Ioelena is shifting from foot to foot. If the carriage gave her a bit more space, I'm sure she would be pacing, even if that just meant spinning in a circle. Is her family that bad, or are the pixies and fairies that bad? I hope it isn't both.

I guess it could be the fact that she's bringing the Queen home, or that it feels like all her wives are pregnant and she isn't. The list is surprisingly long for what could be making her nervous.

Space didn't think it was a good idea to just drop into their living room, so she just took us between her temples, and then we just had a few carriages to take us all to Ioelena's family manor.

"Don't worry," Syro says. "Your family can handle getting the pixies and fairies into a meeting. Your family is good at this."

"But am I?" Ioelena asks.

"I don't understand that question," I say.

"Are they going to think I'm good in my family? Will I scare off the fairies or something?" Ioelena says. "I did what I set out to do. That should be enough."

"Really?" I say. "You're married to a Queen. What else do they want? I can get you pregnant right now if that would make you feel better."

"I didn't leave on the best of terms," Ioelena says. "I really hated that only the pixies would tolerate me. I blamed my parents and got mad a lot. I kind of ran out on them with the promise that I'll marry the future Queen. Things seemed fine when setting this up, but I started by saying a Queen needs to come by. They don't have much of a choice but to make it easy for us to come. I don't know how they would actually feel about me."

"They'll be happy to have you around," I say. "Even the fairies will learn they have to deal with you. Don't worry about that. Your family can't be mad that you married me. At least not anymore. Kou, should I wear the crown or something? Queen Yumanea didn't wear hers often."

"Most don't feel the need to prove they are the Queen, my Queen," Kou says. "They will know you're Queen Alzi of the dragons. Don't worry about that. The nobles are good at remembering things like that. Not that remembering who is a queen is hard to do. I don't think you need to wear the crown. You can if you wish to wear it. The crown is yours to do with as you please, for the most part. I don't think anyone will be happy if you smelt it down for a few gold coins to go drinking or something."

"Then no," I say. "Crown feels strange against my horns. But everything should be fine, it seems, Ioelena."

"I hope," Ioelena says. "We're here."

"Good," I say.

The house is on the edge of a forest. It doesn't look like it was in the middle of a big fight, so I'm guessing the extra culling they do for the pixies and fairies made it so Nature didn't have many forces here, or we're on the edge of the nation or something. It looks like a standard mansion. Big, square, and plenty of windows for the drawing rooms to embarrass me. Rows of meticulously cared-for plants with streams running along the rows for fun. A few maids running around doing whatever is needed to keep the plants looking like art.

What fun.

A little from the front of the mansion is a small huddle of wood elves. There is a man in a suit, even. Bringing the entire family out for me. I see why Shyla forced me into a dress and some heels. Well, I asked for the heels. I am at the stage of pregnancy where you can kind of do what you need to for shoes and even a dress. Within reason, can't show up in a bathrobe to something like this, but I don't have to be in such a fancy dress.

But it's probably a good thing that I look the part during my first real act as a Queen with others. Maybe I should put the crown on.

"Ioelena, you go first," Kou says. "Then others follow till I step off to help you off, my Queen."

"Ok," I say.

"Good, Ioelena greets her parents and the rest form around the Queen," Kou says.

"They know," I say.

"Baby, it's good to hear it again. Some of us aren't very practiced with this," Mommy says. "Though Victoria and Geta will be the ones actually doing the defending."

Elora was pushed into one of the carriages before she could get her armor on, while Victoria and Geta weren't in the carriages. I tried to get Geta to come in; she's pregnant after all. But she said she wanted to be on the horse. Elora was in a similar position, but her maid reminded her that she was to be the Queen soon, and destroyed Elora's dream of being the guard. I was hoping to talk to Elyne, but she scoffed at the idea of being in a carriage. That part I'm a bit confused about, it would make it easier to talk to her. That may be the part she didn't like, actually.

It's going to be fun having her pregnant in two wombs. I'll have one of my bodies focused on her. It's going to be so cute.

Ok, so maybe she's right to avoid talking to me right now.

One of the mansion's maids opens the door, and Ioelena steps out. The rest follow close behind. Kou offers her slim hand to me, and I step off the carriage carefully. I can't see the steps, so I have to trust my skills to keep my feet in the right place. One of the better skills I picked up at the brothel, honestly.

I wonder if I'll be better at picking out my kids based on the sound of their walks? That would be funny to tease them with.

"Mother, this is Queen Alzi, my wife," Ioelena says, bringing over the lady of the house and her husband. "Alzi, this is the head of the Gennorin family, and their husband. Omylia and Orist Gennorin."

"It's good to meet you, your Royal Highness," they say together in a bow. "Welcome to our humble home."

Humble my ass. Well, compared to the castles and palaces, I suppose it is kind of humble. "I'm happy to be meeting Ioelena's parents. Thank you for accommodating us so quickly. It is a big help," I say. Maybe I could've used a longer break, but this makes it faster to heal Aya fully, and I don't need to let Sex and Justice live longer.

