//------------------------------// // Chapter 39: Herding Issues // Story: Patrilineality: Making Up For Time We Lost // by Melody Song //------------------------------// “Boys, I know you wanted to open presents back at the Hive, but Ember and I’ve got some gifts for you we want you to see now.” Tempest said, trotting up to Metamorphosis and his sons as they broke the hug. “Oh, sure! Where are they?” Thorax asked eagerly. “Come on, over here.” Ember said, and the girls led the two away, into the trees. “Meta?” Ocellus asked, walking up with Apex. “Apex and I are tired-” “No ‘m no’!” “So I was wondering if we could head back to the Hive?” Ocellus continued, ignoring the younger nymph that was currently pouting on her back. “Of course Ocellus, I’ll walk you two back. Just let me get the boys.” Metamorphosis told her, following the direction the four adults had gone. “You finally got them?” Thorax’s voice could be heard through the trees. “Thanks to Ember, don’t know where we would’ve found the gold otherwise.” Tempest replied, chuckling. “Or been able to melt the gold.” Ember’s voice put in “Right, right. Anyway… ready?” Tempest asked “We’ve been ready for a while, girls.” Pharynx’s voice said, a slight laugh in his tone. Metamorphosis blinked in confusion and stepped forwards. Ember and Tempest stepped towards the boys, Tempest holding a small box in her magic. Ember opened it, pulling out two thick golden bands. Golden rings, with the word Armentum etched onto each one. “They’re better than I thought they’d be!” Thorax exclaimed happily, and Tempest chuckled, glancing between them. “Alright, ready?” she asked, and Ember nodded. Ember took one ring, while Tempest took the other. Tempest walked to Thorax, while Ember walked to Pharynx. The two bowed their heads slightly, and Tempest used her magic to slip the ring onto Thorax’s horn, while Ember put the ring she held onto Pharynx’s horn. “Your turn.” Tempest told the boys, who smiled at her. Pharynx took the box in his magic and he and Thorax pulled out… two more rings. Metamorphosis crept closer, surprised. The ring Thorax held was hanging from a gold chain, while the one Pharynx had was much smaller than the others. The two walked over to the girls, swapping girlfriends. Thorax went to Tempest and slipped the chain over her head, letting the ring rest just over the black cloak she wore. Pharynx then lifted Ember’s left claw in his hoof and slid the smaller ring onto it. “There.” Thorax said, and the others. Thorax nuzzled Tempest, before walking over to Pharynx and Ember. He then wrapped a foreleg around Pharynx’s shoulders and kissed his cheek, pulling Ember over with his other foreleg and letting her lean against him. Tempest chuckled and walked over as well, rearing up to join Thorax in kissing Pharynx’s cheek. Metamorphosis stared at the four in shock, backing up. This turned out to be a bad idea as he stepped on a twig. Pharynx, cheeks now extremely red, looked up with a slight glare. “Who’s there?” Metamorphosis sighed, then stepped out and into the open. Ember and Tempest immediately backed away from the boys. Thorax and Pharynx turned red and Thorax began stammering. “U-Uh… d-dad, this isn’t w-what it looks like.” Thorax said, and promptly received glares from the others. “O-Okay, it’s exactly what it looks like.” “You four…” Metamorphosis stared at the golden rings. “Are you… engaged?” “More like married. Just took a while to get all four rings made.” Tempest explained, wrapping her forelegs around Pharynx’s neck. “But… then… that would mean…” Metamorphosis trailed off. “Dad, we, uh…” Pharynx stepped forwards slightly and Tempest moved to let him walk to his father. “Look, we meant to tell you, we just… weren’t sure how to.” “I can understand that, I just…” Metamorphosis chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t expect you two to get married before I could tell you I knew you were dating.” “W-What?!” both of them asked, and Metamorphosis chuckled “Come on you two, you know me, I’m the reason you have any intelligence whatsoever. It didn’t take much interaction with you two to figure out this was more than what you claimed to be normal for family members. Also, you are aware of what I taste when I witness romantic love, right?” “Uh… I don’t think you’ve ever told us-” Thorax began “It was a rhetorical question, Thor.” Pharynx told him, and he blushed sheepishly. “When I witness romantic love, I taste chocolate coffee cake.” Metamorphosis then chuckled as he looked at the four. “And it’s all that’s been coming off you two alone for a while.” Both of them blushed, looking at each other. “So… you’re okay with this, is what I’m hearing.” Ember said “Well, I’m a little upset there wasn’t a wedding invitation…” “That’s because there wasn’t a ceremony.” Pharynx replied. "We're not even officially married!" “Oh, I wish there had been, you looked adorable in that wedding dress.” Tempest told Pharynx, who turned bright red. Metamorphosis chuckled. “Can we have a wedding?” Thorax asked “I would be honored to walk either of you down the aisle.” Metamorphosis told Pharynx and Thorax, who blushed. “But I’m not mad at either of you.” “What’s going on?” Ocellus walked over, and Pharynx sighed. “Dad found out about the herd.” Ocellus grew a grin as wide as a cheshire cat’s. “I told you so! I told you to tell him, but noooo!” “Yeah yeah, we get it Ocellus, shut up.” Pharynx muttered. Metamorphosis chuckled. “Come on, all of you, let’s go back to the Hive. It’s late, and you two can open presents tomorrow.” “Alright dad.” Thorax smiled at his father as they walked by him. “Thanks… for being so open about this…” “Of course my son.” Metamorphosis said as he followed them. “I will always support you, no matter what you do.” Thorax and Pharynx smiled at him, before trotting ahead to walk beside their girlfriends… or rather, herdmates. Metamorphosis smiled softly at the two, but internally frowned. “If only I could work up the nerve to tell them my own secrets…”