Swarming Sovereignty

Lia grasped Rose’s hand bashfully, looking at her family. “So,” she began, “um, I know you always told me not to rush things, but this felt different, I mean, in all the boyfriends I’ve had I never felt something like this, and, well, one thing led to another, and Rose and I decided to get married. We, um, didn’t want to have a big ceremony or anything, so we were thinking we were gonna have a small party, just us.”

There was silence for a long moment as her family processed that, and then Mia rushed over, eyes glistening. “I’m so happy for you!” She said, pulling Lia and Rose into a hug. “You two are perfect for each other!”

“Thanks, Mom.” Lia said shyly, looking into Mia’s eyes as Mia pulled away from the hug. “I’m happy you think that way.”

“Don’t worry about it being too fast.” Gwinn added, walking over and tousling Lia’s hair. “You two have spent basically every waking moment with each other for quite some time, it’s different than someone you only see for a few hours each day.”

She paused, then turned to Rose, a stern expression on her face. “As a mother, I’m obligated to say that if you hurt her, I will do everything in my power to make you regret it.” She said, then her expression softened. “But…I trust that that won’t be a problem. Welcome to the family, Rose.”

“I’d rather die before hurting her. And…thank you, Mother-in-Law.” Rose said, a blush rising to her cheeks.

Gwinn blushed as well. “Um, you’re welcome.” She said. “And if you need anything, feel free to ask, we’ll help you as best we can, you’re family now.”

Lia’s siblings didn’t seem to know quite how to react, but Chrys seemed even more confused than them. “So…I guess you’re my mom, now, Queenie?” She said hesitantly. “I knew this was coming eventually, but…I don’t think I was as ready for it as I thought.”

Lia blinked. She hadn’t been thinking about the fact that she would become a stepmom when she married Rose, but it wasn’t something she should take lightly. “Yes.” She said. “If you would like, after Amelia wakes up, we can have her fix your perception of me, like she did for my family, if it would make things easier for you.”

“I…I’ll think about it.” Chrys said. “This is…confusing.”

“Well, I don’t have any experience, but I’ll do my best to be a good mom.” Lia promised. “So please let me know if I’m doing something that makes you uncomfortable, I don’t want that. And, um, if Rose and I do end up having children, I won’t treat you any differently from them, okay?”

“I’m not worried about that.” Chrys said. “I trust you’ll be fine. This is just…a me issue. I mean, it’s weird having someone other than Mom or my old mom being my parent, but…I guess it’ll just take some getting used to. I mean, with Amelia potentially joining you guys…”

Lia shared a look with Rose. Did you tell her about Amelia? She asked.

No. Rose replied. I didn’t want to confuse her.

Do you think we should?

Probably. Rose said, then turned to Chrys. “Um, actually, there’s…something we need to tell you about Amelia.”

“What?” Chrys asked, tilting her head. “Is she not interested in you two anymore?”

“You…you know how your old mother chose to reincarnate before all of this?”

“No.” Chrys said flatly. “You are not saying what I think you’re saying.”

“Yes, sorry.” Rose said. “She became Amelia. There’s nothing left of the mom you knew, so I decided it was best to not confuse you until things had settled more, but it seems relevant now.”

“I…I’m going to go lie down.” Chrys said. “I need some time to process this. Does she know?”

“She knows, but she doesn’t care.” Rose said. “Though…it is somewhat ironic; I think she is more in love with me now than she ever was in the past.”

“Right, right.” Chrys said. “Sorry to dip like this, but I just…sorry.”

“It’s fine, sweetie.” Rose said. “We’ll be here to talk whenever you need, okay?”

“Thanks.” Chrys said, walking out of the room stiffly.

“She’ll come around in a bit.” Mia said. “I was much the same way when your grandmother remarried. As long as you treat her right, I’m sure she’ll warm up to the idea. Don’t push it on her too much, just let her come to grips with it at her own pace, and be there for her if she needs to talk.

“And Rose, remember that, while Lia may be your wife now, your daughter is just as important as Lia is. I don’t think you would, but don’t neglect her or try to force anything on her. Just make it clear that you still love her, and know that this is a very confusing time for her.”

“I will keep that in mind, Mother-in-Law.” Rose said. “I…thank you.”

“Of course, as your mother-in-law it’s my job to give you this sort of advice.” Mia said.

Rose blinked. “It is?”

