[AUTHOR NOTE:
Apologies for uploading the wrong chapter. It's crazy hot here in the UK right now and so I can't work at my PC for long and rush it. Sorry again, and here is today's chapter.]
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"So you've already seen the statue dedicated to both of you, as well as the Tree of Beginnings," Revi stated before asking, "What else would you like to see?"
The three of them were currently walking down one of the streets of Pyro City, as can be imagined, when one guy had both the Phoenix Empress and the White Dragon hugging his arms; they were attracting an awful lot of attention.
"Are you sure it's ok for you to be seen like this?" Adam asked.
"Like what?" Revi asked innocently.
"Being this intimate with a man," Adam stated.
"Are we being intimate?" Revi asked in a teasing tone before bringing her mouth next ot Adam's ear and whispering, "Because I expect us to be far more intimate in the future."
"What are you two whispering about?" Tephe asked suspiciously while Maiya, who was in her usual spot on Tephe's head, looked around at everything with interest."
"Nothing, nothing," Revi replied while playfully sticking out her tongue.
"I mean, won't rumours start to spread about you being on the arm of some random guy?" Adam asked as he chose to ignore Revi's whisper.
"You're not any random guy, though, you're the hero who saved my entire race," Revi replied.
"They don't know that," Adam replied.
"They will one day," Revi replied before happily asking, "What's so wrong with me being on the arm of my future husband and Prince Consort?"
"Excuse me? Prince Consort?" Adam asked in surprise.
"Well, what title did you expect to get after we were married?" Revi asked before playfully gasping and asking in a scandalised tone, "Surely you're not after my throne and aim to become Emperor?"
"Like I have any interest in your throne, or any throne for that matter," Adam retorted.
"Good, because I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible," Revi replied.
Adam ignored her comment and instead said, "So I've been meaning to ask you something."
"Yes, I will marry you," Revi said happily.
"Oh, me too, I'll marry you as well," Tephe said excitedly.
"That wasn't my question," Adam said with a sigh before thinking.
{Am I really going to survive this? Rowena is already troublesome enough, even before you add these two.
[Hehe.] Spector suddenly giggled in a tone that was far from her normal monotonous one.
{Did you just giggle?} Adam thought in surprise.
[Negative.] Spector replied in her normal monotonous tone.
"Hey!" Revi remarked as she poked Adam's cheek after noticing he had gone quiet on them before she asked, "You still with us?"
"Yes, sorry," Adam apologised as he noticed that many of the Phoenix race who had been observing them wore surprised looks and broke out in whispers after noticing Revi's action.
"The rumours are already starting," Adam said with a sigh.
"Stop worrying about that and ask your question," Revi replied.
"If in the future we were to marry…" Adam began, only for Revi to interrupt him as she said defiantly.
"Oh, we're definitely getting married, I mean, I've been waiting for you for over two thousand years, so don't think you're getting away."
"Errr right," Adam replied as his heart skipped a beat at Revi's determination to be his wife and the loyalty she had already shown by waiting so long for him.
"What's this? Are you blushing?" Revi teased as she noticed Adam's cheeks grow slightly redder.
"Really? Where, where?" Tephe asked as she brought her face so close to Adam's that, to some of the phoenixes watching, it looked like she had just kissed him.
Adam leaned back while pushing Tephe away slightly before sighing as he noticed those watching break out in heated discussion, while some even started to take out holocams and film the trio.
"ANYWAY," Adam said in a slightly louder voice than he meant and after realising, he lowered his volume before asking, "If we are to marry, will I be expected to live here on Fenix Nest?"
"Ohhh, so you wanted to ask about our future?" Revi said happily as the three started to walk again and she continued. "Traditionally, your role after marrying me would be to help me govern the empire while having your own imperial duties and responsibilities.
However, our situation is a bit unique in that I really should have taken a husband two millennia ago and also that you're not a member of the Phoenix race.
