Kernin Wehr, Prince and strong magic user, sat sipping coffee in the sitting room of his apartment. He wasn't in his father's palace, but in the palace of King Lormin of Rindis, the father of the woman he was scheduled to marry in just a little while. Lisai, his bride, soon to be his wife; that thought still made Kernin want to jump around and shout out his delight. If he hadn't learned to keep complete control over himself, he would have been pacing back and forth with unbearable frustration over the ordinary, unavoidable delay…

A knock on the door to the hall started one of Kernin's servants over to answer, but before the servant could reach the door Kernin's father, Emperor Deyrin, was already striding inside. The emperor was a big man and broad, much as Kernin was, and they shared the same dark hair even though Kernin had blue eyes rather than the emperor's green. It struck Kernin that his father's coloring was nothing like King Lormin's, Lisai's father, who had blond hair and gray eyes, but the two monarchs shared the same sense of bottomless vitality as well as their general build.

"I'm glad to see I don't have to hurry your dressing, Kernin," his father said, a merry glint in his light eyes. "As reluctant as you've always been to marry, I expected you to be dragging your feet instead of being all ready to leave for the ceremony."

"I was ready for this ceremony a week and a half ago, Father, but we had to wait until you and Mother could get here," Kernin answered, knowing when he was being teased. "If I hadn't gotten your promise to hurry, I just might have … convinced everyone to go ahead without you."

"Convinced," his father echoed with a sound of amusement as he took a chair near Kernin's. "Used your skills in magic, you mean. Well, I can't say I blame you for being eager. When your mother and I met Lisai last night at dinner, we understood why you aren't being dragged to the ceremony kicking and screaming."

"She's the one who almost had to be dragged," Kernin returned with a small laugh while a servant handed his father a cup of coffee. "Lisai was no more interested in marriage than I was, maybe less interested, but King Lormin and I managed to talk her into it. Now she's looking forward to the ceremony almost as much as I am."

"That's the part of all this I find hardest to understand," his father said after sipping at the coffee. "Most women are downright eager to marry and set up their own household, but Lisai said you two haven't decided yet where you intend to live. How can you not know where you want your new house built? You don't expect to use that small house of yours outside my city, I hope."

"She and I want to look around some first, before we decide on a permanent location for the new house," Kernin answered, knowing that this time his father wasn't teasing. "I've been spending so much time helping people out of trouble with magic and rogue magic users, I do more traveling than staying in one place. Since Lisai will be traveling with me, there's no rush about choosing where to establish our household."

Kernin could see from his father's stare that he was no longer amused about anything at all, but Kernin had been expecting that reaction. Lisai's father King Lormin hadn't been happy to hear the plans Kernin and Lisai had made, but at least King Lormin knew how necessary the arrangement was.

"Kernin, a woman's place is in his home, taking care of things while he's away," Emperor Deyrin stated, the words flat and final. "Dragging her along into danger isn't the act of a responsible husband."

"Agreeing to take her along is the only way I got her to agree to the wedding," Kernin replied, doing his own flat stating. "She isn't just 'a woman,' Father, she's a very special woman, and what kind of husband would I be if I refused to give my wife what she needs? Besides, the arrangement will last only until we start our family. At that point Lisai won't be able to refuse to stay home, not when she'll be endangering our child as well as herself. I think I know her well enough to say she won't insist on taking the chance anyway."

"So the time she's endangered shouldn't be long," his father said, letting his Emperor Deyrin side fade back. "At least I'm assuming you aren't dragging your feet in that matter either…"

"The only reason we haven't spent the last two nights together is custom," Kernin said with a grin. "The custom is that bride and groom don't see each other for two days before the wedding, you know, which is why I wasn't there at dinner last night with the rest of you. If Lisai hadn't had to meet you and Mother, she probably wouldn't have been at dinner either. So for all I know, the … matter is already taken care of."

"Good, good," his father said after another swallow of coffee. "Then you shouldn't have to keep her safe for very long at all. Once the children start to come, she'll be too busy and involved to notice that you aren't always there. Let's finish this coffee, and then get to the room the ceremony will be held in. We certainly don't want the groom to be late."

"The groom has no intention of being late," Kernin assured his father. "Let's hope the bride feels the same way."

And let's also hope the bride doesn't understand too quickly how short a time our arrangement will hold, Kernin thought. It would kill me if anything happened to Lisai, but she'll probably refuse to see that. Once maternal instinct sets in she'll insist on having a house to live in, and then I'll be able to breathe freely again…

* * *

Lisai examined herself in the full-length mirror, the gown she wore shimmering just the way it was supposed to. Made of gold and silver lace, the standard wedding gown had just had to be sized in order for it to fit. Lisai considered the customary colors a bit on the dull and boring side, but Kernin would be wearing a suit of silver and gold so she really had no choice.

