Next, Ariadna approached the holy family of the Goddess of Earth and Fertility—Flora and Ador—she knew they have 5 daughters, which she had seen from afar in the beggining of the Ball. The family exuded warmth and a deep connection to nature, their vibrant energy reminding Ariadna of her past life: happy, simple, nurturing, and loving—just an ordinary human. But was it really ordinary? This thought startled her, and she quickly shoved it to the back of her mind for later reflection.
As she neared the holy family, she greeted them with a light bow. "Greetings, Lady Flora and Lord Ador."
They smiled warmly, their eyes shimmering with joy as they responded in unison, "Congratulations on your spectacular entrance into the holy family!" Their laughter mingled with the warmth of their gazes, a testament to their affection for one another.
Flora then turned to her, her voice gentle. "We would love to introduce you to all of our daughters…"
"But only Flora is here," Ador interjected with a playful wink, "our youngest. I believe the others have found themselves some good company."
Ariadna maintained her composure, though she understood the implication all too well, rhanks to the experience of her past life. Just then, a lovely blonde girl peeked out from behind her parents' legs.
"I'm here! Congratulations, and welcome…"
Her mother, Flora, interrupted her with imlarience. "Do get to know each other, little sprouts. My husband and I are going to spend some time alone." With that, they departed in a surprisingly hurried manner.
The young Flora sighed, rolling her eyes with a playful expression. "I apologize for that. It seems to run in the family." She winked at Ariadna. "Would you like to take a walk in the garden?"
Ariadna nodded, pleasantly surprised by this unexpected turn of events. "Yes, I'd love to."
As they strolled through the lush garden, Flora began speaking. "Our family is closely tied to Earth and Fertility. Our powers somewhat overlap with the Renewal powers of your God. We have the ability to bless struggling couples with a child, but only one. This is how the heirs of the Goddess of Peace and the heir of the God of Night came to be… which makes them the only ones with official heirs, as of now."
Flora paused, glancing sideways at Ariadna. "But I have a feeling your family will soon announce an official heir of your own."
Ariadna's expression faltered for a moment; after her earlier conversation with Vayan, she found herself more inclined to believe it might actually be true. She looked back at Flora as they entered the shadowy depths of the garden. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because those were the very first things I wondered about when I passed my own ceremony," Flora replied. "I had no idea about the other holy families. Family is incredibly important to us. But if you have other questions, I would be more than willing to answer them."
Flora's gaze drifted up to the moon. "Just keep in mind that not all secrets shared in the dark remain secret."
Ariadna's brow furrowed at these words, prompting her to tread carefully. "Why are you being so honest with me?"
Flora met her gaze with sincerity. "I wish for you to think of me as a friend."