As expected, Julia wasn’t happy. She couldn’t understand how someone wouldn’t want their own child. She wanted all children. When she finally accepted the fact that her daughter wouldn’t be keeping the baby, she wanted to keep it herself, but Falcon didn’t want any more children. And Julia already had enough on her hands, working too hard caring for the children at the orphanage.

Thankfully, Falcon, Cael, and Lotus all agreed that Tess was an adult and could do what she wanted. They would support her in whatever she chose to do. Luckily, the three against one odds kept Julia from saying too much.

Still, by mid-morning the following day Tess had to leave the house, as it unfortunately happened to be her mother’s day off. She entered the forge and climbed the stairs in the back. The bell on the door downstairs alerted Ayden to her presence and he met her on the top landing. “What are you doing here?” he asked quietly.

“Mom’s home and she keeps sighing,” Tess complained. “She hasn’t said anything, probably because Gavin’s there, but she keeps giving me that look.”

“Then stay in your room or go do something else,” he told her.

She frowned. He didn’t want her here, and she knew why. “I can help. And I’ll be nice, promise.”

“Who’s there?”

Ayden sighed. “It’s Tess,” he called back to his father.

“Have I met her?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t remember. Let me see her,” Jarden said. When they walked around a corner into the living room, he nodded. “Oh yeah, the mouthy one.” He was sitting on the couch, looking pretty healthy again.

Tess was surprised at his tone. It wasn’t as harsh sounding as usual. “Yeah, that’s me,” she said lightly.

“So, you’re marrying my son, huh?”

“Yes.”

Jarden nodded again. “Guess he could do worse than the captain’s daughter.”

Tess didn’t know what to say, it actually sounded like a compliment.

“So, when’s the date?” he asked.

She glanced at Ayden. “Uh… soon, I think.”

Ayden smiled. “Within the next couple months,” he said, understanding that she wanted to do it before her pregnancy was showing and they had to leave for Chendal.

“Daegon's temple?” Jarden asked.

Tess nodded. “Course.”

“I got married there." A sadness entered his eyes. “Well…” He sighed as he got up off the couch. “I got work to do, your father’s order of armor ain’t gonna make itself." His tone was gruffer now. “I’ve no more need for a keeper,” he told Ayden. “So get outta here.” He patted his son’s cheek on his way to the door.

Ayden smiled. “You sure I can’t help? You really shouldn’t be lifting heavy stuff yet.”

Jarden barked a laugh from halfway down the stairs. “Like you got the strength. No, I’ll do it myself.”

Ayden sighed but didn’t argue.

When they were outside Tess asked, “What’s with him? He was actually being okay.”

“He hasn’t been drinking,” Ayden answered quietly.

“Good.” She smiled, but he didn’t. “Do you think he’ll start again?”

“Yeah, probably,” he said sadly.

She grabbed his arm and kissed his cheek before they started walking across the square. “Well, I know something that’ll make you happy.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, I want to keep up the appearance that everything’s normal,” she told him. “So I figure we can go stay in Oraunt for a bit, just so it looks like we’re gone adventuring.”

“Okay,” he said easily.

“Don’t you get it?” she asked. “You can spend time at the Arcane University when we’re there.”

He grinned. “You wouldn’t mind?”

She rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t have to be about what I want all the time.”

“Feeling guilty?” he asked knowingly.

“Well… yeah,” she admitted. “But you just do so much for me and I realize that I’m kind of self-centered sometimes and I just wanna do something for you.”

He chuckled. “You’ve always been that way. Don’t tell me you’re changing,” he teased.

She smacked his arm lightly.

They stopped next to the garden and benches in the center of the square and he turned to smile at her. “Thanks,” he said seriously.

“Maybe I’ll even let you teach me something.”

“Okay, who are you?” He smirked. “What have you done with my girlfriend?”

She smiled. “Fiancé, actually.”

His smile widened as he pulled her into his arms. “Soon-to-be wife.” He said the word like it was golden and she was glad that it made him so happy. “How soon do you want it to be?”

“As soon as possible,” she answered. “Just get it over with.”

He laughed. “Is that because of the dress or the actual getting married part?”

