Ranvir returned to the wedding, feeling the bubbling and frothing red anger vortexing his chest. He’d barely taken two steps towards the orphanage before Kasos appeared.

“Whoa there,” he said, holding his hands up.

Ranvir glowered at him. Pursing his lips, he slowly took in a deep inhale through his nose. Cycling through a few breaths took the edge of the anger, stilling the vortex and desaturating the colors.

“I take it the trip didn’t go well,” Kasos said, approaching and laying a hand on Ranvir’s wing, which was once more wrapped about his form.

Snorting, Ranvir shook his head. “I wouldn’t say so.”

Kasos grimaced and shook his head. “She’s a vexing woman at the best of times.”

Ranvir felt Pashar approaching the gate. She appeared around the corner, tentatively stopping before the gate. “It didn’t work, then.”

“Why even send me?” Ranvir asked. It took effort to not let some of the frothing anger into his voice.

Pashar grimaced. “Because you’re not related to her, which is a lot more distance than you might realize. You’re a parent as well, which I thought would make you more convincing. And you’re one of the most honest people I know,” she leaned in, a fierce look coming over her eyes. “And if she wouldn’t bend, perhaps she deserved a little pain. What do you think?”

Ranvir grumbled to himself. “Maybe you should’ve told me that before I went to her,” Ranvir forced himself to continue scowling. “Then, I could’ve emphasized those points.”

“Wouldn’t that ruin the ‘honest’ part?” Kasos asked, looking questioningly at Ranvir.

Ranvir grit his teeth. “Fine. Can I go in now?”

“Are you going to have an accident and call down a storm again?”

Pashar raised an eyebrow. “A storm?”

“No,” Ranvir said to Kasos. “I’m in control.”

An unforeseen consequence of storing mana directly was Ranvir’s spirit reacting reflexively. Especially when threatened or angered. His other powers required him to pull the mana into him, but Graywing’s Enclosure was always ready at hand.

“Let’s get inside then,” Kasos said, waving them in. Ranvir caught how the old man lingered on the road behind them, gazing toward Ione. Shaking his head, the old teacher trod after them.

Frija and Vasso were sitting behind Kyriake on the second row of benches, so Ranvir strode over to them.

“You’re back!” Frija exclaimed, just loud enough for a few of the grownups to chuckle at them.

“I am,” Ranvir said, caressing her hair. She was resting her feet on Menace’s massive torso. Vasso looked around his sister, curiosity clear in his eyes. “I ran a quick errand for Amalia, but it’s taken care of now.”

Vasso looked for a moment longer before shrugging and leaning back.

“Are you excited?” Frija asked, grabbing his hand. Ranvir somehow still felt surprised at the size and length of her fingers as they wrapped around his calloused mitt. A far cry from the sausage links that could barely wrap halfway around his index finger. They comfortably grasped two of his fingers, even if they couldn’t surround them. “They are almost ready to begin!” she let out a peal of giggles and shifted in her seat, running her feet along Menace’s chest. The cat burbled a response from deep in its chest and Ranvir squeezed her hand back.

Soon, the priestess walked down the center aisle, stopping in front of the podium. She talked. Something about Nysea and Apisaon’s first meeting and their attraction toward each other. How they held off and shaped Korfyi, before Apisaon finally gave in. He offered Nysea gifts, among the very sun that now lit the worldshard, as well as a gate to put before her home to protect her from intruders. Then how, after a long courtship, Nysea and Apisaon finally came together, hidden behind the clouds.

She gestured and called for Kyriake and Theoni to rise. Each guardian strode towards their respective preparation chamber. A cord hung down next to it. Pulling on it, a veil was slowly lowered, hiding the priestess and the chamber entrances from the audience.

The sun illuminated the priestess’ silhouette as she continued the story.

“I wanna see,” Frija whined, shuffling in her seat.

Ranvir rubbed the back of a finger along her arm, and leaned down, even as the murmurs were repeated by a half a dozen other children. “I know, Firehearth, but this is a private ceremony. This part is only for the brides and priestess,” he whispered to her.

She mewled and complained further, but didn’t put actual words to her complaint. Vasso ‘sneakily’ pulled a book out from a fold in his uniform. Ranvir considered taking it from him, but realized it was mostly out of a sense of envy.

People gasped as the priestess finished her story, and the brides stepped out of their chambers. Both were carrying a box in their hands, striding slowly but inevitably towards each other.

“It’s happening!” Frija squealed, pumping her fists and jumping her seat. Menace roused enough to snap playfully at her feet before slumping back into the shadows.

“Vasso, put down the book,” Ranvir said. Though he looked in the direction, he tried to focus on anything other than them. All throughout the audience, people were leaning forwards trying to listen in on the bride’s vows. The difference was Ranvir actually could.

Even as his eyes lingered for a moment too long, colors started bleeding through the veil, revealing their robes and their words came in to focus. Shaking his head, Ranvir leaned down at stroked Menace’s head. The cat’s ear flicked, and it stirred just enough to roll onto its back. Ranvir gently stroked its chest, focusing on the rumbling deep bellied purr instead of secret vows.

Finally, the priestess spoke in a much louder voice. “You may now exchange marks,” the crowd cheered as Amalia opened her box. Ranvir couldn’t help but peer at the two armbands she drew out. Black stones glittered in gold as she slid them over Elpir’s wrists. Elpir then opened her box and pulled out two earrings, bronze studs marked with a dark blue stone that seemed to hold a single spark of light at the center.

Elpir put the box on the podium and gently, caringly, affixed the jewelry into Amalia’s lobes. It took longer and was more intimate than the wristbands. Ranvir blushed and averting his gaze.

“You may now kiss the bride,” the priestess said.

