Chapter 563: Chapter 563 - ...So Does Sistering, Spousing, & All Sorts Of Stomaching

Onya er Goltbred arrived at the terrace very out of breath - and looking visibly annoyed at the back of a Silver dress that was settled behind the tall black haired swordswoman. Her sister hadn’t even stayed on the ground to run, the little girl was sure of it!

"You cheated!"

Even if she couldn’t *prove* the accusation... with anything other than how unbelievably fast it had been, she still felt the need to call it out. After all, the youngest of the family ran much faster than any of the other older kids she played with. She even sometimes was able to hide from her parents before they caught up to scold her about something!

That was thanks to starting her cultivation early with better methods than average - which she didn’t exactly take into account when complaining. Because gauging the scope of difference between years in growth and technique wasn’t exactly the strong suit of an almost six year old.

"I said I would race you. I didn’t say I would do it *fairly*."

"That’s... that’s...!"

"Do you complain like this whenever Qat disarms your sword with her superior techniques? It’s the same thing."

The brunette’s idle tone didn’t shift that much as she ’reprimanded’ the girl. Her chin was still resting near Qatrand’s shoulder... after the spouse quickly let go of the practical headlock. At least while in front of the impressionable child approaching.

"Dis...arm? Qat... were you going that easy on me?"

Experiencing being incidentally thrown under the wagon, the swordswoman sighed and composed herself. Half of her hair - the strands on the other side of where her wife was - had already shifted back to being blonde anyway thanks to her most loved one’s mere proximity. Ondua rubbed at his tired eyes as the mere seconds of pigmentation change occurred in front of him.

’She really went a bit needlessly far with learning that, didn’t she? For something that she can’t even control well in these scenarios. What a strange young woman she has grown into...’

"I taught you what was necessary for you to grow and to see if you had potential for martial skills that I can teach. We did the basics only... at least, from my point of view."

"So you went easy on her, like I did to you all those years ago when you also needed taught. You’re so very sweet, my love."

While Elua flirted and ’challenged’ her husband-wife all at once, Onya looked at her little hands. They weren’t quite so chubby as they were as a baby, but they still had a bit of plump left to them. Fleshy cushioning that remembered being *frequently* sore after swinging a practice sword around to mimic the blonde.

All that sense of prior enjoyment while learning with her strong sister-in-law, the last year and a half or so, now felt like a betrayal! Her face scrunched up into something complicated as noise built in her throat and one of the hardest recent decisions in her young life began to unfold.

"Nmmmmn... it’s okay. It was... fun? I like moving! Do I need to win? No... it’s okay. Yeah."

A small huff, that fooled no one but herself, came from the bottom of the stairs before the reddish-blonde child climbed up at a quick pace. She was still trying to prove something about her physical capabilities... and El noticed that desire well. In fact, she had been busily assessing the girl and her progress the whole time.

Especially her Trinity of Aspects. Which were much more prominent as guesses than they had been for only a one and a half year old being. Already sure of her Astralism, the reincarnated ancient cultivator also noted down the likely Physique that could cause her some social problems - and an Element that would normally be a bit tough to source for practice. At least, if her big sister was anyone normal.

"Her coordination is developing even better than I expected. Does she do something for that? Other than my training and Qat’s?"

"She plays with our groundskeepers’ children most mornings. You remember the children’s area, behind the servant quarters? The one that your mother built."

Mint eyes blinked and thought back to the time when Yatrel and Ondua had been attempting to make her, their firstborn, just a bit less... reclusive. Certainly, she was the estate’s little darling, but that was mostly with the adult staff that got to see her within the mansion around the parents.

When it came to playing with other kids, she would much rather have read and gained more knowledge about the era she found herself born into... and made that pretty clear in due time. Not in so many words, but in her continued action of bringing a book and sitting somewhere out of the way while the other kids played.

At least, until her then nursemaid turned personal servant Klaytei was finally allowed to stop forcing her to go. Back then, Elua had been partially testing the pair of new parents. To see whether they would double down with their decision - or let her do as she pleased. While it ultimately ended up being the latter, she felt they did plenty enough diligence in testing their child’s choices and needs.

"Are we going inside now? I’m hungry. So is Qat! She’s starving!"

