I didn’t get to see much of Elia and Elis after we returned, which I probably should have expected. Ceion was true to his word and went to talk to them. After that, from what I gathered, he sought out solitude, too.

I was too busy to really worry about it, even if I had been so inclined. But I did take note when, a day later, I saw Elia and Elis in a sitting room that had become something of a base for our group. They both looked slightly disheveled, with their hair less than perfectly arranged and Elis’ robe sporting a small tear while Elia had a smudge on her cheek. They waved at me, but didn’t talk much.

After a moment of indecision, I elected to leave them in peace. They both had more than enough to do, especially with the Basement, and if they wanted to talk to me, they could. I didn’t really see Ceion, but I could sense that he was around, which was enough for me.

Of course, I had more than just them to worry about. Tenira was a godsend, like usual, and the officers of the army also did their best and helped greatly. There was a lot to sort out, since we’d captured not only another city, but the center of the Dominion’s government. Such as it was and what was left of it. I expected things had been a little more orderly before the war, or before most of their upper leadership was gutted. It also seemed like someone might have taken a torch (or, more likely, a fire technique) to some of their files, since we found some government archives and offices little more than burned out ruins.

Luckily, we didn’t actually need much of them. We weren’t trying to preserve and continue the existing administration. If anything, we were tearing down their government structures in order to rebuild our own. It helped that we’d already been in control of most of the continent, except for the capital, and we could just build on what we already had.

I was too occupied too see my companions much, but didn’t mind it. I was deliberately hurrying so I could leave affairs here to other people and get back home, where I planned to get some relaxation in. They also seemed to be just as busy, and I didn’t question why I didn’t see much of them.

Then, one afternoon, I walked down a side passage in the mansion, a walkway that seemed to be stuck halfway between a corridor in the building and a terraced walkway around an inner courtyard, when I sensed Tenira and Yarani. I smiled and sped up a little, intending to say hello quickly, before I continued on to my next appointment. Aston was keeping a discrete distance, and the guards on the roof and the perimeter were quiet. I crossed under the canopy of some trees and paused.

Yarani and Tenira were standing quite close together in the shade of some trees forming a little alcove besides the wall. In fact, close enough together that their auras almost seemed to be bleeding into each other the slightest bit.

They were kissing.

I stared for a moment, then blinked and slowly approached. I would have backed away, but they’d clearly sensed my presence. They stepped apart as if someone had struck them, but I noticed that Tenira kept a grip on Yarani’s hand.

“Hello, Nari,” Yarani said. She obviously tried to hide her awkwardness, but some of it still seeped through in her voice and the way she fidgeted a bit.

“Hey.” I grinned at them as I came closer. “Don’t stop on my account.”

The two of them exchanged a glance. Tenira cleared her throat. “So, um …”

“How long has this been going on?” I asked, a little more quietly. The thought that they would have tried to hide this from me stung more than I wanted to admit.

“Just today,” Yarani answered with an awkward smile. It turned broader and warmer as she looked at Tenira. “We wouldn’t have tried to keep it from you, it just … turned out this way.”

“In fact, we were going to go and talk to you right away,” Tenira added. She looked at me intently. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not. I’m happy for you. Ecstatic, even.” I winked at them, enjoying the slight blush they developed.

If anything, I was a little annoyed with myself that this had caught me off-guard. I wasn’t the most observant when it came to people around me, in most circumstances. Even then, I’d been able to tell there was a tension between them. Hey, there’s been some kind of tension almost since they first met. And considering I can’t remember them fighting each other even once, this was probably to be expected.

“We didn’t think so.” Yarani’s smile had a self-satisfied tint as she looked at Tenira again. “Your various relationships are already enough of a tangle that this shouldn’t change much. We’re just going to be a little closer, in a different way.”

“Well, I’m always in favor of turning a love triangle into an actual triangle. Not that that’s really what we had. You’re serious about this, then?”

Tenira and Yarani nodded. “We are,” Tenira said calmly. “I didn’t know it for the longest time, but we already feel strongly for each other. I have every intention of making this into a serious relationship, hopefully a long and happy one.”

“Aww.” Yarani grinned at her. “I feel the same way, darling.”

Seeing her acting like this towards someone else was a little odd. Not that I minded. If it was anyone else, I definitely would, but I loved both of them deeply. A part of me was relieved that they’d have something to bind them together, and that I wouldn’t just be the ‘center’ everything revolved around. It’s a little funny, but despite everything, I guess I’ve never been completely comfortable with the idea of having a harem, I realized. That was why I always preferred to just see it as a poly relationship. Which it really is, anyway.

Then I shook myself free of those thoughts and said, “Well, I’ll give you some privacy, then.” I glanced from one to the other. “Try not to cause too big of a scandal.”

The looks they shot me only made me smirk, but I quickly started walking again, heading away from my girlfriends.

I shook my head softly at myself, then glanced around. This part of the estate was as good as deserted. I kept going, since I didn’t want to be late for my meeting, but my mind wasn’t on it.

Slowly, a grin started to take hold on my face. I kept my qi senses curled in towards me and sped up, resisting the urge to whistle.

I’d never been so happy to see the mansion rising above the fields and forests beside the sparkling lake, under the blue, sunny sky of the Sky Continent. I’d thought I felt happy to see it when I’d gotten back to the Earth Continent, but compared to now, that had only been a passing sensation. Today, I felt myself almost physically sagging at the sight of the Empress’ summer palace.

The grass and trees were hidden under a faint carpet of snow, and the cold wind kept snatching at my hair even as the airship descended, but compared to the southern Storm Continent we’d left behind, it felt pleasantly warm. We arrived at mid-morning, when the comparative cold of the night had just left.

