Chapter Text
“You look marvellous, my little Princess.” Gothel looked at her child with love and admiration. “Just like your mother!”
Queen did a pirouette and her beautiful ruby dress swirled around her.
Luna was standing beside her with frown and crooked lips. She, too, had new beautiful dress. Hers was black with silver accents and symbol of Dark Kingdom on the chest. She was also wearing her tiara, diamond necklace and little black shoes. She looked very royal and elegant. Or at least she would, if not for her expression, clenched fists and tears in her eyes.
Gothel could see that Luna was doing all in her might not to cry. She seemed to understand that she needed to be calm around people and she had less and less accidents with unintentional use of her powers with every other week. Now, however, walls of queen’s chamber were slowly turning red, blue and orange. Orange was a new colour in Luna’s arsenal, one not seen ever before from the Moonstone. It was a hue of anger.
It was discovered along with the fact that Luna already understood most of the things she heard from people around her. She was sitting with one of the castle maids, who was taking care of her at the moment. She was playing by herself, joyfully tearing apart some of her least favourite toys with tiny black rocks.
“Man, you really are creepy sometimes,” mumbled her babysitter, watching this happen.
Luna looked up at her with wide eyes and clenched teeth. She was just looking at her like that for few seconds, and then few intensely orange rocks shoot from the floor.
“What…” This was all maid could mumble, before angry Luna threw a wooden block at her, accompanied with few more orange rocks, this time dangerously close to her legs. She could feel that they were hot. “All right, all right! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Your Highness, I didn’t mean it!”
Luna looked at her for few more moments and then smiled, content with herself.
She returned to her enthusiastic destructive play. She rocks she summoned didn’t retract, but changed colour to light gold.
The maid was clearly scared when she confessed to Queen Gothel what happened. She was terrified at what punishment for disrespecting Crown Princess like that could be, but she also felt that leaving this discovery for herself would probably be considered borderline treason, so she didn’t have much of a choice.
Gothel was understanding for her, at least this time. She knew that after all of the damage black rocks caused in past years, seeing them used for fun like that could indeed be pretty creepy experience. She told the maid off, ordered to never do it again, and let her go.
This was interesting discovery, one she was half-expecting from the beginning and yet was terrified to find out. She had contents of Demanitus’ Moonstone Manuscript memorized. She read hundreds of other books on this topic. She was studying the Opal for years. There wasn’t any living person who would know more than her about it. And she was very aware how limited her knowledge was.
Not all of the Incantations had appropriate translations. There was a lot of things even Demanitus didn’t know. After all, before her nobody dared to walk close enough to the Moonstone to just much as touch it. There were other manuscripts lost in the world, researches done by far more dangerous and ruthless people, experiments Demanitus wouldn’t dare to think of. Potential connection with the mythical Sundrop. The Lost Kingdom of Corona. So many mysteries.
Queen Gothel suspected that Luna had more power than first met the eye. After all, Moonstone itself gave more and more surprises, one more terrifying than the other. For all they knew, it made an entire Kingdom by itself. Then there were black rocks reaching far beyond Kingdom’s borders. Then red and blue rocks. Luna’s birth. Golden rocks she created when she was happy. And now this new, more disturbing colour.
Gothel didn’t know, how far Luna’s abilities reached. How many colours the rocks could be in? Did she have abilities beyond just creating indestructible rocks that messed with people’s emotions? After all, this new kind of rocks was hot, so could she potentially control the temperature? How much power over herself did she really have? And how much power was really left in the Moonstone itself, now that she existed?
The Dark Queen had a lot of questions and knew it was a lot of research to be done. But it wasn’t time for all of this yet. Now she needed to take care of her baby, make sure she was safe, happy and collected. She was relieved that, at least for now, Luna seemed to have a lot of control over herself and her powers.
This entire situation of course also meant that all of the court should be more careful of what they were saying in front of the Princess now. Gothel supposed earlier that Luna understood more that she showed at daily basis, but this was definite proof. On the other hand, this should make communication with her much easier.
Maybe this was her cue to finally introduce Luna to all of her political allies. She seemed to be ready. Or at least as ready as one-year-old child could be.
She understood most of what was told her. She could rather clearly communicate her thoughts and emotions. She was getting better with her powers.
After Royal Family of Koto visited Dark Kingdom, the rumors became much more kind for little princess. International atmosphere became the most favourably disposed towards Luna since she was born.
So two weeks after visit from Koto queen Gothel announced kingdom-wide celebration of first birthday of Dark Kingdom’s Crown Princess. She sent messengers to all of the rulers of the allied countries as well as to all noble families of Dark Kingdom. After almost two years it was finally time for all of them to officially see that her daughter wasn’t a threat or a monster.
So now little Princess stood in her mother’s chamber, trying to be patient and royal, as she was taught to be. However the colours slowly creeping up the wall told Gothel more than Luna’s still limited words ever could.
“Oh, my dear…” Gothel knelt next to her daughter and gently held her little hands. “I understand that you’re scared and angry. I know it’s all stressful for you. I promise nobody here wants to hurt you. I will be with you the whole time. If you’ll be too tired, you can just tell me and your aunt or Rose will take you to your room. Everything’s going to be all right.”
Gothel knew that Luna trusted her. Usually it was relatively easy for her to calm her daughter. Now, however, little princess didn’t seem convinced at all.
“Des!” Luna hissed, angrily gesturing at her outfit. Walls of the room became more intensely orange, to the point when Gothel had to take few deep breaths to not snap at her daughter.
“I know. But you have to wear it for a few hours now. You look really pretty, darling, and we’re going to introduce you to everyone as Princess. You really can’t wear your pants now, you know?”
“Ol!” Luna insisted. The little plush she got from Koto was now her favourite toy and comfort object. She didn’t want to go anywhere without it.
Gothel sighed, defeated. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Okay. You can take your owl with you.” To queen’s relief, Luna seemed a little calmed by that promise. “You’ll have your little toy and you’ll be with me or with aunt and uncle the whole time. It won’t take too long, I promise. You just have to be a good girl, okay?”
“Yes, mama.” Luna nodded and now walls of the room were slowly returning to their usual black.
Gothel smiled gently at her little treasure.
“That’s my perfect little princess.”