____________________
The Wind and the little lone Star arrived at the summit of the highest mountain.
For hours the little Star shouted towards the heavens with all her might, calling for her parents yet as time passes by, no one, not a single voice answered.
Then, a Comet was seen passing by the mountain top.
The Wind and Little Star asked if the Comet had seen the star's parents.
Unfortunately for them, the Comet brought grim news.
The Comet explained that the little Star's parents along with several others fizzled out after fighting off a rogue Black Hole from devouring the night sky.
The news broke the Little Star's heart, and she cried and cried for a very long time.
Yet, throughout her grief, the Wind kept her company. Comforting the little Star with all her love.
After the tears had subside, the Wind then took the little Star and carried her off in her ethereal arms.
With nowhere else to go, the Little Star just snuggled close to the Wind, desperately seeking comfort.
The Wind in turn vowed to look after the Little Star and to treat her as one of her own.
Together, they descended down from highest mountain towards the big old world below.
Though an old life was closed, a new one opened up for the little lost Star, as her journey towards a brighter world had just began.
- The Tales of the Little Lone Star
____________________
Soon after the shenanigans were over, the trio noticed something odd.
They felt something out of place within the now smoldering and partially glassed crater where the abyssal legion once stood.
The blast from Excalibur had effectively disintegrated every corpse from the face of Avalon, yet Artoria sensed something else.
'Hmmm, interesting.' she thought.
They walked towards it to have a closer look and to their surprise, they saw countless motes of silvery wisps hovering above the cratered ground.
The wisps seemed to wander aimlessly, like lost ghosts, as if searching for something that they could no longer find.
Xiao, who was still in his adorable fluff ball form and was now comfortably perched on the shoulders of his most benevolent divine benefactor, immediately recognized the floating entities hovering before them.
'Spirits?!' he exclaimed, though his tiny bird-like voice made it sound more like a chirp. 'But they feel... so different. They feel Hollow.'
Artoria's eyes narrowed.
"Not spirits, little one, but souls. Or rather what's left of them." Artoria answered as she continued to casually observe the ethereal beings who were not supposed to be in her realm.
The souls of her people who now dwelled in her lands, all came to her realm through the Resplendent World Tree of Avalon, all carefully gathered and cleansed from the Great Silver Spine of Teyvat, Irminsul, in a process that was entirely unique to her realm.
These souls however, were...different.
They were brought here, in her realm through her own personal doing.
Artoria gently stretched her left hand and allowed one wisp of silvery light to land on her palm.
As she held it, she began to analyze its very essence, its very structure.
'To think these were what remained of them.' she thought with a hint of sadness.
Her initial guess was correct.
"Human souls, or to be more precise, the cursed souls of each and every monster of that abyssal army we just fought." Artoria said, confirming her thoughts.
'WHAT?!' the little adepti bird on her shoulder chirped in utter shock and disbelief.
'Those... those things were humans?!'
"Yes, Xiao, they were. My guess is that these are what remained of the souls of the people of a nation which was cursed by Celestia long ago during the Cataclysm." Artoria explained.
'Khaenri'ah.' the God-queen of Avalon somberly thought.
A nation built by human hands, and not under the control of the Seven...
A nation built upon the foundation of knowledge and the esoteric arts of Khemia...
A nation brought low by the Heavens due to the hubris of its rulers and elite!
A people cursed with a faith crueller than death! Immortals and Beasts they had become, stripped of their humanity and their souls!
Their forms twisted into a mockery of life, leaving their souls shattered and scattered, turning them into empty shells of their former selves.
A nation swallowed by the corrupting tides of the Abyss!
Alter, who was now wearing a simple but pristine version of a classic French maid uniform (that she probably manifested into existence), gently grabbed another wisp of the same kind from the air.
She examined it with her now divine senses, and she too was her surprised on what she found.
"Nothing." she said, eyes narrowed in concentration, with a small frown already forming on her lips.
"I sensed nothing from them, my liege." The newly made divine stewardess proclaimed.
"I can't sense any memories, any sort of consciousness from these fragmented souls. It's as if they're just but mere empty masses of energy and air. Blank slates." Alter added.
