Chapter 432: Chapter 432 - 1:1 Scale Measurements That Were Gathered With Love
The group at large began to move away from the platform and Qatrand found herself walking between Ondua and Navuill at the tail end. With ceremonial chain across her chest that reminded her of her new responsibilities and a shoulder mantle on one side that kept her thinking about her swordsmanship style - as much as any offer of training from Corde...
She felt genuinely optimistic about the future. Hard work was on the horizon when it came to managing this fledgling city, but she’d never shied away from trying her hardest. And she wasn’t exactly alone in the matter, even if Elua was still on her way.
"So... you’re a Dual-Primalist now while being younger than me? I have to admit, that was some impressive theater, cousin."
"Yes. Terrifying, but impressive. You should probably stop learning from my daughter."
Hearing the two men to either side of her criticize for letting it happen as it had, she clenched and unclenched her fist as her hair repigmented back to its raven color. There was still a lot of other things to take care of today despite any talk of festivities.
"It felt... right. Like everything just finally clicked into place. And if I was actually going to fight for my wife’s honor right then, I needed the advantage. She would have been sure to lecture me later."
"Would she not be proud that you stood up for what matters to you?"
The question from the Yecine gave Qatrand only slight pause. Elua had always encouraged her to be authentic and to choose her own path. In that, she never wavered her support. But as a reincarnator with an ancient perspective, she also offered all forms of advice that she deemed reasonable to give.
"My El can lecture me while having pride. She knows the difference between what she enjoys, what is wise, and what needs to be heard. They are... surprisingly rarely the same thing."
"...Yes, she can tell you what needs to be heard with a straight face full of innocence alright."
’She can also do it in letters. Even when trapped in another place entirely...’
With that thought, a stubborn tuft at the back of her head burst back into blonde for a few seconds.
<⦑ ⟠ ⟠ ⟠
Mist clung to the fortress walls as Qatrand er Yecine completed her morning patrol. Blowing out a breath visibly moving the moist air, she thought about ’today’. If Leysah hadn’t mentioned it that morning, she would have just considered it another day with another set of defensive positions to check while on assignment in the middle of the Descent.
But now, she daydreamed just like anyone might in similar circumstance.
If she had a wish for this birthday, then it would be waking up being sprawled on by her mint-drop. In one of her sleeping positions that logically should be very uncomfortable for the brunette... because sometimes it was for Qat herself. Especially when an elbow or knee nudged her suddenly in the night - or a hand flopped over and covered her nose.
"Commander. The morning briefing has been... postponed."
"Postponed?"
"Nothing critical, but the quartermasters are reorganizing some recent deliveries. We have a few hours before the next scheduled patrol."
The Yecine heir raised an eyebrow at the obviously rehearsed explanation from her second in command the moment she returned, but decided not to press. Her strikeforce had been working themselves to exhaustion for weeks since she returned from settling the Avatar in. So, if they wanted to manufacture a break in the schedule, she wasn’t going to complain... unless she learned of a report of heavy fighting nearby they could have assisted with.
However, she hadn’t expected to return to her temporary quarters and find them housing quite a few extra things. Someone had managed to acquire flowers to arrange in a clay vase... Zonnel she assumed. They were not the field blooms that grew out near the fortress, either, but delicate varieties that must have either been a hassle for one of those staying in the protected area to keep alive...
’Or cost a small fortune to transport here from somewhere else during wartime.’
"Surprised?"
The Empath herself knocked on the still open door with a sheepish expression, feeling that one of their leader’s tendrils of spirit had already clung around her leg. Last time she tried to run from eavesdropping, that same sort of tendril had been used to flood her essence field along and a small application of Gravity on the local area threw off her step just enough to stumble and fall.
"The flowers believe it or not... were Ryder’s idea. I think he thought you wouldn’t appreciate it because you’re a man, but I felt otherwise. Happy birthday, Commander. I’ll leave you to open the other things, okay?"
The gesture was touching and even felt like exactly the kind of thing the scheming heiress herself would have orchestrated. Complete with the unnecessarily complicated procurement of ’impossible’ items and the careful timing to catch her off guard.
"Thank you. Thank everyone else for me, too."
"Mm... well, I wasn’t supposed to say exactly. Leysah told me not to bring her up. But-"
"Your wife sent very detailed instructions to certain merchant groups months ago. I knew you wouldn’t make it. Such a gossip. Why did everyone else want you in charge of this part?"
Leysah said all of this dryly while spinning her curved blade in her hand. She whacked the flat of it on the other woman’s leg and sent her along the corridor with a stern look. One that said ’dodge’ training was coming while they had downtime. The healer blinked back her tears and trudged away while the Kinetic Element wielder looked over her shoulder.
"...Along with enough coin spent to ’ensure proper celebration regardless of wartime constraints.’ Her words, the Silversky Merchant Group said. Then they left that monster box there. And a half dozen other merchants dropped off heavily war-taxed luxury foods that a note said was for your entire team to enjoy.."
