Chapter 64 part 1

Nick still felt weirded out by the fact that men were the ones who raised the children and took primary responsibility starting at birth. Though, many looked at him with pitting looks now since he wasn't able to breastfeed his daughter. Which rather annoyed him, but he couldn't say anything about it, since that's the way things seemed to be in this world.

As such, he couldn't help but feel a little grateful for the duchess to getting a 'wet nurse' to care for Faye.

Although, the fact that the 'wet nurse' was a guy still felt like he'd entered the twilight zone or something. As it just didn't feel natural to him.

It had been just over a week since Faye was born, but things seemed to have become a little routine already. He knew that it'd be years before he could really do any activities with his daughter, but he couldn't stop thinking about that for the most part.

When Emily got back, he planned on putting in a request for a couple baseball mitts and a ball. Just so he'd have them on hand once she got old enough. Even though that alone would at least be two or three years at the minimum.

The other girl who was apparently pregnant with his kid was still hanging around, but like the first, didn't seem to hold Nick in a very high regard. Which Nick had to assume meant that with how the girl who'd been Faye's mother hadn't been around since Faye was born, that this girl wouldn't be around either.

Nick wondered if this world had a term for a deadbeat mother or not, but didn't know enough of the language to ask. He got the feeling they didn't, but it wasn't like he had much else to deal with at the moment.

Although, he did have to do the chores still like he had before his daughter had been born. Which cut away from the time he was able to be around Faye.

Why having her born created such a change in him, he couldn't say. Just that it was there and whatever happened, he planned on doing what he could for her. Plus his other kid, which could easily be a boy or girl at this point.

However, he did notice less dirty looks being thrown his way when he was cleaning floors. He didn't know if that was because he had a kid of his own now or if there was something else going on. Either way, he couldn't say that he minded the others not being so openly hostile towards him. As it certainly made it feel like he wasn't as much the odd one out anymore.

Each day, except when the weather was poor, he planned on taking his daughter for a walk around the castle that was the duchess' home. She didn't seem to mind when he first started doing that, but he did avoid the areas that were clearly off limits to people like him. Since he couldn't say that he had any special reasons to go to places like that.

Since as far as he was aware, she was conducting research into things that others might not like. Things that Nick would rather avoid learning about, even if he didn't have Faye to worry about as well. Just as a matter of personal survival.

Still, as he sat above Faye's crib, he couldn't help but wonder what the next day would bring for her. Though, one worry that he couldn't let go of was the fact that there weren't any vaccines in this world, so it wasn't like he'd be able to protect her from illnesses that could come up.

Although, there were rumors that a cure had been found for one of the most dreaded diseases going around. Not that he knew much about that. Just what Eddra had told him through their broken communications.

Nick looked out at the night sky full of stars, despite how bright the moon was. He couldn't help but wonder if wishing on a star would help him with any problems with Faye. The last time he'd thought about doing that, despite knowing that it wouldn't do any good, even with magic, had been when he was a little kid himself. Though at this point, he was willing to give anything a chance in the event that it somehow might work to help protect Faye from the unknown that lurked out in each world.

_

Jenn felt exhausted before the party was even over. She hadn't expected so many to have already wanted to get married together. Although, one of the more surprising couples for her had been Rick and Maelia. She hadn't realized that they'd gotten close, not that it was any more surprising to her than Tchisa and Polelin. Both couples had caught her off guard, but at the same time, it wasn't like she'd been around much to notice anything going on between any of them.

Then there was the party. She felt like she should have known it was going to happen, but it hardly felt like any of it had really been planned. Like it was something someone thought they should do after the last couple was married. Which also made it hard for Jenn to leave, even though she avoided drinking anything because she certainly didn't want to get drunk, despite it not being illegal in this world. Largely she avoided it because she didn't want to get drunk and do something that she wouldn't be able to take back.

Such as somehow revealing she was the Blue Rose or something worse. Like when she'd been under the influence of the spores from the funagloid Velithy. She certainly didn't want anything remotely close to that incident to happen to her. Not when she wasn't even around Alex.

Jenn quickly pushed that thought out of her mind as she felt her cheeks heat up as she imagined 'losing control of herself' around Alex. She was sure that Alex would love that, but Jenn wasn't sure that she'd be as happy when she regained control of herself afterwards.

