“These are our wives,” Myna went on. “Fiona was the first. Then there is Ida, Ryann, Andrea, Felora, and Aria.”
Mizuki gave each of them a small smile as she sized them up. “A pleasure to meet the family of my daughter. You each are uniquely different from each other, which is good.” Her eyes came to rest on Fiona. “Fiona? As in Silvershame?” She was obviously puzzled, as Fiona’s hand was clearly not mithril.
“That name doesn’t touch me anymore,” Fiona said slowly, “but yes, I was called that once. I’m proud to be Fiona MacDougal now.”
Mizuki’s eyebrows shot up. “The Queen has removed your Shame?”
“That’s a long story,” Sean said. “You’re family, so we’ll tell it to you. I’m sure there’s a lot you have to catch up on with Myna.”
“My daughter’s letter sang your praises,” Mizuki said, facing Sean. “When I arrived last night, you were at an inn. Now, I find her as one of several wives. I wonder if her letter was correct.”
“Mother,” the word was a growl, “if you insult my husband, you insult me.”
A small smile crossed Mizuki’s lips. “Will you defend that honor, child?”
“She’s carrying our child,” Sean said, touching Myna’s shoulder, “and I love her as I love all my wives.”
Myna’s posture went from angry to happy the moment Sean touched her, and Mizuki’s eyebrow went up. “I see. I worry for my daughter, MacDougal. She had the fortitude to speak against me when I implied you might not love her as much, so I shall relent.”
“No,” Myna said. “You will face him to settle the slight to his and our honor.”
Mizuki smiled softly again. “You know I have a hard time holding back when fighting, Myna. We shouldn’t hurt your—”
Myna laughed and her expression went feral. “You won’t. After he’s done beating you, he’ll make sure you’re uninjured, as well.”
Sean was surprised that things had gone like this, but he wouldn’t gainsay Myna in front of her mother. His wives looked amused, as they knew how the fight would go.
Mizuki, seeing their smiles and having been challenged so flatly by her daughter, drew herself up. “Very well. I shall do my best to not cripple him.”
“To the yard,” Myna said, taking Sean’s hand. “Ven, tell the staff to assemble. Even the cooks.”
“Right away,” Ven said.
Mizuki looked up with a frown. “A Messenger Fairy?”
“The primary of them,” Sean said.
Lips pursed, Mizuki followed Myna and Sean while the others trailed her.
Once in the yard, Mizuki gave the staff a long look, noting the absence of other men. Her lips twisted in distaste as she looked to Sean. “I see... I had reason to think as I did, it appears.”
Sean shrugged. “Not really. Fiona arranged all the staff.” He looked at the staff. “Ladies, this is Mizuki Mooncaller, Myna’s mother. She’s afraid that I don’t love Myna as much as my other wives, and some words were exchanged. We’re going to have a small duel to settle the honor.”
“You going to go easy on her?” Quinna asked with a laugh.
Mizuki’s nostrils flared as she stared at the Bovine Moonbound. “He should fight me with everything he has. His honor is on the line.”
Sean looked at Myna, who gave him a nod. “As my mother says, husband.”
Sean sighed and drew his sword. Mizuki’s eyes widened at the sight of the adamantine, but they went wider when wood suddenly covered the blade. “Myna, do you want to give her your sparring weapons?”
“Yes,” Myna said, having retrieved them. “Mother?” She presented the two wooden blades to Mizuki.
Taking them from her, Mizuki felt their balance, then nodded. “At least you still follow my fighting style.”
“She’s adapted it,” Sean said. “Rules?”
“First to yield,” Mizuki smirked. “Talents are allowed. I’m sure you know how pointless it is to fight me now.”
Sean just grinned. “All Talents?”
“Yes.”
“Okay,” Sean said. “Myna, are you going to officiate?”
“Yes. When I call for it, begin.” Myna stepped back and smiled broadly. “Fight!”
Mizuki vanished from view, but so did Sean. Mizuki inhaled slowly, surprised that he could do so. She hadn’t seen any Bond markings on her daughter, so she believed that he must have the Talent from another source. Her sharp hearing strained for any sound of him as she deftly and silently moved.
Sean had moved a little bit away, watching Mizuki with Mage Sight. He could end it instantly and decisively, but he thought letting her know that he was toying with her would drive the point home even better.
Mizuki was surprised that he was moving so quietly— she couldn’t pick out any sound from him, and noted that his Camo was so good that it never flickered. She started to question if he had Feline Moonbound blood to be so skilled with the Talent. When something struck her right calf, she just stopped herself from hissing. A wooden dagger sat on the ground for a second before it vanished.
“What was that?” Mizuki demanded, moving away from where she had spoken.
“Dagger,” Ryann laughed. “He threw it at you.”
The next dagger hit her right arm, numbing it enough that her blade dropped to the ground. Mizuki stepped quickly away, turning to face the women. She knew she was unseen, so no one should be able to hit her like she had been.
