"When I was a young girl, I had never once thought that I wanted children. My kids were my friends who had been with me since I was far younger, and I thought they would have been all that I needed as companions go.

Then I fell in love with Ciarran, and Faerghus was born. At that time, I knew for the first time the joys of the miracle of parenthood, and my baby boy was like the most precious jewel in the world in my eyes. We then had Diarmuid and Aideen as well, and to watch them grow, was one of my greatest joys.

Now as I cradled my first grandchild in my arms, that joy I felt back then was rekindled. The little baby in my arms was so fragile, yet so precious. I knew right at that moment that I would die first before I let any harm befall my dear granddaughter." - Diary of Aoife Mac Lir, circa 42 VA.

Fiachna Mansion, La Fiachna, Theocracy of Vitalica, third day of the first week of the second month, year 46 VA.

The laughter of children as they froliced around the late winter snow made Aideen felt as if the sun had shone brighter at that moment. She was in the backyard of the mansion, practicing her forms in the morning, while at the same time watching over her grandfather, who played with her nieces.

Having nieces was a feeling she still hadn't quite gotten used to, even after these years. Kestera has actually gotten pregnant earlier, but due to how elven pregnancies lasted longer, she and Akeshia actually gave birth to their daughters a week apart, with Faerghus' child Maebh being the elder.

Three years had passed since, and her two little nieces were now running around happily in their yard, their footsteps churning the fresh powdery snow while their great-grandfather merrily chased after them.

In the past couple of years Theodin's health had taken a turn for the worse due to his advanced age, and he has mostly delegated his duties to those who were slated to replace him. While he still officially held the office of pope, nowadays he spent more time playing with and doting on his great grandchildren than doing work in his office.

"Not so fast, kids," said Theodin has he panted slightly and rested his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. "I'm not as young as I used to be anymore."

"Okay, great grandpappy!" Merrily said little Éirynn as she hugged her grandfather's leg. The little half-elf girl had inherited her father's dark hair, and was visibly slimmer and taller than the similarly aged red-haired Maebh who followed her into hugging their great grandfather's legs.

Aideen thought curiously on how despite their far longer lifespans, elves and their descendants still grow up at nearly the same rate humans did, until they reached their mid-teenage years, where their growth slowed drastically.

Kestera said that half elf children were rare, but they supposedly could live up to five or six centuries long. That discussion had brought Aideen a fresh perspective on her own future.

As she was now, her grandpa Aarin had said that she might as well be practically immortal, which also meant that she would far outlive her parents and her siblings, and maybe even her little nieces. She felt some dread at the thought, of going forward in life truly alone.

She helped her grandfather by taking her nieces off his hands and carrying them both in her arms, as they went inside for breakfast. The dinner table had been set with freshly baked bread, home made marmalades, and cold cuts of meats and cheeses by Akeshia, and she saw her two brothers chatting while they munched on their breakfast.

"Be useful and take care of them kids for a bit," said Aideen as she unceremoniously, but gently, dropped each of the children in her hand on their father's lap. She then pulled a chair and poured a cup of hot tea for her grandfather, who thanked her with a nod.

"So what's the latest news?" She asked to her brothers as she grabbed a pair of still-warm loaves of bread and deftly sliced them in half. Despite her unliving body technically able to subsist from mana alone, she still found pleasure and enjoyment in eating, and she had to admit to herself that being able to eat whatever she wanted without having to worry about getting fat was inarguably a benefit.

"Heard there was some unrest at the elven forest to the west. Grandpa Aarin passed the news along recently," said Diarmuid from his seat as he slathered a smaller loaf with butter and marmalade and gave it to Éirynn, who then happily munched on like a cute little squirrel. He had grown his beard over these years, and the scraggly growth made him look older than his thirty six years. "Supposedly some internal discord is going on. Grandpa said it does cause the refugees to be able to escape more easily this time around. They were too busy to care for them."

"Well, that's interesting news all right," replied Aideen as she grabbed some cuts of preserved beef and pork and arranged it on her buttered loaf of bread, then added a slice of cheese on top of it before she bit into the whole arrangement. She chewed and swallowed before she asked again. "Everything has been peaceful for a good while now, at least?"

"Thankfully so," Faerghus said in reply, one hand holding Maebh firmly as the child was always an active one, and moved around a lot while she ate. He gave a slightly envious glance at Diarmuid when he saw Éirynn sitting quietly on her father's lap while she ate her breakfast. "Apparently the first elder of the Flesh Artisans in Antemeia passed away last week. We had reports that they were holding a grand funeral for him."

"Their first elder huh? Grandpa Aarin said he was acquainted with that one. Let's hope his replacement is a reasonable one then," noted Aideen when she heard the unexpected news. Antemeia had been eerily quiet the past few years, most likely intimidated by the Bone Lord's show of force in Danna. By now the city had been bustling again, but nobody had forgotten the fates of the tens of thousands of inhabitants that used to live there.

"Well, if they don't bother us, we won't be bothering them either," said Diarmuid with a shrug as he took a long drink from his mug of tea. "Should they be looking for trouble, I'd say we are better prepared to face them now."

"I hope so, brother," replied Aideen as she stirred in some honey into her tea. "I sure hope so."