May was an interesting month, in that even as the war continued and Scarlet lingered in rehab, I finally had time to breathe and focus on what mattered most to me. With so much happening so quickly, I wanted to use this opportunity to make things more legitimate between me and my Ladies. It was one thing to call them my Queens, and another to actually make them so. My parents had waited until after getting married before having me, but while I was a little late there, I still didn't want my children being hatched bastards. More importantly, I wanted to thank them for staying with me, and demonstrate my love for them in a way the whole world could see.

So I went up to the Jade Mountains with my share of treasure from the Sky Palace, asking around for the best goldsmiths from the Kingdoms of Sand, Sky and Night. Under an oath of utmost secrecy, I commissioned a set of four crowns and four sets of earrings. Three would be set individual gemstones (pink opals, purple opals and jet), while the fourth (mine) would have all three. While my crown was going to be the biggest (if only to further cement my position to foreign dignitaries and subjects that I was the one in charge), one of the three would be slightly larger than the rest.

This was to go to my True Queen.

I know it's been speculated for many years over which of my Queens is my favorite, or the one I love the most. Truth be told, it's not as simple as making a tier list or listing all their pros and cons. More than that, I'd rather fight off a dragonbite viper than risk going through the April shitshow again by hurting their feelings like that. No, the title of True Queen was more of a political title. A True Queen was, in effect, a stand-in for the High King. If I ever had to leave the kingdom for prolonged periods, fell seriously ill or was otherwise indisposed but not dead, my True Queen would work in my stead, overseeing Council Meetings and running the kingdom for me.

But who would I pick? Who did I feel should be my second-in-command, the First Among Equals?

It's hard to keep a secret in a land where everyone can easily eavesdrop on you. Rumors spread quickly, and Rainwings are by nature chatty gossips. Once the servants were given instructions to gather up palm wine, candied fruit and all the accouterments for a fancy dinner, it's highly likely the entire Village knew within an hour or two. It's only because I'd been living in the jungle for months now that I could sense the presence of dozens of invisible dragons in the hallways and rooms of my Palace, eagerly watching and awaiting my great announcement. I think I might've even seen a tray of snacks floating down the corridor once or twice, but that didn't bother me. Let them watch, I figured.

This was going to be a historic night, after all.

I had it all set up. A large tablecloth covered up the crowns I carefully hidden below the table. I built the table myself, using evergreen lumber instead of traditional balsa, with swiveling wheels on the legs for a dramatic reveal. The earrings were safely stored in a cloth bag, underneath my seat. The room was large enough for what was going to follow, but for the start it could be made romantic and intimate. The table had been laid out with wine and fruit and her favorite food: Arepas covered in dried hibiscus. Everything had been set up for her, and yet she still managed to eclipse it all with her beauty.

"You look stunning, My Queen," I said, bowing as she approached, "As always."

"You've really outdone yourself tonight," Fruit Bat complimented, as she bared her neck to me, "What's the occasion?"

"Every night with you is a special night," I replied, leaning in. I kissed the scales behind her frill, feeling her shiver as I breathed in her perfume. "Hmm," I whispered playfully, "Is that vanilla and lemongrass? You trying to be extra sweet for me?"

"My little treat for you," She responded in kind, turning yellow, "One of many tonight, if you play your cards right."

I smiled and chuckled, as we took our seats. My Queens and I had arranged a sleeping schedule, so that everyone would have an equal share of time between myself and the eggs. That this night was also her turn was intentional. It might've given her a clue of what was about to happen, but then what's wrong with building a little anticipation?

We spent much of the evening there, enjoying our meals, having small talk about the minor disputes and gossip around the Village. As day turned to night, a servant came in with a candelabra, and my fire gave the room an additional romantic ambience. As the outside became darker, and the warm fire light glittered against her green and pink scales, the mood changed, and I knew it was time. I squeezed my once-petrified paw into a fist to crush the nerves, drowning the rest with the last of my wine.

