Sorry for the delay, but I had some things to do recently.
I helped my uncle renovate a house and building a third floor with a bathroom, and I can assure you, it's a time-consuming process (not to mention exhaustive). Don't get me wrong, I love my uncle, but as a boss he is simply the worst. I mean, he's a huge man, and he does not seem to realize I'm no good at carrying heavy things or using tools (except for building furniture).
Now, let's put that aside and go on with the story
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Lana was about to continue her story when she was interrupted by Lincoln.
"Wait, are you going to skip two whole years? That's not right."
The knight looked at the boy with some confusion, until she understood what he meant.
Like his father, Lincoln had a strategic mind and liked to know everything in the smallest detail. For him, it would be unacceptable to continue with the story if Lana left gaps in the events.
"(Sigh) What do you want to know, short stuff?"
Lincoln smiled victoriously, feeling satisfied.
"I think it's worth telling us what you and your siblings did before our parents' wedding."
"That's right!" Linka exclaimed, full of anticipation. "I mean, you certainly did something interesting back then."
Lana and Lily looked at each other, a little embarrassed. It was an undeniable fact that the Loud family became very famous at the time, but none of them thought it was relevant to the story.
But if the twins really wanted to know this, then it was not hard to make a brief summary.
"Okay, but you're not going to interrupt me, okay?"
The twins nodded frantically, ready to listen. Lana smiled, then assumed a thoughtful tone, reminiscing about the past.
"Well, while most of us moved, our mother continued to live in our cottage with Luan, Lynn, Lisa, Lily and I (even though Lynn and I spent little time at home). It was difficult for her to see so many children going away from her, but she was happy for us.
"Lincoln was with our grandfather all the time, dealing with the affairs of the kingdom as he prepared to unite the two parts of the kingdom, and when he was not doing so, she spent time with your mother. Even without power to change laws until he was married, he decided to ignore punishments for the law that forbade humans from walking down the road through Dragon Domain. Although many humans and dragons appreciated the gesture, some older dragons saw this as an affront, and went on to criticize him for it. Even so, he managed to keep things in order, until he officially united the kingdom.
"Lucy and Rocky have become adventurers, travelling the whole kingdom in search of exciting adventures. They traveled frequently, and people everywhere heard tales of the adventures of the wandering knight and the Dragon Princess who loved him.
"Lori, who was once known as a heartless monster, became very popular when the people learned the truth behind her infamy. Her fame became so great that the village next to her house began to do an annual festival in honor of her, and it got even more serious when she gave birth to a baby, little Loki.
"Lily was still a little girl and was always invited to socialize with the children of the nobles, but she found them very boring and preferred to play with the normal children who lived in Lincoln. She, like me, never cared about being a princess and all that stuff, and even got angry if someone treated her differently because of it.
"Leni moved to a village of weavers at the foot of a mountain in southern, wishing to learn more about the fabrics she loved so much. After a few weeks, she not only mastered the weaving but also created fabrics of various colors and textures, which made the village very famous throughout the kingdom. The people there were so happy to have such a talented princess living there that they ended up inviting her to live there for good. Leni was so thrilled that she called renowned builders, who built a road and a large manor on the mountain, making her the second sister to officially have her own house.
"Lola moved to the castle in Lincoln, determined to live in the luxury our grandfather could offer her. The only thing she did was to stroll through the kingdom and talk to foreign diplomats and members of the nobility, who made her more and more pompous. Some people were willing to give very expensive gifts just to receive an invitation to one of Princess Lola's famous tea parties.
"Luan became very famous for her buffoon presentations, but this did not help much in her reputation among knights and nobles. They did not think it was appropriate for a member of royalty to perform a task associated with "commoners", and sometimes even said she was a shamed to our family. Even so, she was not discouraged, caring only to do what made her happy.
"Lisa did not like to socialize with other people, but she often met with intellectuals, alchemists and sorcerers who were interested in her work. They were impressed by what such a young mind could do, and even encouraged her to come up with some ideas they could not bring to fruition.
