Chapter 206 – Back to Land

We spent the next few minutes testing whether I could use my mana and see the level drop before we both fell asleep with our mana still combined, or whatever it was that Elora did.

The little nap was a strange one. It was not a real dream or anything. It was just a peaceful field I could run through—endless, warm, and welcoming.

When we woke up, a simple soup dinner had been set out on a small folding table for us. Our mana was still at pitiful levels since we failed to separate before sleep, but I wouldn't mind a reason to sleep the rest of the trip away.

"When can I use my second affinity?" I ask the Princess. She let us eat in the bed as long as I promised to not spill the soup. Kind of dumb, but I promised anyway.

"I would be surprised if you couldn't use it right now," the Princess says. "You just need to practice pulling it out from under your life mana. I don't know of anyone who has their second affinity buried like yours, so you will have to find a way to do it. Likely something to do with willpower."

Her fire mana was a small film over her strength mana. Did the life mana mix into my magma? It seemed to care about breeding more than the life mana does. Or is that just how dragons are?

Questions this plain soup can't answer.

"What do we do now?" I ask.

"Well, I think Fluvis would prefer you don't try to use your new affinity on her ship, so we will just practice judging mana levels. But I think we both could use some sleep after dinner. Hopefully, tomorrow before dinner, we will be with the rest of our family," the Princess says. "After that, you can spend some time with your kids and healing the families of the sailors."

"That sounds nice," I say. Will my kids hate me? I didn't want to abandon them, but they were just little babies; they wouldn't know that or understand I was forced to let them go.

"It'll likely be just a week till we have to leave for the capital. How fast the war starts after that, I don't know," the Princess continues. "Mother is likely already calling for arms."

At war while pregnant. At least the Princess will be going through it, and Aurora said I should be safe as a healer. That strange pact healers have. Should I ruin it?

"Are you finished?" the Princess asks. "I can set our bowls to the side, and then we can sleep, this time gaining our mana back for real."

"Thank you."

Elora takes the bowl, and I curl up under the blankets. Elora can handle everything if she wants to cuddle.

*** Shimmer ***

Aurora continues to be a pain. She won't even listen to her daughter. Even Geta and Estrella tried to convince her to just get her damn limbs healed.

Hopefully, Alzi doesn't fall for that woe-is-me shit. She did her best to defend her lady, almost dying in the process, and now she's preparing to truly fail her.

I would say she's trying to manipulate Alzi, but she seems to truly believe that all she can do now is deliver the kids for Alzi and then waste away. Alzi must have caught her just as she was crossing over into the afterlife for that logic to stick around in her mind. Aurora has done a great job getting Alzi ready to meet the nobles, and now her daughter is going to have to fill in for her.

Sorry, Alzi, for dumping that on you. We tried.

I am happy to find I made it in time to greet Alzi as soon as she gets off Fluvis's ship. Geta does like to mention how she made it back first, claiming she is going to be the favorite Aunty of Fluvis's children due to an extra day of looking after them.

Crazy, how could they not like me more than that brute?

The letter stating that Fluvis successfully saved Alzi and the Princess was a relief for us all. Not that we thought they could escape Fluvis, but it is always nice to hear your hopes come true.

The next problem is the rest of the wives. They are taking their sweet time finishing their mission and getting here. They at least wrote back that they may be late. But it won't look good if Alzi doesn't see everyone back here to greet her when she arrives. Elora will understand and be happy they are committed to the cause, but Alzi is the important one to impress right now.

I'll just have to make up for their absense.

How I'll do that, who knows? We let Alzi get kidnapped, and I doubt they took her along just for more money. A slave won't even get them an extra gold piece. I actually let my husband/wife get raped. I did nothing to stop it. Instead, all I did was sit here getting to play with her sweet daughters while she was raped.

"The kids seem to love you," Estrella says. "Always getting excited when you come by."

"Yes, yes. They do seem to like me," I say back. Yes, it is totally me that they love. There can be nothing more exciting for these girls with some dragon blood running through their veins.

