As we made our way up the stairs, the smell of cinnamon seemed to overwhelm the air itself.
As we reached the top it even made us cough as he hit the back of our throats and as we turned to find the source I was greeted by destruction that left Celesael's look pristine as a ragged Valo tried to keep up with Quatal's dancing around the cooking.
"Papa's all better!" The words cut through the discomfort the spice laden air caused and I melted to my knees with my arms stretched out as she ran towards me.
"Yes he is sweetie... And he loves his little girl so so much." I said embracing her completely as tears fell. "...So, so soooo much."
"I love you to Papa." she said it bluntly, like it should have been obvious, but it wasn't and even as I pulled Eve down to join us I had no idea how I managed to earn such an amazing partner nor daughter.
"I love you both, I'm so happy I felt this, everything was worth it." The words, though simple, broke Eve. The knowledge of everything I had endured making the words mean more than mere words could impart. "Steady Eve, your divinity is showing again." I whispered, kissing her forehead to comfort her. "Your will can do dangerous things now and "I want this moment to never end" is a dangerous wish to make."
She didn't need to ask how I knew, she could see I was struggling with the same thing, only more aware of it by it being an innate part of me as opposed to the sudden transcendence that Eve experienced.
"Papa, now you're all better. Can we sleep together ton-"
"Yes! Please... Ahem! That would be lovely. You can sleep between Mama and papa until we separate in two days and keep Papa safe." I responded a little too quickly, immediately noting that if she is there we will have to behave ourselves.
"Yep, I'll keep Mama and Papa safe." If I had left it there, it would have been fine, but unfortunately I didn't, so it led to a conversation where we carefully skirted round the facts.
"Oh sweetie..." I said softly as I leant in. "Papa needs you to keep him safe from Mama."
"But Auntie Valo always says "If Mama's mad at Papa, he probably deserves it" soooo.... What do I do?" Usually at that stage I would throw a glare, but with the addition of actual feelings into my thoughts, I couldn't actually bring myself to do it.
"I admit, that is usually true... But Mama wants you to protect meeee-I mean us, to this time."
"Yep... And you need to protect Mama from Papa to." Eve added, waving her hand towards Valo to tell her it wasn't a topic of discussion.
"Are you two fighting?" She asked as her lip began to quiver.
"No, we just love eachother so much we will keep talking and be exhausted for the wedding." Eve pleaded as she threw me a desperate look to pull the perfect answer out of my hat.
Unable to think of such an answer, all that came to mind was how Quatal was so happy with the wedding dress and a custom from my original time where the white referee to purity rather than role in society "And if you don't help, Mama can't wear a white dress..."
To my surprise that was enough convincing, and I could only thank fate for nobody asking me what I meant.
"I'll do it... That dress is pretty." The quick agreement, managed to turn the judgemental looks into begrudging acceptance, though they didn't know what it meant, the women were clearly capable of deciphering the subtext.
With that matter settled we went to spread the word of the successful surgery and did a bit of a tour to make sure everything was still on track for the wedding.
All I had actually been given a say in was the suits the deva and I would wear, for the rest of it, my say was compiled into one phrase. "You're right dear, that sounds lovely."
I had mostly detached myself to focus on the matter of becoming whole, but now I had achieved it, I was full of regret. My priorities were correct, I have no doubt, but to miss so much of the experience left me a bit guilty.
The effort she put into organising the affair was immense, a masterpiece of art painted a dot at a time to ensure perfection in every detail.
"Who did you hire to ensure the weather was perfect?" I joked, which rang flat, thanks to her answer.
"I didn't need to, the little one said she would make sure the sun shined on us." She said before noting my expression. "Sorry, I guess that was a phrase in a past time. One without magic."
"Yep and believe it or not I forgot magic existed for a second." I laughed.
"Papa has a really bad memory, huh, Mama?"
Eve knelt down, picked her up and positioned her on her back. "Yes he does, so we have to stick extra close to him, men have a habit of forgetting to turn up to their weddings so he can't be alone."
"If Papa forgets I'll be angry for a whole day... Maybe two..."
"If Papa forgets he won't live an hour maybe two." I chuckled, stopping to kiss my girls on the forehead.
As we made our way to the guildhall to see Byurik, we bumped into Dusk.
"Whyyyy, hellooooo your majesty's!" He yelled mockingly, doing a theatrical bow as he spoke. "I hear you have feelings now, so maybe I should watch my tone lest I wound them." He laughed.
"Honestly I'm more concerned about you wearing out your throat, you'll need it healthy whilst screaming like a little girl and begging the monsters to let you live." I laughed back as he gasped, placing his hands over his heart.
"Sire your words doth pierce this poor peasant's heart."
"Dusk is a weirdo, but his shiny head would be good as a night light." Quatal said, ending the game by reducing his party to tears of laughter as they folded to the ground.
"I think our young princess will break many hearts in her time." Dusk said, regretting it instantly when the idea of our daughter dating drew out our divinity.
"Sweetie... No dating for a two-thousand years. No actually... Just wait until we are old and grey." Eve said, with the tone of oppressive motherly love.
"Auntie Astra said you won't get old now that you're a goddess now though..."
"Exactly, but when it happens you are free to grow up..."
Dusk's men had started to recover by that stage, then Quatal decided to go for the jugular. "Fine, if these are what human men are like, don't think I want one anyway."
With that, even I felt bad for Dusk and his boys. "Don't worry friend, I have feelings now, so I can actually feel bad for you..."
"She's definitely your daughter sire, words dripping with venom."
"Oh noooo! Mama, is my venom really dripping out.... You should have told me." She shouted covering her mouth. Which in turn made Eve glare at the men who froze in their tracks.
"Not to be that guy Dusk, but I'd run if I were you." They didn't need telling, they had started running for the gate before I finished and as they did I walked over to Quatal and Eve. "Now missy, you don't have any venom."
"I know, but I wanted to see uncle Byurik and talk about pancakes." I tousled her hair.
"Talk all you want but telling fibs means no pancakes." Eve looked at me shocked. Had I of all people just implied disciplining our daughter? "What can I say... I feel like it needs to happen now or she will end up no different to how I used to be, manipulating people and lonely."
"How can I be lonely with you and Mama?"
"Sweetie, you will grow up in human years until you reach peak maturity, only then will it slow down until it finally stops completely. We don't want you to grow up too fast and we know you love us the most and you can talk to us about anything, but one day you will have things that you won't want to talk to us about and you will wish you had as many friends as possible."
Quatal thought about my words for while, she realised that as a deep snake she was happy living alone in a mine, but as a feathered serpent, she had craved social interaction. We had babied her and that wasn't likely to stop until we had an actual baby.
"Hmmm? I think that's a tomorrow Quatal problem.
It was lazy, impractical and childish... I fully respected it.
"Definitely your daughter. Don't deal with something until it's trying to kill you or you have to blow your head up."