A Mother Of The Divine Sort

Tiffania thought about it. "Um... okay... I am... a bit hungry..." Her stomach suddenly growled, and she blushed.

Poitreene gave the small half elf a gentle motherly smile and offered a hand to take her along with the others. Alouette found the whole thing adorable. She had known the goddess was good with children and Tiffania seemed very mild mannered from what she saw. It would be good for her.

They went to another part of the palace; the dinning area. There was already a few people coming too and from the place; most of them looking like maids. One of them was a girl with horns, who came gliding over.

"Master Raine and Prier, can I help you today?"

Prier waved it off. "You don't have to call us master Teke."

"Of course master Prier."

Prier groaned.

A small giggle erupted from Alouette and smiled at Teke. "We just wanted to get something to eat and drink for the little one here."

"Ah, I see." Teke smiled down at Tiffania. "We'll, its always a treat to have another little one around. Please go ahead and sit down and make yourself comfortable okay? I don't know what you like but I'm in the middle of making a few things--I'll get something for you okay. What's your name?"

Tiffania fidgeted a bit. "Um... Tiffania... my name is Tiffania..."

The demon smiled. "That's a pretty name. I'll be back shortly."

Poitreene afterwards ushered Tiffania gently to a seat, but otherwise let her pick one as she pleased before having a place to sit herself. That just happened to be by where ever Tiffania ended up staying at. It wasn't too long before Teke came back with some food, it looked like pizza. Just a different style.

"I am not sure if its something you'll like but this..pizza is a very popular Catheria and yearh dish?" Teke had a harder time pronouncing it.

"Earth." Poitreene corrected for her.

"Ah, yes. 'Earth'. What a strange name." Teke put it aside and set a cup of apple juice. "I hope you like."

Tiffania looked at the pizza oddly. "Pi...zza?" She picked it up, and once she figured out how best to hold it, took a bite. She paused... then let out a happy little squeak and took another bite.

Teke seemed delighted. "I'm happy you liked it little Tiffania." She turned to Prier and the others. "May I help you with anything else?

Alouette shook her head as did Prier. After that Teke bowed and took her leave from the group for now.

Poitreene for her part was mostly amused at Tiffania's reaction. "Slow down, I don't want you to choke."

There was something else on Prier's mind. "Before you ran into Tiffania, where were you at?"

"Hm?" Poitreene seemed a bit distracted; partly because she had been thinking of something else. "I was..in a world that was earth but wasn't. It was brief and not sure how I got there. I suppose maybe it was another version of earth..but it had to be some seperate universe entirely. The place wasn't too pleasant."

Raine shook her head. "Amazing, just how many worlds there are. It makes me wonder if there is an alternate version of Catheria and Rene out there... hm. Anyway..." She pulled Poitreene aside just a bit, so Tiffania could not hear them, but was within view. "Can you tell us about the world where you found Tiffania, and why you seemed so upset?"

"I don't know everything about it, but its different from Catheria but in the sense the same way as it was." Poitreene paused. "What I mean to say is, there seems to be a 'class' system in which one group is elevated and the other looked down upon. In that world, Tristian its called, magic of that world is genetic. If you do not have magic, you are considered a 'common' and have less rights then a 'Noble' does which is a person born with inate magic. While some Nobles are kind, others abuse their station. Even so, its a very flawed system."

"The humans and elves hate each other there. I believe it has to do with Elves chasing humans after the 'Holy Land' which the humans had to first and have been since. There are probably other factors to it, but suffice to say relations could be worse then even your world, Raine. At least you could have posed as a full elf before your reveal at the time; that wouldn't have helped in that world.." She glanced at Tiffania. "Tiffania was alone in a cabin in the woods, with no parents as her mother vanished..I have no idea what happened to her father exactly. A hunting party was sent to investigate reports of a elf, and Tiffania had stepped outside. If not for me coming here, I don't doubt the leader would have killed her."

She pressed her anger down. "I..believe her mother was more then likely killed and the father is a unknown. So for now until further notice if things change I'll be taking care of her."

