"She isn't cut out for this sort of thing!" The woman protested in frustration. She looked at her son square in the eye, attempting to pour her feelings into his soul. Couldn't he see it? She wasn't right for him!

Mallara's feelings for Karane had changed greatly over the last two years. They went from respect for her son's first girlfriend to a little bit of hatred for the girl who thought she was good enough to take him away. Who thought she could 'win' Pipit away from his mother.

She was a knight, anyway. She was rough, rowdy, and strong. She wasn't gentle or soft. Mallara had this idea in her head that Pipit would settle down with someone who he could take care of—not someone who would throw her life in danger too. It only meant double the worrying for his mother!

Pipit never gave his mother the power to reject his girlfriend, however. Once they became engaged it was an even harder battle, to try and get rid of Karane. Instead of accepting her as her future daughter in law, Mallara went into overdrive trying to convince Pipit otherwise. After the marriage, she just wanted him to leave her. It was like she thought Karane would break her son.

"Cut out for what sort of thing?" He'd already moved out of her home—had been out of it for a number of years. He leaned against the wall while his mother went about cooking. He didn't know why he agreed to come over anymore, sometimes, because it seemed like her whole goal was to distract her son from his wife..

"Being your wife." She explained. "She's not good for you, Chickadee. She's never going to be a good wife—not for anyone. And it's not the poor dear's fault. She just isn't… very feminine."

The young man couldn't help but roll his eyes and think about just how feminine Karane actually was. Maybe she had a strong exterior, but she was still a woman. She was still emotional. Her eyes were still framed with long lashes. Her lips were still soft under his own. Even her hands were soft—regardless of the callouses the swords caused.

"She's plenty feminine." And besides, he loved her just the way she was. He wouldn't be spending his life with her if that wasn't the case. He loved her for the scars on her knees from all their childhood exploring. He loved her for the figure she had, and that his little 'shortcake' still fit into the crook of his neck perfectly. And he also loved her because she looked /damn sexy/ in that uniform. Sword strapped to her chest, playful smirk on her face. It was perhaps one of her best features.

And here his mother was trying to say it was one of her worst.

"She's not built to have children." Mallara added as an afterthought. "She doesn't cook, or clean. She just… works. She has no desires to stop either! Have you heard her speak about it? She had this idea in her head that you like that sort of tomfoolery!"

Pipit snuck a smirk at his mother. "It's pretty sexy."

Mallara nearly dropped the spoon and stared at him, just shaking her head. "I'm telling you this is the biggest mistake of your life…"

"Quit that." His voice fell from its otherwise cheerful tone and turned into something stern. A vocalization of his irritation at his mother. "You can't say things like that. She's not a mistake. No amount of you not getting along with her is going to change that. She's your family."

His mother bit her lip and sighed. "Someday you'll understand. Someday down the road you'll want to start a family. You'll want a wife who is built for that. Hips, breasts."

He rolled his eyes again and looked away from his mother. "Sounds to me like you're really just concerned about having grandchildren or not."

"You know, son, someday you'll be a parent and you'll understand why I want only the best for you. You'll be just as intrusive as I am."

The words made Pipit chuckle at her and then fall silent. Pipit would never be as intrusive in his children's lives as Mallara was. He would, however, be a father.

"Someday." He repeated with a grin on his lips. Someday soon.

But it wasn't his place to tell Mallara that. No… he knew of a fiery, not-so-feminine-or-wifely red head who wanted to shove it in her mother-in-law's face.

And for once Pipit wasn't going to stop her.