Next morning I woke up, lying in a crib in Mizuki's room. Mizuki is still asleep when mother Ima approaches me, putting her index finger at her lips. I nodded, smiling at her for this meant freedom!

 

We then teleported to my room, where mother Ima embraced me one more time, nuzzling the little me.

Then she restored me to my adult self, including my way of speaking.

 

"Thank you mother. It is good to be back," I said.

 

"You are welcome, sweetie. Did you enjoy your time as our little one? Be honest"

 

"Honestly, well, yes, I think. 

 

"Aww, just thank you for playing along. All of us really enjoyed our time together. And as a bonus you even were adopted by real foxes for a day. Lucky you."

 

"Yes, that was an amazing experience, mom. Thank you for everything. But let's not do this again for a while. 

I now need to get washed up and get dressed, it's time to be a goddess again."

 

"Aww sweetie, you don't have to thank me all the time. How about you wait with that goddess business until this afternoon? There might be someone special arriving for you in about..say an hour, you know?"

 

"You mean..." My eyes wide open. Could it be? Kenji?

 

"Yes dear, now get yourself a nice bath, get dressed and you both can have breakfast together."

 

I was about to run towards the bathroom when my mother stopped me. "Greya dear, your father asked me if you fell for his joke?"

 

"Joke?" I asked. What did I miss?

 

Mother Ima then replied "Yes, remember when he said that he would prepare another room for Kenji on the other side of the palace? That was a joke....,a bad one,...I agree. Point is that you can share a room if you want..." She was totally not grinning when she said that.

 

I blushed and said, "ah ha ha, I think that will have to wait for a bit. Maybe separate rooms are good enough for a little while longer."

 

She then left me so I could have a bath in peace.

After my bath and getting dressed, Nanami knocked on my door and asked if I needed some help. 

 

I asked her to help me brush my hair, as I wanted to look my best this morning. When she heard that Kenji would be arriving soon, she also helped me to put on makeup, including a thin layer of glossy pink lipstick. 

I looked at my reflection in my vanity mirror, and put a stray strand of hair behind my ears, perfect! 

After thanking Nana for her help, I rushed downstairs, all the way to the front door. Then I opened the door, but there was no Kenji. Maybe I should wait outside for him? 

 

Then I heard an "ahem" from behind me, I turned around and....."Kenji!" I embraced him in a strong hug, and he put his arms around me, gently.

 

"Greya, I have missed you. Now please stand there for a minute, will you?"

 

I tilted my head, he doesn't want to hug me? Then I saw a little box in his hand.....oh...

 

He kneeled before me, "Greya, would you like to become my.."  

 

I hugged him, I already said yes before, but now there is a ring as proof. A golden ring with a blue, very expensive looking, big diamond. "Yes, I already said yes you dummy!" Then we both kissed, but only for a second...

 

Then he put the ring on my finger, followed by the request to put another ring on his finger, a ring that only had a tiny diamond. He then said "these rings show that we are betrothed. When the time comes, I will make sure to have a proper wedding ring for you." 

 

"What? You will buy another set of rings? But these are perfect!" I said, honestly worried about the cost.

 

"Greya dear, you mean everything to me. You really need to get used to being a princess, you deserve the best. But thank you, that is what I like about you, your warm heart. Not your longing for gold."

 

"Aww. come here you" then we kissed. Might have been a few minutes, I don't remember. Until mother Miyako said "ahem, now have a break you two. Come, breakfast is served. Besides, you two should choose your own room soon, you know...kissing in front of our front door is not really becoming of a princess." That last part was obviously in a teasing tone, as she then chuckled, but polite like a proper queen.

 

Kenji and I both blushed.

 

The rest of the day went by in a blur. My emotions locked on my Kenji. Let me give you a summary of what happened in the days and months following this day.

-Tomoko and Minako were appointed as Royal Knights of Eshar. They earned their title for protecting me multiple times. Father thankfully listened to mother and rewarded them properly. I thanked them for their help, and said that I am happy to have them as my friends. Who knows when I need their help to protect my family in the future.

 

-Keni and I are now sharing a room in the palace. His maid, who is also named Mika, and her family are now living in his mansion, to "keep it safe." Bless Kenji, he made sure that her family can live together with her.

