"Sometimes, to let go is the only way to go forward." - old saying, unknown origins.

Akeshia and Maebh's home, suburbs of Tohrmutgent, Lichdom of Ptolodecca, fifth day of the fourth week of the third month, year 65 VA.

Aideen was the last to arrive at the family gathering, since she had to travel from the Palace of Bones, and bring Mimia and Éirynn with her as well. Her destination, where Akeshia and Maebh had their homes, lay on the other suburbs of Ptolodecca, near where the other refugees lived, a good long walk from the Palace of Bones in the center of the city.

Which was why the three of them rode on Haon on their way instead, the Bone Lord having given Aoife's old pets to Mimia to care for since she could actually communicate with them to an extent. Considering how the four often asked Mimia to spoil them like they did with her mother, Aideen felt they were in good hands.

The Bone Lord had informed everyone that in the next decade or so, he planned to expand the city, so the suburbs they lived in now would be part of the city proper by then, and had asked for their patience since that would be quite an undertaking either way.

Many of the younger refugees seem emboldened by that, and quite a few laid down roots in Tohrmutgent, finding love amongst the locals, and quite likely planning to stay. Maybe if they won their home back one day, some would go back with them as well, but Aideen thought there would be more that didn't.

As houses go, Maebh and Akeshia's residence was barely distinguishable from all the other houses built for the refugees. A simple but cozy single story house, mostly made out of wood, with separate rooms for the kitchen, bathroom, and dining room, and two bedrooms. Arguably a rather luxurious place considering it was built in haste for refugees, but since everyone got a similar house, maybe it was just how the Ptolodeccans did things.

Aideen recognized the house from how Diarmuid had his black steed tied to a post in front of it though. The steed didn't even look askance at Haon's presence, having grown used to undead over these years, and just whinnied as Aideen and the rest passed by.

Inside the house, Aideen saw Diarmuid and Kestera, who lived in their own house on the other side of the refugee area, as well as Akeshia and Maebh seated on the table. Éirynn went and hugged her parents warmly, while Mimia politely greeted them, as they were officially her in-laws now, as they tied the knot just this new year's.

Aideen snickered with amusement when she saw her brother look as if he didn't know how to react. He had not had much experience with those who loved the same gender, as they were rather rare in Vitalica, a relic from their days as serfs where their lords forced them to breed offspring.

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That said, Éirynn liking girls had not exactly come as a surprise to Aideen, or Kestera for that matter. They were more often around her than Diarmuid, whose duties often meant sometimes he would be away for weeks to a month, and often spent his days at work.

Ever since she was little, both of them had noticed that Éirynn paid far more attention to other girls, and pretty much ignored the boys who tried to get her attention, so both of them had such a premonition. Kestera was not unfamiliar with it either, as the long lived elves were often fond of trying things out over their lives.

Aideen seated herself by the table after she had greeted everyone, seated between Maebh and Mimia, before she looked at Maebh, who had asked for them to gather today to discuss things should it be possible.

"So, what's eating at you, Maebh?" She asked her niece out of curiosity. Her niece had grown more mature by now, already twenty-two, and she was officially seen as the "leader" amongst the refugees, since Diarmuid and Aideen had declined, claiming that they were not suited to leading the populace.

"I visited the north east last year, aunt Aideen," said Maebh in reply, her voice seemingly full of contemplation. "The area that used to belong to Junora, the same sort of area where a rebellion brewed against us."

Aideen nodded and just kept her ears open, as Maebh looked like she had more she wished to say.

"They lived happily, perfectly integrated and working together with grandpa Aarin's people that supervise them, and from what I could tell, they were truly happy with their current lives," continued Maebh onwards. "Maybe what we did was wrong, to so suddenly change their lives so drastically. The people under our care ended up grateful to great grandpa and grandpa, but once they were gone… they turned on us instead."

"Grandpa Aarin once told me in private that how we handled the Junoran lands would be a test for our nation," Aideen replied. "It would appear we didn't do that well at it."

Everyone on the table - except for Mimia - nodded at her words, as they were in agreement.

"So I've been thinking, aunt, uncle," Maebh said, apparently having found her determination to go on. "Even if we did win back our lands, would we be able to make everyone there happy? Would it… be worth the lives that would be lost reclaiming it?"

"We left Vitalica because we were unwilling to spill the blood of our own countrymen, Maebh," answered Diarmuid in a solemn tone. "I myself don't know if many of our people here would be willing to take that fight, unless the conditions there had worsened so much they felt compelled to do so to help those who didn't join us."

"I have to be honest, Maebh," Aideen said in an equally solemn tone. "After father died, all that tied me to Vitalica… is my family. I used to think solely for the nation's good when I was young, then during our escape, for our group's sake. I just realized that I had never thought that much… for myself all my life."

"I do not know if you'd just find this a selfishness of mine, but I would have probably left Vitalica eventually, after your generation's end even had this rebellion not taken place," she continued on, glancing at Éirynn, who met her look and nodded firmly in return. "And I'm not the only one. You are aware that Éirynn is going to stay here in Tohrmutgent with Mimia, aren't you?"

Diarmuid and Kestera nodded, as Éirynn had discussed the matter with them before, while Maebh nodded with understanding instead.

"For that matter, many of the younger folks would probably not even return with us should we return home one day," Akeshia added. "Many of them had settled in, laid down their roots here, and started families. It would be… most unkind to force them to choose that way."

"I know, mother," Maebh said with a nod. "I will make my apologies to grandpa and great grandpa should I meet them in the afterlife one day, but I do think… we should leave the matter be for now, unless something drastically changed."