Chapter 83: The easy way, or the hard way

* * *

Alana rubbed her stomach, and not because a baby was growing in it. No, it was because of the wonderful food at the impromptu party celebrating that Sarah's demon had been exorcised. It was one of the most joyous occasions she'd ever been a part of, and she wouldn't have missed it for the world.

"Oh, Sarah." Thea said to the lady of the hour. "My guardian informed me earlier that your father, Amy, and Rindrin should arrive tomorrow."

"Wonderful!" Sarah beamed.

Alana smiled.

Of course, that news also put Alana in mind of her own father, who couldn't even claim to be her father. She waited a few moments, then got up and went over to Yalia.

"Hi Alana." The young nymph said.

"Hi." Alana replied with a smile.

"You wanted to ask something?" Yalia said.

"That obvious?" The wood elf replied.

"I spent the afternoon with a very insightful person, and I like to think it's rubbing off." Yalia replied.

Alana chuckled. "I was wondering if you heard anything from the Conclave about whether a shamed person's shame can be removed."

"No, but Matthew and Plesius spent a while talking about it this afternoon." She replied. "Plesius thinks there's a good chance they'll decide a person's shame can be removed, but it sounds like Nakhim Nalfigar is trying to get the luminars to decide the other way."

Alana nodded. "I was afraid of that."

"I think it will turn out okay." Yalia replied.

"I hope so." The wood elf said, trying to put a brave face on. So much was riding on this that she just... She sighed.

She talked with Yalia for a little longer, then returned to her seat. She was slightly distracted the rest of the party, which thankfully didn't go as late as Thea's ball the previous night had.

On the way back to their suite, Ethan nudged her. "You okay?"

"Just thinking about my parents." She replied. "There's so much riding on the Conclave's decision and I don't know what to do."

Ethan hesitated a moment before replying. "Well, given all the crap that happened while getting rid of Sarah's demon, I think I know what Gabriella would suggest."

"That we pray?" Alana replied.

He nodded.

Alana heard a faint vibrating sound, and it only took a moment to realize that it was Taloni's wings, which fit perfectly with the beaming smile on her face.

"And it only took getting repeatedly pummeled by a demon for a while before you started remembering that." Kendra said, the tiniest edge of a smile on her normally neutral face.

Everyone else laughed.

"I might be hard-headed, but if you break enough bones in a short enough time, even I can learn." Ethan replied.

Everyone laughed again.

Then, when they got to the suite, they all prayed. Alana had no idea how much good it would do, but she was glad that they did.

* * *

Fiona stood on the Helene's weather deck, not feeling sleepy at all despite the lateness of the hour. Conner had fought sleep as well, but not as hard as her body was fighting it. She sighed. It was beautiful tonight, like the previous night, though Lady Ekthros wasn't on the deck tonight. In fact, Fiona hadn't seen the other woman all day, which seemed a little odd.

She sighed as the cool breeze wafted through the docks. There was no humidity in the air, though it wasn't dry, and it had a small note of crispness that always accompanied early autumn. Out on the dock, many lanterns were hung along the wooden frame of the docks, which were attached to the massive trees around which the city was built.

A faint scent of what smelled like stew was being carried on the wind, no doubt from a nearby restaurant, or more likely a pub given the hour. The elven docks never had a single drunk sailor on them. The only time she had seen someone who looked a little tipsy, the dock guards had escorted him away. Her husband said he would be put in a holding area until he sobered up, then released.

The moon was out and casting a bluish light over the area. For some reason, that seemed to make the entire area feel peaceful, especially when paired with the lanterns, and doubly especially when contrasted with the worry in Fiona's soul.

Lord Delmar had already told Prince George that he was a dragon, and soon, all of Narlotten would know; only Illuminar knew how that would go. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Delivery." Someone said from directly behind her.

She jumped and whirled around to see--

"Tabby?" She put her hand over her now-racing heart.

Her former bodyguard nodded once, then held up a letter, consisting of a note folded on itself and sealed with wax.

"Tabby!" Fiona smiled and pulled her former bodyguard into a hug. It was a one-sided hug, but at least she didn't move away or prevent it.

"Was someone asking you to deliver the letter?" Fiona asked after stepping back.

Tabitha shook her head once.

Fiona frowned. "Were you volunteering?"

Tabitha shook her head once again.

"Then how...?"

Tabitha just looked at her, then raised the letter and offered it again.

Fiona opened it, read it, and couldn't help but smile. "It's from Sarah, she was getting rid of her demon and she's wanting to see me to talk." She looked up, and Tabitha was as unreadable as ever. "I was forgetting to thank you for helping me talk to Ethan and his wives at the ball." Fiona said after a long silence. "I'm really appreciating that."

"You are welcome." Tabitha replied, but didn't say anything else, nor even smile.

"Why were you coming here Tabby, if you weren't being asked or volunteering?" Fiona paused, then added. "Were you being ordered, or paid?"

Tabitha shook her head twice with a slight pause in between them, but otherwise didn't reply.

Fiona felt her mouth morph into some combination of a smile and a frown, then patted the railing right next to her. "Come on, you could be joining me for a few minutes."

Tabitha did, though she remained as silent as ever.

Fiona smiled. "You know, I'm thinking you could probably be blending in better and giving less away if you were saying more. It's easier to notice things when you say so little and express even less."

"Perhaps." Tabitha replied, her face, tone, and body language unreadable.

"Is that on purpose?" Fiona asked. "Are you wanting to express more, but aren't feeling like you can?"

"Perhaps." Tabitha repeated exactly as before.

Fiona chuckled, then looked at the letter again. "It's sounding like they were having an impromptu party; I'm hoping it was wonderful and she was happy."

"It was, and she was." Tabitha said, unreadable as ever.

"Were you invited?" Fiona asked.

Tabitha shook her head once.

Fiona smiled. "Were you there anyway, out of the way and watching like you usually are?"

"Yes." She replied.

Finally, a verbal answer; that made Fiona smile. "So, she's happy?"

Tabitha nodded once.

Fiona smiled wider. "Tabby, what would be making you that happy?"

She didn't reply.

"I was noticing that you liked being around Conner." Fiona observed. "Are you liking children?"

Again, Tabitha didn't reply.

"Some things never change." Fiona said, then looked down at the letter again and reread it. When she had finished, Tabitha was still nearby at the railing, looking out across the docks. Or at least, that's what Fiona thought she was doing. The reality was anyone's guess.

"How have you been Tabby?" Fiona asked after a moment.

"Well." She replied, her tone still unreadable.

Fiona looked down at the letter for another moment, then opened her mouth to inhale so she could ask Tabby another question. However, when she turned, her former bodyguard was nowhere to be seen. Fiona turned completely around, and Tabby wasn't anywhere on the deck. She looked over the side but didn't see her there either.

Fiona smiled.

It seemed like Tabitha had gone out of her way to deliver the letter instead of whoever had been going to. The only reason she could think of that Tabby would do that is if she wanted to see her. Despite the jump scare and the fact that she had said almost nothing, that was actually kind of sweet.

* * *

Sarah opened her eyes with a smile on her face. Not only because her demon was finally gone, and not only because of the impromptu party the previous night. Those helped, but really, it was something else. It was much harder to define and much harder to put her finger on it, but it was real.

She felt better.

Physically, mentally, spiritually; all of it. If there was a way to feel better, she felt it. She hadn't noticed right after her demon had left because she was so nervous that Ethan wouldn't like how she looked. Apparently, she needn't have worried because he had kept his eyes on her all evening.

Sarah almost wanted to get up and look at herself in the mirror again just to make sure it was real. She looked like her mother, and that alone was such a huge blessing that she couldn't put it into words. It helped her to feel connected to her in a way that she hadn't before, and it made her heart swell.

And everyone thought she was pretty.

Sarah had even noticed one of the men at the palace glance at her a bit too long, like she had always seen men do to pretty girls. They had never done that to her before. It made her feel beautiful, which was wonderful. Though, something about it hadn't sat quite well with her, probably because it wasn't Ethan.

Again, she almost pinched herself to make sure that it was real and she wasn't dreaming.

"I wouldn't pinch yourself." A soft, melodic voice said from nearby.

Sarah opened her eyes and sat up to see Gabriella sitting on the side of her bed with one of the widest smiles that Sarah had ever seen. The angel was beaming, and not just figuratively either. She was giving off a warm glow that had the intensity of a bonfire but the warmth of a candle.

"It is real in the sense that your demon is gone and everything you remember did indeed happen." Gabriella continued. "However, this is a dream, and I wouldn't want you to wake up just yet."

Sarah looked around, but the room was the bedroom of her suite in Nalatia, exactly where she had fallen asleep. "Are you sure I'm dreaming?"

Gabriella laughed. It was a pleasant, musical laugh filled with warmth and joy that made Sarah want to laugh with her.

"The dark ones like to sculpt dreams to create artificial comfort more conducive to deception." Gabriella replied. "The holy ones see no need to alter dreams, for Illuminar -- blessed be He -- created the gift of dreaming and we wouldn't dare to interfere with His creation."

"Oh, okay." Sarah nodded. "That makes sense."

"My Lord is so very proud of you." Gabriella said, still beaming.

"He is?" She replied. "But... but I took so long to want it gone."

"You did, but He rejoices that you have finally seen what it was doing to you, and what it was trying to make you into."

Sarah bit her lip. "Lady Ekthros?"

"You would never have become that, but you would have drifted away from Illuminar, and that would have slowly created space between you, your fellow wives, and even Ethan." The angel replied. "None would ever stop loving you, but you would have found yourself lonely and isolated yourself from the others. Over time, you would've recreated the circumstances in which you grew up. Not intentionally, but you would have."

Sarah swallowed.

"But that will not be your future now." The angel added with a comforting smile.

"What will be my future then?" Sarah asked.

Gabriella laughed. "Dear girl, I don't know."

"Oh." Sarah wasn't sure if she should be sad or relieved by that. "So, if I ask Illuminar, will He tell me?"

"The future isn't what you think, if you think there's only one way it can go." Gabriella replied. "Do you remember that game on Earth that Ethan told you about? 'Bowling', where you use a heavy ball rolling down a lane with gutters trying to knock down the pins at the end?"

She nodded.

"Think of the future like that, only with those 'gutter guards' that Ethan mentioned." The angel said. "The ball is you, rolling along in life, and the pins are the things you want in life. The end destination is where Illuminar -- blessed be He -- wants things to go, informed by mortal prayers. No matter what happens, the ball will reach the end destination, where my Lord wants it to go. If it would go into the gutter, He intervenes so it does not, like the gutter guards do in the game."

"Okay." Sarah nodded slowly, following so far.

"However." Gabriella looked at Sarah seriously. "How many of the pins you hit -- how many of the things in life you want that you get -- depends on how the ball moves. You throw many times in a game, and if you try your best, you can knock down most of the pins, most of the time. But if you don't try, you won't knock down many pins at all. Every choice and decision is like another throw of the bowling ball."

"Oh." Sarah thought about that for a moment. "So, my path in life isn't chosen?"

"You could have turned Ethan down." Gabriella replied. "You could have refused to join the Argo and lived out the rest of your life at your father's inn. That would have meant only knocking down one or two metaphorical 'pins', but you could have."

Sarah grimaced; she didn't even want to think about a life like that.

"You throw the ball, and my Lord makes sure it doesn't go into the gutter, like the gutter guards." Gabriella added. "How many pins you hit depends in large part on how much effort you put in..." She looked at Sarah seriously. "...and how much help you ask for. My Lord is happy to help you throw better, to hit more pins, but He is a gentleman, and so He rarely intervenes unless asked."

"But, I've always heard that Illuminar has a plan for everyone's life." Sarah replied.

"He does." Gabriella confirmed. "But many choose to ignore His plan and throw the ball their own way, hitting far fewer 'pins' as a result. Illuminar -- blessed be He -- won't let His plans for the world and the good of mortals fall into the gutter. But if someone refuses help and wishes to throw the ball their own way, my Lord won't stop them. He gave this world to mortals, and takes that gift seriously."

Sarah nodded slowly as she considered that. She was still sitting in the bed with the covers over her lower half, and she rearranged them a little to give herself something to do while she thought.

"So... what about Lady Ekthros?" She finally asked. "That one day, you were there and you tried to convince me to keep the demon in, and I didn't." She paused. "But because I didn't, I met Fiona and Amy..."

"No, you didn't meet Fiona and Amy because of that." Gabriella corrected. "You met Fiona and Amy in spite of that."

"I would have met them anyway?" Sarah asked.

