Selene, of course, looked amused. "Are you quite finished embarrassing yourself in front of your son's future queen, Serafall?"
Serafall turned, still clinging to my side, and stuck her tongue out at her mother. "Jealous, Mama~?" she sing-songed. "You should get your own Harry, this one is mine."
"I have a husband along with a small personal harem of my own, I'm perfectly happy," Selene said.
I watched with growing embarrassment and mild apprehension as Serafall finally-reluctantly-untangled herself from me. Her slender fingers brushed lingeringly down my chest as she stepped back, her eyes flicked sideways toward Lilja. Then she tilted her head slightly, squinting curiously at my Valkyrie queen-in-waiting as though seeing something strange.
"You know," Serafall mused, slowly stepping closer to Lilja with an expression of genuine curiosity that somehow managed to seem completely innocent despite the intensity of her stare. "You seem awfully familiar, dear."
Lilja stiffened slightly, visibly nervous under Serafall's inquisitive gaze. Her eyes widened fractionally, emerald irises darkening with a swirl of barely concealed anxiety. "Ah...do I?" she murmured softly, offering a hesitant smile. "Perhaps we've crossed paths whenever you came to Asgard for diplomatic meetings?"
"No, no, it's not just a passing resemblance..." Serafall replied thoughtfully, inching even closer. She raised one delicate hand slowly, reaching forward and-before I could even form the protest dying in my throat-casually grasped one of Lilja's full, perky breasts through her snug-fitting witch's robes.
My mouth opened wordlessly, heat surging immediately into my face and other distinctly less noble areas at the unexpected sight. I really should have intervened immediately, but my traitorous body seemed rooted to the spot.
I loved my mother, I really did, but she had absolutely no concept of boundaries when it came to "his cute peerage members" or "Harry's girls." Devil culture was pretty relaxed about touchy-feely affection at the best of times. I knew Serafall could be...aggressively affectionate toward my peerage members, especially once they'd officially become devils and gained our kind's liberal views on intimacy, but Lilja hadn't yet gone through that particular transition!
"Hmm," Serafall murmured thoughtfully, completely ignoring my mortified reaction as she gave Lilja's breast an experimental squeeze, her slender fingers sinking slightly into the soft, yielding flesh. "These lovely, soft booby textures... yes, I've definitely felt these before..." Her other hand rose up, delicately cupping and kneading Lilja's other breast as well, clearly lost in deep consideration of their exact weight and feel.
Lilja's lips parted in shock, an involuntary gasp escaping her throat. Her body jerked slightly, a shudder visibly rippling down her spine. To my astonishment-and undeniable arousal-a small, breathy moan slipped from her lips before she quickly clamped a trembling hand over her mouth, cheeks flushing scarlet.
Serafall finally seemed to register Lilja's reaction, pulling her hands back with an expression that was half surprise, half playful triumph. She glanced down at her own hands with fascination, flexing her slender fingers slowly. "Ooh, now that brings back memories," she mumbled to herself with an oddly serious air. "A very specific softness, I must say..."
Across the room, my grandmother cleared her throat pointedly, arching an elegant eyebrow at Serafall with an exasperated look. "Serafall, darling, perhaps you could avoid groping our guest without permission? It's incredibly rude."
"Oops!" Serafall giggled sheepishly, flashing Lilja an apologetic grin, but she still looked oddly pleased with herself. "Sorry, sweetie, couldn't help myself! Your chest felt soooo familiar, I just had to investigate thoroughly."
Lilja shot her a weak glare, cheeks still flushed scarlet, embarrassment warring openly with something approaching amusement. Her emerald eyes met mine, filled with an emotion I couldn't quite decipher-nervousness, longing, and something deeper still.
Slowly, she let her hand drop from her mouth, releasing a shaky breath.
"Actually, Lady Serafall," Lilja murmured softly, her voice quivering faintly, "we have met before-or rather, you met the woman I was before."
Serafall tilted her head inquisitively, a slight frown marring her delicate features. "Before?" she echoed curiously, confusion evident. Serafall's head snapped up, eyes widening. "Oooooh," she said, dragging the sound out, face brightening suddenly. "That would make sense. Right, right, right-valkyries, reincarnation of battle maidens, blah blah-" She froze mid-ramble. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she really looked at Lilja's face. The line of her jaw. The shape of her mouth. The exact shade of her hair where the light hit it. She took one slow step closer again, squinting like she was overlaying an old memory over what she saw. Then she pointed, jabbing a finger at Lilja's nose. "Holy fuck," she breathed. "It's you!"
