"How dare you?" Jala beca beet red in embarrassnt. "I was just complinting a first-ti client!"
"If that were true, you wouldn't have dragged my na in it." Talso grunted. "Have a nice day with your beautiful, youthful wife, sir."
"Talso!" Jala roared in jealousy.
"See? It's not so funny when you're on the receiving end, is it?" The man baker, serving the clients without missing a beat or his business smile.
"I can't believe it." ron mumbled in between bites of his jam bread. "This is the capital of the Kingdom. Our city. Our faces are everywhere. Yet no one notices us, and all eyes are on the quarrelling bakers."
"That's because no one really pays attention to our faces when they look at one of our portraits." Sylpha chuckled. "They focus on the crowns, the scepters, and all the trappings of our profession.
"On top of that, no one expects the Royal couple to walk around the city without an escort, so when we do, nobody notices."
"Do you do this often?" ron asked.
"One mont, dear." Sylpha approached a fruit stand. "Is everything alright, Pima? Your prices have gone down and so did Jala's. Is business going badly?"
"Quite the contrary, Syra, it goes great." The young woman selling fruits and vegetables said. "With three lost cities in the Kellar region gone and the Association making the reclaid lands suitable for cultivation again, the tax food has gone down.
"We have to pay a lesser tithe in crops to send to the north, so we have more in store left to sell. On top of that, the Trains have reduced the transportation and security costs of all kinds of goods."
Trains were fast and had no tracks. In case of roadblocks or accidents, they could just change their course accordingly and dodge ambushes.
"We make more profit than before, even after lowering the prices." Pima said. "Thank the gods sotis the Royals rember our poor folks exist. Between a round of dance and a sip of their expensive tea, of course."
'What dance? What tea?' The King was inwardly outraged. 'I bust my ass every day to do everyone's interests but mine. I can't take one bite of food without soone bothering with this or that issue.'
"That's so true." Sylpha said, making ron go pale. "Thank the gods for Magus Verhen. Maybe having a commoner-born at court widened the Royals' perspective."
"That's for sure." Pima nodded. "I love reading from my Tablet. Maybe, one day, one of my children will be a Magus too." She chuckled. "You have to try the Train, Syra. It's cheap, safe, and brings you farther than you've ever been.
"I was so excited when I left Valeron for the first ti in my life! You should also bring your handso husband."
"Will do. Goodbye, Pima." The Queen led ron in an alley and Warped them back to the palace before answering his question. "I stroll through the market at least once a week to check how our subjects live and if our policies make their lives easier or harder.
"Ours is a thankless job, but it's easy to grow detached from everyday life while we live in the luxury of the Royal Palace. This way, I always know how much a loaf of bread costs and how much granting or taking a few copper coins away can change the life of the commoners that constitute the backbone of our Kingdom."
"And they have never recognized you?" ron admired his wife's wisdom.
"A few tis, actually." Sylpha cleared her throat. "Then I said sothing along the lines of: 'As if that old hag of the Queen would leave her golden palace'.
"Everyone had a good laugh and a few an words at my expense, and thought I just resembled the Queen."
"I'm sorry to hear that, dear." ron patted her shoulders. "You are not old. I swear."
"Are you calling a hag?" The Queen chuckled.
"Your words, not mine." ron said with a straight face. "Also, you've heard Talso. You're a beautiful, youthful, and slim hag at that. Do you mind if I accompany you on your strolls from now on?"
"Not at all." Sylpha shook her head. "Why? Are you curious to see if soone recognizes you, or do you want to check on our subjects?"
"Neither. I just like being called handso by people without ulterior motives." He replied, making her laugh.
***
Lutia County, Verhen Mansion, the next day.
Lith and Kamila returned from their two-day date and found Solus waiting for them.
"Welco back, guys!" She hugged them in turns. "I missed my beautiful wife and my quick battery charger so much. If only I could get myself a spare."
"Very funny." Lith grunted.
"But I missed my cuties even more." Solus ignored him and crouched to kiss the babies. "What about you? Did you miss ?"
"Yes!" Valeron said.
"Yah!" Elysia said, both of them nodding and extending their arms to be picked up.
"What good kids." Solus took them in her arms and wrapped them in her hair, forming a warm, multicolored blanket. "Can I also get my mother, please?"
"Sure." A wave of Lith's hand released the Demons from their respective Void Sigils.
They greeted him on the fly as they walked away to et their families.
"Hello, sweetie." Ripha now appeared already wearing an outfit.
"Hi, Mom. How do you feel?"
"Now that I see you? Great." nadion replied. "You have to tell everything that happened since the last ti."
"Sure, but that will take a while." Solus said. "Do you mind waiting a bit? There's sothing I have to discuss with Lith."
After greeting his family and entrusting the babies to them, Solus Warped to the tower with Kamila and Lith.
"How did it go with Valeron? What did he do with the Callia branch?" She had waited a whole day to ask that question in order not to pressure the baby boy.
Lith shared everything with her via a partial mind fusion, answering every question she might have.
"Poor kid." Solus sighed. "I wish I could have been by his side with you."
"I know, and I thank you for your sacrifice, Solus." Kamila said. "Soone had to keep Elysia busy. There was no other way to give us the ti and space to talk with Valeron without Elysia ddling."
"I know." Solus replied. "She would have gotten jealous if you brought only him to the Garden. On top of that, I bet that if she ca along, she would have probably attached the branch herself and made all our preparations moot."
"She's my daughter, but I can definitely see that happening. She is willful and bossy." Lith said while staring at Kamila.
"Why are you staring at ?" She asked.
"No reason." Lith cleared his throat and rushed to change the topic. "How is Kelia doing?"
"The usual." Solus shrugged. "At least now that the classes at the Red Emperor academy have resud, she has sothing to do to keep herself busy. She returns to the mansion right after the lessons to study and sleep.
"I'm afraid she won't make many friends this way."
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