A story about Dorrien coming back to the Guild. But when he goes looking for Sonea he finds her married and a proud mother. He's eager to find out how that happened... Maybe a little Sonea/Akkarin fluff. Disclaimer: I DO NOT own TBMG.

Dorrien could see the great towers of the Guild as his horse turned round the last corner. In front of him lay the Guild gates. He could already see his father standing there to greet him and he had to smile.

"Dorrien" he said and smiled, "finally. I missed you, son."

"I missed you too." Dorrien jumped off his horse and embraced Rothen shortly. He seemed happy; thin, but happy.

"How are you?" Dorrien asked as he walked beside Rothen towards the magicians' quarters.

"I'm well" he answered. "How are you? Haven't seen you for... for 10 years. What have you been doing?"

"There was a lot of work to do" Dorrien replied. "I would have come sooner but I didn't want to abandon my village."

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" Rothen asked when they arrived at his rooms.

"I'm fine" Dorrien answered.

He was eager to talk about Sonea. He hadn't seen her for ten years and he wanted to see if she was alright. When he mentioned her Rothen's smile became forced.

"She's fine. I talked to her yesterday and she's perfectly happy. I don't see a reason you should visit her right now - why don't you wait until tomorrow when the Administrator and the other Higher Magicians come to welcome you."

Dorrien shrugged. "Fine." He didn't want to bring his father's attention to his urgent questions, since he was eager to learn how Sonea was doing. He had heard she had become an excellent Healer and worked in the slums to be able to help the poorer people and dwells. Dorrien admired her for that, for wanting to go back into such a poor, neglected quarter of the city.

The next morning Dorrien found himself sitting on a bench, letting the sun shine on his face. He hadn't got the chance to speak to Sonea yesterday, so he was eager to see her today. Rothen had told his son she usually went to the city early in the morning so Dorrien decided to catch her before she left.

All he could see now were some novices, hurrying off to the university, and a few magicians who enjoyed the morning sun as he did. But suddenly he heard a child's voice squeaking: "How many years till I can go there, too?"

Dorrien smiled, imagining a little child wanting to know how long until he or she could go to classes.

But the answer was it that made him freeze. "Honey, you've asked this around twenty times now. You'll have to wait some years."

Dorrien knew this voice. It was a female voice - and it belonged to Sonea. He stood up and looked around but all he could see was, two hundred paces away, a family, two adults and two little children. Nobody else was here.

"How many years?" the child asked. The sound came from the family. But that couldn't be.

"Ten, sweetie." This time a male voice spoke. It sounded familiar but Dorrien couldn't say who it belonged to.

The family came nearer and he looked at the woman's face. A voice whispered: It is her... She's married... She's forgotten you... She's with someone else now... She's married...

Dorrien shook my head desperately and tried to search for a reason why Sonea would walk beside a man, two children in front of her. Suddenly he remembered to see who the man was. Maybe it was this Cery boy, one of Sonea's oldest friends... she wouldn't marry him, of course...

But the man beside her wore robes. Black robes. High Lord's robes. Akkarin's robes.

She's married to Akkarin.

Dorrien drew in a sharp breath and let it out slowly.

The child - a girl - screamed: "Then let's go out, please. We can visit Cery - please, mommie. Daddie."

The other child, a boy, around a year older than his sister, answered: "Sicily, stop yelling. You're annoying me."

"Mako, be nice" the woman - Sonea - said sharply. "She isn't annoying."

Sicily laughed happily. "Then let's go. We can go to Gerra and Timme."

"Harrien and his family are on vacation, honey" Sonea said. Dorrien still couldn't believe it.

But there was no doubt. They were no less than twenty paces away and he recognized her face. She looked happy. More than happy. She seemed to glow. She was beaming as if she were the happiest person on the world.

She is... She's a mother. You can't beat that feeling. You lost her the moment you left the Guild to take care of your village...

Sonea now looked up and her eyes met his. Dorrien quickly turned around and walked back the way he had come. He wanted to hear her shout his name, but he heard nothing. She had forgotten him.

What had happened? How had he taken her from him?

Dorrien couldn't stop walking until he stood in front of Rothen's door. He didn't bother to knock, he just entered and threw himself onto his old bed.

She's married...

It seemed so final. So definite.

But was it?

He could make her fall in love with him again. She had been in love with him. He was sure of that.

But did he want to destroy the life she had built? Her family?

Dorrien couldn't do that to her. He wanted her to be happy.

But didn't he want to be happy himself?

He had to find out what had happened. How he lost her.

And he had to find out if he still wanted her then.

Hope you liked it. Please review xD