Morkarai let out a sigh of relief beyond the estate, leaning back in his chair. He reached up to his eyes, rubbing around them gently, massaging away the stress. ‘Kazadin will poke fun at me if I return with so many wrinkles.’

‘Is he that relieved for someone else’s child?’ Jasmine thought, eyeing up the Prince. ‘He said he felt guilty about a mistake he had made, but even so…’

In the estate, Vonda offered Adam to hold his daughter.

“How can I?” Adam said, though his hands had already betrayed him, and he held the girl, supporting her neck with a hand. Just like Jirot and Jarot had been, she was so tiny. So light. So fragile.

The girl squirmed slightly, hacking lightly. He held her as though she were made of the most brittle clay in the world. He almost shook, feeling the sudden swirl of emotions, the burning within his eyes, the rush within his heart, the flashes of warmth and joy within his body.

“Oh,” Adam whispered. “My girl. Look at you. Oh how cute you are. Why do you have to be born so cute? This is all your mother’s fault, how can she do this to me?” Adam wanted to crush her in his affection, but he restrained himself. His eyes fell to Jurot, who stared at his little boy.

‘Small. Ugly.’ Jurot remained silent, lost within his thoughts, the boy within his mother’s arms. ‘…’

“What an adorable little boy,” Adam said. “What’s his name?”

“Damrot.”

“Dam, son of Pam,” Adam joked. “How cute.”

“Virot is a good name,” Jurot said. “Virot, who fought back…” Jurot thought deeply, but he could barely recall the story. ‘Virot…’

“Virot, because her mother is Vonda, and her sisters are similar,” Adam said, before pausing. “Hold on, Vonarot is pretty good too.”

Vonda smiled. “Virot is a good name.”

“Yeah, Virot is the best name.” Adam stared down at his tiny girl again, whose eyes were shut tight, refusing to even acknowledge the world. “They were both born on the same day. Tenth of the tenth.”

“Yes…” Jurot remained staring at his boy.

“Doesn’t that mean they’re twins? How cute. How cute, these little children of ours. How can they do this? I love them so much already. How can they do this?”

Jurot understood that Adam was holding himself back, but his thoughts remained focused on the babies. ‘They look just like Lanarot.’ He remembered when Lanarot was born, she was so small, so fragile, so ugly too. “Cutest In The Whole World.”

“That’s right!” Adam almost exclaimed.

“Cirot, Sirot, watch over them,” Sonarot said, the young Iyrmen standing proudly, at the ready to assist watching over them that day. “You should rest tonight, my daughters.”

Pam raised her brows in surprise at the woman’s words, glancing aside to Jurot, who didn’t seem to react. ‘It’s an Iyrman thing, but…’

Vonda remained silent, her eyes flashing with surprise for a moment, having not expected the woman to call her daughter so outright. That was when her eyes snapped aside to Adam, who seemed to be ignoring the embarrassing phrase, but also lamenting on the fact he had to give up his daughter so soon.

“Thank you,” Pam said, still unable to call the woman mother.

“Yes. Thank you.” Vonda let out a sigh.

Adam held his wife’s hand, brushing it gently, while hearing Jirot threaten her aunts.

“Is my kaka and my kaza!” Jirot said, holding out her finger. “You are looking after good, okay?”

“Okay,” the twins replied.

“Okay,” Jirot said, leaving it at that, though she followed the women.

“You must stay behind.”

“No! I am kaka!”

“You must stay behind because you are the kaka.”

Jirot blinked. “I stay behind. I am kaka.” The girl stepped after them for a moment, but she stopped. ‘I stay behind. I am kaka.’ The girl looked aside. ‘Hmph. I am kaka.’ She crossed her hands behind her back and walked, deep in thought. ‘I am kaka.’

‘Eh?’ Adam thought. ‘Isn’t this bad? Aren’t my kids too cute? What am I saying? They have to be this cute, since I’m so stupid.’

