Zuri sat on the couch with their legs draped over the lap of a slim black man with bleached blond dreads and brown eyes. The three teenagers sat on a separate couch across from the couple.

“Your name is Huit?” Pepin asked, looking the dreaded man up and down with a quizzical brow.

He chuckled. “Yup. You think it’s funny?”

“Yeah,” Emelri cut in, dead serious.

He made a face then laughed, and Emelri and Pepin joined him. Toulou sat silent and aloof with their arms folded between the gigglers.

Zuri frowned. “Listen here, you little shits—”

“It’s a bit odd,” Huit cut them off good naturedly, “but I like it. I chose it after all.”

Emelri’s jaw dropped. “You can do that?”

He bit back another laugh. “Yup.”

“Oh, I actually really like it, now that I’m thinking about it. I want to change my name when I get older too. I’ll be Neuf!”

Zuri rolled their eyes.

“That’d be great,” Huit mused. “I definitely think you should do it.”

“So, what was your old name then?”

There was dead silence. Everyone looked at her apprehensively like she’d just sprouted worms from her ears.

Her eyes flicked from left to right. “W-what? What’d I say?”

Luckily, Adrian and Andre entered the kitchen through the back door, breaking the tension. Pepin stood in excitement, his black curls bouncing as he did. “Adrian, can I help?” he asked softly after disappearing into the other room. “I really like cooking,” she heard him add.

“He really does,” Toulou said matter-of-factly, nodding their head slowly.

“Oh!” Emelri sprung up as well. “I wanna watch!”

Entering the kitchen, she sat at the counter, observing as Andre and Adrian started preparations for breakfast. Pepin hovered eagerly.

“Of course, you can help—” Adrian began, then cut himself off when he saw Andre’s expression. “Well, how about I let him at least do the vegetables?” The black man’s eyes narrowed, and Adrian put a hand on his hip. “I’ll supervise the whole time.”

“Fine,” he said grumpily, “but if I find my knives dull later...”

“I have excellent slicing technique.” Pepin chimed in.

Andre considered him. “That so?”

He nodded enthusiastically. “I made those cheese filled pastries my mom gave you in Lacot.”

“Oh, really?” He gave an approving nod. “I remember, those were very good. I had very few complaints about them.”

“So, you’ll let me help?”

“Mm,” he hesitated for a moment, “sure, but listen to everything Adrian tells you, you hear me?”

Pepin threw his head up and down energetically with a smile, stepping up next to the blond man.

Adrian grinned, taking out several vegetables from the cupboard. “Let’s start with onions.” He set the red things down on a cutting board in front of Pepin, then handed him a large knife. “Mind your fingers, okay?”

“I know.” He took the knife confidently in his hand and quickly diced up the onions.

“Hey, that’s it! You’re a natural. Oh, while you’re there, can you pass me the...” He stared at something across from him on Pepin’s side of the counter and frowned. “Tsk, what’s it in Venish? I swear I’m fluent. The wooden thing you stir things with.”

Pepin glanced over at the spoon he was referring to and giggled, saying the correct word in Venish.

“Yes, thank you.”

“It’s a very different word in Elden,” Pepin said good naturedly, handing it over. “I can see the confusion.”

“I know right?” He put a hand to his hip, grinning. “I say, it’s nice to have another Elden speaker around.”

Emelri was surprised to hear Elden come out of the boy’s mouth, but not as surprised as hearing him talk at all. If she could understand, she’d hear Pepin ask, “Do you miss the castle?”

Adrian blinked as he added some spices to the pot on the stove and began stirring. “Not really. I prefer New Minoka. Everything I love and care about is here.”

“I want to go to Nebrasia.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“'Seems like a cool place, and I could speak Elden. I’ve heard they have big pretty horses there too. I want to ride one.”

“Oh, yes, there’re lots of horses, especially at the castle. We could take you there sometime if you want.”

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Pepin whipped his head of curly hair to the side to look at him.

“Oi! Eyes on your task when you’ve got a knife,” Andre barked, and Pepin quickly went back to slicing, his eyes down.

He didn’t look any less flabbergasted though. “Y-you’d take me?” he squeaked.

Adrian chuckled. “Sure. My brother loves having people over. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, and even if he did, well, he’d just have to deal with it.”

“Isn’t your brother King Antoine?”

“That’s right. He took the throne after me.”

“Mother always told us stories about Gabrielle and her adventures.” He thoughtfully sliced the vegetables before adding softly, “Don’t worry, I won’t treat you differently because you’re royalty.”

“Oh.” A kind smile spread over his face. “Well, thank you.”

Pepin returned a toothy grin.

“So...” Emelri cut in, watching them both from behind the counter. “What are you guys talking about? The food smells good.”

They switched back to Venish.

“Sorry, Emi!” Pepin exclaimed.

“No worries. I think it’s so amazing you can speak three different languages, Pep.”

He blushed slightly. “You speak three languages too.”

She blinked, then put a hand to her chin. “Oh yeah. I do, don’t I?”

They both giggled.

That’s when Jacques entered the kitchen from the back door carrying a couple of large empty pails. “It’s a good thing you three came now and not later,” he said, closing the door behind him with his hip. Emelri could see donkeys grazing in the backyard through the delicate window in the door. “We were just planning on going away again.”

“Again?” she asked.

“Zuri needed more energy crystals from the power plant.”

“Powerplant?” Pepin questioned.

“It’s a whole thing.” Jacques set the pails in a closet, then seemed to notice for the first time that Pepin was cutting a bell pepper. “Oh, you’re letting someone else cook, Andre? That’s very big of you.”