"So, Batty," I began, "We've been together for a while now, haven't we?"

"Hmm, yeah, I'd say so," She said innocently, almost obliviously. The displays of yellow and lavender, however, showed the anxious happiness of someone who knew what was happening.

"And we've had our share of ups and downs, haven't we?"

"Heh-heh, we sure have."

"But we came out the other side stronger because of it, haven't we?"

"Oh, absolutely!"

"Well," I continued, "I've been thinking that it's high time that we made things official. You were my first love, and my first queen. Because of that..."

I stood up, gently pushing the table aside. I stepped closer, carefully blocking her view. "I wanted to know... if you'd be my True Queen."

With a well-practiced maneuver, I brought my tail between us, with her crown and her earrings hanging from the crook of my barbed tip. The crown was done in the Rainwing style, mahogany and rosewood lined with gold. Dozens of types of flowers were engraved and interlaced all along the edge, and front and center was a hibiscus, dotted with pink opal dewdrops. On the back was a pineapple made of topaz - a permanent reminder of the first time we met. The gold earrings with pink opals sparkled in the candelight, dangling within the hoop of the crown.

Batty stared at my offering, her scales now a rose-pink and gold - love and excitement. She took the crown and earrings in her paws. She was quiet for a long time, eyes twinkling with unshed tears. Realizing I was still waiting for an answer (and maybe getting a teensy bit worried), she giggled.

"Of course I'll be your True Queen, you silly!" She said, putting them on the table. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding, but before I could relax, the little dragoness lunged forward and hugged me tight.

"I'll always be your queen," She whispered, "Even if you thought pineapples grew on trees."

"You're never gonna let me live it down, will you?"

"Nope!"

I snorted at that, but said nothing more, as I pulled her into my chest. We just sat together, embracing each other, enjoying the company and the moment.

Of course, such sappy emotional moments can't last forever. I'd been in the jungle long enough to notice the telltale shimmer of light of a Rainwing ducking their head behind a doorway. We had eavesdroppers.

"Alright, boys and girls," I said after a time, "You can come out now."

Almost instantly, a hundred Rainwings poured into the dining hall, and the party was in full swing. Within a minute, the room had been converted into ballroom, tables pushed together and covered in buffet platters, and a makeshift stage was set up facing the windows. Soon, two familiar faces were by our side, beaming with joy. Batty leaped into Majestic's arms, and Nessy came from behind to complete the group hug.

"So, you're finally gonna make honest ladies out of us," Maggy teased, as they turned to face me, "We were starting to wonder."

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," I said, fishing out the other crowns and earrings from the bag, "But I hope these make up for it."

I placed their crowns on the table next to Batty's - another floral theme for Maggy, and a black astronomical theme for Nessy. I held up their earrings, all six twinkling in the candlelight. The earrings were matching sets, differentiated by their opal and jet gemstones.

"Oh my goodness, those are beautiful!" Batty squealed, pulling the larger ladies into a wing-hug from excitement.

"Good, this hatchling could use some shiny jewelry to cheer her up," Maggy teased, nodding to Greatness, "Can't really be called Queens without a little bling, am I right?"

The Nightwing gave a little pout, but that quickly melted away as the bodyguard leaned over and kissed her cheek. I motioned for them to circle up, and I placed the earrings on each of their ears. When I got to Nessy, I leaned in and whispered, "Just because I chose Batty as my True Queen doesn't mean I love you or Maggy any less. You know that, right?"

"Of course," She replied, her head jingling with all the pearls and diamonds hanging from her horns, "It's just a title. Besides, we're all equals, right?"

"Good. And don't you worry, I've got something special in mind for you in just a minute."

She was about to ask me something, when we heard a commotion behind us. Looking back, Flying Fox was on the stage with three other Rainwings, holding drums or a xylophone or a mandolin. Next to him was a bright green dragon with rainbow scales along his nose, neck and belly, beaming with excitement and energy next to the older Rainwing.

