Chapter 420 – Family Planning

*** Armirynth ***

Why is my baby's face scrunched up? I don't think rituals have hurt her before. Why would this one do that?

"Calm down," Geta says, wrapping me in a hug. "I know it hurts to watch, but the ritual isn't hurting Alzi. She'll be fine."

"But she looks like she is in pain. I need to check her," I say. "This isn't good."

"No, she's fine. I promise," Geta says. "Alzi is ok. You won't be ok if you run in there, but Alzi will be fine. She is getting what she asked for."

Is that her shaking? Not again. No. No. "Let me go."

"Not yet," Geta says. "Just a few seconds, and it'll be over. Ok, three, two, one. Be gentle."

I rush through the circles and grab my baby. She's looking so pregnant again. I should've stopped her from getting so pregnant. Why didn't I do more? Oh, baby.

*** Alzi ***

I only snuggled up with Dragon for a few more seconds, and then I felt it. The rest of what Dragon promised me came searing into my brain like she was etching the formula directly into it.

Just a second of pain, and it was over. Hardly a problem for everything I got.

"Baby, are you alright?" Mommy asks.

"Yes," I say. "Just temporary to get the information."

Was she holding me for the entire ritual? I hope that didn't do anything to her. Did she notice what was happening before? That just feels like a faint memory now. The formulas and method of dissolving a soul were harder on me than the actual ritual, honestly, but it didn't last long enough for it to really matter. Not when compared to the rest of the pain I've felt over the years.

"Good, I was so worried," Mommy says. "You looked like you were getting hurt again. I thought I was watching you get abused again."

"No," I say. "No, it wasn't the nicest meeting, but it wasn't a problem. I'll see Dragon again. Don't worry. I need to get up to the castle and collect everyone to bring them here for that dinner you want."

"Kou is handling that," Mommy says. "You're staying right here."

Another body hugs me from behind. I can feel the faint feeling of unborn children in the woman. Of course, my third body can see what is going on. Why didn't Mommy ask that body about how I was doing? I don't really have memories of what it saw, so maybe it looking unresponsive was adding to her fears.

"My Queen," Elo says. "Dragon wishes for me to fulfill my duty as the old Queen."

"Not yet," I say. "First, a dinner. Then I get crowned, and then we fix you up. I'd kill you if I got you pregnant right now. I won't even risk the ritual for you yet."

"As you wish, my Queen," Elo says. "Thank you for saving me. I thought they would find out about me years ago. But they were too happy using me, and that must have stopped them from looking at who they had tied up. Thank you for letting me join you for dinner. I have some questions for the Priestesses."

"My Lady," the High Priestess says. "What do you mean by questions?"

"You weren't happy when my grandchild came here to be a High Priestess," Elo says.

"I thought Zarzi was a spy looking to question me about you," the High Priestess says. "Don't doubt my loyalty. When she proved she was just here to bring her brood into the world, I had no issues with her and helped her. You can't blame me for being worried about that woman's spawn. Why didn't you just stay in the temple? I do not understand."

"My daughters would've destroyed the temple and my people if I had done that," Elo says. "I knew someone would come by to free us. We need to go collect those traitors again."

"You're acting as if you didn't do the same thing as your daughter," I say.

"I didn't plunge our people into war or refuse to listen to our Goddess. I just didn't want to wait for Mother to be ready for me to take over. I was ready and did just fine. No, I wasn't ready. If I were truly ready, I would've just waited."

"You're going to have more than one brood. I hope you know that," I say. "I don't think Dragon feels the same about your actions."

"As you wish, My Queen," Elo says.

"Good," I say. It probably isn't great that she doesn't care about her punishment, but maybe the feeling of not being able to move will change her mind.

"Your Majesty," the High Priestess says. "Dinner is now ready to be served. Your wives should be arriving here shortly."

Zarzi has already left, probably to check on the eggs. I hope they hatch soon. My Skills are a bit crazy, and she was pregnant for a while as well, so the babies have to be close to hatching.

Geta moves from my back and offers her hand. I could use the help with my belly. I don't have any discomfort from it this time around, but it does still get in the way of things. Waddling is just the way of life once it comes in. Unless a goddess of pregnancy is born, I doubt there will be a way to remove that embarrassment.

Geta helps Mommy and Elo get up as well, and we follow the Priestess out.

"Do you two know each other?" I ask.

"She was my second maid," Elo says. "I didn't want her around, as there was no need to waste a Silver on little old me at that point, but she insisted, and I needed to shut her up."

"You're doing surprisingly well for someone who was abused for so long," I say.

"My sister is a kind woman," Elo says. "This won't last long. Not until you fix my soul. After dinner, I'll be sleeping until the crowning ceremony. And then again, until you are ready to fix my soul, however long that takes. There's no rush. I know the Goddess wishes for it to happen soon, but it takes time to get and prepare the supplies."

