2137 Morning Surprise (Part 1)
"Ryssa always turns every argument into a talent contest that she wins by a landslide.
"Most people don't even come close to her magical abilities, let alone Marth's. She enjoys reminding everyone that he's one of the youngest Headmasters and the leading figure in the rejuvenation field just to ask them about their achievements.
"Most nobles have nothing besides the name and fortune they inherited and Ryssa has no qualms tormenting them until they run away crying. You'd better learn a thing or two from her, or you won't last long, Kami." Zinya said.
"How is the Royal Court my problem?"
"Oh, please, whatever you think people whisper behind your back, multiply it by 1000 and set it on fire. At that point, you have an idea of what the most polite among those bastards say about you." Zinya clenched her hands in outrage at the memory.
"Out of hearing, out of mind." Kamila replied with a shrug.
"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but you are now the wife of a Magus and a noble. Sooner or later, the Royals will invite you to social events you'll find yourself in my same position.
"To make matters worse, nobles slander you like me, Zogar, Marth, and Ryssa combined and then some. After all, you married an inhuman who is younger than you, out of your league, and are having his hybrid child." Zinya said.
"Fuck me sideways!"
"You can say that. Now let's hope that the children didn't hear you or it will be up to you to make sure they won't repeat those words."
***
Spending the time before bed by taking a tour of the area around the farm helped the Verhens to realize how much they had missed Lutia and brought back countless precious memories of the years they had spent there.
When the sun rose again, it found them in a much better mood and Mogar seemed to have found some of its light again.
'I can't believe I managed to wake up before Lith for once.' Elina thought with a warm smile on her face. 'I can finally pamper my son a little and prepare him an authentic Kingdom breakfast instead of the usual Desert-'
"Good morning, child. You take your eggs sunny side up and prefer your bread fresh from the oven rather than toasted, correct?" A deep, tenor voice, refined but shaded welcomed her in the kitchen.
"Who the heck are you, what are you doing in my kitchen, and how do you know all that?" Elina needed a mere thought to make the wooden spoon that controlled the defensive system of the house flew into her hand.
"How can you have already forgotten about me?" The man was about 1.8 meters (5'11") tall, with unruly black hair and red eyes with vertical pupils. He wore something in between a livery and a tuxedo.
Yet no matter how well dressed they were, finding a stranger in your house first thing in the morning is never a pleasant experience.
"As for your other questions, today's my turn to take care of Kamila and I'm always prepared."
"Leegaain?" She asked in confusion.
"Who were you expecting? Roghar?" He flipped his hair dramatically, offended by her words.
"First, I have no idea who that is. Second, I've never seen you this tall and handsome. Usually, you are shorter and with a scruffy look. Why so elegant?"
"Wow, and I'm the one who's not judging you from your appearance." The Father of all Dragons said with a scoff. "Since yesterday Tyris introduced herself as a maid, it's only fitting for me to act as your butler for today. I simply dressed for the part."
"What about my app-" Only then Elina looked at the nearest mirror, noticing her bed hair, the drowsy eyes, and the fact that she was wearing her old, worn-out house clothes that she only used when she wasn't expecting guests.
"Don't worry, you have yet to gain weight from the pregnancy and your breasts won't get bigger for another mon-"
"Stop talking about my breasts!" Elina blushed in embarrassment while covering her bosom.
"Is everything alright, Mom? Why are you yelling so much?" Aran walked out of his room in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes.
"Do you need help, miss Verhen?" An adorable little girl who was holding his hand asked.
She looked about the same age as Aran, with flaming red hair streaked yellow and blue all over. She had emerald green eyes with a vertical pupil and was wearing one of Aran's spare pajamas.
"Go back to sleep, darling. Everything is f-" The words died on Elina's lips the moment her brain realized that she had no idea who the girl was.
"Is she one of yours?" She asked Leegaain after noticing how similar their eyes were.
"Don't be silly, Mom." Aran said amid yawns. "You've known Onyx for years."
"Good morning, miss Verhen." The clearly Awakened Shyf gave her a clumsy but adorable curtsy.
"Onyx, right." Elina said with a warm smile while stroking the magical beast's soft hair.
She then proceeded to pinch her arm to make sure it wasn't just her recurring nightmare. Once the pain confirmed that she was wide awake, Elina started yelling at the top of her lungs.
"What the farm is going on?" Lith bolted out of his room fully dressed and ready for battle.
He had ignored the earlier noise because knowing that a Guardian was in his house put even his paranoia to rest. Hearing his mother's terrified scream, however, was something that he couldn't ignore.
"Oh, Lith." Elina sobbed, throwing her arms at his neck. "It really happened."
"Well, Leegaain making us breakfast is unexpected, but a nice gesture nonetheless. What's this smell?"
"Something Tyris brought back from Verendi. It's a plant that wasn't there the last time I visited. It produces grains that once toasted and ground, if left to infuse in hot water turn it into a beverage dark and sour just like you."
"I was thinking about calling it Voidfeather Tea." The Guardian replied with a chuckle.
"Please, no." Lith cringed at the idea. "What about coffee?"
"Sounds-"
"Who cares about the breakfast or the tea?" Elina cut Leegaain short. "I was talking about her!"
"Hello, little girl." Lith needed but a sniff and a glance with Life Vision to recognize Onyx. "When did this happen?"
"I don't know." She scratched her head with a confused look on her face. "I remember that after spending so much time over the mana geysers and following the magic lessons in the Desert with Aran, I started to feel weird.
"Like every time I used my magic, I was about to understand something important, just to forget it one second later."
"Go on." Lith nodded.
"There's not much to say. I kept working on it and during the baby shower I asked those kind Divine Beasts tips, but they didn't make much sense. Then, after basking in the Great Mother's light yesterday, suddenly everything made sense.
"The last thing I remember is that Aran had let me sleep with him on his bed and when I woke up, I was like this." Onyx shrugged.
