Cassandra came back with a catch.

Standing on the crescent-shaped harbor of Histria with a small group of bodyguards, Kairos watched on as ships crowded the wharves and piers, taking on grain shipments, off-loading fish cargo, or letting new colonists take their first step on the island. Others moved through the mouth of the local Eosian river’s mouth, to transport merchandise to the new settlement of Taulas.

Once nothing more than a shore of sand and stone, the port had grown with its city. His wife Julia had invested in infrastructure for ships, storehouses, and boarding rooms for merchants. Scribes under her employ inspected ships’ cargo, took the colony’s taxes, and issued official documents marked with a hydra seal to law-abiding merchants. With sea conditions worsening, sailors were in a hurry to make a last-minute profit, filling Kairos’ coffers.

His own ship, the Foresight, waited on the shore like a great sleeping beast. The living galley grew by absorbing monsters’ remains, and had lost almost all its wooden parts over time. Its oars were fins, its sails translucent membranes, its deck lined with scales. Most importantly, crablike legs allowed it to move inland. The ship didn’t even need a crew anymore to function.

Kairos didn’t have the opportunity to sail lately, and he dearly missed the activity. Flying on Rook’s back was a joy, but the Travian was all but born on a ship’s deck.

Cass’ flagship, the Rhadamanthe, was neither alive nor a merchant’s vessel. It was a whaler, a galley specialized in fighting sea monsters. Its ballistae were equipped with harpoons, its ram had spikes. A dozen smaller boats and larger ships followed in its wake, carrying a dead monster in an enormous fishnet.

The Travians had developed a novel tactic to hunt sea monsters long ago. Small boats made a racket to lure them into shallow waters and strong nets wielded by allies. Whaler galleys then approached the trapped monsters to slay it with harpoons and spears. This tactic needed a small fleet to pull off, but proved its effectiveness time and time again.

“Kairos!” Cassandra waved her fiery fork of a weapon from her ship’s bow as it docked. Her shield was bent, but she didn’t look wounded. “I bring a gift!”

“We got the victory!” her first mate said, the green-haired amazon Chloris. Cassandra’s crew was almost entirely made up of these warrior-women.

It didn’t surprise Kairos. Cassandra had saved the amazon city of Moros from an undead horde, and many locals had pledged themselves to her service afterward. “Any losses?” Kairos asked, as Cassandra and her crew moved onto the pier.

“Two soldiers,” his old friend replied. “All our ships made it back home.”

“Great beast attacked us, but we refused to be losing,” Chloris added. Though her Travian had improved, she was still hopeless with grammar. “We had a great result.”

“The poisons you coated the harpoons with made the difference,” Cassandra explained to Kairos. “By the time we caught the creature in the fishnet, it was already suffering from [Paralysis].”

This pleased Kairos greatly. Now that he had more resources to use as a would-be pirate king, his mastery of his [Poison Brewer 3] Skill had let him create new substances. He wasn’t sure they could affect creatures as large and powerful as Cetae, but he was happy with the result. A pity he could only produce a limited amount of poison per day.

Kairos’ eyes wandered to the fleet’s catch, as a hundred sailors pulled it to the shore. The monster looked superficially like a whale, albeit with hind legs resembling those of a crustacean. Strong scales encased its body, although harpoons and spears had blown bloody holes everywhere in its natural armor. The creature’s mouth ended in sharp fangs capable of snapping a ship in half.

This Cetus had been small by its vile species’ standards, no more than fifteen meters in length, but dangerous all the same. These monsters attacked helpless ships for sport.

“We also brought smaller catches for you to practice [Skinchanger 3], including an octopus,” Cassandra said, as she adjusted her black braid. “I know you’re working on sharks for now, but…”

“Octopi are good,” Kairos replied. His [Skinchanger] Skill allowed him to shapeshift into non-magical animals whose blood he tasted and physiology he studied, so long as they didn’t exceed five times his weight. The Travian thought it would help him for battle, but the transformation didn’t apply to clothes and weapons. Even if Kairos could turn into a bear now, claws would never beat his magical spear.

