It is at least peaceful, and the sun is warm, but a lava bath is still a better place to lounge.

"Time is coming to an end, little one," Sea says. "Alzi. Listen carefully. I know you're tired of whoring yourself out, and I'm a bit of a hypocrite for saying this. I did get this belly by making Fertility whore herself out, but stop it. No more. Next time you conceive a child, do it with someone you care for. You have all the support you need, besides the Phoenix Queen verbalizing the agreement. I know your past is practically defined by sex, but the past only explains why you are in the present. Decisions made in the present are what decide the future. The past may direct the future, but make enough decisions in the present, and you'll end up somewhere the past never predicted. You have plenty of future in front of you. Making the decisions is hard, but you can do it."

"If the Queen says no?"

"You have Shimmer. I know you don't love her, but you found her friendly in the past. I'm sure you could find a woman amongst them that you love. You aren't strong enough to lie with the true phoenix, but I think you'll like her when you are. But that is then, and you have to get the Queen to agree now. So, tell the Queen the Goddess of the Sea is willing to be strapped to Fertility's altar for years till she has enough power to make all the phoenixes, including the beloved true phoenixes, sterile. She supports you, or she will be the last Phoenix Queen. Fertility hasn't agreed to it, but I know she will back you up. The Queen will have no choice but to help. They don't have to do their best; two months is all we need, and the ritual can begin."

"If she..."

"She won't. Shimmer is yours, and she knows it. You ask her to run naked through the streets, she will. She truly did what she thought was right for you, after she got pregnant, that is. Princesses think a little differently. Right now, she is watching over your kids with tears in her eyes, hoping you give her a sliver of the love you give those kids."

"I guess she was nice."

"I'm not telling you to love her. I know Hearth wished for you to love all your wives, but that is something you can't do. The Queens made certain of that. That is just Hearth's nature. She wants the women around the fire to feel a warmth for each other. Just as Justice only cares about giving out her warped justice, or Nature only cares about her forests. War and her need to cause massive fights over nothing. So much so that she attacks a mortal to pretend the divine and mortal realms are at war. A sad excuse for ALL of us. But that is just who we are. Those brave enough to venture into my domain must keep their wits, or they'll end up at the bottom of my great waters. It's a dangerous domain, but those who learn the domain can find a thrill like no other. Just ask Fluvis or Salis. Fertility is so low in the world because the Goddess of Fertility hates herself. You have a spark inside you. Be careful what it grows into; it may come to define you. You have time to build it into something you are happy with, or it can turn into an eternal torture. You've helped Fertility find pleasure in herself. I hope you can find that same care. Now, my parting gift."

Sea gives me a big smile and pokes my nipple. Before I can give a retort, I'm back in the room, clothed. I'll have to wait till I'm back with my kids to figure out what the mark looks like.

Salis is passed out on my shoulder still. Calm as a lake on a sunny day. I wonder if Sea controls the lakes or if a new Goddess can take those away from her.

'I do, but I'm hoping my little one takes it over. I like the open waters more.'

Bitch who said you could do that!

'Hehe, careful, Salis is waking up.'

Salis does stir. Slowly, she sits up, a tattoo of waves crashing fits the same place Power's mark is on my body, and I now have that on my nipple. Definitely one of my stranger markings, after Destruction's mushroom thing. I wonder when she'll be old enough to explain that marking.

"Salis, how did it go?" I ask.

"Good, I think," Salis says, still stuck on my shoulder. "She asked me to sleep with you."

"Yes, she said something about that to me. Are you ok with it? I wouldn't mind it. You are a beautiful woman."

"My breasts."

"I'm sure you have much bigger breasts than that. Even then, the woman I love most hardly has any breasts, yet I find her the prettiest in the world. Do you hide your breasts so no one looks at you?"

"Yes."

"Sorry, but that doesn't work on me. You are on my shoulder and all that. Shall we head back? We can have some lunch, play with my kids, and then see what Sea was talking about with us sleeping. What happens there happens. Then I want you to find those you love and marry them. For ten years, I couldn't marry the women I love. I'm sure the woman you love has a hole in their heart just waiting for you to come by and fill it. If you promise to do that, I'll sleep with you tonight."

