"Dad, eww! Stop!" Quylla said, her eyes wet with tears. She didn’t know whether it was the joy for having a new sister, the relief for her mother’s safety, or her pregnancy, but she cried a lot. Often for silly reasons if not for none at all. "Let them be, Quylla." Friya handed her a handkerchief. "After everything our family has gone through, we deserve a bit of happiness." "Speaking of happiness, I can’t believe you are finally getting married, Friya." Quylla sobbed, now with joy. "I was so scared you would die alone." "Way to jinx it, sis." Friya patted her back to calm her down and offered Quylla a bowl of ice cream. "Gods, this is so good." Quylla cried harder. "What did I do to deserve a sister like you? I’m sorry for what I said earlier." "Help!" Friya yelled while her sister covered her in snot, tears, and spilled ice cream. "Somebody! Anybody! Help!" "Don’t yell like that!" Orion rebuked her. "You could scare your little sister and your mother is trying to rest." "Less scolding and more helping, Dad. I don’t know how to deal with Quylla’s mood swings and I can’t get her drunk to get her off my back for five minutes." Friya said. "What am I supposed to do?" "Good question. I wish I knew the answer." Orion shrugged. "Where is Morok? He should be looking after his wife in such a delicate moment of her pregnancy." "He’s out with his friends." Quylla blew her nose. "They are throwing him a bachelor party. He deserves it. I’ve been quiet a handful these last few days." "Days? You mean months." Friya said, triggering another crying fit. "I was joking! I’m sorry, Quylla. Please, don’t cry!" "Since when does Morok have friends?" Orion was flabbergasted. "Are you sure they aren’t just trying to scam him for our money?" "Dad, you are being unfair!" Quylla went from a sobbing mess to indignant fury in half a second. "Morok is not a bad man and he’s not stupid. How dare you talk about the father of your grandchildren like that?" ’For the gods’ sake, don’t remind me that!’ Orion thought. "I’m sorry, sweetie." He actually said. "I’m still on edge because of everything that happened when your mother gave birth, but that’s not an excuse to be a jerk." "Apologies accepted." Quylla hugged him with so much strength that if not for Orion’s Awakened nature, she would have cracked his ribs. "Don’t worry, Dad. I’m sure everything will be fine. We’ll save Mom. Together." Orion didn’t share her optimism but loved seeing his daughter’s smile and didn’t want her to go back to being a sobbing mess. "You’re right, sweetheart." He nodded. "While Jirni rests here at the Verhen Mansion with Dripha, I’ll do my best to make our Ernas Household just as safe by the time she returns." "Safe, sure, but I think she considers it more like a boot camp than a vacation." Friya chuckled and Jirni sighed in agreement. "Being surrounded by the weirdest families in the Kingdom is good practice for her." "It is." Jirni fixed her pillows. "I’m getting used to dealing with shapeshifting children and their antics, and it’s exhausting." Your next chapter awaits on freewebnovel "You’ll need it when Quylla’s babies are born, Mom. Who knows, maybe by spending time with mixed couples, you will also learn to appreciate Morok." "Speaking of mixed couples and hybrid children, you’d better get a move on." Quylla said. "A move on with what?" Friya furrowed her brows. "Making a baby of your own." Quylla caressed her swollen womb. "Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our children grew together? This is the perfect moment. Dripha will be a sister to them rather than an aunt while Elysia and the others would be her slightly older siblings." "What?" Friya blushed in embarrassment. "Nalrond and I aren’t married yet and then there’s the issue of me becoming Faluel’s Harbinger." "I’ll never understand why you made that deal." Orion shook his head in disapproval. "Lady Faluel is a wonderful woman but I don’t like the idea of you being a servant to anyone, even her." "Dad, we’ve already had this discussion countless times." Friya sighed. "Yes, I made a reckless decision back then, but in the end it worked out just fine. If it weren’t for Faluel, I would have been left out of so many things. "I would have spent much less time with Phloria. I wouldn’t have the power to try and rescue her. I wouldn’t be able to help Mom now. If I hadn’t Awakened back then and had time to practice, now I would still be a deep blue instead of a violet core. "I’ve gained a lot from my deal with Faluel, including the power to protect my family. I don’t regret making that deal at all." "I could say more, but I’d just sound like a hypocrite." Jirni dismissed the argument with a sweep of her hand. "Still, marriage is not an issue. You and Nalrond are betrothed. You are an Ernas. Your word is your bond and you’d never break it." "What about Nalrond? What if he has second thoughts?" Friya tilted her head. "He’s not an Ernas, but he’s a man." Orion replied. "His word is his bond. To me. If he breaks it, I break his spine." "And I make sure it’s permanent." Jirni nodded. Friya laughed at the joke until she noticed no one else was smiling. The cold determination on her parents’ faces told her they weren’t joking. "That said, Nalrond knew about your deal with Faluel from the beginning, correct?" Orion asked and Friya nodded. "Then unless Faluel gets to participate in your dance without pants, I don’t see any issue." "Dad!" Friya blushed up to her ears. "Of course she doesn’t." "Then you have my blessing and no excuse to delay giving me a grandchild or two." Orion patted her shoulder. "I’m not getting any younger and with everything that’s going on, there’s no telling how long this peace will last." *** Blood Desert, Moonpond oasis, Haug’s Travelling Tavern, at the same time. The Blood Desert was universally considered a nightmare during the scorching heat of the day and a magical place at night. At least in the safety of an oasis. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎 The dry, chill air complemented the steaming food and made everyone thirsty, boosting the sales. With no need for the patrons to hide and no neighbors, the Tavern could keep all its windows open, letting its customers enjoy the view of the full moon reflecting on the sand and the nearby lake. It was like being surrounded by fine silver dust and under two moons, one distant and one so close you could almost touch it. One might expect that most reservations were made by couples wanting to enjoy the romantic scenery, but they would have been wrong. All stops in the Blood Desert were booked by people who wanted peace, quiet, and isolation. Only in the Desert could Haug split the tables between inside and outside the Tavern, giving his patrons much more space than usual. The spatial displacement spells of the establishment always ensured the clients’ privacy, but the Tavern would still be cramped with people.