The Skill was, however, phenomenally useful for scouting. Kairos was currently studying ways to turn himself into an owl and a spider for the purpose of infiltration, and a naval animal would nicely complement these shapes.

“You’re sure you don’t want to keep any crafting material from that thing?” Kairos asked, as the Foresight rose to approach the Cetus’ body. By now, most locals were accustomed to seeing the living ship in action, though new colonists looked at the scene in astonishment. “My ship will eat it whole.”

“The flesh is full of poison, and the Foresight is by far our colony’s most powerful weapon,” Cassandra replied with a smile. “Besides, I’m curious to see how it will change.”

“Hungry ship grows one step after the next,” Chloris added. “One day it will reach completion.”

Kairos wondered if the Foresight even had an upper limit as far as its evolution was concerned. The living ship approached the Cetus’ remains and stabbed them with its crablike legs. Like a vampire bat, the Foresight devoured its victim’s flesh and blood, its bones and scales.

Kairos took the opportunity to inform Cassandra about the Nemean Lion’s presence in the south, causing her to cross her arms. “That pride is worrying, but not as much as what’s happening outside our borders,” she said. “A monster pack is dangerous, but not as much as an army of men. Orthia hasn’t forgotten our raids against their shores, or the death of their former king, and Teuta…”

“Is it true that she is building a pirate confederation?” Kairos asked. Julia was developing a robust information network, but Cassandra had her own informants in Travia and Thessala.

“Yes,” Cass confirmed with a nod. “She offers a different deal than ours. Travian captains and cities aren’t asked to surrender part of their authority to an assembly, and this is strictly a military alliance. She doesn’t offer economic benefits, nor unified taxation. And most importantly, she wants to keep raiding Lycean vessels rather than make peace with the Republic.”

In short, Queen Teuta defended the usual status quo among the Travian people. A temporary alliance of equals under a powerful pirate lord to raid foreign shores. “She offers a dead end,” Kairos stated. “We’ve seen where these arrangements lead, namely nowhere.”

“Perhaps, but many captains would rather remain fiercely independent even if it costs them prosperity.”

“We’re waging a war for Travia’s soul,” Kairos said. “Either we unite our country, or we will remain a backwater den of pirates.”

“You preach to the converted, but Teuta has powerful friends,” Cassandra replied. “Mithridates sent her gifts, as did Orthia’s new king Antipater. Worse, the Thessalans will hold the Olympic Games in the Spring, where they will elect their League’s Strategos. Mithridates is the clear favorite. If he wins, he will gain control over the League’s military alliance, at least nominally.”

A war loomed on the horizon, one that would either make Travia or break it. And Kairos could see the hand of Mithridates everywhere he looked.

The Poison King of Pergamon had tried to kill Kairos on multiple occasions, even using him for his plans. Though Mithridates had said it was all politics, the Travian understood that they couldn’t coexist. Kairos wanted to get new rich lands to feed his people, and aligned himself with the Lycean Republic to get them; while Mithridates wanted to unify the weakened city-states of the Thessalan League under his banner to throw off all foreign influences from the region.

Inevitably, one of these visions would give way to the other. “You said nominally,” Kairos pointed out. “It won’t give him effective power?”

“Mithridates has a lot of support among the city-states, but it’s far from unanimous,” Cass said. “Thessala, which gives its name to the League, doesn’t want to surrender its fading influence. Many League members make their fortune from trade with Lyce or formed treaties with the Republic, and they don’t see eye to eye with Mithridates’ foreign policies. And some city-states, much like our captains, would rather defend their independence than unite under a single king. I would say two thirds of the Thessalan League will fall in line behind Mithridates, but the rest… the rest will resist.”

“Can city-states secede from the League’s alliance?”

“Nominally, yes,” Cassandra replied. “But Mithridates will never let that happen. He can’t let his alliance fracture.”

