Chapter Text
“Mal mal, you need to eat your veggies!” Lilia tried to force the spoon of black-purplish goop into the toddler’s mouth.
“Don’t wanna!!” Malleus huffed a little bit of fire before turning his head away in a disgusted manner.
“You won’t become big and strong! Growing dragons need to eat healthily!”
“I am big and strong!!!”
“You are, but you can get even stronger!! Don’t you want that?”
“I don’t wanna!!!” Malleus slammed his fists into the high chair. “Don’t wanna!! Don’t wanna!” He continued to cry out.
“Now, Malley, don’t behave like that!” Lilia scolded.
“You’re not my Papa!! You can’t control me!!” Malleus made an angry yet disgusted face.
“....” Lilia was shocked, pursing his lips as he put down the spoon. That made Lilia heartache. He knew Malleus was just throwing a tantrum, but it hurt him still.
“I wanna go home! I hate it here!” Malleus whined loudly, thrashing in his seat.
“I will escort you home shortly..” A shadow was cast over Lilia’s face for a moment before he smiled sadly at the boy.
“Hmph! I want to go home now!!”
“Alright, alright, your highness.. Let’s go..” Lilia picked up the boy from the highchair and placed him on the ground.
“...” He really wanted to be picked up and carried, but Malleus was still upset. “Hmph!” He huffed as they started to make their way to the castle.
It was quite a ways away, but Malleus powered through it as best he could before having to be carried by Lilia the rest of the way there. Once there, Lilia gently put Malleus down and pat his head, but was quickly smacked away.
“Don’t touch me!! I hate you!” Malleus spat before running into the castle, guards looking at Lilia apologetically before following after the tiny prince.
“...” Lilia stood there for a moment before returning to the cottage. He would never admit it, but Malleus’ words stung far more than he would like to admit. In silence, he took a long path to his home, stumbling upon a strange basket where a sleeping baby was. “Oh? Who might you be?
~
In the castle, Malleus was sulking in his room, sobbing softly as snow fell around him. His mind ran rampant as he replayed the events in his head. He felt awful for what he said to Lilia. He hated himself for what he said, punching a pillow in anger at himself before sobbing into it. Dread filled his body as he remembered the sad expression that painted Lilia’s face. He wanted to apologize, to hug him and beg him to be his Papa, but he felt like he shouldn’t go near Lilia for a while. What if Lilia hated him and didn’t want to see him ever again? He would wait a few days before going back.
~
Days passed as Lilia took care of the tiny human baby he found. Like Malleus, it was adverse to his cooking. He was a great cook! Why were kids so picky these days? Sigh… Oh well. Unbeknownst to him, a toddler dragon was making his way to his cottage, practicing his apology speech as he clutched onto his dark brown shorts tightly. Once he arrived, he peeked through the window and at Lilia who was shaking a rattle for the tiny baby, smiling lovingly at him.
Malleus’ heart sank.
Was he replaced? That fast???
Malleus began to tear up as he watched the two play together, the giggles from the baby haunting him.
Lilia dropped the rattle and started tickling the baby, earning more giggles. “Such a good boy!! You’re the best boy ever!! No one compares!! My precious baby boy, I love you so much~!”
…
…….
………..
Malleus snapped, snow started to fall everywhere. He ran. Ran as fast as he could into the forest, hiding away so that no one would find him. He was fast for a child and made his way into the depths of the forest quickly. Lilia didn’t want him anymore. He had a better son now…. He was never his son in the first place… Malleus cried hard as snow piled up around him, freezing his tears as they fell from his face. He would never be Lilia’s good boy ever again…
~
Lilia noticed the sudden drop in the temperature and looked around, the snow that fell not too long ago was melting already.
