“Oh, by the way,” Feyl said, as he finished helping Jurao get ready for the day, “Hujur sent out a message that the Heads of Staff breakfast will be held in the gardens - apparently, to include our latest non-demon residents.”

“I suppose everyone must be curious,” the King replied. It seemed his valet had decided to simply ignore the information Jurao had delivered earlier that morning, which Jurao believed was fair enough. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with it himself.

As usual, Braelin was groggily awake as Jurao returned to the bed from his dressing area.

The King sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down to place a kiss on his partner’s temple, and asked, “Did you sleep well.”

“Mm,” Braelin nodded with a yawn, “You?”

“More or less,” Jurao replied, “I was visited by some of the deities.”

“Oh,” his partner blinked a few times, “What did they want?”

“Maenscul just had a question for me,” the King replied, “Though I learned you are a Beloved of Iescula.”

“What’s a Beloved?” Braelin asked.

“Essentially,” Feyl sighed, standing nearby with his lower hands on his hips and upper arms crossed, “It means you carry Iescula’s favor and blessing.”

“Likely, it is why the plants accepted you when you first arrived,” Jurao added, “Though it would not have prevented them from defending themselves if you had attempted them harm.”

“I see,” his partner said, stretching, “Is it important?”

“Is it important that you have a demon deity’s favor?” Feyl asked in a tone of clear disbelief - then he frowned and cupped his chin, “Well… now that you mention it… no, I suppose it won’t have much of an effect on your daily life, will it? Most Beloved don’t even know they are…”

“It doesn’t convey a particular status or involve any kind of responsibility,” Jurao added, “Though it may be useful when the envoy from Iescula’s priesthood arrives.”

“Oh, right,” Feyl snorted, “I can’t imagine they’re going to be too pleased about a human in a position of authority in their… purview, so to speak. Even without this shrine business…”

“That’s true,” Jurao nodded.

“I suppose I’ll leave you to finish getting ready,” Feyl sighed, “Braelin, your family was invited to the Heads of Staff breakfast, so you don’t have to figure out anything.”

“Ah,” Braelin blinked, then smiled, “That is much easier.”

“Well, it’s not like everyone isn’t curious,” Feyl added, waving over a shoulder as he left.

“Are you feeling alright,” Jurao asked once his valet had left his suite.

Braelin sighed, running a hand through his hair, “Better. I’ll be fine in time.”

“My office is always open to you if you need a place to hide away,” the King said.

Braelin snorted softly, getting out of bed and stretching, “Thank you - it’s… nice to be with another person.”

As Jurao waited for his partner to get ready for the day, he wished he knew how to… make things better, though logically, he was aware that there was little more he could do beyond what he was already doing. The last time he’d felt this kind of nebulous inability to help was…

Ah, when Feyl was injured, Jurao remembered - that had been a few decades or so after the incident with the quad-sabered lionsnakes they’d spoken of yesterday. Feyl had stumbled his way into the officers’ barracks, bloody, and just collapsed into Jurao without a word of what happened - but insisting on not being taken to the regular healing wards.

So Jurao had taken him to the military wards instead - with the amount of blood, the closest location made more sense anyway. He’d only learned what happened after Feyl came to from surgery - one of his sex partners had injured him. The person in question was a doctor in the noble healing wards. That was all Feyl was ever willing to tell him, and Jurao never pressed for more.

Still, Feyl had spent his recovery time in Jurao’s quarters at the barracks, saying he felt safer there than anywhere else. After recovering, Jurao and Minaz had taught him how to properly use a dagger - he was fairly certain that was also when his aunt started teaching Feyl how to make weapons.

He hadn’t thought about that in centuries - it wasn’t the sort of thing one brought up if they could help it, after all. But Jurao thought it was perhaps worth asking Feyl if there had been anything more he could have done - even if his friend had always insisted that ‘being there was enough’. Hindsight often led to new wisdom, after all.

Jurao was shaken from this thought by Braelin emerging from the washroom, ready to leave.

