Chapter 1 Part 2 of 2 (Patreon)

Rugrat was down first, following the smell of dinner wafting up from the kitchen. Delilah and Momma were talking with wine in hand as the food finished cooking. Storbon had been set to work, pulling out cutlery for the table.

“Look like a couple of newly weds and the mother-in-law!” Rugrat joked.

Delilah blushed and glanced over to Storbon, their gaze catching then looking away quickly.

“Who’s a housewife, you incumbent Emperor!” Momma brandished her spoon. “Help Storbon get that table set!”

Rugrat laughed, ducking and running for cover. “I’m going, I’m going!”

His grin widened at seeing Delilah’s face flush as she hid behind her wine and pulled her hair behind her ear. Storbon was just as flustered, focusing on the spoons. They grabbed what they needed and headed back through the swing doors to the dining table.

“So, you seeing any girls?” Rugrat asked.

“Uh, no, not really right now. Work, you know.” Storbon shrugged.

“You’re young, fit and good looking, sure there are girls interested in you out there, somewhere.”

“Thank you,” Storbon said dryly.

Rugrat laughed and elbowed him. “Well, it’s not a bad idea to go on a few dates, never know what it could lead to.”

“What about you?” Storbon asked, eagerly diverting attention.

“Ah, well…” Rugrat paused for a half second, thinking of Racquel for a brief second then it was gone. A door had closed on that future. “Nope, no one I’m interested in, got to focus on the ninth realm now.” Rugrat forced his tone to lighten, putting on a smile.

Erik and George came down shortly after, helping with setting the table with plates and silverware.

Delilah and Momma pulled out food, setting it down on the table.

Rugrat caught Delilah and Storbon glancing at one another again. He raised an eyebrow to his mother. She wore a bemused expression that told him all he needed to know.

“Momma, Delilah, you shouldn’t have, you two are so busy already,” Erik said as they all sat down.

“You two did dinner the last four nights. Delilah was here going over work and was happy to help, thank you dear, these two eat enough that I scare the butchers.”

“It’s quite alright, I’m happy to help, it’s rather lonely at home now.” Delilah smiled.

Most of her family had their own homes or have moved out to the farms that were populating the realm.

“That must be tough on your own,” Storbon said.

Delilah accepted a bowl of vegetables from Erik. “It’s not that bad, with all the administration changes I have free time, and I eat out a lot.”

“You deserve your free time.” Erik said. “You’ve been worked to the bone with everything happening. Alva has gone through a lot of changes, and you’ve been at the heart of it all,”

“Yes, it’s not what I expected when I took the job, but needs must as they say.”

Erik opened his mouth to say more but decided to eat instead.

“Thank you, Delilah, for all you’ve done for Alva,” Rugrat said.

“I’ve enjoyed it.” She smiled. “Alva has become a home to so many people and created stability across the lower realms.”

“Just need to set you up with the right girl or guy to take care of you,” Momma said.

“Uhh, guy would be preferable.” Delilah blushed.

Momma smirked and drank from her wine.

Momma. Rugrat mentally shook his head, hiding his grin, looking over his drink at Storbon and Delilah.

Momma put down her wine. “Now, enough of torturing my boss, what were you three delinquents talking about before I caught you?”

George ducked his head and worked on his newly acquired use of a knife and fork.

“An opportunity of sorts,” Erik said.

“You going to get to the point or walk in circles?” She raised a eyebrow looking between them.

“I want to train in Alva!” George threw in, like a drowning wolf.

“And we are thinking of going to the Ninth Realm to train in Avegaaren, the academy for the Tenth Imperium,” Rugrat said.

“We’ve reached the limit of what Alva and our new allies can teach us. Lee doesn’t have anything more for us at least. It might take a long time, according to Egbert, before we can reach the knowledge base of Avegaaren. Also, it’s a school, so a place for training, not somewhere we would face danger, and we would have constant contact with the lower realms too.”

Momma nodded and listened while Delilah simply rolled her eyes.

“You two are bullheaded, sometimes more than I would like.” Momma’s voice dipped, and Rugrat was unable to meet her eyes. He remembered how they had overlooked her love as being overbearing protectiveness. But she’ll always be my Momma.