"We only knew about Luna from the letters she sent from time to time, but from the few information we knew she was well, and that her music was appreciated everywhere she visited.
"Lynn married Francisco shortly after they returned to the kingdom. While Lynn remained the captain of the Royal Guard, Francisco was invited by our grandfather to teach about navigation at the Academy, hindering their relationship. Still, they were able to make the most of the time they had for them, so Lynn was the second of us to have children.
"And last but not least, me. Lynn received me in the Royal Guard, and we spent a lot of time together because of it. At first the rest of the Royal Guard did not liked the news, thinking that I would be treated differently for being the captain's little sister, but that changed when they saw that Lynn demanded more of me exactly for being her sister. Over time, the guard became a second family to me, and their respect grew so much that they did not bothered when I was promoted."
The kids were silent, not only waiting for her to continue but also because they were confused.
They learned more about their Family, as well as knowing about the origin of aunt Leni's house, but most of all, they were surprised to learn that they had cousins.
A macabre thought ran through their little minds, but they left it aside, preferring to listen to the rest of the story before coming to conclusions about the events Lana described.
"Well, I guess that's all that happened before your parents' wedding." Lana got thoughtfully, ready to return from where she had stopped. "Now, let's get back to our story."
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Lincoln Castle, 13 Years Ago
Before Sunrise, the people in the castle were already agitated, ready for the big day. After two years of engagement, the Prince Regent of Dragon Domain would finally marry the woman he loved, making him officially the new Dragon King. In the meantime he did all he could to prepare the people for the changes that would occur when uniting the two halves of the kingdom, and the long awaited day has finally come.
Walking around with her spear, Lana Loud, lieutenant of the Royal Guard of Dragon Domain, inspecting all the preparations for the wedding, thrilled by her first official task in the new post. Lana was very excited inside, but on the outside looked as serious as a statue. After years of hard work, she was not only the first dragon to become a Silent Knight, but was also the first Silent Knight to join the Royal Guard of Dragon Domain.
Lana had become so popular among the defenders of the kingdom that mosto f them immediately saluted when she walked by, and that was exactly why Lynn had let her supervise the whole event, since at the moment she was not fit to serve in the guard.
Although Lincoln's charisma had conquered most of the people, King Albert and Captain Lynn decided to protect the castle with several guards at the entrance of the castle; Silent Knights in every aisle of the castle; and half of the Royal Guard's dragons flying in circles over the castle, while the other half would remain inside the ballroom. They did not expect any dissidents to be foolish enough to invade the castle, but with such heavy security any silly idea would soon be discouraged.
Lana went on with her inspection, checking the progress of the preparations. She checked the progress of the cake, the barrels that were taken from the cellar, and even the stables, just to be sure. After checking everything that was being prepared for the ceremony, she went to the ballroom and was pleased with what she saw.
The castle's huge ballroom was decorated with only a few decorations and some flowers, respecting the couple's desire to do something simple. In the corner, some servants prepared the accommodations for the orchestra Lola had hired, while other servants prepared seats for more than four hundred guests, ranging from members of the nobility, Lincoln's citizens and people whom Lincoln and Ronnie had known for a long time.
Looking at the area behind the altar, she was pleased to see that the construction team succeed to remove the north wall perfectly, allowing not only a beautiful breeze to enter the ballroom but also a perfect view of the royal garden.
Everything seemed perfect, and only one thing was left for Lana to check: the bride and groom.
Turning around, she headed for the room where the bride was been prepared, knocking lightly on the door. After a few moments she received a reply.
"Come in."
The knight smiled, opening the door and closing as she entered.
She looked closely at every detail of the room, from ceiling to floor. The room in question was one of the castle's guest rooms, and there were several sewing articles on the bed. The only people present in the room were Lady Ronnie, Leni and three assistants of the tailor princess, who were adjusting the beautiful purple dress of the bride.
Even though she did not care much about feminine things, Lana could not help but admire the beautiful dress her future sister-in-law wore.
