"What fight? You and Zephyr? Impossible... I never seen a more nauseating couple."
"You wanna say that after telling me how you used to know where and when Alexa—"
"Lylly!!... Those are private conversations." She put her hand up and tried to cover my mouth. "Shushhh."
Most nauseating couple, says the stalker.
I sighed and rubbed my temples. I was still angry... also why the hell hadn't he followed already and apologized? Ugh... Zephyr...
"Yes, we did fight... well, I did. So it started out okay..."
I told them what happened from start to finish at the meeting with Metill and his children, occasionally answering questions they had.
"...I agree with you, Lylly. But..." Demelza stopped me to interrupt.
How can you possibly agree with someone and follow it up immediately with a 'but'?
"What happens... if the monster Tori won't be fed anymore? It's not that far from here," she said, pointing out the window. "We could end up being attacked anyway, and soon, if what they said is true."
I heard what Demelza had to say, and there was some truth in it. Did this occur to Zephyr as well? No... I was still mad.
"Dem, just like Granny told us, we don't know enough of these damned creatures to make any assumptions. Tori might just find a new home far away..." I stood up and walked back and forth. "Or maybe die, I don't know. That's my point!!"
"Calm down, sweetheart... I understand your fears and your reasoning. But, I also believe your Zephyr would never go for an unwinnable fight," my mother caught me and guided me back onto my chair. "He's not that battle hungry... it's true as you said, he enjoys fighting. But he never chooses fighting over you or his daughter. It's ridiculous to even think that."
Her words lessened my anger even more. I knew it in my heart. What she said were facts. I almost felt bad... almost.
Ugh, they had good points, but I was still pissed. I decided to go and talk to Zephyr. He probably went back to our house. Most likely, to tell the guys there about tomorrow.
Demelza decided to join me with little Arnold.
By the time we arrived, our home had changed again. It amazed me how fast a house can be built if helped by two dozen willing men. With some of the bystanders and other family members, as always, it was a bloody crowd around him.
He noticed me from afar and smiled ear to ear... the idiot was amused by my anger!
I walked closer and heard him talking to Alexander and Lucian.
"It's going to be hard work... but we have more than a dozen horses. Let's use them all... also." He turned to Lucian. "Find Vistellia. She probably knows about the specifics, like exact numbers and other surprises that might wait for us. Choose those willing but also skilled."
Soon, he left the two and walked over to me. He was all sweaty and... tempting. Come on, Lylly... let's pull ourselves together.
"Are you... still very angry, huh?" He slowed into a crawl and asked with a charming smile.
"...Depends. Are you still going to fight?"
He closed the distance and pulled me close. I could see small beads of sweat trailing down into his shirt...
"I'm not going to fight only if... Lylly? Pay attention!" He poked my forehead with two fingers.
He broke my imagination with it and stopped following those salty water droplets.
"Yes... go o-on."
"My love, I'm not gonna fight. As you said, IF she attacks and forces us, then I can go nuts, right?" His smirk made him look very calculating.
"Lose the smirk, stupid... but yeah, that's the deal." I locked my arms around his neck and leaned closer. "How are you gonna make it up to me?"
"I'll start as soon as we find a bed..."
We left the worksite and tomorrow's refugee problems.
I graciously let him make it up to me. He asked for something he called roleplaying... and I found the thing we were going to do for the decades to come.
We melted together for hours, and I explored every inch of his body and let him do whatever he wanted with mine. Our first fight was sweaty, exciting, and deliciously salty.
——
Later, after our very first successful makeup sex, I joined the girls who were almost done with dinner. What welcomed me?
"I hope your house will be done soon..."
I looked at Demelza and felt a little guilty. She offered her house to us once, and since then, we sort of let ourselves in... Aside from the broken furniture and... cleaning. We also owed them a bed. And most of her underwear... Zephyr liked to tear things off from me. My future wardrobe would suffer the sweetest death by my husband's hands.
"I do feel bad..." I looked sincerely.
Well...
Demelza narrowed her eyes. "...You don't look like someone who feels bad. Ughh, forget it... but your second child will soon be on their way well before the wedding, like that."
I didn't answer, but I was kind of hopeful. I loved Ilianna, she was my daughter, even though she hadn't called me Mom yet. I can't expect her to just forget her own mother. With Zephyr, it was easy since she never knew her father. Anyway... I couldn't wait to see our own genes at work. I prayed to Ehlite that they didn't inherit my hair.
My silence aroused their interest.
"Sis, you sure don't waste any time, huh?" Eleanor was there to pull me out of my fantasies. "Can't you wait until the wedding? It's only a few months away."
"Eli, stop! I'm not thinking anything... besides, it's not something... I can just control, you know." I wiped my mind clean and poured myself something to drink.
"Riiiight...."
I didn't lie... I couldn't control myself. And Zephyr, he didn't need any, hehe...
I saw them giving me strange looks and quickly put on a neutral face. "Stop staring... I'm happy with everything. By the way, the house looks decent, huh?"
"...What a natural way of changing subjects." My sister gave me a little eye roll. "Yes, it does look great. With Tori village arriving in a few days, a lot more homes need to be built. Our village is expanding..."
I guess I did feel somewhat excited about that prospect. Deep inside my mind, I already saw our village growing even further before the winter festival. More people will come seeking his help. Maybe more are on their way or will be soon. This sure moved fast... I needed to keep pace.
"My Alex is sure happy to hear more joining their little band of soldiers." Demelza could afford to look this happy now because of the incredible change in Alexander.
"Zephyr has to start a new class. I'm sure there will be plenty of interested new residents who will want to join."
Yeah... I need to keep my eyes open for snakes and the like. I remembered those two lemons, but I didn't even remember their names. The eyes they made were eyes I had already gotten used to. The single girls from the village had that look before Zephyr and I became closer, and some even after. That dreamy look, imagining themselves next to him.
"Is Granny still with the Tori people?"
"Unfortunately yes... turns out there is a lot involved with the journey... she came home for a bite when you were... away." My mother's suggestive looks remained the same for days now. "Anyway, we are having dinner with them inside the main hall in about an hour. Eli, go tell the boys to wash up and the children, then come home to change as well."
My mother sent Eli away and went back to peeling potatoes, like a lot of them. I joined her and Miranda, helping out.
"Mom, why have dinner with them?" I was hoping to go and eat down by the Sen with Zephyr and Anna.
"It's the polite thing to do," she didn't even bother to look up from the peeling. "Also, ask your grandmother, she's the one who set this whole thing up."
Granny was being too polite... but it really was Zephyr's fault.
How is he going to make it up to me, I wondered...