Simone smiled a bit up at Lewis as he went to go to the kids, “You are after all only a thought away if I need you.” It actually came in handy especially when the kids were fighting… Or in some cases where they tried to get one to do what the other wouldn’t. She watched Rhenakos’s feet and sighed a bit. “The other benefit to the Resonance is that the children can’t go between us. We can quickly communicate and make sure that the other didn’t say no. It happens especially with the little ones if they want something. It makes parenting a breeze,” Simone smirked a bit. “Which is saying something when you consider I have nine children with five under the age of ten.”

Llywellyn looked exhausted thinking about it, “I couldn’t handle the two I have.”

“I’ve been a mother plenty to know how the little ones work… It’s the older ones that have been a challenge,” she gave a sad smile but it only took a moment for Llywellyn to catch on to why.

“What did he do? To them… You make it sound like you’ve had plenty.”

She leaned back in the chair and held a sad face, “You said that the one thing I wanted was to be a mother… More than anything… What would be a way to break me?” The look of shock on the elf king’s face slowly devolved into faces of angry and regret.

“How many?”

“Too many.”

“How many lived?!”

“None,” Simone looked at him and slowly leaned forever to prop her head up, “When the day came where he grew impatient with me he took everything from me. My whole legacy. My descendants. He hunted them all. Then when I took from him… He took my womb from me,” Simone closed her eyes as she mulled it over.

“What do you mean took from him?”

She opened those gray eyes and looked him over, “Because I made a deal with a fey and killed everyone in his kingdom with hellfire and iron. So he could be alone too.”

Llywellyn was in shock as he looked at his wife who was just staring at Simone, “But you…”

“I stopped being a gentle soul a long time ago Llywellyn. Whether it be the first seven years that did it… or who knows what. Maybe that first night when I killed myself. Who knows. If it wasn’t for Lewis… There wouldn’t be anything left of me. Even if you had found me you wouldn’t have been able to fix me.”

“How did he do it then?”

“We have done it twice now. We call it dream diving. He entered my mental landscape and he conquered the evil that laid deep and dealt with unimaginable horrors that I put him through. My life experiences. My memories. All of them washed over him like the ocean. This was the first time our resonance sparked but we have theories that it existed before then it just wasn’t awake. The second time, was when I needed to strengthen our bond so I entered his and dealt with his demons… but that doesn’t answer your question… Does it? By killing all of me that existed beyond the boundary I put up he reunited the pieces of me and made me whole. I’m not dumb. I know when I’m beat but I can try to outlast my opponents. In the long run, so the fey lord didn’t beat me I cut my soul up into pieces and the one that wasn’t experiencing madness was locked between a door. One piece was left for the man who would come and save me. This man was told to me by the fey queen herself. He would come eventually. So I waited. If anything I am resilient.”

“This is complicated…”

“That’s why Lewis didn’t explain the resonance right away. Xeik showing up pushed the envelope.” Simone sighed a bit and looked at Xeik. “I really do owe Angela for everything she’s done. Our Everett? Angela brought him to us as our first child because she was guilty she couldn’t fix what the fey lord did. I was sad for a long time. I thought I had gotten over wanting a baby… It was around that time Lewis decided he wanted to adopt kids. It… lined up so perfectly you would have thought we talked it all out but we had been blocking each other out. Unsure of how to proceed. Nothing is kept a secret from us and it’s exhausting to try. It’s possible but it can eat up a lot of energy to make it happen.”

They spent a while long while talking so Simone could explain more about her new life. She produced her black flames as demonstration but only a small flicker. Nothing dangerous. Lly was excited to see it as he had never seen Simone perform magic before.

“In any case, while I would love to stay and chat I still have things I need to do,” Llywellyn looked sad but Simone just gave a smile.

“It’s not like you don’t know how to get a hold of us now. I’ve given you the important details in the written note not that long ago. I would prefer if you didn’t tell anyone else.” Llywellyn nodded and stood up with his wife as others.

That left the regular group with a scholar, “I can show you to the royal library now.”

