Quills

Cerez Halid was twenty-one years old. He had short cropped dark blond hair and a rich tan complexion. He had dark brown eyes and a handsome chiseled face. His academic and military record is what clinched Liem's choice. He was highly skilled at combat and stealth. He was into healthy eating, and he had a very positive view on life. He was energetic, opportunistic and very intelligent. He was the first person he thought of to protect her. During their time of educational instruction, Cerez was the one that coaxed him out from behind the standard education and expanded his world view. Cerez was the reason he took anthropology and studied ancient languages; he inspired Liem to go beyond learning to serve and to pursue his own interests. Liem was grateful, he would not have been the expert called in, if he had not chased his dreams. It was not just the debt he felt he owed him. He felt like Cerez could inspire Nora to look beyond her educational pursuits and take pleasure in life. Nora had experienced pain before the incident that made her as damaged as they were. He knew that they all could heal together if they leaned on each other. 

Kadir Sedai was his childhood friend and was only a couple of years older than him. He had cropped jet black hair and a deep dark complexion. He was like an older brother to Liem. Like Cerez, he was athletic and had the same military training that he did, but he was at the top of their class when it came to intelligence. He was a match for the highly intelligent Nora and would be able to help direct her education on the right path. Kadir was calm and thoughtful in his words. He was her male counterpart. Nora had rambunctiously worked on catching up, but she could use the instruction that he would happily provide. Kadir did not like his sister at all and had found a reason to withdraw from the area when Leilanna was looking for candidates. He was in town now and would not be able to escape the request made to his mother. He would not like living here. Nor would Cerez. They would come around, since they would not be interacting with her often. They could skip dining and banquets after being bound to Nora.

Kadir would be invaluable for setting up a brand-new clan and would bring a lot of resources from Clan Sedai. This would allow Kadir to finally follow his dreams. The Sedai were very wealthy and invested in obtaining property. Kadir might hate him at first for this, but he was certain he would like Nora. Albeit her size. Liem was worried about their compatibility on a physical level. Liem decided to communicate things at the bare minimum at this point because he could trust them if their secret got out. They would be too in love with her to make much of an issue about it. He knew that they would adore her personality and morals, her unique quirk was compelling enough to draw them in. He found himself first lured in by it. He restrained his hardest, but he quickly fell for her. It would be the same for his friends. That was actually a gamble. They would not hurt her.

"There." Liem said. "Mother, you will have to change it afterward as my access will be closed." These two were Allurai's favorite candidates for Leilanna. It felt good to take them off that list, every list. At least they could live unrestrained and follow their dreams. Much to Allurai's dissatisfaction, Leilanna had gone with her eyes, loins and not with her head when she had chosen her spousal group. They were by all means adequate, but they were not men that could not help her rule as effectively after Allurai retired. If she ever did. Allurai had news to give her closest allies. Allurai took care of contacting clan Sedai and Halid. She vented a big sigh of relief that Allurai had accepted the solution she had presented.

 "It is a good plan, but never in guilt should you mention this to your other spouses. Not to anyone, no matter how much you trust them. Not even your child. I did not know about this officially either," Allurai said. Allurai was relieved that things were actually working out the way she wanted with this hitch. The first child she would bear was an Allari and her clan would be honored in the future. 

"I truly apologise. Thank you." Nora said quietly. They should not have risked it two days ago. Allurai looked at her and gave her a soft smile as she finished.

"It is a Southern custom to celebrate conception. We generally do this after the eighth week. There is no way to tell by scan how many days it is old. It only checks for healthy development. We should be able to cover this." Allurai said to alleviate the tension in the room now that they had a solution to the problem. Halid and Sedai had accepted the requests very quickly. It was a tempting offer to be part of a newly formed Clan. It would certainly further make up for some of Leilanna's transgressions.

"I have sent the selection notice to the Sedai clan and the Halid clan. We have moved the celebration two hours later to accommodate their arrival and changes to the evening's celebration." Allurai said to her son. Allurai hugged her son. "Time for you to go and get ready, we can do this properly now." Allurai said and then gave her son a kiss on the cheek. She wished that he had been born a girl. He was so much more capable and thoughtful than her Leilanna. Now he could rule like her alongside Nora. She felt immense pride that he was already giving the new clan a child. She was glad her allies accepted the offer quickly. Liem felt sad that he would not be able to share the news with his father. Dorien would find out in the end that he was going to be a grandfather. Dorien loved babies. Liem and Nora left the suite to find him waiting at the door.

"Father, I will be getting bound tonight." Liem said excitedly to Dorien. Dorien patted his son on the back. 

"Let me show you your new home then. I will come help you get ready later. I thought this happy event would be coming soon so I had a bound suit tailored for you. Will you wear my sash, son? Just try it on!" Dorien asked with great excitement. He had overseen every detail of their new home with pride when Allurai asked him to start the work. They bet and won that Nora fell for their son. 

'Why did I doubt he would win her over? Dorien had almost started a war between me and Amrita Sedai. Liem looks so much like Dorien when he was in his prime.' Allurai thought with a smile.

"It is an antique, going back centuries, she will love it." Dorien continued to happily chat with his son. He was more than pleased that his son was in Callor. Now his son would be staying with them for at least a year while Lenora finished her studies. Longer, if he could convince Allurai to drag her feet in guiding the young woman. The group of four walked into the main room and Allurai's spouses joined her again, buzzing with excitement now that she was back. 

"Rai, We will get you ready after you have had something to eat and have slept for at least an hour." Reye said in a doting tone to Allurai. 

"I know how you enjoy our naps, but I am afraid there will be no time for that, Reye. We have to make some changes to the event tonight" Allurai said. "Tonight has changed to a surprise binding ceremony for our new Matriarch. Clan Allari, Halid and Sedai will be arriving shortly to prepare." Allurai said happily, explaining to Reye and her other spouses. 

"You were not outside when they arrived, Reye, this is Lenora Quill" Dorien said with a practiced smile. He was seething on the inside. He knew it was a slight because Liem had returned. Allurai favored Dorien and he knew it. Allurai looked poorly upon conflicts between her spouses, so he could only bear it. 

"Greetings Matriarch Quill, I am Reye." He bowed overly deep to her. Dorien bit his lip at his tone. He knew that the young Matriarch did not notice. Liem had, however.