Chapter 50 - Divine Rings

Two pairs of tiny little steps sounded out from the hallway, together with children's laughter. They burst through the door to the living room with tiny wooden swords in their hands.

“Mommy! Laise found a froggy!” the red-haired boy announced, pointing at his companion.

Lilly furrowed her brows and looked at the little elven girl proudly holding a little green frog in her hands. “Yes, it’s very cute, but you shouldn’t bother the little frog like that, Eolaise. Take it back to the palace you found it so it can get back home, alright?”

The pointy ears fell slightly as the girl tried looking sad, looking straight at Lilly with her big brown eyes.

Luckily, Lilly had gained resistance to those eyes, so she managed to keep her strict tone. “Don’t try that on me, young lady. That only works on your parents, which is why you already have two cats and a rabbit. Frogs aren’t pets, okay?”

Now the girl actually looked sad, but she reluctantly accepted the order. “Yes, Aunt Lilly.”

Lilly nodded and gently stroked Eolaise’s hair, perking her right up again. “Good girl! You will have to do it on your own, though. Ed and I are going to the big house soon. Do you think you can do that?”

The girl nodded with determination in her eyes. “I can do it! I am the oldest one, after all!”

The boy, Ed, seemed unhappy about that. “But I wanna go visit Aunt Elly, Mommy!”

“You’ll have to wait until tomorrow, Ed. We’re receiving guests today, you know. Quite important ones, even.”

Ed didn’t look convinced and instead turned to run back to the hallway and up the stairs. “Mom, are you here?”

Lily sighed, knowing he was looking for the nice parent to get things his way. “You should go now, Laise. Put Mister Frog back where you found him and then go straight home, okay? And make sure to keep your bracelet on.”

She nodded and ran off, not bothering to say goodbye. She rarely did since they lived as close together as they did. Lilly sighed, tired of being the only somewhat strict parent in the two households.

The amulet on her chest gave a sound for the first time in a while. ‘It’s surprising to me that you turned out to be the strict one, Lilly. Eolande showed early signs of being a pushover toward her kids, but I thought at least Mia could say no sometimes.’

‘Yeah… Well, we kind of figured I would fit the role best, what with all the fame and glory and stuff. I’m hoping it makes it easier to keep their respect as they grow,” Lilly replied, recalling the conversation she and Mia had at one point.

It had turned out for the best since she did seem to fit the role well. Much like her own mother, Lilly realized. She had also been the strict one of the two, but she had still managed to be the kind and loving mother any child should have.

This time, two sets of steps were coming down the stairs, one much heavier than the other. A grumpy Ed showed up first, clearly having received no more help from Mia in his appeal for more playtime.

“You ready to leave, Lilly?” Mia asked, looking through the door with a little girl in her hands. She had dressed in one of her finer dresses, ready for the grand visitors to arrive.

“I’m ready, honeybun!” Lilly said in an overly loving voice.

Then let’s go, my little snuggle-melon,” Mia replied in the same voice.

Ed made a sound of disgust and ran out of the house, making Lilly and Mia laugh.

“Kath looks so cute in that new dress!” Lilly said as she lightly tickled the little girl, making her cheery laugh sound out. None of their kids had escaped the red-haired gene so far, and Lilly suspected none of them would. If they chose to have more.

“She really does! It goes so well with her blue eyes,” Mia replied, lightly bouncing her up and down in her arms. Mia had gotten very good at controlling her strength, but she was very nervous the first time she held Ed, years ago at this point.

The family all left the house and started walking down the street. Eolande was standing in the doorway of her home with her hands folded, smiling at them. “Say hello to the Queen for me, will you? I’m keeping her general here for a few more months.”

“I’ll be sure to let her know, Elly! When she returns, you might want to wash Laise’s hands; she caught a frog. Luckily for you, I was there to stop her from getting a new pet.”

“Psh, you don’t think I could have refused? I refuse plenty of things!” Eolande replied, looking oddly proud of her statement.

