That evening Halt met Pauline in the garden she approached him with a smile they would not be public with their affection she knew it wasn't really Halt's thing. They walked arm in arm past the various herbs and flowers along the side of the stone house. They stopped at a bench sitting down to take in the cool air Pauline sidled closer to him against the cold they were just getting comfortable when the dinner bell rang.

"Are you ready?" Pauline asked.

"is there really any being ready for your family?" Halt asked.

She smiled and caressed his cheek and they turned to head into the dining room. Paulines father seemed to look surprisingly pleased to see him up and about.

"Ranger Halt you are looking better" he said.

"Thank you I am feeling better" Halt nodded.

Their meal was served with only small conversation and simple questions about the well being of the kingdom from Pauline's father, for whom the ranger seemed to be growing on. That only lasted until after the meal when coffee was served however.

"So tell me Halt have you ever been previously married?" Lady Georgiana asked.

"No I have not" Halt stated simply.

"No children then?" She continued.

"That usually comes with marriage" he said more shortly.

"As is should but not always you are a traveling man after all" she stated "that is why you never settled down is it not."

Pauline eyed her mother to stop the attack but the woman looked serene and Halt was keeping his calm surprisingly well.

"I travel because the kingdom required it if you prefer to be plundered by Skandians or wargels I'll gladly take a reprieve" Halt said calmly.

"I am only trying to protect my niece-" Georgiana started.

Halt had had enough of the woman's antics over the past few days and he had seen how badly it upset Pauline and that was the straw that broke the camels back "Who is more than capable of protecting herself. She has made her mark as one of the best diplomats the kingdom has ever seen and is also quite skilled with that dagger she carries from what I have heard. So if you are so intent on protecting her from something worry about yourself, because your constant badgering is not doing her much good. She is about to marry and while you may not like me she certainly seems to and this is quite the occasion for her" Halt said sternly.

Pauline looked surprised but smiled warmly at her Fiancé. Georgiana looked as if someone had hit her with a soured fish. Pauline's father nodded at the respectful compliment and Paulines mother was smiling happily into her tea trying to contain her snickering at Georgiana's face. She had been quite right about Halt being able to stand up to the old shrew.

Then something they did not expect happened, Lady Georgiana smiled.

"What?!" Halt said unabashed.

"While I should find your comments disrespectful I am impressed. You stand up for Pauline and protect her by showing that she is a strong woman who needs no one to protect her. You did not degrade her or make her seem weak. As much as I thought it wouldn't be so you are the sort of man I had hoped she would marry" her aunt said.

"I agree" her father spoke up "while I wanted my daughter to marry I did not want her to be limited she had achieved much and I want her to continue to do so even past her wifely duties."

"All this time you have been hounding me to hear me say that?!" Halt said.

"Perhaps not with quite so much rudeness but yes" Georgiana said.

Pauline looked surprised "all this time you have been trying to marry me off I thought you wanted me to take up cooking and cleaning and child bearing and here you are wanting to keep up with my work?"

"Don't get us wrong dearest we of course want and expect grandchildren after all who else would inherit all of this" her father said with a shrug "but we also understand you have worked hard for what you have achieved and are willing to compromise a bit."

Pauline smiled "thank you, I think that is... does this mean you will stop having us followed and pestering Halt."

"Absolutely not I have a 3 weeks till the wedding and I intend to make sure things are kept celibate until then" Pauline's aunt stated with finality that just sounded humorous after the previous conversation "Then I of course expect great grandnephews nieces."

Halt who was half way through a cup of coffee choked.

"We'll see" Pauline said leaving no room for discussion.