The scent of cinnamon, roasted meats, and fresh fruit wafted through the castle halls as the entire crew dragged their tired, war weary asses into the great hall for breakfast.
Rhiannan was already seated, pregnant glow glowing, long auburn hair a wild goddess mess, wearing her soft robe and sipping her coffee like a queen with a to do list longer than the realms themselves.
Her six mates circled like overprotective wolves.
Kaleb tucked a pillow behind her back.
Azarion checked the temperature of her food like it might launch a curse.
Sable was pacing. Growling at anyone who dared glance at her too long.
Liam, for his part, flopped dramatically into a seat, shirtless and grumpy. "If one more person asks if she's okay, I swear to the gods I'm gonna hex the next three fae that blink at her wrong."
"Oh, don't tempt me with a good time," Rhiannan said dryly, biting into a honey glazed roll. "But sit your sexy ass down and listen. Shit's gone sideways again."
Everyone went quiet.
Reyna stood, face pale, eyes glowing faintly. "I had a vision," she said, her voice quiet. "A bone seer has risen. But this one isn't like the others. She's powerful. A pawn of the Forgotten King."
"A pawn?" Veena echoed, brows knit. "Or… a weapon?"
"Both," Reyna replied. "And the gods aren't telling us who she is yet."
Rhiannan nodded grimly. "Sasha and I felt it last night. Something shifted. Something wrong. It wasn't Veltherion. It was something new, or old, reawakened."
Faenet exploded. Literally.
Sasha's voice came through the comm, "Uh, Rhi....you're trending. Again. 'Bone Bitch 2.0' is now the top tag. Everyone's panicking and someone just made fan art of you drop kicking the Forgotten King in heels."
"Please send that to me immediately," Liam said, perking up. "Also, we need tshirts."
The table shook with laughter, short lived but real.
Rhiannan stood slowly, placing a hand on her belly. "We don't have time to wait for answers. The Sceptre has chosen us. We're not just reacting anymore. We're fucking leading."
She turned to her three Sentinels, Veena, Nyxar, and Torvax. "You three are our strongest voices. I want you to go to the Solarian Kingdom. Ask for their full alliance when we march. Take your mates with you, you'll need protection."
They nodded, pride in their eyes.
"Who else can we call?" Rhiannan asked the room, looking around. "Who else will rise with us?"
Barrick slammed down his mug. "The Stonekin clans. They owe me favors. And gold."
Kazra grinned wide. "The Fireborn covens. They're volatile and bloody, but I like that in an ally."
Torvax rumbled from the shadows, "There's an ice tribe in the far north, warriors with frost in their veins. They follow strength. If we show up loud enough, they'll join."
"I know a forest realm," Nahlia added. "The Dryads there are fierce. They protect life. They'll hate the Forgotten King."
Rhiannan took it all in, heart pounding with a thousand emotions.
"Then let's fucking go to war. But not just with power, we go with purpose. For the babies. For the realms. For every soul counting on us."
Cheers erupted. Silverware clanked. Mo shouted, "SOMEONE GET THE BABY REGISTRY READY."
Everyone laughed again.
But under the joy, under the teasing, there was a current of something heavier.
Hope.
And war.
The war council was over.
And Rhiannan's castle halls? Buzzing with energy as bags were packed, blades sharpened, scrolls rolled, and farewells exchanged.
She stood in the courtyard, regal in a deep sapphire cloak, baby bump visible beneath the velvet folds, one hand cradling it as if shielding the very future of the realms.
Her six mates hovered like bodyguards, and for once, no one dared to tease them for it.
She turned first to her three Sentinels, the fierce protectors of her divine soul.
"Veena, Nyxar, Torvax," she said, voice clear, strong. "You are my sword, my shield, my judgment. Go to Solarian. Stay for a week. Charm them. Feast with them. And return with their banners raised beside ours."
Nyxar winked. "They've already got a taste of our fire. I'll make sure they crave more."
Torvax merely nodded, the ice in his eyes steady and sure. "The prince will protect you," he said quietly to Nyxar, and her lips quirked into a rare smile.
"Take gifts," Rhiannan said, handing them sealed scrolls, enchanted food crates, and one very glittery bag Mo had packed personally. "Show them who we are."
Sasha opened the portal to Solarian. Magic shimmered like sunlight on the sea.
Veena blew a kiss, Nyxar tossed her braid, and Torvax gave a final glance toward the castle before stepping through.
Then came her blood siblings, chaos incarnate, and she loved them with every fiber of her divinely exhausted soul.
Barrick loaded his enchanted bricks into a satchel the size of a small cart. His three wood nymph mates, Auralyn, Nimya, and Thess, trailed behind him with bags of seeds, potions, and sharp smiles.
"Off to the dwarves and the Stonekin. Let's see if they've missed me or just want my ass back for more demolition work," Barrick muttered.
"Or both," Kazra purred behind him.
Kazra "The Red Bitch" Voralis adjusted her spiked armor, kissed one of her mates, the haunting banshee warlock Rohar, and smacked the other, Jaxen the Titan, on the ass.
"The fire covens are overdue for a little seduction," she said. "Let's give them a reason to light up the war."
Nahlia stepped up, hair braided with vines and feathers, her eyes determined. "I'll find the Dryads. They'll listen to me. Life magic listens to life."
"Bring them hope," Rhiannan whispered, handing her a satchel of moon blessed seeds and a vial of enchanted spring water. "And bring yourself back safely."
Zaiya, deadly and proud, approached next. Torvax clasped her arm and handed her a sealed rune carved tablet.
"The Ice Tribe won't follow just anyone," he warned. "But they'll follow the truth. And you are the truth."
Zaiya smirked. "Damn right."
She turned to Rhiannan, "Don't die while I'm gone. I'm not missing this war."
"Noted," Rhiannan said dryly. "Now go. All of you."
Rhiannan shimmered, spreading her hands wide, and four more portals opened, lighting the courtyard in magical hues.
Everyone turned.
Tears.
Grins.
Middle fingers.
"Don't fuck up diplomacy, Kazra!" Mo yelled.
"No promises!" she cackled.
The courtyard emptied, one by one, until silence fell like mist.
Rhiannan swayed slightly.
Sable caught her.
"Too much magic, little goddess," he growled softly.
Azarion swept her into his arms before she could argue. "Rest, now. You've held this realm on your back long enough for one day."
Her six protectors led her inside. The castle doors closed behind them, and Sasha dimmed the portal lights.
"One week," Rhiannan whispered. "Then we bring the fucking storm."