Indenuel waited until Inessa arrived at his home to have dinner. Now that he was out of the dungeon, she was spending practically all day with him now, much to Tolomon’s chagrin.

Inessa walked into the house, smiling as she wrapped her arms around Indenuel, kissing him. They hardly started when Tolomon broke them apart.

“Tolomon, come on,” Indenuel said.

“It is way too close to the wedding for you to do this,” his bodyguard said, still keeping a hold of their elbows as he led them toward the dining hall. “Besides, I’m hungry.”

Inessa giggled as they walked into the dining hall. Indenuel kept a hold of her hand as they ate their steak. “Did the dress meeting go alright?” Indenuel asked.

She giggled again. “Dress meeting?”

“You know, your meeting about your dress?” Indenuel asked.

“I’m not allowed to tell you anything about that. It’s supposed to be a surprise for my future husband,” Inessa said.

“Oh surprises. I don’t know how I feel about them,” Indenuel said. “Especially when Tima is involved.”

Inessa gave such a seductive smile. “I guess you’ll find out, won’t you?”

She leaned over for a kiss, and Indenuel let her. He seemed to always lose track of time when he was kissing her, but it didn’t seem that long when Tolomon grabbed his head and pulled him away, helping him focus on his plate.

“It’s just two weeks. Just two more weeks,” Tolomon mumbled to himself, loud enough for them to hear. Indenuel smiled, cutting a piece of his steak while Inessa gave Tolomon a strange look.

“Indenuel?” Inessa asked. The tone of her voice made it seem like she had something pressing on her mind. “Who are you going to have wed us?”

“I was thinking of riding over with you to talk to Martin about it,” Indenuel said. “Of the four High Elders, he’s the one I’m most comfortable with.”

“And if…” Inessa was running something through her mind. Indenuel gave her a curious look. Inessa turned toward Tolomon.

“I am not giving you two a moment alone,” Tolomon mumbled, skewering his broccoli. “No matter how much you beg.”

“Whatever you want to say, you can say in front of him. He’s a good man,” Indenuel said, patting Tolomon’s shoulder.

“I do still want to surprise you,” Inessa said quietly. “But I have plans for my dress which includes a statement of my thoughts of the concubine law.”

“That’s really dangerous,” Tolomon said.

“Go for it,” Indenuel said at the same time.

Tolomon gave Indenuel a look. Indenuel shrugged. He was reminded of his promise to Empress Minai. He needed to chip away at the corruption of the High Elders.

“I don’t know what the High Elders do,” Inessa said, looking between Tolomon and Indenuel. “They might be so offended they’d not marry us.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Indenuel said.

Tolomon’s eyes widened. “Indenuel.”

“The High Elders are not the world power, and they need to remember that they are not untouchable,” Indenuel said. “There’s a lot they need to do to change, and whatever statement Inessa wants to make, I am giving her my support.”

Tolomon turned his gaze toward Inessa again, the worry there. “You’re not going to have them killed, are you?”

Inessa almost laughed. “No, Tolomon. I wouldn’t be able to.”

Tolomon picked up his fork and knife, returning to his steak and saying nothing. Indenuel was surprised to see a visible line of worry creasing his bodyguard’s forehead.

“They’re not going to try and have Inessa killed, are they?” Indenuel asked.

“No. They wouldn’t dare do that to the Warrior’s betrothed, even if they do refuse to wed you two,” Tolomon said, focusing on his dinner, taking a drink of his wine.

“Then what is this,” Indenuel said, poking the worry line between his eyebrows. “What has you worried?”

Tolomon brushed Indenuel’s hand away. “It means there’s a possibility I’ll be chaperoning you two a lot longer than I thought. You realize if you don’t get married, I will still have to keep you two from being indecent. You can’t…”

Sleep together, was the unspoken phrase Tolomon wouldn’t dare say in front of Inessa.

“We’re willing to take the risks,” Indenuel said.

Tolomon gave a pained smile, then said something under his breath. Something that sounded like, “Stupid young love.”

***

The ride back from Martin’s house was quiet. The sun had completely set, and the four stars were in the sky. Martin not only agreed to marry him and Inessa, but was thrilled to be asked. They said nothing of their plan to him, as Indenuel wasn’t certain himself what Inessa was planning to do. Indenuel felt a twinge of hurt that he was putting this on Martin, but Martin was a High Elder. He wasn’t without his own sins.

Tolomon was leaning forward, elbows on his knees, glancing out the window as they rode back home. The worry had stuck to his face ever since Inessa mentioned her plan.

“Tell me what you really think,” Indenuel said.

Tolomon glanced at him. “About what?”

“About what Inessa’s going to do,” Indenuel said.

Tolomon rubbed his face with his hands before sitting up straighter. “I’m simply worried. Nobody has gone up against the High Elders. The political game is dangerous, because they’re the ones that made the rules and have placed themselves on top. It is its own kind of war.”

