The Woodward Academy, Year 8

Chapter 15: May - Zyla

"Good morning, Professor.  Sir!" the soldier said, speaking first to Prof. Zoroaster, then to David.

David sighed.  He turned to Prof. Zoroaster.  "Do you ever get sick of being called 'Professor'?"

"Not usually, why?" Prof. Zoroaster asked.

"Because I'm completely sick of being called 'sir'."

Prof. Zoroaster chuckled.  "Would you rather be called My Lord?"

David actually shuddered.  "No."

Prof. Zoroaster smiled.  "Pick your battles, David.  This isn't one you can win."

David sighed.  "I guess not.  Anyway, you feel good about operating this thing?  You're not gonna send me to the South Pole?"

Prof. Zoroaster chuckled again.  "I think I've got it."

"All right.  Good luck."

David faded to ghost form and walked through the six-foot-thick rock wall that separated the control room from the departure hall.  This space was large enough to hold about a hundred people, and a small squad of soldiers was always on duty here, with more within easy reach.

The room filled with the now-familiar blue glow as the gateway activated.  David waited patiently while Prof. Zoroaster navigated to the desired location.  Soon enough, David saw SC1 HQ on the other side of the gateway, and he stepped through, waving to the soldiers in the room.

David felt the familiar compressed-yet-stretched feeling of traveling through a portal, and he quickly snapped back into being, in Agnidence.

A soldier, stationed intentionally near the arrival location, recognized David and snapped to attention.

"Sir!  Good morning, sir!"

David saluted, despite not being in uniform, and said, "Carry on."  With that, David made his way into the building and up to his office.

"Sir!" Toni exclaimed.  Jolene looked up and she too smiled and greeted him.

"Hey, you guys.  Just came to clean out my desk."

"Sir," Jolene said, "I just want you to know that it's been an honor and a privilege to work for you."

"Thanks, Jolene.  By the way, apologize to your husband for me."

"Sir?  For what?"

"For this," David said, and then gave her a brief and gentle kiss.  "I'm sorry you had to put up with my crap.  Hopefully your next boss will not try to snap your head off at the shoulders with a look."

Jolene blushed.  "One incident out of seven months is hardly a bad record, sir."

"Uh-huh.  I put you in for a commendation.  Not just for putting up with me, but you did an excellent job here."

Jolene blushed.  "Thank you, sir!"

David rested his hand gently on her shoulder and smiled at her.  "If you ever need help, you let me know."

She smiled at him, and then he turned to Toni.  "C'mon, you can help me box up my crap."

As they entered the office, David closed the office door.  He then took Toni into his arms and kissed her passionately for a long moment.

"Wow," Toni said.

"That was to thank you for trying to keep me sane the last few months.  I put you in for a commendation, too, not that you care."

"Did you put me in for a discharge?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, actually.  I don't know how long those will take to go through.  Mine had help."

"Uh-huh," Toni said.

"And if you need anything, you damned well better call me," David said.

"Hmm.  Where are you going to be?"

"Woodward Academy."

"I thought you'd finished school."

"They're tasking me as an instructor."

"Wow.  Well, Professor, good luck."

"Thanks.  You know, I like being called that a lot more than sir, and about a billion times more than 'Vocator'."

Toni giggled.

The two worked briefly to round up what little personal material David had left in his office.  He conjured it away into his Conjuring Room, then they gathered up the classified material from the locked cabinet, and set it aside so someone from Records could come get it.

"What do you do in civilian life, anyway?" David asked.

Toni said, "I'm a bank clerk.  Nothing glamorous."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Yes, actually.  I couldn't explain why, it just... makes me happy."

"Then it's as glamorous as you need it to be," David said.  David kissed her again.  "Thank you so much, Toni.  Do keep in touch, won't you?"

"Sure.  I have relatives up near Gorumshead, anyway."

"Are you sure of that?" he asked carefully.

"Oh, yeah.  They're actually staying down here in Agnidence for now.  They'll be going back up north in about a week."

David nodded.  "Good luck," he told her, then he gave her a hug and a kiss, and headed out.

David went down the hall and knocked on Ginger's door, but she wasn't there.

"Vigax Hermany is down in Cormatsen, sir," a passing clerk said.

"Really?  What's she doing down there?"

"Getting promoted, I think."

"But she's a conscript."

"I guess maybe she decided to stay in.  I don't know.  I only know what she told me."

"Oh.  Well, okay.  Let her know I stopped by, would you?"

"Yes, sir."

David frowned at Ginger's door, but then shrugged.  He could always find a way to contact her later.  With nothing more to be done, David headed out of the building.

Though conscript release wasn't yet official, a lot of the Rimohr officers had been given extended leave to return to their jobs while the paperwork was being handled, so there wasn't really anyone to see David off.  He took one last look around, then slipped into his glidetruck, which had been waiting there for him, and he drove off the base, headed north for Bolmont.

"David!" Chloe exclaimed upon seeing him enter the bull pen.  She rushed over and gave him a hug.  He hugged back tightly.

When he let her go, she smiled and said, "You coming back to work now?"

"No," David said.  "I'm here to resign."

"What?" someone else gasped.

David turned.  "Jack!  This isn't even your district!"

"It is now.  They had to do some rearranging of things for the war, and my old position's not available anymore, so they moved me up here.  What's this about you resigning?"

"I've been pressed into service again.  This time up at the Academy."

"You're going to the Rimohr Academy?" Jack asked.

Chloe snorted.  "Jack, for David, 'The Academy' only means one place, and it has nothing to do with the Rimohrs."  Turning back to David, she asked, "What subject?"

"Conjuring."

"Well, duh," she said with a grin.  "You're only like the best conjurer in the entire world..."

"Mediocre teacher, though," David said.

"Only the best teach at Woodward," Chloe objected.

"Does the name Delquin Quayde ring a bell?" David asked.

Chloe snorted.  "You couldn't possibly be that bad."

"No," David agreed.  "But I never felt like I was as good as Prof. Blackstone thought I was.  And now I have to do it without any backup.  Not only that, I'm head of the department."

"Wow.  Big Man on Campus.  But then, you kinda always were," Chloe said with a smile.  "You'll do great, David.  You worry too much."

"Thanks.  I guess I need to talk to Keef.  Hey, where's Nancy?  I wanted to say hi to her, but she's not in her office."

"She's in with Keef," Chloe said.  "And the District Chief."

"Joy."

David headed over to the door and knocked.

"Come in," Keef said.

David entered the office, and closed the door behind him.

"Hey, Nancy," he said warmly.  She nodded to him.  "Boss.  Sir," David said, greeting the other two.

"Hey, David.  Arrest someone else?" Keef asked.

"No, sir.  Just came to drop this off."  David handed over a folded sheet of parchment.

Keef opened the sheet, read it twice, and then stared at David, while handing it over to the District Chief.

The chief read it and said, "You're resigning?  Why?"

"I've been offered a position at the Woodward Academy," David said.  "I realize that the Rimohrs have made a big outlay of time and energy on me, and haven't gotten a whole lot back for their money, but I did learn the thing I was trying to learn, and no, I'm not ready to deal with the emotional impact of the job.  If I were to return to duty at this point, it wouldn't be long before I seriously hurt somebody.  I need to get control of things before I am once again dealing with scum."

The district chief frowned.  "Dean Lengel offered you a job, knowing you had a career already?"

"Sir, the school just lost about half its professors.  'Offered' isn't quite what she did.  'Begged' is closer to the truth.  I am basically her only hope of reopening with a functioning Conjuring Department."

"I'd heard there was a battle.  I didn't realize it had been that bad."

"It was bad, trust me," David said.

The District Chief frowned again, then said, "Well, we of course can't stop you from resigning.  I wonder, however, if there's any way we could at least keep you on the rolls."

"I don't see how," David said.

"Perhaps in the role you were playing before the war?" Keef said.  "Running the Woodward Precinct?"

The District Chief brightened.  "Hey, that's a good idea!  You know that there are almost no cases up in that area.  You'd do actual work maybe once every three or four months, on average."

David hesitated.

The District Chief said, "As you say, we've put a lot of resources into you.  If you resign, then wanted to rejoin later, it's a nightmare.  If, however, we move you to inactive, or 'special' status, then things are much simpler for all involved.

"Not to mention, it would give the school a resource, as well."

David sighed.  "All right, so long as it doesn't interfere with my professorial duties, which will have to take priority, as it will be my primary career."

The District Chief nodded.  "Absolutely.  So... you take this back, and I'll get the transfer paperwork signed over this afternoon."

"There's nothing to sign over, sir," Keef said.

The District Chief and David both looked at him.

Keef reminded them, "David was working in the Woodward Precinct when he was conscripted.  That is still his assigned post."

"Oh!  Well, okay, then."

"Just be aware," David warned, "that if you attempt to reactivate me, my resignation will be immediately tendered."

"Of course, of course," the chief said.  "David, thank you.  Like I said, this way really is better for everyone."

"Except maybe me," David muttered.  He straightened and said, "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your meeting."

Keef rose and offered his hand.  "David, it's been a pleasure working with you.  Good luck at the Academy."

"Thank you, sir."  He shook hands all around, then left the office, and headquarters.

Sitting in his glidetruck, David realized he had no more tasks to perform, except the one that he was most dreading.  It was time to go to Pendergrast Manor.

David entered the house with no fanfare.  No one even realized he was there until he entered the first floor lounge.  The first one to react was predictable.

"Uncle David!" Grace said, running to him. As he knelt, she wrapped him in her usual stranglehold.

"Hey, Gracie," he said, holding her tightly, as well. "You doing okay?"

"Uh-huh," she said.

"Well, at least you're still here," David said, mostly to himself. Looking around, he then asked her, "Where's your mom?" He knew that Zyla would not have left Grace behind if she had left, so he knew she had to still be in the house. That fact alone gave him a small amount of hope.

Grace just shrugged. She had no idea where her mother was.

"Mistress is upstairs, Master, in your bedroom," Olissa replied. "She's been spending most of her time up there for the last week."

"What happened?" David asked with a frown.

"We all... had a talk," Vivian replied.

"That doesn't sound good," David said worriedly.

"That's not all, Master," Olissa said.

"What else?" he asked darkly.

"I... allowed her to use a device I bought some time back. She seemed quite upset after using it."

"What device?" David demanded.

"It's... an Orb of Sentiment."

Denise gasped. "Those are dangerous," she said.

"How so?" David asked in concern.

"Master, because of what the orb does, it can cause mental and emotional trouble. It's why I didn't offer to let her use it earlier. But... she seemed completely unable to come to a decision otherwise."

"Why did you buy it?" David asked.

"As a last step, before asking to become your slave, to prove to myself that it was what I really wanted."

"You mean you weren't sure?" David demanded.

"I felt like I was sure, Master. I wanted to prove I wasn't misleading myself."

"Oh. Okay."

"But if she had a bad experience with the orb," Denise said, and shivered.

"Yeah," David said. "I guess I'd better go talk to her." Looking down at Grace, he said, "I'm gonna go talk to your mom now, okay?"

Grace nodded, and so he turned to go.

"Sir?" Vivian said, stopping him.

David turned back to her. "If I was still in the army, I'd bust you back down to soldier for calling me that," David said. "What's on your mind?"

Vivian jolted at the announcement that David was no longer in the army, but didn't pursue that issue for the moment. "I was just wondering how things went up at the school."

David seriously considered taking the time to tell them all about it. It would postpone his talk with Zyla, and that had a definite appeal to him... but he realized he was already anxious, and that was only going to get worse the longer he delayed.  He also realized that he had a promise to keep, and doing so would answer the question clearly, anyway.

David walked over to his office door.  Next to it, attached to the wall, was a perch intended for Jailla.  Bowing his head, David conjured something out of his Conjuring Room.  It was a figure, made of metal.  It was an exact replica of Jailla, and was, in fact, morphed from his body into this form.  David muttered a quiet spell, and then set the figure on the perch.  It instantly gripped the bar, and David let go.  The figure turned its head to look around, then stretched out its wings before settling into a comfortable pose, tucking its head, and feigning sleep.

To Vivian, he replied, "That's how it went."

"Oh, no.  Jailla!" Olissa gasped.  The others murmured in disquiet, as well.

David said, "I'll tell all of you about it later. Right now, I think I need to find out what's going on with Zyla."

Before he left the room, he turned to Olissa. "If she'd had good thoughts about staying with me, she probably wouldn't be upset, would she?"

"Because of the way the session is arranged, it's not guaranteed, Master, but... no, probably not."

"I wonder why she even stayed this long," he said morosely.

"We... kind of forced her into that," Gwen told him. "I kind of told her she was being a whiny bitch if she walked out on you without talking first."

"I'm not sure if I should thank you for trying to help, or yell at you for calling someone I love a whiny bitch," David said.

Gwen smiled. "Just calling it like I see it."

David frowned, and then turned to go. He stopped briefly to look at the art gallery, with its blackened walls and destroyed objects. He wondered if he was going to want to do that to the entire house soon. All the accolades he had received since the end of the war would mean nothing at all if he couldn't share them with her.

David reluctantly moved to the lift and rode it up, then entered his bedroom. He saw Zyla standing out on the deck, looking down at something in the yard. For a long moment, he watched her, just taking in her body language. He knew he was procrastinating at this point, but he couldn't help himself. He really didn't want to have this conversation. Finally, facing the inevitable, he took off his coat and set it on the bed, then stepped out to join her.

"Hey," he said quietly.

Zyla turned to him, but said nothing. Instead, she stepped over and wrapped her arms around him, holding him as tightly as Grace ever had and burying her face against him. David held her, rubbing her back. For a very long moment, they stayed that way, neither of them saying a word.

Finally, Zyla let him go and stepped back. "The Bolmont Times says the war is over. Is it?"

"Yes," David said with a nod.  "The Vrudenans signed the surrender papers on Tuesday."

"So we can all get on with our lives now?"

"We can try," David said.

After a long moment, Zyla said, "I kinda borrowed your room here. I'm sorry, I know you don't like people coming up here without permission..."

"You don't need my permission to go anywhere in this house. I'm... kinda surprised, and a bit concerned."

"Surprised?" she asked.

"That you're still here. When I left, it didn't sound like there was much doubt..."

Zyla frowned, tears coming to her eyes. "I'm sorry. I should have waited until we had more time to talk it out. I was just very... frustrated and unhappy. I did almost leave, but then one of the girls... kind of told me I was being an ass."

"No, she called you a whiny bitch," David said. He smiled. "Gwen already confessed."

"Actually," Zyla said with a slight smile. "She called me the world's most ungrateful bitch."

David frowned. "That's not true."

"It's not important. What's important is it made me stay for a little while longer. I met... a lot of your past."

"Ugh. That can't have been pleasant."

"No, it really wasn't. But I understand you a little better now."

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not," David admitted.

Zyla smiled softly. "You said you were also concerned?"

"Well, Olissa told me you've been up here for a week. She said you were upset about what you saw in the orb."

"Yeah."

"Was it really that awful?"

"Some parts were, yes.  Mostly, I just needed time to think," she said.

"About me?" David asked fearfully.

"About us," she said. She turned and motioned him over to the table, where there was a stack of parchment and an InkyQuill sitting.  It looked as if she had been writing a letter. "I want you to do something for me."

"Sure," David said.

"I want you to make a list of every woman you've slept with, that you could sleep with again... by which I mean, your relationship is still that close, and they're still available, that kind of thing."

David nodded in understanding, but asked, "Why do you want me to?"

"Just humor me for a minute, okay?"

"I guess..." David sat down at the table and picked up the quill. As he started writing, Zyla sat down in the chair beside him.

Once David was finished, Zyla took the list and read over it.

"You've slept with Dean Lengel?" she asked in surprise. "You didn't mention her in our earlier conversations..."

David winced and said, "It's a recent development."

Zyla nodded slightly, then asked, "Why is there a question mark after my name?"

David looked away. Very quietly he said, "Because I'm not at all sure where I stand with you right now. I'm sure you've had long talks with everyone who's staying here." David took a ragged breath, and she could tell he was trembling slightly. "Frankly, I figure you've rejected the notion of an 'us', so that would kind of rule out having sex again."

Zyla took a deep breath, and then set the paper aside. She said, "David, look at me."

David turned back to meet her gaze. She could see the fear and distress in his eyes. The look was nearly as tormented as the day he'd had to tell her about Joe.

"Yes, I did talk to them. A couple of them chewed me out but good. They all love you very much."

"I know," David said, looking down at the table. "I love them, too."

"I know you do. Anyone who doesn't know that, hasn't been paying attention. But, David, none of them loves you more than I do."

David lifted his gaze to meet hers, and saw the truth of the statement in her eyes.

"That's the first time you've ever said you love me," he said in shock.

"I know. I was too afraid to admit it before. Admitting I love you meant having to do something about it."

"And you don't want to," David said.

"As I've said before, it's just not that simple. That's why I've had to stay up here, thinking. I came to understand that, if we're to have any kind of future, there are some things that I need you to agree to. You might not like some of them."

"Only one way to find that out," David replied, shrugging.

Zyla nodded, then took a deep breath. "First, I need you to promise me that you will seek counseling from a professional. You have been through the worst form of hell over the last year. You have seen things and done things that have to have had a damaging effect on your spirit. That kind of thing could hurt not just our relationship, but your relationships with everyone. Those of us here in the house... we can nurture you, but we don't know how to heal this wound. You need someone with the proper training. And you have to actually participate: just listening to them ramble on won't help you."

David sat for a moment, then nodded. "Maybe they can make the nightmares stop," he said, trying and failing to suppress a slight shudder.

Zyla reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "There's something else you need to do, in order to heal, in order to get your darkness under control. I also need you to do it for my sake."

"What is it?"

"You need to quit the Rimohrs. Doing that job, you're seeing too much evil all the time. It's too tempting for you to let loose on the bad people. Plus... Being a Rimohr was Joe's 'thing'. If you remain in that job, I'm always going to be reminded of him, always comparing the two of you... and that's not fair to you... and it's also very painful for me."

David said, "I've already resigned my full Rimohr position. They did ask me to remain as the officer who would cover just those cases that happen at the school, and in Gorumshead. I can tell them no, if you want..."

Zyla shook her head. "There aren't that many cases at the school, so it shouldn't be a problem. Why did you resign?"

"I'm taking a teaching position at the Academy," David said. "They lost a lot of people, including both of the Conjuring professors. Dean Lengel has asked me to head the department."

"Wow," Zyla said. "I thought you didn't like teaching."

"I don't mind teaching. I just don't think I'm as good at it as Prof. Blackstone made me out to be."

"So, why-"

"Because Dean Lengel said she needs me to fill that position, and I owe her way too much to say no."

Zyla nodded, knowing how David felt about debts of honor.