“Who said I was wearing a dress?” she asked then nodded. “Yeah, it’s the dress. And it’s just the whole stupid hurrah. Why do weddings have to be such a big deal?” She sighed. “But, on the plus side, I know what’ll get Mom in a better mood—you two can start planning the thing.”

He let her go and held her hand as they started walking west again, toward home. “I don’t really care about the event. I only care about being married to you.”

“Help with it, okay?” she asked.

“You just want me to distract your mother so she leaves you alone.”

“Yes, please!” she said brightly.

He chuckled. “Okay.”

“So, who’s being domesticated now?”

“Don’t even start with me, Matt,” Tess grumbled. They sat in the living room while Ayden, Julia, and Sera planned the wedding around the dining room table in the next room. Julia was already insisting on her having a dress made instead of just borrowing one from Sera. Though Sera was curvier and four inches shorter, it would still work. Tess groaned when she overheard it. It meant standing there while a tailor measured and made adjustments. It was the complete opposite of what she considered fun.

Matt sighed. “Sucks that I can’t kick your ass for eight months.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“Why not?” Gavin asked from his spot on Matt’s lap.

Matt was a quick and convincing liar, which was strange since he hated lying and rarely did so. “I lost a bet,” he said smoothly.

“But Tess loves to fight you,” Gavin said, confused.

“Yeah,” Matt agreed. “But the bet was with Ayden.” He glanced over, meeting Ayden’s gaze through the doorway.

Ayden nodded.

“What’d you bet?” Gavin asked.

He sighed, hesitating as if he didn’t want to admit it, giving himself time to think. “That I could beat him in a fight.”

Gavin’s eyes widened. “You couldn’t?”

Matt laughed. “Nope.” It was the truth, Ayden was very fast at spell casting, and Matt knew from experience that he didn’t stand a real chance against him, not in a fair fight anyway.

“Don’t look so surprised, Creepy,” Tess said. “Ayd’s amazing with magic and you know it.”

“Well he couldn’t beat Matt in a sword fight,” Gavin said confidently.

Matt smiled. “No, he wouldn’t last two seconds without his spells.”

Ayden did know the basics of sword fighting, Tess had insisted on that, but he wasn’t good at all, mages never were, all their energy went into spell casting.

“What’s with the meeting?” Falcon asked, nodding to the dining room, when he walked in with Gabe.

“Wedding,” Tess said.

“How soon?”

“A month. They’ve set it for December 12th,” Tess answered unenthusiastically.

“If you keep sounding so miserable about it I won’t marry you,” Ayden threatened.

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Liar.”

“Well… then I’ll find something else to do to you,” he said.

“Promise?” She grinned suggestively then chuckled when it had the desired effect of making him blush.

“Why does he turn red when you look like that?” Gavin asked.

Matt smirked. “Yeah Tess, why is that?”

She shot him a glare, then looked at her brother. “Don’t worry about it. It’s between us.”

“Then why do you do it in front of everyone?” Gavin wanted to know.

“Now that’s a great question,” Falcon said pointedly.

Tess just rolled her eyes.

Gavin leaned his head back to look up at Matt and sighed dramatically. “Why don’t people ever tell me stuff?”

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Matt answered.

“Same here,” Gabe agreed.

“You’ll both understand when you have your own kids,” Falcon said.

“Don’t think so,” Matt told him. “I think if they’re old enough to ask, they're old enough to get an honest answer. Nothing was ever kept from me. That would have just pissed me off and I would have found out some other way.”

“And you turned out great,” Tess teased.

“Yeah, what’s your excuse?” he shot back.

“Bad influences,” she said pointedly.

He shook his head and gave a mock sigh. “So easily corrupted.”

She just smirked.

Matt smiled at her, then looked over to Gabe. “So, how do you like this world?” he asked conversationally.

“Loving it,” Gabe answered. “I mean I’ve only been here a few days, but it’s my kind of place. And I have to say, there are some gorgeous women here, definitely not the fake shit where I come from. Met this woman on the way to the tavern last night and she was…” He grinned. “Something else.”

Falcon shook his head but smiled. “Just remember it’s a small world here,” he advised his friend.

Matt looked amused. “Trust me, there’s plenty of women to be had.”

“Yeah, plenty of his types,” Tess said.

