*** Tanatsu, Yuki's sister ***

  "Dear, looks like I have to go for a bit," I say.

  "Just give up," she says. "I don't want to leave you. But this is too far."

  "No, I have just what I need walking into my hands. This dragon is the champion of fertility and sex," I say, petting my lover. Her beautiful bck ears are now a terrible grey. "What more could I need for you? She'll owe me a favor for saving her dear Mother and child. My own Mother may even thank me for helping stupid Yuki plete her quest finally."

  "Don't hurt her," she says. "You've hurt too many trying. Don't hurt her."

  "If you demand it," I say. "Anything you wish besides giving up. Now I have some work to do. If I don't save the dragon, I don't get the help."

  Those three up top have messed up this ohey should've just taken it themselves rather than risk an amateur on this. I'll have t it to the Queen's attention as well, so they give up. A dragon holding Alzi's child is not something you risk. They have to know by now that Alzi is a royal.

  "Ok, dear," she says. "Please be safe. The dragons are dangerous."

  "So are we," I say. The table starts to move down into the freezer. Ten rings of runes are etched into the side. Each filled with mana every day. My friend will not die before me, and I will not let her bee an undead.

  To do that, it seems I have to help a sve out.

  First, I o find who ordered this stupid assassination. I have Aubrey turn it into the Queen. Yuki should've removed that colr the sed her heist was over. Aubrey isn't a stupid girl; she knows not to get revenge.

  But it works out for me. She'll be thankful for me giving her a reason to go to the Queen a her colr removed and e to me for anything she needs. Then I o see what is going on with that assassin and the as an excuse to check out the pregnant dragon. The dragons have rules about cheg on their unborn kids too early, but Kitsunes don't, so I see if there is some gold in that womb. Mother would love to hear about that.

  A gold mine of opportunity is being pced in my p by some idiot. It almost makes me want to cover for them, but there's o get caught by the Queen and ruihing.

  Popping into the archive, I find the transa quickly and find someone has been naughty. The paper doesn't fill out who ordered the attack. Stupid three really think I'm going to protect them against the Queen? I could probably fight the Queen, but her harem would kill me. Even if we take the harem out of it, the Queen would leave me with not enough mana to keep my lover alive.

  Of course, that is a problem for them, not me.

  "Aubrey," I say, shifting over to her. "I need you to give this to the Queen."

  "Fuck you shouldn't run up on people like that," Aubrey says. "Why do I have to?"

  "So you show her the colr and make the Kitsune Princess give you your freedom," I say. "Do it soon. Today would be best, really. Now, I have an assassin to follow. o look cool for the dragon."

  I pop outside and start moving to my sister's new house. Seems like the dragon may have more than one in her womb with the new house size. Should I just walk in and introduce myself as a friend of Yuki?

  No, Yuki would get mad if she found me meddling in her life too much. Best show up when she has no choice but to thank me.

  I just pop up on the roof and wait.

  *** Audrey ***

  "How did you know?" I ask to empty the air. Is space magic this on?

  Would the Queen really free me? I mean, I have less than a year to go, and I doubt she would like dealing with that annoying Kitsune. She did strangely help me with my wife.

  It will be good not to babysit those vilge girls. Buying a house for her ainful. Why did we tour a house so much bigger than she could possibly uand? There were mana tools that she didn't even ked. I should've just told them the first house would be good enough.

  She is nid overwhelmed and I think I'm seeing why I was fighting with my wife.

  Just wait until someone relieves me and then run up. It should be soon. We have started getting a schedule so we know if someone was assassinated. It makes the job a lot better. I'm still looking to quit early. Maybe that elf get me a job without the threat of death.

  ...

  Finally, a bites to relieve me. Some of these people o get a pocket watch or something. I'm already te for dinner, so I might as well have a better excuse than work.

  Fgging down a carriage, I start my jouro see the Queen.

  Yuki did a to say what happened, but luckily, you always have to be able to tell others who your owner is, so I just he Queen to see the colr. Then she'll ask, and hopefully, she'll get the Kitsuo take it off me.

  "Here!" the driver calls back.