“Very well, come on Xeik.” Simone followed the scholar and looked towards Xeik, “So you had to bargain with thick-headed Llywellyn? I feel sorry for you. He’s who I learned to argue with. He’s always been stubborn.” Once they got into the library the book was brought to them and the two sat down at a table. "You have two hours. Make sure to make it count Xeik."

She had to keep her promise of watching him and keep him on task, "This is probably the only time I can make a deal like this with him."

Xeik had heard some of what had happened to Simone from Angela during his training, but he never got the full details from her. Whether it was an act of kindness for Simone, or just not relevant was up for debate. Hearing it come from Simone, though, was almost shocking. Even Rhenakos seemed sobered by the things she had gone through, though the demon hunter had his own dark events that shaped who he was that was, by no means lesser than Simone’s, only different.

Still, she was a strong person, and Xeik admired her perseverance through it all. He wondered if this was one of the reasons Angela had offered her a second chance at life. At this point, though, there was little point in questioning how the goddess thought, and instead he figured he should focus on the book he was being given a chance to look at.

“Thanks, Simone,” the healer said as they were brought back to it. He sat down, and started to read. In his training, he learned that Raine, of all the people in the temple, was a certified genius. One of the few tricks of the trade he had learned was a complicated form of shorthand with it’s own cipher and key. Combined with the knowledge of how to translate elvish and other languages, Xeik had learned how to practically copy entire books in half the time it would take to even read it, and with two hours, he could easily copy at least half of the Book of Life and Death. The tricky part was finding the parts that were important.

As the two hour mark hit, he closed the book, and took a deep cleansing breath. At the start he had been nervous, but he felt he did an acceptable job. Angela would be proud, and that was enough to satisfy him for the time being. He stood up, and smiled. “Thanks again Simone. I’m going to need some time to translate what I have and speak with Angela and Raine, but I’m sure I got most of what they needed. Will you still be here later this evening? Or back home?” He was ready to head back to Elysia and get started on the notes. “I’m sure I’ll have some news about this by then. If not, I can at least give you an update on what we’ve found.”

“It’s not an issue. I can be cold but I also know when I owe someone something,” she gave a smile and though they had done much for the goddess… Just how much Simone thought she owed could only be said by Lewis. Not that he would out his wife. This time with her family was invaluable and she wouldn’t have had it without both Angela and Xeik.

Simone thought about it and shrugged, “Probably here. After all, Lucas and Ezili are lost in the library and the other children seem to be enjoying themselves. It’s good for them to get off the island once in a while.” The problems that had occurred since the twins were born… had been numerous and it resulted in Lewis not taking as many jobs as normal.

Thankfully Simone and Lewis had been smart to invest with Raile. They had thought about the long term once they got Everett and the fact that the high-value targets were often dangerous. Ever since the night, they found Alshaya they had spoken about it quietly in the depths of their mind. It would be better this way. He didn’t stop but there was a slow down as they spent more time with their family. Simone’s writing also helped them and it gave her something to do.

Finding her way to where the kids were playing in the courtyard she came out and Everett popped up off the ground almost immediately, “MAMA!” He ran right over to her and she picked him up.

“Are you being good?”

“Yeah!” Everett rubbed his nose on hers and she kissed his forehead.

“That’s my good boy,” Simone said it softly as she looked over to the twins who were currently pacified. “Stay with Daddy? Mommy is going to explore a bit,” she set him down and he ran back over to where Alshaya was. The little girl had been lost to her own world but she did smile up at Simone. Silly kids.

Simone took a stroll through the halls checking out the various things. “Do you enjoy coming here and disturbing things?” It was the wife and she sounded upset.

Simone made no notable acknowledgment at first as she stopped in front of the portrait of the last queen, “Not really. I would have preferred Llywellyn not know I was here. Though, I suppose he would have kept looking until he found me.”

Turning her head the phoenix made note of a few female elves. Either other nobles or handmaidens. Though it could have been both. “So why don’t you leave?”