"Hey everyone!" Fox announced, as they readied their instruments, "This is my mate Gecko, and this is our band Durian Durian. We'd like to dedicate this next song to our Amazing King and his Beautiful Queens, and the long, spectacular lives they'll have with each other!" There was a round of cheers and applause, and the band settled down and began to play. I'd never heard the Rainwing version of the song, which was more frenetic and lively than the Sandwing version I grew up with. All around us, dragons started dancing and frolicking to the beat. Above us, the woven-palm roof had been rolled back, leaving the room open to the night sky, illuminated by moonlight and lanterns.

"C'mon!" Batty said, taking my paw, beaming with joy, "You owe your Queens a dance!" I turned to the others, and as they nodded their approval, we took to the sky, joining several other pairs in an airborne performance. None of us were very good at sky-dancing, but it didn't really matter. We stumbled through the basic steps before we gave up and just spun around one another, looping around and twirling midair to the music below.

Moving in the air now babe you're a bird of paradise

Strawberry and cream smile, I suppose it's very nice

With a step to your left and a flick to the right you catch that mirror way out west

You know you're something special and you look like you're the best

Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand

Just like that river twisting through a dusty land

And when she shines she really shows you all she can

Oh Rio, Rio dance across the Rio Grande

I guess the dream was right, because I'll always remember that dance. We were all happy then, all together. I'd reached the top of the mountain, and I had everything I'd ever want in this little slice of paradise. But as much as I'd wish the moment could last, the music came to an end, and the partiers were now gathering around the throne. Even from above, I could see that the old mahogany throne was now covered in gold and silver leaf, making it shine in the lamplight. As we descended, Grandeur and Fox had already made their way over. He had the smug, wobbly stance of someone who'd already been drinking, and I wondered just how long we'd been dancing up there.

"Alright, er'body," He slurred, wobbling between steps, "Tha's good, very good! Hey yo, Xero, get yur handsome butt o'er 'ere!"

They went over to the throne, which now had several smaller seats next to it, each of them also decked out in gold leaf. As Grandeur and Fox got the crowns, Batty motioned for me to lower my head so that she could put my earrings on. With a little pinch, our union was sealed, and we were husband and wife.

"And now we're together," She whispered.

"Forever and always," I agreed.

Fox came over with the crowns, Grandeur holding him steady as he placed the smaller one on Batty's head. "By mah authoritah as royal cupbearer," He announced, "I pronounce you, Fruit Bat, as True Queen of th' Rainwings! Now go on an' take yur throne!"

"Long Live the Queen!" The cry rang out throughout the forest, as she turned a bright pink and yellow and hopped onto her seat. Grandeur guided Fox to an empty spot to sit, and repeated the process with Maggy and Nessy. Finally, she came to me, her purple scales highlighted with a proud gold.

"As the former Queen of the Rainforest," She announced, placing the crown on my head, "I do hereby declare you, Xerophilous, to be the King of the Rainwings! To your throne!"

While the cries and cheers for my queens were spirited, the shouts of "Long Live the King!" were almost deafening. I took my seat next to Batty, and we sat there enjoying the adoration of our subjects. We had our crowns and our thrones, and now we were well and truly royalty.

As the cheers started to die down, I stood back up. "Thank you, thank you one and all," I said, "Now, I have one more announcement I wish to make. Grandeur, Greatness, come here please."

The Nightwing and older Rainwing exchanged glances with their friends, before they stepped onto the podium. I went back to the bag, where I fished out two laurel wreaths.

"In recognition for your many years of service and dedication to the Kingdom of the Rainforest," I announced, placing the first laurel on the Rainwing's head, "And for your exemplary performances at the Battle of the Portal and within our Meetings, I do hereby award you with the title and position of 'Voice of the Council'. You are the Chief Advisor to the King, and you will continue to serve as a moderator and coordinator for the Council. May you continue to serve the Court and the People well."

