"How can you be so stubborn?" Amira asked.

Dunes remained silent, sipping his tea. He built up the walls against Amira's words, which continued to chip away at him, but a man's shame knew little bounds.

"He would appreciate it if you were there."

Dunes had a response, but it did not matter. They could bicker and argue, but there was no reason for him to bite back. He would not go, he could not go.

"Morn." Amira sighed, leaning back in her chair. She sighed, her eyes glued to the dark skinned Aswadian, who kept sipping away at his tea.

"I hope they enjoy their gifts," Dunes admitted.

"Your presence is a gift."

Dunes gagged slightly, throwing Amira a look, who tried to keep her face neutral, while her eyes held the mischievous humour of her words.

"You are so annoying, Dunes."

Dunes smiled.

"I did not want to admit it, but..." Amira sighed again.

"Amira?"

"Yes?"

"I have a gift for you."

"I don't want it."

Dunes smiled wide. "If you don't want it, that's fine, but you should see it first."

"I will refuse it unless you go to meet Adam."

"Adam would not like that."

"I am certain he would."

"I am certain he would not." Dunes stood, stretching out his back, glancing across the children who were writing on the ground with the chalk the Iyr provided. 'Today is a good day for gifts.'

While Dunes was on the precipice of a new life, Vonda, too, was on the precipice on a new life.

“Suhleepy,” Jirot said, yawning as she revealed her entire maw as she yawned, her sets of double canines peeking out further. She leaned back against Vonda’s bosom, sucking against her thumb.

“Shall I take you to sleep?”

“Yes,” the girl replied, still cuddled up to the Ray of Life, who was so warm.

Little Jarot was almost fast asleep, so full of warmth within the woman’s arms. Though she was not like his greatfather, she was still warm and soft to his heart.

Vonda smiled and picked them up, ignoring the gazes of the nearby Iyrmen, before she took the twins to one side. She felt the gaze of another. “Are you sleepy too?”

“Yes,” Konarot replied, fighting off a yawn while her siblings waddled after their elder sister.

“I will take you,” Vonda said, a small smile on her face as she led the children away.

Adam sat awkwardly, watching Vonda steal his kids away. ‘I’m only going to allow it today since you played with my kids so well.’ Adam ignored the feeling of her soft lips against his own, steeling his heart against her wicked wiles. ‘Just because you’re sweet, cute, and strong, it doesn’t mean I’ll be swayed by you.’

Filliam glanced towards Adam’s red face, wondering what he was thinking about for him to have such a stupid look on his face.

“How have you been?” Adam asked.

“I’ve been fine,” Filliam replied. He wore the clothes gifted by Iyrmen, who had been funding Filliam’s work for the past few years, allowing him to create as many watches as his heart desired.

‘He’s still pretty thin,’ Adam thought, glancing down at the cloth belt, still holding a vibrant yellow even after all these years, with a repeated red swirl all across it. “I should have come to thank you before.”

“Thank me?”

“For your help with the leg.”

Filliam adjusted his tiny spectacles, two round glasses with a small triangular bridge connecting them. “Oh, it’s no bother at all.”

“If you need anything, let me know.”

“I don’t need anything. The Iyr provides for me and my work.” Filliam glanced aside awkwardly. He was able to craft as he pleased, the young tinkerer able to keep quite a few of his pieces while the Iyr made sure to take most of the watches he created as payment for their patronage. However, Filliam couldn’t help but feel there was something else he was needed for.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Either way, if you ever need something, you can always come speak with me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Filliam adjusted his glasses once more. He still thought about heading to the capital to admire its clocks, but he had no idea how long this patronage would last and wanted to milk it for all it was worth. Filliam’s eyes then fell across towards the large form of the dark skinned Prince who was no doubt the source of many of the pieces he had required from the Iyr.

“Lord Morkarai, when are you getting married?”

“I should marry within the next decade,” Lord Morkarai replied. “It may be delayed due to the war in the east.”

“How is it going?”

“This year is the year for consolidating much of our logistics. Next year, or the year after, we will begin our own counter assaults, and perhaps beyond then, I will enter the fray.”

“You’re going to fight?”

“I should enter the fray so my betrothed will know of my might.”

“I’m sure she’ll be impressed with your strength?”

“I am not certain if she will be so impressed, but she should feel reassured that I am not weak.”

“How can someone not be impressed by your strength?” Adam asked, his eyes snapping over to the Fire Giant. Even among the Iyr, he would be considered near the top.

“She is the granddaughter of the Emperor who had united several seas,” Morkarai replied, boiling his tea within his fingers before sipping the liquid which would scald those around him. “Though the land empires do not know much of the matters within the waters of our world, they are not to be ignored.”

“How strong is the Emperor?”

“I would not place him much behind Emperor Shama,” Morkarai admitted.

“And that guy’s going to be your in law?”

“Yes.”

“I suddenly like you a lot less.”

“I thought we were friends?”

“That depends. How does the Emperor feel about Shama?”

Morkarai let out a soft sigh, still not used to Adam’s audacity. “There is no good will or bad will between them. Emperor Shama rules an empire in another realm, while Emperor Moto rules the largest Undersea empire. Neither has any needs for assistance from the other, and so there is little within their relationship.”