“You two are grown adults. Other than your positions, there isn’t much for you to do here anymore. We don’t have many public events you need to attend since I was voted in as mayor, so you’re off the hook for the time being.”

Delilah cleared her throat. “Aditya is secure in his position and has close relations with the military, and we’ll have elections for every town and city over the next couple of years. Information has always been our weakness. If you can learn more, it’ll help our people immensely.”

Momma sighed through her teeth. “Make sure you have fun now, you hear, and don’t forget to send me messages!” She wagged a finger in his direction.

“Of course, Momma,” Rugrat nodded and smiled. Momma knew him best. As he knew she was putting up an easy-going front.

Erik rescued him, turning to lighter subjects, Alva’s recent expansions, new dining places and rumors, eating through dinner and dessert in short order.

***

Delilah started to clear the table.

“There’s no need to do that, dear,” Momma said.

“No worries. I’m happy to do it.” She smiled. Momma sighed but let her continue.

Delilah hurried out, putting the first load into the sink. Ever since that time in the hangar she had been unable to look at Storbon without thinking of him in more than a professional way. Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing, she hadn’t even thought of having a relationship since she left home to travel to the city with the promise of becoming an alchemist. He was around the same age, and he had matured into a reliable man. He held himself tall, often hiding away that impish grin under his serious cover.

She let out a groan at her minds wavering thoughts.

“That good, huh?” Storbon’s voice made her nearly jump out of her skin as the door swung.

“Sorry, uhh, yeah, Momma’s cooking is always good.” She turned, composing her features and looked at him as he put in his piled dishes, smelling freshly cleaned from his shower, his upper buttons undone, showing hints of tattoos underneath. She couldn’t help but wonder what tattoos he had now.

“I can do these, you know. You had a full day and then made all of this. You’re super woman. I, uh,” He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. “Well you’re so impressive.”

Delilah smiled as the hardened leader of a special team being brought to his knees by an awkward moment in Momma’s kitchen.

“Who knows, maybe Rugrat was right I think I’d be a cute little housewife too. Three, no four kids running around?” She winked.

Storbon choked and coughed turning into laughter as she bit her lip and moved to the sink. Why did I have to say that? Despite her thoughts she had a hard time forcing down her smile and keep the slight blush from her cheeks.

“Guess I deserved that,” Storbon muttered, smiling as he passed her plates.

They talked about the new theatre that was being set up, the revival of music in Alva and the spread of food across the ten realms.

“After tasting the Sky Reaching Restaurant’s food, people can’t go back to the taste of chalky potions and pills,” Storbon said, pausing with a plate half submerged. “Not that I’m saying potions aren’t good…”

“Trust me, I will be the first to eat real food instead of taking pills and concoctions all the time to fill my stomach and keep me awake. There are some trying to flavor them. But high-level food already has buffs. Just runs out so quickly. You know that food is one of our largest sellers to the higher realms?”

“Didn’t know that, thought it might be concoctions and formations seeing as we can pump them out,” Storbon said.

“Tools are our second biggest, simple but still needs a crafter, making them really expensive. With assembly lines we’re faster, and cheaper.”

Delilah closed her hand around Storbon’s as he passed her a plate. “Oh, uhh…”

“Umm, here.” Storbon turned the plate and she grabbed the open part.

They grew silent before Storbon laughed. “Well thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“You know you don’t have to say that every time. I would’ve quit a long time ago if I didn’t like it.”

“You have a tough job, being the council leader of Alva. Erik is lucky to have a student as great as you.”

Delilah hid her wince as she fought her shoulders slumping and the sinking feeling in her gut. She had heard this kind of compliment hundreds of times before, but it hurt more hearing it come from Storbon.

She pulled on a smile. “I was lucky that he took me as a real student. Feels a long time ago now.”

“That it does. You’ve really grown into it.”

“You have too, guess we’ve had to.”

Storbon nodded, the clink of dishes and silverware filling the kitchen.

Delilah played dozens of things to say through her head, focusing her eyes on the dishes as much as she wanted to snatch glances at Storbon.