Grandeur's eyebrows rose, her scales flashing gold and yellow. "Thank you, My King," She said, bowing her head graciously, "It's been an honor to work with you."

"And you, my sweet," I said, turning to Nessy, doing the same to her, "For your rapidly improving talents in diplomacy and statecraft, I grant you the title of 'Apprentice to the Voice'. You shall continue to work and study alongside Grandeur, learning everything you need to take up the role of Voice. Should Grandeur and I be indisposed or unavailable to rule directly, you and Batty will rule the Rainforest in our stead. There are no dragons I trust more to run things while I'm gone than you two."

Nessy's eyes went wide, as she looked to me, then Grandeur, then Batty. The ladies nodded in approval, My Queen even offering a gentle smile. The Nightwing beamed with joy and pride, craning her neck around mine. "Thank you," She whispered, "For trusting me. I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," I replied, "You've earned this, remember that."

The rest of the night passed as a happy blur. I remember there being more dancing, and singing, and drinking. Greatness, as it turned out, was something of a lightweight, and got particularly festive as the night went on. Majestic caught her before she started dancing on any tables, and helped take the slurring, wobbly Nightwing back to her room before she could embarrass herself. Not long after, Batty and I started to feel ourselves drag along, and after saying our goodbyes, we excused ourselves from the party to retire to my chambers.

"So," My Queen mused, climbing into bed next to me, "This would be our Wedding Night, wouldn't it?"

I smiled and nodded. "It would."

"Anything... special you have in mind?" She asked, moving to straddle me.

"Hmph, maybe," I teased, "But first..."

I wrapped my limbs around her, pulling her into a hug. She froze in surprise for a moment, before relaxing and returning the hug.

"I want to remember this moment," I whispered, "No matter what happens, I want to remember the best moment in my life. You, My True Queen. My First Love. I promise you, I will always love you, and I'll never hurt you ever again."

"And I promise to always be by your side," She replied, nuzzling against my neck, "To love you as you love me, and to dedicate every day to being worthy of your Queen."

She was already worthy, but I held her all the same. No matter what else happened that year, I'd always have that night, and that moment...

That morning, Batty and I had arisen from our slumber and were heading down to breakfast when Grandeur approached us.

"You two have a nice night?" She asked, her tone a little more playful than usual.

"Mmmaaaybe," Batty said, giggling and leaning against me. I just smiled and said nothing.

"Well, I hate to interrupt the morning vibes," Grandeur said, "But I'm afraid I have to borrow our King for the day. You and Nessy get your first taste of real responsibility while we go and run a few errands in the Jade Mountains."

Batty and I shared a look. I raised an eyebrow, and my Queen gave a cute snort. "Oh, I'm up for it," She assured us, "I just hope Nessy's feeling alright. Someone gave her our hangover concoction, right?"

"Of course, My Queen," Grandeur nodded, and turned to me. "By your leave, My King."

I gave Batty a reassuring brush of my wing, and followed the older Rainwing out of the Palace and into the sky. As we flew over the tropical canopy, I called out to her, "What's this all about, Grand'? What's going on in the Jade Mountains that couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"Queen Scarlet's leaving tomorrow," She replied, her tone suspiciously neutral, "She specifically requested to talk with you before she leaves."

I blinked in surprise. "...Oh," I said, somewhat confused, "And uh, how's she doing?"

"You'll see for yourself, soon enough," She answered cryptically, and remained quiet the rest of the flight.

I puzzled over her words as we flew to the distant mountains. I hadn't seen the Mad Queen since our meeting in her jailcell, having delegated her rehabilitation off to Grandeur while I prepared my proposals. From the occasional reports she'd given, Scarlet was getting better physically and mentally, having gained a better handle over her new Animus powers. Better still, she was agreeable with an alliance between us, and implementing Project Technocracy in her own kingdom. If everything Grandeur had been reporting was true, one of our greatest enemies would become our greatest ally.