“I doubt it; she made the doe-eyed face again. You should teach her to be more like her dad. Otherwise, she’ll become a dangerous girl in the future.”

A slight sigh of defeat escaped Eolande before she replied, “She does take after her mother a bit too much, I’ll admit. Let’s hope she looks more at her sister in the future.” She pointed at Lilly with a grin.

“We agreed that we would both be called aunt, right? If you call me her sister, it will confuse all the kids.”

“Fine ‘sis,’ have a nice trip!” Eolande replied as she waved them off and went back inside her house.

Not long after, they all arrived at the nicer part of the city, filled with mansions and luxurious gardens. As they walked past Selene’s house, Lilly wondered if she would see any sign of the budding family.

Sure enough, Selene came running to the gate as soon as they came near. She must have been looking for them since she knew they would be coming here today, and once they were possible to spot, she had obviously seen them.

“Hey, everyone! Going to the mansion?” Selene asked, leaning against the gate. Her wounds had healed well after the war, but scars could still be seen on most of her body. Neither she nor Rantas seemed to mind them, though.

Ed hid behind Lilly, peeking out behind her to steal glances at the scary lady. It wasn’t their first meeting, but Selene had a certain imposing disposition that might frighten children, and her scars didn’t help.

Lilly chuckled lightly at his actions before turning back to Selene. “Yeah, an old friend is visiting, as you might know. How are… things?” she asked, looking at Selene’s perfectly flat stomach.

Selene had a bitter expression as she shook her head. “We’ve… asked for help now. The doctor said it should be possible, so we’re not giving up hope. One would think it would be easier for us than for you two, but such is life,” she said, smiling through the slight bitterness.

Lilly gave her an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry too much about it, Selene. With the wonders of alchemy, you can still try it for many years! It’s good that there wasn’t any damage from the war causing it, at least.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Selene sighed, looking back at her house. Rantas was nowhere to be seen, but he wasn’t the most social person in the first place. “Send my regards to Queen Adelia, then! I won’t keep you.”

“We will! See you later, Selene!” Lilly replied, waving along with Mia.

They kept walking a bit further, ending up next to the largest mansion in the street. It was one of many gifts they had received from Adelia after the war and one of few they couldn’t turn down.

White marble pillars and sculptures decorated the entrance, leading to a grand entrance in red and gold. A red carpet stretched all the way to the street, with guards standing on each side every few meters.

Lilly sighed, struggling to understand the point of the guards. Everything else as well, but especially them. No one they could fight could harm anyone Lilly cared about. She had made sure of that by using her enchantments.

They all walked inside, nodding to the butler who held the door for them. Ed eagerly looked around the house and all the decorations, seeming eager to run around and cause havoc.

“Mommy, why can’t we live in the big house all the time?” he asked, pulling Lilly’s skirt.

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Lilly bent down to his level and stroked his head gently, hoping he would believe her. “Sorry dear, this house is only open every other Sunday.”

“Oh, okay,” Ed replied, easily convinced. Mia had to suppress a laugh with a light cough.

He was still very trusting and naive, so Lilly felt justified in tricking him on occasion. Not everyone would be as lucky as she had been with her trust. “Besides, if we moved here, it would be much harder to visit Eolaise, right?”

He thought about it for a second before nodding. “That’s true, it would be a long walk to walk.”

A sigh of relief escaped her as Lilly turned to the grand hall on the left side of the house. “You can go in there to play, but don’t break anything, okay?”

He ran off without making any promises, but Lilly figured it would be fine. The boy rarely played with anything that looked expensive, and in this house, everything did.

“Every other Sunday, huh?” Mia asked with a smile.

“I figured it was too early to explain why we prefer a small house,” Lilly responded with a shrug.

She stepped outside to look at the sun, making an estimate of the time. “They should be here pretty soon. Let’s go sit down in the lounge while we wait.”

“Isn’t that them over there?” Mia asked, pointing down the street at a majestic white carriage being pulled by two unicorns.