"How can you look at yourself in the mirror with that … ridiculing expression on your face?" Lisai's mother demanded from where she now stood to Lisai's right. "You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen, but beyond that you ought to be happy."

"I am happy, Mother," Lisai admitted with a small, private smile. "It's just that I'm not much into enjoying doing the usual. Kernin and I in gold and silver, Kernin's parents wearing gold, you and father wearing silver… Every wedding is done exactly the same way, and I was more than a little tempted to wear red or blue or even white instead of this gown. I just don't see myself as nothing more than another face in the usual crowd."

"It won't kill you to be ordinary for a single day," her mother stated, a definite touch of annoyance in her usual patience. "You've been unusual since the day you were born, Lisai, but now that you're a grown woman and soon to be a wife things will change. You won't be living your life alone, and soon enough you'll start having even more of a family. That's the most wonderful experience a woman can have, and one a man can never know. You'll find it more of a challenge than learning the use of all those weapons you worked so long with."

Lisai felt tempted to comment on what her mother had said, but common sense kept her quiet. The fact that she felt nothing in the way of wanting a "family" would just upset her mother, but not as much as what Lisai had done to make sure she'd have no unwelcome surprises. She'd been sexually active for more years than her parents seemed to know, but that potion she'd found in the beginning had kept her safe. She'd been told she'd need to take another potion before the first would stop protecting her, and right now she had no interest in even finding out what that second potion was.

"It's almost time for the ceremony to begin," Lisai's mother said after a moment, letting the previous topic drop. "Let's join your father, and then the festivities can start."

"Festivities," Lisai echoed with a sound of amusement as she turned away from the mirror. "I'm sorry, Mother, but you've gotten the order wrong. First we'll have the ceremony, then we'll have the feast, and only after that, once we've all retired to our apartments, will the festivities start. Or were you expecting Kernin and me to put on a show for your guests?"

"I wouldn't put it past you to do just that," her mother retorted, trying to be stern but losing the attitude to reluctant amusement. "Half your father's courtiers would faint, and I don't mean the females attending with the men."

"I know why Father lets those fools hang around, and that's another reason for hating politics," Lisai said as she and her mother headed out of the bedchamber and toward the sitting room. "One of the best things about marrying Kernin is that he won't ever have to wear a crown and sit on a throne. He'd probably make a really good king or emperor, but I'd make the worst queen or empress in the world."

"You'd probably try to meddle," her mother agreed with a nod, then smiled at Lisai's father where he sat waiting patiently near the door to the hall. "I've felt the urge myself over the years, but I have more self control than you do, daughter mine. Men like your father - and Kernin - don't enjoy having their wives meddle, so it's definitely a good thing that you won't be put in so awkward a position."

"Lisai, you look beautiful," her father said after getting to his feet with a smile. "Part of me is trying to insist that my baby is much too young to marry and leave home, but happily the rest of me knows better. If tried to withdraw my permission for the wedding at this point, your reaction would be the least of my worries. If I survived whatever spell Kernin cast, I'd find myself in a war with his father. There's a lot to be said for pairing your child with an ordinary man from the lower nobility."

Lisai joined her mother in laughing at the comment, and then the three of them headed out of the apartment. Lisai knew that her father wasn't in the least reluctant to see her marry, not when he'd worked so hard to pair her with Kernin. It looked like her father was just trying to make sure she didn't back out at the last moment, but that was perfectly all right. The hesitation she felt was only natural and normal at a time like this, nothing to pay any real attention to. She loved Kernin, and after being apart for two days she was downright eager to see him - and be with him - again.

The ceremony was being held in the back of the large feasting hall, and she and Kernin approached the altar with their parents from two different directions. At the proper point both sets of parents stopped, allowing their children to continue on alone. Three priests waited with smiles for the couple to stop in front of them, and then the main part of the ceremony began.

Lisai stood and exchanged smiles with Kernin while the priests took turns droning out their nonsense. Maybe others believed that the priests represented the gods, but Lisai refused to be that credulous. Priests represented no one but themselves and their orders, and their aim was to keep control of as many people as possible. Insisting that everyone needed their approval before they could marry gave the priests most of their power and control, but Kernin had refused to join Lisai in simply speaking vows without the priests being present.