“Because he won’t let me just up and leave. You know this,” Simone sounded exhausted as she looked back up at the portrait. “You know how stubborn he is and how narrow sighted he can be even if he ends up hurting himself. For what it’s worth. I think it’s shit that he’s ignored you. You haven’t been married that long compared to how long I’ve been missing and I can only imagine how hard that’s been.” Simone was trying to be cordial and at least sympathetic to the situation.

“You have a husband who loves you and appreciates you…”

“Wasn’t always that way Queen Jehanne. In my last life I was the wife of a Duke Somerset,” she could feel the shudder. Her eyes turned to Jehanne. “So, Llywellyn went to him too?” There was a nod but there was a visible suck in of her lips. “And… He found nothing but a man saying his wife died of illness… Cruel rumors?” Once more a nod. “He had hired Lewis to kill me and Lewis tried. Lewis wasn’t the prince charming he is now not back then. When Lewis couldn’t he just took me and told Emil I had been killed. Let me guess, a few years ago he went back after the rumors of all the kidnapped women in Adeluna and surrounding areas?”

“He was obsessive about it. He went after the rumors like a hawk but…”

“But by the time he got to Somerset Estate he found it on fire and nothing but charred remains,” Simone’s eyes met hers. “We did that. Emil had accidentally found me in Adeluna and kidnapped me. Well, I let him do it. I had a young girl with me and I couldn’t involve her.”

“So… You just let yourself get taken?”

“And tortured. Torture doesn’t really bother me like it used to. After the first hundred times it loses its charm,” Simone’s gray eyes settled on Jehanne’s. She was really pretty and a good choice for Llywellyn. “I just needed to survive until Lewis showed up. I would have escaped myself but I kept getting drugged. He tried to condition me back to being his poor defenseless wife. See nasty rumors had cropped up that he killed his wife… Llywellyn’s work I can now say for certain. Only a few people knew about my curse.” She smirked a bit.

The elf queen shivered a bit but Simone looked back to the elf portrait. “You are focusing on the last queen a lot.”

“Because I know how she died now,” Simone’s voice was a whisper. “And I feel horrible.”

“What?!” Simone hadn’t noticed the other presences. Her eyes moved to Llywellyn, his father, and his brother. “What do you mean you know what happened to Rada?” It was understandable that Krasimir was upset. Llywellyn himself was quiet but putting his hand on his father’s shoulder. His brother was fuming.

“I can remember now,” her eyes drifted back to the portrait. “It comes in bits. Whenever I encounter something that I’ve seen. Sometimes it can be something weird or sometimes it’s a person’s face.”

“Simone, what happened and tell me who is responsible.”

“It won’t help how you are feeling right now,” Simone said it quietly.

“And why is that?”

“Because, if I am remembering doesn’t that mean the person responsible is already dead,” Simone’s eyes turned finally to Llywellyn. “One person who wanted me no matter what. Who could break Jerome easily enough but you? You barely wavered even when he showed up the first time. You became an obstacle he was scared of because you could back up the threats. He could, however, break someone close to you.” Her eyes went to Krasimir. “You did exactly what he thought you would do.”

There was anger and she could feel it. “Are you calling me weak?”

Llywellyn was going to come to her defense but Simone shook her head, “No, I think anyone would have had the response you did. I’m not sure how he did it. He just did. He told me so just before…” She frowned a bit and stopped herself. “I shouldn’t say it. It makes me feel… unclean.” There were plenty of times she had said it but right now she wasn’t able to put up her walls to stop herself from crying. Now wasn’t the time to say it outright. She balled her hands into fists and she was shaking.

Distressed.

Was that what this was?

Scared?

Probably.

She turned around and closed her eyes she couldn’t face them. She was trying to center herself. The calm that Lewis normally had was being pulled through the resonance link. He could feel her pull. “You should know so you can have closure. How he did it I can’t tell you. Everything has been destroyed and it was one of the few things he wiped from my memory so just in case…”

“You couldn’t tell me,” Llywellyn sat down and thought about it. “He’s put everyone through a lot. There has to be a reason more than just wanting you.”

