Merry Christmas @patalmellow! I was your LoliRock Secret Santa! I know how much you wanted something with Izira and here you go! It kinda took a while for this to be done since it’s a fanfic but it’s done! I hope you enjoy it!
Sisters of Xeris: A Moment of Love and Forgiveness
From as long as she can remember, the relationship with her sister has been pretty steady. Especially considering the shit they’ve been through for the past eleven years. The woman sighed as she continued signing important documents pertaining to the reconstruction of the kingdom and renewing the alliances with Volta and Ignus. Things just weren’t the same anymore. The dark-skinned royal swiveled around in her chair and faced the elegantly crafted window. From her point of view, she saw construction workers and citizens working together to rebuild great buildings and create newer establishments for businesses to regulate the economy. The twenty-seven year old set her pen down on the desk crafted from an old Xerin tree and stood up in front of the window. She closed her eyes and reminisced the feeling of being in front of the glass with her father. The woman felt a small pang in her heart as she remembered what the great king of Xeris looked like. He was tall and muscular, fit to be a warrior. Silver strands of his locs pulled into a bun and kind golden eyes, symbolizing years’ worth of wisdom. She remembers seeing his dark skin looking radiant with his beard. It makes her feel blessed that she inherited such wonderful traits.
“I miss you so much father…” The young royal queen remembered how her father always wore significant robes of the finest Ephedian silk, with the colors of white with royal and crystal blue woven together. His long royal blue cape was her and her sister’s favorite part of his robe. Not only did it signify authority, but it served well as something very entertaining to play with as a child. She looked down at her wrist to stare at a beautiful golden watch she received when she was a teenager. The shape of the gift was the moon with tiny blue crystals representing the craters forming on the surface. The stars surrounding the moon represented the numbers that indicated the time it was in the day.
“I think I might know a way to cheer you up today. I know Shanilla is very hard and for you to get it on your birthday might not be the best gift ever.” The benevolent King of Xeris sat his eldest daughter in his spinning chair in front of the window while running his fingers through her scalp. While he was proud to see his daughter inherit his hair color, he still felt bad that she lost the majority of her locks because of the event known as “magical puberty” for an Ephedian. The king looked at his wrist and undid the chambers holding the trinket together with his fingers. The thirteen year old widened her fuchsia eyes in shock as she witnessed her father giving her a treasure that he loved so dearly.
“F—Father…” The man smiled brightly at his child, seeing the confliction pass in her eyes.
“I’ve never been so proud to be the father of two wonderful young girls. You give me such happiness and strength and to see you grow to your potential? By Ephedia, nothing can make me feel so at peace than to witness my baby girl getting her Shanilla and growing into a beautiful young lady. Happy birthday Izira.” The dark-skinned princess’s father carefully placed the trinket onto her wrist and adjusted it to fully fit without sliding off. “May you continue your journey as a princess of Xeris and to continue to be happy.” Tears stung the girl’s eyes as she jumped into her father’s arms in full force. The man chuckled as he felt his daughter’s strength slightly crushing his ribs from the hug. Strong arms embraced Izira as if to protect her from harm while she received the endless love coming from the gentle king.
The memory of her father quickly vanished from her mind as soon as it came. Izira felt her eyes sting from the water within and quickly fanned her face. Why would she have that memory come over her now of all times? She’s supposed to be continuing to work on rebuilding her kingdom right now! This was not the time for her to sunder over old memories. Then again, all Izira has been doing is working on her kingdom. She hasn’t had any time to think about what happened before Gramorr attacked. She couldn’t wish that things could go back to the way they were. The young queen touched the cool glass with her forehead and took a deep breath. Everything was just so…exhausting. Draining. Depressing. That horrible war really fucked everything up. She remembered when things started to become tense between certain kingdoms before Gramorr showed up. From witnessing diplomats screaming at each other to other kings and queens threatening to end treaties at a young age. But throughout the mist of strife, Izira remembered how and why she was taught to keep a leveled head.
Even though her Shanilla was very short, the older princess’s hair grew back at a longer length. The strands were so long and thick to the point where it was impossible to keep her hair in a ponytail when she would train to practice her magic. It was frustrating on a lot of accounts. Her hair would fall out of place and get in her eyes! Izira was about to cut her hair in haste when she was suddenly stopped by a voice as rich as honey.
