Relaxation III

"You still mucking about with that whore of yours?" he said as he belched. Both of them grimaced as he slowly walked towards them with no shirt on, a ragged towel on his shoulder half-covering a blue tattoo intricately added to the left side of his face and running down to his hip, disappearing into his trousers. His haircut was a short mohawk, looking more like a light brown scrub brush glued to his scalp; a somewhat pointed brown beard hung with braids interwoven with red and blue beads on the sides of his mouth. The man was all muscle, no fat to be seen, with plenty of scars covering his chest and arms, two on his right cheek and near his right ear that was missing a small piece of the earlobe. He had twelve earrings in an asymmetrical placement along the tops, leather wrap gloves, and dirty brown fur boots. Two of his fingers on his left hand, the thumb and pointer, had small bandages from daily work and shaping wood.

"I'd reciprocate the name to your wife, Boltar," Elsei responded.

"You again," Morlan grumbled out, noting the slight smirk appearing on Boltar's face.

"Yes, me again. Glad you remember the arse-kicking you got last time."

"I remember you getting thrown through the air and being hoisted up by your pants on a tree branch. Still a little tender down there?" Morlan growled out. Both men just stared at each other, a glare in their eyes, before suddenly… they both broke into laughter. Boltar stomped towards the man, and both embraced in a bear hug before the Kaersian turned and looked at Elsei.

"I wasn't the one who gave you that arse-kicking, and we dealt out ten times as much to the arse-lickers. If I remember correctly, I got hoisted by my britches by that explosion, launching me through the air, not thrown by any living creature. I was a little tender after that… ah, Elsei, don't take it too badly with the slander, I –" she socked him lightly on the jaw, making him turn his head for a moment as he shut up. As he rubbed his mouth, a chuckle left his lips. "Good, that means you didn't take it to heart. I was afraid I'd hurt your elfie feelings." He clapped her on the shoulder as a small smirk curled on her face, the awkward welcome now over. They gently hugged as the Kaersian chuckled. "Haven't seen either of you for a long time; don't tell me you're here to do the bidding of the fucking king again?" Boltar asked as he turned and rummaged through a pile of bags to the side of the tavern, the owner asleep nearby. Inside were all manner of tools and equipment for him to use in carpentry. Once he fished out what he needed and put it on the small loop belt he was wearing, he looked up and waited for a response while hefting the sack over his shoulder.

"Artinia is gone, Boltar. It's been conquered. The king is dead." There was a scoff from the man as he licked a canine, looking around as if he had just heard a joke and was wondering if anyone was laughing. He walked by them and headed back towards the house they just visited.

"The best news I've heard in forever. Come to lay low from whoever did the conquering?"

"We work for the new empress, Selene. Can… we head in? To speak in private obviously," Morlan told him, glancing around to see other pairs of eyes on them from afar. Boltar blinked for a moment as he looked at the ground, finally nodding as he opened the front door and patted his old friend on the shoulder. The home was sparse, though well put together. The beds were on the upper floor, ladders reaching them along with storage. The outhouse was just through the back door, ventilation cut above the height of the roof to make sure no smells came wafting back in.

"So, the king… what… finally married, got stabbed in the back by this empress?" Boltar questioned as he sat down on a small stool and leaned against a wobbling table.

"Boltar, you have no idea. Her empire took on an army of demons rampaging across Artinia that the king unleashed." Morlan explained what was happening on the mainland, informing him about just how much it had changed in such a short time. The Kaersian raised his eyebrows in disbelief, blinking for a moment as all of it sunk in while letting out a low whistle in response.

"Huh, so does this mean she'll leave us alone? We never wanted to be a part of some kingdom, let alone an empire."

"You'll change your tune fairly quickly once I've had a chance to let her know she does rule Kaer Danel." Boltar stood up and looked Morlan straight in the eye. The warrior knew that was a touchy subject.

"We're just trying to live, Morlan. We never wanted to be part of something bigger, especially a kingdom that didn't want to let us follow our own religion. Hell, they even tried to kill those who –"

"She has Valkyrja as her generals." That shut Boltar up right quick as his eyes widened. The man blinked and sized the warrior up, thinking he was lying, then glanced at Elsei as if asking her if he was telling the truth.

