The party recovered from the cake incident with remarkable speed.
Apparently, hundreds of nobles, diplomats, soldiers, priests, and magical dignitaries were perfectly willing to overlook two newly crowned women smearing dessert across each other's faces as long as more wine was served afterward.
Sarisa had been cleaned by three attendants who looked as though they were trying not to laugh.
Lara had refused assistance.
She had wiped most of the cream from her face with a napkin, discovered a piece of moonberry trapped near her collar, eaten it, and declared the entire event "efficient."
Her jacket still carried a pale stain near one shoulder.
Sarisa considered it deserved.
Now the music had grown livelier.
The formal dances had dissolved into something freer, with demons dragging Celestians into circles, human envoys attempting steps they clearly had not practiced, and Kaelith leading a small group of children in what appeared to be a dance based entirely on jumping.
Aliyah had initially refused.
Then Kaelith grabbed both her hands.
Now Aliyah was jumping too, though she maintained a dignified expression throughout.
Neris stood nearby, uncertain until Elysia encouraged him forward. Within minutes, he was laughing with them.
Sarisa watched from Lara's side.
That sight alone made the day feel complete.
Their children were safe.
Recognized.
Happy.
No hidden papers reduced them to bloodlines or subjects. No court could deny who they were now.
Lara slipped an arm around Sarisa's waist.
"You're doing the face again."
Sarisa glanced at her. "What face?"
"The emotional one."
"I am allowed to be emotional today."
"So am I, apparently. Veylira has announced it publicly."
"You were crying."
"Moonlight entered my eye."
"Both eyes?"
"It was aggressive moonlight."
Sarisa smiled.
Lara leaned closer, her voice dropping. "We could leave."
Sarisa looked around the hall.
"The party is still happening."
"Yes."
"We are the reason for the party."
"Exactly. We have already contributed."
"You want to escape our own wedding reception?"
"I have danced, eaten, been crowned, had cake thrown at me, and listened to four speeches about trade agreements. I have fulfilled my duties."
Sarisa turned toward her fully. "You forgot one."
"What?"
"Remaining present."
Lara sighed as though this was a terrible abuse of royal authority.
Sarisa kissed her cheek, near the small patch of cream Lara had missed.
"That helps," Lara admitted.
They moved toward one of the refreshment tables, where crystal glasses had been arranged in neat rows.
Moonwine shimmered silver in some. Demon liquor glowed dark red in others. There were also fruit drinks for the children, though Kaelith had already tried convincing a servant that she was "old in spirit."
The servant had not been persuaded.
Sarisa reached for a glass of wine.
Then she paused.
Across the room, Elysia stood beside Malvoria near the musicians' platform.
Nothing appeared strange at first.
Elysia was smiling, one hand resting lightly on Malvoria's arm while Raveth told some outrageous story to Veylira. A servant approached them carrying a tray of wine.
Malvoria took a glass.
Raveth took two.
Veylira took one.
Elysia declined.
Sarisa watched.
Perhaps she simply did not want wine.
That would not be unusual.
Except Sarisa suddenly realized she had not seen Elysia drink anything alcoholic all evening.
Not during dinner.
Not during the toasts.
Not when Malvoria had given her speech.
Not even the light moonwine served before the first dance.
Elysia liked wine.
Not excessively, but she usually had at least one glass during celebrations.
Today, she had been drinking water and fruit infusions.
Sarisa narrowed her eyes.
Beside her, Lara noticed.
"What?"
Sarisa kept watching Elysia. "Has Elysia had any alcohol today?"
Lara blinked.
Then looked across the room.
"I don't know."
"You were drinking with Raveth for half the evening."
"I was not monitoring everyone else's glasses."
"You monitor exits, weapons, suspicious movements, and whether someone looks at me for too long."
"That is different."
"Is it?"
"Yes."
Lara studied Elysia more carefully now.
A servant offered Elysia another drink.
Elysia refused again.
Lara's eyebrows drew together.
"Hm."
Sarisa glanced at her. "You noticed too."
"She usually drinks celestial pear wine."
"Yes."
"And she has been avoiding Raveth's bottles."
"Everyone should avoid Raveth's bottles."
"True."
They exchanged a look.
Then, without discussing it further, they crossed the room together.
Elysia saw them approaching and smiled.
"There you are. I was wondering whether you had escaped."
Lara looked mildly disappointed. "Not yet."
Sarisa stopped beside Elysia.
Malvoria was still there, one arm resting loosely around Elysia's waist. Raveth and Veylira remained nearby, though Raveth had turned her attention toward a plate of miniature pastries.
Sarisa picked up an untouched glass from the table and held it slightly toward Elysia.
"Is the alcohol not to your liking?"
Elysia's smile paused.
Only for a moment.
But Sarisa saw it.
Malvoria saw it too.
