Marriage is Murder

Steven nodded and smiled at them as did Brant as he passed threw to the kitchen he nodded to the elves and continued on his way. Jack and Jess nodded to them both as they fed the kids but Jess stood up and walked over " would you like to see the children" she asked looking to kate to see if it was allright " they might as well meet them as they will see them around the house." she said but she was not sure if they would or just stay away from them while they worked in the house. Jack stayed quiet as he fed James some food but James took the spoon and fed himself as did the others aroudn the table.

"The small ones," Dotty nodded. "We don't see many children anymore."

"You will here," Edward said. "There are many children here."

"Will we serve them?" Suki asked.

"If they need you, please serve them," Kate said. "We do try to be the ones to care for them as much as we can be, but it is hard when there are so many. And with evil beasts about."

"We do not fear the beasts," Jobey said. "We know about all sorts of evil. And I smell a vampire about."

"He is not to be harmed unless he actually does something evil," Edward said. "He is a sworn ally." Zodey frowned, not sure how the evil energy from the vampire could mean anything good But he would not disobey.

"Yes," Suki said, "We would like to see your children."

Jess smiled and nodded letting Edward speak for her while Jack brought the children to the living room so they could meet the elves Jaylen smiled and waved to one while James just pulled a face at them. Catlin clung to Jacks leg not wanting to move from him. Jack picked her up and spoke softly to her. "there freinds they won't hurt you" he said softly and placed her down she walked over to one and loked at her.

"Im cat" she said " you small like me" she tipped her head and giggled as she ran back to Jack.

Suki and Dottie met the children and seemed to get along well with them from the start. Suki counted beds.

"There are...at least two missing," she said. "One bed...extra. At least one bed short." Dottie looked at Jess.

"There is a girl missing. Is there one more child somewhere? And...is there at least one child yet unborn? Suki...knows these things," Dottie said. "She is considered a wise one among us. Jobey watches the stars. He sees things in the stars. Zodey...knows weapons."

"And Dottie knows plants," Suki said. "She is very good with many different plants...." She was distracted and picked up an eagle feather from under the dresser in the nursery. "This is not from an owl. It has different energies. You have a very large bird?"

Jess smiled and listened " yes one childe is away right now and your right there one another due the mistres of the house is pregnant, there for needs rest. " she told her as she noticed Brant leave the potions lab" ow Brant come meet Dottie, she knows plants. " she told him and he walked over and smiled.

"Im brant, a potioneer, I work with magical plants and things" he said "The green house has all the magical plants you can think of there, Steven grew from seeds" he said making noted in his book " hum maybe you could help in the lab if Robert says its okay thought" he said softly to Dottie.

"I like greenhouses," Dottie nodded. "I hear the Minister knows potions too. I don't know his work, though. The potions I know are older. Much older than you are."

"There is much magic in the house," Suki nodded, exploring. She cast a couple of minor charms to amuse the children, making their toy tea set sing. She looked around, feeling the energy. "The lady of the house. She is the one I haven't met, isn't she? Will we meet her?"

"Suki, you cannot meet the unborn ones," Dottie frowned.

"I can meet them, even if they can't yet meet me," Suki said confidently, picking up some of the children's dirty socks off the floor and putting them into a laundry basket.

Brant smiled and nodded " yes he does and he knows more than I do your knowlage will be welcome Dottie" he listened to the others as the children began to play aorund them Jess smiled feeling they would be a good edition to the house.

"You'd have to ask the master of the house or the minister about that." she said softly and looked to Brant who still made notes she was getting annoyed with his note taking " hey will you stop that" she said and he slipped the book away.

" sorry a habit I have developed " he said and looekd at them all " maybe Dottie could come with me so I can show her the green house and the plants?" he asked looking to Edawrd and Kate.

"Perhaps you should allow Dottie to at least meet Khaat first and then you can take her to the greenhouse," Edward told Brant. "I'm sure she'll be more than satisfactory at her duties. She'll catch onto the rest of the way that things run here without a lot of trouble."

"You called us here because you wanted things to be better here, not the same way you've run then, didn't you?" Dottie asked.

"Quite correct," Edward laughed. "I stand corrected. You were indeed brought here so that you could make things better."

"Let's move ahead to the master bedroom," Kate said. She led the way and introduced them to Khaat.

"You are a seer," Suki said to Khaat.

"Yes," Khaat said.

"Suki brings a lot of old elvin magic knowledge," Kate said. "And as a seer herself, it should be interesting to learn from her."

"Indeed," Khaat said.

"And perhaps you would show me some of your modern ways?" Suki asked.

"Of course," Kate said.

Brant looked at Edward and nodded " ow right of course" he said and smiled stepping back " okay I'll be in the lab " he said and left leaving them to take the elves to Khaat . Jess and Jack moved the children to the nursary and made sure they were all playing happily before the left to head back down to the living room where Steven now sat reading the paper Cassidy finished tidied up the dining room of all the children's breakfast things sending them to the dishwasher to be made clean. Cassidy reset the table for the adults to eat breakfast.

Once the elves had been given the tour, Kate dismissed them to start getting oriented to their duties.

Khaat did feel a sense of relief having the house elves around. She had seen from her days at Hogwarts how formidable a freed house elf could be with his magic and what a valuable ally they could be. She knew that Edward would surely be thinking of a way to enforce a magical alliance to help defend them. But dealing with house elves needed to be done carefully and respectfully. She already liked Suki, so perhaps, she thought, if she could get to know Suki that might help negotiate a respectful way to offer them their freedom and create an alliance.

Dottie began some duties and chose to start with watering the house plants. She noticed the cut flowers in places were looking a bit droopy. She remembered where the little potions lab in the house was. She wasn't surprised to see Brant there.
She wandered in and began looking over the potions ingredients.

"Would I offend if I made something?" Dottie asked, pointing to a small cauldron hanging from a hook on the wall.