"How are things here?" She asked, leaving the spear next to the door and sitting in a chair.
"Couldn't be better!" Leni said, clutching Lady Ronnie's corset.
"Ouch! Speak for yourself." The bride said, feeling the air escape her lungs. She then turned to look at Lana, smiling proudly as she looked at her. "How's the first day at your new job?"
"Great." Lana stretched briefly, feeling the muscles relax a little. "I've already inspected the whole castle, and if things keep like this, everything will be perfect."
"Oh, Lana." Leni stopped what she was doing, looking at her sister with tenderness. "It's a wedding. What could go wrong."
At that moment everyone looked at Leni with some concern, not believing that she had said one of the most cliché of all taboos.
Both Lana and Ronnie looked around worriedly, but they were relieved to see that nothing had happened.
But barely they sighed in relief and someone knocked on the door.
"Lieutenant Lana? You're here?" A male voice asked, afflicted.
"Yeah, I'm here." She stared at Ronnie's eyes, both worried. "What happened?"
"Lieutenant, you are being requested in the groom's room immediately."
At that moment, all the girls looked at each other, worried about what it meant.
After all, it was not a good sign to have a problem with the groom just before the wedding.
All eyes turned to Lana, who then rose and sighed. She took the spear and left, giving the bride a last smile.
"Do not worry, Ronnie. I'll take care of it."
Soon, in the groom's room...
After running hurriedly through the halls, Lana finally stands before the door that separates her from her brother. Due to the preparations, he stayed in one of the guest rooms instead of his room, so that he was closer to the ballroom.
Despite moving quickly, she felt as if it had taken forever to get there, wondering what was the reason to call her.
She knew that he deeply loves his fiancee.
She knew he wants to marry her.
She knew that everything was going as planned.
Sighing, she opens the door without knocking, preparing for anything.
" SURPRISE ! ! ! ! "
Anything but that.
The room was not very large, and the only furniture was a bed and a writing desk, but it was still surprising how many people were inside the room.
Lincoln was wearing an elegant outfit, while holding a small cake with whipped cream. Beside him was their mother, Lori, Luan, Lucy and Lily, all wearing beautiful wedding dresses. Lynn, on the other hand, was sitting in a chair and wearing a simple dress, carrying with her a small oval silver canteen that was almost as impressive as her large belly.
Lana was speechless.
She dropped her spear and started to walk, not knowing what to say. As she approached, all who were standing surrounded her in a group hug, while Lynn smiled happily.
"What's going on here?" Lana asked, loosening the embrace.
Lincoln set the cake on the desk and put his hands on his sister's shoulders, proud.
"Lynn told me about your promotion, so we decided to make a little surprise for you."
"We are so proud of you, my dear." Rita exclaimed, eyes about to tear.
"The others wanted to come too, but they were busy with their contributions to the wedding." Lucy said with a certain affection in the voice, showing how much she was happy that day. "But I'm sure they'll congratulate you as soon as possible."
Lana rubbed her head, blushing furiously. She was happy to have her hard work recognized, but that didn't really helped to make her feel less embarrassed.
"Guys, it's not -"
"You deserve it!" Lily interrupted her, throwing herself for a hug. "Almost every kid I know says you're the best Silent Knight in the kingdom!"
"She's right. If you continue like this, you'll literally steal Lynn's job." Lori said, giving a quick wink to said sister.
Lana blushed even more with the affection she was receiving, but froze when Lynn started to stand.
She did not expect to see her older sister and superior before the wedding, since the pregnancy reached a point where she could not use her sword or even transform into dragon.
As Lynn got to her feet, she placed a hand on her belly, releasing a short moan. She walked over to Lana and put a hand on her right shoulder while stroking her own belly.
"They're right, Lana. You have a lot to offer to our kingdom, and I'm sure you'll be a great mentor as soon as this little rascal is born."
Lynn then wrapped her in a hug full of affection, and that was the last straw to make the young knight cry.
As she broke the embrace, Lana wiped away her tears and smiled happily.