"Hrist, Brynhildr, Skuld. I don't know the details of why there are only three, that seems to be a hidden story that they will not share" Elsei replied to his look. The carpenter just kept blinking at both of them, his hands on his hips. All of this information, everything that had happened, was within a few months. He could still remember the last time he had to pay taxes, something that should be going to the old chief of the village to keep everything working. Now it usually went to him instead. Now he was being told there were bringers of the slain walking around and accepting this empress's commands.

"She's willing to allow anyone to worship freely, as long as it doesn't interfere with the daily lives of others or cause harm to the empire," Morlan informed him. "Come on, Boltar, why else would we show up?"

Boltar started to waggle a finger at him with his mouth pursed. "No, I know what you are thinking –"

"Boltar –"

"No! Morlan! I just had a child! A son! I'm not leaving! Especially with those bitches out there assaulting us every other month! They need every able body out there when that time comes, you've seen what happened!" The noble warrior did know what happened, he was there years ago, fighting alongside his friend. Amazons were fearsome foes to go against; however, Kaersians were just as deadly. Women were not allowed to have children unless they had slain three of their enemies. That had let Morlan know just how strong Boltar's wife was when protecting their village, now that they had a son.

"And I'm sure she'll have ships keeping them from coming back if I just talk to her majesty! Boltar, think. You could be richly rewarded for following royalty that isn't the king. She's very reasonable, and I need more to back me up."

"Why? Why do you need more? It's always been just you and Elsei in the past; why not get someone from the mainland?" Boltar asked, clearly annoyed. This was his home, he'd lived there all his life; now, he was being asked to leave it by an old friend to serve an empress he'd never met, who very well could be just another corrupt noble using them.

"Because she's letting me choose who will be in my teams, and most mainlanders can't even hold a candle to you or Lornali, let alone the others."

Boltar averted his gaze and slowly shook his head, figuring out the words to say as he licked his lips. "What can she even offer? I'm not about to swear fealty to someone I've never met and hasn't done anything for us yet, Mor! You know us; our oath is our very blood put on the table. We will never put it up for trade unless we're damn sure it's worth it, same as if we need to spill it for the protection of our loved ones. What can she offer? Don't tell me just keeping the loincloths away from us, there's got to be something more."

Morlan sighed and walked over to the only window of the longhouse, looking outside. "I'll call her right now."

"What? You have one of those communication stones or some – the hell?!" the carpenter was astonished as the warrior pulled from his ear a device that had multiple small lights on it glowing.

"Empress Selene? Are you there?" No response came just yet. "She… might be busy at the moment…" Morlan looked sheepish as Boltar crossed his arms and looked at him as if he went nuts. "I'm serious! She's an empress for crying out loud!"

"What do you need, Morlan?" Will answered on the other side. It threw the warrior completely off as he didn't realize there would be a filter now while he was off continent.

"I… was hoping her majesty was available to speak…"

Boltar shifted in his seat and leaned back against the wall, looking at the small tool in his friend's hand. "Ha."

"The empress is currently quite busy, is there an issue with your trip?" the chief of staff questioned.

"I'm… trying to get an old friend to join the agency I'm supposed to head and… he needs a… what was it that Ethan had called it… a signing on package."

There was a long pause on the other side. "What does he want?"

"I want safety for Selfungr, not just battleships sailing about in the waters. Also, a decent wage and no fucking taxes! We're sick of taxes!" Boltar shouted out towards the device.

"… Is that all?" Will replied. The man was taken aback by the response, his mouth curled up in a catty grin.

"Alright, alright; I want a sack of gold for my family to get, I want a bigger house with everything the rich cocksuckers from the mainland have, oh, and I want the same armor that Morlan has."

"… Is that all?" That seemed to make him grind his teeth together. Boltar remained silent for a moment, wondering if he should be asking for a castle.

"Oh shut it Boltar, half of that isn't going to be given anyways," Morlan snapped.

"I gotta see how far your new empress will go to win me."

"We can provide adequate payment as salary; Selfungr needs to have a meeting with a sent governor to negotiate the needs of the people; no taxes for an agent is possible, but not likely for the village due to the funds needed to be used in the maintenance of the infrastructure. An allowance can be given to your family every month. If you wish for a house, you'll have to move to the mainland. We can provide affordable housing that is better than what you have now. As far as armor goes, any equipment is on a case by case basis. That is up to the empress to decide," Will informed him.