Onya declared with certainty, with one hand settled on her hip in what all three there recognized as a Yatrel learned pose. The other was pointing at the tall, muscular sister-in-law being hung on by the brunette. Only for a third stomach to be the one to make sudden noise.

An organ that had been back on the continent for hours, with its owner exercising just a bit vigorously... and who had yet to have a bite to eat of food. Elua especially looked forward the kind cooked by someone that knew how - with ingredients that didn’t require some super special hydrocarbon processing step. And while she was sure that it would taste delicious, a part of her knew...

’Our cook’s fate rests on this meal. Today would not be the time for him to be under the weather!’

"Yes. I am."

Qatrand shared her own verbal opinion of the matter while hooking her arm around her wife’s legs, to let the heiress continue hanging lazily onto a Warden Patrician’s side like a bulky silver half-mantle.

"That wasn’t you!"

"No. I didn’t say it was. I’m still famished, though."

Then, striding forward to kneel and lift up the other, smaller Goltbred protesting about so much today, the blonde swordswoman started to walk back toward the mansion’s side entrance. Only to stop in front of Ondua as he had begun to stand. The two of them looked at each other as he paused halfway up, for a few long seconds that caused the older man some confusion.

"Sorry. I don’t think I can safely carry you as well."

"I could sit on your neck again and free up this arm?"

Pigeon blues didn’t even acknowledge her mint-drop’s false attempt to ’help’. The former Yecine... merely started to walk away after delivering her own joke. Leaving the other Hero of a Descent to question if it was his fault somehow. That his daughter-in-law had been allowed to be infected by his daughter’s brand of filial humor.

A minute later, when he was the one who was made to open the door for that taciturn face - refusing to get close enough to it to let Elua or Onya do so as the pair of sisters chatted away like two birds on a muscular perch... he knew for sure. From the moment he decided to run away from his family on the other side of the continent. All of it was his fault!

"How is Rezzue doing?"

Directing that question at Ondua, after they were all inside the corridor with the door shutting out the daylight... rather than directing her spiritual sense to do more than passively explore the grounds... was a small concession of trust on the swordswoman’s part. She knew nothing bad would come of the people her wife had left here so easily. Otherwise she wouldn’t have ever done it. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Seeing Qat again was important to El, the person herself knew that with a sense of certainty others might call arrogance. But not disappointing Qat *after* seeing her was easily more important. Just like the blonde never did anything that she did not want to do, the brunette did her very best to never do anything that her husband-wife would disapprove of.

’For the most part.’

"...Quit that."

"What are you talking about, dear?"

The feigned obliviousness when the ancient cultivator was called out led to a set of fingers pinching harder on the shin of the ’innocent’ leg. Connected to the ’mischievous’ foot which was brushing up and down the strong woman’s oblique. Right across a spot that had been bitten, for reasons that neither of them still quite understood. And reasons that the brown haired man would not want to know.

"Hm. There are three infants in our house and two boys who have been very quiet since your mother took charge."

"Father, I believe she asked about someone else?"

"Resting, last I was told. I’ve not been allowed near her myself to check. I’m told you know why?"

" " I do. " "

Both of them answered as one. For within the last letters sent back that informed Qatrand to start trying to get Navuill to come to the Exclave before the labor... Elua had also detailed the slight problem with the still hormonal, Pheromone Physique wielder. Warning Yatrel was prudent, but telling her beloved ’fortress’ *everything* was mandatory.

Including the exact methods - penned in excruciatingly fine anatomical detail - to use physical energy in order to seal off the problematic scent receptors. And keep her important, precious gem from succumbing to such primal biological manipulations. That way the mint-eyed girl, smiling with genuine love at her exasperated father, didn’t have to go and decide.

Whether to treasure a chosen-sister out in public...

Or from a place sealed away for the new mother’s own long term... safety.

As there were just a few certain things, known as firm lines by some, that part of the reborn Uvraneht was still too stuck in her old ways over. Accidents to some, that she would find abominable enough to flip carefully sealed switches inside herself. The ones that severed relationships and trust as easily as if the other party had never existed.

’Corrupting the mind of my most loved person intentionally would be a sin too far. Their doing it without even noticing is surprisingly not so different to me. Well, good thing nothing like that has escaped my notice so far, hm?’

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

In a cave somewhere on the continent, a gaudy merchant shivered from a cold draft. While a black scaled monster sneezed... and looked around the field of Element manipulated Shadows of its own making.