Side Story: Neia

*** Neia ***

"Is Daddy really gone?" I ask. "Do I have to go?"

"Yes, lady Neia," the maid says. "Your dad died in the war, bravely fighting the enemy and protecting the weak. You should meet your Mother. She's an amazing woman, has been through a lot, and has persevered to make it to the top. She is a woman you want to grow up to be like, and I've heard she loves her kids. You should feel that love. I promise, you'll know the second you see her. She'll come out shining. A beautiful glow you won't find anywhere else. A sign of all the love she'll give you."

The maid hasn't yelled at me for saying daddy. Father would never let that go. I have to be all proper all the time and never make a mistake.

This carriage is nice, but I can't see out the window. I only get to see the light.

"Do you want to see out the window, Lady Neia?" the maid asks.

"Yes," I say. Why do the maids care to guess what I want now? They didn't care about what I wanted before. I don't get them.

The maid shuffles over and lifts me to the window. We just passed a massive wall, and now beautiful gardens are all around.

Meeting Mother... She can't be all that bad if she lives here. Do we get to see the gardens a lot? Some of the maids said the youngest Princess likes to run around in the gardens. Some of them even said I was related to her.

"Look, Lady Neia," the maid says. "You can see the other kids, who are also meeting your Mother. She has a lot of kids, and you'll have many new siblings for you to befriend."

That's a lot of kids. The number of babies is staggering. "Am I the last one here?" I ask.

"No, Lady Neia, but we are near the end," the maid says. "Your Mother should be here soon, so it's time to get out. We'll get you into the group, and then you can try to make friends with the kids around you. You'll be in the group that will be staying with your Mother, and it'll be good to become friends with your sisters. I think you'll like this family."

An entire group of us is staying with Mother? "Ok," I say.

The maid carries me out of the carriage and sets me down on the lush grass. She holds her hand out for me to hold, which I take.

"Ready, Lady Neia?" the maid asks.

"Yes," I say.

She steers me to the front of the group. The older kids are in the back. But I seem to be on the older side of the kids myself. Most are babies in the many maids' arms around the sides of the group.

"Make friends, Lady Neia," the maid says. "Your Mother is almost here."

I nod my head, but I only look around. There are a lot of sisters, if they're all actually my sisters, but I don't know what to do.

Luckily, a group of carriages is coming from a different direction. That has to be Mother.

A lot of women in fancy dresses step out of the carriages, all of them looking at us with small smiles. Then a few more maids come out and start looking over the ladies, making sure their dresses aren't wrinkled.

But then someone shining comes out of the middle carriage.

So much red, and so bright. "Wow," I say, trying to blink the shining light out of my eyes, but she's real. It doesn't disappear.

She's so pretty. She has to be Mommy. Do I have more sisters on the way? Her dress is amazing! And she's so tall. And big.

"Oh! Babies, come here!" she shouts, running towards us with her arms wide open.

Is Mommy a Goddess?

Wait, why is everyone running to her?

I chase after them, but the others get to her first, and the light disappears!

"Shh, don't worry, Lady Neia," the maid says. "You'll get time with her. Just wait. I promise."

"Ok," I say, but I search for a way into the pile.

...

I have too many sisters.

"What's your name?" Mommy asks, finally taking me into her arms in the pile.

"Neia," I say.

"Hi, Neia. I'm your Mother, Alzi," Mommy says. "I'm so happy to meet you. We'll have more time later. Sorry for moving so fast. I love you, and I can't wait to get time to play with you."

"I love you," I say. It's so warm in her arms.