“So soon?” Eleen said mildly, as Braern’s mouth worked wordlessly. Adrissu shrugged, smiling first at her then back at Braern.
“Why wait?” he countered, and after a moment, Braern burst into laughter.
“That’s not—I mean, I hadn’t meant sosoon,” he protested, grinning, and again Adrissu shrugged. “But, well… If you’re really okay with it...”
“Why wait indeed?” Aram echoed, leaning back in his chair and appraising them with a fond look. “You’re welcome to stay here, of course, and tomorrow we can start the preparations.”
Chapter Thirty
Aweeklater,Adrissuand Braern were married beneath the tree temple of Menserine.
It was a small, quiet affair with only Braern’s family in attendance. They wore robes that were nice, but had been quickly procured and so were not perfectly tailored; the priest that performed the rites was unfamiliar to Braern’s family, and he wore the same bored expression for the entire ceremony. Although, at the end, when the priest held each of their wrists and sent his magic flowing through both of them, he gave a slight start—his eyes flew to Adrissu, widening in obvious surprise as he sensed Adrissu’s overshadowing power.
The incantation that the priest muttered to link their minds sounded simple, but the heat that traveled up the length of Adrissu’s arm to become a pinprick in the back of his head felt deceptively strong. It burned painfully for only an instant, then faded away, leaving behind the strange sense of something,someoneelse in his head. He could, very faintly, feel excitement and nervousness that was not his own simmering away in that spot.
A slow smile spread across his face as Braern beamed up at him, happiness bursting from what must have been their bond. Adrissu didn’t hear anything the priest said, focused only on the strange, but not unwelcome awareness of their new mental link. After a moment, Braern released one of his hands and turned to face his family, still grinning, and Adrissu followed suit. The family of elves smiled back at them. Luckily, they all seemed to like Adrissu so far, despite the abruptness of his and Braern’s wedding. His choice of husbands could only be an improvement, after all.
The family then gathered in Aram and Eleen’s home for a celebratory dinner. Despite all the ruckus of Braern’s siblings, nieces, and nephews together under one roof, Adrissu could only focus on Braern—hishusband,now officially so. The word meant little to Adrissu—Braern’s status as his mate, forever, was not at all contingent on whether or not some priest who they would never meet again clasped their hands and performed a ritual over them—but the happiness that burst from Braern at the word was completely infectious. It was strange, though, to think that all married elves had the presence of another in their heads like this.
“Not regretting your decision, are you?” Braern murmured in a teasing tone, leaning closer to him, as they sat beneath a small gazebo in the backyard and looked out on the rest of the family. “You feel... apprehensive.”
“Just getting used to it, is all,” Adrissu replied, shaking his head with a smirk. “Although... I’ve just realized it’s going to be much harder to convince you I like your cooking, now.”
“Adrissu!” Braern laughed, shoving his shoulder playfully. “You’d only eat bread and cheese every day if it wasn’t for me. Don’t try and pretend otherwise.”
Amusement and affection bubbled up from the back of his head. Feeling the emotions, being able to recognize them, yet knowing they were not his own, was probably one of the most unusual sensations that he’d ever felt. He did not think he liked it, but if it would make Braern happy, it was a light burden to bear.
“It does take some getting used to,” Braern said softly, his teasing smile melting to one of soft affection. “But it has its benefits.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh, yes,” Braern said, raising an eyebrow at him. “We can feel what the other is feeling, so...”
Desire bloomed in the back of his head; it wasn’t his own, but his body responded as if it were.Thatwould be... something to explore later.
“I see,” he said, stifling a grin. “In that case, I’m glad we got our own villa for tonight.”
“Gods, of course,” Braern laughed, shaking his head. “You think I’d want to be under the same roof as my parents on our wedding night?”
“I’d certainly hope not,” Adrissu replied. He draped one arm over Braern’s shoulders, and the elf leaned against him, a comforting and familiar weight.
They watched in content silence as two of the small elven children, a girl of maybe ten and her younger sister, chased each other in the yard, running in tight circles until it was impossible to tell who was chasing and who was being chased. When they noticed that they were being watched, the two girls grinned over at them and waved. Braern waved readily back at them, and after a moment, Adrissu waved as well.
“Uncle Braern,” the older girl asked, stepping closer to him. “Are you going to come live in Menserine again now?”
Braern’s smile faltered slightly. “I don’t think so, sweet one. But maybe you can visit me and your Uncle Adrissu in Autreth someday.”
“Hmm,” the girl said with a slight frown; Adrissu could feel the faint sense of longing tinged with sadness that came from Braern at his words, and squeezed his hand.
“Come back inside for dessert,” one of Braern’s brothers called from the door. The two girls went running, their conversation quickly forgotten, and Adrissu glanced down at Braern.
“Us too?” he asked, and Braern beamed up at him with a laugh.
“Us too.”
When the food had all been eaten, and they were released from their familial obligation to be present for their own party, Adrissu and Braern walked back toward the center of town, where they had rented a small villa. The little two-room cottage was one of several on the same plot of land in the same style, but it was the closest thing to privacy that they were going to get without returning home. It certainly beat a room at the tavern, even if it wasn’t much bigger.
“Well, husband,” Braern said with a teasing tone, grinning over at Adrissu as he closed the door. Adrissu pulled the elf into his arms before he could get any further. Braern laughed, pushing against him. “Is that all it takes, then?”