Her hand tightened subtly around Elysia's waist.
Elysia looked at the wine, then at Sarisa.
"It is perfectly fine."
"Then why haven't you had any?"
Lara made a thoughtful sound beside Sarisa.
"Hm."
Elysia glanced at Malvoria.
Malvoria suddenly became fascinated by the ceiling.
That was enough.
Sarisa's suspicion sharpened into certainty so quickly that a smile began forming before Elysia even answered.
Elysia took a slow breath.
"I can't have alcohol."
Lara's expression changed.
She looked at Elysia.
Then at Malvoria.
Then back at Elysia.
"Hm," she repeated, this time with far more meaning.
Sarisa smiled fully.
"Are you pregnant?"
Silence.
Not across the whole hall.
Only inside their small circle.
Still, it felt enormous.
Elysia closed her eyes briefly.
Malvoria muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, "We lasted longer than expected."
Raveth stopped eating.
Veylira slowly turned her head.
Lara stared at Malvoria.
"You are pregnant?"
Malvoria looked offended. "Elysia is pregnant."
"I know how this works."
"Your face suggested otherwise."
Sarisa laughed softly, then reached for Elysia's hands.
"Is it true?"
Elysia's expression softened.
"Yes."
The word barely left her mouth before Sarisa pulled her into a hug.
Elysia laughed, surprised, then hugged her back.
"Oh, this is wonderful," Sarisa said.
Lara was still staring at Malvoria.
"You knew."
"Of course I knew."
"And you said nothing."
"We wanted to keep it secret for now," Malvoria said. "It is your wedding day."
Sarisa pulled back from Elysia.
"You thought telling us this would ruin our wedding day?"
"No," Elysia said quickly. "We only did not want to take attention away from you."
Lara looked at Malvoria with growing disbelief.
"You let me spend two months complaining about wedding planning while you were hiding this?"
Malvoria raised one eyebrow. "What did you want me to do? Announce it during a discussion about ribbons?"
"It would have improved the discussion."
Veylira's gaze settled on Malvoria and Elysia with quiet warmth.
"How long?"
"A little over four months," Elysia said.
Sarisa's eyes widened.
"Four months?"
Malvoria winced. "Yes."
"And no one noticed?"
Lara shook her head.
"You hid this for months."
"Successfully," Malvoria replied.
"Barely."
Malvoria smiled.
Then her expression changed.
Excitement slipped through the confidence, bright and impossible to hide.
"But," she said, "there is more."
Elysia turned toward her. "Malvoria."
"What? They already know."
Sarisa's hands tightened around Elysia's.
"What more?"
Malvoria looked between Sarisa and Lara.
Then she grinned.
"They are twins."
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Lara blinked.
Sarisa stared.
Raveth began laughing first.
"Twins," Lara repeated.
Malvoria's grin widened. "Twins."
Sarisa made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a gasp before hugging Elysia again.
"Two babies?"
Elysia laughed against her shoulder. "That is generally what twins mean."
Lara turned to Malvoria.
"You are going to have two more children."
"Yes."
"At once."
"Yes, Lara."
Lara looked genuinely overwhelmed by the concept.
Raveth pointed at her. "She is calculating the noise."
"I am calculating everything."
Malvoria lifted her chin. "We will manage."
"You nearly declared war when Kaelith refused to sleep for three nights."
"She was testing us."
"She was teething."
"Same thing."
Elysia shook her head, smiling.
Sarisa stepped back and looked at them both.
Malvoria's hand remained protectively at Elysia's waist. Beneath all her jokes and arrogance, she looked radiant.
Terrified too.
But happy.
Deeply happy.
Sarisa's heart warmed.
"This does not take anything away from today," she said. "It makes it even better."
Elysia's eyes softened. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Lara finally moved.
She crossed the small distance and pulled Malvoria into a sudden hug.
Malvoria went completely rigid.
Raveth's mouth fell open.
Veylira's eyebrows rose.
Malvoria slowly looked down at Lara's arms around her.
"What are you doing?"
"Hugging you."
"Why?"
"You are having twins."
"Elysia is having twins."
Lara released her and frowned. "You are impossible."
Malvoria looked suspiciously emotional.
Then she covered it with a smirk.
"You are becoming soft in marriage."
"I have been married for less than a day."
"Rapid decline."
Sarisa reached for Lara's hand and intertwined their fingers.
Around them, the celebration continued, unaware that their family had just quietly grown.
Music filled the hall.
Children laughed.
Glasses lifted.
And beneath the stars and floating red flames, Sarisa looked at Elysia, Malvoria, Lara, and the family surrounding them.
The day had already given her more than she had ever dared ask for.
A wife.
A crown.
Their children recognized.
And now two new lives waiting to join their wonderfully chaotic family.
Sarisa smiled.
"This truly is a day for new beginnings."