Chapter 284 – The Princesses are Gathering

*** Alzi ***

It was a short trip through the grand halls of the castle to get to the... throne room, I think. It has a throne and a bunch of tapestries, flags, and stuff, so I don't know what else it could be. The Queen is resting on the throne, watching us enter with a small smile. A bright red dress covers her, even showing her pregnancy to everyone. Lotus stands behind her in a similar green dress, her pregnancy showing as well.

I really thought it wouldn't be the throne room?

"Welcome," the Queen says. "I am happy to see you all. I know there have been a lot of developments, but first things first. Lady Alzi, I would like to talk to my daughter for a bit, and there are a few people here who would love to spend time with you first as well. I'm sure you'll be happy to talk to them over us. Though, don't go running off. We have things to discuss before the day is done. I am sorry to make this day a bunch of meetings, but there are a lot of important matters to discuss."

The doors I just walked through open again, Kelly leading the way with a bright smile. She steps to the side and lets my Mommy through with our two kids in her arms—Mai's pregnant form hiding behind the three dragons.

Where is Yuki?

"Hello, my baby," Mommy says. "I'm so happy to see you alive. I was worried sick with you going off to war. You even have the collar off." She can't hug me with our kids in her arms, but they are the ones I need to see—a cute boy and a girl, the boy a deep red, and the girl golden.

Would that make the girl a Princess?

"Mommy," I say. "I've missed you."

"And I've missed you," Mommy says. "Thank you for getting me help with the birth. I was so scared when I went into labor so early, but it was expected at my age with twins. Come on, hold them, and I'll see my grandkids. And you have another on the way with Mai; she could use some love." She holds out the two kids for me to take, Sarania moving the stroller over so Mommy can trade. I take the kids with shaky hands, and Ilko comes to help me hold them.

"No need to rush through the meeting," the Queen says. "I have no plans to separate you two again. Nesh found a lot of mistakes were made a decade ago, and I won't be making those mistakes again. Get familiar with each other again, and then I'll call you all back for a meeting, Lady Alzi, and then you'll leave with your lovers. We'll find a different room so you don't have to move around with the kids."

"Thank you, Your Royal Highness," my Mommy says. I just stare into my kids' eyes. I'm sorry I missed their first moments.

"I am sorry for failing to fix things faster for your family," the Queen says. "Now, Elora, come with me and drag those two prisoners with you. Carefully, since we don't need them dying on us right now."

"Yes," Elora says. "Your Royal Highness."

"Enough of that, daughter. I won't have you talking to me like that after you won us a war."

"Yes, Your-"

A slap rings out behind me, cutting off the sentence, shortly followed by a crowd of heels moving away. I see who taught Elora how to show her love.

"Where is Yuki?" I ask. I have some questions for her, and I don't know why she isn't protecting Mommy. "Actually, why are you already here?"

"It's a long story, my little rainbow," Mommy says, picking up the unknown Goddess. Why didn't I ask Space? Fuck, she must've known and decided not to tell me! Is she trying to get Geta to like me? Maybe she forgot about it as well, or thought Geta already told me. "The Queen had offered us some guards before. Then, when the war started, the old Queen offered us a room in the castle for some extra safety after Yuki left for a mission. So, for now, I guess we do live here, and they did mention a deal that may end up with us living here for a while."

"A deal?" I ask. "What deal did you get from the Queen? How? What have you been doing?"

"That ties into what Yuki is doing," Mommy says, looking towards Nymora. "You make cute kids. Is this one yours? Sorry, I don't know your name."

"Yes, her name is Nymora," Sarania says. "I am Sarania, and I am working as your daughter's servant."

"I see. Thank you for helping her; she needs a lot of it. The gold is beautiful."

"Thank you. It is an honor to serve Alzi and finally meet the great woman who raised her."

"Thank you. Alzi is special. Sorry, I got distracted. This is just a lot, all at once. Yuki. She has been trying to get us into the marriage with you and Elora. Working missions nonstop with Nakuma. She got another one around the time of the war. One that, if she completed, would earn us a marriage with Elora. I think it had to do with your kidnapping, as she was secretive about it, and the war started right after. She has been working with a human warrior as well. She is a sweet girl if you ignore her ... flavored words. Anyway, they went on the mission, and I think they should be close to completing it. That is likely what they wish to talk with the Princess about. I don't think the Queen is supposed to make those kinds of deals about Princesses fighting for the throne. It would be great to marry her."

