"The Queen was very nice to me, Mom. She even taught me how to dance." Leria was on cloud nine ever since the Royals had let her step on their feet to show her the basic moves.
"You deserve that, sweetie pie." Rena ruffled Leria's hair.
"Now our family has a Magus and two Great Mages. Ancient households with dozens of members can't say the same. The Verhens are now officially a magical bloodline."
"And I'm still an extra whose last name isn't even worth remembering." Senton puffed out his chest in mock pride. "What? We are back home, now. I'm allowed to complaint."
Rena was glaring at him, prompting his defense and starting a quarrel that quickly forced them to move into her room to not ruin the evening for everyone.
"Don't worry Leria. Even if you are just a member of the branch family of the Verhen Household, you'll always be my favorite niece." Aran used a grave tone to banter about him belonging to the main bloodline.
"Please, you are younger than me. You are not my uncle, more like a little, dumb brother." Leria exploited her seniority and being taller to pat his head like a dog and look down on him.
"Mom, Leria is being mean again!"
"Mom, Aran is talking smack about Dad again!"
"Gods, how long for that milk?" Elina asked. "What if they go on like this the whole night?"
"Unlikely." Raaz chuckled while pointing behind her.
The kids had sat on a couch to rest their feet and had instantly fallen asleep. They weren't used to staying up so late and the many emotions of the night had overwhelmed them the moment they had allowed themselves to relax.
"I don't think you plan to wake them up so who's that milk for?" Elina asked.
"For me, dear. I don't think I'll be able to catch a wink otherwise. Gods, I'm so proud of our children and granddaughter that my hands are still shaking." Raaz showed his fingers to her, yet they were as steady as a rock.
Also, he kept yawning while moving through the kitchen. The gala had lasted long enough for Raaz to digest the news and the social interactions had worn out his still-recovering nerves.
Elina knew that he was bound to collapse any moment now so she rushed to put Aran into bed with both the suit and the shoes still on. They were all part of his own Scalewalker armor and she couldn't make it shapeshift.
"I missed you, Aran." Onyx nuzzled her snout against his face, making him hug her and turn his clothes into pajamas in his sleep.
"Aww, they are so cute, dear." Elina said, yet only bubbling and snoring answered her.
The milk was now boiling and Raaz had fallen asleep on a chair as well.
"Dammit! I was too slow. Tista be a dear and help me carry your father into our room."
"What about Lith?" Tista asked and Elina pointed at the already closed door of the master bedroom.
"Your brother must be dead tired as well and he has a pregnant wife to take care of. Cut him some slack and help your poor pregnant mother." Elina made a dramatic gesture that made Tista chuckle as she moved her father to bed in a princess carry.
Meanwhile, in Lith's room, he was sighing in relief while brushing his teeth with a finger and cleaning them with darkness magic from food residues, plaque, and tartar. The tier zero spell also cleansed his breath from any lingering smell.
"Why did we rush in here?" Kamila chuckled from behind the closed bathroom door.
"Because I can predict how it will go. Aran and Leria will quarrel, driving everyone crazy until they fall asleep. Then the adults will start congratulating each other, have a nightcap or a glass of warm milk in Mom's case, and then fall asleep without even noticing."
Outside, Solus had taken care of the milk and was now snoring on the couch. No one was strong enough to lift her so they covered her with her deep green mage robe and several blankets.
"I would spend the next few hours carrying them to bed in turns and I'm too tired for that. Today was a big day for me and the thought that Solus might leave tomorrow makes me uneasy. I need some peace and quiet."
Kamila peeked through the door, discovering that the prophecy was slowly being fulfilled. The excitement from the Gala was starting to fade and the members of the family yawned more and more often.
"Your wish is my command, master." She replied while closing and locking the door.
"What do you- Father of all Dragons!" Lith's jaw hit the floor at the sight of the figure waiting for him in front of the bed.
Kamila was wearing the Dragon Maiden uniform, her long raven-black hair down in a waterfall that reached the small of her back. There was a thin choker made of blue silk around her neck bound to a silk string of the same color that she put into Lith's hands after stepping close to him.
Judging by how the dress and her body moved, aside from a drop of perfume on her hair, wrist, and neck, she wore nothing else.
"I haven't forgotten my promise and I was thinking that maybe we could mix history and fiction a bit. You know, re-enacting one of those stories where an evil Dragon kidnaps a maiden to do his dirty, dirty business." She gave him a long, deep kiss that left him breathless and a bit dizzy.
"Let me get this straight. You don't want me to turn into a Dragon, right?" Lith asked while needing sheer willpower to not be overwhelmed by the softness of her body and the passion of her touch.
"No. That would be really too much for me. But we could go for something fun.
Why don't you take on just a few draconic features like Leegaain does? Like the eyes, maybe some claws, and a few scales here and there."
"Wait, you don't want me to look like him, right?" Lith pulled back, afraid of the answer.
"No, silly." She giggled. "I want you to look like you with just a sprinkle of Dragon to make things kinky. No tail, though."
In his enthusiasm, Lith had taken out both the wings and the tail of the Voidfeather Dragon which was whipping the air in excitement.
"And put the wings away as well. All those feathers are ticklish."
"How dare you order me around, woman?" Lith pulled her by the string, drawing her into an embrace to which she opposed a perfunctory resistance before arching her back in pleasure as his hands explored the slits of her dress.
"Forgive, master. It was just a suggestion." She moaned as he made wings and tail disappear.
"Denied. You will learn- What is that?" Another unexpected vision from her open closet managed to break the immersion of their role play.
"An authentic uniform of the White Griffon academy." Kamila panted, eager to resume their conversation. "I noticed that you still have your Professor robe and I'm planning to be a really naughty student."