“... Did they teleport the entire carriage? When did they get so… pompous?” Lilly wondered aloud, imagining the effort it would have taken just to show off in the street.

“You don’t think they traveled? That seems more likely.”

“What, just to visit us? They’re busy people, you know. I doubt they would bother… Unless…” A thought struck her, giving a possible explanation. But she would have to wait and see.

The carriage stopped next to their gate, and the beautiful queen could soon be seen, followed by her handsome prince consort. They smiled as they spotted the three in the doorway, and Adelia started running toward them.

Claude looked pained by her antics being shown to so many guards, but he restrained himself and followed after at a slower pace.

“Lilly!” Adelia yelled as she ran up to her and hugged her. Then, she did the same to Mia, kissing little Kath on her forehead as she lay in Mia’s arms. Her little face looked confused as she stared at the blonde lady, unable to recognize her.

“It’s so good to see you again! You’re not visiting nearly enough! But I guess I get it, considering the family.”

“Well, we have been a bit busy. It’s not so easy when teleporting isn’t an option… As you might know?” Lilly asked, raising an eyebrow.

Adelia looked around for a bit before putting a finger to her lips. She whispered excitedly, “It’s supposed to be a secret, but you’re right!”

“Aah! That’s amazing!” Lilly whispered, trying to hide her excitement and failing. She pulled her in for another hug, overjoyed by the good news.

Teleporting was dangerous during pregnancies, which was why Lilly had deduced the reason they had arrived by carriage. They had really traveled the entire way from Eldhaven.

“Claude, good job!” Lilly said as he arrived, giving him a thumbs up.

He blushed and cleared his throat, “Yes, thanks. It’s good to see you all.”

“Claude, good job!” Adelia repeated, also giving him a thumbs up.

He was unable to respond, turning a shade darker red. “... Could we talk about something else?

Adelia seemed to enjoy teasing him, and Lilly could see the appeal. “Honestly, though, congratulations to both of you. And welcome to the mansion you built us!”

Claude nodded in thanks and looked around the entrance, seeming impressed by the grandeur. “I’m guessing that giant portrait of you was Adelia’s idea, Lilly?”

“Haah, yeah. Mia won’t let me take it down either,” Lilly responded, looking up at the painting above the stairs. It was the centerpiece of the entrance hall, impossible to miss. “I’m planning to commission a painting of the entire family to hang there instead since that was the only thing she would let me swap it with.”

“It’s an acceptable offer. I wanted to hang that one in our bedroom, but we can’t all get what we want,” Mia replied, smiling. “Hey, Ed, come greet the guests!”

He wasn’t as far away as they thought, as they saw him peeking out from behind the doorway, nervous about meeting the guests.

Lily bent down to talk to him. “Ed, don’t you remember Aunt Adelia? The crazy lady that visited us last year?” she said, trying to help him remember.

She felt Adelia staring at her after she said that, but she remained quiet, probably hoping that Ed would come to greet her on his own.

“Oh, when she climbed on top of the table?” Ed asked, looking at the queen while tilting his head.

“Yeah, that’s her! Come here and give her a hug!”

He hesitated but eventually ran into Adelia’s arms, letting her lift him up and give him a proper hug. “Ahh, you’ve grown so much, Ed! I can tell you’re good at eating your food.”

“Uh huh, I always eat all my food!” Ed replied. The nervous look he sent to both his mothers behind Adelia’s back let them know he knew that wasn’t entirely true, but they both found it too funny to correct him.

Lilly clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. “Let’s go to the lounge, everyone! We’ve got tea and cookies ready to be served!”

Ed started moving around as soon as he heard cookies mentioned, wanting to get down on the floor again. Adelia chuckled and let him go, watching him run to the next room.

“Haaah, I can’t wait. I am quite nervous, but that’s very normal, I’ve been told.”

“Oh, nerves are unavoidable, especially with the first one,” Mia replied, looking down at Kath. “But nothing is more precious… Lilly will take the next one, though,” she said firmly.

