Derrin walked along the shore towards the merchant vessel that was heading back to Zaudiname. Waving, he caught the attention of one of the sailors on deck who called behind him for the captain. A tall regally dressed woman appeared beside the sailor a few moments later. She nodded to him and then disappeared. A few moments later he watched as the gangplank bobbed beneath her while she walked to the shore.

“Well met, sir,” she said as she approached. “How can I help you today?”

“How soon will you be sailing for Zaundanme?”

“A couple of hours. We’re still loading up some wears. Why, do you need a ride?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I have a letter I would like delivered.”

“Fair enough.” She held out her hand. “I’m assuming you know the standard fair for this type of delivery?”

He chuckled. “I do, but the reason I needed to know when you are leaving, is I have not finished writing the letter yet.”

“Ah,” she paused and glanced over her shoulder at her ship and all of the bodies and packages moving up and down the gangplank. “Do you need a desk or will you return to your residence here and then meet us? Please know, that we will not wait for you.”

“I’ll sit on that bench over there so I won’t be in your way,” Derrin replied and walked over to the spot as the captain returned to her ship.

Sitting on the bench, Derrin pulled out some paper and a charcoal pencil.

Honourable Father,

I am writing to inform you that when I see you next, I shall have a wife. Rigel's daughter and I are to be wed on Thursday. I know you may have some concerns about the speed in which these nuptials are occurring, but the man I will soon call father in addition to you wishes it to be so, and for my part I see no reason to slow him down. After all, marrying Raine is the reason I sailed here in the first place. You know the importance of this allegiance.

However, I am concerned because I do not know if Raine herself wishes to marry me. For while her father assures me that she will listen to his decrees, she and I have spent very little time together. HER cousin was killed recently, and she mourns for him. Almost excessively, I would say. As such, we have not had the chance to talk of love. However, her Lord Rigel is concerned by how much attention she is giving her grief and so he has decreed that we should be wed swiftly to pull her out of her mire, before the sadness is irreversible. I trust his wisdom regarding his daughter to be correct, and I look forward to helping her think on love and other pleasant things.

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Your son,

Derrin

Folding up the paper, he walked back to the ship. When the captain acknowledged him, he strolled onto the gangplank and borrowed her wax so he could seal the letter before he handed it over for delivery.

As he strolled back towards the Rigel’s home, he spied Raine walking towards him along the rocky shore. Her hand trailed along the wall for support. Her face, though splotched from all of the tears she had shed recently, was mercifully dry. Changing course, he intercepted her stroll. “How happy it is for us to have met here my wife.”

Raine’s lips pursed, giving her the image of a woman trying to appear to be older. “That may be true in the future, sir, but I am not your wife.”

He chuckled softly at her poised obstinance. “Soon my love. I look forward to our marriage on Thursday.”

She gave him a minute smile and walked by him.

He briefly debated letting her go, but this could be the only chance leading up to their wedding that he would have to speak with her, so he fell into step beside her. “May I ask what you’re doing here?” He looked around them at the docks and ships nearby. Beyond them, he spied the small chapel where they would be married. “Are you on your way to confession?”

Raine tilted her head and gave him a coy smile. “If I were to answer that, I’d be confessing to you.”

“Well,” he said clasping his hands behind his back, “make sure that you don’t forget to tell him how much you love me.”

“I will tell you that I love him.”

He laughed again. With such childish wit, being married to her was going to be perpetually amusing. “I’m not concerned. I know you’ll tell him that you love me too.”

She gave a slight laugh. “If I am to do so, you know it means more if I do it behind your back, because it means I’m not feeling forced to do so.”

He stepped in front of her and stopped. Cupping her cheek, he wiped away the memory of a tear. “You poor thing, your face has been so abused by these tears lately.”

Raine pulled back and continued walking towards the chapel. “The tears haven’t won anything. I wasn’t all that pretty before I started crying.”

His jaw dropped open before his noble upbringing caught up with him and he snapped it shut. “I can’t believe you would say something like that about yourself. You’re wrong. You’re beautiful.”

She gave him another small smile and shook her head. “I know the truth, sir.” She stopped and turned to face him. “Excuse me, I would like some privacy for this.”

He looked up in surprise at the chapel behind her. “This was a much shorter walk than I was expecting,” he mumbled as he leaned in and kissed her lips. “Of course, I will leave you here. Far be it from me to disturb your devotion.” Leaning up he kissed her hair. “But let me leave you with these kisses, until we meet at the alter.”