Chapter 4083: Perfect Opportunity (Part 2) The worst part was that the Lich King was right. Being reminded of their own traditions by a Lich was a humbling experience for the Emperor Beasts of the Council. They rushed to make up for their blunder, emitting howls that shook the hall and deafened the humans. After the ceremony ended, guests and hosts moved to the Banquet Hall of the Mansion. Long, rectangular tables filled with steaming delicacies from all over the Kingdom were lined up along the walls, while smaller tables and chairs were arranged on the balcony of the floor above. This way, those who wanted to mingle would remain on the center stage, while those who wanted to sit down and eat or have private conversations would have the quiet they needed. "Congratulations, kid. Congratulations, young man." Vastor shook Friya’s and Nalrond’s hands, not even attempting to hug them due to the height gap with the couple. "Thanks, Professor." Friya smiled. "I’m glad to see you here." "I wouldn’t have missed this for the world." Vastor exchanged a glance with Quylla. He was aware of the threat of the Gernoff and had come to ensure nothing ruined that day. "Yours were wonderful vows." Zinya wiped her eyes. "You two made me cry." "Not as good as yours." Nalrond gave her a polite bow. "I’m glad to see that Quylla is doing fine. I was worried for her. Losing that much power can’t be easy." Vastor sighed in relief. "What about you? Is it true what the rumors say?" "What rumors?" Friya swallowed hard, aware of the Professor’s love for gossip. "That the marriage was rushed because there’s a bun in the oven." Friya becoming pale and Nalrond clearing his throat was all the answer Vastor needed. "More congratulations are in order, then." He laughed, shaking their hands again. "How many?" "Two boys." Friya whispered. "Again? It must be the year of the twins for the Ernas." Zinya did her best to smile and sound happy, but a tinge of envy poisoned her voice. The crib crafted by Bytra kept hosting new babies, but none of them came from her womb. The sight of so many happy and healthy newborns filled her with joy, but also with a deep-seated feeling of emptiness and failure. "Indeed." Friya nodded and rushed to change the topic. "The political angle of the King surprised me, but I must admit that Lady Fyrwal and I do look related." "You can say that." Zinya replied. "Ever since you stopped hiding the beautiful shades in your hair, it’s hard to believe you’re not a Hydra in disguise." "Thanks, but believe me when I say that being a Hydra is far from easy." Friya chuckled and winked. "Speaking of trouble, what about the Gernoff?" Vastor asked. "What’s Jiza doing here?" "I have no idea." Friya shrugged. "Mom invited her, so it must be part of some plan. I can only trust her." ’And Lith.’ She inwardly added. ’Even if Mom doesn’t know it, the tower of Menadion watches her back.’ "Now let’s eat a bit, but make sure not to eat too much, or you won’t be able to dance." *** After everyone got the time to comment on the ceremony and taste the refreshments, the music started. The newlyweds opened the dance, followed by the Royals, then the true lords of the house, and then by the members of the Ernas and Fastarrow families. Only then were the rest of the guests allowed to join, filling the ballroom to the brim. Quylla held out as long as she could, but after the opening dance, she was already running on fumes. She panted as if she had run a marathon and needed Morok’s help to walk to the nearest chair. "I’m sorry, Friya." Quylla said. "I need a moment. Please, don’t worry about me and-Gods-dammit!" The bracelet that linked her to the Doomslayer crib transmitted her twins’ cries directly to her ears, without anyone else hearing them. "Hungry already?" Morok was flabbergasted. "I thought you fed them right before the ceremony started." "I did." Quylla grunted. "Those little rascals eat almost as much as I do. Yet the worst part is that I have to walk to the twins, and we’ve already moved them to a restricted area far from here." Due to the safety measures of the Mansion, dimensional magic was sealed, and the babies had been relocated to keep any wandering guests from finding and bothering them. "Morok, I’m going to need your help." "Gladly." He was about to lift her in a princess carry when she stopped him. "Not like that! It’s embarrassing." She blushed hard. "But with your short, jelly legs, it will take us all day to get there." Morok replied. "I even bet that by the time we return to the Ball Room, the twins will be hungry again." "You have a point. And I mean about the babies being hungry, not my legs being short." She grunted. "Sure thing, Little One." Morok winked to the others. "I can see you winking!" Quylla snarled. "He’s right Little One." Jirni nodded. "I’ll go get the twins and bring them to your room, saving you a lot of time." "Thank you, Mom." Quylla said. "But I resent the Little One part!" "Sure, darling, sure. I’ll see you in a minute." Jirni walked out of the ballroom, feeling several eyes staring at her back. *** ’Situation report.’ Jiza Gernoff asked by adjusting the hems of her dress. The members of the scout team relayed their discoveries to her, making Jiza frown. ’This house is a fortress, and the mana geyser grants endless power to the magical formations. The configuration of the doors doesn’t match the original blueprints submitted by Marchioness Distar, and I’m willing to bet they’ll change again the moment we walk out of here.’ ’The arrays are likely to be changed as well.’ Eckor Gernoff said. ’Do not forget that Verhen is a paranoid, and Menadion can use Creation Magic.’ The Gernoff had sources in the Undead Courts that had shared Menadion’s work in the Stonewall Fortress with them. ’True, but there’s a limit to how much Verhen can alter the battlefield. There are only so many defensive arrays worth using, and we have not identified a single unknown magical formation so far.’ Jiza replied. ’Still, this isn’t an opportunity we can miss.’ Eckor said. ’Between the music, the powerful aura of the Awakened, and the nobles plotting against each other, Verhen’s focus is split on too many fronts. ’Jirni Ernas just left the room alone, and according to her words, she’s going to an isolated area.’ ’What about Verhen’s and the Ernas’ known allies?’ She asked. The agents scattered across the ballroom searched the area for potentially dangerous individuals and scanned them with Life Vision to confirm their energy signatures. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚 ’All present and accounted for.’ Eckor listed them one by one. ’Even Quylla and Morok Ernas are still here. You know better than anyone that the weakness from giving birth to twins isn’t something even an Awakened bloodline can fix.’ ’I know.’ Jiza pondered. ’I only gave birth to humans, yet it took me months to get back to fighting condition. Quylla Ernas had evolved human twins just a few days ago. It’s a miracle she’s already standing.’