All there was left to do was wait for the Kanae's children to arrive in Radevic. Over the next few days, Kanae dropped into the manor to visit Arenade, and Arenade dropped into the Amethyst Hall to visit Kanae. It was never a secret, but the anxiety of facing Roshasha soon simmered just beneath the surface. Arenade must have sensed Kanae's trepidation. She never would have given into sex so often otherwise, and Kanae was glad for her being so thoughtful.

One morning, Kanae and Arenade awakened to a clamoring outside the manor. They stirred in bed, not wanting to get up just yet. One of them, at least, fell right back to sleep and started snoring. Kanae glared at Arenade, who was sprawled out like a slob and took up the entire bed. If there was one thing she wasn't looking forward to in their marriage, it was the elf's lack of bedside etiquette with a partner.

Not wanting to go back to bed with Arenade's fist pressed to her cheek, Kanae got up to get dressed. She wandered over to the window, intending to open the drapes to let the morning light in. Glancing down, a group of succubi were just now emerging from the Rown Company carriage parked out front. Not just any succubi. Their children! Aisha, Moira, and Mitty, too.

The Lights of Ehmvier on their pegasi and Sisters of Sin led by Wendy Ironspear, who had escorted them all the way from the Commonwealth, formed a defensive perimeter just past the gates.

"They're here!" Kanae exclaimed, quickly getting dressed.

"Nnh… Who's here?" Arenade grumbled and groggily sat up.

"Our daughters. Get up already!" She tossed a handful of clothes into her face before leaving the room.

Teana entered first, followed by everyone else. Kanade and Suvee raced past their older sisters' legs, jumping into Kanae's arms. Feraline, who had been clinging to an exhausted Nelly, flew off him and onto her back instead.

"What a journey! My old joints are stiff from sitting so much," Moira groaned while being helped in by Aisha to her side.

"You all made it a lot sooner than I expected. It's only been a week and a half. Didn't want to play in Lograin at all?" Kanae asked.

"We did, for one day!" Teana exclaimed. "It's just that those languisteeds are really fast. Oh, also!"

When Kanae tilted to the side and peered out the open door, she realized those Rown mounts were larger than the run-of-the-mill languisteeds. The driver had likely exchanged them in Lograin, because they weren't the same beasts from Ehmvier. Those must have been the ones gifted to Rown Company, conceived from her and Titan before his evolution.

Arenade had finally descended from their room, still looking a little sleepy. Kanade left Kanae's side to race to her other mother for a hug. Everyone made themselves comfortable, but Mikki was still by the door with Daya and Revah.

"What's the matter? We just got here. Lighten up!" Pan plopped down on the couch and beckoned to her sister.

"I-I think we should really get going! Knights' Academy won't appreciate it if we stay on break any longer," Mikki warned.

"Awww. I don't want to go to school yet… Can we just pretend we haven't arrived in Radevic yet?" Teana asked.

"Nope. Mikki's right. You girls get back in that carriage and head to Aidenhall right now," Kanae said to a round of groans from Pan and Teana.

"That goes for you, too, Nelly." Arenade shooed him back out.

"You don't have to tell me twice. I like school, unlike a certain pair." Nelly shot a shaming look to Kanae's eldest daughter.

Teana and Pana responded with pouts, then charmed him into a silly posture out of retaliation.

"Oh, yeah. Very mature!" He sighed while hopping on one foot and waving both hands.

"Get going. I want to speak with Daya and Aisha though, so neither of you leave yet." Kanae snapped Nelly out of it with a Dispel.

"What do you want with Daya?" Mikki clung protectively to the canine succubus' arm, unwilling to part.

"It's nothing bad," she assured the worried girl. "I just need Daya for something important because she's a Curseweaver."

The two of them begrudgingly parted after Daya promised to meet up again later. Teana and Pan dragged their feet back to the carriage. Nelly, Mikki, and Revah urged the two along and shut the door behind them.

"Is something the matter?" Daya asked, noting the seriousness on Kanae's face.

"Kind of. The 'something' is important though. Aisha, I want to recruit you into my order as the Amethyst Hall's alchemist. Think of it like a… clan. You've been learning a lot from Rosaline, and it would help a lot to have your talents close by. Especially from a crowned Witch Doctor," Kanae explained.

"Finally recognizing my usefulness?" Aisha suppressed the urge to gloat. "Well, it sounds a lot better than apprenticing under an alchemist prone to explosions and tasting reagents. Sure, you have me. Mitty can take care of our mother in my absence for now."

She turned to Daya next and continued, "And I need your help as a Curseweaver to apply a cursed item on someone… extremely dangerous."

Daya's canine ears perked up and her tail stiffened the way predators did when threatened. Deep down, Kanae wanted Daya to decline for Mikki's sake. If anything were to happen to her, it would devastate Mikki. However, she was quick to agree to help in any way possible.

Kanae would explain more once they got to the Amethyst Hall. When she reached the door—

"Mom, are you taking Feraline with you?" Suvee asked from the living room.

