I shooed away the crowd from him. He needed to rest... with me.
"Alright, alright... the show is over for now. You may all come back tomorrow." I stepped beside him and took his arm. "He is still tired... right??"
"...R-right."
I took him by the arm and led him away from the adoring crowds, who were touching him all over. Damn snakes. I can't take my eyes off him for one second, can I?
I walked him toward our group and handed him to our daughter. "Ilianna, take your father home. Don't let others near him."
She grabbed his hand from me and pulled him with a little difficulty. Zephyr shot me looks, but I wouldn't hear it. Go rest and let me plan our future in peace.
I went ahead and talked to some of Zephyr's students. They were an enthusiastic lot even before his display, and needless to say, they were more than happy to start chopping wood for our house immediately.
They kept calling me Lady Astoria... by Ehlite, it felt good. I can't wait to make it official once he asks me. Soon, they ran off to gather others. I went back to Eli and Demelza, who were waiting for me.
"Well done... Lady Astoria." Demelza shoved me a little with a nice smile.
"Stop it... even if he asks me, we can't get married until winter."
"You say that, but your smile really gives away how you actually feel." She poked my face playfully.
True. I cursed that silly tradition. I wished we could marry tomorrow. Four months seemed like a very far away time now... a lot can and will happen in the meantime.
We started to walk home, and I asked Demelza for her house keys, which she gave after a few short bursts of giggles. My sister looked at me with a shocked and embarrassed red face, but smiled happily for me in the end. I guess, for her, it must have looked like an imposter had taken over her introverted big sister.
Inside our house, I saw Zephyr soothing our daughter by patting her back gently. She had fallen asleep. She must have still been tired. I went over and checked on her peaceful expression and removed her messy black hair from her mouth. I would have offered to take her, but Zephyr looked so peaceful holding her. I stole a quick kiss and went to help my mother with work.
Occasionally, I saw men bringing chopped long wood and placing them neatly next to the field. I guess Alexander was right. With help, it will be done soon.
After Ilianna woke up, Zephyr took her and Arnold down the river to play. Lucian and Liz's husband, Norman—who was kept home by Liz for the same reason Lucian was—and their baby went with them. I was glad Liz and I became closer recently. I guess me changing with a relationship and a daughter really did close the distance I created for years.
"My Norman can't stop talking about what happened yesterday. I must have heard the story like 30 times since last night." Liz was putting some clean sheets into a basket and bumped me with her hips. "He believes Zephyr one day will rule these lands."
My Zephyr had no interest in such a thing. How absurd.
I just went on gathering our clothes from the line and heard more absurdity.
"He's not alone, your husband, Liz. My Alex also believes it, and from what I can tell, Lucian too."
"He sure does... he kept me up all night with his damn dreams," Eli reaffirmed her word while picking through a flower basket. "I had to push him out of the house, it was almost dawn."
Okay, so it might not be a single man's stupidity.
I swore I would take care of them soon enough. They were planning dangerous things without even asking him? And more importantly, without asking me? That was a big no-no.
I didn't stop with the folding. "It doesn't matter... at the end, Zephyr decides what he will do."
"He would never do anything without your say-so..." I heard Demelza's voice. "It's pretty clear you have him in the palm of your hand."
I enjoyed those words. She was right. We would decide what happens next. It made me feel better about the unknown future.
In the early afternoon, after feeding him and my daughter with... others' cooking, Alexander and the others returned. They made record timing.
"Emet's body is gone, brother." He emptied his glass. "Not even a bloodstain remains."
He explained and looked grateful as Demelza put some food in front of him.
"We were practically flying up that mountain. One good thing..." He pointed outside, hearing the sounds. "We brought back the animals. They mostly stayed inside the pen."
Oh, we were getting Helin back. She was our cow for years.
"What do you think, Zephyr?" Norman asked him about his thoughts.
"Oh... I don't care, to be honest. Is there a chance it survived?" He checked with the men who were there. "I was out, so I didn't see."
"Trust me, little brother... he is dead. Crushed in a nightmarish way," Alex stopped eating as he remembered. "I don't believe anything in this world survived a fall like that."
Zephyr went back to eating. "Alright then... sounds like, whatever happened, at the very least, he won't return and attack our people. I'm glad it's the end."
See? He wasn't intrigued or interested even. He put his family first, always.
"Problem is, son... word will soon spread. It can't be helped. We have a village as near as 5 miles..." Granny interjected. "Maybe some already know."
"What does that mean, Granny?"
"It means, sweetheart..." she turned to me with a long sigh. "That those who still live in fear are finally seeing a light. There's a Blessed among them. There will be people asking for his help. It's inevitable." She looked outside the window off to the distance. "Divine beasts don't live very near each other, but I believe at least one village will request his help soon enough."
It had already started. I felt the fear I had pushed to the back of my mind creeping forward.
Zephyr grabbed my hands. "Don't worry, my beloved. I'm not running off for some monster hunt." He lifted and kissed them both.
"Zephyr... look me in the eyes and tell me." I squeezed his hand and asked seriously. "Will you turn away all those begging you to save their sons and husbands, their fathers or brothers?"
He couldn't. His silence was all the confirmation needed. How could he? If I asked him not to go... I couldn't. I didn't want him or myself to live with that kind of guilt.
"Don't look so depressed... it might happen, it might not. For now, let's just enjoy the peace you earned us, son." She smiled proudly and even got teary-eyed. "Generations of men now rest in peace, knowing their descendants will not have to live in some monster's shadow. Not to mention, all those children today, including your daughter, will have a better life."
Despite all my worries, I felt great pride. I slipped into his lap and enjoyed his arm around my waist.
"She's right. Let's celebrate tonight," I snuggled in comfortably. "What do you think?"
He played with my hair. I could tell he was thinking something deeply.
He grabbed me, not so gently, and kissed me. I felt something poking me and smiled into his mouth. He wanted me. Maybe as much as I wanted him.
"Let's celebrate something else as well..."
"What, my love?"
He looked at me with such love I could practically drown in it.
"Lylly Wold... will you marry me?"