"That's because they've been exposed to the Abyss for too long Alter." Artoria said as she gently let go of the wisp she was holding, allowing it to join its brethren as they continued their aimless wandering.
"The corrupting influence of the abyss had rendered their souls down into the most basic of structures. Their humanity...their very essence as people, had long since faded away, leaving behind nothing but husks."
Artoria then looked to her newly given daughter who was still sleeping in her arms, a concerned expression began to form on her face as she recalled that a piece of her new daughter's soul had also been devoured by the abyss.
A shiver ran down her spine.
She didn't want to imagine what would have happened if she had arrived too late.
If she had failed to save her daughter….she would have lost another child again!
The mere thought of it was enough to make her blood run cold!
Artoria quickly shook her head, trying to get rid of the dreadful thought.
She then turned to her Shade.
"Alter, gather these fragmented souls. All of them." Artoria commanded, her voice now calm and resolute.
Alter nodded, and with a snap of her fingers, all of the wisps immediately gathered and formed a swirling vortex of silvery light, hovering right in front of the newly-made goddess of destruction.
Artoria then proceeded to create a portable bounded field, a small and intricate-looking golden cage, and had Alter place the swirling vortex of souls into it.
The cage then shrunk to the size of a small birdcage, which Artoria then proceeded to attach to her belt.
'Mistress, what do you plan to do with them?' Xiao asked, chirping curiously as he stared at the small birdcage.
"I will bring them to Aria, one of my three most trusted confidants." Artoria answered as she gently patted the little adeptus on the head.
"Her dominion revolves around the Soul itself. She is the 'Lady of the Tower' and the one I tasked with guiding the newly arrived souls from the Resplendent World Tree to the realms of Avalon."
"I trust her judgment on what to do with these... lost souls. For now, they will be kept safe within that cage until we can find a way to restore them, if that is even possible."
Her explanation had satisfied the little bird's curiosity, who then proceeded to nuzzle himself against her neck, a sign of trust and affection.
"Now then, I think we've spent enough time in this... desolate wasteland." Artoria said.
She then looked at the vast partially glassed desert of Terre Gaste, a reminder of the battle that had just transpired, and the countless other experiments she had personally conducted all throughout that land.
"It's time for us to go back. My four other adorable children are probably worried sick about me, and I'm sure they are very eager to meet theirnew sister."
With that, Artoria, along with her newly ascended daughter, her now fluffified adeptus, and her very own eccentric Shade, disappeared in a flash of golden light.
____________________
Beidou....was having a dream.
The little girl found herself in a starless void, a vast and empty expanse of darkness.
It was cold, so very cold, and the silence was deafening.
She was alone.
All alone.
But then, all of a sudden, the empty void around her began to light up, as if a projector had just been turned on, casting an array of moving images all around her.
She now found herself walking through what seemed to be a moving tapestry, the living memory of her past.
The subsequent scenes that greeted her were very much familiar to her.
She saw herself, a little toddler with big curious eyes, running around happily chasing a small red ball gifted to her by her baba.
The memories that she saw were so vivid that she could almost feel the warm sun on her skin and the gentle breeze of her once riverside home on her face.
Those were happy times, when the world was still innocent to her eyes.
But the happy memories didn't last long.
As she continued to walk, the entire tapestry then shifted to a much darker and grimmer scene.
She saw her parents, her dear mama and baba, being murdered by an old deranged acquaintance. Both parents fighting valiantly in order to protect her and their home.
She saw her mama, grievously wounded by the assailant.
The injured mother then forced herself to walk for miles in the middle of a stormy night as she carried her scared daughter in her arms.
She later saw her weakened mother collapsing in the ground, just a few yards away from the entrance of the fishing village of Downriver.
Cold and alone, she saw her past self frantically sobbed besides her mother's now cold body, desperately trying to wake her up, as the heavy rain continued to pour down.
Her cries for her mother were unanswered.
It...hurts.
It hurts so much.
Tears, began to formed in her little eyes as she relieved the misery she had experienced once more.
Not much later, the next scene began to unfold.
