“Is this true!?” Anna asked, not sure she was believing her own eyes as she read over the note over and over again. She had long since given up on finding out anything about her ancestry. What else was there to know about? Van’s father killed them…

But now this threw a whole wrench in their dynamic of master and lover. How was she supposed to know that her mother was the last known heir to Dagon Valtier! But one thing was for sure, the reporters were going to have a field day once news gets out…

“I can’t believe it…” Shaking her head.

“Did you really not know?” Luna asked, wondering if she might have just forgotten or perhaps had any suspicions.

“I honestly don’t remember much from when I was a kid. If anything most of my memories start when I was soul bonded to Van.” Anna answered. “And from what Alvaroz told me, my mother died when she gave birth to me…” Looking a little forlorn.

“Sorry…” Luna said, feeling like she should have known better for asking such a question.

“It’s fine.” Anna went back to the note already having forgiven her sister and more concerned with the information Lynaria left behind. After rereading it for what must have been the tenth time she finally put it down and sighed. Even her other hers looked agitated and confused, even walking around a little lost as they still tried to do their jobs at a greatly reduced pace.

Van noticed and decided to suddenly hug her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “It’s going to be okay Anna. Your still family. Whether you want to meet him or not is up to you.” He pulled away. “Why don’t we sit down and have a rest, we can talk about it when your ready.

Anna was a little taken aback, she blushed and gave a small laugh at Van’s words as he pulled away. “I’m fine Van…” Her shoulders relaxing. “But… Thank you…” Giving him a winning smile, and now feeling a little silly that she must of shown a weak side of herself to her family.

“But now that you mention it, maybe we should discuss this with everyone.” Clapping her hands and making all the Anna’s pause what they were doing. They then suddenly began to moving in a different patter and started leaving. “Let’s set up a meeting, I’ll make some refreshments and prepare a room.”

Van nodded. “You do that. I meeting where we can discuss our next plans was exactly was I was planning to do anyway. Thank you.”

The two shared a kiss.

—

Van, Luna, Anna, Lyn, and well… Basically everyone else was in a large long room inside his drastically changed castle. He looked around at the new roots that had sprouted in the gapes and cracks. Signs of his wife Luna’s work as her soul had grown in power. Through the large rectangle windows he also so Lyn’s Soul realm drastically changing right before his eyes. Her domain gaining in size and power, adding attributes of lightning and metal to everything it touched. Some of the trees had even grown to enormous sizes, with a few sections of the forest rising up in the air as if held aloft on some sort of magnetic wind. He turned to his council of people. The table, large as it was, already overcrowded.

“Alright, I called all of you to here to discuss our next steps for our future. But before we do that there is something I would like all of you to read.” With a wave of his hand he made a blue screen pop up in front of them and waited.

After a few minutes he was already hearing a few mumblings and discussions cropping up. Wondering how much of what was written was true and what to do about it, a few arguing about the wording and some debating what this might mean for their future. He waited patiently for them to finish, and whenever they seemed to stray from their task to argue with each other he brought them back to the topic at hand.

“Now, I’m sure all of you have read the notes left behind by Lynaria? Or at least most of it?” He asked the room, which remained silent, everyone looking at him to continue. “Alright then… Let’s get the elephant out of the room then first.” He looked over to Ashina and Karmine. “How would the two of you feel about fusing?” The two looked over each other uncomfortable, taking a quick glance over at Lyn and Luna.

“I’m… Not sure it’s something I want to do just yet…” Karmine said carefully, as if afraid this was going against what Van wanted. It didn’t help that Karmina had her head on Van’s lap and was purring up a storm.

“I have to agree with Karmine. Were plenty strong as is, I am not sure we have to give up our… Ourselves…” She wasn’t sure what the proper term would be for the loss that came with fusion, or that there was even a loss. But the fear that she might lose her identity was a common one amongst all those who had read over the list and found their names beside another. A few even began whispering and looking at each other nervously.

Van raised a hand to silence them all. “Alright, I understand.” He looked to everyone. “I’m not going to force anyone who doesn’t want to go through a fusion if they don’t want to. I’m fully aware of the commitment one must make to make such a decision. Though I do want to point out that you do not lose anything when you do fuse. The only thing that will happen is that there will be only one of you… And I understand that the fear of how your families might feel about the new you is understandable.”

He learned from Luna. While when his parents had told him that they had accepted what happened. Luna did tell him later that while he was being held in custody, his parents where having a hard time trying to come to terms that both their daughters had become… One daughter…

“Is there anyone here that actually wants to fuse?” Van asked the room. Slowly, a hand did rise up.

“Adela!?” Ashina gasped as her sister rose her hand.

“S-sorry Ashina but…” Adela tried not to cry. “I-I Just want to be stronger and more useful.” Her shoulders slumping like she was trying to scrouch in on herself from everyone’s gazes. “I just thought… I would be… Better…” Now feeling very self conscious about everyone looking at her.

“Well… That is for Gwen to decide.” Van said, now looking at the harpy in question. “Are you fine with fusing with Adela?”

Ashina stood up. “Absolutely not!” She snarled so hard she even surprised herself, but carried on through anyway. “I’m not going to allow my sister to-to-!?” Finding herself completely at a loss for words to convey her feelings and confusion about that was happening, her eyes looking wide and fearful at the though she might lose her sister, or that her sister might become someone else. She slammed her fist down on the table anyway saying the first words that came to her brain. “I’m not going to allow my sister to change into someone else!”

