Stepping into the massive fortress, Leini was greeted by the familiar sight of the grand entrance. The grandiose chandeliers hanging from the ceiling were giving off a slight glow as the light from outside filtered into the room from the massive window and struck them, sending light scattering across even the dark corners of the entrance. Standing at the ready in a semi-circle, with smiles on their faces were the current heads of the 11 families and their siblings.

  "Hello! Grandmother!" A beautiful siren with blue scales, blue hair, and a blue dress whose name was Skira, the head of the family from the continent of Nordreichs shouted as she ran over and embraced Leini

  "Hahaha, Hello little Skira" Leini replied as she embraced her back, patting her on the back and pnting a kiss on the siren's forehead

  "It is so good to see you all again" She continued as she looked at the group of grandchildren who moved over to her, embracing her one by one and kissing her on the cheek before stepping back again

  "I must say, all of you have gotten finer with age, more so than myself" She smirked with a slightly humorous tone but she was genuine as she looked at them all

  Standing before her, from left to right in the semi-circle were 18 kids from the remaining 11 families, not including Joachim who was standing behind his grandmother and watching the entire thing unfold. At the center of them all was Prisma who was the eldest of this generation and she was the strongest by far compared to the rest of her cousins who were no pushovers despite their power disparity.

  "Although, I do wonder where your parents are. I do believe they still count as family" The Old Schor said as she pced her hands on her hips

  "Oh, they are all busy and will arrive ter in the afternoon Grandmother" An Orc man with slicked-back bck hair and a scarred face, dressed in a form-fitting bck suit who went by the name of Curtis who was the head of the family from the continent of Vlekhardt answered with a small smile

  "Ohhh, I see" Leini nodded as she heard the answer

  "By the way Grandmother, what is with the neckce this time around?" A young and beautiful kitsune woman with fluffy amber-colored fur and dressed in a set of elegant red robes by the name of Aikawa who was the head of the family from the continent of Fristasia asked as she pointed at the purple crystal and golden chain neckce hanging around Leini's neck which was giving off a soft purple-ish glow as it shimmered in the sunlight

  "Oh this? It is a special item given to me by my dearest darling right here" Leini said as she gestured over to Martha who then stepped up to her side

  {!}

  "HUh?"

  "Wait"

  "You don't mean-"

  "You got!-"

  "Yes, yes. I now have a lover and she is also my fiance" Leini stopped her grandchildren from having any further thoughts as she leaned over to her beloved, cupped Martha's precious face softly, and then turned it to her before kissing her, much to Martha's surprise before she reciprocated the action by embracing Leini, as she did so, the crystal gave off a more intense glow

  "Oh shit" A tall young man with blonde hair and dressed in a fine white suit by the name of Jericho remarked as he saw this happen before his very eyes

  Once the two women parted lips, Leini looked at all of them and smirked as she pulled her lover in closer and then gazed at the rest of the room, seeing their reactions and noting that none of them had any ill reaction, more of just being awestruck, surprised and even slightly confused.

  "I must say, I thought Prisma would have told you all by now" She stated as she looked at the eldest cousin in the room

  "I would have Grandmother, but I remember you telling me not to until today" The Tower Master replied as she crossed her arms and looked at her with a small smile tugging at her lips

  "Ah yes, that's right. Forgive me deary, time is strange for a person such as I " The Old Schor replied with a small chuckle

  "Considering your age Grandmother, that is an understatement" Joachim chimed in as he moved from the back to the front right next to the group

  "Hahaha, it really is. But what about the rest of the family? I hear we have 500 people this time around. Quite the size and scale for an event such as this"

  "They will all be showing up by tomorrow Grandmother, the entire event is for a week so we will all have a grand old time getting to know one another" Ariani answered as she gestured for all of them to take a walk towards the outside balcony overlooking the pool of the fortress

  "Hmmm, I see. I take it you all have everything prepared?" Leini asked as the group followed behind Ariani

  "Everything has been prepared and then some, we have spares upon spares of items, and the storage and freezers are brimming with food ready to be cooked for our massive party tomorrow and beyond! It is truly nothing for you to be concerned about Grandmother" Joachim stated as the group arrived at the balcony

  As the group stood there, they were greeted by the sight of a majestic mountain range spanning for miles, filled to the brim with trees that gave the mountains a lush green color birds and griffins were flying in the sky and while they would undoubtedly try to attack the pce, the Stormholme Fortress had a massive barrier spanning several kilometers in order to protect the pce from aerial, nd and underground threats. The barrier was so strong and had been tested by so many wild animals before that it became almost a subconscious warning imprinted onto the generations of life living within the mountain range to not go within the reach of the barrier and just avoid it altogether. Besides the majestic sight before them, with its lovely smell and the cool breeze blowing their way, the sounds of children and teenagers pying down below was what caught Leini's attention after staring out into the distance.

