To say that things were progressing at a pace that made any individual event seem like a blur would be putting it lightly. The cleanup, the negotiations for the end of the war, supply chain concerns, the promises made to Soro needing to be fulfilled, my resurrection, which was spreading like wildfire and taking on a life of its own, and last but certainly not least, the recent announcement of my engagement to Kala. Even thinking about it now put nervous, yet happy, butterflies in my stomach.

It had certainly brought a bit of levity to the grim situation, lifting a bit of the stress that had been consuming so many minds as of late. Durdan in particular was in full support of the marriage and wanted to advertise it as a grand spectacle to mark the end of the war and the start of future cooperation between the coalition and the Thrainian empire. With my general appearance and the lack of knowledge in Thrainian circles about my real origins, it would appear as though a Thrainian and a Trelnval were to be wed.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that to be honest. Durdan wouldn’t be spreading the news with that lie, but if the citizens came to that conclusion on their own, he wouldn’t do anything to change their perception either. The logic was sound, but the feeling was off. Even so, I agreed to play along as the impact it would have on Kala and I would likely be rather small all things considered, yet it sent out a positive message. The truth would slowly spread in the months or years afterward, but at that point relations would hopefully have improved.

Politics aside, I was living in a daze of bliss and disbelief. Marriage, something that you hear about quite often but never truly understand until it happens to you. Out of everything that could have possibly happened, the fact that I found someone that I desired to spend my life with in this crazy upside-down world was beyond anything that I could have predicted.

Ever since my proposal, Kala and I have been, oddly enough, separated for most of the day. Velshi, Kala, and her mother had been making plans, as best I could tell. I was not privy to exactly what those plans were, but I picked up that they were plans for the ceremony itself. She kind of gave it away when she asked me what traditions should be followed for the wedding and if I wanted any of my own to be involved. The only part that I truly wanted was the exchanging of rings but considering that we were in a war zone that was reduced to rubble, we probably weren’t going to find any. So, Trelnval traditions it was, and I was excited to see what the ceremonies were like.

There was one aspect of Trelnval culture that was a little awkward and nerve-racking, yet I had to do if I wanted to show that I was serious about this. Normally a Trelnval man would ask permission from the village elders to marry to receive their blessing. However, the elders were either dead, or still missing, and the population of the village Kala came from was scattered to the winds. That being the case, the tradition then boiled down to asking the oldest member of the village for the blessing, which was currently Kala’s mom.

I was a bundle of nerves when I stood before her. Our relationship was always strained due to me not being what she would consider a traditional man so to speak. Frankly, I was worried that she wouldn’t even let me get two words out before shooting me down and sending me packing. Even so I doubt that it would have stopped Kala from marrying me regardless, though it would be more like we eloped together at that point.

There was a long period of silence after I finally managed to get Silia alone to ask for the blessing. Her piercing gaze ripped through me like paper as she seemed to be scrutinizing every little detail of my body as I stood ramrod straight. I braced for impact, but instead of a tirade followed by an immediate denial, and possible maiming, she let out a long exhale.

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t in good conscience deny you while still claiming to uphold tradition. You have proven yourself cunning and resourceful, adapting to challenges and overcoming them. You have proven that you can provide, ensuring that your chosen does not go hungry and stays warm. You have proven that you can protect, for you have put your life on the line to ensure her safety from all dangers. Through these acts you have shown yourself to be a capable man and a fine choice for any woman. So, as acting elder of the village, I hereby give my blessing to this union so that you may become a bonded pair.”

After an initial moment of shock, I felt a relieved smile start to spread across my face. Silia looked unamused and crossed her arms. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

I quickly forced a neutral expression with a nod. “Yes ma’am. Thank you.”

The whole interaction was unexpected, but I was still grateful that she saw fit to bless our engagement. Speaking of, the boys in our group decided they were going to ‘bless’ our engagement as well, though I had a feeling that it was mostly Otar’s idea. In my world this might have been called a bachelor’s party, but to me it felt more like a frat going out and doing something stupid. The genius plan he pitched was that we would all raid the castle wine cellars and make off with as much alcohol as we could get our hands on. Well, we broke into a heavily armed bank, what’s a cellar compared to that?

Even though I could have probably walked right up to the guards, and they would have stepped aside, sneaking around them was more fun. Everyone had a grin on their face as they stalked the halls, whispering and poking at one another while trying not to laugh. The patrols around the keep were relatively light. While looting was a concern, there were far bigger problems with the city being destroyed to commit dozens of soldiers to stop some petty theft. Even if we did get caught, and I couldn’t talk our way out of it, I imagined we’d just get a slap on the wrist.