Ranvir heard the veil that hid them come down as everyone charged to their feet and rushed the stage. Frija darted past him and into the crowd, Vasso sitting in his seat staring wide-eyed as the brides screamed and laughed as the audience hoisted them into the air and carried them out of the pavilion.

Ranvir followed behind, Pashar, Vasso, and Kasos joining him as the entire crowd, comprising a few Sentinels Amalia knew from work, a few of her cousins, and a dozen orphans all carried the brides on a lap across the orphanage’s gardens.

“That’s unexpected,” Ranvir muttered, feeling a little stunned at the experience.

“You didn’t look up procedure beforehand?” Kasos asked. “That’s unlike you?”

“It’s very much like him,” Pashar corrected. “If it doesn’t involve mana, he doesn’t care.”

Ranvir opened his mouth to complain. “Yeah…”

Suddenly, Menace emerged from the crowd, dragging Frija by the scruff of her dress. “Ah shit,” Ranvir muttered, running over. “He better not’ve ruined the dress.”

“He won’t let me play,” Frija muttered. She sat arms crossed, pouting up a storm as Menace stood guard over her. Ranvir noted a red mark on her leg.

“What happened?” he asked, kneeling next to her.

“I think someone kicked me,” she said, sniffing as if disdaining the mild injury. Ranvir noted another spot reddening on her shoulder and her right ear.

“It is an awfully tight crowd, and you got all the way into the middle,” Ranvir said, pointing towards where the run was finishing up. “You see how the younger orphans are out on the side? That’s because they’re too small to be safe in the middle. So Menace is just protecting you.”

“He is a brave kitty,” Frija admitted, stroking the scruff of his neck.

Ranvir smiled. “Very brave, though there’s not a lot of kitty left in him anymore,” Menace butted its head into his chest, which was at shoulder-height with him kneeling down. The kitten had become a huge cat. Ranvir hadn’t tried to lift him, but he guessed he weighed somewhere closer to a bear than a wolf.

“That’s a beautiful cat,” a woman said, approaching them from the group. Ranvir looked up at Theoni, Amalia’s mother.

“Shouldn’t you be with your daughter?” he asked.

She dismissed his concern. “It’s fine. She’s still getting mobbed by her cousins and colleagues.”

Ranvir looked over in time to see Elpir topple over. Her orphans bringing her to the ground in a massive hug. Something similar was happening with Amalia, though she was a lot more difficult to take down.

“Is it a beskarian hill cat?” she asked, kneeling next to Menace and running her fingers over his paws.

Ranvir squinted. “I think so.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I was looking for a house cat,” he explained, gesturing something that could fit on his forearm. “I don’t think the store owner got what I meant.”

“I can see that,” she replied, running careful fingers across Menace’s fur. “You probably got him from a store that sells to Sentinels or high-tier braced. The beskarian crier is horse-sized.”

“Dad!” Frija said, stars in her eyes.

“No!” Ranvir said, horror in his.

“Please!” she crossed her fingers and scurried over to him on her knees.

“Absolutely not.”

“We can make a bet!”

Ranvir shook his head and deliberately turned his head away. Theoni was trying to lift Menace’s muzzle, but kept getting batted down by his massive paw. “What are you doing?” Ranvir asked.

“Kyriiii!” Amalia screamed. They looked up in time to see Amalia’s crowd all lying on the ground, breathing hard but unable to bring her to the ground. Except for Kyriake, who’d wrapped her arms around Amalia’s waist and proceeded to suplex her into the grass so hard she folded in half. Rolling away, Amalia groaned and unfolded into a limp noodle.

“I’m trying to check his teeth,” Theoni said, returning her attention to Menace.

“Why?” Frija asked, cocking her head.

“Because I want to check if his diet’s good.”

“How?”

“You can tell by the teeth.”

“How?”

Theoni paused after getting pushed away to look at Frija. “The smell and there’ll be a certain discoloring on the rear teeth if he’s not using them enough.”

“Daddy! Help her,” Frija commanded.

“Like this?” Ranvir asked, taking Menace’s head in his hands lifted his lips.

“More towards the back and a little gentler,” she said. Ranvir adjusted his grip. “That’s looking good so far.”

“How can you tell?” Frija asked, now kneeling right next to her.

“I’m a veterinarian,” Theoni explained.

“Like daddy?”

“No,” Ranvir said. “Also, I don’t think I count as a veteran.”

“You have the marks for it,” Theoni noted. “But no, I’m a veterinarian. That means I’m a doctor for animals.”

Frija gasped, her eyes going wide and her entire body shaking. “Really? That’s possible?” she squealed on a frequency most humans couldn’t perceive.

“Yes, really,” Theoni gave her a warm smile.

“So what can you tell about Menace?”

“Menace?” Theoni raised an eyebrow.

“Daddy wanted to name him Peeve, but I didn’t like it.”

“He’s in good health. He could probably use a bath more often than he gets, more time with the brush as well. And have you been feeding him fruit?”

“No,” Ranvir said.

“All. The. Time.”

Ranvir frowned at his daughter. She shrugged. “Only the wrinkled ones. He doesn’t like the others.”

Ranvir opened his mouth to berate her before thinking to ask the expert. “Is mana-attuned fruit bad for animals?”

“Not in general, though you shouldn’t overfeed him,” she gestured to Menace’s mouth, which pulled away as her hand got close. “If it stains his teeth, then you worry.”

Ranvir nodded. “Only as treats from now on,” he told Frija.

“Okay,” Frija replied obediently, then turned to Theoni. “How do you become veteranarian?”

“Veterinarian,” Theoni corrected. “It’s sort of a long process and you’ll have to be really good in school…”

Ranvir got up as he noted the others beginning to make their way towards them.