The northern gates of Eldingholt were quite a sight, Jadis had to admit.
From the moment she had arrived in the empire’s capital, Jadis had made special notice of the unusual walls that surrounded the city. In fact, they weren’t really walls in the traditional sense, since they consisted of wide-open arches that Jadis was pretty sure were broad enough that a jumbo jet could fly through them without issue. With how they were designed, they reminded Jadis of Roman aqueducts that she had seen in pictures with the tall arches and a flat surface running across the top. It was obvious that the arches were huge, even from a distance they towered in the background, but up close they were extraordinary. Jadis couldn’t even begin to imagine how such colossal structures could be made without the aid of magic.
Of course, magic was the whole point of the arches. They constituted a magical barrier around the capital city that would keep attackers out. Jadis wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but she didn’t doubt the potency of whatever spells and enchantments were on those towering walls. Standing as close as she was to them now, she could feel a tingle on her skin that reminded her of when powerful magic users had been casting spells in her vicinity. It wasn’t unpleasant, and she could put it out of her mind if she wanted to, but it was there and it was constant.
Eyeing the walls, Jadis wondered what would happen if someone tried to pass through one of the arches. No one around them was doing so, even though the space was open wide. Instead, everyone was keeping to the road and passing through the main gates without even glancing at the arches.
“Not thinking about running, are you?” Roy joked from Syd’s side, the dapper goblin using a purple cloth to polish his already shining helmet. “Can’t say as I’d blame you. I’ve met a few parents at different points in my life and it’s never been easy.”
“Have you now?” Syd raised an eyebrow in question as she looked down at the small green man. “Never settled on just one lover?”
“Not yet,” Roy grinned while tossing Syd a wink. “Not everyone’s so lucky as you! I serve the goddess of love, but that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with dating like everyone else.”
“Well, if I ever meet anyone who’s into pink-haired goblin paladins, I’ll make sure to point them in your direction,” Syd promised with a chuckle.
“Much appreciated!” Roy bowed slightly. “I prefer brunettes, by the by, should the situation come to pass.”
Syd continued to joke with the paladin as they waited, which was helpful to Jadis’ nerves in the exact opposite way that Aila was not helping her nervousness at all.
Aila paced anxiously back and forth, crossing the distance between Jay and Dys with each pass. Her gaze constantly turned towards the large open gates to check the incoming crowd for signs of her parents. Jadis had never seen her stoic lover acting so nervously. She wanted to reassure her, but so far her attempts hadn’t made much of a difference. It seemed that Aila was intent on stressing out over her parents visiting, regardless of what Jadis or anyone else did to try and allay her concerns.
Introducing lovers to parents was a rather nerve-wracking proposition for Jadis, so she understood how Aila felt. She’d rarely gotten to the phase of meeting the parents of girlfriends in her past life, and the scant occasions where she had done so had not been easy. Still, she was doing her best to put on a calm mask and a confident aura. Everything would be fine, she was sure. It wasn’t as though Aila dating her and promising to be her first wife among several and agreeing to bear her children all while the group of them continued to battle Demons while on a quest from a God was all that weird of a situation to drop onto a couple of parents.
Nope. Completely normal dating situation. Nothing weird at all.
“Maybe you should go back,” Aila abruptly said as she came to a stop in front of Jay.
“What? Why would I?” Jay asked, confused by the sudden request. “I’m here to greet your parents with you. It’s the polite thing to do.”
“I know,” Aila said with a nod as she closed her eyes and took a breath. “However, I’m worried they might get… overwhelmed. This all comes across as a bit much.”
Jay opened her mouth to respond, then closed it as she considered Aila’s point. It wasn’t hard to see what her redheaded lover meant.
Jadis’ presence at the northern gate had not gone unnoticed and something of a crowd had gathered. No one was approaching, but there were a lot of people who should have been passing by who were instead stopping to gawk and whisper. The large open circle that led to the giant gates had a great deal of traffic, not just from people entering and leaving the city, but from merchants hawking their wares and city-folk looking to buy fresh goods that had just arrived from the local farms. The fact that there were fresh goods at all was somewhat confusing to Jadis, since it was the middle of winter and all, but maybe these were late harvests? In any case, the circle wasn’t a market per se, but it was damn close to it in most respects.
The attention Jadis drew just by her obviously Nephilim appearance was bad enough, but the guards following her didn’t help. It wasn’t just Roy and his temple knights accompanying her. Much like during her dates with Kerr and Thea, Severina had tagged along as well. The blonde Seraphim was keeping a watchful eye on both her and on the surrounding crowds, her stern gaze probably acting as equal parts shield and lure. Jadis got the feeling that the common folk wanted to approach the revered Seraphim lady, but her intimidating demeanor certainly made her difficult to approach.
