Settling in.....

"Oh, 'tis not so difficult to comprehend, Duchess Astra," Master Rifts chuckles mirthlessly. "Walants is a shell of it's former self, and this shell was tightening it's belt in hunger. The news of your bring food.....the starving man does not care who feeds him, just as long as he's fed. For the time being, that is."

"So the peace is just temporary," Duke Dredrick murmurs.

"Well, things probably won't be so bad as you think, your Grace." Rift says. "The speed at which your forces are spreading and establishing themselves is.....amazing. By the time the memory of your generosity fades and it sinks in to those less inclined to adapt to the reality that they now live under Aqualaria, they'll figure out real quickly that swords and clubs are little match for trained troops and those new.....'revolvers' your troops are armed with." A look of curiosity comes across Rift's intelligent face. There are millions of questions about the "Munitions" factory that Fred 1 was overseeing that Rift would like to ask, but fears in offending his benefactor. The same goes for many items concerning these mysterious guests. They called themselves....analogs, but the lawyer feared to really poke his nose into something that....may prove to cost him his neck! Rumors abound, as that these eldritch weapons either came from the lands of Prestor John (ridiculous!) or from a city down in Afrika populated by animals who walked like men (again....ridiculous). Rifts wasn't going to look into rumors. It was true that Aqualaria was different from Malbacton, but old survival habits die hard.

He'd learned at a young age not to look too closely into some matters, for curiosity can kill more than the average cat here in what had been Malbacton.

"As well as Lady Alicia's 'Gattler gun,'" the lawyer continues, shivering. "By the name of God, I never have seen such a thing as that....all that lead flying as the gunner cranked away and the belt was consumed by that beast! I've never seen the like before! That is really descended from the same lineage as those fancy new flintlocks and gunpowder I've heard of, my Grace?" Indeed, until today, Master Rift had put more faith in sword and sorcery than the might of the gunpowder. But, now an invention of a highborn woman had made him revise his opinion..

"Yes, it should make things rather uncomfortable for all who'd try to start up the old habits," Astra 2 chuckles grimly, remembering the slave auction block she had torn down soon after she'd laid eyes upon it. "But, frankly, no matter how it'll hurt feelings.....I and my friends have enough problems without the Organization starting up again and causing no ends of grief for my Aqualaria. We have enough problems as it stands now!" This brings a grim chuckle from all.

A thin, small cry from the next room draws Fred 's1 and Fred 2's attention away from the conversation. They excuse themselves and head for their children's room, arriving before the nurses carrying the "baby bottles" filled with milk from the strange contraption rumored to be the work of some powerful mages.

"Ack, it is that time," chuckles Dredrick . "They will spend the time required of their appointed position, but they won't begrudge their children of their love and attention. It takes me back to when I was raising my son......" Dredrick sighs, remembering bouncing his little Fred on his knee and acting as proud and happy as his sons were right now.

He also remembered that the servants had run themselves ragged trying to keep Fred and Charles fed and comfortable at all times of the night.

"And my sister takes care of her seven with only the help of Fred 3," Astra 2 says quietly.

Part of her shivered at the mere idea. Another part....one that had awakened when she'd broken down and looked at her children....secretly wondered if such a thing was so terrible.

<Only when I'm ready....and not before!> Astra 2 swears to herself. <I hadn't asked for them.....but unlike my sister, Astra 1, I'm not going to dismiss them totally from my life until I actually decide what I want.....to do with Fred 2 and them......>

1. Latter........

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