"Are you sure about this?"
"Well, yes, im sure, otherwise, this would be dumb, don't you think?" she replied, she wanted to ease his mind, but for his face, he was having a really hard time at that moment "You know everything will be fine, right?"
"I know… but they…. They´re way too small for this! i mean… if something happens…. If they get hurt… i"
"Geez, you´re overthinking this, Aqua said it would be fine, didn't she?" Wrapping her arms around him, she forced his body to lean against hers "It´s…. really cute seeing you like this tough…."
"Camilla please… we don't know what could happen….." he groaned "besides… im way to old for you to be doing this…"
"Oh? Cant i cuddle with my cute husband?"
"….Camilla, you know th-" he couldn't finish as she pushed him to the bed and laid aside his body to continue with the cuddles.
"There, there, better? You´ve been working to the bone in the last days, i think you deserve at least five minutes os bliss, dont you think?"
"Camilla…. You must… stop doing this…."
"It´s that undesirable my touch?"
"Of course no, but…. You….know that we cant…. Be this sloppy…"
"oh my, having ulterior motives now? Sakura will get mad at us if you´ve other motives to be here"
"Am i interrupting something?" Aqua voice took them by surprise.
"Yes../No!" Camilla and Kamui replied at the same time, unwilling to cooperate, Camilla sighed while Kamui stood. "….how…. how did it go?" Kamui asked.
"See by yourself…."with that said, a young Caeldori appeared at the door, with a pair of small creatures, Kamui quickly kneeled at their level, smaller versions of his own dragonform, but one pink as a cherry with delicate scales, the other with a faint color of purple and white.
"Oh my! They look so cute!~~" Camilla purred as she tried to approach, but the youngest child suddenly reverted her transformation, returning to the body of a six year old girl, almost falling to her father arms. "Oh… is she alright?"
"Just exhausted, Mikoto has a lot of potential in magic, but its due to her high resistance to it that it requires quite a lot of energy to maintain her dragonform, Kanna in the other side, has a stronger bond to her father blood, it was easier for her to transform in the cave…." Aqua replied, in the middle of her speech she felt a hint of anger towards her, Camilla was know to be protective with the girls, hinting that they were stressed could end poorly for her.
"…How are you Miko? All good?" Kamui asked, the little girl nodded, rubbing her eyes, Kana transformed and helped her father to soothe her sister fatigue with a tender hug.
"How cute~,my little girls support each other, mama is so happy with you two" Kana showed a toothy smile, but Mikoto couldnt take it anymore and fell asleep in her father arms.
"…. Lets go for now, i need to think" Kamui said, carrying her, Camilla took Kana hand and walked aside of him.
She was fitdeging at the result, Sakura and her insisted in this trial, Aqua was kind enough to guide the girls through that path, but it was the first time they were truly against Kamui desires.
Aqua suggested that since they were in the deeprealms, they could use that time to train the girls, not in tactics or weapons, but to connect with their inner strength, with the help of Saizo and Kaze, they scouted some potential lands to train, and they found out that cave, filled with raw stones, the same stone Kamui uses to transform.
The first time Kamui took his dragonstone, it took a while to get used to it, he even had to change it to another one, the one handed from aqua was a relic, something that barely had any kind of power to help the prince control his dragonic vein.
'If we can make the girls used to that kind of power, then they will grow up healthy and strong, using that place to train they might find their own dragonstone', everyone but Kamui were delighted with the idea.
"No" she remembers how he replied "I refuse to force them to do that"
I wasn't like that, Camilla knew that, and she could feel it in his gaze, he wasn't rejecting the idea, but for his eyes he wanted to ban that topic, maybe his gentle nature made it harder to understand why his words felt so harsh to them, he noticed how their behavior changed, fixing his posture, he excused himself out the room, unfortunately for her, he didn't need her presence, they required a gentler touch, looking at Sakura, they understood each other.
After some days, Sakura explained his sudden outburst and asked Aqua if she could explain a few things about the dragonstones, otherwise, she would oppose the idea as well.
"It is always that painful? Or it was just a matter of the situation?" was the first question, Kamui told her his first experience, the plaza incident and how he transformed, maybe he was traumatized, or it just left a bad taste in his mouth, but the main reason why he hated so much to remember that time was the feeling of pain and hatred he felt.
"He felt rage and how every bone of his body cracked at that time" were his words, he couldn't totally explain how it felt, he couldn't compare that experience to any similar they could know, Kamui tried for days to formulate his words correctly, but it was difficult, he even quoted one phrase in his books, 'How do you explain colors to a blind person?', at the end, the words he used to explain was 'painful', 'sorrowful' and 'disturbing'
Aqua remained silent while Sakura explained the situation and replied as calm as ever.