The angel nodded. "You would have gone to Karnas, lived at the castle with Fiona, and would've met Amy regardless. However, you would have skipped the captivity you endured with Lady Ekthros if you had listened."

"Oh." She didn't know what else to say.

"Yes, you can actually improve your life." Gabriella sad. "You can work to make it better. You will be much more successful at that if you ask for my Lord's help, but never forget that you can make your life better."

Sarah nodded slowly. "But, doesn't that also mean that I can make it worse?"

"It does." The angel replied. "That's the trouble with free will; your results depend in large part on your efforts."

"So, Ethan, Alana, and the others could make things worse?" Sarah finally asked.

"It's possible." Gabriella nodded. "If none of you prayed ever again from this moment on, you would find that many of you have something in common with Candice when the war is over."

Sarah swallowed.

Hard.

"That's actually why I'm here." The angel added. "A gentle reminder far in advance so you can avoid such things."

"Oh." Sarah breathed a sigh of relief.

"The whole family prayed together last night." Gabriella said. "If they hadn't, I wouldn't be here."

"Oh. Hmm." Sarah cocked her head to one side. "So, my prayers actually matter?"

"They do." Gabriella confirmed. "Every prayer you've prayed is precious to Illuminar -- blessed be He. Every one of them contributed to where you are now, betrothed to Ethan and freed from your demon."

She couldn't help but smile as she remembered that.

"Now, there is another reason I came to you tonight; you have a decision to make." The angel said.

"I do? About what?"

"Ethan will need someone to help him fight the possessed men." Gabriella said. "My Lord wants to offer you a choice: you can choose who will be gifted with speed and strength great enough to fight alongside Ethan against the possessed men, because he will need the help. You can choose to receive this gift yourself, or give it to whomever you think is best."

Sarah's eyes widened. "Me? You want me to choose?"

Gabriella nodded. "My Lord is offering you this choice, yes."

"But... but... but what if I choose wrongly?" Sarah asked.

"He is more than willing to help you choose well." Gabriella replied. "He showed Rachel what her future would look like depending on what she chose many moons ago; He can do the same again."

"I--" Sarah was about to say that she didn't know where to start, but paused. "Oh, this is something I should pray about, isn't it?"

Gabriella beamed. "Of course."

"I can do that." Sarah said. "I will do that. Can I ask for advice?"

"You can, but I would suggest another option." Gabriella replied. "This is a dream, and often people don't remember parts of their dreams. This decision can remain in your dreams for a time and be forgotten in the waking world, so you will not need to stress about it." She smiled. "You have a wedding coming up, and my Lord would prefer that you be able to enjoy that without additional stress."

"So, I'll remember it whenever I'm dreaming, but not when I'm awake?"

"For a time, yes." Gabriella replied, then smiled. "One can pray while one is dreaming you know."

"And, it'll all turn out okay if I don't remember it while I'm awake for a while?"

"It will not turn out worse." The angel assured her.

"Okay, then yes please." She replied, then took a moment to think about it. "Can I think out loud without actually deciding?"

"Absolutely." The angel beamed.

"My first thought was Kendra." Sarah said. "She would be a great person to help Ethan."

"And you can choose her, but I would pray about it at length first." Gabriella replied.

"Okay, I will." Sarah said.

"Oh, and one more thing." Gabriella pulled out a small mirror from somewhere and held it up so that Sarah could see herself in it. It was the most perfect mirror that Sarah had ever seen. "It might be a dream, but it's also real."

Sarah beamed.

* * *

Kendra yawned as she woke, somewhat tangled between Taloni and Beth since Selene was in Ethan's arms this morning. A quick glance made Kendra slightly jealous; Selene was everything that Kendra wanted to be physically: drop-dead gorgeous, large-but-not-overly-large breasts, shapely figure, gorgeous hair, plus everything else. She even had perfect nails; it was so unfair, not that she was upset at Selene or anything.

Kendra sighed, then extricated herself from her fellow wives and stood there looking at them for a moment. They were all just lovely, incredibly so, and watching them sleep safe and sound never failed to bring a smile to her face. She watched for a minute, then found her dress and slipped it on. She watched them for another moment, smiled a bit wider, then slipped out of the room.

Sadly, her body wouldn't exercise itself.

She ran through her usual morning routine, pleased to see that she was indeed getting better. She was a hair less stable on her feet than she was used to, but again, that was going away, and she doubted anyone except Ethan or Serif could tell. Selene probably couldn't even tell, and she was getting very good.

Once she was done, she considered going back to bed, but was too awake to lie in bed doing nothing because Ethan and her fellow wives probably wouldn't be up for a while yet. Instead, she slipped out of the suite.

"Halasses, Falsoon." She nodded to the two Lightguard stationed outside the door.

"Ma'am." They both nodded back.

"All quiet except for Victoria." Halasses added, answering the question that she asked every morning before she'd even asked. "She's been pacing for the last half hour."

"Any idea why?"

"Guess." Halasses got an amused expression on his face.

Kendra nodded. "Speaking of such things, how did things go with Candice when you asked?"

"Reasonably well." The captain of the Lightguard replied. "She wasn't disinterested, though I told her not to answer at the time, but rather to take some time to be sure."

"That's probably wise." Kendra said, then turned to the other Lightguard. "How did your granddaughter's first tea party go?"

"Quite well, thank you for remembering." He replied, but didn't elaborate; but then again, he never did. Still, it paid to get to know people like personal guards. It made them more likely to want to protect her family, plus, no one could infiltrate them without her being aware if she knew them well.

"I'm glad to hear that." She replied, then looked toward where Victoria's suite was. "Well, I'll go check on our pacing friend and see what the good colonel did now."

Halasses smiled, then nodded once.

Kendra walked that way and turned a corner to see that Victoria was indeed pacing the hallway. She would occasionally huff, and sometimes relax, then keep pacing like she was being paid by the step.

"Copper for your thoughts?" Kendra asked.

"He's so aggravating!" Victoria huffed. "And I can't read his mind so I never know what he's thinking, and I don't know what he's up to, and he's just... just..." She let out a strangled groan that had plenty of exasperation, and even a little anger thrown in for flavor.

"What did he do now?" Kendra asked.

"He told me that I was beautiful, and he was all sincere about it too." The gorgeous platinum blonde said, and Kendra found herself wishing that her birthday was also the sixth day of the sixth month. Alas...

"Why is a compliment so bad?" Kendra asked.

"Because: Why?" She replied. "What's his angle? What is he trying to get out of me? He must be up to something, I just don't know what."

"You're acting like a spoiled brat." Kendra said, tired of hearing this kind of thing from her.

Victoria stopped like she'd been slapped. "What?"

"You are betrothed to a good man, who even Falkaan couldn't find dirt on, and he gave you a genuine compliment. Maybe he was trying to be nice to his betrothed, who seems determined to find fault with everything he does and ruin any chance she has at having a good marriage."

Victoria stared, mouth hanging open.

"Maybe, next time, just say 'thank you' and realize that as a good man, he might not be trying to get anything from you." Kendra pointed out. "You're already betrothed to him, so he's going to get all of you for the rest of his life anyway. Maybe, just maybe, he's trying to be nice to the stubborn, pig-headed woman he's betrothed to in a vain attempt to make his marriage tolerable."

Victoria moved her mouth, but no words came.

"Personally, I think he would have better luck with a cane across your backside." Kendra added, mostly kidding. Mostly. "But he's probably too nice for that." She gave Victoria a significant look.

Color was beginning to blossom on Victoria's porcelain cheeks. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

Kendra raised her eyebrow.

"Oh." Victoria said, her whole face red at this point.

Kendra just let her stew in her obvious shame and embarrassment without speaking. They weren't fun emotions, but painful things -- including emotions -- tended to be great teachers.

"I'm really that bad?" Victoria said after a few moments.

"Sarah said that you complained that he wanted to bond with you." Kendra said, and just let that hang there.

Victoria grimaced.

"If you had a son, would you want his future wife to treat him the way that you treat your betrothed?" Kendra asked, driving the point home.

Victoria winced.

Again, Kendra just let her sit with that for a moment.

"Um." She swallowed. "I can get better."

Kendra made her tone fractionally less hard. "A good start would be an apology."

Victoria nodded. "Okay."

"Also, tell him that you appreciate the compliment." Kendra added. "Men feel loved when their wives are appreciative."

That was the moment that Kendra realized that she wasn't behaving like her usual taciturn self. Hmm, her fellow wives must be rubbing off on her. When did that happen? When did she start trying to randomly help people outside her family?

"Thank you." Victoria said after a moment.

"You're welcome." Kendra replied.

"I'll get better." Victoria said after several seconds, and her insistent tone sounded like she was trying to convince both Kendra and herself.

"Hopefully, or you'll just make both of you miserable." Kendra replied, not wanting to let the pressure off of Victoria to make sure the point was fully driven home, no matter how uncomfortable it made the other woman. Okay, maybe she hadn't changed that much.

* * *

Sarah woke up with a smile, and she was actually awake this time. She could hear the birds singing outside her window and got up to go look. There was a small, brightly-colored bird that she didn't recognize on a tree nearby, singing in the morning like it was a festive moment. For Sarah, it felt like one. Today was the first day in well over a decade that she had woken up without her demon.

She paused.

No, it wasn't 'her demon' anymore. It was just 'a' demon.

She smiled.

Movement caught her eye, and she looked up to see a flock of birds flying in formation, heading south. She supposed that it was getting to be that time of year. Still, this would be her first winter as a woman without a demon, and she couldn't wait.

She went to the bathroom and took a moment to look in the mirror, almost tearing up as she saw so much of her mother in her reflection. She wondered what her father would say when he, Amy, and Rindrin arrived later that morning.

She finished getting ready and slipped out of her suite to go across the hall to Ethan's suite.

"Halasses, Falsoon." She smiled at the two Lightguard outside of Ethan's suite. "How are you this morning?"

"Well, thank you for asking." The captain of the Lightguard replied.

"And...?" Sarah prompted excitedly. "I didn't ask Candice last night, so I'm dying to hear how it went."

Halasses smiled. "It went well. She seemed receptive, and especially so when I mentioned the possibility of her living in Nalatia with mostly-elven children. Thank you for suggesting that."

"You're welcome." She smiled back. "Ethan mentioned how much she loves elven culture, so I'm glad to hear it helped."

"I believe that it did." Halasses nodded.

Sarah turned to the other Lightguard. "Falsoon, how did your granddaughter's first tea party go?"

"It went very well, thank you for asking." He replied, then added a rare embellishment without being prompted. "She appreciated the seasoning tweak to the crumpets that you suggested."

"I'm so happy to hear that." Sarah beamed. He rarely said more, but every once in a great while, he would. Sarah always asked, mostly because he didn't seem to mind her asking, and because people always had such interesting things to say when they talked about their lives. She loved hearing those kinds of things.

They opened the doors for her and she slipped inside, then went to the door to Ethan's bedroom and paused, listening at the door to make sure that she didn't interrupt them. It didn't take very long for a feminine moan to drift through the door, making Sarah's cheeks grow a little warm. She stepped back from the door and found a seat in the living room so she wouldn't disturb them.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder...

She glanced at the door, glad that it was thick enough to deaden the sound. More than once lately, she had been finding her mind drifting to her wedding night with Ethan and the rest of his wives. She still wanted them there, even though a part of her was apprehensive about it too.

Her mind drifted back to the previous day when Selene had teased her about kissing Beth. No one besides Selene knew that Sarah had wondered what that would be like. Not because she had any particular attraction to the blonde, but because Sarah knew his other wives did that, and Beth seemed likely to experiment first.

Sarah couldn't decide how she felt about kissing another woman. Kissing Ethan had been wonderful, but his other wives? She didn't know. They were lovely women, so it would probably be lovely, but she didn't know. His other wives seemed to enjoy it though. Then again, she would be willing to do it just because she knew that Ethan liked it. He had been so wonderful to her that she was determined to do everything she could to be the best possible wife to him. If that meant kissing his other wives, she would try it with an open mind.

It really didn't sound bad.

Strange, but not bad.

She adjusted in her seat, grateful for the self-cleaning underwear that she was wearing, because whenever she thought about this too long, it tended to get damp 'down there'. She had an idea of why, because it would make things easier for when Ethan...

She bit her lip.

Okay, now it was more than damp.

She couldn't imagine being naked with Ethan though. She'd never been naked with anyone and she felt incredibly embarrassed to think about actually doing that. She wanted to, but she didn't know how she would be able to bring herself to. She kind of hoped that Ethan might be able to take her clothes off for her, because she wasn't sure she would be able to do it; she would be too embarrassed.