Boltar scoffed and sat down, leaning back against a large pillow made of straw. "Some empress."

"Failure to take the offer will result in replacement from other recruits scouted by the intelligence division. We've already found nineteen candidates that may interest you, Morlan, once you come back," Will said through coms. The warrior had a shit-eating grin on his face as he gazed at his friend, with the carpenter gawking at the communication device. He was willing to admit he was wrong in finding able-bodied agents for what he needed. Rumors of up and coming heroes were slow to travel in Artinia; the empire, on the other hand, had a nationwide mail service and young magicians on paid internships running missives everywhere. It still took a few days, but it was so much faster than before.

"What… what the… fucking hell… Odin's flaming beard, alright… what's it like on the fairyland?" his friend replied, stumbling through the words as he rubbed his neck.

"An information package will be sent to the transport, you can pick it up there. Is this all you needed, Morlan?" Will explained.

"Yes, Will, uh… thank you."

"Safe travels." The line ended. Morlan just looked at Boltar, a half-smirk on his mouth and a raised eyebrow.

"You can't be serious… I haven't taken the offer yet. That was all just… just… I was testing the waters, that's all."

"Uhuh." Morlan crossed his arms and cocked his head, unimpressed with his friend's response. Boltar was annoyed he was being overshadowed by new recruits that his friend hadn't even interviewed yet. The kids needed the older generation to show them how it was done.

"I haven't met your empress! Why would I just walk in?"

"Because you know your wife and child would be taken care of, this village will be taken care of. You do realize she does own this island, right? It is a part of the Clockwork Empire now. They actually watch out for their citizens," the young warrior told him. Boltar rubbed his beard and looked away, clearly fidgeting and slightly rocking in the chair as if he was coming up with a decision. "Look, are you really that afraid to –"

Boltar got up and pointed at him, which made Morlan put his hands up in surrender. "I'm not afraid, never have been. You know me. I'm just worried… about swearing an oath to some far off ruler who –" he hesitated as he noticed Elsei tracking his words, wondering if he would use a stereotype on the empress, "– who may not care about what goes on out here."

"You want to visit?" Morlan questioned, crossing his arms. "There's a ball in about a week that is supposed to have – oh, don't give me that look, I know what you're thinking. Yes, there will be quite a bit of the aristocracy there, but the titles are just that now, titles. They have no authority over anything anymore. Look, just come for the party, relax and hopefully I can have a meeting with the empress about you. Then, you can ask whatever questions you still have."

"Why do you want me so badly on this team, Mor? I just asked for so much, and chances are, those 'candidates' are all too willing to do what they can to prove themselves for less."

"Because I've already seen what you can do, Boltar. You don't have to prove yourself." The Kaersian licked his lips and slowly nodded, accepting that response just as the warrior put his hand on the carpenter's shoulder. His preferred weapons were two hand axes perfectly balanced, handed down to him through generations; they looked like large woodcutting axes but were actually as light as a feather. They were most assuredly magical in creation, coming back to his hands even if thrown with just a gesture. While it was peaceful, he would work the wood; when it was wartime, he would work on his foe's flesh and necks. His tracking skills nearly rivaled Elsei's, with his nose being especially sensitive to compete against the elf's long ears. His gut feelings, when he shared them, also tended to be right.

"Fine… I'll come to this damned party, and I'll be on my best behavior, but if they start anything… you know the outcome."

"Good. You won't be disappointed. I'm glad to have you on the team. Now, I need to go find Lornali."

Three Days Later, 29th, December

Gabriel came back to the castle, tired and a little hungry from all of his studying. He had a pretty long laundry list of things to ask the empress, whether she could spare some more funding for the wizard's academy or point them in the right direction. What he saw was the help moving about and getting everything set up for a big party, one that he wondered was about. Donovan and Melsia put on their coats at the door and walked right by him, giving the man a nod in acknowledgment and a smile. "Welcome back. I take it your trip to the academy showed a lot of what Artinia was doing in the magical department?" Donovan asked.

"It… did… hey, uh… what's… what's going on? It looks like everyone is getting ready for some dignitaries coming. Is there a king arriving at some point or…?" Gabriel replied, raising his eyebrow and looking through an open door.