Gabe shrugged. “From what I know of his tastes so far, I wouldn’t say that’s bad.”

Tess smiled at the compliment. “Well me and Sera aren’t like the rest of them. He usually went for hussies before he started dating Sera.”

“What’s hussies?” Gavin wanted to know.

“Don’t worry about it,” Falcon said.

Matt and Gavin shared a look. Matt shrugged and Gavin sighed.

“So, you told him?” Matt asked Tess “What about it’s a secret, I’m not proud of it, and all that?”

She shrugged. “It came up,” she said simply. “I told him about other things just as important, like a rock stuck in my boot.”

Falcon went to talk to his wife in the dining room and Gabe sat beside Tess while Matt smirked. “So I’m in the category of things you can’t forget?”

Tess rolled her eyes. “No, the category of annoying things.”

“Or just things that give you a hard time,” he suggested.

She turned sideways on the couch, pointedly giving her attention to Gabe. “So, you like it here, huh?”

Matt chuckled while Gabe smiled. “Yeah, it’s great.”

“Gonna go see more?”

“Yeah, I figure I’ll stay here until the wedding, then take a couple months to see the world. He’s letting me borrow some money,” he said, nodding to Falcon.

“Borrow?” Tess asked.

“Do you think I’d mooch off him here when he has a family to care for?” Gabe asked. “I mean, he’s already got one adult living off him.”

“He’s my dad,” she told him once again. “And we pick up mercenary jobs here and there, oh and now we’re good for a while because we got back the orb that you stole and Fate gave us a reward.”

“Well since I’m the one that technically got you back here before you went to jail…”

She was about to make a comeback, but then turned serious. “Actually, that’s fair. If it wasn’t for you Ayd…” She swallowed. “We’ll share the money.”

He smiled at her. “Thanks. But why don’t you just help your dad by paying for the wedding.”

“That’ll cost more than what you’re borrowing, won’t it?” she asked suspiciously.

He chuckled. “Yep.”

“The father’s supposed to pay,” Falcon told them from the other room.

“Since when are you big on tradition?” Gabe asked.

“I’m not,” Falcon said. “But I want to do this.”

“So, we’ll give you some of the reward money and you won’t have to borrow,” Tess told Gabe, then called, “Half okay, Ayd?”

“Of course. He can have my half since I wouldn’t be here without him,” Ayden said seriously.

Gabe shook his head. “Luck got you guys back here in time. You would have been fine without me.”

Tess reached over and put a hand on his. “No, it was you. And besides that, you did a lot for us.” She smiled at him. “I’m glad you stole the stupid orb. We had fun and I’m glad you’re here finally.”

He smiled back and pulled her into a one arm hug. “Thanks.” When he let her go he asked, “So, when are you two heading out again?”

She shrugged. “Soon.”

“I’d ask to come along, but I don’t think I’m ready yet for your monster filled lifestyle.”

She nodded. “Yeah, probably best for now.”

“Are you going soon, too?” Gavin asked Matt.

“Yeah, I’m going with your dad to see if there’s any more ogres tomorrow.”

Tess sighed and frowned deeply.

“Aren’t you going, Tess?” Gavin wanted to know.

Matt glanced at her. “She’s coming, too.”

“Yeah,” Tess joined in. “Then we’re going to Oraunt for a bit.”

“Why?” Gavin asked.

“Because…” She thought quickly. “We heard there were some monsters getting too close. We’re gonna check it out.”

“Probably goblins, huh?” Gavin said.

“Why do you think that?” Matt asked as if testing him.

“Cuz they’re stupid and always try to go close to the cities,” Gavin answered. “And they always get killed, but more keep coming back. I think they have insect brains.”

Matt chuckled. “Probably. And good thinking.”

Gavin smiled proudly. “So when you kill the ogres and the goblins will you come back?”

“I’m not going to Oraunt with them,” Matt said. “I’ll be going home and staying there for a bit. I’ve been gone a lot lately and I miss my wife.”

“Thank you,” Sera called happily from the dining room.

Gavin just sighed.

“But I’ll be back next month,” Matt told him. “I mean, I can’t miss your sister getting domesticated.”

Tess moved so she could punch his arm. Gavin glared at her and Matt just laughed.