As Adam made the joke for the umpteenth time that year, the old one armed Iyrman remained sitting outside, having seen the children as they had left the estate. ‘They were born healthy. Good.’

The children gathered around Adam, even Jirot, who had long forgotten what she was contemplating so deeply.

“You! You all understand, right? You cannot bully them, since they’re so young, your little sister and cousin. You have to love them as much as you can, you understand?”

“Yes!” the children replied excitedly.

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“No bully!” Jirot confirmed.

“Jirot, do you understand?”

“I understand,” the girl replied, puffing out her chest.

“Konarot…” Adam brushed the girl’s hair. “You’re the eldest.” Adam picked her up and kissed her cheek. “You need to watch over her too.”

“Okay…” The girl’s tail swayed gently.

“Daddy, Virot is not green?”

“No.”

“Is okay. I love Virot even if she is not green. I love her so much, daddy, so much.” The girl let out a sigh, as though she were burdened by the love she held.

“Virot is… she’s our daughter. She’s the daughter of… mummy and daddy, just like you, Jirot, just like you, Kirot, and just like you, Konarot.”

“Yes!” the children replied, all but Konarot, who remained silent.

“Lanarot, come here,” Adam called, the girl rushing up to her brother’s side. “Damrot is your nephew, just like Karot, Jarot, and Larot, do you understand?”

“Yes! Damrot is papa’s son! Virot is papa’s daughter!”

“Right.” Adam held her. “You need to watch over them as their kako, yeah?”

“Yes.” Lanarot reached up to pat her brother’s shoulder. “I give them bread.”

“Exactly.” Adam poked her nose. “Not right now, though, since they are too young.”

“Too young?”

“Too small. When they are bigger, okay?”

“Okay.”

Vonda and Pam remained within their makeshift beds, completely drained.

“Can I heal you both with magic?” Adam asked, realising that they probably were harmed through the process.

“You may,” Vonda said, holding out her hand.

Lay on Hands: 35 -> 25

The warmth filled through him into his wife as their intertwined fingers. He smiled towards his wife, before coming back to reality. He held out his hand to Pam, who reached out to allow him to hold her hand, sending warmth through her.

Lay on Hands: 25 -> 15

It was already late in the evening once the women had given birth, and they were taken aside to sleep by themselves to complete a full rest. Adam helped his children with their nightly routine, and he waited for them to sleep, before stepping out into the night sky. He could feel the tingle through his entire body as he walked, until he found another fellow walking in the dark.

“Is Lanababy asleep?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah…” Adam sat down beside his brother.

“I have a strange feeling. “Jurot remained staring at the sky. “He is my son, but I hold… a vagueness within my heart. I… do not feel the same way you do about your children. I do not feel the same way about my own son that I do for my own sister.”

“There will come a day, Jurot. A day where you’ll gain this dread, eternal dread, about your children. You’ll gain it and you’ll realise, ah, if it came to it, you would go against even the Divine.”

“Would you face even Baktu?”

“Yeah.”

“I do not know.”

“You don’t have to worry, I know your relationship with Baktu.” Adam reached up to pat Jurot’s arm. “If it comes down to it, I’ll go for our little Damrot.”

Though Adam was obviously joking, Jurot could feel the burning in his eyes, the shame in his throat, and the relief within his heart. “Thank you, Adam.”

“Any time,” Adam replied, staring up at the night sky. He glanced to the side, noting how hard Jurot was thinking. “Jurot?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t have to worry. Be the dad you want to be. I’m sure, if it’s you, he’ll be just fine. I’ll spoil your kid for you.” Adam smiled wider.

“I worry. I will not be a good father.”

“You’ll be the best.”

Jurot glanced towards Adam, unable to hide the doubt in his eyes. “How do you know?”

“If you’re even half the father that you are a brother, you’ll be a great father,” Adam assured.