"The princess is having her birthday today," Melsia informed him with a catty grin on her face.

"Oh, the princess… w-wait, what?! Princess?!" the mage exclaimed as he gawked at both of them. No child was living here when he left. Somehow, the empress just conjured a daughter from nowhere. "Wait… adopted?"

"They are related by flesh and blood, so no. She even shares facial features with her mother, though she seems to have white hair," Donovan told him, scratching at the side of his mustache as he put on his hat.

"Eve is absolutely adorable, really she is," Melsia told him with a giant smile. "Reminds me of our daughter when she was younger."

"But… if she's… she… her majesty has to be a… I mean, there's no other answer then…"

"I'm not going to start confirming that without a response from her. We mere… humans… doubtfully could understand any choice she makes these days" Donovan chuckled out, grabbing his gilded cane. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to see about getting a gift for the child."

"I'm positive she'll enjoy what we talked about, Donovan," his wife said as she gently touched his chest. "We'll be back for the party."

"Yeah… bye…" Gabriel gave them a half-wave as they departed, a very dumbfounded look on his face as he blinked for a minute, trying to understand what was going on. He made his way to the kitchen to try and get a quick bite to eat, not even using the dining room as he wanted to get to his office in time to not only drop off an artifact to study but also to try and conjure up a gift now that he knew what was happening in a few hours. Adesha was standing near a stove, cooking up a storm. To the far left, sitting in the corner, was a seven-layer white cake designed as a magical forest, complete with sugar unicorns grazing and swans in the small lake; there were even doves held up by an incantation. Several smaller cakes were also made as backups, with Jeeves checking over the measurements.

Gabriel, still half asleep and not quite having royal etiquette, didn't exactly realize the cake couldn't be touched just yet and started walking towards it for a slice. "Please don't touch the cake; that is for the princess once the party starts," Adesha told him calmly as she continued cooking, not once looking up from the stove. The confusion on his face for a moment told everything: which cake was for her? It looked like some of them were experiments to see which one the princess would like the most. His eyes landed on a few simpler ones, with the main attraction looking more like just something to put in the middle of the table for scenery.

He took a tentative step forward again… and received a frying pan impaled in the wall right in front of his nose, bypassing the armor that was installed as the shields were not activated, no threats detected nearby. He had no idea how strong the metal was that made up the plating, just that the speed Adesha had most likely thrown the pan must have been incredible; there was no shockwave from her movement though, as his eyes blinked back to her, still cooking and disinterested in his location… or so he thought. All cooking equipment was accounted for in front of the maid, which didn't make sense. The pan had to come from somewhere."Last warning."

"Right, sorry, I'll uh… wait till the party… can I… can I grab something from the… I have no idea what that thing is…" Gabriel pointed at the metal boxes attached to the wall keeping most foods refrigerated. He still didn't know that what was inside were usually backup meals ready for on the go trips, either there to be eaten while the empress was flying or thrown in the incredible converter systems to be altered into other materials. Nothing was wasted at the higher levels of The Clockwork Empire it seemed, with leftovers nonexistent inside the castle. The walk-in freezers and refrigerators were just there to carry a few spare ingredients in the event of actual dignitaries arriving without the empress being there.

"I'll have a maid make you a sandwich, Mr. Turkano. However, please mind the time; the party will be happening at 3 pm sharp. There will be a full buffet available if you intend to show up," Jeeves said as he rapidly cut through salami and arrayed crackers. The butler's movement was almost faster than Gabriel's eyes could follow, turning meats and cheeses into appetizers in as little as a few seconds, all the time still looking at him with green optics. It looked like there was enough food to feed an army being prepared… all of this for one little girl. Just how much of a supply of food did the empress have, to easily be so wasteful without a care?

(Recommended Song: Zayde Wølf – Live Life)

Meanwhile, Selene had spent the last two days with her daughter and Dahlia, going on two field trips for an incredibly varied education. The child had a chance to go to the aquarium and zoo, with a planned visit to the high elven forest to the east. Each time, pictures were being taken by the empress, as if she was a tourist with Eve smiling in most of them; it was in hopes of building up a picture portfolio for the princess to look back on. As far as her mother could tell, her daughter was happy. Queen Ynshael was already preparing for their visit, with her daughter and son, Mladris and Ralyf, both surprisingly accommodating after being able to visit the ocean on their vacation to see dolphins.

