Erin already felt sorry for the blue haired woman. Beside the hazing she had suffered for her hair, now this Lara will get to cry in pain for a year, in a forlorn hope of becoming something more, and extraordinary.

Although she had witnessed all the crew get much stronger past year, including two new Sky ranks. Just not herself.

And she wasn't shameless like Pela, to chase man to his bed, and be proud about it. Even if Pef was kinda cute and not really a stone hearted ruler like other Emperors.

At least her month of Wall service had only consisted of easy patrols on the border, guarding the spearmen while they fought low ranked beasts. The rest of her tour had been a lonely fortified stone basement, lots of pain and fever and delicious meals...

Erin stared at her wedding ring, and watched Pef and Lara discuss the Legion and its beliefs.

"I hope he's right..." the blonde woman whispered softly.

Her other friend, Xia, glanced at her with those strange silver eyes. Something passed through those eyes, amusement and worry perhaps, then she smiled and looked away.

"Good night, Lady Lara. We'll meet again." Pef said and glanced towards the door. Lara faked a sketchy salute and left, a bit tipsy as well.

What! She wasn't recruited by force? "Why not?" Erin muttered in surprise.

"My father might object. And then I'd lose my privileges, and it would be a mess. She still has 6 months to serve on this tour"

Pef explained with a frown.

Erin nodded, having figured out the story from the bits that Pef said. As long Pef was the heir of an Emperor, he did indeed have the whole Patriarchy behind him. But if Emperor Wixtal Xi reneged him...

Unlike the young Pef, Wixtal was known to have slain a hundred Emperor ranked beasts, and his strength was close to the fabled Tyrant ranked enforcers of the Patriarch.

"Still, you never met him right? As long as you are polite..." Erin wondered with a shrug. Parents always loved their kids, so it shouldn't be hard to form a good relation.

"He tried to kill me as a baby. But my mom died instead" Pef answered with a sad smile, and poured himself some wine.

Erin glanced at Xie for confirmation, but this wasn't a silly joke. Her friend's hand lingered a second on her belly and then thumbed a tear away, some painful memory behind that gesture.

The Erin realized. Like Xie, and her dead baby. Same type of situation perhaps. Only there wasn't a silver eyed Wixtal Xi wife here, but her baby. Emperor Pef, and his strange doubled color soul, like Xie's.

No wonder they understood each other without words, and Pef let Xie do whatever she wanted.

"Still, he serves a purpose here. You shouldn't kill him, husband" Xia said in a weird cold voice, bouncing around the room in phantasmal echoes.

"I'd be wasting a Legion asset. No. He will serve, and live to fight our enemies. His skill will be useful" Pef declared in a calm voice, like he was talking about some rude Guard and not...

"Oh. He is just a rude soldier for you. Give him 50 lashes, and use him till he dies" Erin realized with a bit of fright. Her husband (in name) was quite scary if he wanted to be.

"Anyway, it's not like he can truly die. Damn golden auras, they are eternal and will get reborn anyway. And then some other guy will suffer for his karma. Best for him to know why he suffers and cleanse his debt to the heavens" her husband threw out of nowhere, while pouring drinks for everyone.

The rice wine was very good indeed, sweet and not strong at all. They drank some, and then more, as Pef told stories of his crazy childhood.

Next morning when she woke up, Erin found her husband in her arms, dried tears on his face. Her sisters were long gone, probably out to take care of the crew.

She summoned some water and gently washed his face, the Emperor just a sad orphan with a scary glove and a terrible father.

"Hey Erin, your face is a mess. You shouldn't drink at your age." Pef mumbled, still half asleep.

She drenched him good for that, as her years were not a joke subject.

Then she got drenched in turn, because Pef had water as well.

A few minutes later, they both burst in laughter, wet and a bit closer. Erin offered a hug, hoping for another great breakfast.

"This feels nice. But you should pay me more. A kiss, if you want fried snake" Pef demanded after a minute of wet hug.

Erin hesitated, but in the end, her stomach won.

She gave her husband a kiss, and felt quite sweet.

Then Pef poked her unarmored chest and ran away, leaving her torn again. Damn that silly man! Why did he run?

Should she chase him? Get changed in dry clothes first? Eat the promised breakfast?

Erin dotted the list, and headed out, after she carefully armored herself. Pef was dangerous.

No wonder Xie and Pela always wore their breastplates.

Outside, the crew were already hard at work, kindling wood, and stoking the stoves, cleaning snakes or rabbits, boiling water and handing Pef things as he requested.

"Salt! Soy sauce! Corn syrup! More water! Garlic here! More wood at stove 3!" her husband demanded in a familiar rhythm. His helpers handed over the materials with practiced speed.

"Lady Xi!" the crew saluted her, like she was an Empress or something.

"Morning guys. Anything of note?" she asked looking around for any trouble.

The crew looked down and then at Pef, and shook their heads.

Xie was setting the tables though, so she went to help.

"What's up sis, why is everyone so strange?" Erin asked a bit confused.

"Eh, you're just very happy this morning. Kinda flushed and red in the face. You tell me..." Xie teased her with a grin.

Gah! "Nothing happened! Well, except the water fight, and then we kissed a bit..." she admitted in a low murmur.

"Good for you! That's how I caught him too. But not with just a kiss..." her friend explained with a smile.

Erin blushed harder and kept helping in silence.

Then Remi and Lara appeared, possibly hoping for another breakfast, damn women!

"It's not that there isn't enough, but I don't work for free. A hug from both of you!" Pef demanded while holding an appetizing stick with grilled bits of meat on it, and waved it in front of the two Majors, like a snake charmer.

Erin grinned, already knowing the answer. It just wasn't possible to resist.

An hour later, the crew embarked on the airships and continued their flight toward the capital, 87 people flying at a decent speed, without a having the qi rank.

Pef offered to teach her to fly, and it proved to be ridiculously simple, unless there was a strong wind.

But weaving left and right, or adding wood for altitude was very easy.