“How are you feeling, dear?” Iofea put her hands on Sybil’s shoulders and looked at her through the reflection of the mirror. “You didn’t drink too much, did you? I would hate to think that our wild time out left you feeling ill.”

Sybil didn’t exactly view that as a wild time, but she was glad that Iofea and Zoe had had a lot of fun. They deserved it. She let out a sigh and looked at herself over. Her dress had been tied on, her hair was partially pulled back with jeweled pins and dangled in curls, and her neck was adorned with Erskine’s pendant.

She was sitting in front of a vanity within her room, waiting for someone to tell them that it was time to go. There was only some makeup that had to be applied and then she was ready. “I’m still nervous that this won’t work.”

Iofea gave a knowing smile. “That’s why I have a backup plan.” She picked up a jar of lip salve and opened it up. “This is a lovely shade. Where did you get this?”

“It was a gift from… Someone I worked with while I was here.” Sybil frowned as Iofea sniffed it.

“It’s not poison, is it?” She sniffed it again and dipped her finger in it when Sybil shook her head. “Then let’s put it on you! It’s such a pretty color and it seems to be good quality. Don’t let a nice thing like this go to waste.” Before Sybil could object further, Iofea clasped her chin and angled her head so she could put it on for her.

A quick knock at the door and Veximarl peeked his head in. “Pardon, Miss Iofea? There appears to be some sort of incident with the flowers. Gwyn has still been unable to locate seeds for the variety you asked for.”

Iofea immediately straightened up with a frown. "I'm certain that it isn't a problem and that we still have time to sort it out." She spoke calmly but was clearly disappointed. "I'll leave Sybil in your care for now."

Matters weren’t as drastic as Iofea was imagining, but she certainly rushed off as though they were. Sybil stood up and approached Veximarl, giving a curtsy as she did so. She was so nervous that her knees were shaking.

Veximarl gently lifted the pendant Sybil was wearing, if only to examine it. It truly was his father's necklace. The one that Lydia had taken from him after she had cut off his head… What a strange world this was where such a trinket could end up being treasured by his friend as a reminder of her own mother.

“I know. It doesn’t match.” Sybil reached up and took his hand with both of her own. “It might not be something fancy, but it feels right to wear it. That sounds weird, doesn’t it?”

Snapping back to the present, Veximarl blinked a few times. When the others had asked, he had only mentioned meeting Tria when he wielded the heart. There was no mention of the goddess being his mother, or of his father’s identity. When the time was right, he told himself, he would tell them. Now wasn’t that time.

“Yes... I mean, no. You are a vision of loveliness right now. I envy the man who will walk you down the aisle.”

“Thanks, but there’s no need to be so serious about it. I’m sad that my father is going to remain in hiding for a few days until everything has calmed down, but I’ll be fine without him.” Sybil gave a weak punch to Veximarl’s arm. “Please tell me that we can leave now.”

“Of course.” Veximarl smiled through the pain and tilted his head at the door.

They got into a carriage and began to ride to the church. Sybil sat next to Veximarl. She reached over to take his hand to calm herself down. Across from them was Vincent, who was staring absentmindedly out the window. There was a lot that he had to consider these past few days. The paladin wasn’t taking it well.

When they arrived, Veximarl left first to find his seat with the others. Vincent stayed behind, acting as Sybil’s escort while they waited. She attempted to make small talk with him, but he was deaf to anything she had to say. Although he did raise his head when Iofea walked into the room to give Sybil the bouquet.

It was a beautiful collection of white and red flowers, with leaves poking out in all directions and gray blossoms that trailed over the sides. She handed it to Sybil and spoke gently to her. “When the music starts, you two will enter. You know what to do after that?”

“Yes... It’ll be okay.” She faked a smile. “You’re more shaken up than I am.”

Iofea was rattling with nervousness. "I'll be sitting in the second row if either of you need anything." She squeezed Sybil and nodded at Vincent. The paladin gave a nod in return. "Good luck." A smile was flashed before Iofea left to find her seat.

A few moments passed and the two of them heard the start of a slow melody. It was a traditional piece used for core weddings, but it was odd to hear it on an organ and not a stringed instrument. Sybil felt a sense of ease wash over her as offered her arm to Vincent.

“Are you ready?”

“As much as I am able.” He took her arm into his own and the two took a step towards the double doors.