We flew over jungle and hills that turned into mountains, passing over scattered camps and growing settlements nestled between rivers and valleys, before we came down upon a plateau with a single tent. As we descended, I spotted a familiar orange dragoness standing beside it, shifting nervously from side to side. She froze as I landed, staring at me as I folded my tired wings.

"I'll meet you in the tent, alone," She said, quick and insistent, before quickly heading into the tent.

"What's that all about?" I asked Grandeur.

"Part of it is nerves over returning home," The Rainwing said, sitting on a large rock, "Considering how she left them, I'd be a bit nervous, too. As for the rest of it? That's for her to say."

"How very specific of you," I complained snarkily to her. She rolled her eyes, and I couldn't help but smile as I went into the tent. Slowly but surely, I was getting her to loosen up. She might be my subordinate, but that didn't mean she couldn't also be my friend.

I stepped into the tent, the inside being dark enough I could only make out the Scarlet's shape opposite of me. "Hey, Scarlet," I said, "How're you feeling?"

"Great! Good!" She said quickly, before adding, "I mean... I'm feeling better now, thank you."

"That's good to- Hang on, I'll get the lights." I spotted some candles on either side of us, and I lit them with my fire. The tent grew brighter, even as shadows flickered and danced around us. I was finally able to get a good look at the new Scarlet - one who wasn't drowning in self-loathing or covered in chains and filth. What struck me wasn't just that she was beautiful (even as an older, crueler dragoness, she was a sight to behold), but that she was also kind of cute. The de-aged Queen was just slightly shorter than me, her scales the same orange color as the flames around us. As a Skywing, her wings were truly massive, like an additional pair of arms that could extend out as far as her body was long. Her body was long and serpentine, though she'd gained some of her weight back since I last saw her. What struck me the most, though, were her eyes. Like two bright daffodils, they no longer had any hint of arrogance or cruelty. If anything, her expression now was a mix of vulnerable and bashful.

"Your Majesty," I said, nodding politely, "It's a pleasure to finally meet the new you."

Her smile grew brighter, glancing at the candles. "T-thank you, Xe-xero," She stammered, before quickly clearing her throat. She continued, "I've been working to figure myself out. Not just mentally, but with my new powers, too. Here, look at this." She reached under her wing, pulling out a pair of thin, rectangular black stones. Handing me one, she tapped on hers. The one in my hand began to vibrate and chirp, with two circles - one red, one green - appearing on the surface. She motioned for me to tap the green one, and as I did, her face appeared on the stone.

"I call them 'Speaking Stones'," She said proudly, "I enchanted them to allow us to communicate instantly with each other, no matter where in Phyrria we are." As she talked, the mini-Scarlet on the stone talked as well. She flipped her stone to face me, and it was like they were mirrors catching me at different angles.

"Fascinating," I murmured in awe, looking over the stone, "This is incredibly useful. Thank you, Scarlet." My mind was already thinking of ways to use them for experiments or of ways to try and copy the enchantment through technology. The scientist part of my brain was fully engaged, and I was only distantly aware that the Skywing was blushing and smiling like a flustered schoolgirl. As I finished my inspection and placed the stone in my neck pouch, I asked, "Has Grandeur handed you a copy of my scroll?"

"You mean that Technocracy thing?" She clarified, "She gave me one last week. There's a lot of things in it that makes sense, and... well, I wouldn't want to have as much power as I used to. Maybe I wouldn't have been so awful if I had a Council like yours to pull me back." She looked down, her wings and tail drooping to the ground.

"Perhaps," I admitted, "You can't do anything about that anymore. All you can do is make it up to your subjects now, and hope you leave something better for your successors."

"There's so many of them down there," She sighed, nodding in the direction of all the refugee camps in the valleys below us, "They all came here to get away from me and Hypaethral. Why would they come back after everything I did? How could they ever trust me?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "All I can suggest is just being the best Queen you can now, and show them that you're not the same dragoness you were, and convince them to come back. Hopefully, an organized and reformed homeland will be more enticing than roughing it in the wilderness."