Raine frowned at that. "I see... so essentially, half-elves are damned before they are even born there, because of the petty squabbles between their parents. I suppose it's better than hating them for being different, but..." She shook her head. "It's a good thing you arrived when you did... by the way, do you know what that ring is?" She gestured to Tiffania. She'd paused in eating to pull a jeweled ring from her pocket, looking it over. "I can sense rather powerful magic coming from it."

Poitreene frowned a bit. "I can too..I can't say for sure what it is. It's probably something left behind by Tiffania's mother. I don't think its dangerous, at least. Though your magical sensing is far better then my own, so I'd leave that judgment up to you."

Raine shook her head. "It's elven magic, I'm sure. I can sense a connection to nature. I'd assume it's harmless... perhaps we should ask her? She might know, possibly."

Poitreene nodded to that and made her way back over while Alouette and Prier were keeping Tiffania and engaging in small talk. "Tiffania? May I ask where you got that ring? I'm not sure if it does anything, but Raine felt magic from it. Did your mother hand it to you?"

Tiffania blinked, then looked down at the ring sadly. "Mommy gave me it... she said it's really special. That it can 'bring back what was lost', all I had to do was wish for it really hard... but... I think maybe it's broken... cause mommy hasn't come back yet..."

Once again Poitreene felt something twist within her heart and she hugged Tiffania again. She didn't know what to say, just to let Tiffania though she was there for her was all. Finally she pulled away. "Does it have a name?" She asked her gently.

Tiffania just shook her head, leaning into the hug more. "No... or if it did, mommy didn't tell it to me..."

"Hm, I see." Poitreene, seemed to be thinking for a moment. "We'll, in that case we should come up with a name for it, shouldn't we? A special item that was passed down by your mother should get a name. Doesn't have to be right now, but you should think really hard about it, okay?"

Tiffania paused, then nodded. "Yeah... okay..."

Once Tiffania was done eating, Poitreene gently took her by the hand again. "Do you still have my room around here?" She asked Prier who perked up, trying to play off she didn't find the whole scene adorable.

"Of course! We always have it ready for you, its in the same place." Prier stood up and was about to go when a maid whispered in her ears. Prier frowned a bit at this. "..Sorry I have to get going. Some boring meeting. I'll catch up with you guys later."

She didn't walk away, rather Prier teleported, a rune-like symbol beneath her feet and in a flash she was gone.

Wonder what that was about. Poitreene pushed it aside, knowing Prier and others had to run around at times to manage a realm. "Are you coming Alouette and Raine? I'd still like to talk to you more even as I'm getting the little one settled in."

Alouette paused, then nodded. "I'm not up to anything so I don't see why not."

Raine just smiled. "Of course, Poitreene. You know I enjoy our talks."

Poitreene was happy to hear that and began to take Tiffania along with her to her room she usually used when she was visiting. Overall, the palace was a big place and you could get lost easily. When they got there, Tiffania would find a very plain, but well put together room with a bed and the like. She released Tiffania's hand and gently put her onto the bed.

"We'll, I admit its not much but its homey I suppose." Poitreene said to her young charge. Alouette went to the side.

Tiffania... immediately started jumping on the bed, thoroughly pleased by it's bouncy properties. Raine covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. "I think she likes it, Poitreene..."

Poitreene had a grin slowly appear on her face. "Is that so?" There was a mischevious look in her eyes. Then acting when the time was right when there was a lull period in her 'jumping' however brief, she took the chance to begin tickling the small child. Partly to see reactions, and partly to take her mind off thinking anything negative.

Tiffania burst into peals of laughter, even as she struggled to escape. "Aha, no! S-stop, heehee! T-tickles!"

Poitreene kept up her assault for a bit longer before deciding that was enough for now, watching the half elf fondly. "All right, tempting as it is I'll stop for now. Would you like to hear a story to help you sleep?"

Tiffania seemed startled, then hurried to get into bed, crawling headfirst under the sheets, causing a squirming lump in the sheets as she turned around, before her head popped back up and she made herself comfortable. "I... nobody's told me a story since mommy.." She was clearly excited.