Chapter 55- Citizens Arrive

Rhiannan stood at the gates of her kingdom, sunlight catching the cascade of her auburn curls as her mates flanked her, each one holding one of the divine triplets in their arms like fucking glowing trophies. Liam's blonde haired vampire son squirmed in his arms, wide eyed and alert. Elisha cradled their glowing goddess daughter, smiling like he'd been given the stars themselves. And Sable, Sable looked like he'd been punched in the heart and was still recovering, gently rocking his cooing little demon princess with wide, reverent eyes.

She tapped the rune mic Sasha had embedded in her gown collar. "We live, bitches," she announced with a half smile, and FaeNet immediately erupted. The screen lit up with a tsunami of hearts, baby emojis, and 💬"OMG I'M SOBBING" comments.

"Alright, alright," she said, laughing. "Calm your tits, I've got something to say."

She turned the camera to her side, letting it pan over her six mates and the newborns in their arms.

"These are the future of Aurealis. Born under a double full moon, covered in starfire, glowing, growling, and goddess touched. And now…" She smiled, placing her hand over her heart. "As of today, I am Rhiannan Vaelorian, Queen of Aurealis. My chosen name. Our royal family name. May it carry weight, love, and protection for every soul who lives under our banners."

The chat nearly broke itself in joy. 💫👑🍼

Behind them, the first wave of registered citizens had begun to arrive at the gates. Carriages, walkers, winged beings, and shifters in every form imaginable made their way toward the kingdom, wide eyed and breathless at the sight of it all.

Rhiannan turned, still live, and raised her voice.

"Welcome home," she called, her voice rippling out like thunder laced in honey. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Aurealis."

Cheers erupted. Thunderous applause. People wept openly.

Sasha's rune cameras captured every angle, broadcasting it across the realms. Soldiers lined the courtyard in polished armor, saluting. Thorne stood tall at the base of the main stairway, issuing calm, clear orders as groups of soldiers stepped forward to escort the new citizens.

"If you've been assigned a village, we'll take you there now," Thorne called out. "If you've registered to settle the outskirts, you'll be paired with one of our sanctioned mages and builders. Your dreams begin today."

As people began splitting off toward their new lives, Rhiannan waved, smiled, and passed off the mic to Sasha with a wink.

She cut the live just as a toddler ran up and threw flowers at her feet.

The babies gurgled in harmony.

And for a moment, the courtyard of Aurealis felt like the center of the fucking universe.

The golden light of morning stretched across the grassy outskirts, painting the fields in hues of amber and hope. Birds chirped overhead, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of wildflowers and fresh cut wood.

A young family stood at the edge of their freshly claimed plot, staring in disbelief as a five bedroom home rose before their eyes, stone by enchanted stone, under the calm guidance of their assigned mage. The builder, a fae man with moss in his beard and laughter in his eyes, gave the children a wink as he waved his hand, and a sparkling vine of runes twisted upward, forming the walls of their new barn.

The woman, barefoot, overwhelmed, trembling, sank to her knees in the soft dirt. Her husband dropped beside her, wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed uncontrollably into his chest.

"We're safe," she whispered through tears. "We're finally safe."

Their four children raced across the open land, squealing with delight as a miniature forest treehouse sprouted beside the house, complete with a rope bridge, spiral slide, and a set of swings that hovered gently on invisible magic.

The mage smiled, whispering a blessing into the wind. "Built with protection woven in every corner. No shadows will reach them here."

The woman stood, her eyes full of tears and sunlight, watching her babies play under a sky free of smoke and fear.

In the distance, the sigil of Aurealis shimmered on the village banners, and the soft hum of magic promised peace, freedom, and a future worth living for.

The village of Moonhollow buzzed with life under the lavender haze of mid morning. Nestled beside the enchanted forest and built into the rolling hills like it had always been part of the land, the cottages glowed with charm...ivy creeping up their stone walls, flower boxes bursting with blooms enchanted to never wilt.

Lanterns twinkled in daylight anyway, because that's just how Moonhollow rolled...pure fucking whimsy.

Children raced through cobbled streets, laughter echoing as they shouted dibs on upstairs bedrooms and climbed into lofts with wide eyed excitement. One little boy flopped onto a feather soft mattress and yelled, "I LIVE HERE NOW! NOBODY MOVE ME!"

His mom, standing in the doorway, just laughed through her tears. She hadn't stopped crying since they arrived.

In the village square, women gathered outside the apothecary and tailor's shop, hands fluttering over rich silks, herb bundles, and handmade soaps. Merchants greeted each new arrival by name, Sasha had made sure every citizen was known, welcomed, and celebrated.

A tall, tired man with scars down his face stood silently by the bakery, holding a warm loaf with both hands like it might disappear if he blinked. Rhiannan wasn't there, but he looked up at the village crest and murmured, "She saved us." A tear slid down his cheek. "She doesn't even know my name, but she gave us everything."

Nearby, a young mother with a fae toddler on her hip laughed as the village healer offered her a bag of enchanted salves and handed her son a wooden unicorn toy.

"We came from the Iron Wastes," she told the curious girl at the potion stand. "My husband was executed for hiding magic. I walked two months just to get here. Rhiannan? I'd die for her. Twice."

On a bench near the fountain, two elders sat holding hands. One was blind, the other spoke softly as they listened to the music of the town around them.

"Feels like home," one whispered. "Feels like freedom."

From overhead, Sasha's rune cameras captured it all, broadcasting live across FaeNet. The comments flooded in.

💬"Moonhollow is perfection."

💬"I'm SOBBING. The kids with their rooms???"

💬"She gave them more than a house. She gave them a fucking LIFE."

💬"We don't deserve Rhiannan but thank the gods we HAVE her."

And in her chambers, nursing her babies and swaddled in love, Rhiannan read every word with tears in her eyes and a fire in her chest.