“I think we should drop off your pack.” Helena said as we walked through the house.

“I can never be separated from my knife.”

“I know. I'll give you a sheath from father's armory. It's designed to fit inside the suit coat.”

I nodded and we stopped into the armory. She pointed me to a rack of them and I easily found one that would fit.

“It's just a loan until we get one made.” Helena said. “When they are made professionally to be hidden, no one can tell that you're still carrying a deadly weapon.”

I transferred the knife to the new sheath and Helena helped me open the suit and strapped the sheath under my armpit. It was going to be a bit of an awkward draw until I practised with it.

“Don't worry about trying to be proficient with it. You can have them made to fit nearly anywhere.” Helena said as she saw me grab for it several times without pulling it out. “My room is this way.”

“I thought I was staying in the guest room?” I asked.

“My personal vault is in my room.” Helena said and we quickly went there.

I barely had a chance to look at the opulent interior when she guided me over to the fireplace. She reached inside of it and put her hand on something that looked like a lever for the flue. It glowed as she added her magic to it and the fireplace split in half to reveal a thick metal door. She spoke a code phrase in the mage language and put her hand on it, then there was a click and the door opened.

Inside were piles of items of various quality and monetary value. Clothing, furniture, stuffed animals, dolls of various kinds, and heaps and heaps of presents. Most were either unopened or partially opened and closed again.

“I've gathered a lot of admires over the years.” Helena said and waved to a spot near the door that was bare of things. “We can leave your pack here, so father doesn't ask you why you're carrying it all the time.”

I took out a number ten potion and a strength potion, tucked them into my pants pockets, and put the pack down. “Your brother is going to notice that I don't have it.”

“I'll warn him as soon as I see him that you still have your knife.” Helena promised. “We need to get to the main parlour before mother arrives. I know how long it takes to come back from the Longshore Estate and we have a few minutes after that before they come to find us.”

I nodded and we left the vault. It started to close as soon as Helena stepped out of it. By the time we made it to the door of her room, it looked just like a normal fireplace again. We left the room and went to the main parlour, then sat on a couch and waited there for nearly half an hour before the large double doors opened. She held my hand the whole time.

Helena gasped as four of the house guards came in and they took up guard positions beside the couch we were on and on the opposing couch. She didn't speak loudly or yell at her father, even though the expression on her face clearly told everyone that she wanted to.

“Father, why are there guards in the main parlour?” Helena asked, her voice strained.

“You've brought a very dangerous man into my house.” Grand Mage Henrietta said in a normal tone as he sat down in the middle of the couch across from us. His wife Mona sat beside him and his daughter Selena sat on his other side, with his son Marcus propped against the couch arm, despite there being lots of room for him on the couch. “I will have my family protected while he is here.”

Helena's face flushed red and she looked embarrassed. “Father, he only...”

“...strikes out at anyone that provokes him. I know.” Grand Mage Henrietta said and glanced at his son, who wore a beguiling smile when he noticed that my pack was missing.

“He still has his knife, Marcus.” Helena told him and the smile on her brother's face disappeared. “Don't you dare even think about doing anything to his maid, either.” She warned. “You'll lose a lot more than just your tongue.”

“This is why there are guards in the room.” Grand Mage Henrietta said.

“I've already told you some of what has happened to him, father.” Helena said. “I know he looks fine now...”

“...very fine.” Selena whispered.

“...but, he went through hell. He's still unsteady on his feet after getting his foot back.” Helena finished.

“How exactly did he do that?” Grand Mage Henrietta asked.

“Lots of experiments and about ten days of delirium and excruciating pain.” I responded and both Selena and her mother Mona took in sharp breaths.

“You aren't allowed to speak yet.” Marcus spat and tensed up as if to attack.

“Marcus.” Grand Mage Henrietta said, his voice firm.

“I'm sorry, father.” Marcus said and crossed his arms.

After a few moments of silence, the father spoke again.

“What are your intentions towards my daughter?” Grand Mage Henrietta asked.

