A rare Tuesday update. Honestly, I’m hitting my stride on the coming war so want much of this out of the way. If anyone thinks I’ve handed Pai’s new form, her introduction, wrong, please comment. The 3.5-way relationship is not like anything I have dealt with before and welcome input.

So. We learn what one-point-oh might be up to in the coming months. We also are getting a better idea about the… insurgency? Is that the apposite word? Of what is coming. Rebellion? As I have not been told what it looks like, I am not sure what to call it. And, it sounds as if Reina is doing what she does best.

At least there is peace within this family. Besides God, Family is everything.

Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!

The following morning, still dark, Graf felt her stand, so much taller, now, and slide into some clothes.  Knowing he was awake, a little, she spoke softly.  “I promised to make breakfast for everyone.  I’m going to do some prep work.”

He dozed until he heard Alix get up to check on the kids.  After a quick trip to the bathroom, he met her as she was coming out into the hallway.

“Alix?  I wanted say – ” he began.

“Not a word about last night,” she said with just a little edge to her voice.  “The children are still asleep, so roust out your dad and lets us adults have some food.  Your wife can make Suza’s and Tér’s, later.”

Obviously something to not bring up at the table this morning.  Graf pulled on a robe and went to wake his father, hearing the sound of skillets and plates from downstairs.

Bacon and eggs and toast, juice, and milk from their cows, all served, Alix said a short prayer before jumping in first.  “You’re staring an awful lot, Graf.  And maybe you, New Missus, should have more on that that camisole and shorts?”

“I cannot feel temperature if I do not want to, and this protects my skin from any pops of oil,” was Pai’s easy reply.  “Do you want any more, Alix?”

“Pai?” Graf asked.  “May I ask you sit for a moment?”

“Sure!” she chirped, taking the chair next to Alix, both now opposite their man.

“You and your family have the resources to have you look like anything you want,” he began, pausing the crispy bacon in his left hand.  “Why do you look like one of Aurie’s grandkids and not more like you did before?”

“The coming war, as I mentioned yesterday evening.”

“Yes, I was wondering when you would be coming back to that,” his father demanded.  “You implied my family may need protection?”

“What Graf and I investigated recently is just the tip of an iceberg of resentment toward demis and Machines,” Pai began, getting up for a moment to get Alix more milk before sitting back down.  “From the terrorist act at Aurie’s first speech as empress, the number of factions has grown.  All it will take is a spark or a person to unite them.”

“And, at that moment, there will be civil war in Russia and the imperium.  Not state actors, but a house-by-house civil war.” She leaned her cheek to Alix’s for a moment.  “Suppose someone sees her shrine in the entryway?  There have to be people who know the connexion to you and thus me.  That paints a huge target on her and your kids.”

“Guess I’m taking that down when we get back,” Alix said around the last bite of fried egg.  “Any other good news?  Pai?”

She used her name.  And not in anger.  Well, she was in on the secret of my wife’s new body.

“First, to address the rest of my husband’s question, I chose this form as a show of loyalty.  Not just between tribe Mendrovovitch and House Hartmann, but also between our empires.”  She leaned back a little.  “Once word of my actions spreads, I hope it will give other insurrectionist pause.”

“You told me years ago,” Graf said with a small smile, “that your kind does not plan.”

“This is not a plan.  It is.  My mother is already taking steps to begin to downplay the kind of cult of personality that has grown up around her,” Pai said.  “Further, she is speaking with Tsar Piotr about her son Vlad, and his assuming the role of PM.  That’s a bit too unsettling, so he might take a more behind-the-scenes role once Reina moves on.”

“Oh,” Pai suddenly continued, “she’s disappeared about five thousands in the last week, too.”

“Disa…what does that mean, exactly?” Graf asked.

Pai’s new form grew still.  “Just what you think.  Shall I say it aloud?”

“One other thing,” Alix said into the tension as she stood, “before I bring the kids down.  What will happen to the, uh, old you?  Does she go into storage, or something?”

“Of course not!” Pai laughed, standing as well.  She got some more milk and made ready to make oatmeal for the little ones.  “The skin would start rotting in days, if not fed.  Of course, having it removed is an option.”

Alix gagged a little.

“But I think, given my mother’s input, I’ll have that me continue to look about, mostly in Europe.” She got two bowls down.  “There are parts of Germany ready to be integrated into the Habsburg Empire, so I’d like to see what’s going on there and in parts further west and south.”

“You can,” Graf asked, moving to go upstairs with Alix, “control, I guess, multiple bodies?”

“Easy-peasy!” she laughed.  “No one in that area has seen one point oh, so I’ll be fine!”

Graf paused in the kitchen doorway and looked back at his wife.

“You said what your mother is doing.  What about Aurelia?  Is that why our family came here in a legionary convoy?”  That question had Alix stop, too.

“There is much I cannot say, but the short version, is yes,” she replied, now getting the spoons out of the drawer.  “Her original intent was to prep the upper Midwest into annexation into the imperium.  Now?  After what she’s learned from our briefing and others, she’s backing off on that.  Why import more problems?  So, Alix’s convoy and dozens of others are sort of cross of showing the flag and trying to win hearts and minds.”

He nodded and they went up.  At the top of the stairs, she paused.

“I know I told you to not talk about last night, but I have a question,” Alix said.

“Okay.”

“Is that,” she waved behind her, “really her?”

“I admit I am still not used to this new body of hers,” Graf said, carefully, “but, yes.  That is my wife.”

She nodded once.  “Let’s get the kids up.”