Ententes, p.17
Ententes, page 17
part #7 of Eternal Dominion Series
“Lingxin, what I want has yet to be determined. I barely know either of you, and yes, I know for those of our station such arrangements are the norm. If you asked me if you both are attractive, both in who you are and how you look, that is an easy yes, but there is much more to all of this for me. First and foremost, I need to ensure you and Mari work with my other fiancées before I elevate you as such, even if not doing so would have lasting consequences. I would sooner wound your heart and my ambitions by breaking our courtship off than doom us all to live in an unhappy situation.”
Xeal could see both Mari and Lingxin were thinking on his words, yet Lingxin was still looking hurt and it was Enye who stepped in after giving Xeal a look that told him he was being an idiot again. She pulled Lingxin to the side and started having a muted conversation that Xeal purposely decided to ignore for his own good. Mari was still giving Xeal a hard look as she continued to contemplate his words. Xeal could see Gale shaking her head as Aalin just smiled and Dyllis had a troubled look on her face. The room stayed in that awkward silence for a few minutes before Enye and Lingxin finished talking. Lingxin still looked a bit hurt, but she wore a determined smile on her face as she told him she would accept the pseudo mark. With her acceptance, Mari nodded and said she would accept it as well and Xeal proceeded to mark them both on their backs. Xeal then spent the rest of his session handling his guild leader’s work that had been piling up.
Evening December 1, 2266.
Alex smiled as he welcomed in Mr. and Mrs. Carter when they arrived for dinner on Saturday. It wasn’t five seconds before Mrs. Carter was hugging the girls and asking for any updates she could get as she rubbed their bellies. Mr. Carter just gave Alex an apologetic smile as he brought in the food Mrs. Carter had made for them and set it on the counter.
“Mom, seriously, give us some room to breathe.”
“Oh, sorry, I just can’t help it. I am going to be a grandma. I can’t wait to know the gender so I can start picking out clothes. Wait, maybe you two will have one of each. Oh, that would be great! I can’t wait to see your new place in Colorado, especially the nursery that I am sure Alex has planned.”
“Mom!”
“Oh, fine, I’ll try and be good, but you know.”
“Mrs. Carter-”
“Nicole, I told you it’s mom for you as well. I know this isn’t a normal situation, but I don’t care anymore. I had given up on seeing any grandkids from Sam any time soon, if at all, a few years ago. Now I get two so soon! Oh, there I go again.”
Sam was giving her mom a hard glare again and Alex couldn’t help but laugh and he butted in.
“Sam, give your mom a break, and Mrs. Carter, give us some time to get used to calling you mom as it still feels weird. Not to mention confusing if we ever have more than one of you around at a time. How about we try out Grandma Carter?”
“Ooh, I like that. Okay, I’ll accept being called Grandma Carter. What do you think, Grandpa Carter?”
“I think it’s wonderful to see you so happy. Now we should enjoy the food before it gets cold.”
For the rest of the night, Alex had to hold back a laugh anytime someone called Mrs. Carter Grandma Carter and the smile it brought to her face. When the Carters left, Sam was exasperated at all of the questions that had been asked about things she felt like was months away from being relevant. Nicole for her part had a complicated smile on her face and Alex knew it was due to the mix of emotions she had to be experiencing. Alex made sure to give her a hug and remind her that he loved her and was here with her as he knew she was wishing her own mother was as open with her affection as Mrs. Carter was. However, after a few more minutes, it was time for them all to return to ED, so they all made their way to log in for the night.
ED year 2 days 49-52.
When Xeal logged back on, it was time for his next date with Gale, just after her parents had left in reality. This was their first date since Gale had slight changes to herself brought about due to becoming the vessel of Freya. It was also the first time he was seeing her out of her adventuring gear since that point and he couldn’t help but take in the changes.
“What?”
“Nothing, it’s just I haven’t had a real chance to notice the subtle changes in you.”
“Oh, do you like them?”
“I definitely don’t dislike them.”