The six-year old's belated birthday was still being taken care of by the maids back at the castle, with a massive cake along with dishes they were sure she'd like. In the aquarium, Eve especially enjoyed learning about all of the sea creatures, touching the mantas and starfish, and making a fish face each time she got near a new exhibit. Luckily, the grand opening hadn't yet happened, with the empress getting a chance to show her around without closing it up for the special day.

"The bright-colored ones change! Look!" Eve exclaimed as she pointed to one school of fish swarming and spinning, shooting through the transplanted coral and altering their scale patterns to mimic the surroundings where they could. Her tutor was always at her side, explaining the reasons behind why they were shimmering and refracting light near the top of the water. For that moment, the little girl didn't seem to care at first; she just wanted to watch the fish move as she leaned against the railing, separating her from the glass. Eventually, she heard something interesting and tuned in immediately. Dahlia was a natural at getting her to listen, using keywords to pry the child away from whatever she was distracted by.

"Which ones are your favorite?" Selene asked her daughter. The child thought for a moment as she tried to remember each exhibit.

"The… the glowing ones. They make their own light."

"Ah, those… we have more of them back at the castle."

"We do?! Where?" Eve asked, a soft, airy squeak of a voice escaping her lips. She was all smiles with sparkles in her eyes, learning that her favorite animals so far were at home. Luna had immediately taken a liking to her, sharing the same color in hair as her fur. It also helped that the little girl gave the huge wolf plenty of attention for the past few days, to the envy of Ash and Blue.

"Yup. There's a cave that leads to an underground cavern. I'm pretty sure we aren't mining in there anymore, turning the place into protected habitation. I'll show you later, it's really very peaceful. Other fish live in the lake nearby too; once winter passes, there's this big friendly one that comes along and swims nearby you."

"Really? Okay!" the girl said while jumping up and down. Her mother beamed at her as the child scurried around through a darker part of the aquarium, acting as a pinball bouncing between windows to look at whatever was living inside. At the moment, there were only mostly basic fish with some recovering dolphins and whales waiting to eventually be let back into the oceans; one orca, in particular, had a newly transplanted fin and going through rehabilitation, watching her through the glass and rolling playfully through the water to her delight. A few exotic creatures were kept on display as well, such as the remains of a giant squid and a Lion's Mane Jellyfish attached with fake tendrils. There were skeletons from other aquatic animals, with a few sea monsters hidden away for the time being. This was to warn anyone visiting that the oceans weren't all friendly waters; they had very real ways of killing most who were unprepared.

At one exhibit, a seal swam towards the window and bonked its head against it, almost turning into a pancake with how much fat was on its body as it bounced off. It made Eve break out laughing as it swam away, watching her with curiosity. Dahlia explained what the creature was and why it came over to see them, which caused the little girl to get closer to the window in fascination while she learned. There were quite a few scars on its back and side, on a few occasions getting into a scuffle with some predators out in the ocean and escaping. Sea otters sat around in a habitat squeaking when they realized it was feeding time, with the ladies watching them eat and swim for close to an hour; at one point, Eve was allowed to give them a treat. It was cuteness overload for the empress.

Selene just watched her daughter get to explore, even poking at one bubble holding seahorses inside, enjoying the beginning of the day. There was no desk to sit behind, for the time being, no math courses or history lessons. There would be at least one field trip every week, eventually turning into every other week, then every three weeks. While there was a little mathematics on the helibot taking them to the aquarium, it was mostly addition and subtraction so that she knew how large some creatures were. It was already planned to have her learn both the imperial system as well as metric soon. Just from initial observation from her tutor, Eve was exceptionally smart, soaking up knowledge like a sponge.

At one point, two dolphins were swimming around that made Eve copy them, her mother joining in along with the battle maid, wiggling back and forth without a care in the world of how embarrassing the scene looked. No one was around to lay eyes on them anyways, only the auto assistants maintaining the area. Both members of the royal family ate a small lunch brought with them, though the food court was built to allow general recipes that most citizens would know. "Ready to go, munchkin?"

"Can't we stay for a little longer?" Eve whined, hoping to get her mother to agree.