"It would mean moving you and Grace up to Gorumshead, preferably right on campus.  In fact, I've made arrangements to live in the castle. Is that something you're okay with?"

"Moving away from Bolmont might be very good for me," Zyla said after a moment's consideration.

"But would you be okay with living on campus? After what happened when you were there..."

"I don't blame the school for what happened, David. I blame Trieste. And... after hearing about your history, I think you need to know something."

"What?"

"Her name was Trieste Savolar. She has a little brother named Marcus."

"You're kidding me."

"I wish I was."

David shook his head in disbelief. Setting that issue aside for a moment, he said, "Do you think Grace would be okay with a move? She'd lose her friend Lena..."

"There are plenty of children for her to play with on campus. And truthfully, Grace won't care so long as you're there."

David just nodded silently.

"Speaking of Grace, I also want your promise that you will make a serious effort to find a cure for her disease. My little girl deserves better than to be stuck with this her entire life."

David nodded. "Not a problem. I've been putting it off because of all the other garbage going on, but I will have the time to do research, with my new job.  And maybe I can get Healer Hall to look into it, as well."

Zyla nodded. "And one other thing about Grace, and this is extremely important to me."

"What is it?" David asked.

"You have to have my permission before you have sex with Grace for the first time."

David stared at her as if she'd grown a third arm. "Zyla, I have no intention of sleeping with Grace! That's just... why would you even think I'd go there?"

"It's not you I'm concerned with, David. It's Grace. You see how she acts around you. She still follows you around at home. She listens to you better than she listens to me, never mind how well she listened to Joe... And she gives everyone a normal hug... except you, who she hugs so tightly, it's like she never wants to let you get away.

"As she gets older, that devotion is only likely to go in one direction."

"Zyla, I can simply refuse her advances..."

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea, but it's something we would need to talk about when it happens, not right now when we can only guess at her thoughts. Just promise me that you will not, under any circumstances, get intimate with her without my permission."

"Well, of course not... but I think you're making more of it than is there."

"David, I don't mean to be cruel, but sometimes you can be incredibly blind to relationship things. This is one of them. Grace loves you so much that she stopped crying for Joe six months ago. She only cries now because you're gone.

"And as she grows up, she's likely to notice the life you lead. Women who are close to you, sleep with you. She's going to believe that's what's supposed to happen. And especially as she gets to the point where you and she appear to be the same age... just trust me, okay?"

"I do trust you, but... ow... this is making my head hurt... this is as bad as when Olissa told me she wanted to be my slave. And just as disconcerting. I never really wanted her that way, you know?"

"I know. She told me about it."

"The same way, what you're talking about... that's not something I'm looking for. It's not something I'd ever even considered before."

"I know that, too. That doesn't mean it won't happen."

"Ungh... Can we move on before my head explodes?"

"Okay. Let's talk about this list," she said, picking up the list of women David had made at the beginning of their conversation.

"What about it?"

"I want you to keep this list current. If you have fair warning that a relationship will soon become intimate, I want you to tell me. If something happens as a surprise to you... like what happened with Sam... I want you to tell me about it as soon after as possible."

"Zyla, I'm not going to cheat on you. I have commitments already made, and I can't go back on those, but from this point forward-"

"No, David. You need to understand this. It's the thing I needed to understand, and what I didn't get, until I came here and was able to talk to... well, a couple of the women in your life.

"The war has already proven that your dark side is a real threat to you. You've also proven the best way to keep that threat from becoming reality is for you to have a family around you that can help you keep it in check.

"But, David... sooner or later, your current family is going to be gone. If you don't add to it, you will eventually be alone, with no one to help you, to remind you of your humanity.

"You need to keep making connections with people. Those need to be deep connections, abiding connections. You seem to do that best with women, and let's face it: when you've formed a connection that strong with someone of the opposite sex, intimacy is nearly a requirement.

"I'm not at all suggesting you go and sleep with every woman who looks better than I do in a miniskirt-"

"That would be a damned small group," David said with a slight smile.

Zyla favored him with a warm smile of her own, then continued, "But I do want you to continue to make new relationships... and let them go where they're going to go. I am giving you my permission to have sex with any woman you are feeling that close to.

"But I insist on knowing about all of them. I don't want secrets between us."

"Of course," David agreed.

"And I do reserve the right to ask you to break off a relationship, so long as I have a reason better than 'I don't like her.'"

David nodded.

"Also... while I will actually want you to bring your other ladies home so that I can meet them, and they can meet me, and Grace... you must promise to never do anything sexual with them in front of me or Grace. Anything more than a gentle kiss hello or good-bye is off limits. I believe that you need these relationships, and that they are good for you, but I do not want my nose rubbed in them."

"I would never do that to you, Zyla. I can't believe you'd even want them around."

"They're part of your family. If we're together, that also makes them part of my family. I want my family to be close."

"Okay... um... speaking of family, I think now is a good time for me to point out a little... uh... hiccup... in things."

"Oh? What's the matter?"

"Well... I remember that Joe said you guys wanted more than one child. Just how many did you want?"

"I was hoping for two."

"Well... how about three?"

"What are you talking about?"

David explained about Angela and Garrett. "I told them that my situation wasn't settled, so we aren't committed to anything yet, but those kids really have been through an awful lot already..."

Zyla nodded. "I would love to take them in, and I will treat them as my own children... but do understand that, if push comes to shove, Grace will always be my primary concern. Not to say I would let her get away with things or take her side in arguments, but..."

"I know what you mean, Zyla. She's your actual daughter."

Zyla nodded.

"Was there more we needed to talk about?"

"What was the last thing I mentioned?"

"No sex in front of you. You should have made a list," he said with a smile.

Zyla blushed slightly. "I know it's a lot... but our relationship is-"

Together, they said, "Complicated." Zyla blushed and giggled.

"Well, it is. And that's why I needed a lot of time to think this all through. These are the things I realized I have to have."

David nodded.

"So, no sex... what... Oh. Along with us having your other ladies over from time to time, I know that you may also want to spend an evening alone with them on occasion. You may do so no more than two nights in any given week, except for some kind of emergency like an illness or injury. The rest of the week, I want you to promise to be home for dinner, and to spend the evening with me and Grace... um, me and the children. If I'm really supposed to be your number one woman, I want to be treated like it."

"Absolutely. Um... how does Olissa fit into all of this? She'll be living with us."

"Olissa is welcome to join in the family activities in the evening, but if you want to spend the night with her, that counts as one of your two.

"One other thing, about the people living with us. I know you made a promise, but Denise may not live with us. You can continue your relationship with her, but I don't want to see her at the breakfast table."

"Did something happen?" David asked, concerned.

"Let's just say I don't want the competition quite that close."

"Okay..." David said, confused now.

"She's said some things. I'm concerned that she could cause problems between us, if she was a permanent guest in our home."

"Okay."

"I know you don't like breaking promises. I have already mentioned this to Denise, and she has agreed to it."

"Well, that's fine, then. Would you prefer I not see her at all?"

"Honestly? Yes. But I won't make you do that."

"If you don't want me to, I won't..."

"Thank you. I reserve the right to ask you to stop seeing her, if I feel she's becoming more of an issue."

"Absolutely. And I will... encourage her to find a new partner."

Zyla nodded with a slight smile.

"And I assume you'd very much prefer I not bring her over for dinner?"

Zyla frowned slightly, but nodded. "I'm sorry. On this one person, I'm afraid I'm going to have to be a bit of a bitch."

David reached over and took her hand and squeezed gently. "Zyla, I'll do whatever I need to, to make you happy. I love you."

Zyla smiled warmly. "I love you, too."

After a moment of silent communion, David said, "Speaking of things that might make you uncomfortable, does Olissa get any special consideration on things I can do to her in front of you? I mean, she is going to be living with us..."

Zyla frowned slightly, then said, "She can have nicer kisses, but anything more than that should happen behind closed doors."

David nodded.

"And about Olissa, you must promise me to rewrite her contract with you."

"To say what?" David asked curiously.

"To give me the right to release her from the contract should I believe you have become too abusive to her. I have the right to leave you if your dark side takes over. She needs the same protection."

"That... would actually make me feel a lot better about things," David said.

"Good," she said.

"Was that it?" David asked, hoping he'd made it through this minefield reasonably unscathed.

"You're sure you can agree to everything so far? I know it's a lot..."

"Angel, I'd agree to ten times that amount of things to have you in my life. I really have no real problem with anything you've mentioned so far... except for the thing that makes my head hurt."

Zyla nodded as she stood up.

"So, is that it?" he asked again, hopeful.

Zyla moved close to him and said, "No. There's one last thing."

"What is it?" David asked, looking up at her, and scooting his chair back when she motioned him to.

Zyla slipped down into his lap so that she was facing him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I want the wedding to be as soon as possible."

"Wedding?" David asked dumbly. After the long negotiation that had just happened, he wasn't prepared for this particular word to appear.

"I want our commitment to each other to be official and obvious to the world. I want your name. I want to be the only woman who can have your name. I cannot be a proper housewife if I am not a wife.

"I love you, David. I want to be with you, always. Please say you'll marry me."

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" David asked softly, smiling at her.

"Yes, but you weren't saying it," she replied with a mock pout.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" David asked softly, looking deep into her eyes. "Are you sure you can be happy with... this situation?"

"Yes," Zyla said firmly, her gaze unwavering.

"Then yes, I will marry you. Of course I'll marry you. How about tomorrow?" he asked. Zyla giggled. "I love you, Angel," he told her very seriously.

"I love you, too," she said, and the two kissed for a long moment.

After a while, their kisses grew more passionate.  Zyla's tongue slipped out, and David's mouth admitted it.  As their tongues danced, David's hands slid gently over Zyla's back, caressing and massaging her through her shirt.

After a while, David grew tired of this, and so he made a certain motion with his hands.  Suddenly, both of their clothes vanished into the bedroom hamper.

"Mmmf!" Zyla squeaked, but her lips stayed fastened to David's.

David held her more tightly now, running his hands over her back and sides.  He slipped his hands around to her front and toyed lightly with her nipples.  Zyla, in turn, started to rock her hips, her passion rising as they continued to kiss.

Reaching down between them, David took his erect cock in hand and pushed it forward.  As Zyla rocked her hips, his dick slipped beneath her.  As she rocked back, the head of his dick entered her.  David pushed up with his own hips, and he was buried inside her.

Zyla broke their kiss.  "Oh, god, that feels so good," she said.  She continued to roll her hips, gripping him with her pussy muscles and massaging his dick.  Quickly, the two returned to kissing.  David returned his hands to her breasts, fondling them and caressing them, and every so often gently pulling on her nipples.

After a while, Zyla broke their kissing again.

"This feels really good, but I'm too self-conscious to really enjoy it.  Can we go inside?"

"Of course, Angel," David said softly, and then kissed her again before letting her up.  She rose and moved quickly into the bedroom.  David followed and closed the doors.

"Lie down on the bed," Zyla said to him.

David moved to the bed and lay down on his side, motioning to her.

"On your back," she said.  As he did, she slipped onto the bed with him.  "Now you just lie there.  You're always doing things for me, now it's my turn to do something for you."

Zyla straddled him, and soon his cock was once more sliding deep into her pussy.  She rested for a second, his cock fully inside of her, but then she leaned forward, placing her hands on his chest, and began to slide on and off him.

David reached up and returned to playing with her breasts.  Zyla sighed in pleasure, and rocked her hips a little faster.  She moaned softly as she moved, closing her eyes and just enjoying the feel of him within her.  David thrust up into her in time with her motions, using the bed to help him go deeper into her.

Zyla soon began to shiver, her orgasm nearing.  David fondled her tits more firmly, helping push her closer to the edge.  In just another moment, she went over the edge, crying out in joy and letting the shudders take over her body.

David moved his hands to her sides, holding her up as her climax overtook her.  As she began to settle, he pulled her down against him and then rolled to the side, holding her close and kissing her softly, his hand now caressing her breast again.

Once she had recovered, she started kissing back.  Soon their tongues were into it again.

David slowly rocked his hips back and forth.  This would never bring either of them off, but it felt wonderful, and it was keeping both of them highly aroused.  Finally, though, Zyla wanted more.  She pulled back from him, letting his dick slip out of her.  She turned over, facing away from him, and then scooted back, until her butt was pressed firmly against his cock.  She wiggled, trying to give him the idea.

David knew what she wanted.  He took his dick in hand and put it in position, then pressed forward, sliding smoothly into her pussy once more.  As he started to rock his hips again, he reached forward to run his hand along Zyla's side.  The two began to move together.  David's hand slipped downward, and he slipped his finger along the side of her clit.

Zyla's passion was revving up quickly this way, and in only another moment, she cried out, "Oh, yes, David!  Yes!"  Her body shuddered as her peak hit, and David continued to thrust into her, pushing her even higher.

Finally David slowed, letting Zyla start to recover and catch her breath.  He pulled out of her, and then gently moved her onto her back, moving above her and just waiting, using his hand to caress her cheek, her hair, her shoulder.  He leaned down and kissed her neck softly, causing her to giggle.

When she was ready for more, Zyla slipped her hands up onto David's sides, pulling on him to let him know.  He slid his dick back into her, but he didn't move for the longest time.  He turned his head downward, so she couldn't see his face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"No," David said, not looking at her for the moment

"You're crying," she realized.  "Something is wrong."

"No," David said again, looking up at her finally.  "But I was so certain something was going to be," he told her.  "I think it's just finally hit me that you're actually staying.  I don't know how to say a thank you big enough for that."

"Do you promise to love me?" Zyla asked seriously.

"Always," David said immediately.

"That's all the thanks I need, Sweetheart."

David leaned down and kissed Zyla, hard.  His tongue was quickly insisting on entry, and she gladly admitted it.

As their tongues began to dance, David started to thrust.  His moves were strong, but smooth, and his cock was hitting all the right spots inside her.  Zyla groaned and rippled her pussy muscles, trying to massage his cock as he made love to her.

The two moved together in sync, enjoying each other and letting their pleasure wash over them.  They could both feel their passions rising, their bodies heading for ecstasy.  They moaned into each other's mouths as their hips slipped together.  Their hands roamed the other's body, enjoying the touches and bringing the other one joy.

After long minutes, they knew that their moment was now.  They both started to thrust harder, and in just a few seconds, they broke their kiss so that each one could cry out in pleasure, their bodies shuddering and pushing against each other, lost in the throes of glorious bliss.

It was quite a while before either of them began to settle.  As David came down, he rolled to the side, lying down next to Zyla.  He slipped his arm beneath her, rolling her into him and holding her tightly.  Though she wasn't yet fully with it, she slid her arm across his chest and laid her head on his shoulder.  There, they rested.

David and Zyla spent the entire afternoon together, making love, relaxing, and talking.  At the moment, they were sitting together, Zyla tucked against him with his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"You have kind of an intense look on your face," Zyla said, gazing into his eyes.  "What's on your mind?"

"I'm not sure I want to press my luck," David told her.

"Come on, now..." Zyla said.

"I was wondering why you changed your mind so... well, so sharply.  When I left here last time, you were on the verge of walking out altogether, and now we're talking seriously about being married.  I'm just curious what happened."

"Your family happened," Zyla said with a slight smile.  "You hid a lot of your past from me, you know?"

"I didn't hide it, I just don't like to talk about it.  My problems are... my problem."

"Olissa said you've always been that way.  One other thing you need to know, if we're going to be together.  Your problems are automatically my problems, and you can't let me have problems I don't even know about."

"That will come hard to me.  But I'll try."

Zyla nodded and gave him a soft kiss.  Then she said, "In any case, it explained a lot to me, when I realized just what you'd been through, even before the war.  You've already had enough garbage thrown at you for three people's lifetimes, and you're only twenty-five."

David shrugged.  "That's just the hand I was dealt."

"I know.  But, like I said, it explained a lot about you to me, about how you react to things, about why you react so strongly to certain things."

David nodded.

"And, then... there was the Orb."

"You said some of that was very upsetting.  Is there anything I can do to prevent the upsetting parts?"

"Yes," Zyla said firmly.  "You can never leave me."

"Well, I have no plans to, but..." he gestured, indicating his confusion.

"Olissa had the orb show me not only what it would be like if we were together, but she also had it show me what I would feel if we weren't.  Suicidal would not be too strong a word for the emotions I felt during those visions.  I never, ever want to feel that way again, so, please, do not leave me."

David pulled her closer and kissed her softly for a very long moment.  She pressed herself against him and the two just stayed that way.  When David finally leaned back, he said, "I promise."

She smiled, and the two rested comfortably together in silent contentment for quite a while.  Finally, David asked, "Just...um... how quick did you actually want to get married?"

"I meant what I said, David.  If we could arrange it for tomorrow, I would want it tomorrow."

"Do you have a particular kind of ceremony in mind?" he asked.

"Well, there's one I'd like, but, I mean, if there's something you want-"

David interrupted her.  "Angel, what I want is for you to be happy with your wedding.  For me, it's not about the ceremony, it's about the woman I'm marrying.  I don't care if you want to get married wearing tutus and singing dirty limericks."

Zyla giggled uncontrollably at the image that inspired.  Finally she managed to get herself under control.  "Well, the ceremony I had in mind requires a witch to preside over it, and we'll have to find a watery location."

"Did you have anywhere special in mind?"

"No.  I did have a couple of places I won't do it..."

"Oh?"

"I won't do it at the lake where I last saw Joe."

"Right."

"And I won't do it at the lake between Gorumshead and the centaur village.  I don't want to intrude on the memories you have in that place."

David squeezed her shoulders for a second.  "Well... is there any specific kind of watery place it needs to be?  I mean, there is a lot of water up at the school..."

"It just needs to have water deep enough to wade in... and... you know, the waterfall lake on the terrace would be a pretty spot..."

"I'm sure that Emile wouldn't mind us using the school for that..."

"Emile?"

"Sorry.  Dean Lengel."

"Oh.  Do you call her that to her face?"

"For several years.  She gave me permission to call her Emile in private back in my... second year at school."

"You two really have been building a relationship a long time, haven't you?" Zyla asked.

"You're not worried, are you?" David immediately asked.  "She's not a threat to you, Angel, I promise..."

She snuggled in more tightly.  "I will always worry, just a little bit.  That's because I love you, and I don't want to lose you.  You'll have to forgive me at least a little jealousy..."

"I understand.  But no one's going to take me away from you.  I swear."

She looked up at him, and they kissed for a long moment.

When they separated, David said, "But, to answer your question, yes, she and I have been growing closer since... yeah, I guess about the start of my second year.  In my first year, she was still expecting me to be... well..."

"A demighost," Zyla said with a grin.

"Exactly."

"You showed her, huh?" Zyla said.

