Northern Refreshments 3

Liem was prepared to take on the burden of the business side of being a Matriarch and willingly just let her be a figurehead if she chose to. For them to fully flourish on their own, she would need to be more assertive and confident or they would lose to others. Cerez decided he would bring in the money and be the financial support. If nothing, it should impress her. After three hours they woke Nora and started the process of getting ready. Outsiders were coming today so she needed to dress up more than she did casually. She could dress as simply as she did everyday. She needed to look like a Matriarch, 'a powerful shield and beacon of fertility' in Allurai's word. She pulled her hair down from the bun Kadir tied for her everyday and looked at her dishevelled self. She hated asking for his help but he was a lot better at makeup and hair. She walked into the room seeing her guys with glasses of iced tea chatting on the couch.

Kadir's face twitched as he tried the new food. A burst of vinegar shot down and hit him in the windpipe. He choked. He had taken too much of the hot sauce yesterday on his eggs in the morning and now this. It was not that he did not like the food after he had an appropriate serving, it was that he had the worst luck. He scowled. He looked at her face, which looked hurt. He drank a mouthful of Iced Tea. He took in a mouthful of air. He looked to her and smiled and grabbed another piece and ate more. It was actually delicious and interesting. It was a way to preserve the produced for a long time. The kitchen smelled awful as she made pot after pot saying she had cravings for it. The dried meat was the same.

"It is really good." Kadir said as he broke his silence.

 "Liem, can you help me get ready? I am still so tired." Nora pouted. She ran her hands over her tiny bump. 

'How were they making her so tired already?' Nora thought. She had a lot of energy normally. 

"It is okay, I am happy to help. I need a break from this anyway." Liem said, as he shot her a concerned look. It looked like all the over-exertion was catching up with her. He flicked his wrist to close his interface screen and rubbed his tired eyes. 

"We can have a nice family bath and get ready together." Cerez said as he finished his work. His shoulders and back were very tense. Tonight they will be celebrating her conception and the second female of Allari. They had verified their healthy development weeks ago.

'This world took the time to celebrate every special milestone in a person's life.' Nora thought as she watched Kadir finish his own work to join them. 

This was an event that they were obligated to go to. Although medical technology is really advanced, there could be unforeseeable complications. Nora wished she could forgo it for this very reason. Celebrations like these could turn out bitter for many people. It was bizarre to celebrate a healthy conception since they were no bigger than kidney beans right now. She plodded into the bathroom lazily and disrobed. She stepped into the massive tub as it filled and sat down to enjoy the hot water and jets. She watched the milk and oils cloud the water as they were added. She watched Liem and Kadir join her in the bath first. She happily sighed, looking at the handsome man. She found a spot near the console and pulled out a shower head to wash her hair.

 "It is okay darling, just relax, we will do it." Cerez said as he grabbed the shower head from her. The three of them bathed Nora. 

Cerez got to wash her hair, Kadir soaped her up and Liem got to massage her. They seldom got the chance to do this for her. They had learned how to apply cosmetics and treat a matriarch in the past and hated the notion of it. But they found that it was surprisingly more enjoyable to help someone that they loved. Since she cared for them and did not see that this was their obligation, it made the task so much more rewarding for them. Doing things for each other was an easy way to show their love. After her tonic, bath and getting pampered, Nora felt her soreness and tiredness slip away. She felt like a human again. These moments were worth more to her than any jewel. She was grateful for their care. She looked in the mirror and smiled. 

"Thank you, you are all so much more talented than I am, and I appreciate everything that you do for me. I will try not to make this a habit. I know you are all busy." Nora said, feeling guilty.

"I am happy to take the time out to be with you anytime. Also, we needed to get ready too," Liem said. The truth was, the bath had also relaxed him. Liem noticed that Kadir and Cerez also looked refreshed too. 

"You all look so handsome. Sometimes I worry that when I meet another woman, she might try to steal you away from me." Nora said, looking at her handsome spouses. If they were on earth, they would be so far out of her league.

 "Never." They all said in sync. They all laughed as they caught themselves. They all looked so handsome in formal wear. Nora felt incredibly happy as she looked at each of them and blushed. 

"We should grab the refreshments, I hope everyone likes them." Nora said, thinking about the time. Kadir pulled out a large cart that he had thoughtfully requested from the main kitchen. Nora smiled at the thoughtfulness as they filled the cart with massive insulated containers full of fluid. The trolley rumbled with weight as they rolled out of their residence and through the hall. Nora felt the sting of inquisitive eyes as they entered the room. She shook the feeling off with the poise she learned in her 'former' life. They were no more intimidating than a room of adults scrutinizing her presentation on climate change. Nora changed her postures and gait to put on an air of confidence. The inside of the main hall was busy with guests from the main Halid family, Sedai family and Allari. Groups of young men were all playing together, the adult men were conversing. The room was full of the happy sounds of family members greeting each other as they came through the door. Nora followed her spouses in with the coolers and placed them with the refreshments. They headed to the center of the room to greet their families. 

"Cerez, just look at you. You are glowing more than Nora is. You look great." Vida said as she smiled at her son. He seemed to be a changed man. He was relaxed and seemed more mature. The three young men had noticeably changed in the months since they had all entered the new clan. The three mothers, worried that their sons would remain alone forever, were blessed with news of possible new infants in their family lines. Two lives have been confirmed already. This news was a blessing. 

"Mother, I have missed you." Cerez embraced his mother for the first time in years. Shock and then happiness filled her.

 "Son, I have missed you too." Vida said as a warm smile bloomed on her face. 

'This warmth, how long has it been since I felt it from this boy?' Vida thought. Tenderness and nostalgia flooded Vida's heart as she felt the embrace of her son. It had been nearly a decade since he had last hugged her. 

He had threatened to withhold hugs and affection if she genetically edited him so he would grow taller. She did not know that it would affect him so much, and he would follow through with his promise for so long. Vida only did it because she was afraid that Cerez, if left unaltered, would never be chosen. Her brothers and many of her uncles suffered due to the height problem. It was a natural harmless hereditary trait passed down through her family. It was only recently that they could make minor changes like these. Cerez was now living the life she dreamed of for him. As they parted, Vida smiled happily at Nora. Her son had changed. 

'It is due to her. Or her considerate choices. This is why he keeps asking for a share of prime vegetables and meat. It is because he cares about living again. He is almost like his old self.' Vida thought. 

She remembered how Cerez had yelled and became disconnected after the edit. He was connecting with the world again as a person and did not seem closed off, defensive and hopeless. She owed Nora a lot. She was thrilled with his change. He seemed very protective of his Matriarch. The three men seemed not to like other men around her. She hoped her children would be on their best behavior tonight. The small woman looked at her shyly. She had not had the chance to interact with her much at the Binding. It was not that she did not want to. She felt so much loss with the finality of the Binding. It was like her little boy was no longer hers, he was a man now. He would soon be a father.

"You have been busy," Vida said. She noticed the cart. His increasing communications mentioned her and his desire to start growing a crop for her. Her interest was piqued in what type of crop she had space set aside for cultivation and could purchase some northern sprawl as a gift if it was an indigenous plant that required it. She looked at the big blue eyes of the girl, the child was looking at her, looking for approval. She was filled with warmth. She had never had a daughter. She was delighted with her sons. They were sensitive, sweet and loved to adventure with her. Girls needed to be raised in a boring way, she barely got through it herself. She was relieved a daughter was not in the cards. She would hand the empire to Nora and Cerez. He would care for his brothers and hers.