“Seriously, how could you create so much work for the Iyrmen?” Adam teased, peeking towards the large form of the Prince.

“I did not realise I was so strong,” Morkarai replied, his face twitching from beneath his fiery red beard, currently accosted by a pair of goblins. He peeked a red eye open towards the half elf, pretending not to smirk as the goblins doled out their affection to the Prince.

‘On my birthday of all days!’ Adam thought, sipping his warm milk. ‘You two, how can you do this to me? I’ll forgive you just this once, since you’re so cute! Lord Morkarai, I’ll forgive you too, since you gave such good gifts.’

Pam glanced between Ray Vonda and Prince Morkarai. Her entire body remained tense, her heart light and giddy within the presence of such esteemed people. Royalty of the fire giant variety, and a Ray of Life’s Rose? ‘I still can’t believe all the stories are true.’

“Jirot, Jarot,” Adam said, his annoyance having grown too high. “You should spoil your mother today since it’s her birthday.”

The twins glanced towards their father, and while one of them smirked, the other glanced towards his mother. “Mommy?”

“That’s right, since she’s your mother, and it’s her birthday.”

Little Jarot blinked before he climbed down off the Prince, shuffling up shyly towards his mother, his twin sister following after him for once. “Mommy?”

“My Jarot?” Vonda asked, picking the little boy up, before assisting his sister up, holding the pair upon her lap.

Jarot sucked his thumb, resting his head against his mother’s bosom, while Jirot did the same, cuddling up beside the Ray.

‘Don’t worry, Vonda. Konarot will accept you soon.’ Adam let out a sigh. “I’m sorry to cause you so much trouble when you’ve just become my…” Adam paused. His heart began to pound within his chest.

Morkarai sipped the warm milk, noting how quiet Adam had become, the half elf glancing away awkwardly.

“Jurot,” Adam whispered, speaking in the Iyr’s tongue. “Vonda’s my wife now.” Adam hid his smile behind a fist.

“Yes?”

“Do you understand? My wife!”

Jurot crossed his arms, falling deep in thought. Adam was certainly thinking of something very Adam. “Pam is also my wife.” Jurot’s heart throbbed, and he understood. ‘This is Adam’s genius.’

“Should we go kill a dragon?” Adam asked.

“Yes,” Jurot replied.

Morkarai wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but it must have been something ridiculous considering the stupid look on Adam’s face.

“What are you talking about? We can’t kill a dragon! My wife’s a Ray, ya know? We should beat up a dragon instead.”

“We could request their favours for the Iyr.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s beat up a dragon and request for some favours,” Adam said, gently nodding his head, narrowing his eyes as he fell deep into thought.

“What are you speaking of so secretly?” Vonda asked, rubbing her elbow against Adam’s gently, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“We were just talking about beating up some dragons.”

“Why?” Vonda asked, her thumbs gently brushing along Jirot and Jarot’s thighs tenderly, the pair melted against the woman.

“We’re, you know… we’re…” Adam wasn’t sure how to explain it without feeling a little embarrassed.

“We are husbands now, so we should bring black glory,” Jurot stated, his eyes firmly focused on Vonda. He could feel Pam’s gaze upon him, but also Jaygak’s, the Iyrman ready to pounce on his exposed vulnerability.

‘Why are they acting so queer?’ Morkarai thought, having expected such behaviour from Adam, but not from his Iyrman brother. ‘Ah. They married for love.’ “I will need to return back to my land this year, but I intend to meet my betrothed.”

“Oh?” Adam asked. “Princess…”

History Check (Intelligence)(Untrained)

D20 + 3 = 4 (1)

“Dalia?”

“Princess Miza’tu’rea’wyz’wyl,” Morkarai corrected.

“Duchess Dalia Eastport,” Vonda added.

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “The fact I still remember it’s called Life’s Rose and not White Rose is impressive, honestly.”

“You slew Vandra, but you cannot remember names?” Morkarai asked.

“Who?” Adam joked, smirking slightly. He wasn’t smirking at his joke, but rather the fact he mentioned that particular dragon in relation to his betrothed. “Princess Miza, eh? You know, I’ve got a little business with the mermen myself.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“You have business with the mermen?”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“No,” Morkarai replied firmly. “I have enough of your secrets to keep without learning any more.” ‘It’s enough for me to know about the gem within the Iyr’s possession.’

“Alright, well… how about the original members of Fate’s Golden accompany you? A Prince like you, you probably need an escort to keep up appearances or something, right? Who better than a group of Iyrman, and me?”

“It sounds fine to me.”

“Wait, Vonda, do you want to come with?” Adam asked. “We’re newly weds, so we should spend the time together. It can be our honeymoon.”

“Honeymoon?”

“Yeah, when two people get married, they go on holiday and have fun together.”

Vonda flushed. “What kind of fun?”

“Seeing the sights, eating delicious foods. I don’t know, in this world, land, hunting dragons might be a part of it.”

“If we travel by ship, we may come across a dragon,” Morkarai informed, recalling how many times he had met dragons, and outside of his royal duties, they had often been whilst on a ship.

“I would prefer it if we didn’t hunt dragons, but I would enjoy going with you.”

“Going?” Jirot asked.

“We’ll be going later,” Adam reassured, brushing his daughter’s hair. “Let’s play a lot before we go.”

“I am going too?”

“Well, it’s a little dangerous.”

“Daddy! I daynjuhrus too.” The girl sat up from her mother’s bosom and flexed her muscles. “I am Demon Load.”

“Right, right, but you need to stay here and look after your brothers, right?”

“Jaroh come too.”

“What about Laroh.”

“Laroh come too.”

“Laroh is too young.”

“Laroh is not young, Laroh is my papa,” the girl refuted.

