Sunlight struggled through curtain-clad windows and fell upon Arvenus’ face. He blinked through bleary eyes, deeply breathing in the scent of Analin’s hair splayed across his chest. He relished the feeling of utter contentment. He let it wrap itself around him like a blanket, its soft embrace pulling him closer towards sleep. But his beloved’s stirring kept him awake. He glanced down at her, cupping her chin in his hands as she yawned.

“How do you feel?” he asked, a slight quiver to his words.

Analin smiled. “Incredible. Last night was… I don’t have words for it, Arvenus. I have never felt more love for you, nor more loved by you.”

He returned her smile. “Me too, my love.”

“It’s past daybreak already,” she whispered dreamily.

Arvenus nodded. “We should get going before the day is gone.”

As Analin stood and began to dress, Arvenus slipped into his trousers and tunic, and grabbed the satchel full of Ether shards. He made his way into the hall and found Salayis waiting for him.

“Well met,” she said with a knowing smile, the whisper of a laugh in her voice.

“Well met,” Arvenus nodded, unable to stop the grin from spreading on his lips. He cleared his throat and proffered the small sack.

“Payment, as promised,” he said.

Salayis reached forward, unhurried, grabbing the satchel and hefting it in her palm as if weighing it. She seemed thoughtful for a moment, her expression softening as she stared at him.

“Do you… do you think it worked?” he asked, swallowing. His heart hammering against his ribcage, he realized for the first time how much he truly wanted a child.

She seemed to consider his words. Her dark eyes were pensive, and they regarded him coolly.

“I do,” she said at last. “The love you share is genuine. It is deserving of a child. I think the ritual will give you exactly what you desire.”

He nodded, a sigh of relief escaping him.

“However,” she continued. “A word of caution, if you should be receptive.”

Arvenus paused only a moment before nodding.

“I see a dark cloud looming over your union. Someone close to you has ill intentions. Your betrothed’s heart is conflicted. She loves you truly, there can be no doubt of that. But I fear her love may be easily swayed. I urge you, take heed, Arvenus. Things are not all they appear to be.”

Before he could speak, Analin appeared through the doorway.

“Are you ready my love?” she asked, her face shining. She seemed blissfully unaware of the tensions before her.

Arvenus held a hand out, and she slipped her slim hand inside his.

As they departed, he spared one last glance behind. Salayis stood in the window, watching them. She raised an arm in parting before disappearing into the darkness of her home. The words she spoke echoed in Arvenus' mind. He glanced back to Analin. The pure joy was still evident on her face. Was it possible that Salayis was right? Could he trust the words of a stranger more than the words of his soon-to-be wife? Arvenus pushed the thoughts away and smiled at Analin as they walked towards the city gates.

The road from Mano back to the estate was long, but not devoid of joy. For the first time, Arvenus was hopeful. Clouds of dust swirled at their heels as they made the trek home, passing through plains and hills as they went. Without Vreya, their travels took longer than either had hoped. But there was a sense of pleasure in their journey, and they felt a hint of regret as they arrived at the summit of the last rise of the trip.

Before them stood the estate village, a town of small repute that was home to the men and women that tilled the fields for the estate landlord - Analin’s father. A narrow dirt road wound through the heart of it, wooden buildings with thatched rooftops framing either side. Large fields of corn and wheat grew in patchwork against the horizon, and, as the sun dipped low, they cast long fingers of shadows that raked their way through the dirt.

“This sickness grows,” Arvenus murmured, more to himself than to Analin.

“Father says that the fires have done little to kill the crop plague,” she nodded, eyes scouring the dying crops.

“It’s a plague for the ages, to be sure,” he agreed with some bitterness. “Many years on and the sickness only grows stronger. We have tried isolating it, but it spreads far too quickly. It is as if the very root of it is rotten. It sows death beneath the ground, and by the time it sprouts, the crops are already too far gone.”

Arvenus’ frustration was but one of many, for theirs was not the only estate to suffer the crop plague. Famine and rot had become a widespread reality, one that threatened their very survival.