“Am I allowed to speak now?” I asked, without inflection in my tone, and that seemed to surprise the three people facing me. I was sure they expected hostility at how I was being treated and they didn't realize that it didn't mean anything to me.

Grand Mage Henrietta nodded and made a motion with his hand to speak.

“I intend to complete my end of our agreement.” I said and the others looked a little confused. “She arranged to have me discharged from the army and I agreed to become her husband.”

“Is that it?” Her mother Mona asked. “Do you not love her or want to give her children?”

“Mona.” Grand Mage Henrietta said, his voice firm again.

“I'm sorry, dearest. I can't approve of the marriage if my daughter has chosen a man that doesn't understand his responsibilities.” Mona said.

“Mother!” Helena gasped. “You are getting ahead of yourself!”

“How am I doing that?” Mona asked. “My husband asked him a simple question...”

“...and he gave you a simple answer in return!” Helena said, a little exasperated, and her mother looked confused again. “Ask him what being a husband means.”

Mona rolled her eyes slightly. “Very well, I'll humor you.” She said and looked at me. “Mr. Drake, tell me what being a husband means.”

“A husband is to be the head of a household in partnership with his wife. He is to protect his wife with his life, both physically and emotionally. He is to use all of his skills and abilities to ensure her safety and her financial stability. She must feel security, contentment, and pride from him while also having his continuous support and love.” I said.

The three people across from me had shocked looks on their faces.

“Children must be provided to ensure the continuation of the family, usually at the behest of the wife, as she will be bearing them. They will be encompassed under the husband's duties to the wife, which will expand to become duties to the family when the children are born and...”

“That's enough.” Grand Mage Henrietta interrupted and I stopped talking. “Do you really intend to do all of that with my daughter?”

“I already started.” I said.

Selena and her mother Mona caught their breath.

“He's opened his own account at the bank.” Helena said and that got all of their attention. “Carson is handling it for him as well.”

Mona leaned close to her husband to whisper in his ear. “I thought you said he was lower than a commoner? How could he have the basic amount needed to deposit into the bank?”

I clearly heard her and didn't respond, mainly because I didn't want them to know I could.

Grand Mage Henrietta turned to whisper back. “This is the first I've heard of it. When he was robbed of part of the loot from the battle with the weapons he made, I thought he was destitute and was trying to grab onto Helena for her money.”

“So did I.” Mona whispered. “We need time to investigate this properly and to reevaluate him.”

Grand Mage Henrietta nodded slightly and looked at me. “We need time to discuss things for a while and we will meet again in the morning.”

“Father, what about...”

“I won't formally greet him into the family until certain things are settled.” Grand Mage Henrietta said in a firm tone. “He will stay in the guest room until tomorrow.”

“Father, we have things we need to buy...” Helena started to say and he held a hand up to stop her.

“Unless they are essential to your survival, whatever you want to buy can wait until later.” Grand Mage Henrietta said as he stood. “The guards will be stationed outside his door as well.”

“Father...”

“I won't have any accidents or lost appendages happening in my house.” He said sternly, then he held a hand out to his wife. Mona took it and he helped her stand, then they started to walk around the couch. Almost as an afterthought, Grand Mage Henrietta's hand shot out and grabbed his son's arm as he passed the arm of the couch and pulled him along.

Marcus didn't protest the rough handling, since you should not to talk back or complain to a Grand Mage, even if he was your father. Selena stood up and gave me an odd look, gave her sister a huge smile, and then followed her family out of the room with two of the guards.

“That didn't quite go how I expected.” Helena said.

“No battle plan can survive contact with the enemy.” I responded.

Helena looked surprised for a second, then she laughed. “Yes, that's fitting. Mage Lukas was always the best at understanding things like that.” She stood up and our hands were still clasped together, so I stood as well. “He had a few sayings like that and I'm sure the Mages Guild has them on plaques in the main lobby for everyone to see.”

“If they don't, you can suggest it.” I said and she caught her breath.

“David, that's a wonderful idea!” Helena gushed. “Thank you!”

