"Hey babe," Kelly said softly as she nudged my shoulder. "Time to get up. We have to get ready for the party, remember?"

I slowly drifted awake and took a deep breath, then yawned. It felt like I'd only just dozed off a few minutes ago. I stayed up all night watching over my mom and sister as they slept, then I had breakfast with my dad and girlfriends.

It was somewhere around noon when I finally crashed hard and wound up in bed. Now it was probably an hour or so before sunset, and the whole castle would be abuzz getting ready for the celebrations.

Keira wasn't anywhere near as subtle or gentle as her twin. She leaned across the bed and grabbed me by the arms then pulled me bodily out from under the covers as she said "C'mon cutie, time to get you dressed up nice. You have to go down to the great hall and look pretty for the clann."

I was able to pull myself free but only after she got me halfway out of bed. I grumbled as I got to my feet, "Gonna make some rules about not dragging the sept-leader out of bed before she's ready."

Keira just grinned.

Kelly asked "Babe, how are you feeling? You were kind of quiet and melancholy this morning."

"I'm fine," I replied, though my tone didn't quite sell it. "I've just had a lot on my mind you know? Last night was... It was pretty special I guess."

The twins were both already dressed in their fancy matching gowns, so they didn't have much to do right now apart from talking to me and making sure I got ready too. Keira got my dress out of the wardrobe while her sister poured me a glass of juice.

Kelly handed me the glass and commented, "I'm sure it was, babe. Has it changed how you feel about this stuff?"

I drank a few gulps of juice then admitted, "Yeah, it has. And I'm kind of sad now, knowing that I won't be able to experience that myself for a very long time. Or maybe never. I don't want to trigger the curse and lose my mom."

Kelly pulled me into a hug, while Keira asked "So now you're feeling all motherly? Pretend the curse was broken, who would you pick for the father?"

I smiled slightly, "I'd ask you two of course. I mean, it'd have to be one or the other, but you'd both be my first choice."

Kelly and Keira both looked a little awkward about that. I could almost imagine what they were thinking, or maybe they were saying it to each other over their link. Just like I never in my life imagined being a mother, I bet neither of them would have ever dreamed of being a dad. Not that they'd have to be a guy forever. Or at all, for that matter. A little creative magic here and there and just about anything was possible. It might even be fun, we'd never tried that sort of thing before.

"Let's put that conversation on the back-burner for now," Keira suggested. There was a little flush in her cheeks though, and I couldn't help wondering if that was because the idea worried her or if it interested her. "Right now we have to get you dressed and presentable."

"Fine," I replied with an exaggerated sigh. I finished my drink then finally started getting ready for the evening's celebrations.

An hour later the three of us stood next to my father. We were in front of the head table, greeting people and smiling and being social while the great hall quickly filled up.

My mom wasn't here yet, but dad said she'd join us to begin the feast. Then she'd retire again to their private chambers, which was understandable. She was still recovering, and she intended to spend most of her time with her new daughter. I was also confident she wouldn't let my little sister out of her sight for some time yet, considering what happened to me the day I was born.

The other three members of my sept were here too of course. They wouldn't be at the head table, but they had places near the front of the hall on one of the side tables. It was a demotion for Siobhan, she used to have a seat by my mother's side. Now she was just another clann member, albeit an important one. It was a big promotion for Padraig and Laoise though. The former would have been sat near the back before, and the latter wouldn't have been to many of these at all in the last twenty-eight years.

When the time came we all took our seats. The last two dozen staff emerged from the kitchens carrying the platters and bowls of food, which was laid out on the tables as usual. Then they all sat down as well at the far end of the other tables.

At that point it fell on my shoulders to call on everyone to be quiet and settle down. I probably shouldn't have been surprised at the reaction, but despite it being my first time addressing the entire castle, everyone shut up the moment I asked for silence. It seemed like nobody, not even clann mates, wanted to risk upsetting the Great and Powerful Tegan Vale.

With the entire hall suddenly so quiet you could hear a pin drop, my mother entered through the double doors. She wasn't wearing a fancy silk gown or make-up. Her hair wasn't done up nice, and she wasn't wearing expensive jewelry. She wore a long loose comfortable cotton dress and sandals. And in her arms she carried my baby sister, wrapped in a blue and purple blanket.

Mom walked around to stand at her place at the head table, in between myself and my dad.

She looked around over the crowd of people all sitting quietly, over two hundred pairs of eyes on her. Even in silence everyone looked happy.