A hydra’s heads shouldn’t fight each other. Kairos started to get a broader view of the situation, and he had the gut feeling a conflict would erupt when city-states refused to accept Mithridates’ election. Some would call foreign powers like Lyce for help, and then the knives would come out.

“Then we have an opportunity to exploit,” said the pirate-king, trying to find the right angle of attack. “How does Mithridates project his influence?”

“Pergamon is rich and fertile,” Cassandra explained. “It is the agricultural center of the Thessalan League, and its silver mines fuel a vast economy and army. It commands the fealty of more than a dozen lesser cities, and Mithridates spent years fostering alliances with other regional powers. Orthia’s new king Antipater owes his throne to his scheming.”

“No need to remind me,” Kairos said grimly. The memory of Prince Critias’ murder still haunted him. The Travian Pirate had no love for that Orthian royal, but he had been eight. If only Kairos could find proof of Mithridates’ involvement in the assassination... “Orthia is a lost cause, but Thessala might be open to offers of alliances.”

“They lost most of their fleet in a disastrous expedition, and have yet to recover from it,” Cassandra said with a nod. “They will want to defend the current status quo until they can rebuild their strength, even if it means allying with outsiders. Mithridates is powerful, but he is a [Hero], and Thessala’s defender Talos is a [Demigod]. They can’t afford a direct conflict.”

Kairos would have to interrogate Thales about his homeland. The automaton had come from Thessala before being exiled to Travia. His insight would be welcome.

“We need to weaken Pergamon’s powerbase,” Kairos decided. “A war is inevitable, but the more we weaken Mithridates before it, the better. He is already at work trying to divide us, it is time we repay him with his own coin.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Cassandra replied, still holding a grudge against the Poison King. “But if we are to meaningfully challenge him, we need the pirate lords of Travia behind us. All of them.”

“Do you think we could reach an agreement with Teuta?” Kairos asked, unwilling to fight his own countrymen.

“We can always try, but she hates Lyce fiercely and you’re in bed with them, in more ways than one. Your mother, wife, and aide-de-camp are all Lyceans.”

Many Travians hadn’t forgotten that their ancestors escaped slavery in Lyce to flee north, and the idea of making peace with their former oppressors remained… divisive. It was why Kairos had eventually decided to make Nessus his new first mate rather than Tiberius. The mysterious satyr had no particular tie to any nation of the Sunsea.

“Julia and Nessus say I should create my own [Hero] cult,” Kairos said. “Purchase the [Cult (Hero)] Skill and develop a large following.”

“They are right,” Cass replied. “If you want to avoid a war of the swords, you have to win a war for the hearts. Did you learn what this Skill does?”

“Andromache found answers in Euryale’s library.” His concubine spent most of her time researching magic under the gorgon Euryale’s tutelage, far away from Histria. Kairos suspected she spent as little time in the city as possible to avoid facing his wife. “It will allow me to grant benefits to my followers. Even empower [Priests] once I reach the [Demigod] Rank.”

“Then the choice is easy.”

“Truth be told, I considered hoarding SPs and raising my stats instead,” Kairos replied. Additional [Charisma] had proved to be a wise investment, and more [Luck] and [Intelligence] could give him an edge. “I need to get stronger to fight the likes of Mithridates.”

“But with all due respect, Kairos, your strength comes from the allies you made.” His former first mate grinned at him, her fork shining brightly. “You have a follower right here. Strengthen me and I will slay your enemies for you.”

Her answer warmed Kairos’ heart. Though Cassandra had left his crew, he would never have a more loyal friend and ally.

Convinced, the Travian captain opened his System Screen.

Purchase the [Cult (Hero)] Skill for 3 Skill Points? This will become a Legendary Skill bound to your [Legend].

Kairos agreed. As he sacrificed the necessary Skill Points, a crimson aura briefly surrounded him, flaring with divine power.