She hadn't even realized that she'd sighed thinking about that, and now, 'damp' was quite the understatement.

"Copper for your thoughts?"

Sarah jumped as she realized that she'd been staring off into space. It was Kendra, who had just come into the living room from the hallway.

"Oh, I was just thinking about... um..." She bit her lip.

"The wedding night?" Kendra asked.

Sarah nodded. "How could you tell?"

"You know that absurd story that Ethan mentioned from Earth, about that snow-deer with the bright red nose that was so bright that you could drive a flying sleigh by its light?"

Sarah chuckled. "Yes, I do."

"Your face is that red." Kendra said, cracking a rare smile; and even rarer, it had a note of sympathy in it. Not that Kendra couldn't be sympathetic, she could be, she just usually didn't show it on her face.

"Oh." She nodded slowly. "It'll be okay, right? I mean, on my wedding night?"

Kendra glanced at the bedroom, sighed, then walked over to Sarah and sat down on the other end of the couch. "Let me ask you this: do you think that Ethan would do anything to make it not okay?"

Sarah smiled, even though her cheeks were warm. "No, he'll try really hard to make it special."

Kendra nodded. "He will." She pulled her legs up onto the couch, slightly tucking them under herself. Sarah thought that was somewhat unusual for her, but it was such a natural thing for a woman lounging on a couch to do that Sarah quite liked it.

"Does it feel strange with his other wives around?" Sarah asked after a moment.

"Initially, yes." She replied. "I didn't want them to see me because I have a lot of scars, but I got over that, and I'm glad I did. Rachel was also really nervous, and it took longer for her than me, even though she married him first. I know she's glad that she overcame her anxiety as well. All that is to say, you won't be the first nervous wife."

Sarah nodded slowly, not sure what to think about that.

"Did you have any other questions you would like answered?" Kendra asked. "I answered some of them about this before, right before our vacation, but I can answer more if you have more."

"I think you answered all of them." Sarah said, her blush deepening. She had been thoroughly scandalized by Kendra's description of the type of activity that Ethan's wives did with each other in the bedroom. Kendra had been clinical, but still, a woman using her lips on another woman's....

Her cheeks were actually feeling a little hot at this point.

"If nothing else, remember this." Kendra said after eyeing her cheeks. "Ethan loves you and wants you to enjoy it, and so do all his wives." She gave her a pointed look. "Including me. We won't force you to take part." She paused. "Well, Beth might push you a little, but the rest of us won't let her push you too much, and Ethan will shut that down fast."

Sarah chuckled; she could see that happening. She looked at Kendra for a long moment, then spoke. "You're a really good friend. I used to think you were scary, and aloof, but you really aren't, are you? You really do care, you just show it differently."

Kendra smiled, and it was a warm smile which Sarah rarely saw from her. "I do." She deadpanned. "But I'm also scary and aloof."

Sarah laughed. "Thank you for talking to me, instead of..." She nodded toward the bedroom. "You know."

"You're welcome."

* * *

Selene was incredibly, annoyingly, and wonderfully frustrated. Honestly, probably more so than in her entire life, and she hated that she loved it. Like, she really hated it. Her fellow wives were clearly satisfied from the morning's activities, but she wasn't. Well, she was satisfied too, just not how she preferred to be. Okay, that wasn't even true; she was satisfied as well, just not that way.

She sighed.

"It really is your fault." Kendra said between bites, since they were all sitting around the table in the kitchen eating.

"I know." Selene groaned, lamenting her own kinks. Honestly, she hated them sometimes. She always enjoyed them, but sometimes hated them too.

"I think I need to talk to Nakhim Nalfigar." Ethan said, seemingly out of nowhere after he had finished with a bite of his breakfast steak.

Everyone looked at him.

"About what?" Alana asked, apprehension in her tone.

"Guess." He replied with a lopsided smile.

The wood elf bit her lip. "But, what if that backfires?"

"Hey!" Selene grinned. "You used an Earth idiom."

"Not really the time." Kendra pointed out.

Selene shrugged.

"It could." Ethan admitted. "I actually woke up thinking about talking to him, but a certain beautiful wife distracted me..." He winked at Selene.

Selene actually felt her cheeks get warm. It was silly considering what she'd done just that morning, but sometimes, a heartfelt compliment from Ethan just... She sighed. And of course, waking up in his arms had been wonderful too.

"She should distract you more often..." Beth grinned.

"You're insatiable." Selene rolled her eyes at the blonde.

Beth's grin widened without even a hint of embarrassment. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Anyway, Nakhim." Kendra spoke up. Sometimes, Selene wondered if Illuminar had picked Kendra just so their conversations didn't endlessly meander.

"I woke up thinking that I wanted to talk to him." Ethan said. "Just the two of us, no one else so there's no posturing for onlookers. Sort of a man-to-man talk." He paused. "Or dragon to elf talk."

"And you think that's wise?" Rachel asked.

"I think it needs to happen, one-on-one." Ethan replied. "I get the feeling that there was a lot of posturing happening when we met him at Thea's ball. I'm hoping I can get a better sense of him if it's just the two of us with no one else around."

"That makes sense, he almost certainly was posturing." Rachel nodded slowly. "However, I can see a lot of ways that could go wrong, and very few where it could help."

"Plus, you shouldn't have much to talk about yet, since the Conclave hasn't made a final decision about whether a person's shame can be removed." Selene pointed out.

"I know all of that, but can't shake the feeling that it's a good idea anyway." Ethan replied.

"Um, maybe I should have said something sooner, but Gabriella came to me in a dream last night." Sarah spoke up.

Of course, that brought the current conversation to a complete halt while everyone urged Sarah to recount what had been said, and she did.

"I feel like there was something after that, but I can't remember what." Sarah frowned when she was done.

"Hmm, bowling with gutter guards." Ethan mused. "That's... that's an interesting analogy."

"I thought so." Sarah replied. "It actually made me want to try bowling even more."

Ethan nodded. "Well, there's a bowling alley in the town near my parents' house, so I'm sure we could try it at some point." He looked at Taloni. "Sorry Tee."

"It's okay Master." The Fey replied, though her wings drooped a little. "It's not your fault that I can't stay conscious on Earth."

Ethan nodded, then looked around. "So, I'm still not sure how I feel about praying. Honestly, I don't really like it that much." He frowned, then continued. "But if there's even a snowball's chance in hell that praying more will keep us safe, I say we all pray together every single morning without fail."

That made Tee perk right up. She beamed and her wings vibrated. They caught the sunlight that was streaming in through one of the windows, reflecting the light into distinct spots on the floor that moved rapidly. Thor almost instantly launched himself off of Selene's lap and started trying to chase the spots of light down.

"Oww." Selene winced, then applied a little mana to heal herself.

"Claws?" Kendra asked.

"Yeah." Selene nodded, then addressed everyone else. "I'm really glad The King offered Candice the replacement limb, but I don't want any of us needing one. I don't really like praying, but yeah, let's pray every morning at breakfast until Sarah marries Ethan, then we can do it before getting out of bed."

Ethan sighed. "Agreed."

They all prayed.

It felt really weird to Selene, and both she and Ethan sort of fumbled their way through it, but they did.

"Speaking of your parents, you have a wedding coming up and I'm sure they'll want to attend." Alana pointed out. "We really should invite them."

"Oh!" Sarah's eyes went wide. "I have an idea for Thea and Ahjah."

Everyone looked at her.

"Um, what if we ask your parents to host them on Earth for a night after they get married, like as part of their honeymoon?" Sarah asked. "Thea would love that more than anything."

"Not as much as you think; mana is a lot harder for an elf to get on Earth." Alana pointed out. "But, I think she would be willing to put up with that for a night."

"I'll talk to them about it." Ethan nodded. "But, going back to what I said earlier, I really think that I need to talk to Nakhim. I'm not a hundred percent sure why, but I feel like I need to."

"Maybe we should pray about that again." Rachel suggested, and her tone indicated that she thought more prayer would dissuade him.

This was followed by a rather long discussion on the merits of Ethan talking to Nakhim. Selene couldn't help but notice the shit-eating grin on Tee's face during that discussion, her wings doing that fluttery thing they always did when she was happy. Thor was getting some pretty good exercise out of chasing the moving spots of light on the floor that the Fey's wings were creating as they moved.

Selene noticed that during the whole thing, Sarah didn't say a whole lot, but she had a contented smile on her face the whole time. Without the demonic disguise ruining her looks, she really did look quite different. Her eyes were absolutely amazing, and her hair looked better than Selene's own hair. Honestly, Selene was slightly jealous of both, which was new for her.

"So, all said and done, my wives are split fifty-fifty, with Sarah abstaining." Ethan said, looking around at them.

"Ethan, as much as the American in me is protesting, this is a dictatorship, not a democracy." Selene said after a moment, the part of her soul that was red, white, and blue crying out in protest. "You don't actually need our permission to do anything."

"I know." He replied. "However, I do like to get your opinions."

"Um." Sarah said tentatively.

"Yes?" Ethan said to her. "Does the woman with the gorgeous green eyes who looks just like her mother have something to add?"

Sarah beamed and blushed at the same time. "Maybe he feels like he should talk to Nakhim because we all prayed last night? I'm not saying he should, but maybe?"

"Pretty and smart." Ethan winked at her, and her blush deepened as her smile widened. He looked around. "That's what I'll do."

"I can ask Thea to set something up." Selene suggested.

"Doing it that way will mean that you can probably talk to him today." Alana said. "Given your status as prophet, if the ward of The King makes it known that you want to talk with him and he doesn't take a meeting right away, it'll reflect badly on him."

Ethan nodded. "Perfect, let's do it."

* * *

"You're sure we have time?"

Ethan smiled at Sarah's concern. "We'll have plenty of time. Thea said that she would let us know when your father, Amy, and Rindrin's airship gets close, and then we can come back from Earth long before they dock."

Sarah nodded. "Okay."

They were on the docks, heads on swivels and surrounded by the Lightguard and many of the royal guard as well. The plan was to see Ethan's parents, tell them about the wedding, and then hang out on Earth until Thea let them know that the airship containing Sarah's guests was close. He was looking forward to seeing his parents again; it had been too long.

They turned a corner and saw the Argo, which made Ethan's heart swell. A smile grew on his face without being bidden, and a thousand memories came back as he saw her sails, deck, and railings. All around him, his wives sighed.

"I wasn't on it long, but it felt so much like home." Sarah said after a moment.

"Definitely." Ethan agreed, and his wives did as well.

The royal guardsmen guarding their airship let them pass after a quick check to ensure that they weren't impostors with disguise gems, then they crossed the gangplank to the weatherdeck. Ethan hesitated barely a moment before putting his feet on the Argo again.

It felt good.

It felt right.

He felt a part of him relax. There was a small bit of tension that he hadn't realized he'd been carrying that just fell away as he stepped onto their beloved Argo. He ran his hand along one of the railings, his smile widening. "I've missed you." He said quietly to his airship.

"Okay, we need to finish in Nalatia as soon as possible." Alana said a moment after setting foot on their airship. "This feels like home."

Everyone agreed.

"Come on, let's head below decks to the--" He didn't finish the sentence in case there were prying ears. "...you know what."

They nodded, then followed him down below decks.

"It smells like home." Ethan said as he descended to the lower decks. Like anything else -- forests, lakes, sunlight, etc. -- the Argo had its own unique scent. He'd completely forgotten about that.

His wives agreed.

They probably spent too long just enjoying being back on their home before finally heading into the storage room under the captain's cabin. Sarah and Beth used their mana to power the portal, mostly since they were the ones who least needed or could use it in combat. He wondered where his parents had put this portal's twin, but he'd see soon enough.

As usual, something like very viscous water seemed to pour from the interior of the portal ring, heading to the center like water circling a drain. After several long seconds, it met in the middle and then after a few seconds, it calmed down and became still, the surface subtly reflecting the colors of the rainbow.

"That'll never get old." Selene smiled.

"The sensation will." Ethan replied with a sigh, which was then echoed.

"Have fun with that Master." Tee said, her tone and expression both teasing and a little sad; she immediately fainted on Earth because it was too hard for the Fey to draw mana, and Fey needed far more mana than even elves.

"We'll be waiting." Alana said, since they needed a second person to stay behind to power the portal again so everyone could return home.

Ethan nodded, then stepped through the portal. As always, he felt like his entire body got a bone-deep chill which then completely disappeared, only to be replaced by a slight warming sensation and simultaneously no small amount of chills. He shuddered, and the wives who had come through the portal behind him did likewise.