She saw her life with her grampa Yuze, growing up in the fishing village of Downriver yet shunned by almost all, except for her grampa and her one friend…Xiling.
Whispers of contempt were constantly present in the mouths of their neighbors.
"That's the bastard child of those former pirates."
"You know, they said that when she arrived a few months ago, the fishing yield decreased significantly."
"She's a curse, that's what she is!"
Hateful as they were, little Beidou did not allow those words to bother her, for as long as she had her dear grampa and her friend, Xiling, by her side, she could ignore the hateful words of their neighbors.
But that too did not last.
Xiling was taken away by her parents. They forbid her to interact with the 'cursed' child of the village.
Not long after that, her beloved grampa died from old age, leaving her all alone in a village that despised her existence.
But perhaps the most painful of all her memories, was when the villagers, after years of being fed with hateful rumors and malicious gossips, finally decided to banish her at the day of her grampa's funeral!
She saw herself desperately pleading, tears flowing down her little cheeks.
"Please... I don't want to go! I'll... I'll be good! I promise! Please!"
But her pleas fell on deaf ears.
They chased her out into the surrounding forest, throwing sticks and stones at her, screaming hateful words at the poor little girl who was just trying to survive.
"Go away you little demon! This village doesn't need a curse like you!"
She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, the painful stings of the stones that hit her back, forcing her to push forward deeper and deeper into the forest.
The tapestry once more turned and shifted to another series of scenes.
The years of wondering that came after her banishment.
Living as a street rat, stealing and eking out a living amongst the trash and filth of villages and towns around the Bishui region.
The constant trouble that she always had to go through, the near-death experiences from starvation, sickness, and the cruelty of other people.
But there was one memory that stood out from the rest.
She saw herself on a particular hill over looking a prosperous town that was currently holding a lantern festival, with countless children of her age…happily playing with one another.
All of them accompanied by their loving parents.
She remembered that night.
She remembered that night painfully well.
As if sensing her inner thoughts, the tapestry shifted into the exact moment.
The moment that she didn't want to recall.
She saw herself on the top of a hill, crying out to the heavens. Her little fists clenched in anger and frustration as she shouted at the top of her lungs.
Her anger hurled to the world that had given her nothing but pain and suffering!
"WHY?!" she screamed, her voice now a raw, guttural cry of pure anguish.
"WHY?! WHY IS THE WORLD SO UNFAIR?!"
"LORD OF GEO! ADEPTI!"
"IF YOU'RE ALL REAL. IF YOU'RE REALLY OUT THERE. WHY DO YOU LET PEOPLE SUCH AS MYSELF SUFFER?!"
"WHY DID YOU LET SOMEONE LIKE ME SUFFER IN THIS CRUEL AND UNFORGIVING WORLD?!"
"Answer me! Answer me! ANSWER ME!!!"
She saw herself screamed only to be met with nothing but the howling of the evening wind and the rustling of the leaves.
The world... had abandoned her.
And now, the very world around her and everything within it began to crumble!
Beidou immediately ran as fast as she could, as the ground and sky of her dream world began to shatter with its fragments falling down into an endless void of darkness below.
'No... no please! I don't want to die!' she desperately thought as she continued to run.
However, in that most harrowing moments, the little girl who was abandoned by the world began seeing visions.
Flashbacks of warm and happy memories from a not so distant past.
Memories that shecherished deeply.
They were filled with happiness, joy, and love.
She saw herself excitedly telling about her dreams to someone…
She saw herself ravenously stuffing her little mouth with the most delicious food she had ever tasted…
She saw herself nestled in the warm loving embrace of someone...
Someone who made her feel safe...
Someone who made her feel... wanted.
"Auntie Ria" Beidou remembered as tears began to prick her eyes.
She remembered the name, the face, and the warmth that came from that person.
The woman who was initially a stranger to her, yet became the one to shine a light into her miserable existence.
She was the one who gave her hope when she had none.
The one who promised to her a journey to a city where she could find a home.
The one who showed her love when she had none.
And now, memories of that very special person began to vanish right in front of her eyes as her entire world began to disappear into nothingness!