“It’s what I promised the Empress I would do,” Indenuel said.

“Take down the High Elders this way?” Tolomon asked.

“Try to get the corruption out of them,” Indenuel said. Tolomon rubbed his chin, still looking worried. “Don’t you want them to stop? Everything you told me? Don’t you want it to end?”

“Of course, I do,” Tolomon said, running a hand through his hair. “But it’s still dangerous. I doubt you are prepared for the mind games Navir is capable of twisting around you. For the humiliation, for the death threats to your loved ones?”

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Indenuel frowned, looking down at his hands. “How much protection do I have as the Warrior?”

“I don’t know,” Tolomon said. “Few have tried going up against the High Elders, because few can.”

“Are you backing away from a fight, Tolomon?” Indenuel asked.

Tolomon smiled, but there was none of the cheer behind it. “Simply terrified for you. You just ended one war you barely survived.”

“Tolomon, I’m going to be fine,” Indenuel said.

He said nothing. He simply looked at Indenuel, a flicker of sadness in his eyes. “As a lower-class citizen, I cannot change your mind, but I will do what I can to support you. Yes, the corruption needs to end, but…” Tolomon sighed. “Dammit, Indenuel, I watched you slaughter. You got the mark off, but your mental state is not in a good place to do something like this so soon. I cannot let you do this without warning you that this could break you.”

“I have learned way too much about the High Elders’ sin to look the other way. I can do something. Now. Every day they are sleeping with girls half their own daughter’s ages, lying to their congregation, denying help to those that need it most.”

Tolomon sighed. “I know. I know. But please don’t use any physical force. Please promise me this will only be a mental battle. And whatever you do, don’t do this alone. Inessa is here. I am here. Don’t let the devil persuade you otherwise.”

Indenuel couldn’t help it and smiled. “Should I break my promise, may my… wait, what is it you say?”

“No, don’t say what I have to say. Just… promise me.”

Indenuel nodded. “Alright. I promise.”

Tolomon looked a little more at ease, but the worry line between his eyebrows was still there.

***

Inessa was so consumed with wedding plans, that she hardly had time to see Indenuel, which was probably to Tolomon’s liking. She was nervous about what her dress would be like until she appeared at Tima’s dress shop and saw it. She tried it on, smiling as Tima did the pinning herself. Tima assured her that she could always speed through a modest pure white dress if she ever got too nervous, but Inessa said no. There were young women in the High Elder’s homes who would never have the opportunity she got, and it was for her sisters that she wore this dress. It made her even more nervous for the wedding that might not happen, but she went along, pretending like it would.

Sara made a huge fuss about things. The wedding celebration afterwards would be one of the largest she had ever done. Inessa tried not to think of how much pain she would put them through if the marriage never happened. But she knew none of Martin’s family liked the concubine law.

After a long day of trying to decide with Sara the kind of refreshments to have at the table, Inessa knew she should just go to bed, but she wanted to see Indenuel. The wedding was three days away, and the nerves in her stomach were a mess. Sara’s dinner was sitting in her stomach, and it was starting to hurt with the nerves of the coming wedding.

She got out of the carriage to Indenuel’s house. He was there to greet her.

“Hello,” he said with a smile, wrapping her in a hug.

Inessa let herself be hugged, closing her eyes. Tolomon was a lot less likely to break them apart if they were just hugging.

“Sorry for the late visit. I just wanted to see you,” Inessa said.

“Oh, don’t apologize for something like this,” Indenuel said, smiling as they broke away. “How’s the wedding celebrations going?”

Inessa let out a sigh she’d been holding in all day. “I honestly don’t know how any of Martin’s family will react if the wedding never happens. And even if it does, I doubt we’ll have a huge turnout for our celebration dinner.”

“Which is honestly fine. Probably the best wedding gift you could have gotten me,” Indenuel said as they sat down on chairs. “I don’t do well in crowds.” Inessa giggled, placing her head on his shoulder. “I’ve also invited as many Oraminians as I can. I was told they wouldn’t be allowed in the actual Cathedral, but they were more than welcome to the celebration dinner. I honestly don’t know if they’ll eat anything, and I don’t know what that might do to Sara.”

Inessa smiled, shaking her head. “I guess it will be a struggle between the Oraminian stubbornness or Sara’s.”

“And I honestly don’t know who would win,” Indenuel said.

Inessa smiled again, realizing Tolomon was sitting on the other side of Indenuel. Sometimes she honestly forgot that big man was there. She didn’t know how much of it was Tolomon’s skill, or she just being blissfully unaware. It might have been both.

“Don’t worry, Inessa, we’ll get married,” Indenuel said, placing his arm around her. “What with Martin doing the ceremony, I have a way to make sure he marries us.”

