She was up with the sun?having probably not slept much the previous night?standing on her balcony to watch the light filter over the water below in a kaleidoscope of colors. This was the calm before the storm, a momentary reprieve before she was thrown into the whirlwind of her life once more.

Her morning routine was rushed out of necessity, a shower grabbed without time spent to enjoy the feel of her element running over her body. Her walk-in closet became a war zone, clothes thrown every which way in an attempt to find something comfortable, practical, without it making her look like a total mom. She didn?t bother with make-up, rarely ever did.

Bare feet padded through the cool, dark hallway, utterly silent on the carpeted floor. She could hear her little brood beginning to stir in their sleep. She picked up the pace, making her way downstairs and into the kitchen to have a word with Iona?the one woman she certainly couldn?t live without?and grab a cup of sugar with some coffee in it.

?What do you feel like today, Miss Jewell? I?m guessin? they?re already startin? to wake, up there??

Jewell laughed as she moved about the bustling form of Iona to get her morning drink, they perfectly danced around each other in the spacious kitchen, ?Oz was complaining last night that we don?t eat enough waffles. I thought about telling you eggs this morning just to see him pout but we won?t try his little temper that much, will we?? She sighed as she took her first sip of the burning dark liquid. She truly didn?t need it to stay awake but knowing she?d be running after five kids all day she used it to boost her peppiness.

Iona?s laughter matched that of the lady of the house, ?Bless his little heart, if the young man wants waffles he shall have more than he could ever eat.? The sound of pots and pans moving around as well as the sizzling of the batter on the waffle-maker filled the kitchen in the ensuing silence between the two women. Then there was a thump up above and a muffled shout that had Jewell groaning and setting her coffee down. ?Breaks over Miss Jewell and the fun beings. I bet?ya? that was Devyn and Kerrick.?

?Oh?I can?t bet against that.? Jewell abandoned the kitchen in a hurry to head back upstairs to end the scuffle she could already hear breaking out.

?Offa me!? Came the garbled shout of a little boy followed by the delighted laughter of a girl. And then, ?Maaaaammmaaa!?

She past by the triplet?s rooms and turned into the twins? room. She had to hide her smile behind a reproving frown at the sight that awaited her. Devyn, laughing her little head off, was sitting upon her twin?s stomach effectively pinning him down on his bed; she knew it must have been a very rude awakening by the look on her son?s face. ?Devyn Ravenlock!?

Jewell cut quite the intimidating figure in the doorway, hands on her hips, ?Get off your bother right this instance!? When the little girl didn?t move Jewell took a step further into the room, ?One?? before she could even get to two Devyn dashed off her brother and over to her own bed, hiding herself under the blankets. ?If you move from there I?ll get you so good??

The bite left her tone as she approached the pouting, teary-eyed almost four year-old, perching on the edge of his bed and brushing his mop of hair back, ?Love, no more tears.? When he continued his silent pout, she checked her sigh; she didn?t have time to coax him along when she could already hear Eva-Jade moving in the next room. ?Where does it hurt??

He lifted up his dragon-decorated pajama shirt to show his little belly off. She leaned over as if to kiss it better and instead pressed her lips to his skin and blew on it. His resulting laughter assured her that all was well once more, ?Up now, and get your face cleaned up.? She ushered him into the adjoining bathroom, ?And when you?re done put your slippers on and go down to Iona for breakfast!?

One down, four to go.

?I?ll deal with you in a minute,? she said eyeing the little girl peeking out from under the blankets at her as she left the room and went into Raven?s.

Taking her seat at the head of the table in the family dining room?a more casual setting from the formal one down the hall?she grinned as she watched Iona smack Oz?s hand away from the steaming plate of waffles only to serve him up one. Before enjoying the spread set before them, she sat back to watch the children eat, chatter punctuating the sounds of forks screeching against ceramic. Here she was Queen.

Breakfast went on without any major mishaps?the children too busy eating to get into their usual trouble. She never had to raise her voice, just speak in a soft reprimanding tone: ?Oz, we do not reach. We ask each other politely for something;? ?Eva-Jade, if you?re going to take all those strawberries you better finish them;? ?Raven, what did I just say to your brother about reaching;? ?Kerrick, it?s not nice for everyone else to see you slouching like that in your chair.? Sometimes all it took was a look from her to get them to stop whatever they were doing, mommy was not one to be crossed.

Even with the Empress?straight backed in her chair eating as dignified as any noble?presiding over the meal, there was still a relaxed air in the room. The kids didn?t feel the need to keep their tone low, as long as they didn?t shout, or not speak unless spoken too. They chatted freely with their mother, sharing stories?or often the same story retold again by one of the five?and asking her questions about what they were going to be doing that day.

When done with the meal, each child was excused individually from the table when their plate was cleaned and they requested leave. They filed off; bringing their dishes into the kitchen first before heading back upstairs.

?Go pick out your outfits for the day, all right? Remember?we?ll be on the beach so it might be a little cold. Devyn, you can?t wear your new skirt, it might get wet.? She got a sulking frown for that last comment before she was left alone at the table, finally able to finish off her coffee in peace.