“Izira! What did I say about making such hasty decisions?” Heels clicked across the marble floor towards the frustrated princess and stopped when the person stood in front of the teen. Fuchsia eyes looked up to see slightly darker fuchsia eyes staring with both amusement and a hint of scolding.
“To not let your emotions become your way of thinking, mother.” The Queen of Xeris smiled as she fixed her daughter’s silvery hair. Izira basked in the warmth of her mother’s long, elegant fingers removing her strands. She watched as the very dark-skinned queen neatly pulled the silver locks into a better ponytail. Izira used to hate it when people said how she looked like her mom. She thought she looked more like her father but now the princess can understand why. The woman was so amazingly beautiful. Her hair was the brightest shade of blue and the length is astounding. It almost went to the floor and was thick with tight curls. Her skin shined and glistened in the sunlight but it glowed and radiated in the moonlight. Her skin was darker than the King’s and was said to be the greatest gift delivered from the heavens. The queen’s eyes were envied by all because of the passion and tenderness they hold. Usually, Izira’s mother would be wearing an elegant gown that flowed like a lily to the floor. It had the signature colors of royal and light blue, white, and gold. Her waist was wrapped with blue crystals encased in gold. But the real treasure rested upon the side of her head: the sacred and powerful Medallion of Xeris.
The powerful artifact held up the queen’s hair in a ponytail so the strands wouldn’t get in the way of the day’s training. Izira was amazed of how her mother merely created a ponytail in a matter of a few seconds. After being proud of her work, the royal queen walked to the tall bookshelf and looked for the spell book she was going to use. The young princess touched the ponytail while still awestruck at how her mother didn’t even use magic to help her out. Her eyes looked to the medallion that held the hair in place. Just how in the world could something that could reverse time and destroy kingdoms or planets be able to hold up hair like it’s an accessory? Apparently the queen could read minds because she turned around and stroked the artifact. She walked over to her daughter and bent down a bit to let Izira get a better view.
“I know you’re curious about the medallion Izira. And since you won’t stop staring at it, go ahead and touch it.” The teenager slowly lifted her hand and gently made contact with the precious material. She instantly felt a huge surge of energy swimming in her body. It was as if the medallion was trying to speak to her.
“Wow…” The queen smiled as she put the book down on the floor and reached the artifact. She carefully took off the medallion and all of her hair in its glory fell to the floor. Gentle hands delicately wove the medallion into the silvery ponytail. Izira’s excitement was shooting through the roof but was able to keep it contained within. Her mother caressed her face and bore a satisfying grin.
“Aww…my baby looks so pretty!” A red hue graced the dark-skinned teenager’s face from being slightly embarrassed.
“Mother!” A chuckle rose from the queen as she kissed Izira’s forehead.
“Can’t be embarrassed if it’s true dear!” The woman glided her hands down Izira’s hair to her face. She sighed, seeing how beautiful her child is and how she’s ever so grateful to have such wonderful children. “I’ve never been so proud to have my babies. Izira, I want you to keep the medallion. It was going to be passed down to you later on but I think you’re ready to use it. To be able to guide and protect your people.” The queen saw both fear and hesitation in her daughter’s eyes. She hugged the teen with all of her strength to reassure her daughter. “I’m sorry baby. But one day, you’ll become a queen. You must know what to do and how to do it if your father and I cannot do it. I know you will have the weight of the world on your shoulders. But your people love you. They want you to succeed. They want you to guide them and lead them in your own way. I want you to become a queen that’ll make both me and your father proud. Especially me because you were my baby before your dad’s.” Both ladies chuckled at the comment. Izira knew at that moment, she had to step it up. She had to learn as much as she can and be disciplined. She wanted to make her parents proud. She wanted them to be at peace that she can rule her kingdom and leave a legacy for the day when her parents leave Ephedia.