“Really?” Inessa asked.

“Yes, really. And once we are married, I can become the legal guardian to Matteo, Isla, and Emilia,” Indenuel said.

Inessa frowned, then sat up enough to break out of Indenuel’s grip. “Sorry, what was that?”

Indenuel turned, giving her a strange look. “The children. The orphan children from my village.”

“I know who they are, I just…” she trialed off. The habit of staying quiet and doing what she was told was a strong habit that she found herself falling back on. But this was Indenuel.

“What is it?” Indenuel asked.

“I… don’t… want children,” Inessa said, trying to sound strong.

Indenuel watched her carefully as though trying to decipher the hidden meaning she said. There was no hidden meaning, though. It was the truth.

“You… don’t want children,” Indenuel said. Inessa didn’t say anything, almost afraid to. Indenuel straightened in his chair, going from the relaxed pose to one more upright and aware. “Certainly you don’t mean Matteo and the twins. You know them already. They are my family.”

Inessa forced herself to look away, feeling uncomfortable. Tolomon got up, moving away to give them at least a semblance of privacy to have this conversation. “And I am happy to do such, but… but I don’t want to be their mother.”

Indenuel continued to stare at her, sorting through this information. “Inessa,” he said. “I don’t understand. How…”

“I raised my siblings from the age of three,” Inessa said. “I don’t want to do that anymore.”

“But Matteo and the twins aren’t babies. Isla and Emilia will turn six at the end of the summer. Matteo is ten. They are older children.”

“I know. I know, but motherhood is something I…” Inessa looked down at her hands, playing with her fingers. “I can’t do it. I get in such a state of panic that I cannot do that to myself again.”

“They are older children. They can take care of themselves at this point,” Indenuel said.

“Then we don’t need to be their guardians,” Inessa said.

Indenuel’s mouth hung open for barely a heartbeat before he closed it again. Inessa looked away again, not wishing to fight with him.

“These children are… they are very important to me. I need to make sure they are mine,” Indenuel said. Again Inessa said nothing, feeling frustrated. It was the thing she feared. It was far too odd to have a woman not want children. Eventually she would have to have one, because that was what society expected of her. “You don’t have to do anything. I have an entire staff of servants to take care of them. But I need them.”

Inessa rubbed her forehead, trying to keep the panic at bay. This was a variation of what Martin said to try and ease her into the idea, and she still detested it. She needed to have this conversation with Indenuel, that she was fully aware of, but she was still too afraid. Afraid she was going to lose and find herself the mother of three children so soon after marriage.

“I don’t think you understand the state of terror I would be in,” Inessa said, her breathing unnatural.

“The entire staff would-”

“I know,” she said, her voice sharper than she intended. “I know, but…” She tried to reason it out. Yes, they were older, but even the thought of a maternal responsibility terrified her.

Indenuel took her hands from her forehead. “Inessa, you don’t have to do a single thing. The relationship of mother would only be on paper.”

“But it would still be there,” Inessa said.

“I need them, Inessa,” Indenuel said.

She sighed, feeling a part of her crumble. It was as she feared. In the end, she didn’t get a choice in the matter.

“Just… no babies,” she said quietly, looking up at him. “Please. No babies between us.”

Indenuel gave a tiny smile. “Maybe Matteo and the twins will help you realize that you could be a great m-”

“No babies,” Inessa said again, cutting him off.

Indenuel’s smile dropped. “Alright. No babies.”

For now. That was the phrase Inessa practically heard him say in his head.

“I’m serious, Indenuel. I will never want to have a baby.”

“I know. We’ll have plenty of time to-”

“I am not going to have a baby,” Inessa said, more force to her words. “I do not want to be pregnant, I do not want to take care of one, I do not want to simply hand it over to the staff. If you want to have a baby, I will look the other way while you get some other woman pregnant.”

There it was, on Indenuel’s face. The realization that Inessa was not joking. “I would never… I wouldn’t sleep with another…”

Inessa let him trail off. She wouldn’t be the sensible one to change the subject. She wanted to let him know how serious she was. She stood. “Does this change your mind about us?”

Indenuel stood, not exactly going in for a hug. “No, no. I… I still want to marry you.”

“I’m glad.” There was a pause, one that was starting to feel prickly. Inessa looked at her feet, the sun completely setting. “I’m going to go. I’m tired. And it’s been a long day.”

“Yeah. Of course.”

Inessa paused again, knowing the silence between them wasn’t good. Not when they were less than three days from getting married. Inessa tucked her hair behind her ear. Indenuel had what he wanted, and she had what she wanted. Which reminded her that she needed more poppy root.

“Good night,” Inessa said.

“Good night,” he said.

They kissed, more a short kiss goodbye. Inessa walked out of the garden, the first time the nerves in her stomach took a different turn.