Dear Diary,

From what the assorted intelligence operatives, divinations, and logical deduction we've managed to accumulate, Adrienne Crow ought to be in Jackville. I'm just hoping we can find her before Ria's birthday, especially since, with all the scrying interference she pretty clearly doesn't want to be found.

I mean, that's what originally got us sending Karen down on her diplomatic fishing expedition, looking for my daughter's big sister in order to get her to show up to my daughter Ria's birthday party as a birthday gift. Well, okay, there's also the fact that Ria's mom Tallulah wants to find out where Adrienne has gone, with the stated intent of wanting to reconnect with her. I guess maybe she could be fooling me, but Saffron signed off on the whole dealio, so that would mean either Saffron thinks Tallulah is on the up and up or else the whole thing will blow up in Tallulah's face in a way that's good for the Alliance.

Although if she's not sure where Tallulah's loyalties lie, I'm not sure why she'd pimp me out as a stud for Tallulah's next kid. Letting somebody borrow your spouse for baby making purposes isn't exactly something you do for somebody who isn't in your good graces. Although maybe she thought having my kid would tie Tallulah closer to us.

Shit, this is why I never wanted to be Imperator, and why I'm glad I handed that shit to Saffron. She loves that shit, practically Revels in it. Actually, she might literally revel in it. Gotta remember to ask her about that. Shit, maybe I ought to talk to her just to make sure we're not throwing huge amounts of Alliance assets into what amounts to a vanity project for yours truly.

Yeah, right. Me, remember something.

So yesterday I brought home a bunch of different fried sandwiches for the Homestead's dinner. Eggy grilled cheese for Ria, along with a broad selection for the rest of the folks. Including more eggy grilled cheese, because while Ria definitely wanted that if it was an option, she wasn't the only one to go for that. I also brought home salad. Like, actual leafy uncooked greens in a bowl, not one of those horrible sour cream abominations. Ria and Lindsey both ate their way through multiple bowls, but everybody except Menace at least tried some.

I pulled her aside while everybody headed up to the Bath. "You know there's food other than meat, right?"

She just rolled her eyes at me. Little smartass. "I know, Mama. I don need id."

I raised an eyebrow as the sound of the rest of her posse faded up the Bore. "Yeah, but some of the other girls do, you know. And they look to you as an example."

She looked at me for a solid ten count, then said, "why don' you ead id den?"

I picked her up and tickled her for that one. But as I carried her up the Bore, I whispered, "okay, point taken. We both try some from now on, just to be a good example for everyone else, okay?"

She thought about that for a bit, and before we got to the locker rooms said, "ah tay!" before scampering off to join her sisters.

I stepped over to help Saffron wash up. She pulled me down for a kiss, whispering, "you're so hot when you're maternal."

"Uh... we should have more kids then?"

She just laughed at me and nodded to where Marie had just carried Siobhan into the tub. "So that's all just your wicked plan to seduce me then?"

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"Uh... is it working?"

She just laughed and scrubbed me down. When we got to the Bath we slipped in and I snuggled her to me. She rolled over to plant her face in my chest, then thought, do you think it is working?

That wonderful awful sing song worked its magic, and I squeezed her to me. Oh, hey, Kitten?

Yes, love? She started rubbing the side of her face against me, not unlike a cat marking someone.

Um, I just remembered something. Kind of a curiosity thing.

She looked up at me, her eyes peeking between my tits and the curtain of her hair. Yes?

Do you, like, literally get off on power? Like, doing the Imperator job?

That got me a huffy little sigh. We both know that power excites you as well, love.

Yeah, but it doesn't literally get me off. Like, yeah, puts me in the mood, but I'm, uh, wondering if you wind up having to hide things in Council meetings.

I felt more than heard her chuckle. You and I both know that more of what I do in Council meetings is bureaucratic maneuvering, love. Which is exactly why you dropped that job on me.

I sighed. I'm sorry, Kitten.

Don't be, love! I find that sort of thing intellectually stimulating. Like an endless, ever changing puzzle. Whereas you would find it boring and wind up smashing things in short order.

Okay, yeah, fair.

Right then I recognized the wicked grin pressed against my belly, the tiny gremlin squint in her eyes. Of course, when I do get to look Leonard or Ophelia in the eye when I've outmaneuvered them, I do find that exhilarating. And yes, I mean in exactly that way.

So....?

She shook her head, but I felt that grin get wider. Not until after our wedding night. I must have looked confused, because her tongue darted out and licked my belly as she thought, lovely Marie's gift. My new piercing.

Really? She nodded. Like, how often?

Would you like me to show you?

I looked over at where the kids were still noodling around in the tub with Lily and Lachlan. Uh... after they're in bed?

You won't be attending to our guests in the Bedroom like a good Wife?

I snerked, I snorted, and then I pulled her up into a kiss. Join us?

Of course, love.

Right then something else that had been bothering me bounced into my brain. Uh, Kitten, did you send Karen and the Tentacles down the coast just to find Adrienne?

Would it bother you overmuch if I did?

I thought about that while her fingers traced lazy circles on my back. I think so? We've still got people without plumbing, people who can't read, all kinds of things we could be putting our money toward. I'm gonna feel some kinda way if my whims are being treated as more important than somebody's ability to, y'know, be healthy.

Shall I prepare a review of what Karen's mission has done for us? For the Alliance?

I closed my eyes. Could you?

Of course. We did talk about keeping you apprised of my actions. This clearly falls under that. Is Freyday soon enough?

Sure. Thanks, Kitten.

She grinned into my belly again, her eyes full of mischief. Thank me by indulging me tonight?

I mock frowned down at her. Is somebody gonna wind up pregnant? Again?

Her laugh burbled against my belly. Maybe.

As far as I'm aware, no one did wind up pregnant. Despite Saffron making some very pointed comments about Lachlan winding up that way. Poor himbo was completely unprepared for Kitten in a mood. Wound up passing out. Eventually. Funniest thing wasn't that, though, even when I think some of his soldiering through was half fear boner. No, the funniest thing was Lily, after Lachlan zonked out and Saffron was using his abs as a pillow, leaned down, cupped those magnificent mammaries of my wife's, and whispered, "I like... these," before pillowing her head on them.

Gotta teach that woman the joys of motorboating at some point.

Today, along with all my normal daily duties, I watched as Karen and Admiral Pesce followed a little... shit, it was basically a rowboat, only pushed along with poles. They followed it through a bunch of overgrown marshes that the Questing Tentacle nearly ran aground on half a dozen times. I think if the passages were even slightly shallower, she might have. Shit, I don't think she could get out at low tide.

Really hope Adrienne is in Jackville, because if she's not, getting the Questing Tentacle out in time to go looking elsewhere might be a little difficult.

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