"It's our parents we have to think about," Kernin had said when Lisai had brought up the subject. "Most of their people believe in the priests, and those people would be very upset if we didn't at least act as if we believed the same. It's hard enough for my father that I'm a mage. I can't see myself adding to his burdens by insisting that my marriage be just as unusual."

He hadn't mentioned that in a different way, Lisai's father had the same problem with her. She wasn't a mage, of course, but she also wasn't your ordinary docile princess. If she'd really insisted she might have gotten her way, but being usual for once would not kill her so she'd given in instead.

But she had insisted on the shortest ceremony possible, making certain that the priests knew she would start to exchange vows with Kernin on her own if they dragged things out too long. The priests were definitely scandalized, but happily they hadn't doubted her. For that reason they reached the part of the ceremony covering the rings fairly quickly, with an acolyte of one of the priests bringing out the ice.

She and Kernin had their left earlobes numbed with the ice, then two of the priests pierced their lobes at the same time. As soon as the blood was wiped away the small, thin gold hooks were inserted and closed. Dangling from each hook was the tiny device they'd agreed on, an identical device to show they were husband and wife.

Everyone in the room smiled and applauded as she and Kernin led the way to the feasting tables, and once everyone was seated the food and drink began to flow. Lisai was really hungry, and Kernin displayed his own hearty appetite.

"Well, how does it feel to be a married woman?" Kernin murmured to her between two of the courses. "Is the pain as bad as you expected it to be?"

"The pain is much worse, but that's all right," Lisai murmured back while keeping herself from laughing. "I'm strong so I can take it. How about you?"

"Nope, no pain on this end of things," Kernin answered with a grin he made no effort to hide. "Maybe that's because I'm not a married woman. Obviously you ladies have the harder part of the deal."

"Probably because we're so much stronger than you poor men," Lisai countered, changing her expression to one of smugness. "If you were the ones who had to stand the pain, you'd never even think about marriage."

"I suppose that's why men are smarter than women," he returned very blandly. "So we can trap you into agreeing to the marriage before you fully understand how painful it will be for you."

"Men aren't that smart, or it wouldn't be possible to end a marriage just by announcing that the union is dissolved," Lisai countered. "Usually it's just men who indulge in the practice, but every now and then there's a woman like me who isn't afraid to do a little exercising of her own."

"If you ever tried that kind of exercise right now, you'd find out just how painful marriage can be," he stated, pretending to look at her with dire threat in his gaze. "The least a woman can do is wait until after she shares the marriage bed with her new husband. Married men always exhibit more skill in bed than unmarried men, you know."

"No, I didn't know," Lisai exclaimed softly, pretending to believe that "revelation." "Wow, now I can't wait for the feast to be over. I didn't think there was anything that could improve your performance."

Kernin smiled and started to respond to what he'd taken as a compliment, then it suddenly came to him that what Lisai had said could be taken in a way that wasn't a compliment at all. A really poor performance could make someone believe that nothing would help it, but all he did was glower at her before turning back to his food. Obviously he knew that accusing her of insulting him would just have her insist on the other meaning of her words.

As soon as most of the food was gone, the speeches started. Emperor Deyrin started it off by telling everyone how amazed he was that his son had found a woman willing to marry him, and then Lisai's father got up to say the same thing about her. After Lisai's brothers took a turn, just about everyone in the room was roaring out their laughter. It was part of the "usual" to insult the bride and groom, and Emperor Deyrin took another turn passing on what Kernin's brothers would have said if they'd attended the wedding.

"And that's the last of what Kernin's brothers asked me to pass on," the emperor said once the most recent laughter died down some. "My older sons are looking forward to adding to their comments when Kernin and Lisai attend the second ceremony in a month's time in our own city. And now, let the dancing begin."

The orchestra began to play dance music instead of the soft background music they'd been playing, and Lisai was obliged to join Kernin on the dance floor. The first dance was for the bride and groom alone, so it was relatively short. Once the music changed it was possible for anyone else who wanted to dance to join them on the floor, and as soon as there were other couples around them Lisai looked up at Kernin.

"What's this about a second ceremony?" she asked, keeping her expression as blank as possible. "No one told me we'd have to go through this circus a second time."

"Most likely no one told you because they assumed you knew," Kernin answered, his faint surprise looking real. "I am the son of an emperor, after all, so it's traditional to have a second ceremony in the emperor's own city. My parents will take your gown and my suit with them when they leave, so we won't have to go through all those fittings again."

"But we will have to go on display again," Lisai muttered, more than a little unhappy. "And what happens if we're in the middle of taking care of a serious problem? Do we just drop everything and ride off to attend to the nonsensical?"

