The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 189 - Memories Of Yesterday, Paths of Tomorrow, & The Tree Of Now

Chapter 189: Chapter 189 - Memories Of Yesterday, Paths of Tomorrow, & The Tree Of Now

The brunette peered through her fingers at her quietly ’amused’ spouse. She could tell that Qat felt quite pleased with herself for causing such a reaction. In some respects this also made Elua feel good.

However, the ancient cultivator wasn’t used to having her own tactics of overwhelming *affection* turned back on her!

"I’m serious about that rule. You can’t just... just..."

Her eyes and voice dulled, unable to hold on to the shred of control that was somehow left and keeping her facade going.

"If you say beautiful things to me so smoothly, then I can’t help but slip and fall."

’Further and further into my dark love... into your bright love. Where are the edges of either anymore?’

The reincarnator wanted to say it all out loud, but Qat’s arm had wrapped around the girl’s waist. She was drawn closer... and it was all she could do to sit still and say nothing. The urge to kiss was strong.

"Fall... but we’re sitting down?"

The blonde’s voice dropped lower as she continued.

"Though I suppose if you did fall, I’d do my utmost to catch you. Just like you caught me that time at the Youth Guild."

Elua’s hands lowered slowly from her face.

’She makes me feel purified and tainted all at once. Am I doing the same to her?’

Her dull eyes studied her fortress’s profile against the starlight. It didn’t take long to remember the day she had to have been talking of.

Then, just as now, Elua constantly had at least part of her senses on her intended if she was at all in range. The swordswoman was on the training ground with her and overextended. When she lost her balance, the heiress ’happened’ to be close enough to steady her.

"That wasn’t nearly as dramatic as you make it sound. You barely stumbled."

"Maybe. But you were there for me. Just like you always are."

The ’warmth’ flowing out of the fragment in her chest made Elua’s spirit flutter again. She leaned into the embrace and let her head rest on the strong shoulder. The reincarnator felt that her assessment was wrong - she could have been there a lot more to approach ’always’.

’But then I would have been isolating and controlling her completely... and it would be not so very different from my early failed loves.’

"Speaking of always being there... I think I know where we should make camp tonight."

The Yecine brought an arm under the girl’s legs and hefted her up to sit fully on her lap. Pigeon-blue eyes looked out and found the silhouette of that massive tree again.

"You mentioned once that you used to fall asleep against that tree of yours when you were younger."

Elua reluctantly followed her gaze into the distance. The tree that was planted when she was a year old was now quite massive. Nearly thirteen years of growth made the particular cultivar turn into a behemoth that towered over others five times its age.

"Yes, I did. Mother would scold me for staying out reading until I dozed off. Eventually the servants learned to find me there."

A soft chuckle rumbled in the swordswoman’s chest as she dropped her gaze to her cute wife’s face. The briefest of bitter feelings tickled at Elua’s spiritual sense from the tendrils wrapped around her limbs.

"I’m sad that I can’t go back and be part of those memories..."

Qatrand had noticed that getting better at thinking about the future also sometimes made her think of ’what could have been’. The blonde’s voice held a gentle warmth as she continued.

"But maybe we could make some new ones there tonight? I’d like to set the bedding up against it."

The sweetness of the suggestion made Elua’s spirit pulse with ’affection’. Even though it required she fought against the urge to do more, the brunette turned her face up to press a light kiss to Qat’s jaw.

"I’d like that. Though we should probably get down from here first. You’ll have to let me go first."

"Okay."

The tall girl let go of her, but the smaller teen didn’t move. After a dozen seconds, the Yecine tried to move things along with a joke.

"Please tell me you’re not planning to throw me down the wall this time."

---

The massive trunk of Elua’s growing tree stretched upward. Its lowest branches spread out wide enough to create a canopy that would shelter them from dew. Qatrand prepared their camp bedding while Elua stood with one hand pressed against the rough bark.

"I used to think this tree was big back then. I’d seen larger in my time, sure - but now look at it."

"It’s impressive to think that the one you let me help plant for Onya might be as large in a dozen years."

The brunette turned away from her memories to watch her wife smooth out the blankets. Even such a simple task was done with thoughtful care - everything the swordswoman did held that same quality. The practiced but somehow still ponderous actions drew attention to the Yecine’s musculature.