Lilja flinched, almost imperceptibly. "Yes..."
"Really?!" Serafall squealed a heartbeat later, all composure crumbling. "It's you it's you it's you?! THAT'S AMAZING!"
She launched herself forward again, but this time it wasn't hands-on-tits. She wrapped her arms around Lilja's shoulders and hauled her into a full-body hug, practically smothering her. Lilja let out a startled "oof" and staggered, then caught herself, arms half-lifting like she couldn't decide whether to hug back or struggle.
Serafall didn't give her much choice. She squeezed like she was trying to fuse them, bouncing on her toes with pure, explosive joy. Her breasts mashed against Lilja's chest, her leg hooked briefly around Lilja's calf in her enthusiasm. The two of them bounced in place and I had to look away for half a second because the combined jiggle was doing terrible things to my brain.
Across the room, Selene's lips twitched. "I take it you've confirmed your suspicion," she said dryly.
I glanced at her helplessly. "What suspicion?" I demanded. "Mum, what the hell is going on?"
Serafall finally remembered I existed. She loosened her hold enough for Lilja to breathe, though she still kept their bodies pressed together, hands resting low on Lilja's back.
Lilja cleared her throat softly. "Serafall," she murmured, looking up at her with a mixture of fondness and exasperation, "maybe let me go so I can... explain?"
"If I must," Serafall pouted, but she did release her, stepping back with obvious reluctance. With a Maou's strength she could've held a mountain in place, the fact she let Lilja go at all told me how seriously she was taking whatever this was.
Lilja smoothed her robes automatically, taking a small step closer to me. I could feel the tremor in her magic from here, the way it curled and twisted. She met my eyes, and there was so much in that look-fear, hope, guilt, longing-that my chest ached.
"Harry," she began quietly. "I told you before that Valkyries are... We're not born the way most beings are." She drew in a steadying breath. "We are the reincarnation of maidens who died in battle. Every Valkyrie was once human-or something else. Most don't remember their past lives, but some do. Some like me..."
Selene watched her with sharp interest, but didn't interrupt. Serafall had gone strangely still for her, eyes soft, almost reverent.
Lilja's fingers curled at her sides. "When I died," she continued, voice soft but steady now, "I was very young. Barely out of school. I died protecting someone I loved more than anything. Odin and the Norns chose that moment to... pluck my soul from the cycle and reforge me as what you see now."
"Lilja..." I said slowly. "Who were you?"
She held my gaze like it hurt. Her throat worked as she swallowed. "In my previous incarnation," she said, every word tasting like blood and confession, "my name was Lily Evans."
I turned my head, slow as stone, to look at Serafall.
She was beaming at me. "Isn't it great?" she chirped. "You found her again, Harry!"
"Oh," I heard myself say faintly. "Oh. That's... that's... huh."
My vision tunneled. Selene started to move toward me, but her voice came from the end of a long corridor.
"Harry," she said sharply. "Breathe-"
I tried.
Lilja-Lily-took a half-step toward me, hand lifting like she wanted to touch me and was afraid to. "Harry," she whispered, terrified now. "Please don't-"
My eyes rolled back in my head. The last thing I saw was Serafall's delighted face, Lilja's panicked one behind it, and the white ceiling rushing up to meet me as my legs finally gave out and I fainted like a complete fucking idiot.
— Lilja —
Lilja sat quietly on the plush, leather-upholstered couch in Selene Sitri's office, feeling the comforting weight of Harry's head nestled in her lap. She'd carefully hiked her skirt up slightly, allowing his head to rest comfortably upon the warm, silky skin of her bare thighs. Her fingers threaded tenderly through his tousled dark hair, combing it back gently in an affectionate, soothing rhythm as she watched his sleeping face, her emerald eyes filled with quiet tenderness and anxious hope.
Harry looked peaceful for now, at least-his breathing deep and even, his handsome features relaxed in the stillness of unconsciousness. Lilja sighed softly, brushing a thumb carefully over the curve of his jawline, enjoying the quiet intimacy of the moment despite the circumstances.
Nearby, Selene broke the lingering silence with a gentle sigh, leaning back against the polished edge of her heavy oak desk, one eyebrow arching elegantly as she watched her grandson sleep. "Well," the matriarch murmured dryly, a faint smile curling her lips, "that certainly could have gone smoother."
