"Why would I even consider getting married?" I asked in horror, marriage was the last thing I need to worry about. I was going to be busy enough trying to solidify my territory to worry about how another person might factor into my plans. "I have centuries before I need to consider something like that."

"If you weren't a cultivator or a Baron, you are right you might," Elder Shadow agreed. "But both come with responsibilities and problems. Both have expectations, you will be asked by both to have children, the Sect and the Empire while not demanding it, will continue to pressure you to consider it.

"You could refuse, some do, and there would be no obvious repercussions from that refusal. You wouldn't be asked to leave Four Element Sect, nor would the resources you might acquire to build your territory be affected, but there are benefits and incentives that you can only gain or access once you give birth.

"There are advanced martial techniques, higher quality spirit stones, free access to the closed-door cultivation room, and free pills that will be offered to make up for the time you lost in advancing your cultivation. Resources that are only offered to the woman who nature demands make the largest sacrifice to engender the next generation.

"The new territory that you recently gained will remain yours, but without a designated Heir, it will be reclaimed by the Empire when you ascend to the Heavens or die, your title as Baron lost to your House and Family."

"Why can't I designate an heir, appoint one of my family members as inheritor of my territory and title?" I wondered. I had never heard of procreation being encouraged so blatantly before this. My parents hadn't mentioned it, but then they might not think it anything to be concerned over. If there was some rule that required a couple to procreate, they were already ahead of the curve.

"There is a multitude of reasons why it is done in this manner," Elder Shadow began to explain. "The Sect because they will hope your children will have the same advantage of spirit root and dual affinities as you. The Empire because of a desire for continuity, even the Emperor and Empress are persuaded to bear children, because the truth is that civilization would die out if childbirth wasn't encouraged.

"You have to know that there are a staggering number of people killed or die naturally each year. Beast tides, Sect challenges, natural selection by nature to thin the stupid from the gene pool. Studies have shown that when three children are born, the birth and death rates remain flat. By increasing the birth rate to four children, the Empire grows, and growth means more resources can be gathered, more territory can be developed, and the ability to withstand beast tides increases."

"Even if all of that is true, why worry about it this early?" I wondered. "I'm only a year out from having reached my majority. And if this is such a priority why haven't you been forced to marry and donate your seed for the betterment of the Sect and Empire?"

"You aren't thinking that you will be married off and forced to give birth during this gathering, do you?" he said, looking at me in disbelief. "You can't imagine you will meet and be forced to marry after one introduction?

"Marriage is a thoughtful proposition. You and the men you meet will be taking the first step of a long and arduous process. Screening tests have to be conducted. Blood tests for compatibility have to be processed. Family backgrounds researched to make sure there is no enmity between the two parties. Agreements on power-sharing have to be negotiated. And additional considerations have to be given to marriage alliances and expectations because you are a cultivator and must be allowed time and opportunity for closed-door cultivation.

"There will be a chance, a hope, that you will be able to form a Dao companion bond with whomever you marry, so his ability to cultivate and elemental affinities would need to resonate with yours. Issues of who will raise children will also need to be decided, especially if you find a Dao companion. In the event that isn't possible, and no Dao companion can be found, the decision to live together and raise the children together is decided between the two of you.

"That also means inheritance rights for children have to be agreed upon, including what House the children will be considered a part of. Usually, each parent agrees to alternate the House a child will be placed with. Two for you, two for your companion. If you have more children than that, those children will also have to be classified.

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"Your marriage won't look anything like your parents," he continued. "You won't have time for that kind of lifestyle. That is probably why you aren't aware that I am married. I do have children. And the agreement that was formed between my wife and me has each of us raising the children that will be added to our Houses.

"We use wet-nurses and nannies so that she is freed to continue cultivating once she has given birth. My House took over the responsibility of raising my children once they were weaned, but they are considered part of House Penumbra from the moment of conception.

