Saanvi’s home no longer existed, at home and garden she was familiar with was gone. The inside space had been replaced by Sithern. There would be an area assigned as her personal quarters, something I would help her find after I finished speaking with Lord Clive.

An apartment of home would only serve for a short while, instincts would kick in at some point, and she and the children would need the open fields and freshwaters to become more settled, and to grow into healthy Kelpie. For now, rooms would offer sanctuary and safety.

I moved away from the temporary creche the Sithern had created to find a private space so I could speak with Lord Clive in private. I was just as curious as Lord Clive as to why I had been bonded with the Sithern. It shouldn’t have happened. The ritual had clearly used Lord Clive’s blood and semen in the segment of summoning that assigned Host.

It should have been impossible for the Sithern to bind with me.

“You are sure the Sithern has bonded with me?” I asked. “I haven’t noticed the expansion of my awareness that King Teigh spoke of.”

“Although I have to admit I’ve been focused on the Changelings that we gained when Fairy expanded.”

“You haven’t had time to look at your System notifications?” Lord Clive asked in disbelief.

“I haven’t. Three of the new Sidhe are Kelpie, two of them just entering the toddler age. I had to offer some support to stabilize and lock them into their Seelie form when their mother and nanny began panicking.

“The woman,” Lord Clive said looking down at a sheet of paper to find her name, “Sri Saanvi Patel. She and her family are now Changeling? She gave you no hint that this was her intent?”

“Absolutely not,” I declared bristling at the insult. “I’m not sure she would have made the decision she had if she’d known that her actions would result in such drastic changes. Changes compounded because she has to learn what it means to be Sidhe, how to use her new abilities, train her newly gained illusion and glamour skills, and deal with a probable pregnancy.

“And deal with that pregnancy without the husband the people of Derva would expect, and only a Brownie Changeling to help support her, a Brownie that is going to have her own issues to deal with. Not the least of which, how close she just came to going, Bogart.

“She needs to learn how to control her emotions before she can help Sri Saanvi or her children,” I proclaimed.

“But the pregnancy is going to be the main problem, I suspect. She has already given birth to twins, the chances that she will give birth to another set of twins as Kelpie are astronomically high. If she does, that will be five Kelpie that are going to need the Herd support.”

“How are you going to deal with it?” Lord Clive demanded. I had no idea why he felt it was my problem to solve, he was the ambassador, after all. But I would hazard a guess that his pettiness was related to the Sithern and System informing him that I had been accepted as Host.

The System and Sithern proclaiming me as Host was essentially informing Lord Clive that I ruled, and his Rank and status were subordinate to the new symbiotic relationship that had been created between the Sithern and me.

King Teigh was Host for the Sithern Saor o Shlabhraidhean, the Tuatha de Danaan capital city that he had created when claiming his kingdom. I was a Ranked: Knight yesterday when I had taken my place to perform the ritual and call Fairy. So somewhere in the System notices, I was ignoring, were level and Rank up messages.

It was impossible to be proclaimed Host without reaching Rank: Lord, so System, Sithern, or Fairy had played fast and loose with the experience gains for my part in expanding Fairy and giving birth to the Sithern.

I understood why Lord Clive was so angry. The Sithern could not be coaxed to change Host, and it was impossible for me to abdicate or gift the position to him. As long as the System and Sithern found me worthy, I would be Lord and Host here on Derva. King Teigh would have no recourse but to acknowledge this. I would become a designated heir for House Teigh and ceded the authority as his Plenipotentiary.

This would be a lifetime appointment, mine, and the Sithern. As long as we lived, I would be the Head of State off-world, fully invested with the same powers that King Teigh exercised. The unique nature of the Sithern meant that those titles could not be revoked as long as the Sithern deemed me worthy.

I had just become the de facto King for the Sidhe on Derva, and Lord Clive knew it.

“I will discuss the problem with King Teigh. See if he can’t find a few Kelpie families that might be willing to relocate and set up a small herd within the Sithern,” I said ignoring Lord Clive’s actions as he put pen to paper to make note of my words.

These idiosyncrasies, the use of old school pen and paper instead of using the computing power and data storage abilities of the M-AI were not an affection, on his part. He simply had lived so long that he had never gotten comfortable as technology progressed.

I wondered if King Teigh hadn’t selected him for this position as a means to force him to overcome his bias about modern innovations He had managed to regain the drive to advance by fighting in dungeons. It was an effective way to get his levels up, after His Majesty claimed Aingeal Geamhraidh, and established his own country.