Somewhat appropriately, his parents had put the receiving end of the portal in his childhood bedroom. It was leaning up against the wall with a blanket over it, probably to keep it hidden from prying eyes, and he had naturally pushed it aside as he had passed through the portal.

A quick check of the house revealed that his parents weren't home, and a quick call shortly afterward had them on their way.

"So, what should we do in the meantime..." Beth asked with a sly grin, then she glanced toward Ethan's room.

"No." Ethan replied. "My parents never caught me with a girl, and I don't want to start now."

Beth looked disappointed, but everyone else chuckled.

* * *

Candice grimaced as she nearly fell, but managed to catch herself with her cane. At least she didn't need to drop the cane and grab the handrail nearby. She was on the palace grounds, in a grassy courtyard just outside the workshop of the elf who had made her artificial leg. It was clearly for people who were learning to use replacement legs, as there were multiple handrails composed of woody vines that had somehow been convinced to grow into the shape of a long handrail.

"You are doing well." The elf nearby said. He appeared to be a junior artificer, and he had been giving her pointers on how to walk with her new leg.

"Thank you, but it doesn't feel like it." She tried to keep her tone even instead of growling.

"Many have fallen on their faces repeatedly in the span of time you have only fallen once." He pointed out.

"Yeah, that's because I did all my falling in my room." She replied wryly.

"Then you are a woman of uncommon conviction, for few practice in their own homes." He replied. "That will serve you well, as learning to walk with an artificial leg is a task requiring no small amount of practice."

"Okay, thank you." She replied, then readied herself for another attempt.

"One moment, if you please, honored guest of The King." Someone behind her said.

She turned her head to see someone who looked like a mage. She wasn't sure how she could tell, but she could. Something about him reminded her a little of Kendra, and the one time she had met the Argo's crewman, Serif; and oddly, also Halasses a little. She put him out of her mind though, mostly because she wasn't sure what to do about his proposal. She was sure her father would give his blessing, but Halasses wanted her to agree as well, and she wasn't sure what she thought about him yet.

Though, if she was perfectly honest with herself, the only thing she had against him was that he wasn't Ethan.

The elf who had been helping her looked at the mage for a moment, then stood. "I shall attend to other duties inside." He bowed to both of them, then left.

"I have been reliably informed that you wish to learn magic." The mage said, and notably, he hadn't introduced himself.

"I do, yes." She nodded as she turned to face him fully. Standing and turning on the leg were easy; it was walking that was hard.

He came closer and lowered his voice. "It routinely takes an elf several months to find his or her mana, and humans often take six months to a year. However, there are ways to expedite the process."

"Ways?" She asked after a moment of hesitation.

He nodded. "You could reliably find your mana in naught but a handful of days, more quickly if you are determined. It will leave neither mark nor scar, but it will be painful in the extreme."

Candice bit her lip. "How painful?"

"You will wish you had not agreed." The mage replied. "Are you aware that if a person is exposed to powerful magic shortly before finding their mana, they will become quite gifted at that type of magic?"

Candice nodded, sure Selene had said something about that.

"For the price of additional pain, you may choose which school you will be gifted in. Though again, it will leave neither permanent mark nor scar." The mage said.

Candice grimaced. "Additional pain?"

He nodded.

It didn't take Candice long to guess why: she needed experience with powerful magic. She assumed if she picked healing magic, she would need some kind of wound inflicted, or if elemental magic like fire... She grimaced. But, then again, if she could help Ethan...

She cocked her head to one side, realizing that if she did end up accepting Halasses's offer, she could use healing magic if her children were ever hurt.

"Um, healing magic, please." She said after a moment, knowing that she would completely lose her nerve if she waited.

"You must verify: you wish to undergo unimaginable pain to gain a permanent giftedness in healing magic, and the ability to find your mana in a handful of days?" The mage asked, his tone serious.

She nodded before she lost her nerve. "Yes."

"Very well." The mage nodded.

A moment later, Candice felt her eyelids begin to grow heavy. Why was she tired all of......of a su......a sudden...

She lost her balance, only vaguely aware that the mage had caught her before the world faded to black.

* * *

"My gratitude for this special dispensation is immeasurable, Your Majesty."

"You are welcome, honorable Lightguard Captain." The King nodded to the elf, thought about it for a moment, then added. "You realize she made her choice based on her affection for the Prophet."

"I do, my king." Halasses nodded. "However, I fear that she might begin to think that she is 'less than' because of her leg. I hope that this will give her something to strive for, a skill she can improve upon until she realizes that she is not defined by her missing leg. Perhaps more importantly, it will help to ensure her survival later in life, especially when traveling with the Prophet."

The King nodded, then suppressed a shudder as he continued. "I still remember my journey through the process."

"As do I, my king." Halasses replied, his expression like everyone else who had his very particular set of skills when they chose to let their mask slip. "As do I."

* * *

"Mom, please stop." Ethan said, sure his face would be as dark as Rachel's hair if he could still blush.

"No, please don't stop!" Beth managed to get out, which was impressive because she had been laughing so hard that she might not have taken a breath for a good ten seconds. Even Rachel and Kendra were laughing out loud.

"And that concludes the 'stories from Ethan's childhood' portion of the visit." Ethan said firmly.

"And then, he walks in through the garage and says: 'I don't know what happened'." Ruth finished, leading to another round of laughter. Ethan was at a point in his life where he didn't actually want to hide under anything, but not long ago, he would've wanted to.

"Well, I really hate to cut this short." Selene said, "However, Thea just let me know that she managed to get that meeting with Nakhim Nalfigar set up for in about an hour."

"You'll let me know as soon as you have a date, right?" Ruth asked Sarah, who nodded.

"Of course I will." Sarah beamed.

Ruth took a moment to look at her. "You really do look amazing Sarah, just beautiful."

If you thought that Sarah was beaming before...

"Oh, and Sarah's father, Amy, and Rindrin will land about that time too." Selene added, then frowned. "I wonder if Nakhim did that on purpose."

"Probably." Ethan shrugged. "Okay ladies, time to head back."

Many heartfelt goodbyes and one very uncomfortable portal trip later, they were all back on the Argo. Alana had darted through to give Ruth a quick hug, then came right back before the portal started to close.

They all stood in the storage room under the captain's cabin and looked around.

"Home." Kendra said after a moment. "The King is very generous, and we can't reasonably stay on the Argo for safety reasons, but this feels like home."

"Agreed, but one day it'll have to be 'our first home'." Ethan pointed out. "There's no way our family will fit on the Argo with all the kids we're going to have."

Beth and Sarah sighed, and his other wives all got longing looks on their faces.

"Finding another place that feels like home will be impossible." Kendra said flatly.

"Yeah, I thought so too until I walked into that house on the outskirts of Paliso." Ethan replied, fondly remembering that part of his visit to Ivernia's capital.

"Drago, your meeting with Nakhim." Kendra said.

"Right, where am I going?" He asked Selene.

"Thea says she sent someone to guide you." The gorgeous woman replied.

He gave her a thumbs up, kissed all his wives -- Sarah on the forehead -- and then headed out. The elf that Thea had sent was with the Lightguard and was fortunately easy to spot. Several of the Lightguard peeled off from the rest of them to follow and guard him as he left. He would've objected if it was more than just a few though because his wives needed a lot more protection than he did.

The elf led him through Nalatia, and Ethan took the time to look at the magnificent 'buildings' around him. Of course, they were all made from trees grown together, or a few smaller ones were simply inside of a hollowed-out tree. It was impressive how they could do that.

Eventually, the Elf led Ethan to one of the few places that wasn't built into a tree. Instead, it appeared to be an enormous wooden platform floating over nothing and connected to the main walkways by several ornate and very sturdy rope bridges. There was a small café-style building in the center, and all around it were gardens that had equal amounts of flowers and hedges.

The elf led Ethan to one of the entrances to the rope bridges, where the same servant who had invited Ethan to visit with Nakhim at Thea's ball was waiting.

*Is it an insult for me to be greeted by a servant?* Ethan thought to the group chat as he approached, quite aware of how sensitive wood elves were to that sort of thing.

*For an official invitation planned in advance like this, yes, unless it's his steward or someone like that.* Alana replied. *Someone who's like Delabor is to The King.*

*Yeah, I've just been insulted then.* Ethan replied with amusement.

"Guest of The King." The servant bowed, and Ethan didn't miss that he hadn't included the word 'honored'. "The highly honored Nakhim Nalfigar extends an invitation to tea."

Ethan raised his eyebrow. "Normally, I'd be happy to agree. But from what I understand, it's kind of insulting for him to greet me like this." He paused, then added. "Even though I requested the meeting."

"It is entirely possible that the..." There was a micro pause, possibly indicating doubt about the rest of the sentence? "...prophet is mistaken."

Ethan thought about his options for a moment. He could make a stink about the insult and ask for someone else to come get him, but that would be rude and an easy excuse for Nakhim to not take the meeting. He could also just follow the elf, but accepting an insult seemed like a really bad way to start an important conversation. He thought about it for a moment, then realized that he had a third option.

"Well, then perhaps I'll make an entrance." He smiled, then leapt into the air and spread his wings. A single good flap allowed him to glide onto the platform, and he even spotted where Nakhim was before landing.

He headed in that direction.

Two guards blocked his path, with Nakhim just beyond them.

"Morning fellas." Ethan said casually. "You'll want to ask Nakhim about letting me through, unless you'd enjoy a trip to the healers."

"Let him pass." Nakhim said, and the guards stepped aside. The elf looked at Ethan for a long moment, and oddly, he didn't seem displeased.

"Morning." Ethan smiled.

"Good morning." Nakhim replied. "Come, my house produces the finest Sajoia tea in Nalatia. Then we can conduct our meeting like civilized men." Oddly, there didn't seem to be any disrespect in his tone. Either that, or maybe he was just being incredibly subtle about it.

"Sounds delightful." Ethan replied, though he had no idea what Sajoia tea was.

* * *

"Milord?" Fiona said to her husband, who had woken up and left the bedroom before she had awakened, probably to attend to some matter or other. She had waited until Conner was down for his morning nap before going to find him.

"Yes, Fiona." He replied. He was sitting in his office as he often did, though not writing at the moment. He had been reading a book when she had knocked.

"I was getting a letter from Sarah last night, and I thought you might want to be reading it." She said, then offered it to him.

He took the letter, opened it, and she could see his eyes moving back and forth as he read it. He read very fast. When he finished, he handed it back to her. "It is curious the manner in which she claims the demon was excised. A formal annulment by reason of a broken contract, though she did not say how the demon broke its portion."

"Aye, I was thinking it was very interesting." She replied.

"Prince George sent a note to me last night, confirming that the girl's demon has indeed been excised." Lord Delmar said. "It is good that she was able to rid herself of it."

"So, you aren't believing that the Prophet was helping?"

"No." He replied. "She does not say how he helped, merely that he was instrumental." He paused, then added. "It is entirely possible that the false prophet merely compelled them to believe that he assisted in the demon's removal, when it was the demon's failure to fulfill its portion of the bargain that removed it, after Sarah confronted the demon with this fact."

Fiona nodded slowly. "Okay, I was wondering what you would be thinking."

"Fiona, I have read the letter, and thus the invitation for you contained therein." He stated. "I know why you wish for me to reconsider about the false prophet."

"I would really like to be attending." Fiona replied. "Sarah will only be getting married once, and I'd like to be there for her."

"Once the false prophet has been dealt with, the compulsion will be broken and she can seek a new husband." He replied.

Fiona stared at him for a moment, her heart getting tight in her chest as the implication sunk it. "She'll be devastated."

"Upon learning that she has been so thoroughly manipulated, and likely compelled, I suspect she will be elated at her newfound liberty."

Fiona bit her lip. "I'm thinking that she isn't being compelled."

"I am aware." He replied.

Fiona nodded slowly, not seeing much chance of convincing him. "Okay, well, I'll be leaving you to it then."

"Have an enjoyable afternoon." He said, then picked his book back up and began to read again.

"You as well." She replied, then slipped out. She went to their room and sat down on the bed, the reality of what her husband had just said hitting her. He was assuming that Ethan would die, and likely that he himself would kill him. He would make seven widows at once, and they would be utterly devastated.

"Illuminar, can you be helping with this?" She said quietly so she didn't wake Conner in the adjacent room. "I'm not knowing what to think, and can you be bringing this all to an end somehow that isn't terrible?"