"It might be different if we had formed a Dao companion bond, but very few cultivators are blessed with that type of connection. We have been gifted with two children, two young men. Our wedding contract calls for four, each child conceived seven years apart. The first two children were claimed by House Penumbra because our House was the more powerful, the last two will be claimed by her Family.

"So, to answer your question, I have done my duty for Sect, Empire, and House Penumbra. I realize your role as the child-bearer will be more intrusive and time-consuming, but this gathering the Patriarch is willing to host is only a chance," he warned me. "It is up to you to decide if you should grasp it."

It wasn't like I was against the idea of having children, but I'd already had a family. I loved my children and grandchildren from my previous life, but I had to admit that as they'd aged, they had played a smaller role in my life, ignoring me until they had all but abandoned me.

That had hurt, and I hadn't realized how much I resented their neglect until the end, when it was too late to say or do anything about it. I was trying hard not to let that life bleed through and affect this one, but it seemed there were still issues that would trigger a visceral reaction.

"I still don't understand why now. I have plenty of time. Why not worry about this in a hundred years or so?" I asked, without the rancor or sarcasm coloring the question.

"If you were a man, you could," he admitted, "and before you start thinking that comment is sexist or misogynist, let me put a stop to that line of thought. The reason is a matter of cultivation, not societal expectations.

"You have recently reached the Qi Gathering realm and your body survived the second honing process. Each time you advance, your body expunges impurities as an additional honing takes place. You reshape and rebuild yourself on the cellular level each time.

"Once your reach the Immortal Realm stage, your body will reject any fetus that might be quickened, treating it as an impurity. It may not seem fair to woman cultivators, but this isn't a matter of fairness. If you are going to have children, you have to have them before you advance to the point that your body will reject any child you might conceive."

The knowledge that Elder Shadow had children was surprising, almost more thought-provoking than the notion that my body refinement process would eventually lead to infertility. The fact that I would advance to the stage that I wouldn't be able to bear children, while worrisome, wasn't very distressing. I wasn't certain I wanted them. I wasn't certain I wanted even the token notion of marriage that Elder Shadow seemed to be a part of.

I did wonder, as an aside, why Yvonne didn't have a marriage contract and husband. She was older than I was, so she should have. But understanding how little involvement Elder Shadow seemed to have with his spouse, it was possible she was married. But from the interest that her friend, Fiat, had shown, she was still available for courting. I would have to ask her. She might not have as coveted a spirit root as I did, but she was certainly powerful and talented so should have had at least a handful of potential suitors.

"I'll be honest, you might have been given another forty or fifty years before this was addressed," Elder Shadow continued, "but your spirit root, your dual elemental affinity, your placement in the tournament, your quick advancement to the Qi Gathering Realm, you claiming your Barony, you're establishing a House, and you forging an association with House Penumbra have drawn interest.

"Interest from people that want to form alliances with House Penumbra using a marriage contract as a means to that end. Interest from people that might not have been interested, if you had been less blessed or talented. I suppose someone would say you only had yourself to blame for being so gifted, but I won't be so crass as to suggest this is your fault. If the fault lies with anyone, it lies with the Patriarch and me.

"We should have realized forging an alliance between a newly formed House and House Penumbra would raise eyebrows and garner interest," he explained.

"That connection was just formed days ago. How can there be this type of reaction so fast?" I whined.

"Because House Penumbra is that powerful. An alliance with our House is that coveted. And I'm sure you were already on the radar of a number of Families because of your spirit root and elemental affinities. I guess we only have ourselves to blame," he replied, the sarcasm not lost on me, his crass suggestion of fault not helpful.

"But for all that interest, the decision is still yours to make. You can attend the gathering the Sect will host with a clear conscience. If you don't intend to marry, if you feel no desire or imperative to procreate, no one will force you.

"Use the gathering as an opportunity to meet people, form connections, and possibly build new alliances. You don't have to make a decision today, you can take your time, and if you decide now is not the time and you do not want to interrupt your cultivation, no one will gainsay you."