Sybil let out a gasp as she caught sight of the interior of the church. Wildflowers in different hues of red and pink were hanging from the pillars and ceiling of the cathedral. Though it was a large room, only a few people were present. Both of Chickadee’s and Zaniyah’s families, as well as Alton’s. Baron Squad was sitting quietly in a corner and Ivy was already bawling her eyes out.

The music stopped abruptly when they reached the rear pews. Sybil turned as Vincent let go of her arm. She smiled nervously at Philomena. The woman had chosen to sit far from the others since she had Zikor with her and didn’t want him to be a bother.

"I'm sorry!" Philomena was filled with embarrassment. "Was I supposed to sit with everyone else or…" Philomena looked down at her shimmering green skirt. Her jacket was white and red and had the Highland coat of arms on the back. It was something that Iofea had insisted that she wore but it seemed overly elegant for a wedding guest. "I'm so sorry. Do you need me to leave?"

Sybil shook her head and held the bouquet forward. "Why would I want you to leave your wedding?"

Confused, Philomena turned her head towards the altar as a familiar tune began to play. She was at a loss for words. Alton had gone to sit at the organ and was now playing a melody from an opera that she adored. It was from the scene where the two leads sing their love for each other, knowing that they had conquered their challenges and were finally about to get their happily ever after.

Zynn, dressed in a white suit, had taken Alton’s place at the altar. He was fidgeting with a rose that had been placed in his jacket. The priest who had been replaced by a paladin. Victor Tripeak, Philomena and Vincent’s grandfather, would now act as the wedding officiator.

Philomena put a hand to her mouth and tears started to stream against her cheeks. “... This must be a dream.”

“It is.” Sybil gestured to the bouquet again. “But I promise that it will still all be here when you wake up.”

Philomena took the bouquet, then shook her head when Sybil reached to take Zikor from her. “May I take him with me?”

“Of course.” Sybil looked up at Vincent. “You might want to let Vincent hold him. It might be difficult to walk otherwise.”

Philomena agreed with a small nod. Vincent picked up Zikor and braced him against his side. He then offered his free arm to his sister and they walked together down the aisle as Sybil moved to find her seat. When they reached the end, the double doors opened again. This time, personal friends of both Zynn and Philomena filtered through, and soon all the pews were full.

Alton slipped away from the organ and took a seat next to Sybil. She rested her head on his shoulder as he put an arm about her waist. Sybil had never been one to acknowledge her birthday in the past, but this was nice. There wasn’t any other way she would want to celebrate it.

Vincent took a step back with Zikor as Zynn got down on one knee. He smiled widely at Philomena. Everything about him was beaming. Having to hide the fact that he and Iofea had been planning this wedding for a while was more stressful than he was expecting. Though his mind was at ease, he was now reaching the hardest part.

“Philomena.” He fought off the urge to laugh as she sniffed and failed to compose herself. “It may not seem like it, but I am going to give you a chance to walk away from all of this.” Zynn reached up and she gave him her hand to hold onto. “We can act as we have been doing and stay in Carapace. I’ll work hard to support our family until you figure out what you want to do.

… Or we can leave this place together.

That guy over there. Yeah, that one!" Zynn gestured to Veximarl, who looked around awkwardly as everyone turned to face him. "He says he knows a clinic in Tilrey that's desperate to have a fulltime doctor and I can't think of anyone better for the job than you. I'm even willing to go as far as to learn how to work my magic so that you can say you have the most handsome nurse in all of Lustro.

But if we choose to leave this place, I want to do it as man and wife. Having Zikor… We both said it shouldn't have happened, but he wasn't a mistake, Phil. That was guidance. I don't know if it was the god's doing or not, but I've never felt this complete in my whole life. I know now that I need you by my side in order to keep me feeling this way... So let's do it. Let's get married. Let's spend the rest of our lives together."

Philomena gave a happy nod. “... Alright. I will. Oh, but I don’t have anything prepared. No vows or… I don’t think I could say anything proper at the moment.”

Standing up, Zynn leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You’ll have a minute to think about it. Just speak from the heart.”

Zynn reached for Zikor as Abbot Tripeak began to chant out the ancient prayers. It wasn’t long until Chickadee had taken Zaniyah’s hand because she had started to cry just as hard as Ivy was. As wonderful as everything was for her oldest brother, her eyes were on Vincent.

And his eyes were on her.

When it came time to say the vows, Zynn gave his beloved a nod. “I said everything I needed to when I proposed. Why don’t you have a go?” Philomena shook her head and couldn’t bear to face any further embarrassment. “You’ll do fine. You’ve never worried about giving me lip in the past. Don’t stop now.”

