It turned out that the cloth bundle Meg had brought was a towel with some soap and a comb wrapped up in it. This was definitely a Good Thing. Because first there was the kiss and then there was some more… affection… and then we were both all sweaty. Again. She didn’t need to carry a basin or anything: she could make as much water as we wanted. It was room-temperature when she created it, but at least it wasn’t cold.

Have to see whether we can do anything about that, I thought as I got dressed. The towel was kind of rough, but it was better than nothing and I was barely damp. She could also make the water go away, which she did after we rinsed off while standing on the towel. I tried very hard not to think about that too much. Works like Earth until it doesn’t. I shivered at the implications of vanishing something for Earth physics. But Meg thought it was the most ordinary thing in the world. And, if you looked at it the right way, creating the water broke physics just as much. A wizard did it.

The towel still had the soap-suds residue and, I assumed, the dirt and sweat on one side of it, but she could wash them outside with the same trick. She explained that she usually used extra water from the town well for the actual laundry, because up to now she couldn’t make water fast enough to do big things like sheets and blankets. She hadn’t showed off her new power yet. Because she wanted me to tell Keeper and his wife about it.

Meg’s mother and father, it turned out, had been adventurers of a sort. Meg’s mother had also had the gift of Water, but she was very strong, and could, if I understood correctly, basically use streams of water as weapons. Her father, ironically, had been a Fire user. After they had their daughter, they’d scaled back the more dangerous adventures. But they still had to make a living. They signed on as caravan guards and left little Meg with her aunt and uncle for a six-week round trip… and then never came back. By the time anyone found the caravan, there was nothing but picked-over bones. Meg seemed to have mostly gotten over it. She said she barely remembered her parents.

“Oh, but I wish they could see me now,” she said wistfully. “Their daughter a Song Mage, in love with a servant of the Powers. They’d be so proud.”

I had decided not to fight the whole ‘servant of the Powers’ thing in private, as long as she didn’t start treating me like some kind of Messiah. Right now it was more along the lines of “Rock Star” and… I didn’t hate it. I had impressed on her several times, though, that it had to stay in private.

“I’m sure they would, Meg,” I said with a smile. “But you were already pretty great.”

“Thank you, Master Chris,” she said, blushing. “That’s kind of you to say.”

“I mean it,” I said. “You work hard to help your aunt and uncle. They obviously think the world of you. You even got up and worked this morning when you didn’t have to. Though I did miss you when I woke up,” I teased.

“I’m sorry!” Meg said frantically. “I just… you wouldn’t even stir, and I felt so guilty not helping…”

“It’s fine, Meg,” I said, laughing. “I was tired.” Then I winked at her. “Somebody wore me out last night.”

She blushed deep red. Then, encouragingly, she lifted her eyes and gave me a little of my own back.

“I seem to remember it was you who did all the fancy loving, Master Chris,” she said gamely. “I couldn’t even remember my own name after what you did to me. And then you did it again just now, when I should be helping in the kitchen like a good girl.” This made me laugh harder.

“Touché,” I said. She looked at me with confusion. “That means, you got me back. But speaking of…” I sighed. “I guess we better go talk to your aunt and uncle.” I wasn’t nervous, exactly, about talking to Meg’s adoptive parents. No, I was terrified.

“Don’t you want to, Master Chris?” said Meg nervously. “I mean, you don’t have to, I can…”

“No,” I said firmly. “I do want to. But this is a lot to spring on them. Do you think they can spare a few minutes?”

“People won’t be here for lunch yet,” she said, “So unless there are guests arriving they should be able to.”

“No time like the present.” I stood up from putting my shoes on. “Let’s go. If your uncle tries to bash me with his club, I’m going to run, just so you know.”

“What?” said Meg with a mortified look. “He’d never… and why would you… you’re a Song Mage…”

“I wouldn’t hurt him, Meg,” I said, smiling a bit. “That’s why I’d run. But I can’t blame him if he’s mad at me for seducing his daughter. Which is what you are, whether he calls you his niece or not.”

“I seduced you,” she said, blushing once more but this time keeping her head up. “And if he’s angry, I’ll tell him so, Master Chris.”

“Thanks. I think.” We headed downstairs. It felt like a dirge should be playing in time with my footsteps.

The sun was shining in through the windows, and the tavern room was well-lit. It was empty, except for Keeper standing behind the bar polishing a glass. He looked none the worse for wear from his beating last night. He looked up as we descended the stairs, a neutral expression on his face.

“Good morning, Keeper,” I said cautiously, walking toward the bar. “Got a minute?”

“Good morning, Master Chris,” he said in a voice as neutral as his face. “For you? Of course.”