Then after the party, she had to change out of the Blue Rose's outfit and return to where she slept. As Roesadra, Oleania, Jianopra, and Saelea had their mattresses in the room where most of the official business of the mercenary company and every other issue of her people were conducted.

And although, it wasn't as big as Jenn would have liked, it was still the largest building in this hidden village. Though, it also didn't have room for Jenn to sleep there, despite Cithis and Haln's complaints about the point.

Jenn was happy enough to put some distance between herself and that. She just wasn't sure how much distance she really needed to put, since now she had to find a way back to her building without anyone really noticing her come out of the building for the Blue Rose and putting two and two together to figure out she was the Blue Rose.

Fortunately most people weren't anywhere in sight, drunk enough to not notice or remember much, or were busy with 'other' activities. Which suited Jenn just fine.

Yet, when she returned to the building where she slept, she could hear her new roommate talking to a boy and girl through the wall and open front door. Not that there was a door to close there in the first place.

"Embri' why won't you ask her to read it?" a little girl asked.

"I just met her," Embris said, though it sounded like she was merely trying to come up with an excuse rather than offer a real reason. "I can't ask something like that when others charge for it when I just met the person. I mean, I'm not even sure I want to agree to join them."

"But it's so much fun here," the boy complained, though Jenn suspected that his reasoning wasn't going anywhere in the direction that Embris' was. "They say that we don't have to even worry about sweeps passing through so we won't become slaves."

As Jenn reached the door, she heard Embris sigh. "I understand all that, but what cost would it be? I feel like if there's not chance of anyone being made into a slave, what's the cost going to be? Will we be able to survive it?"

"Don't worry about surviving what the cost'll be," Jenn said, walking in. She didn't plan on hearing what they'd been talking about, but she was pretty sure that Embris wouldn't be surprised at how much sound passes through the walls here. "Just look at it this way, if the slaves aren't the main workforce, then people here would just need to hire people for that labor. All it'll do is just raise prices a little, but as those people would get paid for their work, they'd still be able to make a living."

Embris and the two children looked at Jenn as she came through the door in surprise. Jenn didn't pay it much mind, but she was a little annoyed at it right then. Most of the time she'd be able to ignore it, but with how tired she was currently, it just bothered her to no end.

Why that was, she couldn't say. Just that it did. Besides, she was kind of intruding herself, even if this was where she was staying and they were her roommates.

"You say that, but how do I know that you're not just telling me something that sounds good to hear? That it'll turn out the way you say?" Embris challenged, though there wasn't any heat behind her words.

"Well, let's put it this way, with how broken the slavery system is, how long before you, your siblings, and possibly even your children become slaves as a matter of course because the people selling the slaves ran out of new people to make slaves?" Jenn returned.

She wouldn't have been as confident about her statement if she hadn't spoken to so many already about the slavery system in this world. She was pretty sure that it was getting ready to collapse and only those running it would be trying to keep it together while others tried to either flee or to weather the storm.

Embris, however, looked at her siblings, closed her eyes before shaking her head. Jenn resisted the urge to peek into her thoughts, but felt it was a close one. After all, Embris hadn't made herself to be completely friendly to Jenn's cause, but at the same time, she wasn't really hostile. Her main concern was clearly taking care of her siblings more than anything else.

Jenn opened her mouth to say something else, but was stopped by Embris. "You're really that confident in what's being done here?"

Jenn nodded with conviction. She was confident that the system she was working at would be viable and wouldn't create more problems. At least so long as it wasn't done at the expense of anyone specific, other than those willing, like herself.

She wanted to say something, but part of the problem was she couldn't think of anything, nor did she feel like it was the time for her to say anything. Though, she did wonder what Embris' siblings thought, even though it was clear that they were more than willing to let their older sister do all the talking.

"If I had a letter I'd like you to read, would you?" she asked, sounding almost afraid. Like she was afraid that Jenn would somehow turn the tables on her for that single request.

"Sure!" Jenn replied immediately and enthusiastically. She couldn't think of a better way to help Embris come to a conclusion than to read whatever it was that she had that had clearly been bothering for, even if only in the back of her mind.

Embris then pulled out a folded piece of paper that she had in her pack. It had clearly gotten crumpled up in the trip over here, but it wasn't really damaged and was still legible enough for Jenn to read.

