Chapter 50 – Realizations Over Coffee

The bell above the café door gave a cheerful ring as Mira practically dragged Elara inside. The smell of roasted beans and honeyed pastries hit them instantly, mingling with the crisp morning breeze as the door swung shut behind them. It was a charming little place, nestled between a flower shop and a bookbinder's storefront—warm, quiet, and perfect for heart-to-hearts.

"You look like someone poured boiling mana down your dress," Mira said, tugging her friend into a cushioned booth by the window. "Spill. Now."

Kael, ever the sentinel, followed them wordlessly and sat across from them with the stiffness of a royal guard at a coronation. She placed a hand on the hilt of her dagger—even in a café, she remained perpetually alert. Her eyes flicked between the two women, alert, perhaps confused as to why caffeine warranted this much emotion.

Elara slumped into the seat, still pink in the cheeks. "It was nothing. Just… someone from the training match."

Mira squinted at her. "Let me guess… a guy?"

"Not just a guy," Elara muttered. "He looked familiar. Strong jaw, good posture, brown eyes—messy dark hair. Wore a Guard's crest. I asked his name and he said—"

She paused, her voice catching.

Mira gasped. "No way. Wait… waitwaitwait. Was his name Leo?!"

Elara buried her face in her hands.

"Oh my goddess," Mira cackled. "You met Leo and didn't even recognize him?! LEO, my brother!! The same one who used to hurl pinecones at us from the roof like he was defending a fortress? And remember when he bawled his eyes out after trying your lethal spicy potato soup? That Leo!"

Kael blinked. "Leo. The knight who made Mistress blush during the match."

Mira howled with laughter.

Kael tilted her head. "Is he to be the breeding partner, then?"

Elara froze.

Mira spit her tea back into the cup. "WHAT?!"

"Mistress appears to be entering heat," Kael continued matter-of-factly. "Should I begin preparation for procreation? We may need to identify the strongest male candidates if the knight is unavailable."

Elara slid lower in her seat, eyes wide in horror. "K-Kael, what in the name of reason are you talking about?!"

Mira, breathless, managed to wheeze out, "Kael, sweetheart, no. That's not how it works. At least… not here."

Kael blinked again. "I was taught that when females come into heat, their Pack Leader identifies prime mates to ensure strong offspring."

Elara groaned and reached for her drink. "Please stop saying 'heat.' And definitely stop saying 'breeding.'"

Mira calmed just enough to speak clearly. "Elara, you should probably know… Leo came out about a year ago."

Elara blinked. "Came out?"

"Yeah. As in… he's into men. He's in a relationship with one of the other knight adepts. Really sweet guy. They've been together for months."

Elara stared, open-mouthed. A quiet, helpless "I… oh." escaped her lips.

It was like someone had doused her with cold water. A flush of embarrassment surged through her, followed by an aching twist of confusion. Her stomach sank, her thoughts scrambled, looping back through every second of the encounter.

Kael, who clearly had never encountered this concept before, narrowed her eyes. "Two human males can mate?"

Mira choked on her pastry.

Elara buried her face again. "Not exactly, Kael. There's no… reproduction. It's about affection. Companionship. Romance."

Kael looked genuinely puzzled. "But they cannot produce offspring. How can it be an effective bond?"

"Not everything is about offspring," Elara sighed.

"Then what is it about?"

Elara hesitated, then smiled sadly. "It's about loving who you love. Sometimes your heart just doesn't care about anatomy."

Kael grunted, clearly not understanding but unwilling to challenge further.

Mira reached across and squeezed Elara's hand. "I'm sorry, El. I know you liked him. You've… changed a lot these last few months. I figured it might happen."

Elara looked out the window.

She had changed. Her reflection in the glass showed more than just a girl in high heels and silk stockings. Her hands, resting delicately on her lap, were painted in soft pinks. Her posture elegant, effortless. Her voice—softer lately. Her preferences—shifted.

Six months ago, she would've cringed at the idea of someone polishing her nails every morning. Now? It was part of her day. She even enjoyed it.

Dresses had become a staple not just for function but because they made her feel beautiful. She delighted in coordinating her lip color with her shoes. And the heels—oh, the heels. Open-toed, strappy, glittering, ribbon-laced, sometimes with gold accents. She had tens of thousands now—ivory with sapphire trims for formal days, blushing pink with little bows for classes, or sleek black velvet ones with golden runes etched on the soles for evening walks.

She'd caught people staring, and rather than recoil… she'd preened. She purposefully chose outfits that complemented her nail polish—skirts with slit hems to show off her calves, and shoes that drew the eye to her freshly painted toes. She had even started enjoying the process of planning her daily wardrobe with Kael.

She liked how she was looked at—admiring glances, lingering eyes, the way heads turned slightly as she passed. It wasn't vanity, not exactly. It was a recognition. A confirmation that who she was now, inside and out, had power. Grace. Presence.

She liked how she looked. The curve of her lips when she smiled. The gentle shimmer of lip gloss carefully matched to her blouse. The elegant tilt of her chin as she walked through the academy halls in her favorite pair of silver-accented high heels. She wore outfits that flattered, that flowed, that shimmered just enough to make her feel radiant without screaming for attention—silken skirts with artful pleats, light blouses in cool hues, dresses that whispered elegance with every step. Every piece was a declaration: I am here. I am me.

She liked herself. Not just her reflection, not just the reaction she got from others, but the quiet confidence that had started blooming in her chest. It surprised her sometimes—how natural it felt. How comforting. As if all those years she'd spent as someone else had merely been the prologue to this version of herself.

There had been no dramatic revelation. No thunderbolt of divine truth. Just mornings like this one. Realizations over coffee. Subtle shifts in how she carried herself. A growing joy in the rituals of her life—choosing an outfit, applying gloss, coordinating colors, walking into a room with quiet poise. Each tiny moment had layered over the last until, somehow, without even noticing the exact point of change, she had become her.

I'm not a man anymore, she thought, her fingers lightly brushing the rim of her teacup. Not just in body. In spirit. In how I think. In what I want. In what I feel. I'm not pretending. I'm not holding back. I'm not clinging to something that's already gone. I like who I am now. I like this. I am a woman.

And she smiled.

Elara rolled her eyes, exasperated but amused. "Honestly, Kael, I'm not going to spontaneously combust into a baby factory just because I blushed."

Kael, after a long pause, offered a stiff nod. "Then I will cease monitoring for heat cycles. I apologize for the misunderstanding."

Elara laughed. For the first time in days, she laughed freely, openly.

She looked to Mira, then to Kael.

"Alright. Enough about my heat Cycles. Let's get back to Kael's very detailed misunderstanding of human mating rituals."

Mira grinned wickedly. "I have so many follow-up questions."

Kael tilted her head. "Then let us begin. What is a 'cuddle pile?' Mistress mentioned it once in her sleep."

Elara covered her face again. "Oh no."

The three of them laughed until the café staff politely asked them to keep it down.

But deep inside, something had shifted forever.

Elara Wyrmshade had stopped pretending.

And she would never go back.