Pryvani was sitting at the desk in her office going over the year’s mid-quarter financial reports. She could feel her eyes glazing over and falling into a stupor.

Just as she was about to fall into a doze, the door to her office slammed open and a tall woman with a blazing look in her eyes stormed in.

“Rixie, darling,” Pryvani sat up straight and folded her hands in front of her serenely. “What can I do for you?”

“You!” Rixie snapped, pointing at Pryvani accusingly. “You… you… The Empress… you called the slagging Empress herself about my wedding?”

Pryvani chuckled. “Well, why not? You would know better about Jotnar customs than she would?”

“Yes… but… The Empress!” Rixie began pacing the floor. “I really don’t know whether to hug you or throttle you right now, Pryvani.”

“Well, my vote would be for the former, if anything.” Pryvani noted mildly. “Do sit down, dear. That pacing is making me dizzy.”

Rixie stopped and pulled out one of the chairs in front of Pryvani’s desk, before collapsing into it with a sigh.

“How… how’d you even get the Empress to agree to that anyway?” Rixie asked suspiciously.

Pryvani shrugged. “Honestly I just called to ask for some advice on a way to help you. She practically jumped in with an offer to plan the whole thing for you.”

Rixie’s brow scrunched and she shook her head, confused. “That doesn’t make any sense. I mean, she’s High Dronung and I’m just… a soldier.”

Pryvani snorted and rolled her eyes. “Oh yes. ‘Just a soldier.’ The Honorable Rixie Tam, Order of the Emperor, also known as seven time Tol-bot champion Iron Maiden, who stopped not one but two treasonous acts before they happened, not to mention helped to avert the massacre at Titan Station… is ‘just a soldier’.”

Rixie blinked. “She’s never even met me before.”

“Of course she has.”

Rixie shook her head. “No, she’s met the Iron Maiden. She’s never met me.”

“Dear, I know you tol-bot players like to live under the conceit that your identities are these closely guarded secrets… but trust me; the Empress knew exactly who was under that helmet. Darling, ever since the rumor started that the Iron Maiden might be a Jotunn, you’ve been a hero to your people.”

Rixie shifted in her seat.

Pryvani smiled sympathetically and reached across the desk to give Rixie’s own a light squeeze. “Rixie, just accept that someone wants to do something nice for you. No one tricked the Empress into helping you. She did that of her own free will. As I said, I wasn’t going to ask her to help that much, but she volunteered. For whatever reason, Empress Rajenlif sees something special in you, Rixie Tam. Why is that so wrong?”

Rixie let out a long exhalation and her posture relaxed. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Not at all my dear,” Pryvani chuckled. “I’m told humility is a good thing to have on occasion. I wouldn’t know myself of course…”

Rixie snorted and rolled her eyes. “Are you sure you’re ready to host the Empress? I mean, the wedding is here, after all.”

“Darling of course I am.” Pryvani smiled. “Actually the Empress has been looking for an excuse to tour Avalon.”

“Good,” Rixie nodded. “Because she’s coming here in a few days to begin preparations.”

*.*.*.*

“Hey Rixie? I think we may have a problem…”

Rixie sat up on the couch and looked over to her desk where Alex was using her computer.

“What?”

“Well, I was looking up some information on Jotunn wedding ceremonies and um, it says here that as the groom I have to tame a Vashana or similar animal by hand and ride it into the venue during the opening of the ceremony.”

“Uh… yeah.” Rixie winced. “I guess I sort of forgot about that part. Well, that will never happen. So, I guess that’s that then. We’ll have to have a different kind of wedding.”

Alex rolled his eyes and threw her his most sardonic of looks. “I’m glad you have so much faith in me, my love.”

“Okay, I’m kidding. Mostly.” Rixie chuckled. “But I would really like to know how you plan to tame something that’s, what, a hundred times your size?”

Alex smirked. “I tamed you, didn’t I?”

Rixie rubbed her forehead. “I walked right into that one…”

“Yes, you did.” Alex laughed. “We can blame wedding-related stress for your lapse in judgement.”

Rixie smirked and slowly rose from the couch. “Well, I know of a great stress reliever…”

“Miss Tam, I am shocked!” Alex gasped, scandalized. “Are you suggesting pre-nuptial coital shenanigans?! I’ve have you know I am not that kind of boy!”

Rixie rolled her eyes and snatched Alex from the desktop. “One of the best things about us getting married is you won’t be able to milk it for stupid jokes anymore.” She muttered as she carried him off to their bedroom.

“You love it and you know it!” Alex shouted from inside her clenched fist.

Rixie rolled her eyes but a smile lit up her face. She stepped into their bedroom and kicked off her boots. She was just getting ready to throw herself into her bed, taking Alex with her, when-

“Mommy! Daddy!” A voice wailed from down the hall. “I’m hungry!!”

Rixie stopped short with a frustrated groan. “Whose idea was it to have another kid?” She chuckled ruefully.

“It was yours.” Alex reminded her, helpfully. “I said we should just take the easy route and adopt Eyrn, but no you wanted to make a whole new kid for some reason.”

“You know Eyrn is older than both of us, right?”

“I don’t see why that matters…”

Rixie shook her head. “Come on, smart guy. Let’s go see what your daughter wants to eat.”