* * *

It was matcha. Well, not precisely matcha, but the Sajoia tea was extremely close. Same color, same powdered texture, same method of preparation using wooden implements, including a little wooden whisk that looked very similar to a proper matcha whisk. They took great care in preparing it, but the preparation wasn't as ornate as with matcha on Earth. He took a sip and found the overall flavor to be similar as well. Not the same, but similar, and he liked this better.

"Is this the first time you have experienced Sajoia tea?" Nakhim asked.

"Yup, it's pretty damn good too." He took another sip.

"Come, there is an area where we can speak privately." The elf said.

He then led Ethan through a short path and opened a door set into a hedge that was at least eight feet high. Inside was a room whose walls were made of hedges, and there was likely something in the hedges because the amount of ambient noise plummeted once they were inside. He assumed the hedges had grown around something with a magical soundproofing enchantment.

"As you requested this conference, I will invite you to speak your mind." Nakhim said after the door was closed, then took a sip of his tea.

"Well, since it's just the two of us and we won't be overheard, give me a straight answer: why don't you want Navaro to marry Kalaya."

"She is shamed." He replied simply.

"Okay, but hypothetically speaking, if her shame was removed, and she got some huge honor from The King so she's basically restored to her original status honor-wise, and there would be no negative effects whatsoever from her having once been shamed. What then?" He took another sip of his tea.

"In that highly improbable scenario, your first wife's mother would still be a completely unsuitable wife for Navaro." Nakhim replied.

"Why?" Ethan asked, noticing a subtle pattern in the grass at his feet for the first time. It looked like they had used two slightly different colors of grass to create a subtle pattern.

"It is neither prudent nor natural for a husband to be as fond of his wife as Navaro would be of her." Nakhim replied.

Ethan stared.

Then he blinked.

"Come again?" He asked.

"I am not familiar with that idiom." Nakhim replied.

"I meant: How the hell did you come to that conclusion?" Ethan replied.

"The rulership of a Great House or large business requires a man with dragon steel resolve." Nakhim replied. "Such resolve is weakened by strong attachments to the fairer sex, for what woman is not a slave to her emotions? Navaro would allow his affection for your first wife's mother to cloud his judgement. Worse, she is the daughter of our rival Great House, and would surely use her influence over him to weaken my house in order to strengthen her own. Thus, such a match would never be in the interests of House Nalfigar. Therefore, it shall not happen."

Ethan almost wished that he was wearing glasses so he could take them off, rub the bridge of his nose, and put them back on again before responding to that... that... whatever that was. Oi vey! He was trying to think of a way to reply that wasn't laughing in the elf's face; that probably wouldn't help anything.

"That's... that's a take I suppose." Ethan finally said. "You sound like you're pretty convinced, so I don't suppose that the fact that a happily married man tends to do better at work will convince you."

"Such things are the domain of men who need not manage a Great House." Nakhim replied. "What is suitable for the commoner is not necessarily suitable for those from superior stock."

Wow, elitist too.

"And I don't suppose it would help to point out that Kalaya is head over heels in love with him too?" Ethan pointed out.

"You are young." Nakhim replied. "You have not yet learned that a woman's affections are fickle. A woman will fool herself with her emotions and be thoroughly besotted with a man when it is in her interest. And yet the moment it is not in her interest, her affections will wane and be transferred to a man who better serves her interests. I do not ascribe malice to this, for again, a woman will fool herself with her emotions. However, a wise man will not consider the affections of a woman as anything more than they are; a fleeting narcotic. And like all narcotics, they cause those who indulge in them to waste away. Before such a man realizes this, he has already lost everything."

"Did your mother drop you as a baby or something?" Ethan said, the question slipping out without him thinking about it.

"Of course." Nakhim replied as if that was natural and normal. "One must ensure that a child is sufficiently robust before committing significant resources to raising him."

Ethan stared, mouth dropping.

Nakhim cracked a tiny smile. "It is, perhaps, an unhealthy indulgence of mine to engage in such prankery."

Ethan chuckled. "Okay, fair, you got me."

"To respond with a more somber answer, I engage in business and social dealings with men of all races." Nakhim replied. "The fickleness of a woman's emotions is a constant topic of commiseration. Bonding in our realm somewhat improves matters, but even a bond cannot change a woman's nature."

"Her name was Terry." Ethan said after a moment. "We were engaged, then I walked into my office one day to discover that she was doing my business partner on the desk, and they'd engineered things to kick me out of the business that I'd spent my entire adult life building." He looked at Nakhim. "Who was it for you?"

Nakhim's reply came almost like every other sentence he had uttered, but not quite. "You assume there was such a woman for me. Regardless, as it concerns Navaro, he shall not forge a marriage alliance with the House of Kalon; that would surely bode ill for House Nalfigar."

Ethan nodded slowly, realizing that Nakhim had almost certainly been deeply hurt, probably by a woman he loved, but who had tossed him aside. He guessed they hadn't been married, but that kind of betrayal could seriously hurt. If it affected him this deeply this long afterward, maybe he wasn't so different than his son, only Navaro had set his affections on a good woman; apparently, Nakhim hadn't.

"I won't be able to convince you that it's a good idea, will I?" Ethan said, then finished his tea, since it was starting to get cold.

"No, you will not." Nakhim replied.

Ethan nodded slowly. "Then, I should probably give you a warning." He looked at the elf pointedly. "I have it from an angel that Kalaya will marry Navaro. It was a promise, meaning that it will happen. It isn't a matter of 'if', it's a question of 'when'."

Nakhim's lips drew into a thin line and he made a decidedly negative-sounding thoughtful noise.

"Now, there's a few things you can do with that information." Ethan continued. "You can accept that it's a forgone conclusion and cooperate, and probably negotiate the bride price for a song. You could wash your hands of the whole thing and let Navaro and Kalaya's dad hash out the details, sort of letting it happen without direct involvement." He looked at him seriously. "Or, you could do what I'm pretty sure you're doing right now: do your best to think of a way to stop it."

The corner of Nakhim's mouth twitched upward slightly, and Ethan didn't think that was a slip.

It seemed intentional.

"You assume that I accept that you are indeed a prophet of Illuminar -- blessed be He." Nakhim replied. "You have a spine, young dragon, I will concede that." He got a slight smile on his face. "I even admire that, as it has been an age since any except The King or Halvaer Kalon has stood before me entirely without fear." He paused. "However, absent physical violence, you are mistaken. You stand no chance of forcing the Great House of Nalfigar to bow to your wishes, nor of uniting my son with your mother-in-law in the bonds of marriage."

Ethan took a deep breath and let it out slowly, his eyes slightly narrowed as he thought about that. "I really think you should reconsider. Maybe take the day and pray about it; it might be less painful that way."

"One need not take an extra day to pray about something one has spent his son's entire life in earnest prayer for." Nakhim replied. "The duty of a father is among the most important and sacred duties that the God of Light has granted to mortals. As is proper for a father, I have prayed that Navaro would find the proper wife, or wives, since I learned that his mother was carrying him."

Ethan cocked his head to one side. "You know, that's a really good idea." He cocked it to the other side. "I have a daughter on the way, Kalaya's first grandchild, actually, and I suppose that I could start praying that she would find a good husband now..." Ethan trailed off as he realized what he'd just said. Damn, he was starting to sound like a prophet.

"I would recommend such a course of action." Nakhim replied. "It could, perhaps, do wonders for your unborn daughter." He paused. "I offer my congratulations; fatherhood is a great honor, one of the greatest a man can aspire to. I shall, at my prayers this evening, also say a prayer for her." Ethan got the distinct impression that he meant it.

"As of this moment, we are enemies as it regards my son." Nakhim continued. "However, I bear no personal enmity for you, and should you desist in your efforts to unite my son with your first wife's mother, hostilities would cease."

"Nothing personal, just business?" Ethan asked.

Nakhim nodded once. "Indeed. A man should be dispassionate, for emotion rarely leads to good decisions. An honest disagreement caused by crossed purposes is not a sufficient reason for the development of personal animosity. It is only uncouth or immoral behavior that should create a more permanent adversarial relationship."

Ethan smiled. "You might be the most pleasant enemy I've fought here."

Nakhim inclined his head. "As I said, personal malice against someone who has not personally wronged you is unbecoming of a follower of Illuminar -- blessed be He."

"Fair." Ethan inclined his head in respect. "Then may the best man win."

"If you wish, you could offer congratulations for my victory now." Nakhim replied, and although he seemed serious, he wasn't arrogant about it. It almost might've been a joke, especially given his previous one. "When you are ready to admit defeat, we should return to share another cup." He raised the teacup whose contents he had recently finished.

"And if you lose?"

"I would enjoy such a cup considerably less." Nakhim replied. "However, I would still share it."

Ethan smiled. "Deal."

* * *

Alana couldn't help but smile as the gangplank to the airship that Sarah's father, Amy, and Rindrin had arrived on dropped into place, mostly because Sarah nearly sprinted across it to hug her father. The man looked like he'd seen a ghost. Though, given how closely Sarah apparently resembled her mother, she supposed that made sense.

"I don't like being parted, but the reunions..." Rachel said to her quietly.

"Yeah." Alana sighed contentedly as she watched. "Come on." She beckoned her fellow wives, and they crossed the gangplank as well.

Sarah's father, Festus, was still staring at his daughter and his tone was slightly hoarse. "You look just like your mother."

"This is what I really look like." Sarah beamed. "The demon was changing my appearance, like a disguise gem, but Ethan took care of it. It's gone, and it's never coming back."

"Thank Illuminar." Her father breathed.

They shared a very long hug, then Sarah gave Amy a big hug as well. The artistic girl was almost bubbling with excitement, and they started jabbering away almost immediately. Ethan's other wives all greeted everyone, after which they started walking toward the building that housed their suite on the palace grounds, since the newcomers were all considered guests to Thea and Sarah's wedding.

*Got a minute?* Ethan thought to everyone.

*Yes, how did it go?* Alana replied instantly.

Ethan recounted the conversation to everyone while they walked, Sarah blissfully unaware as she talked to her guests. Oh well, they could tell her later. And honestly, it was probably good that she couldn't hear so she could focus on them.

*It sounds like, for the first time, we didn't create a new mortal enemy.* Selene observed when he was done. *How did that happen? Isn't it an unwritten rule for us or something?*

*I'm so sorry.* Ethan replied in a mock-serious tone. *Next time, I'll tell him that he's ugly and his mother dresses him funny.*

Next to her, Selene was having a lot of trouble concealing her laughter.

Alana smiled, but didn't laugh. *He won't change his mind, will he?*

*I seriously doubt he will.* Ethan replied. *It's about a snowball's chance in hell, and even that might be pushing it. I'm pretty sure he had a really bad experience with a girl when he was younger, and it seems to have made him something of a misogynist.* He paused. *Selene, could you relay that to Myla so Falkaan can look into that? Knowing what happened might help us understand what's going on a little better.*

*Will do Boss.* Selene replied.

*What now?* Alana asked, trying to remember that, as Ethan said, Gabriella had said that her mother would marry Navaro.

*I've decided that I don't like living away from home.* Ethan replied. *I know we've had our hands full, but I'm done beating around the bush and I'm ready to get your folks married and get back to the Argo.*

*I would love that Master!* Tee gushed.

*I think we all would.* Alana agreed, and her fellow wives did as well. Honestly, the amenities in their suite were significantly better than the Argo, and much nicer overall as well, but that didn't make it home. The Argo was their home, and suddenly, Alana was wishing that they could live on it again. It would be closer quarters with everyone, but she still missed it and couldn't wait to get back to it.

*You know, General Patton once said that a good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week.* Selene pointed out. *What's a good plan right now?*

*Talk to Matthew to get the lay of the land, then address the Conclave.* Rachel suggested. *They are probably coming up on a vote soon, and if Nakhim is trying to sway them one way, then surely the Prophet of Illuminar can try to sway them the other.*

*That's a good plan.* Selene replied. *Now, it just needs some violent execution.*

*Please no, with everyone we've fought, we've had too many of those.* Beth chimed in. *Well, not actual executions, but you know what I mean.*

*It's still a good plan, and I'll try not to execute anyone for Beth's sake.* Ethan said in a mock-serious voice, then added. *Does anyone know where Matthew and Yalia are?*

*Hang on, I'll ask Victoria to check if they're at their suite.* Selene replied. *Also, Myla says that Falkaan will look into Nakhim's background with this hypothetical girl.*

*Great, tell them 'thanks' from me.* Ethan replied.

*Done.* She thought to everyone a moment later.

*And we need to get a date set for that wedding too.* Ethan added.

*Like Sarah's new look that much Boss?* Selene teased.