"Huh?" Kanae looked all around until she remembered the drakeling girl on her back. "Feraline, get down. You're staying here with Kanade and Suvee."

Feraline clung tighter. Sharp claws dug superficially into Kanae's skin and made her wince.

"Daya, Aisha. A little help?" Kanae pleaded to them.

"I'm not one of her sisters, so she probably wouldn't hesitate to shred me. You're on your own." Daya shook her head.

"That makes two of us. I've seen what she can do," Aisha said.

Great. Maybe Esta could get her off. Kanae didn't want to have a baby around when they eventually face Roshasha…

Outside, the Lights of Ehmvier were still standing guard, but the Sisters of Sin were nowhere to be seen anymore. They must have left with the carriage. Wendy Ironspear took off her helmet and bowed.

"Queen Kanae, there were no hiccups during the journey here. Feraline did attack someone who tried to come onto Mikki, but one of my healers resuscitated the poor man," Wendy explained.

"Of course, Feraline did…" It suddenly came to Kanae's attention that Wendy was a potent combatant and would make for a great addition to the Amethyst Hall. "Say, Wendy? Are you interested in joining an order under my command? I could use someone with your skills."

The high elf glanced past Kanae into the manor, where Arenade could be seen playing with Kanade and Suvee. A pang of guilt seemed to still tug at her chest.

"I'm honored, but I'm a sworn vassal to Queen-regent Arenade Brightwind. I have a lot to make up for. To that end, I intend to serve her for as long as I'm able. I… somehow, also feel at home by her side," Wendy said nervously.

"For what it's worth, Arenade forgave you a long time ago. I'll leave you to it then. Actually, before we go— can we borrow a pegasus? Someone can't fly." Kanae thumbed over to the hobgoblin Aisha.

Wendy gladly lent them a pegasus. Aisha climbed onto the proud white beast, and they flew in the direction of Aidenhall. The group even spotted the Rown carriage that Teana and the others were in on the way to the palace.

"Kanae, what is this order you speak of anyway?" Aisha asked as they were coming up on Aidenhall.

"It's something the Grand Eye established recently for the Order of Colors. Instead of each knight working alone, we can recruit however we want to take on missions. So far, I've recruited the best people for the job. We're probably the strongest hall in terms of raw power," Kanae explained.

They landed on the open training grounds of the Amethyst Hall. As soon as Aisha dismounted, the pegasus flew away, presumably back to the Lights. Something from the main chamber crashed loud enough to echo down the hall. The three of them raced down the corridor to investigate and came to an outrageous scene.

Petyr had Claudia in a chokehold on the ground. Some of the tables and chairs were broken, evidence that a battle had taken place. Meanwhile, Alicia and Hilde were watching from the second floor bannister.

"Ack… kuh… You can choke me all you like… I'll enjoy every moment of this…" Claudia said as she suffocated.

"That's not going to work on me this time! I'll choke you to death if that's what it takes for you to STOP PESTERING ME!" Petyr growled.

"I think your 'strongest' are trying to kill each other," Aisha joked.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" Kanae cried, but neither fighters were backing down.

It did draw the other two succubi's attention.

"Daya?" Hilde gasped from above.

Both of them descended and landed gently on the first floor. Daya avoided looking her sister in the eyes. Alicia, however, took one whiff and got curious.

"This one isn't a half-succubus like Edina. She smells of our blood. A sister I'm not aware of?" Alicia asked.

"I'm not here to join the order. Just here to help Kanae because I owe her. It doesn't look like we're going to get anything done though," Daya said, referring to the pair on the ground.

"Alright, help me pull them apart already! Alicia, Hilde. You two grab Claudia. The rest of you, with me on—" Before Kanae finished the rest of her sentence, Feraline leaped off and pounced on Petyr's face.

Startled, the paladin let go of Claudia and rolled away with Feraline still clinging, clawing, and biting.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS THING?!" Petyr screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Wait, wait, wait! That's my daughter! Don't hurt her!" Kanae yelled.

Petyr ripped Feraline off her face and held the girl at arm's length like a misbehaving cat. She continued to growl menacingly. To everyone's surprise, the quick-tempered high elf reigned in her anger and sighed.

"Your daughter…? It looks nothing like you. Somehow, it reminds me of the Rook…" Petyr muttered in thought.

"That's because Avaline von Cleisseldor is Estaline's mother, and Estaline was the one who gave birth to Feraline," Kanae explained.

"The Rook of Rotandrix does have her wild streak… but Silver exemplifies what a drakeling knight should be. How did you and Silver produce such a… creature?" she asked, squinting hard at Feraline.

"I've been getting that a lot… and, hey! Don't call my daughter a creature!"

Petyr eagerly returned the unruly drakeling to Kanae, who then called for a hall meeting now that the key members for the subjugation of Roshasha were present. They gathered in the messy hall. There was less furniture to sit on after Petyr and Claudia's bout. Kanae filled Daya in on what they intended to achieve and her role in it with the Debilitating Band.