“But you’re used to it now!” Lilly protested nervously. She knew it was more than fair but feared that her small size would make it problematic. Ed had not been a small child.

Mia sighed, ending with a chuckle. “We’ll see, there’s no hurry. Let’s taste these cookies you’ve ordered.”

“Aww, you didn’t bake them, Lilly?” Adelia asked, clearly disappointed.

“Sorry, Adelia. They should still be halfway decent; I know the baker.”

“Oh well. You better not lose your grip, though! Your baking is wonderful!”

“Oh no, I still bake a couple of breads every day,” Lilly replied, thinking of her daily ritual. She had stopped bringing them to the graves every time, but there would always be fresh bread in front of their shrines in the kitchen.

Lilly stood alone on the mansion's balcony, looking at the full moon. A slight sense of anxiety followed every time the moon showed its full form, at least when she didn’t use it for enchanting. It felt like a waste.

She looked down at the amulet in her hand, recalling all the memories from when she first received the vermilion flame. ‘I won’t be able to talk to you anymore once the flame passes, will I?’

‘... No, that will be the end of it. It usually takes a while, so we have some years left. Besides, we’ll see each other again once you get over here. I know some people that are really looking forward to that.’

Lilly smiled while thinking of the people she had lost and the thought of reuniting. ‘The last time I saw Mom in a dream, Ed was there as well. She couldn’t stop hugging him and crying…’ Lilly sighed heavily. ‘I really wish things had been different sometimes.’

‘I understand how you feel,’ Myndia replied, and Lilly trusted that she did. ‘Hey, if you want to keep the flame for yourself, you can always teach the kids that justice and peace are stupid.’

‘Hah, no, I’m happy passing it on. It usually passes to women, right?’

‘Usually, but it’s not like a rule. Ed can be lucky and mature faster than his sister. Well, lucky, depending on how you see it.’

‘... I wouldn’t mind if neither of them had to carry that burden. Well, it has been heavy at times, but I’m grateful for what it has given me in the end...’

She thought of all the people she never would have met without it and how the bonds she did have might have changed. Would Mia ever make the first move? Would Eolande ever get close to her? Would the future queen even know she existed?

“Standing here all by yourself, My Lady?” Mia asked, coming up behind her. She hugged Lilly from behind, joining her in watching the moon.

“Not entirely, but I don’t mind some more company,” Lilly replied, leaning her head back against Mia’s shoulder.

“Oh, does Myndia have any words of wisdom tonight?”

“Just some rambling about the future, nothing important. Well, other than who might get the flame.”

“Right… You don’t think the special circumstances around their birth will have any effect?”

“... No? The chances might increase if I carry them in my body, but it shouldn’t be necessary. Why, do you want to start on the next one already?”

“How did you get to that conclusion? I’m very good with waiting, thank you. Just because you want to use those potions again doesn’t mean we should be irresponsible.”

“Hey now, don’t go throwing around accusations! They’re just a bit of extra fun, and I know you enjoy them too.”

“I guess we’re both deviants, then,” Mia said, tightening her grip. “... Do you wanna touch rings?” she asked, holding her left hand out.

Lilly smiled, putting her own hand in hers, letting the divine luminite rings touch.

A wave of warm and loving emotions rushed through her, followed by a slight touch of fear and light relief.

“I don’t understand that relief you’re sending over every time. Are you still questioning my love for you?” Lilly asked tenderly, nearly whispering.

“I’m not, but I think my brain is too used to it. It’s ingrained at this point. Which is why this helps me so much.”

“... And the fear?”

“... Everything is too great, don’t you think? Things can only go down from here, and I can’t help but think about it. I don’t know how or why because I think we have control over almost everything, but still…”

Lilly understood her worry. Nothing that could realistically happen would increase her happiness much, but things could easily go the other way.

“Well, whatever happens, as long as we have these rings, we’ll be together, Mia. I love you.”

Mia needed a moment to collect herself once the rings separated. She kissed Lilly on her cheek before responding, “I love you too, Lilly.”