“…Do you want to know?” Simone had found out from the one who did it herself. So she told him the story of the Fey Queen. By the end of it, the elves were quiet. “That’s how our twins were born. The fight when they had taken Everett. I don’t know if it was by accident but I wouldn’t be surprised. I don’t think she would have been dumb enough to come after me a second time knowing what I did to Alvaro’s people. Though I do suppose I flipped the rules of hospitality on her. What she owed me for everything… It was too much for even her to pay back.”

Simone felt herself wobble. “Of all the times… Lewis!” She barely managed to get the name out of her mouth before her body seemingly flopped down. Llywellyn and his father rushed to catch her. Her body was still for a moment but her eyes popped open. They were different somehow once Llywellyn looked into them.

“Simone?”

A shriek left her lips as she bolted out of their arms and started to run. Her feet caught the gown that Simone had been complaining about previously. “LEWLEW,” she let out a cry as she started to blubber. Full-on giant globs of tears came out as the Guide flailed about. “Where am I?! WHERE IS MY LEWLEW.”

Llywellyn was in shock, “Simone, please calm down.” Was she mad from the torture?

“She’s crazy,” Jehanne said as she approached.

“I’m not crazy,” the Guide shot back. “Just scared. YOU WOULD BE TOO! I don’t know you people, I don’t know where I am, and I don’t know where my Lewlew is. Simone isn’t answering me either,” she screamed as she let out more sobs.

“Wait… Simone? Why would Simone speak to you?” Llywellyn was quick to get down by her.

“Because I…” She sniffled and looked into his eyes. “I’m just a part of her that takes over when there’s a problem. I don’t know why this time she didn’t tell me.” She was sniffling and trying to stop the tears. “She created me as a piece of her.”

The elf king was quick to catch on, “To keep her sane?”

“Yeah!” The guide nodded as she stopped crying finally. “Where’s my Lewlew?”

Lewis was happy to see Simone if only for a moment as she interacted with the younger children. Everett and Alshaya were happy enough, but when she told them to go back to Lewis, they pouted but did as they were told. The couple exchanged a few loving words as she wandered off, excusing herself, The assassin wasn’t too happy at her melancholy but there wasn’t much he could do about it other than offer his support.

He returned his attention to Everett and Alshaya though, as they played with each other. Everett was being chased around by his sister, taunted her to try and catch him. Alshaya was faster than he thought though, and caught up to him, tagging him with her hand and gloating as she ran off. The boy frowned, and started to complain at how it’s not fair, and they started bickering.

“Hey now,” Lewis said with a grin. “Calm down you two and play nicely.”

“Yes Papa,” they each said in their sad tones, looking at each other and apologizing. It didn’t take much longer than that, though, for them to find something else to argue about. Soon, they would need separate rooms, and at that thought Lewis let out a soft sigh. They were growing up so fast. He was sad that he had missed a small portion of it, but the way they had restructured their life had lent him a lot more time with them. It was fun and fulfilling, but even he needed to get out every so often, feeling restless. He had started taking less jobs, and skipping over the more high value targets in favor of safer jobs.

He was lost in thought when he felt the familiar snap of the resonance. It was happening again, and he was gone in a flash. It had been happening more and more lately, their resonance fading in and out. There was something off about their magic, something about the newborn twins that was drawing more power from them. Simone and Lewis each had experienced it several times, but Simone was getting the worse end of it due to the nature of their magic.

Just as the guide called for him one last time, he sprinted up to her, and held her close for a few moments. “Shh…it’s okay. I’m here. I promise…everything is okay…” He gave a threatening look to the others, a warning to back off, at least for now. “Let’s get you into a room and I can explain what’s happening.”

Llywellyn had everyone back off once Lewis got there. The guide was quick to cling to him and she sniffled up at him. “Okay…” She had never been allowed off the island by herself but more and more situations were happening where she found herself confused. Lewis took her off the island but under his watchful eye.

