Diary

 A few months later,

I sat on the floor, watching the nanny and maids chatting.

'It's time,'

Today, I'll be leaving this room alone.

Excitement bubbled within me as I placed my tiny hands on the floor, ready to crawl out.

Here I go.

Determined, I began crawling towards the door.

'Faster,'

.

.

.

'Just a little further.'

"Not so fast, young prince," came a voice just as I reached the door. Suddenly, I found myself back where I started.

I glared at the nanny, who smiled. Seeing her smile, my anger spiked.

"Aaa. haaa u," I mumbled (I hate you).

She just giggled. It had been a week since I started crawling, a huge achievement for me, and I was eager to do things on my own. I'd tried to sneak out several times, but every attempt failed. Sometimes, the maids would pick me up, sometimes the nanny, sometimes my mother, and other times, by some magical means, I'd find myself back at the starting point. This marked my 99th failed escape attempt. But there was a silver lining—I learned crawling and understood their words. I could now follow their conversations, gaining a rough understanding of my environment.

A melodious voice echoed through the room as I was about to give up hope.

"What's my little boy doing?"

Excitement filled me as I turned towards the voice. A vision of elegance entered—a young lady with long golden hair and serene blue eyes. Her delicate features—a small face, cute nose, and crimson lips—complemented her gorgeous physique.

This was my mom, not to be confused with my birth mother.

Let me explain my family background. Born into an elf family, my father, Elduin De Vriral, ruled as the Emperor of the Vriral Empire, making me the Prince. Yes, you heard right—I'm royalty. Ahem! Let's not get distracted. So, where was I? Ah, yes. Father.

My father had two wives—Reva Vriral, my birth mother, and Annia Gordian Vriral, the lovely lady who visited my room. She treated me with love and kindness. Since I didn't know how to address her, I began calling her "mom," reserving "mother" for my birth mother. Words may differ, but the sentiment remains. I decided to stick to these titles when I could talk. Initially, I took her as my aunt, but no one knew that, so that's not an issue.

A small giggle escaped my mouth as she approached.

"So adorable,"

With delicate hands, she cradled me and pressed her soft cheek against mine.

"The young prince was trying to leave the room, my lady," the nanny explained.

"Really?"

I didn't respond.

"Where do you want to go?"

In my mind, I yearned for the 'Training Arena'. However, what emerged from my tiny mouth was a cryptic utterance,

"Aaraann aar."

"Training Arena,"

I nodded.

Mothers were a different species altogether. Both of my mothers seemed to understand my words—God knows how. Then there's my father, dense as a tree. He didn't understand a thing. Whenever I saw him doing something foolish, I questioned if I heard correctly that he was an emperor.

"Nope, can't take you outside. Cold winds are blowing,"

My face fell hearing her words. Seeing my disappointment, she added,

"But I can show you magic if you want."

My round eyes immediately lit up. She smiled, took me in her arms, and gently placed me on the bed comfortably.

Once settled, she extended her right hand, conjuring a little fireball above her palm, as small as my little fist.

Captivated, my hand gravitated towards the mesmerising flame. To my surprise, the fireball followed my hand's movement. I looked at Mom with wide eyes.

"Does the fireball move?"

"Aaa," I replied.

"Try to touch it again," she encouraged.

I did, and the fireball moved again.

"Looks like Ora is in the mood to play," Mom remarked.

"Oaaa?"

"This little fireball isn't magic but a fire spirit I've contracted with."

The fireball suddenly transformed into a tiny human form and fluttered around me. As I attempted to catch the spirit, it skillfully evaded my grasp. Every moment was novel and exhilarating, filling me with childlike joy and laughter.

"Haha,"

"Haha,"

My laughter brought smiles to everyone in the room.

After playing with the spirit, my body grew tired, but my heart wasn't satisfied. I wanted to play more.