“It was your idea.” I said with a shrug and she gave me a quick kiss.

“We better get you to the guest room before mother wonders what we're doing in here.”

“Won't she wonder what we're doing in the guest room?” I asked as we left the main parlour with the two guards following us.

Helena laughed softly. “She doesn't have to wonder, since I'm sure your declaration that you're already performing your husbandly duties has given her all the information she requires.”

We walked through the house and went to her room to pick up my pack and one of Helena's maids, then we went over to the guest room. The two guards took up their stations on either side of the door and we went inside.

Hope was there and she had already put her new things away as well as her old things. “How did it go?” She asked and started unbuttoning my suit coat cuffs at the wrists without being asked.

“It's hard to tell.” Helena said and unbuttoned the front of the coat and waved at my neck. “It could be both good and bad. We won't know until tomorrow when we have to do it again.”

Hope nodded and went behind to unbutton the clasp holding the suit coat to the shirt collar, then she slipped off the coat to hang it up in the huge closet.

“I'm glad father didn't mention that you didn't fit in or didn't look the part.” Helena said as she untied my tie. “This suit was well worth the money for that alone.”

“He didn't mention the tie.” I said and she laughed softly.

“He would only mention it if he didn't approve, and he didn't mention anything you're wearing, so I'm not going to complain.” Helena said and handed the tie to Hope, who quickly hung it up on the available rack on the closet door. “I remember bringing a boy home from the academy once and an entire stream of criticisms came from my father as he picked that boy's entire appearance apart.”

Hope laughed as she came back for the pants. “He cried, didn't he?”

“Like a fountain!” Helena exclaimed and they both laughed together. “Karl couldn't look me in the eye for a month!” She unbuttoned my pants and the cuffs at the ankles that held the suit in place over the stylish boots, then slipped the pants down and off of me.

Hope averted her gaze slightly and took the pants, made sure they were wrinkle free, and hung them up. She came back over to me and looked off to the side of the room as Helena stood up to unbutton my shirt.

“You need to learn to look without looking.” Helena's maid whispered to Hope.

“What?” Hope whispered back.

“You're going to see your lord in various states of undress and naked as you bathe him.” The maid whispered.

“But... but...”

“Don't worry, I'll help you with it.” Helena's maid whispered. “It won't take you long to desensitize yourself to it. Believe me.” She touched Hope's arm and nodded to me.

Hope nodded back and took the unbuttoned shirt that Helena just took off of me. She hung it up and came right back and did her best to not look at my nearly naked body, despite looking like she wanted to.

“Should I dress in the clothing I have?” I asked Helena and didn't tell Hope that she could look as much as she wanted to see that I wasn't scarred like the last time she had seen it.

“I suppose you have to, since father is being a bit unreasonable and won't let us go shopping.”

“He told me to stay in the room, so it should be fine.” I said.

“We still have to eat meals with my family.” Helena said in a defeated tone.

“I can't wear the suit?” I asked and pulled out the last outfit we bought in Ester's Village.

“No, it's for greetings and formal meetings. You would need a different and less elaborate suit for meals and regular wear.” Helena sighed.

“He didn't say that we had to stay in the room, did he?” Hope asked and Helena and her maid gasped.

“Jill! You're in charge, since you know what to do and how to get to town quietly.” Helena said, her voice as firm as her father's had been. “You know the best outfits for meals and where to get them.”

Jill nodded and quickly used her hands to take measurements on me. My neck, my leg length, my waist, and my arm length. “We'll be back as soon as possible. Hope, let's go.”

“Thank you.” Helena said to both women, who nodded and left through the room's door. She took a deep breath and her eyes went right to me. They roamed down my body and back up to my face.

“It seems we're all alone and you are only in your underwear.” She said sexily and turned around. “Help me with this.”

I did, and she was soon down to just wearing panties. The both of us stared at each other, then she practically threw me onto the guest bed and kissed me. It quickly led to neither of us wearing underwear and I performed one of my husbandly duties to make her scream and moan with pleasure.