Sanria sat in the chair before the fire, Nioma sleeping in the crook of her arm as Matinus read aloud. They had invited Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, Nioma's new pets, into the house, as well as Scout, Matinus' new dog. Embued with a sense of peace, the animals were all getting along, content to sit by the fire grooming themselves. They had had a full day, Gilean taking Nioma to the temple, Sanria taking Matinus to the castle. Though he was incredibly shy, Matinus' face lit up at every new introduction and every passing dragon, and Sanria felt her heart warmed. Matinus reminded her so much of Orn in so many ways - it made it easy for her to love him almost immediately.
Sanria was content to know that Mrs. Bunny had been given a birth control spell not unlike her own - there wouldn't be a multiplication of rabbits in the cottage - though it wouldn't necessarily stop Mr. Bunny from possibly forcing Sanria to explain the birds and bees much sooner than she'd like. She leaned back into the couch as Matinus read and thought back over the day.
Enmach had discovered her marriage given Sanria's young guest, and when she took Sanria into the library, her fingers steepled beneath her narrow nose, the only way Sanria had escaped the withering lecture was when she had been alerted to a visitor outside the castle. Matinus stayed behind with Mirin, who had been a fixture in the castle with Orn, and Sanria found herself in discussions with a drow whose name Sanria never did receive. Concerned with the balance of Westbridge and the treatment he found at the hands of Radiant Heart, the drow insisted his viewpoint may well aid in the balance of the clan. With the promise of an application, the meeting had ended, and Sanria went back inside to collect Matinus.
The walk back to the cottage had the boy chatting amiably and excitedly. "I will be a Keeper of Balance when I get big, then I'll work with a dragon and go on adventures with a dragon and a silver lady and scout." Sanria could only chuckle. Now sitting there, a sleeping child on her lap, another child who needed a mother at her side reading "The Adventures of Roland," Sanria felt a warmth spread through her and she reached over, ruffling Matinus' hair.
The day had been filled with speculative glances from the Rilmani, a fresh dose of irritation from Enmach, an uncanny meeting with an unknown drow, and a glut of brand new pets, owing partially to Gilean not wanting to let Nioma down in her request to not have the live Mr. Bunny be lonely. She looked up as Gilean came in the room and sat in the chair. He smiled warmly at the assembled group... family... and Sanria felt within herself the beginnings of belonging.
