"It appears that my son has been targeted by the Order," Mera sighed as she walked towards her two Daughters-in-Law.
"He did," Celine nodded, "Two pregnancies in such a short amount of time is a feat they could not pretend they did not notice."
"Does he know what it entails?" Mera asked.
"He will refuse if he knows," Miyanna shook her head.
"Of course he would," Mera smiled, taking a seat at the edge of the bed where Celine and Miyanna were lying, "He has eyes for the two of you, not random women from outside the Empire. He is my son after all."
"We know," Celine replied, a warm smile painting her lips as well.
With a sigh, Mera continued, "But that is also why he must not find out, for he will surely get attached to whatever woman carries his child, even if he tries not to."
"But isn't it possible he will still find out?" Miyanna asked.
"He will not remember if we ask the Order," Celine replied, "They have ways to ensure that."
"A potion," Mera added, "An aphrodisiac so strong it wipes away all that makes a man human, leaving only pure instinct behind."
"That sounds… harsh," Miyanna muttered.
"More than you think," Mera nodded, "No empathy, no morals, only lust, lust that will take a few days to wear off before he comes back to himself."
"Days?" Miyanna's eyes jumped wide open.
"He will have no need for food, only water to replenish… lost liquids," Mera concluded, "Which is why the Sanguinarch Order will send enough Daughters to match your choice."
"Meaning if Blanc knows, they will send enough Daughters to complete their mission, but if we do not tell him, they will send more in order to take advantage of the aphrodisiac," Celine assumed.
"Correct, Celine dear," Mera giggled. "Which is exactly why I must ask you again, despite what I said earlier. Are you certain?"
"Less and less," Miyanna sighed.
"That's to be expected," Mera said as she approached them. "Having the Order on our side through such times would be a great advantage, but it's not a necessity. We'll find a way, even without them. So think carefully. But if you do choose to go through with it, consider both options fully, and not regret them."
"But as you said, Mother-in-Law, it's dangerous for him to know," Celine began. "So, in truth, the real choice is between forbidding it entirely… or allowing it, with the condition that he won't remember it afterward."
"Such are the ways with the Sanguinarch Order, I'm afraid," Mera muttered, looking out the window, "After all, Auren and I had to make in the past the same choice you do now."
"What did you choose?" Miyanna wondered.
"We couldn't do it," Mera shook her head, "It was preposterous to receive such requests from the Order in times of peace, but in truth, we were just too jealous of the idea of having Elion make children left and right with Vita knows who from the Order. But perhaps, if our choice had been different back then, maybe our situation would have been different now as well."
"That…" Miyanna whispered, lost in thought.
"That is overreaching, Mother-in-Law," Celine argued, "So many things have led to everything that is happening today, that pinpointing it to a single cause is more foolish than reasonable."
"Maybe so," Mera replied, "However, when all you had is now ruined, you start to wonder what went wrong."
"Nothing would have happened if the High Monarch did not-"
"Not worth saying it, Celine dear," Mera interrupted her, "All you need to know is that, no matter what you choose, at the end of the day, this is the type of choice you will regret no matter what. Luckily for you, as it was to us, Blanc is as a good husband as Elion was to us; in that matter, they truly are father and son. So do not fear whatever choice you make, for Blanc, even unknowingly, will wipe away that regret of yours."
"How?" Miyanna muttered, "I hate both ideas equally. How can he change that?"
"By being who he was, and always will be, regardless of your choice, your husband." Mera replied, "If you refuse to allow it, he will not know and will love you the same. If you allow it, he will not remember and will still love you the same. In his mind, he will only know what he sees, nothing more, nothing less, and when you two are the only thing he sees, do you think you will be able to feel guilt? When his smile takes away your reasoning, when his laughter and random banter steal your hearts, do you think regret will be on your mind? Daughters… I've been a wife longer than you two have been alive, and let me tell you this, no sugar compares to the sweetness of love."
And with that, Mera was gone just as quietly as she came, out the door and out of sight, leaving the two back with their thoughts.
In a way, the conversation they had with Mera confused them even more, as it painted the choice they had to make in a color they most likely refused to see before.
However, that too came with its blessings, as once the fog left by Mera in their minds vanished, so did all doubt, making the conversation that followed shortly after almost feel like a relief to the two.
There was no more room for overthinking, as the choice had been made, promising themselves that regardless of whether the choice was the right one or not, the two would not regret it.
What truly gave them comfort, however, was that, just as Mera said, Blanc would not know any of this. That and the possible gains that might arise from this.
Gains that they planned to use in such ways that not even the Order will expect, before it is too late.
For the Order thought they chose Blanc as their target, without realizing who watched from his shadows.