Llywellyn led them to Simone’s room that she was staying in, “Let us know if you need anything.” He was looking at the guide who was shying away and hiding her face from him. Once in a while, she would look at him and he caught sight of eyes he used to know.

Once the Guide was caught up on things she looked at the dress and swished it around, “It’s heavy.” However, it had kept her from running and getting hurt. “I’ll be careful.”

The elf king was already on the move though as even he felt something was off with the magic. Didn’t they say that book could help? He mused it a bit, “Bring me a messenger.” It hadn’t been that long since Xeik had left but… A way to the lady of Love wasn’t that hard to come across in his city. There was a temple there.

“Send a messenger. Ask for the Champion Xeik or Lady Angela. Tell them that something weird has happened with Simone,” Llywellyn had never involved the gods before but if someone could save Simone it would be her creator.

Once she was ready to leave the room the Guide clung to Lewis and made faces at the elves. “They have weird ears.” She wasn’t shy and she was actually fascinated by them. “It’s that man,” Simone tilted her head.

Llywellyn wasn’t that far away from them and he didn’t approach too far, “The children are still in the garden.”

The guide’s mood lit up and she tugged on Lewis’s arm. “I want to see the kids,” she picked up her skirts and started to run but once she got far enough she stopped and Llywellyn pointed. She took off in that direction.

“She… is rather innocent and doesn’t know much…” Llywellyn was concerned about someone like her existing. “I can see why you were protective.”

“Guide Mama!” The kids were excited to see her as she ran up to them and swung them around with laughter.

“I asked Xeik and Lady Angela to come back. If anyone can figure it out… Maybe that book did have something for them in it.”

It wasn’t too long after that when Angela showed up, “I left Raine at home.” The goddess reassured Lewis. “That’s the last thing we need.” She could hear the Guide’s laughter. “The twins are here?”

“They are in a nursery that we had set up. Not too far away. Safe,” Llywellyn was protective of his friend’s family.

“Ah, the great King Llywellyn finally asks me to come see his home,” Angela smirked a bit and looked at Xeik. “It’s like I said though… I might have a solution but it’s not an immediate one. There was a bit of mana vein correction listed in the book according to what Xeik has told me. It might actually help. Normally the thing causing this would have be eliminated,” Angela put up her hands immediately towards Lewis. “We’re obviously not going to do that. Simone would kill us and you wouldn’t let it happen regardless. So, the best thing to do is to nurture the hole. Help your body produce magic. It’s the equivalent of pumping your bodies with vitamins.” Angela crossed her arms and hummed to herself. “Though, Lewis won’t like it… I’m going to leave Xeik in charge of teaching what I want to be taught. For now, I’m going to give Simone enough magic to take back control of her body. Snap the resonance back into focus. I don’t want to scare the Guide or make her think something is wrong… Lewis, could you help me explain to her what we want to do?”

With the Guide feeling a lot better about where she was and what was happening, Lewis was more willing to help her leave the room. When she did so, it was with unease at the elves as she tried to gauge who and what they were. It was likely her first time ever encountering the species as a whole, and like an innocent child, she ended up asking rather invasive and possibly rude questions. Still, those who trusted Llywellyn seemed to answer her questions with the grace known to their kind.

It was the mention of children that got her spirits up, and with a tug on Lewis’ arm, she went off on her own, seemingly almost as cheerful as she usually was on the island. Lewis let loose a tense breath; at least things were getting better. As Lewis and Llywellyn made their way behind the Guide, the Elvish King made mention of trying to summon Xeik or Angela back.

Surely enough, Angela herself showed herself, with Xeik in tow. The Goddess went to work with her explanations, having gotten the notes that Xeik had taken just hours before. The healer himself was busy reading over some of the notes that he had made himself off of the translations, and was barely paying attention to Angela as she spoke.

That was, of course, when she mentioned that Xeik was to be in charge of their ‘treatment’, so to say. “I’m in charge of what,” he asked as he looked up from his notes, confused. “I…what?”