“He is your papa and he’s too young.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No!”

“Jirot,” Sonarot called. “Larot is too young to leave.”

“Daddy, Laroh is too young to leave,” Jirot said, wagging her finger at her father.

“Of course, you’re right.”

“Yes,” Jirot replied, a smug smile painting her mischievous face.

“Since Jirot can’t go, I’ll go,” Lucy said from the corner. Like Jaygak, she was red skinned, though her red skin was more like sanguine, fresh blood, rather than the fiery skin of the Iyrman. The demon’s forehead was bare too, betraying how she was no Iyrman, like Adam.

“Won’t you feel reassured that a Demon Lord is escorting you?” Adam joked.

“What?” Pam finally spoke up.

“What?” Adam asked.

“A Demon Lord?”

“…” Adam threw a look towards his brother. “Jurot. You told her, didn’t you?”

“…” Jurot’s ears turned red. “We were… busy.”

“It may become complicated if I travel with a Demon Lord,” Morkarai said. “Even we were affected during the Demonic Devastation.”

“Yeah, but she’s not one of them, she’s a different Demon Lord,” Adam said.

“She’s really a Demon Lord?” Pam asked, her eyes darting towards Jurot.

“She is.”

Pam reached up to her forehead, leaning up against her husband. “You said you had secrets to tell me, but I didn’t expect that.”

“It is one of many secrets,” Jurot said. “Lucy is being trained by grandmother. She is not a danger to you.”

Pam side eyed the Demon Lord, unsure of how to feel. She had grown up hearing stories of the Iyrmen, and though some of them were nightmare worthy, they weren’t anything compared to the stories of the Demonic Devastation which had killed tens of thousands of Aldishmen.

“Don’t worry, we’re not stupid enough to act up,” Adam assured.

‘Why are you including yourself in that?’ Pam thought, letting out a sigh. ‘Five thousand gold…’ The sweet taste of gold calmed her heart.

“If Adam isn’t stupid enough to pick a fight with the Iyr, then I’m definitely not stupid enough for that,” Lucy said.

“You are not stupid,” Mara confirmed, sitting up even taller, smiling politely towards Jurot, who had threatened her liege.

“See? Mara, stop it.”

Mara relaxed slightly, though she still sent out pressure towards Jurot, who sent back his own pressure.

“If you two keep acting like this, I’ll have Jirot tell you off,” Adam warned.

The pair pulled away their pressure from one another, noting Jirot’s gaze upon them, the girl with her brows raised expectantly. “So smelly.” Jirot glanced up towards her mother to see if she was in trouble, before cackling once more.

“The Iyr is a wonderful place, but I miss my mikir. It is delicious, especially upon panila.”

“Is panila bread?” Adam asked.

“A bread like food.”

“What’s it like?”

“It is a thick, fluffy flat bread. You can eat it by itself, or you can use it to dip into other food, or use it as a vessel for meat.”

“Just meat?”

“You would not eat panila with vegetables,” Morkarai replied, as though the thought of it was so ridiculous.

“Why not?”

“You would not use panila with vegetables, that is for paniya.”

“I don’t know what that is, but I’m sure it’s delicious.”

“It is. I will prepare some for when you visit.”

“Who knows? Maybe we can swing by in a few years, though I’m not sure if my kids will be old enough.”

“You should be careful bringing your children,” Morkarai said, his eyes falling to the triplets, who lazed nearby, their silver tails swaying.

“Oh yeah?” Adam asked.

Morkarai fell silent for a long moment, before glancing towards the rest of those around him. He was surrounded by Iyrmen, and a few of Adam’s closest companions. It was Pam who caused him to pause most, since she did not seem privy to many of Adam’s secrets. “The scent of the Talia family is well known. It will cling to you for some time even after you leave the Iyr, but to bring them with you…”

Adam sighed. ‘I guess he does have a point.’

“Even when you grow more powerful, it will hound you, and the Talia family may not allow for the children to be used against them.”

“Whether they allow it or not, it doesn’t matter,” Adam stated, his voice growing dark. Jurot also sat up taller, his arms crossed.

Morkarai bowed his head, saying no more. He had no doubt Adam would do his utmost to protect his children, and within the Iyr, the children were as safe as any other child of the Iyr. “You will need to consider growing your reputation if you wish to protect them.”

“My reputation?”

“You slew Vandra, but it was with the assistance of many.”

“So what you’re telling me is that I really should have beat up the First Hope?”

“Adam!” Vonda gasped, causing Jirot to cover her mouth in surprise too, unsure of what was happening.

Pam’s eyes darted from the half elf to her husband, her eyes firmly glued into the side of his skull. ‘What?’

“I let him go, didn’t I?”

The older Jarot smirked, doing his best to remain at bay, though his laughter soon broke through the air, causing the twins to laugh, before the other children around joined in.

“Jurot, how much haven’t you told me?” Pam asked.

“There is much to speak of.”

Pam had heard the tale a few times already, though Jurot had glazed over a few, important details it seemed. ‘Demon Lords. Beating the First Hope…’ Pam slowly understood why Adam included himself in the same breath as a Demon Lord.

“When do you plan to leave?” Adam asked, trying to change the topic.

“I plan to leave at the end of this month.”

“Can we, by any chance, delay it until the second of next month or so?”

“You wish to…” Morkarai’s brain lit up as the forge began to work within his mind, gathering the reason why Adam wanted to wait until after the first day of the second month. “I can wait.”

“This is why we’re friends, Lord Morkarai, even if you are a Prince,” Adam said.

“I am glad that the Iyr has decided to let you live,” Morkarai replied.

“Damn,” Adam whispered, reaching up to his heart. “It hurts because it’s too real.”

Adam had no idea in a few moments he would feel a greater pain within his heart.