As they passed the first houses and entered the heart of the village, Arvenus took Analin’s hand. There, looming before them was her father’s mansion. It was an impressive building, which was surrounded by an orchard filled with apple trees. A small patch filled with flowers of every color adorned the dirt path to a wide wooden porch, one with pillars at each corner that were blanketed by leafy vines. The mansion was a distinct reflection of Daron’s wealth. As landlord of the estate, he was well insulated from the mundane struggles of his tenants. But for all his wealth, he enjoyed great popularity and love, for Daron was a kind man. He had shown great kindness to Arvenus over and over again, first by giving him a seat at his table when Arvenus first began his courtship with Analin, then once more by allowing him to share Analin’s chambers when Arvenus finally asked for Analin’s hand in marriage. Daron had the grace to give him a home, and for that Arvenus would always be grateful.

They passed through the bronze garden gate, the hinges groaning with effort as they slipped by, and the door to the mansion opened. Analin’s father filled the frame, his barrel chest and broad shoulders completely packing what little space there was at the threshold as he pushed his way through. Her mother was quick to follow, although she was a diminutive presence next to him.

“Blessed meeting,” Analin’s father greeted, his grin evident even behind the wiry white mass of hair that hovered above his lip. Arvenus extended his hand and took Daron’s, gripping it tight.

“Well met,” he agreed, returning the smile.

“I trust all went well with the journey?”

Arvenus' grin faltered. “If I’m honest, we did meet with some trouble. We were confronted by a group of bandits. We had to cut Vreya loose to hide ourselves.”

Daron’s brows knitted together, and his usually sunny face took on a dark shadow. He ran the long bristles of his mustache against his palm. “Bandits so close to us? A bad omen if I’ve heard one.”

“I’m sorry about Vreya,” Arvenus said, the ghost of a smile now long gone from his lips.

“No harm to it,” Daron waved his words away. “That mule may be loud and lazy and stubborn, but she found her way home with not so much as a scratch on her. But we were getting a bit worried nonetheless.”

“Vreya made it home?” Analin breathed, eyes twinkling with newfound excitement.

“Aye,” her father nodded, though he remained lost in thought.

“When?”

“Late last night,” her mother said. Though Lanika was small in stature, she was a spitting, albeit slightly older, image of Analin. Looking at the two of them at that moment, Arvenus hoped for a daughter. He hoped that she, too, might take on the visage of the woman he loved so deeply, and continue the tradition from mother to daughter once more.

“I’m glad to hear it,” he added, taking Lanika’s hand in his. He bent low and placed his lips on the soft skin of her hand.

“This talk of bandits worries me,” Daron admitted as he turned back toward the mansion.

“It was far from here, near the border of Mano,” Analin said, falling in line behind him. “I’m sure we have nothing to fear from them. Here least of all.”

“I’m sure you have the right of it, daughter,” Daron smiled, though Arvenus could see the cloud of doubt in his eyes. “I’m an old codger with more brains than sense. So enough about bandits. Let us bring you some food and drink in the orchard, so you can let your feet rest and regain your strength after your travels.”

As Daron and Lanika went back inside the mansion, the sound of hooves clattering against the hard dirt caught their attention. Arvenus was somewhat displeased to see his brother Yarnus astride a chestnut mare.

“Ho, brother,” he called, waving Yarnus to a halt. As the mare came to a rest at the gate, Yarnus dismounted with a flourish and walked up to them.

Arvenus saw the smile on Analin’s face as she rushed toward his brother, her arms opening wide to embrace him. He bit his tongue to stifle the instant rebuke on his lips. He watched as she burrowed her face into Yarnus’ shoulder, a light he had rarely seen blooming inside her.

“Yarnus, I’m so happy to see you,” she murmured into the wool of his tunic. For his part, Yarnus seemed only mildly pleased by her outpouring of affection.

“So you went, then?” he accused, the shadow of anger buried in his icy eyes. It struck Arvenus that Yarnus would likely be the more attractive brother, were it not for the horrible, mottled red skin that marred the left side of his face. Though he would never speak it out loud, knowing his brother’s scar would remain forever gave him a wicked sense of joy. It was the only small bit of justice his brother had received in his life, and Arvenus delighted in the continued pain it brought for him.

“Yes,” Arvenus interjected, grabbing Analin by the waist and pulling her to his side. “We did.”