  As she and Martha looked down, they saw a rge pool with crystal clear water in a light blue pool that reflected light as the sun was beaming down on them. The pool itself has many children from kids to teenagers and even young adults having a bst as they spshed around and ughed and pyed with one another. In one corner of the pool was a circur section that was deep and had several adults rexing there while along the edges of the pool, there were sunloungers occupied by some of the older adults who were enjoying the sun. Neither of them noticing the pair of people looking down at them from the balcony above.

  "Hmm, that answers my question about where the rest of your families are" Leini remarked as she and her beloved looked back at the group

  "I am gd that it has been answered. I bet they would all be so happy to see their beloved Grandmother again after so long" Ariani nodded with a small smile

  "Well, I think it would be best for Grandmother and I would say our future Grandmother-in-w to be settled into their room, don't you think so Ariani?" Prisma chimed in as she looked at her younger cousin with a raised eyebrow

  "oH! Right, right. I will bring you there myself Grandmother and-"

  "You can call me Miss Martha, it's fine" The silver-haired former general said with a small smile

  The two lovebirds followed behind Ariani as she led them into a hallway at the far end of the room, all the while Prisma and the rest were watching. Once the trio rounded the corner and could be heard going up the steps, Prisma pced a soundproof barrier for the room and then turned to her cousins.

  "Right, now that you have all met Miss Martha. I wish to hear if any of you have comments or thoughts" She stated as she looked at them all

  "Yes, Skira" She added as she pointed at the siren raising her hand

  "Does Martha love her?" Skira asked with a tilted head

  "Yes. I have seen firsthand that they love each other very much, next. Yes Curtis"

  "Why weren't we told by you before this?" Curtis asked with a curious expression

  "Because it was not my pce to tell you all. Plus, would you all believe me if I told you anyways?"

  "I guess not, fair point"

  "Mhmm, next. Yes, Aikawa"

  "How long have they been with one another" Aikawa asked as she looked up at her

  "I have no idea, though the deepness of their retionship speaks for itself don't you think"

  "I guess your right"

  "Ok, now that those questions have been answered. I urge everyone not to isote Miss Martha. Grandmother loves her and like it or not, she will be part of our rge family soon enough. Understood?"

  "We understand" They all answered in unison, much to Prisma's relief

  "I and gd, honestly, I thought all of you would try the "But she's a commoner" type of argument bullshit or something else that opposes the retionship"

  "I mean we are all kinda curious as to the depth of their love for one another and if Martha has any type of ulterior motives. I am pretty sure I wasn't the only one trying to use my telepathy magic to try and dive into her memory only to be met with a barrier set up by Grandmother" Joachim stated, something that made the rest mumble in agreement as they too did just that

  "Considering that happened, I believe it only reinforces the fact that Grandmother does love her and it is not our business to try and dissuade her otherwise. If she had any ulterior motives, Martha wouldn't even be here in the first pce"

  "True, that is a valid point" A beautiful and tall young human woman with flowing blonde hair and dressed in a fluffy white dress by the name Elias who was the head of the family from the continent of Lindhoven said with a nod

  "Mhmm, now. With all of that out of the way, let's inform the rest of the family that their Grandmother is here and to get ready. I believe it is going to be a fun day ahead of us don't you think?" Joachim chimed in with a smile tugging at the edge of his lips

  .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

  Meanwhile, Leini and Martha had followed Ariani to the seventh floor of the fortress and continued to follow behind the matriarch of the family here on Quelecta before they stopped at a massive double-doored room at the west-most end of the hallway. The trio stopped and before she opened the door, the keys already pced inside the lock, Ariani turned to the two women with a slight smile as she let out a small cough