“So close.” Alex muttered. “And then… parental interruptus.”

Rixie did an about-face and stepped out of their bedroom, instead she continued down the hall to Asteria’s brightly colored bedroom, transferring Alex to her shoulder as she walked.

When they arrived at their daughter’s room, they found her sitting in the middle of a ring of stuffed animals, apparently having a tea party with them.

“You’re hungry huh?” She leaned against the doorframe.

“Yup.” Asteria replied.

“And what would you like?” Rixie asked.

Asteria put her finger to her chin, as if thinking about it, but Rixie and Alex were pretty sure they knew what the answer was going to be.

“Watermelons.” The toddler finally piped up.

Rixie rolled her eyes. “You can’t eat just watermelons.”

“Yes I can.” Asteria assured them. “Like this!” She pantomimed putting something in her mouth and swallowing it.

“No, I mean you can’t eat just watermelons. What else would you like?”

“Sammich?”

“Okay.” Rixie chuckled and took the little girl’s hand. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

She led her daughter into their kitchen and sat her down at the table. With Alex’s supervision, she carefully plucked a handful of ripe watermelons that they were growing in a planter by the window and placed them in a pile on a child sized plate. Then, she got out a loaf of bread and spread some jam between the two pieces. Finally, she poured a glass of mossaberry juice and crossed the room to set it and the plate in front of Asteria.

Rixie sighed and leaned against the sink, taking a moment to watch her daughter eat her lunch.

“You know,” She said to Alex after a moment. “ All things considered, I think we made the right choice.”

“Definitely.” Alex agreed.

*.*.*.*

Across the compound, in the set of rooms adjacent to those occupied by Zhan and Pryvani Tarsuss, Ryan Carey sat with Thyllia while the two of them discussed the upcoming wedding.

“So your parents are going full-on Jotunn for their wedding?” Thyllia said as she took a sip from the glass of juice in her hand.

“Yeah.” Ryan shrugged. “It was Dad’s idea. He likes the idea of Mom getting back in touch with her heritage.”

“Well, I’ve never been to a Jotunn wedding, so I think it’s a great idea.” Thyllia grinned. “Speaking of weddings…”

Ryan looked up and saw the mischievous smile on his girlfriend’s face. “What about them?”

“Well… when do you want to tell them about us?” Thyllia asked pointedly.

Ryan chuckled and ran his hand along her thigh. “Soon.” He promised. “Believe me, I considered taking out an ad space in Atlantis when you agreed to marry me but… you know… I don’t want anything to distract from their ceremony.”

Thyllia chuckled and nodded. “I can understand that, and I really don’t mind having a long engagement Ryan but… maybe not as long as the one your parents have had?”

Ryan smiled. “You don’t want our children to see us get married?” He asked with a cheeky grin.

Thyllia rolled her eyes and exasperatedly covered Ryan with her palm. “They can see the pictures, it’ll be enough.”

“I guess that’ll do.” Ryan chuckled from underneath her hand. “So, what kind of wedding ceremony should we have?” He asked.

Thyllia lifted her hand and leaned back against the couch. “We could go old-school Highland Aementi.” She said with a grin.

Ryan nearly spit out his drink in surprise. “Uhm… No. I really don’t have any interest in being naked during my wedding ceremony. On the honeymoon, sure; but not… you know… not in front of family.”

“Hmmm…” Thyllia grinned. “I guess you have a point. Although that was an interesting shade of red you just turned.”

“Well…” Ryan muttered. “You have always had that effect on me.”

“Honestly I don’t really care what kind of ceremony we end up having. The important thing isn’t how we get married, just that I’m marrying you.” Thyllia whispered.

“You’re a sap.” Ryan teased.

“Maybe I am.” Thyllia acknowledged, before leaning forward and covering Ryan’s upper body in a kiss. “But you love that about me.”

*.*.*

“Your Majesty, I must protest this course of action.”

Rajenlif ColVanos rolled her eyes and turned towards her advisor.

“I’m sure you do, Aud.” The Empress sighed. “What’s the reason this time?”

Aud Bjalki, First secretary to the High Dronung, and keeper of the Throden Lineage, frowned at the Empress. She was a severe woman. Tall, but not as tall as the Empress herself, with sharp grey eyes and pale blonde hair done up in a tight bun at the back of her head. “With all due respect Empress, you have far more important things to do than playing at being a wedding coordinator.”

“Probably.” Rajenlif acknowledged with a smile. “But most of them don’t sound nearly as much fun as this.”

“But your majesty!” Secretary Bjalki sighed. “What sort of precedent does this set? There are so many matters more worthy of your attention, yet you’re going to go jetting off to some backwater moon?”

Rajenlif sighed. “Aud, relax. Please. Rixie Tam is a highly decorated officer, not to mention a genuine hero to the Empire. And, she’s Jotunn. Our people need heroes, and not just heroes to the Jotunn, but they need to see a Jotunn who is a hero to the whole Empire.”

“I don’t see how that’s at all relevant.” Secretary Bjalki shrugged, clearly frustrated.

Rajenlif smiled. “It’s relevant because I’m the Empress, and I want to.”

Aud Bjalki took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Fine, but I insist on accompanying you.”

“Very well.” Rajenlif sighed exasperatedly. “If you must.”