Sensing my fatigue, the nanny gently placed me on the bed, covering my lower body with a cosy blanket. Reflecting on my recent experiences, I felt content with my decision. This past month, while learning to crawl, I pondered a thought.

Living beings are strange; as kids, we want to be adults, and when we become adults, we yearn to stay children.

Determined not to regret the passage of time, I decided to go with the flow as much as possible and live fully in each moment of this life, whether good or bad.

Reva Vriral POV:

Surrounded by bookshelves, I sat engrossed in paperwork for an upcoming meeting. After completing the task, I carefully removed my glasses and placed them on the table.

"How much time do I have before the meeting?" I asked.

"Two hours," replied Laiex Glynna, an elderly man with black hair and experienced green eyes. Dressed in the black butler suit I'd gifted him, Laiex wasn't just a personal assistant but almost family. He held a few books in his hands.

Rising from my seat, I made my way toward the door. Each step through the hallway carried a sense of joy. The anticipation of seeing my little Ash warmed my heart. If not for my role as Empress, I would have rushed to him and never left his side. I often envied Annia; she could visit Ash whenever she pleased, unlike me, who had to check my schedule to spend time with my son.

Sigh~

Well, I work hard so Ash can have an easier life.

-------

Standing at Ash's chamber door, Laiex followed me calmly.

As I entered, the sight of Ash lying on the bed surrounded by toys greeted me. He stared at the ceiling, seemingly bored with his playthings. Despite his boredom, he looked adorable.

"What's wrong, Ash?"

Upon hearing my voice, he sat up.

"Baada" (Bored)

"Would you like me to read you something?"

He rapidly nodded, drawing a smile from me. I couldn't help but wonder if it was normal for a nine-month-old child to understand words so well.

I picked him up and settled him on my lap as I sat on the bed.

Once comfortable, Laiex handed me a book from those he'd brought. However, to my surprise, it wasn't a storybook but my diary.

"Please enjoy your time with the young master," Laiex said before swiftly taking everyone out of the room, including himself.

He tricked me.

He intentionally brought the diary. Well, I'll teach him a lesson. Just wait, Laiex.

Lost in my thoughts, Ash's voice brought me back to the present.

"Aa,"

"It seems Laiex made a mistake and gave me my diary instead of a storybook. Give me a few seconds; I'll get a storybook."

"Aah," Ash shook his head.

"You want me to read you my diary?"

He nodded.

"Do you know it's wrong to read other people's personal things?"

In response, his eyes teared up. Seeing his teary face tugged at my heart.

"Okay, fine, but only this time."

He smiled.

Look at this little one; he knows how to melt my resolve. Well, there's nothing extraordinary about this diary. I started writing it after Ash was born.

"Shall we start?"

"Yaa"

May 8, I still remember that day clearly. It was a pleasant evening when I began experiencing labour pains. The pain hit harder than expected. Everyone in the palace panicked when it started, but thanks to Madam Kenia, who took charge and controlled the situation.

The entire palace tensed as my labour unfolded, not just due to the delivery but also the uncertainty of who would survive. Elduin was more overwhelmed than during the End of Era war.

As news of my labour spread, the whole empire came to a halt. The tension was evident because everyone knew that when Valkyrie gave birth, the mother almost always lost her life, and the child's survival chance was only half. The common result was the death of both. This possibility was typical when a Valkyrie had a child with a human. In my case, I was having a child with an elf, which had never happened in the history of Valkyrie, so no one knew what would happen.

Initially, all seemed well, but as time passed, blood flowed, and the child showed no signs of movement. The increasing blood loss posed a risk to both of our lives.

It was a difficult period; pain and depressing thoughts dominated my mind. Yet, the overwhelming desire to see my child kept me fighting.

The primary reason for this resilience was our mental fortitude. As Valkyries, we had survived countless bloody battles, experiencing the loss of many comrades. This had either broken us mentally or forged our strength.