A lone tear escaped the young queen’s eye as the memory of her loving mother passed. Izira sniffed, trying to pull herself together. Just…why is she getting so emotional all of a sudden? She was doing just fine earlier! Perhaps it is because she’s very exhausted from the work she’s been doing non-stop. She just needs to get her mind off of these distractions. Izira blew her nose with a tissue from the desk. She threw it in the trash, taking a deep breath while trying to go back to work. The twenty-seven year old picked up her pen and continued to sign several more documents. Each one was different from the other. One discussed whether an alliance should occur and another was about how the economy should get back up after businesses were destroyed. Izira tried to read the words on the paper but her vision was blurry. Very blurry. She blinked to try to clear her vision but she felt water roll down her cheeks. The more she blinked, the more tears fell from her fuchsia orbs. What the hell? Why is she crying? Why can’t she stop? Izira tried to stop the tears but they just kept coming. Before she knew it, the new queen of Xeris found herself sobbing. She felt her shoulders drop from the weight of her kingdom finally being acknowledged. It was too much. Too much. Too much…! Too much! Izira felt it all now. Everything. The fact that her parents could be dead, her kingdom being in utter shambles, her having to figure out how to rebuild the kingdom and society from scratch, having to negotiate with other realms to form alliances. And to think that it was…her fault.
The realization hit her. It was her fault. It was all her fault. She didn’t fight hard enough to protect her kingdom. She didn’t fight hard enough to protect her people. She let herself get captured and didn’t act for almost a decade. Izira released a heart-wrenching sob at her sudden realization: a failure. There was no way she could be a queen of this realm. So many people looked to her at a young age to lead them. To guide them. To give them a sense of comfort that they will be protected throughout the war. She let her parents down. The guilt stabbed her hard in her stomach. The caring father she adored and the loving mother she admired would be extremely disappointed in her. They left their kingdom in the hands of the eldest daughter who would’ve caused their legacy’s downfall. Izira felt her chest clench in agony as she tried to regulate her breathing. She could see them now. The disappointment and anger in the eyes of her parents, her people, the princesses who fought alongside her from the resistance, and her sister—oh no…Her sister…The Xerin queen felt the world crumble beneath her. Sweet Ydinora…she failed the most important person the most…her younger sister…
“Oh dear Ydinora…I…I failed…Talia…” Realization hit Izira like a ton of bricks. She didn’t protect her younger sister. The young queen’s stomach tied itself in knots, leaving a horrible feeling to bubble. Izira, the most powerful princess in Ephedia, the next ruler of Xeris, could not protect Talia when she was a child. She remembered how much Talia hated it when their own people compared her to her older sister. She also recalled how she thrusted so much responsibility onto a little seven year old because of the threat of an incoming war. Izira was such an irresponsible person to even allow her younger sibling to go out all by herself. If she didn’t let Talia leave…
“Izira? Izira? Hey, are you in here? We still need to attend a meeting soon.” A sweet voice entered the room full of sobs from the young ruler. Entering the study, a seventeen-year old girl with skin of the earth and long hair of the color of ice flipped through the small stack of documents. It wasn’t easy having to go through it. Her honey-colored orbs were definitely tired and hurting from staying up late from reading between the lines of the papers. She knew that tending to the kingdom would be exhausting, but she didn’t think it would cause constant migraines. Her train of thought stopped when she heard the sobs of her elder sibling. Talia quickly slammed the door and put the stack of papers in a cushiony seat before she could console Izira.
Talia puts her hands on the older woman’s shoulders and gave a grip. Poor Izira was still crying heavily that she didn’t know the person she was relentlessly thinking about was right next to her. Talia feared that someone would walk into the room during her sister’s emotional turmoil and quickly sealed the door with her magic. As soon as the deed was done, the Xerin princess grabbed Izira’s face and began to wipe away the tears.
“Izira? Izira? Please, tell me what’s wrong?” The royal queen finally registered Talia’s voice and was able to quiet her loud sobs. She constantly hiccupped to try to regain her breath and to prevent herself from fully wailing. The dark-skinned queen felt her world crumble around her. She wrapped her arms around Talia and embraced her as if their lives depended on it.
“I conph noo it.” Talia embraced her older sibling but couldn’t make out what she was trying to say.
“What?” Izira turned her head to let herself breathe and let her voice be heard.