I ended up going down a rabbit-hole of various policies and reforms she could enact when she went back, falling back into lecture mode. Some ideas were things I was already implementing within the Rainforest, others were ideas I wanted to test out in other kingdoms with more traditionally draconic cultures to see if the results were the same. I got distracted with my own thoughts, and didn't notice the mood change until I heard her step closer.

She was close enough I could smell the orchid-scented soap she'd been using, mixed in with a Skywing's scent of cinnamon and woodsmoke. She had this kind of sad smile on her muzzle, and her eyes... She was looking at me with such adoration and longing, alarm bells started going off in my mind. I stopped talking, almost leaning back as I realized how close she was.

"Why're you looking at me like tha-?" Was as far as I got, before I was interrupted by Skywing lips.

I'll be honest with you, dear reader, this shocked me a lot more than it should've. A surprise kiss shouldn't have ground my thoughts to a halt, but it did. I just stood there like a statue, unable to process that the once deadliest ruler in the world was now smitten with me. What made things weirder was that she started crying, stomping a fist into the ground as she pulled away.

"I'm sorry," She sobbed, "Goodbye." She turned and ran out of the tent. As I heard her fly away, two thoughts struck me. The first was, Damn, Scarlet's a good kisser. The second was, Shit, what will My Wives think of this?!

"Scarlet!? Scarlet!?" Grandeur called out from outside. She came into the tent, her purple scales starting to turn orange and red in annoyance. "Damn it, Xero, what did you do this time?!"

After my meeting with Scarlet, the first thing I did was head back to the Rainforest to find Stonemover. In my flustered, panicky state, I feared that the Skywing might've enchanted me with something, and I needed our own Animus to remove any enchantments if I had any. After assuring the young Nightwing that everything was fine and he wasn't in trouble, he checked me out and assured me I had no spells on me.

With that out of the way, Grandeur and I talked with Stonemover over Scarlet's behavior, trying to figure out why she was acting like this. The best answer we could come up with was that the spell flipped her feelings for other dragons, just as it did with her personality. At the moment she ate that enchanted strawberry, she hated me... probably more than she hated anyone in her life. The opposite of hate is love, so once she worked through the trauma of her crimes, those feelings came to the forefront.

This bothered me a whole lot. I wasn't worried about having a stalker or anything - the rest of her enchantment still held, and if she was that obsessive, she would've enchanted me in that tent when she had me dead to rights. No, I was worried what her feelings would mean for her and the Sky Kingdom. Her return to power would already be shaky just on the implication that she might be my puppet, and her pining for me romantically only made that worse. On top of that, if her feelings were so strong that she'd be unwilling to take a mate, she'd remain heirless, and the future of the kingdom uncertain. Everything then would come down to how well she could implement the reforms I gave her and have them stick.

The future of the Sky Kingdom was up in the air, and with it, so was the rest of the future I was building.

After meeting with Stonemover, I went to tell my wives about what happened. No secrets, no handling this on my own - they'd be told everything, and we'd solve this together. No more repeats of March, thank you very much. Thankfully, they understood completely, and were more concerned with the political ramifications than the romantic ones. Not that they had anything to worry about - I'd never been interested in "The Mad Queen" before, and if anything I felt more guilty for the new version than anything else.

That just left Nessy, who out of all of them understood Scarlet's position the most.

"...So yeah, that happened today." I sighed, drinking from my cup of palm wine as I finished my story. It was after sunset, and we had a single candle lit as we sat on my bed, sharing a bottle and recounting our days. "I talked to Stonemover to make sure he didn't do some additional enchantment as a joke or something worse, but he didn't. I also had him check to make sure I hadn't been enchanted myself, and I came out clean. We figured that if the strawberry reversed Scarlet's personality and feelings, and she really really hated me when she turned…" I sighed, shaking my head.

