It's the Truth!
"Milord, may I have your attention for a bit?" Laslow asked, as he knocked on the half open door of his current employer and friend's office. Xander looked up from the pile of documents on his desk and gave a nod.
"Of course, Laslow, what would you like to discuss?"
"Well you see, sir, I was hoping you could give me a few days off in about a month or two." Xander raised his eyebrow in question.
"Well, I can't say that I have much reason to refuse your request, but I would like to know what you plan to do with your time away." Laslow's face broke into a broad grin at this.
"I was hoping you would ask that, milord." he crowed, taking Xander aback with his enthusiasm at what he perceived to be a simple question. "For you see, my friend, your's truly is now engaged and we are meant to be wed in a month's time!" Laslow cheered at his own revelation. Xander's face had fallen into one of quiet contemplation and with downcast eyes he gave a sigh.
"I see." he said in a neutral but cold tone. Laslow's face fell at this.
"What's wrong milord, is something wrong with this? We could always move the date if need be." he asked, his voice full of concern for his friend and wedding plans. Xander gave another sigh and looked him straight in the eye as he replied, "What's wrong is that you felt the need to cover up your activities with such an obvious and bald faced lie." Laslow recoiled in shock, "Wha-" he tried to respond but Xander quickly bowled over this, raising his voice slightly, "Actually, I can't tell if I'm more offended by the lie itself, the breach of trust between us, or your obvious lack of disrespect towards me in that you seriously thought that I would believe such an obvious lie."
"Bu-But it's the truth! I'm truly being married." Laslow argued in shock. Xander merely shook his head. "Please Laslow, this is demeaning to both you and me. Just tell me what you were really going to do and I'll let you have your time off. Barring extreme circumstances of course.".
"No, I'm getting married! I have a fiance who I've courted and everything! We're in love and we want to get married!" Laslow cried out, desperately trying to convince the blonde of his intentions.
"Laslow, I've been witness to what you call 'courting' and the only way you could get a fiance with that is if she was unable to understand what you were saying, and even then your body language would probably cause her to recoil in disgust. Please, just tell me truth. As a friend." Xander added, with a seldom heard plea in his voice.
"I'll say it as many times I need to, I'm getting married! Is this so hard to believe?" Laslow asked in exasperation. Xander shook his head in disbelief.
"You really believe what you're saying don't you." Xander asked wearily.
"I believe it because it's the truth!"
"Ah, I see." Xander said as he nodded in realization, a gentle yet sad, grin tugging at his lips.
"Oh thank the gods, you understand now?" Laslow sighed with relief at finally getting through to him.
"I understand perfectly fine. I understand that the war, as well being in my service can be tough, and even the most stalwart minds are bound to crack in the face of such things. Please, take as much time as you need to rest up, my friend." Xander said with a tone like he was speaking to a scared child. Laslow spluttered incoherently, turning red, purple, and almost reached an exalt blue tone with rage and frustration.
"YOU'D REALLY SOONER BELIEVE I'VE GONE MAD BEFORE YOU BELIEVE I FOUND A WIFE?" he raged, tears brimming in his eyes.
"Please Laslow, keep your voice down." Xander asked his friend, again with that patronizing tone.
"I-I'll be back, this time with my fiance! Then you'll see!" he almost sobbed before turning and running out of the office. Xander sighed and turned his attention back to his paperwork. "Poor man, really should have given him some time off sooner."
A few hours later, Laslow returned to Xander's office, all but kicking the door down with his red headed wife in tow.
"Laslow, there is no need to try and yank my arm off, I am perfectly capable of walking on my own you know." Selena hissed with a soft blush on her face that Laslow would have notice, had his attention not been firmly on his boss's face.
"Look, see it's Selena, Lady Camilla's retainer. We are in love and would like to be wed in a month's time, so please give me some time off!" Laslow demanded, at this point to frustrated to give even the slightest nod to diplomacy or proper etiquette towards royalty. Xander looked up and said, "I realize that you're not in the right head Laslow, but do you really need to involve Selena in this farce as well? Please try to have a little decorum."
It took Laslow and Selena a while hour to convince Xander to give Laslow was indeed in the right mind and to give him the time off he needed for the wedding. While Xander did finally agree to give Laslow the time off, and even attended the wedding, he did not truly believe that the grey haired playboy had gotten married, believing it to all be a very elaborate ruse. It wasn't until three months later when the two of them announced Selena's pregnancy that he recognized their marriage as legitimate.