"But I just divorced the Princess," I say. "I- Do you want to marry her?"

"Hmm? You divorced a Princess?" Mai says, her tail sticking straight up. "Is that allowed? Wait, couldn't we just marry you, then?"

"That was the plan," I say. "But if Yuki completes the mission..."

"The deal may stand and turn into us being on the hook to marry the Princess," Akhae says. "What a mess this has become. Yuki should've gotten a better deal, or maybe she just told it to us wrong. It seems the Queen doesn't want to control you anymore, so she may just ignore it and let us go."

"Yes, this is getting more complicated. But, as the Queen said, later," Mommy says. "Right now, I have my daughter back, and she's free and has four little babies for me to spoil."

I'm back. I'm finally back with my Mommy, and I can start a family with her and the ones I love, with kids that are mine.

"Oh, come here, baby. Looks like I've got five babies I need to spoil right now."

"Yes, Mommy," I cry, finally feeling free. The pain rushes out in tears as they all huddle around me in a strange group hug, careful not to crush my babies.

*** Yuki ***

"Are we ready?" I ask. It's a far jump getting to the capital from this wasteland, so everything has to be perfect, and the amount of mana needed is insane. Even with our slaves pouring everything they have into the circle, it isn't enough power to get us back. I've had to go hunting a few times now to keep the stupid forest beasts away, which is chipping away at my mana supply as well.

Then, there are the stupid search parties. I thought they would all be off at war, yet they've found women willing and able to come this deep into the forest to find these two fuckers. They most certainly know it is kitsune they are after. Tricking them from getting too close was more difficult than it should've been, but finally, we should be getting close to having the circle done and filled. However, the Queen won't let us connect to the one in the stupid castle, as if we couldn't sneak in anyway, adding yet another hurdle. But we can't let that one interfere.

All in all, an annoying affair. Nakuma has done almost all the work, but I know my runes as well. I just don't have the right affinity for the circle.

"Almost," Nakuma says. "Just a bit more mana and one last check, then we can go. No need to fail this mission on the last step or let people follow us through."

I wanted to place some explosives around the circle, but Nakuma didn't want to stir Nature, which is probably the right choice, even though it adds to our work.

"Then I'll scout one last time. It should be good when I get back."

"Yes, you go fuck off for a bit, and she may just finish the damn thing," Victoria says, not willing to miss a chance to curse me out. "Go run around in your little fucking circles and pretend to do something."

"I've kept several search parties from finding us and cleared several beasts from the area. I did not pretend to do something. I did something, unlike you."

"Like any of that shit was needed. I could've killed the damn beast myself and the stupid fucking search parties if they somehow found us in this damn grove. Now shoo, I want to have a warm fucking bath tonight, and the longer you stay around here, the less likely that is to fucking happen. Stop distracting Nakuma."

"Damn bitch," I mumble. Fuck, does she irritate me... I would say Nakuma asked her to do it, but it flows too naturally off her rotten tongue for it to be an act. No, Nakuma just gets lucky that I need to cuddle into her arms and hide from that vile woman sometimes. Soon, I can just hide with Alzi, threatening to convince Alzi that Victoria wants a monstrous-sized pregnancy.

Maybe I should do that anyway to get back at her. See how she likes the work of carrying it around. Of course, I'll have to do it as well. Maybe a few times, even, to make sure I have plenty of time to get Alzi to pamper pregnant little me, and I can wrap her up in my tails as she feels for our little ones kicking their poor mother.

The forest is practically empty around us. The monsters have figured out that a new group has claimed the territory for now. Or Nature is doing something. I'm sure Alzi is scaring her and Justice, possibly into action. A proper war is in the works now, one that goes all the way into the divine realm.

Pregnancies may need to wait while Alzi handles that. I'm sure more than one woman will be walking away pregnant with the marriage, but we'll need to keep the rest in check.

I make it halfway around our camp and decide to check again. Nakuma must be close.

"The bitch is already back," Victoria says. "Nakuma got you on a leash already? Going to do some tricks for us?"

"Just shut it," I say.

"I'm ready," Nakuma says. "Shall we go?"

"Please," I say.

Nakuma doesn't give anyone else time to voice their opinion, taking us right back to the house I've spent a small fortune on to only sleep inside for a single night. But there is no time to dwell on that. I need to get my reward.