"Yes, it was expected to be traumatic for Kamui, i assume he never experienced something like that in Nohr, without a dragonstone, it almost taboo to do it that way, he used the bottled-up hatred in all those years trapped, all the frustration and rage just left his body, causing his dragonic transformation, but that is the bad way to do it"
"And what about our girls?" Sakura questioned.
"It´s like trying to learn a new language, the earlier the better, i can't guarantee that they won't get anxious or emotional during this phase, but it´s way healthier for them to experience this now than later."
"I see…. Then i guess it´s decided, can it be this weekend?" that took them by surprise.
"Shouldn't we discuss this with Darling?" Camilla inquired, but Sakura nodded with a gentle smile.
"We…. talked, for quite a while last night, he´s stressed for this topic, but also, he´s regreteful that he reacted that way with you, Aqua. He knows your feelings are in the right place, but he´s way too afraid to allow our daughters to experience the same pain than him experienced, he needed some space"
"He´s being a Father for our girls…"
"I apologize, i thought this was clear, maybe i assumed that it was clear enough" Aqua commented "But i assure you that this is for the best"
With that in mind, it was clear that their dragon form was important, but why was she remembering all that?
At that moment, Caeldori was dumbfounded for what was happening, maybe a little happy for that silly curl in her face, but as she was cuddling with Kamui, every time she caressed his head, Kamui waved his tail side to side.
It happened with Kana and Miko several times before when they felt relaxed and happy.
She couldn't believe it, she had to move quickly as Kamui purred against Caeldori chest, she hated to be missing that sweet and unique moment, but she couldn't risk it, wrapping one of the blankets around her and looking inside the drawers, she couldn't waste their precious time.
"L-Lady Camilla?" Caeldori inquired, she was still bewildered for what was happening, Camilla just took one of the spare dragonstones and smiled.
"My goodness, you certainly are such a good girl~" she approached, placing her hand on his forehead, moving his bangs, then her gaze moved to his body "…fortunately, I think this is quite enough~"
"Uh? L-Lady Camilla? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, silly me, you´re not aware of what´s going on, right?" She hesitated, Camilla for her side just giggled and clapped her hands together "Don't worry sweetie, it´s ok, i´ll explain on the way, but now we need to move" One of the many advantages of being taller than him was the fact that she could carry him as she pleased, not like he enjoyed it, but now he wasn't in any position to complain, carefully and making sure not to hurt hum, she carried him in her arms while he continued to purr "Oh my~ I could…. No, focus, focus Camilla… Caeldori, open the door please."
The pegasi knight took one of the blankets and followed her, Sophie was still guarding the door and was startled by the scene.
"No time to talk sweetheart! It´s happening right now!" Sophie quickly rushed to ring one of the bells near the window, several footsteps were heard above them, panicked by the sudden noise, Caeldori couldn't ask, Camilla was already walking away.
"L-Lady C-Camilla? Wh-what´s going on?" She barely managed to catch up with her.
"How much do you know about my darlings transformations?"
"Eh? Ohh…. I know that sometimes…. When they´re angry some parts of their body changes, they can use this in battle…. But not much"
"Well darling, there's much more you need to know if you want to join us"
It was bizarre.
She was by far, one of the members around who knew a lot of strange things happening around, after all, how many people could say she was catching a dragon in the afternoon because said dragon wasn't eating her vegetables? How many nannies could handle girls who could fly away in a tantrum? There was a high possibility that she might be one of the few people in the world that lived so much and experienced unreasonable scenarios.
Hearing Kamui grumbling in her lap took her out of her trance.
Maybe grooming a dragon, her loved one, seeing how Camilla with Flora and Midoriko with some servants were diligently scaling Kamui, cleaning his wounds and seeing that everything was in order, it was a bizarre and unique experience in every sense.
What happened? Camilla brought them to another room in the treehouse, called for help, she just said "the time has come darlings" and a bunch of butlers and maids appeared, at that point she understood that regardless of hierarchy, Camilla was the "diligent wife" with iron grasp, she heard stories about her tribulations, but she never expected that level of control over the servants, it was terrifying.
Before she could understand what was happening, they were left in an empty room, Kamui left in the middle and shortly after, Camilla pushed the dragonstone in his forehead, as she expected, he suddenly transformed into a dragon.
Caeldori saw that form before, or some kind of variant, unlike the last time, this time his scales were somewhat withered, she could guess the reason. The bite marks he had on his body were gruesome in human form, now she could see how the scars of the battle affected his body.
