Trade: Family

"So..."

At the soft rumble that was Cao Cao's voice Shibai looked up, startled. Normally his Lord was quietly thoughtful when working on long term strategies for his growing kingdom. Shibai had grown used to it over the last few years, used to the efficient questions or requests for information and opinions.

The winged mech's tone was different now, as well as the look in the amethyst eyes that were interested, yet not in their work anymore. Maybe Cao Cao's mate, the Lady Hunter, had finally rubbed off on the stubborn mech. Shibai had found it both amusing and annoying how the Lady would come in to interrupt and drag off her mate to be sure he had a mental break as well as meal, although normally by extension forcing /him/, Shibai, to leave as well.

"My Lord?" Shibai asked, tilting his head, regarding the winged mech, and his keen optic also noted the Cao Cao's wings, all three tiers as well as the lower wet, were folding back loosely, the feathers identifiable yet not quite so soft, meaning he was relaxed but not as much as he would be with his inner family. It was still an honor to be so trusted now.

"I hear you have another child on the way." Cao Cao leaned back in his seat, folding his fingers together under his chin, and with his mask pulled back the small smile, of up turned lips, was just visible. That was rare enough as it was, and the Lord was truly amused and seeming in a good mood.

The red mech shifted in his seat, unable to hide his pride in both the stated fact, as well that the celestial descendent not only noticed but cared enough to bring it up, "Yes... my mate thinks it will be another son. Lady Chunhua has not been wrong yet."

Cao Cao tilted his crested head to the left a little, "How many children do you have?" He asked curiously. "One is, I believe, about Souhi's age." He added, as Cao Cao remembered seeing one with his sons, both his only sired son as well as the many fostered boys he and his mate took charge of.

"One of them yes, I would not be surprised if he wished to join the, ah, what was it the Lady Hunter called it?" Shibai hesitated, not wanting to outright say the dubbed title unless it was considered a family term only.

"The Feathered Horde as she says," Coa Cao chuckled softly and shrugged, his armor clicking softly as it settled back into place while his softened wings shifted on his back, "Just the Horde seems to suffice. I am not offended Shibai."

Well, that was a good thing.

"I would not be surprised to see one of my sons joining the little Lord." Shibai said, paused and continued with answering Cao Cao's first question, "If this is indeed a boy coming, than I shall have five sons... and three daughters." He was so proud of his mate and their now re-established clan, though keenly aware that his Lord only had one son and twin daughters of his own blood. Despite the given fertility of Mirisain Musha, the twins had put a strand in the Lady Hunter, who according to the healers wasn't supposed to have any children for a few years.

And of course, Gundams, more so the Musha, only ever mated with one partner, and preferably for life. With long lives they could be patient, as Shibai himself had been. Waiting with his own mate to be sure his gamble on Cao Cao proved true before having more children within these safe borders.

Now that Shibia and his family were safe, within the capital city of Giga, and able to relax under Cao Cao's protection. Shibia even heard a rumor that he was going to be given a place of their own, though the mech was hopeful he wouldn't hold his breath until the winged mech said so himself.

Cao Cao was humming softly in thought, eyes moving back to the map table as he rose to go over to it. "My love will be here soon," Cao Cao said without looking up, "You may leave now to be with yours."

Shibia mentally translated that in to: '/You are dismissed for I need to speak to my mate about family matters,/' as well as knowing that the Lady Hunter was not so subtly planning another trading trip to the coast. His single green optic like eye dimming a bit to show the smile hidden beneath his mask, the white mech rose to neatly stack the data pads and few scrolls he had been working on and with. Shibia bowed to Cao Cao before leaving, quietly slipping out of the room.

As Shibia walked down the halls of the castle, going to his family's rooms on the fifth level, he shifted and flexed to get his new red armor to settle a bit more. Of course he wasn't wearing the elaborately crafted, gold inlayed outer armor or his new crest. That was for out on the battle field, not for home, not for the duties required of him to aid in Giga's overall health.

Nor was his armor needed for the tasks required of Shibia as a mate and father that needed a far more gentle touch.

He closed his eyes as the mech finally stopped outside of the large quarters given over for him and his family, listening to the sounds of laugher from the three girls, as well as the just slightly deeper tones of the two older boys. Shibia slid the door open, trying to be quiet but it was impossible to quietly slip in. Not when you have many children always on the lookout for their father just in case he came back early.

Like the case was today.

"Father!" two youthful voices cried, echoed by three more.

Shibia knelt and let his two eldest sons of eight and nine semi-lightly impact against him, off center of his chest. "Missed your father did you?" he asked with a smile as he juggled the boys while taking off his mask.

"Yes!" Zhou, the boy on the right, assured.

"What are you doing back so early?" the boy on the left, Lun asked, both exited but also showing mild worry. That dissolved as Shibia rested a hand on the nine year old boy's little head.

"Nothing is wrong," The white mech assured, fingers running over the back of his son's neck and through the short hair. "Lord Cao Cao and I just accomplished our work early today, and our Lord wanted to take consul with the Lady Hunter."

"To make more young lords and ladies?"

At the question with barely contained mirth, Shibia looked up at where his mate was sitting in /her/ comfortable chair. A gift given by one of the other Ladies of the castle, as Chunhua and her mate were both active and fertile.

"You have your ways of discovering things my love, and we women have others, and my own are mine." The Gundam woman laughed as she continued to braid her daughter's hair. "I suspect there will be more fosters brought to the castle within the year."

"If what you suspect is true, pregnancy takes a longer time for our queen." Shibia reminded, aware their older children were listening with keen ears. As they were always encouraged to do so from the start by both parents; it was a bit troublesome at times but Shibia and Chunhua wanted their children to be able to use their minds as well as learned skills to survive the world.

"True enough," Chunhua agreed as she watched her mate and love interact with their sons, personally she could wait to see how the Lady Hunter was going to spring the new this time. She turned her gaze back to Shibia as the mech lifted their current youngest before fallowing Lun to the game board that had been set up.

The game itself was a joint team effort of mostly the mech's sons against him alone and had been started a good three weeks ago. It was becoming a tradition it seemed, with Shibia making a move whenever he was able between work and consultations. It gave his children plenty of time to discuss their next move, and know when he had come in the night. The game promoted team work, teaching them strategy skill as well as something else...

Namely picking your allies.

One of his daughters on the team prefer to snuggle up on his lap when Shibai was there, and was most often times working to help her father. Lun and the others hadn't yet figured that out yet.

Shibai chuckled as he sat, settled young Jun in his lap and let his daughter climb up before peering at the board and the colored pieces on the board to see what move had been played. The mech reached forward without taking much time to considered, as his sons had played one of the three movies he expected them to do.

The rest of the evening was spent like that, finishing the game (and winning) before starting another after their own privet dinner. Shibai was content with that, and his family.