After half an hour of intense labour and ominous blood loss, the child was born. As my body struggled, I fought to keep my eyes open, eagerly anticipating my newborn's cry. A minute passed with only Madam's instructions to her subordinates.

My heart sank as time went by, and questions arose. Did the child not survive? What happened? Did I lose my precious baby?

Sensing my unease, Madam said the words I wanted to hear: Congratulations, Your Highness, for giving birth to a prince.

The weight of those words was indescribable. Hearing them, tears of relief and joy slid down my cheeks. What happened that day was nothing short of a miracle. Both mother and child survived, and to top it off, I gave birth to a boy, which was even rarer.

Thanks to healing magic, my pain lessened, and I felt less tired as Madam's subordinates helped me sit up. As I settled, Madam placed the child in my arms. Seeing your child for the first time is an indescribable feeling.

A cute face with features of both mine and Elduin's. Light blue eyes like an ocean, similar to his father's, dark black hair like mine but only on top of his head, and ears that resembled mine—a surprise since half-elves usually have long ears. He resembled me more than his father, which I wasn't sure was good or not.

I named him Asher, meaning 'blessing,' as he was nothing less. Once everything settled, Madam went outside where Elduin, Father-in-law, Laiex, and others waited. As she announced our safety, it brought a flood of emotions to everyone. Within hours, news of me giving birth to a healthy boy and surviving turned the entire empire festive, marked by celebratory fireworks.

With his stomach full of breast milk, Ash was already sleeping soundly. Late that night, Elduin came in and sent everyone out, leaving only us three. He sat on the bed, holding my hands silently. I hugged him.

Feeling my warmth, he hugged me tightly and began to cry. Elduin, always reserved and careful not to show weakness as Emperor, finally let his emotions flow.

I still remember those words he mumbled through tears.

"I thought I'd lost you,"

His words and cries overwhelmed me, too. We cried for an hour before composing ourselves. After that, I passed out from exhaustion, and Elduin stayed with us.

The next morning, during Madam's checkup, we discovered Ash possessed the stigmata of the World Tree. It was a sign that the World Tree had heard Annia's pleas and bestowed protection upon us, making him her apostle.

It was amusing to see Elduin hold Ash for the first time. He was shaking. If I told people that the Master of Strategies, Elduin De Vriral, trembled while holding his son, no one would believe me. Even eyewitnesses couldn't believe the usually cold-blooded and calm Emperor was afraid of hurting his child.

As for Annia, when she came in the morning from the Cascoln Forest and saw Ash for the first time, she went nuts with pure joy. I can't imagine her reaction when she becomes a mother herself.

After a week of much-needed rest, duty called, and I had to resume my responsibilities as Empress. Despite wanting to stay by Ash's side, the empire required my attention.

People say kids grow up fast. That's why I started this diary—to preserve memories. Annia suggested recording through photos and videos, but I prefer writing.

As days passed, I noticed Ash wasn't an ordinary child. He was growing at a rapid pace, not physically, but mentally. In just months, he began picking up words. Father-in-law took him to the training arena one day, and I don't know what hooked him, but he was always eager to go there.

As a mother, I'm proud he's learning quickly, but I'm afraid this will lead him to mature faster, which I don't want. As a doting, selfish mother, I want to spoil him and let him enjoy childhood.

Witnessing the moment when he crawled for the first time felt nothing less than magical. The joy on his face was so precious, and his smile brought smiles to others, which is heartening to know that my son can bring joy to others. I hope he remains the same.

However, he's also become quite sneaky. Now that he can crawl, he tries to leave the room. Thankfully, the maids always prevent his escape. It's not that we don't want him to explore; the cold winds outside pose a health risk.

We plan to let him explore once winter passes; by then, he'll likely be walking on two feet. I'm most excited about him calling me "mother." Just thinking about it brings me joy, and I don't know how I'll react when it happens.

At times, I fear missing these precious moments due to my responsibilities. Balancing work and motherhood is challenging.

"With that, the diary comes to an end," I said, closing the book.