“To protect, to honor, to love.” She said calmly, but loudly, the rest of the people behind them repeating the words when she said them. It was an impressive effect, something to remember if he was ever designing such a ceremony, that group chanting thing. Tor glanced at Alissa, trying to keep the nervousness off his face as she was asked if she took him as her husband.
She said yes. A simple word, but when he was asked Tor thought his voice might catch or crack and betray him. Somehow it came out strong and clear.
“Yes.” Maybe too loud? No one laughed at him.
“Then so be it, you are for now, and always, man and wife.”
No one had to tell them to kiss.
That was in all the stories, even in Two Bends, and everyone did it. Somehow, magically, bafflingly, he'd done it. He was married. It hit him all at once, but he wasn't going to let it show now, it was done. Except for the consummation.
Normally no one would question the word of a man or woman that said they'd had sex and that the marriage was real, but this wasn't a normal situation at all was it? They kind of needed to be able to prove the deed had been done, and well enough that a child could result. It wouldn't, but that wasn't the law, they just had to do it.
Karina held Ali's hand tightly, Showing support. He'd married her as Gretchen Derring, so that it would really Count, and there could be no possible loophole. Tor led her to a bed that was set up for the purpose of making sure there were unimpeachable witnesses to the whole thing.
Whee.
No pressure or anything.
Well at least his mother wasn't there to watch. That would have made it about impossible, as it was he had to spend a lot of time on foreplay so that it wouldn't hurt her, no one had thought to bring lubricant and while she could have handled it anyway if he was quick about the whole thing, she assured him, his wife didn't have to risk pain for him.
Ever.
It lacked the sweetness he'd have liked for her, too many eyes for that, but he did everything he could, and used every trick he knew to help her relax. She didn't really, but her soft cries and finally after nearly an hour, his own, satisfied everyone watching. Then there was normally dancing, games and all that, but unless Ali wanted a post-nuptial sword fight, they didn't have a lot of games at hand and music had been totally forgotten in their hurry to get out of Noram.
She held his hand and whispered softly in his ear after the clothing was arranged and the bed put away.
“I love you.”
“I love you too. Forever and for always.”
It was a lie, of course.
She was too young and too new to him for real love, but if he had to lie for her to feel safe, he'd make her think he loved her, no matter what. He'd make himself love her. For all the horrors she'd gone through, she remained sweet and innocent, or at least she could still act that way, which was probably good enough. How much could you ask of a person anyway?
He swept her into his arms and danced with her in front of everyone, someone started humming a song he thought he remembered from school, but couldn't place. Then almost everyone joined in. After a bit he recognized it, the Lairdgren school anthem “Oh, be my heart so green”. It had never made any sense to him, but now he thought he kind of got it, knowing a bit more about Burks. It wasn't about loving the school's colors beyond all reason, but the world.
It was a pledge to protect it. No matter what.
Oh. That made sense then, didn't it?
They laughed and played, holding hands while walking around so he could introduce everyone present to Mrs. Baker, a fact which they already knew was a reality first hand, a thought that made him blush, but no one teased him or Ali about it. Dara had broken down crying, and moved off to the side after giving his wife a hug. She smiled through the tears a kerchief in hand.
“May you be safe forever.” She said softly, as they walked away.
At nearly two he had to go to bed, having been up for a day already, longer than that. He also had to be up in a few hours again. Still, it was worth it, he told himself. They'd done it. Ali really was safe now. At least from her father. The rest was up to him.
They slept in the same bed and he kissed her cheek when he forced himself up to go and cook for the day. She roused and looked at him blearily.
“Hmmm. Do you want to have sex? Or I could use my mouth? Let's do that. I'm pretty good at it.” Her voice was exhausted so he chuckled and put her back to sleep, reminding her that they had forever now.
“I love you husband.” She murmured, so innocent and sweet he nearly lost it and cried.
“I love you little wife.”
That got Tor thinking. She'd be little until she got her full growth going, then she'd probably be as tall as Karen, six-six, or more. Well, that would still work in bed and if it looked funny walking together he'd work out some way to make it look better, that was all.
Maybe blinding anyone that laughed about seeing it? That would work. Tor nodded, since he knew he could make a device for it.
The morning was normal until about seven when a still tired looking Alissa walked into the kitchen and started trying to help. She explained it with a yawn. His work was hers now, right? Plus, it wasn't like she could help out with the building work, so cooking it was.
Tor smiled and set her to whisking the eggs he'd cracked already, keeping an eye on her while she tried to make scrambled for seventy-three. The big focus stone bowl nearly slipped twice, but she kept her hold on it and then tried to fix the eggs in the bowl by sitting it on the griddle top, Tor nearly panicked but then smiled and added some oil to the mix. As long as she stirred from the bottom regularly it would work. The pans were all made of the same stuff after all. He showed her how to fold them over pulling the already cooked egg from near the heat. It actually seemed to work pretty well. She needed help putting them into the big covered serving tray, and getting that to the other room, not used to carrying heavy, hot things, or possibly just wanting Tor to help her, because they were married. Either way he smiled at her.
She didn't want to leave him she said, but hadn't showered yet, and since they had plans later…
He almost drew a blank on that. Oh, plans, he got it then. Before lunch he decided. He kept having a feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong when they got to Printer. But if it did, whatever they faced, whoever it was, they'd be in for a fight if it came to it. Count or not, that bastard Derring was not going to get his bride. Not even if Tor had to rip his own field apart to stop it from happening.
Everyone else thought so too, it seemed to Tor, Kolb flying from the ship to scout things out himself first, three of his people checking in all directions. They touched down lightly on the deck over the course of ten minutes and said it was all clear.
It really was. There wasn't anyone to meet them at all. Not from the palace at least. The towns people met them in good force, and cheered when Tor introduced his new wife. For some reason they all seemed happy enough to see them all, but especially Tor. After a while he understood what the deal was, they remembered him from the big storm and apparently that meant a good bit more to them right now than more trivial things like two members of the royal family standing there beside him. All the attention for his friend just got a huge grin from Rolph though.
He was cool that way.
“See, and here you thought people didn't like you.”
Holly Printer walked out of her big house with a smile and a hug for him and one for his bride, offering them the comfort of her home for as long as they wanted. The words weren't just formal either, Tor could tell she really meant it, which was touching. He almost said yes, but Ali spoke first, a small smile on her face.
“Thank you Countess Printer, you're offer is most generous. We have our own home with us, would it be impolite to use that? Privacy… you know.” Ali sounded so correct suddenly that Tor nearly clapped his hands. A very proper wife indeed. Now if only he could manage half as well.