Van looked over to Adela who seemed like she wished she could just be devoured by her chair with the way she was sinking into it before turning back to Ashina. “I understand how you feel… Trust me I get it. I wasn’t completely happy with the thought of Luna fusing either. And it did take a while for some of her old self to return after everything that transpired. But I do believe she came out of it better for it.” He turned to Luna, silently asking for her input on things.

Luna took notice and gave Ashina a calm and leveled look before speaking up herself.

“Ashina, I understand your fear. Trust me when I say I wasn’t myself when I fused with Agnes. Neither of us was…” She turned to Adela, followed by Gwen, giving making it clear she was also talking to them as well.

“I had to come to terms with that fact that I will never be who I was again. Whether that was for the better or worse I cannot say. Though from my own personal experience I do think I enjoy my new self. I am not just Luna or Agnes… I am both and someone new, our souls have merged and grown together stronger then before. That feeling almost makes these changes worth it… Never before have I ever felt more… Complete…”

She turned to Ashina. “We are I now… I am the daughter of both Thea and Alecto. And I am happy to be so. I’m stronger, more knowledgeable, and other then the fact that I have one body instead of two, my love and family commitments haven’t changed, they merely had spread…”

She turned to address the rest of the room. “Please understand. The only ones you have to lose, are the ones who will not accept your change. If you want to be something more, something or someone different, then perhaps this is for you… But if you are afraid to do so, and don’t want to lose your sense of identity, I too understand why you may fear that, and perhaps this might not be for you.” She then went silent.

The rest of the room followed suit as well as they thought deeply on Luna’s words of wisdom.

After a while Van gave a polite cough. “Well lets put a pin on this for later.” He addressed Adela and Gwen. “As for you two, please stay behind after the meeting so we can talk about your thoughts on fusing…”

He then moved on to the next thing on their agenda, Ashina giving a complicated look before becoming self conscious and slowly sitting down. Though with the way her ears moved and unfocused eyes it was clear she was thinking about something else as Van talked about the fact that Anna was the direct heir of Dagon Valtier, something that got a stir from most of the people here but didn’t from her.

“-And so we have we have a letter of sorts that Lynaria wanted us to send in the hopes of winning the approval and support of Dagon and his neutral faction. Any thoughts?” He asked.

Anna spoke up. “Perhaps… We should ask Rosalyn about this? If anyone would know what to do with this information, wouldn’t it be her?”

Van was surprised by her suggestion. Not because it was bad but because it came from Anna. “I had thought you would have wanted less people knowing about your secret, especially if they were a noble. Though I do admit I was going to suggest such a thing in private later… Sorry…” Feeling like he was a little late in proposing such an idea now.

Anna shook her head. “It’s fine. I understand why you might think I wouldn’t want to many people knowing… However…” She looked around at the table of more then a two dozen people. It’s not exactly like such information could be kept secret for long from her considering she’s friends with at least half of everyone here…” Earning a few blushes.

“...Good point…” Van stated, also a little embarrassed by such an obvious fact.

“Besides… I trust Rosalyn.” Anna gave a smile. “She’s a good friend. And more importantly she has a good heart.”

Van nodded at that, fully agreeing with her statement. “Alright then, we’ll shelve this discussion for later when we next bring Rosalyn in.” His expression darkened as the next thing on the list came into view.

“Now… We have to talk about how I i’m going to fucking eat Malon Taldor… And somehow do it without pissing off Cerina…”

Everyone suddenly felt uncomfortable. Didn't know much about Malon since most of them spent most of the time inside Van’s soul realm but… The idea they were going to kill someone for power felt… Off… It wasn’t like Van at all to propose such a thing. If Malon had deserved it, it would probably be a different matter, but again, they didn’t know him that well, and what little they did know of him was from rumors and they were nothing but good.

“Umm…” Kassandra raised a hand. “Do we have to kill Malon? Can’t we also talk to him about it. Because I don’t know about you but… That sounds like a fusion thing waiting to happen and considering how much damage Luna’s soul suddenly changed, who knows that’s going to happen if you… Eat him as you say…”

Van blinked feeling like he was hit by a sudden revelation. Did he actually have to eat Malon? Couldn’t he just fuse with him? Wouldn't that be practically the same thing? But then… He thought about Cerina and how weird that would be if was also Malon when they were doing it. He quickly shook his head to get the thought out of him. But lingered on Kassandra’s choice of wording.

“You might have a point Kassandra. Thank you.” Giving her a nod. “We might not have to eat or kill him… Ren did say that our souls will naturally be drawn to each other if we stay together for to long. Perhaps instead of devouring one another, we can simply fuse with each other… But… I’m not sure he would agree…”

A few of his girls started discussing about possible scenarios that they could use to convince such a proud men to join with Van. All the while Van’s death knight kept silent in the corner, making him wonder what opinions he had to offer, but decided to ask later.

After a few minutes of discussion they decided once more to talk about this later when they had more information on Malon Taldor himself. “Alright girls. Let’s now move onto our stores of food and resources.” Shuffling a few papers around. “If were going to talk about growing our military were going to have to discuss how much our greenhouses can produce and how much soil they are going to need. Not to mention we lost a lot more of Lyn’s soldiers then expected and the battle with Karmila didn’t help. We should draw up new plans for the Acquisition of new materials to create sturdier and more powerful equipment.”

“And another thing-” Van continued as the council worked well into the night.