Gale smiled as she teased Xeal and the pair enjoyed exploring the capital of the Muthia empire after receiving permission to move at will from the empress. It felt nice to be able to have a new place to go on dates with Aalin and Gale, although he knew he needed to still be cautious as they were not near his power base, here. Still, with it being four hours behind Nium, it was still the afternoon when they arrived and they enjoyed doing a bit of shopping before heading to a restaurant for an early dinner. They had also used the trip to drop in on the 100 players that they had stationed here to reach out to a few local powers in an effort to raise their combat standards. Xeal’s plan was simply to accelerate the rise of a few of the powers he had known in his last life that came out of the void left from Jingong’s fall. If everything went well, they would be able to hold the line and avoid Muthia’s fall by using a defensive strategy. Xeal was hopeful from the early reports, as with Empress Sakurai Jingū’s backing, he had been able to secure a few of the more promising guilds’ agreements. In exchange for training and intel on the tier 5 trial, their guilds would come to Muthia’s defense if invaded. After his date with Gale, Xeal spent the rest of that session grinding and resting.
In his next session he did the same, reaching level 83 as he did so, until it was time for the first tea time since Mari and Lingxin had joined them. Xeal also had his parents coming to meet all of his ladies for the first time.
As Xeal made his way to the garden, he looked at the new table that had replaced the one that had been in place, which was perfect for five or six to sit at. In its place sat an oval table that could easily fit ten, but if you squeezed in slightly, 14 could be accommodated comfortably. Today it was being set for ten as he had decided to let Eira join them as he felt it would be good for her, even if she would be out of place. Eira was looking slightly uncomfortable as she picked at the white dress that one of his maids had acquired and altered for her to wear today. She and Midnight were next to him as he watched the servants put the finishing touches on the setup as Aalin and Gale arrived with Wayland and Gwynn. Wayland was Xeal’s father’s character of course and he had short brown hair that wouldn’t get in the way when smithing. Xeal held in a laugh when he saw him as he looked awkward in fine clothes. Gwynn had traded in the chef clothes for a light-yellow dress and her brown hair had been styled in a bun. As Gwynn caught sight of Eira, she lit up and closed the distance before speaking.
“You didn’t tell me one of them was a beast-woman. Hmm, tiger woman, correct?”
“Mom, this is Eira, and no, she is not one of my fiancées, or possible fiancées. She is a temporary ward of mine. I simply thought it might be good for her to join us today as a way to break up the monotony of her day.”
“Oh, my mistake, but why is her day so monotonous?”
“Because your son has failed to let me go home yet and I can’t leave the property.”
“What is she talking about?”
“Hah, she is part of a few of my ongoing quests that involve politics, and until everything is ready, I could fail one by moving too quickly. So, for now, I am hosting her here until I can return her to her tribe.”
“But why is she stuck here? Surely she could have more fun around the city?”
“Mom, have you seen any beast-men since you started playing?”
“No…”
“That is due to the fact that peace was never formally made after the founding war due to the fractured nature of their tribes. I am currently working to alleviate that issue, and please just leave it at that for now.”
“Okay. Well, it is nice to meet you, Eira.”
“Um, sure.”
Eira looked confused at how to handle Xeal’s mother’s obvious disregard for the difference in race that defined many aspects of this world. Xeal couldn’t help but smile at her as they started chatting casually for a few minutes before the other four arrived, accompanied by their guards. Xeal paid close attention to each of their reactions at seeing Eira as none of them had known she would be joining them. Enye simply smiled, and Dyllis showed surprise, but nothing else. Lingxin was startled and clearly had a few thoughts that she wanted to voice, but stayed quiet. Mari didn’t even seem to register something was strange until Eira sat at the far end of the table from Xeal, with Aalin and Gale taking the seats next to her, with Enye and Dyllis taking the next two, followed by Xeal’s parents, and finally Lingxin was to Xeal’s right and Mari was on his left. As the maids brought snacks and started serving tea as Xeal gave Midnight the first bite, Lingxin couldn’t keep quiet any longer.
“Xeal, you didn’t pick up a beast-woman concubine by chance, did you?”
