The celebration took place in the manor gardens rather than the central square.
It was intentionally small.
A few hundred representatives from different parts of the territory had been invited: farmers, craftsmen, guards, healers, elders, merchants, and families who had served the territory since Antony’s arrival ten years earlier.
Tables had been placed beneath the trees with simple food and drinks, children ran across the lawn while their parents tried unsuccessfully to keep them clean, and several musicians from the settlement played near the fountain.
Antony stood near the manor doors while adjusting his son’s blanket for approximately the eighth time.
Roxanna watched him.
"Sweetheart."
"What?"
"Stop touching the blanket."
"It’s crooked."
"It isn’t."
"It was."
"You straightened it thirty seconds ago."
"He moved, so it’s not perfect again."
"He is allowed to move."
He looked down.
Their son was sleeping peacefully in his arms, completely unaware that several hundred Angels were waiting to see him.
Antony glanced toward Roxanna.
"You hold him or I won’t stop."
"No."
His eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"Because this was your idea."
"This was not my idea, it was your idea."
"It became your idea once you agreed."
"That is not how ideas work."
She smiled and adjusted the front of his formal coat.
"You are the Lord. You present your heir."
"You’re his mother, I don’t see much of a difference. You’ll have a greater impact since he looks just like you."
She rolled her eyes at that.
"And I spent five hours giving birth to him the least you can do is do this without complaining."
Antony immediately surrendered.
"Fine."
Roxanna’s smile widened.
She looked beautiful again. Her shiny white hair fell freely down her back, catching the morning light in a way that made it almost glow, while her blue eyes were clear and bright. She wore a simple white-and-gold dress rather than anything resembling the ceremonial clothing of a Goddess.
To anyone looking at them, they were simply the Lord and Lady of a small Angel territory.
Antony preferred it that way.
They stepped outside together, and the conversations across the garden gradually faded.
Then someone noticed the bundle in Antony’s arms.
The silence lasted less than a second before a cheer exploded across the grounds.
Antony nearly jumped as he hurriedly turned to his son. Unfortunately for him, he immediately woke up.
His face twisted.
"Oh no."
Roxanna turned toward the crowd.
"Quiet!"
The entire garden became silent so quickly that Antony almost laughed. Their son blinked, then settled again.
He looked at his wife who smiled innocently.
"What?"
"Nothing."
They walked toward the small raised platform near the garden fountain.
Antony could see the excitement across the gathered Angels. That alone reminded him how unusual this was.
Children existed within Urelias Territory, but not many.
Mist Angels reproduced poorly.
Most of the territory’s population still came from the slow natural recovery of existing families and the limited number of Angels produced through their old racial structures.
A child born naturally was celebrated... but the Lord’s first child was something else entirely.
Antony reached the center of the platform and looked around.
For once, nobody was making jokes, that made him uncomfortable.
"You’re all being strangely quiet."
A few people laughed.
He relaxed slightly.
"Better, It’s unsual." He looked down at his son, then back at them. "I had a speech prepared."
Roxanna turned her head.
"You did?"
"No."
More laughter.
"That was the speech."
Gerard’s voice immediately came from somewhere among the crowd.
"You’re still terrible at speeches, my Lord!"
He spotted him.
"Gerard, I can have you removed."
"You said that ten years ago!"
"And one day I’ll finally do it."
The laughter grew louder.
He smiled, then his expression softened.
"Most of you already know why we’re here. Seven days ago, my wife and I welcomed our first child."
He paused.
Roxanna stepped beside him.
Antony carefully shifted the blanket enough for those closest to see the baby’s face.
A wave of murmurs passed through the gathering.
"He’s beautiful."
"Look at his hair."
"Golden..."
"His eyes..."
The baby opened them at exactly the right moment. Several people visibly froze when they saw the blue.
Mist Angels possessed grey eyes; different shades, certainly, but grey nonetheless.
Antony’s green eyes had already been considered unusual when he first transformed while Roxanna’s blue eyes were even stranger.
Now their son had inherited hers.
An elderly woman near the front covered her mouth.
"He has Lady Roxanna’s eyes."
Roxanna’s fingers curled around Antony’s arm. She looked considerably more emotional than she had a moment earlier.
Antony leaned toward her.
"You all right?"
"Yes." Her voice was softer. "I’m happy."
He smiled.
"So am I."
Their son stared at the crowd for perhaps three seconds before deciding everyone was uninteresting.
He yawned.
The entire front row collectively reacted as though they’d witnessed a miracle.
He stared at them.
"He just yawned nothing special about it."
One of the women immediately replied, "It was adorable."
"He’s been doing that all week."
"Still adorable, you are just desensitised my lord."
Antony looked toward Roxanna.
She nodded seriously.
"They’re right."
"I’m surrounded."
The ceremony continued for another hour. People offered blessings, and gifts were presented, most were small: handmade clothes, carved toys, a blanket woven by one of the oldest families in the territory and a small wooden mobile made by the carpenters.
One farmer somehow brought an entire basket of vegetables as a gift to a newborn.
He accepted everything.
He didn’t care that most of it wasn’t valuable. These were his people celebrating his son. That meant far more than rare treasures would have.
Then, as Antony stood beside Roxanna near the edge of the garden, a familiar sound appeared inside his mind.
[Family Milestone Achieved.]
His expression changed.
She noticed immediately.
"What?"
He lowered his voice.
"System."
Her eyes sharpened.
They stepped slightly away from the others. Only he could see the full screen, but he had already learned he could deliberately share selected Family System prompts with Roxanna.
He did so.
[Milestone: The Heir Meets His Home.]
[Your firstborn son has been formally acknowledged by the people of Urelias Territory.]
[Family Recognition increased.]
[Territorial Family Bond established.]
[Full Family Member Contribution unlocked: Roxanna Urelias.]
His eyes widened.
"Full contribution?"
She leaned closer.
Another prompt appeared.
[Family Territory Trait acquired.]
[Cradle of the Divine Mother.]
[Source: Roxanna Urelias.]
[Family Territory Traits are permanent passive blessings generated through significant members of the Lord’s family.]
[Unlike personal Family Skills, Family Territory Traits affect the land, inhabitants, development, or natural laws within the territory itself.]
[Family Territory Traits remain active while the originating family member remains recognized as part of the Lord’s household and Urelias Territory remains the family’s primary home.]
Antony read it twice, then the actual effect appeared.
[Cradle of the Divine Mother - Lv.1]
[The presence of an SSS-ranked Divine Angel mother has altered the reproductive environment of Urelias Territory.]
[Effects:]
[Natural conception probability within Urelias Territory increased.]
[Pregnancy stability increased.]
[Maternal and infant mana conflict reduced.]
[Newborn survival increased.]
[Angelic bloodline inheritance slightly improved.]
[Effects scale with Territory Core evolution and Family Prosperity.]