Yarnus' lips twitched. “And were you… successful?”

Without a thought Analin’s hand flicked to her belly. “It’s too soon to tell, of course,” she said, but there was a wistful quality to her voice. “But I hope so.”

“You certainly paid enough for it,” Yarnus sneered, though he directed the jeer at his brother. “Imagine having the ability to pay for such things while the rest of the village struggles to put food on the table.”

Analin reached forward and took Yarnus' hand in her own. “It isn’t like that Yarnus. We would do anything we could to help the people of this village. You know that better than anyone. But it isn’t as if Ether shards can rid us of this crop plague that we are burdened with. And we’ve talked about this before; I deserve to be a mother.”

His face softened at her words. He regarded her with a sadness borne of deep understanding. “You do,” he agreed at last. “I don’t begrudge you that. I know how deeply you desire children. You deserve them. You deserve to be happy.”

She afforded him a smile.

“Let us rest for a bit, brother,” Arvenus said. “We are tired from the long road back.”

“Of course.” Yarnus walked back to his mare and climbed into the saddle. “Good night,” he said and then he was gone.

Arvenus and Analin walked to the mansion’s orchard, where a platter of food and drink awaited them. They sat down beneath the evening sky. Dark clouds floated by, aided by a silent wind, casting long black shadows that danced along the ground.

“Mother and Father seem pleased,” she remarked quietly, laying back in the grass. She stared up at the first visible stars, watched as they disappeared and reappeared from their shelter behind the clouds.

“Well, at least they are happy for us,” Arvenus spat. He sat watching Analin’s face, studying the perfect ivory of her skin, and the way her pink lips pursed together as he spoke.

“Yarnus?” she asked quietly, refusing to look him in the eye.

Arvenus ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “It’s no secret that we haven’t always been close. But he is my brother after all.”

“I know,” she agreed with a nod. “It would be nice if he supported this decision. I think he will, in time. But perhaps this happened too quickly for him.”

“How has it happened too quickly?” Arvenus shot back. “You are not his wife. He has no ownership over you, no matter how much you moon over each other.”

Analin bristled at his words. “We do not moon over each other. Yarnus is a dear friend, nothing more. He is your brother and very much like a brother to me.”

“You two have been connected in an unhealthy way for far too long,” he sulked. “You will be my wife. Your allegiance should be to me, not to him.”

“My allegiance is to you,” she said coldly. “But Yarnus and I were friends long before I fell in love with you. I will not abandon that relationship because of some petty feud you two share. I do not hope to understand the rivalry between you, nor should I want to. But you take this too far, Arvenus.”

“Do I?” he seethed, rising to his feet. He paced back and forth, his movements rigid. “You welcome him with open arms. You shower him with affection. Even a stranger could see the care you have for him. Even a stranger might wonder where your intentions truly lie.”

Analin shot to her feet. Her face, though composed, showed a quiet anger Arvenus had rarely before seen.

“You doubt my love?” she asked, the whisper of a crack in her voice. “After everything I’ve done to be with you? After the great lengths we’ve gone to make a child? I’m doing everything in my power to create a family and a life with you, yet still you doubt me.”

“I do not doubt your love for me,” Arvenus shook his head. “I only question your love for my brother.”

“There should be no question,” she retorted quietly. “I care for him, yes, there is no doubt about that. But I pity him too. To walk around with a disfigured face, knowing that’s all anyone will ever see. There is a goodness inside him, a sweetness trapped beneath that visage. I offer him friendship and companionship because he deserves it. I show him mercy because no one, not even you, shows him mercy in this world. You would take the one friend he has, the one person that will not judge him, because of jealousy? That is selfishness at its finest, Arvenus. I love you. I am marrying you. I want a child with you. But I will not sacrifice a dear friendship to appease you.”

“Just tell me why you love him so dearly,” Arvenus begged, the ghost of desperation in his voice. “Tell me why his friendship is so dear to your heart.”

Analin turned her back to him and took a few steps toward the mansion doors before stopping once more.

“Of all the people that should wish to show him kindness,” she whispered without turning around. “You should be the first and loudest to champion that call.”

As silence filled the space between them, Analin stalked off, leaving Arvenus all alone.