I sat at the bar. Meg sat beside me, her lips pursed but her head held high. Without a word, Keeper poured me a beer and set it in front of me. I took a drink and said, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Seems like you have some things to tell me,” he said. He didn’t sound mad. He sounded more like he was waiting for something.

“Can I talk to Miranda too?” I said. “Easier to do it all at once, if that’s okay.”

He nodded and stuck his head through the kitchen door, calling Miranda’s name. In a moment, she walked out, face red and sweating a little. She must have already been getting ready for lunch.

“Good morning, ma’am,” I said politely. Miranda’s face had been almost as bland as Keeper’s, but at this she blushed.

“Please don’t call me that, Master Chris,” she said faintly. I still didn’t know what the big deal was but I was raised to be polite. Especially to the parents of a girl I was interested in.

“May I call you Miranda?” I asked. She nodded and smiled a little. “Then I will, thank you. Anyway…” I swallowed. This was harder than I thought it would be and my heart was pounding.

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“Anyway what, Master Chris?” said Miranda, the smile getting a little broader.

“I’m from far away,” I said. “I don’t know how you do things here, I’m a stranger. But please believe me when I tell you that I like Meg a lot. I’d never hurt her.”

“Did you take her hair out of her braids?” asked Miranda.

“No,” I said. “We don’t do that where I’m from. She had to explain it to me.”

“My Meg’s no fool,” said Miranda. “I love her as much as if I’d carried her in my own womb. And if she took her hair down for you, Master Chris, it’s because she saw something in you that made her want to do it. She didn’t have to do that for a roll in the hay.”

A little sob came from Meg at this, and when I looked at her, a tear was rolling down her face. But she looked really happy so I didn’t say anything to her. At that point, Keeper also spoke up.

“You didn’t have to do what you did, Master Chris,” he said. “You told the guardsman, and me, and later Meg repeated it to Miranda, that you didn’t want a fuss made over you. But you stood up and faced down two men with swords to help her. I saw your face after. I know that face. You didn’t do it because you like to fight. You did it because you felt like you had to.”

This made me blush, and I said, “I… I’ve never been in a fight before. Not a real fight. That doesn’t happen very often where I’m from, if you don’t go looking for it.”

“I don’t know where you come from, Master Chris,” said Keeper somberly. “But this is a hard world and Meg’s a beautiful young girl. A protector like you, watching over her? That would give my heart ease.”

“No one will hurt her without going through me,” I said reflexively, and I meant it. He smiled.

“You make that a promise, and you have my blessing and my thanks,” said Keeper. Miranda nodded, sniffling as happy tears ran down her cheeks.

“You have my word,” I said. “But I have some good news about that too. She may not need as much protecting as you thought.”

“Why do you say that?” said Keeper, brow furrowed.

“Because after the fight, I, ah, I felt something from Meg. I tested her and…” I swallowed again. “Meg is a Song Mage.”

Miranda’s jaw dropped. Keeper, meanwhile, started to laugh. I could tell he was trying to fight it, but he couldn’t, and weird little snorts kept busting out of him.

“Whaaaaat?” he said, in much the same way he had hearing that I was one. “Master Chris, Meg’s a woman grown. Her gift is Water. She doesn’t need power to be a good match for you, you don’t have to fill her head with fancies.”

“You’re right, she doesn’t,” I said. Miranda looked like I’d hit her with Keeper’s billy club. I hoped she didn’t have a weak heart. This was a lot at once. “But she really is a Song Mage. I think that the fight brought something out of her, she was so afraid that she came into her power. Maybe she would have defended me if the tables had turned!” I smiled. Meg let out a very unladylike snort which was eerily like Keeper’s, only adorable.

Keeper stopped laughing and looked at me incredulously.

“You’re serious, Master Chris? Our Meg, a Song Mage?” He looked at Meg, his eyes big as saucers. “Meg, is this true?”

Meg nodded, her lips still pursed tight.

“Yes, Uncle Peter,” she said. “I can’t believe it myself, but Master Chris showed me. Watch.” She held up her hand and I felt her sing Shadow. It was bright in the tavern, but a little ripple of shadow formed over her hand and rolled like a wave. Keeper and Miranda both gasped in awe.

“By the Powers,” said Keeper reverently. “Master Chris, you’re like something from a tale. How… how is this possible?”

“Got me,” I said. Which was true, I had no idea how it worked. “But it’s her own power. And she says her original gift is much stronger, too.”

“It is,” agreed Meg. “Aunt Miranda, I could fill the big pot three times over and never miss the Breath.” Miranda’s jaw, which had started to close, fell back open again. She shook her head and pulled herself together.

“Meg, that’s amazing,” she said in wonder.