She took a deep breath. “I first met you when I was thirteen years old... I had followed my brother to the core entrance to figure out why he kept coming home with bruises and I found the two of you together. You were telling him that he was never going to impress your sister if he kept on being a bully... A weak bully. You kept emphasizing how weak he was compared to her.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“And when I first laid my eyes on you, I thought, ‘Great. Here’s the rich girl who is here to tell us we’re being sued for all of the nothing that we’re already worth. What more does she want?’” He grinned at the thought.

“I spent the better part of those first few years believing that you were the absolute worst.” Zynn’s grin faltered. “You spent all that time being the absolute worst, so don’t you dare stand here and claim in front of everyone that you weren’t.”

“You are right about that.” He shifted Zikor to one arm so that he could put a hand on her cheek. “I also thought you were an intolerable bitch until your breasts finally decided to join the party. You didn’t seem so bad after that.”

“... I wasn’t going to bring that up.”

Zynn grinned all the wider. “It’s the only reason why I kissed you in the first place. From that point onward, I knew I needed to become a better man for your sake. Well, I didn’t... I mean, from time to time I would think about becoming a better man for your sake, but I swear that I’m serious about it now. There’s proper motivation this time around. I’ve been inspired. You see it, Phil? I’m a new man.”

Philomena laughed to herself. “I thought this was my time to speak.” He mimed tying his mouth shut before gesturing for her to continue. “We don’t agree all that often, but every time I needed someone to talk to, you have always made yourself available. You were there when I was scared about my future and you promised to take care of Zikor when I couldn’t. Even though I always expected you to fail me, you never once have.”

“At least I have that going for me.”

"It's not my vows if you keep interrupting me, Zynn."

"It's not any fun if I can't remind you of all the parts you're leaving out, Phil."

She snickered at his words. “I love you, Zynn.”

“There it is.” He smiled again. “It only took me putting a baby in you and tricking you into showing up for a surprise wedding to get you to admit it.” Zynn gestured to Abbot Tripeak. “Can we do a rush on the rest of this? Waiting to kiss her is driving me crazy.”

So this was the man that his granddaughter had chosen as her husband…

Paladin Tripeak had a frown on his face. It was obvious to everyone present that he wasn’t on board for this, but that didn’t stop him from supporting her when her parents had failed to do so. He deliberately spoke a little slower as he described the importance of exchanging rings. Then he announced that Eatha has chosen to recognize this marriage and that the two may now kiss.

Zynn passed Zikor off to Vincent so he could passionately embrace his new wife. The church erupted with loud applause as their lips parted, but the two were deaf to the sounds of celebration happening around them. What mattered most was the loving smiles that they shared and the hope that fluttered in their chests.

From his seat in the back, Alton sighed in a dismayed manner. “Forcing her into marriage didn’t work, but I don’t know if I want to put a baby in her just yet.” He muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” Sybil lifted her head from his shoulder and blinked at him.

“Hmm? Nothing, love.” Alton looked away in an embarrassed manner. “Weddings have a certain way of making anyone emotional but don’t worry about me. Take a moment to tend to Zan.”

Zaniyah had become a complete mess. “I’m not crying over remembering things, okay? I’m just really happy for Zynn and j-just want good things for them in the future. Stop worrying about me!”

Both Veximarl and Chickadee patted her back while she sniffed and wiped her face. Vincent had already stepped away, if only to talk to Luca and Oscar. Neither he nor Zaniyah were looking at each other now that the ceremony was finished. It was for the best, she kept thinking to herself. This was really for the best... They weren't meant to work out.

“Wai- Ahh! Put me down! Zynn!”

Zynn had picked up Philomena and was now running down the aisle with her. “Race you all to the party room!”

As soon as they twirled through the double doors, everyone was standing up and preparing to leave. Sybil stood up and caught the sight of a group she recognized in the corner of the church. Beat gave a casual wave while Duxton gave a smug nod. Shaw couldn’t bring himself to care about the ordeal, leaning against the wall and looking bored was more his thing.

Sybil thought it best to ignore them. Clinging to Alton’s arm, they walked across the church gardens and to the hall that had already been catered with food and drinks. Music was flowing through the air, with the bride and groom were dancing by themselves in the middle of the room.