Of course, the increased levels of warmth and sunshine, or even the merciful decrease in paperwork and administrative work, weren’t the only reasons I was looking forward to my stay. In fact, I barely managed to contain my impatience and wait for the airship to properly land and the guards to exit first.

Then I jumped down, landing right in front of Xiaodan. I swept her into a hug immediately, and she wrapped her army tightly around me. We hugged so tightly I lifted her off the ground, but I walked forward a few steps, unbothered by her weight or the obstruction in my field of view. “Hey, An, I’m back.” I closed my eyes for a moment.

We hugged for a long while, until Al apparently grew impatient of waiting and materialized at our side. Grinning, I let go of Little An and swept him into a hug, too. Ours was more restrained, but we held each other with even more force.

Finally, I disentangled myself from my siblings and took a look around. Not much had changed in the roughly a year I’d been gone. Except Little An, though I’d seen how she looked like from talking to her in dreams. She was now a preteen who’d be entering puberty in the not too distant future, and she was tall for her age. She seemed to look a lot more like Mother now. Or like Al, actually, especially with the glint in her eyes.

“So, you finally found your way back,” Al said, smiling.

“The Zarian were rather ungracious hosts and didn’t want to let me go that quickly,” I responded, returning his smile. “Terribly inconsiderate of them, really.”

They laughed. “If you say so, Elder Sister,” An said. “I’m sure you’d know.”

“You’ve been spending too much time with Al,” I complained, and got them to grin again.

Then her expression softened, turned uncertain, and she looked more like a kid again. “You’ll be staying for a while, right?”

I ruffled her hair and glanced at the estate buildings. “Of course. As long as I can reasonably manage it. I’ll need to return to the capital to discuss things with Kiyanu at length, eventually, but I’ll stay with you as long as I can first.”

Actually, I’d simply gotten tired of it and decided that I would go see my siblings first, screw politics. After everything I’d recently accomplished for the Empire, I was owed that much, at least.

An looked pleased. She bit her lip and glanced up at me. “When you do leave, may we please go with you? I know I probably won’t be useful like Al, but …” She hesitated.

“Of course you can!” I quickly assured her. “I sent you here because I thought it would be better for you, and safer. Now we don’t have to worry about assassins sent by the Storm, and the guards can handle everything else. If you’d rather be back at the palace, that’s perfectly fine. To be honest, I’d rather have the two of you with me, too.”

Her smile was worth every bit of the grumbling I expected from the guards. But the way she’d looked still stayed in my thoughts and tugged at my heartstrings. Our relationship was still strong, but scratched. We needed to repair it, and it was probably one of those things that were best healed with time, by spending time with each other.

After a minute of further reunions, we headed inside with my companions. Elis was looking around everywhere, while Ceion had preferred to go on to the capital directly.

I found myself with my younger siblings again, although this time, Tenira and Kajare joined us. We sat down on some plush couches in a sitting room, watching the others disperse to various entertainment options.

“I bet you’re happy to get back to a little luxury,” Al commented.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I didn’t think I’d miss having regular meals available so much. But mostly, I’m looking forward to a bit of free time.” I leaned back and let some of the tension flow out of me. “We missed my birthday, but I think I’m entitled to celebrate it belatedly.”

Thus reminded, they quickly offered their congratulations, and I smiled. I was twenty-one now, officially. A full adult in every way that mattered, and close to the age I’d been when I transmigrated. It felt like half a lifetime ago sometimes.

“That reminds me,” I said. “I brought you guys something back from the south.”

That made An sit up straighter with undisguised eagerness, and even Tenira and Kajare looked interested. They hadn’t noticed me gathering presents.

After a second to drag out the anticipation, I pulled a sword from my storage ring and presented it to Al. “This belonged to the last Security Director of the Dominion,” I said. “It’s heavily enchanted, forged from Fire Continent materials, and excellent for channeling darkness affinity qi techniques.”

“Wow.” Al’s eyes were wide as he took it almost reverently. “This is …”

“A war trophy,” I finished seriously. “Be careful with it and handle it with respect. Having you be seen with it is a message in itself, even if that’s not why I’m giving it to you. But I think you can handle it. You need a good weapon that’ll accompany you to the higher stages, anyway.” I hoped that he wouldn’t have to fight much, of course, but I knew better than to rely on that.

Al nodded. “I will,” he promised. “Thank you.”

Then I turned to Xiaodan and got my next gift from my storage ring. I handed it to her and watched as she looked at it curiously. It was a thin golden chain with a white stone mounted in a fitting.

“This is a memory jade which I filled with images from the South,” I explained. “I also recorded some poems into it, in both Zarian and Common, and even a bit of music. I hope you’ll like it.”

I knew I’d made the right decision when I saw An’s smile. To most cultivators, it would be disappointing compared to what I’d given Al. But she clearly understood that I’d put thought and effort into it. It was a personal gift, not some random ‘treasure’ or cultivation manual she could get from the palace’s archives anyway.

“Thank you, Big Sister,” she said, pulling the necklace over her head right away. She hesitated for a moment, then hugged me, although it was a little awkward since we were sitting down together.

I grinned in response, glancing around the room and taking a moment to bask in the warm atmosphere of being among friends and family.

My gaze came to rest on Elis. When our eyes met, he raised a hand slightly and gave me a grin. Then he turned back to talk to Elia, who glanced at me with a raised eyebrow before she seemed to refocus on their conversation.

Yeah, I reflected, it was good to be back.