"Let's pack up the meat and head back," I shout out, ing up behia. "Vanya, are you sure there are only the four we killed around?"

  "Yes. Two sets of mates," Vanya assures.

  "Alright, then we head back to the city tomorrow. I want to know how you got two of them to chase you back to the camp. I'm guessing this one was the mate of the one we killed on the way here," I say.

  "Most likely. I share the story on the way back," Vanya agrees.

  There isn't much work to be done pag up the meat. My ste ring will keep the meat fresh till we get it to a butcher to finish preparing it. A few girls go poking around to see if the griffins grabbed anything useful to take back, and then we head back to the camp.

  The sun fully set behind us, leaving us in the dark. Shimmer gave us some light as we made the trek back to our camp.

  Vanya starts her story, but the rest of the group doesn't seem that ied in it, so I'm guessing I missed it while I assed out earlier.

  "We made good time getting to the . It took a little uwo hours. Had Sextia cover us in darkness, aarted snooping about. It was empty whearted, and we were able to find what looked like four spots that were used to sleep, each being paired up. Everything else seemed to folloattern, four distinct pces that seemed to be paired together. With nothing else to search for we pnned on waiting a bit to see if any came bad acted all lovey-dovey with each other. While in the middle of the camp, we had two love birds e by right as Sextia's skill ended. One dove down, and the other sent a gust of wind at us. I dodge the dive, takiia with me but her arm got caught up in the wind gust. From there it was just using all my movement skills and mana to sprint bap."

  "You made it bap carryiia with two birds chasing you?"

  "They came back from a long hunt, it looks like. Got them while tired. I'm more surprised they followed me all the way out back. I was sure they would turn back."

  "I'll have her wait to get her arm back till Alzi heal it. She o learn to unicate limits to her partners. You're lucky she didn't get you killed."

  "Oh, she knows that. Chi gave her a good ear full. Then Ioelena gave her a good yelling. Chi was only able to the wound and heal it. Alzi will have a lot to learn to rebuild an arm."

  "If I'm right about her, it'll help push Alzi to learn faster. Thank you fetting both of you back safe. We'll have to drill into everyone how to hahe field. 't have someone lose an arm over something as easy to avoid as that."

  "Yes, I should've guessed she didn't know it. I'm sure a few more maids don't know how to hahis work as well. You always get a bit of 'protect the noble's feelings' in times of peace," she says with a sigh. A few heads bob around us as they're forced to listen to our versation.

  "Yes, it's just hard to think of someo knowing the basics of speaking up about low mana."

  "I doubt she was cheg. But she's given us all a great resource to force all the maids to learn the lesson well whe back."

  "I suppose so."

  The rest of the way was quiet. Everyone was tired from the travel and stant fights, wishing to get uheir covers and sleep. Hopefully, the ride baorrow is simple.

  We get back, drop the meat off, get some real sleep in a bed, and then have a feast before taking a sic route home. We're down two fighters, Inanos aia. So getting bad paying a visit to Rosemary to help Inanos is very mueeded.

  Getting bato camp, Syro pushes me into my tent and forces me to bed. I'm too tired to fight her, so I let them figure out the night watch.

  ...

  "Up you go, Princess. We all want to get back to the city before lund have some real food," Syro says, shaking me awake.

  "Wouldn't mind that. I just o get into my armor and..."

  "Nope, you're riding in the carriage. I'll be taking your pce with Shimmer. The two of us will be able to handle anything. Chi still wants you to rest for a bit," She says, standing up already in her leather armor.

  "Are you all in agreement with this?"

  "Yes, Geta's willing to you up if needed."

  "Ok, then I'll be out in a sed."

  I put on a simple dress and put away the small bedding. I don't have anything else ient to store, so I walk out ahe maids take the tent down. Outside, the rest of the tents have been put away except for Chi's.

  Curious, I walk inside and fiia inside, with Chi iing what is left of her right arm.

  " it be healed?" I ask.

  "Yes, I don't have the mana to do it right now. Give me a month and I could, but I don't think you have the time to waste in this er of the world. You'll have to find someone in the capital or oh more mana than me on your way bae," She says releasing the arm.

  "That we don't, but thank you for the offer," I say, turning to the injured maid. Her face turo the far side of the tent. "Sextia, I've heard you've gotten yelled at plenty. So I won't pile on too much. You got lucky; you don't normally riffins. But, you also showed a weakness my house may have, and I will be fixing it. You o get more csses, so don't sck off."

  "Yes, yhness," Sextia says, her head bowed.

  "Thank you for watg over us, Chi," I say to the healer.

  "Happy to help get rid of that beast, and you two gave me plenty of work yesterday. Don't wrestle with Griffins iure, Princess," she says back with a smile.

  "I'll keep that in mind," I say, walking out. My tent is gone now, leaving just the healer's tent up. Syro fgs me doushes me into a carriage.

  "We'll take care of everything. Just rex on the way back," she says, closing me in.

  "You all are getting a little pushy now. I'm not some Grandma that o be babied. Hell Elves are often almost in their prime when they're a grandmother. So stop ag like I have a foot in the grave!" I yell out.

  "Dear, yesterday you had a foot in the grave, and Alzi will have no problem pleting the first step for you being a grandmother aing you step into your prime," Syro says, crag the door open so I see her stupid smile.

  "The Goddess of Death wasn't watg me yesterday. But fine. I'll be babied by my wives for a day. Tomorrow, I'm not going to take this!"

  "Yes, my dear Princess. Go enjoy the maids," she says, closing the dain.

  Yes, they gave me the carriage with all four maids we brought with us. They tio bully me. They pushed me down so my head was in one of their ps. Her hands bed my hair as another fed me grapes. The st two massaged my thighs on the journey. It was a quiet, fortable journey.

  ...

  "Princess, are you ready to get out?" startles me as I take another bite.

  "What?" I ask after chewing my food.

  "We are back at the castle. Are you ready to get out?" A maid asked me.

  "Oh, yes, I should get out, I suppose," I say, getting out of the soft p. The maid runs her hand through my hair o time.

  Someone opens the door from the outside, and a hand darts out to help me, which I need after the strange rest the maids gave me on my way back.

  "Finally ready to face the world, dear?" Syro asks, walking up from behind the carriage.

  "Yes. The maids were just seeing to my needs," I say back. "You did give them all to me."

  "While we were out here being vigint, you were pying with the maids. Do you need a few of us to join you tonight? I hate to have a rumor spread that we aren't treating our wife right so early in the marriage," she teases.

  "Food aion. But you have earned a spot in the bed bent over noy."

  "Oh no. The Princess is going to have her way with me," she says with a twirl. "We should get going now. Geta is gathering the butchers to prepare for a feast. I'm guessing you want to help some of the poor that lost their fields to the beast, right?"

  "Yes. We'll o let the butchers prepare all four beasts. Hate to make them them into mana food and ruin most of the taste, but we o feed as many as possible. They o see more bes before they wain. Many of those fields are ruined for this season."

  "I know cities have a lot of mouths to feed," She says, turning on her heels and leadio the Geta and the Butchers.

  I guess the Baroness called them into the castle while the maids were tending to me, as they had a small se of the castle grounds marked off for them to work in. A few girls already w on a few smaller beasts to add to the pile of meat. It looks like it may be a family-run ordeal as a man is ing some tools off to the side.

  I plop the beast down on a clear se, and we head back to the castle to let them prepare for tomorrow.