Fate's oddity volume 2, page 51
“Yeah. Different’s one word for it.” I joined her at the rail. “You aren’t doing this alone.”
Murasaki snorted. “I know. And that feels like part of the problem. It feels like if I lean on any of you, I’m stealing time you don’t have. Or time you deserve to spend happy—here. You got handed the country’s future. Tia’s got her second chance at life. Vivienne—well, she’s Vivienne. And me? I’m the bitch who gets called up because her tribe needs a bruiser.”
I shrugged. “If being an idiot means not leaving people behind, you’re in good company. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again—we’ll be there for you. Besides, this gives me a good opportunity to officially introduce myself to your folks and ask for your hand in marriage.”
“Oh wow, you’re really doing that? That’s how you’re going to say you want to propose? Please don’t let anyone else hear that—they’ll take it the wrong way.”
“Yeah, sorry, that was a bit insensitive. I should have gotten on one knee.”
“Nah, this works for us. We’re usually pretty frank—to put it lightly, a lot of people just get their shit knocked out of them and then, bam, they’re married. For us, we had a lot of time in comparison, so this works. And trust me, my parents won’t make a big deal about you. I mean, I was going to eventually lose to someone, and that person I expected to become my husband. If there’s one problem, the most unexpected thing to them would be that you’re human.”
“Yeah, that’s not surprising,” I said. “But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. We’ve got your back, Murasaki.”
“I got yours,” she said.
There was a soft sound behind us; Celestia slipped into the moonlight, pulling her nightgown tighter against the cold. “You know,” she said, “I didn’t expect to come outside to a proposal—especially one that wasn’t mine. Didn’t expect to get beat out by both Vivienne and you, Murasaki.” She looped an arm around Murasaki’s waist, chin resting on her shoulder. “Well, I’m not sure what’s wrong.”
“Don’t let it get to you, Tia. Besides, that wasn’t a real proposal, and neither was Vivienne’s. Hers is truly ceremonial. That girl is too short for anything more. You’ve got us all beat when it comes to… well, let’s just say you’re a sexual deviant.”
“Ouch, I’ll remember that. But you’re not wrong,” Celestia said.
Vivienne appeared in the doorway, looking mildly annoyed at having her engagement called ceremonial. She spoke up, “There are easier ways to ask for a fight than talking behind my back, aren’t there?”
“I’m not talking behind your back—I could hear you walking up,” Murasaki said.
“Besides, you know it’s true. You’re letting all your propriety get in the way of making progress in your relationship. You may want him and you may want to be with him by any means, but you’re doing it with both hands tied behind your back.”
Murasaki managed a crooked grin. “Having both hands tied behind my back… that’s something I could get used to. Pretty sure it’s not your thing, though.”
Vivienne brushed her hair back from her face in the wind. “I really don’t want to get into the specifics of you and the elf’s sexual proclivities. You call her the biggest deviant, but I’m sure it’s both of you combined.”
Celestia gave her a little nudge. “That’s not something I’m trying to prove wrong. If anything, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I watched them—all of them—and realized how damn lucky I was. For a guy who used to run from shadows, I had more light in my life than I knew what to do with.
Paprika appeared almost suddenly with a quiet, “Excuse me.” I was a bit surprised to see her there—I didn’t even know she was at the palace right now. But then she spoke again. “Your Highness, if you’re all going,” she said, almost shy, “I’d… like to come too. If you’ll have me. Someone needs to look after you.”
I smiled warmly. “Thanks. It wouldn’t feel right leaving without you. Besides, I’m sure your support and healing magic will come in handy.”
She blushed, but I saw her smile. Even Vivienne looked a little softer.
The rest of the night was a blur—packing, teasing, goodbyes whispered in half-lit halls. The next morning, Tazrak promised to look after things for us while we were gone. Azazel, quiet as usual, just gave me a nod. Kukuri swore she’d write about our exploits once we returned (“but what’s the promise that there’ll be male-on-male pregnancies?”). Yeah, I don’t know what to say to that, so I’m just going to leave it. Kalis and the rest of Black Velvet actually gave us a surprise farewell concert. Don’t know about you, but that’s definitely taking the attention away from me. Thanks, I guess.
We gathered at the city gates—me, Celestia, Murasaki, Vivienne, and Paprika. Realizing this looked more like a harem party than anything else, I couldn’t help but smile wryly at the thought. The city was loud for morning—like it knew we’d be back, but wanted to wish us well, even if they couldn’t be sure who we’d be when we returned.
Father clapped my shoulder and tried to look stoic. Mama Beatrice smoothed my collar and slipped a charm into my pocket. And Mom—Mom just gripped my hand and said, “Do as you will. And don’t let anyone else decide what that is for you.”
We filed out, entering the royal carriage—the doors swinging wide behind us. The carriage was one of those high-powered magitec carts that moved fast and didn’t have any horses. The road ahead was open and uncertain, but this time, it felt like we weren’t walking into it alone.
Murasaki took my hand, shoulders square and chin up. “Ready, Alpha?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I said.
Celestia squeezed my other hand, wordlessly.
And with that, we were off—together—toward Bestia, toward whatever waited for us, toward whatever came next.
And it felt like the story was just getting interesting.
Book two end.
Postface
While working on this volume, I’ve realized just how much of a journey this series has become—for both me and the characters within it. There’s been a lot of growth since the beginning, and not just in the story itself. I’ve learned a lot about writing, about pacing myself, and about what it really takes to bring a world like this to life.
One big lesson: I definitely set my deadlines too early. I wanted to believe I could pull it off—and I did—but not quite in the best or most comfortable way possible. Next time, I’ll be giving myself more breathing room. Expect the next pre-order to be set way farther out—probably around six months ahead—just to make sure each book can be released at the level of quality it deserves.
As a result, I’ll be continuing to refine details even after launch to make sure everything reads as smoothly as possible. Early readers and pre-order supporters always get the ‘first flight’—thank you for helping this world take off.
If you enjoyed this book, thank you. Truly. Every reader who’s joined this story means the world to me. Ratings and reviews help more than you might realize—they keep the series visible and help it reach new readers—so if you have a moment, please consider leaving one.
To everyone who’s been on this ride with me: I hope you enjoyed Fate's oddity Volume 2, and I can’t wait to share what comes next.
— Evan Solis
Keep Up With Fate’s Oddity
Follow along for new volumes, early chapters, side stories, and extra content:
Patreon – Early access chapters & exclusive extras
https://www.patreon.com/EvanSolis_EarlyAccessExtras? utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
Substack – Release alerts & announcements evansolis.substack.com
Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/share/1BD8gDDPp5/
Evan Solis, Fate's oddity volume 2