They were joined by others as they filtered into the room. People either began to pair off to do some dancing or were being like Gideon and Vincent, who were sulking in a corner just as hard as they had been doing during the bachelor party. Zaniyah spent most of her time with Chickadee, either dancing with him or making jokes.

Veximarl had other plans. He walked right up to Gwyn, looked her over, then immediately turned around again. There wasn’t a single thought he could recall from that night of drinking but he felt there was a trace of courage left within him from the conversations that he had had. Yet, in his hour of need, that courage would quickly abandon him.

“What are you doing, darling?” Ivy tilted her head and placed a hand on her hip. “... Did you come over here to ask one of us to dance?”

“Not at all.” Veximarl held up his hands apologetically as Ivy scoffed. “That is not what I meant... Nevermind. I merely wished to ask how the two of you were doing since I hadn’t had the chance to speak to you since… Well, that ill business at the core entrance.”

Gwyn apathetically looked off to the side. “... We’re both fine.”

Ivy stepped forward and in a quick motion, looped her arm into his. “I’m not fine. Not once have you offered me a date or a dance this entire time, Mister Tuton. You’re not leaving this city until we do at least one of those.”

“B-but…” Veximarl tossed a pleading glance to Gwyn. His heart snapped in half when she kept her gaze averted.

He was dragged to the dance floor and moved stiffly as Ivy led him about in a commanding fashion. Occasionally, he would look over to Alton and Sybil in hopes that they would help. They couldn’t, though. They were too lost in gazing at each other as they floated along the dance floor.

“I know the past week has been terrible, but how are you feeling now?” Alton asked her.

Sybil looked around for a moment and then back up at him. “It feels… Strange. During the battle, it felt like I was doing something. All of my actions and instincts felt so natural. Being a knight is truly what I want to be… Having to go through a day like that only to abandon those thoughts and return to what I was doing has been… It’s been weird.”

“Two more weeks and we’ll be back at Braytons,” he said with a smile.

She couldn't bring herself to be happy about it. "I-I…" Sybil gave a brief shake of her head. "I have this ill-feeling that I won't see Tria before we leave, or ever again."

"Is that really a problem? Neither of us have had much luck with the gods."

“She seemed to have known my mother. To the point where she said that it was always a tragedy between them. I wanted to ask her what she meant by that. Especially since Vex said that Tria told him that Aeneas was killed by Erskine. I find myself more than ever wanting to understand my mother and the struggles that she went through.”

Lydia had been floating nearby. She seemed honestly confused by Sybil’s statement. “... Whatever could she mean by that?”

Alton shooed her off with a wave of his hand before turning his attention back to Sybil. “Today is your birthday. All those troubles are tomorrow’s problem. For now, let’s celebrate what we have. Alright?” Sybil nodded her head and he gave her a brief kiss to the temple. “I’ll always be available to talk about it whenever you wish.”

Jory approached the pair as the song came to an end. “The bride is requesting, ‘Voyage from Troubled Waters,’ and the quartet doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Do you know anything about it?”

“That is from the third act of The Sailor’s Letter.” Lady Till’s musical lessons had finally paid off. Alton looked at the quartet. “I will need to borrow the viola, but I can manage it. Would you mind watching Sybil for me while I play? It shouldn’t take too long.”

Sybil frowned. “I’m not a pet.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just…” Alton winced. “Last time I left you behind somewhere- … I can’t go through that again.”

His concern didn’t make her feel better. “I know that, but that doesn’t mean you can toss me at people and expect me to be okay with it... I can watch myself.”

Alton tensed up but relented. “Don’t go anywhere alone. Don’t die again... I love you.” He kissed her cheek and left his hand lingering on hers as he pulled away.

“... Don’t die again?” Jory was confused by his brother’s choice of words.

“He’s being overdramatic.” That statement alone was enough to make Jory understand. “I’m going to get something to eat. Don’t worry. I’ll stay where plenty of people can see me.”

She performed a quick curtsy before she made her way to the food table. Most of it had been picked clean but there were still a few snacks remaining. Sybil was interrupted before she could locate a plate. Beat had walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder. She still wasn’t used to him sneaking up on her. Her skin prickled as her bones tried to not jump out of her skin.

Beat leaned in and whispered in her ear. “The idiot has a few words for you.”

“Tell him it’s my day off,” she whispered back.

“If you said that, I am supposed to tell you that he is prepared to march in here and make an announcement about how generous he is to grace these mere peasants with his presence.” The way Beat said that made it sound like he was just as annoyed with Duxton as she was.