David smirked.  "In any case, like I said, I'm pretty sure she would let us have our wedding there.  Especially since school's out, so it wouldn't cause any disruption."

David grew quiet for a long moment, and Zyla looked up at him.  "Whatcha thinkin' about now?" she asked.

"Trieste," David said truthfully.  "You ever thought about getting revenge?"

"Does that sound like something I'd do?" Zyla asked.

"Think about it?  I think everybody would think about it.  Does it sound like something you would do? No.  But I didn't ask if you tried..." David said with a grin.

Zyla blushed.  "Okay, yes, I've thought more than once about getting even with her for what she did.  But first, I never did think up something fitting, and second, I'm not the kind of person who would do that."

"I am," David said.

"I know, but you're supposed to be trying to fight your dark side."

"But... what if we could get even with the entire Savolar family... without doing anything bad?"

"I'm not sure how you would do that," Zyla said, stalling.

David said, "What if we could humiliate the hell out of the whole lot of them, while helping people?"

Zyla looked up.  "What did you have in mind?"

David explained, carefully, "One of the Savolar ancestors once had a relationship with a non-human.  This particular ancestor grew to respect non-humans.  He was, of course, shunned by the family."

"Of course."

"He had wanted to do something to help non-humans, but was never able to.  If we did something to help non-humans, and publicly attached his name to it, the Savolars would forever have that thrown in their face."

Zyla didn't do anything for a moment, but then a small grin grew on her face.

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

A little while later - after another round of lovemaking - the couple was once again sitting together, relaxing.

"Angel... do you really feel like you're taking advantage of me?" David asked.  "You made it sound like you think I'm the only one who ever does anything in our relationship."

Zyla frowned.  "Sometimes.  You do so much, and I sometimes think I'm not doing anything for you.  I mean, hell, half the time you don't even let me cook for you."

"I always let you do the dishes afterward," David pointed out with a grin.

Zyla giggled.  Then she said, "I know, and I don't dwell on it, but yes, sometimes I do sort of feel guilty about it."

"Please don't.  The biggest thing that you do for me, is to let me do things for you.  It makes me feel very good to know that I've made your life a little easier, a little better.  Trust me, I don't feel at all taken advantage of."

"Thank you," Zyla said softly.  She snuggled in against him, and kissed him briefly.  "But is there anything more I can do, to show my gratitude, or just to make your day brighter?"

"I can think of about a dozen naughty answers to that question," David said with a grin.

Zyla blushed strawberry.

"I just want you to be there, Angel.  That fact alone brightens my day immensely."

Zyla smiled softly at him.  Soon, they were doing some of those naughty things David had been thinking about.

"Master?" Olissa asked.

"What?" David asked.

"We... will be taking the bondage field with us, won't we?"

David grinned and shook his head.  "Yes, Little One," he said tolerantly.  "All of our personal items are going with us.  I think we could probably even devote an entire room to playtime for you..."

Olissa smiled widely.

David flicked his wand and his clothing floated off the racks and into boxes.  He did the same with his underclothes.

As they worked, David asked, "Did you know, when I arrived yesterday, what Zyla's answer was?"

"No, sir.  I was under the same impression you were, I think.  I thought she was going to say no."

"And... would that have messed up any visions you've seen recently?" David asked with a grin.

"Not any I've seen recently, no.  But the last vision I saw was nearly five years ago, which isn't very recent," she said, smiling back.  "Nice try, though, Master."

David chuckled.

"What would you have done if she had said no?" Olissa asked.

"Broken something large, I imagine," David said seriously.  "Been miserable, certainly."

"Would you have sought out a new partner?" Olissa asked.

"I did when you pre-dumped me, didn't I?" David asked.

"'Pre-dumped'?" Olissa questioned.

"You said no before we even started a relationship.  I got pre-dumped."

Olissa chuckled.

Growing more serious, David said, "I would probably have had to find someone, even if it didn't last.  I don't think I'd have done well alone... or, well, you know what I mean..."

Olissa nodded.

"...not after losing Zyla."

"Would you have turned to Denise?"

"Probably not.  I mean, I love Denise, but... I don't know, the thing is, the relationship with Denise and me has always been almost entirely about sex.  That's fun, but... there's never really been much of a connection there.  At least, not to me..."

"Do you have any thoughts about who you would have turned to?" Olissa asked.

"Why are you asking?" David wanted to know.

Olissa shrugged.  "Really, just curious.  You've been so focused on Mistress for this past year that I can't figure out who you would have pursued."

"Well... I do have a second choice, but... you might be surprised by who it is."

"Master, don't make me pre-dump you again..." she said with a slight grin.

David chuckled.  "No, it's not you.  We've pretty well hashed that out permanently between us."

"Who, then?" Olissa wondered.

"Emile."

"Emi... Dean Lengel?"

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"Kind of surprised me, too.  But after we were together, I don't know... things just kind of gelled.  I really hope that doesn't end up bothering Zyla, given that Emile and I will be working together."

"Well, it's not like you're actually in her office.  You'll be in class most of the time."

"True.  I just worry about it."

Olissa nodded.  "It looks like this room is finished, Master.  Which room should we do next?"

"I think we're just about out of rooms.  Most of what's left is Jacob's junk...er, I mean stuff."

Olissa giggled.

"Hey, where is Mistress?" Olissa asked.  "I figured she'd be helping..."

"She has her own house to pack up," David reminded Olissa.  "In fact, that's what we'll do now, is go over and help her."

"Yes, sir."

"And, thank you, sir," the real estate manager said.  He shook David's hand, nodded to Denise, and departed.

"You sure this will work for you?" David asked.

"This is plenty, David," she said.  "It's just me, after all."

David motioned her to sit down at the kitchen table.  David had rented this apartment for her, as she had no income of her own.  He sat down next to her.

"Denise... I wanted to apologize, for having to break my promise."

Denise nodded slightly in acknowledgment.  "I know you didn't have a choice," she said.  "Zyla made it clear that I wouldn't be welcome, if she stayed."

"Just what did you say to her?" David asked.

"I told her she only had one shot at you.  That if she didn't take it, I would attempt to take her place."

David's eyes opened wide.  "Denise, I..."

Denise raised her hand.  "I know.  I know you're not in love with me.  Sometimes people grow into things.  If the opportunity had been there, I would have taken it.  But I'm not so selfish that I want to screw up your happiness for my own.  I told her I would move out, and I told her I wouldn't do anything to get in the way of you two.

"Has she asked you to break it off with me entirely yet?" Denise asked.

"No.  I did ask her if she wanted me to, though."

"She probably will, eventually."  Denise watched David's face.  "Don't worry, I know that you would honor that request.  I've had to say good-bye to you before, don't worry about me."

"That's not really fair to you, you know," David said.  "You should have a partner that is devoted to you."

"At this point, I take what I can get," Denise said.

"Gee, that sounds familiar," David said with a wry smile.  "But... my point is, you're not going to find happiness this way."

"Are you breaking up with me voluntarily?" Denise asked with a frown.

"No.  Not at all.  I'm telling you that you should keep looking for your perfect guy.  Don't say it," David said.  He could see the look on her face.  "I'm not your perfect guy, because I'm not available to you in that way."

"You might be, in a few years..." Denise mused.

"Not funny," David growled.

"Wasn't trying to be.  Sometimes marriages don't last.  Mine didn't."

"Okay, that's fair.  But I don't like the idea of you just sitting, hoping someday I'll be knocking on your door, ring in hand.  I want you to try to find someone else.  Don't worry, I'm not gonna push.  In fact, I'm probably never going to mention this conversation ever again.  I just want you to know how I feel.  You are a wonderful person, and you are very special to me, but... in the role you want, I'm taken."

Denise frowned for a long moment, then nodded.  Finally, she said, "And in the role where neither of us has any clothes on?"

David smiled at her.  They nearly broke the kitchen table.

"What happened here?" Zyla asked, looking at Garrett's room.  When David had brought her up in the early morning, the room had, of course, been 'medieval castle chic'.  Now, it was painted a medium blue, with a nice bed, thick comforter, and decorations... including a poster for the Woodward Firebirds baxayr team.

David had a sneaking suspicion, and looked over his shoulder.  He then turned Zyla around.

"Meet the welcoming committee, and, I suspect, redecorating crew."

Emerging from the room across the hall were Sam, Emile, Miss J, Endora, Ellen and Niobi.  David introduced those that Zyla didn't know from her own schooling.

"Where are the kids?" David asked Emile.

"Swimming," she said.  "We weren't sure when you'd get here, and they were getting bored."

"You can swim in the moats?" Zyla asked.

"Sure, they're not dangerous," David said.

"But that's not where they're swimming, anyway," Emile said.  "Downstairs, there's a pool that is fed by the river.  The water is in constant motion.  They're swimming there."

"The castle has an endless pool?  Neat.  See, stuff even I didn't know," David said to Zyla.  Zyla giggled.

"We hope you don't mind," Sam said.  "We decorated the children's rooms for you.  It was easier with Garrett and Angela, we could ask what they liked.  I hope Grace likes hers..."

"I'm sure it's lovely.  Thank you," Zyla said graciously.

"Well, we'll let you settle in.  If you're feeling up to it, we're throwing a house-warming party down in the Great Room later on."

"I'm sure we'll be there at some point," David said, smiling at Sam.

With that, the ladies left, leaving David, Zyla, and a somewhat cowed Grace to themselves.

"Let's go see Grace's room," David said.

As they walked over, Zyla said, "This may sound awful, but I really appreciate that they left.  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of this."

David hugged her gently with one arm, and she leaned against him for support.

"Don't worry.  I imagine once the craziness of the next few days is over, things will settle down quickly, so you can get used to everything.  I do think we need to be at the party, though."

"Oh, sure.  I don't mean to imply that I don't want to be around them.  Just... right now..."

David nodded.  "Sure.  It's still all new.  Well, this is nice.  What do you think, Grace?" David asked, now that they were at her room.  The bedroom was painted a pale yellow, with sparkly decorations and some new toys.

"It's pretty!" she said.

"Well, it's good that you like it.  This is your room now," Zyla said.

"I... live here now?" Grace asked.

"We all live here now," David said.

"Even you?"

David chuckled.  "Yes, even me."

Grace motioned David close, and he leaned down.  She whispered, "Are you daddy now?"

David gave Grace a warm hug, and kissed her on the cheek.  "It's not official yet, but yes."

"Yay!" she enthused a little too loudly for how close his ear was to her mouth.

David let her go, and then chuckled.  He looked to Zyla.  "Swim, or unpack?"

"I'd rather my first introduction to them wasn't, 'Hey, we have work to do...'"

"Fair enough.  Do you guys have swimsuits?"

"I can morph something for both of us.  What about you?"

"I have one."

David went to put on his swimsuit, while Zyla helped Grace, and put on her own.  David joined back up with them, and they all headed down to the fourth floor.  A short bit of searching discovered what was actually a fitness room for the family of the castle.  Angela was currently sitting on the edge of the pool, while Garrett was swimming against the current.

"Uncle David!" Angela shouted, and carefully ran over to him so she didn't slip and fall.  She hugged him, heedless of the fact that she was drenched.

David hugged her tightly.  "Glad I'm wearing a swimsuit," he said to Zyla.  She giggled.

"Garrett, can you come here a minute?" David called out.

"Just a sec'!" Garrett called.  They saw him put on a burst of speed to make it to the end of the pool, and then he climbed out.  He walked over more calmly, but still gave David a hug.

"Guys, I want you to meet my fiancee, Zyla.  And this is her daughter, Grace.  And this is Angela, and Garrett."

Zyla said, "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"What..." Garrett said, and then stopped.

"What is it?" David asked.

"What do we call her?"

Zyla blushed while David chuckled.  "Zyla... Aunt Zyla if it makes you more comfortable.  No one expects you to call her 'Mom', Garrett, any more than I expect you to call me 'Dad'."

Angela looked down at Grace, and smiled.  "Hi, Grace," she said softly.

"Hi," Grace replied.

"Do you know how to swim?" Angela asked.

"Uh-huh!" Grace said, proud of herself.  She had taken a swimming class.

"Would you like to go swimming with me?"

Grace looked up at David.

"It's okay, Grace.  Angela is like your sister now.  You can play with her."

Grace bounced, and then followed after Angela toward the pool.

"You sure she'll be okay?" Zyla asked David.

"Garrett, how deep's the water?"

"About four feet.  There's a ledge around the outside, though, and there are some seats in a spot where the water is calmer."

David nodded.  To Zyla, he said, "I'm sure Angela will keep an eye on her."

"Have you seen your room yet?" David asked Garrett.

"No, they wouldn't let us peek.  Is it gross?"

"I like it.  I don't know how you'll feel about it."

"What color did they paint it?" Garrett asked.

"Magenta," David said, winking at Zyla, who had to hide her face.

"What?" Garrett gasped, stricken.

David laughed at the look on his face.  "Relax, bud.  It's blue."

Garrett sighed.  "That wasn't cool, Uncle David.  You had me worried."

David clapped him lightly on the shoulder, and said, "Come on, let's go back to swimming."

"You mean, you didn't come down to get us?  Don't we have to unpack junk?"

"Later.  We have all summer to unpack junk," David said.

"And we all need to get to know each other," Zyla said softly.  "We may not be related, but we're still a family."

Garrett looked uncertain, but didn't say anything.  He walked back toward the pool.

"Did I-" Zyla said.

"Don't worry about it.  He's just at that age.  I'm sure it'll all work out in the end.  Or I'll throw him off the mountain..." David mused with a grin.

"Right," Zyla said with a chuckle.  "Come on, let's go swimming."

It seemed as if every professor left at the school was in the Great Hall when David and his new family walked in.

"Holy sh- er, I mean whoa," Garrett said.  Zyla smiled at him in thanks.  "This is one hell of a room when it's all lit up.  The other night, I couldn't really see it."

"Well, it is the Great Hall, after all," David said.  "It's supposed to be fancy.  Why don't you guys go introduce yourselves to the other kids?"

Angela and Garrett moved off, and David and Zyla moved into the room, saying hello to everyone and generally de-stressing from a long day.  Grace tagged along quietly with them.  Olissa's job for the night was to keep an eye on Grace, but she was doing so from a distance for now, since Grace seemed to think her job was to keep an eye on her parents.

As the party wore on, David found himself alone next to Sam.  Zyla was across the room, talking with Endora.

"Hey, there," she said warmly.

"Hey, Sam," David said.  He leaned over and kissed her softly.

"Better not let Zyla see you doing that," Sam chided.  She frowned briefly.  "It's going to be tough, having you around again and not being able to..."

David smiled and shook his head.  "We are allowed to play.  Just not in front of her.  What I just did is as far as I can go here."

"You mean, I can pop into your office naked?"

"Preferably when there aren't other people there..." David suggested with a grin.

"Hmmm.  I think I like your new job."

David chuckled.

The two talked about various things, avoiding any unpleasant topics.  Soon, Emile joined them.  David gave her a gentle kiss, as well.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shocked look on Sam's face.

"You didn't tell her?" he asked Emile.

"I might have 'accidentally' forgotten to mention it..." Emile said with a mischievous grin.

David laughed and then said, "Shame on you, hiding secrets from your close friends."

Only the tone of his voice kept that from being a stinging rebuke, and Emile blushed crimson.  Sam chuckled quietly.

After a moment, David grew serious.  "Emile, I need to ask you something.  Let's step over into the sitting room for a second.  We'll be right back," he told Sam.

David escorted Emile across the hall.

"What's the matter?" Emile asked.

"Oh, no, nothing's wrong.  I just needed to get your opinion on something."

"Okay..."

David explained his idea for getting even with the Savolar clan.  Emile smiled.

"I like it, but you'll need my help."

"Why?"

"In order to use Edgar's name, you need a known descendant's permission.  I qualify, as the birth records do list him as my father."

"If you're involved... are you sure they wouldn't out you in revenge?"

"Doing so would be to admit that someone in their own family betrayed their ideals.  They've done their level best to pretend I don't exist.  I highly doubt they're going to advertise my existence at this point.  And even if they did... you know, I don't think I'd care, anymore.  You're right; anyone who would choose not to go here because of who I am... doesn't need to be here."

David rubbed her cheek gently with his hand, then they kissed softly for a long minute.

"You, um... won't get in trouble for that, will you?" she asked when they parted.

"No.  Just don't do it in front of her."

"I hadn't planned to!" Emile said with a grin.  David chuckled.

"Was that all we needed to discuss?"

"Oh, one other question... do you know of a way for me to get a list of ceremonial leaders of the Coven of the Sprites?"

"Which section?"

"The water clan."

"I'll have it for you in the morning.  It's not hard to come by, but you have to know who to ask.  Why do you need it?"

"Zyla wants a Water Rite wedding."

"Ooh, that will be exciting, and pretty, down there by the waterfall."

"Thank you again for letting us use the school."

Emile snorted.  "I'd have let you use my office, at this point, David."

David chuckled, and gave her another quick kiss.

"Let's go back to the party, before Sam begins to think you're naked in here," David said.

"I think it's probably too late for that," Emile said with a grin.

David chuckled again as they re-entered the Great Hall.  Just then, someone caught his eye.

"Go on ahead.  I see someone I need to talk to," David told Emile.  She nodded and moved off, back toward Sam, who would, no doubt, grill her endlessly.  David grinned as he walked across the room.

"Hey, Viv," David said softly, putting a hand on her back.  He kissed her gently, making her blush.  "How come you're here, not down in Bolmont?"

"Nothing better to do.  Gwen told me about the party, and I hadn't been here at the school in a while, so I figured I'd come up and join in.  You don't mind, do you?"

"Hell, no.  In fact, I'm glad you're here."

"Oh?"

"I needed to ask you something."

"Ask away," she said.

"How would you feel about leaving the Rimohrs?"

"You know how I feel about the job.  But I've never found anything else that I thought I'd enjoy any better."

"I have a possibility for you."

"Go on," she encouraged.

"The school is in need of a new security chief," he told her.  "It's still a 'cop' job, so you'd still have that kind of camaraderie going on, but it's a lightweight job, most of the time, so it's easy to relax.  Plus, you'd meet a lot more pleasant people, instead of always meeting just perps and upset victims."

"That's an interesting thought.  Do you think they'd actually hire me?"

"Hey, they hired me, didn't they?" David said.

"That's not reassuring for my chances, David," Vivian pointed out.

David chuckled.  "Honestly, though I think even under other circumstances, you'd still be a shoo-in, right now, Emile's so overwhelmed that having this problem taken off her hands is a virtual guarantee you'd get the job."

"What does the job entail?"

"For security chief?  Paperwork, the occasional patrol, handling difficult casework when it comes up, which isn't too often... liaison with the Discipline Response Team... you're a security officer.  It requires security officer stuff," he said with a grin.

