Sapphire and Pt’this then followed Ann and Andy out of the audience hall to the dining hall for the banquet and celebration. “You know, up until about a hundred years ago, the groom would throw his bride over his shoulder and carry her out,” Pt’this told her, grinning. “You wouldn’t.” “He’d carry her straight to his room and have his way with her for about a week before anyone would see them.” “Well, if that’s where it leads...” Sapphire smiled. “We’d have to go to Baj-tisk. I don’t think Emeton would leave me alone for a week if I were here.” He put his arm around her. Ann and Andy waited for them at their table. “You made it,” Ann told her, smiling. “I did.” Sapphire nodded. “I figured, if I could deal with Drepal, I could handle any of these guys.” “Now, you just have to get through dinner, everybody watching you eat,” Andy teased. “At least now they’ll be busy with their food,” Sapphire said. “Seriously, though, congratulations you two,” Andy said and hugged them both. “Thank you, you too,” Pt’this said. He was wearing the biggest grin Andy had ever seen. “It’s hard to believe,” Sapphire said. “It is.” Ann agreed. “If we were on my world, you would now be Mrs. Annlonna Mathis,” Andy told her. “That would beat the book I am known by now.” Ann smiled. “Speaking of which, why was my apprentice name used?” Pt’this asked. “It was required because you’re technically still an apprentice,” Ann explained. “How did they know that? Up until recently, no one even knew I ever was an apprentice.” “I didn’t tell them. But plenty of other people heard you. If I had to guess, I’d say it was Dad.” “Actually, it was me,” Nim said, coming up to them with Joanne. “I’m sorry, but I wanted to make sure everything was proper.” “Do you know where my new title came from, ‘her shimmering highness princess of mages’?” Ann asked. Nim smiled. “That was your brother. Apparently, one of your friends called you that as a joke, and Remtani heard it and told it to your father.” “Congratulations.” Joanne hugged Ann and Andy. She turned to Sapphire and Pt’this. “Congratulations,” she told them. She hugged Sapphire and even Pt’this. “We haven’t met,” she told him. “I’m a friend of Andy and Ann’s. My name is Joanne. I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name.” “Everyone just calls me Pt’this,” he said. “Oh, I remember that name. Ann used to talk a lot about you,” Joanne said. “She did? I’m sure it was all lies.” He grinned. “I hope not. She mostly talked about what a great uncle you were.” “Joanne, how did you get here?” Ann asked. “Nim came to get me this morning,” Joanne said. Nim shrugged. “I knew you wanted her here and I thought that even if she couldn’t get away for a week, maybe a day or so would be okay, so I took a chance.” ‘And it was all for us?’ Ann sent, remembering the look of disappointment she’d seen. Nim’s lip rose as if he would growl, but he refrained. “Thank you,” she said aloud. She had to remember he didn’t take teasing as well as Pt’this did. “Nim, are you sitting with the young ones?” Pt’this asked. “We are.” Nim nodded. “You might want to keep an eye on Bria and Ghin.” Nim nodded. “I’ve noticed. I’ll have a talk with them.” He and Joanne went to find their seats. “Someone might need to have a talk with those two also,” Sapphire said watching them go. “Nim’s past the age of consent.” Pt’this shrugged. “And it looks like Joanne is too.” “But does she know what he is?” Ann asked. “It’s just the day. Let them have a little enjoyment. It’s not like they’ll even see each other after this.” Pt’this waved it off. “Yeah, until we…” Ann started but then caught herself. “Until what?” Sapphire asked. “Never mind, court business,” Ann said. But she sent to Pt’this, ‘You didn’t tell her?’ ‘I couldn’t. Like you said, it’s court business.’ ‘She’s your wife.’ ‘She wasn’t at the time.’ ‘She was your mate.’ ‘No, she’s not.’ The revelation surprised Ann. She had thought for sure they would have mated by now. She didn’t have time to dwell on it. “Congratulations,” Queen Deyama said. “Thank you, your majesty.” Ann smiled. “I never got a chance to thank you for helping us. If you hadn’t rescued our children … and after we tried to deceive you.” “You warned us. Voramini was the one who understood your messages.” She gestured to the elf escorting the queen. Deyama took his hand. “He’s been a great support.” Voramini smiled slightly as if just trying to be polite, but his eyes told a different story. He was thrilled with the compliment. Voramini and Deyama had been pledged to be married almost since birth, arranged by their parents and had been deeply in love. There had been a horrible misunderstanding and Deyama had refused to even speak to Voramini for years, but she refused to end the pledge. Voramini still loved her so he wouldn’t end it. Shortly before Deyama had become queen, and before the battle against Lyra, he had finally gotten her to talk with him. They discovered the misunderstanding and started to work things out. They still had five years before they had to make a decision to get married, but it was finally starting to look like they would make it. “What I don’t understand was how you used that taki-sphere twice. I barely survived one use.” Deyama shook her head. Ann shrugged. “Must be the dragon blood.” “Dragon blood? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you had immortal blood.” Ann smiled. “Dragons and immortals don’t mix. I’m just a product of my grandfather.” “Whatever it was, thank you.” She turned to Andy. “And thank you for saving my life.” Andy waved her off. “It was Voramini’s magic. I just made the transfer.” “I understand what went on, and I still thank you. Vor would have still tried to help me had you not been there, only he would have killed himself in the process.” After using a taki-sphere, a device used by mages to transport large groups of people, to bring the elven army to Dragon Castle to help fight Lyra, Deyama had gone into a wizard’s trance. Voramini, greatly weakened by the battle, had provided the magic for Andy to amplify to bring her out of the trance. “Yes, Ma’am.” Andy bowed. Deyama seemed like a woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer. She smiled, and they moved on to greet Pt’this and Sapphire. Ann noticed Rejenn helping a very pregnant woman to a seat. He knelt beside her a moment to talk with her. He then kissed her cheek and came to greet them. “Congratulations,” he said. “Who’s your friend?” Ann asked. Rejenn wasn’t one to go after pregnant women. “Cesni. I met her at Dragon Castle. She helped me watch the kids.” Rejenn, not being a fighter, had taken it upon himself to help watch the children of the refugees at the castle. They had all assumed it was to impress a woman although he had denied that. In truth, he had done it to get information from the kids, knowing they would repeat anything their parents said. “She wants me to apologize for her missing the ceremony. She’s had a rough pregnancy, and we didn’t think the heat from all those bodies would do her any good. At least now she can go out to the garden to cool off.” “She could have earlier too. No one would have minded.” “I think she felt self-conscious with the father not being here,” Rejenn confided. “They would probably assume you were the father.” Ann shrugged. She knew Rejenn couldn’t have kids. “I wish I were,” he said softly. That surprised Ann. Rejenn always swore he’d never let a woman tie him down with another man’s child. He said if he couldn’t have any, then he didn’t want any. He smiled slightly, knowing her thoughts. “Never thought you’d hear me say that did you? She’s worried the father will come back and try to claim the baby. She’s afraid of what he’ll do if he thinks I’m taking responsibility for the child. I really want to too. I want to marry her and adopt the baby. But she’s too afraid.” “Can I ask what happened?” “They were pledged. Her family doesn’t have much money, so she moved in with him to help her family out. She got pregnant, and he became abusive. You should see the scars from what he did. Her family found out and got help from the other town folk to run him off. He tried coming back for her a few times. Her family sent her to Resdelk to hide her just before the attack. I brought her here with me. “I’ve been trying to keep track of the father through my connections, but I lost him just before we left for Illia.” “Is that why you left Ria so fast? To get back to Cesni?” Ann guessed. Rejenn nodded. “Your brother left a couple guards to protect her, but she went into labor twice at Dragon Castle. Shunati was able to stop it both times, but he doesn’t think he should keep doing it. She’s far enough along now that it won’t matter much, but I wanted to be there with her.” “You know, I have a friend who would be more than happy to make sure the father never bothered her again. She could make sure he never bothered anyone again,” Ann offered. “A friend? You don’t mean?” Rejenn grew pale. Ann nodded. “She apparently has a soft spot for kids.” “No, thank you. I don’t think Cesni would want that. But may I use her name? If he hears she’s looking for him, he might get scared, go on the run, make a mistake, and expose himself. Your brother is also keeping an eye out for him and will arrest him the moment he’s found.” “If you wish, do it.” Ann nodded. “We’ll greet Cesni after dinner.” Others were lingering, hoping to greet them. Fortunately, Elos ushered them away. “Did you just offer to have…?” Andy started to ask. “Shh. Yes. She wouldn’t leave me alone until I did.” “She talks to you?” “Not normally but she hasn’t been sleeping well since the procedure.” “It seems she hasn’t been sleeping well since Dragon Castle,” Andy observed. He had seen and felt signs of Drepal periodically since they had returned. “I should have never woken her up,” Ann said. “You did what you had to. We’ll get her to sleep again. What did you do the last time?” “Drank myself into a stupor. Got alcohol poisoning. Nearly killed myself.” “Your suicide attempt?” Ann nodded. “We’ll figure something else,” Andy assured her. “But, she promised to leave us alone for a few days if I made the offer. She always keeps her word.” “What do you think it’ll take to get her to promise to leave us alone for a few years?” That made Ann smile. ‘Problems?’ Pt’this asked. ‘No more than usual, Ann sent. Just a friend wanting to come out and play.’