Chapter 27: Pure Blood?

When Mano saw Mika's eyes open. He face showed actually surprise. Turning his head towards Lyra, the question in his eyes couldn't be masked.

"It's been a long day for both mother and daughter. Everyone can leave, you are dismissed... Oh! and Lula, you will being prayering at the temple without dinner for our actions."

Lula wanted to beg her father for leniency, but her mother quickly pulled her arm. Shaking her 'no'.

Leaving the room, the only ones left were Lady Lyra, Pia, Lord Mano and of course Mika.

"Pia, why don't you get some food for us? " Taking the hint, Pia cleared the room closing the door behind her. Leaving only the family of three behind.

"How is it her eyes are amethyst when you have golden and I have teal." Lord Mano was holding onto Mika, he wiggled his finger which was still within her grasp.

"Mano...Please believe me when I tell you she is your daughter." Shock by her answer, Mano's head whipped around to face her.

"I never doubted that she wouldn't be mine. I wanted to know what you are hiding from me?" The tone of his voice took on a little edge. Shamed of her statement, Lyra's face took on a red hue.

"Lyra, when you asked to have a traditional childbirth, I agreed because I know of your spiritual nature. But now I'm wondering if it wasn't for other reasons." Mano sighed helplessly. He knew less than he thought he did about Lyra.

"I feed us raw honey..." Lyra voice was so low that if the room wasn't completely muted, as it was, he probably wouldn't have heard her.

"Yo-you ate raw honey!? How could you- you do something that would put not only your life but the life of my daughter in danger!"

Standing up, Mano never though Lyra who was quiet and docile, would do something so hazardous to her own life.

"ANSWER ME!"

Shaken by the force he was letting off, Lyra responded automatically.

"There would be no danger! I have been taking raw honey since the time I have been in my own mother's womb!"

Lyra shout broke Mano out of his outburst. Calming down Mano replayed her answer in his head. 'Been eating raw honey since she was in her mother's womb!' Mano blinked his eyes not quite believing the words he heard.

"How is this possible Lyra..." The disbelief in his voice was obvious.

"Sit down Mano...please" Sensing she was going to tell him something substantial. Mano sat down at the edge of her bed.

"Tell me."

Lyra went on to tell Mano of her family heritage, and of how she came to be his seventh wife. Mano sat quietly not interrupting her as she spoke, just looking down and holding his baby girl close. By the end, Mano was saddened by not even knowing the woman he has been married to for over fifty years.

"Why have you never told me any of this?" Lyra sighed releasing all this secret history, made the weight come off her shoulders a bit.

"I was never supposed to tell anyone. It's only because I was able to for fill my promise to my grandmother that I was able to tell you today."

Nodding his head in understanding, Mano put his eyes back on Mikaela.

"That side, we must do something about her eyes. From afar one can't tell the color, but up close...once one sees her eyes they will know who she is... We must do something about this."

Mano thought on this for a second, before raising his hand over Mikaela's face. Focusing his gift of malleability he changed her eye color from amethyst to teal like his with a hint of gold on the outer rim.

"There...*sigh* that should be able to hold her until she's able to break my enhantment."

If Mano was being truthfully honest he was happy with these turn of events.

______

Attending early morning clan meeting, Mano sat in the assembly room groaning at the oncoming headache.

"The pure blood of the Fae have been diluted, to the point where there's possibly aren't any pure-bloods left.....A Fae with diluted blood can't consume unprocessed honey, as it's too powerful for their bodies to handle. The more diluted the blood is the weaker the honey consume has to be. Only pure Fae(s) could handle raw honey. Processed honey is weaker in power compared to raw honey. Meaning the Fae of today has to consume more of it in order to survive. Not only does this cause a problem in the consumption of honey for the Fae. This causes a problem with the production of honey." One of the other clan representatives opened the assembly floor with his speech.

Mano sighed remembering the saying his grandfather used to constantly say to him.

"Honey is to Fae as Fae is to honey. The Fae can give up air, but they cannot give up honey."