*** Alzi, main body ***
"Alzi," Ryze starts. "How did you marry Shimr the first ti?"
"Elora commanded to marry, and Shimr was part of that," I say. Maids bring in the food, the standard lunch basically with more at, and get to think about the second-worst day of my life.
"Don't hurt Alzi to get at ," Shimr says. "Her past is shit, and I'm part of the reason. Everyone knows that. I have a damn collar and leash around my neck in a pathetic attempt to make up for my wrongs. Don't hurt her. Just tell I'm a failure directly. Don't wrap Alzi into it. I ssed up, not her. Yes, my mistakes hurt you all, and there isn't anything I can do to fix it. I know that. My mate is the only one who can fix it, and I can't even ask her to help with it. Everyone is mad, and I have nothing that can fix it."
"Your mate?" I ask. Give the conversation your focus, Alzi.
"You. Your wife is too good for . I'm just your mate trying to earn your forgiveness. That's all I have. I can't fix things for my sisters; I can't fix any of my mistakes. I can just work to earn my mate's forgiveness. Your forgiveness."
"What did you do?" I ask, starting with the soup this ti.
"Failed to protect you. Twice," Shimr says. "Royals can't have children due to that. My sister had to pay a price to get pregnant. That is why you and Esiyae's children were so important to the Edeozia Queendom. They may not have had the resources to let them have more kids."
"You said I could fix that? Are you trying to hint that I should get them pregnant?"
"No. I'm just saying everything. I would prefer this lunch to be over, and you can return to those who haven't failed you. It's just you and Fertility that can fix the royals and nobles in the world. You aren't even the permanent solution, and Fertility doesn't care about . The only question is who hates more, you or the Goddess Fertility. There is nothing for to do but work on improving our relationship. If you're willing to give yet another chance."
Should I? They thought a decade would be a good ti for , so I can give them a decade. "Maybe soday," I say. "Fertility will think about fixing it after the war, I think. That little thing causes too many problems for ."
"Little thing. I guess it would be little for you," another sister says.
"Yes, my problem is too many kids with too many won. Makes it hard to care about you all struggling to get more kids from ."
"Are you ok, your Highness?" Shyla asks. "You're shaking a bit."
"It still hurts."
"I'm sorry," Ryze says. "Take lunch with you and return ho. I'm sorry for what I said. I shouldn't have used you to get at Shimr. I ruined this eting already. Go be with the ones you love instead."
"We shall," Shyla says. Sarania pulls my chair and pulls up into a hug. It's too late for to stop my tears.
Just a little thing.
"I know, my Mistress. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Why does it have to hurt?"
"Because it was wrong to do and it hasn't been fixed, my Mistress. Let's go ho."
I give her a small nod, and we walk away. Sarania is leading through the halls and into a carriage. I catch a glimpse of Shimr running out of the castle before we start to move. I don't give my wives much thought. No, I just get to struggle to deal with all the kids I lost and all the abuse they had to bring up. Sea's fix only keeps from being crippled on a normal day, it seems. I'm still just put together with so string.
"Your Highness, would it be better to rest your head in my lap?" Shyla offers.
I hardly register her question. Sarania has more control over my body than I do right now. I just let her decide what needs to happen in response. I have to look at the floor so the shadows don't wrap up. Do my kids want ? So would be almost eight years old. Would they even care about their whore of a mother or father? Are they ashad of ?
Fluvis's children are too young to know what I am. They don't understand.
*** Fertility ***
Should I cross? I ca out here... but she hated .
"Mother, just co over. I'm not going to rape you."
"Why would you think that?"
"What else would you be standing over there for? You want to talk, so co talk."
"Very well. If you..."
"The demoness is running around. I'm not going to be able to hold you for anything of value. I'm pregnant and you're pregnant. I'm not about to perform a ritual for Sex. You want to speak, then co over here. I'm not coming to you; you have a reason to rape for a ritual."
"I didn't rape you."
"Mother, you chained to a stone and fucked . Leaving a way out hardly makes that better. Do sothing now or fuck off."
She ca to ss with . She can't be mad that I did it better.
"Fine," I say. I take that step and get moved to a small cottage. Kind of like Hearth's house, but I can see Power's grand temple behind the cottage. Hearth doesn't have a temple. I don't know why I had to have one.
"Are you coming in?" Power asks. She's leaning against the doorway, her robe letting her belly out so I can see just what I did to her.
"Yes, how are you?"
"Bloated as you can see. But excited. You set the bar so low I don't have to worry about being a better Mother than you."