Lewis looked between Angela and Xeik, and then to the Guide, and sighed. “If that’s what you think is best. You do seem to be pretty busy lately,” the assassin replied. “Fine.” At Angela’s request to calm the Guide and explain what was about to happen, he excused himself and walked over to talk to her.

Xeik crossed his arms, “You sure it’s the best idea to let me do this?” He already knew her answer. She was rarely wrong about what needed to be done, and even if the healer didn’t agree with it, he would go along with whatever she needed him to do.

Angela nodded towards Xeik, “I’m going to need you to do it. Busy is an understatement, Lewis. This is the worst time of the year for me.” She rubbed her neck a bit and sighed, “It’s the time for sowing seeds, the frost to want to melt giving way to the land, not to mention the best time for babies. I’m swamped, and it’s mostly against my will. Even Xeik has had to step it up to help fulfill the needs in the temple this year.”

She patted Xeik on the head, “I’m sure you’ve noticed how worse this year is compared to last year. This year’s harvest is not only going to be early but also a big one. It’s very important we’re on our toes. If we mess up then well we just won’t mess up. It’s one thing healing sickness… It’s another to stop a food shortage.”

Once the Guide knew what was going on she came over quietly. “It will help right?” Her voice was so meek and Angela just smiled.

“Immensely so. I know you helped save Lewis from the poison so I know you are brave.”

“I have to be! I have babies!” The guide was excited as she hesitantly looked at the hands Angela was now offering her. “Will it hurt?”

“It will feel like a hug,” Angela didn’t lie to adults and so the Guide was more willing to take her hands. Letting the magic throw through her the Guide closed her eyes and when she opened them… “Welcome back.”

“I feel like a ton of bricks hit me in the side of the head…”

“We tried to catch you when you fell… It spooked us,” Llywellyn held some concern towards his once betrothed.

“Appreciate that. Now what?” It was almost like she had been asleep as she yawned.

“Xeik will teach you both something new. It will help cultivate the resonance and I believe it will help produce mana as a result. The more mana you overproduce the more the holes will close. The last thing we need is Lewis passing out on a job. Sound like a good idea?”

It didn’t take long for Simone and Lewis to talk it over and agree, not that they really had much of a choice in the matter. It was either work with Xeik, or face the consequences of what may happen should the magic eat their resonance and they pass out in a dangerous situation. The answer was obvious. With that out of the way, Xeik found himself in the room that Simone had been staying in while under the Elve’s care.

“Tell me again why we’re not at home?” Lewis asked, annoyed.

Xeik sighed, “Because Angela wants us to try this now. Lesson one when living with a deity; don’t question them. Just go with it.” This was a lesson that Lewis should have known, having once served under a god. “Now, according to the notes here, she says that it’s best to do this either naked-” This earned a glare. “Or with breathable attire.” He looked up to see that both of them were still in their elvish clothes. “Yeah, that’s not going to cut it. The assassin gear, minus your affects, should work for the time being. Otherwise, I’d say just do it without once I’m not here.”

The two changed, and found that Xeik had done the same. He was wearing shorts and a loose fitting shirt. “Ok…so,” the healer said as he checked the notes again. “This is the first of a few different exercises. The purpose of this is to synchronize yourself without the use of resonance. The resonance that you two share is always eating at your mana reserves. Something…about doing this exercise basically helps train the resonance and response of the connection, and lessens the amount of mana it consumes.” He shrugged. “At least, that’s what the elves say. It’s…not exactly a one for one. The way that they commune with their magic is…wild.”

“Get to the point, Xeik,” Lewis said.

“Right, sorry, getting of track.” Xeik took a stance. “So just copy my moves. Breathe in here,” he said as slowly moved his arms out, and balanced on one foot.

“You look stupid,” Lewis said in protest.

“Just do the damn stance,” Xeik said, maintaining perfect form.

Lewis sighed, and in unison with Simone, took the stance. They held it for a moment, and then following Xeik, exhaled and went back to the first stance.