“What about Strom? I heard he had… you know.”

“Emperor Hadda’s rampage had allowed Emperor Moto’s predecessor to take over a large swath of the Undersea land, before Emperor Moto came into power and continued the expansion.”

“That Mo…” Adam paused for a long moment. ‘I can’t just be rude to his in laws.’ “Lord Moto, how does his empire fare against all the other Undersea empires to date?”

“If it is not the greatest, it is counted among the greatest.”

“Damn…” Adam eyed up Lord Morkarai. “So you’re marrying that kind of family?”

“Yes.”

“Your fiance is a merman too, right?”

“Yes.”

“So… how does that work with children?”

“As it would between elves and humans, or devilkin and humans, or giants and humans.”

“Giant and humans?” Adam asked. “Wouldn’t that be… I’d feel sorry for any human woman, and surprised by any human man.”

Morkarai reached up to his mouth, covering it with a fist. He did his best not to let out raucous laughter after Adam’s audacity. “Yes. I would feel the same.”

“Hey, Lord Morkarai?”

“Yes?”

“We’re friends, right?”

“Yes.”

“Does that mean I get to spoil your kids too?”

“Spoil my children?”

“You know, with lots of gifts.”

“What kind of gifts.”

Adam smirked.

“Do you think your gifts could compare to mine?” Morkarai replied, his beard shifting slightly into a smirk.

“You’re their father, so there’s a limit to how many gifts you can give, if your wife is wise.”

“What of you?”

“Isn’t that why I’m not married?” Adam replied, smirking back towards the Prince. “I can give them as many gifts as I want until I’m married.”

Filliam adjusted his glasses. ‘Will I be able to speak with the Prince?’

Unfortunately for Filliam, there were many other Iyrmen ready and eager to speak with the Prince, only kept at bay by their parents for the moment.

As the hours passed, the group found themselves back in the shared estate. Adam held onto his twins, refusing to let them go. The older Jarot had also followed them, not allowing them to leave.

Gangak allowed Adam to hold them only for a short while, before she stole them away from their father. She had spoiled them rotten with desserts earlier in the day, and coaxed them with more desserts she had hidden away.

‘I’m only surrendering them because your gifts were nice,’ Adam thought, sighing as he sat beside the rest of his companions. Jaygak’s eyes were glued upon the children, while Kitool was focused on eating the light snacks before her. Adam glanced aside to Jurot and Vonda.

“You guys don’t need to be so jealous, since you’ll one day have children as cute as mine.”

“My children will be cute since I am so handsome,” Jurot joked, though his tone was as stone cold as ever.

“I hope my children are as cute as yours, Adam,” Vonda said.

Adam’s heart skipped a beat. ‘I shouldn’t tease Vonda too much, otherwise I’ll get ground to dust.’ “I’m certain that they will be.” Adam felt a chill run through his spine, glancing to the side to see Jaygak’s smirk. ‘It’s my children’s birthday, Jaygak.’

‘It is not yours,’ her eyes replied.

‘Just this once.’

‘Okay.’

“Nana, you cannot,” Lanarot said. “It is not time for eating, it is time for buhrushing teeth.”

“Just one more?” Gangak asked.

“You cannot.”

“I have some bread for you too,” Gangak offered, tearing a small piece of flat bread to bring up to the girl’s lips.

Lanarot gave up instantly. “Just this once,” the girl said, holding up a finger as she chewed her bread.

“Nano,” Jirot called, clutching the woman’s shirt with a saliva covered hand. “I love you.”

Gangak’s eyes darted down to the girl. “I love you too, my Jirot.”

“I love you too,” little Jarot said, waiting expectantly.

“I love you too.” Gangak brought the pair closer, kissing their foreheads. “If you wish to learn the sword, I will teach you.”

“I learn fuhrom babo,” little Jarot said.

“I learn the soad,” little Jirot said. “I guhrow up big and stuhrong.”

“Yes.” Gangak held the pair closer to her chest until she finally had to surrender them to allow them to sleep. She assisted in their nightly routine, while the older Jarot waited with their teethleaf. The pair also checked up on the twins’ siblings, making sure they were well taken care of too for the evening, before they finally left them be.

Adam embraced his twins, while his triplets embraced him. They all exchanged kisses, with their uncles and aunt joining in too, Murot going first since he was the youngest.

“Thank you,” Adam said, ruffling Turot and Asorot’s hair, who had always treated his children with such care.

“You must sleep well too, cousin Adam,” Turot said, hugging Adam’s arm.

‘What an adorable kid!’ Adam embraced Turot too, and did the same to Asorot, who smiled, before they finally left with their younger brothers.

“Daddy…” Jirot clutched at his shirt as she readied to sleep.

“My Jirot.”

“I am so happy.”

Adam’s heart throbbed. “I’m so happy too, my princess.” Adam planted a firm kiss on her cheek, before peppering her ears with kisses too, before doing to the same to Jarot.

“Smelly daddy, I am not Puhrincess, I am Demon Load.”

“Of course,” Adam said, embracing the pair closer, allowing them to sleep atop his chest. His chest filled with a tingling sensation as they all fell asleep together.

‘Thank you, Mother Soza, Lord Sozain. Thank you.’