"Even if it means other women go through what you did?"
"Especially then." Her voice is steady. Sure. "Because the alternative is worse for everyone."
The cold calculation in her tone reminds me why she's become such an effective queen. She understands that sometimes necessary choices are ugly.
"Any regrets?" I ask.
She considers the question seriously. Her hand moves to her belly, where our children grow.
"About how it started? Yes. About where we ended up?" She shakes her head. "No regrets about choosing this life."
"Even knowing what's coming? The other courts will need to claim their omegas. Some might resist more violently."
"Then they'll learn what I learned. That fighting only makes it harder."
The ruthless pragmatism should disturb me. Instead, it fills me with possessive pride. She's become exactly what I needed her to be. Not just an omega to bear my children, but a true partner in the necessities of ruling.
A sharp knock interrupts the moment.
"Enter," I call, pulling the sheet higher to cover her.
Captain Lysander steps in, his expression grim. "Your Majesty. Reports from the border. Human governments are mobilizing. They're calling it 'training exercise' but it looks like military preparation."
The implications are clear. Our success with the bonds is creating pushback. The humans are organizing resistance to future claimings.
"How serious?" Elise asks.
"Serious enough. They're establishing facilities they're calling 'omega sanctuaries.' Places to hide women from Fae courts."
I feel Elise tense beside me. "That will only make the claimings more difficult."
"More violent," I correct. "The courts won't let humans hide their chosen omegas. If they have to take them by force..."
"War," she finishes quietly.
"Possibly." I dismiss Lysander with a gesture. "But that's a problem for tomorrow. Tonight, we focus on what we've built."
She settles back against me, but I can feel the tension in her body. The knowledge that our happiness comes at a cost others will have to pay.
"The babies are moving," she says suddenly.
I focus through the bond, feeling what she feels. The flutter of tiny movements. Our children stirring in their crystalline cradle.
"Strong," I observe with satisfaction.
"They'll inherit all of this. The power. The responsibility. The choices we're making now."
"They'll be ready for it. We'll make sure of that."
She's quiet for a long moment. "What kind of world are we creating for them?"
"A stable one. Where omega women don't die slowly in human societies that can't accept what they are."
"Even if it means war to create that stability?"
"Even then." I pull her closer. "The prophecy isn't optional, Elise. Eight bonds or both worlds collapse into chaos."
"I know." Her voice is small but determined. "I just hope the other women are strong enough to survive what's coming."
