"They do not speak your tongue," Velakia laughed, "Forgive them for the lack of proper conversation they could have with you, as their job was to protect me."
"You speak our language well, Your Highness," Celine pointed out, "Was it in preparation for your visit?"
"It was, it took me three months to have basic conversations, which I refined once I got here," Velakia explained before turning to the last of her protectors, the man. "This one is Lendros, the protector our Queen appointed."
"Mismerhalu," the man placed a hand on his heart as he spoke.
"If I were to translate how we use it in our homeland, both said 'it is a pleasure to be in your company' or something along those lines," Velakia said, "Although we use it as more of a formal greeting."
"But they said it differently," Miyanna noticed, "Why is that?"
"It's because in a more formal greeting, we first greet the opposite sex," she replied before turning to her protectors, "Lutati asfe, meor mismer."
At that, the man and woman nodded and greeted Blanc, Celine, and Miyanna in unison, "Mismer."
"I assume that's the normal greeting?" Blanc asked, looking at the two.
"It is," Velakia nodded.
"It's fascinating, I could listen to them speak for hours," Lucien chuckled, "I hope you will get along for the duration of their stay here."
"Of course, Lucien," Blanc assured him.
With another nod towards Velakia and her two protectors, Tahreni and Lendros, the married couple turned on their heels and went back towards the rest of Blood Denegis, who were talking with Celine's sisters.
In the distance, on the other side of the room, Blanc could see Kael and Bezel Domini having a back-and-forth conversation.
From the looks of it, it seemed to be going fine, so as they approached their seats, he pushed the worry for Kael aside.
"Sister Celine," said Charlotte, her eyes full of joy at being able to finally speak with her older sister, "How are you tonight?"
"Charlotte, Louise," Celine grinned, hugging the two of them, "I am well. Done with all the greetings, how about you?"
"Good evening, Louiseanne, Charlotte," Blanc nodded.
Louiseanne sighed, hearing him. "Please call me Louise, Brother-in-Law, I fear someone might lose their tongue if they say my name more than thrice per day."
Blanc could not help but laugh at the suddenness of Louise's words.
"Quite talkative after a month of barely speaking with him, aren't you?" Celine giggled, tickling her small sister.
"He is our first real brother; we are trying our best," Charlotte muttered, jealous, perhaps, for not being tickled as well.
"You found your voice right when I was about to leave," Blanc sighed, shaking his head.
"Are you leaving?" Charlotte's eyes were wide open.
"I am leaving for the mountains to look for my long-lost pet dragon, you see…" Blanc continued, sighing once more.
"No…" Louise muttered, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Blanc," Mera spoke, her voice sharp and clearly threatening as a shiver ran down Blanc's spine.
"I am jesting, Louise, Charlotte," Blanc grinned, wiping away sweat, "I am not leaving anywhere yet."
"And I almost believed you had a pet dragon," Lune clicked her tongue.
"I'm sorry to disappoint, Little Flower," Blanc replied, patting her hair, "But if I had a dragon, I would eat it to get stronger before it ate me in order for it to grow stronger."
"You can eat dragons?" Lune's eyes sparkled with joy at the idea of eating one. "I've read once that Blood Seraph's Domain has dragons. Do you think Sister Sera has eaten some by now? Will she send us some to try as well?"
It was at that moment that Blanc remembered that Kael and Lune were not yet aware of the betrayal by Blood Seraph, and what that made their sister.
So he made sure that at least for a bit longer, he would keep them in the dark for a bit longer as his mothers or wives seemed not to be in a rush to tell them either.
"I'm sure she did, Little Flower," Blanc smiled warmly, "I will write her a letter to send us some dragon meat as well, because I'm sure she is worried about us and would send us some happily."
"Really?" Lune asked, picking at her nose, "Even as mean as she was?"
"Even as mean as she was," Blanc nodded, slapping her hand away.
Half an hour or so later, Kael and Bezel Domini approached them, carrying the chairs.
"How did it go?" Auren asked nervously.
"We got to talking and forgot about the trials," Bezel chuckled, scratching at his bald head, "We decided to leave that for tomorrow."
