The entire royal family sat at the dining table for breakfast. Nuada sat at the head of the table, the four children in order of age to his right, then Lily. Nuala and Abe sat to his left. Lily spoon-fed Nibenon and helped Catherine with her food, while Nuada helped Antien and Sophia when they needed it. Nuala and Abe looked at the children, smiling at the sight.

"I never thought you would be the fatherly type, brother. Not even when we were growing up." Nuala mused.

"Yeah, well I forced him to be one. Raising four kids on my own? No thank you!" Lily interrupted. Nibenon spit up on his bib. Lily wiped him and continued to feed him.

"I must admit, you are quite the mother, Lily. Those children adore you." Abe observed.

Lily finished feeding Nibenon and picked him up, rocking him slightly.

"You kind of have to be, with four kids. Plus, I've always loved children." Lily admitted. Nibenon cooed softly. "Mommy's baby boy." She said into his ear, kissing his pudgy cheeks.

Nuada looked over at his wife, pride and happiness building in his heart. Then he turned back to Sophia, she needed help using a spoon.

HBHBHBHBHB

Crystal, Maggie, Jeanette, Michelle, and Rocco all stood outside the palace gates, arguing with the guards.

"We haven't seen her in years! Go get her and I'm sure she'll bring us right in!" Crystal yelled at the guard who refused to let them in.

"No unauthorized humans are allowed-" He began to recite.

"I said GET LILY!" Crystal shouted.

The guard was thrown momentarily back, then whispered to the guard next to him, who ran inside the palace.

HBHBHBHBHB

The same guard from the gate ran into the royal dining hall. He stopped in front of the table, trying to catch his breath.

"Yes?" Nuada asked impatiently.

"There was . . . humans . . . mostly women . . . wanted to see Queen Lillian." He managed to wheeze out.

There was a few moments of silence before Lily broke it.

"Oh! They must be my old friends! Crystal, Jeanette, and Maggie! I've nearly forgotten about them! Let them in!" Lily said excitedly, putting Nibenon back in his high chair.

The guard nodded, and ran back the way he came.

HBHBHBHBHB

The old friends were once again reunited, and now talked in the gardens, the children playing nearby.

"No way! They're all so much cuter than they are on the magazine covers!" Jeanette awed. Her eyes followed Antien as he swatted his play sword at a butterfly. "Oh! He's so big!"

"He's four now. They're all one year apart. Four, three, two, and one." Lily pointed to each child as she said their age. "Four kids in a row. How exhausting that was!"

"And still is, I bet." Maggie put in.

Lily gave a tired sigh in agreement. "Yes!"

The friends laughed together. Rocco stood off to the side, observing. He had been doing that since they got there. Lily glanced over at him every once in a while, wondering what he was doing if he didn't come to socialize.

Time passed, day turned into dusk, and found the childhood friends' banter coming to a halt. They were all ready to leave, but where had Rocco gone?

Michelle put her hands on her hips.

"Now where did that boy go?" She looked down the hallway with a pout on her face. "Probably raiding the kitchen or something."

"We should look for him, before someone else finds him in a place he isn't supposed to be." Crystal said.

Everyone agreed, and split up. They each took a different route around the palace, making sure they knew how to get back. Lily walked by herself down the most isolated hallways, places only she knew the way back out of all the friends.

"Ugh. Stupid Rocco, making things difficult. Why did he have to wander off?" She mumbled to herself. Not that she wanted her friends to leave, she would just much rather be spending her time doing something else.

Lily had just passed a dark room when she was pulled inside. She was shoved against the wall near the door and kissed fiercely. There was just enough light streaming in through the window to make out the person's face. It was Rocco.

"Rocco! What-?"

"Shh." He put his hand over her mouth. "I've waited too long to do this again."

He moved his hand and kissed her again, passionately. He pulled away once more, for air.

"No. I can't. I can't do this. My kids. My children. My babies! And my husband, Nuada! I can't do this with you! Not when I have so much to lose!" Lily said.

None of her pleading seemed to get to Rocco. He kissed her again once she was finished. His hand groped her breast through her dress. Lily let out a tiny moan. Rocco heard it and kissed her deeper, his other hand reaching around to grab her butt. Lily squeaked when he squeezed. He pulled away once more.

"I can't." Lily said, her cheeks flushed.

"I know you want it as much as I do." He said, slightly panting. "You know only I can make you feel so good."

"What makes you think Nuada can't please me better than you can?" She retaliated.

"Because I know he can't." He said.

Rocco grabbed Lily by her thighs and hoisted her up, pressing her back against the wall. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck for support. He began to kiss her neck. Every once in a while, she would protest. She would say that she had a family to think about, kids to be a role model for and a husband to stay loyal to, but her protests grew weaker and weaker as Rocco continued to touch those spots that made her go wild. Years had passed since they had last had sex, but the way he touched her made it feel like it was only yesterday.

It was rough and passionate, filled with the suppressed desires of more than five years. They didn't bother to take all of their clothes off, that would take too much time. Once Lily was lowered back onto the floor, the guilt hit her. She had just had an affair. With Rocco. Nuada would kill her the second he found out. They were both dead.

"Oh god. What did we just do?" She said, looking up at Rocco.

"Have the best sex we've both had in a while." Seeing that his answer didn't calm her, he continued, "Relax, he'll never find out. Who's around to tell it? I definitely won't and you won't if you don't want to go down as the adulterous wife and start some elven riot."

"A riot that would be all your fault!" She hit him. "You've ruined my marriage! You've ruined it!" She hit him a few more times. "Now get back to everyone and leave!"

Rocco ran out of the room to avoid any more blows from Lily. Lily followed him at a decent pace behind him. Eventually, they reached the others.

"Ugh, finally! He must have been hiding in the catacombs of the palace. Let's go!" Michelle said, pulling Rocco towards the entrance of the palace.

He glanced back at Lily, who smiled and waved as her friends walked out of her home, keeping the guilt eating away at her off of her face.

I'm sure you all hate me right now, but it only gets worse. You're all going to want to kill me soon.