Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Hadrian wasn’t sure he knew what to do as he watched his eldest daughter, and heir to the Maruke line, quietly reading in a hammock by the shoreline. Mari insisted that she wanted to study veterinary care once she graduated from school in a week. She had passed all of her exams and ended up the top of her class.
The entire circle was so proud of her.
Mari was a gentle and compassionate beta, who knew sixteen different ways to kill a man with a paperclip, but chose to heal animals instead.
Her long inky hair that she inherited from her mera was tied up as the shadows around her swayed with the hammock.
Hadrian had no idea how something he helped create could be so gentle. She had no gheyo inclinations whatsoever.
“You’re thinking very loudly,” Harry said as he walked up next to him and leaned against the railing leading to the beach. Over the years the railings had been painted by their various children and the twins. Harry had been adamant to have them use non-magical paints. So, some of the older pictures were fading, as all things tended to with time.
Hadrian must have been projecting his emotions to have called Harry over from across the house and out of his workshop. “I just realized that Mari is nearly grown,” he replied, hoping that his submissive didn’t push too much about this. He’d shared his past with Harry, but sometimes old wounds still stung when brought up.
Harry let out a quiet hum. “I know the bets between some our bonded went wild when she inherited. Most of them were pushing for alpha or some kind of gheyic inclined pareya. Must have been a shock when she was none of those things,” Harry mused as Mari glared at her book as if it had offended her.
Hadrian had to wonder what she was reading to cause that kind of expression. “Considering her parents, it was a bit shocking,” Hadrian said, but he hadn’t been disappointed, he had been relieved, in a way. Mari hated fighting, even if she was very gifted with a blade. She turned her steady hands and sharp mind towards scalpels and medicine instead.
He hadn’t participated in the betting the same way some of the others jokingly did. They mostly bet chores, and it was normal to wonder what a child will inherit as. Any child of Theo, Hadrian and Harry could be anything, but there had been some assumptions made.
Which, should have really been Hadrian’s first clue that Mari wouldn’t fit into any of those molds, since she was first and foremost from Harry. “Yes, she’s a calm and rational beta, who wants to heal magical creatures instead of a chaotic mess,” Harry replied with a grin.
Quinn was more than happy to quiz her and Theo loved to study with her while she prepped for exams. “She’s probably the first Maruke Heir in hundreds of years to study to be a healer,” Hadrian admitted. It felt like such a harsh thing to say, but it still felt a bit like lead on his tongue.
Harry gave him a knowing look. “Is that a bad thing? Or is there something in your family magic that requires her to fight?” Harry asked, fangs poking out. Family magic could be tricky, but that wasn’t the issue. Not this time.
His family magic accepted her with no issue. This was more personal. “No, it’s just jarring to see. I can still remember my parents and they were so proud that I was a fighter. That’s what they wanted from me, and I tried to make them proud until that wasn’t possible any longer…”
And then he nearly self-destructed. He threw himself into fights, nearly getting himself killed multiple times. He’d done some truly awful things.
It eventually led him to Earth where he ran into a young, not yet inherited submissive that scared him back to Nevarah and into Lady Marianna’s less than gentle claws. Not that the queen of the Shadow Element minded. She loved Harry more than Hadrian anyway. Her and Maury were beyond possessive of his submissive.
The three of them were a terrifying force of nature to watch work a room of nobles. Harry was still a prince and King Alcandor loved having him represent the court on land.
Harry wrapped an arm around Hadrian’s waist. “And, now you’re here, with us. Mari is who she is meant to be and that’s partially thanks to you,” Harry reminded him and something tried to settle in Hadrian’s gut.
“Ugh!” A shout came from the shore as Mari threw her book halfway across the beach, her shadows chasing after it and ripping it to pieces.
Harry let out a laugh. “Obviously she didn’t like the ending to that book. I’ll have to ask her what got that reaction,” Harry said as he launched himself over the railing to talk to her.
The two had a little book club going with a few other members of their circle. Hadiran was happy to keep watch from above as the remains of the book was tossed around the beach as Harry joined in repairing and ripping it apart over and over again.
Must have been some ending.
~*~
It was later that night after patrol when Hadrian saw Mari leave Harry’s office. She ended up going there for a talk with her mera. It was never a good sign in their house when their submissive was being privately sought out by one of their children. That usually meant that they were either in trouble or mad at one of their other parents.
When they were back in the resting room that night, Harry was sighing and huffing as he punched his pillow to get more comfortable. Most of their circle was away, leaving only Hadrian, Wikhn and Beck on guard rotation. While they hadn’t been attacked in some time, none of them forgot that they lived with a literal chaos magnet.
Hadrian was taking the last watch of the night.
Ariki pulled Harry close, “Something on your mind, darling?” He asked, his lips pressing onto their submissive’s neck.
Harry let out a long sigh. “Yes. Just helping Mari with something. She’s dealing with some potential courting drama. I’m helping her through it,” he replied.
Hadrian felt his blood run cold and Theo paused midway through putting his sleep shirt on. Mari hadn’t been overly interested in romance. She had decided against participating in the last Hunt. She had been focused on her studies, not on romance.
Perry cleared his throat, “Is everything alright? No one giving her trouble?”
Leave it to the advisor to ask the important question hanging over all their heads. Harry rolled his eyes. “She’s fine. She wanted advice.”
Fred snorted. “Harry, love of my life, light of the universe, you literally ran into half your bonded and formed immediate soul bonds,” he reminded. It wasn’t hard to forget how Harry had found most of them. Harry was still teased by Briar and his father over his literal run in with Beck.
Harry crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. Hadrian felt unease settle in his gut. “She found a soul bonded?” Theo asked as he sat next to Harry, who cuddled up to him.
While Harry had a lot of wisdom to give, traditional courting wasn’t his strong suite. He only traditionally courted a handful of his bonded. “She thinks she might have.”
Wikhn sat on the corner of the bed. “Does this potential suitor have a name?”
Their submissive grinned. “Yes, but not one that you’re getting until she feels like sharing,” Harry informed them.
That caused a minor uproar as the group started guessing names in hope of getting something out of Harry. But, he wasn’t budging.
Hadrian shared a look with Theo. This meant one thing, they were going to need to figure this out without Harry knowing.
The rest of the suite would be back in a day or two.
This was an all hands on deck situation.
Their oldest was starting to court.