As Jurao led the way through the halls, Braelin asked, “Are we heading towards the gardens?”

“Ah,” the King said, “Yes - Feyl mentioned breakfast had been moved there before you woke.”

Braelin nodded, “Hopefully, that solves any seating issues…”

Jurao snorted softly, “Hopefully.”

Breakfast had been set up in the Rose Cage Garden, next to one of the cradle roses. When they arrived, Ayelma immediately ran up to pull her brother into a hug.

“Good morning!” she said brightly, pulling away.

“Morning?” Braelin blinked, seeming surprised by the enthusiasm.

“Uncle said he wasn’t interested in coming to breakfast with a bunch of strangers,” Ayelma added, “But I thought it seemed like fun! Oh, and we met Gaele - they’re so cute!”

Jurao patted his partner’s shoulder as he went ahead - sure his sister just wanted more time together now that they were reunited.

Braelin held up a hand in acknowledgment but was listening as Ayelma regaled him with everything that had happened since the previous afternoon.

“Sorry,” Meir’ril scratched at his chin, standing a bit back from his siblings, “Aya’s a little…”

“No need to apologize,” Jurao said, “I know things have not been easy for all of you.”

The elf-human young man offered him a wan smile, “Thanks… ah, your highness.”

Jurao nodded, watching after a moment as Mer’ril joined his siblings.

“They certainly don’t share Braelin’s temperament,” Festi snorted, seated at one of three smaller tables. However, there was a slight smile on their face as they watched the trio.

“And I have arranged check-ups for later today,” Kloy added, at the same table - along with Jouvi.

Jurao nodded, “Thank you for working so quickly.”

“Of course, my lord,” the Royal Physician replied.

“It’s kind of nice to be outside,” Jouvi hummed, “Especially without worrying about surprise plant attacks.”

Gavven giggled from a second table, “Yes! Now that they’re all well fed and cared for, you mean!”

Jouvi rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah…”

Sharing a table with Gavven were Gnori, Minaz, Vajur, and Hujur.

“I thought this arrangement would work best, my lord,” Hujur said, waving a hand toward the empty table, “With the… more relaxed atmosphere.”

“Ah, I see,” the King nodded, sitting at the last table, “Thank you, Hujur.”

He was soon joined by Braelin and the twins, who seemed surprised.

“Oh, it’s just us?” Ayelma asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she sat.

“Unless you want me to go drag Gaele back,” Minaz chuckled.

Gavven giggled, eir tail wagging, “I don’t think they could make it through a meal at the same table as his highness!”

“That’s true,” Braelin agreed, taking his usual seat at Jurao’s right. He looked to his siblings, “Gaele has a lot of respect for his highness.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Festi rolled their eyes.

Jurao signaled for the nearby servants to deliver the meal, “They are doing much better.”

Ayelma laughed, “Well, they did seem like a bundle of nerves,” then she reached over and pushed Braelin’s shoulder, “So? Are you going to introduce us to your colleagues?”

She said the word like it was humorous, but Jurao wasn’t sure what was funny about it. After all, the other Department Heads were Braelin’s colleagues.

“Ah,” Braelin said, “Right - ah…”

“Oh,” Meir’ril held up his hands, “I mean, it’s not too big a deal,” he elbowed his sister, “We know you don’t like raising your voice, so…”

Ayelma winced - not from the elbowing, but likely from having forgotten that detail herself.

“No,” Braelin said, “Demons have really good hearing. I don’t have to raise my voice for everyone here to hear me.”

There were a couple of looks of surprise from the other two tables, but no one commented on the statement.

“Really?” Ayelma asked, brows arching as she looked around at the response.

Kloy cleared his throat, “Yes - none of us have ever had troubling hearing Braelin in close proximity.”

Gnori pounded on the table, “But he’s still so damn quiet from a distance!”

The twins both flinched in surprise, staring at the captain of the guard with wide eyes.