Vivian smirked.  "And... would I, by chance, ever get to mingle with the professors?"

"Oh, I think you'd see one or two of them from time to time..." David said with a smile.

"Okay."

"Let's go talk to Emile," David said, and the two headed over to where Emile was, in fact, talking with Sam.  Shortly thereafter, the school had a new Chief of Security.

"You're up awful early," David said to Garrett.  David was out in the castle courtyard, playing fetch with Eirwyn, who was absolutely loving his new home.

"Couldn't stay asleep," Garrett said.

"Is something wrong?"

"Just the new bed, new room... felt like staying over at someone's house."

David nodded.  He tossed the frisbee with some force, causing it to go zooming all the way across the courtyard before Eirwyn nabbed it.

"Garrett... is there a problem?  I mean, besides the obvious of just having lost your parents.  I've caught you a few times kind of... checking yourself, stopping yourself from saying things, or giving odd looks..."

"Sorry, Uncle David.  I don't mean to be a pain.  I just... why did Mom have to die?"

David sighed.  "That's a really good question, bud.  I wish I had a really good answer to go with it.  This is one of those times when people like me have only one short phrase to console ourselves with, and it probably won't help you."

"What is it?" Garrett said.

"Shit happens," David said seriously.

Garrett frowned.

"All I can tell you is that life sometimes likes to throw us curve balls.  What defines you, as a person, is how you deal with them."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... you have every right to be mad about your mom's death.  I'm not telling you not to be.  But if you hold on to that for too long, it's going to make you a very unhappy, bitter person inside.  The best thing to do is to find something that you can do that will honor your mom.  Even if it's only in your head, if you say, "I'm doing this for Mom," and it helps you to remember what a wonderful person she was...  It's not going to bring her back, and it's not going to ease the pain... but it will prevent things from getting worse."

"What should I do?" Garrett asked.

"I can't tell you that.  It needs to come from within you.  It doesn't need to be anything big, or important, or complicated.  It can be, but it doesn't need to be.  It could be something as seemingly pointless as getting up and saying hello to the birds each morning." 

This was how David was honoring Jailla; every morning, as soon as the sun was up, he went to the roof of the castle and silently said good morning to all of the birds on the mountain.

"Or you could find something to do to help others, and do that in her name.  Whatever it is, it needs to mean something to you, which is why I can't tell you what it should be."

"But won't reminding myself, every single day, that she's gone... won't that make it worse?"

"No.  You're going to be remembering she's gone every single day for a very long time, no matter what you do.  Trust me on this.  What you're trying to do is to take that loss and turn it into something that will... eventually... be uplifting.  It will become something that, when you do it, you will remember your Mom, and smile."

"Oh.  I don't know what I would do, though," Garrett said.

"Well, just give it some thought.  But don't overthink it, either.  Something may just come to you.  And don't think to yourself, 'No, that's stupid,' either.  If it means something to you, and it makes you remember your mom in a good way, then it's just fine."

"Okay.  Thanks, Uncle David."

"Mm-hmm."  David was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Are you sure this is all that's been bugging you?  I'll be honest, Zyla's a bit worried that you don't like her."

"Oh, shit... er, sorry... I mean, I didn't mean to make her feel that way.  I haven't got anything against her.  I just... kinda don't feel like getting to know a new mom right now, you know?"

"Okay.  I'll let her know.  It might help if you try not to think of her as a new mom.  Do you think of me as a new dad?"

"Yeah, kinda," Garrett admitted.

David jolted at that.  "I'm only twelve years older than you are," David objected.

Garrett shrugged.  "I don't think about that part.  Is that a problem?"

"Only for me," David said with a grin.  "I'll get over it.  In any case... just, please, try not to resent Zyla if she has to get on your case about something, okay?  Let's face it, you're not an angel."

"No, she's the angel," Garrett said, teasing David.

"Hey, don't go there, bucko, or your first girlfriend is going to hear an earful."

"Shutting up now!" Garrett said with a laugh.

David gave Garrett a hug, and said, "I promise, she's not going to get pushy, but do give her a chance.  No one expects you to treat her like you did your Mom.  Just... try to be nice, okay?"

"Okay."

"Thanks.  C'mon, I'll make us some breakfast before I leave."

"Where are you going now?"

"To pick up my parents, so they can come to the wedding."

"Don't your parents live in Earth?"

"Yeah, which is why I have to go all the way over to Illinois to get them."

"Can I come?"

"Maybe on the way back.  Today, you have to... dun-dun-dunnn!  Unpack junk!"

Garrett laughed.  "Okay."

 David wandered into the house at 31 Spooner Street.  He moved back to the den, and noticed that it had been visited since his last appearance there.  The bird cage had been dismantled, and the bloody spire was gone.

Shrugging, David faded into Haven.

"David!" Jacob cried.  "Good to see you!"  The two men embraced for a long moment, and then they each took a seat.  "It seems like a very long time since I saw you last.  How long has it been?"

"Nearly four years, now.  I'm sorry about that.  Life got... interesting."

"I was informed of the war.  Did you play a part?"

David snorted.  "You could say that."  He spent the next hour relating war stories to Jacob.

"Well.  I don't think there has ever been another demighost who has ever been named Lord.  You are certainly not living up to our name.  Good for you.  But, as I understand it, the war was only going on for a year.  What were you doing before that?"

"Working as a Rimohr intern.  Oh, and meeting the grandson of your good friend, Mr. Dailey."

Jacob gasped.  "You... were targeted?"

"Didn't his grandfather tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"The whole reason I became a demighost by the curse, was so that they had another target to 'play with'.  It's a game with them."

Jacob growled.  "But you... beat him?  You aren't imprisoned."

"Yeah, he kind of underestimated how far I'd gotten in my skills.  In fairness to him, he really couldn't have anticipated I'd learn to teleport, which was how I escaped his little trap."

"You can teleport?" Jacob gasped again.

"Yeah.  I figured I didn't have anything to lose by trying.  It was either that, or end up like you, only in not as nice a place."

"Where did he trap you?" Jacob asked.

"In the Demon Chapel at Modokaya Temple."

"My lord," Jacob said.

"Yes?" David quipped.

Jacob snorted and laughed.

"So, they will not come for you again?  You are free, permanently?"

"Yes... and so will you be, in a while."

"What?" Jacob asked.  "Please, do not joke about that, David..."

"No joke.  Your Dailey didn't talk much, did he?"

"No."

"Mine wouldn't shut up.  He told me the entire thing.  It's this rite of passage for them.  Before they can be head of household, they have to imprison a demighost.  And, the kicker is, the demighosts are trapped only for as long as a male Dailey exists."

"Families do not just disappear, David.  Unless..."

"I sterilized every male," David told him.  "Including the unborn son of Levi Dailey, the asshole I had to fight.  So, when that baby dies... or, when all the male Daileys die, anyway... you, and the other demighosts, will be released."

"My word...  I never dared hope that I might someday be out of here.  How long?"

"Well, the average wizard lives about a hundred fifty years.  The child's not yet a year old.  So, barring illness or injury, which, no, I'm sorry, I will not cause him for you-"

"I wouldn't ask that of you."

"-you should be out of here in a hundred forty-nine years, give or take."

Jacob sat, staring off into the emptiness of Haven.

"So..." David said, interrupting Jacob's thought.  "How do you want to deal with the finances?"

"Excuse me?" Jacob asked.

"Well, I kind of have all your money," David reminded him.  "And all your stuff."

Jacob chuckled.  "It's your money, and your stuff, now.  I have no claim to it."

"It wouldn't be very generous of me to keep all of it, though."

"Well... you know, though, David, it might be fun, to have the challenge of rebuilding the fortune again.  The world is so different now, or so I hear."

"It is."

"So... perhaps a small seed for me to grow...  a few hundred thousand granas..."

"You want that monstrosity you call a house back?" David asked.  "I'm not living in it anymore..."

"You abandoned Pendergrast Manor?  Why?"

"I'm teaching at the Academy now.  I live in Woodward Castle."

"But... in a hundred fifty years..."

"Jacob, to be honest, I don't like your house.  It's too massive.  Oh, it served its purpose during the war, because it let me shelter a lot of nervous people, but... bleh.  I like smaller homes.  If you don't mind, I'd like to keep the home on Big Pine Key."

"Be my guest.  I never intended to visit there.  Is it a nice house?"

"I think so, but it's only got four bedrooms.  So, you know, you could barely throw an orgy there."

Jacob laughed at that.  "And the lake cottage?"

"I will have to check on the lake house.  It was in the path of the Vrudenans' advance.  I'm not sure if it's been damaged or not."

"I see."

"Speaking of damaged things, I apologize for your art gallery."

"Oh?  What happened to it?"

"I got angry."

Jacob chuckled.  "It isn't the first time that's happened to it.  No problem, I can always replace what was there.  They weren't originals, you know.  Your originals are in the vault at the bank."

"Oh?  No, I never cared enough to find that out."

"In any case, we have plenty of time to work out the nit-picky details, and who knows what will transpire in the next hundred fifty years."

"That's true.  Chances are I won't still be teaching at the Academy.  That'd be a really long career."

"I'd expect you would have been promoted to dean of students by then, out of sheer seniority," Jacob said.

"Maybe. Don't know.  Not going to worry about it.  For a while, I'm going to try not to worry about anything.  This last year has been nothing but stress."

"I can only imagine.  And I commend you on doing so well.  What are your plans for this summer?"

"I'm getting married."

"I thought you said you were going to avoid stress?" Jacob asked with a grin.

David chuckled.

"Well, I wish you the best, David.  Please, drop in more frequently.  I like to keep up with what you're up to."

"I'll try.  If the lake house is in good shape, or I can fix it up, we'll be in the area a few times a year.  I think Zyla and the kids would like it up there."

"Kids?  You are able to have children?"

"Not my kids," David said, then explained about Grace, Garrett and Angela.

"Ah, I see.  You built your family the hard way."

David chuckled.  "That wasn't really my intention.  Life... or undeath... just decided to make it that way."

David rose.  "In any case, I need to get going.  I have to pick up my parents, then catch a plane back to Boston."

"You are speaking with your parents again?" Jacob said as he stood.

David briefly explained about Dailey kidnapping them.  "I don't know if we're going to be speaking to each other after today... once I tell them about my lifestyle, they may reject me again."

"That would be on their heads, then, David.  You must live your life for you."

David nodded.  The two men embraced, then said their good-byes, and David faded back to solidity.

 As David entered Evergreen Terrace, he had mixed emotions.  He had been raised on this street, but he had also been kicked out of his home on this street.  He had then semi-reconciled with his parents... it was very complex.

And the current situation could make things even more so... or it could make them infinitely easier, if his parents outright rejected him for his lifestyle.  That was up to them.

David headed up the walk, and then rang the doorbell.  It was only a few seconds before the door opened.

"David!" his mother cried, throwing her arms around him and giving him a huge hug.  "Come in!" she said once she'd let him go.

David came in, and found his father sitting on the couch.  His father grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.  He got up and came to give his son a hug.

"It's good to see you.  What brings you by?" his father asked.

David snorted.  "Brings me by?  Like I live next door?" he said with a grin.

His father grinned in embarrassment.  They all moved to seats in the living room.

David said, "I came to take you on a trip."

"Right now?" his father asked.

"Yes, right now.  I know you can take time off from work at the drop of a hat, so don't try that excuse."

"How long would we be gone?" his mother asked.

"About a week," David said.

"To lose a week's pay is nothing to sneeze at," Scott said.  "I can take time off, yes, but it's unpaid."

"Trust me, I can take care of that part for you."

"Where is it you want us to go?" his mother asked.

"To a wedding."

"Whose?" his father asked, rather stupidly, David thought.

"Mine."

"You're getting married?" Debra asked excitedly.

"Yes.  On the thirty-first... well, that's the plan, anyway."

"Couldn't you have given us more warning?" Scott asked.

"No, because I didn't have more warning.  When my fiancee said yes, she also said she wanted the wedding as soon as possible.  So, will you come?"

"Of course we will," his mother said.  His father frowned slightly, but didn't object further.

"Before you start packing," David said, "You need to know a couple things about my life.  They may affect your desire to come to the wedding."

"Oh?" his mother queried.

"First, I have more than one partner, and not in secret.  In fact, I live with several of them at once."  Though Zyla and Olissa were the only two living people with him in the castle, Tanya, JoAnne, and Penny were all present there, as well.

"And your new wife is okay with this?" Scott asked.

"Yes.  I haven't hidden anything from her, she has met all... well, most... of my partners."

"And the other thing?" Scott asked.

"One of my partners, is my slave."

"You have a slave?" Scott asked in disgust.

"David Michael!" Debra scolded.  "You are not allowed to have slaves!  You will release her immediately!" she said, glaring at him.

David snorted at his mother.  "Mom, two things.  First, I just spent a year being attacked by seven-foot-tall monsters with huge claws and the ability to form massive energy balls that could take my head off.  Your 'mom glare' has no effect on me anymore.

"And second, Olissa - that's her name - is my slave by her choice.  It's a very complicated matter that I don't want to get into right now, we can talk about it later, if you're coming to the wedding.  If you're not coming, then there's no point in talking about it at all."

"How can you... slavery is illegal!"

"Not where I live," David replied.

"It's illegal everywhere in the country, David," Scott objected.

"I do not live in the United States," David replied.  "We covered this already, last year.  In Callamandia, slavery is legal, so long as it is not coerced.  I have a contract with Olissa, registered with the government.  She had to sign it, and she was scanned for mental duress when she signed it.  This is what she has chosen for herself."

"So, that's who you're marrying, then?"

"You don't marry a slave, Mom.  That would be weird.  Your spouse is supposed to be your equal.  Olissa is not my equal."

"And your fiancee is okay with you having a slave?" Scott asked.

"My fiancee grew up in Callamandia.  Slaves are normal to her.  Uncommon, but normal.

"So, I don't mean to press, but the plane leaves in two hours.  If we're going, we need to go soon."

"Two hours?  I can't even pack in two hours!" his mother fretted.

"Just throw some clothes and your toiletries into a suitcase.  Anything you really need while you're there, I can buy for you."

"You sure you can afford that, with a new family?" Scott asked.

David snorted hard enough to choke.  "Yeah, I think I'll manage," he finally said  "So, what's the decision?"

Debra looked at Scott, and then she got up to go to the bedroom to pack.

"Where, exactly, are we?" Debra asked.

"In Gorumshead.  Yes, I know you've never heard of it.  You've never heard of anyplace that exists here.  In Earth terms, we're in northern Massachusetts."

"And... you want us to go in there?" she asked, pointing at the entrance to the school.

"Unless you plan on sleeping out here on the ground.  This is where I live."

"The city is on a mountain?" Scott asked.

"Gorumshead is back that way," David said, motioning over his shoulder.  "This is Woodward Academy, the school I've been attending, and the place I now work, and live."

"I thought you were a cop."

"I was.  I changed jobs.  I'm head of the Conjuring Department now."

"Conjuring Department?" Scott asked.

"Magically moving things from place to place instantaneously," David said briefly.  "Get on."

They stepped onto the rock lift, and it started to rise.

"One thing I didn't mention before," David said.

"What's that?"

"You're about to have three grandchildren."

"Your fiancee is pregnant?" Debra asked.

"No."  David explained about the kids.  "I can't have children myself," David told them.  "Part of being turned into a demighost."

They emerged onto the terrace and looked around.  It looked grossly ordinary, just like any other landscape.  The buildings looked normal to them.

"It doesn't look very magical," Scott said.

"You were expecting floating buildings and dragons sleeping on the ground?" David asked.  "Dugerra is very much like an older version of Earth... but with our own form of technology thrown in.  Magically powered, instead of electrically.  Come on."

David led them across the terrace to the next rock lift, and then across the Academy Moat to the stairs up to the castle.

"You have to do all this just to get to your house?" Debra asked, winded.

"I will rarely leave the mountain.  There's no point to doing so.  My work is here, my home is here, I can eat here, play here... Oh, I'm sure we'll go to town once a week or so.  Otherwise...  It's really not that bad.  Nobody's in that big a hurry around here."

"Yeah, but you'll die of exhaustion getting home!"

David snickered.  "No, I won't.  I'm already dead."

As they reached the top of the stairs, they stared at the castle gateway.  "Holy crap, this is a real castle!" Scott said.

"Yes.  Used not two weeks ago in a war."

"There's fighting going on near here?" Debra fretted.

"I wouldn't be getting married if the war was still going on.  We won."

"Oh.  Well, that's good," Debra said.

"I see more stairs," Scott said.

"Keep it up, and I'll ask Zyla to meet us on top of the North Tower."

The three entered the castle, and then walked up to the fifth floor, which was the residence level for the castle's owner.  Zyla, Olissa, and the children were lined up, waiting for them, having seen them out the window.

"Scott and Debra Stroud, this is my fiancee, Zyla Garibaldi."

"Hello," Zyla said.  Debra gave her a hug.  Scott just nodded.

"And this is her daughter, Grace.  Say hi, Gracie."

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Well, hello," Debra said.  Grace shrank back behind Zyla.

"She's shy around new people," David told them.  Motioning to the other kids, David said, "These are my... Er... This is Garrett, and this is Angela."

"Hi," the teens said.  David's parents greeted them both.

"And this is Olissa."

"Ma'am.  Sir," she said, bowing slightly to both of them.

They both seemed uncomfortable with her, so David moved on.  "So, it's about time for dinner..."

"I made pork roast," Zyla said.

"Yum," David replied.  Zyla smiled.  "Is it ready?"

"Just a few minutes," she confirmed.

"Great, let's eat!"

"Your parents seem to be a bit unfriendly," Zyla said with a frown.

"Yeah, well, they're not any more thrilled with me having more than one girlfriend than you are."

"David, I'm okay with it, now that I understand.  I promise."

"If you say so," David replied.  He walked over and gave her a kiss.  "But they're not.  They're too religious to be.  And the whole slave thing nearly made them come unglued.  Finding out she was black didn't help things."

Zyla frowned.  "You think they'll cause trouble?"

"Not if they know what's good for them.  I haven't introduced them to Bispy yet."

Zyla giggled.

"Is something else wrong?  You've been quiet all night."

"I'm having trouble finding us a wedding leader."

"Did you go through the list Emile gave us?"

"About halfway.  They have all said the same thing: it cannot be done this quickly."

"Oh, hufflepuff.  Can I see the list?"

Zyla handed it over, and David looked down it, seeing if there were any names he recognized.  There was one, about three-quarters the way down.

"Well, she does owe me a favor..." David muttered to himself.

"What?' Zyla asked.

David looked up.  "Oh, nothing.  You think you can babysit my parents tomorrow morning?"

"I suppose.  Where are you going to go?"