I really did give myself more to do by asking to fix her myself. But Tanatsu will be happy that I have a way to fix her lover. She'll live with that. And then I need to find some time to meet Nanoka's Mother. I can see what happens when her Mother is the one threatening to give her sisters. But maybe I shouldn't meet her Mother. It would be an issue if I got the entire chain pregnant. Or perhaps it would be funny?

"This is normally the main ceremony chamber," the old maid says. "But it works well for fitting a massive table for a dinner. Just be nice to our great Goddess."

"Of course," I say. No need to get a Goddess mad after she helped me. It'll be nice having someone watch over me for my first time fixing a soul.

I walk down to the head of the table and sit. Mommy takes my right, and no one takes my left. Will I need to declare who should sit there? Mai, Kelly, and the ones I truly love are all with my second body. Zarzi could sit there, or I could give Elora the spot. We'll see if someone is brave enough to take that spot.The rest of my wives start to stream in. Zarzi is coming in last with her wives. Our wives. I should see if they want to be my mates. I need to do that for Mommy's wives as well. Zarzi comes down and sits to my left, and Geta sits beside her. My third body takes a spot at the end next to my babies, and Shimmer and Elora. Elo is also at that end.

"Hello," I say. "I feel like I've had a lot of weddings and dinners after weddings at this point, and I think I have a few more coming up, actually. Kind of funny. But anyway, I'm happy to have you all in my family. Some of you still have to prove your worth to me. A few got dragged down with them, and I forgive you now. I'm planning on taking Hearth's advice and building a loving family. Zarzi is close to welcoming a hundred babies for our family, and Dragon really wants a few hundred more to come through Elo. You'll all want your own, and some already have some on the way, even when you didn't think that would happen. To raise them, I need a family that works together. I have to do what some of you failed to do and work with you instead of forcing you to come along. I'm not happy about it. Not yet, at least. I have kids I'm still missing. Kids I want to love that have been taken from me. I have a few friends working on it, but we need to get them back as well."

"I'm working with them," Elora says. "I've compiled the full list of your kids, and I'm hoping to get them all to see you soon. Some, I believe, may not have parents anymore due to the wars. It's important to get them to you so they'll have a loving parent. I will not fail you."

"Thank you," I say. "I'm happy to hear you've started working on that. But that is for the future. I've started backward, I think. Thank you, Shimmer and Geta, for helping me with the ritual. I know I didn't give you a choice, and you didn't deserve a choice for that, but thank you. Take good care of the kids in your womb. We shall love them together. We were shielded from the war thanks to Elora's people. Our family owes it to those who fought to help them. That was Elora's goal for the crown, and I wish to continue it, with her leading the way. We may need to have Fluvis or someone else help with getting my kids back. The Queendom, and Queen really, is weak now, so our family will have to hold it together. Eterna, I will ask you to lend us your strength for this. I'm not sure what you wish for in return."

"Sex," Eterna says. "And mostly love. You made me your mate. I wish for you to take that responsibility seriously."

"We'll learn about that together," I say. "Then, I think that is it, mostly. We still have a lot to do, and we'll come together as a family to complete it all."

"To the newest Queen!" Elo shouts, raising her glass. Most of the women just have water at the table, a funny sight at a feast.

"To the Queen!" the rest shout back.

"The food is ready," the maid/High Priestess Silver dragon says. I need to practice my long titles. I need to plan how to get Shimmer her throne as well. I might as well dream big now. Maybe I can fuck Kiyomi well enough to marry her and then try to pressure Lensa into something? I won't marry that bitch, but if I can put a sister of hers or Azula on the throne somehow? That could be fun.

The platters come out, and I wonder if they had this meal planned out already.

*** Alzi, Second Body ***

My first speech went over well, I think. This one is a bit strange, with most of the people present being babies or maids. It's kind of funny, really. But Aurora is happy that I planned this meeting without her asking me to.

"Welcome," I say. "As you all should be able to see, we're all married now. Elora did what she needed to for me to forgive her enough that we can now start working on loving each other. And with that, I've forgiven you all as well. Maybe I shouldn't, but I have. Azula and family, you all still have more to do. That was for my old wives. Sorry, this group has more going on than my main body does. It's hard to do this while that side is trying to eat. This body is thinking about which kid needs to be breastfed or needs their diaper changed. We have a lot of kids on the way, and many more have been promised, and there are most likely more women to marry, too. Fluvis, Elora has taken on the task of getting me to meet my older kids, but she's likely to be pretty busy soon, so I hope you can take that over or help her with it."

"Of course," Fluvis says.

"The rest of you," I say. "Have simple goals. Give birth to my children, or help this Queendom get back on its feet. Through those two goals, I hope we can come together as a family. The people of many realms helped us, and I plan on paying them back. The commoners, the ones who suffered the most. Not the ones that exploited me. They have already received their payment. There is much to do, and I believe we will be able to accomplish it all."

"Thank you," Inanos says. "Thank you."

"Of course."

These women aren't nearly as happy as the other group, but Azula is with her wives and still collared, so that isn't too surprising. My babies seem happy, though, so that's good enough for now.