"True. That’s a future worth waiting for. All of them are with you."

The night air felt especially chill against her hot cheeks as she pleaded with her ’hunger’ to be good. Qat looked up from her work, catching the heat in the girl’s gaze. She held out her hand and Elua took it before she could even think to move more slowly.

The brunette let herself be pulled down to sit onto their makeshift bed. They settled with backs against the tree and shoulders touching as they had on the roof. Quiet grew between them, leaving only the sounds of their breaths.

The noisy insects and other pests had been kept from this section of the estate since Elua returned and planted some of her little devices. Some testing had been done, but a longer live test had been in order.

"You’ve been working hard lately."

Qat’s voice carried no judgment, just observation. It was hard not to notice her wife managing multiple roles that took her time. The Guild branch, competition grounds, and research camp visits were just the visible surface. She was also managing an uncertain number of other schemes.

Like whatever she had talked to Ondua about today.

’Maybe I should actually sit and count them all for her?’

"Me working hard? You’re one to talk. All that training. You just let yourself get hurt over it."

Elua’s monotone also carried no judgment, by nature. Her spirit, however, certainly needled her beloved with it for a few moments. She absolutely did not mind giving more massages after how the last went, but she wouldn’t allow herself to wish her fortress to get hurt again!

"I also have a source that told me you’ve been instructing some of the newer Order members as well."

"Just the basics of what they taught in army training. Some of them didn’t have the time or opportunity to volunteer."

The Yecine couldn’t look at the new members that were the same age or younger than her wife without feeling like she needed to help them. When she was approached to take part in a few crash courses by other veterans, Qatrand easily agreed.

The Goltbred let out a dull hum before deciding to reposition. The girl crawled over, wiggling and pushing at the other’s legs until the back of her head was laying on the swordswoman’s stomach.

After that, she kept her hands to herself... holding them to her own chest and fiddling with her fingers until she felt calm enough to reinstate her ’sweet’ voice and expressions.

"The competition’s almost here. Have you thought more about what you personally want to achieve there?"

"Besides trying to impress someone who might claim she’ll be too busy with staff duties to watch?"

The heiress laughed softly at her insincere guess.

"As if I’d miss seeing you show everyone what you’re capable of. But really... what are your hopes for it? We haven’t spoken about this in a while."

"...I want to show the Yecine that our name means more than just following tradition. That we can grow stronger by accepting some change."

Qat’s fingers absently stroked Elua’s arm as she spoke. Her tone held the same soft-spoken conviction that the brunette had fallen deep in love with years ago. Which is why it was hard to let her make choices that some would call ’mistakes’.

"The elders talk about maintaining our reputation. They want us to place at the top wherever possible. But they’re so focused on the appearance of results that align with tradition."

Some paths were difficult or even ’impossible’. Reformation of a family, an organization, a kingdom... no matter the scale it was never simple. Exile, dissolution, civil war. The ancient cultivator had seen and read of numerous paths to bloody failure.

"I know that they miss opportunities to improve with the way things are. I’ve been thinking about what you said today - about Upper Realm cultivators having to be ready for attacks from any angle. My family’s rigid form training... it’s limiting, isn’t it?"

Elua turned and tilted her head to look at her husband-wife’s chin in the darkness. It was raised and sure. The ’determination’ had been building in Qat’s spirit as she spoke the truth of her outlook. The very one that the illusionist had expected would be born.

Because the kind of protective personalities she loved would always feel the same.

"If I prove myself in the competition and show them undeniable results... any arguments against remaining this generation’s heir will disappear. Perhaps they’ll be more willing to listen when I suggest changes."

"And if they’re not?"

The honey-soaked voice finally asked a severe question amidst her beloved’s explanation. The fingers scratching against her arm stilled and Elua felt her Qat inhaling deeply before slowly exhaling.

"Then at least I’ll have tried. Besides..."

The blonde finally looked down to meet the worried gaze. The ancient cultivator was pretty good at hiding it, but her partner had noticed that her wife’s spirit had sometimes smoothed in slightly unusual ways.

"I married someone who believes in me no matter what they think."