Demon King's Gardener

“Henes! Henes!” Jaevve sighed as she paused, looking around the main port of Calabou, the biggest island in Asalban. They were setting off for the Demon Realm today to meet her husband and his family there – most of them, anyway.

“Fos is always running off,” Amancia giggled, safely tucked in the crook of Jaevve’s arm, “Fos probably went to look at the Erei gate again.”

“You’re probably right,” Jaevve sighed, shaking her head as she turned in that direction – Henes couldn’t generate magicka, but fos could cast spells – so fos liked spending time around a magicka source like the small gate that connected Asalban and Erei.

If only one could be built between here and Vede, she thought wryly, easily pushing through the crowd she was head and shoulders taller than. But of course, the Empire would never allow enough magical materials from the Elven Realm Gate to leave their territory to make it happen in this day and age – the Erei gate had been built before they conquered the country the realm gate had previously been in. There had been plans to build a gate to Vede after the success of the Erei gate, but the Empire had gotten wind of it – which had prompted them to invade in the first place.

Still, it was one big way they circumvented the Imperial blockade with the least risk to everyone.

I should see if anyone is selling a magicka plant, Jaevve considered. After all, the Demon Realm had even less magic than the Human Realm, and she didn’t want her child to lose the opportunity to practice entirely. While there were magicka-generating plants in the Demon Realm, they had the misfortune of being demon plants and not safe to leave a child around.

The area around the Erei gate was busier than usual – but then, an envoy of Eleamera priestesses had arrived the day before, which was a very exciting event. Jaevve had no idea what they were doing in Asalban, but that was their business, not hers.

“Henes!” she called out again, eyes scanning the busy area of elven buildings and businesses. She wasn’t very worried – as a half-demon kid and one of Abbay’s to boot, it was highly unlikely the child would come to harm. But they did have a boat to catch.

She finally spotted her other child – fos was sitting with a group of people under a pavilion, happily watching an elven woman doing ice magic and oh, that was definitely the envoy, wasn’t it?

“Henes!” she sighed as she finally reached the pavilion, “How many times do I have to tell you not to wander off like that, child?”

“Mama,” Henes said, tugging on the arm of the human man she was seated beside, “Same eyes.”

“I’m so sorry, sir,” Jaevve sighed, picking her child up and balancing fos on the opposite hip from fos sister, “Fos is very independent.”

“Mama,” Henes insisted, tugging at her shirt, “Same eyes!”

“I imagine fos might get it from fos father?” the man replied mildly.

Jaevve laughed, “Yes, but what makes you…”

She trailed off as she finally looked away from Henes to take the man in – pale skin, wavy brown hair going gray pulled back into a horsetail, and a square-set face. He was a solid man, though that was as much of a description as Jaevve could land on – just a bit heavier and broader than average, but not remarkably so, with a straight but not stiff posture. What had made her pause, however, was his eyes – a pale blue as to be almost white. The same color as her husband – and both children she currently held in her arms.

The elven woman across from him laughed, “Just a feeling we had, you see.”

She was a frost elf – one with medium brown skin and almost black-brown eyes, silken black hair spilling over her shoulders like Vouscu’s own mane of ink, so rich was its luster. Darker brown to black leopard spots framed her round face and neck, her grin showing off her sharp canines while her white-furred leopard tail swayed behind her. She was easily the most beautiful woman Jaevve had ever seen, which only reinforced what she suspected.

“Pardon me,” Jaevve said, “Would the two of you happen to be Ebener and Eweylona Ealdwine, former King and Queen of Jost?’

“We would,” Ebener replied, smiling slightly, “And who might you and these little ones happen to be, madam?”

“Jaevve, wife of Malson Ealdwine,” she replied, knowing her own kept surname would mean little, “And these are Henes and Amancia, our children.”

“A wife!” Eweylona put a hand to her mouth as she grinned at her husband, “His wife, Eb!”

“Would you be so kind as to join us, Jaevve?” Ebener asked, shuffling to sit next to Eweylona and waving at his vacated side of the pavilion.

“I would love to,” Jaevve replied, taking a seat and setting both children at her sides.

Henes immediately abandoned her to seat fos-self in fos grandfather’s lap, declaring proudly once more, “Same eyes.”

Jaevve sighed fondly, “Child…”

Eweylona laughed, reaching over to pat fos head, “Just like Malson – though I didn’t know him at this age.”

“Henes is twelve!” Amancia declared, holding up her fingers, “I’m seven! But, since Henes is half demon, fos is seven, too! Seven and twelve!”

“We had to do the same math with Aya and Meir’ril,” Eweylona chuckled, “They’d be thirty-five now, but developmentally around twenty in human years.”

“They’re alright,” Jaevve said immediately, well able to hear the lurking fear in the tone, “They’re in the Demon Realm with their brothers now – and Beneford.”

“They’re all there,” Ebener smiled, then wiped at his eyes with one hand, “We heard about Braelin and the twins, and there was no reason for the Demon King to lie, yet…”

“Malson didn’t trust it at first, either,” Jaevve smiled, “That’s why the three of us aren’t there with him already. We were meant to set sail today, but we can wait – no reason to travel to the same place separately, is there?”

