Checks and Balances

... and thus, my audience with the Count ended."

Sophia and Mirabelle had expected something along those lines, but the most important part was left out.

"Did you embrace Amaia?"

Mirabelle's sinister smile had returned to her face.

"On my life, I would never be so irresponsible."

"If that is the case, you could send her back," Sophia said.

"It's not that simple. We slept in the same room, alone. She has already been added to our family register in the Kingdom's census data. The family head of the Cantrell County already blessed the relationship. I've already been branded as a womanizer by society. If I send her back, it would be considered an unjustified rejection of the Count's good will. We would no longer be able to do business with nobles, or businesses patronized by nobles. The Hrodger name would become anathema. That's without the Count using his influence to crush us."

"I see.. Do you have anything left to say in your defense?"

"Only that I love you. My desire, more than anything else , is to continue stumbling my way through this life with the pair of you by my side."

"What about Amaia?"

"She was truly forced into a relationship with a stranger. I won't grow attached emotionally, but I will take responsibility to ensure she lives comfortably. It's the least I can do."

"I see. Amaia, tell us about how you met Edward."

"As Master Edward said, Count Cantrell suddenly summoned me and gave me to a man I had never met. My Gift is entirely composed of life lengthening boons, some of which slowed my psychological and physiological development. In the few decades since I've been born, it wasn't uncommon other women to tease and bully me. After my body started to mature, It wasn't uncommon for men to look at me with undisguised lust in their eyes. As a result, I had a fairly graphic idea of what would happen to me behind closed doors when I was given to a man."

"We were sent to be alone together in a room designed for such activities, but I never saw so much as a hint of lust in Master Edward's eyes. I have been his to take since that day, and he has refused to consider taking me. I can say with certainty, there is no man I would rather give myself to. Please, give me your blessing! I don't know if I love him yet, but I know I want to love, and to be loved by Master Edward," Amaia said with a gentle smile on her face.

"It seems Mai is a hopeless case already!" Mirabelle said with a smile so radiant, one would suspect the sinister smile that sat upon her face was nothing more than an illusion.

Sophia began with a sigh, "Well, that's Mirabelle's agreement. Once she's given you a nickname, it means you can never be rid of her. That said, we need to figure out how to prevent this from happening again."

Mirabelle and Amaia seemed a little confused, after all, it wasn't likely for another noble to run the same gambit on their family twice.

"We fell in love with Edward over short periods of time when he was just being himself. He is also vulnerable to honest feelings and seemingly incapable of saying no. We need to make sure nobody else can claim a space in his heart." 

Mirabelle and Amaia were nodding fervently now.

"How about we split up our responsibilities. Sophie, as the first wife you will manage our social interactions and reputation. Ami, you will stay with him whenever we can't, and keep him too occupied to cause trouble. I'll look after our children, keep the house in order and our lines of communication clear."

"A solid strategy," Sophie was again reminded not to underestimate Mirabelle.

"I'm in as well," Said Amaia, who was over the moon to be accepted by her master's wives.

"If I could interject-"

"You can't'" Mira replied with her scary smile.

"Understood." Edward decided not to push his luck.

That evening, the four of them returend to the family home and began to build stronger bonds as they worked toward a brighter future. Disciplining Conrad was still a high priority, but caring for the boys and figuring out how to portion time with their husband were challenges to be faced as well.

---

In a now familiar improvised laboratory 

"Yep, Edward's going to be occupied for quite some time. Women are scary enough, I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to marry more than one, but they had to have been crazier than me. That said, I declare the operation a Critical Success!"

You almost got us killed.

"Stop being dramatic."

There is no drama in that statement. One correct assumption about is, one lingering curiosity about their 'tranquillity', one slip on our end, and we would have been discovered.

"People see what they want to see, and they don't bother checking places they don't care to look. All we did was give them a little nudge, and they choose peace. That peace will make them all happy, none of them will care enough to look into it, and the evidence will be gone by noon if not earlier."

I would appreciate it if you would exercise caution.

"No risk, no reward. We barely risked exposure here. If you're that squeamish now, you'll have nightmares when we need to take gambles that are actually risky."

We didn't need to risk anything this time.

"Inaction can sometimes be the most dangerous choice of them all. I already told you this divided family could have attracted zealots."

Families break apart with tragic regularity. The chances of their misery causing our downfall were miniscule. 

"The odds of our interference being detected were barely nonzero. Besides, don't we want the kid to have a happy childhood?

I still don't see the point in all of this. There will only be one of you left, in the end.

"We have at least a decade to find a solution to that problem. Though if it does come down to me or the boy, I choose Gareth."

That may not be your decision to make.