The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 84 - A Suit To Weigh Like Noble Armor, Lightened By Your Clutch

Chapter 84: Chapter 84 - A Suit To Weigh Like Noble Armor, Lightened By Your Clutch

An austere chamber deep within the Yecine estate existed in bleak opposition to the style of the Goltbred’s temporary fitting room. Stone walls - bare but only for a few ancient swords - loomed around Qatrand. The room’s only concession for the occasion was an exposed full-length mirror propped against the far wall.

’A gilded frame. How bizarre for someone here to send for my use.’

Adequate sunlight struggled to pass narrow windows so most of the space curled with shadows. However, a few rays did make it through to glint off the silver threads of the suit laid out on a table nearby. Seeing it did make everything else about the occasion matter a little less.

Three attendants moved around the young ’heir’ with efficiency. Impassive faces made it clear that there was to be no excited chatter or gasps of admiration. The only sounds were the rustle of metallic fabric and the occasional murmur of measurement figures.

The lead tailor was a man with salt and pepper hair and murky eyes that had seen countless fittings. His voice was formal and detached as he approached with the jacket.

"If you please, young master."

The swordswoman nodded, allowing the cool material to slide over her shoulders. The weight settled like a tangible reminder of the responsibilities she carried. Both within her family and as a future spouse. While the attendants began their adjustments, she thought of Elua.

Specifically... the way her spirit had acted when she tried on that suit in the atelier. Would Elua look at her with that same kind of intensity in front of so many people? The thought sent a heat through her chest that loosened her shoulders.

"Stand straighter."

One of the attendants murmured immediately. It jolted Qatrand from her daydream. She complied almost automatically due to the years of training kicking in.

This suit was incredibly well tailored, she had to admit. The silver fabric was woven through with black trim and other details that restrained the overall bright power of the shiny material. Her hair matched those details in the mirror, so altogether it was perfectly in line with Yecine aesthetics.

Qat found herself appreciating how different this experience was from shopping with El and her parents. There... even though she had been racked with guilt, everything had been much lighter. Here, each and every movement felt weighted with expectation.

The tailor stepped back to evaluate his work with a critical eye. He muttered those thoughts more to himself than to the one he was dressing.

"The line of the shoulders is sitting good. It conveys strength, as befits the Yecine heir."

The one being spoken of nodded once. Strength. *Always* strength. Physical... as well as in character approved by them. But as she glimpsed herself in the mirror again, she couldn’t help but wonder - would Elua always see beyond the strong Yecine exterior to the person beneath?

Despite everything, she still sometimes felt like that uncertain child playing at being the perfect heir. The one willing to do whatever they asked of her which had led to this moment. The one wanting their validation as long... as it didn’t come at the cost of Elua er Goltbred.

That, at least, was something she was no longer uncertain of.

One of the younger attendants with the tailor offered a tight, encouraging smile as he adjusted the cuff of her sleeve. It was gone the moment his eyes looked away, but the momentary connection broke the swordswoman out of her thoughts of deception and secrets.

She straightened her spine a little further. Squared her shoulders a little more solidly. The tall girl still wanted to be the Yecine heir in spite of her father’s words. Soon, she would be joined with the only person that might unquestionably think she could do it.

’Or who would support me even if I fail.’

And that thought filled her with an unshakeable strength more than any legacy.

Two Yecine elders entered the room - timed with when the group of tailors made their final adjustments. Their presence in the stark space seemed to drop the mood further toward severe. However, Qatrand’s shoulders already couldn’t possibly increase in tension.

"The suit is coming along well. It absolutely must project the right image. We are not just marrying an heir of our house; we are forging an alliance with another."

The older of the two commented imperiously. His eyes assessed every little detail. The younger elder nodded in agreement. Catching it in the mirror, Qat imagined that El would want to scoff.

"The Yecine strength must be evident in every stitch and line. We cannot afford to appear weak - especially not to the Goltbreds."

The teenager kept her face impassive - but inwardly, and spiritually, she bristled at his words. She knew he was one of the elders that grouped with her father... and the Goltbreds had shown her nothing but kindness. Elua had seen her - truly seen *her*, from the very beginning!

"Young Qatrand... you understand the weight of responsibility that you carry, do you not? The union is more than just some small event. It will serve as a statement of our family’s power and influence in this region."

The older man spoke to her again. The implication that it would be small if not for the families involved seared her tongue. Despite the uncomfortability in her heart, the black haired girl responded steadily.

"I understand. I will not disappoint the family."

The two men continued their discussion of family image and alliances - all words she’d hear before countless times. She drifted back to thoughts of her betrothed. The many kinds of joy and love in her mint gazes across the years... which had been making the childish decision to honor her vow to the cute girl seem like the best decision she’d ever made.

Wouldn’t El look at her that way again on their wedding day? Wouldn’t she feel and look the same back at her? The notion filled the stiff necked swordswoman with a warmth that no amount of Yecine sternness in that terribly stuffy room could chill.

"It’s time for the final inspection."

The lead tailor announced, directing the teenager to the full-length mirror. She stood before her reflection and Qatrand felt a startling moment of disconnect. The figure in the mirror was every inch the Yecine heir they sought - strong, composed, draped in fabric that spoke of power and tradition.

But somehow she could see the person El had fallen in love with, the person she was slowly learning to be. Someone who was all of that and more. Just like her wife-to-be always had been - always more than she looked.