When he transformed, he did so lying on the ground, immediately Caeldori pulled himself up to make sure his head was not twisted by his antlers, lying in such a way that all the wounds were on his side face up, Camilla clapped her hands making everyone act.
Midoriko with Flora were busy checking his scales, Camilla commanded some servants to collect the falling scales, while whispering some words to others, running for more help.
"Wow, I'm glad you got things figured out quickly, darling" said Camilla approaching "I'm pleased as you have no idea you know what to do right now."
"I would have liked a warning" she said with a chuckle "Not my first rodeo in this kind of situation... if that's what I think it is, is it shedding scales? Why all the hustle and bustle?"
"Honey... sorry for not informing you, but I honestly wanted to see if you were able to react" he started while stroking Kamui's head "...since he took the strategist position, he has been accumulating stress... as you well know, while he is in this form it is hard to deal with him, especially since we don't have his special armor..."
"His armor?"
"Yes, he used to wear armor when he was in Nohr, but now that he has the tactician job... it's complicated to explain now, it's an old story," she said while continuing to pamper Kamui. Both of them watched as the servants worked, removing the damaged scales while Midoriko applied a special ointment. "He couldn't use any seals to change class, and besides, in his fragile state, attempting it would be risky, so Aqua recommended trying to make this change in this way."
"Isn't it too risky?" Caeldori asked.
"Quite, but we have no other choice," Camilla said with sadness in her voice. "As you can see, the state of his body is deplorable. We needed to do something, or it would have been worse in the long run."
Caeldori understood what she was saying but couldn't fully accept it. Despite using a dragonstone for the transformation, it didn't seem like the ideal condition for a change. The scales barely gleamed, his horns were cracked, and he had deep wounds on his arm and leg that were barely closing. It wasn't just that; forcing a transformation itself was anything but prudent. Kana and Miko had mentioned it during their first transformation, using only willpower was like sailing in the ocean, confused and with thoughts lost in a fog of ideas and emotions. Though it was somewhat better, it wasn't entirely different because it wasn't entirely voluntary.
"Wasn't there any other way?" she asked, causing Camilla to shake her head. She was about to ask more questions but was interrupted by Jakob, who entered with more medical equipment, followed by Aqua, who seemed distressed, watching over Kamui, Caeldori could only guess what was about to happen.
Aqua positioned herself near Kamui's chest and began humming a song, while Jakob, on the other hand, seemed distressed about what he had to do.
"Have you done this before?" Camilla asked.
"Y-Yes, my lady. It's just that... it's not easy to do this to Lord Kamui..." he said, anxious.
"It was necessary, Jakob," Aqua commented. "Only in this vulnerable state could we finish healing him, although I thought it wouldn't be so soon. What happened?"
"Several things, Darling, several things," Camilla said as she made sure Kamui's wings didn't get in the way.
"...I'm so sorry, Lord Kamui, please forgive me," Jakob said as he examined the horns. At first glance, they seemed healthy, but like with elks or deer, he needed to go through the same shedding process. However, since he had been in his human form for so long, it seemed like his horns had gotten stuck somehow.
"...Wait, Jakob," Aqua interrupted. "Who was the person who allowed the change?"
"It was Caeldori," Camilla said.
"In that case, she should be the one to see if she can help him lose his antlers," Aqua said.
"Me?" Caeldori asked, somewhat scared. But listening to Kamui's breathing, he seemed anxious and disoriented. Kamui had never appeared this way to her before. She slowly began checking his horns and could see that they began to break at a certain point but didn't fully come off.
Fortunately, it only took a few gentle pushes to make them fall, although there was the unpleasant surprise of blood when she removed the antlers.
"Caeldori could barely grasp what was going on, but with Aqua and the others' help, they managed to calm Kamui, who once again had his head peacefully resting on her lap. It was the first time she had seen him so close in that way; one would never think they'd live long enough to witness that, but there they were.
Indeed, it reminded her of those rare occasions when she used to sing to Miko or Kanna when Kamui wasn't around. The feeling of familiarity was remarkably familiar.
"So... have you made up your mind?" Aqua asked Camilla, who nodded with a wide smile.
"Oh yes, it's time to gather the kids, they've been quite naughty~" she said with a hint of mischief in her voice.
As the day passed, news of Kamui's recovery spread like wildfire, so Camilla, Sakura, Rhajat, Caeldori, and Hinoka had gathered in one of the common rooms. Hinoka seemed a bit downcast while Caeldori appeared nervous.
Glancing behind her, it was obvious why—Kamui lay in bed, recovering in his human form.