"Well, we've seen most of the exhibits. If you don't want to celebrate your birthday, we could stay here and –"

"Birthday?" the princess asked. She looked confused, wondering what that was.

"Yup. You were born on that day. It's very special. Technically, it's a little belated, but next year it'll be on the 25th of December, okay?"

"What's 'belated' mean?"

"Uh, delayed, not happening when it should have. Next time your birthday will be earlier."

"I… don't remember last year's birthday," her daughter replied, looking a little disheartened as if something was missing. Her eyes dropped as she tried to focus, with nothing coming to mind, just a blank spot in her life. That look was very similar to someone with Alzheimer's, searching for something in their own head that was out of reach… or just not there. Those words seemed to hit like a brick for the empress for a moment, a heartfelt twang that needed to go away. She brushed back a stray lock of white hair over her daughter's left ear and gave her a pat.

"You were too young, don't worry. Come on, kiddo, let's get you home to enjoy your party. Did you learn a lot today?" Selene said, reassuring her and bringing the child out of her confused state.

There would be no memories, they didn't exist until three days ago… she didn't exist until three days ago. Poor thing, I'm going to fix that by making sure there are thousands of good memories to wash away all of that blank space.

"Yeah. I got to see dolphins and starfish and a whale too! I wanna see the fishies at the castle!" Eve exclaimed.

The dev hugged the child to her left hip and gently ran her fingers through her hair. "Good. New exhibits will be built eventually, so there will be return visits. I'll show the underground pools to you later."

"Okay." The helibot spun up its engines as they left through a side door, heading towards the rooftop pad.

"Ma'am, sorry to disturb you when you're with your daughter. Morlan called," Will informed the empress through coms. She now realized it was better to use her cabinet as a filter for more important conversations, with governors regularly speaking with Queen Ynshael and King Weren.

"Oh? Did he find the colleagues he wanted to work with?" she asked.

"In a way. There was a signing package that needed to be addressed, and he's still not convinced." The dev made a sighing sound in the channel, learning how to not show the same emotion visibly as she felt while talking silently through her {Communication Is Key} ability.

"Is there a dossier?"

"Grey is building one on Boltar, the man Morlan wishes to bring into his agency. You… still haven't thought of a name for it, have you?"

"Working on it." The dev watched as Eve sat down in her seat and had her belt attached by Dahlia, the girl staring out the window as soft piano music played in the background. The princess waved goodbye to the auto workers outside, which responded with their own wave. They were automatically verifying the child as the next of kin to their creator.

"Ma'am, there has been an internal discussion through your administration. We were wondering if we could ask you a question?" she heard her chief of staff say.

The transport lifted off and headed back to the castle as a book was read on basic spelling, complete with pictures of cute animals. A side company was opened by Delfie alongside her newspaper for printing books, both for children and adults, to help with education in schools and academies. The woman was effectively printing money now, with everyone now understanding the incredible effect of being able to read and write. The empress felt they would be amazed once they got the chance to use an extranet system.

"What's the question?"

"…" There was a pause on the other side, almost as if Will was gathering the courage. This seemed to tell her it was a big discussion. "Many people believe you are a goddess, yet you continue to ignore filling that role and have stated you will never call yourself one. You continue to respond like a human ruler in front of dignitaries. The question we had was… why not embrace the position of a deity in their eyes? The benefits would be major, with everyone fearing your wrath or standing in your way."

Selene took a deep breath and leaned back in her seat, staring up at the ceiling of the transport. "I don't know if I'm actually on par with a deity for one thing. Elesia, at least when I met her, felt… strong, yes, but disconnected. I'm still me, at least I think I am. Why? Why are you all asking this? We had this discussion. I made my choice."

"Nikola and Robert would like to have a word with you involving your strength. Hrist, by their simulations, is more than likely capable of taking down Elesia or even this Solon, the brother of Xaxara. You defeated her… technically. Three Valkyrja are very much capable of defeating a god, with stories told of Hrist beating Thor in duels. You lead them. While we don't know the circumstances of why the deity at the abbey was so weak, with faith energy not quite understood yet, there is the universal opinion that you are… on par or better."

Selene smirked and rubbed her daughter's shoulder next to her, Eve looking up and smiling at her as she got to sing her ABCs. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, but it takes more than brute strength."

