Wish
Outside the ballroom, Scarlet is sitting on a bench in the surrounding garden. She seems to be crying.
The queen, seeing this, sits down next to her and gives her a hug, “What’s wrong, dear?”
“It’s Rose! Rose is wrong!”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s acting like a baby!”
“So? She is a baby.”
“I mean…Yes but…That’s not Rose. It’s like I was gone for a bit and she’s suddenly a completely different person!”
“I don’t think that’s true, if anything it seems to me like she’s just not trying to hide herself anymore. Isn’t that what you wanted and fought so hard for with your idiot dad?”
“I…I guess but…Not like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“I-I don’t know, okay? I just- I just thought, I’d be the one to make her walls slowly come down and she’d still mostly be the same, just a little happier.”
“So is this just about your ego then?”
“What!? No! At least I don’t think so…It’s just, this is not the Rose I know. I want my Rose back…”
“Scarlet…Do you want me to be kind or do you want me to be honest?”
“Honest, please.”
“I think you’re treating Rose not like your sister but like your property. You’re acting extremely selfish. First you and your father try to force family on her against her will and now you’re annoyed because she’s actually happy about having one. That poor girl is severely traumatized and finally able to calm down a little and the first thing you do is leave her in anger over her being ‘Not the same anymore’. On her birthday nonetheless. That child loves you very much and your opinion of her is extremely important to her. If you want the Rose you came to know back, keep acting like this. I’m sure her fear of abandonment will go up again and she’ll act just like how you like her to. Because the Rose you know is just a bunch of defense mechanisms hiding a sweet little girl that just wants to be loved.”
“...”
“So what should I do then?”
“Go inside, tell her some excuse on why you left and play with her a bit. That kid was so excited to hear that you would come. I'm sure she’d gladly give all of her presents away if it meant just being with you a bit longer.”
“Alright…I’ll do that then…”
“Good, in that case you should come live back here with us again.”
“Really?”
“Yes, your sister has improved a lot and you seem like you finally understand the situation, so I think it’s time for you to come home.”
“Alright, thank you mama.”
“You’re welcome dear.”
—---------------------------------------------
After a bit of time, manya and mama come back and Scarlet quickly comes over to me again, “Sorry for leaving before, Rose. I had this nasty cramp in my hand so I dropped the rattle and ran outside for some medicine.”
“I see! Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, a lot better.”
“Does the egg still hurt?”
“The egg?”
“Auntie said you feel bad because you’re laying an egg soon.”
“She did, huh…I mean, yes I feel better. So how about you, me and Ser Ulian play a little together? Would you like that?”
“Gao!”
“Then let’s go have some fun!”
Playing together with manya and Ser Ulian is wonderful. It’s like we are all back together in Old Kroy, having fun together. I just wish everyone else was here as well…
Mama’s voice interrupts, “Alright, everyone. Let’s get ready for the cake!”
She then picks me up and carries towards a giant cake, “Alright, dear. Because it’s your birthday today we’ll allow you to use your small fire breath to light the candle and make a wish.”
“A wish?”
“Yep, after you light all the candles you get to make a wish. Though because you’re only one year old it’s also just one candle to light today.”
“Can it be any wish?”
“Yep!”
“Okay!”
Holding me up really high to the top of the cake I see the candle, gather my mana in my throat and let out a small fire to light it.
As I do everyone cheers and lifts their glasses, they then sing something in Draconic that I don’t understand but it sounds happy.
Sitting down at the head of the table with me, mama asks, “So, what did you wish for, dear?”
“I wished that if this is a dream I’ll never have to wake up.”
Saying this seems to put the mood of everyone down a little.
“Don’t worry, dear. This isn’t a dream and you won’t have to wake up from it. It’s your life to live however you want.”
“I really hope you’re right.”