You purchased the [Cult (Hero)] Three Stars Legendary Skill. Physical representations of yourself, such as statues, altars, or paintings will now gain the [Idol] property. Your [Idols] serve as relays for your divine power, which grants them unique magical properties. Additionally, your Idols gain unique abilities based on your [Legend].

Thanks to your [Monster Reaver] [Legend], your [Idols] gain the following properties: your [Idols] will passively attract a single [Elite] monster to serve as its keeper. The monster gains the ability to understand and be understood in all languages as long as it remains close to the [Idol], and will work to further your interests by advising or leading your followers.

You can now purchase the following Legendary Skills for 3 SPs each: [Mystery Cult], [Healing Altar], [Animated Idol], [Enthralling Image], [Unsettling Presence], and [Empathic Link (Idol)]. These [Skills] will grant additional powers to your [Idols]. Other Legendary Cult Skills will be unlocked as you climb Legend Ranks. The more idols spread and the more followers you accumulate, the more abilities you might unlock.

“Would it seem arrogant to commission a statue of myself?” Kairos asked with a grin.

“Yes, but we expect that of kings,” Cassandra replied with a chuckle as the Foresight finished its meal. To Kairos’ surprise, the ship hadn’t changed much. The scales looked more streamlined, and a translucent membrane had grown to bind the oars together like fins, but most of the absorbed mass had vanished. Nothing remained of the Cetus. “I expected something more spectacular.”

So did Kairos. The Travian captain and his fellow [Hero] moved along onto the Foresight’s deck as the living ship slid into the waters, its legs retracting.

“Perhaps it increased its speed in the water?” the pirate king asked, his hand trailing on the mast. “What new ability did you gain, my old friend?”

The Foresight answered his question with a bellowing noise.

The deck shook below Kairos and Cass, both almost stumbling. The living ship fled from the shore and towards the open waters, blowing small waves that pushed boats aside.

And then the Foresight began to sink into the water, the distance between the surface and the deck narrowing.

“Kairos, what’s happening?” Cassandra panicked, as a translucent, slimy substance started to grow from the deck’s edge and the mast’s tip. The strange mucus slowly formed walls on all sides of the ship. “Kairos, we have to escape!”

Cassandra grabbed her former captain with the intention of jumping overboard, but Kairos refused to move. Instead, he held firmly in place as the mucus formed a transparent dome over the Foresight’s deck, using the mast as a supporting pillar. It reminded Kairos of a tent, except he could see the world beyond just fine.

The Foresight kept sinking into the bay, and the water rose above the deck’s surface. Yet the sea couldn’t pierce through the transparent dome, nor did it find any hole to enter the cargo hold. The space between the oars had long vanished, making the Foresight as impervious as a chest.

Cassandra finally understood what was happening and stopped struggling. The [Hero] instead held her breath as she looked through the translucent membrane separating her from the waters outside. When the Foresight’s mast vanished below the surface, sunlight reflected in the liquid above them like a rain of light. “No way…”

Kairos glanced beyond the dome, at the luminous waters of the bay. Fish flew alongside the Foresight, swimming next to its oars’ fins.

The Travian had hoped that his ship would one day fly.

Instead, the Foresight had learned to dive.

Julia Flavii Lucina read reports with a smile on her face. The candles dimly lit up the queen’s solar, and cast a dark shadow on the woman sleeping quietly beside her. Her Caenis looked lovely when she dreamed, her skin glittering from the sweat, her black hair covering her mouth.

Julia had called her to her bed as soon as she heard the news, and she had no doubt her husband would share her excitement once he returned. Her Kairos would join her late, she knew that. He wouldn’t rest until he had tested his new ship’s abilities and figured out its limits.

The reports were less than encouraging though. Her family had a robust information network, and Julia used the colony’s gold to create a separate one for her personal use. The merchants kept her informed of news abroad, messengers intercepted letters on her behalf, and she bought lords’ servants with coins. Bards and entertainers in Mithridates’ court worked for her, and she had started recruiting people among Travian smugglers operating in Queen Teuta’s dominion. They reported what they knew to literate intermediaries, who kept Julia informed through coded letters. In other cases, she bought the debt of lesser Thessalan nobility, putting them in her clutches.