'No, no please! I don't want to forget her! I don't want to forget Auntie Ria!'
The memory of the woman who had shown her kindness began to fade away, forcing the little girl to run faster.
'I need to see her again! I need to see my Auntie Ria!'
She saw a tunnel of light at the distance.
A light that was as warm as her hugs.
She must go there!
So she ran and ran as the ground behind her continued to crumble and fall into the deep nothingness below.
She was getting closer.
Her Auntie was waiting for her!
She could feel it!
But then... she mistepped, and the ground in front of her collapsed...causing her to fall down towards the ever growing pit of darkness!
Tears now streamed freely from her eyes as she continued to reach out towards the now fading light, even as she fell deeper and deeper into the abyss.
"Oh no... if only I..."
As she was about to lose all hope, she felt a pair of warm and gentle hands touching her back, preventing her from falling further.
Then she felt another, and then another...and soon she saw herself being pushed upwards towards the light above.
The little girl turned her head and saw a sight that further made her cry.
She saw her mama, her baba and her dear grampa Yuze.
All three were pushing her up towards the light even as their own forms began to fade away into countless golden motes!
They were smiling at her, trying to save her, their beloved little star from completely falling into the dark unknown.
Beidou couldn't speak.
She was too shocked and overwhelmed from what she was seeing.
The three specters of her past continued to push and push her upward until she was near the summit, just within the light's reach!
And as their own bodies began to completely dissolve into streams of light, they gave her one final push that propelled her little body towards the welcoming glow from above!
Beidou momentarily turned her head towards them, and for one final time, she saw her mother's lips parting, uttering some words before she, her father, and her grampa completely faded away.
"Go now our Little Star! It's time for you to go home!"
Beidou, with tears still in her eyes, looked forward, towards the fast approaching tunnel of light and there saw a pair of familiar hands reaching out for her…
They were warm and gentle.
Just like Auntie Ria's.
She stretched out both of her own hands towards them, as if wanting to be embraced, and when the little girl was finally within reach….the whole world suddenly turned white.
*****
'The World of Avalon, joyfully welcomes you, oh great scion of our creator!'
*****
"All stand in attention and reverence! I announce the return of Her Majesty!"
.....
"Quickly! Prepare one of the royal suites!"
.....
"Has my sister already awaken?"
.....
"Is she my newest big sister?! She looks so pretty!"
.....
"Will big sis also like apple juice?"
.....
"Benny! Let go of Xiao and please stop climbing that bookshelf!"
...
.....
.....
…
Beidou, groggily stirred from her slumber as the rays of sunlight began to irritate her eyes.
The little girl, still feeling a bit tired from her... strange ordeal, instinctively snuggled to the nearest soft pillows she's currently embracing.
They were warm and soft, and she felt all safe as she embraced them.
'Hmmm, just like Auntie Ria's hugs.' she tiredly thought to herself.
She was about to fall back to sleep, when she suddenly remembered one crucial thought…
She only has hard straw pillows to call her own!
Her bed was always hard, nothing more but a pile of rotten mats placed over the cold hard ground!
Yet, why was everything she's feeling at that moment so soft and warm?!
Cautiously, the little girl opened her eyes and saw....
"Auntie?"
Beidou found herself in an impossibly large and comfortable bed in the arms of the one person she wanted to see the most!
Her dearest auntie was sleeping peacefully…all the while…. embracing her…
'Why is Auntie here? Where are we?' Beidou innocently thought.
So many questions swarmed inside her young mind.
She then remembered her dream…as well as the last events that had transpired to her before she lost consciousness.
The monster... the sadistic ramblings... her flowers... the pain... the blood... the light... and her Auntie's cries as she held her close.
The little girl carefully placed her small trembling hands over her tummy, expecting a painful wound or at least a bandage…yet she felt nothing.
Nothing at all…
Only the soft fabric of the warm pajamas she was currently wearing.
Her lips began to tremble as her eyes moistened once more.
'Auntie... she saved me. She really did save me!' the little girl's mind reeled in utter awe and relief.