Serafall-perched casually on the edge of the same desk-giggled lightly as she lazily swung her slender legs back and forth beneath her tight pinkskirt. "Honestly, you hardly ever see people faint like that in real life. It's usually just something you see in anime or, you know-my TV show," she remarked cheerfully. "It makes for great dramatic cliffhangers!"
Lilja huffed a quiet laugh despite herself and looked back down at him. Her thumb traced the faint line of his temple, brushing a smear of dried sweat away.
Serafall slid off the desk and sauntered closer, hips swaying just because she could. She stopped in front of the couch, hands on her hips, eyes flicking from Harry's face to Lilja's bare thighs with unhidden interest. Then she smiled-softly this time, genuinely. "But I am happy you're not dead," she added, voice gentle beneath the teasing.
Lilja rolled her eyes, though her chest warmed at that. "Lily Evans is dead," she said, quietly but firmly. Saying it always felt like pushing a door closed with her own hands. "I'm Lilja Nornas now. A proud Valkyrie of Asgard. I have an actual loving older sister in this life," she added, giving Serafall a sideways look. "And soon I will be Harry's Queen." Her gaze dropped back to his face. Her fingernails lightly scraped his scalp in a soothing rhythm. "If he still wants me," she finished, the last words slipping out more uncertain than she liked.
Serafall's expression softened immediately.
"Of course he still wants you," Serafall reassured warmly, voice gentle but brimming with unshakable certainty. She leaned forward eagerly, her generous breasts straining provocatively against the snug material of her blouse as she flashed Lilja a conspiratorial grin. "Trust me, Lilja-I know how much my Harry loves me. I guarantee he'll love you just as deeply." Serafall's smile turned wicked. "In more ways than one, obviously~!"
Lilja felt heat bloom fiercely across her cheeks, her emerald eyes widening in embarrassed surprise. Her gaze flicked instinctively downward toward Harry's peacefully sleeping face. "Actually," she confessed quietly, almost shyly, "we... we haven't gotten that far yet. We haven't slept together, Serafall."
They had only fooled around that one time in the woods and then more recently in the shower.
"What?!" Serafall gasped dramatically, her eyes widening in exaggerated scandal. She looked genuinely affronted, lips curving downward in a playful pout as she folded her slender arms indignantly beneath her impressive chest. "You two haven't done it yet either? Merlin's balls! Hehe-I love that phrase, it's funny... But seriously, neither have Harry and I! People keep interrupting every damn time I get close!" she whined with mock frustration, glaring accusingly over her shoulder at Selene.
Selene exhaled through her nose, the long-suffering sound of a woman who'd spent centuries raising a Serafall and somehow still loved her.
"Don't look at me," Selene said. "You just have bad timing, maybe pick a time that's not an emergency. That seems to happen with you a lot..."
Reaching calmly beneath her massive oak desk, Selene withdrew a beautifully ornate glass bottle filled with rich, dark wine. Her movements were graceful and practiced as she poured three generous glasses of the expensive liquid, the sweet aroma immediately drifting through the room.
She handed the first glass delicately to Lilja, who accepted it gratefully, shifting Harry's head carefully to avoid disturbing him. Selene passed the second glass to Serafall, who accepted it enthusiastically, immediately taking an appreciative sip.
Selene raised her own glass calmly, an elegant, approving smile playing across her lips. Her eyes met Lilja's, filled with respect and genuine warmth. "Lilja," she said seriously, her voice filled with unmistakable sincerity, "to be honest, I had already approved of you as Harry's Queen long before you walked through that door today. Everything I had learned about you-your skill, your bravery, your loyalty-already made you more than worthy of standing by his side. Today's meeting was merely a formality." Her smile softened even further, filled now with an almost maternal warmth. "But after learning exactly who you were in your previous life, and that you literally sacrificed yourself once already to protect Harry... Now I am absolutely certain. There's nobody else I'd rather see at my grandson's side, protecting him and guiding him as his Queen."
A tight knot in Lilja's chest loosened a fraction. "Thank you," she said quietly. The words felt inadequate, but she didn't have anything larger in her.
— Harry —
Consciousness returned to me slowly, accompanied by a soft, gentle warmth pressed comfortably against the back of my head and the silky sensation of bare skin beneath my cheek. Blinking groggily, my eyes opened to an absolutely mesmerizing sight-one that immediately jolted me wide awake.
Above me, beneath the scandalously hiked-up hem of Lilja's skirt, was an enticingly tiny scrap of crimson-red fabric-a G-string, the thin waistband barely visible beneath the folds of her skirt.