“Malleus?” He stood for a moment before a chill went down his spine. What had happened to Malleus? Was he hurt? He needed to go to the castle immediately, but he couldn’t just leave his baby behind. “...” Lilia scooped the baby up, careful not to hurt him, before rushing out the door, swaddling the baby with his cloak as he ran towards the castle. “Please be okay…”
At the castle, his sudden appearance turned heads. Soon, everyone was on their feet searching for the lost prince. Lilia only grew more concerned when he learned that Malleus had been sulking in his room for the past few days all alone, refusing to come out at all, but now he was completely gone. Did he run away? Was he hurt? Where was he? Is he… No, he couldn’t have been, surely he couldn’t be dead. However, his thoughts ran rampant as he thought of the worst things that could happen to the tiny child he adored. He held the human baby a bit tighter against his chest. He ordered guards to start a search party, which he would join and lead.
“Span out! Cover every inch of the forest! Do not leave a single stone unturned!” He commanded. His loud voice nearly made the baby cry. “Forgive me, my child… Let’s go search for your brother..”
~
They searched for nearly two hours until Lilia stumbled upon a snowy area. It was as if a blizzard had hit the area. It had to have been Malleus. It just had to. Lilia cast a heating spell on his cloak to keep the baby warm before rushing into the light snow storm.
“Malleus? Where are you? Please come out..” Lilia pleaded, rocking the baby as he trudged through the snow. He walked and walked, but there was no end to the snow and no sign of Malleus. “Malleus.. Please..” He begged this time, desperate. After a few more minutes of silence, he heard a quiet sob. Lilia started to head towards it, the crying sounds getting louder as he approached. “Mal mal?”
“Go away!!” Malleus was a crying mess. His rosy, chilled, face was stained with tears and snot.
“Mal mal… what’s wrong?”
“NO!” Thunder cracked, but snow still fell. Malleus curled up into a ball and cried harder, the snow piling up further on his small frame.
“Mal…” Lilia reached out to Malleus but was quickly smacked away by a black tail.
“GO!”
“..No… Malleus, I’m not going to leave you. Please talk to me.”
“.....” Malleus sniffled and sobbed more once he saw the baby in his arms.
“Mal?..”
“I’M A GOOD BOY! I’M YOUR GOOD BOY!! NOT THAT THING!! I’M YOUR SON BUT YOU REPLACED ME! I DON’T WANNA BE ALONE! I WANT A PAPA TOO!” Malleus cried hard, gasping for air as tears flooded his face.
“Oh, Malley..” Lilia’s heart ached. “I didn’t replace you. I could never! You are still my good boy, still my son.. You always will…”
“B-BUT!” Malleus rubbed his tears, but more kept flowing.
“Malley, no matter what happens, we will be family. I promise.” Lilia smiled softly at him.
“...really?” Malleus sniffled.
“Mhm! Even if you think my cooking bad!” Lilia chuckled.
“...” The boy looked at the snow and balled his fists. “...I’m sorry…”
“It’s okay, Mal mal. I know you youngins’ have weird taste buds!”
“...I’m sorry for saying you’re not my Papa, too…”
“...” Lilia smiled gently, petting the boy’s head. “It’s alright, my child…”
“...will you be my Papa again?..”
“Again?”
“Ah- I..” Tears poured out once more from the boy’s swollen eyes.
“My dear child, I have always been your father and always will be. No matter what.”
“!!” Malleus looked up at Lilia with hope. “Promise?”
“Promise!”
“Even though you have a new son?...”
“Yes! He’s also your new brother.”
“Brother?”
“Mhm! You’ll make a great big brother!”
“...” Malleus started to cry again, but the snow stopped and a wobbly smile graced his face. He finally had a family.
~
Lilia carried the two children out of the snow forest. The guards swarmed them and tried to take Malleus back to the castle, but Lilia merely waved them off, glaring at them as they tried to follow. They were worried about their prince but knew better than to anger Lilia.
At the cottage, Lilia placed the bassinet, rocking it slowly as Malleus peered over the side on his tiptoes.
“This is my baby brother?”
“Mhm!”
“What’s his name?”
“Silver.”
“Hi, Silver!” Malleus said softly, smiling kindly at the small form before him. “Papa and I love you!”