Fated Encounter Prequel: A Thousand Years

Móðir And Faðir

A/N: This is one of my favorite chapters to write honestly. Dainslief has been charged with the care and protection of Lumine. However he can't understand why he sees Ishtar in the young woman that was summoned. That is until the time goddess returns home. 

Title Translation: It's Old Norse words, meaning "Mother" and "Father" respectively. 

Lullaby Duet IstaDain Sing: "My Mother Told Me" from Vikings. Lumine will in time also sing this song herself when she's a mother. Aether knows this song too because of Tyr/Pierro but doesn't hold the same affection for it as his sister. Lumine has great affection for the song as she only has good memories attached to it.

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The days waned into nights.

While Aether visited his sister constantly with Tyr or even Rhinedottir the young princess did not wake. The fever she had developed prior was also gone and yet to the bewilderment of the many healers the king sent to his manor the comatose princess still did not wake. A lot had transpired with Aether during the past months as Lumine remained under Dainslief's watchful eye and care. The Twilight Sword, the Serpent of Yggdrasil never left her unattended. Every morning he found evidence Ishtar had been in the room. A vase full of the snow white inteyvets set at the bedside, two more placed with care into the young woman's sun kissed hair. By evening Dainslief always spent time in Lumine's room, content just to talk or sing the old lullaby he grew up with.

Tonight was one such night, Dainslief unable to get the young twins out of his mind. He had just sent Aether on his way for the night after the worried boy had come to visit. The poor boy had wanted to see if there had been any changes but there had been none. Dainslief's gaze looked up as he looked in the mirror after drying his face. The blue vein-like scars covering the one side of his face. "They really do look like me. Aether acts a lot like I did as a youth, but he wears his heart on his sleeve. Lumine looks so much like Ishtar but why?"he wondered softly. It had confused him, the way the time goddess was speaking in riddles in regards to these twins that were summoned.

He couldn't get any of his work done with how distracted and unfocused his mind had been. So with a sigh he decided to act again, maybe some would call it selfish but he acted on his whims as he put his mask back on and walked across the hall, quietly entering the room. There she was just as he had left her sound asleep, the old flowers having been removed earlier by Aether. Quietly he closed the door behind him and walked over humming that familiar tune from his youth, with a tender smile he sat down on the edge of the bed to hold her hand.

"Hello Lumine, I'm home. I hope you enjoyed your brother's visit earlier. I hope it wasn't too lonely for you."he greeted. No reply came but her fingers gave a soft twitch at his voice.

For Lumine she was more aware then they realized. Her strength was returning now that she connected to Yggdrasil was being established ever so slowly. She knew her mother had been visiting, she knew her brother had as well. This man, however, always watched over her, visited her daily and spoke to her with such kindness. It was strange...she felt a sense of security and safety despite his intense umbra energy. He wasn't as good a singer as mother was but he wasn't terrible either. The sharp tang of steel, horses, and the forest always greeted her nose when he stayed long hours in her room. She had grown accustomed to his humming and the sound of a carving knife crafting something from some kind of soft wood or stone.

Content...warm familiarity.

That's what this man gave her every single time as she sensed him move away after pulling the quilt over her shoulders. Khaenrian winters tended to get a bit nippy and chilly so she was thankful as she mumbled snuggling into the plush warmth and nuzzled Dainslief's hand. Dainslief went over to sit by the fireplace in one of the chairs as he began to bring out what looked like a carving of a snake wrapped around some kind of egg or pearl. There was a shocking amount of detail to it as he brought out his carving knife and began to sing the soft lullaby.