“Do you want a drink?” He asks as he unpacks the second shop we’ve bought today.

“I guess. Not wine. Did I ever tell you that I actually don’t really like it? I just… when we first met, I wanted to sound cultured.” I admit, snickering.

“Huh. Fair enough. Juice or Cola?”

“Juice. We got Apple, right?” I choose.

He pours a highball glass of juice for me and himself, and sits down on the sofa next to me.

I fidget nervously and take the offered juice, sipping it gradually. All the days events so far repeat themselves in my mind. Its pretty strange and disturbing, seeing someone who wants you dead so much that… well… what did I do?

I know, I didn’t ‘do’ anything besides being born. Hate doesn’t need a reason. Its something that Father always muttered to himself. Another thing I never understood until today, I suppose.

“So, is that something all mages can do? That, uh, calling to the Arch-Magister.” He asks.

Yeah, I guessed that would be something he’d ask me. Its not something I was ever supposed to tell, really, but he deserves an explanation.

“No. It’s a special magic called the Storm Summoning. It can only be used by people related to the Sesshouin bloodline. Hector Myneris was originally the first son of Uther Sesshouin, but compared to his little sister, Seria, he was quite weak. So, when he married Peri Myneris, he took on her family name. But though his wife was a strong Stone Mage, all but one of his children ended up being Thunder Mages of some degree. So, we’re considered a branch family of the Sesshouin family. Some of us are stone mages, and others are thunder mages. Noble Mage bloodlines are complicated…”

“I see. I have to say noble bloodlines are really complex sounding to me.” He states, scratching his head.

“Well, yup. I only know it because brother made sure to teach all us sisters it. Did you know that Seria is…”

“The Arch-Magister you summoned, and that she is the same one, who is 200 years old? Yes, she told me.”

“She did?!?” I can’t hide my surprise.

“She did. She spoke to me for quite a while in a dream, though it was, as you say, about ten minutes for you.”

Her being able to talk to people in their dreams is a new one. But I once watched a scary documentary with Fran that talked about the really scary parts of what electricity can do. It can even change the brain and bring hearts back to life.

He notices my silence and carries on. “She told me all about how I got here. And that is what I wanted to talk about now.”

I gulp a little, and take another sip of juice…

. . .

. . .

“So… you… you died?” I splutter.

He nods. “Yes, but no. One version of me took over the other versions body, is how she explained it.”

I’m mostly confused at the other souls and memory stuff.

“In other words; all my memories and my personality are from a different world. Then, the morning we got married was when I had no idea what happened, and I was suddenly in this world.”

“A place without any magic?” I balk slightly at that idea. Its so bizarre.

“Yes. I’m sure it sounds crazy to you. When I first got here, the idea that magic was real was crazy to me. It’s the stuff of legends and stories for my world.”

“But how do the people fight off the monsters and fae!? There wouldn’t anyone left?” I shake my head.

“Because there aren’t any of those, either. We talk about them in stories too. I wonder if maybe they did exist there as well at some point. Maybe they still do but just hide extremely well…”

I put my hand on my forehead. His voice carries on for some time, outlining all sorts of strange things for a few minutes. Most of it passes over my head, but the jist is, things have been adapted to work without magic.

“…And lots of things are really different, when there is only technology. Britainnia used to be an empire like it is here, but lost its power over the years. There’s a lot more cars. A lot more people because of no monsters. And that app, Ember. Well, in my world, its just an app for single people to find new lovers.” And he pauses, with a troubled look on his.

There is so much different that I suppose he couldn’t be making up such a story for a prank. Although I’m not all that clever, so I probably couldn’t tell anyways. But that last thing jumps out to me and I suck in a breath in alarm.

“Then… you’re saying… that our marriage… was a mistake?” I almost start to cry. He just thought I was a random single girl!?!

He looks down.

“Yeah. I had no idea that a single right swipe would be so important here.” He says, with a morose tone.

My head goes down, and I do cry. It’s the story of my life that no-one really wants me, isn’t it?

“LAPIS!” He suddenly shouts. My hand is grabbed.

“I don’t care! No!” I shout, throwing off his hand. I pull away and go into a foetal position.

“It’s fine. Just leave me alone for a while.”

He sighs. It sounds so sad, so I manage to look up over my own sobs.

“Lapis. It may have been a mistake at the time; but its not now. I don’t regret anything. Like I said, I don’t want to lie to you. So, I told you this now.”

He clears his throat.

“Lapis, I said you’ll never be alone. But you know what? I think I said that for myself as well as you. I’ve been alone myself for a very long time.” He says, gently.

“You were?” I sniffle.

“Yeah. Alone and sad as well.” There are tears in his eyes as well. What?

“And still don’t want anything but you. Because… I think I’m in love with you.”

My heart stops for a second.

“BUT WHY!?!” I scream.

“Do I need a reason?” He smiles.

“You do! You must! It doesn’t make any sense!! You must give me lots of reasons!” I shout.

“Very well. I love your bravery.”

“It’s more like stupidity.” I refute.

“If that’s what it is, I love your stupidity too.” He laughs and I glare at him. “So, that’s two things. But I’ll carry on for you. I love your innocence, your quirkiness, your little behaviours, your caring nature, the way you worry about things, your determination to learn and experience new things.” He rattles off the L word like a machinegun.

“WAIT!” I cry. My tears have stopped, but I’m furiously blushing at this many complements at once from him.

“I won’t. I love how your deep blue eyes study everything. I love how your flaxen hair reminds me of the wheat fields of my grandmother’s country cottage. I love how tall and slender you are, just the right height to kiss.”

“STOP I SAID!” Steam is coming out of my ears.

“And Lapis, did you already forget? You’ve saved me, my wife. You saved my life. Not only from death from that Necromancer, but also from growing old and dying alone.”

My heart is going to explode.

“I never properly gave you an answer then. But I should. I’ll save you. You save me. And neither of us will be alone. How about that? Is it a deal?”

Finally, everything I’ve been trying to resist snaps. I practically leap at him. He catches me in a hug. And then I kiss him. I kiss him and I kiss him and I kiss him. Not deep kisses, but hammering pecks.

“I love you Jim.” I finally admit.

“I know.” He replies. “And I love you, Lapis.”

“I don’t need anything FROM you. I only need YOU.” I say, mirroring his words from before again that had such an impact on me. I can now truly say them in reverse.

“Sure, that’s right, I don’t need anything FROM you. I only need YOU, my wife.” He matches my proclamation, though sighs in embarrassment that I’ll never let him forget it.

I just snuggle against him, my joy practically radiating in waves all around. I’m just a stupid little girl, in a stupid boring story full of stupid cliches, but this stupid little girl doesn’t care anymore.

She’s married and she loves her husband so much and he loves her and that’s all. Anything that happens now, she doesn’t care about at all.

She’s in trouble because she’s started thinking about herself in third person and lost all her restraint and her stupid head has started to think about all the naughty things she would now like to do.

“So, my lovely wife, how about we get around to making those biscuits?” He chuckles.

Oh yes, my love. I want all of your sweets now.