"It's the least we can do for our little one's wife and a new Queen," Omylia says. "The Pixies have readily accepted a meeting with you. The fairies are always a bit more difficult. They should agree tomorrow after you meet with the pixies. They probably think it is some trick the pixies are playing. I advise you to wear the crown to the meetings. The fairies will have a spy checking on the meeting, and having some extra proof that they would be meeting with a Queen will settle the debate with them. Ioelena's sister is currently trying to wrangle them. That last proof should be all they need, she thinks. The pixies set up a lot of traps due to Nature's war. It always gets the fairies scared. The meeting will honestly be a big help for getting them to calm down."

"That's nice," I say. "A bit of space between the meetings will be welcome. Shall we move somewhere more comfortable?"

"Of course, your Royal Highness," Orist says. "We've set up a room for your group to shake off the pain of the carriages. The meeting with the pixies is scheduled for after lunch. Ioelena, if you could handle the setup?"

"I'll walk her through it all," Ioelena says.

"Thank you, dear," Orist says. "Allow me to show you to the room."

Why is he playing maid? I'm clearly pregnant, so they can't be trying to get me in bed with him, and my wives have little need of outside help with the deed. Honestly, I need the non-pregnant women to remain not pregnant. Maybe they just know I got along with the men a bit better than women.

The group I brought isn't too big. Syro, Ioelena, Mommy, Akhae, Geta, Victoria, Elyne, Nanoka, Eterna, and Elora. Then some maids as well. I don't know if I'm meant to count them or not. I think Shyla is going to go into labor again soon, so I just had her put the outfits together for Kou to hold onto. She promised to start working on clothing that will hopefully fit a woman who has an issue with kids often growing fast in her womb, to replace the robes I keep with me. Aurora is just the head of the nursery at this point, so no need to think about taking her along.

Orist leads us to a large room that is at least decorated like the drawing rooms Elora had at the manor: a refreshment bar, couches, chairs, and a small table. Good enough to rest for a bit.

"We'll be outside making sure everything is set up for the pixies," Orist says. "Sorry, we aren't able to directly entertain you. But if you would like a wife to work with you, just ask a maid, and we can spare one to help you all out, or I can come by. We'll be better hosts for dinner, I promise."

"Oh, don't worry," I say. "I'm sure the short notice has the family busy. Don't worry about it. I don't plan to be unreasonable about things. Thank you for the care you are taking for the talks."

"That is good to hear, your Royal Highness," Orist says, giving me a bow and leaving.

Eterna drags me to a couch and forces me to sit in her lap. Mommy is taking a seat next to me while chuckling.

"Are you feeling better?" Mommy asks.

"Yes, I just needed some rest, it seems," I say. "That or Hearth did something. I didn't pray to her, and she didn't force me to her realm, so I don't know what she could've done, but I would be surprised if she didn't have at least something to do with the good night's rest with all the activity in my womb. The kids are proving they're growing now."

"I can feel it," Eterna hums. "When will I feel mine?"

"Sooner than you think," I say.

"Well, girls," Nanoka says. "We can have a pregnancy discussion if we want, or we can skip to the lunch talk. I really wouldn't mind the pregnancy talk. I'm just thinking about the importance of these talks for Alzi. I know the pixies will be easier than the fairies, but it is her first true negotiations as a Queen. I would like them to go smoothly for her. Elora will join the table along with Ioelena. I'll be standing behind her with Eterna and Geta. I think Armirynth shouldn't be there. Too likely a target for tricks. Tomorrow, she should be; the fairies like families more. Ioelena?"

"Yes, that sounds right, Kou can be there as well to support Alzi," Ioelena says. "We need a bag of dust from both parties. They give pinches of the stuff easily, but a bag is a lot harder. We've tried to collect a bag by saving the pinches of dust before, but the pixies steal it, both fairy and pixie dust, before we can get that amount, and the fallout last for a few years. They don't like it when people have that much dust at a time. Pixies are easier to get a bag from. As long as we don't get mad at their tricks during the meeting, we should be fine. Alzi, promising some personal expeditions through the forest or even a promise to heal some of the pixies would be good. Mother told me that they had a number of injured from the war. That will be the main offer. Should be simple. As for the actual ceremony. Understand that it will not go smoothly. The odds of someone tripping while walking to the table are high. The odds that one of the chairs breaks is high. The odds that something else goes wrong is, well, high. Pick the people up with a small chuckle and keep going. We don't get to be mad, unfortunately."

"But, most of us are pregnant."

"Yes," Ioelena says. "Don't worry. I'm used to falling over. Elora?"

"I've been taught how to handle the pixies," Elora says. "I will be fine."

"Can't I just burn them?" Eterna says.

"They're magical beings just like you."

"But they're so small and need the forest."

"We aren't threatening them with death or destroying the forest," I say. "I'm sure they provide benefits to the Queendom, or we wouldn't be dealing with them so much. Be nice, but you can make them know you're powerful."

"Fine."