"I was locked up."
"Don't care. You didn't care to find afterwards. Our first real contact is you raping a child into ."
"You didn't co for a good reason."
"Why do you think I'm inviting you in? This would be your second with Alzi, right?" Power asks, moving inside.
"Yes."
"Having a lot of fun with your champion. What do you want?"
"Can you help Alzi more? You have her marked," I ask. Inside the cottage is soft. It seems everything is a cushion. Everything is soft.
"I'll cut Sex off. But that is all."
"Alzi's mind. It needs help, and she has a mind mage near her."
"You wish for to change her?" Power asks.
"She has no Goddess that truly controls her class. There's no reason you can't take that control. You should have more control over your own system. We all appreciate that you didn't force your control over the system, but you don't need to constrain yourself so much."
"I want more children. I don't care if you or Alzi is the father. I don't care if I have to be chained to that altar. I want daughters that I can raise."
"Just help Alzi and co whenever you wish to get pregnant."
"Then I'll control Syro's classes and skills. You have to take the bla if they go against her wishes."
"It'll get her closer to Alzi. She'll be fine with it. But yes, I will take the bla and you the glory."
"Can I feel my sister?" Power asks.
"If I get to feel my daughter."
*** Alzi ***
The second we enter the temple, I'm teleported, skipping praying and the divine realm completely.
'Sorry, but Sex is fucking with you again. I was about to pull you out of the eting. I know you're distraught, but your babies need you.'
"Alzi?" Kelly asks. "Is that really you?"
"Yes," I mumble. "My babies?"
"Hurry," Kelly says. "I don't have much mana left, and we need to do this before I fall asleep. I'm sorry for being so weak."
Sarania is still supporting , and my sight is still blurry from the tears, but you can't really mistake Isda and the pool of blood around her. "What is going on?"
"Isda went into labor, but the kids aren't in position. She didn't say anything, so I got here too late to do anything with my mana besides keep the kids and her alive. I need you to cut the babies out."
"Cut? I'm sorry I. I can't see or think right now. I'm..."
"Didn't ask. I told you to cut them out. Now, Sarania, bring her here. You're going to do this, Alzi. I'm too tired to direct your mana. Cut from the belly button down to whatever you want, and then cut to her womb. Pull the kids out, then decide if you care to keep the idiot alive."
"Please help her, your highness," Isda's maid says. "I'll lock her away in Fertility's temple. You won't see her till she's free of Sex. Just help my lady live. She ant no harm. Please. We're at your rcy."
"My Mistress. Don't let your kids die," Sarania says, wiping the tears from my eyes. "You'll feel better holding your newborns. This is your dream. Helping your children. Co on. I'll help Kelly stay awake and direct you."
Isda really is sleeping in a pool of her blood. How much has Kelly generated for her? Blood oozes out of the mattress when Sarania sets down on it.
"Focus, Alzi. Focus on the babies. That is all there is before you. Babies," Sarania whispers.
"Here, Alzi. Cut here," Kelly says. Her body is wavering, but she keeps her finger on Isda steady. "Through the muscle and the uterus. Cut down to here. Then just pull them out. I can't keep the kids alive much longer."
"Yyyees," I stutter. The feeling of blood disappears, making it a lot easier to focus on the womb. I start the cut, probably a bit high, but it goes down through the muscle and fat and then the uterus. The cut continues down a few inches till it reaches Kelly's finger again.
"Pull them out."
Yet more blood cos out of the cut. Isda is looking very pale right now, but sohow she's breathing. Just don't freak out, Alzi. Save your kids. I start to fill Isda's body with my mana. I'll take the maid's head if Isda isn't sent to Fertility or Space's temple after this.
I get the first kid and slowly pull her out. The cut gives more room than they normal get to co out of the womb, so it isn't difficult. I just have to keep my sanity with all the blood. Isda's maid takes the first kid from , and I get to work on the rest. Slowly, I free my daughters as a haunting song echoes in the back of my mind.
How many tis was I like this? My blood pooled up as I was toyed with.
Why. Why did they have to do that?
"You're doing well, your Highness," Shyla says. I don't know when she got here. Maybe she always was, and I blocked her out. I don't know. But she takes the last kid from . All that is left is saving my little wife.
"Stitch her together and healer her," are Kelly's last words before she faints. Soone catches her with mana, and I get to work undoing my cut. Isda's body is still pale, accepting the endless amount of mana I'm sending it like she's a bucket with a hole in it.
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