If I didn't know better, I'd start to think the Spirits had made me their favorite or something. In the span of five months, I'd gained a kingdom (three, if we count my allied puppets), defeated and humbled my rivals, earned the love of three wonderful wives, and had been blessed with five eggs. And yet even then, it was as if they were trying to tempt me with more, offering Scarlet and her kingdom on a silver platter. As if I hadn't almost lost everything. As if I was so greedy all I wanted was more, more, more. Who was ordering all this?

"... I just want you to hear it from me," I continued, "Before you heard it from the grapevine. I'm not looking for anyone else, and I wouldn't do anything like that without all of you being okay with it. I made a commitment to you three, and I'm going to keep it."

"I know that," Nessy said, taking a drink of her own, "And I know you, Xero. There was no way you could've known that Scarlet would be affected like that. But you don't have to worry about her either. She'll have plenty of friends and support at the Palace. You can let her find her own way without any guilt."

I nodded in agreement. Nessy knew what I was worried about, the situation was reminiscent of her own. Scarlet was attractive; I had hurt her mentally (even if it was unintentional and ultimately for the best); Scarlet made the first (and probably last) move; Scarlet was drawn to me even as I loved others, and that guilt threatened to become more. However, unlike Nessy, Scarlet had somewhere else to go, with a Tribe that needed her and dragons that could help her along the way. She didn't need me like Nessy did, and I could separate myself enough emotionally to think things out logically.

We sat together on the bed, drinking in silence, listening to distant bird calls and the chirps of insects. Idly, I picked up the scroll she brought with her from the meetings Batty and her participated in. "So this is the list of names the focus group came up with for The Village?" I asked.

"Oh yes," The Nightwing giggled, scooting closer to see, "It was so much fun! We came up with dozens of names, but these were the ones we thought you would like most. Well, you and the Tribe."

Greatness, Fruit Bat and Majestic had the easiest possible day to start running things while I was out. All they had to do was survey the recent additions and construction work within The Village, and oversee a committee that came up with new names. I never liked how generic and boring dragon capitals were: The Village, The Sandwing Palace, The Skywing Palace, The Icewing Palace. At least the Seawings put some effort in with theirs - The Summer Palace (which they built to host guests from across Phyrria) and The Deep Palace (where most of them lived and conducted business). If I was going to oversee a new age, I was going to give my capital a new name, something that didn't sound like a bloody placeholder.

"Xerosylvania?" I read aloud.

"Literally 'Xero's Woods' in Old Nightwing," She explained, "A fitting name considering your newfound importance and the rainforest that surrounds us."

"Xerophilia?" I shot her look, feeling somewhere between amused and disappointed.

"Proposed by some of your more... adoring fans." She shrugged. "You know they're asking to build a temple to you, right?"

"I'd rather not validate the other Queens' misandry by letting them think I turned the kingdom into a cult. ...Oh, interesting. 'Pusat Ibu'. I think that translates to 'Centrum' in the Nightwing tongue, if I'm not mistaken."

"That means 'Center Town' in the Rainwing Dialect. It fits into their style of place names. You wanted to have the name be something like 'Center' or 'Evolution', right?"

"Yes, I did. Let's see, down here we have 'Perkem', which is abbreviated for Evolution in Rainwing. ...Hmm, 'Lanjut', that's a cool word."

"It means 'Next'. That's kind of like Evolution, right?"

"That could work. ...What's this word? Afo- Afovon? Afovaan?"

"'Afovoany'. It comes from the east, where the Rainwings interact with the Mudwings more. It's their word for 'Middle'. Close enough to Center."

I stopped and stared at the next word, trying to figure how to pronounce it. Noticing my confusion, Nessy hid her smirk behind her cup. "'Renivohitra'," She translated, "It means 'Capital City'. The Girls seemed to think it's kind of bland, but it gets the point across. Plus, it sounds pretty regal, don't you think? Ren-e-vo-he-trah." She pronounced the word slowly and carefully, almost purring. I personally thought the word was too complicated for common spelling speech, but hearing her say it in that voice raised it a couple spots.