“Right,” Braelin said again, “That’s Gnori, Captain of the Castle Guard - next to him is Minaz, his highness’s Right Hand,” he paused, “I still don’t really know what that entails.”

Minaz snorted, “I’ll explain it later.”

Braelin nodded to her, “Next to her is Vajur, the Spymaster.”

Vajur scoffed, offering the twins a sneer. It earned him a light smack from one of the cradle rose petals suddenly drooping down.

“He doesn’t like humans, but it’s not personal,” Braelin added, reaching back to pat the part of the rose near them reassuringly.

This caused several snickers from all three tables, though Ayelma did try to stop hers.

“Next to him is Hujur, the Head Stewart,” Braelin said, “And last at that table is Gavven, the Head of Staff.”

“Hello!” e giggled, waving.

“Hi,” Ayelma laughed.

Meir’ril waved back hesitantly.

“At the other table is Festi, the Quartermaster,” Braelin nodded, “Jouvi, the Groundskeeper, and Kloy, the Royal Physician.”

“And,” Braelin seemed to consider, then settled on, “Everyone, these are my younger siblings, Ayelma and Meir’ril Ealdwine.”

“Oh yeah,” Festi said, “Humans introduce themselves with their surnames, huh?”

“Do demons not?” Meir’ril asked.

“Not usually,” Hujur answered, “Though we have not used them as extensively as humans have - we’ve only started tracking family lines in the last ten generations or so.”

“With some exceptions,” Jurao added, “Beast hunters and blacksmiths have tracked their family lines for some time - particularly smiths from Mesescima.”

“Well, they were the most stable professions in the Fractured Realm Ages,” Hujur agreed.

“Fractured Realm Ages?” Meir’ril asked, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

Ayelma shoved at his shoulder, “Go read about in the library later - wait, does that mean you all don’t know Braelin’s surname, either?”

“Isn’t it the same as yours?” Jouvi asked.

Kloy hummed, “I know it, since I made Braelin’s medical record.”

“It’s Struud,” Braelin replied, “Since my mother never married our father.”

“So what are all your surnames, then?” Meir’ril asked, looking genuinely curious.

Ayelma pouted a bit, apparently not as intrigued.

“Mafokuraes,” Jurao replied first, “It’s an old beast hunter name.”

“Gasciezaron,” Minaz snorted, “My family has been officers in the Demon King’s army for a long time, with more than one General in our line.”

“Gaevislaevas,” Hujur volunteered next, “My family rules the city of Mesgaesculs - they were not impressed with my administrative ambitions.”

“I really don’t understand what about paperwork appeals to you,” Festi rolled their eyes, then sighed, “My surname is Tsuhquena.”

“That sounds a bit elven,” Meir’ril blinked.

“It is,” Festi waved a hand at themself, “I’m an arcane demon - so I have elven ancestry… somewhere.”

“My family are merchants in Mavasnier, the city near the Gate to the Beastkin Realm,” Jouvi said, “So my surname has some Hyene in it - Gasierhoje.”

“Mine is Gasieronaos,” Kloy added, “My family has held a high position in Lajaonar for some time - the city famous for healers, as it happens.”

Gavven giggled, “My family has served the Demon King since Lavven - our surname is Jiesoedis.”

“And mine is Meteulapors!” Gnori shouted proudly.

“This is a farce,” Vajur scoffed.

“His surname is Aporsuliga,” Minaz said, one of her hands finding her partner’s tail and tugging it in admonition.

Vajur flinched, then rolled his eyes with a grumble.

“Great, now that we’re all fully introduced,” Ayelma also rolled her eyes, “We never actually heard more about your relationship yesterday - how did you and Braelin get to courting, anyway?”

Festi made a noise of frustration, “No, wait, first you have to listen to this-”

Jurao watched his partner as the other Heads of Staff recounted his oblivious behavior prior to recognizing his romantic feelings.

Braelin was smiling as he listened along while eating, but every once in a while, he would put a hand over his chest, where his scar was.

Once again, the King was at a loss for how else he could help.