*Hell yeah, but that's not why.* He paused. *Okay, that's not entirely why. I'm tired of being half-married to her; I want the real thing with the bond. It's just not the same without it.*

*Okay, I'll talk to Sarah and Thea as soon as I can.* Alana said.

*Good.* Ethan replied.

*Victoria says that Matthew and Yalia aren't in their suite.* Selene volunteered. *She says that the Lightguard said that they went to visit Plesius. Apparently, he's taken an interest in their translation.*

*Okay, I'll head there then.* He paused. *Where is 'there'?*

Alana stifled a chuckle, so as not to alert others to the conversation.

*I'll relay directions from Thea.* Selene replied. *It's right near the Conclave building.*

*Falkaan was right.* Kendra observed after a moment. *We have only used the second group chat for small things, but I can see it becoming one of our greatest tactical advantages.*

*Good, I think we'll need all the help we can get.* Ethan replied.

Alana agreed. And as their group entered the palace grounds, she found herself hoping that the advantages they had would be enough.

* * *

Yalia couldn't keep a grin off her face as Plesius slowly looked through her and Matthew's translation of the Book of Light. Every so often, he would make a comment, and none had been negative so far. They were in his and Epheny's cottage at the table in the dining room with the translation's pages neatly stacked. They hadn't yet bound it, because that was expensive.

"Good rendering of the imperfect here." Plesius mused. "The ongoing nature of the sin is quite important to this passage, and most Common Tongue translations miss that nuance."

"I actually had a discussion with the luminar that I apprenticed under on this exact verse." Matthew replied. "That was pretty important to the discussion."

Plesius nodded slowly, the way someone deep in thought often does when they've heard you, but can't spare the brainpower to reply. After another few moments, he shook his head slightly. "This translation has Illuminar -- blessed be He -- asking questions."

"Rhetorical questions." Matthew replied. "I know it doesn't need to be a question, but it fits the context so perfectly, and the language is rather awkward if it's not a question."

Plesius started to shake his head again, then stopped. "Perhaps, given all that the Prophet has caused us to reconsider, and given that he has addressed this point as well, perhaps..." He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then sighed. "Perhaps it might behoove the Conclave to reconsider this point as well."

Yalia beamed.

The high priest spent the next half an hour poring over the translation, noting anything done well or that he disagreed with. There was very little of the latter, and Matthew always had an answer for why, usually resulting in Plesius conceding that there wasn't a better way to translate it.

Then, there was a knock on the front door.

"I will get it." Epheny volunteered from the next room.

Plesius started to get up anyway.

"And don't you get up." Epheny added, though she was entirely out of sight. "I'm not decrepit yet, and the exercise will do me good."

Plesius sat back down.

Yalia chuckled.

"Welcome, honored Prophet." Epheny said after she had opened the door.

"Hi, good to see you." Ethan replied.

"It is good to be seen." Epheny replied, and Yalia could almost see the teasing smile that would be on her face. "They are just through there." She finished.

Ethan came around the corner a moment later. "Afternoon." He stopped. "Or morning? What time is it?"

"Early afternoon, honored Prophet." Plesius stood, then bowed respectfully.

"The translation huh." Ethan looked down at it. "You know, Gabriella -- the angel I mentioned -- said that Matthew and Yalia had produced the best translation of the Book of Light in the Ten Kingdoms."

Yalia and Matthew stared.

"She... she did?" Yalia barely managed to squeak out.

"Yup." Ethan nodded. "I didn't want to say anything until you were done so I didn't make you self-conscious."

"You're serious?" Matthew asked.

"Yup, that's exactly what she said, almost verbatim." Ethan nodded.

"That is my opinion as well." Plesius said, then turned to the young couple. "With your permission, I would like to move your translation to the palace for a self-preservation enchantment, so we will always have the originals. Then, I would like to hire a very large team of scribes to copy out at least four versions; one for you two." He indicated Matthew and Yalia. "One for the Prophet." He indicated Ethan. "Plus one for the royal library for The King's use, and another for the Conclave, to be the official and authoritatively recommended translation of the holy scriptures into the Common Tongue, recognizing of course that the original language will always take precedence."

Yalia blinked.

She had heard and understood every word, but still...

She looked at Matthew, who looked thunderstruck.

He finally spoke after several long moments. "That's... I don't even know how to... Are you serious? This isn't a joke?"

"It is not a jest, no." Plesius replied. "I foresee it becoming the standard translation in the common tongue throughout the Ten Kingdoms, as soon as enough copies can be made to allow for its proliferation."

Ethan chuckled, and it took a moment for Yalia to realize that he was doing so in response to the looks on her and her husband's faces.

"Is that acceptable?" Plesius asked again.

Matthew nodded. "Actually, that's a dream come true."

Yalia nodded too.

She couldn't believe it.

This was so incredible, their translation was being endorsed by the high priest of the wood elves. That alone would guarantee that many would read it just because he endorsed it.

"The Ten Kingdoms will benefit greatly from this translation." Plesius added. "Though, to the issue of Illuminar -- blessed be He -- asking questions, if this is the best translation and the God of Light asks questions in it, there is an obvious conclusion."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd bring that up to the Conclave." Ethan said. "The King has been really good to us and I know he'd like to be able to ask questions. If Illuminar can, why couldn't The King?"

Plesius inclined his head in concession. "There is no flaw in your logic that I can discern."

"Thanks." Ethan smiled.

"So, I actually came here to get a sit-rep--" The Prophet paused for a moment. "Hoping to hear what's going on with the Conclave and their discussion about shame being removed."

"It is likely the final vote will take place today." Plesius replied. "There has been serious discussion ever since the topic was broached, and by now, most will have decided their position."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ethan asked. "Maybe talk to them?"

"It would be beneficial to have the Prophet articulate his position on the matter, and perhaps address the objection that the lynchpin of the argument is a quote from the Sepo Cycle. Many luminars are understandably wary of basing doctrine, especially such an important one, on the writings of a Nesteri recounting his exploits."

"That's fair, but if he said that the sky was blue, would the Conclave doubt him?" Ethan asked.

"Perhaps." Plesius replied. "The argument is already strong as-is, despite its reliance on the Sepo Cycle. An endorsement from the Prophet beyond what he has already said would likely sway some. However, to sway the rest and make the Conclave's decision overwhelming, another piece of evidence would be welcome."

Ethan frowned.

Yalia tried to think of what other evidence they could muster beyond what they had already...

Already...

Her eyes widened and she sucked in her breath as something occurred to her. "Oh! I know what the final piece of evidence could be!"

* * *

Ethan knew he had the cat-that-ate-the-canary grin on his face as he followed Plesius into the Conclave's meeting room. Yalia's idea had been brilliant, and he absolutely intended to use it. But, as Jack Sparrow might say, he was going to wait for the opportune moment. He couldn't help but think that Nakhim was going to flip out when he heard. Though, he didn't really seem like the type to 'flip out'; maybe just scowl?

"Remind me to thank your wife again if this works." Ethan said to Matthew, who was following him. Yalia had elected to remain with Epheny and help her with some gardening. Ethan was pretty sure that she didn't need the help, but Yalia seemed happy to spend more time with the grandmotherly woman.

"I will." Matthew smiled back, though he looked a little nervous.

"Still not comfortable speaking in front of crowds?" Ethan asked.

The young man shook his head. "Not really. I can do it now, thanks to you, but I don't enjoy it."

"Well, we could switch roles if you want." Ethan winked.

Matthew gave a half-hearted chuckle that was at least as much nerves and apprehension at the idea as it was amusement.

"Please wait here for a time." Plesius requested, then he left the central area where Ethan and Matthew were to mingle with the other luminars.

The room was roughly circular, and there was a relatively small open area in the center where visitors could stand. Around that center area were concentric rings of seats, each raised slightly higher than the one in front of it so that almost everyone in the room could see everyone else. Off to one side, there was a small podium for Plesius, since he was the high priest. However, while the Conclave was deliberating, he was never behind it. Instead, he sat in a chair like all the others in front of the podium.

The room was typical for the wood elves in that everything was made of wood, much of it subtly and exquisitely carved. There were a few tasteful gold or silver accents, but they were only accents and overall, the room wasn't ornate. It was of the highest quality and beautiful, but not ornate.

"So, how's married life treating you?" Ethan asked Matthew as they waited for the Conclave to come to order.

"Amazing." Matthew smiled, his nervousness fading a little. "Yalia is just... thank you so much."

"You're welcome, and I was happy to help." Ethan smiled back.

"Um, I do have one question though." Matthew asked, his nerves returning with double force.

"Go for it." Ethan said.

Matthew lowered his voice. "Um, I'm a little worried about... well, let's just say 'keeping up' with her." He paused. "You know, for a certain thing that's exclusive to marriage."

"Ah." Ethan nodded. "Well, can I point out that she is a nymph, and they have a certain reputation, probably for good reason."

Matthew's expression gained a thoughtful nuance to it.

"Would you prefer that she slowed down?" Ethan asked.

Matthew tried and failed to suppress a smile, then shook his head. "No."

"Then go with it." He suggested. "Honestly, a beautiful woman who loves you volunteering to do that can do wonders for a man's confidence, can't it?"

The young man inclined his head in concession. "I hadn't thought about it, but yeah. I know that no matter how badly things go, she'll be there looking at me like--" He stopped. "Well, you're married; you know."

"I do." Ethan nodded. "And yeah, that does help."

Matthew smiled nervously. "Thanks. I was worried that something was wrong with me."

Ethan shook his head. "You married a nymph; I'm sure it would be the other way around if you'd married a human woman."

Matthew seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Okay, thanks."

"Any time." Ethan smiled.

It was another minute before Plesius called the meeting to order. "Fellow luminars, before we convene on the topic that has occupied the majority of our contemplation as of late, there is another, smaller matter that I wish to bring to your attention." He paused, and Ethan guessed that it was a pause for effect. "The matter is beyond trivial for those in our fair lands because we read the Book of Light in its original language. However, it will be of great import for those who only understand the common tongue."

The luminars looked mildly interested at this, or at least not bored.

"The honored Prophet will have something to say on this matter." Plesius indicated Ethan.

"Thank you." Ethan said to him and then looked around. "Well, as Plesius-- uh, the honored Plesius." He paused. "Yeah, I'm really bad at the honor language, but Plesius is a stand-up chap."

There were some smiles from the luminars at that.

"Anyway, yeah, a lot of people only understand the common tongue, and the Book of Light obviously wasn't written in the common tongue." Ethan continued. "Well, there's an angel that Illuminar has been occasionally sending to talk to me. One of those times, the angel said something." He looked at Matthew. "The angel said that this young man and his wife have produced the best translation of the Book of Light in the Ten Kingdoms."

All the luminars looked at Matthew.

The young man waved nervously.

"So yeah, that was about it." Ethan finished. "Plesius looked at it earlier today, and he can tell you more."

"Thank you, honored Prophet." Plesius said, then addressed the luminars. "I have indeed reviewed it, and it is exemplary overall." Plesius then went into a few examples, and Ethan could only follow part of the conversation because the high priest would quote a passage in Elvish, then Matthew's translation, and then talk about it for a few moments.

Overall, the reaction was very positive.

Whenever Plesius made a point, most of the luminars nodded along, and a few even made supportive comments occasionally.

This went on for about five minutes before Plesius spoke again. "Given the exceptionally high quality of the translation, I have obtained permission from the translators to have the originals preserved, and I have assigned Conclave scribes to reproduce it for your attention. However, based on the initial sample and the recommendation from an angel through the Prophet, I will almost certainly put it forth as the translation recommendation for the common tongue after a full review."

Again, most of the Conclave members nodded along.

"Now, to the matter at hand." Plesius indicated Ethan. "You have the floor, Honored Prophet."

"Thanks." Ethan said, then turned to the Conclave members. Rachel and Selene had helped him polish what he had been planning to say, and he was looking forward to seeing how they responded. "Honored members of the Conclave-- see, I remembered the honor language that time; I'm learning."

Several of the Conclave members chuckled.

"Anyway, you all know my position on this." He continued. "I see why you take the other side, but I think that Matthew here made a very strong case that that passage about shame never being removed was about disobeying 'this command' of Illuminar, meaning to worship and serve those 'new gods', the Nesteri, and not about all His commands generally."

Slightly less than half of the room nodded, maybe around ten percent got a thoughtful frown on their faces, and the remainder outright frowned or shook their heads.

"And as I understand it, there was a translation into Fey that also said 'this'." Ethan said, because one of the luminars had mentioned it when Matthew had presented the original case. "Now, as I understand it, there are some in this room who are worried about using something from the Sepo Cycle as a lynchpin of a doctrinal argument; is that fair to say?"