Because of this and with the fact that I know you will want to continue exploring, oh and also the tiny matter of you being the black knight, I don't see an issue in being allowed to continue what you're doing."
"Well, that's good," Adam said in relief before realising what he had just done and quickly saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way."
"I know, but the council will probably insist on your agreeing to a few conditions," Revi replied.
"Such as?" Adam asked.
"Difficult to say since there has never been a precedent for this in my race's history, but two conditions are almost certain.
First, you must return to Fenix Nest often to visit your loving wife and the citizens."
"Are you sure that's something the council will insist on and not you?" Tephe asked with a frown.
"Who knows," Revi replied innocently before adding, "Second, you must give me an heir."
"Wait, by heir you mean…" Adam began nervously, causing Revi to smirk before she said.
"Yes, darling, bearing your child."
Adam gaped at Revi for a few moments, causing her and Tephe to giggle before he asked, "Putting aside the fact that I'm still not ready to even consider children, is it even possible? I mean, are our races compatible in that way?"
"Honestly, I have no idea," Revi replied while shaking her head before she continued. "Because of our isolation policy, the majority of my race only breeds with other phoenixes; the exception is the rare few who breed with dragons.
There are records of our ancestors breeding with other races in the distant past, before the Phoenix Hunts, but it was only with the old and powerful races. Only time will tell if we can have a child."
"Don't worry, Adam, I will be sure to bear many children for you," Tephe announced proudly, causing Adam to stumble as he walked between the two women.
"I'm not so sure about that," Revi replied in a worried tone.
"What do you mean?" Tephe asked with a frown.
"The dragon race is one of the oldest races in the universe, with only the Deverinians and Nonpareilus known to have existed longer," Revi began to explain.
"Because of this, very few races are actually able to breed with dragons. A male dragon's sperm is too potent for most female bodies to accept, while a female dragon requires sperm far more potent than what the males of most other races can manage."
"Really?" Tephe asked as her eyes filled with concern.
A short distance from Fenix Nest, the inky blackness of space was suddenly filled with flashes of lightning before a spatial tear formed and from within it, a massive red dragon's head emerged.
After several moments, the dragon's entire form became visible, but instead of the spatial tear closing, another dragon's head emerged, this one being purple in colour.
Only after the fourth dragon made their appearance did the spatial tear collapse and vanish, after which the red dragon led the others towards the planet's surface.
"While teasing her and listening to her reactions was amusing, it's a shame she wouldn't give us any more information on Adam's parents," Aphrodite said with a sigh.
"Do you think she's telling the truth about being his grandmother-in-law?" Stacey asked Emma.
Emma thought for a moment before replying, "I doubt Lady Flemming would lie about something like this, I mean, there's nothing to gain from doing so."
"She's right, " Rowena replied before adding, "We all know Adam has little to no interest in his parents or heritage."
"So what do you think he will do when he learns about it?" Eri asked in a curious tone.
"Hmm, honestly, I don't see him doing anything," Stacey replied.
"Really?" Aphrodite asked in surprise.
"Yeah," Stacey replied with a nod before continuing. "He's never known his biological parents and as far as I'm aware, he has little to no interest in knowing them. If he did, he probably would have asked Spector to look into their identity."
"That's a good point," Rowena stated before asking, "Spector, did Adam ever ask you to look into his parents?"
"Negative," Spector replied through the ship's internal comm.
"Then do you know the identity of his parents?" Stacey asked.
"Affirmative," Spector replied.
"And you never thought it appropriate to reveal that information to him?" Aphrodite asked.
"As Stacey just said, he has little to no interest in knowing their identity; if he did, he surely would have asked."
"Damn eavesdropping AI," Aphrodite grumbled.
"Can you tell us who they are?" Eri asked.
"Do you believe it's appropriate for you to learn their identity before him?" Spector asked in return, causing the four women to go quiet as they all knew the answer to that question.