Then there was Runar.
For some gods forsaken reason the Valbjorn had come as well. Maybe he wanted to make sure she didn’t try to book it out the city gates since her business had brought her so near to them. Or maybe he wanted to fuck with her plans because he was a petty bitch who hated her guts. Maybe there was some third reason that she hadn’t considered that justified the annoyance of his presence. Jadis couldn’t be certain, but what she was sure of was that Roy, Severina, and two other temple knights were already guarding her, which meant the furry jackass did not need to be there.
And yet there he was, the big bastard, looming in the background like a furry shadow. He didn’t have any worries about anyone approaching him, either. His cross-armed stance and menacing aura did wonders for keeping onlookers at bay. A space of ten feet was cleared all around him, no one daring to go near, which made it all the more obvious that he was staring right at Jadis’ group.
Did this count as harassment? Were restraining orders a thing in the empire?
Whatever the case, Jadis could understand why Aila would argue that maybe under the circumstances it would be better if Jadis waited for her and her parents back at the inn where they would be staying, the Silver Lute.
Shoulders sagging, Jay was just about to agree to the suggestion when a flash of color at the gate caught her eye. A large caravan of wagons had arrived while she and Aila had been talking and were being inspected by the guards. In order to keep the gate clear and the line moving, each wagon was being pushed along as soon as the guards had completed their brief inspection. Jadis wasn’t sure what they were looking for, but she presumed Demons were on the list of contraband.
What caught Jay’s eye was the second wagon in the group. The wagon had just gotten the go-ahead by the guards and was in the midst of pulling forwards and towards the stable yards where the rest of the wagons that weren’t directly proceeding into the city were being parked. The wagon itself wasn’t anything special, just the typical covered design with a rounded roof, same as Jadis had seen many times in Weigrun. The eye-catching part was the large, red-leafed tree that had been painted on the side.
Wasn’t Aila’s full name Aila of Red Tree?
“I think it might be too late,” Jay amended what she’d been about to say as she pointed out the distant wagon.
Aila’s eyes opened, a pained expression on her face. She slowly turned to look where Jay pointed. A smile flickered across her face, one that was quickly smothered under her typical mask of stoicism.
“That’s father’s wagon, yes,” Aila confirmed. “Let’s… go greet them, shall we?”
Following behind Aila, Jadis frowned to see the entourage following behind them both. She knew they had to guard her, but couldn’t they at least give her a little space considering the circumstances?
Catching Roy’s gaze, Dys did everything she could to convey her feelings to the goblin through her eyes alone. He gave her a nod and a wink, which seemed to convey some understanding. A moment later, he backed off slightly and motioned subtly towards his knights, who also fell back. Severina almost swept past them, but a word from Roy drew her up short. When Runar almost did the same, both Roy and Severina stood in the Valbjorn’s path, blocking him from getting too close.
Now that they were only a few yards away from the wagons, Jadis got a good view of the man driving it, a man Jadis presumed was Aila’s father. She had told Jadis that he had the cart driver class, just like her, so it made sense that he’d be the one at the reins.
Aila’s father was a tall man, far taller than average. Even sitting down, Jadis could tell he was well over six feet, probably more than six and a half like his daughter. He had broad shoulders and a thick waist, with arms as big around as Eir’s abdomen and thighs like tree trunks. He was girthy, but not in the way of a sedentary man, but instead a strongman who needed that extra bulk to fuel his powerful frame. His hair was a dark brown and he had a thick, short beard just like his brothers, Gerwas and Ludwas. In fact, other than the difference in height, he looked almost exactly the same as his mercenary siblings. He wore a heavy brown coat that was rather plain but clean and he had a fur-lined cap on his head.
When he glanced in Jadis’ direction, she could see that he had bright blue eyes, just like his daughter. Also like his daughter, he had a perfect poker face, his expression completely unwavering despite locking gazes with three giant Nephilim.
Sitting beside the big man, going almost unnoticed due to the shadow her husband cast, was a woman that Jadis presumed had to be Aila’s mother. She was short, probably only a few inches over five feet tall at the most and she had a slight build. Her dress was as plain as her husband’s brown coat and while clean, it looked like it had seen a lot of mending around the hems. The only thing that drew the eye towards her when compared to her husband was her bright red hair. Even done up in a tight bun, the older woman’s red hair shone with the sun’s light, a brilliant sheen that reminded Jadis exactly of Aila’s own glorious mane. The only difference was the faint signs of white hair mixed in with the red, though even those strands were lustrous and did not take away from the beauty of her hair.
When the wagon came to a stop, the woman stood and the morning’s light reached her face, revealing that she was covered in just as many freckles as her daughter. When her hazel eyes passed over Jadis, a frown puckered her brow, revealing a stern expression that explained exactly where Aila had learned to scold people so effectively. However, when her gaze landed on Aila, her face lit up like the sun and she leapt off of the wagon, not waiting for it to come to a full stop.
