After a bit, he was able to feel the pain was coming from the center of his chest, but it appeared to radiate outward from there and affected his entirety, somehow. He released all his efforts and collapsed back into his rest. Right… so… proof of something more than mind or body. I’m feeling pain from somewhere… and if it’s not from my body… somewhere in the center of my chest. But it’s not my body either, but… then … if not my body… or brain… how am I feeling it?

Kilniara rubbed his chest softly, “Are you well?”

Joe sighed and opened his eyes, “I’m doing well. I just… sprained my mana … thing.”

Kilniara quirked an eyebrow at him, “Mana… thing?”

Joe chuckled and shrugged, “Well… I donno how to explain it, but I hurt my mana emission core, I think. I guess I used too much of my personal mana.”

Kilniara looked at him concerned, “Are you OK?”

“I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m pretty sure I just need to rest. I think I worked my mana too hard so I’m in pain when I use mana. I’ll have to rest using my mana.”

Kilniara grew tense with that and stared at him, “Are you going to be able to fight today? Do we need to ask for a rest?”

Joe smiled at that, “I think not, but I may need help as I will have to fight a bit more slowly today.”

Kilniara nodded, “Then we must ask Gwenvair to speak to the Matriarch.”

Joe thought for a bit before nodding, “Yeah. That might be smart. I’ll make sure to talk to the Matriarch.”

Kilniara quickly shook her head, “No. You should talk to Gwenvair.”

Joe cocked his head, questioning her, “Why?”

Kilniara stared at him a bit, thoughtful, “Is this not… common amongst your people?”

“I’m missing something, aren’t I?”

Kilniara smiled at that then nodded as she giggled, “No. Just Gwenvair would be better.”

Joe sighed but smiled as he did so, “OK, so… the right thing is to talk with Gwenvair.”

“Yes.”

“Right. I’ll ask Gwenvair.”

“Good!”

“I’ll be a good boy and listen to you!” Joe chuckled.

Kilniara burst into giggles at that and shook her head, “Thank you for listening.”

Joe shrugged, “Thank you for being kind in helping me.”

Kilniara’s laughter and smile softened, “And you in hearing me.”

Joe smiled, “I’ll always listen. I won’t always do what you tell me! But I’ll always…”

Kilniara gasped in faux outrage and slapped him on the arm and Joe pulled away in his own fake display of pain.

“Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop hurting me.”

Kilniara shook her head, this time in chagrin, “That didn’t hurt you. I know it didn’t. You have too much HP to even be touched!”

Joe relaxed and wrapped her in his arms, “And soon you will as well!”

“Me?” Kilniara’s mirth slowly shifted to what seemed to be as something fearfully hopeful.

“Of course?”

She looked at him carefully, her eyes darting back and forth between his as she searched him carefully before quietly asking, “Why?”

Joe was confused, his expression obvious in showing it, “Why not? Why wouldn’t I want you strong?”

She stared at him a bit before replying, “Aren’t you afraid that… I would … abandon… leave you?”

Joe eye’s flickered, a bit of pain showing through, “If you chose to leave, I would never hold you back. You have no need to stay with me if you do not wish to, but I will never keep you under my thumb in a way to trap you. That is not love. I can only hope that you would never leave me, just as you hope I do not for you. I do promise you this. If I choose to marry you, I will never leave you. That is the way of my people. We must always attempt our best for one another and as long as we always do so, I will never leave you. I will expect the same from you… hope the same from you.”

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She stared at him again, searching as before, “But you … I am worried that you would… leave.”

Joe nodded, “Yes. And I will be worried that you will leave as well. That is why I am so cautious to… move our relationship to any other level. My relationship with my wife will be permanent, until the day I or she dies. This will never change. If you cannot promise me that, then I …” Joe trailed off, pained and worried, but waiting.

She took a deep breath, “I understand… a little more now. I… right now… I do not want to leave you.”

Joe nodded, “I am the same now. But when we make the decision to be together as husband and wife, I will make the decision to be permanent, no matter any pain or fear in the future. I will not change! I will refuse to change. I will be yours and you will never have to fear me leaving you. But… my wife will also have to promise the exact same to me. Even in the darkest days, the most trying times, the hardest and most difficult, we will not abandon one another. We will struggle to repair our relationship, if needed, and we will struggle through any difficulties together without abandoning one another. Ever.”

Her breathing had begun to grow shallow and fast as she stared at him, “This is the way of your people?”

Joe smiled, “Yes. I know I told you this before, but I didn’t remember the vow very well. But I’ve been thinking about it ever since and I remember it much better. We promise one another, on the day of our marriage, that we will take one another and ‘promise to be true in good times or bad times, in sickness and health, for better or worse, in wealth or poverty, until death.’ We state this as a vow to one another, promising that everything we own will now become ours. Nothing I have will be kept but is freely given to my wife, and all that she has is freely given to me. Everything. Of course… not all are capable of this… but this is our vow.”

