Winter's Magic

"Sweetheart! Look at these toys!" Atticus called out loudly, purposely attracting the attention of onlookers.

Daphne turned around and gave him a flinty glare, but there was nothing she could do in front of this crowd. Nothing she wanted to do, at least. Such as wrapping a cord around this man's neck and wringing him dead.

A sparkle appeared in Atticus's eyes. "Don't you think it would be perfect for our new baby?"

The princess's eyelid twitched as she huffed at her husband. She had forgotten how many times she had sent death stares and dagger-filled looks to this man. In the last two days, she felt as though she had forgotten all other emotions other than anger.

"Would the lovely couple be interested in some children's wear?" the store vendor asked, edging closer to them. She clasped her hands together, eager to pounce on her new potential customers.

Decently dressed, tidy, and free of grime. The eagle-eyed seller basically salivated at the thought of their next big sale.

"How old is your child?" she continued to ask, leaning forward. "We have wares for young babes all the way to children ages seven to eight."

"Oh no, we don't have—"

"Just a newborn," Atticus said. He gently pinched the side of Daphne's waist, not hard enough for it to hurt but enough for her to fume silently beside him.

"Yes," Daphne smiled with too many teeth, glaring at Atticus from the corner of her eye. There was a six-foot-tall newborn right next to her at the moment, talking a lot of nonsense. It was also socially unacceptable to smack him to shut him up. "Currently he likes to make a lot of noise."

Atticus snorted, being called a baby was a new low for him. "Isn't that a good thing? Our child could be a minister! Just like me, he has a bright path ahead of him!"

It was Daphne's turn to scoff. "Don't jest, dear husband. He clearly takes after me!"

If her metaphorical child turned out like Atticus, she might fling herself from the castle walls. How could anyone deal with two of him?

Even in this entirely hypothetical, unrealistic, nonsensical scenario, the child had to take after her.

Atticus winked at the seller. "That's what she thinks."

The seller giggled. Oh, this couple was so humorous too!

"The both of you are such a loving couple! I have just the thing for your newborn!" the seller excitedly declared. "I remember how my firstborn would howl through the night! Those were rough times. But don't worry, they shall pass faster with this invention of mine: the Star Bloom!"

She presented said invention with a dramatic flourish. Both Atticus and Daphne stared at her palms.

It was a plush toy in the shape of a star. It was… nice enough. Definitely nothing fancy, but there was evidently hard work put into making it.

"You can touch it," she gestured to the toy. "It's covered in spun wool so it's the perfect softness for a baby!"

Daphne stroked the toy with her fingers. It was soft to the touch, and she could easily imagine the tender hands of a baby or a toddler wrapped around it as they slept.

It was an adorable thought; pity it would never come true.

"What else does it do?" Atticus asked curiously.

Evidently, the seller was waiting for such a question, for she eagerly squeezed it. It easily changed shape with a crinkly sound, as though it was made of moldable clay.

"This will give your child hours of fun!" she claimed. "It's weighted inside, but not so much that it would be difficult for a baby to lift. The weight could help calm them down."

Daphne squeezed it too, just to try it.

To everyone's surprise, the star toy began to glow and radiate a warmth, similar to the snug feeling one would get if one crawled underneath the covers on a cold winter day. It wasn't burning hot, but in the cold of winter, this warmth was much appreciated.

"It's warm!" Daphne exclaimed in surprise. "How is this possible?"

Atticus narrowed his eyes.

He and the seller spoke at the same time, one curious and one petrified with fear.

"Magic."

"How?" She shot a bewildered glance at Atticus. Magic was purely supposed to be meant for royalty and nobility. How could a mere seller, a commoner, get their hands on something like this?

And there was no way it could've been Daphne's handiwork. She had no magical abilities to speak of! How could she trigger a reaction just by touching it? But there was no denying that she had. After all, nothing happened when the seller had touched it, and judging by the way the seller looked like she was about to faint, she didn't expect this either.

"I'll take this then," Atticus said, his eyes gleaming with pleasure. "I'm sure my wife and child will absolutely adore this magical toy." His voice held a hint of caution, almost like a predator stalking its prey. "How did you come by it? Enchanted items aren't so easy to come by."

"I…" The seller shook her head frantically. "Please don't tell the king! His Majesty is awfully strict about magic practices. I don't want to leave Vramid! I don't know how this happened either… I swear… this has never happened before!"

"Then answer my question," Atticus demanded, his tone hardening. "Where did this come from? What is inside this toy?"

"They were just ordinary tiny pebbles!" the seller said frantically. "I was looking for something I could replace beans with as my family needed the beans more for soup. Someone suggested I try using gravel instead, so I tried to find some. But most of them were too rough for babies and I couldn't risk it."

"This one isn't," Daphne prompted. "It feels perfectly comfortable. It's incredible!"

The seller smiled, but it looked more like a grimace.

"You couldn't have come across this by yourself," Atticus said, narrowing his eyes. "Someone gave this replacement filling to you."

The seller paled further. "I… No, I…"

A pointed look from Atticus sent a chilly frost into the seller's heart.

"Last chance," he warned.

She sighed, worry evident on her face. "How… how did you know?"