Iona came in to clean up the table, ?Will you be back for lunch, Miss Jewell??

?Yes, we should only be on the beach for two hours or so, then we?ll come back and get cleaned up for lunch. Perhaps around noon, then?? At the confirming nod she received, Jewell stood up from the table as well, ?Leena has the afternoon off as I?ll be with the children; I think she was going out shopping if you need anything.?

She left the dining room and headed upstairs to see what type of trouble was brewing and what costumes they had put together for themselves to wear. ?Don?t forget to make your beds,? she called out as she walked towards the twins? room. One of the boys shouted out a ?no? back at her and she paused, ?What did you say?? Laughter was her response and she shook her head, ?That?s what I thought!?

She took a peak into Oz?s room first, watching amused as he tried to pull a short-sleeve shirt that was obviously too small for him over his head. Constantly shifting eyes peered at her from the shirt opening, pleading for help. ?Oz,? she addressed him laughing, ?I think that?s one of Kerrick?s shirts. Take it off and put something long-sleeved on so you?re arms stay dry.?

He pulled it off roughly, causing his white hair to stand straight up, and tossed it to her before he went back to digging through his dresser again. ?Pick something blue or black if you?re going to be wearing those khaki pants?maybe red,? she advised him before moving across the hall to see Raven.

She smiled and shook her head upon seeing Raven tying on his black shiny cape?he was in a hero phase. He even had on a Crimson t-shirt. ?My little super-hero, are you ready to go?? He struck a pose for her, ?Super heroes can?t leave the house before brushing their hair and teeth. As soon as he dashed off to do just that, she shouted after him, ?Not with the same brush!? She let out a bit of a groan; one could only imagine that particular disaster.

She went into Eva-Jade?s room last. She smiled and stood silent a moment, watching as her little girl danced in front of the mirror. She had pulled on her maroon corduroys and a dress over the pants that bordered on mismatching. Her waxy white hair, streaked with dark blue, rippled down to her mid-back and matched her white eyes. Jewell knew that her eyes could unnerve some people or make them think she was blind. She worried every day, in dread of the day when Eva grew to hate her looks because they made her too different from others. For now, the little girl was more than content.

?Want me to put your hair up??

?Nu-uh! I?m gonna wear a hat!? She chirped, dancing over to grab one off her hat wrack?she just loved hats.

?Gorgeous!? Jewell remarked as Eva struck another pose for her and blew her a kiss. She could remember Cher making that same face at her once upon a time. ?Come on, get your shoes on and head downstairs, everyone should be waiting.?

They went about a half hour before anything went wrong. Jewell was keeping track of who was where by listening to their voices. Kerrick and Oz?s shouts of wonder, however, alerted her to a change in the harmony on the beach.

She looked up just in time to watch Devyn drop a tidal pool?s worth of water down on her older sister. Jewell reached out her hand to stop it but she couldn?t save her daughter from getting very wet.

Eva Jade has observed to her younger sister that a lot of pretty shells had been left behind in pools as the tide went out. Devyn had not wanted to get wet and Eva couldn?t and it had been a matter of minutes before they came up with a brilliant plan to get the shells: Devyn would use her magic to hold the water up and Eva would run under it to gather up the shells.

They had picked a decent size tidal pool to try it out on. Devyn lifted the pool?s water up above their heads, grinning proudly as it stayed there. Eva, checking to make sure the water was staying put, started to run about collecting the shells as quickly as she could. The problem occurred when Eva found a particularly beautiful shell and held it up to show her sister. Devyn took a step forward to get a better look at it, but with such a division of her attention, she couldn?t keep the water up anymore.

She felt her control slip and only got out an ?oops? that called Eva?s attention to the water above her. Devyn had the time to step back out of the way, but all Eva could do was throw her arms over her head.

Jewell dropped her bucket and ran to Eva Jade, the water parting for her as she entered the refilled tidal pool. Where Eva had been standing, she was now lying on the ground, her legs having been transformed into fins. Devyn hovered on the edge of the pool, tears quickly welling up in her eyes whereas her sister was already crying.

Jewell leaned down and picked up the soaking wet mer-girl, ?Shh?it?s okay, don?t worry about it sweetie.?

?Myyy?paaants,? she sobbed out.

?We?ll get you new ones,? she consoled her, trying not to sound as vexed as she felt. With a hard look at Devyn and a nod of her head, she started to walk back towards the stairs. Devyn followed, the tears starting down her cheeks. Jewell called out over her shoulder, ?Boys?get our buckets and follow right behind us.?

As she walked up the stairs, she tried to stop Eva?s tears with a story that always made the little girl smile, though it depressed Jewell to no end. ?Remember mama?s friend who was the prettiest mermaid in all of RhyDin? Well, the one time we were in the Inn and a cat started to chase her?and then a glass of water fell down on her and she turned into her mermaid form right then and there?in the Inn!? It didn?t seem to be working as well this time, but Jewell continued on, ?And we just had to wait there, for her to dry off?and boy was Cher mad??