“Of course it is!” Mia said. “What did you think a mother-in-law’s job was?”

Rose scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “Increase her child’s political standing at any and all costs? I mean, I figured that wasn’t going to be a problem because you can’t get much higher than Lia, but I still was unsure how things were going to be.”

“As far as I’m concerned, our job is to be another set of parents for you.” Gwinn said. “And I’m sure Mia feels the same.”

Mia nodded. “I do. So, come to us if you ever have any questions, okay? We’ll help you out as best as we can. And please, don’t call us “Mother-in-Law”, call us Mom and Mama, just like Lia does. There’s no need to be that stiff, and it’s less confusing, anyway.””

“I…I will…Mom.” Rose said, a hint of emotion present in her voice. “I…that means more to me than you know. I…never knew my parents well, I was taken away before I was old enough to remember them.”

“Then we’ll just have to be extra loving, to make up for time lost.” Gwinn said matter-of-factly. “Now…I do believe you mentioned a party? We’ll take care of planning that, so you two go enjoy yourselves, okay?”

Lia’s parents gave Lia and Rose one last hug, then walked out of the room, leaving the couple alone with Lia’s siblings.

“Congrats, Lia!” Olivia said cheerfully. “I was wondering when you two were gonna get married!”

“Thanks, Olivia.” Lia said. “But we were really that close in public?”

“Lia, everyone knew it was only a matter of time.” Robin chuckled. “The way you two make eyes at each other isn’t subtle at all.”

“And you spend every moment you possibly can together.” Maria added. “But, um…congratulations. I’m really happy for you.” She turned to her younger siblings. “You two, let’s give Lia and Rose some alone time, and go help plan the party, okay?”

“Um, sure.” Robin said. “And, uh, congratulations.”

“Thanks, you two.” Rose said. “And, um, feel free to think of me as your big sister too, if you want. I’ll help you out with whatever you need, okay?”

“Kay! Love you guys!” Olivia said, then scampered off after her parents.

Robin and Maria likewise bid farewell, and then Lia and Rose were alone.

“You…we have such a nice family.” Rose said. “I want our daughters to grow up in an environment like this, I think.”

“Daughters?” Lia teased, emphasizing the s. “So, more than one kid, eh?”

Rose blushed. “Well, I mean, we have Chrys, and I also thought it would be nice to have one or two with you, if you wanted.”

“Of course I do.” Lia said. “Nothing would make me happier.” Not allowing Rose any time to reply, she leaned up and caught Rose in a kiss. The two stayed like that for a couple of minutes, then Rose pulled away.

“Um…should we continue this in the bedroom?” Rose asked bashfully, fidgeting slightly.

 “You are too cute.” Lia replied, grinning. “And I believe we have some “wedding presents” to try out…”

---

When Amelia woke, she felt…bad. Not emotionally, not exactly, but physically. It took her a second to place the sensation; her body felt in tip-top shape, or…as tip-top as this body could be, her magic was likewise fine, yet she was still…uncomfortable.

The cause seemed to be her tear-soaked shirt, which struck her as odd. For some reason, the sensation of it against her skin made her feel…bad. She wanted it gone, changed into something not as…wet.

This must have been…discomfort? It was something she had never experienced before, something antithetical to a Hero’s existence; Heroes had to live through harsh conditions on their quest to defeat the Lord of Monsters, ones that would require them to be soaked with water, mud, blood, and all sorts of other contaminants. The Urge didn’t give Heroes the luxury of feeling uncomfortable.

She had felt the sensation slightly in the days since her emotions had begun to manifest, but it felt…more now. Everything felt more now. She…she hadn’t been thinking clearly – another new sensation – during her emotional outburst, but she seemed to recall breaking something, the distinct sensation of her Hero power leaving her as she did.

Wasn’t that supposed to have been sealed away? Why was she able to use it for this? The gods must have stepped in and made an allowance, which meant what she did was something normal magic would not have been able to accomplish.

As she thought back on the moment, she eventually came to the conclusion that she must have thrown off the last remnants of the Urge, allowing her to...feel as much as everyone else. In a way, that felt…wrong, like part of herself had been lost.

No. That thought was the one that was wrong; it didn’t matter if her mental state changed – she didn’t like how she was before, if she had, she wouldn’t have fallen in love with Lia. The fact that she was feeling this way, or feeling any of this, was a sign of progress, a sign that she was triumphing over the Urge and becoming more like those she loved.

