Vellim lay in his bed that night deep in thought. He felt giddy, embarrassed, and frightened. Giddy and embarrassed were for obvious reasons. He remembered his Sweet Ori holding him inside of her for a long time after. She covered his cheeks and neck with soft kisses. She praised him. She laughed and smiled.

They had helped each other look presentable, giggling like children. Then they’d called a servant and moved to have a private lunch. It was a dream, an absolute dream.

Even alone in his bed, he blushed. The woman he once had simple platonic affection for was now the woman he must marry at all costs.

He put an arm over his eyes and groaned. He could no longer imagine a life without the song of her laugh or the feel of her grace. He was done for; he was over, and more than that, he was happy.

Still, he was fearful.

Passion was new to him, and love even more so. But something nagged at the back of his mind. It warned him that he had forgotten something important.

My god, Lady Ori had been without him during an audience with the King and his Court! He had traveled two near-sleepless days just to beg her forgiveness.

Yesterday, Vellim had watched Lady Ori’s bastard half-brother die. Jonathon’s legs had kicked and his hands had grasped at his neck. The shade of his skin had changed. He died full of horror and fright.

Vellim could not understand it. Lady Ori had side-stepped her suffering so easily. Why wouldn’t she talk to him?

He tried to think about being in her position, but it was too sickening. She had endured things and done things he would never understand.

He covered his face with his big hands. He should learn to accept that part of her. After all, what human being could act normal after such events? Her odd behavior with him must be a testament that she was relying on him.

If she needed his body to feel safe; he’d gladly offer himself on a golden plate again and again. He’d tasted heaven and hell all at once, and it was his Lady Ori on his fingers.

Yet in the back of his mind, he worried about her words: ‘I took care of it’.

―

Baby Ori visited Thomas again. Today the Unconscious Forest was a bright and happy place.

Baby Ori kept a careful distance from the iron gate. “Did I find all the Oris?”

Thomas shrugged, “There’s no real way to know. You could have, or there could be tons of Oris left somewhere else.”

Ori sighed. “Thomas, are we strange? Or is every person like we are? I’ve never heard anyone else,” she gestured, “have many thems.”

Thomas pondered this. “I wouldn’t know.” He said finally. “How would I know how other people are? I’ve never met anyone else but people on the inside.”

Ori nodded, “Oh, I see. You’re quite lucky for that.”

Thomas agreed. “From what I’ve seen here in the unconscious, I wouldn’t trust anyone on the outside.”

“But Thomas, you guard the gate.”

“So what?” He laughed.

Ori squinted at him. “If you guard the gate, that means that you’re keeping someone out. Do you not trust people on the inside either?”

“Oh, well…” Thomas said, thinking. “It’s not about trust, Baby Ori, it’s about precaution.”

“Why?”

Thomas scoffed, exasperated. “The Uppers can’t have you in here knowing everything! Being a person is very complicated! We all have our jobs, that’s why we’re all still alive.”

Ori stuck out her lips. “So you’re guarding the gate so I won’t know things?”

“You don’t want these memories, Baby Ori.” Said Thomas, his eyebrows knotted. “There’s a reason we made the gate.”

―-

Juju and Fion, their ears pressed to the door, covered their mouths. Fion in particular was prone to screaming, so Juju grabbed her by her skirt and dragged her sister away.

The lustful sounds coming out of the sitting room were unmistakable. The servants stood along the wall pretending not to hear.

When they reached the quiet of Juju’s bedroom, Fion released her tongue and began to cackle. “She said their relationship was childlike!” She screamed in excitement. “What a liar!”

Juju covered her blushing face with her hands. The low sound of male moaning still reverberating in her mind. “This is great.”

Fion cackled even louder, amused by her sister’s sudden interest. “What?!”

Juju looked serious. “Think about it!”

Fion’s face fell. “Oh, you’re being crafty again. I hate when you get like this.”

Juju huffed. Her sister was crafty too, she just didn’t utilize it.

―-

Lady Ori snickered. She had a maid undress her but opted to wash herself. Vellim had been delicious. If she ate him every day she still wouldn’t feel satisfied. She had wanted to take a bite out of him and suck the marrow from his bones. How can a man be so cute?

Baby Ori’s puppy love glasses had made his touch and smell that much better. He was still a virgin, of course. His kisses were sloppy―but he lasted a fair amount.

Vellim de Broglie. She bit her lip and glanced in the mirror as she washed herself. She laughed. Feeling like this wasn’t so bad.

She called in a maid to dress her and then asked for contraceptives.

The maid hesitated, then nodded and left the room.

Lady Ori watched her go.

Lady Juju all but fell into Lady Ori’s room. “I knew it!” she shouted. “Excuse my rudeness!”

Lady Ori narrowed her eyes.

Lady Juju rushed to sit next to her. She seemed out of breath. “I knew you were smart so it wouldn’t take you long―phew.”

Lady Ori looked at her cousin, “What are you doing, Lady Juju?” This was uncharacteristic of her prim elder cousin.

“Don’t take that contraceptive!” whispered Lady Juju. “Think about your options. This could be your best bargaining chip.”

Lady Ori raised her eyebrows and smirked. Her cousins kept surprising her. “Oh?” she said.

The maid brought tea and contraceptives, and Juju lightly pushed it away. “Hear me out, Lady Ori.” Her lips made a hard line. “You’ll be marrying Lord Vellim de Broglie either way, right? So let yourself fall pregnant.” Her pretty green eyes bored into her cousin’s.

Lady Ori made a face. No, thank you.

Lady Juju shook her head, “Listen. Lord Vellim is the second son. He still has a chance at becoming heir if he has a child before his brother!”

Lady Ori slid her glare over to the contraceptive on the table. “His brother doesn’t have a child yet?”

Lady Juju relaxed, now confident that her cousin understood. “No, he and his wife have still not conceived; they just married. That whole family is quite shy.” She tapped the table, “A man can only inherit the title if he has an heir.”

Lady Juju drank the tea the maid had served her. “You understand, right? The Rohan family name will be absorbed into the Candel name. Ah―“ Lady Juju looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry for overstepping, but can I be frank?”

Lady Juju was quickly becoming one of Lady Ori’s favorite people. “Go ahead and speak, Lady Juju. We’re family.”

Lady Juju nodded, relieved. “You’re the last direct line. You deserve more than a second son, no matter how much you like him.” She sighed, “I’m sorry to shock you with something so base, but I’ve never done one thing for you, even though I’m the eldest.” She looked at Lady Ori, ashamed. “I should have looked out for you in private and in high society.” She took Lady Ori’s hand. “Consider my advice, or ignore it. But know what you’re worth.”

Lady Ori was speechless. She stared at her cousin, mouth agape, brain chugging.

She leaned over and hugged Lady Juju, confused by the ferocity of her feelings.

Lady Juju hugged her back. “Oh don’t cry!! It’ll make me cry!”

It was too late, they were both tearful.

Lady Ori was so touched that she was unsure of how to react. Instead of a knife in her back, her cousin was scheming for her. How could such a thing happen? Was it possible that her quick-witted cousins were thinking about her wellbeing? The thought made her blubber. No one had ever cared about her to this extent. No one.

When did she turn into a crybaby like Baby Ori? She was changing at an impossible rate. Was it okay to lose her edge like this?

No.

She knew one thing: she hadn’t worked so hard to survive to be a little pregnant wife. She wasn’t yet willing to let the blade of her heart dull.

—-