Chapter 4044: Invisible Wounds (Part 1) "Enough with names, please." Lith raised his hand, gesturing for silence. "I have an announcement to make, and so does Friya. Since the two things are related, I’ll let Friya go first." "Thank you, Lith." Friya stood up, giving him a nod. "After what happened today and the pressure that the Royal Court is inevitably going to put on my parents in the aftermath, Nalrond and I have decided to set a date for our marriage." Her words were met with cheers and applause. Everyone took turns to congratulate the couple. "I wish I shared your enthusiasm, but our choice is more practical than romantic." She sighed. "Having another Light Master in the family will strengthen the Ernas’ position in Court, and so will the announcement of my twins. "On top of that, between my pregnancy and Quylla’s, the Royals will have an easier time showing our parents leniency. Our situation gives the Royals a perfect excuse to extend my parents’ leave of absence. "Officially, they won’t be unruly subjects of the Crown who refuse to resume their duty, but future grandparents who need to take care of their daughters and protect them from the threat of Narchat. Also..." Her voice trailed off as she clenched her hands. Friya’s voice refused to form the rest of the words, so Nalrond did it for her. "Also, by becoming a part of the Ernas family, I can start accumulating merits and ease the pressure on Jirni and Orion." He took Friya’s hand in his own, caressing it with his thumb. "If you need a hand against Meln, Lith, please call me. "Any meritorious act I perform will help my family and allow Friya to stay away from the battlefield. She’s not as... compromised as Quylla, but I’d rather not put the babies at risk unless it’s absolutely necessary." ’Thanks for not calling me bloated.’ Quylla thought, incapable of stopping herself from devouring her fifth steak. "You can count on me as well, Lith." Morok raised his hand. "I’m not letting Quylla go anywhere dangerous until the twins are at least six months old. At that point, we can discuss the timeline of her return to active duty." Quylla glared at him, her mouth too full to speak. Morok simply glared back, brooking no argument. "I will count on you two, then." Lith nodded. "Nalrond?" "Just one last thing." The Agni said. "I wanted to thank Salman personally for saving so many people in Lutia today and invite him to the marriage." "Are you sure?" Salman had followed Sirma and Zekell to the Desert, but sat at a lonely end of the table, not wanting to intrude on the family matters. "I mean, thanks." "I’m sure." Nalrond pinched his nose, his demeanor contradicting his words. "We are the last two members of the Rezar village and should stick together. Also, I need someone to fill my side of the aisle. "I don’t have relatives, and most of my friends will sit on Friya’s side. I don’t want to repeat what happened to Morok’s wedding, so feel free to bring a date with you, Salman." "A date? At a marriage?" The Rezar swallowed hard, knowing how such an invitation could be easily misunderstood. "And what happened during my marriage, exactly?" Morok grunted. "I was willing to lend you a few people from Zelex, but if that’s how you feel..." "First, they are people. You can’t toss them around like candies." Nalrond grunted back. "Second, your side of the aisle was filled with strangers who only knew you as Glemos’ son." "We are not many, Uncle Nalrond, but we can make noise for a thousand people!" Lilia said, puffing her chest with pride. "And we’ll sit on the groom’s side." "And that’s what worries me." He replied, patting the girl’s head. "Please don’t. Be quiet during the ceremony. All of you. Especially you, Fenrir." "Why? What did I do wrong?" The little girl whined. "Because you howl at the top of your lungs for the smallest thing." Nalrond said, and everyone in Fenrir’s family nodded, even Solkar. "What about Solkar? He does that too!" She growled at the puppy, who put his best indignant expression in response to the wild yet accurate accusation. "He’s a baby." Nalrond replied. "We can put him in the Hushed crib if he starts acting out. Do you want to stay in the crib with the toddlers?" "You wouldn’t dare!" Fenrir gasped in horror. "I’m over three years old. I’m a grown-up now. I don’t belong with the milk suckers!" "Ba!" Elysia scoffed. "Enough, please." Lith stood up, putting an end to the childish squabble before it escalated further. "During the wedding, I’ll take the Royals aside and show them my Indech form. Tista, Elysia, and Kami will do the same." "Are you sure about this?" Raaz asked. "What about the element of surprise? Won’t you lose it if the Royals decide to go public about it?" "I’m not sure, but at this point, it’s the best move." Lith replied. "Tista and I already revealed our evolved human form to fight Meln’s thralls, and there is no telling if more Upyrs were keeping an eye on us. "Worst case scenario, they witnessed the whole thing and ran away once they realized they couldn’t stall us any longer. Meln might know about our Indech form, but has no idea what it does since Swirling Wind has no visible effect. "Best case scenario, no one saw anything. Either way, I can reveal my human form to take the wind out of Meln’s sails while losing little advantage. Whether he had Upyrs spy on us or not, everybody knows about the potential of my human side since the fight with Ruugat. "By displaying the Indech, I will just confirm what everybody already suspects. Tista, Kami, and Elysia will be living proof that the human bloodline can be passed down and is not exclusive to me. "I don’t intend to showcase any power, so that even if Meln already knows, I’ll leave him in the dark along with everybody else." "How will that mess with Meln’s plans, sweetie?" Elina asked. "I can’t mess with his plans because I don’t know what he’s going to do next, Mom." Lith replied. "What I can do is ruin the morale of his troops and make the young Awakened less eager to join his side. "After all, Meln is nothing without his Upyrs, and unlike Thrud, he can’t force anyone to do his bidding. He needs people who willingly accept his blood and fight his battles." "And how is revealing the existence of your Indech form supposed to change their minds, son?" Raaz asked. "Wouldn’t it be better to showcase its abilities?" "Those who choose to follow Meln do it for the sake of power, Dad. They want to become Divine Beasts, and knowing Meln’s ego, I’m sure he claims to be as strong as I am, if not even stronger. "The Indech form will prove that my Tiamat bloodline has access to all its components and is superior to the sum of its single parts. At that point, the human Council will support me as much as the beasts because my bloodline holds the secret to unlock human evolution."