She gulped as she stared at him, “I remember… but… it is still shocking to me that you are willing to make this a vow! Aren’t you afraid to be unable to hold this?”

Joe nodded, “Yes, but the vow is a promise to attempt this; to do this to the best of your ability.”

She stared then gritted her teeth, “OK. Now… I understand why you are so… cautious!”

Joe breathed deep in relief, “So you finally understand?”

She nodded, “Very much so. The vow is… powerful.”

Joe smiled, “Yeah. It is life long, given to one another.”

She laid back down, obviously deeply in thought. Joe waited but her thoughts ran long so Joe returned to his mana exercises, although he spent his time only playing with his points. Time flew by as he alternated with messing with his points for what felt like almost a half an hour before Kilniara stirred next to him. She rose up and stared into his eyes with conviction. When he saw this, he paused and looked at her questioningly.

“OK,” Kilniara offered firmly.

“OK?” Joe asked with a bit of confusion.

“OK. I vow in sickness and health, for…”

“Woah! Woah woah woah!” Joe quickly cut her off, “What are you doing?”

“You said … that this is…”

Joe waved her off, “This is the vow given in marriage, on the day that we will marry!”

She stared at him, then nodded, “And I have agreed? I remember and have thought on this for quite some time. I am ready.”

Joe stared back, confusion growing a bit before he took a deep breath and a mental step back, “OK. Wait. Are you offering to marry now?”

She nodded, firmly, “Yes. I was … hurt before … but I can understand why you are so cautious. This requires… It is very deep and personal … it is …” she ended with a sigh before taking a deep breath and trying again.

“I understand why you are cautious, but I am willing to tie my life to yours.”

Joe froze, a burst of warmth exploding through his chest even as his breath shuddered and he stared back at her. He breathed deeply a few more times, getting his shuddering breath and heart under control. She tried to speak up again, but Joe interrupted her a finger to her lips.

“Wait… please. Just wait.”

Taking another few moments, Joe processed his thoughts and emotions before taking a final deep breath and turning towards her, “OK. First… you have… your words are… so powerful to me. And you have no idea how much I want to make this vow with you now. Right now! But… that is really not wise. The vow is… deep, permanent, and binding! When I make it, I wish to make it with certainty and wisdom. We know each other well, and if things continue, we will make this promise with one another, but to … do so now… it is… besides! We need to celebrate it with friends and family. Now wouldn’t be a … really good idea.”

Kilniara’s emotions seesawed as he spoke, from concern to elation before ending on confusion, “Celebration, of course… we can celebrate when we are done?”

Joe’s eyebrows rose at that, “After we are done?”

Kilniara nodded, “Yes?”

“You do not have… wedding ceremonies?”

Kilniara cocked her head, this time with some confusion, “How… a ceremony? We can do it now.”

Joe laughed, “Are you so certain of me?”

Kilniara nodded, “You are a good man. And an amazing man. I do not see that I could ever find one as good as you.”

Joe smiled at that, “Kilniara, if you want another, you do not have to tie yourself so to me. I can help you find another if you wish. It will hurt me, but I’m not… the only option for you. There are so many others.”

Kilniara immediately shook her head, “Joe. Even if I met another as strong or wealthy as you, I… I do not think I would want them. There is a kindness… a greatness to you that is… I have not seen in others. I do not want others.”

Joe hid a grimace as he stared at her, “But I still want to make sure that you seek me! Not my wealth, power, or access to your future or your own power. Don’t worry. Even if you do not marry me, I will still make sure you are as powerful and wealthy as you wish to be. You do not have to tie yourself to me to gain this.”

Kilniara stared at him, once again searching him carefully before she smiled softly, “If another person said such a thing, I do not think I would believe them. But you… I do. Why do you think I wish to be with you?”

Joe smiled, his earlier elation tempered from her previous response quickly soared again, “You need to seek your heart and decide, would you still marry me if I were just a simple farmer or commoner and that I was content to be just a farmer for the rest of my life. Would you still want to tie yourself to me if I were to choose this life? Do you choose me, or do you choose the life I am able to give you?”

That set Kilniara aback, her thoughts whirling, “Choosing you gains me that life.”

Joe’s smile now was deeply saddened, “Yes, but then… you are not choosing me.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it, thoughtful. Her eyes drifted away from his face as she thought deeply, but when she returned them, she quickly noticed the pain in them and her hand came to his cheek.

“What’s wrong?”

Joe sighed, then he grimaced, “You seek me for what you can gain, so you love my wealth, my power. Not me.”

She almost immediately responded, but then paused and looked back at him, “But it is what you wish for. It is your drive and effort that is who you are that leads to that.”