"Thank you guys." She saluted, assuming a serious expression. "I'll keep doing a great job."
All of them smiled and saluted too, and then they shared the cake, chatting happily.
As much as they had a big event in a few hours, it could not be more comforting than a family moment.
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Loud Family's Cottage, Current Days
Lana paused to scratch her ass, a habit that always left Linka uncomfortable, but this time allowed her to ask a question without interrupting her aunt.
"Auntie Lana, why was Aunt Lynn carrying a canteen on the wedding day? I mean, it would not be difficult for someone in her position to get a drink."
The woman looked at the girl with some confusion, not understanding the question, until she realized that the girl did not really know about it and blushed violently.
She turned her face and looked at Lily, who was equally embarrassed.
"Y-Your father d-did not explained to you y-yet?
Both twins cast a confused look at their aunts, getting even more curious.
Seeing that they did not really know, Lana and Lily moved closer and began to whisper, giving worried looks to the children.
After a moment Lana sighed and turned, still embarrassed.
"Look, kids... That's a little delicate, and it's your parents that should explain where babies come from, so I'll just explain what matters."
Lincoln and Linka got wide-eyed, realizing that the matter was even more serious.
"What does a canteen have to do with babies?!"Linka thought.
Lily realized that the kids were shocked and tried to solve the problem before it got out of control.
"What she's trying to say is that Linka asked about something delicate. When a dragon mother is pregnant, almost all of her magic goes to the baby and she can not use any of her abilities after the fifth month."
The twins absorbed the information, becoming more thoughtful than shocked.
But one question remained.
"So what's the canteen for?" Lincoln asked.
"(Sigh )It's a magic potion." Lana said, getting up and going to a shelf across the room. Among the various items she picked up a small silver canteen and then took them to the children, sitting again next to Lily. "This canteen has been in our family for generations, and all our sisters who became pregnant carried it with them throughout the pregnancy."
She handed the canteen to the twins, who watched closely.
The canteen was the size and shape of a goose egg, with details that perfectly mimicked the scales of a dragon, only on a small scale. At the top was a lid with the shape of a dragon head and the handle was made of dragon skin, which was probably made with one of their ancestors.
Lincoln did not care much about the small family inheritance, but Linka was immediately mesmerized by the canteen, wishing she could carry the item one day.
"And what does the potion do?" The girl asked, returning the canteen for Lana.
"It is to be used in an emergency." Lana took the canteen and placed next to the mattress, being careful not to cause any damage. "That forces the mother to a transformation into her dragon form, and the... 'baby'... comes out of the mother, into an egg."
"Egg!?" Both twins exclaimed in disbelief.
"Exactly." Lily nodded, crossing his arms and taking a serious tone. "The baby is protected inside the dragon egg, but this makes the gestation time increase, sometimes by up to a year. The potion should only be used if it is really necessary, in case the mother's or baby's lives are at risk.."
The twins were perplexed by this revelation.
With constant travel, they rarely saw their father, and with that they could not have certain conversations with him, especially about babies.
Still, they never knew dragons were laying eggs, and this seemed to be really impressive.
"So, anyone in our family ever needed to take the potion?" Linka asked, full of curiosity.
Lana was embarrassed and scratched her head, trying to think of an easy way to answer the question.
"Well, it's funny you ask, cause your Aunt Lynn did take the potion."
"Really?!" Linka asked. "When?"
"At the day your parents married."
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I intended to make this chapter longer, but I thought I'd better stop here.
In the next chapter the wedding will take place, and I can say that there will be some "unwanted guests" at the event.
As for this chapter, I thought about showing the lives of all the siblings, but that would make the story longer, and this story is being told from Lana and Lily's point of view, as if it were a flashback.
The potion in the canteen is called 'brooder'(Get it?), and I think it can be described as a magical abortion, giving to the mother a way to protect her baby in a nest, rather than carry it everywhere. I thought it would be interesting to create an option about how the baby dragon will be born, while creating a justification for something I will do in the future.