We almost got found once because Jorn wouldn’t stop stepping on Ulthises’ tail and cracking jokes. Despite him nearly sabotaging the mission, we were able to sneak into the wine cellar and nab several casks of the stuff. We made a quick escape, giggling like a bunch of idiots as we fumbled around with the sloshing casks. The plan ended with an escape through a window and a long dash across the courtyard and out the exit, barrels hoisted above our heads in victory.

After finding a quiet spot outside the city walls, we started a fire, cracked open a barrel, and began to drink to our hearts' content. The celebration was in full swing. Any and every excuse they could find to down a cup of wine they did. From the obvious, such as my marriage and the victory at Fulvrist, to the laughable, like our very recent wine heist or the fact that Jorn had figured out how to do a one-arm pushup. Two barrels were emptied in about an hour with a third well on the way. Not a big surprise considering that Hargon had used a whole barrel as his own personal cup at one point.

As the sun was disappearing behind the trees in the distance, casting the sky in an orange glow, Otar gave me a clap on the back with a bit too much gusto. I choked on my drink for a second, coughing as I stretched my back, trying to work out the sting of his heavy hand. He apologized with a chuckle, quite drunk at this point as even sitting down he seemed to sway a bit.

“So, married to Kala ehh? I gotta say it’s about damn time. Frankly if you two got any closer you’d be the same person, hehe.”

A round of laughter went around the fire, and I smiled while staring into the maroon liquid in my cup before letting out a sigh. “A part of me still can’t believe it, you know?” I finally said. “I came into this world with no expectations, hit the lowest point of my life soon after, and now, after everything, I’m getting married. Two and two is not equaling four when I think about it like that.” I chuckled in disbelief even now, shaking my head as the wine was getting to me.

Velian, who was the lightweight in the group, in more ways than one, was practically laid out on the ground, yet he still found enough in him to laugh and wave an unsteady hand in my direction. “Whaaaat? We’re not part of that? Everything was bad until you got married?”

I scoffed at him. “You know what I mean you little shit. I think you’ve had one too many as well bud. Can’t have you keeling over on me when I need you, all of you, soon.”

Hargon waved his large hand in front of him like he was swatting away my concerns. “Don’t you worry. We’re going to be there even if the pits themselves opened in front of us.”

A smile grew on my face as I looked at all the faces around me. “Thank you, all of you. You’ve given up a lot for me even when you didn’t need to. I’m glad that you stuck with me despite my plans sometimes being half-baked at best. You’ve helped me make the impossible possible, because I sure as shit couldn’t have done all this by myself. You deserve just as much credit for everything as I do.”

“I’ll drink to that!” Jorn said while raising his cup high. His declaration was met with resounding approval as everyone knocked back another cup with eye-rolling levels of enthusiasm. In fact, that drink was what pushed Velian over his limit, as when he tilted the cup back, he ended up collapsing completely onto the ground, lost in a drunken stupor.

“Heeeey, there he goes. Haha, knew he’d drop soon.” Ulthises laughed at the unconscious Velian sprawled out on the ground.

The others had a good chuckle as well before Otar stood up and walked over to his diminutive friend. “Well, I think that’s probably our cue to return to the camp. Someone might be missing us soon, and I’d prefer not to freeze out here once the sun goes down.” He kneeled and picked Velian up, throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Besides, I get the feeling your betrothed will want to spend some time with you as well,” he said with a teasing smirk in my direction.

“What? You jealous or something? I’m sure we could find you a lonely old woman who will take you in if we ask nicely.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Even though he tried to be angry, he couldn’t get rid of the smile on his face. “I am a catch and I’ll find myself a lovely woman to marry and have my children soon enough. You can also bet your ass that I’m going to be using your name and everything that come with it to ensure that I do, so you and that old lady can go elope yourselves.”

“Haha, I wouldn’t want to be responsible for the maiming that would happen after Kala found out.”

Otar chuckled as he adjusted Velian on his shoulder to a more comfortable position. “Yeah, best not to sacrifice someone’s grandmother on that altar. Either way, just want to say one more time, congrats on your marriage.”

It wasn’t just him either, as the others, at least those who were still conscious, gave me their well wishes. “I hope that you two will remain steadfastly in love for the rest of your days,” Hargon said.