“Not at all. She is simply my ward until I return her to her tribe in a few weeks.”
Xeal noticed Lingxin and Mari both physically relax before he continued.
“Besides, I do not intend on having any concubines in my household. Any spouse I take will be a wife, regardless of race, or status, when I meet her.”
He watched as they both flinched at his words. Dyllis flinched slightly as well. Only Enye had no reaction to Xeal’s words among the four of them. It took a moment, but Lingxin recovered and continued the conversation.
“I see. I keep forgetting just how different your world must be from ours. I apologize for my reactions. I will need to work on this.”
“You and most of the world, though I believe the main issue is due to just how separated each race is. Give my kind another decade and it may be common to see each race living amongst one another.”
“Ha, why would we wish to live in the cesspools you humans call cities?”
“Eira, believe it or not, we don’t all live in cities and I can assure you that it won’t just be beast-men moving into human lands. No, humans and others will also move into your tribe’s lands. Now I expect this to be brought about by much bloodshed as the struggle for power that is on the horizon becomes a struggle for survival. The world will have no room to continue to care about what kind of ears the person next to them have, or how much pain each had inflicted on the other in the past. No, everyone will be far too worried about if there is a tomorrow for them at that point.”
Xeal could see Eira’s ears droop slightly at his words as Mari and Lingxin both looked at Xeal like they were seeing him for the first time, while the rest of the table let his words sink in. After a moment, it was Xeal’s mother who brought things back to a lighter mood.
“Alright, that is enough of that. Today is about me getting to meet the ladies who are after a piece of my son’s heart. Now, I have met Enye. I take it you must be Dyllis…”
The rest of the tea time was dominated by Gwynn getting to know each lady and Xeal could only smile as she plowed through their resistance, even forcing Eira to share some of her hobbies before she was satisfied. He could tell that Mari and Lingxin had been completely unprepared for it, while Dyllis seemed to have some idea. This made him sure that the four of them were not yet integrated seamlessly like they would need to be for him to feel comfortable with the situation. His mom’s interrogation had also given him a few insights into Mari and Lingxin he had yet to learn, like how Mari enjoyed spicy food and koi fishing. All four ladies had also gotten plenty of stories about Xeal as he grew up from reality, and had pestered his father to share a few of them as well. While the stories were mundane to Xeal compared to the fantasy world they lived in, they were just as interested in them as he would have been of some sort of epic tale. When there was only 15 minutes before the end of the session, Xeal called an end to the festivities and Enye was quick to invite Gwynn and Wayland to the palace to continue another day, and to meet her mother, and possibly father, if he was available.
Evening December 2 to Morning December 3, 2266 & ED year 2 days 52-55.
Sunday evening and Monday morning saw the group returning to their normal routine as the teasing of Fred had lost most of its fun. Alex was enjoying the silence while it lasted as he knew he would only have a few weeks of this before things hit full Christmas mode right as Abysses End returned for what he hoped would be the last time.
When Xeal returned in the evening of day 52, it was time for his first date with Mari and it would be the first time he would have time to simply focus on her. He wondered how it would go, but he thought his plan was a decent one. As he picked her up from the palace, he greeted her before escorting her to the teleportation hall where they transferred to one of the outposts around Angelbrook City. The outpost was one that allowed players to rent small rowboats and take them out on the river nearby. Mari had been quiet while they traveled, but when she saw the boats, she broke her silence.
“You don’t plan on taking me fishing, do you?”
“No, I am well aware of the differences between koi fishing and normal fishing. I simply thought a relaxing lantern-lit boat ride while we enjoy a picnic would be a good place for us to start our courtship.”
“Why do you care? You have no intention of actually marrying me. I have been reading the reports on your efforts in my homeland. I thank you for the thought, but I know you chose me as I was the least likely to grow attached to you.”
“I see that is what you think. Just humor me and I will tell you why I picked you and not any of your sisters.”
