Wearing clothes that nearly fit and sleeping in an actual bed greatly reinforced Noa’s goals to establish a comfortably successful career. He really hoped that, when he got to it, the university had actual beds too. Though he might not leave bed again if he had one this comfortable. As it was, the sun blared through the windows on either side of him, far past the time he’d normally start working on the farm, and he still laid in bed.

No one had come to get him, and he hoped no one would. After finding out his betrothed was here last night, he feared having an awkward breakfast of some sort with her. He was grateful that he didn’t have to change in front of her like he originally assumed when Blondie wouldn’t let him inside the house muddied. The knights, very kindly, provided a barrack to change in for propriety’s sake.

A knock came to the door, and Noa couldn’t help the small groan that escaped his mouth. Please go away, he thought. The door opened, and Elvethor peeked his head in.

“Curses, Noa!” he said, far too chipper. “You’re going to be late for church at this point!”

Did I just... hear that right? “Church?” he asked. “We go to church?”

“Of course.”

“I thought you weren’t really into the whole church thing?” he asked, recalling Eliaz’s brief conversations with Priest Olwen.

“I’m a skeptic, not a heathen,” Elvethor noted, stepping inside the room. He had a wad of green and brown clothing tucked under his arm. “Here, I brought up some clothes.” He tossed the wad on the bed, and Noa begrudgingly pushed himself upright.

He reached out and pulled up what looked to be a brown tunic lined with green silk. There was a light green coat, plain in appearance, and a pair of dark brown trousers, nearly black. “Where’d you even get these?” he asked.

“Lila.”

“And she, who as far as I know only has sisters, just has men’s clothing lying around?” Noa asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, I don’t ask questions,” Elvethor said. “But I bet she bought it off one of her knights. Try it on, it’ll match your eyes.” He winked.

Noa narrowed his eyes, then huffed as he climbed out of bed. A few moments later, he stared at himself in the mirror after adjusting the drawstring on the trousers. Oh how he missed drawstrings! The green really did match his eyes, and for once, he almost felt normal. The fitting sleepwear had been nice, but these were a new level of comfort. They didn’t make him look overly small like the clothes Waroc had given him.

Taking a moment to straighten out his brown hair, Noa smiled. “So, are these a today-only wear sort of thing?” he asked.

Elvethor shrugged. “Probably. Best to keep your nice clothes set aside for church,” he said, and opened the door. Noa followed him out.

“What exactly happens at church?” he asked. “Worship and praise towards Elorn?”

“Why would Elorn need worship and praise?” Elvethor asked.

Noa held a finger up and opened his mouth to speak, then stopped short. Everything he thought he knew about churches suddenly flew out the window. He scratched his head, recalling the stained glass window behind the altar. Wasn’t that Elorn?

“Why do you go to church then?” he asked.

“To invite spirits to gather so we can have an abundance of aether production,” Elvethor said, leading the way down a set of stairs.

“Okay, so who is Elorn? Is he not like... the creator of the world, or something?” Noa asked.

“Elorn is merely a part of the creation. A very integral part. Without him, there’d be no spirits, and without spirits, there would be no souls. In other words, we’d just be a bunch of limp bodies. You’ve never really heard of this stuff before, newb?”

“I lived under a rock,” Noa said.

“Guess that explains why you’re denser than one,” Eliaz jabbed.

“Ouch!” Noa said, giving a smile. Elvethor ruffled his hair with a rough hand and chuckle. Noa smacked the elf’s hand away. “Hey, I just straightened that.”

“But you're the perfect height for it.” At the end of the hall, they twisted around a corner, which opened up into an ornate foyer. Noa cringed a bit when he saw two blondes standing near the door.

“Alright, so tell me what other gods were part of the creation,” he said.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Jildas for body, and Ruvona for mind. All of them play a part in spellworking too, but Elorn is the keystone. He supports all of magic with aether,” Elvethor explained.

“True,” Blondie interjected as they came to the front door. “Without Jildas, you wouldn't have a body to even use aether with, and without Ruvona, nor a mind to control it. Yet we only worship Elorn. Strange?”

“I concur,” Eliaz nodded, and the slightest blush colored his cheeks as he looked at Lila with large googly eyes. Noa wanted very badly to smack him upside the head for the way he ogled Blondie. He refrained.

“Shall we be off?” Blondie the Second━Renee━said.

