*** Alzi ***

"Alright, stop your ass right there," Victoria says.

"What?" I ask. Victoria immediately scoops me up in her arms and starts marching off before I can take another step. "Stop! I have more to..."

"Fucking hell, Alzi," Victoria says. "You're about to fucking fall over. I don't know what the fuck the point of this is, but you can finish this shit tomorrow. Right now you're getting a fucking bath and dinner. Don't fucking think about anything else. Your beautiful ass is done for the day."

"But I was close," I say, trying to ignore the wonderful muscles holding me.

"No, you fucking weren't," Victoria says. "You have fucking hours of that shit left. You're pushing yourself too fucking hard, and it's hurting me right fucking now. I want to fucking sleep, so you have to fucking sleep now."

"I have to agree with the sentiment, even if I dislike the language, My Queen," Kou says.

"You probably put her up to this," I say.

"No, we just reached the same conclusion, My Queen," Kou says. "Besides, this body hasn't seen Mai in a while. You have Azula to deal with. If you wish to work."

"I don't want to work," I say. "I want to finish this ritual."

"Tomorrow then, My Queen. Besides, you still need the women. I don't know if the family is in the capital still, so they may have to travel for a few days. No need to hurt yourself just to end up waiting."

"Fine," I say. "I can spend some time with Fluvis and Mai. I have Ilka and Akhae to handle as well."

"I'll set it up, My Queen," Kou says. "Victoria, if you could join us?"

"I'm fucking happy to sit in the carriage," Victoria says. "But, I'm not trying to get a fucking pregnant woman through that damn door in my arms."

"I can walk still," I sigh. Victoria better understand I'm resting in her arms on the trip back. She should've thought twice about picking me up if she wanted some space on the ride back.

...

Azula's eyes are showing her heritage now. "That's a cold fucking look to give your wife," I say.

"I'm a slave," Azula says.

"Yes, what did you expect? Your wives are stuffed up good with kids in payment for keeping the portal open. What do you want from me?" I ask. Not that I got them pregnant as payment, but for mana. But it sounds better this way.

"I was in your fucking ritual! Just let me lose the collar. Please!" Azula begs. "Please."

"I have a few things I'm working on right now. You'll have to handle it for a few more days. I don't forgive that easy."

"Yuki doesn't have a collar on," Azula huffs.

"She has Nakuma with her instead. Unless you wish for someone to follow you around and abuse you?" I ask.

"Fuck no," Azula says.

"Sounds like things are fair then," I say, so much for no more work. "Please, let's take our seats. I keep getting told to rest."

"Yes, wife," Azula says.

This should've been a smaller dinner. I just didn't think to ask for it. Tomorrow. Something private and small. I can have one of my extra bodies handle a full dinner. They have a bit more energy to deal with all this. It is kind of funny how Azula only asks this body to be freed. I guess I don't know if my other bodies are able to free her.

"Welcome again, everyone," I say. "I've got yet another body for my kids. I'm getting tired fast again, so I'll probably be having smaller dinners so I can relax more. I'll try to have a second body at the family dinner. I'll see what works."

"Do what you need," Elyne says.

I wonder who dragged her out here. She was hiding from me before. Hopefully, Vanya and Inanos haven't been putting terrible thoughts in her head about pregnancy. I'll be there to support her, and the only one bigger than her in the marriage is Eterna. Well, Yzzorres is bigger too. But they aren't even in their true form.

She's probably just hoping for a single kid in each womb. I'll have to think about it.

...

Mommy, Mai, Akhae, Ilka, and Eterna are all in my bed. They are so cute!

"Something tells me we're all walking away pregnant," Mai says. "Come here, dear. You're the tired one. Let us pamper you a bit before bed."

"I have no plans to get any of you pregnant," I say.

"Just get that massive belly over here," Mommy says. "What happens happens."

Of course, a knock comes from the door. Kou looks to me to see what she should do.

Who would be at my door right now?

"Let them in," I say.

"Enter," Kou says.

"Hi," Ioelena says.

Oh, I did say they should come over. Kind of? Am I really forgetting that already? But where's... Oh. Ok, Vanya is looking kind of big. I did give her a rough number for her first pregnancy.

She is kind of pretty, but those eyes. She does not like me right now.

I move forward, having to work around our bellies, and give Vanya a deep kiss. "Sorry," I say. "This is a rough first time. Come on in."

"Thanks," Vanya says.

Mommy's already got a spot open for us on the bed. I direct Vanya over to it, Ioelena following behind. My Shadow's basically stuck to my kids right now. I'll probably need to change that soon. She is basically naked. She shouldn't be around the kids so much when they start getting older.

"Come on, dear," Mommy says. "Relax with us. Your kids are going to be so cute."

"Thank you," Vanya says. "There'll be a lot of them."

"Haha, yes, we get them in batches in this family," Mommy says. "How are you holding up?"

"Scared. I can handle the physical parts," Vanya says. "But it isn't all physical."