Just as she was about to cry, the doors to the large fancy room she was in suddenly opened.
In came a woman with bright pink hair wearing a beautiful white dress and some golden hair ornaments, her expression was a mix of excitement and surprise as she saw the fully risen little girl in front of her eyes.
"MY PRINCESS YOU'RE AWAKE!" the pink-haired lady exclaimed with joy.
She, however, immediately clamped her mouth shut with both of her hands when she realized that her loud voice might have disturbed her Queen from her slumber!
Thankfully for her, the Progenitor goddess of Avalon continued her restful sleep peacefully.
Her expression serene and calm, a stark contrast to the turmoil she had went through just a day earlier.
"Oh dear, oh my, I'm so sorry about that! I just got so excited after seeing you finally awake!" The pink-haired lady whispered excitedly as she slowly tip-toed closer to the bed.
Her face filled with adoration and wonder as she looked at the now fully awake and alert godling.
"My Princess, it's good to finally meet you! My name is Sonnet!" the quirky lunar goddess 'silently' exclaimed.
Beidou's eyes widened in confusion.
'Huh?! Princess?!'
'Why is this strange weird lady who I haven't even met before called me princess?!'
The bewildered little girl was about to ask what the pink-haired stranger meant by that when suddenly, Artoria began to stir from her slumber.
The God-queen upon her awakening immediately realized something was wrong.
Her Little Star was no longer in her arms!
Her maternal instincts suddenly went to full on panic mode causing her abruptly sit up in bed!
"Sweetie?! Where are you..." Artoria was about to do a full on search of the entire Tower when she noticed that her newest daughter, her very own Little Star, was just sitting a few inches away from her, looking at her with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
She then pulled the now confused and adorable godling into her warm and loving embrace!
"Oh, sweetie, you had me worried sick for a second. I thought you went off and disappeared on me again!" Artoria said with a relieved sigh.
The sudden warm and loving motherly embrace, filled with the scent of wildflowers and sunshine, was more than enough for the little godling to finally break down and cry.
Memories of her painful past, the recent ordeals she had gone through, and the overwhelming sense of safety and love from her Auntie's embrace, all flooded down, scaring the poor child who desperately clung to Artoria for the love and safety that was denied to her for so long!
"Hush now sweetie, hush now. It's alright, you are safe now. Mama's not gonna let anyone hurt you again."
Hearing the word 'Mama' made the little godling pause.
She looked at her newly minted mother with confusion and... a tiny sliver of hope.
"Ma...ma?"
Artoria gave her a warm and tender smile that only a mother could give.
"Yes sweetheart, Mama."
Artoria then gently placed her left hand on the little girl's cheek, lovingly caressing it.
"Listen closely my Little Star, for what I'm about to say might be a bit surprising for you."
"I... I know you have been through a lot, especially after that most recent encounter with that horrible monster."
"Monster..." Beidou instinctively reached for her stomach, feeling once again the lack of any wound that was once present there.
"Yes sweetie, a monster."
"I... I saw... I saw you there. You were holding me....and... and you were crying and I... and I ruined my surprise for you." Beidou said sniffling as she recalled that memory.
"Surprise? You mean the blue flower?"
Beidou just nodded and shyly buried her little head into Artoria's chest.
"Sorry... I ruined my surprise... I... I made you cry." The little girl once again began to cry, feeling guilty for making her Auntie Ria worry so much to the point that she cried.
Artoria just embraced the little girl and began to gently cuddle her, humming a sweet lullaby which made the distraught girl calm down.
"My dearest Little Star, listen to me. I care not for a ruined flower, for as long as you are safe... that is all that mattered."
Artoria tightened her embrace as her eyes began to moistened.
"A mother will always put her child's safety and well-being above all else."
The little godling then looked at her, her own tears still flowing freely.
"Mother?"
"Yes, sweetie...I..I am your mother now... your new Mama." Artoria declared, her voice filled with emotion and love.
She then looked into her daughter's eyes, wiping the tears from her cute little face as she explained further.
"You were heavily injured my dear. That monster, he took an important part of you. In order to save you, I gave a part of myself, a part of my very own soul to you, so that you could live."
