shortpirateking:

(I don’t at all!!)

“h-hey!” Ariel’s voice squeaked out in alarm, catching a more than excited skekling as it hopped off a high ledge. “what were you doing up there?? you could have been hurt!” she kept her voice hushed, but still stern enough. 

Wide eyes met her, but thankfully it didn’t cry(this time) instead, she carefully placed them upon her bed where a few others rested. “You don’t want your parents to be sad if you get hurt”

It was still such an odd thing to say. She had thought skeksis could not have offspring- and yet, when SkekShod and SkekSil announced their pregnancy, her- as well as many of the other members of the castle- were left shocked.

Especially when Skekshod asked her to be the skekling’s aunt of sorts, which she accepted with a mix of excitement and worry. She had wondered if Skeklings would act similar to human children, or more like animal younglings- because she could easily handle one- the other, she truly did not like.

Thankfully, they seemed to have a best of both worlds point, which she didn’t mind-

And it also helped that they were cute as hell too…even though they often exhausted her to no end, especially when it came to getting into less than safe shenanigans. Truly, they were the chamberlain’s children.

A chirp and pull upon her pants leg caught her attention, and she looked down to one of the last skeklings still awake, chirping for her attention and for her to pick it up.

“Hello there little one” She cooed, gently lifting the skekling to her chest. “starving for attention weren’t you?” gently, her fingers ran along its head, to its belly where she gently rubbed, chuckling at the happy coos she received at the affections “Such a cutie pie~ yes you are” 

Enraptured at spoiling the skekling, she barely heard the door open, revealing two more than amused skeksis. 

“Seems friend Ariel isn’t so anti-children after all” Skeksil cooed, causing the woman to freeze mid spoiling. Her eyes revealed a mix of deer caught in headlights, and a pout over the fact she could no longer spoil them.

“Apparently skekling’s are the exception to this rule” She huffed, barely hiding her eye roll as both chuckled. Skekshod immediately came over to pick up the skekling within her arms, while the Chamberlain went over to the ones asleep upon the bed. 

“….”  a gentle brush of Skekshod’s beak against her cheek was more than enough for her to know the skeksis Treasurer was appreciative of her taking time to baby sit, but still he attempted to speak “…thanks” 

She smiled, shaking her head. “anytime. they’re pretty decently behaved…though they have skeksil’s DNA within them.”

“You wound chamberlain” Amusement was clear- ever since he had given birth to his skeklings, it seemed as if he had calmed, relaxed his manipulative and evil nature to focus more upon being a good parental figure. “chamberlain has not done wrong!”

“Are you sure?  I can give you a list a mile long”

All three chuckled at her retort.

“truly, friend Ariel is good parent” Skeksil hummed, holding all his skeklings within a special sack made to carry them all. “Perhaps should see about being parent?’

Eyes widen, and she immediately holds up a hand.”No, i’m not comfortable with them, and honestly I wouldn’t be a good one- I’m better off as an Aunt or uncle.”

“mmmm” the telltale whimper immediately signaled to her he was planning upon a retort, before Skekshod stopped him. Defeated, the chamberlain huffed in irritation.

“thankful..” He wheezes “For still taking care” voice still roughened, even after so many attempts at regaining his speech, the emperor’s actions from hundreds of trines before still evident even now. 

“though…friend might wish to speak to suitors” Skeksil hummed. “seems all skeksis now have skekling fever” with this, the two bid her a goodnight. As she closed the door, Ariel could only pray that Skeksil had spoken that to get back at her. 

She hoped, at least.