The music played through the courtyard as couples slow danced about, with their laughter and conversation blending into the melody.

Aiden stood at one edge of the courtyard, with Laela on one side and Arianna on the other, with both women still glowing happily from the ceremony.

They had been greeting well-wishers for the past several minutes, when that familiar voice called out from nearby.

"Aiden!"

He turned and spotted Alaric pushing through the crowd with his wives, Elara and Nessa, following close behind.

Before Aiden could respond, two small figures broke free from their parents and ran straight toward him.

Mira and Kira.

"Aiden!" they shouted in unison as they reached him.

Aiden laughed and bent down, scooping both girls up effortlessly and holding one in each arm. They giggled as he lifted them, with their feet dangling above ground in excitement.

"You got married!" Mira said excitedly while pointing at Laela and Arianna.

Kira nodded enthusiastically. "Are they both your wives now?"

Aiden smiled. "They are."

Mira tilted her head thoughtfully. "Does that mean you're going to have lots of babies?"

Arianna's face turned red immediately and Laela covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

Aiden raised an eyebrow at the girl. "You're too smart for your own good," he said.

Kira grinned mischievously. "That's what Papa always says."

Alaric finally caught up and shook his head with a smile on his face. "Girls, give the man some space will yer."

Aiden set them both down gently and they ran back toward their mothers, still giggling.

Alaric stepped forward and extended his hand toward Aiden. "Congratulations, Posh lad… ye've gone from that small fella I met in the tavern to a full-blown man."

Aiden shook his hand. "Thank you, Alaric."

Elara and Nessa moved forward next, both offering their greetings to Aiden before turning toward Laela and Arianna with warm smiles.

"Congratulations to you both as well," Elara said kindly.

Nessa nodded in agreement. "You're both very lucky women."

Arianna smiled and thanked them while Laela inclined her head gracefully.

Alaric turned toward Laela next, "Daughter o' the Rivendale chief."

Laela smiled. "I remember you too, Alaric. It's good to see you again."

They exchanged a few more pleasantries before Alaric's family moved on to allow others to greet the newlyweds.

On the far side of the hall near one of the pillars, Piers stood with arms crossed, watching the entire event unfold with a satisfied smile on his face.

Elena stood not far from him with Oliver, both of them swaying gently to the music as they danced together.

Katherine approached Piers quietly from behind and stopped beside him without saying anything at first.

Piers glanced at her briefly before turning his attention back to the crowd. "Not bad for something we put together in a few hours, huh?"

Katherine smiled faintly. "You outdid yourself," she said.

Piers shrugged casually but there was pride in his expression.

They stood silently for another moment before Piers spoke again. "I want what they have someday," he said.

Katherine turned her head toward him slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Marriage," Piers clarified without looking at her. "Something as real like that."

Katherine's smile widened just a little and she tilted her head so she could catch his eye.

Her cheeks flushed faintly as she leaned closer and whispered in a low, seductive voice, "Someday perhaps… but tonight you're going to have to make me scream."

Piers's face went red immediately and he turned toward her with wide eyes. "Oh you nasty woman."

Katherine laughed softly and took his hand without another word, pulling him toward the exit as they left the courtyard together.

Near one of the tables, filled with wine cups and food, Kayden stood alone holding a half-empty cup in one hand while his other rested against the edge of the table.

He had his usual stern expression as he watched the festivities unfold around him. Of course there was no hostility in it, it was just Kayden being Kayden.

Innis approached him slowly from the side and stopped beside him with a smile on her face. "Hey there," she said.

Kayden glanced at her briefly before nodding in acknowledgment. "Hey."

"Earlier when we were getting Arianna and Laela ready," she began, "Arianna said you worried about me, more than anyone else."

Kayden's eyes widened slightly and he turned his head away from her. "Don't let it get to your head," he muttered.

Innis chuckled at his reaction and shook her head. "No one's ever really worried about me that much before," she said.

Kayden said nothing but his cheeks had turned slightly red.

Innis leaned closer suddenly and pressed a quick kiss against his cheek before pulling back.