"Well, you're in good company now," Mommy says. "We all know the scares of our first kids and the terrors pregnancy does to the body and mind. Alzi knows plenty about having many kids at once. You'll be fine. Sorry, I haven't gotten to talk with you much. But you'll be a wonderful mother. I know that. You're a kind and understanding woman. Just relax and let your wives handle you tonight. You can feel the kids settling down, right?"

"Yes."

"Good, Ioelena, come on up here. No need to be a stranger," Mommy says.

Mai wraps around my belly, her long tail curling around my own. I think she's even purring.

Do my wives feel a difference between my bodies? I can ask Mai tomorrow.

"Thank you for accepting us," Ioelena says.

"You're my wife now," I say. "Azula and her wives are the only group I really hate right now. Yuki is a bit special as well. The rest... Elora's paid for her stupidity, and the rest of you have as well. You're mine now. It's the least I can do."

"Sorry about that," Vanya says. "We kind of asked, but we shouldn't have done more before we bought you and ran off."

"It worked out for us," I say. "Now, let's talk about happy things. Like the fact that I won't get you pregnant for a while after this."

"Thank you," Vanya says. "I'll need a break to handle all the kids growing up."

"That is the problem for us all," I say. "We'll at least be able to tell the rest of the world if there is a right way to raise your kids with how many chances we'll be getting."

"People won't believe us no matter what we find," Ilka says.

"Not that we'll find the right way to raise kids," Akhae says. "Kids are too different from each other."

"We'll do fine," I say. "Mommy is great at raising kids. I trust you all to do well, too. I just worry about Azula and her wives, really. Maybe Elora. I still don't think she knows what love is or how to show it to others. Then Yumanea, when I marry her. I have so many wives."

"It really ballooned after you got the divorce, funny enough," Ioelena says.

"Yes, it did," I say.

"You're all talking too much," Mai says. "This is pampering time, people. We aren't supposed to be gossiping."

"We aren't gossiping," I say. "But we..."

"Shhh. Just close your eyes and relax," Mai says.

Says the kitty that is just sleeping around my belly. She is warm, and Eterna is also here. Those two are going to be a dangerous pair in a bed. And they are both in my bed.

Kou is going to be laughing at me tomorrow morning.

"Much better," Mai purrs. "The pregnant woman needs some rest. You three are working too hard while this pregnant."

"I did a ritual so I could work during the pregnancy," I say.

"Well, you still got tired, so I'm going to include you," Mai says. "Just accept our warmth."

I don't know who set the code word, but they all pounce after Mai finishes her sentence. Vanya and I get smothered in their warmth. Kisses raining down all over our bodies.

Ok, I may have lied when I said I had no plans to get any of them pregnant. I kind of thought about mating Ilka and Akhae tonight. They've been such a help, and they deserve it, but I'll take getting smothered in my lover's warmth. I'll have to add Inanos tomorrow. And I'll need to figure out how to handle Elyne after the ritual. She's going to need so much love and support.

Especially if I want her to let me get both her wombs pregnant again. Which I kind of want to do. She's going to look so pretty with her womb growing my kids. I'll figure it out, even if I have to leave an extra body with her all day to ease her pain.

"I love you all," I manage to say through the torrent of lips. I get back whispers of the same words, and let my mind drift off to sleep.

I hear the door open a bit, and then some rustles of feathers as Syro joins the pile.

This marriage is working out better than I thought. I just wish it could've started ten years ago with me still loving Yuki. But I have it now.

...

"Sorry to bring you up," Malralloz says.

She brought me up to the same forest again, next to where she's made her own version of the ritual. Hopefully, nothing has changed.

"Something wrong?" I ask.

"No, just wanted to say you can start whenever you're ready," Malralloz says. "I'm ready for it. I've sharpened my blade, and my body is ready. Thank you for working quickly. I know it's hard on you."

"This means a lot for both of us," I say. "But some Goddesses know about it. I don't think any will try to stop it."

"Kitsune?"

"Maybe," I say. "It could be my patrons. I don't know how much they can spy on me."

"I don't have their realms to know how deep they can get into your mind," Malralloz says. "But I'm guessing it was Kitsune spying on you. You have something going on with her. She won't interfere. She likes to hide too much to make a play. If you trust the others, then I will. Just don't expect me to stick around if they come. If they interrupt, they will be in charge of keeping you safe. I can't risk being surrounded by them."

"They'll protect me," I say. I hope. Can I really put that trust in them?

"Good, then whenever you're ready, start your end," Malralloz says. "Good luck."

"Thank you for this."

"We both profit."

...

"My Queen," Kou says. "It's morning. Would you like to rest for a bit longer or finish carving the runes? The Chavarelli family has reported back, and they're still in the capital and smartly agreed to honor the deal they made. They're ready whenever you are."

"Then let's finish it today," I say. "Maybe even get the ritual done completely tonight. The sooner the better."