“I can’t fucking do it Talia. I can’t fucking do it!” The younger sibling felt her heart shatter from seeing her sister’s emotional state. What happened to her?!
“Izira you’re not making any sense! What can’t you do?”
“Anything! I can’t fucking do anything! I didn’t protect the kingdom. I couldn’t protect our people from Gramorr. I couldn’t even protect my only sister! I’ve failed our parents Talia! I’ve failed our people! I’ve failed you! How could I ever take the place as ruler of Xeris if I couldn’t even protect you when you were only a child?!” Loud cries filled the room from the distressed queen. Tears fell from honey-colored orbs and landed on silver hair.
Talia never knew that so much weighed on Izira’s shoulders. The expectation that she would rule Xeris like their parents or that she would protect their people like it was easy. Talia knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But she understood why her sister is breaking. Izira was a prisoner of that evil sorcerer for eleven years. Both siblings didn’t know if either one was dead. Guilt snaked its way into the teen’s stomach as she buried her face into the woman’s hair. Izira shouldn’t be feeling this way at all. Especially because it was Talia’s fault in the first place that Izira couldn’t fight at her full potential without the medallion. She should’ve just stayed put at home and forget all about the festival.
“Izira…Izira! You have nothing to feel guilty about. None of that was your fault. None of it! If anything, it’s all my fault. I should’ve listened to you and stayed home. I was selfish and I…I…” Sobs came from Talia as years’ worth of guilt and self-loathing crawled out of her mind. Izira did only what a princess should at the time. No one knew that it was Talia who had the medallion in the first place. Izira sniffed and wiped her face with her clammy hands. She pulled Talia down and made her sit on her lap. She grabbed Talia’s face and wiped her tears while also giving a concerned look.
“Talia, you were just a child! You were only seven! You didn’t know still didn’t know how to correctly use your powers! You barely got out of your Shanilla! There’s no way you can take any of this blame when all you wanted to do was have a little bit of freedom and go to the festival like everyone else! You didn’t know Gramorr would show up at a time like that. You have not nor will you ever be at fault for what happened.” The younger Xerin princess opened her eyes and more water droplets came out. Her sister was too kind with her words. She might have been a child, but responsibility was already placed on her shoulders as soon as she got her Shanilla. People were already comparing her to her older sister just because she hit her magical puberty very early. Izira squeezed Talia’s cheeks for reassurance, as if she read the younger princess’s mind. “I know how much they talked about you. And it wasn’t fair that they compared little Tali to your sister. I’m so sorry Talia. I’m sorry that such a burden was placed on you when you were just a kid. And I’m sorry that you’ve blamed yourself all this time for everything that happened.” Izira took a deep breath as she brought her forehead to Talia’s. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. To see you grow up into a beautiful young princess. I’m so sorry Talia…Please forgive me…”
Talia sniffed and wiped her nose with a tissue. Dear Ydinora did she love her sister. So, so much. Maybe…maybe she’s right. Talia was so hard on herself growing up. She was only a kid. How can a small child be able to cause a massive butterfly affect that wasn’t even their fault to begin with? The Xerin princess placed her hands on her sister’s palms. Talia relished the warmth and love of her sibling. She looked into her sister’s eyes and cleared her throat.
“I forgave you when I saw that you were imprisoned. You’ve been forgiven for years Izira. But maybe you should forgive yourself.” The elder Xerin royal arched her eyebrow. “You were only sixteen. You barely had any experience to fully rule while our parents were gone. Expectations were put on your shoulders before me. Everyone put all of their faith on you to lead them like our parents did. You were only a kid that knew better than me. None of this was your fault either Izira. You deserve to forgive yourself. You didn’t know that Gramorr would show that day either. You only wanted me to be happy. It’s okay Izira. Forgive yourself.” The royal queen’s eyes widened. Since when did little Tali become so wise? Izira felt more tears welling up in her eyes, realizing that she too has been hard on herself ever since the day that Gramorr invaded. She buried her face in her sister’s middle and cried her heart out. Talia’s grip became harder as she felt more tears rolling down her cheeks. Both women felt their struggles, burdens, anger, sadness, self-loathing, and worries lift from their shoulders.
