2687 Shared Wounds (Part 1)

"This is our last child, okay? Unless heaven and earth switch places or I change my mind, you'd better always use that damn birth control spell." Selia said.

"I will." Ryman sniffled while letting her go.

He had held Solkar right after Selia, but he already felt the need to hold his son again.

As soon as Elina passed the child to him, Solkar started to cry. Protector used a baby voice to calm Solkar, strutting around and showing the newborn to his guests like it was the greatest accomplishment of his life.

"You see that?" Kamila Hushed them while pointing the father and son couple at Lith. "That's you in a few months."

"Please." Lith scoffed, his tone as cold as it was indifferent. "He's just an Emperor Beast whereas I'm a Divine Beast."

"What do you mean?" Kamila asked, making him look her dead in the eyes.

Lith's face was a stone-cold mask when he said:

"I cry much harder than that."

Kamila burst out laughing at the joke, making her spell fade and several heads turn toward them. She was happy to explain herself and stage the conversation to the best of her abilities.

Soon laughter filled the house and even Solkar stopped crying to look around in curiosity.

***

Time passed and things kept moving forward.

Kamila's days in the Royal Court were as long as they were boring. She learned to hate the noble dames pandering to her every whim even more than those who tried to belittle and mock her under the veil of their courteous words.

Even though Jirni knew about the presence of a Guardian always following Kamila, the Archon never lowered her guard, keeping her mouth shut and her eyes open whenever her attention wasn't otherwise required.

'With me and the Queen present, no one would be so crazy that they would attempt anything remotely funny, but I can still read the room and check how much these women know.' Jirni was happy to oblige by recounting the events of the day of the Black Sun even though she knew that it made Kamila uncomfortable.

It made her feel more like a weapon than a person and fear that people might consider Elysia just the same way.

Jirni didn't care one bit since being the one telling the story allowed her to have all eyes on her. Just by watching the reactions of her spectators, Jirni could assess not only their feelings on the matter, but also how much they already knew about those events.

Even the best liar had a hard time feigning the proper level of surprise while "discovering" such a big secret. Jirni baited her enemies multiple times, adding details she made up on the spot.

Those who were genuinely unaware of what had happened gasped in awe whereas those who knew something had their faces filled with disbelief and confusion. Jirni took a mental note of everyone she just suspected and moved on with pleasantries as if she had noticed nothing.

Kamila hated the Royal Court more with every visit but she owed the Queen a lot.

Sylpha would always be her main host, keep her company, and ensure her safety. The Queen also censured anyone who crossed the line with her glare and, on a few occasions, with a mean right hook.

"The crushed face teaches best." Sylpha said to the outraged noblewomen during one of such events, forcing them to silence with her mere tone. "This is my house and Baroness Verhen is my honored guest. Any disrespect to her is also addressed to me.

"One more word and I'll have you trialled for slander of the Crown. If you find my judgment unfair, feel free to appeal to the King."

Meron was the calm one between the Royal couple, but he was renown for becoming feral whenever someone messed with the Queen. No one wanted to jump out of the frying pan and under the blade of the executioner so the King received no appeal.

The last month of the year came and Lith's birthday approached.

He was annoyed at the idea of hosting a Gala but the Royals had built the Verhen Mansion under that precise condition, leaving him to suck it up and grin.

To make matters worse, Lith had no clue how to host a Royal Gala, and neither did any member of his family. Luckily for him, Orion was more than happy to help.

It had been Raaz's idea to call the Lord of House Ernas because he wanted his son and friend to talk to each other. After Phloria's death, Lith and Orion had kept contact to a minimum, seeing each other only when strictly necessary.

Orion had a hard time standing in Lith's presence because it reminded him of the time that they had spent together with Phloria. Lith's voice and mannerisms conjured countless memories from the past when Orion's daughter and Lith had been together.

The Lord of House Ernas was still dealing with grief and the regret of having opposed to his daughter's relationship made everything worse.

'If I let them be, if it was my Little Flower who'd got pregnant with him instead of Kamila, she would still be alive.' Orion hated such manipulative thoughts, yet he couldn't help himself.

Deep down he hated himself and Kamila. The latter for having stolen the opportunity that might have otherwise belonged to Phloria.

Lith found it difficult to talk with Orion because he felt guilty. He had promised the Ernas couple to do everything he could to bring back their daughter alive and even though he had upheld his word, Lith had still failed.

That and the fact of having fallen for Thrud's trap and killed Phloria with his own hand made Lith's grief harder to overcome.

Whenever he was in the same room with Orion, Lith could feel his right arm wet with Phloria's blood and Orion's eyes seemed to accuse him silently, no matter what his voice or expression said.

Raaz had worked hard to bring them together because he wanted to mend their relationship and help them overcome their respective grief. That and having the opportunity to spend more quality time with his son during an important moment of his life.

'Many birds with one stone.' Raaz thought, not knowing how similar to Lith he was.

"So..." Orion awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to make conversation after relaying the final orders to the house staff he had brought from his own household for the occasion.

"Your old man here tells me you two scoundrels are neck deep in cloth diapers and practice dolls."

"Yeah." Lith scratched his head in embarrassment, glad to have followed his father's advice about asking for Orion's help.

With everything that was happening and the attempts on Kamila's life, security was his first priority. He lacked the time to vet candidates and perform deep background checks whereas Orion's house staff was loyal to the bone.

They had even stood their ground against Orpal despite knowing they had no chance of survival.

"That's my weak spot. I was the youngest and when Aran and Leria were born I was already at the academy. I know squat about dealing with newborns."