Swallowing, Mizuki tried to understand how anyone could see her. She knew Mage Sight could defeat her Talent, but not many had that. Before she could do more, she felt the point of Sean’s sword against the hollow of her neck and froze.
Sean came into view a foot from her, his sword resting against her neck. “I win.”
Mizuki appeared, her lips compressed. “Mage Sight and Camo? A deadly combination. But what of your fighting skills?”
Sean stepped back and shrugged. “If you want to continue pushing this, I’ll oblige you. I don’t like beating up my wife’s mother, but Myna is encouraging me.” He motioned to where Myna was standing and wearing a smirk.
Mizuki glanced toward Myna, then focused on Sean. She flexed her hand before picking up her training blade. “She must have a lot of faith in you.”
Laughter came from everyone watching and Mizuki frowned at them.
“Sorry, an inside joke,” Sean smiled. “Ready?”
Mizuki rushed him. Sean parried her attacks away, moving in a slow circle as he did. Compared to Helga, Mizuki was easy to predict and lead. Sean let the fight continue for a minute before he backed up.
“Ready now?”
Mizuki’s lips compressed and she shifted her stance. “You are mocking me.”
“No. I’m letting you see what you chose to do,” Sean said softly. “I’ll end this.”
He went for her, and Mizuki’s eyes widened as he blurred at her. Her blades wove a defensive barrier, but Sean was past her defense in seconds. Instead of striking her with his weapon, he caught her left arm and flipped her over his hip, taking the small sting of her right blade to do so. When she landed on her back in front of him, he twisted her arm and placed his sword on her neck.
“Done?”
Mizuki blinked up at him. “I am defeated.”
Sean let her arm go, sheathed his sword, and offered her a hand up. “There was no reason for that, Mom.”
Mizuki had been reaching to take his offered hand, but paused when he called her mom. With a small laugh, she let him pull her up. “Yes. I felt there was, but I was sadly very mistaken. My daughter has caught a tiger— if not a dragon— so it appears.”
“More,” Myna purred happily. “Now we will assuage your other misgivings. We’ll show you what all of us can do, including the staff, but I need your Agreement of silence.”
Mizuki gave Myna a long look, clearly thinking it over.
“You handle this, and I’ll go start breakfast,” Sean said.
“But—” Glorina started to object.
“Stay,” Sean said softly. “I haven’t cooked in what feels like ages, and I want to show that I have skills beyond fighting to my new mother.”
Mizuki was clearly surprised at Sean’s statement. “Intriguing. Okay, Daughter, showcase this family.”
As Sean walked away, it struck him that Myna was wearing a dress and hiding her tail. Is she ashamed of it with her mother here?
~*~*~
When he heard them come inside, he met the cooks at the door to the kitchen. “No. Go sit.”
Glorina hesitated, then bowed her head. “As you command, sir.”
Sean waited for them to go into the dining room before he went back to work. He was nearly done as it was, so he got things ready to transport. Once he had everything on the cart, he wheeled it out of the kitchen.
Entering the dining room, he saw Mizuki to the right of his normal spot. He started on the far end of the table setting out the food. “It’s a simple breakfast since I’m not a full cook like you three are,” Sean said, addressing the cooks. “Eggs, bacon, sausage, and bread, with jam and butter for the bread. There’s tea and juice to drink.”
“Thank you, sir,” Glorina said.
When Sean finished serving the table, he took his seat and served himself so the others could. “I hope you all enjoy my modest efforts.”
Mizuki served herself, giving Sean an appraising look when she was done. “You gave all of your wives and staff the access to so many Talents and the energy to use them?”
“Yes,” Sean said, then looked at Myna, who shifted uncomfortably. “Myna, if it’s a problem, you should just free it.”
Myna blushed and sighed. “Yes... Excuse me.” Standing up, she reached behind her and partially hiked up her dress, watching her mother as she did.
Mizuki frowned that her daughter was being immodest, and that frown turned to an expression of surprise when a tail came into view. Mouth hanging open, she stared at the appendage that she knew her daughter hadn’t been born with.
“Better?” Sean asked when Myna’s tail twitched, having been slotted into the hole designed for it in the dress.
“Yes and no,” Myna said.
“How?” Mizuki asked, staring.
“I gave it to her,” Sean said softly.
Mizuki’s eyes went wide, and she looked at Sean. “You gave it to her?”
“I can heal, but I can do more than that since I have a basic idea of how the body works. I can modify things, like Myna’s tail or Fiona’s skin.”
Eyes bulging, Mizuki looked at Fiona, then back to Myna’s tail, before finally returning to Sean. “But…!”
“Yeah, I can do that. Replaced an arm, too.”
“We should tell her the truth about leaving Oakwood,” Myna said as she took her seat again. “She’s already agreed to not share our secrets.”
“Go ahead,” Sean said as he began to eat.
“Garlic eggs?” Glorina asked as she sampled the food.