Scratching the top of her head, Qatrand felt that familiar ’exasperation’ and overwhelming ’affection’ in herself. Elua’s tendencies to plan seventeen steps ahead sometimes seemed overwrought to her, but she was beginning to understand that more *contingencies* only felt like a waste when you did not need them.
’She clearly didn’t know she would disappear. But maybe she thought I would be stuck too far away while she was busy being needed elsewhere.’
The ’monster’ package at the side of the room was heavier than expected, when she pushed a hand at it. Something she could move herself if needed, but also something that would have been quite heavy to transport even by wagon long distances. When she unboxed it and sat her pigeon blues upon the sight...
Her words failed her for a few moments. What could only be described as the most ’elegantly gaudy’ thing she’d ever seen was now unveiled. Yet, it also fit what she knew of the brunette to have had it commissioned. A mannequin - but not the crude training dummies she used for sword practice.
This was carved from some dark, nearly black wood grain that had been coated and polished to a mirror-like gleam. With adjustable joints that would seem to allow it to hold poses on its heavy, scrollwork-engraved metallic base. Craftsmanship of the piece was quite exquisite despite the questionable ’taste’ of such a shiny thing.
But most importantly of all-
"Wow. I really should have left. I did not... need to see that. Actually, please never tell Elua that I saw that?"
Pointing vaguely before rushing after her ’training’ partner, the older woman felt a chill go down her spine at imagining the consequences. For the whole object was clearly sized exactly to a certain husband-wife’s exact dimensions, except a few anatomically ’neutral’ discrepancies for the sake of modesty.
Of which, the detailed muscle sculpting of the buttocks region apparently was considered ’within limits’. Without hair on the head, a smoothed groin and nipples... but everything else like looking in a Voidling mirror? Qat wandered to herself quite a number of things about it all.
’Did she only record and send for it to be sculpted in more detail right after she peeked at me in that hot spring? Or did she get a look somehow before then... and more importantly, who did she possibly allow to carve this?’
Searching with her spiritual sense led her to find a few hidden sigils that responded to her probes. Realizing it was a bit of a ’puzzle test’, she tried her hand at it for a while until finding the right inputs. It led her to discover... that the entire thing could be manipulated and articulated with this method alone.
Using that to careful raise the mannequin hand to its chin, she left it there as whatever interior structure of material and sigils were involved simply kept the position static. Only after that bit of side-tracked fun did she lay her hand on the lower back - near where her masking tool scar would be - for the other detected spiritual mechanism.
A small door opened with a tightly rolled up note inside the tiny hiding space that the eighteen year old cultivator pulled free and began to read immediately in Elua er Goltbred’s tiny but detailed script.
/ My dearest fortress,
You’ll likely be wondering why I sent you something so ostentatious... if I haven’t already explained it. The answer is simple enough.
Because I know you’re going to need somewhere to display the impressive things people will insist on giving you for being heroic. Like the medal you already received, the others sure to come, and all sorts of ceremonial items that can be worn but probably should not be on a regular basis.
Your future responsibilities after claiming the title of hero will require a certain amount of... theatrical presentation. Placing this in a visible area will let you look properly impressive for visitors without having to actually wear such regalia every day.
Also, beyond that... I thought you might enjoy having something the exact right size to see how any new formal wear fits on you. Or anything else you’d like to see worn on your sort of frame.
I love you, another year more than last. By your next birthday, that love will have existed more years than not - for I will have spent half your life nurturing feelings I’d thought were already too strong.
And I will spend all of it that way, my beloved Qat. Finding out that I can always, always love you more. But never less.
Your devoted mint-drop /
The thoughtfulness of it was so like her wife, but it hit hard regardless... because the girl was not around. The way the heiress had arranged for even her team to celebrate properly despite unequivocally *not* caring about any of them, except perhaps Leysah, in any personal capacity...
’Is exactly the kind of comprehensive care for others, whether she wants to claim it is for political reasons or not, that makes my El impossible to forget even for a day.’
⟠ ⟠ ⟠ ⦒>
The birthday back then wasn’t what she’d wished for. Yet in some ways, it was better. Because while Qatrand wanted the casual affection of a morning wake up with the person she loved... that unboxing and small celebration had still been exactly what she’d needed without knowing she needed it.
Another touch of the scheming ancient cultivator, reaching out and never doubting in her potential.
Which is why, behind the clear Crystal panel that her father-in-law began to prepare to her sudden request last month... Qatrand gil Yecine slowly removed the chain of office around her neck and placed it on a flashy dark mannequin. The alcove at the Warden Patrician’s office was visible the moment you entered, with space for onlookers to come look at it if they liked.
And now it bore the same outfit she’d worn on her ceremony today. Even though she felt bad for the seamstress that such a fine suit was only ever worn once - it also felt nice to add a little extravagance to it that was her own. A small smirk and chuckle left her throat before she exited and sealed the alcove.
"...Cousin, do you still have that sword you supposedly ruined? If so, I’ll buy it from you."
The swordswoman clapped her hand on Navuill’s shoulder. She was not going to leave her personal blade in the space - but a sword that reminded her of this day and of heroism in general would still be quite welcome!