She took a deep breath, throwing off her blanket and involuntarily shivering as her wet shirt was met with the relatively cool air of the room. She had to fight the desire to crawl back into the bed, but she didn’t want to leave things the way they were either.

So, she weaved a quick spell to dry her clothes, and another to heat the room. The effect was immediate and noticeable; she no longer felt quite so bad, and in an odd way the warmth reminded her of how she felt when Lia had held her while she was crying. It was…nice.

She moved over to her desk, picking up her pen and moving to write down her feelings, and her thoughts on what they were, but paused. She…she didn’t have to do this by herself; she had the people she loved who could help her sort this out.

Lia, Rose? She ventured, telepathically reaching out for them.

Amelia! Lia’s voice came back immediately. How are you feeling? Are you still in your room?

A warmth blossomed in Amelia’s chest at those words. It…was not like the warmth the feelings she had given herself provided, but…richer, deeper. Not as intense, yes, but more…full. She…she had made changes to her mind without truly grasping what those emotions felt like, hadn’t she?

Then and there she decided to change. She wasn’t about to reduce her feelings towards Lia and Rose, no, but…she could improve them. It would be a long project, one that might span months or even years, but she could slowly catalogue how “natural” emotions felt, and upgrade the ones she had given herself to feel the same. She could have the intensity and the depth, the best of both worlds.

I’m…I don’t know. Amelia admitted. I was hoping you two could help me with that. And yes, I’m still in my room.

We’ll be right there! Lia replied. Hold tight!

As the connection faded, Amelia found that she had unintentionally begun smiling. It was an expression that had crept up without any warning, another novelty for Amelia. She was used to being able to anticipate how she would react to any given situation, and how that would affect her expression.

It was so…spontaneous. Her mood was changing on a whim, differing from one minute to the next. Just moments ago, she had been feeling bad, and now she was feeling good. Was this really how “normal” people lived their lives? The emotions had not been particularly intense, yes, but going from one to the other with little warning was strange.

Was…was that why being “disrespectful” to people was frowned on by Lia and Rose? Did such a small thing actually cause someone’s emotional state to shift? That felt odd, but at the same time…it made sense. What…what was it that Lia said to her when they were younger? “Treat people how you want to be treated”?

She paused, imagining how she would feel if Jerry told her to fetch him a glass of water in the same way she had asked…Dahlia back when she had first joined the swarm. And she felt…bad. It was a low, simmering sort of feeling; what gave him the right to tell her what to do? Just because he was the “Administrator” didn’t mean she had to listen to his demands.

Dahlia must have felt much the same. As much as Amelia was the swarm’s creator, she was also relatively new to the swarm, and if Amelia could feel like this about the head of the gods, Dahlia could certainly feel this way about Amelia.

Odd, very odd. Yet, when Lia or Rose asked, everyone obeyed with a smile. Amelia could understand why they reacted that way to Lia, since she had built that emotion into the swarm, but Rose? The way she asked them must make them feel…good, make them want to obey. And, checking her own feelings again, if Jerry treated Amelia like an equal, she certainly would be more open to listening to what he said.

She was broken out of her reverie by a knock at her door. She hurried over, opening it and smiling wide as both Lia and Rose were there. “Thank you for coming.” She said, and, to her surprise, she meant it. She was happy that Lia and Rose had made time for her in a way that she hadn’t quite felt before. Yes, it felt good that they were doing something for her, and in turn, that made her want to do something good for them.

“Um, thank you, Amelia.” Lia said. “I…know making those rings and helping Rose propose was hard for you, and…well, I don’t have the proper words to express just how much I appreciate it.”

Amelia blinked in surprise, a warm feeling filling her chest. There were undertones of sadness to it, sadness that she was not yet a part of their relationship, but the warmth was somehow greater. “Um…I was hoping you two might be able to help me figure out what I’m feeling.” Amelia said shyly. “I don’t know the names of all these things, and I think it would be helpful to know for the future.”

“Of course.” Rose said, smiling warmly down at Amelia.

The look once again caused a pleasant feeling within Amelia, as well as a sort of…throbbing sensation. Not like the painful throbbing of sadness, but a sort of…thumping in her chest at the look Rose gave, one that was almost adjacent to love. “Uh…um…thanks.” Amelia stuttered.

“Don’t mention it.” Rose said, still smiling that heart-melting smile. “May we come in?”