Artoria then took Beidou's right arm and gently placed it on her chest, just over her heart.
"Do you feel that my Little Star? My heart, it now beats the same as yours. My very blood... my very soul, now flows within you."
Beidou felt Artoria's heartbeat and sensed that it has the same rhythm as hers as well as well ... something more.
She couldn't make heads or tails of it but when she felt her now so called mother's heartbeat... she unexplainably felt.... happy….
She felt Home...
Beidou looked up to Artoria, tears once again washing down her eyes as she looked at Artoria with unadulterated adoration that belonged to a child seeking answers from her mother.
"Why?"
"Love. Love my dearest daughter. Its hard to explain why."
"It may be because I truly believed that no child should ever experience the things you went through..."
"Or because you long sought out a home..."
"But what is true, is that at the very moment I saw you, I felt that same mysterious and profound love that I have for my four other children towards you."
"My heart could not bare to allow you to go on living like the way you did."
"I... I just couldn't take it."
Artoria was now crying as well.
For all her powers, for all her divine might, she couldn't fully explain the love she had for her, for all of her children.
A Mother's Love is as mysterious and vast as the ocean itself.
"Mama?" Beidou muttered the word, as a profound surge of emotions washed through her small frame as she finally came to the realization that….
She was wanted.
She was loved.
She has a home.
Artoria tightened her embrace, as she cried harder after hearing that one powerful word.
"MAMA!"
Beidou threw her arms around Artoria as both mother and daughter cried out for each other.
No words were needed.
No symbols or gifts to be given.
For the very presence of the child to her mother was already more than enough to seal and confirm the bond that now flows in their blood!
The bond sealed by the love of a mother to her child!
Sonnet just solemnly stood at the side of the room as she too cried in joy, wiping her tears with a box of tissues that she seemingly conjured out of nowhere.
This was the same mysterious love that their Mistress had shown to them when she freed them from their lunar prison!
This was the love she had shown for all of her creations!
The same exact love that made them pledge their eternal loyalty and service to her!
Their one and only Queen!
Both mother and daughter stayed embraced to one another for a long time.
A mother basking in the warmth of her daughter.
And daughter experiencing the tender love of a mother, one she hadn't experienced for a very long time.
When they finally ended their embrace, Artoria gave her newest daughter a kiss on the forehead, symbolizing her love for her and her promise to always protect her.
The same promise she had given to all of her children.
"Your...Your Majesty that was SO BEAUTIFUL!!!" cried Sonnet, blowing her nose into a pile of tissues she had in her hand.
"Oh Sonnet my dear, forgive me, I didn't notice you were there." Artoria said as she gently caressed her daughter's head, eliciting a giggle from the little godling.
"No..no, don't say that my Queen! IT IS I WHO SHOULD APOLOGIZE for just barging in all of a sudden! I just wanted to check if our newest princess had awoken from her slumber."
Sonnet's explanation had peaked Beidou's curiosity once more.
"Mama? Princess? Why did the strange lady over there called me a princess? And why did she called you a Queen?" she innocently asked.
Though unbeknownst to her, her innocent question struck deep into Sonnet's heart, causing the poor Lunar goddess to fall to the floor in despair as she heard her newest sovereign call her 'strange lady'!
"Am I really that strange?" Sonnet lamented dramatically, her face filled with exaggerated sadness.
Artoria couldn't help but giggle at her confidant's quirky shenanigans.
Out of her lunar goddesses, Sonnet had always been the most unique of the trio and the one who best understands the plight of mortal hearts the most.
Aria is overly kind and gentle...
Canon is thorough and strick, yet compassionate...
And Sonnet...
Well, Sonnet is Sonnet...
The Heart of the Trilunar trio.
She then turned her gaze back to her now curious daughter.
"Now, my little one, before I tell you. You have to promise me never to tell this to anyone. Only our family and friends know about this secret."
Artoria then presented her right pinky.
"Pinky promise my Little Star?"
"Pinky promise Mama!" Beidou eagerly locked her own pinky with that of her mother sealing the deal.
