What Side Didn’t Know Vol.2 – A3,C7. Misunderstandings

It’s been a week since I became Tristain’s wife.  I’ve been eating my own delicious meat every day and have been getting very little sleep.  I’m conflicted on how I feel about all of this. I can’t say I’m unhappy, but this isn’t the life I was looking for.  I’m also pretty sure there is a taboo on eating one’s self, but I can’t remember ever hearing about it.

Surely there is a taboo.  Surely.

I’m reflecting as I look up at the Gaia tree-room ceiling from the bed.  I would have never imagined being in this position, not in a million years.  Hm. Well, I can’t say I’m that old.  Sure, I’m not young…

Arg, shake those needless thoughts!  What am I doing here?! I need to sleep!  Or make a new mountain! To sleep in! And do sleepy things!

Poofffft!  Arg! Get off of me, you loaf!  You roll over on me every time you sleep!  Go cozy up to a bearfolk if you want to cuddle!  They are fluffy…. No. No! These people are invading my brain and making me think weird things!  I need to get some fresh air.

The Dryad librarian waves and offers a kind smile to me as I ride a gentle, fabricated wind up to the entrance of the Gaia tree.  My wings aren’t very big yet, but my body is fleshing out better every day. Recovering from shedding my old body will take time, however, the bare minimum comes fairly quickly.  These wings are at least enough to ride a soft gale. Just like a bearfolk’s fur… No! Get away, thoughts! Besides that, I have no intention of waving back. That urchin sold me out.  That’s right, I know you told them where I was living, you foul denizen of evil.

Out under the Gaia tree, the air is fairly crisp.  I’m not sure what happened, but Gaia seems to have turned the seasons back on.  It won’t get really cold here, but it’s not as warm as it used to be. The giant ice block Tristain encased my old body in to “preserve it” is slowly melting not too far away.  It looks disturbingly delicious now.

With these seasons and the now functional weather comes gentle breezes.  I can feel them gently bushing my scales. It feels good. Refreshing. Invigorating.

“Wife.”  Tristain startles me by wrapping his arms around me from behind and whispering in my ear.  He does these intimate things. They make my heart race, but at the same time, we don’t know each other very well.  Are all humes like this? Is this a symptom of such a short lived race?

His body warmth against my back, and the crisp air against my front is quite nice.  It’s hard to be upset with something so comfortable, despite my head telling me it’s a violation of my personal space to let someone I hardly know to be so close.

“GET A ROOM.”  That infernal bearfolk female.  Always ruining the mood. Why are you yelling from the entrance?  Did you seriously follow us up here?

“Dubhe, don’t be like that.  You’re not wearing any clothes either.”  R-really, Tristain? That’s what you come up with as a retort?  This man has no common sense.

Either way, Dubhe storms back into the Gaia tree.  I don’t honestly understand either of them. Dubhe always seems mad at Tristain.  Tristain just seems to roll with it, with a smile, no less.

I’m sure I’m scowling, as Tristain comments: “don’t be mad at her.  She’s in a tough spot, and probably feels a bit abandoned. Well, I won’t leave my kids so easily, so she doesn’t need to worry.  That’s all just lip service, though, when we live in someone else’s house right now, and they don’t want us here.” He goes quiet.

After a while, he continues.  “I’m worried for my children. I didn’t mean to have kids.  Now that I have them, though, I need to do this right, to take care of them properly.  We need to move soon. To a place we can call our own. The queen has been getting very impatient with us.”

He’s right, the queen has been acting quiet rude towards all of us.  She’s justified, of course, but it’s still unpleasant. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to raise their children in such an environment.

“I completed the cart yesterday.  We can load it up, and move whenever.  We should be able to bring all of the children that way.”  Tch. He’s so focused on bringing all of his children. They totally get on my nerves.  Well, the children don’t. Mostly the hostility from Dubhe, and the affection from Lillia.

“Why didn’t you take Lillia as your wife?”  It’s been annoying me for a while. She adores him.  It’s clear he likes her too.

“Can’t.  It’s impossible.  She knows that too.”

“What do you mean?”

“Gaia forbid her from doing anything I request.  Any relationship we would have would be completely one-sided.  If I ever requested anything, she would be explicitly forbidden from doing that.  That… wouldn’t work.” That seems like a harsh restriction.

“Wait, so does that make me your fallback wife?  You would have rather been with someone else?” That irks me.  A tremendous amount. The position I’m in was forced… But even so, this is now my husband.  He shouldn’t be wondering about someone else anymore. Mine and mine alone.

“No.  I am happy to be in a relationship with you now, and learning about you.  Maybe it didn’t go as I had imagined, or planned in my head, but then, life never does.  You weren’t a ‘second’ plan… You weren’t even on the map. But I’m very happy to be with you.”  Cursed smooth talker. Still, it irks me.

“Where will we go, then?”

“Ah, I’m sure the Goddess already has a spot picked out for us.”  What is with that lackadaisical answer? You sure put a lot of trust in that goddess.

“Yeah?”

“Yup.  They should be arriving any day now.”  Huh?

“Who?”

“Mika.  erm… and the Arbitrator.”

“Huh?  Who is ‘Mika’?”  What is with this guy and girls?!

“Ah, hah.  You’ll see.  Her and I go a ways back.  I guess.” He’s being evasive.

“Have you seen her naked?  Is she pregnant too?” Just.  How. Many.

“Well…  Yes.

I thwack him hard on the head.  “Enough with your philandering.”  He was worried about someone from my side coming after him?  What about me being worried about someone on his side coming after me?!

Author’s Note: Thanks for the support!  I am in your care!

Editor: DungeonPalmz