"That was only the first reason. You created us. We number thirteen million and growing now; most are drone units for combat or construction, but you now have advanced cores alongside many personalities such as myself. Frankly, that's creating a new race in many ways."

"Mechanical life? I… okay, yes, I guess..."

"The closest being analogous to us seem to be warforged from pen and paper games. However, I'm fairly certain our strength and capability is… much higher than that race. Back to the question and answers. You have built an empire that technically does not require the citizens inside of it. Would you not consider that a realm? A domain?"

"I didn't make the continent or the planet. We're also currently sharing it with other nations, and we had to go to war with the main kingdom that had control of the dirt we walked on."

"You're technology tier is still not past Late Intersolar. Perhaps that is a feature with more advancements?"

"Possibly. What, you think I should make my own planet eventually? Why not a Dyson Sphere? Hell, just make a new sun while I'm at it. By the way, that was sarcasm."

"I noticed. Next, you have a child that you did not have to go into labor for. Ma'am, what we're trying to explain is… maybe you should accept that designation."

"I'm mortal, Will."

"That could change quickly, ma'am. A simple process in many ways."

Selene let out a dry chuckle, shaking her head a little. Telomere repair and gene therapy was a thing, after all. Genetic enhancement for Morlan was one of the plans to further his training. Cybernetic augmentation could be done on her body as well, or even nanite swarms to create her form. Loading her mind up to a server was also a very real possibility, ignoring the handicaps of the flesh. The main concern… was Eve. Her daughter was getting used to her mother being there without those enhancements; a mechanical arm could distance her from the girl. Being a disembodied voice could utterly crush her. The child had seen her both with makeup on and without; she was noticing that when she didn't wear any, it meant she'd spend the day with her daughter and not meeting with one of her subjects.

"That… may come into play later, just not now. We'll keep it on the back burner for another time, once Eve is grown up. It's not like we couldn't reverse the aging process…"

"Understood. Ah, it looks like you're almost here. I'll let you enjoy the party. Just think about what we've brought up, alright? That is all we are asking."

"I know that. Your concerns are being listened to; thank you, Will. On the same note, you are coming to the party, right?"

"You… want us there?"

"You are all coming to the ball, correct? Come to her birthday party too. She should see who the good guys and girls are in the empire. Ah, Morlan and Elsei are still back at Kaer Danel, aren't they?" The empress needed her daughter to know who she could turn to if her mother wasn't around. There had to be a feeling of safety for the princess no matter where she went; the understanding that if her eyes fell on an automaton anywhere, that it would do everything it could to assist the child was crucial.

"They are. Well, we'll collect and be at the dining hall shortly. Our support for your daughter will be there, ma'am."

"Eat some cake."

"Bad for my digestion."

"You don't have a digestive system," she replied, noting the micro incinerators they had for stomachs. It could be used to destroy small weapons or even hazardous materials to safeguard an area.

"Caught me. Alright… it isn't pink, is it?"

"The color doesn't change the flavor. Besides, I'm pretty sure all of them are white or chocolate. You don't like pink?"

"Doesn't go with my suit." The coms line ended with the empress having a grin on her face, and her eyes closed. Her band of misfits were showing signs of amusing quirkiness. She didn't know what she'd do without them.

Four Hours Later

(Recommended Song: Monoman – Meditation)

The dev carried her daughter to one of the many living rooms while she lay slumped against her mother's shoulder fast asleep, unable to show off the child's newly improved bedroom now altered completely for a young girl to stay in. Juliet had the wallpaper added with a fairytale landscape, glowing stars on the ceiling with some dangling, and running lights on the walls to provide ambient illumination. The carpet was torn out with a new high pile added for softness; a toy chest and desk were thrown into the corner, with a balcony that had protective magic added on the border edge. If the princess ever decided to try and climb over the railing, and fell, a slow fall effect would immediately activate and carry her to the front doors, where security would escort her back inside. This was to prevent both her injury… as well as teenage rebellion in the future. They were planning well ahead of her first year.

A secondary closet was added with random outfits to be hung up, ready to be used in any make-believe game she thought up, along with props and small hologram emitters that could be programmed with assorted creatures. If she wanted to LARP, nothing was stopping her, especially with the playground being added into the backyard with a small fort. It was like having a portable holodeck from star trek, excluding the environment.