Artoria took a deep breath in order to muster up the words she needed to say.
Although she suspected that her beloved eldest, Jean, already had an inkling about her true nature, Beidou will be the first to be directly told about some of her hidden status.
"You see sweetheart, true to what your 'Auntie Sonnet' had said earlier, I am indeed a Queen."
Beidou's eyes widened at the revelation of her mother.
She always had a feeling that her mother was someone special, especially after she met her, but being Royalty was not something she expected!
"And since I'm a Queen, that automatically makes you…?"
"A princess, Mama?" Stars could be seen sparkling in the little girl's eyes.
"Yes my Little Star, a princess! One of Mama's little princesses!" Artoria then, without warning, blew raspberries into Beidou's stomach making the little girl laugh and giggle.
After a while, Beidou's laughter subsided and she asked once more.
"But Mama, I've heard tales that only a cold country in the far north...ummm Snezhnaya? Yes, Snezhnaya is the only country that has a queen and they call her... ummm....what was it again?...ummm Tsaritsa!" Beidou enthusiastically asked.
"And you said that you were from Mondstadt Mama, but Mondstadt doesn't have a queen... or does it?"
"Well you see my dear, I'm the Queen of...." Artoria was about to answer when Sonnet suddenly butted in.
"HER MAJESTY IS THE QUEEN OF THE ETERNAL REALM OF AVALON, MY DEAR PRINCESS!" Sonnet proclaimed with such vigor and finesse that the pink-haired lunar goddess all but kneeled on one knee in reverence.
....
"Really Sonnet?" Artoria asked with a flat expression.
"Eeep! Forgive me your Majesty! I got...a little too excited once again!"
Artoria just sighed.
She was beginning to see a pattern here.
First, Alter, with her ridiculous gaming and french maid addictions, now Sonnet, who tends to be overly dramatic.
She feared what will happen if Alter decides to take Sonnet under her wing!
What will happen to her poor Tower?!
Artoria shuddered at the thought.
"Sigh...I think it would be better if I show you my dear, what your Auntie Sonnet was trying to say."
Artoria gently took her daughter in her arms and then she walked towards the room's balcony.
She then opened the glass balcony doors and Beidou witnessed the greatest and most magnificent sight she had ever laid her eyes upon!
Down below, she saw a vast and sprawling city of shimmering white marble!
Its streets perfectly symmetrical and aligned with numerous verdant trees dotting every corner.
Countless buildings and towers, both great and small, were littered all over the place, all perfectly arranged as if they were all part of a grand painting, all encircled by magnificent and imposing high silver wall!
But what truly caught her breath away was the vast captivating meadow and pristine sea of forest that stretched far beyond the walls, with magnificent ice capped mountains standing proudly at the distance.
The entire scene was so beautiful, that no words could fully describe it.
It was like....
Paradise.
"My daughter," Artoria said with pride and love as she pointed at the magnificent realm below them.
"This is Avalon, our realm."
She then pointed at the horizon.
"From the crowded city below, to the farthest mountain range... everything the light touches is our kingdom." Artoria proudly said (all the while channeling her inner Mufasa by blatantly plagiarizing a famous line from a certain animated film from her old world).
"Mama... it... it's so pretty..." the little godling just stared at the beautiful world before her, her eyes filled with utter awe and wonder.
Artoria smiled and continued.
"I am the leader of Mondstadt by virtue of my unique position as Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius and by being its revered.....guide." Artoria stopped herself from speaking any further.
Her daughter, as well as the rest of her siblings, were still too young to know the full extent of her identity, much more so the responsibility now bestowed upon them through their very blood and soul!
For now, at least, knowing that they were the scions of the ruling monarch of some far off magical land... would suffice.
But she knew that it's only a matter of time before they discovered the whole truth.
But for now, at the very least, she wanted them to remain ignorant about the entire truth.
She wanted them to experience the fullest and happiest childhood she could give them.
Their happiness, after all, was her pride and joy!
"This kingdom, my Little Star, is not part of the Seven nations. It is outside of it."
"It is a 'magical kingdom' my dear daughter, ruled by me... and hopefully someday, it will be ruled fairly and justly by you and your siblings."
