A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

Erik actually felt a little anxious about this. On the one hand, Astrid was a link to a painful past. On the other… she was also a link to a happy past.

More importantly, though, he liked Astrid. 'In fact, I think it's likely even my younger self had some feelings for Astrid. I just… was too obsessed with Edda to realize it.' He thought, while also chastising his idiotic younger self once again.

Thus, he hoped having to share him would not create too much of an obstacle for Astrid.

Feeling his slight anxiety through their link, both Elora and Emma sent him comforting emotions back, while Emma also poured him some more tea.

Hearing his question, Astrid released a long breath, before eventually shrugging her shoulders. "Well… it's not what I would have wanted, but… well, for starters, the dominion is full of harems."

She chuckled a little deprecatingly, "It seemed only social convention was keeping people from doing it before because it didn't take more than a few months before the most powerful vampires started filling their homes with beautiful vampires and humans. And it wasn't just men, either, no! Plenty of women did the same thing."

Hearing her words, Emma had raised her eyebrows in surprise, but Erik simply nodded, clearly having expected something like that.

Astrid continued with a shrug, "So, anyway, I've gotten pretty accustomed to the idea by now, but…" She started squirming a little while doing everything she could to avoid looking into Erik's eyes. "Well… there's something else."

She fell silent for a moment, as her flushed face and behavior clearly indicated she was embarrassed about something. Finally, she continued, "Frankly, back then I… would sometimes think about proposing to share you with Edda."

This time, it was Erik's turn to widen his eyes in shock and almost spit out the tea he had just drank to try and calm his nerves a little. "You… what?"

Seeing his reaction, Astrid lost her embarrassment, chuckled, and shrugged again. "Well, what else could I do? I was head over heels for you. I mean, it all started with an obsession over your fighting ability and strength, but eventually, I started to want you to look at me the way you looked at Edda."

She sighed with a weight of unspoken words and missed opportunities, "But you never paid me any attention, so… I had to think of other solutions. Naturally, I never went through with it. Which was partly because I was embarrassed, but mostly because…" she trailed off and chuckled before looking at Erik with a hint of playful ridicule, "because I didn't think you'd accept."

Erik felt that mental gut punch hit him right where it hurt: his younger self's idiocy. The fact was, he was so timid, socially awkward, and obsessed with Edda back then, that he really might have rejected something that most men would only dream of.

He groaned and palmed his face, "You might even be right…"

Emma, who had so far simply been watching their exchange with a smile, could only giggle. "I love you just the way you are now and don't want you to ever change, Master. But I would have liked to meet this younger version of you some time."

Her words caused Erik to only groan even louder, "No. No, you really wouldn't." He turned towards Astrid and couldn't help but ask, "That reminds me, why did you even like me? I mean, I get my fighting prowess interested you, but it had to be more than that, right?"

Still sagged back into the sofa she was sitting on, Astrid smiled a little wistfully and scratched her head. "Well… as I said, I wanted you to look at me the way you looked at Edda. I mean, I know I said I preferred the new you, and I do, but…"

She trailed off as she looked a little uncertain about her own thoughts and turned her head up to look at the ceiling with a faraway gaze.

Suddenly, a fourth voice entered the conversation, "But the old him had some charms as well. Particularly, the way he could look at a woman, and everyone would just know that, to him, no one in the universe existed, except for you."

Gaining a dreamy look in her eyes, Astrid smiled softly and nodded, "Yeah, exactly."

The same voice then responded, "I don't disagree, though… this possessive look he sometimes gets now when he looks at a woman he considers as his… that's not bad either, right? It might not exactly make me feel like I'm the only woman in existence anymore, but… it does make me feel protected, cared for, and like he'll burn down a world for me."

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Astrid thought back to the way Erik looked at her earlier, and her smile went a little crooked, "That's not wrong, either. It felt a little intimidating at first, but… then it felt kind of nice."

After a few moments of silence, realization suddenly seemed to cross Astrid's face, and she sat up, looked around, and raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Wait, who just said that?"

Suddenly, she noticed a small woman with wings sitting on Emma's shoulder, while the white-haired maid and Erik chuckled at her confusion.

Elora had chosen Emma, who was still sitting on Erik's lap, simply because that allowed for a better view of Astrid.

The fairy waved at Astrid with a mischievous grin, "That would be me."

Naturally, Astrid's eyes went wide as she pointed at Elora. "E- Emma, there's a tiny creature on your shoulder!"

Emma giggled, "I know!"

"Astrid," Erik began while caressing Elora's head with a finger, "I'd like you to meet Elora—my first wife, and the woman who saved me seven years ago."

Elora chuckled at Astrid's baffled expression, before shrugging, and continuing her story from before, "I think I fell in love with him because he eventually looked at me that way. But after he began changing, I loved his new look even more."

Astrid blinked a few times before closing her eyes and sighing while she internalized this new information and forced herself to accept that tiny humanoids apparently existed. She already knew there was supposed to be an Elora around here anyway, so it wasn't that big of a surprise.

When she opened her eyes again, she looked at Elora with sincere gratitude. "Thank you for saving him, Elora."