"Don't worry, you did what you had to do," Camilla said, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"I can't say I'm glad I hurt him like that."
"Think of it as grooming, or trimming nails. Besides, you were instrumental to this success," Camilla said, playing with her wine glass. "If it weren't for you, our precious Kamui would still be suffering. Now that we've managed to restore him to his dragon form, Midoriko was finally able to apply the special ointment and close his wounds completely. Now it's just a matter of resting and healing."
"You still haven't told us why you thought it was a good idea to do this without the help of the others," Sakura remarked, causing Camilla to nervously avert her gaze.
"She probably wanted to see if she could do it herself, couldn't, so she settles for being the first to see Kamui in that state," Rhajat commented.
"Of course not! And can you believe it?! Kamui, OUR KAMUI, is purring!" Camilla exclaimed, her cheeks flushing as she licked her lips. "I can't help but wonder where this information has been all this time. Will the girls do it too? Will they sound as adorable as I imagine? Just think of the possibilities!"
"You sound like a dirty old pervert," Said Rhajat.
"Oh? Coming from the one who pretends to be with him all the time. While the little bun you're cooking might be cause for celebration, remember that we all know the intentions behind each one," Camilla said with a smile. "Isn't that right... 'cupcake'?"
"Y-You! W-What do you know?!" Rhajat exclaimed, embarrassed.
"Enough to give the girls some ideas~"
Sakura quietly set down her cup, causing both girls to pause. They rolled their eyes and with a slight smile, let the topic drop.
"By the way," Sakura continued, "Have you finished researching what you needed to do?"
"Not entirely. We need to wrap up this meeting so we can gather all the information. I'm on the brink of having some idea or foundation to proceed with our little project," Rhajat said. "Speaking of which..."
Entering the room, Xander, Ryoma, Mikoto, and the little ones, Miko and Kanna, accompanied them, closely followed by their respective caregivers, Felicia, Flora, and Jakob carrying papers. Finally, Aqua came in, speaking with an annoyed Scarlet. The girls immediately went to sit on their mothers' laps.
"Hello, my little ray of sunshine, did you have fun with your uncles?" Camilla asked, tenderly stroking Kana's head. She only took one of the desserts, grumbling, "Oh? Did you have such a bad time?"
"No," Kana grumbled back. "But... Uncle Lobster is very pushy..."
"I beg of you, please stop calling me that..." Ryoma said as Mikoto laughed at her granddaughter's comment.
"It was an interesting day..." Scarlet remarked. "Not necessarily the best, but quite interesting."
"Oh? What made today so interesting?" Sakura asked.
"We talked about many things, but they insisted on trying to buy Kana's favor with snacks and stories from Hoshido, but she kept insisting on wanting to know more about her moms and dad," Miko commented.
"Really? And what did they tell you?" Camilla inquired, her eyes resembling those of a predator about to pounce on its prey. Despite the position Xander and Ryoma held at that moment, they cared little about being in a 'higher rank' than the princess. Ryoma sought solace in Sakura, but her gentle smile, overshadowed by Camilla's similar demeanor, proved futile.
"Well, there are many things I could say about my dear Kamui," Mikoto intervened with a wide smile. "But certainly, I would like to hear firsthand the interesting stories they have to share about how he grew up in Nohr and how he was received in Hoshido after... my unexpected absence." For a moment, they were grateful, but seeing how Mikoto's expression lacked anything but hostility made them swallow nervously.
"Well, it can't be that bad, darling," another voice interrupted them. At the entrance stood Oboro with Takumi. The prince looked at Mikoto, then at the princesses with their daughters, then at his brother, and back at Mikoto. He raised his arms and took a step back before being caught by his wife. "Oh no, you won't!"
"Seriously? You're betraying me now?!" he complained as he was forced to join in.
"Hey, guys! What a surprise to see you all here!" Elise said with a bright smile, carrying some pastries in a basket. She greeted Oboro, who welcomed her with a hug, then bounced over to Mikoto to greet her in the same manner before finally sitting between Camilla and Sakura to offer their loot to the girls.
"See? There's nothing to worry about! Be a little more vibrant like our dear sister-in-law," she said.
"Oh dear, no!" Takumi grumbled. "I don't mind visiting them from time to time, but I saw the trap they set up for them, so I want to be here when heads roll—"
"Dear brother, please, you're exaggerating," Sakura said, pouring some tea.
"Indeed, it's exaggerated, dear BROTHER-IN-LAW. Are you saying our presence intimidates you?" Camilla emphasized.
"I suppose the girls have a good reason to summon us now of all times, so why not listen to them?" Mikoto emphasized.