Jurot wondered if he was a good brother. There was a time when he felt he wasn’t. There was a time when he felt he was. “Thank you, Adam.”

“Any time.”

The next morning, it began.

“Make sure you all greet the Little Bosses today,” Adam said, having taken over the morning, with the newborn children within their mother’s arms. “One day they’ll be a part of the business, as Executives. You might be thinking that it’s nepotism, and you’d be absolutely right! However, I’ll make sure they’re good enough, so don’t you worry.”

The air was light, the business relieved to see Adam in such high spirits after how long he had been swallowed by darkness.

“No, what am I saying? They’ll stay small and cute forever.”

Though Adam’s cringe was heavy upon the air, they forgave him, just this once.

‘Seven children,’ Adam thought. ‘Seven…’ Adam remained beside Vonda, who put their youngest to sleep, and allowed Cirot to watch over her. “You need to take the month off, same with Pam. It’s required by the business, the same as Amira, and the others. Understand?”

“I understand,” Vonda replied, holding his hand. “I will need to train once I am rested. I feel I have grown weaker.” ‘And…’ Vonda didn’t want to admit it, but the heaviness that had taken her body, which had once been rather lean, had worn her spirits down.

Adam continued to hold her hand, rubbing her knuckles. “What do you want for our baby girl? What do you want her to become?”

“I wish for her to become a Priest.”

“If she wants to, she can. If she doesn’t?”

“I will not restrict her.”

Adam leaned in, nuzzling against her neck, before wrapped an arm around his wife. “If there’s anything you need, don’t be afraid to ask, alright?”

“I know.”

Adam smiled. “Damrot is so cute too, isn’t he?”

“He is.”

“Ranya. Merry…” Adam tutted. “These kids, they think because they’re so cute, I’ll spoil them. They’re right, but still, they should show me mercy, shouldn’t they?”

Vonda smiled, squeezing his hand, allowing Adam to rant to her, while she rested against her husband.

Lord Morkarai met with Adam, pouring him a drink. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m glad she is born with such great health,” Morkarai said, smiling, the guilt a shadow upon his face.

“Yeah,” Adam replied. The half elf smiled, reaching over to pat the Prince’s knee, before the pair drank together. “Are you heading back soon?”

“Soon,” Morkarai confirmed. “I should begin my journey before the month passes.”

“Stay until the end of the month at least! You need to see how adorable my kids are, and I know you guys take a while to gather information!”

Morkarai smiled, letting out a soft sigh. “I will do just that. I will journey home, and within a few years, I shall send an appropriate gift for your daughter. For…” For a moment, Morkarai wondered if he was allowed to say her name. “For Virot.”

“A gift?” Adam asked, also noting how he hesitated for saying Virot’s name, but he poured the giant another drink.

Morkarai smirked, not allowing his guilt to slip him up in that regard, since they were different matters.

“Are you keeping me in suspense?” Adam asked, glaring at the Prince playfully.

“I am certain it will not displease you.”

“I’m sure,” Adam replied, chuckling. He sipped his wine, narrowing his eyes. “It can’t be too good, though. You can’t outshine me, since I’m her father.”

“How can I outshine you? It will be great, but it will be just one gift, when you will spoil her many times, and certainly with greater gifts.”

“What slick words… you really are a Prince!” Adam poured the fire giant another drink, laughing.

Morkarai chuckled, the pair conversing for some time, before Morkarai finally asked. “Will you watch over Jasmine?”

“Are you asking me to do it?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

“Do you wish to know more?”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Yes.”

“Then don’t tell me. I want the plausible deniability, just in case.”

“I will inform her of the good news.”

While the Prince and Adam chat away, Jaygak lay on the wall, staring up at the sky. ‘She has such lovely ears, but shouldn’t she have horns?’

“Jaygak…” Kitool said from the shadows.

“I’m allowed to, since my niece was just born!”

Kitool allowed her to think her stupid thoughts.