"Hopefully, to get our wedding leader."

"Oh.  Okay."

"You want to be all naughty with my parents in the house?" David asked Zyla, sliding up next to her.  They were both almost naked, as it was bedtime.

"You know damned well I want to be naughty, and I don't care if your parents are in the house or not," Zyla said with a smile, kissing David passionately.

They were naughty for quite a while.

 David entered the Portal Operations Center the next morning, to find that Prof. Zoroaster was already there.

"Do you expect to be gone long?" Prof. Zoroaster asked, after the pleasantries were taken care of.

"I really have no idea.  Could be five minutes, could be three hours."

Prof. Zoroaster nodded.  "In that case, you'll have to mirror me and wait for me to get back down here."

"No big deal.  I don't have anything else planned for today other than to show my parents around."

"So where are you headed?"

"Senesty Three," David said, referring to a specific node on the magical web.  There were several nodes within Senesty, and so they had been numbered.

"Okay.  I'll have you there in a jiffy."

"Thanks," David said, then faded through the wall into the departure hall.  When the gate finished connecting, he stepped through into Senesty.

Senesty Three was the closest portal location to the palace, but it was still a half-mile away.  David made the walk without problem.

"Name?" the guard asked politely.

"Lord David Stroud," David said simply.

The guard blinked, took a good look at him to verify his identity, and didn't inquire further.  He simply stepped aside and opened the door.  The title of Lord held certain privileges, and one of them was, his presence at the palace was not to be questioned.  David nodded politely and went inside.

He saw a page walking by as he entered.

"Excuse me," David called out.  The page turned to him.

"Yes, sir?" he asked.

"Where can I find the queen?"

"She will still be at breakfast, sir.  Do you need a guide?"

"If you don't mind.  This place is too big for me to have memorized."

"Yes, sir.  Please follow me."

The page quickly led David through the halls of the palace until they reached the dining room.

"Thank you," he told the page, who nodded and then departed back to his duties.  David turned and entered the dining room.

"Good morning, Majesties," David said.

"Good morning, David!" the king greeted warmly.  "I must say, if you're here to apply, you're still too young..."

"Apply?" David asked.

"To become king.  Applicants must be at least fifty years of age."

"Wait, you're serious?  You're resigning, er... abdicating?"

"I'm retiring.  Or planning to.  In the guidance that King Rabb provided to future kings, he strongly suggested that any king that led the nation into war should retire afterward, because, he said, the traumatic experience of that would permanently affect your way of thinking about things, and the mindset of an at-war king is not the sort of mind you want ruling during peacetime."

"But are we sure the war is fully over?" David asked.

"The Vrudenans have already begun moving out of their conceded territory.  Their military is fully standing down."

"Wait, we took even more territory from them?"

"We moved the border a few miles north.  It's not a huge amount, it was done more as a disincentive for them to misbehave than anything else."

David frowned.  He didn't think that was wise, but it wasn't his area of responsibility, so he let it go.

"So... I thought the king was elected, not hired."

"He is, but you have to pass through an application process before you can be on the ballot."

"Oh, I get you.  So... when will the election take place?"

"Roughly this time next year."

"So, you'll only be king for another year?"

"Oh, no.  There is a five-year training period after the election, during which the king-apparent will learn the job by watching and discussing with me.  Only once that process is complete will I retire.  And, truthfully, by that point, I'd be close to the point where I'd have been considering it, anyway."

David nodded.  "Well, obviously, I didn't come here to apply to be king."

Christa looked up.  "Oh, goody, that means you're here to see me!"

"My, we are presumptuous, aren't we?' David chided with a smirk.  "No, Lady Aberlin, I did not come here to see you."

"Oh?  Then who are you here to see?" the king asked.

"Claire owes me a favor, and I wish to call it in," David said simply.

"Absolutely, David... if I can.  What do you need?" Claire asked.

"I would like you to officiate my wedding."

"You're getting married?" Christa exclaimed.

"Yes."

"To the woman we talked about?" the king asked.

"Yes, sir."

"May I ask why you want me to officiate, David?" Claire asked.

"Because you are a ceremonial leader of the Coven of the Sprites, and Zyla would like a Water Rite wedding.  And everyone else seems to think it can't be done as quickly as she would like."

"And how quickly does she want it to happen?"

"In three days."

"Great griffin goats!" the king exclaimed.  "That's rather quick, isn't it?"

"Zyla is... very eager to have the wedding.  If the rite truly cannot be performed this quickly, she may simply pick something else."

"What about what you want?" Christa asked.

"What I want is for Zyla to get what she wants," David said simply.  "It's a ceremony.  You know how I feel about ceremonies."

Christa grinned, and the other two chuckled.

Claire asked, "Do you have a location picked out?"

"Yes.  The waterfall lake on the terrace of Mt. Woodward."

"A beautiful spot," Claire said.  "And it makes it much easier.  Everything you need is right there, no fussing about trying to force things.  Three days is very fast, but, if I can get some help from the school staff, I believe we can do it.  Will we be able to do at least one rehearsal?"

"If you twist my arm hard enough..." David said with a grin.

"I'll let... what was her name again?"

"Zyla."

"I'll let Zyla do it."

"That's playing dirty," David said.

"Yes, well," she replied with a grin.

Christa asked, "Am I invited to the wedding?"

"If you'd like to come, yes, I'd be happy to have you there."

"And am I invited?" the king asked.

David jolted.  "Um... honestly I figured you'd be way too busy for something this unimportant.  But yes, I'd be honored to have you attend my wedding."

"Does Zyla understand the rite?" Claire asked.

"She had a booklet on it."

"Have you read it?"

"No, I haven't had a chance."

"You will need to pick an assistant.  It should be someone important to you."

"Does it need to be male?"

"That's traditional, but no, it doesn't need to be."

David nodded.  "So, will you do it?"

"Of course.  As you said, I owe you a favor.  Besides, it's been ages since I did anything Coven-related, and I miss it."

"Thank you," David said.  Claire waved it off.  "I don't mean to ask and run, but I have three days to finish preparing for a wedding, while trying to meld together two different families plus myself, along with one or two other tasks... and, oh yeah, thinking about what I have to do to put together an academic department at the best school in the kingdom..."

"You sound like you still need a vacation, David," the king said.

"Yes, well... hopefully in about a week, when all of this is behind me."

"Good luck," the king said.

"I'll be down later today to discuss things with you and Zyla," Claire said.

"Yes, ma'am.  Just mirror me, and I'll be there to greet you."

 David nodded, as opposed to bowing, and then headed back out of the castle to return to the academy.

"You asked who?" Zyla gasped.

"The queen," David said calmly.  He wasn't entirely surprised by Zyla's reaction.

"David!  We're not celebrities or political leaders or..."

"Angel, I know to you they're only the royal family... but to me, they're all friends.  Claire was happy to do it.  She said she's missed her covenly duties.

"And, besides... I am a Lord now, so it's not completely out of line for her to conduct our wedding..."

"I can't believe you asked the queen!"

"Well, if you want it done this quickly, you have to take who I could get," David said with a grin.

Zyla paled.  "Geez, David!  Don't make it sound like she was a last resort!  She's the queen!"

David laughed and gave Zyla a hug.  "It'll be fine, Angel.  You'll see."

David and Vivian were returning from a somber and somewhat unpleasant visit with Dubnin, Giendia's father.  They had both felt that, though he had already been officially notified of Giendia's death, they should meet with him to answer any questions he might have, and to tell him exactly how she died.  David had put her in for a Medal of Valor, and it had been approved, so David had also delivered that.

They had stayed for an hour or so, but they could tell that Dubnin needed time to process what they'd talked about, so they had left him to his grief.  David had made sure to invite him to the wedding, if he was feeling up to it on the day.

"I still feel very bad," Vivian said.  "If she hadn't had to bear me as a rider, maybe she could have gotten away."

"Not a chance," David told her.  "You told me how many weres were after you.  Had she been moving faster, they'd simply have cornered her in a different spot.  Giendia's outcome was predetermined the second the weres found you two.  Only your fate was changeable, and I'll be forever grateful to her for taking the time to save you.

"The rest of the kingdom should be just as thankful, as well."

"For her saving me?  I'm a nobody," Vivian said.

"Not to me," David said.  "Maybe, in the huge grand scheme of things, you are a relative nobody... but you were the particular 'nobody' who just happened to stop me from turning into a complete monster."

"And I'm glad that happened, but why should the kingdom care?"

David stopped walking and turned to face her.

"Viv, if I had gone all Darth Vader on us, I wouldn't have bothered to figure out where the Vrudenans were going.  Even if I had, I wouldn't have cared.  I wouldn't have been at Mt. Woodward.  The school wouldn't have been ready, they wouldn't have had the primal aegis, the firebird, the dragons... they would have lost.  And now, the OmniPortal would be in Vrudenan hands.

"In very large part, you performed the one act that saved the kingdom."

"I think you're blowing what I did way out of proportion, David," she said.

"Yeah, well, the message I received from the queen about you yesterday says the crown agrees with me.  Expect to be receiving... something... soon."  David would not tell her that she would be receiving a chevron, crescent, and the only other Star of Rabb issued in this war, for her actions.  He wondered if she would outright faint when she found out.  "Viv, you stared down someone who, by his own admission was ready, willing, and able to kill you, to save a bunch of kids that were about to be slaughtered.  With nothing more than guts, wits, and some words, you brought that monster down.  I don't know what the rest of the kingdom thinks, but you're sure as hell my hero."

Vivian was blushing almost purple.  David pulled her close and kissed her for a long moment, then let her go so they could continue walking.

They were silent for quite a ways before conversation resumed.  Predictably, it was about the wedding.

"You getting scared yet?" Vivian asked with a grin.

"The wedding doesn't bother me.  That there is a wedding took away all the fear I had.  I really want it to go well, but that's not in my control.  The way this ceremony goes, I'm more or less along for the ride."

"Just don't flub your lines," Vivian said.

"How do you flub, "Yes"?

"Isn't it supposed to be 'I do'?" she asked.

"Not in this ceremony, no."

"Are you guys having a honeymoon?"

"We talked about it, but... it would be too complicated.  Three kids, all of them still getting used to the new situation, and each other... Olissa, Bispy, Eirwyn...  That's eight people to try to drag around somewhere.  We decided we'd just take a few weeks of relative peace up at the castle, and call that our honeymoon."

"Yeah, but how do you get in any bedroom bouncing that way?  Always have kids around..."

"Two things.  Locked doors, and privacy fields," David said.

Vivian grinned.

"Why did you want to meet up here?" Emile asked David.  They were on the roof of the castle, along with Olissa and Zyla.

"Don't look at me, this was her idea," David said, pointing to Olissa.  "She called this meeting, I just made it official."

Olissa blushed slightly.

"So, why are we here?" David asked her.

"Maybe we should sit down, Master?" Olissa asked, motioning.  David and Zyla had decorated a portion of the castle roof to act as something of a patio and container garden for their use.  David had a feeling the entire roof would eventually be consumed by the garden, just to give Zyla something to do.  She now lived in a home taken care of by brownies and a slave.  She insisted on doing the cooking, which no one objected to, but she had little in the way of household duties left.  David worried how that might grate on her over time.  He would work on that in the near future.  He would perhaps have to severely curtail Olissa's home duties, and use her as a class assistant.

The four of them sat down at the table, which had a large umbrella above it, to keep the sun off.  David sat across from Olissa, with Zyla on his right and Emile on his left.  For a long moment, there was silence.

"Well?" David asked curiously.

Olissa took several deep breaths before she spoke.  She then said, "Master... I am going to need to... speak freely."

"Okay... just try to do so politely."

"Yes, Master.  After what you told me the other day, I realized that all of the pieces of the first part of my vision have come together.  I'm a little concerned about how... all of you... will react to the situation, so I wanted to finally tell you what that first part of my vision showed."

"First part?  You mean you saw a lot of my life?" David asked.

"My vision was restricted to your relationships, Master.  I did see not just your current situation, but future relationships, as well.  I will not talk about those."

"So why are you going to tell us about... whatever you're going to tell us about?  Up till now you've said I shouldn't know my future."

"Because it's no longer your future, Master.  We're all sitting here."

"Wait... I'm confused," Emile said.  "I know about the visions... but I think we all assumed those were talking about Zyla.  So why am I here?"

"Good question," David agreed.  "And the answer is?" he asked Olissa.

"The answer is why I'm glad that, during my slave test, you already punished me for all of my previous deception."

"Oh?" David asked darkly.

"I'm afraid that I... misled you about some things concerning my vision, Master.  You see, there never was 'one other' woman."

"Then why would you make that up?" David demanded.

"Master, there wasn't one other woman.  There were two.  One each for a specific purpose."

"I think maybe you'd better just tell us what you saw in your vision," Zyla suggested.

David and Emile both nodded.

"A lot of the images were just faces, jumbled together.  I recognized some of them, but not all of them.  No, Master, I didn't recognize Zyla when I saw her in my vision.  Even though we had actually met a couple times before that, it just didn't register with me, I guess."

"Did you recognize her before our talk when you asked to be a slave?"

"Well, yes, by then I did.  I was paying far more attention to the women around you."

"So... did you really not see Joe's death, or did you lie about that, too?" Zyla asked.

"No, that was the truth.  In the vision, you were nothing but a face, basically.

"What I saw, after the jumble of faces, and before things moved on to what I assume is later in your life, were the four of us.  You, Master, were, of course, in the middle.  Mistress was at your right arm.  Madame Lengel was at your left.  I was behind you.  Though in the vision all we were doing was walking, it was clear - in the way of visions - that you were facing troubles as we walked.

"Each of them was there to support you in a different fashion.  Mistress is there to provide the support your heart needs.  Madame Lengel was there to provide the support your head needs.  I was there... to do what you told me, obviously.

"The point is, Master, that you haven't actually been looking for 'the one'.  You've been looking for 'the other one'."

"So you knew that what happened between Emile and me, was going to happen?"

"I knew what my vision showed me, Master.  I knew you were supposed to end up with Emile and Zyla."

"So why the hell didn't you at least tell me that you had good reason to suspect that what I was thinking about her was bullshit?"

"Because I didn't know that, Master.  I had no way to know whether she had been in league with Dailey, but you... forgave her for it, or she found a way to redeem herself... And especially when it looked like Mistress was going to reject you, I began to question the vision entirely.  At that point, it looked like neither of the women I'd seen was going to end up staying with you, and I was at a complete loss.

"That is why I was so impolite to you, Mis...er, Ma'am," she said to Zyla.  "You were supposed to be more accepting of things, from my perspective.  That you weren't was calling into question everything I'd based my life on.  I was, to say the least... upset."

"I'll say," Zyla said with a grin.  "You're forgiven, Olissa.  I can understand the strain you were under."

"I'm not sure I understand your categorization," Emile said.  "I am the support his head needs?"

"She hasn't got that part right, anyway," David said, preempting Olissa's answer.

"Master?" Olissa asked in shock.

"As usual, you've sold yourself even shorter than your height," he said, teasing her and being serious at the same time.  "You aren't just there to do what you're told.  I have a bit of an advantage here, in that I've studied visions in Divination class thoroughly.  Especially oneiromancy, which is very close to the kind of vision you had.  You misinterpreted what you saw."

"So... we're not all supposed to be together?" Zyla asked, frowning.

"No, that part she got right.  It's the why she's messed up on slightly."

David turned to Zyla.  "What she meant to say, concerning you, is that you are the person I need when my heart is hurting.  You are my emotional core.  If I am sad, or angry, or depressed, you will have the best chance of helping me through that."

He then turned to Emile.  "And you are the person I need when my head is hurting.  The person I can work things out with on an intellectual, rational level, trying to take the emotions out of things.  Not because you don't have emotions... and," he said, turning back to Zyla, "Not because you can't think past yours, either.  It's because you," he said, turning back to Emile, "have the... ahem, excuse me... experience to put your emotions and your intellect together to find an answer, to understand things about me that even I don't get.  I understand what Olissa was saying here... the two of you represent kind of my two halves... the part of me that feels things strongly," he said, motioning to Zyla, "and the part of me that needs to set that aside, without forgetting about it, to find answers," he said, motioning to Emile.

"The part that Little Miss I'm Never Important completely misinterpreted, is that she is the person I need when my soul is hurting.  Olissa understands me at an intuitive level.  She never wonders what I'm feeling, she just knows.  This is a woman who has remained at my side for eight years, watching me go through some of the nastiest crap.. and she knew when to be there, and when not to be.  Her one and only flaw is that she hasn't yet learned when to back off for her own safety."

Turning to Emile, he said, "Maybe you can help her with that?"

Emile grinned.

"I'll admit, I'm really not into the mystical aspects of any of this," David said, looking at all three of them.  "But I can see the truth in what she's saying.  I love all of you, at some level."

To Zyla, he said, "I am deeply in love with you.  My heart hurts when you're not where I am."

To Emile, he said, "I... don't think I know yet how much I love you.  I know where I am right now... but I feel like that will grow with time."

To Olissa, he said, "And despite the fact that... and I hate even saying this out loud in front of you... but despite the fact that I do have more romantic feelings for Zyla than I do for you...  I could not live without you.

"So... the question, I guess, is, does this change anything, for anyone?"

"Obviously not for me, Master," Olissa said.  "If I may be excused?"

David nodded, and Olissa left the table, heading down into the castle.

"Emile?" David asked.  "I've never really asked whether you have any strong feelings for me."

"I think we're in the same boat, David.  What I feel for you right now is strong, but it feels like a starting place.  If anything, I feel heartened by Olissa's vision.  It suggests I might not live out the rest of my life consumed only with my job."

David nodded, taking her hand and squeezing it briefly, then letting go.  Then, he turned.

"Angel?"

Zyla looked off into the distance for a long moment, then looked back at Emile.

"Promise me you won't try to steal him."

"I would never dishonor him, or you, that way," Emile said seriously.

Zyla sat for a moment, evaluating Emile's gaze, before she looked over at David.  "I think she should be your assistant in the wedding."

David smiled at her, and then leaned over and gave her a kiss.  When they separated, Zyla gave him a meaningful look.  He asked with his eyes if she was sure, and she nodded.

David then turned, and leaned over to give Emile a similar kiss.  When they broke apart, Emile was blushing.

"Will you stay for dinner?" Zyla asked Emile.

"I'd be delighted."

"Do you really need to do this today?" Zyla asked.

David nodded.  "I want to have all the war garbage cleared up before the wedding.  I don't want to be having to think about any of it.  The war is my past.  While I'll be having to talk that stuff over with Prof. Weigle, I otherwise don't want to be thinking about it.  The wedding, and you, are my future, and that's where I want my attention to be."

Zyla smiled at him and gave him a long kiss.

