​Oryn let out a deep, chest-vibrating rumble. "Understood, Queen. The ’heavy slate’ will be mapped and stored in the palace basement, where only you can see it."

​"Good." I looked at the babies, who were currently trying to chew on the edge of a rug. "And Noah, Fenric... since I’m supposed to be ’resting,’ you two are in charge of keeping the scouts away from the cliffside. Tell them it’s a construction hazard or whatever that will scare them. If I see a single wolf or tiger sniffing around that dig site, I’m holding you responsible."

​Noah grinned, picking up a scooting Raiden. "Consider the perimeter locked down. No one gets near your treasure pipe without a pass from the King."

​"The Kings," Fenric corrected him with a pointed look.

Well, if I’m the queen, Noah can’t be the only king, and the others were concubines, right? So they are all kings, haha.

Well, he’s basically handed me the kingdom, so my husbands are all kings.

​I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, finally feeling a bit of that elusive peace.

My body was a wreck, and I was sitting on a secret that could either build an empire or burn it down.

​But as I felt the steady, reassuring thrum of Damar’s satisfaction through our new link, and listened to the sounds of my family around me, I knew we were ready for it.

​"One month," I whispered. "One month until the mermen arrive. Let’s see if we can give them something even better than seashells to talk about."

After dismissing everyone, my stomach grumbled, and I found my way to the kitchen.

The kitchen was well done, having clay pots on top of hollowed out structures where we put in firewood.

And then there were cabinets for storing things, counters for easy slicing and piling of ingredients. It wasn’t a standard modern kitchen, but just think of it as those kitchens you see in a historical Chinese drama.

Yes, I got my inspiration from there.

I leaned against the kitchen counter, my legs still doing that annoying little jelly-wobble every time I shifted my weight.

I probably should have been lying down, but my brain was too wired with Marketplace and Metal thoughts to actually sleep. And I was hungry.

Who was going to make me the food I was craving for? No one.

​"If I’m sitting, I’m resting," I declared, pointing a wooden spoon at Fenric, who looked like he was five seconds away from carrying me back to bed. "Don’t even think about it,"

He darted his eyes away, acting like he did not almost carry me back to the side wing.

"Anyways, pass me those purple tubers from the cabinet. The one from the sheep tribe. I want to see if they roast as well as potatoes."

​The kitchen was warm and smelled of dried herbs and woodsmoke. It was actually nice—a rare moment of domestic peace.

I put Noah on slicing duty, and he was expertly slicing lean meat with a bone dagger that was definitely too sharp for kitchen work, while Fenric handled the heavy lifting, moving clay pots that would have snapped my wrists.

Thalor, ever the graceful one, was washing the leafy greens with the precision of a jeweler.

​"The rabbits are settled then?" I asked, looking over at Robin, who was leaning against the stone oven.

​Robin nodded, his ears occasionally twitching toward the door for reasons I still wonder.

"Better than settled, Land Mother. They’ve already divided the tilled land near the southern road. They’re fast—they’ve got the first seeds in the ground and are already talking about building a ’cold-cellar’ for the harvest. They said the soil here is ’sweet’ compared to their Lands."

​"Good. We’ll need that ’sweet’ harvest for the marketplace," I said, tossing the tubers into a pan with some rendered fat. "If they can produce a surplus, we can start the trade tokens sooner than I thought."

​"They’re also asking about the water," Robin added. "They noticed the trenches Oryn’s crew is digging. They wanted to know if they could divert some for a small irrigation system."

​I perked up. "Irrigation? I love that they’re thinking ahead. Tell them yes, but they have to coordinate with Oryn so we don’t mess up the palace’s foundation. Water is the lifeblood of a city, Robin. If we manage it right, we’ll never have a hungry season."

​"They’re a hardworking lot," Noah grumbled, though he didn’t look displeased. "A bit twitchy, but they keep the peace. Unlike the wolves, who are already complaining that there aren’t enough things to hunt near the new road."

​"The wolves can hunt the red-scales if they’re that bored," I muttered, stirring the vegetables.

​As the meal started to sizzle, filling the room with a savory, earthy aroma, the tension of the last three days finally began to melt away.

With the rabbits farming, the bears building, and my husbands helping me stir-fry dinner, it felt like a real community.

​"Arinya," Thalor said, his voice soft as he placed the cleaned greens on the table. "You’re smiling at a pan of roots."

​"I’m smiling at the future, Thalor," I said, looking up at the three of them. "And it smells delicious."

The dining hall was bathed in the warm, flickering glow of the sea-crystals Thalor had installed, their light dancing across the polished surface of the heavy wooden table Oryn had built.

It was a massive, beautiful piece of craftsmanship that felt a little too grand for just five adults and three babies, but tonight, it felt like the anchor of our new life.

​"Everything’s set," Noah announced, thumping a heavy platter of roasted meat onto the center of the table. "But we’re missing the guest of honor. Or should I say, the guest of exhaustion."

​I looked toward the Sovereign Wing.

"I’ll go get him. If I don’t, he’ll sleep through the first family meal in the palace."

​My legs still felt a bit like overcooked noodles as I made my way down the hall, but the walk was shorter this time. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

I pushed open the heavy doors to find Damar exactly where I’d left him, sprawled across the furs. He looked peaceful, his silver hair fanned out like a halo, but even in sleep, his hand was curled as if reaching for me.

​I sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his temple, then his cheek, and finally his lips.

"Wake up, you big lizard," I whispered.