"It was so fun," Kael said out loud, "It feels like I am dreaming, and I'm still not certain if that's the case or not."
"I assure you, Kael," Auren replied, wearing a prideful smile that only a mother could wear as she grabbed his chin for Kael to properly look into her eyes, "You are wide awake."
"We thank you, Lord Bezel, for the opportunity you granted to our son," Mera said, shaking Bezel Domini's hand lightly.
"No opportunity has been given, Lady Denegis," he replied, shaking his head, "The Vita placed each other here, perhaps, for this exact reason. I am old, but I am not blind, not to be able to see it."
"In that case, we have to thank your Lordship's eyes," Blanc chuckled, shaking the old man's hand, "For they see more than any of us could."
Bezel Domini smiled, "You remind me of someone, Lord Blanc. Your achievements so far have been extraordinary, planning the defeat of the Iron Line's vanguard, coming out victorious against many Morois, surviving… no, thriving in the wilderness for months, then, when emerging from hiding, easily defeating a traitorous Noble Blood. If this is not worth a page in the history books, I fail to muster what is."
"If all that is worth a page in the history books, please make sure to mention who else was there besides me," Blanc bowed, "For never was I alone when achieving those things."
Bezel smirked, placing his weathered hand on Blanc's shoulder.
"I know. Just don't forget it even when life tries to convince you you're alone."
With that, Bezel Domini gently patted Kael's hair before turning to bid his hosts a good night.
After a few quiet words with Kael, Blanc, Miyanna, and Celine also offered their farewells and left the Dining Hall, returning to their rooms in silence and lost in their thoughts.
Once back in their room, Blanc slumped on the edge of the bed, letting his back get swallowed by the comfort of the mattress.
"I am utterly exhausted," he sighed.
"Well, my love, at least the Vita gave you exactly what you wished for," Celine giggled, "To be present on the board."
"That is true," Blanc thought out loud, "Even if there are more pieces than I expected there to be."
"You mean that princess?" Miyanna asked while removing her shoes.
"Mhm," Blanc nodded, "I have a bad feeling about them."
"I do not like them either, surprisingly, even though that princess does fit my standards," Celine replied, "She seems to me like she is panicked, or at least not truthful."
Blanc chuckled, exhaustion in his throat as he heard his wife first mention her physical attraction to a woman before even speaking of her worries.
"What can you expect from people caught in a war?" Miyanna wondered, "Who knows why they came to the Empire in the first place?"
"What sits wrong with me," Blanc added, "Is how few people are defending her, although they do not seem that strong."
"There are too many off-putting things that surface the longer you think about it. Not worth spending our evening like that," Celine waved off the conversation.
"What do you suggest then, my love?" Blanc asked, sitting up.
"A bath, a hot one at that," Celine replied, starting to remove some of her clothing, "Then we can talk about what you mentioned earlier in the day."
"I am down to both," Miyanna nodded, turning slightly to face Blanc, "Even though I am more curious about that second one."
"Then let's not delay your curiosity for too long, dear wives," Blanc jumped to his feet, vigor returning to him all of a sudden, "Before you change your beautiful minds."
After a bath together, and even a longer night together as they… tried different yet pleasant things with their bodies, while still adhering to the warning given to them by the doctors, Celine and Miyanna finally fell asleep in Blanc's arms.
As their breathing steadied, Blanc opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling before, while doing slow and calculated moves, he moved Celine and Miyanna off him without them even noticing, as he got up from the bed.
Quickly getting dressed in light, comfortable clothing, he left the room, closing the door slowly behind him, ensuring that no sound would disturb his wives' sleep.
As a quiet clank told him he succeeded, he turned on his heel, planning to head towards Lucien's room, to have the conversation his Father-in-Law requested during the Concord.
However, when taking a sharp corner down towards the stairs that took him towards the inner mansion, he managed to hit shoulder to shoulder with a person hiding from him.
"Sophie?" Blanc asked, seeing who he had almost headbutted.
"Good evening, Brother-in-Law," Sophie grinned, her sharp yellow eyes digging into his soul.