As if that were his cue, Eliaz stepped up to Blondie, and offered an arm, to which the noblewoman accepted. Out the door they went, leaving Noa alone with his betrothed. He looked at the girl with ringlets, and as he feared, she was as bold as her sister. Instead of waiting, she took Noa’s arm, and basically dragged him outside to the coach that awaited the four of them.

“How do you feel about the color blue?” she asked.

“It's nice?” Noa said.

“I thought it would match well to white. Besides, blue is what the [Grand Healers] wear, so it is the noble color for your class tree. Sprinkle in a bit of gold and━”

“Are you planning the wedding?” Noa gaped.

“Of course. How does a wedding in two years sound?” she asked as they climbed into the coach after her sister and blushing Thor.

At least two years was a lot more comfortable than marrying her right now. No! What are you thinking! No marriage! None! Noa told himself, steeling his expression. Right, don't get tricked into any marriages.

He sat beside her. “I guess that would be around the time you graduate from university. Difficult to marry a guy running off to war, isn’t it?” Blondie the Second mused.

“He has to get into the university in the first place,” Blondie the Barbarian said.

Damn. So much blonde.

“It could take him two years alone to get into the university,” Elvethor noted. “You'd marry him, then off he'd go.”

This was starting to sound like a fruitless romance. No! No romances! Noa huffed. “Maybe we can... wait until I'm more available?” he suggested.

“You mean to marry my sister now?” Lila asked. “I accept!”

“What?!” Noa pointed a finger. “No. No! It’s too soon! Besides, I'd like to... build a name,” Noa said, looking for solutions, “for myself. You know, with reputation, and a way to support a family. You understand this, right?”

“You want children?” Renee latched on. Her blue eyes glistened with hope. Oh hell.

“I think... when the time is appropriate?” Noa struggled out.

“How noble of you to consider waiting, Noa. After your time at the university and experience in war, I expect you’ll have received a title,” Lila smiled, her expression a little too knowing. Oh, she was well aware that she'd been bullying him into this arrangement. Both her and her sister. “I knew you'd be an excellent selection for my sister.”

Noa facepalmed so hard that he was sure his forehead turned red.

“And I don’t mind the wait. It'll give me plenty of time to decide if I want to pick a complementary profession to yours,” Renee patted his arm.

Raising his brow, Noa looked at Elvethor. “Is that normal, to have complimentary professions to your spouse?” he asked.

Elvethor shrugged. “Lila and I started that way. It’s a popular thing to do, but not much of a societal expectation. I think it usually just makes it easier in certain instances.”

Nodding, Noa looked at Blondie the Second. “I think you should focus on doing what you want,” he told her.

“A nice sentiment,” Lila said, then let out a heavy sigh.

“It was your idea,” Elvethor said to her pointedly.

“But then you didn’t stick to it. You’re the one that chose the path of a fighter. Enhancer would have allowed me by your side. Instead, we won’t have those opportunities to protect each other anymore!”

Oh, oh no. This was a sore spot. Noa cringed, starting to think that perhaps this wasn’t an argument he should be present for.

“You ran off without me!” Lila continued. “Couldn't you marry me first and take me with you? I was waiting for you!”

Renee’s hand on Noa’s arm tightened.

“I couldn’t risk it!” Eliaz said, his emotion raw. His face was turning red, spreading to his ears. He frowned deeply, then let out a sigh, and settled back in his seat. “You weren’t ready, and I didn’t want to take you before you were. I couldn’t risk losing you.”

“Then why did you come back to become a healer? When I’m all leveled, I might be out there without you now,” Lila said.

“I...” Eliaz looked down, running his hand through his hair. He shuddered. “You don’t have to go out there anymore,” he said in response. “You run your father’s estates now. You’re safer here.”

Blondie sighed. “Eliaz, if I don’t go, as soon as one of my sisters is fully leveled, she’ll feel obligated to contribute to the war effort for our family. I’d rather let one of them lead the estates while I war.”

“Then let’s get married,” Eliaz said quickly.

“What?” Noa echoed Blondie the Barbarian, perking up.

“I’ll take your family name, and contribute to the war effort in the name of your house,” Eliaz declared.

“Eliaz! If you do that, you’ll be a baron instead of a viscount! You won’t have as many courtly rights,” Lila argued.

“I don’t use them anyways. Marry me,” he repeated.

Lila groaned loudly. “Fine, but don’t you back out on me, Eliaz Ruellan,” she jabbed a finger into his shoulder.

Elvethor shot Noa a look as the coach rolled to a stop, the serious look sending a shiver up his spine. “Go tell Priest Olwen that he’s about to get the most spirits this cursed church has ever had.”