Placing a wing over her back, I went to the next word. "'Kotatengah'. Now that's a name I can get behind. Simple, yet powerful. Ko-ta-ten-gah."

"'Middle City', in Old Rainwing. Another way of saying Centrum. Batty had a feeling you'd like that one."

"Indeed, indeed." I looked at the last two, and I gave her a deadpan glare. "Please tell me the last two are jokes."

"You can blame Flying Fox and the palm wine on those," She said, "Half the committee was drunk when we came up with 'Xero McXero Face', and the other half... well, you know how Rainwings can be."

"And 'Village McVillage Face'?"

"I included that so you can smack some sense into him. You and Grandeur are the only ones who can talk sense into him when he gets all squirrelly." She finished her cup, placing it on the table as I rolled up the scroll. "Anyways, having talked with the others, I'm sure the Council will approve of whatever name you suggest without any problems. Still, picking a name from the list would at least assure everyone that you're truly OUR King, and not just an outsider on the throne."

I nodded, finishing my own cup. "I'll have to think about it in the morning." I yawned, stretching myself out across the bed, "Spirits, what a crazy couple of days. I actually feel tired, and it's not even midnight."

"Don't tell me you're calling it a night already!" Nessy pouted, rolling away and onto her back. She shot me a simmering stare, crossing her backlegs and placing a paw behind her head. It was clear she was trying to be seductive, but it ended up coming across more cute than anything. "I'm a Nightwing, after all," She said playfully, "And I haven't had my wedding night yet! I spent all day listening to reports and flattery and silly Rainwing shenanigans. Aren't I entitled to a little snuggle time with my handsome husband?"

I snorted, but crawled over to her. "Of course you are, love. Between you and Batty, it's a wonder I get any sleep. Not that I'm complaining, of course." I emphasized the point with a kiss on her neck, and like that night just a few months ago, they spent the rest of the night bound in each other's arms...

A/N: Rolls For June 4991

Xerophilous

Domestic

Proposal to Batty: N/A
Greatness Promotion: N/A
Village Renaming: 62 + 30 (RP) = 92

Diplomacy

Enchanting Scarlet: 60 + 30 (RP) = 90
Age Regression (1-50): 51
Animus Powers (1-20): 16
Mindwipe (1-80): 90
Smitten? 88
Technocracy Fetish: 80

Sorry for the long delay, ladies and gents. Got sucked into other projects and games much of the past year. The last 5-6 months in particular had me involved in a particularly fun RP similar to Court of Sand based off of Star Wars, called "I Love Democracy". Quick elevator pitch, imagine the prequel trilogy if Palpatine died before becoming Chancellor, and Padme slowly turned to the Dark Side as the madhouse that is The Senate (read "the players") cause the Clone Wars to be even crazier. Think of it like instead of a trilogy of movies made by Lucas, its a HBO series written by George RR Martin. Several of the players from Court of Sand were involved in it, and though neither of my characters had the same luck as Xero (my original character dying after failing to assassinate Jabba the Hutt), I'm happy with how I was able to help lay the groundwork for the Rebellion in the sequel game that's supposed to come out next year.

Anyways, I have a small backlog of chapters following this, so updates for this and Side Stories should be more regular for the rest of the year. Arc 3 will get going in a major way, I assure you.

On a minor note, looking at some of the dice rolls here and knowing where the plot's going to go, I can't help but wonder how much different things would be if the numbers were flipped, and instead of turning of Scarlet into a lovesick animus, she got the Peacemaker treatment instead? Having to raise another child would've just made things even crazier at home, becoming a regent instead of an ally (maybe getting paired up with Stonemover too, as part of a marital alliance?). Ah well, as Christopher Walken said, "The past is past, and the future's now."

Question for you, dear readers: Which of the names listed would you pick for The Village? Be sure to vote for your favorite name in the comment section. ;)