Celestia up looked at her mother, her magenta eyes opening wide. Tau was taller than Celestia, much taller, making Celestia seem short even though she towers over her own subjects. Tau's crimson hair came to her waist, the cut was blunt and even with her bangs ending just before her teal eyes. Her white dress swept along the floor, it was a simple sleeveless dress with a V-neck, much like Celestia's.
"Celestia." Tau said, looking at her daughter.
"Mother." Celestia replied, "What are you doing here?"
Tau's eyebrow arched, "I'm surprised Celestia, did you honestly not expect me to come and visit my new grandchildren?"
"I-I did, just not so soon." Celestia stammered, fiddling with her hands.
"Don't play with your hands, you're a Princess. You're slouching, stand up straight Celestia, you're an example!" Tau scolded her daughter.
"Yes Mother." Celestia straightened her back and let her arms fall to her side, "Is Dad here?"
"He will be arriving later." Tau shifted her focus to Jamie, "Who's this?"
"I'm Jamie and I'm mad!" Jamie pushed up his glasses before crossing his arms with a huff.
Celestia walked over to Jamie and stood behind him, "Mother this is Jamie, he's one of your grandchildren."
"I know that Celestia." chastised Tau, walking over to Jamie, "Why are you upset?"
"I'm not upset, I'm mad!" Jamie corrected looking at his Grandmother, "I want my toy."
Tau looked at Celestia, her expression demanding an explanation. Celestia stuttered and fumbled with her words, of all the times for her mother to visit. She felt like a little child again who got caught pulling her sister's hair. Celestia and Tau were always at odds, and it only got worse as Celestia got older. That and the fact they hadn't seen each other since the incident.
"I'm waiting Celestia." Tau tapped her foot.
"He wanted his toy that is in Ryan's, your other grandson, dresser. I feel as though he should wait until the other children get home and ask Ryan to give it to him." Celestia folded her arms and looked at her mother.
"Celestia, its a toy! Let James have the toy, what harm is it going to do? If you don't want him going through Ryan's drawer then get it yourself." Tau's comment caused Jamie to glance at Celestia with a hopeful smile.
"But-!" Celestia started, before sighing, "Yes Mother."
Jamie jumped up and smiled at his grandmother, "You're my Granma?"
Tau bent down to Jamie's height, "Yes, I am. I'm not your 'granma', I'm your Grandmother."
Jamie scrunched up his face and pushed up his glasses once more, "You're tall. Taller than Auntie Celestia."
"'Auntie Celestia'?" asked Tau, casting a glance to her daughter.
"Mhm!" Jamie nodded before running past his Grandmother and into the hallway.
"Jamie!" called Celestia, before she heard the sounds of the guards talking to the boy.
Tau stood up and looked at Celestia, "You're his aunt? Celestia, I don't mind Cadenza being your niece but these children shouldn't be your nieces and nephews."
"It's easier that way Mother." Celestia smoothed her dress, "Other's won't be so-"
"Don't give me that Celestia! You know as well as I do that anybody you make part of the Royal Family is going to be treated differently. They are children, children who need a mother not an aunt! How old is the oldest child?"
"Seven." Celestia shut the drawer on Ryan's dresser
"The oldest is seven, but he's still a child. He needs a mother! Not an aunt." Tau folded her arms, "You took the easy route becoming their aunt!"
Celestia turned around to face her mother, "'The easy route'? No route is easy when your adopting children! None! I did this, I adopted them, for Luna!"
"Oh you did, did you? Just like you banished her for her own good!" Tau pointed her finger at Celestia before saying sharply, "You didn't do this for Luna. You were thinking about yourself, how you would look to the public, just like you always do. You're selfish Celestia."
Celestia turned her back to her mother, "Leave. Now."
"Not until I see the rest of the children." Tau folded her arms.
"Leave or I will have the guards escort you off of castle grounds."
"I will not leave Celestia."
Celestia charged up a teleportation spell, "For the remainder of your visit Mother, you are to stay in the west wing of the castle. When Father arrives then you both may see the children." With that Celestia disappeared in a flash of golden light.
"I bet she forgot." said Ryan as the children sat on the curb in front of the school
The end of the school day had come, and Celestia hadn't come to pick the children up. Its one thing to be five minutes late even ten, but it was now four o'clock and she still wasn't there. School ended at three thirty, all of the other children had already left. Five minutes into the wait Dominic had fallen asleep with his head on Ryan's shoulder. Genieveive's braid had come undone and Angelina was trying to help her fix it, and Ryan was fuming.
"We should've gone with Ms. Shieldheart." Ryan flicked Dominic's nose causing the boy to open his eyes with a yawn.
"Is she here?" Dominic asked while rubbing his eyes.
"No." replied Ryan as he rose to his feet, "But we're going home."
"But the castle's so far away!" whined Genievieve, "It'll take foreveeeeer!"
"We aren't going there! That's not home!" Ryan snapped at Genievieve causing the girl to jump, "We're going to the orphanage, we're going home."
Ryan helped Genievieve and Angelina off of the sidewalk and helped Dominic put on his backpack before they all started walking down the street. Ryan was still fuming, she'd forgotten them. After saying how she loved them she'd forgotten them. She wasn't any different from the other people who'd adopted them. Princess or not, she was a liar.
And there was no way he was going to let them go back there.