"In any case," he said once she let him go, "You said the rehearsal was at sundown.  I'll be back well before that."

"But what about your bachelor party?" she asked with a grin.

"I am not having one of those," David said, "unless someone has done something bad without telling me."

Zyla blushed.

"Uh-huh," David said.  "Well, you've got about six hours to cancel it."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said with a grin.

David grumbled, then gave her another kiss before he turned and mounted Cupcake.

"Be careful," Zyla said.

David snorted.  "Flying on her is the safest thing I've done in months.  C'mon, girl!"

In a shot, Cupcake was in the air and heading upward.  Zyla marveled that David could stay on, given her speed, but she knew that the two worked together, and that he loved flying like that.  She considered joining the riding guild; it would give them another activity to do together.  She would talk to him about it later.

David was heading northwest, and it was a three hour trip.  His destination wasn't actually northwest of the school, but Bob had not taken a straight route to get there, and David only knew how to get there by the route Bob had shown him.

Three hours later, Cupcake descended to the ground, landing in the same field as the last time they had been there, three years before.

"Wait here, girl.  This probably won't take too long."

Cupcake nickered and walked off to find some wildflowers to munch on.

David turned and entered the cave of the Mononagu Clan.  In the first area, just like last time, dragons lay scattered throughout the cavern.  None of them accosted, or even appeared to pay attention to, David as he walked through.

When he entered the second cavern, however, his presence was quickly noted.  Heads rose and eyes fixed on him as he walked calmly toward the platform which served as a throne for the leader of the clan.

As David arrived, he bowed deeply to the leader.

"Welcome back, Lord Stroud," Drema said to him in as warm a greeting as a dragon was capable of.

"I won't ask how you already know about that," David said with a smile.  "I live with a spy, I imagine."

Drema snorted in amusement, little puffs of smoke belching from her nostrils.  "Dragons do like to keep in touch," she said.  "So, what can the Mononagu Clan do for you today?"

"Well, mainly, I came to thank you for your help during the battle."

Drema waved her hand in dismissal.  "We did very little.  If it was of help to you, then you are welcome."

"Well, apart from the fly-bys, which were quite helpful, I assure you... the information you allowed Bisperion to give me might have made the difference in the course of the battle."

Drema grinned.  "What makes you think I had anything to do with what Bisperion told you?"

"Ma'am, please.  I don't believe in coincidences that large.  The only person who would be allowed to wield the primal aegis, also happens to have been previously given the one piece that is required to make the thing work?"

Drema cocked her head, but said nothing.

"How did you know?"

"We are dragons," she replied simply.

"So... did you know whether or not I would beat my darkness?"

"That was a matter of probability.  And the thoughts on it were not in consensus.  Many thought you would become the largest problem Dugerra had ever seen."

"And you?"

"Though I had my doubts, especially as time went on, I was counting on your basic goodness to turn you toward the right path."

"Tell me... dragons, at least the ones I've been talking to... don't seem to give much of a damn about what happens to humans, anyway, so... why did any of you care?"

"Because the level of darkness you represented was as big a threat to us as it was to the humans."

"Oh.  And... I'm going to assume that your knowledge of my future doesn't stop with the end of the war?"

"Perhaps..."

"Care to give me any tips or suggestions for my future?" David asked with a smile.

"What you need to know will be revealed at the proper times," Drema told him.  "Knowing too much too soon would be detrimental to all involved."

David sighed.  "What a very dragon answer."

Dream grinned again.

After a moment, David asked, "Do you want this back now?"  He lifted his arm, where Kalagasakalayo still rested.

"Are you sure you won't need it in the future?" she asked.

"Sure?  No, because you won't tell me my future," David said with a big grin, needling her for her previous answer.

Drema snorted, little sparks flying from her nose.  "Nice try, Lord Stroud.  If you may have need of it in the future, then I would suggest that you keep it.  Should we desire that you surrender it at some future time, we will inform you."

"Okay.  Thank you.  Say, um... got any tips on dragon rearing?  'Cause in about fifty years, I'm gonna have to raise one..."

There were myriad chuckles through the room.

"You might wish to continue living in the castle for that period," Drema said with mirth in her voice.  "The young one will have difficulty destroying that."

David smirked.  "Right."

"If you are serious in wanting information, I will send someone to you, when the time is appropriate.  There is little point in learning the knowledge now.  You would certainly forget most of it before you needed it."

David nodded.  "Thank you, that would be appreciated.  Say... where's Bob?"

"He is at a conference with other clans.  I will tell him you sent greetings."

"Thank you.  Is there... anything further you think I should know, now?"

Drema snorted again.  "You haven't the time for me to tell you all the things humans should know, but don't."

David grinned.

"As to you specifically, it would appear that your life has reached a lull.  My suggestion would be that you not seek new excitement actively.  It will find you soon enough by itself."

"What does 'soon enough' mean, in this context?"

"Before you would like it to, but not so soon as to overwhelm you."

"Well, that was... completely uninformative..." David muttered.

"Perhaps-"

"-I'm just not dragon enough to understand it.  Yeah, yeah, I got that," David said with a grin.

Drema grinned in reply.  "We have a gift for your wedding, Lord Stroud," she said, and motioned to a smaller dragon nearby, who moved off to a hoard pile, and returned with a small item which he presented to David.

The item turned out to be a silver box with an inlaid gold pattern reminiscent of his bracer.  David opened it to find four silver rings inside.  Like Kalagasakalayo, the rings bore inlaid gold in an intricate pattern.  They were quite attractive.  One of them was thicker, apparently designed for a man, while the other three were slimmer and more elaborate in their designs, implying they were for women.  David looked up for explanation.

"They are ponokinalunakai.  In your language, bonding rings.  When worn by a couple, or a group, it allows a connection between them."

"A connection?" David asked.

"Yes.  You will, if you focus, be able to tell how one of your partners is feeling at that moment.  You will be able to unerringly locate them, even from great distance.  And you will immediately know if any of them are in danger.  After some time of bonding with these rings, you will actually be able to communicate via them.  You would simply grip your ringed finger with your opposite hand, like this," she demonstrated with her own clawed hands, "and think of the person.  They would then respond likewise... or not, as is their choice.  But such direct communication only comes after two people are fully merged in heart and mind."

David nodded.  "And there just happened to be four of them?"

"These were made for you, Lord Stroud."

"You work fast... I didn't even know about Emile until a couple weeks ago..."

"We are dragons."

"Of course.  Silly me.  Well," David said, closing the box and holding it carefully.  "Thank you very much for the wedding gift.  I would invite you to the ceremony, but I think you might terrify some of my guests."  David wondered how his parents would react to a fifty-foot dragon sitting next to them.  They had nearly panicked over Bispy, and he wasn't yet half that length.

"No apology necessary.  Human ceremonies hold no interest for me."

"Well, I won't take up more of your time.  Oh... um... I came in here because I had to... I didn't know if there was a protocol for, um... 'knocking', should I wish to visit again?"

"Had we objected to your presence, you would have known about it long before you made it to this chamber," Drema told him.

"Hopefully you'll inform me without flame-broiling me?" David asked.

Drema grinned, and fire licked up out of the corners of her mouth.  

David chuckled.  "I'll take my leave, ma'am.  Good day to you."

"And to you.  And good luck."

"Thank you."

 "Now, the single most important thing you need to remember to do during the ceremony is to not panic.  You will always be completely safe," the queen said.

"Why are you looking at me?  I don't even need to breathe," David said.

"Mainly I don't want you trying to rescue her."

David grinned.  "Would I do that?"

"You better!" Zyla said.  They all chuckled.

"In any case, the portion of the ceremony prior to all the talking can be rather scary if you're not ready for it.  Rest assured, the magic of the rite will protect you both.

"And... also... near the end of the demonstration... try not to get too physical, okay?"

"So, her clothes have to stay on?" David asked.

"Yes," the queen replied with a grin.

"Damn," David said with a pout.  Zyla giggled.

"Now, do you have your outfits made?" the queen continued.

"Mine is being enchanted as we speak," Zyla said.

"And yours?"

"Is right here," David said, holding it up.

"That... is supposed to glow, David," the queen said.

David sighed theatrically and said, "Fine..."  He then faded to ghost form.  "See?  Glowy outfit."

The queen had gasped at first.  It was the first time she'd ever seen him fade.  After her initial shock, she chuckled.  "Clever."

David faded back to solid form.  "Are we going to practice the actual ritual tonight?"

The queen shook her head.  "It's considered bad luck to perform the rite twice on the same two people, for any reason."

"So even if we had to get re-married for some reason?" Zyla asked.

"Yes, even then, we would not perform this rite.  There are other rites we could use in its place, but this one may only be done once."

"So... what are we rehearsing?"

"The part you can actually mess up," the queen said with a grin.  "The talking part."

A voice suddenly said, "And after that, you can rehearse the 'setting up the seating area' portion of the ceremony."

"Good evening, Niobi," David said with a smile.  "You don't really need our help with that, do you?  You know what my terramandy skills are like..."

"Yes, I do, which is why I want your help."

"Ooh, she got you..." Zyla said.

"Keep it up, and I'll practice a water rite on you, right now," he said to Zyla with a grin.  She feigned a look of fear, and then the two hugged.

"Well, now.  We don't want to be doing this all night, so let's begin the rehearsal," the queen said.

"Yeah, we can't take too long.  David has a party to go to," Zyla told her.

David growled lowly.  Zyla pretended not to hear him.

"So did you enjoy your bachelor party?" Zyla asked the following morning.

David just glared at her.  "It cannot be called a bachelor party when almost all of the participants are female."  David had very few male friends left.  Though Brock had come up for the party, and was staying for the wedding, and Simon had made the trip as well, David's only other male friends were a few professors and a couple Rimohrs.  The remainder of the partygoers had been women he knew.

"Okay, did you enjoy your orgy, then?" Zyla said with a grin.

David nearly spit out his orange juice.  "Zyla!  Geez, there are kids in the room!"

Angela and Grace both giggled.  Angela knew why it was funny.  Grace was laughing at David's face.

Zyla grinned, but blushed.

"In any case, yes, I enjoyed watching everyone make fools of themselves on my account.  Some of the professors are very entertaining when they're drunk."

"Including Sam?" Zyla wondered.

"Sam doesn't drink.  She was sitting there laughing with me."

Zyla chuckled.  "Well, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it more."

"Parties always make me feel awkward."

"But it was your party!" Zyla objected.

"Those are the worst kind.  You feel like everyone's staring at you all the time."

Zyla just shook her head and went back to her cleaning.

A few minutes later, Garrett came into the room.

"Mom, I can't find my suit.  Do you know where it is?"

The room had come to a dead stop at the word, "Mom", and no one seemed ready to get things moving again.  David motioned to Zyla, rolling his hand in the, "Get on with it," motion.

Finally, Zyla said, "I hung it up in your closet so it wouldn't get all wrinkled.  It's on the left-hand side."

"Oh.  Okay.  Thanks."  With that, Garrett left.

Zyla looked at David.

"I'll handle it," he said, and rose to leave the room.  He made his way down the hall to Garrett's bedroom, and knocked on the door.

"C'mon in," he said.  When David entered, Garrett said, "Hey, Dad.  What's up?"

David did another double-take and froze for a second.  Finally he got his mind in gear again.

"Well, that answers my first question.  What you said a minute ago was clearly not a slip of the tongue."  David came in and sat down on the bed.  "So... not that I'm complaining, but you did just call Zyla, 'Mom'..."

"I know," Garrett said.

"I'm wondering why... both why so suddenly, and why so soon."

"I'm doing what you told me to."

"I never told you to call her Mom..."

"No, but you told me to find something I could do to honor Mom.  I thought about it for a long time, and I decided that the one thing Mom would have really wanted me to do, is to treat Zyla just like she was Mom.  And then I thought about that for a while, and figured I couldn't actually treat her like a mom, if I didn't call her Mom.  So... in a way, I guess, when I call Zyla, 'Mom,' I'm kind of saying hi to my real mom.  Does that make any sense?"

"Does it make sense to you?"

"Yeah.  Probably I didn't explain it right..."

David shook his head.  "Doesn't matter.  If it makes sense to you, and it feels right to you, then that's all that matters.  But then, why are you calling me, 'Dad'?  You never called Charlie 'Dad'..."

Garrett shrugged.  "I dunno.  Just kind of feels right, what with calling your wife... well, or you know, by the end of the day, your wife... Mom..."

David grinned.  He stood up and gave Garrett a hug.  "All right, bud.  No problem.  I'll let Zyla know, so you don't freak her out again."

"It bothers her?"

"You shocked her.  I don't think it bothers her, but no one expected you to do that."

"Oh."  Garrett blushed.  "Sorry, guess I should have said something ahead of time."

"Don't worry about it.  Did you find your suit?"

"Yeah, it's right where she said it was."

David nodded.  "Good deal.  I'll talk to you later."

"Hey, Dad?" Garrett asked.

David turned, trying to hide his grimace.  "Yeah?"

"Thanks for taking care of us."

David came back and gave Garrett another hug.  "No problem."  With that, David left the room and shook his head all the way down the hall.

"So?" Zyla asked when he got back.  David explained the situation to her.

"Hey!" Grace suddenly cried.

"What is it, Sweetheart?" Zyla asked.

"How come Garrett can call you Daddy, and I can't?"

David looked to Zyla for support in this situation.  It was the wrong move.

"She's got a point, Honey," Zyla said.  "Can't be playing favorites..."

David sighed, and then turned back to Grace.  "Okay, Gracie, if you really want to call me Daddy, then that's okay with me."

"Yay!" Grace said.  "I have a Daddy again!"

David just shook his head in bemusement.

"Do I need to call you Dad, too?" Angela asked.

"Not if that makes you uncomfortable," David said immediately.  "You can stick with Uncle David.  You can shorten it to David, if that would feel better to you.  If, at some point, you decide you want to call me Dad, for whatever reason, that's okay, too."

Angela smiled at him.  "Thanks, Uncle David.  I'm... just not ready for that."

"No one expects you to be," Zyla told her.

"I don't want to feel left out, though," Angela said with a frown.

David gently put his hand on her shoulder.  "It's just a name.  You can call me Bob, if you like..."

Angela giggled.

"Trust me, it won't change how I feel about you... how we feel about you, at all.  You call us whatever you're ready to call us... keep the four-letter words out of it, though, okay?"

Angela blushed and giggled.  "Uncle David!  You know I don't swear!"

David smiled at her.  "You done with your breakfast?"

"Yeah."

"Okay.  Could you do me a favor, and go ask Miss J for some flowers for the wedding?"

"How do I find her?" Angela asked.

"She'll be in Greenhouse Four today."

"Okay."  Angela got up from her seat and gave David a hug, then headed out of the room.

"Are you done yet, Grace?" David asked.

"Uh-huh.  What do I do?" she asked.

"I want you to go play with Eirwyn.  Wear him out so he won't cause trouble during the wedding."

Grace grinned.  "Okay."  She went and gave her mother a hug, and then came over and strangled David, and gave him a kiss.  "Bye, Daddy!" she yelled as she ran out of the room.

David shuddered.

"Better get used to it," Zyla said with a soft grin.

"I'm sure I will.  In a couple... centuries..."

Zyla chuckled.  "You know that Eirwyn's going to outlast Grace, right?"

"It wasn't Eirwyn I was worried about," David admitted.

"Are you saying my daughter... my younger daughter... is a troublemaker?"

"Nope.  I'm saying she's a five-year-old."

Zyla chuckled at that.  "Okay, fair enough."

"Is there anything you need help with today?"

"No.  You're supposed to disappear, remember?  And not show back up until the wedding."

"Yes, Dear, I know," David said.

Zyla came over and wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, staring into his eyes.

"Have I told you today that I love you?" she asked him.

"Yes, but don't let that stop you," David said with a smile.

"I'm very glad you waited for me to admit what I felt for you."

"I'd have waited an eternity for that... or, you know, at least until next week..."

Zyla blushed and lightly kicked him in the shin.  "Turkey."

"Ouch.  That's not what they meant when they said love hurts!"

"Oh, shut up and kiss me," she told him.  He pulled her close and the two of them kissed for a very long time.

When they separated, David kept his arms around her and said, "I can't tell you how happy I am that you're willing to be with me.  I love you very much."  He kissed her again, more gently and for a shorter time, but with no less meaning.

Finally, Zyla pushed him away.  "Go on, get out of here.  I have to make myself all beautiful for my wedding."

"That's gonna take, what, three, four minutes?" David asked.  "I mean, you're pretty close to perfect already..."

"Flatterer.  Go away."

David laughed, gave her a brief kiss, and then headed out.  He was going to his new office in Hyneman Hall, as opposed to his old office in the student center.  He was still mulling over which of six candidates to invite to teach the next school year.

Three conjuring professors lost in five years.  People are going to think this is Defense Against the Dark Arts or something... David thought to himself.  Shrugging off the thought, he returned to his perusal of their resumes.

 David stood on the shore of the lake, looking down the river toward the seating area.  Niobi and he had crafted it the previous night.  It was a white stone "bridge" that spanned over the river, facing the waterfall.  It was stepped, so that everyone had a good view.  Niobi had asked David to put in some fine detail, which was where his skills lay.  One of the things he did was to create a central post in the front railing which contained a bust of him and Zyla together.  He would keep that when the wedding was over.

The seats were not made of stone, but had instead been provided by the school, and were quite comfortable.  They were also full, as the guests had fully assembled.  David saw that Dubnin had, in fact, decided to attend, as he was standing off to one side with his sister, Silesia, and her daughter, Lysilla.

The king's seat was easy to spot, as they had crafted a special 'box' area for him at the top of the seating bridge.  He saw David looking, and nodded to him.  David returned the gesture.

It had been necessary for the seating to span the river because the ceremony itself took place in the water, and due to the flow of the river, it would have been too difficult to hold it facing one side of the river.

In the lake, David could see the sprites swimming around.  They were little pinpricks of light, and they were already beginning to make little bubbling fountains of water.  Every once in a while, one would make a jet squirt up into the air.  The starfish were also lit up, filling the lake with a soft white glow.  The sun had just finished setting, and the wedding would start in about twenty minutes.

David returned to his waiting area, which was just a curtained-off space with a couple chairs in it.  Emile was sitting there now, reading a book to pass the time.

"You pick now to learn to relax?" David teased.

Emile chuckled.  "And it's even the book you gave me to do so!" she shot back.

David shook his head and smiled at her.  "Have I thanked you for doing this for me?"

"Several times," she assured him.  "I'm happy to be a part of this, David."

David nodded, and then went back outside to pace.  He wasn't horribly nervous, but he had nothing to do and he hated waiting.

Finally, the queen came to find him.