"It's necessary, not nonsensical, so we'll just have to be careful of our timing," Kernin told her with a sigh. "I dislike politics as much as you do, Lisai, but our refusing to attend the second ceremony would weaken my father's position as emperor. Do you really want to do that?"

Lisai would have loved to say "yes," but Kernin's father was a good emperor and even a decent human being. Putting the man on a spot would be poor repayment for his support and kindness, so all Lisai could do was voice her own sigh.

"All right, I won't make a fuss about a second ceremony," she said after a moment. "I think the practice is stupid, but I won't argue. What I will do, though, is give you fair warning. If there are any other 'politically necessary' ambushes lurking in the woods, I would strongly advise you to find some way to divert them. Because if I end up having to face the ambushes, I won't stop the fight until I've achieved a complete rout."

"I really love it when you talk military," Kernin said with a grin after giving her a quick peck on the lips. "I'll show you later how much I appreciate your cooperation in all this, and I promise there won't be any ambushes. If there are, I'll definitely join you in defense against the attack."

"Good," Lisai said with her own smile as she reached up to return the peck. "If you're going to be partners with someone for the rest of your lives, it's a good idea if you're both on the same side of the battle."

Kernin nodded before pulling her a bit closer as they returned their attention to the dancing, but Lisai saw an odd expression on his face before that face was no longer easily seen. At another time she would have wondered about that expression, but right now she was too happy over their having solved the problem. She and her new husband were on the same side, and the loneliness she'd felt all her life was finally beginning to fade.

Lisai and Kernin finished the dance, then they went back to the table to choose a dessert to go with the coffee being served. They chatted with their parents after the dessert was eaten, and then, finally, it was proper for them to leave the guests to their own devices.

"For a minute I thought we'd end up having to fight our way out of there," Lisai said as she and Kernin walked toward her apartment. "I wonder if they got all your possessions moved out of your old apartment and into mine."

"Into our apartment," Kernin corrected with something of a smile. "This apartment now belongs to both of us, just as my house near my father's city does. If you selfishly try to keep this apartment as yours alone, I just may have to do that exercising we were discussing during the feast."

"I'm in the mood to do an entirely different kind of exercising," Lisai murmured as they stopped in front of the double doors to her apartment. "I really missed you these last two days, and I intend to show you just how much I missed you."

Kernin bent down as she leaned up, and then they were exchanging the kind of kiss they usually did. Lisai expected the kiss to go for a while, but the sudden opening of the doors to the apartment startled them enough to pull them apart. They turned their heads to see the crowd of servants waiting for them to walk inside, the servants who were there to help them out of their finery. Kernin thought the interruption was amusing, but Lisai had to push away other, more … physical reactions that would have involved weapons.

Once inside the apartment's sitting room, Lisai and Kernin were separated by the horde of servants. Kernin was led to the second large bedchamber of the apartment while Lisai was taken to her own, and then she was helped out of the intricate wedding gown. A bath was already waiting for her to make use of, but the water wasn't so hot that it encouraged soaking. She just washed and got out to be dried off, then she was helped into a flimsy night dress of pale green. Once her hair was brushed to the servant's satisfaction, the whole bunch of them finally left her alone.

But she wasn't left alone for long. Even before she could consider sitting down to wait for Kernin, a soft knock on the door preceded his opening the door and coming inside. The formal suit of gold and silver was gone, a simple nightshirt of dark green now in its place. As he closed the door again behind him, he sent her a rueful smile.

"At least they're all gone now," he said as he moved toward her. "Most of the time it's nice not having to do for yourself, but every now and then… Where were we when we were so rudely interrupted?"

"I think I can remember," Lisai said with a smile as she put her arms around Kernin's body even as his went around her. "It was something like this."

"And this," Kernin added as he leaned down to kiss her again. This time the kiss lasted a delightfully long time, and when it finally ended Lisai was definitely in the mood to go a lot farther.

"How nice that there's a bed handy," she murmured as Kernin added a couple of quick kisses to her face. "Let's go and make use of that piece of furniture and put it to its primary purpose. The secondary purpose of using it for sleep can be worried about later."

"Most people think that using a bed for sleep is the bed's primary purpose," Kernin answered with a grin. "I can understand why you don't agree with that right now, and I admit I'm looking at it in the same way. We'll definitely get to using the bed in our favorite way, but first I have a surprise for you. A wedding gift, you might say, to make our first official night together really memorable."

By now Kernin was grinning, and something told Lisai that whatever he had for her, she would not find it just as amusing…