Takumi sighed, taking a seat next to Ryoma. "Just... just let me say goodbye to Kiragi..."
"Oh please, we're not going to boss you around... much," Camilla said with a mocking laugh.
"Alright, I think it's time to begin," Aqua emphasized, laying out on the table what was one of the maps they had of the region between Hoshido and Nohr. "We didn't plan on having this meeting until later, but... circumstances have changed..."
"Circumstances?" Ryoma asked.
"Thanks to this lovely person, we won't have to squat for a few more weeks. We can finally start the final part of our little project," Camilla said, stroking Caeldori's head. Though embarrassed, she remained in place.
"What project?" Xander asked.
"Well, a little standard remodeling, really. A few more mountains to the south, a field in the west," Camilla said.
"Oh, remember I always wanted that kind of lake in front of the castle," Sakura commented.
"Of course, we can't just—"
"Please, take it more seriously," Xander said, sweating nervously. "We've been on edge all day; don't torture us with more suspense. Be more specific, I implore you."
"Hmm... I must admit, Camilla, teasing our brothers-in-law like this is quite... entertaining," Rhajat said with malice in her smile. "I wonder..."
"Alright, enough, you'll make them cry if you keep going," Mikoto interrupted. "While I agree on giving them a bit of a scare from time to time to improve relations, we shouldn't overdo it. So, for now, let's all be friends and continue with the discussion?"
Rhajat rolled her eyes while Camilla and Sakura nodded. "Killjoy," the sorceress murmured.
"Can I continue?" Aqua asked.
"Of course, dear, but I think we should explain the how and why at this moment," Camilla said.
"...Haven't you told them anything?"
"There wasn't much time for that, dear. I'm sorry."
"...I suppose it can't be helped, I just wish—"
"I know, I know, we shouldn't have so many things stored away like this. Seriously, Silas, if you're not going to help me and—" Leo stopped as he entered and saw all eyes on him, noting the princes' expressions and how they looked at him, pleading for help. Leo shook his head in an attempt to leave, being stopped by Silas. "This... was a trap..."
"Sorry," Silas apologized.
"...Haaah... whatever..." Leo looked at Elise and his nieces. "Well, isn't it time you all get ready for dinner? I'm sure Midoriko and Misuki will need help."
"Exactly!" Elise replied after a few seconds, taking her nieces' hands. "Do you remember what day it is?" Kana thought for a moment before enthusiastically nodding, her sister just rolled her eyes. "So what are we waiting for?" Elise said as Kana literally dragged Miko to follow their aunt. Leo sighed as he heard the girls leaving.
"Lucky them," he muttered while Camilla laughed.
"You say that as if we were going to do something wrong," Camilla said.
"Please, Xander and Ryoma look like puppies about to be scolded. You seem ecstatic even when I see Kamui resting in the background, and from what I can tell, Aqua already has everything ready for your little stratagem. The fact that you're not hovering over Kamui in that state makes it clear to me that you're saving him as a dessert for something tedious," Leo said, raising his fingers to emphasize each point.
"Oh? Tedious? Why do you say it will be tedious?"
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have allowed your dear girls to leave with Elise with that decoy," Leo pointed out.
"Well, you're half right," Camilla said cheerfully. "But they'll be back eventually, so let's 'talk about the tedious stuff' first, okay?" Camilla looked at Aqua, who nodded to summarize their discussion.
"There are several points we need to discuss, but in general, we need to prepare to start mobilizing everyone at certain specific points," Aqua said, pointing to the map of the region north of Hoshido. "The wisest thing to do now is to pack everything up and establish a base on the border."
"I have a slight déjà vu about this," Ryoma commented. "Didn't you say we'd be here for weeks before the land returned to its original place?"
"The circumstances have changed," Aqua said serenely. "I'm sorry, brother Ryoma, but there are some things we've kept secret for the sake of everyone, including some facts."
"Such as?" Leo asked.
"Kamui sacrificed many things to bring us to this point, one of which was the sanity he maintained in his dragon form," she said, looking at the albino. "Or rather, he sacrificed his peace of mind for the sake of the entire group. If you recall, Kamui didn't fight as he used to; he used strategies and the power of everyone at every step, but he didn't use his dragon form. The class seal he used prevents him from properly using that form and consequently creates extra stress on his body."
"Stress? So, on top of being cursed, he was stressed? Please..." Leo grumbled, annoyed.
"Well, he had a good 'stress reliever' before to prevent him from turning into a dragon for months," Aqua looked at Mikoto, who in response looked melancholic, reminiscing about her early days with Kamui as a baby. "I suppose Mother can give us a bit more information about it."