"It's time," she said.  He nodded, called to Emile, and followed the queen to the lake.  The lake had been transformed in his absence.  Several fountains were now adorning the lake, and the starfish had ramped up their lighting effect.  A walkway of 'firm water' had been created across the lake, with a platform in the middle.  At the back of the walkway, the sprites had formed a wall of columns and arches, decorated with water lilies.  All of it made out of nothing but water.  Over the walkway, the sprites were tossing little jets of water, to make a tunnel effect.  The starfish would swim directly under the jets, and it would cause them to light up, similar to a fiber optic cable.

David waited at the side of the lake, but the queen walked across to the other side, disappearing around some bushes.  David knew she was retrieving Zyla.

As the queen returned, but before Zyla came into view, Olissa began to play the crystal melodium.  It wasn't the Wedding March she was playing, but it served the same purpose: to celebrate the entry of the bride.

David watched in anticipation the spot where Zyla would appear.  When he saw her, his breath caught.  He'd not seen her in her wedding outfit before now, and she was stunning.  Her loose brown curls flowed down past her shoulders, and she had a tiara on that was filled with glowing gems, colored pale yellow.

What Zyla was wearing was called a gown, but it was in actuality a one-piece jumpsuit.  The dress portion below the waist was attached to the pant legs to keep it down and in place.  This was done because the performance portion of the ritual was aggressive enough that this was the only way to make sure she stayed covered.

The gown was sleeveless, the shoulder straps adorned with lace waterlilies. The neckline was adorned with similar lace foliage.  The rest of the gown had strategic decorations of the same aquatic theme.

The gown was also aglow, but not from glowing gems or firefly light.  The dress itself seemed illuminated from all over.  The lace accents were more brightly lit than the body of the dress.  Again, the color was yellow.  It represented the sky, the sun, the moon, all things that were, in the Coven of the Sprites, associated with women.  

As Zyla reached the water's edge, the queen turned to look at David.  He knew what she wanted.  He faded to his ghostly form, which caused his outfit to glow.  His outfit was, like Zyla's, designed to look as if it was a typical formal outfit, but was, in actuality, closer to a wetsuit.  It was a medium blue, to represent water, which represented men in the water clan of the Coven.

The queen moved to the center platform, over the lake, and motioned to both David and Zyla.  They each moved down the lake shore, away from the waterfall, so that they were no longer in line with the walkway.

Emile was suddenly at David's side.  Her job was to help him down into the lake.  Though there were steps that had been fashioned, it was best that no one slip.  On the other side, Zyla had asked her friend, Janine, to be her assistant.

The queen said, "Gathered friends, attending spirits, we come here this evening to witness the unification of two lives into one.  Each arrived here by their own path, but from this point forth, they travel together through the currents of life.

"Before this ritual begins, we ask that anyone who can give reason that these two should not make this commitment at this time, come forth and speak."

David muttered to Emile, "Now would be a hell of a time to complain..."

Emile smiled and hushed him.

The queen waited for several seconds, but saw no movement in the audience, so she proceeded.

"What happens here is more than movement and words.  What happens here is a sacred oath, made before man and spirit.  It is with deep consideration that these two approach tonight, and it is with respect and support that you must witness this event.

"May the couple enter the water," she said.  When the queen said that, Olissa once again began playing.  She would provide a musical backdrop to the performance section of the ritual.

Emile took David's hand as he moved onto the first step.  She held it firmly as he descended and reached the bottom.  She let go of him then, and he nodded his thanks before turning and walking toward the spot in the lake where he was supposed to stand.  This didn't bother him too much, since he didn't need to breathe, but he wondered how Zyla was going to feel as her head slipped beneath the surface.

As he walked, David was surrounded by starfish, swimming in a circle around him, flooding the area with light.  He could see little beyond the shimmering fins of the fish.  He stopped walking when they stopped moving with him.

Though he was underwater, he could still clearly hear the queen's narration.  It was part of the magic of the ceremony.

"These two young people came from vastly different places, and emerged at different times."

David knew that Zyla would emerge first.  She was older than him, and that was how the ceremony worked.  Suddenly, he felt the water buoying him upward, and he emerged calmly through the surface of the lake, standing on a twisting column of water.

"As life progressed," the queen continued, "they each faced good and bad, turmoil and triumph, agony and celebration."

Suddenly, the water column David was standing on collapsed.  He didn't panic; he knew this was part of the process.  The water around him started to roil, and it bounced him back and forth.  Suddenly, he was lifted up on a pillar again, turning slowly as if in victory, only to be unceremoniously dumped back into the water once more.  When he had a chance, he looked over at Zyla, to find that her water wasn't quite as tumultuous as his was.

Well, her life has been a bit... smoother... than mine,for the most part...

"Until finally," the queen intoned, "these two had reached the places they had strived for, had come to be where they felt they should be."

Both David and Zyla were now lifted up onto columns of water which bubbled and churned at their feet, but kept them perfectly stable.  The starfish swam up into the columns, lighting them up from the inside.  David noted that his column was taller than Zyla's.  He wondered why.

"And then," the queen said, "Separately, and for different reasons, their lives were plunged into darkness and despair."

The columns on which they had been standing vanished in an instant, and both of them plunged down into the lake.  The water was so roiled that there was no chance of swimming in it.  David hoped that the rite's magic kept Zyla safe.

The starfish had departed, and now the sprites were providing light, only it was flashes of bright, unpleasant light, almost like lightning in water.

"Floundering, troubled, lost... this pair found each other in their moments of greatest need."

Though the water remained heavily disturbed around them, a tunnel of sorts formed between them, and they were drawn into it.  The water there was still chaotic, but not quite as bad.

"Over time, despite difficulty, doubt, and dissension, they grew closer."

The tunnel shrank, pulling David and Zyla closer to the middle of the lake.

"Finally, in the end, the couple acknowledged each other as supporter, friend, mate, and partner.  They understood their love was strong enough to overcome all they might be faced with, and so they join."

At this point, the tunnel collapsed into a sphere, and Zyla was pushed into David's waiting arms.  As the sphere was pushed up to the surface, David wrapped his arms around Zyla.  The two were, at this point, supposed to appear intimately involved.  The one rule, however - other than that she had to keep her clothes on - was that he was not allowed to kiss her.  He therefore pulled her into a tight hug and then slowly let his hands slip down onto her butt.

Zyla jolted, but then she, too, moved her hands onto his ass.  The two held each other tightly for a long moment, and Zyla slipped her leg against David in a way that aroused him intensely.

Not nice, Angel.  I'll get you back for that tonight... he thought to himself.

"Merged in mind, heart, and body, this couple has become a single union.  Forged in tumult, tested in the maelstrom of life, they arrive here as one."

The sphere floated across the water toward the queen, and then it deposited them gently onto the platform on which she stood.  David and Zyla slowly disengaged as the water sphere flowed away from them.  They clasped hands at this point and faced the queen.  Janine and Emile each came across the walkway to stand beside the couple.

"Who here offers themselves as life partner to the other?"

Traditionally, it was the man who would answer this question.  Zyla, however, had insisted that, since she'd been the one to ask about marriage, she should speak.  David had not objected.

"Zyla Marie Trebschau Garibaldi," she said formally, using her entire name.

The queen nodded.  "And who here accepts the offering so graciously provided?"

"David Michael Stroud," David replied.

The queen turned.  "Zyla Garibaldi, you come before these witnesses and before the spirits, to join with this man for the rest of your life.  Do you come of your own free will, uncoerced, unpressured, and with a feeling of love and anticipation in your heart?"

"Yes," she said.

"David Stroud, you come before these witnesses and before the spirits, to join with this woman... for the rest of her life," the queen said, having to modify the ritual slightly, as David did not have a life... "Do you come of your own free will, uncoerced, unpressured, and with a feeling of love and anticipation in your heart?"

"Yes," David replied.

The queen motioned to the assistants.  David turned to Emile as Zyla turned to Janine.  Emile drew a symbol on the back of David's right hand.  It glowed brilliantly blue.  As he turned, he saw that the symbol on Zyla's left hand, which wasn't the same symbol, glowed yellow.

"Place your marked hands together, palms touching," the queen instructed.  David and Zyla did.  "Interlace your fingers," she told them.  As they did, the symbols on their hands glowed even more brightly, and additional lines formed, connecting the two symbols across their hands.  Together, the symbols formed what David had been told was a magic talisman providing their relationship with a kind of protection from petty injuries and promoting feelings of love, hope, and connection.

 The two kept their hands clasped as the queen continued.

"Zyla, do you have any words of your own to say at this point?" the queen asked.

Zyla looked deep into David's eyes.  "All I really want to say is, I love you very much, and I'm very happy to be here, with you.  And I always will be."

David smiled at her.

"David, do you have any words of your own to say at this point?" the queen offered.

David shook his head.  "I have no words to describe how I feel right now, nor how happy you make me.  All I can say is, I love you, Angel."

Zyla was tearing up, and smiled at him.

"Love expressed in union is a magic unto itself.  It is my privilege to pronounce these two individuals now one couple."

As she said it, the talisman around their hands flared almost painfully bright, then it spread over their bodies, its brilliance fading into nothingness as it surrounded them in its protective embrace.

The queen said, "You may now kiss the bride."

David and Zyla immediately merged together, kissing passionately.  They had to remind themselves they were in public, so they couldn't go too far.  They didn't even hear the cheers that erupted for them, so lost were they in their own emotions.  The queen smiled warmly at the two, but after a count of thirty, she did tap David on the shoulder.  He broke the kiss and grinned sheepishly at her.

The queen smiled back, and then motioned them to turn and face the audience.

"I present to you, the Strouds, Lord David and Lady Zyla."

The audience applauded loudly, and David wrapped his arm around Zyla's waist, pulling her close.

"Lady Stroud?" she muttered quietly.

"Did I forget to mention that?" David asked with a grin.  "As wife of a Lord, you automatically become Lady Stroud."

Zyla just shook her head in bemusement.  "I'm not ready to be nobility."

"You think I was?" David asked with a grin.

The queen finally announced, "The reception is being held in Byron Hall... that's the cafeteria, if you didn't go to this school."

There were some chuckles in the audience about that.

David turned to the queen.  "Thank you so much."

"It was my pleasure, David.  I wish you both the best.  Now, if you don't mind, I missed dinner, so I want to get to the reception."

David and Zyla chuckled.  Janine hugged her friend Zyla, and then she hugged David.

"I hope things work out for you guys," Janine said to David.

"Thanks, Janine.  Don't be a stranger, okay?  If you need anything, give us a ring."

"Thanks, David."

David turned to find Emile giving Zyla a hug.  He was happy to see they were getting along.  Emile then turned and hugged David, of course.

"Thanks for all your help, too," David told her.

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world.  This was a new experience for me.  At my age, that's always fun."

David snorted.  "Come on, let's go mingle with our guests." 

The reception was also a feast, as the wedding had interfered with mealtime.  David and Zyla sat at a table on the small stage in the cafeteria with the king and queen.  Christa was relegated to sitting with the 'normal' people.  After the feast came the cutting of the cake, and the inevitable mess that made.  Following that were many toasts.

As the toasts neared their end, David looked to Zyla and asked, "Do you think we should announce it now?"

"Why not?" she said.  "Now's as good a time as any..."

David smiled and rose.  The room quieted as he did.

"Friends, Zyla and I would like to thank all of you for being here and supporting us tonight.  As you all know, I will have the honor of being a professor here next year.  In being given this honor, Zyla and I wanted to do something to thank the school for its support to me over the years, and to help it move forward in a meaningful way.

"Thus, after some thought, and in discussion with Dean Lengel, I want to announce that we are funding the Edgar L. Savolar Scholarship for Native Races, to provide full scholarships to any qualified non-human individual who might need a financial hand so that they can attain the best possible education, which we all know is right here at Woodward Academy."

There was a stunned silence in the room.  They all knew what David thought about anyone named Savolar.  That he would name the scholarship that... then, as some thought about it, they realized what was being done.  Mischievous little grins appeared around the room.

"Further, in recognition of the school's sacrifices in the recent war, I would also like to announce an endowment to the school, to construct Jailla Hall, a counseling and guidance center, to expand the Guidance Office and provide additional life counseling and emotional health services."

Even Emile was shocked by this announcement, but applauded with the rest.

"And now, if you don't mind, I would like to share with you my first dance with my beautiful and foolhardy wife.  If you have any doubt about her foolhardiness, just look who she chose for a husband!"

The room laughed as David took Zyla's hand, and they stepped off the stage onto the floor.  Music flowed from several mirrors that had been brought in for the purpose, and the two performed the one and only dance they both knew.  It was a waltz.

After the polite amount of time, others joined them on the dance floor.  They didn't really notice.  When the song finally ended, the two kissed tenderly well into the next song.

"I need to use the little girls room," Zyla said with a smile.  David grinned and pointed the way, in case she had forgotten.  It had been several years since she'd been on campus, after all.

With Zyla gone, David moved over to a table and leaned against it, watching people dance.  His parents both approached him.

"Who are those people who were sitting with you for dinner?" Scott asked.

"That's the king and queen of Callamandia."

"Thinks rather highly of himself, that he can sit with the wedding couple."

David raised an eyebrow.  "No, Dad.  He's the king.  As in, the ruler of this nation."

"The United States doesn't have a king, David," Debra reminded her son.

"You are not in the United States.  How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"This is all too weird for us," Scott said.  "You're openly cheating on your wife... you have a slave... you worship a king..."

"Ahem.  I don't worship anyone.  I respect the king, yes."

"You have become corrupted by this place.  We will not support you in this lifestyle."

"Fine," David said.  "Go on back to the castle, then, and I'll have someone take you home tomorrow.  But I want you to do something, when you get back to the castle."

"What's that?' Debra asked.

"Look in a mirror.  What you'll see in that mirror is what I'm losing, with my current life choice.  Now, look around you, at all the people in this room.  That's what I've gained.  You do what you want.  I don't need your approval to be happy," David said bluntly.

Scott and Debra moved off, toward the exit.  David grumbled, but tried to set it aside.  This was made easier by something thumping into his side.

"Hey, Gracie!" David said, looking down at her.

"Hi, Daddy!" she exclaimed.  Several people looked in her direction, an eyebrow raised.  David did his best to ignore them.

"Did you like the wedding?" he asked her.

"Uh-huh!  It was neat!"

David chuckled.  "Glad you liked it.  Did you get enough to eat?"

"Nuh-uh!  Aunt Olissa took my cookie!"

"Tsk," David said, and looked up at Olissa, who was standing several feet away.

"It was her fourth, Master..."

David chuckled.  "Okay, fair, but it's a special night, you should have just let her have it."

"Yes, sir."

"And I want to thank you for looking after her all day while we got the wedding ready."

"It was no problem, Master.  Grace and I get along just fine, don't we, Grace?"

"Uh-huh!  She pushes me on the swing!"

"We have a swing?" David asked Olissa.

"The new Sentinel Trees are very cooperative."

David chuckled.  "Gotcha.  Sam!" David said.

"Hey, David," she said, slipping up next to him and giving him a soft kiss.  "Congratulations."

"Thanks.  Can I ask a favor?"

"Sure."

"Could you look after Grace for a few minutes?  Olissa and I need to talk with Zyla and Emile."

"Okay, sure."

"Grace, this is Sam.  She's a very good friend of mine.  I want you to stay by her for a little while, okay?  We'll be right back."

"'Kay."  She gave David a hug and a kiss, and then she took Sam's hand.

"C'mon," he told Olissa.  As he walked by Emile, he tapped her on the shoulder and motioned her to follow.  He caught Zyla coming out of the restroom, and she joined them.  They all headed for the door, so they could speak in private outside.

"What's the matter, David?" Zyla asked.

"No, nothing's the matter.  Just something that needed to be done between the four of us."

David conjured the box that the dragons had given him, and then he explained.  "The Mononagu dragon clan gave us a wedding present.  It involves all of us.  Well..." David glanced at Emile, but then pushed through.  He opened the box, to expose the rings contained inside.

"They made these rings especially for us.  The people wearing them gain special abilities to communicate with each other.  We will know how each other are feeling.  We will know if one of us is sick or injured.  We will be able to always find each other.  And, they say, after some time of learning to work with them, the rings can actually allow us to talk to each other, using just our thoughts, at a distance."

"Wow.  You made a real friend of the dragons, Master," Olissa said.

Emile nodded.  "They don't generally make gifts for humans."

David took out the male ring, and slipped it on his right ring finger.  He took one of the female rings, and he turned to Zyla.  She held out her left hand.

"Will you marry me?" David asked with a grin.

"Absolutely," she replied as he slipped the ring on her finger.  Both of them felt a slight jolt, and they felt a sense of happiness.

David kissed Zyla, and then he turned to Olissa.  He took another ring out, and he slipped it onto her left ring finger, as well.  All three of them felt a bit of a jolt, and to the happiness they felt was added a contentment.  He kissed Olissa softly, and then turned again.

"Emile... I don't want to push.  I will hold on to this, if you're not ready for that step."

"I appreciate that, David.  I think we need to grow a little, first, don't you?"

David smiled.  "Still, I would like you to have something from me, even if it only means something to the four of us."

David reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace.  The necklace was silver, and had on it a jeweled owl pendant, its wings spread.

"May I?" he asked.  She nodded, and he carefully slipped it around her neck.

"It's beautiful, thank you," she said.  "But... an owl?"

David motioned to Olissa's collar.  "It's part of my personal crest," David said.

"Oh, I see," Emile said, running her hand over the owl.  "So you're claiming me?" she asked with a grin.

"That would be somewhat presumptuous of me, wouldn't it?" David asked.

"Go ahead and presume," Emile replied with a soft smile.

David turned to Zyla.  "Um... just this once?"

Zyla knew what he was asking.  "C'mon, Olissa, let's leave these two alone for a moment."

As she was going, David took Zyla by the hand.  She turned, and he kissed her strongly for a long moment.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you, too, Sweetheart," she replied, then she slipped away, back into the cafeteria.

"Just this once, what?" Emile asked.

"I'm not supposed to do this in front of her," David explained.

"Do what?" Emile asked.

In response, David took her into his arms and kissed her passionately.  His tongue slipped into her mouth, and she welcomed it.  For a long time, the two remained in lip lock.  When they finally parted, Emile was breathless.

"See, she wouldn't want to watch that," David said.

"I can understand her point," Emile replied, still trying to catch her breath.  "I wouldn't want to watch you kissing her that way, either."

"I just wanted you to know how I do feel about you," David said.

Emile smiled softly.  "You're such a wonderful person, David.  Thank you for letting me join your circle."

David hugged her, and gave her another, short, kiss.  "C'mon, let's go back in, before Grace starts searching for me."

Emile chuckled, and they went back into the cafeteria.

