It was not something she would have a problem with doing. That was simply how immortal nymphs dealt with the very mortal humans they wanted to keep around. A man could blink and a decade could have gone by while under the spell of a nymph. Nymphs could get bored of their play things. It would be awfully hard for that human to adjust to a having a chunk of their lifespan essentially stolen. This was not what I wanted for Leonardo. He had a right to live his life freely. We left soon after. The hybrid children cherished the flower crowns. We now had to figure out how we could prepare for the move. We could get a wagon. Grissell and the girls were doing well and had been ready for a bit. The boys needed some more help. They had books and weapons they needed to bring over. Lyari would give them the assistance they needed. We were well off. It made the preparation much easier. Time moved on and the day to leave came. The boys would sneak away to see Celosia every so often. I would turn a blind eye to it. It was their mother after all. On the day, they were ready to leave with me.
I gave a parting gift to Cody and Brody. I knew things were going to get rough for them. Raolin was still ashamed of them. He no longer ever claimed them in private. He would just refer to them as "the boys". He had some brief success with his wife. They had a girl and a boy in back to back years. She was too weak for the second pregnancy due to illness. He was given the same choice to make. Raolin chose his son over her. It was understandable. I did not approve, but I got it. He did not marry her for love. He married her for legitimate heirs that he did not need to be ashamed of when they were seen together. The son was that heir. She was gone, but the mark she left remained. She treated the boys like shit. Raolin only stepped in when it looked like things might get physical. He protected his children like a man should. It was clear to see Raolin would probably neglect them to focus on his 2 human children. I did not want Cody and Brody to lose heart. I had heraldry shield commissioned for them based on the design I made. I gave it over. They loved it. I was happy with results.
Seeing Cody and Brody so pleased with the gift made Raolin a bit nervous. "Would you like... for me to hang it up for you? Not in the main hall, but maybe above your room?" he offered. He would not put it in the main hall because that was where his was hanging. It would raise many questions. The boys handed it over right away. He hung it up. It looked nice. Eventually, they would grow into great, powerful knights. Right now, they were still really cute. The same was true for all my children. I loved how cute they were. I gave them a last look over. "Don't be afraid to reach out to us when it is time for you to come of age. Mansfield is the new seat of the county. You already know Lord Anthony and Count Swifthunt decently well. You might be able to become a real knight on your own merits. Just like your father." I said to encourage them to work hard. Having a long term goal might see them through until they could go off on their own. They said that they would. I would be doing my best to ensure that my children were nicely set up to become knights of the county. They had potential.