It was such a refreshing feeling. They felt as if it was just them floating on clouds. Izira’s breathing began to slow after another minute of sobbing. A hand was searching for the box of tissues but couldn’t feel for the object. Talia grabbed the box and held it in front of the queen’s face. Izira pulled out the tissue and blew her nose hard, almost sounding like a Psuelvo, a creature from Ephedia that sounds like the equivalent of an elephant on earth. Talia chuckled from the sound and blew her nose as well. She wrapped her arms around her sister’s neck and laid her head on Izira’s hair after the used napkin was thrown into the trash bin. A migraine was forming in the twenty-seven year old’s forehead from the constant crying and blowing. She was debating on having Talia get up from her lap so she could find some medicine to help soothe the pain. The woman heard her sister sigh and realized that she wasn’t gonna be able to go anywhere any time soon. Talia blinked to try to relieve some of the pain from her eyes. She happened to look over in the chair to see the large stack of papers she put during the rush of aiding her sister. The meeting! She totally forgot all about it!
“The meeting! We forgot all about it! We’ll be late if we don’t get going now!” Izira’s eyes widened as she forgot the important task at the moment. But really, she couldn’t go to a meeting like this. She was too tired and worn out from her emotional episode. Izira missed out eleven years of her sister’s life and they were too busy trying to rebuild their kingdom to truly spend time with each other. She kept a grip on Talia’s waist and pressed a button into the speaker.
“Yes your majesty?” Said a deep voice coming from the machine.
“Cancel the meeting scheduled for the day. Something got pushed back in the schedule and it’s very important that I look into it. Tell the royals of Ignus that we will reschedule the meeting on Monday, considering how there is a small festival going on in that realm on the weekend.”
“Will do your majesty.” Izira took her finger off of the button and wrapped her arms around Talia once again. Golden eyes looked at fuchsia orbs in confusion.
“We deserve a little break for once. I haven’t had enough time to reunite with my sister properly.” Talia smiled as she hugged the twenty-seven year old with all of her strength.
“And I love you Tali.” The princess of Xeris rolled her eyes.
“You haven’t called me that nickname in years! I thought I told you I didn’t liked being called that!” A grin formed on the woman’s face from both delight and mischief.
“And yet, I was the only one you allowed to call you that!” Blood rushed to Talia’s face as she tried not to act like a six year old wanting to hide under the covers.
“Oh…whatever Izzy.” Now it was Izira’s turn to blush.
“Hey!” Both women burst into laughter, feeling on top of the world. Silence then filled the room and the Xerin siblings were just fine with it. Izira never felt so content before. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. When was the last time she held her sister? When was the last time Talia was excited to talk about something she was interested in? How did their sisterly bond form to begin with?
Izira was in the study with her father while he was signing documents. She loved sitting on his lap while he did paperwork. It would be just them in their own little secluded room filled with books, papers, and a spinning chair. However, the silence broke free from the room when a man with long brown hair pulled into a ponytail burst through the room. He was breathing hard as if he ran from another realm to the office on foot. The king and princess snapped their heads to the door as they waited to hear what the servant said.
“Your Majesty! Queen Izora is about to deliver!” The king wasted no time as he hoisted his daughter in his arms and ran behind the royal servant. Curious ten-year old Izira wondered why her father was running so fast to her mother. Did something bad happen? The group went to the large chamber filled with equipment for medical procedures. The royal queen was surrounded by the best doctors of Xeris and was doing her best to bring the new life into the world.
“One more push your majesty!” The queen grunted loudly but was drowned out when large cries filled the room. Lo and behold, a tiny baby made their grand entrance and went into the arms of a doctor at the end of the bed. The king quickly placed Izira on the couch at the far end of the room and walked over to his wife. Two doctors moved out of the way and the gentle king gripped his wife’s hand. He wiped the sweat off of her forehead and kissed her.
“Sorry I’m a bit late love.” Izora chuckled at her husband.
“If I wasn’t so tired and ready to meet my baby, I’d probably stab your butt with a crystal Tarek.” The doctor that finished cleaning the tiny baby came over to the royal couple and handed over the child. Izora gently took the baby that stopped crying and gasped. Tarek was so full of emotion. He was the one to start crying after touching his new daughter’s face.
