The reception felt alive.
Not simply festive.
Alive.
Lanterns hung in golden rows across the palace gardens, casting warm light across polished stone paths and emerald lawns. Music drifted through the evening air while laughter mingled with the gentle rustling of leaves overhead.
Hundreds gathered beneath the stars.
Nobles.
Commanders.
Merchants.
Diplomats.
Guild leaders.
Representatives from every corner of Etherevalis.
And at the center of it all stood Jax Darquebane and Llandra Darquebane.
For one evening, even King Thalorien and Queen Lysara willingly stepped into the background.
Tonight belonged to the newlyweds.
There was something different in the air.
Not simply celebration.
Hope.
The kind that spread quietly through a kingdom before anyone dared speak it aloud.
Conversations drifted between tables.
"If the King has accepted this marriage..."
"...perhaps the borders truly will open."
"I've heard Solmere has refrigeration."
"And roads unlike anything we've ever seen."
"The future may look very different."
Politics had already begun moving.
Trade.
Alliances.
Opportunity.
But tonight...
Tonight wasn't about kingdoms.
It was about love.
The Vixens looked radiant.
Bunny laughed so hard she nearly pulled Zee off her feet while teaching her a dance she'd apparently invented only moments earlier.
Nyxian floated effortlessly through the crowd, dancing with Jax, several noblewomen, and even convincing an elderly duchess to attempt a spirited twirl that left everyone applauding.
Jax watched her with an amused smile.
She caught his eye from across the dance floor.
He simply smiled and nodded.
That was all the permission she needed.
She laughed and spun away again.
Seeing them happy...
Made him happy.
The musicians shifted melodies.
A hush settled across the courtyard.
The first dance.
Jax extended his hand.
"My lady."
Llandra smiled as she placed hers in his.
"My husband."
Just before the music began, familiar blue text appeared.
Would you like to learn the Entertainment Skill: Dance?
Jax nearly laughed.
Seriously?
He accepted.
Warmth spread through him.
Knowledge.
Posture.
Timing.
Footwork.
Balance.
It all settled into place as naturally as breathing.
The music began.
Jax led.
Llandra followed effortlessly.
Or perhaps they followed one another.
Neither could quite tell.
They moved as though they'd practiced together for years.
Every turn flowed into the next.
Every step found perfect rhythm.
Llandra looked up at him in surprise.
"You've never danced before."
"I haven't."
"Then..."
He grinned.
"I had a good teacher."
She laughed.
"I don't think that's how learning works."
"It does for me."
The crowd watched in stunned silence.
Whispers spread through the audience.
"He's graceful."
"They move as one."
"They look..."
"...happy."
The dance ended.
Applause thundered through the gardens.
Jax bowed dramatically.
Llandra curtsied.
Then quietly whispered,
"You show-off."
He smiled.
"Guilty."
Later came the father-daughter dance.
The courtyard grew quiet once more.
King Thalorien offered his hand.
"May I have this dance?"
Llandra's eyes shimmered.
"You'll always have this dance."
They moved slowly across the lantern-lit floor.
No audience existed anymore.
Only a father.
And his little girl.
"I still remember carrying you through these gardens," Thalorien said softly.
"You insisted every flower had a name."
"They did."
"They probably still do."
She laughed.
"They do."
He smiled.
"I'm so proud of you."
She swallowed hard.
"And of the woman you've become."
Her composure nearly broke.
He kissed her forehead.
"I couldn't have chosen a better man for you."
Llandra hugged him tightly before the music faded.
The applause this time carried something gentler.
Respect.
As twilight deepened, the final celebration approached.
A polished white carriage waited beneath flowering trees.
Its sides had been decorated by enthusiastic palace servants.
Just Married
The lettering wasn't perfectly straight.
Neither of them cared.
Laughter followed them as they climbed inside.
Cheers echoed through the gardens.
The horses started forward.
For the first time all evening...
Silence.
Honeymoon
The guest house rested beyond the palace gardens.
Private.
Peaceful.
A place prepared with obvious care.
Lanterns glowed softly beneath the porch roof.
Fresh flowers lined the walkway.
Even the front door had been decorated with woven ivy and white blossoms.
Llandra smiled.
"They've been busy."
"They have."
Jax reached for the door.
Then stopped.
"I almost forgot."
She tilted her head.