"It's not something grand, dear," the former queen said. "It's just that Kamui, being 'half-dragon,' didn't have the ability to transform at such a young age and being inexperienced in magic. I suppose my little ones went through the same, didn't they?"
"Kana had her first transformation at nine years old," Camilla commented.
"Miko had hers at eleven years old," Sakura confirmed.
"Well, by dragon standards, that's still very early. If he hadn't had any external influence, he might have retained his transformation longer, even until thirty or forty years old. That's still a 'child' for dragons." Commented Mikoto.
"Making Kana and Miko exceptional cases due to the circumstances of Camilla and Sakura's bloodline," Aqua pointed out. "Having dragon blood running through their veins reinforced the characteristics of their lineage, allowing them to transform even earlier than Kamui."
"I think we're getting a bit off-topic," Leo said. "What does all this have to do with the topic of moving earlier?"
"This place is linked to Kamui. If he's stressed, it's more difficult for Lilith to manipulate and adjust this terrain. We thought Mikoto had completely healed Kamui to his prime, but it wasn't just about healing him; it was about returning his entire natural cycle. Just as we shed our skin and grow, Kamui needed to return to his natural cycle as a Dragon."
"And that was thanks to?"
"To Caeldori."
"M-Me?!" the girl replied, still not fully understanding the implications.
"Kamui couldn't use another seal to return to his previous state; it was too dangerous. Leaving him as he was could have worsened his situation, so 'forcing' him to come out was the best option. Normally, this transformation would revert him to his 'original' state, but the problem was that he was too focused," Aqua explained.
"In normal circumstances, relaxing him to a point where he would revert to the form we wanted would be something Camilla, Sakura, or Rhajat could do, but..."
"But?"
"Our dear Kamui feels too guilty, at least for now," Camilla sighed. "I remember there were even times when Miko and Kana could do this. They used to roam through the fields of wheat in their dragon forms to play. But because of what happened in that battle... he felt too guilty for worrying us so much, rendering our efforts futile..."
"With this in mind, Lilith can leave us in charge of this space while she tries to ensure that Valla returns to its original position. After she finishes, we can put this area in a specific location."
"More specifically, between Hoshido and Nohr, the area where not even our own scouts can stay for long due to the inclement weather. Aqua assures us that once that area is covered, it will be safe to live there, which brings us to the next part of our conversation~" Camilla commented as she stood and approached one of the vaults behind Sakura.
"We think that within a week or so, we can finish the war campaign. We plan to release all loyal soldiers from the army to return to their respective territories. Some... have decided to settle with us and settle down while helping us. In general, there doesn't seem to be any animosity among them after all we've been through," Sakura said with a radiant smile. Xander and Ryoma relaxed for a moment before Camilla dropped her axe in the middle of the table, catching them off guard.
"We had thought about it before, but here and now I make it official. In case you're wondering, we prefer to renounce our noble titles in order to stay by Kamui's side. We can't force you to accept our line of thinking, but this is it. We love Kamui, we want to stay in his new kingdom, we want to stay here to raise and watch the fruit of our love grow, and you don't even have a say in it," her gaze darkened for a moment. "We can do it the easy way or the hard way~"
"C-Camilla! / Y-You can't talk like th-" Xander and Ryoma were about to protest, but Sakura sighed and, to their surprise, effortlessly lifted the axe.
"I think the time for jokes has passed, Camilla," Sakura said as she examined the axe. "Is this... Kana's toy? When did you paint it so well?"
"It was one of my little Selene's punishments," Camilla said proudly. "Besides, it's no joke. I prefer to nip these problems in the bud now while I can and not later, when they can bother us."
"But to do this to Kana's toy? I can barely get her to focus on her classes, and now she won't stop playing with this," she said, puffing her cheeks.
"A-Ah! I'm sorry! Don't be mad at me! It was in the heat of the moment! Please, don't make that face," Camilla pleaded.
"Well, it seems there's no doubt they'll get along and support each other no matter what," Mikoto commented, drawing the attention of the nobles there. "What are your thoughts? It's a good time to be honest now."
"...I suppose I have no complaints," Takumi began, looking first at Camilla. "Just do me the favor of taking care of that stubborn brother of mine. He can be troublesome and quite stubborn at times, so I guess it's good that you're by his side to take care of him." Then he looked at Sakura. "You know where I'll be if you need anything. I couldn't be prouder to see how much you've grown..."
"Brother..." Sakura looked at him fondly.