 As David entered the cafeteria, he could tell that the king and queen wished to speak with him.  Emile quickly made a departure.

"David.  Lovely ceremony," the king said.

"You can thank your wife for that, sir," David said.  "Thank you, Claire.  It really was a pretty spectacular thing."

"Glad to help."

"Did have a question, though," David said.  "At one point, during the performance section, we were on pillars representing where we thought we should be.  Why was mine higher than Zyla's?"

"Because you're more important than I am," Zyla said, appearing at his elbow.

"Funny, you don't look like Olissa..."

Zyla blushed.

"She is partially right," Claire said.  "The reason is that your chosen place, at that point in your life, was more ambitious than hers.  You had brought yourself to a societally more important position."

"Just meant I had farther to fall," David said.

Claire smiled.  "Yes."

"David, we have to be getting home," the king said.  "Can't stay out partying all night with the lords and ladies, what would the newspapers say?"

David chuckled.

"I did want to let you know that we hadn't forgotten a wedding gift for you."

"Jonathan, you know that's not necessary," David said.  Zyla paled at David's use of the king's name.

"The hell it's not.  I'll be honest, though, it took some thinking as to what to get the two of you that would matter."

"You did give us a castle, you know," David said.

"Bah.  Lord Woodward gave you that," the king said.  "Not that I object in any way, mind you."

"So, what did you decide on, Your Majesty?" Zyla asked timidly.

"A little birdie told me that your youngest suffers from Frederick's Syndrome.  Is that correct?"

"Yes," David confirmed.

"We have earmarked funding for the Royal Healing Organization to research the problem for the next six years, up until I retire.  Hopefully, in conjunction with what I know you will be doing, we can find a cure for this pesky malady."

David smiled and nodded.  Zyla looked about ready to swoon.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" she gasped.

David nodded.  "That will certainly move things along," David said.  "Thank you, both.  And should you need me for anything, I stand, as always, ready to serve my king and queen."

"And their daughter?" Christa said, appearing at their side.

"Excuse me a minute," Zyla said.  She was teary, and wanted to freshen up.  David rubbed her back as she left.

Turning to Christa, he said, "Hell, no I'm not going to serve you.  You have to serve me!  I'm the professor here!"

The king and queen chuckled, and Christa blushed.

"Will you be here in the fall?" David asked Christa.

"Yeah.  I'm already a year behind.  I can't afford to wait any longer."

"You have plenty of time, as long as you're not goofing off," David warned.

"Yes, Dad," Christa replied.  The king chuckled.

Christa put her arms around David, and said, "Congratulations.  She seems like a really nice lady."

"She's a wonderful person," David confirmed.

Christa gave David a soft, but long, kiss.  "I'll see you in a couple months."

"Have a good summer."

"You, too."

With that, the royal family departed, and David moved further into the room, so people would know he was still there.

"Hey there," a voice said from behind David.  He turned around, surprised to hear that particular voice.

"Ellie!  I didn't know you were coming."

"Gwen invited me.  Congratulations, David."

"Thanks," he said.  He gave her a strong hug.  "How have you been doing out in the real world?"  David hadn't spoken with Gwen's sister, Ellie, since she had moved to Earth to make a life there.

Ellie chuckled.  "Not so great, really, but I'm still plugging away at it."

"What are you doing for a living now?"

"Convenience store clerk."

"Yuck," David said.  "Have you... erm... reconciled with your mom?"

"Sort of.  I think she's kind of cheesed at both of us now."

David nodded his head and smirked.  "Yeah, could be."

"I see you found him," Gwen said.  Anne was with her.

"He's kind of hard to miss, in that outfit," Ellie said.

"David," Gwen said.  "I'm really happy for you.  Kinda sad you live all the way up here now, though."

"Well, you know, you guys could open a Gorumshead branch, and move back up here..." David said with a smirk.

"We've actually been talking about that," Jess said, appearing from nowhere.  "Not the moving up here part, but opening a couple new branches."

"Really?" David asked.

"We, um... would probably need a loan, though," Gwen said.

David snorted.  "You mean you want to sell me another five percent of the company?"

Gwen blushed.

"We can talk about it in a couple weeks," David told her.

"Great," Gwen said.  Jess smiled, too.  She said, "And I wanted to congratulate you on the wedding.  I'm glad that all worked out."

"Thanks, Jess."

Anne looked around.  "Where is Zyla, anyway?"

"She went to freshen up," David said.

"Oh.  So she won't see this, then.  Good."  Anne kissed David tenderly, and he held her close.  They parted before it became unseemly, and Anne blushed.  "I still miss you," she told him.

"I miss you, too," he said.  "You seeing anyone yet?"

"Would I be kissing you like that if I was?" Anne asked with a grin.

"Well, a guy could hope..." David said with a responding grin.  Anne giggled.

"So, you actually live at the school now?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah, we live in the castle, on the upper floors."

"Oh, so you don't have to deal with students tromping all over your house."

"No."

"That's cool."

"Ellie... do you want some help?" David asked.

"Huh?"

"Getting a better job.  Convenience store clerk pays for shit and it's awfully dangerous."

"I know.  We've been robbed three times so far while I've been there."

"Were you on duty at the time?" Gwen asked.

"Once.  I was scared out of my mind."

"Did you use your magic to protect yourself?" Anne asked.

"I couldn't think of anything!  I just kind of panicked."

"If he had a gun, not doing anything was probably smart," David said.  "But you didn't answer my question."

"I'm not qualified to do anything that pays real well, David.  I didn't go to Earth college."

"Do you want to?"

"Not really."

"I can...  Hey, Jenny!" David called out.

Jenny came over to him and gave him a hug and a quick kiss.  "Hey, David.  Congrats on the wedding!"

"Thanks.  Do you have any entry-level positions open in the offices?"

"There's always at least two or three positions needing filling.  I want to thank you for having me promoted to office manager, by the way."

"My spies say you're doing a great job," David told her with a grin.  "This is Ellie Hasterscant.  She's an old friend of mine.  I wonder if you might be able to find a position she'd be suited for."

"Probably.  Let's go over here and talk for a minute," Jenny said to Ellie.  Ellie gave David a hug, and then followed Jenny to a corner.

"Girl causes you no end of grief, and you still help her out.  You're a do-gooder through and through," Gwen said.

David snorted.  "You know better.  But she is a Hasterscant, and being my best friend's sister has a few perks..."

Jess giggled as Gwen blushed.

The four of them talked for a while longer, but then they moved off, so others could speak with David.

"Sorry for the disappearance, Honey," Zyla said, appearing at David's elbow again.  "I just... after what the king did..."

David hugged her tightly.  "That's okay.  It was a damn nice gesture of them."

"Say, where are your parents?" Zyla asked.

"Back at the castle.  They'll be heading home tomorrow."

"Oh," she said, frowning.

David held her closely.  "Don't worry about it.  I'm not.  If they can't handle us, then that's their problem.  I would much rather have you in my life than them."

Zyla blushed slightly and smiled, and then the two kissed for a long moment.  When they separated, Zyla said, "Oh, I want to go talk with Janine for a minute.  You'll manage without me?" she asked with a grin.

"Somehow," David replied.

David wasn't alone for long.

"David, congratulations."

"Seth!" David greeted warmly and shook the man's hand.  Seth Tupper had been the chief of security at the school for several years during David's education, and was the man David had taken over from.  "Haven't seen you in a long time.  How's life treating you?"

"Oh, pretty good."

"You still working at the Royal Archives?"

"No, I couldn't stand the boredom."

"So, what're you up to these days?"

"Right now I'm working in a candy production shop.  That's just for the money, though.  I'm considering going into the Rimohr Academy."

David arched his eyebrows.  "Are you sure you're up for that?  I mean, it's not combat, but there is some violence..."

"I think, as long as I'm just responsible for me, I'll be okay."

David nodded.  "Have you applied yet?"

"No."

"Well, here, let me introduce you to some folks, you can talk about the job with them."

David and Seth walked over to where David's Rimohr colleagues were clustered, chatting with each other.

"Hey, David," Chloe said, and gave him a hug.  The others greeted him warmly, as well, and congratulations were offered.

"Hey, guys.  Boss, this is Seth Tupper.  He used to be the security chief here at the school, and he's thinking about becoming a Rimohr.  I figured maybe you guys could talk him out of it by telling him what the job is like."

The others chuckled.

Jack asked, "Why didn't you just tell him?"

David replied, "Because I don't want to spend my wedding night discussing work, you turkey.  Seth, I'll leave you in their capable... well... um...  well, you know Chloe's capable, anyway..."

Chloe blushed slightly, and the others chuckled.

"What're you trying to say, David?" Agent Keef challenged lightly.

"Oh, nothing, Boss, nothing..."

Keef grinned.  "You can't bitch about the agency when you keep taking away my best people," he retorted.  "You resign your active status, then you outright steal Vivian..."

"Woodward Academy is more important than the Rimohrs," David replied simply.  There was a collective 'ooh' from the group about that.  "Besides, she wasn't happy where she was."

"But will she be happy where she is now?" Keef asked.

"I've got a much better chance of it here than there," Vivian said, walking up and joining the conversation.  She gave David a soft kiss.  "Congratulations, David."

"Thanks, Viv.  You got the department lined up yet?"

"Are you kidding?  I have like four hundred applications to go through!"

"Better too many than too few.  Hey, Jack, you want to be a security officer?" David said with a big grin.

"Hey, now..." Keef complained.  The group laughed.

"Thanks, David, but no thanks.  I'm happy as a Rimohr," Jack said.

David shrugged.  "More power to you.  Chloe?"

"Don't you dare!" Keef threatened both of them.  The entire group laughed.

"I'll give the Rimohrs a few more years," Chloe said.

"Sorry, Viv.  I tried."

Vivian smiled and hugged him again.  "That's okay, I'll manage.  I have a couple months."

"You really think you're going to be satisfied with a boring old teaching job, huh?" Keef asked David.

"If you do it right, teaching's not boring," David said.  "And, more importantly, it doesn't make you want to rip some asshole's throat out for what he did to his girlfriend's mother, or what-have-you."

Keef nodded in understanding.  "Well, if you're half as good at teaching as you are at investigating, then the school's getting a damned good teacher."

"Thanks," David said.  "Now, as I said, I really don't want to spend my night talking shop, so I'll let you guys indoctrinate Seth by yourselves."

The others wished David well, and he moved off to grab something to drink. Once there, he saw his old girlfriend, Amanda, getting herself some punch.

"Hey, Amanda," David said warmly.

"David, hey!" she said.  "Congratulations!"  She gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.  

"What are you up to these days?" David asked.

"Doing a clerk-apprenticeship at an herbology shop down in Senesty."

"Wow.  That was a long way to come for the wedding.  Thank you."

"No problem.  It's good to get back to the old alma mater once in a while, and I hadn't seen you in a long time, either, so..."

"You seeing anyone?" David asked.

"Married with a daughter, Nycenie."

"Good for you," David said with a smile.  "That answers the question I was gonna ask."

"Oh?"

"Well, I was wondering if you ever regretted breaking up with me, since, you know, they stopped hating me after a few years.  But obviously you're doing just fine."

"Actually," Amanda admitted, "I have, from time to time, regretted letting you go.  But I figure everything works out like it's supposed to.  Jared, my husband, is a great guy, and we have a good life, so..." she shrugged.

"Is he here?" David asked.

"No, he had to work today, so he couldn't make it."

"Too bad, I'd have liked to have met him.  Tell him I said hello."

"Will do," she replied with a chuckle.

David gave her another brief hug, then moved off.  He fell in with a group of professors and chatted with them for awhile, getting some tips on how to be a teacher, but didn't wish to get too into that on this night, so he excused himself after a little while.

"Hey, Brock, Trisha," David said, greeting his old friends.  "Glad you guys could make it."

"Wouldn't have missed it," Brock said.  "Congrats, man.  She's hot."

"Hey!" Trisha said, and smacked him on the arm.

"What?  She is..."

"You're not supposed to be looking at other women.  You're engaged!" Trisha scolded.

"Or you were when you came in here," David said with a grin.  Trisha chuckled, and Brock blushed.  "But thank you, yes, she is hot.  But then, so is your fiancee."

This time, Trisha blushed.

"And I see you've been visiting Earth," David said, motioning to Trisha's abdomen, which was swollen with child.  "How far along are you?"

"Five months.  But we did it the hard way, right here in Dugerra."

David grinned.  For some reason, it was far easier to conceive children in Earth than in Dugerra, which explained why the population of Dugerra was so much lower than Earth.

"Say, how did that morphing thing work out for you?" David asked Brock.  Brock's plan on leaving Woodward had been to take up a metamorphosis apprenticeship, and open his own shop morphing items for people.

"Running my own shop now.  We live in Knolocley."

"Is it doing well?"

"Could be better," Brock admitted.  "I spend too much time dealing with customers, so can't spend enough time actually doing the morphs.  I'm staying way late at the shop, and... well, it makes home life stressful."

"Honey, he doesn't need to hear all that," Trisha objected.

David said, "No, I don't mind.  Why don't you hire a clerk?"

"Clerks cost money."

"Money you'd probably be making easily with the time saved by having a clerk," David said.

Brock nodded and chuckled.  "You're probably right, but we don't have the reserves to gamble with."

David nodded.  "Tell you what, contact me in a few weeks, and we'll talk about it, okay?"

"Sure."

David hugged Trisha and shook Brock's hand, and then moved on.  He realized he seemed to be giving more gifts this evening than he was receiving, but these people were his friends, and if they needed a little help, he was only too glad to offer it.

Seeing as no one was catching his eye for the moment, David moved over to the corner where the ghosts had congregated.  Several of them had attended the wedding, but weren't associating with the living.  Penny was there, of course, as were Tanya and JoAnne.  All of them had congratulated him with kisses and hugs.  Madame Barbonne was also there, and others David knew less well, but were still friendly.

"Hey, David," a voice said from behind him.  David turned.  "Simon, hey!"  he hugged his old roommate, and they moved a little ways away from the ghosts, for everyone's comfort.

"Gotta say, man... nice choice for a wife."

David grinned and shook his head.  "You picked one up for yourself, yet?"

"Nah.  This girl I'm going with is trying, but... I dunno."

"Sounds funny coming from a guy who was bitching about not having a girl in his second year of school..."

Simon laughed.  "Yeah, well... things got a little better when I got out into the world, you know?"

"You still... working for your uncle, wasn't it?"  Simon had gone to work in his uncle's magical items shop after getting his citizenship.

"For the moment.  Actually... looks like I may be coming back to school."

"Oh?  How come?"

"Well, my uncle wants to retire soon, and he wants me to take over the shop.  But in order to do that, I have to have my entrepreneurial license."

"There's no other mechanism for getting that, other than attending college?"

"Nope."

"That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  Be fun to see you around campus again, though."

"Yeah, sure, Professor.  Just don't go giving me detention!"

"Oh, six weeks of it, first day of class.  Guaranteed," David said.  Simon chuckled.

The two chatted for a little while, then Simon moved off.  He was immediately replaced by an even friendlier face.

"There you are!" Flo said.  She gave David a huge hug, and then kissed him lightly.  "Congratulations, you!"

"Hey, Flo!  It's so good to see you!  How are you doing?"

"Can't complain."

"You running for King's Council soon?" David asked.

"Nah, silly!  I have to establish myself in the community first!"

"So what are you doing?"

"Clerking with the bank."

"She works with me, in fact," another voice said.  David turned to see Bonnie, the old barmaid from the Slyther Inn.

"Hey, there!" David said warmly.  The two hugged, and he kissed her on the cheek.  "So, you both work in the Contracts Division?"

"Yeppers!" Flo said.

"Kind of coincidental, two of my friends ending up in the same office..."

"Now what makes you think coincidence had anything to do with it?" Bonnie said.  "I recognized her from the inn when she applied, so I put in a good word for her."

"Thank you," David said to Bonnie.  "How's Robert doing?"

"He's attending a trade school, to become an animal caregiver."

"Why didn't he learn that while he was in college?"

Bonnie shrugged.  "He didn't realize he liked it back then."

David nodded.  "Fair enough.  I'm glad things are going well for you guys."

"Thanks to you," she said.  "We're even talking about trying to have a child now."

"Niagara Falls, or Disney World?" David asked.  They all laughed.  David turned to Flo.  "Any guy snagged you yet?"

"Now, you know better," Flo said with a grin.  "I'm happy like I am."

"So long as you're happy," David said.  He gave her another hug.  The three of them chatted about insignificant things for a while until Zyla showed up at David's side again.

"Hey, Angel," David said, and kissed her.  She melted against him for a moment, but then pushed him away gently.

"Grace is getting pretty tired," she said.

"Oh, okay.  Um... did we have anything else we needed to do?"

"Pictures," Zyla said.

"Right!  Geez, I'd forgotten.  Where is...  Prof. Nayakon!"

A short, slight man came over to David.  "Really, David, I'm only two years older than you.  You can call me Cameron.  Cam, for short."

"Oh.  Okay.  Um, anyway, were we ready to do imagery?  Our youngest is getting sleepy."

"Sure thing!" Cam said.  He motioned them over to the stage, which had been rearranged.  The table had been removed, and some chairs had been put in place.

Zyla asked, "Not that I'm objecting, but why him, specifically?"

"Prof. Nayakon is the imaging arts instructor here.  He's part of the arts department."

"Oh!  So he's a professional!"

"Sort of," David said with a grin.

"All right, we'll start with just the two of you," Cam said.  They did several shots, in various positions, both standing and sitting.  "Now, I know you have an expanded family... who would you like to add first?"

"The children," Zyla said.

Grace, Angela and Garrett came over, and the family arranged itself for a few more images.

"Just stay here, Grace," David told her gently when she began to fidget.  "We'll only be a few more minutes."  David looked around.  He motioned to Olissa, who walked over, and then he called out, "Emile, if you please?"

Emile blushed as she stepped onto the stage.  She stood at David's left, while Zyla was at his right.  Olissa sat in front with Grace on her lap.  The other two kids sat on either side of her.

"That's the whole family, right?" Cam asked, once he'd gotten good shots.

David snorted.  Zyla looked at him.

"Not even close."  David started motioning to people, and they started to join them on the stage.  Sam was called, of course, as well as Endora and Ellen.  Annie and Coach Hall came, as well as Professors Zoroaster and Dartson.  He called up the Hasterscants, Flo, and Jenny.  Finally, he motioned Janine up to join them.

"You need more friends," David said to Zyla seriously.

"No, I just need to get to know the ones who are now standing with me," she said sincerely and with a smile.  David kissed her softly and took her hand.  His other hand, he slipped around Emile's waist.  She smiled warmly at him.  He then turned back to Cam.

"Now you have a family portrait."