Julia's [Spycraft 2] Skill helped her manage her information network by intuitively providing her with knowledge about best policy practices, but the Lycean noblewoman had mostly developed this talent on her own. As the daughter of a rich Lycean politician and a foreign concubine, Julia’s own position in Lyce had never been secure even before her werewolf curse manifested. Sabotaging rivals was almost second nature to her.

Unfortunately, while Queen Teuta was rather lax about security, one couldn’t say the same for Mithridates. Julia had heard news that his naval engineers were working on a secret project, but all her attempts to uncover what had failed so far. Some of her informants had disappeared trying to infiltrate the warehouses supplying the project with wood and magical reagents.

Mithridates was building something, and she needed to figure out what.

The King of Pergamon was also at work in Histria. Half the merchants coming from Thessala took his silver, and some of the Travians too. They spread lies, that her Kairos would sell the colony to foreigners, that his wife controlled him with magic—a rumor that Julia found rather amusing—and that Queen Teuta was a far better ruler than her grasping rival. Julia caught a few of these troublemakers, but some slipped through her grasp.

Unfortunately, she knew that spies were only the beginning. Inevitably, assassins would follow in their wake. And by then, Julia would be ready.

“Mmm…” Her Caenis stirred at her side, her blue eyes snapping open.

“Have you slept well?” Julia gently asked her mistress, as she put the reports aside on the bed table. Her hand moved to Caenis’ cheek. “Or did the gods give you warnings?”

“It’s always the same,” Caenis replied as she massaged her temples. “A tide of poison swallowing a great city, casting down stone walls and letting sharks swim through the streets like canals.”

“Our city?” Julia asked with a frown. Caenis had seen this dream two times already, but could never give details.

“No. A city so great that the sun cast a long shadow on it.” Caenis shook her head. “I saw a skull drinking a silver cup surrounded by masked beasts, and a dragon’s corpse devoured by its wingless brood. And your husband, milady. I saw him too.”

Julia froze. “How?”

“I have glimpsed him dancing among the flames, fighting a titan of steel with an axe drenched in blood.”

“An axe?” Mithridates rode a dragon, but he used swords and daggers, not axes. “Was it an automaton?”

Her lover shook her head. “I cannot say, milady.”

Julia sighed, and wrote down the prophecy in her notes.

Her Caenis saw much in her dreams, for she was born a [Oracle] with a unique connection with the gods. They sent her omens in her dreams, and Julia had enough faith in her prophetic visions to make use of them for information gathering. It was Caenis who warned Julia that her husband had almost perished fighting the undead Argonauts in Achlys a season ago, which allowed the queen to quickly raise a fleet to his rescue.

Speaking of her husband, Julia smelled Kairos return to their manor. Though her senses were less developed than when she took a bestial form, the werewolf still had far better senses than most humans. “He is back, and he smells of saltwater,” Julia said with amusement.

“I will go prepare his bath then,” Caenis said as she left the bed, her hand reaching for her gown on the floor.

“You can stay, Caenis,” Julia said. Much like she had grown used to her husband’s other woman, Kairos didn’t send the oracle away all the time.

Her Caenis smiled as she put on her gown, though she didn’t hide her concern. “I believe you should be alone to tell him the news.”

Point taken. Still, as Caenis bade her good night and closed the door behind herself, Julia couldn’t help but feel sadness. In a better world, they would have married, and their lives would have been simpler.

As expected, Kairos joined her a few minutes later, carrying maps under his arm. “Julia,” he said before kissing her on the lips. Julia took less pleasure in his touch than Caenis’, but she enjoyed it all the same. “How was your day?”

“Exhausting, but delightful,” his wife replied as he removed his clothes and slipped into the marital bed naked. Julia’s eyes wandered to his [Golden Fleece], whose fertility powers were now confirmed. “Caenis dreamed of you.”

