"Resu the story and your explanation, sweetie." nadion said.
A wave of Solus' hand and the sand castle reappeared, along with all the puppets still in the sa spot as when she had banished them a few seconds ago.
"As I was saying, the friends I've retained from my old life are either people like Aunt Loka and Malyshka, who wouldn't have abandoned even if I turned into a crazy Lich, or those who stuck around long enough to see Elphyn the party girl beco Elphyn the super competitive workaholic.
"I'm not proud of either of them, but at least Elphyn the workaholic was a respectable person. She was still an and narrow-minded, but at least she put her energy into sothing more aningful than short-term pleasure." Solus blushed at the recollection of her past-self stunts.
"I understand that for the current you Elphyn's actions are questionable, but she was a good person." nadion replied. "Maybe a few people questioned her judgnt, but no one ever doubted her character."
"No one ever doubted her talent and potential as your daughter and only heir, you an." Solus snorted, double-checking the Hush zone around the toddlers. "My character was weighed, asured, and found wanting.
"Otherwise, at least one person would have questioned your story about Elphyn getting her head straight after 'getting pregnant' out of wedlock. Instead, all the most ancient and wise creatures of Mogar who have t the old didn't doubt for a second that I could have been so reckless."
nadion cleared her throat in embarrassnt, but said nothing, knowing that Solus was right.
'I'd better not tell Epphy that everyone believed so easily about the hidden pregnancy because it was an ongoing rumor back when we were still alive.' She thought.
As the two won talked, the battle between the puppets beca more and more frantic. The knight's armor was damaged and his sword cracked, while the Dragon had lost a few scales and his castle was badly damaged.
"What pains the most, however, is the comparison between the three Elphyn I know." Solus said.
"Three?" nadion asked, putting Surin down now that she was asleep again.
"Baby Elphyn was a sweet, curious, and loving child." Solus felt weird talking so highly about herself.
Yet as she looked at Elysia, she could see the baby girl growing into such a person. Her heart swelled with motherly pride and a warm smile appeared on her face.
"Her heart was pure and full of joy. Her love for magic, you, and Dad gave her the potential to beco not only a Forgemaster as good as you, Mom, but also a good person who would have changed Mogar for the better.
"Dad's death, however, broke her heart and filled it with poison." Solus sighed, her expression turning sour. "Elphyn the workaholic was an improvent on Elphyn the party girl, but they were still the sa person.
"The sa broken person full of grief who kept running away from her pain because she didn't know how to face it." The Dragon puppet roared, blocking the knight's death blow with his tail and countering it with sand flas.
"I don't like it when you call with my old na because I'm afraid of turning into that person again, Mom." Solus said as the puppet knight crumbled and the children cheered. "I never overca my grief, Mom. I never learned my lesson.
"I just lost my mory. I forgot about my pain and got a fresh start. Whenever you call Elphyn, I'm forced to face how hypocritical my words back when I criticized Lith for his cynicism were.
"I gave him plenty of speeches about forgiveness, yet I never forgave my own mother. I told him that he should accept death and treasure every mont he spends with those he loves, yet I did the exact opposite.
"I carried the grief from Dad's death until the day Bytra stabbed and squandered almost twenty years of our life together, Mom. I pushed you away so much that you beca a stranger to .
"I buried myself in work so much that I have no mory of anything else as an adult." Solus' eyes beca veiled with tears and her voice cracked, yet the children giggled. While the Dragon repaired his castle, a girl in a mage robe who looked like Solus offered to help him.
The two puppets fixed the damage in a heartbeat and then disappeared inside the castle. Shortly after, the castle keep beca a scaled-down replica of the Starforge tower.
"Whenever you call Elphyn, Mom, I can't help but worry about what would beco of if I lose another person I love. The na Elphyn reminds that I'm back to being my optimistic child-self, but only because I've been blessed with a great second life.
"I have lost a lot of people so far, but Mirim, Trequill, Nana, and Yurial were Lith's friends, not mine. I knew them solely through him, which helped to remain emotionally detached from their deaths. Phloria, well, I loved her, but…"
"You considered her more as a rival than a friend." nadion read her daughter's hesitation in completing the phrase and did it for her.
Solus blushed and nodded, without interrupting the flow of the story.
The double doors of the sand castle opened, and the Dragon walked out while singing a happy song. Right behind him ca the mage girl, singing along but with a feminine voice.
After her ca three chirping whelps, two of them resembling Elysia and Valeron the Second.
"Do you now understand why I don't like being called Elphyn, Mom?" Solus said as the babies squealed and clapped their hands in joy.
"Yes, sweetie." nadion nodded. "You love your old na, but you are scared of the weight it carries. And the more precious people you have to lose, the more the na Elphyn sounds like an ominous prophecy."
"Exactly." Solus replied, giving a small bow to her enthusiastic audience.
"Thank you for sharing this with , Epphy." nadion said, taking Solus' hands in her own. "For what it's worth, whatever cos your way, we'll face it together. Who knows, maybe this ti we'll both do a better job at taking care of each other."
"Thank you, Mom." Solus wiped her tears and had the puppets fly away until they disappeared on the horizon.
This way, they wouldn't turn back into sand in front of the children and would give them the impression that the happy family had just moved sowhere else to live more adventures.
"That said, I hope you don't mind asking you one more question." nadion said. "Is the third whelp supposed to be Raldarak or your contribution to the family?"
"Mom, that was just a story!" Solus blushed hard and tried to change the topic. "Check if the babies are hungry or need a fresh diaper. It should be about feeding ti."
"Yeah, right. Just a story." nadion snorted but did as asked. "Wait, I got it. That was your plan since the beginning. You wanted to have at least three children-"
"Mom!" Solus snarled as she checked Dripha, cutting her mother short.
"Mama!" Dripha said with a giggle, and the two won froze in horror.
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