“No, certainly not,” Eweylona replied, wiping at her own eyes, “But please, tell us more about you – how did you and Malson meet?”

Jaevve laughed, “His correspondence friend was the real Abbay, queen of our humble country here. After the usurpation, she went off escorting Jostian refugee ships to look for him – and she found him.”

“The real…?” Ebener snorted, “Yes, I suppose it would be, with his luck.”

Jaevve patted Amancia’s tied-up puff of black hair, “He had Amancia with Abbay, by the way – though they aren’t romantically inclined.”

She’d brought up the subject of different kinds of attraction known in the Demon Realm, but Abbay and Malson had never been interested in defining their relationship beyond ‘not romantic’, and she saw no reason why it would matter beyond that.

“Which is funny, considering Malson and Abbay are the only two people I’ve been romantically inclined with myself,” Jaevve chuckled nervously, having briefly forgotten that not all humans were… aware of non-monogamous relationship structures.

“It was hard to picture a serial romantic like Malson settled with just one partner,” Eweylona chuckled soothingly, “He just has so much love to share. I’m glad he’s found partners of a similar mind.”

“It’s fairly common here in Asalban,” Jaevve nodded in relief, “Multiple partnerships – though marriage is less formally binding than many human countries, or the Demon Realm.”

“Jaevve,” Amancia whispered loudly, “Why are you talking about Daddy with them?”

“These are Daddy’s parents, Mancie,” Jaevve replied, “Your grandma and grandpa.”

Amancia gasped theatrically, “I have a grandma this pretty!?”

Eweylona laughed, “And I have such a smart granddaughter!”

“Now I see why you’re missing your boat, Jae.”

Jaevve smiled as she turned, “Sorry, Abbay, were you coming to see us off?”

Abbay grinned as she leaned on one of the pavilion’s supports, trading her sailing leathers for a colorful Asalban-style top and skirt since she was home, “I was – but this is an auspicious meeting, isn’t it? Your highnesses.”

Ebener and Eweylona inclined their heads.

Ebener added, “I would not have guessed you were the real pirate Abbay writing my son letters.”

Abbay threw her head back as she laughed in the way she always did, “And no one believed I was corresponding with a real prince! When I heard the envoy was headed for the Demon Realm, I’d intended to stop by after seeing these three off.”

“Mom, mom!” Amancia scrambled to her feet, pulling at her birth mother’s skirt, “Look how pretty my grandma is! And! And! She said I was smart!”

“That’s because you are,” Abbay laughed, “But stop with that tugging – you’re so strong I’m going to be naked in the street!”

Amancia quickly put her hands behind her back, giggling, “Sorry, mom!”

“Same eyes,” Henes repeated again, pointing at fos grandfather.

“That’s right, Hen,” Abbay said, “Those Ealdwine Blues your daddy gave you both.”

“They’re all alive,” Ebener said, stroking his grandchild’s hair, then he took a careful breath, “They’re really all alive.”

Eweylona purred as she turned and bumped her forehead against his, “And together, and safe, my love.”

“Yes,” Ebener agreed, leaning into her, “Yes, they are.”

“Why are you crying, grandpa?” Amancia asked, deciding to sit in her grandmother’s lap. It was a bit comical, really – the smaller child sitting the lap of the bigger grandparent and vice versa.

“Remember how Daddy was worried about your grandparents and aunt and uncles?” Jaevve chuckled, a little misty-eyed herself, “They were worried about all of them, too.”

“Ooooh,” Amancia nodded, clearly feeling very wise, “Happy crying!”

“Yes, dear one,” Eweylona chuckled, “Happy crying.”

“I’m sure you’re eager to set out soon,” Abbay snorted, “But we’d be happy to host you – and the envoy you arrived with – for the night while you finish resupplying. The ship Jaevve was set to leave on can be persuaded to wait an extra day and has the room – particularly for a group of powerful mages.”

“We would be happy to stay,” Eweylona said, “I don’t believe our party expected to leave for another week, so you’d actually be speeding our way.”

“We can tell you plenty of stories about Malson,” Jaevve chuckled, “And relay what news he’s sent us about his siblings.”

“Apparently,” Abbay snorted, “Braelin is courting the Demon King.”

Ebener and Eweylona shared a look.

“Courting as in… romantically?” Ebener asked.

“So Malson wrote,” Jaevve nodded, “Well, so Malson complained about, since he wasn’t allowed to forbid it…”

“Oh my,” Eweylona chuckled, “Braelin must really like him, then.”

“It certainly sounds like he does,” Abbay laughed, “But come, please – we can discuss more at my villa, where no one need use magic to keep away prying ears.”

“Did you know?” Eweylona asked, smiling, “Or did you guess?”

“I guessed,” Abbay shrugged, “You don’t become Pirate Queen without some critical thinking skills, you know?”

Ebener rose first, adjusting his hold on Henes as fos refused to be put down, then held a hand out to his wife.

Eweylona chuckled as she accepted, Amancia much easier for her to manage, “No, I would imagine not. Allow me to get Nua and Edhaidua, the priestesses we’re traveling with.”

“I can take Hen if fos is too heavy,” Jaevve offered, getting to her own feet.

Ebener shook his head, “I’m alright, thank you.”

“I’m sure,” Jaevve smiled – and she was. She really was.