"Heh... there's not much we can do," Leo said as he poured himself some tea offered by Flora. "The most logical thing is for the nobles to return to their territories to rebuild and delegate, so we can't help them with that. I'll make sure those who stay here don't have any problems back in Nohr. I'm sure Pineapple Lord over here will do the same," he said sarcastically as Takumi rolled his eyes and Oboro tried to contain her laughter. "A well-deserved break isn't unreasonable."
"Well, it's not like we won't see each other again," Camilla said. "As long as you don't use that spell on my Kana again, you can come as often as you want once we settle down."
"Yeah, besides, I don't think I can easily let go of some Hoshidan customs. We can visit you as long as you respect our position," Sakura said with a friendly smile.
"So... it's just..." Mikoto looked at Xander and Ryoma, who seemed reflective.
Ryoma thought about everything he had seen, the troops and people who cared for Sakura and Takumi had grown considerably. He was even surprised to see Oboro so friendly and cordial with the Nohrians present, thinking about the change they had achieved.
Xander thought about everything they had ignored, Garon's manipulation and all the havoc they had caused, the war, all the acts committed on both sides. Still, to think that Camilla had accepted to leave everything they thought they defended. No, even that was wrong for him; had he ever considered what she wanted?
"If the temporary truce we have with Nohr becomes a standard, it's not something that would bother me. In fact, knowing everything we know now, all your struggles, all your tragedies, this senseless war has gone on for too long," Ryoma commented.
"Now that Garon is gone, I suppose it's up to me to take command, as the possible new future king of Nohr. I see no reason not only to end this senseless feud but now I can't see the Hoshidans as enemies," Xander continued.
"Still..."
"Still..."
"Still?" Camilla asked, feeling the vein on her forehead about to burst.
I find it very difficult to let go of my nieces... not just their inheritances... but everything we've missed out on in this time..." Ryoma said with a long, heavy sigh.
"I'm tired of all this..." Xander continued. "The fights, the deceit, the war... I don't approve at all of you hiding the heritage from the girls, but with what happened with your mother and Kamui... I understand you're reluctant to take them to a place that needs to be cleaned up to keep them safe..."
"Oh? Oooooh~ congratulations!" Mikoto said as she clapped her hands. "Congratulations to both of you, that's the way to go."
"What do you mean? / What's going on?" they asked at the same time.
"Nothing, you've earned extra points, but if you don't realize it, then I'll let you mull it over with your pillow. For now, are you both content to end this ridiculous enmity and try to force your nieces to join Hoshido or Nohr?" They both nodded.
"Alright, so we've cleared up the issue with the terrain, the positions of Kamui's princess consorts, and also the detachment of Kamui's army to free the world from Anankos. Just... one thing left..." Aqua glanced at the guys and then at the girls. Even for her stoic demeanor, there seemed to be something that made her uncomfortable about bringing it up. "Well, the main points have been addressed, but... do they need to hear this too?" Aqua asked, her face slightly flushed.
"Oh, something got our little Aqua feeling uneasy? You had my interest, now you have my attention," Mikoto said with a laugh, looking at Caeldori and Hinoka, knowing they were about to burst with anticipation.
"Well... um... Rhajat? Can I?" Aqua asked timidly, and Rhajat nodded. "Well... we've had some questions for a while, and it's not something we can actively investigate or something we want to delve into out of curiosity, but what we need from you, Mother, is to... tell us about all the complications of your pregnancy."
"Oh, specifically mine? That's not something I expected... unless..." Mikoto looked at Rhajat, who proudly inflated her chest with that typical sinister smile of hers.
"I'm in my eighth week," Rhajat replied, and Mikoto immediately rose to congratulate her, then shot a somewhat annoyed look at Camilla. "Is that why you said 'cupcake' earlier? You're so mean!"
"I thought you'd pick up on that clue better," Camilla laughed.
"Well, well! How can I help?! Tell me, my darlings!"
"How... did you manage to survive your pregnancy?" Aqua asked, casting a somber tone over the room.
"Ah... that's... not how you phrase it, dear... I had a lot of help... why do you think her pregnancy is so dire that it's more likely she'll die?" Mikoto looked hurt by her words.
"We had a lot of doubts. Camilla's and my pregnancies weren't difficult but not a walk in the park either, Mother," Sakura commented. "And that's not even mentioning the... side effects..."
"Side effects? What side effects? Oh no... by the First Dragons, are they suffering?! I never wanted to-"
"Calm down, Mother, the side effects aren't 'lethal.' They're more... curious and discouraging things," Camilla smiled. "Technically, it's been about two years since I gave birth to Kana, at least in terms of gestation and growth standards. Lilith and Aqua did some checks on us for a few things that happened, like the sad fact that I can't have another baby for a few more years, which is why Kamui has forbidden me from going to the deeprealms of rapid time..." She said sadly as Sakura tried to console her.