It wouldn’t surprise me if this appointment was King Teigh playing puppet master. Lord Clive and I both banished to this world in some bizarre scheme His Majesty had for saving us. Pulling a string here or there to guide people he trusted and respected in a more productive path.

Lord Clive may have needed saving, not unlike my own situation. His Majesty could have washed his hands of me and probably should have. But he hadn’t. I was still an adopted member of House Teigh, and shipping me to Derva, requiring me to serve in a position that would benefit the realm and restore my faith in my Peace-maker abilities was another example of Teigh’s subtle nudges to return balance and purpose for those he thought worth the effort.

The appreciation I felt for his attention. The relief that he hadn’t given up or abandoned me, had done much to break me out of the depression, I had suffered. It was only once I was able to free myself from the morass that I had fallen into, that I recognized how far I had strayed from the ideals I believed in.

“For now, read your system messages,” Lord Clive ordered. “Find out why the Sithern has chosen to bond with you and have a report ready for His Majesty by this evening.”

He terminated the connection and our conversation as abruptly as it started, my M-AI shutting down without notice. He was not one for polite conversation, even though he was well versed in it. He had to be as an ambassador, but with staff, he simply didn’t see the need. It took up too much time, worrying about social niceties. At least that was the explanation his secretary gave whenever someone took offense.

Steven, his secretary, was one of the most efficient Brownies I’d ever met. He had focused his growth when leveling into talents that were centered around government and bureaucracy. That focus had resulted in real talent.

I thought he might gain an appointment as an Ambassador at some point because he was so skilled. It was strange though, while I admired him for his work ethic, others feared him. He was quick to defend and protect Lord Clive, often willing to release those Brownie abilities that could savage anyone he felt dangerous.

Lord Clive let him get away with those bursts of anger. I thought the actions a matter of teamwork, a strategy devised and developed between them that was so effective because no one was willing to face a Brownie about to go Bogart. Steven’s methods were effective in creating order out of chaos. And those people who thought that receiving a post to Derva would be easy, found themselves working harder than they ever had.

I thought this lack of manners by both Lord Clive and Steven’s was about to come to an abrupt end between us.

The System notices were an interesting progression of the past evening's events.

[System Notice: You have successfully completed a Fairy excursion]

[System Notice: You have been affected by [Midsummer’s Night Dream Buff]. Note: You have entered a euphoric condition, bonuses to fertility apply.]

[System Notice: You have released an energy signature that has been the catalyst for a new life.]

[System Notice: You have leveled – Rank: Knight Level 8]

[System Notice: You have leveled – Rank: Knight Level 9]

[System Notice: You have leveled – Rank: Knight Level 10]

[System Notice: You have reached Rank: Lord Level 1 (Note: Off-planet exception has been made to allow for an increase in Rank]

[System Notice: You have leveled – Rank: Lord Level 2]

[System Notice: You have leveled – Rank: Lord Level 3]

[System Notice: You have leveled – Rank: Lord Level 4]

[System Notice: You have leveled – Rank: Lord Level 5]

[System Notice: You have leveled – Rank: Lord Level 6]

[System Notice: [Incubation] buff is in effect. A soul-siphon has been created and your energy will continue to be used to nurture that new life.]

[System Notice: [It’s a Girl] gestation begins - the countdown to birth - Seven hours. You donated the lion’s share of the energy needed to create life. You have been awarded [Expectant Father] buff.]

[System Notice: Fairy has tasted the ambient magic of this world. Changes to structure and design have been implemented. The Sithern has been created using Pancharatha architectural techniques.]

[System Notice: The Sithern has evaluated available Hosts. Your energy signature has been accepted as the most suitable. Note: As a member of House Teigh, the Sithern recognizes the potential strength of your House and the benefits aligning with House Teigh will bring.]

[System Notice: Sithern has bonded with Irvin A’Teigh. You now have access to Sithern System menus. Sithern has accepted Talahm Embassy as a placeholder name, a permanent name needs to be selected.]

[System Notice: [It’s a Girl] has expired. A daughter is born.]

[System Notice: [Expectant Father] Buff has expired. Your daughter has been safely placed in a nursery creche.]

[System Notice: You have been determined to be the primary progenitor for your daughter. You will be responsible for her development and growth.]