This marriage is doomed.

*** Alzi, just after making port ***

Nobody really bothered us after lunch with Nesh, which was a bit disappointing as Lottie promised to get Fluvis in bed with me or something like that.

I guess she'll have a week while I'm at their house to fulfill that promise. And it'll be a week I get to spend with my kids if Aurora doesn't take me away to learn stupid rules so I can learn when nobles are insulting me. I think it's better for my health if I don't understand those things, and everyone else can just deal with me accidentally hurting them. They are all fine with hurting me on purpose.

At that point, am I really to blame for their issues? If only they would accept that.

On the deck of the ship, I learn that I'll need to keep large coats that can handle a growth spurt in my storage ring if I ever get one.

I earned another level somehow, and all three classes failed to give me a skill, just mana. My tits are now bigger than even Fluvis', though my milk does increase my size a bit, so my mana is still less than the Princess' and Fluvis'. But I should pass them soon, and that will make me the strongest in the harem if you ignore that I don't have a single attacking skill.

My only way to fight is to make them lose all sense and want me to fuck them full of my kids.

But back to the freezing cold weather that has me huddled up with the Princess to escape the cold. The wind mages are at least keeping the wind chill away.

"All set," the first mate calls out. "Ready to disembark."

"Your Highness, you may go first," Fluvis says. "Your family is waiting for you down below."

"Thank you, Duchess," the Princess says, her teeth chattering.

I hope the Duchess is ok with a slave going before her because I am not losing this warmth. The plank of wood we walk down is wide enough for us to go together, so that isn't a problem.

I can see Geta and Shimmer bundled up below. Shyla has a coat ready for me among the small bundle of maids on the dock. Others are walking down different planks on either side. It would take forever if they only used one plank to get all the women off the ships.

A group of guards stands ready to take the prisoners.

"My Lady," Shyla says. "We got the report of your growth. I made this to be more of a blanket just in case you had another spurt after the message, so please pardon the look. I do need you to separate from Princess Elora for me."

"Thank you," I say, shuffling away. It really is just a blanket with a hole in the middle so it can go over my head. It reaches down all the way to my feet, covering my entire body with heat.

The heat may have been Shimmer slamming into me. Her body wracks with sobs as she repeats sorry over and over.

Geta joins in, pulling the Princess into the hug as well.

I guess the others just don't care that much about us. And where is Aurora?

"Is Aurora ok?" I ask. "She was. Did I get to her in time?"

"Yes," Shimmer answers. "Yes, you saved her, Alzi. But she is in a mood. I'm sorry. I tried to get her healed completely, but she is being stubborn. I think she lost some of her senses from coming so close to death."

"Are the kids ok?" I ask. I could take this opportunity to knock some sense into that maid, a bit of revenge masked as helping her through her rough time.

"Yes, all eight," Geta says instead, Shimmer still struggling with her crying. "And we are all sorry for what you went through. We failed to keep the family safe. But let's get out of this cold and let you greet some of your kids. I think that might cheer everyone up. Then I want to know about that mark you two have."

"What mark?" I ask. I know they're fully covered for both of us. How does she know about them?

"The mark of Power," Geta says. Her tone shows she knows she messed up. But how? And what did she give away?

"How did you know?" I ask. Why is the Princess quiet all of a sudden? Is it finally hitting her for real?

"Paladin, sensitive to the Goddesses," Geta says. Probably not a lie, but she has to have more going on than that for it to be a mistake. "The others took a bit longer to complete their mission, but they should make it to the city in a few days. I know they're also sorry they were unable to help defend our home."

Then Shimmer seems to truly be this sad about this. Like some fundamental part of her broke when they let me get captured and raped. Or she is afraid someone will punish her for it.

Is that the true reason only these two are here? Does the Princess know about their secrets, or is she too caught up in what happened to be thinking about it right now?

"I would like to rest and get some clothing that actually fits," I say. "And it seems I have a maid to fix as well. She thinks she can get out of serving me that easily? And Elora seems to need some support better given in private."