  "Here is your room Grandmother and Miss Martha. It was supposedly for one of the other families to come soon but considering that the two of you are so deeply in love, I have decided just now to pce you both here. I do hope you are both fine with that"

  "I am Ariani but what about those who had this room reserved for them?" Leini asked as she and Martha shared a look of slight concern

  "Oh Grandmother, no need to worry about that. Once we tell them that it is reserved for you, they will back down immediately. This room was, after all, reserved for Mother and Father dearest. They will understand why we gave it to you by simply saying you asked" The young woman replied with a small smirk

  "Hmmm, are you sure Little Jerimiah and Jannisen will accept it though?" The Old Schor asked as she tilted her head back a bit

  "I have no doubt about it. Although Mother and Father can be headstrong and stubborn at times, they know when to back down and besides. I know they respect and fear you as much as your enemies do and love you as deeply as the rest of us. As it was you who got them into agreeing with my marriage to my beloved Joachim after all"

  "Hahaha, with all of that fttery, it's as if you are trying to take me for yourself Ariani" Leini joked as she patted the matriarch on the head

  "Fufufu, I guess old habits die hard Grandmother. I wish you both a lovely time and please, enjoy the room, I will come and inform you if the others are ready to see their ancestor in the flesh"

  "Alright then, thank you Ariani"

  "Thank you Miss Ariani" The two women nodded and thanked

  "Oh you needn't call me Miss, Miss Martha. Ariani is fine as is. Since you are going to be in the upper branch of the family tree, I believe it is justified for you to drop your formalities with me and the rest of the family all together since you are going to marry her" Ariani stated as she embraced Martha and pnted a kiss on her cheek before turning the former general's gaze to Leini who was smirking at her, making Martha blush slightly

  "I see...that is noted then...Thank you Ariani"

  "Fufufufu, so nice seeing people flustered, alright then, I shall take my leave" She added as she then gave a slight bow to them both and then left the floor, the sounds of her footsteps echoing across the hallway as she made her way down

  Once it was clearly just the two of them left and Ariani was out of earshot, Leini and Martha looked at one another before the former opened the doors into the room and they walked inside. The room was grand in every sense as it was much rger than either of them expected, the moment they entered the room, they were greeted by the sight of a rge queen-sized bed at the other end of the room. The bed had a rge and fluffy mattress and the bedposts were rge enough for curtains to be hung and closed around the bed to give an added yer of privacy, on the fluffy bed itself was a pair of rge towels that were white in color and a pair of bath robes. To the left of the room were an assortment of cabinets and drawers which were all empty and waiting to be filled with clothes while on the left corner was a door that led to a massive bathroom behind the bedroom. On the right was a massive window that gave the same majestic view of the mountains and next to the window was a balcony that could be accessed via a door to the right of the window. There was also a shoe cabinet resting by the right corner of the room next to the doors and they had two pairs of vender-colored slippers waiting to be used. In the center of the room, resting right above everything was a wonderfully ornate and detailed chandelier which had several hundred magi-crystals ready to be used to bathe the room in a wonderfully warm light that could be activated via a switch to the side. Finishing off the extravagant room was the wonderfully ornate and decorative beige wallpaper with symbols and carvings in the color of hazelnut brown and the floor of the room was some good old-fashioned and shiny ironwood brown that shone in the sunlight pouring into the room.

  "Woah" Martha excimed as the door was shut behind them

  "Woah indeed" Leini added as she looked at the room

  "Right, now that we are properly alone, I guess you can drop the disguise now...Ash" Martha stated with a smile as she turned to 'Leini'

  "Hahaha! I am very pleased that you remembered my name Martha, or should I say, Mama" Ash replied as she dropped her disguise

  The 'Leini' before Martha transformed from the woman she knew and loved, into a beautiful and tall elven woman with a rge and supple set of breasts and a very curvy and supple butt to boot, the bck locks of Leini transformed into a stream of beautiful and lush silver hair that rested on her back just above her butt and the clothes turned into a wonderful set of red robes that had bck and gold accents reminiscent of the empress suit Ash used to wear when she was still alive. Her eyes also turned into a beady crimson color and a small smile formed on her face, all the while the neckce pulsated a soft purple color.

