“It’s not like that…” Adam placed his cup of tea down, deciding against reaching for it now that they were on the topic. “It’s just… she has to convince the children first, after all, she’ll become their mother.”

Dunes had forgotten Adam wasn’t quite so Aldish. “Of course. Does she know?”

“If she doesn’t know that, then I should refuse.”

“That is so?”

The rhetorical question remained in the air for a long while.

“Now that you’ve teased me.”

“She accepted.”

“What?” Adam asked, blinking wildly.

“Amira accepted.”

“Accepted what?” Adam leaned in, his eyes wide, his brows raised with delight.

“She accepted my proposal.”

“Are you messing with me?”

“I speak the truth.”

“Congratulations!” Adam reached over and pat Dunes’ shoulder far too roughly. “Whoa! When did this happen?”

“Not long ago now,” Dunes admitted. “A few weeks at most.”

“You didn’t tell me until now?”

“She did not accept until recently.”

“Nice! When’s the wedding? Are you planning on heading back to Aswadasad for it?”

“I am uncertain,” Dunes admitted. “I wish for it sooner rather than later. I would like to have it here, since I wish to stay.”

“What about Amira? Will she stay too?”

“She will.”

‘Nice.’ “I’m really happy for you, Dunes, really. I can’t believe it…” A wide grin fell across Adam’s face. He reached up to rub his forehead, wiping his face, though was unable to wipe the grin on his face. “Sooner rather than later? If you want, you can have it at the business. If you send word back to your order, some people could make it if they rush.”

“We can hold a second wedding in Aswadasad,” Dunes said, though his voice was full of apprehension.

“What’s wrong?”

“Weddings are very important in Aswadasad.”

“I’m fairly certain they are important everywhere.”

“In Aldland, weddings last for a day, perhaps two. In Aswadasad, weddings…” Dunes smiled, the pride of his homeland beaming within his eyes as he sipped his drink. “There are several days for the betrothal itself. I should have spoken to her family first, and then offered my betrothal to them. They would have judged me, and I would then be allowed to propose. Since I am a member of the order, it is different, so I am allowed to bypass such, as long as I have informed someone of the matter. I spoke with Kal Samra of my intentions, and she informed my intentions to Kal Alya, Amira’s mentor.”

‘I guess that makes sense?’

“The wedding should last for several days. The betrothal and the wedding should last three days at least, especially since we have our positions as a member of our order. A wedding is a meeting of two families, those of Dunes, Morn, and those of Amira. We should feed the local community, and the community should bring us gifts. It is the union of such in which we can look to the future. The poor, they are betrothed one day, and married another, though sometimes it is the same day.” Dunes shook his head, inhaling deeply as he fell into thought for a moment.

‘Weddings are really important, so…’

“A wedding should last three days at least, and can be pushed as far as five,” Dunes said, looking past the half elf. “Seven days are common for nobility, but it is seen as excessive, not that the commoners mind, who enjoy the sweet rice.”

“That’s a lot of days for a wedding…” Adam wasn’t sure he could handle so many days for a wedding.

“Weddings should have a day of laughter, a day of eating, and a day of colour.” Dunes sighed. “Amira has decided we can forgo our traditions and marry as the Aldish would, or as the Iyrmen would.”

“Is that good or bad?”

Dunes remained silent for a long while. “Amira and I, we come from Aswadasad. We should marry in our way. She has decided to forgo the traditions, and she has decided to remain here… I should be able to provide at least three days for her, but she has refused it.”

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“Well…” Adam thought for a long moment. “Next month, you’ll provide something greater.”

“Next month?” Dunes asked, thinking about what the next month was. ‘The tenth month?’ He tried to think of the significance of the month.

“Well, I suppose it’s more like you’ll have something so that she can’t complain about missing all those days…” Adam paused for a long while. “It’s not like you have to miss them, right?”

“No?”

“Just have those three days. The days of the… laughing, eating, colour.”

“Laughter.”

“What?”

“Day of laughter, not laughing.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Laughing is the action, laughter is the heart.”

“Listen, Dunes, you know I am bad with names. Did I get eating right?”

“Yes.”

“Why isn’t it day of eat?”

“Eating is the action.”

“Right?”

“The day of laughter is not to laugh, but to have a good time. The day of eating is to eat.”

“Oh. What about the day of colour?”

“The day of colour is for those who are marrying to wear colour.”

“What’s the significance of that?”

“Wearing bright colours is fun.” Dunes did his best to keep his face neutral, but he let slip a small smirk. “The day of colours is for a bright future for those who are to marry, so they must wear the brightest colours, or the most colours, so on.”

“What happens if someone else upstages the bride and groom?”

“They are beaten and tossed away,” Dunes said, though he was unable to keep his face straight. “They are escorted away nicely.”

“To be honest, they should be beaten and tossed away.”

“I have heard it was once done, but it was not right to beat one at someone’s wedding, outside of spars and duels.”