“She’s so beautiful. She can just fit in my hands.” Izora looked up for just a second to see her ten-year old daughter sitting on the couch watching the event unfold. Tarek got up from his wife’s side and walked over to Izira. He picked her up and brought her over to Izora and her new baby sister.
“Izira, this is your baby sister!” The young princess stared at the newborn and was overcome with curiosity.
“Mommy, can I hold her?” Izora beckoned a doctor to sit her up properly so Izira can sit in the bed. The young princess sat on her mother’s lap and held her new sibling with the queen’s help. That baby was just so small and cute! So this is what it’s like to be a big sister!
“What should we name her Tarek?” The king with silver locs tried to think of a fitting name, but he was so wrapped up in seeing his new child being held by his eldest.
“Hi Talia! I’m your big sister!” As soon as the name was heard, the baby opened their honey-colored orbs to see a fuchsia pair staring at them in excitement. Both Tarek and Izora were floored when the baby just opened their eyes to Izira. Happiness filled the room and Tarek carefully pulled his family into his arms.
“Talia. Our new baby’s name is Talia.”
Izira smiled fondly from the memory. No wonder their bond didn’t break! Their bond formed as soon as Talia acknowledged her name being called by her older sister. No one could have this kind of bond anywhere else.
“Hmm…?” The tired princess had her eyes closed but still acknowledged the sibling.
“How was it like on earth?” Talia has been waiting to hear Izira ask that question for a long time. But she was too tired to tell her everything now.
“Can I tell you everything after a nap?” Izira giggled at her sister’s response. She nudged Talia to get off of her lap and stood up. She lead her younger sister to a couch on the right side of the room and laid down. Talia followed suit and lied down next to Izira and almost fell asleep instantly.
“Of course you can Tali. We have the rest of the night and the weekend for you to tell me everything.” She wrapped her arm around Talia and snuggled crystal blue hair. Izira closed her eyes, running off to the land of dreams where she, Talia, and her parents were together laughing at a horrible joke Tarek made.
“Your highness, the meeting has been cancelled for the day.” A diplomat with short auburn hair gave the news to the reigning royals sitting on their thrones. It has been a long day in Ignus and they were busy organizing a little festival for the citizens to celebrate their hard work of rebuilding after the war. The royal king wearing a short sleeved shirt and red pants sighed. He ran his fingers through his bright red braids that went to the middle of his back. His tan skin slightly glistened due to doing physically demanding labor from helping his citizens rebuild their homes. He was really looking forward to this meeting with the Queen of Xeris.
“We should be patient Khalil. After all, they’re still rebuilding too.” The woman beside the king tried to reason. She wore a long strapless top that had sheer tails coming to the floor. She wore a pair of dark red trousers with golden lines going in different directions. Her dark skin wasn’t as shimmering as her husband’s considering she was taking a break from doing manual labor as well.
“I know we should Adeena. It’s just—”
“Dad? Are we still going?” A young woman with long and dark red Marley Twists in a red ponytail interrupted Khalil in excitement. She wore here long dark red dress with gold accents at the top. Her dark skin looked radiant with the dress and her golden eyes made her look astounding. Everyone looked to the princess with a hint of disappointment.
“I’m sorry Karina. But the meeting is cancelled.” The nineteen year old sighed in disbelief and sagged her shoulders. She was really looking forward to meeting both Talia and Izira.
“However, they did reschedule the meeting on Monday.” The royal family perked up upon hearing the addition.
“So…does that mean…?” A voice entering the throne room caused everyone to look in excitement. A man with silver locs in a ponytail wearing a pair of khaki shorts and white shirt drenched with sweat from working walked in. He seemed to have aged a bit from the stress of war but it still made him look good. A woman with long, crystal blue hair wearing the same attire walked in the room behind the man. Her tears ran down her cheeks, joining the bucket of sweat that poured on her very dark skin. The Ignus princess nodded in excitement. She ran over to the couple and took each of their hands.
“You’ll be reunited with your daughters soon Mr. Tarek and Ms. Izora!”
