The second full day of the honeymoon was coming to a close.
And Jax…
Had absolutely no intention of moving.
"…Can we stay like this forever?" Pixelle murmured.
They were completely tangled together beneath the sheets.
Limbs intertwined.
Wings draped lazily.
Skin against skin.
Warm.
Unapologetic.
Lexi shifted slightly behind him, her breath brushing against his ear.
"She just wants another day," she whispered, her voice playful. "Because I'm winning the bet."
Pixelle's eyes opened immediately.
"That is not fair."
Lexi smiled.
"That last time, you were not 'resting your eyes.'"
"I was recovering."
"For forty-five minutes?"
"…Strategically recovering."
Jax exhaled slowly, caught between them.
"…I feel like I should not be involved in whatever this is."
"You are the reason this is happening," Lexi said calmly.
And she wasn't wrong.
At some point over the past two days—
Things had escalated.
A lot.
Once Pixelle and Lexi had stopped holding back…
Once they allowed themselves to explore every curiosity, every impulse—
The results had been…
Overwhelming.
Repeatedly.
So—
A bet had been made.
Who could endure more.
Who could last longer.
And currently—
Lexi was winning.
"Still ahead," she added, clearly pleased with herself.
Pixelle narrowed her eyes.
"…We still have time."
Jax sighed.
"…Of course you do."
There was a pause.
Then—
Both of them looked at him.
That same look.
Jax immediately recognized it.
"…No."
Pixelle shifted closer.
"Yes."
Lexi smiled.
"Very much yes."
Jax closed his eyes briefly.
"…I am being set up."
Neither of them denied it.
The next stretch of time blurred.
Not measured in minutes—
But in escalating screams.
In explicit demands.
And eventually in surrender.
And when it finally ended—
It ended the same way it had all week.
Silence.
Stillness.
And two exhausted queens collapsed into each other.
Unconscious. Tongues hanging from their mouths.
Jax stood a few minutes later—
Looking down at them.
Both asleep.
Both smiling.
"…you both lost."
"And Won."
He left them there—
Curled together beneath the sheets.
Wings faintly glowing.
Peaceful.
And quietly began preparing for the day.
Return to Reality
By the time Pixelle and Lexi woke—
The cottage smelled incredible.
Food.
Sweet.
Warm.
Inviting.
They stumbled out together—
Still adjusting.
Still a little slower than usual.
Pixelle blinked.
"…I feel amazing."
Lexi nodded.
"…And slightly betrayed by my own body."
Jax glanced over his shoulder.
"You'll recover."
Pixelle narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…That sounds like a threat."
"It's a promise."
They both paused.
Then smiled.
Reunion
The return to the village was loud.
Immediate.
Full of energy.
The Vixens didn't wait.
They swarmed them.
Hugs.
Questions.
Reactions.
Nyxian reached Lexi first.
Wrapped her in a hug—
Then didn't let go.
"…So," she said casually.
"…you two girls definitely got closer."
Lexi froze.
Nyxian leaned back slightly, studying her.
Then smirked.
"…Yeah. I can tell."
Before Lexi could respond—
Nyxian gave her a light pat on her rear as she pulled away.
"You and I are going to get along very well."
Lexi blinked.
"…I'm both excited and concerned."
Bunny laughed.
"That's the correct reaction."
Back to Solmere
The transition back to Solmere was immediate.
And overwhelming.
Fairies.
Everywhere.
Not just small ones.
Full-sized.
Walking the streets.
Interacting.
Exploring.
Pixelle paused.
"…They're already coming through?"
Jax nodded.
"The gate's open."
And that changed everything.
Solmere wasn't just growing anymore.
It was evolving.
Clean streets.
Running water.
Structured districts.
Opportunity.
Pixelle took it all in.
"…You weren't exaggerating."
Zee smiled.
"He never does."
A Kingdom Responds
News had already spread.
Papers.
Flyers.
Word of mouth.
Jax Darquebane—now King of the Fairies.
The reactions were…
Mixed.
Some criticized him.
Too many wives.
Too much power.
Too fast.
Others—
Celebrated him.
A man who built cities.
Defeated raids.
United races.
And now—
A king.
Fan clubs had already formed.
Stories exaggerated.
Retold.
Expanded.
The Vixens were no longer just adventurers.
They were legends.
New Roles
Pixelle was taken immediately by the others.
A tour.
Shopping.
Celebration.
A Queen—
Meeting her kingdom's future.
Lexi's path was different.
Jax brought her with him.
Introductions.
Meetings.
Observations.
She said very little.
But she watched everything.
Took notes.
Listened.
Learned.
Jax noticed.
And smiled.
"…Yeah," he muttered.
"She's the right one."
The Forge
When they reached Brannic and Merriweather's shop—
It was chaos.
Lines.
Orders.
Demand.
"Growth rings!" someone shouted.
"I've been waiting all morning!"
Merriweather zipped past with glowing tools.
Brannic hammered something that definitely shouldn't have been glowing that brightly.
They had figured it out.
The rings.
And now—
Everyone wanted one.
Jax crossed his arms.
"…We created a problem."
Brannic grinned.
"A profitable one."
Meanwhile…
Somewhere far away—
Plans were forming.
Quietly.
Deliberately.
Because power like this—
Growth like this—
Unity like this—
Didn't go unnoticed.
And not everyone…
Was celebrating.