"What is it?"
"In my homeland..."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"...it's considered good luck for a husband to carry his bride across the threshold the first time they enter their home together."
Her eyes lit up.
"Truly?"
"So the tradition says."
"And everyone does this?"
"Most try."
She smiled warmly.
"I like traditions from your homeland."
Before she could say another word, Jax slipped one arm beneath her knees and another behind her back.
She laughed in surprise.
"This seems completely unnecessary."
"It probably is."
"I approve."
He carried her across the threshold.
Neither noticed the elderly groundskeeper smiling to himself from a nearby window.
Inside, the guest house felt warm and inviting.
Candles flickered softly.
Fresh flowers rested in crystal vases.
Someone had thoughtfully stocked the kitchen with food and drink.
The bedroom beyond looked every bit as elegant as the palace itself.
Then they both looked at the wedding dress.
Llandra sighed.
"Oh..."
Jax blinked.
"What?"
She looked over her shoulder.
"I'm still wearing it."
He smiled confidently.
"That seems easily solved."
"It does?"
"It can't be that difficult."
Llandra's smile became wonderfully mischievous.
"I admire your optimism."
Jax stepped behind her.
The first button came loose.
"So far, so good."
The second.
The third.
Then another hidden clasp.
And another.
Five minutes later...
He frowned.
"Who designed this?"
"I believe the royal seamstresses."
"They're evil."
She laughed.
"I'll let them know."
Twenty minutes passed.
Then thirty.
Buttons.
Hooks.
Tiny hidden loops.
One fastening seemed to exist for no purpose other than confusing future husbands.
Jax finally found the last clasp.
"I think..."
He carefully eased the fabric free.
"...I won."
Llandra looked toward the carefully prepared preservation chest waiting in the corner.
"You know..."
"What?"
"It has to be preserved."
His shoulders slowly slumped.
"...You're kidding."
She smiled innocently.
"I'm not."
He stared at the dress.
Then at the preservation chest.
Then back at the dress.
"I've been outmaneuvered."
Together they carefully folded the gown, smoothing every wrinkle exactly as the instructions requested.
It took nearly as long as removing it.
When they finally finished, they collapsed onto the edge of the bed laughing.
Jax looked over at her.
"This wasn't exactly how I pictured our wedding night beginning."
Llandra rested her head against his shoulder.
"No."
She slipped her fingers between his.
"But somehow..."
"...it feels perfectly us."
He kissed her forehead.
The laughter faded into comfortable silence.
Outside, the lanterns slowly burned lower.
Inside, they left behind the excitement of the day and embraced the quiet beginning of their life together.
The night belonged only to them.
Morning
Sunlight filtered gently through the tall windows.
Soft.
Golden.
Jax awoke first.
Some habits were difficult to break.
He blinked slowly, letting his eyes adjust before looking down.
Llandra rested peacefully against his chest, one arm draped across his side.
Her breathing was slow.
Steady.
Content.
One of her long ears twitched ever so slightly before she nestled a little closer without waking.
Jax smiled.
Yesterday, she had become Llandra Darquebane before the eyes of the world.
Today...
She was simply his wife.
Mrs. Darquebane.
The thought made him smile a little wider.
Normally, he would already be planning breakfast.
Thinking about the kitchens.
Considering his next project.
Looking for the next problem that needed solving.
Today...
Breakfast could wait.
Trade could wait.
Politics could wait.
The entire world could wait.
He gently brushed a loose strand of golden hair behind her ear.
For the next several hours, he simply held her.
Listening to the quiet rhythm of her breathing.
Feeling her heartbeat against his own.
His thoughts wandered—not to inventions or negotiations—but to the future.
A home filled with laughter.
More adventures waiting beyond the horizon.
The weddings still to come.
Children, perhaps.
Solmere continuing to grow.
The friendships he'd built.
The family he'd found.
Not the one he'd lost.
The one he had chosen.
The future no longer felt uncertain.
It felt exciting.
Llandra stirred softly, unconsciously curling even closer against him.
Jax wrapped his arms around her just a little tighter.
She murmured something unintelligible before settling once again.
He chuckled quietly.
"Sleep in, Mrs. Darquebane."
There would be time enough for responsibility.
Time enough for kings.
Time enough for councils.
Time enough to change the world.
For one perfect morning...
The world could wait.