  The front gate, or I think this is the front. Most of the traffic goes through this space, so the main gate may be the safer term. Anyway, I head up to the guard and clear my throat: "Hello. I have something I o show the Queen. It is important, so it o be today."

  "What is it about," the guard asks.

  "An assassination. Important and we all remember the trouble just a bit ago," I say.

  "Follow me," she says.

  I haven't been to the castle grounds often. The Queen just had a massive birthday party for her kid and then the weddings in the church.

  Even in the cold, the grounds are beautiful. The few flowers that mao bloom in the wiake over the flower patches as I am led to a waiting chamber.

  "You'll be called from here," the guard says, leaving me alone.

  With nothing to do, I sit down in the vish chair and wait. My wives are going to be a little mad about how te I am, but I'll have good news for them.

  ...

  "Lady Fulburne," a maid calls out. "You follow me."

  We gh the small maze and rea office where the Queen is waiting. I give her a deep bow and say, "Your Royal Highness, thank you for seeihis te. I believe it is worth it."

  "Rise, Lady Fulburhe Queen says. "What do y me."

  "Information from the assassin's guild," I say. Feels a little weird that I'm not getting strung up for admitting t there. "They just got an order to kill a pregnant dragon. Ohat Yuki is watg over."

  "Really," the Queen says. "Do you have this order?"

  "Yes, right here," I say, handing over the order. "The person who ordered the assassination has bee bnk."

  She looks over the paper. There aren't many words on it. Just the name 'Armirynth' and her address. Yet the minutes pass by in silence.

  "Troublesome," the Queen says. "Thank you fing this to me and I'm guessing Yuki put that colr around you?"

  "Yes, Your Royal Highness," I say. Oh please.

  "That won't do. I'll summon you both when she is iy ahat sorted out," the Queen says. "I will hahis paper. Find anything else strange in the guild let me know. I would love to e teach them a lesson. It seems Yuki didn't do a good enough job the first time. Go back to your family."

  "Thank you, Your Royal Highness," I say with another bow.

  The maid leads me back out of the castle and into a waiting carriage. It's nice of them to make it easy for me to get home.

  *** Tanatsu ***

  B. More than one person es to stake out the pce, so I guess some newer guilds also got the order. Or the Queen is already watg the dragon trio. There is the pregnant vampire as well. Alzi really is exactly what I need, able to give life to the nearly dead like that. How could she not fix my beloved?

  Maybe I should've waited to tell the Queen about this. The assassins don't seem to want to do it just yet. They're chis listening to the handlers' advice. Pathic. Just attack, a me kill you all in a grand show!

  But I wait. I've waited a long time, and my dear is willing. I have a long life ahead of me, and with Alzi, my love will, too. And maybe even children. It almost makes me happy that Yuki could never finish an assig.

  Just attack before the Queen es, you fools.

  *** Fluvis ***

  "Any sightings?" I ask.

  "No, but they should be in the port already!"

  "Well, we have the food to sit out here for a month, so just stay out of their range for now. We don't have the fleet to show Migate not to host kidnappers right now," I call back.

  We made better time than I thought we would. The sea helping us along to make up for my missing wind mage. I really do o be together with my wives for sailing. But I make do. Lottie is more than capable of taking out the Princess with my help.

  The one issue will be the kids. If they keep messing with my mana, I won't be much help, but they were good when I was helping their father, and I see them calming down to get her back. They just don't like to wait.

  "Dear, you should be in bed," Lottie says.

  "I ot captain a ship from my bed. What will I say to the Queen if I fail?" I say. "Sorry, Your Royal Highness, your daughter, and her husband are still captured because I needed a few more minutes of sleep. No, these kids want their father back just as much as I want to save the pair. I do it, and they will let me. I'm sure they would help if they could."

  "There is nothing to dht now, my raindrop. I know what o be done," Lottie says. "I won't start the pursuit without you. But until the. You are past looking full term."

  "I'm almost doh the rounds, and then I will go to bed," I say. "There be no mistakes. A little disfort is fine. I want to see Alzi and Princess Elora well and with their abductor in s."

  "Go," she says.