"Siblings?!" Beidou exclaimed with utter glee.
She... she has siblings? As in brothers and sisters?!
"Yes my dearest star, brothers and sisters. In fact, they have already seen you a few hours ago, when I first carried you inside the palace shortly after our arrival."
"Ummm...excuse me your Majesty, but about that. The little princes and princesses had already been visiting this room while both of you were asleep!" Sonnet interrupted, suddenly appearing behind them like a ever loyal and clingy assistant.
"Your brothers and sisters my dear Princess had been checking on you while you were asleep."
"The four of them were very worried about you!" Sonnet added.
"And in fact, the very reason I came here this early in the morning was to personally escort you to the royal dining hall for breakfast!" Sonnet declared.
"The others are eagerly awaiting your arrival, especially Princess Barbara who's been bouncing around ever since she woke up early this morning!"
"She's waiting to meet her newest big sister!"
"Sister... I have... a sister!" Beidou asked, her eyes wide with excitement and her voice filled with hope.
"Yes sweetie, a little sister. Two sisters in fact. And two little brothers too! So let's not make them wait any further." Artoria said with a warm smile.
"Let's go now my little star. Your siblings and the others await."
As Artoria carried her newest daughter in her arms and out of the room, the little girl could not help but wonder at the brand new life that was ahead of her.
It felt like a dream, a long unreachable dream yet...it's real...
It's all real!
No more curses.
No more stealing and eating scarps.
No more wanderings and living in ditches.
No more being alone.
At long last, the lost little star had finally come home.
(End of Chapter)
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(The following section contains spoilers for future volumes.)
(Beidou (Bellatrix) Pendragon Gunnhildr)
- Daughter of Artoria Pendragon 'Gunnhildr'
- Princess (Lord) of Mondstadt and Avalon
- Lord High Admiral of The Royal Naval Fleet of Mondstadt - future
- Lord Commander of the First Royal Fleet (The Crux Fleet)
- Special Envoy of Mondstadt to Liyue and Enforcer of the Sea of Clouds Naval Treaty
- The Serpents Bane
- She who dueled the 'Lightening's Glow' to a standstill
- The Conquering Thunder
- Beidou (Bellatrix) Pendragon Gunnhildr is the second eldest daughter of Mondstadt's reigning Grand Master, Artoria Pendragon Gunnhildr.
- Originally born from two former Liyuen pirate parents, Beidou suffered so much during her early childhood days until she was taken in and formally recognized by Artoria as her daughter.
- Artoria gave Beidou an additional first name as per her daughter's request to better fit being a Gunnhildr. That name was Bellatrix which means 'Warrior Star'.
- Beidou has a straight forward, casual and charismatic personality, often seen helping her elder sister Jean is pacifying their rowdy younger siblings whenever they cause trouble.
- Because of her early childhood, Beidou isoverly protective towards her siblings. During instances wherein some perverted creeps would constantly send love letters to her overly energetic (but occasionally naive) younger brother Venti, Beidou (and occasionally her and her brother's friend Clorinde) would personally hunt down the perverts and threaten them with castration until they swear to leave her greatly androgenous little brother alone!
- Beidou ranks as number one(along side Varka)alcoholic in all of Mondstadt, making her the sworn enemy of Diona!
- Due to her personality, Beidou is often considered the closest (alongside Jean) sibling of Mordred Pendragon Gunnhildr, the Crimson Enforcer of Mondstadt. Mordred would often tag along with Beidou during her expeditions, jovially singing shanties, drinking beer and competing who gets to slay the most number of sea monsters!
- When Artoria or Jean 'WANTS SOMETHING TO BE DONE', Beidou and Mordred are the ones they call in to do the job….
- Beidou has a unique friendly rivalry with Liyue's Ningguang, the two are often seen playing chess or debating about common laws and policies.
- Contrary to her rough and tumble personality, Beidou owned a large private library stacked full of books and antiques. She's actually considered by her siblings to be the wisest of the bunch.
- She has a Bangboo that bonded with her named Lord Nelsonboo!
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