“Yeah, but try not to get too lost in each other’s eyes that you forget about us. I’d still like to get together and have a drink every now and again as a group,” Jorn chipped in, in a manner that was very typical of him.

“Jorn, I think you can go a few months without drinking. Let the happy couple have at least that long to enjoy their union before you come in and ruin it. They deserve that much at least,” Ulthises poked fun at Jorn.

“Heresy! The wine must flow!”

After another round of chuckles everyone had said their peace and parted for the night. I caught a brief discussion between them before they exited hearing range about plans to draw on Velian’s face and where they could find charcoal to do it. Hehe, they’re all a bunch of children. I suppose that said something about me that I choose to hang around them, but one couldn’t deny that they certainly livened things up.

Well, no use standing around here all night. After all, I had a lady that was waiting for me. Just that thought alone put a smile on my face as I raced off across the snow strewn landscape toward the sea of tents. While Durdan had offered to allow me and Kala to stay in the castle, I turned him down. Too many bad memories, and I felt bad sleeping on a bed with a fireplace while everyone else made do with tents in the snow.

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Upon entering, I was greeting with the reverence of the crowd that made me shrink into myself a bit. From what I’ve heard, dozens of people watched me reform from a single cell, and all the gross stages that that implied. It’s not surprising that many of them saw me as something more than a mere mortal considering everything they’ve seen. The same thing happened in Yol’vastume, but this was on a much larger scale. I did my best to keep my composure as I slunk through the camp, making sure not to stand still else I would get swarmed by believers.

I saw my tent, my refuge, and I made a straight shot for it. Slipping inside the dimly lit interior, I released a sigh of relief as I was finally out of the mess that was outside. Fame was never my goal, and even now it didn't sit right with me. If I had to attribute one good thing to the situation, it would be that both Thrainians and coalition seemingly came together to worship.

“Another daring escape?”

The voice drew my attention to the occupant of the cot right next to mine. I smiled as I saw Kala reclining on the cot, propping her head up on her arm so she could look at me from a comfortable position.

“I at least managed to avoid getting bogged down by a literal army of worshipers this time.” That was not a fun experience as after the story about my resurrection had spread, I had been ambushed by thousands of people looking to get in touch with the gods through me.

Kala giggled a bit. “The great hero, willing to face down the ancient wyrms of old and bring them to heel, to challenge the might of an empire and bring it to ruin, is afraid of a little admiration from the masses.”

The rhetoric she tossed about made me roll my eyes. “At least the first two I could punch if they didn’t want to cooperate. I can’t just go around striking people for trying to pray, which leaves me overwhelmed.”

Her laughter continued to ring out before she smiled in a very satisfied way. “Well, it is the duty of a wife to ensure that her husband knows comfort at home.” She reached out and gave my cot a pat. “So come here, darling.”

There were no arguments from me, so I laid right next to her. She moved a bit closer to me before reaching out and running a hand along the side of my body. The gentle massaging motion she adopted immediately put me at ease. Everything was quiet and peaceful, until Kala sniffed a few times, scrunching her nose up slightly.

“Were you drinking? I can smell quite a bit of alcohol on you.”

“Yeah, the guys wanted to celebrate the marriage.”

“Where’d you even get it?”

“Raided the castle wine cellar for a few barrels.”

Kala balked a bit at that, but then shook her head with amusement. “Durdan will have a fit if he hears about that.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we weren’t caught then. Changing the subject a bit, will you finally tell me what you ladies have been up to for the last few days?”

She smirked at me. “Patience. You’ll find out soon enough.”

“But what if I want to know now?”

“Well, then I’d have to say deal with it. My lips are sealed.”

It was my turn to smirk now. “Well, I have my ways of getting information out of uncooperative little ladies such as yourself.”

I seized her by the arms and then dove headfirst at her neck, intent on using the stubbly beard I had grown over the last few days as a weapon. Her eyes went wide as she was able to piece together my plan. “NO, don’t you da- AAK hahahahaha!”

My assault continued as she squirmed, laughed, and writhed, trying to get away from me as I held her in an iron grip. I may have tortured her with laughter for a little too long, but I blame the drink for that one. Still, even as she panted heavily on the bunk, she had an exhausted but happy smile on her face.

“You feel like talking now?” I asked.

She sighed but remained resolute. “I can’t. I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“Oh, so it’s a surprise?” I thought about it for a second before mentally shrugging. “Well, in that case I suppose I won’t pester you about it anymore. I’d hate to ruin what you’re working on.”