“I’m seriously happy for you, man. Let me know if you need anything. I’m about to wring the nobles dry, so I’ve got plenty of coin to spend on your wedding.”

“We can finance the wedding well enough,” Dunes said, raising his hand towards Adam to moderate him.

“Come on, Dunes. What’s the point of gold if the business can’t spend it on its people?”

“You should do so moderately. Will you spend so much coin for all the people of the business?”

“You’re a Manager!”

“I am a Manager, but to spend so much coin upon me, and not so much on others will only breed resentment.”

“I guess you’re right… I was planning on putting aside money for weddings anyway.”

“You were?”

“Yeah.”

"Are you going to put aside money for anything else?”

“Yeah, I plan on putting aside some gold for the children of the business, and once they’re… I don’t know, eighteen or so, they’ll receive the coin.”

“How much do you plan to put aside each month?”

“About a gold?”

Dunes thought. ‘That is around two hundred gold once they are of age?’ “Why?”

“That’s the point of the business.”

Dunes let out a long sigh. “Adam.”

“Dunes.” Adam smiled.

The pair raised their cups and sipped their tea.

‘Dunes is getting married this year then?’ Adam thought about how much he should fund the wedding. ‘If it’s our first wedding, we should do something nice, right?’

The last day of the festival came and went by far too quickly. Dunes spent some time with Adam, but spent more of his time with the other Iyrmen companions, informing them of the good news.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Adam asked.

“Yes…” Kiara replied, glancing awkwardly towards the half elf. He had all but ignored her during the week, while she had spent much of her time with Vonda, Jaygak, and Kitool.

“Good…” Adam remained silent for a long while. ‘I probably should have let her play with my kids, but… I’ve got to work hard for the entire next season, you know?’

Jirot rushed up to her father, glancing towards Kiara for a moment, before she climbed up beside her father with a gentle grunt. “Daddy! Who is Load Stokmah?”

“Lord Stokmar? Lord Stokmar is… they’re the Lord of Earth.”

“Load of Uth?”

“That’s right. Lord Stokmar is very strong.”

“Stuhronger than you, daddy?”

“Yes.”

Jirot gasped, her eyes wide. “No?”

“Yes.”

Jirot’s lips formed a circle as she glanced towards her brother. “Load Stokmar is stuhronger than babo?”

“Yes.”

Jirot twitched, as though she had been slapped by Adam’s words. “No!”

“Yes.”

Jirot and Jarot stared at their father in shock from his words, glancing between one another for a moment, before returning their gaze upon their father.

“You know, Lord Stokmar is stronger than even the Chief.”

“No! Stop it, daddy!” The girl pointed a threatening finger to her father, the shock cascading through the tiny girl.

“What?” Adam smiled, leaning in to kiss her nose. “Lord Stokmar is very strong, you know?”

“Stuhronger than Demon Woad?”

“That’s right.”

Jirot huffed, glancing towards her grandmother to the side to tell her father off, before she glanced back towards her father with a pout. “Daddy!”

“Yes?”

“I going to be Demon Woad, and I stuhronger Load Stokmah, okay?”

“Of course, my dear,” Adam said, leaning in to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead, pulling her in even closer. “You have to eat your fruit and vegetables and listen to daddy if you want to be that strong.”

“No!” Jirot cackled towards her father, who bullied the girl with his affection.

Little Jarot smiled too, embracing his father tight. ‘I going to be stuhrong too.’

“Papa,” Lanarot called, raising up her cup of milk. “Milk is stuhrong like papa.”

“I am stronger than milk at least,” Adam replied.

Lanarot narrowed her eyes towards her brother. “Silly papa.”

As the last night of duskval fell, many stared at the stars of nightval approaching.

Elder Zijin leaned back in his chair, staring up at the sky from within the centre of the Elder estate. ‘He did not cause any trouble?’ Zijin was sure Adam would want to spoil the Jin children too, considering how he had passed on silver tokens for them too during their birthdays.

Zijin reached over towards his dried snacks and slowly chewed them, chewing further upon his thoughts. ‘Should I have lent him so much money?’ The Elder sighed. ‘How could I refuse?’ As much as the Elder wanted Adam to take a break, partly due to Sonarot’s words, there was so much Adam wanted to do, not for himself, but for those around him.

‘Elder Zijin, I’m about to be poor as hell. I need a favour.’

Zijin let out another long sigh. ‘I should think of retiring soon.’ The Iyrman Elder continued to eat his snacks.

Meanwhile, those within the fort at the edge of the Aldish lands, felt the chill of nightval approach.

Fred stared at the stars above, his eyes glued to the night sky. ‘The festival has ended.’ He let out a soft sigh. He had spent the last few years in the Iyr, and had been present for many of the festivals. ‘Are you enjoying yourself, Manager Dunes?’

Fred continued to stare at the stars, along with many of the others within the business, many of them having just arrived at the business recently.

‘Does he treat Dunes better because I’m Florian?’ Fred thought back to the massacre which took his family away.