It has been five years since I married Naiya. It's been four since we had our first child, Neeri. I love my new family with all of my heart, but I know the life of a mage is a lonely one. I can stand being isolated in a castle of my own making, with pine-covered mountain ranges on one side and the open ocean on the other separating us all from civilization "for its own protection from my magic". When I was young and it was just me, a soldier who went down the magical rabbit hole, I accepted my lord's reasoning back then and was fine with being alone. But my new family grew tired of the loneliness and surprisingly so did I. So here we am now, sailing along the coast on a galley built from the pine that surrounded my castle and crewed by automatons I created myself. Neeri, my darling four year old, is having the time of her life watching the coast float by. My automaton maid Sheri stands close by, tirelessly keeping an eye on her master's daughter. Content in my old companion's watch, I look to the other side of the deck. Looking out at the endless sea is my wife Naiya. With a smile I walk over and join her at the ship's railing to gaze out into that deepest blue. My wife doesn't shift with my presence and I look up at her face. Her blazing red eyes are unfaltering in their stare across to the horizon. Her ebony skin shows no tautness in her face; she appears so serene with that look. But after spending five intimate years with her I can tell she is fussing over something, something to do with the ocean. I take a wild guess.
"You'd rather be swimming alongside us?"
It has been five years since I married Naiya. It's been four since we had our first child, Neeri. I love my new family with all of my heart, but I know the life of a mage is a lonely one. I can stand being isolated in a castle of my own making, with pine-covered mountain ranges on one side and the open ocean on the other separating us all from civilization "for its own protection from my magic". When I was young and it was just me, a soldier who went down the magical rabbit hole, I accepted my lord's reasoning back then and was fine with being alone. But my new family grew tired of the loneliness and surprisingly so did I. So here we am now, sailing along the coast on a galley built from the pine that surrounded my castle and crewed by automatons I created myself. Neeri, my darling four year old, is having the time of her life watching the coast float by. My automaton maid Sheri stands close by, tirelessly keeping an eye on her master's daughter. Content in my old companion's watch, I look to the other side of the deck. Looking out at the endless sea is my wife Naiya. With a smile I walk over and join her at the ship's railing to gaze out into that deepest blue. My wife doesn't shift with my presence and I look up at her face. Her blazing red eyes are unfaltering in their stare across to the horizon. Her ebony skin shows no tautness in her face; she appears so serene with that look. But after spending five intimate years with her, I can tell she is fussing over something, something to do with the ocean. I take a wild guess.
"You'd rather be swimming alongside us?"
Naiya's voice is leveled and measured. "I'd rather have all of us be swimming together."
I nod and look back out at the ocean, still smiling. "You'd rather have the whole capital go into a panic at the sight of three leviathans entering the harbor."
My wife's hands grip the pine railing a little tighter, but I don't have to look to know that she's just a little flustered. "No, not that. It's just..." After a moment of silence I look up this time and meet the sad gaze from Naiya. My heart twists instantly at that awful look, but I let her talk. "It's just that I want to share my way of living with you and Neeri."
"Naiya." I breathe out. Taking her hand and gripping it tightly, I give my beloved a determined look. My wife turns to face me fully and takes both of my hands in hers. "I'm nearly there with that spell. It's just a matter of finetuning it so that there is no catastrophic error with anyone. I don't want anything irreversible to happen to her."
We both look at our daughter who's now pointing out the changing landscape to Auntie Sheri. My maid patiently humors her and makes sure Neeri doesn't lean too far over the railing. I look back up at Nayia.
"That can wait until after this vacation. In the meantime, Sheri can keep Neeri busy while we," With a more sly smile I take one of Naiya's hands and kiss it, "can have some alone time before we arrive." I turn over her hand and kiss the inside of her wrist, eliciting a deep breath from my wife. She grins and narrows her glowing red eyes.
"How long do you think that Sheri can keep Neeri busy?"
"With her magic lectures? Enough for the both of us."
We close the distance with each other and Naiya leans down for a kiss, but we're interrupted by a weighted letter smacking the deck. The four of us look just in time to see a stealthy owl fly back to land at a speed normal owls couldn't dream of achieving. Neeri beats us to the letter before we could move away from each other, our faces flushed red.
Naiya asked, "Who is it from, honey?"