Mom took a breath then shifted how she was holding her child. She held the little girl up so everyone could see her tiny sleepy face. Then she announced, "My family, my friends, my clann mates. I present to you my second child, Saoirse Brádaigh."

There was a quiet, restrained murmur. It sounded like everyone wanted to applaud and shout, but nobody dared wake the baby. I had a dozen questions spring to mind, mostly about how mom came to choose that name. I thought it was a great choice, but I wanted to know how and why she picked it.

With a glance in my direction, mom added "I must take my leave again, but I leave my eldest child Tegan to start the festivities."

We all stayed just as quiet as mom made her way back out of the hall. I gave her another half minute or so, then I stood up and half-shouted "Ok everybody, happy Lughnasadh! Let the feast begin!"

A roar sort of went through the crowd, as if to make up for that minute or two of silence when they'd been holding back their shouts and excitement. It was like the entire hall exploded in joy and merriment.

As always the food was great, and this time the drink was good too. I had a pitcher of mead in front of me so I didn't have to suffer with wine anymore. I didn't over-do it of course, but after all the tension of the past week, actually after the tension of the past few months, it felt like once again a huge weight had been lifted.

We ate, we drank, we talked, we mingled. There were no serious conversations, nothing to worry about, no threats to be considered. It was just a good, fun, happy night.

In the end maybe I did over-do it a little, but eventually Kelly and Keira pulled me away from the party. They wanted to end the celebration with some private festivities in our room.

• • • • •

Mom glanced at me and smiled, "What is it Tegan? Say what's on your mind."

I grimaced slightly. I obviously hadn't done a very good job at containing my curiosity. "Why Saoirse? I wasn't sure if you even knew that name."

We were sitting alone in her private chambers, in her sitting room. Mom was on the sofa with Saoirse in her arms, she was currently feeding the baby. I sat across from them in one of the arm chairs.

Once upon a time, or as recently as last week even, I'd have felt uncomfortable and out of place being present for something like this. Now I was just sort of enjoying the second-hand exposure to the love and bonding that was going on between my mom and sister. And I still felt that little sense of longing, that hope that someday I'd be able to have that experience myself.

The castle had returned to normal once again. The festival was a couple days ago, everything was more or less quiet, and tomorrow the twins and I would be returning to Earth. I didn't know yet how many of my sept would accompany us, but for now I was finally catching up with my mom.

She blushed slightly and replied, "A few days before you returned, I had a 'prophetic dream' of my own. I found myself atop Duma Dé. I was reunited with my mother, and I met my grandmother for the first time."

I felt my eyebrows creeping up, but a smile formed on my lips. "You finally got to meet Taralynn? That's wonderful."

"Indeed," she replied, though her attention shifted downwards to the babe in her arms. Saoirse had finished feeding, so mom took some time to tend to her before the baby settled down to sleep cradled in mom's arms.

Then she addressed me again, "She and my mother relayed a story to me, about Taralynn's connection with that particular Duma. And I understand she told you that story as well, when you visited the Duma with your sept."

"Yeah," I nodded. "So you found out about her mother. And you learned about her father too?"

Mom confirmed "I did. Though I think it best we leave the subject of her father for another time. I assume you've shared that knowledge with your girlfriends, I suggest you see it doesn't spread any further than that."

"I agree. They haven't told anyone else, I haven't shared it with my sept."

I added, "I think it's already common knowledge among the pixies? Or at least the ones from Merryweather's troop, since they were there at the time. Uh, I mean the troop was there when it happened, and Merryweather was there when Taralynn told me about it, but they already seemed to know the story. I doubt the pixies will tell anyone else though, they don't associate much with fae at all."

Mom just nodded slightly, then continued "Taralynn also told me that you and I needed to have an important conversation some time after my second child was born. I'm curious what that's about. She made it sound like there was something serious we needed to discuss, but she refused to elaborate."

I grimaced again, "Yeah... Let's put that off another few months. Or a few years maybe. I don't think it's anything immediately pressing, but it's definitely stuff we need to cover some time in the next few decades."

She gave me another look, then sighed "Very well Tegan. Under other circumstances I might complain, but for now I have my hands full. I understand you're planning to return to Earth tomorrow, so I suggest you meet with your sept and make those arrangements. You and your girlfriends are invited to dine with Connor and I tonight."

I nodded, "Thanks mom. I'll see you again this evening."

Moving quietly so as not to wake my sister, I got up and slipped out of the room.

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