little nether star?"

Technoblade turned around to see his daughter's hair out of its usual bun and in her hands, a semi-clear box full of beads and combs. The little Hoglund held it up towards her father.

"Hair?" Techno waved away the council member quickly telling them Matilda might have the plans for the trades. The mighty king kneeled down to the small fragile child, getting down onto her level. He gave her a soft smile

"yes, Princess you can do my hair" pink lit up as her and her father walked towards the parlor.

Technoblade let his daughter in first; he then tied a red and gold handkerchief to the door knob, a signal meaning that he wished not to be disturbed unless there was an emergency. Pink began scooting out a stool from under the couch. Hopping onto it she then let out excited squeals wanting her father to hurry.

Techno sat on the ground as pink slipped through a booklet that she recently got for her birthday. It had everything to do with hair and its meaning to Hoglund's and pig-man. Finally she found one she liked the most. She started by brushing her fathers hair, and then letting him pick the beads and barrettes. As Techno picked out the beads he told pink the meaning of each one.

"Crimson warn for resilience" he handed his daughter a couple of Crimson beads.
"Gold for unity" he handed pink a golden clip.
"Emerald for trust" he handed her an emerald bead.
"Blackstone for protection"
"Netherrack for humility"
"Obsidian for power" Pink asked for a ribbon to tie his hair. Techno grabbed a light pink and teal ribbon. Pink looked at it questioningly,

"What's th- the mean-ing?" Techno smiled

"Usually those colors alone would mean pride and bond. Together they show that someone is proud of being a parent and they're proud of their kids. And they want the world to know it!" Pink smiled, and she tied the ribbon into a bow. Techno looked at his daughter's work. She was getting really good at intermediate hair designs.

Pink quickly scrambled onto the stool wanting her hair to be done. Techno smile could've broken his face. Technoblade sat down, brushing his daughters hair with a warped wood comb.

Pink noticed how he picked out mostly warped wood beads. She had never seen another Hoglund, or her father wear them.

"papa?" Techno hummed "what does warped wood mean?" Techno's stopped brushing her hair as images filled his mind of blood painting black walls a deep red and bodies of Hoglunds both young and old laying on the ground and A warped wood cradle and a room meant for life...
Techno swallowed the lump in his throat as his daughter looked at him and for a moment the comb in his hands felt like a sword...

"It means special or rare, just like you" Techno didn't need to tell her the actual meaning right now. He remembered how almost everything his daughter owned was made from warped wood, he remembered his daughter's pink hair, He tried to focus on it. He remembered how many years ago he kneeled in front of his daughter to get on her level.

But now the ruthless warrior king of the nether kneeled behind Matilda, who was trying to shield him from the eyes of the guards who were being organized to search the Nether for the princess.

Techno refused to get his hands healed. Techno thought that he deserved the pain. He picked up the shards of his daughter's delicate crown. The only piece missing, the only piece that pink grabbed, was a fragment of a nether star.

Techno remembered, and he would never forget, what warped wood actually meant. Because it was the only thing giving him hope that his daughter, that his little nether star, would survive.