Janon nods. "The benefit of having such huge targets on our backs is that we got really good at background checks." He says dryly. "But I will send you some options . I think something like this should start small for the first season or so."

She nods, "We've already pulled my brother in," she mentions. "He's not technically a security grey - he's a combat instructor - but he has the basic training. His girlfriend Ibrae is, though she hasn't been told yet." Starting with qualified people they can trust seems the best way to go about this, before they expand to others. 

"Okay. We are going to do a background check on him anyway, just on principle. Is there anything you'd need or want besides the credit and general safety," he waves, "I would advise to not involve your childrens' father in the situation and your lives. At all."

"I wouldn't want to even if this hadn't happened, if it were at all avoidable," she agrees quietly. 

Alright. In that case they can do foreplanning, Janon is pretty convinced this is not stage tricks or new holographic technology. But he still wants at least three days to think of more conclusive tests, then perform said tests. And he wants to know what else they will need by then.

Isteri has some suggestions, some from herself, some from Lia and the others. They prepare things and make arragements.

Overall, it was a very productive meeting.

Should they call the others back, or does Isteri think they need more leverage before it will be safe to do so?

Isteri will wait until they perform the tests, just to be sure. But her parents have never... well, they are blue, they are not beyond pretending nice, but they always had a blindspot about doing that to her and her brother. The fact that he made important promises to Liarae will also help him keep his word and be nice.

...Well, that sounds terrible. Lia can see why she would have wanted to leave. (She mentioned a death in the family - the brother? Lia doesn't ask.)

(Isteri doesn't say anything about it.)

They meet again and the second wave of tests goes without a hitch. Isteri's mom and husband are also there and suitably shocked. Things are set in motion. Adon, Patiri and Zofin were called back to Jakav and Eleseo. 

Mura trial requires some string pulling, specially to keep her children alive, but she ends up serving house arrest. No child custody, but Istevi will let her see the kids... as long she is supervised around him.

Which he considers very forgiving given that he lost his ability to walk and to spring. Some interaction between the anti-magic crystal and the fertility tattoo. Officially, Istevi's paraplegia is temporary, because they expect to get him to walk again one day.

At least all of his six future children are growing healthy, Patiri's one, Mura's twins, and Zofin's triplets.

They all move closer to Isteri's new home and there is small unassuming facility for magic testing and development to be expanded as their research yield results.  

There is no hurry, or at least there is no hurry that is worth taking risks while they are pregnant with magical children. Most of what they do are the safer sort of tests and preparations.

They can still test if multiples born after their return from Milliways do not show signs of magic. No magical multiples. Nor do any other Multiples, even the ones that turned 4 or 16 already. Which is a relief. 

Still, they draw the blessings for all newborn twins in Jakav and Eleseo (Isteri and Zofin are the only ones to have triplets in the entire country). Not to mention a few thousand non-twins as well, because you need a sample size to do experiments of any sort and it will take years until any blessed grows up.

They make note of all Powers, Surprises, Travel, Hopes, Wealth and other blessings of interest. For similar reasons, Blues and Greens are over-represented in the sample. 

(It goes without saying that they don't draw for any Reds.)

Isteri's triplets are born halfway through summer. Even without springing they are small, soft and wonderful.

Farienne told them that, as long blessings are drawn a few days after birth the magic takes hold.

Still, in case her country tradition originated from some obscure or unknown benefit, they find prudent to follow it, and it makes for a fun moment. Liarae, Patiri and Zofin are invited over for a visit and to draw the babies' blessings.

Lia is more than pleased to take some time to visit Isteri and her triplets. Three tiny babies! They are perfect and small and delightful. Lia can hardly wait to meet her own, who will surely be just as small and soft and even more perfect than Isteri's. 

When the time comes to draw blessings, each of the three visitors draws one for each of the three babies. Lia goes first, and from the bowl of coins she draws-

Determination, for Dasenifer, the eldest;

Love, for Dakarofels, the second;

and Honor, for Dateovont, the youngest. 

-She giggles. "That's almost my blessings." 

Patiri takes the next turn.

Dasenifer gets Power. Dakarofels gets Kindness. Dateovont gets Power again.

"Huh, I already have the information of who drew which birth blessings, but I didn't consider checking." She makes a note of this in her pocket everything.

Zofin draws the third blessings.

For Dasenifer she draws Innovation.

For Dakarofels she draws Power.

For Dateovont she draws Loyalty.

"All three got Power."

"They did, it's a wonderful set of blessings." Holding the tiny Dasenifer in her arms. "Isn't that right, my cute little tiny powerful determined innovator son. My powerful kind and loving son. And my powerful loyal honorable son. So good, three times three blessed babies."

"They sound wonderful," Lia agrees, smiling down at the itty bitty baby in her arms, "You're wonderful, Dakarofels," she coos at him, cuddling him gently. "Kind and loving and powerful, you're going to be a delight, aren't you?" 

Little Dakarofels makes a delightful baby sound, which one might take as an agreement.

!!! 

She melts, snuggling him close.

(Baaaaby!!!)

Babies! Babies are so great!!! Everyone agrees.

Yes!! 

It's a terrible tragedy that they can't spend literally all their time cuddling Isteri's babies, but they do in fact have other things to do. Lia is officially part of Isteri's security, but in actuality she spends the majority of her time working on her magic. Being one of the only two people with this kind of magic (for a few more months, anyways) makes her something of a scarce resource. 

She spends most of her time on increasing her skill with her spells, particularly the ones with defensive applications, but a fair fraction is spent on enchanting, as well. She's been making simple wire jewelry for fun since she was a child, and it's easy enough to make ones which, according to the books Gaemir gifted them, will hold an enchantment well.

Enchanting itself requires only a few things - an enchanter's table, which is simple enough to make with their resources, the item to be enchanted, a charged soulgem for power, and the desired enchantment itself. One can learn enchantments in three ways: by using an enchanter's table to rip the enchantment off an already-enchanted item; by spending an extended period of time studying an enchanted item to gain an understanding of it; or by creating your own enchantments in the same way one creates spells. Having no desire to destroy any of their few enchanted objects, nor having the experience or training to build her own, Lia starts by examining the Ring of Luck.

It takes her months, but, within two weeks of the triplets' birth, she manages to enchant her first Luck Ring. She can tell immediately that it is very weak, compared to the one Gaemir gave her. However, it's better than nothing. She gifts her first attempt to Isteri, and keeps working on it. 

Isteri is very delighted with her ring. And not only because it's practical and promising. Everyone is very impressed with her.

And people congratulate her, Patiri claims jealousy over the achievement, but she is clearly proud.

They meet regularly at Isteri's house, to keep her updated and also to hang out around the cute little babies, but that last one goes without saying.

Today, they decide to multitask and do an experiment, under the pretense that Isteri is looking to hire some people and - being an eccentric blue - is specifically interested in people with twins or expecting twins. Blues sure are weird sometimes, right?