“Thanks, but I would have liked it if you would have been content to just wait and see in the first place.”

“Where’s the fun in that when I could give you scratchy neck tickles instead?”

“You really are a little demon sometimes,” she said with chuckle.

“Hey, you still said yes.”

“And I haven’t regretted it once.” Her smile was warm and filled with love as we relaxed once again. Eventually she sighed before speaking again. “I guess we should go to sleep now. We have a big day tomorrow.”

That was a bit of an understatement as it was likely to be one of the most important days of my life. Still, I acquiesced even if I wished to spend a little longer with her. As we settled in, holding each other close, I found it easy to slip away into the void of sleep, probably thanks to the wine I had earlier. It was a peaceful night, but the morning was far from the same.

I don’t know if I've ever been more nervous about anything in my life. The whole of the morning saw a flurry of movement and preparations. My hangover was making things more difficult than they already were as I dressed, rehearsed, and walked through the movements of the ceremony in preparation. There were a few Trelnval from the army who were more than glad to teach me their traditions. It all seemed simple enough, I just had to wait for my cues, but the nervous bundle of excitement in my chest just wouldn’t abate.

Damn, I'm feeling lightheaded. Calm down, deep breaths, relax. I’ve run face first into an army with a tesla coil strapped to my chest and didn’t feel as nervous as this. When the call came that everyone was moving to the chosen ceremony location, I thought my heart was in my throat.

I double and even triple checked my clothes, making sure that the black suit that I borrowed from the castle was properly laced and clean. The chosen location was a nearby river, a relatively short walk of about half a mile into the woods. Rivers are a large part of the life and culture of a Trelnval, so naturally their binding ceremonies would also involve them.

There was no telling how long it took for them to find the ideal location to hold the ceremony, but they managed to locate a frosty clearing that could fit a sizable guest roster. We needed it too, because it was standing room only around here. The invitation to attend was open to everyone who wished to as a way of promoting this perceived union between Thrainian and coalition sides. Even so, both sides were rather divided into two halves with very few risking being close to the other side.

Can’t expect them to get over their hatred so soon, I guess.

At least I saw the guys near the front of the pack. Velian looked like the sun was his enemy, but he still managed to give me a wincing nod as the hangover he had must have been tremendous. The others gave little waves or nods as appropriate, and I shot them a grateful smile for them being here.

The staring from so many others didn’t really help my nerves, but at least I had something a bit more distracting than that. Standing by the river’s edge and catching the light of the high noon sun was Kala. She was wearing the same flowing formal robes and adornments as the ones during our stay in the coalition capital of Sor’Balvas, though there were some new additions to her attire. One was practical as she wore a furry shawl over her top half so she could maintain a level of alertness while in the cold. The second one was a bit strange as there were long stripes of white cloth that were wrapped tight around her body in a crisscrossing pattern until it ended at the tip of her tail where it was tied in place. I was unaware of any cultural significance to this, so I chalked it up to it just being a part of the attire the bride was expected to wear.

She was positively glowing as the light reflected off her adornments and the snow surrounding her, creating a silhouette of sparkling lights that was breathtaking. The gentle yet happy smile she wore as she looked my way put me at ease as the rest of the world almost faded away. I approached, all eyes on me as I joined Kala by the edge of the river, partly frozen on the edges as a thin layer of ice connected the water to the land.

Other than Kala, Silia was there as the acting elder of the village who would be conducting the ceremony, and Durdan beside her to officiate it. It was a strange lineup to my sensibilities, but there wasn’t much time to be bothered by that as my arrival signaled the start of the ceremony. Silia positioned herself between us, raising her voice so that all might hear.

“We gather on this day for a celebration of new beginnings. Just as two rivers might join to form a greater whole, so can two lives be bound together and become stronger for it. Under the eyes of the gods, and the witnesses in attendance today, we will see such a union form if these two souls have maintained their resolve to see this through.”

She made a gesture toward Kala, signaling her to step forward. “Has your chosen provided and protected you, ensuring that your belly is full, your dwelling warm, and your body safe even on the coldest of nights?”

“He has,” Kala answered assuredly.

Silia gave her a nod as Kala stepped back into line, then it was my turn to stand before her as I kept my back straight as a board. The look Silia was giving me wasn’t hostile, but certainly scrutinizing for a moment. She performed a longer blink than normal, and when she opened her eyes again there was no criticism or negativity behind them.