“Fighting a lion?”

“A lion with an axe,” Julia mused as he joined her under the bedsheet, still carrying his maps. She shivered as his warm skin touched her own. “What is this?”

“A map of the old world, and the new.” Kairos showed them both, before overlapping them. “Do you see it too?”

“Yes.” Julia pointed a finger at an island on the old world’s map, where only waters remained today. “This is the lost Atlantis, which Poseidon sank long before he flooded the world. The mermaid kingdom of Orichalcos is said to be located near it, which means you can now reach it with your amphibious ship.”

Kairos laughed. “You do know me well.”

“Of course I do.” Though the werewolf had been somewhat skeptical of their arranged marriage at first, she had grown fond of Kairos over time. How could she have not? Her husband remained at her side during the full moon, when her curse transformed her into a beast. Not even her brother had shown her that much dedication. “We have shared a roof for months now.”

“A bit more than that.” Kairos put his maps aside, and stroked Julia’s red hair with his free hands. Her husband gently pushed her head against the griffon feathers pillow and positioned himself over her. “I could bring you pearls and nacre. I heard the merfolk make beautiful jewels from them.”

“You could,” she replied, her hand trailing against his chest, “but we have a greater need for diplomatic alliances and mercenaries.”

“That was my plan,” he replied with a frown. “Perhaps visit Vali and Alexandria too.”

“My brother served as an ambassador in the court of Philip of Vali, and befriended him. That king is a haggler and a profligate, but I suspect he shall receive you well. My brother Sertorius left a good memory.”

Perhaps too good of one.

Her husband frowned. “A profligate, you say?”

“If half the tales my brother told me are true, then you will find no place half as decadent as Vali’s royal palace.” Rumors that he participated in debauched orgies there still hounded Sertorius at home. A young and handsome Lycean spending a year at the court of a libertine foreign king was bound to spark rumors, though Julia knew they were nothing but slander.

For her brother Sertorius’ only vice was ambition. Men, women, gold and pleasure didn’t matter to him. Even his sister was only one of his pieces, as was her husband and all those he pulled into his web. That obsession with accumulating power was why Sertorius shipped Julia to Kairos in the first place; her brother wanted a Travian [Hero] as an ally in his plans for conquest, but he could only trust an in-law.

Of course, it wasn’t all about politics. Julia’s brother loved her in his own way, and she knew he had selected Kairos as her future husband after learning his mother Aurelia was a werewolf. Though he put his family’s ambitions above everything else, Sertorius would never have given his sister to a man who couldn’t accept who she was.

Julia banished these thoughts, as her lips moved to Kairos’ own. “We could catch up on that front, if we so wish.”

The kiss was tender, but her husband broke it quickly. “I would rather avoid leaving Histria right now,” Kairos admitted. “There’s still so much to do here.”

“I can manage things in your absence,” Julia replied, her hand trailing against his chest. “You are the only one who can make that living ship of yours behave, while I can manage this household well enough. Your mother will be here, and Tiberius too. You can rely on him.”

“It’s Tiberius’ father that I worry about.” Ah, yes, Dispater. The richest man in the Lycean Republic, and her brother’s father-in-law. “He’s still hounding us about getting exclusive rights over our silver mines.”

“You know my point of view,” Julia said with a shrug. “Dispater is a powerful [Hero], and he has many qualities. He is intelligent, brave, and loyal to his friends. But he has one crippling flaw that overshadows everything.”

“His hunger for gold,” Kairos guessed.

“And his thirst for fame too.” Dispater was a [Crafter], who earned his power through trade, wise investments, and cutthroat practices. Yet the highest honors in the Lycean Republic could only be earned through military service. No doubt he funded her brother’s plan of conquering the Thessalan League in the hope of earning glory for himself. “You don’t have to worry about betrayal from Dispater, husband, and he will prove useful as long as we can contain his greed. As for Tiberius, he is desperate to break out of his father’s shadow. He will stay loyal, if only to prove his worth.”