The large man folded his arms. “Pepin is an exception. He’s got talent.”

The boy flushed. “You can call me Pep, Andre. You too Adrian.”

“What about me?” Jacques asked, and the boy looked him over. “You want me to call you that too?”

He shrugged in response.

“Wh—I see how it is...”

Emelri and Pepin giggled at the grumpy expression he was making.

The high-pitched laughter softened his disposition. “Well, glad to see you’re doing better than yesterday.” He moved to a bin in the corner of the room as he spoke. It contained large bags of what looked like feed.

“I like it here,” Pepin said brightly. “I especially like Adrian.”

“Oh,” the blond said sheepishly when Jacques’s eyes fell over him. “Well, you’re a fun kid, Pep.”

“So, what are energy crystals?” Emelri cut in.

Jacques swung a massive bag over his shoulder before answering, “They’re how I recharge my magic and Zuri uses them for their experiments.”

“What about me?” the inventor yelled from the opposite room.

“Wasn’t talking to you, Zuri,” he shouted back.

“You know quite a bit of magic then, huh?” Emelri asked.

He stopped right in front of the door. “That’s right.”

“You can create a lightning strike and everything?”

“Yes, but only in dire situations.”

“That’s amazing!” she exclaimed, and Pepin stopped his cutting to look at the magic user in awe.

Jacques gave a small smile. “I guess.”

Toulou walked in, taking their own seat at the counter beside Emelri, jumping into the conversation. “Emi has told us about the things she saw you do at the portal site. She said it was like you had endless energy.”

He adjusted the bag on his shoulder while his free hand rested on his hip. “That would be because of the power the Totrium was emitting at the time as well as the miracle of owning an energy crystal. You should really ask Zuri for one. They’re life changing for a user. I can fully charge in a minute or so.”

“Wait, what?”

Jacques grinned. “Yeah, I know. I couldn’t believe it either.”

“Oh, Jacques, will you teach us magic?” Pepin pleaded, his eyes big and sad. Emelri knew those eyes and they were hard to say no to.

“What?”

“What he means is,” Toulou corrected gently, “maybe you could show us a thing or two. Nothing major. Aveline was self-taught and we’ve never used magic in combat before.”

Frowning, Jacques set the bag down on a large barrel. “And why in Elderian would you need to know combat?”

The eldest leaned forward on the counter with both arms. “Why wouldn’t we? I already am experienced in combat, just not with magic. It’s a useful tool to have. You of all people should know that.”

He considered them. “No. I don’t think so.”

“It doesn’t have to be something big, Jacques,” Adrian said as he directed Pepin where to put all the things he’d chopped. “At least show them how to charge with a crystal.”

“No way,” he said flatly.

He shot him a look. “If you won’t, just remember who taught you how to do it in the first place.”

“What if you two talk about it, like with the other stuff?” Emelri interjected, and they both looked at her. “It’s both of your decision, isn’t it? Aren’t you two married?”

Jacques blinked at that, and Adrian’s pale cheeks turned red. “Uh, not quite,” the blond said, looking away to slide the chopped-up onions into the pot on the stove.

“Hm? Why not?”

“Well...”

“None of your damn business,” Jacques snapped. “We just aren’t.”

“But you are together,” she pressed on. “Do you make all the decisions, Jacques?”

“What? Of course, not.”

“Seems like it,” Toulou mumbled.

Andre gave a soft whistle. “Damn. These kids are putting you in your place.”

Jacques clicked his tongue, hefting the bag back onto shoulder. “Alright, well, I need to finish feeding the donkeys.”

“Let me help you,” Adrian said, setting the cutting board back down in front of Pepin before walking over to the bin and taking up his own heavy sack.

“No, it’s alright, Sweetheart—”

“I insist.” He stood beside him now, giving him a look that made Jacques not challenge the affirmation. He walked ahead and out the now open door.

After it closed from the other side, Emelri and the others watched as the two men stopped on the porch; Adrian’s expression was fierce.

She could hear his even, yet furious tone, but couldn’t make out the words. He walked ahead into the pasture with Jacques behind him as they continued their heated conversation.

“Well, they’re talking,” Andre said flatly.

❀❀❀

Everyone sat around the table later for breakfast. Pepin beamed at the meal he and Andre had finished making after Adrian and Jacques left to have their talk.

The couple hadn’t said a word since they’d sat down. Emelri watched them both as they ate in silence. Zuri and Huit were quietly chatting at the opposite end of the table, but other than that, it was quiet.

Jacques glanced at his partner, then exhaled quietly. “We’ll do magic after breakfast,” he declared, and three jaws dropped.

“Really?” Pepin exclaimed, and Adrian eyed Jacques curiously.

“It won’t be easy, and this is a one-time thing.”

Toulou straightened. “We understand.”

“Does that mean we get to stay?” Emelri asked.

There was silence as everyone watched him.

“We haven’t quite decided yet,” he said, and Adrian blinked away at the response. The dark circles under both their eyes from the night before were testament of that statement. “For now, you can stay as long as it takes for us to find you another home.”

“Oh,” was all she said in response.

They all looked dejected then.

Jacques cleared his throat softly. “Anyway, you’ll have to listen closely if you want to learn how to charge properly and use your magic. Charging with those crystals gives you a massive amount of energy. It’s important to not get carried away.”

The two siblings nodded with serious expressions.

“We’ll do everything you say,” the eldest replied, trying to hide the obvious excitement in their face.

“I’ll watch!” Emelri announced, not wanting to miss out on this.