"Come on, don't say that, don't be so down, it's just how it is," Sakura said, comforting Camilla. "But it's not just that, Mother, there were several things that happened during our pregnancies... for example, after our second trimester, we started getting extremely tired, like we were using the 'dragonveins' constantly. Not only that, but..." Sakura took off the glove from her right hand, showing some marks on her skin, resembling 'scales.' As Mikoto approached to observe, they were indeed scales, in small amounts but barely noticeable. "Things like these appeared on our bodies... we-"
"Oh, oh by the Great Dragons, everything's fine~" Mikoto laughed. "You frightened me gravely for a moment."
"Excuse me?"
"My dear girls, during pregnancy, you share your babies' blood. The fact that you share dragon blood only makes it more complicated at certain points, but what you're doing is strengthening the 'hold' you have with your dragon blood. Kana's and Miko's blood awakens certain latent characteristics in you, something that will happen more easily as time passes. You won't be able to turn into dragons, but you may live longer than a hundred years or have more superhuman abilities than the average person. The fact that you've had the girls makes you more akin to their 'dragonic' side. So, in a way, you could think of this as a gift from them... And as for you, Rhajat," Mikoto said, putting her hands on her shoulders, "I'm sorry to say you won't have the same luck as them. You'll go through a normal and common pregnancy like any ordinary woman who's been through this. In fact, I think it would be more similar to Oboro's than theirs."
"Are you sure about that?" Rhajat asked.
"Absolutely," Mikoto said with a wide smile. "But, no overexertion, okay?"
"Well..." Xander interrupted the moment. "Hmm... I must ask, Prince Ryoma, would it be possible to share the records of your births just to have a stronger context?"
"Unfortunately, the midwives couldn't document those kinds of things. We could speak with some midwives who remember Hinoka and Sakura, but nothing written. Several things were strangely lost during that time," Ryoma replied.
"I suppose that makes sense. I only have vague memories that the concubines' pregnancies were difficult to obtain but easy to manage. We'll have to investigate this further," Xander said.
"It's not that hard to obtain something," Takumi said. "Maybe in the old records of Father, we can find more information?"
"From our end, it might be difficult. Garon destroyed many things, including information about the first queen and the subsequent concubines, although..." Leo paused for a moment, thinking. "There should be something. I'll have Niles look into this, no-"
"Wow, who would have thought, you guys behaving like adults," Camilla commented, seeing them embarrassed.
"Well, this is important news," Ryoma said.
"It's not like we can ignore this problem just because we're not satisfied with what we were told before," Xander remarked. "Besides, Camilla would never forgive me if I didn't assist them when I can with this inconvenience."
"Wow, you're learning faster now, Xander," Camilla said. "Thank you very much for the help, dear brothers."
As all of this unfolded, Caeldori couldn't believe the absurd conversation she had witnessed. She looked at Kamui and then at her own stomach. She hadn't thought about it, but it was logical with lovers, right? This outcome was straight out of a novel. Even though it was obvious, she couldn't concentrate after everything that had happened. She would need support from her parents to organize her thoughts.
On the other hand, Mikoto observed the room. This kind of gathering was rare, and she saw how the conversation became more relaxed. She looked at Hinoka, who seemed lost in her thoughts.
"I know you asked for answers, dear," she whispered in Hinoka's ear as she bit her lip. "I'm sorry you have more questions, but have you found any of what you wanted to know?"
"I... " Hinoka glanced at Kamui, recalling the things that had happened. "I need to talk to them in private..."
Chapter 47: Steps Towards a Better Future.
Please play the clip of "He's back! He's back!" from Spiderman or the one where Mushu says "I'M ALIIIIVE!" xD
Phew, it's been a long, loooooooong journey with this fic. It's my pleasure to inform you that after a well-deserved break due to several family issues, I've returned energized not only to continue with other fics but also to revisit old ones.
Of course, this involved reading (and correcting), gathering context, reviewing my notes, and more about this. I apologize for the long wait. I really hit a block with this work and thought, "Maybe I could wrap it up in the next part," but that felt very out of place and unfair. So after talking with some friends, sharing ideas, and checking my Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts, I decided to return to this fic and others. Right now, I'm working, but it's easier to have this renewed motivation after reading your private messages and reviews on other works.
Thank you very much for your support, guys.
Without further ado, I'm Shidesu13, signing off for now. Please wait patiently for the next updates.
SHIDESU! OUT!