“And a touch of pepper,” Sean said. “Just hints of each. My friend used to make them this way. Add in the melted cheese and it’s my favorite type of scrambled egg.”
Glorina nodded as she chewed slowly, clearly thinking about the flavors.
“I told you we ran from the Feline Moonbound,” Myna said. “What I didn’t tell you was that I had died before that.”
Chapter Twelve
Sean was mildly amused— Mizuki had calmed down appreciatively after breakfast. Her whole demeanor shifted after hearing Myna’s story, and then even more when the others added in theirs. Sean had left them at the table and gone off to his workshop.
He was finishing up making his own set of mithril armor when the door opened and he found Myna and her mother coming in. “Be with you in a minute,” Sean said as the mithril flowed over him, molding to his body.
Myna just nodded but Mizuki froze in the doorway, looking shocked. “Mother, this way,” Myna said, reaching back to take her hand.
“What? Oh, yes.”
Sean chuckled as the armor stopped moving, leaving him fully armored. “There we go. This will be much easier to do with the rest of you. I’m going to need a lot more mithril, though. I’ll ask Fredrick tonight.”
“You’re done?” Myna asked.
“Let me just revert it,” Sean said.
Mizuki gasped as the armor flowed again, forming into pieces of jewelry. “What?!”
“It’s portable armor,” Sean said. “Came for her weapons?”
“Partially,” Myna grinned. “She wanted to see... What did you say…? ‘Some of these miracles,’ wasn’t it?”
Mizuki gave Myna a hard-parent look. “You’re being disrespectful again.”
“She’s being a cat,” Sean said. “I encourage her to be who she is, not what others think she should be.”
Mizuki blinked at him in shock. “But—!”
“I told you,” Myna chuckled. “He doesn’t care that I’m part-Moonbound. Not one bit.”
“Actually, I do. I love all of you, and that’s a type of caring,” Sean grinned.
Myna huffed. “Now who’s the brat?”
“Still you,” Sean laughed. “Her blades are on my desk.” He picked up Myna’s old swords and held them out to her. “Here.”
Myna took them and kissed his cheek. “Learning from me? Good.”
Sean laughed again as Myna took the swords to her mother. “Learn from a master so you don’t have to find another teacher.”
Mizuki was at a loss, not expecting the banter. “Swords?”
“My old blades, the ones you gave me,” Myna said. “I’m giving them back, but much improved.”
“But…” Mizuki said, looking at the two blades Myna was wearing. “What are those?”
“Master… shit,” Myna sighed. “Master made them for me.” Mizuki’s eyes narrowed at the word, then shot open wide when Myna pulled out her new weapons.
“I tried to stop her from calling me that,” Sean said, taking a seat on the edge of the desk. “She can out-stubborn a mule.”
“Mithril swords?” Mizuki asked, staring at them.
“This one gives me Mage Sight, and this one hides my energy so Mage Sight can’t see me,” Myna explained with a grin. “Master made them.”
Mizuki was clearly lost again.
“Those two will do the same thing,” Sean said, pointing to the weapons that Mizuki was holding. “You just have to push more energy into them to charge them again. They should last a few minutes each before being drained. Myna’s will last for hours, since they’re mithril.”
Mizuki’s eyes went to the weapons Myna had given her, and then she knelt on the ground. Turning slowly, she faced Sean and kowtowed. “I am sorry, sir.”
“Mom,” Sean said gently, waiting until she looked up, “stand up, please? I’m not offended. You worry for Myna and that makes me happy. She’s my wife and I love her. I can understand you being afraid that I don’t love her. Hell, I even fought against loving her for a while, not that I fought for long.”
“Too long,” Myna snorted.
“Maybe,” Sean chuckled. “The point is that you’ll never have to worry for her. I will care, love, and protect her always. So please, can we try this again?”
Mizuki stayed on the ground for a moment before rising slowly. “Sean MacDougal, it is a pleasure and honor to meet you. My daughter loves you, and I welcome you into the family.”
“Thank you, Mom. Your daughter has been a bright spot who has helped me find my way in this world. I owe her more than I could ever repay, much as she feels about me.”
“Yes,” Myna purred.
“We have some troubles, but I’ll be working to remove them. You’re free to stay as long as you’d like. Myna’s told you she is carrying our child— if you want to stay until the child is born and beyond, that’s fine, too. We have rooms.”
Mizuki blinked slowly, then tears slipped free. “You can’t be real... This can’t be real,” she choked out.
Myna chuckled and
took her mother gently by the arm. “Come, Mother. Sean’s working. We’ve learned that if we let him work, he does the miraculous.”
Sean watched them go and exhaled slowly. I hope she’ll be okay. It has to feel jarring as hell to just walk into this...
~*~*~
When evening sparring came around, Sean left his workshop wearing his armor. Everyone looked his way and he let the armor slip back into the jewelry, then grinned. “I can start working on armor for all of you once I get some more mithril. But, before that...” He looked at Helga. “Let me have your sword and spear.”
Noble Solutions Page 10