“Has your chosen been there to comfort and care for you, ensuring that you can find rest, solace, and succor even in the harshest of times?”

“She has.” Without a shadow of a doubt.

With a nod from her, I returned to Kala’s side as Silia turned and faced the river. Taking a pair of large cups, she approached the edge of the river and filled them with water. Returning to us, that was our cue to kneel as she poised the cups above us. Without a word she dumped the contents over our heads, dousing us in the icy water of the river that sent a shiver down my spine. I looked over to see how Kala was faring and was surprised to see the fabric she had around her body was absorbing the water quite rapidly, helping to dry her body but leaving the damp clothes clinging to her.

Silia raised the empty cups before moving to the end of the ceremony. “Now share your warmth as you will your lives from this point forward. Let the river guide you, but do not be swept away in its flow.”

Kala and I stood, turned toward one another, and embraced one another. She nuzzled into me as I wrapped my arms around her, drawing her close to keep the chill of the water at bay. Silia gave an approving nod before raising her voice to the crowd once more.

“And so, two lives have joined to share in the world together. May this pairing know prosperity and peace for the rest of their days.” The announcement was met with applause as the hundreds in attendance celebrated us being officially wed.

I held my wife... Wife... The concept only just hit me, but I realized that she was now my wife, and I couldn’t help the beaming smile that spread across my face. My joy was interrupted when she gently pushed away from me. I looked at her questioningly, but she just smiled at me before telling me what she was doing.

“I have a surprise for you,” she said simply as she reached into one of the stripes of cloth around her chest and removed a small damp bundle.

I watched as she unfolded it, curious as to what it contained, and then shocked as I saw the contents. There were a pair of rings sitting together on the cloth, one gold and one silver. This was certainly a surprise as I had no expectations of exchanging rings at this point, but somehow, she managed to get a pair.

The look on my face must have been amusing because she chuckled a bit before leaning in close to whisper to me. “You’re not the only one who took a few things from the castle. I had to pester the camp smith to melt down some jewelry and turn it into rings for us. Hopefully they fit, because there was some guessing involved in making yours. Also, I had something written on it for you.”

It seemed the surprises would keep coming as I picked up the gold ring and examined it. True enough, on the inside there was writing chiseled into the ring. It took a moment to read the fine print, but when I did, it felt like my soul was melting.

My hero, my heart, my home.

I was dangerously close to shedding tears of joy as I looked upon her with more love in my heart than ever before. Reluctantly, the ring was returned to her as I took the silver one and asked for her hand. She presented it willingly, and I slid the band onto her ring finger. Her smile seemed to double in size as I did so, and then she returned the favor by fitting me with my own ring. It fit well, only slightly loose, but it wouldn’t go anywhere without intent.

Looking at each other with glowing smiles, we embraced once more as I kissed her, an act that was met with another round of applause from the crowd. After the ceremony had concluded, and Kala removed her wet clothing, we began the process of accepting well wishes and congratulations from those in attendance. This was by far the lengthiest part of the whole ordeal, but right now that didn’t matter, because every moment I spent in Kala’s company felt like the best in the world.

Eventually the crowd was thinned out, which allowed Silia to approach us for a more personal conversation. “Congratulations you two. I hope that you will remain as happy and loving for many years to come.”

“Thanks mom,” Kala said, giving her a hug.

“Thank you, Silia,” I said with an appreciative nod.

Silia looked at me, opened her mouth, closed it again, then shook her head. “I think it would be considered strange for you to keep referring to me by name after all this. In this situation, it would be appropriate for you to call me mom as well.”

I was shocked to the point where I found it humorous and ended up chuckling as I shook my head. “Mom, huh?” Something warm and wet started to run down my face, and it took me a moment to realize that it was tears. Kala and Silia both looked surprised, and perhaps a little worried as I tried to wipe my face.

“I... I’m sorry, I don’t know where that came from.” Calling her mom seemed to awaken something in my heart, and the floodgates were opened without warning.

Silia smiled in an understanding way as she took a step closer to me before pulling me into a hug. My breath caught as she did so, and I heard her speak softly in my ear. “Despite our differences, our arguments, or our fights, we’re family now. We might not agree on everything, but what family can claim that they do? You make my daughter happy, and that’s enough for me. Welcome to our family, son.”

With slightly shaking hands, I reached around and hugged her back. Kala had teary eyes as she watched the two of us, and as I looked between her and my new mom, I felt a sense of serenity that could only come from one place.

I’m home.