Most everyone nodded or agreed.

"So here's the question." Ethan continued. "If Sepo himself was walking the Ten Kingdoms today, and you bumped into him, and he told you that the sky was blue, would you believe him?"

Not one of the luminars replied, and a bunch of them shifted in their seats or glanced at their fellow luminars.

"I'll rephrase the question." Ethan said. "Would he be telling the truth, assuming it wasn't a cloudy day?"

There was a general nodding of heads.

"One must be careful, honored Prophet." One of the older luminars said. "A skilled deceiver can use even the truth to construct a lie.'

"Oh, for sure." Ethan agreed. "In fact, I would argue that the worst lies are mostly truth with a little bit of falsehood sprinkled in."

Again, there was a general nodding of heads and a murmur of agreement.

"But here's the thing, truth is truth, no matter whose mouth it comes out of." Ethan said, and let that hang in the air for a few seconds."

After a moment, many of the luminars frowned, though several of the frowning luminars inclined their heads in concession.

"I realize that you all probably know this, but Matthew is the one who read the Sepo Cycle, and I thought he could lend some more context." Ethan indicated the young man, and they had talked about this beforehand so he wasn't caught flat-footed.

"Um, yeah." Matthew said. "So, Sepo is somewhat unique among the Nesteri because he was never the most powerful of them, but he was smarter and more cunning than most. If you remember, the Book of Light mentions a prophet of Illuminar who left Illuminar and started serving the Nesteri. That was Sepo who turned him according to the Sepo Cycle, and it fits with the Book of Light there."

The luminars shifted uncomfortably in their seats again.

"Anyway, Sepo liked to pretend to have the moral high ground in everything." Matthew continued. "It was all over the Sepo Cycle, about how he was justified in everything he did. Sepo didn't like to lie about that either, because he always wanted to be perceived as in the right. Well, the lynchpin thing that the Sepo Cycle establishes for my case is which tribe the Prophet Yaleed was from. But, that's the primary reason for one of Sepo's grand campaigns."

Most of the luminar seemed to be listening closely to him.

"So, the odds of him lying about that are almost zero." Matthew continued. "If it was a lie, then he lost his reason for one of the grand campaigns in the Sepo Cycle. You'll remember from the general's speech that his tribe -- which was also Yaleed's tribe -- was devastated by Sepo's armies. Well, the excuse that Sepo used for decimating that tribe is that Yaleed -- who was from that tribe -- was marshaling Illuminar's followers to destroy his people, so he tried to destroy Yaleed's people in return. That was his whole reason for the campaign, and if Yaleed didn't belong to the general's tribe, he wouldn't have a reason."

At this point, over half of the luminars seemed to be seriously considering that.

"And plus, if Sepo was lying, almost everyone in those days would've known because they knew which clan Yaleed belonged to." Matthew continued. "They didn't record it on purpose because he was a prophet, but everyone at the time would've known. It would've been a stupid, obvious lie that anyone could see through. Sepo was many things -- horribly wicked, terribly cruel, and he took pleasure in the most perverse evils -- but he wasn't stupid. He was skilled enough in deception to lure a Prophet away from Illuminar Himself; why would he tell such a foolish, obvious lie?"

Many of the luminars inclined their heads in concession, even some of those who had initially been skeptical.

"So, um, yeah." Matthew finished a bit lamely. "That's, yeah, that's about it." He looked at Ethan.

Ethan smiled; the opportune moment had come. "So quite beside all that, I would like to point out something, something that we all completely missed until just a few hours ago, when Plesius was examining Matthew and Yalia's translation." He turned to Matthew. "That crucial passage where 'the' versus 'this' is so important, when did you and Yalia translate it?"

"Um, that was... maybe a year ago? Something like that?" Matthew replied, then he got a small smile on his face. "I um, I remember because the day we translated it, Yalia -- my wife, well, she wasn't my wife then, but she is now -- Um, anyway, she had just gotten a new dress and she looked so pretty in..." he trailed off. "Um, yeah, it was about a year ago." Matthew looked like he was about to go slightly red.

Ethan smiled, and many of the luminars did too.

"Many men here can attest to remembering their wives before marriage." Plesius said with a smile on his face. "Remember to treasure such memories as you age so they do not fade, for they are precious."

Matthew seemed to relax slightly.

Ethan continued. "Anyway, Plesius, when you read that passage, did it look like it had been erased and rewritten?"

"No, the page was pristine there." The high priest replied.

"And bearing in mind that an angel from Illuminar Himself said it was the best translation of the Book of Light, how did Matthew and Yalia's translation read there: 'this' or 'the'?"

"This." Plesius replied. "The translation said: 'this'."

Ethan let that hang in the air for several long seconds.

"For those who are keeping score, the scoreboard looks like this." Ethan continued. "Matthew's argument is nigh-ironclad if you accept that Sepo was telling the truth about the main reason for one of his military campaigns. There's a highly-respected translation into Fey from a few decades after Yaleed that uses 'this', and the translation that an angel from Illuminar Himself said was the best in the Ten Kingdoms says 'this' too."

Again, he let that hang in the air for a few moments.

"On the other side of the argument, we have; 'it's right because we always thought it was right'." Ethan pointed out, then added the question that Matthew had suggested. "Now, how often in the Book of Light does Illuminar correct people for doing something wrong they've been doing for a long time?"

Many of the luminars inclined their head in concession, and a few of them chuckled.

"Look, up until now, the wood elves have had a solid reason for holding to 'the', because you hadn't seen the evidence, and as I understand it, 'the' seems like the obvious reading in ancient elvish." Ethan said, trying to give them an honorable way out; that had been Rachel's suggestion. "No one would fault you for that. However, things are different today. You have evidence now that you didn't have before, and so you need to decide if you are going to follow what Illuminar said based on the new evidence, or if you are going to follow your tradition instead of Illuminar's commands." He looked at Plesius. "I believe the Book of Light has some things to say about such a dilemma, right?"

Plesius nodded. "As it is written: Woe to the man who keeps the observances of his fathers instead of the command of Illuminar, and woe to the man who says: 'should I not follow in the footsteps of my fathers?' instead of saying: 'Should I not revere the precepts of Illuminar?' "

Ethan looked around at all the luminars again. "Look, this is a huge decision and I'm not saying you should make it today. I hear you guys have a saying that 'morning is wiser than evening', so maybe sleep on it. Think about it, pray about it, talk to your colleagues about it. It's important to get this right, less important to get it right today."

"The man who speaks without consideration is a fool, but the man who considers what he says will be accounted wise." Plesius quoted, probably from the Book of Light. "Do you have anything else to add, honored prophet?"

"No, that's it." Ethan replied.

He wanted to point out that a lot of lives were riding on this, but didn't think an appeal to emotion was the right move. He got the sense that such an appeal might backfire, and it would surely give Nakhim's contingent ammunition to convince others to discount what he'd said.

"Then please give us the room so we might deliberate." Plesius said. "According to your word of wisdom, we will likely not decide today. Possibly not even tomorrow."

"Take care, and may Illuminar guide you on the path of light as you travel... and decide." Ethan replied, using the closing that Alana had suggested.

After that, he and Matthew left the council chambers. Notably, the Conclave chambers seemed quite silent as they left. It was always hard to judge, but to Ethan, it seemed like a contemplative kind of silence.

"Wow." Matthew said after the door closed. "That was powerful. You basically said they were fine up until now, but they would be rebelling against Illuminar if they didn't change their minds."

Ethan smiled. "I had some help constructing the argument, but thanks."

"I think they'll do it." The young man said after a few moments. "That was a really good argument."

"I hope so." Ethan nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a betrothed who has some company, and I think I'll go be a fifth wheel."

Matthew got a funny look on his face.

"It means a useless addition, like how having five wheels on a cart wouldn't help." Ethan explained.

"Ah, okay." Matthew nodded. "I think I'm going to head back and figure out what I should do with my life."

"Yeah?" Ethan asked.

Matthew nodded. "It's funny, for the longest time, I wanted to finish translating the Book of Light and marry Yalia. I've done both of them, and I wouldn't trade that for the world. But now, I find myself wondering what's next. Luminars are traditionally cobblers, just because everyone needs shoes no matter where you go, but I'm not very good at it. Lord Kalus gave us a generous donation, but that won't last forever."

"Well, you and Yalia said that you wanted to accompany us into the Wilding Lands." Ethan replied. "That'll be quite the experience. I get the feeling it might be clearer after that's over."

Matthew nodded slowly. "Yeah, I could see that. Maybe Illuminar won't guide me into what's next until that's over, I just wish I knew what it would be now so I could start preparing for it."

Ethan smiled. "I've been informed of what's coming a few times, and honestly, I'd rather not know. As long as I get enough direction that I don't walk into an ambush unprepared, I'm okay with that."

Matthew inclined his head in concession. "That makes sense, thanks."

"You're welcome."

"No, I mean that." Matthew said seriously. "If I hadn't met you, I never would've married Yalia, or ended up here, and I'd feel really lost. You and Lord Kalus both have gone out of your way to help, and I really appreciate it. My dad..." His face fell. "Well, accidents happen, and my mom did her best, but I've felt a little lost without him around. So thank you."

Ethan smiled at him, his heart swelling a bit at hearing that. "I'm glad I was able to help."

* * *

"Time marches inexorably on." The King mused quietly from his private balcony above the Conclave floor. It was there for his use, and being The King, he was allowed to listen from out of sight to keep abreast of the spiritual element of the nation.

"It does indeed my king." His herald, Delabor, replied from next to him. He'd arrived to give a report on a domestic matter, and The King had asked him to remain for a short time. The Conclave explicitly allowed for The King's herald to join him on this private balcony if need be, for it would not be wise nor proper to deprive The King of communication with the kingdom while he observed important religious matters.

"At the turn of the year, none but Illuminar Himself -- blessed be He -- could have guessed the events that would unfold." The King mused.

"I find myself more attentive to the winds of change of late, my king." Delabor replied. "As you know, prophets do have a history of bringing great change. However, to my recollection, it seems that no prophet in our history is poised to bring so great a change to our culture as this one."

The King smiled. "Should the Conclave side with him, that would be an accurate observation."

"If I may ask, my king, how would such a change affect our culture?" Delabor asked. "The fear of formal shaming has prevented many from wandering into grievous error. With that fear removed, is there a danger of our culture sliding toward licentiousness and libertinism?"

"As with all changes, it does indeed create new dangers." The King mused as he considered the question. He had been for some time, but this was the first time he was able to give voice to such thoughts. "However, wisdom can and should attenuate such dangers."

He paused as he considered how to phrase it. Next to him, Delabor simply waited; wise herald that he was, he could almost certainly tell that The King was thinking.

"The Prophet's objection is to a person's shame not being able to be removed." The King observed after a moment. "It is not, as expressed by him, to the institution of shaming itself. I believe that he has some objections to the institution, but he has not expressed them with any significant force."

"You are wise my king." Delabor said to indicate agreement.

"Thus, the institution of shaming itself shall remain, only its duration will change." The King replied. "It seems wise to me that some limit will be imposed, and unless a shamed person has borne his shame for such a time, his shame may not be removed. Only afterward, once sufficient time has passed, would his shame then be able to be removed."

"How long a time, my king?" The herald asked.

"A wise question, though one that belongs at the intersection of the state and the Conclave." The King replied. "I would suspect that, perhaps, a year for an offense that is sufficient to warrant shaming, but not more severe, would be appropriate. Graver offenses would, of course, require a longer minimum time. However, rarely does someone commit a grave offense without perpetrating a lesser offense first. I would hope, and even suspect, that one such exposure to being shamed for a year would provide a strong incentive for any elf to remain inside the bounds of honor from that time forth."

"That is a wise and measured solution my king." Delabor replied pensively, a thoughtful look on his face. "It would retain the force of shame while allowing for redemption, as the Prophet argues and as the Conclave appears to be seriously considering."

"It would indeed." The King said. "And perhaps, as befits all judicial matters, two or three witnesses should be procured to testify to the shamed person's genuine repentance. That would help to prevent those who are falsely repentant from exploiting the process of redemption for their own ends. Perhaps, additionally, repeat offences of like kind could be considered much graver than the first offence. However, again, the particulars will likely be a matter of great discussion in the days moving forward."

"Thank you for explaining, my king." Delabor replied.

"You are welcome, honored herald." The King replied.