"I think I can."

"Good enough," I say. We're having a normal conversation. I'm sure they'll come to her when she gets her title. I can ask Fluvis to get them to come by as well. "I want to see my kids."

"Sorry, we can go," Salis says, freeing my shoulder.

"I didn't mean that," I say. "Just when I'm with them, I can ignore my past better."

"That, that would be nice."

"If Sea is right, we may just get that soon," I say. Salis stands first, even offering me a hand to stand. I take it, and we head out. Geta is standing by the door, hand over her sword. She relaxes when she spots me walking on my own and falls in behind us as we continue out of the temple and into the carriages. We have the same setup as we head back to my kids.

...

My kids are the best thing in the world. I'll kill any that disagree. How could you not love them watching my daughters tug my hair with their innocent smiles or little giggles? They're just happy to be near me. Sure, they need me to survive. Well, not me exactly, but they need others to see the end of the hour. But in return for helping what I brought into the world live, I get to see and feel their love.

Probably a strange way to see it, they do need us to do a lot of things for them to live, but I'm happy to do it all, glad to help them live.

"Th.. thank you," Salis says, closing the door. Sarania and my Shadow are standing by the door in the hallway in case I need them. I'm hoping whatever Sea is doing with this makes it so they aren't required, but I'm happy they're here.

"We need to get naked."

"Yyyes."

I've never dealt with anyone this nervous before, but I'm sure just a direct approach will work. I walk up to Salis and give her a soft kiss, my hands crawl around her back to find what keeps her dress on. Just a few strings that my hands can easily loosen. Salis is frozen in my hug, letting me kiss her wherever I wish, letting her dress fall to the floor to reveal just a single wrap to cover her small breasts. I pull that loose as well, and kiss down her neck and over her tattoo down to one of her pretty nipples. My hands slide down to her underwear and tug them into my tattoo.

Now naked, she finds the strength to move. Her hands are shaking through my hair and down to my wings, probably trying to find the back of my dress. She needs to find the base of my neck to let it fall. It takes her a few seconds to figure it out, or she likes to feel my wings. But eventually, both of us are naked and ready for what the Goddess of the Sea wanted from us. But I really don't want to stop.

"Are you ok with carrying my child?" I ask.

"She, she warned me. Yes," Salis says. "It'll be ours."

"Good," I say. "I'm glad I don't have to force that out."

"Of course."

Sea must've warned her about what I wanted already. But with that promise, I work her over to the bed and push her onto the bed. I give her just a tad of my touch to get her a bit more relaxed. I kiss every inch of her body from her lips to her nipples. Her hands slowly figure out what they should do, like they're trying to remember an old memory. Grasping for the right feeling, but she's finding it.

I keep teasing her, letting her body figure out what sex is like again. I just enjoy the thin body, working us towards the center of the bed. I spread her legs and hover, waiting till she has her barings.

"I'm ready. Please make me a mother and tie our house together. The Sea is Fertility's in all the realms."

I think Sea put a little too much power into that tattoo of hers, but I'm happy to take both sisters, even if this one won't be a wife. A little side harem? We'll figure it out.

I push in slow. Willing to let this take time. I'll have plenty of time to fuck like an animal with Sarania. I should take the time just to enjoy the feeling. I may hardly know her, but our similarities at least make it feel like I know her.

I know I'm wrong about that, but I'll take the feeling. To realize we shared in having someone abuse us, take our skills, and warp them till we couldn't recognize what we saw in the mirror. To want to hide from the world. We share that. But neither of us can hide anymore, and neither of us has someone controlling us. Sea finally told me what I needed. Sadly, it took a Goddess to tell me to stop being a whore, but it took one. I'll still take those dresses, I'm a sexy woman, and there's nothing wrong with showing it off, but I'll need to mix in conservative dresses. To let the world know I'm in control and not just the woman they made.

"You're so big," Salis says.

"Yes, I've been told that a few times and in a few different ways. Don't worry, you'll only get a single kid to start."