“Aila! Oh, Aila, my love! I’m so happy to see you!” her mother cried out, closing the distance between them with surprising speed.
In moments she had her arms around Aila’s waist, crushing her in a desperate hug. The smile on Aila’s face was genuine, a tear sparkling in her eye as she hugged her mother back, bending to plant a kiss on the top of her head.
“Hello mother,” Aila said quietly. “I missed you.”
“Oh, I missed you so much my little Bean Pole,” her mother choked out, her throat tight with emotion. “I prayed for your safety every day.”
Jadis noted that despite her use of Aila’s hated nickname, Aila only smiled even brighter upon hearing it.
A moment later the two were joined by Aila’s father, the big man tromping across the cobblestones in heavy boots. His bearded face didn’t change much, but there was a slight softening around the eyes as he took Aila in his strong arms, hugging her as well as catching his wife between them. Jadis had been right about his height; he matched Aila inch for inch, the top of his head slightly higher than his daughter’s. With gentle softness, he kissed Aila’s cheek while whispering something so quietly that Jadis couldn’t make it out.
Jadis didn’t interrupt the tender moment, only standing nearby and watching as her hearts clenched with longing. Seeing Aila’s parents dote on their daughter made Jadis think of her own parents who were lost to her when she died. Not wanting to let her thoughts wander down a melancholic path, she put aside her envious wish to hug her own parents and instead focused on preparing herself for introductions.
A muffled sound came from between Aila and her father and, a moment after, the two were pushed apart as Aila’s mother freed herself from the embrace of the two much taller members of her family.
“Alright then,” she sniffed, wiping away a tear from her eye and composing her expression. “We’re supposed to meet your… girlfriend, yes? Must I guess which one of those three she is?”
Jadis’ eyebrows rose at the woman’s words. Had the fact that Jadis had three bodies not been communicated in Aila’s letters to her parents? Jadis had assumed that she had, but she hadn’t confirmed when they’d discussed today’s plans. That assumption had been wrong, apparently, which made Jadis wonder what else Aila might have omitted from any letters she had sent to her parents.
Turning to face Jadis, Aila smiled weakly before putting a hand on her mother’s shoulder.
“Jadis, I’d like you to meet my parents,” she announced. “This is my mother, Senta, and my father, Vikwas. Mother, father, this is Jadis.”
In the split second after Aila introduced them, Jadis could see the confusion on both Vikwas and Senta’s faces. Their eyes darted back and forth, clearly trying to figure out which of the three giants towering over them was this “Jadis” her daughter had mentioned. Taking the initiative, Jadis stepped forward with all three of her selves and bowed at her waists, attempting to mimic the courtly manners she’d seen others use to help convey her respect.
“Hello,” all three of Jadis spoke in unison. “My name is Jadis Ahlstrom. It is a genuine pleasure to finally meet you both.”
The two stared at Jadis, the silence stretching awkwardly as they processed the implied information that they’d just been given. Eventually, Aila’s father was the first to move. He took a half-step forward and raised his hand out towards Dys who was on the left side of Jadis’ typical formation.
“Vikwas of Red Tree,” he introduced himself quietly as Dys shook his hand. “Good to meet you.”
His words seemed to kickstart Aila’s mother into action. She took in a sharp breath before stepping forward, her eyes locked onto Jay in the center.
“Senta of Red Tree,” she said, giving Jadis a short curtsey. “I’ve heard… some things about you. You had best have been treating my daughter well these past few months.”
“Mother,” Aila tried to hush Senta.
“Yes ma’am,” Jadis quickly assured Senta, “Aila is one of the most important people in the world to me. I’d never let anything happen to her.”
The continued triple-speech from Jadis’ multiple bodies seemed to take the older woman back, her eyes flitting uncertainly between the three giants. However, after a moment, her mouth firmed up into a thin line as her face hardened.
“Hmph. We’ll see what that’s worth,” she said sternly before turning away from Jadis to speak with her husband.
As Senta instructed Vikwas to open up the wagon so she could pull out their travel baggage, Aila and Jay exchanged a look. It didn’t seem like Aila’s mother was quite so eager as Eir’s parents to welcome Jadis into the family. The silent expression of apology that her redheaded lover sent her told Jadis that Senta’s attitude wasn’t something wholly unexpected, either. The shorter, older woman seemed like someone with strong opinions and no compunction against voicing them.
It was a good thing Jadis and Aila had arranged the rest of their group to meet the couple at dinner rather than lunch. From what Jadis was seeing, she, Aila, and Aila’s parents were going to need some private time together to talk.
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