!! Trigger warning: there will be talk about past abuse, abandonment, and sexual harassment. I will let you know when that part comes up and when it ends that way you can skip that part of the chapter. If you are sensitive to these topics, please don't push yourselves to read it. I love you guys and your mental health is important 🥰🥰!!

_______________________________________

"Shailyn meet King Viktor, my adopted father." Levi introduces us casually like I wasn't here because I committed a couple of crimes in one day.

"You failed to mention that part in our deal," I accuse him.

"Since when did you start making deals with people my dear son?" The king asked, looking amused at our conversation.

"Well Dad, long story short, my little minx here tried to pick my pockets this morning. Her name is Shailyn Evergreen, she is 19 and a little, My little. However she is being stubborn and refuses to look at her mark. She claims that she would rather be charged for the crimes she committed today than to be a little."

"That was supposed to be the short story?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, I see why you two were paired." Viktor chuckles. "She's definitely a mini you. Come child, I am rather curious about something."

The King beckons me over and I do. Not because I wanted to listen to him, let's just be clear on that. I am just trying to stay alive, the most I would probably get for my actions is being forced to work here for a certain length of time. I'd get a warm place to sleep, food, and fresh water so that wouldn't be so bad.

As I stood right in front of him, he placed a hand on my forehead and I was not expecting what happened next.

⚠️⚠️!! Potential triggers start here, look for the next pair of caution signs if you wish to skip ahead.⚠️⚠️

He saw it all, my whole past. I know this because for a moment, every memory that haunted me on a daily basis were blocked. As if someone else had access to them other than me. The memory of my father leaving at a young age was the first to be blocked. Then came the abuse from my mother, the physical, the verbal, the psychological. The dark, cold, and damp basements I'd be locked into. The tingly sensation that followed after my mother chocked me till I passed out, the constant accusation that I was the reason my father left. Those all went silent for a moment before slowly coming back as he moved on to the next memories.

He went through more memories of my experience with my mother, until he got to the time where I finally ran away. It was right before highschool and I had been living on the streets ever since. I had been jumped a few times, touched in places I didn't want to be touched by both drunk men and women, and had all my belongings stolen more then once. Then there were times where I not to proudly ate food from a dumpster when it was too cold for food stands. Everything I had been through was laid out right before him. I felt violated but at the same time I felt... Free? I had kept all of this to myself for so long, it felt strange to have it shared with someone. Wait, can he still hear my thoughts? OK, stop thinking.... Yeah, like that's gonna happen.

⚠️⚠️END OF POSSIBLE TRIGGERS, IT IS SAFE TO READ NOW.⚠️⚠️

"I see then," Viktor says after a brief moment of silent. "You see, here is where my dilemma is for you child. You pickpocket and steal, that is true. But you only stole what was needed and gave whatever you could in return. Your morals are not one of a criminal, you're merely an individual trying to survive. I think I would like to see your mark now please."

I glared at the King and shook my head. "What if I offer my servitude your Majesty. I could be a maid and help clean."

He gently reached over and grabbed my arm before I had time to pull it away. He rolled the sleeve to my hoodie up and revealed the same mark on my right wrist that Levi had. It was true, I was classified as a little.

"No," was all I could whisper as I saw the age range I was supposed to be in. Very few regressed that young, the average being around three years or older.

"A maid is not who you are destined to be right now Shailyn Ransley. Now that you have been classified, you will start showing signs of regression shortly. It isn't something you can fight off. Now I'm assuming my son here hasn't declared his acceptance yet because he's waiting for your approval. I am going to give you two choices right now. You either allow your Guardian ,my son, to do his job, or you will spend a year here at the castle where you will still be expected to regress to the ages you are supposed to. Your punishment for your crimes today is to be loved, protected and cared for, even if it involves the whole castle taking care of you."

Whoever said the king was fair lied to me. This was hardly a choice. "So my choices are be forced to act like a child or be forced to act like a child?" I ask in disbelief.

"Hate to break it to you but uh, your mind is going to slip sooner or later anyways," Quinn cuts in. "You can't get rid of your littlespace now, the higher ups know what their doing when they make these decisions. It is going to happen naturally on it's own. It's best to have someone there with you when it happens."

I sigh at this. Great, apparently rock bottom really does have a basement. The idea of being treated like a baby by everyone in the castle would be humiliating. There was really only one option to choose here. "Well it seems I really don't have much of a choice in this so, do what ya gotta do Levi."

The Guardian rolls his eyes at being called by his name, but says the one phrase that sealed my fate.   "I Levi Ransley accept my role as Guardian. I agree to love, cherish, and protect Shailyn Evergreen from this moment forward. I accept my role as a caregiver and may the world now know my little as Shailyn Ransley."