Keeper added, “That makes you stronger than your mother, Powers bless her. And I’ve rarely seen her match.” He blinked and looked back to me. “You’re right, Master Chris, with that kind of power she could guard you.” This made him smile, though his eyes were still huge.

“He doesn’t need me to guard him, Uncle Peter,” said Meg firmly. “Master Chris is twice as strong as I am.”

Aaaaand we were back to the big bug eyes and dropped jaws.

“I… I don’t think I ever saw a Song Mage in the Duke’s army with that kind of power,” whispered Keeper. “Is this… is it true, Master Chris?”

I shrugged and tried to play it cool. I didn’t succeed very well, but I did try. Some smug may have occurred.

“Around that,” I said. “Song Magery isn’t an exact science, you know.”

“What?” said Keeper, looking confused again. Then he shook his head as if to clear it. “That doesn’t matter. You’re the strongest Song Mage I’ve ever heard of, Master Chris, and if you’ll look after our Meg, I’ll bless your name until the day I die.”

“As will I,” said Miranda fervently. “Bless you, Master Chris, you’ve made me the happiest woman in Pirisi today.”

“No, the second-happiest,” said Meg, giggling. At that, Miranda couldn’t restrain herself any more and ran around to Meg, sweeping her up in a fierce embrace.

“My beautiful Meg,” she wept. “My precious little girl. Praise the Powers, I’m so happy for you.” They started bawling in each other’s arms.

Keeper’s eyes were far from dry. “If your parents could see you now,” he said in a rough voice. “They’d be so proud.” He held out his hand to me and we shook. Good to know they do that here. “Master Chris, I don’t know how you do what you do, but in my sister’s name, thank you for watching over her little girl.”

“My pleasure, Keeper,” I said. “She’s pretty amazing.” My voice was kind of rough too.

“My name’s Peter to you, Master Chris,” he said firmly. He let go of my hand - which I was grateful for, the man had a grip of iron - and grabbed out his fancy bottle of brandy from under the bar. “This calls for a drink.”

I had hardly touched my beer, but I was still a little leery after last night.

“One drink,” I said cautiously. He laughed and poured us each a shot. Either it wasn’t for the womenfolk or he didn’t think they wanted to interrupt their crying for something as boring as booze. I diplomatically didn’t mention it.

“To you, Master Chris, and the happiness you’ve brought my niece. My daughter,” he said firmly. “For that’s what she is in my heart. And if you treat her well you’ll be a son to me. You’ll always have a home here if you want it.”

We clinked our tiny glasses and took a sip. It still tasted pretty good.

After we finished our drinks and said a few more nice things about each other, I straightened my shoulders and bit the bullet.

“So how does this work here?” I said. “Are we engaged or married or what, exactly?”

They all looked at me like I’d grown another head.

“Meg, you asked for birthbane after you admitted you’d…” Miranda was a grown woman so she didn’t stammer, but she did pause for a second. “Visited Master Chris last night. Did you take it?”

“Yes, Aunt Miranda,” said Meg, staring at me. Maybe I should have brought this up before we came down, I thought with a sinking feeling.

“Where I’m from people get engaged, which is like they’re formally saying they’re going to get married, and then after some length of time they actually get married with a ceremony and so forth,” I said. “How do you do things here?”

“The same, Master Chris,” said Miranda, still looking a bit blindsided. “But why in the world would you get engaged before the bride was pregnant?”

“Where I’m from, people often get married because the bride is pregnant,” I said slowly, “But it doesn’t sound like that’s what you mean.”

“If the bride isn’t pregnant, how could you be sure the match would produce children?” said Miranda, in full Mother of the Bride mode. “I mean, rich or noble families might marry for alliance, but otherwise, if you’re marrying for a family, you make sure you can have a family first.”

“That makes sense,” I said, “But what if you want to be together but not have kids?”

“Then you do,” said Miranda, still confused. “But there’s no need to get formally married for that. Love is sacred to the Powers. Don’t they believe that where you come from?”

“Yes, they do,” I said quickly and firmly. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, I thought before going on. “Just a little cultural difference, I think. So we’re all good. Meg and I can be together?”

“Yes,” said Miranda, “Of course you can.” Then she kind of screwed up her face like somebody who wanted to say something and didn’t know how. Obviously she wanted to ask me something else but was afraid it would offend me.

“Did you want to ask me something else, Miranda?” I said encouragingly. “We’re practically family now, you can ask.”

“Well, it’s just… I know you’re fairly young, Master Chris, but you’re a Song Mage, and you were so generous last night, you obviously have money…” She hesitated. I nodded encouragingly. “Do you… not already have any other women?”

This time, it was my jaw that almost hit the floor.