“I hope so. I’ve grown fond of him.” Kairos lightly kissed his wife on the cheek. “Tiberius told me you wanted to create a free school for both men and women?”

“We are building a new nation,” Julia reminded him. “People are hostile to reforms by nature, so important rules should be established now rather than later.”

Julia had been denied a great many privileges in Lyce by virtue of her gender. She could neither vote nor hold office. Though they gave her more leeway than most Lycean household heads, her father and then her brother had held power of life and death over her, choosing who she would marry or what property she could buy.

And so, Julia was determined to make sure her female subjects would grow with more freedom than she did. This started by giving them equal rights and opportunities. Neither did she think education should be restricted to the rich, the powerful, or some born with special blood. Her Caenis had been as lowborn as they come, but wiser than half the nobles Julia ever met. As for Thales, Julia shuddered to imagine what that genius could create with the right patronage. She had grown fond of him, and found his intellect refreshing.

Birth should not be the standard by which people were judged. Her eyes moved to her stomach, almost on instinct.

Her husband frowned. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

“I have great news for you,” his wife admitted. She had been meaning to broach the subject, but wasn’t sure how to announce it. “For us.”

Kairos frowned. “Go ahead?”

“Have you settled on a name?”

“A name for what? The new settlement?”

“We agreed I would name the daughters, and you the sons.” Julia smiled brightly. “Maybe you shall win the coin toss.”

For a moment, Kairos of Travia remained motionless and as still as a statue. He didn’t blink, didn’t say a word. Julia met his gaze, amused by his shocked reaction. Did he think this day would never come? They had been using the [Golden Fleece] as a bedsheet for months.

“Indeed, Kairos,” Julia said softly, unable to restrain her happiness. “If the gods are good, you shall be a father next year. My [Physician] says as much.”

Her Caenis had been afraid when Julia told her the news. The Beast Cult of Lycaon targeted the people capable of maintaining the seal keeping their god imprisoned, namely the male heirs of the Senex, Lyce’s core families. If Julia gave birth to a daughter as she hoped, well, they were safe.

But if she gave birth to a boy...

Julia tried not to think of this. She already had too much on her plate.

After a while, Kairos wordlessly rolled over to her side. He stared at the stone ceiling as if he could see the sky beyond, his breath short and slow.

He was adorable when anxious.

“Does my mother know?” he asked.

Julia chuckled. “No, of course not. If she did, Aurelia would have screamed her joy for all to hear.”

“She had been pestering me about getting grandchildren for years,” Kairos said with a sigh. He put his hands on his eyes and cheeks, before taking a long deep breath. “You’re pregnant.”

“By at least a month. My [Physician] told me to expect the birth around next summer.” Julia observed her husband’s mouth. His jaws clenched so tightly that she worried he might break his teeth. “Are you afraid?”

“Yes, I am, of course I am.” His arms moving to his sides. “Aren’t you?”

“A little,” Julia admitted. “You are a [Wolfblood] and I am a [Werewolf]. I would be surprised if our children didn’t inherit my curse. But this is still good news. Our marriage contract—”

“I don’t care about that contract,” he interrupted her. “Julia, now is not the time. There’s a war brewing.”

“Which we will win.” She leaned against him, her soft breasts brushing against his abs, her lips kissing his neck. She sensed him relaxing at her caress. “Husband, there will never be a good time. The struggle will only end when we are dead. We knew that when we decided to rule.”

She still remembered their wedding night, where they first made love promising each other that everything in this world would be theirs. Why would children be any different?

“Fuck,” Kairos said, though he saw the wisdom in her word. “You made me a king, and now you will make me a father.”

“So long as you make me happy, I will consider it a fair trade,” Julia replied, as her lips worked her way up to his ears. “Now husband, let us worry about the future another time, and celebrate the present while we can.”

Eventually, her gentle caresses washed away his fears, and he started returning her affections. His hands moved to her back, his lips to her own neck.

They celebrated long after the candles died out.