And yes, Mika did receive the dress that we returned to her. And she made sure to ship my, by now very dry dresses, back to the palace. 

 

-I was summoned to my first meeting with the deities. Me in my cat-kin form. Well, they are my people after all, and the other deities also look like their kin. They approved the work that I had done, but I was asked to keep the amount of miracles to a more reasonable level. That kept me blushing for a while, but they still approved, so I am all good. Maybe one of them is just jealous because all of Acria knows by now that they have a very active miracle worker as a goddess. Well, it doesn't hurt to be liked, right?

I am just happy that I didn't build the temple myself, the one that would be dedicated to me. That might have been pushing things too far.

 

-The ringing in my ears returned, but it wasn't as loud as it used to be. I decided to visit the old school, temporarily used as a temple for me. I chose the mikos myself there, as the king was a bit slow in these matters. I made their kimonos a lovely white and blue. I also needed to heal a little kitty cat that got hurt, as my mikos still desperately need the training to give healing sessions themselves. I blessed the little one and left the school smiling brightly. That was when the annoying ringing slowly changed into a feeling of a warm embrace.

Days like these in Acria are normal days by now. Always busy, trying to help. But also trying to let my people learn to do things themselves. The country slowly starts looking like a proper country, with happy people again.

 

Now, one month has passed, with many days like these. Autumn has started, colouring all forests in that special colour, the scent of falling leaves everywhere. 

On one of those cold autumn days, my parents and the king and queen of Acria are meeting in our family study room in Eshar. The goal of this meeting was to thank my parents for their support, sending emergency goods to Acria when they needed it most. However, there was more.

 

The king and queen of Acria became parents recently, me now carefully carrying their little son Kenzo, in my arms. 

While cuddling and nuzzling him to my heart's content, his mother says "Greya, that really looks good on you."

 

Kenji tries to be with me whenever I am in the palace, and as we are betrothed, he is allowed to attend these kinds of meetings. After the queen's remark, we both blushed a little, while Kenji put his arms around me. I then motioned for him to sit down.

 

My mother Miyako then agrees, while expressing a fake disappointment on her face, "yes you are so right. But I am afraid we may never have grandkids." 

 

Then I give little Kenzo back to his mother, and sit down next to Kenji. I took his hand in mine, smiled my brightest smile at my mother, waiting for the information to get through.

 

My mother then says "Greya,  there is something different about you today. You are practically glowing."

 

I nodded, softly massaging my tummy, and smiling.

 

Mother then continued "no..no!!!  Are you pregnant?"

 

I nodded, then she said "Aaaaa! Congratulations to you two. Finally I am going to be a grandmother."

 

Kenji and I were congratulated by two kings and two queens, while mother Ima appeared.

 

She had to hug me of course, and then gave us her blessings, which we received with grace. 

 

Then my father said "aren't you forgetting something?"

 

The room became silent, we all looked surprised, no longer feeling that wonderful happiness of a moment ago.

 

Before I could reply, he said "do you have a day planned for your wedding ceremony?"

 

We all looked relieved, I thought we forgot something very serious!

 

My parents decided on a date for us, "next month!!!"  We had no say in the matter at all, not that we minded, because we were all happy again. 

 

And so my life kept being anything but boring. Soon I will be married, be happy with my love, and in a few months after that, have a little one of my own.

 

After our meeting, I talked to mother Ima in her domain. While drinking some tea, I thanked her for everything she has done for me. "Thank you mother, really, for everything."

 

She replied "I told you, it was the right choice!!!"

 

Ohhh, that's right. "Mommy..."

 

"Yes Greya, dear?"

 

"What would have happened if I had chosen the left door?"

 

Mother laughed, with all her being "ha ha, sweetie, I had hoped you would have forgotten that by now. 

Nothing would have happened! You would still have entered the same office we met in, but it would have told me much about you: are you someone who is stubborn, or one who is willing to listen to reason, to other's opinions, and therefore choose the right path in life. So you were thoroughly tested...and you passed with flying colours. And I knew then that you would be perfect as my daughter, indeed, you are my wonderful little one, sweetie!" 

 

I totally do not admit having eaten all chocolate cookies that day, while blushing at all the comments.