The silver caught the light and its impermanence reminded her of the girl’s giggles. The subtle black accents then spoke not of rigid tradition, but of the quietly certain strength Elua had always seen in her. The pairing now felt more like a representation of their trust in each other.

At that moment, the girl made another vow. She would wear this suit to her wedding with pride as Elua er Goltbred’s chosen partner. She would be strong in the future... not because her family demanded it, but because Elua believed in her and wanted her to keep up.

"It will do."

The younger of the elders pronounced, as if it was high praise. Pigeon blue eyes bobbed down as she nodded. He was right.

’Yes, it will. Because when El sees me she won’t even notice the Yecine heir. She’s never considered me a political alliance. She sees the person she chose to spend her next eternity with.’

More than any family legacy or public maneuvering, that was what truly mattered. The tiny inward facing tendrils of spirit wrapped tighter on the fragment she was ’infected’ with.

---

The sunset cast a yellow glow underneath the door of their shared cultivation space. Elua sat cross-legged on the floor, almost idly tracing sigils for her dress in the air with her finger. An illusion only she could see was underneath, helping her make a blueprint of the geometry.

It was killing her not to do it out in the open more and show it all off... as her fiance lounged nearby. The brunette really didn’t want to ruin the first sighting of the dress! The older teenager’s long frame stretched out against the wall as she polished her blade.

Seeing her taking good care of her gift made her smile, but she still spoke her next thoughts with a hint of hesitation. She remembered her confusion from before... but-

"I’ve been thinking about the wedding guests... and inviting some people."

The blonde looked up and blinked a few times.

"Did you want to invite your hidden business contacts?"

The heiress shook her head with a ’wry’ smile on her face. She didn’t regret telling her all about her activities, but her beloved was always expecting her to care more about those people than she truly did!

"No, nothing like that. I was wondering... would it be alright if I invited and brought along Nohre and Fusand?"

The forehead of her ’fortress’ furrowed just like she thought it would.

"Your disciples? Of course, but... why are you asking my permission?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable with it. It’s our day, after all."

The swordswoman set her blade aside and crawled over to face El directly. She imagined that others would also widen their eyes at such an action. Though while they would be surprised over seeing a Yecine crawl, her cute girl was... she decided to ignore the emotions she was reading.

The brunette had already asked her to do as much!

"El, you don’t need to ask me about things like this. Just like you didn’t need to ask about letting them use the cultivation room you made."

"Ah... uh, yes. I suppose I’m still getting used to... this."

She gestured vaguely between them and her fingers closed back sharply to her palm so she wouldn’t reach out to pet any muscles. At times she felt she was getting a better hold over her Physique and others...

"This?"

Qatrand prompted gently after the girl closed her eyes.

"Our partnership. Especially when it comes to disciples or followers. I usually only took those on... ’between’."

Understanding spread across pigeon blue eyes. She tried not to press her on things related to relationships in her last life. Not because Qat didn’t want to know, but because she didn’t like to see those negative emotions swell in her love... even before the new fragment. The Yecine reached out to take the reincarnator’s clenched hand in her own.

"I appreciate that you want to include me in these decisions. Just remember that you don’t need to seek my approval for everything - especially things you’ve put your own efforts into. Do you expect me to seek you out the same way?"

Elua shook her head and then slowly her thumb began tracing circles on Qatrand’s palm.

"No. I *know*. I just... I want to do everything right. Especially with you."

The urge to assure the ’vulnerable’ fiancee surged and disoriented the swordswoman for a moment. She held back her own desire to embrace the cute girl in a hug as she had also been asked *not* to do that when El had recently felt... ’hungry’.

"Trust your own judgment. I do. This cultivation room and your disciples are all extensions of you. Why would I reject that? Do you expect me to?"

The blonde felt the change even before mint eyes looked up without their luster.

"Thank you, Qat. I’m not as used to this level of trust as you might expect."

Hearing the monotone words, the taller finally couldn’t help herself. One hand palmed the reborn cultivator’s forehead while the other pulled her lower back closer. It was hard to completely call it a hug - but it was definitely an embrace. Her fingers gripped and released on the heiress’s scalp as she spoke in a gentle tease.

"Well, get used to it. As for not being used to something... we’re in this together, remember?"

Elua hummed an affirming note while reciting mantras and wrestling her Physique. The rest of her spirit was shuddering at how different from her past romantic experiences this was. After all, she’d never ’grown up’ loving anyone like this. Nor had she ever had to hold herself back from so *many*... inclinations.

Now, with Qatrand er Yecine, she was building something wonderful. A shared partnership of seemingly equal trust. Whether that trust would stand strong as she let her schemes run a little more ’wild’ after their marriage... it was terrifying and exhilarating all at once!

The tall girl holding awkwardly onto the huggable bundle of frantic emotions cleared her throat.

"So, your disciples... how are they progressing with their training? You mentioned they were close to some breakthroughs last time."

Her unexpressive voice launched into anecdotes of Nohre and Fusand’s progress. She felt a deepening sense of contentment that drove away some of her ’evil thoughts’ as she told the girl more of how she had spent her days with them. She was able to sit her back calmly against her beloved as they got comfortable.

’...I’d almost forgotten what true partnership felt like.’

The illusionist almost didn’t mind forgetting - since it meant rediscovering it in these muscle clad arms.