The atmosphere should have been tense. But Claudia, Hilde, and Alicia were too distracted coddling Feraline. As a fellow true succubus, they were smitten by the infant spurred on by maternal instincts.

Fortunately, at least Daya was taking it seriously.

"You want me to put this on Roshasha, the former demon lord? That's all?" Daya asked.

"Can you do it?" Kanae held her gaze to search for any doubts, but there were none to be found.

"Not a problem. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared, but doing this secures an alliance with Artaggon and that ultimately means Mikki will be safer. You give me an opening, and I'll slap this on her easily," she said.

"Hoh? Little Daya is growing up. Maybe all it took was for you to fly away from the Queen-Mother's prying eyes?" Hilde patronized her.

Daya scoffed, but she didn't humor her sister with a response.

"Roshasha made my skin crawl. If you think I can give a beating, then you're in for a bad time with her," Petyr warned.

"Grand Eye Analise is ready to send us anytime. We'll begin tomorrow. Give everyone a day to get ready. Aisha will brew us some specialized potions. Find Rog and Lina if you need your equipment in top shape. Oh, and Reen? How about a nice feast tonight?" Kanae suggested.

"Hehe. Leave it to me!" Reen beat a hand to her chest.

That same evening, everyone feasted in the main hall. Reen had whipped up a hearty meal to raise their spirits. Aisha was busy at work in the alchemical laboratory to get them some resistance potions before morning.

In the middle of eating, Kanae noticed two succubi were absent. Hilde and Daya. She thought to look for them when Alicia sat down next to her.

"Night's still young, Knight-Commander. Where do you think you're about to head off to?" Alicia asked.

"Thought I'd check on your two sisters who aren't here. It didn't even hit me until I brought Daya here that those two were still at odds with each other," Kanae said.

"Daya appears to be one of the younger sisters born in recent years. I can't speak to her and Hilde's relationship as siblings, but back then, our sisterhood was more close-knit. I imagine that changed a lot over the years with the Queen-Mother pitting daughters against each other so much. Well, don't let me stop you. You likely know more about them than I do." She patted her on the shoulder and went to join Claudia, who was play-fighting with Feraline.

Kanae searched the hall for the missing two, and it didn't take long to locate them in the training grounds. She paused by the doorway to eavesdrop since it sounded like a heated discussion.

"For the last time, I'm not backing out. This is my choice, not yours!" Daya exclaimed.

"Idiot sister. I'm trying to save your life. With Aidenhall's resources, we can locate another Curseweaver to aid us. You don't have to risk yourself. Think of that girl, Mikki. Go to her and be happy instead," Hilde implored.

"I am thinking of her! What gives? Now you're trying to be a good older sister? Fuck off, Hilde. I'll be joining you and the others to subdue Roshasha. That's final." She stormed away and paused in surprise to find Kanae behind the door, then continued on without another word.

"I know you're there," the former Mistress of Subjugation called out. "Show yourself already."

Kanae stepped out to join Hilde underneath the moon. The succubus braced both hands on her hips.

"I don't actually blame you. I blame Claudia. Tch. After we found and rescued Alicia, I've begun to wonder about my own sisters. Daya in particular, about how I treated her in the past." Hilde heaved a sigh.

"If you want, I can tell Daya to stand down and find another Curseweaver," Kanae said.

"No." She shook her head. "Then Daya will know for sure it was my fault. We must succeed tomorrow. No matter what."

That much they could agree on.

In the morning, while everyone in the Amethyst Hall was psyching themselves up to the task of facing Roshasha, Kanae made a trip to the Silver Hall. Estaline was directing a shipment of weapons delivered to the gates of her garrison when they arrived.

"My daughter!" Esta beamed, shoving a clipboard into a squire's hand to race over.

The two drakelings reunited warmly. Feraline erupted with something like a growling purr as she snuggled into the pocket of her mother's neck.

"Feraline stayed with me all day yesterday. Can you look after her while I take on Roshasha?" Kanae asked.

"Oh, then you should bring Feraline with you," Esta insisted.

"Sure thing— er, NO! Absolutely not! Are you crazy?!" she exclaimed in horror.

"Master, our daughter will only grow stronger coming face to face against a foe like the former demon lord. When will she ever get a chance like this again?"

"You… You two can't be serious…"

Even Feraline nodded and clenched a fist in agreement.

"It is important for her to encounter as many battles as possible and learn from you. Drakeling culture believes that the longer a child is exposed to battle from the mother's back, the more deadly they grow up to become. By the way, I was on my mother's back for up to a year. Darren beat me by a few months. It should be my duty, but the Grand Eye made it explicitly clear that this is the Amethyst Hall's task alone. I entrust our Feraline to you, Master. Perhaps she could be your secret weapon against Roshasha. Show her a glorious battle! And Feraline, Roshasha is a bad guy. Be ferocious!" Estaline encouraged her daughter.

"Raaahhh!" Feraline let loose a squeaky war cry.

"This is the worst day to bring my child to work!" Kanae groaned.