  "Of course, how could I forget Leini's first daughter and her strongest" Martha said with a small smile as she looked at the woman before her

  "Ooo, you really are good. I will tell you, I was rooting for you when you confessed to Mother all those months ago, and to keep it just between me and you, all 12 of us and our spouses have been watching your retionship with Mother ever since"

  "Wait...so you saw everything?" Martha asked with her face flushing red

  "Everything" Ash replied with a smug expression

  "I see...well...I guess I did find it strange how you knew Leini's kissing technique whenever she did it with me...Oh this is so embarrassing" Martha remarked as she covered up her face which was positively turning peachy, making Ash ugh as she embraced her

  "Thank you Martha, for being something that we all knew Mother needed for the longest time. A partner" The former empress whispered into the former general's ear

  "Thank you for the vote of confidence, I will do my best to give all of my love to her and then some" Martha replied as she embraced her in return

  "Fufufu, thank you Martha. Now, let's discuss the rest of the pn. By this time, I believe Mother has arrived with the rest of the new servants and is currently inside this house as we speak. We just have to make contact with her"

  "Right, and we can't use telepathy or any sort of magic since the entire family would be tipped off that something is ongoing right?"

  "Yup! We have to keep this low magic and low tech, so simple folded paper and deception will be our weapons. By the way, has Mother told you what the overall goal of this mischievous scheme is?" Ash asked as she brought out a pen and paper from the crystal

  "No, she has not" Martha replied honestly

  "Hmmm, guess we will have to go along until she does then. So, let's get ready to meet the rest of the family"

  .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

  In the lowermost levels of the Stormholme Fortress which were not the massive dungeons that the Augustus Family used to house political enemies and those who dared be a threat to the empire, either internal or external, was the rge servant's assembly chamber which was a circur room where newly selected servants were who had completed training and or were recommended to serve the pce were gathered. The room had a high level of security to ensure that moles were rooted out and killed on the spot as the servants here wore special bracelets that dug deep into their minds and lives, scanning them for any sort of deception or ulterior motives.

  Standing in the chamber were the triplet elven head maids, Mintess, Teressa and Sapphim. Each of them had unmoving and cold expressions on their faces as they looked at the servants before them and while each of them looked as if they were stuck in their early 30s due to their beauty and busty bodies, each of them was over 1200 years old and were capable of fighting despite their frail looking frames.

  "You three, head up and assist in the preparation of food for dinner tonight" Mintess ordered as she pointed at a trio of servants, a dragonkin, an orc and a kitsune who then nodded in unison and left the chamber via a lift to the side that led up right to the kitchen

  "You four, we need more wood for the bonfire tonight, head out to the nearby range and cut down some trees to be used. Some of the knights will go with you so be safe" Teressa ordered as she pointed at 4 burly and well-dressed butlers, being another orc, a wolf beastkin, a leo beastkin and a young man. The 4 of them nodded in affirmation and moved to take another lift

  "And you eight, we need all of the rooms from the fourth floor to the sixth checked and readied for the rest of the family coming ter, hop to it" Sapphim added st as she pointed at a group of eight maids and butlers who took the st lift out of the pce.

  As they did so, they all gnced at the lone woman standing before the trio of head maids, seemingly not told to do anything, making some of them wonder what was going to happen

  "You think she is gonna be let go?" One siren asked

  "Probably. Poor ss, probably went through hell in training and still failed" Another added

  "Heh, another weak link broken"

  "Can't stand the heat, best for her is to leave"

  "Silence you lot, we have a job to do" A butler chimed in as he looked at his coworkers

  Once the lifts moved and the servants were out of sight and out of earshot, the three elven head maids bent their knees to the seemingly pin woman in simple maid clothes who stood before them

  "Apologies for singling you out Ma'am. We will deal with those who spoke ill of you personally" Mintess stated as she bowed her head

  "Oh no need little one, they know not who they are speaking ill-of" The woman stated as she moved over to Mintess and pced a finger on the elven woman's chin before gently pushing up her face to look at hers, giving Mintess a wide smile that slightly scared the old maid

  "Understood Ma'am. Now, what is the pn?" The eldest of the triplets asked as she looked at her

  "Simple, meet the rest of the family and see who they truly are and how they truly act. Without them knowing who I am" The woman spoke with an amused tone as the trio stood up

  "We are at your command just like before. Master Leini"

  A/N: New Chapter. Enjoy! Hehehehe