“... Fine.” She took a step away and followed Beat out of the hall and into the garden where Duxton and Shaw were standing. “What are you doing here? How did you even find out about this?”

Duxton smirked. “A little bird I met yesterday bragged about her disowned friend eloping a lowborn, and I found it interesting when she mentioned that it was some freak with green hair... Seemed noteworthy enough for me to stop by. As for why I am here… I don’t hide the fact that I like it when people owe me. You should have already learned that by now.”

“Go away. No one here owes you anything. You have no right to such entitlement.” She folded her arms and stood her ground as he stepped closer.

“On the contrary. You see, I have an interview with a journalist tomorrow. He’s been speaking to me weekly about what I find interesting during my trips around Carapace. I’ve been told that it’s become quite a popular column. It’s amazing how much my opinions matter to these simple backward folk... I can’t wait to tell him that I decided to stop off at a wedding today.

He will likely make a big show of it and inform me that he hadn’t heard that anyone important was having a wedding. I will make wide gestures with my arms and give exaggerated replies. This is an exclusive event being thrown by the Toval family at their own expense. They had heard of a bride being disowned by her family for wanting to be with a man from the core! Can you imagine that? After all the generosity the Tovals have shown during these hard times, this is surely the icing on the cake!

Not to mention that the lovely couple is fleeing Carapace to work at a health clinic! How sweet of them... It's the happy ending that everyone longs for, especially since I, Prince Duxton of Lustro and future king, am going offer to buy them a home as a wedding present! Of course, I won't actually buy them a house. I am going to pout at Mayor Coradetti until he gives me one for them to live in but that's simply semantics at this point.

What’s important is that my kindness is going to have a lot of people owing me. The couple will owe me for my generosity. By extension, their friends and family will owe as well. Even the Highland patriarch will owe me for not mentioning that it was their daughter getting married, although I doubt they’ll be able to hide it for long. Dirty laundry is destined to be waved out in the open.

Regardless of what may happen to them, it seems like all of my hard work will bear some worthy results. Though it’s hardly a problem for me to put in the effort because I know you like it when your friends are happy, Sybil. You seem quite willing to do anything in order to keep them happy.”

"I'm not going to offer you anything," replied Sybil in a coarse whisper.

Duxton shrugged. “But now you’ll think twice before answering no to my requests. After all, I’m not as bad as you think I am.”

“I’m leaving.” Sybil turned around and started to walk away.

“Hold on... I actually have something important to say. Why do you have to walk away after I’ve answered your questions? There’s a reason why I’ve called you out here, after all.” She paused and turned around. “See that? You’re already starting to think twice.” Sybil rolled her eyes and turned once more so she could keep walking. “I said to hold on!”

“What is it?” She looked over her shoulder and glared at him.

“... A man only seeks to color a woman’s lips for one reason. The next time I see you in that shade, I am going to take that as permission for me to do it.”

Sybil blinked at him. He wasn't smiling. In fact, he was quite serious when he spoke. "There isn't anything fun for you to play with here. Leave and be off to your own business."

She left without another word and kept walking until she was back in the hall. Alton was still busy but Zaniyah was sitting by herself. Chickadee had wandered off to save Veximarl from Ivy. Zaniyah was wringing a napkin to death while waiting for him to return. It was the only distraction she had from her despair.

Sybil sat down and put an arm around Zaniyah’s shoulders. “How are you doing?”

Zaniyah shook her head. “I don’t know… With everything that’s happened over these past few weeks…” She paused to take a long breath. “I’m not in a good place right now, Sybil. I’m not in a good place at all.”

Hopefully, this was only temporary. The next week or so was clean up. The hunting parties would do a few passes to make sure all of the tainted beasts are cleared out, and the bureaucracy would… Continue to do nothing, really. Sybil continued to see no point in the work that had been assigned to her.

Two weeks until they leave and then another week until they were back at Braytons. Her zone of sanity of safety. Everything will be studying and dueling again. This time, she wasn't going to be pushed around and assigned stupid missions. The second year was about getting internships that would lead to possible future employment, and Sybil couldn't wait to gain that experience.

But that was a later worry. Sybil had promised herself to be more aware of what was happening now. She had been so neglectful of her friends as of late… They all had problems that were bigger than the sum of themselves. What they needed to fix them was each other.

“I’m here for you, Zaniyah,” she said with a smile. Anything you or that Chickadee need, I’m always going to be there for you.”