Both of their faces flushed red immediately.

Kayden cleared his throat awkwardly and looked down at his cup for a moment before stuttering slightly as he spoke: "Do you… do you want to dance?"

Innis didn't answer him, Instead she grabbed his hand and pulled him forward toward the open floor where others were dancing.

Kayden stumbled slightly at first but followed along as she dragged him into the crowd with this laugh on her face.

———

Meanwhile…

Within the throne room of the Kingdom of Yul'thera, Va stood at the center of the space radiating this oppressive aura.

Lady Thalyra knelt before him with her forehead pressed against the floor.

Beside her were Myrenne, High Priestess Selara, and Thalyra's two daughters, all in the same position with their bodies trembling slightly under the weight of his presence.

They were all incolved in interrogation.

Va's voice was calm but yet carried this tone that made it clear he was restraining his anger. "I will ask you again," he said slow. "Why did you let my betrothed leave this kingdom?"

Thalyra kept her head down as she spoke quickly, with her voice shaking slightly despite her efforts to remain composed. "I apologize, Divine one," she said. "It wasn't within our control. We were only trying to fulfill the Goddess Lucina's bidding by helping the dragon as she asked, but we didn't know Aeris would stow away and leave with them."

Va's eyes glowed faintly as he stared down at her.

"So you're saying the dragon's vessel charmed her?" he asked. "That he influenced this sudden decision?"

Va, for some reason, wanted to believe that Aeris wouldn't just act on a whim.

Thalyra hesitated for a moment before answering carefully. "I'm unsure, divine one. But we have sent her multiple messages to return and she has ignored every single one."

Va said nothing for several seconds, and the silence stretched unbearably long before he finally spoke again.

"I see"

Then his voice grew colder still. "I hate it when people take what belongs to me," he said. "Dragon or not."

With that, Va's form blurred once before disappearing entirely in a flash of golden light that left no trace behind.

The moment he vanished, Thalyra let out a long breath of relief and slowly lifted her head from the floor.

One of her daughters did the same and exhaled shakily. "Thank the gods it didn't end badly," she muttered.

Selara the high priestess sat back and shook her head slightly. "It didn't end badly because it's Va," she said. "He listens to reason."

Thalyra frowned slightly as she stood and brushed off her robes. "I just hope reason will be enough to hold his anger when he finally meets the Dragon."

Myrenne remained kneeling for a moment longer than the others, with her hands clenched into fists and her teeth ground together in frustration.

She said within her thoughts: "Aeris You selfish bitch."

—-

Back in Dragonhold, within the main room of Ravens Grave, the guild members had all gathered together one final time before the newlyweds departed.

Piers stood near one of the tables with a towel tied loosely around his lower half while

Katherine wore a thin, see-through robe that practically revealed her nicely curved breasts, and the rest of her alluring body parts.

Both looked relaxed and content as they leaned against each other casually.

Aiden stood near the center of the room with Laela and Arianna on either side of him, and he looked around at everyone gathered before speaking.

"I don't know how you all managed to pull together a full wedding in just a few hours," Aiden said sincerely. "But thank you. All of you."

Piers grinned and waved one hand dismissively. "Don't mention it," he said. "Now get out of here already."

He gestured toward the door dramatically.

As culture demanded in most kingdoms of the continent, newlyweds weren't supposed to stick around home after getting married.

A few chuckles came from the other members of the guild.

Aiden nodded with smile on his face as he said, "I'll be back soon."

With that, he turned and stepped toward the door with both Laela and Arianna following close behind him.

The moment they stepped outside, Aiden tilted his head upward slightly and nodded at the time variant who sat at the rooftop of the guild building.

The variant nodded back in acknowledgment.

Arianna glanced at Aiden curiously as they walked a few paces away from the guild entrance. "So where are we going?" she asked.

Aiden smiled and stretched his hand forward as a portal began forming in front of them.

"It's a surprise," he said.

Laela smiled as well and took his hand while Arianna did the same on his other side.

And with that, all three of them stepped through the portal that closed up right after.

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