Queen Fiona was the seventh wife of King Richard and the Queen of a world in the fifth domain called Lyran. Just like the people of Vanta, the Lyrans had also been blessed by the Aquatic gods, and they had very strong affinities for all water-based spells. That was one of the reasons why Fiona and Bethsa became so close after their first meeting! The two women visited each other’s worlds regularly since they always felt comfortable there, and after hearing that Bethsa was planning to come and visit the new overlord, Jason Marc, Fiona decided that she would also come and see this extraordinary stepson for herself!
Fiona had only heard about Jason through stories from Bethsa, Richard, and Mira, and everything that she had heard about Jason was just far too extraordinary! It was as if Jason were some perfect being in the eyes of all the people around him, and Fiona couldn’t hide her curiosity anymore! Was Jason really as brilliant as people claimed he was, or were people simply exaggerating?
"It’s been years, Fiona. How are you?"
Mira looked absolutely excited to see Fiona again, and Fiona smiled at her sister-wife and told her that she was doing alright.
"My kingdom is going through a technological revolution right now with many new inventions, so I’ve been very busy for a long while. But now that I have some time off, I decided a visit was in order."
"That’s splendid."
Mira clapped her hands together with a smile, and Fiona smiled proudly before she turned and waved her hand for the two teenagers who came with her to walk forward.
"Mira, I’d like to introduce you to my children. This here is Georgia; she is the younger sister and one of the finest swordswomen you will ever meet. She just recently broke through the Titan ranks, and she is already on her way to becoming one of the strongest bladedancers in our kingdom."
The girl curtsied respectfully to Mira and spoke in a regal voice.
"It’s an honor to meet you, stepmother. I’ve heard many things about you from mother, and I’ve looked forward to our meeting."
"Oh, what is all this formality, dear? Give me a hug."
Mira was surprised by how formal Georgia was acting with her! It was as if they were strangers rather than family! Mira stepped forward for a hug, and Georgia stiffened slightly before she slowly relaxed and returned the hug gently. Once they separated, Fiona smiled as she introduced the boy.
"And this—"
"It’s quite alright, mother. I can introduce myself."
The boy interrupted Fiona as he stepped forward to greet Mira. Fiona let out a small sigh, but she didn’t interrupt as her son bowed.
"I am honored to meet you, stepmother. My name is Hendrix, and I am the heir apparent to the throne of the Lyran kingdom. I have heard quite a lot about your son, Jason Marc, from travelling bards and storytellers, and although I know that many of those stories are exaggerated, I hope you’ll understand why I am so interested in meeting him."
Mira watched Hendrix with a hand on her cheek and a look of surprise on her face. Although she was Jason’s mother, Mira didn’t know many of the things that Jason had done out in the Primordial Expanse. All Mira knew was that her son was the ruler of the world, so she was surprised that Jason’s exploits had gotten all the way to Fiona’s world! But Mira decided that it didn’t matter! If Hendrix wanted to meet Jason so badly, then there was no problem! After all, they were half-brothers, so it was only natural that they would eventually meet!
Mira stepped forward with her hands wide open for a hug, and Hendrix blinked in surprise for a moment before he hesitantly reached out and allowed Mira to hug him.
"Welcome, son. It’s nice to meet you too."
This was the only thing Mira said, and Hendrix felt such an intense outpouring of love from those few words that he couldn’t help the blush that rose to his face! So this is why his mother loved Mira so much. Even though Mira was not a Queen or a ruler of any kind like many of their father’s other wives, there was something about Mira that just drew people to her, and the intense sincerity in all her actions made it impossible for you not to like her!
In truth, Hendrix had come here hoping to test himself against Jason! Hendrix heard so many stories about Jason over the past few months that Hendrix began to wonder if people were lying to him or not! The number of achievements Jason had in such a short period just didn’t make sense, and when Hendrix learned that Jason was given the seat of Overlord in his domain, Hendrix knew he had to come and see this man for himself! Hendrix had already been prepared to put up a strong front and show little emotion to anyone, but this one hug from Mira was enough to break all those boundaries to the ground!
Mira finally pulled back, and she smiled up at her step-son before she turned to introduce her own family! Mira first introduced Maya and Janet as her daughters, and both girls were given a short hug by Fiona before they had awkward greetings with their half-siblings. Neither Janet nor Maya really knew how to act in front of siblings that they had never met before, but Hendrix and Georgia understood. The first time Hendrix and Georgia met some of Richard’s other children, it had also been very awkward for them!
Mira then introduced Stella, and Stella curtsied and said that she was the personal maid of the Marc family.
"I am available to aid you in any request you might have."
"You’re an Avaran, aren’t you. A pure blood."
Hendrix suddenly spoke up in surprise when he felt the magic essence flowing off Stella, and Stella smiled as she nodded. It was very rare for anyone to see a pureblooded Avaran in the Primordial Expanse since their world was destroyed, so Stella understood why Hendrix and the others were so shocked. Hendrix looked Stella over with a critical gaze before he asked.
"From your mana, I can tell you’re a fighter. Why are you acting as a maid?"
Fiona reached out with her hand and hit her son softly on the head, and Hendrix turned to his mother with a scowl. Fiona spoke in a disappointed tone.
"It is rude to dig into people’s circumstances so crudely. Did I not teach you better manners?"
Hendrix let out a soft sigh and nodded.
"Of course, I’m sorry for my rudeness."
Stella shook her head, and she said it was alright.
"I do not mind you asking about my circumstances. The reason I am in this position is because I have sworn my life to serving Lord Jason’s family. Lord Jason saved my life and accepted me at a time when I had nothing. I am willing to do anything that is required of me so long as I can help him and his family."
The guests were all shocked by the sincere devotion they could see on Stella’s face! It wasn’t normal for a soldier to let go of their pride and become someone’s servant, so they could all tell that Stella must have a lot of pride in Jason! This level of devotion was something that could not be bought! It could only be earned!
"You were once in the Avaran army, weren’t you? If it’s alright with you, could you spar with me sometime?"
Georgia spoke up from the side with a curious glint in her eyes! Georgia had been learning the Lyran sword techniques all this time, but she knew that the Lyran technique paled in comparison to the Avaran techniques. Georgia couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn directly from an Avaran soldier!