As she read the letter, she felt a dread come over her when she learned that Feon had been taken in by Beth and Jenn's other friends. While Jenn would love to tell Embris that she'd changed her mind and that Embris could find another place, including wherever Marquis Denshia had his lands that were likely the base of operations for Jenn's friends, but she couldn't do that and still live with herself. If Embris chose to do that on her own, that'd be one thing, but otherwise Jenn couldn't bring herself to do that to someone who looked like she needed a home more than anything else.

When she finished it, Embris and her siblings had tears flowing down their faces, though it was clear to Jenn that the tears were more from relief than anything else. While Jenn would like to know what the tears were about, she didn't want to pry. Instead, she merely handed the letter back to them and made her way to her mattress to sleep.

If she wasn't so tired she'd have left the room altogether and found some other place to sleep, but right then she didn't feel like being that considerate. Especially with how much energy it would take for her to find another place to sleep in the first place.

Jenn could only hope that the next day wouldn't be as exhausting. Even though she'd be walking all day, she hoped that she wouldn't' have any serious issues come up that would be a drain on her like officiating to all those marriages had been for her.

She suspected that part of getting her to do that this night had been a setup, but she couldn't bring herself to be upset at her advisors. While it was exhausting for her, she had a feeling that it'd help her cause out more than anything else she could do right then.

_

Embris waited until Nymis and Rephis were asleep. She didn't want them to worry about what decision she made. About if they'd stay there or not, but what she didn't say to Jenn when she had the chance was that, even before the letter had been read, she had already decided to join the mercenary company.

While she could learn to do something else, she doubted that it'd interest her as much as being a mercenary had. She felt confident that her brother and sister would have a good home here if something happened to her, but with the way things were, with how large the Forest of the Lost was, she doubted that there'd be much chance for her to encounter any actual bandits that she'd have to fight. Which meant that this might be one of the safest jobs she could get.

However, she knew that her siblings would worry about her if she explained the dangers of being a mercenary, so she let them remain in ignorance for the time being. Maybe when Nymis would be old enough, she'd explain them to her, but for now she was happy to just let Nymis go through her life without worrying what could happen. What could be just around the corner for Embris as a mercenary.

At least they'd have a safe place to grow up if something did happen to me, Embris told herself as she settled down to go to sleep. Or at least Embris hoped that it'd be this safe as they grew up if something did happen to her.

_

In the morning, Jenn gets woken up early by Cithis, who reminds her about the need for her to leave. Which Jenn wished she hadn't stressed so much about the night before with how tired she still felt.

However, she didn't want to it wasn't like she felt like she'd fall back asleep while she was walking. Instead, she would just rather try to sleep a little longer, even though she knew that wouldn't be a good idea right then.

As Jenn was about to leave, Embris called out to her, apparently having been woken up as well.

"I was wondering if you'd let me accompany you," Embris said, looking determined for some reason.

"Why?" Jenn asked before she could even think about it. It felt so off from what Embris had been saying the day before that Jenn couldn't help but wondering what the change was.

"Well, I'd like to join your people, but I'd like to see more of what you're up to around here," Embris answered honestly.

"Yay! Anotha' road trip!" Embris' sister cheered.

"Actually," Embris said, turning to her siblings, "both of you will remain here. That way if I do join them, then you'll be able to see what it's like without me around."

Jenn wanted to say that if they wanted to accompany them on this trip it should be fine, but at the same time, she understood what Embris was getting at. Not all the trips Embris would go on, even if she wasn't part of the mercenary company, would be safe for her siblings to accompany as they currently were.

So, it made sense that she'd want them to realize the full effect of what it'd mean if Embris joined Jenn's people.

"You know, I could have Cithis here look after them if you'd like," Jenn offered, glancing at Cithis who merely shrugged like it didn't bother her at all. Which made Jenn ruffle her hair, which she shot Jenn a glare in response, making Jenn chuckle as she took her hand away from Cithis' head.

Embris then looked at Jenn and Cithis, looking rather surprised. "You'd do that?" she asked, sounding like she had been more worried about leaving her siblings there than she'd let on.

Jenn nodded. "Of course. Personally, I'd like to see this community be one where everyone's friendly with each other and there's hardly any problems between the people."

"You're rather idealistic, you know that?" Embris asked dryly.