Mari looked at Xeal for a long moment before deciding to go along for the ride, following him to the dock where he rented a rowboat that was just wide enough for them to sit next to each other. Xeal sat across from her as he rowed them about 200 feet from the shore where the lanterns of the city started to almost look like clusters of stars, and dropped anchor.
“Alright, I am out here. Now why did you pick me?”
“Because you were the only one that wasn’t an open book.”
“What?”
“Kuni wants to live up to your mother, Momo is the peacemaker and Kuri is the free spirit without a care in the world. You are serious and result-focused, but you hide your own thoughts and feelings for some reason. I knew Kuni would never forgive me for taking her away from Muthia, Momo would mask any issues that existed between my wives until it was too late, and Kuri would require too much attention to be happy. So, I went with the unknown, hoping that you were a hidden gem that if I did marry, would shine brighter than anyone would have guessed.”
“So, you gambled.”
“No, I took the only option that might work out in the long run. Mari, I will not lie to you and say that I am infatuated with you, or that I want to make you my wife. However, I do intend to get to know you and ensure that you will be a fit before I marry you, if it comes to that.”
“You signed a contract. If my mother doesn’t believe you have set us up to survive the war, what choice do you or I have?”
“Oh, I always leave an out in a contract that would require me to take a wife. This one will be particularly demanding and painful for me, but if I believe that all that is in front of us is misery as a couple, I will use it.”
“Alright, so where do you see this going?”
“Right now, I have no clue. Regardless of whether your mother believes I have secured Muthia’s future, she will hope we marry. The question will be what we want at that point. Mari, regardless of what I want, if you want out, let me know and I will make sure you are freed.”
“You’re terrible, you know that.”
“I have been told. Yet I will just keep putting my foot in my mouth before I hide my honest thoughts. Now let’s enjoy our picnic.”
Xeal and Mari both sat and enjoyed their meal as they shifted to lighter topics as they worked to understand each other’s likes and dislikes better. When they had finished their meal, Xeal rowed them back to the dock and they made their way back to the capital. When Xeal made it back to his mansion to rest, he was ambushed by Eira as he walked in. She started to ask him questions about his world and how the whole invasion of adventurers worked. He could tell that the morning had been enlightening for her and she had been waiting for a chance to ask all her questions. So, Xeal ended up spending another hour and a half explaining things to her. By the end, while he was tired, he was also happy that she had started to open up a bit.
When Xeal awoke, he spent his time split between grinding and responding to messages forwarded to him from Prince Victor concerning the ongoing negotiations among the nobles. From what Xeal could see from the questions, the negotiations were headed in the right direction, if slowly. It looked like it would still be at least another week before he could set out to return Eira to her tribe, but that might be for the best. With any luck, she would open up a bit more before then and possibly help open a few other eyes along the way. Either way, when Xeal logged off early in the morning of day 55 to make it to Jessica’s therapy session and Sam and Nicole’s next OB-GYN appointment, he was hopeful.
Evening December 3, 2266.
Alex awoke around 2:30 and stretched as he turned and gave Nicole a good morning kiss as she blinked away the remnants from her session. She smiled and the pair enjoyed a long moment of cuddling before sighing and getting up to get ready for the appointments they had to get to. When they reached the common area, Sam was already there grabbing a quick bite of one of the fresh premade salads that were now being delivered every three or four days with the other groceries. Both Sam and Nicole had decided that they wanted easy and healthy meals to go to now that they were expecting, and Alex hadn’t had any issues paying the bit extra it took to make it happen. He had even gone the extra mile and paid Anna to handle it after she had officially gotten her license and his dad didn’t need his car all the time. So, every Monday and Thursday after school, she would stop by a grocery store and a restaurant that specialized in healthy meals that were as simple as heat and eat. Alex had given her the extra key so she could get in and when they woke up their refrigerator was restocked. Alex had been happy that after the initial attitude that Anna had given him over getting both Sam and Nicole pregnant, she had shut up, other than a glare here or there. As Nicole grabbed her own meal, Alex made sure to give Sam her own wakeup kiss and make sure she knew he loved her, before grabbing a quick meal bar for himself.