The two fell silent for a time as they listened to the Conclave's debates. The King had sat in on several of them before the Prophet's most recent speech, and that speech's effect on the Conclave had been pronounced. Whereas before, the two sides had been rather evenly matched with, perhaps, ten percent undecided in the middle, it now seemed that the mass of the Conclave had leaned toward the Prophet's view. Not all of course, but the greater part.

"My granddaughter was exceedingly thankful for your generous offer." Delabor said after several minutes, during a lull in the conversation below. "She has already met The Queen concerning her coming-of-age ball and was thoroughly delighted and enchanted. I cannot thank you enough for this high honor, nor especially for the joy it has brought to her, and my whole family."

The King smiled. "It is the delight of my office to reward faithful service."

"You do me honor, my king." Delabor head bowed.

"Only in proportion to the faithfulness of your service." The King replied, then leaned forward to listen better, as it sounded like Plesius was about to speak.

* * *

"That's my little girl."

Ethan looked beside him at Sarah's father, Festus, who seemed to be slightly choked up. They were all in Ethan and his wives' suite talking after dinner. Sarah and Amy were jabbering away as old friends who haven't seen each other for a long time always do. Though, it occurred to him that they hadn't actually known each other that long.

"Yeah?" Ethan replied to his future father-in-law. He had rather more of those than he'd ever imagined he would while he was living on Earth.

Festus nodded slowly. "She looks just like her mother." He blinked, and it looked like his eyes were watery. "It's almost like having a small piece of her back." He inhaled that way people do when they are trying to be subtle about hiding how choked up they've become.

"If she's anything like her mother, I'm so sorry for your loss." Ethan replied.

"It was a fever." Festus said. "She never learned no magic, so there was nothing anyone could do."

"If it helps, I have a whole bunch of wives that have already started teaching her how to heal herself, and they'll work on purging toxins and infections soon."

"Good." Festus nodded, then looked at him with more strength in his eyes than Ethan had yet seen. "You'll take care of my little girl, right."

It wasn't a question.

"Even if it costs me my life." Ethan replied seriously. "Though, I'll try to make damn sure it doesn't because I have a lot of people relying on me now."

Festus nodded. "Good."

It was amazing to see how much the man had changed. When Ethan had first met him, he had seemed weary and beaten down by the world, and had been a little slovenly and generally uncouth. Now he was standing up straight, he'd recently bathed, and his clothes were clean and fit him properly.

"She's different." Festus said after a moment. "I think that damned demon was screwing with her mood, because this is more how she used to be as a child. She was always happy and smiling until..." He sighed.

Ethan opened his mouth to reply, but Sarah beat him to it.

"Daddy, come here!" Sarah called excitedly, gesturing equally as enthusiastically for him to come over.

"Coming." Festus replied, then headed over.

Alana slid to his side moments later, and he put his arm around her. She leaned into him and rested her head on him, which made him smile.

"How long do you think the Conclave will deliberate before making a decision?" The elf asked.

"Honestly, I don't know." He replied. "Probably not today, and maybe not tomorrow."

She sighed, then leaned a little more heavily on him. "It's probably good that they aren't rushing, and it sounds like you might've convinced them, but I hate waiting."

"Yeah, me too." He replied, looking at Sarah laughing with her visiting friends, father, and his other wives.

"Speaking of waiting, why are you still waiting to marry Sarah?" Alana asked. "Nothing is stopping you from telling The Queen to go ahead. She's been planning this almost non-stop and I'm sure she could have it ready in a day or two. Given the way elven parties work and that everyone is already in Nalatia, you could be married within the week."

Ethan nodded slowly. "Can I say something that'll sound strange?"

"Sure." She looked up at him with her rich hazel eyes.

"I get the feeling that it'll happen very soon, but for some reason, I don't think the time is quite now."

Alana raised an eyebrow. "You're starting to sound like Taloni."

He chuckled. "Yeah, well, it's still how I feel. I don't think it has anything to do with Sarah or me either; I feel like it's something else out there, like we're waiting for something else to happen, and when it does, it'll be 'get up and go' time."

"Hmm, odd." Alana mused. "When did you start feeling like that?"

"Honestly, I think I've been feeling that way for a long time and only just realized it." He replied. "Consciously, I was thinking about Sarah getting rid of her demon first, but now..." He frowned. "I wonder if she's been feeling the same, because as much as we both want to get married, it really doesn't seem like we've been pushing for it."

"I'll ask her." Alana said, slipping out from under his arm.

She went over to Sarah and managed to extricate her from the group of friends by mentioning 'Prophet business', then took her to a corner of the room. After Alana talked for a minute, Sarah turned to look at him and nodded vigorously. It was amazing how much her marvelous green eyes and gorgeous hair captured his attention. Honestly, everything about her was more vivacious and full of life compared to before. Festus was right; that demon must've been doing a number on her.

*She says that she hadn't realized it until now, but she agrees.* Alana said as she parted from Sarah to head his way while Sarah returned to the circle of friends she'd been talking to before.

*At least I'm not crazy.* He shrugged.

*What's the 'Prophet business'?* Beth thought to the group chat, so Ethan explained.

*I think it will be very soon Master.* Tee replied when he was done. *But I also think you're right.*

*I wonder what needs to happen first?* Beth mused.

*No idea.* Ethan resisted the urge to shrug. He and his wives were all getting a lot better about hiding their telepathic conversations, except for Kendra; she'd been nigh-unto perfect from the first day.

"Ethan!" Sarah called, beckoning him over.

*Duty calls ladies.* He grinned, and then joined the party.

* * *

"It's been two whole days."

"I know." Ethan replied to Alana's frustrated groan. "Technically only a day and a half, and Thea said that the Conclave convened earlier than usual today, so they might decide today."

"I hope so." His wonderful first wife sighed. They were all in their suite after breakfast, and so far, they had prayed at breakfast every morning since the one after getting rid of Sarah's demon. Ethan supposed it wasn't good that it had taken him getting repeatedly pummelled by a demon for part of an afternoon, plus a visit from an angel with a serious warning about what could happen if they didn't pray to institute that little tradition. Though, it was fun to see Taloni's wings broadcasting her delight at this new development every morning.

"Hey, worrying about it won't help." Ethan said. "Take a deep breath, take a walk, work on something to take your mind off of it, or something like that. You can't make things happen faster by worrying."

She gave him a look. "I really don't think that will help."

"Have you tried it?" Kendra asked.

Alana shot Kendra a look too.

"That doesn't work on me." The former Aldmiri replied. "Try Ethan's suggestion, it helps."

Alana took a deep breath and then got up and hesitated, then started pacing again.

"How long would it take Alana to wear a hole in the floor if it wasn't self-repairing?" Beth mused with an impish grin that resembled the one Alana often got. Man, his wives really were rubbing off on each other.

"I know!" Alana groaned. "I want to put it out of my mind, but this is my parents and I can't."

Knock. Knock.

"Colonel Forsythe and Victoria to see you." One of the Lightguard called through the door.

"Send them in." Ethan said loudly, then looked at Alana. "Maybe company will help?"

She shrugged, then the door opened and the couple walked in. The Colonel looked as calm and composed as he usually did. Victoria was a little red in the face. She had her arm through the crook of the Colonel's elbow, and was almost hiding behind him.

They stopped, and he looked at his betrothed.

"Um, I..." She went a little redder. "I need to apologize for how I've been behaving lately."

Ethan noticed that Kendra leaned forward ever-so-slightly.

"I've been... um..." The gorgeous woman hesitated. "I've been complaining about Colonel For--"

The good Colonel cleared his throat.

She glanced at him, then back at everyone. "Um, I've been complaining about Reginald a lot. I already apologized to him. Um, and not only was I wrong about..." She hesitated. "Well, I shouldn't have been doing that, especially when he didn't do anything wrong. It was me. I was being selfish and immature, and I'm sorry for complaining to everyone when I was the problem."

Everyone looked at her for a moment.

Colonel Forsythe responded with a piercing stare, and then he flicked his eyes toward Victoria.

"We forgive you." Ethan said, and all his wives followed suit.

"It wasn't that bad though, so why did you feel like you needed to apologize?" Beth asked.

Victoria looked at her betrothed and bit her lip.

"It is important to apologize when you have wronged someone." He explained. "Victoria felt like she had wronged you, however little, so that rule applies. While the offense was indeed quite small, being forced to apologize for the small things does tend to have a deterrence effect on the larger things."

Victoria nodded and then looked down, clearly embarrassed. Though, Ethan got the distinct impression that her embarrassment came from her prior behavior, not what the Colonel had just said. He also got the distinct impression that Victoria would be a little more careful about venting in the future, so maybe the Colonel had a point.

"You seem really sure of that." Beth said.

"It was my responsibility to turn criminals into soldiers." The Colonel replied. "You learn such things in that position."

Ethan inclined his head in concession.

"When are you two going to get married?" Sarah asked.

Despite her obvious embarrassment, Victoria smiled at the question. "I don't know." She looked at her betrothed.

"Likely before we leave for the Wilding Lands." He said. "Though we have not discussed the matter further."

It was interesting. The burning chemistry that Victoria and the Colonel shared didn't seem to have lessened, but Ethan noticed a distinct lessening of the ever-present friction that they had previously always displayed like a neon banner.

"Big? Small?" Beth pressed.

The couple looked at each other, then he spoke. "We decided quite small, just those we will be sailing with."

That, of course, led the ladies to start talking about venues and decorations. Victoria lost her embarrassed blush rather quickly after that. Then, about ten minutes later...

Knock. Knock.

"Halvaer and Railen Kalon to see the Prophet and Alana." One of the Lightguard said through the door.

"Send them in." Ethan said, then looked at their granddaughter

"I didn't invite them, but I'm glad they're here." Alana said.

The door opened and the two elves came in, both looking slightly confused. Alana went and gave them both a hug, then stepped back and looked at them quizzically.

"We received an invite from the palace to gather here." Halvaer said.

"From who?" Ethan and Beth asked at the same time, causing many to chuckle.

"From me, via the generosity of The King facilitating the invitation." Plesius said, appearing at the still-open door. "Might I enter, honored prophet?"

"Please, come in." Ethan gestured in welcome.

He entered, then spoke. "I thought that -- considering how it will affect your family and that the prophet was the primary driver of the Conclave convening -- it would be appropriate to make their formal decision known here first."

"And it is?" Alana asked, her tone and face full of more conflicting emotions than Ethan could parse.

"The decision took an extra day, not because the result was in doubt, but out of a desire to make the outcome as united as possible." The high priest said. "It was not unanimous in actuality, as some recused themselves rather than vote with the majority to present a result without dissent. This seemed important given the magnitude of the issue in question. However, among those who participated in the final vote, it was unanimous."

Ethan smiled. That sounded very good.

Plesius continued. "It is the unanimous decision of the Conclave that the proper understanding of the passage is 'this', applying it only to the command of Illuminar -- blessed be He -- not to entice to serve the other gods, the Nesteri, and not 'the', applying it to all commands of the God of Light."

Alana sucked in her breath and put her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and her lips beginning to spread into a smile... though it was still tempered somewhat as she seemed to hang on every word coming out of Plesius's mouth.

The high priest continued. "Thus, it is the unanimous opinion of the Conclave that -- provided sufficient time has passed, and that there are at least two or three witnesses to provide testimony that the shamed person is indeed truly repentant -- that unless a person has enticed others to serve Nesteri, no one should bear their shame perpetually."

Alana's smile grew wider.

"The exact procedure and requirements will be discussed at length." Plesius continued. "But over twenty years is certainly more than sufficient time. Thus, a certain daughter--" He looked at Halvaer and Railen. "--and mother--" He looked at Alana. "--will be allowed to have her shame removed, and thus can become a full member of elven society once again."

That pronouncement was followed by a stunned silence as the reality of what had been said sank in for everyone. There was another moment of stunned silence as the not-yet-expressed joy in the room seemed to build on everyone's faces.

Then that joy came out with cheers and whoops of joy so loud that Ethan thought that everyone in every corner of Nalatia had probably heard it.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Note: This chapter began on day 146 of Ethan's life in the Ten Kingdoms and ended on day 149. I submit new chapters on the last Wednesday of every month, and they usually drop after the 2-3 day review process. Thus I'll submit the next chapter on August 26th, and it'll probably drop on the 28th or 29th.

I'd like to extend a very special thanks to my editors, and also several of my patrons, two of whom didn't want to be credited by name. So, to both Anonymous patrons, Joseph, Waniel, and "Veron De La Morte": thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it.

STORY TAGS: dragon, magic, elf, teen, romance, virgin, harem, blonde, brunette, redhead