"Considering that you just got married, how do you two feel being back at the kids table?" Donald asked with a smirk, obviously addressing Jacob and Minnie.

Clark hid a grin behind his cup. It really did appear that way. The brides and grooms had changed out of their wedding clothes before going to the Glen. Instead of changing back into a school uniform, his sister was back in that green velvet dress she had gotten in England. She sat at one table with her husband, Potsdam, and her new steward Mr. Grey, while everyone else was at the longer table in the private room.

The food was excellent, served in buffet style along one side of the room, and they had yet to get into the cake. The walls were covered in illusions, and his sister had shown him the list she could have chosen from with places in both Earth and Otherworld listed. As her husband did not enter Otherworld and she herself knew nothing of what those locations looked like anyway, they appeared to be eating in a mountain glen in the Alps during the spring. While the floor appeared to be covered with grass and wildflowers, the vegetation was not tangible when they walked. There were snow-covered peaks in the distance, and he counted three waterfalls within sight. He could hear the water flowing, and a soft breeze flowed through the room. It made for a very nice effect.

"We could have chosen other places," Jacob noted. "It just would have been awkward to be sitting with the professors, I think."

Clark snorted. "It's not like Hieronymous would be giving you detention here."

Jacob eyed him. "Is that Professor Grabiner's first name?" he asked.

"So he lets you get away with calling him that too?" Virginia asked.

"When I'm not in class…or in public at school," Clark admitted. "I know Alice has almost called him 'Hieronymous' in class once or twice before correcting herself. I try to be careful."

Jacob shook his head. "I suppose you are his brother-in-law."

"It does have some awkward moments," Clark said.

"Speaking of awkward," Jacob started, "I think I made a fool of myself last year, but didn't realize it until today."

"How so?" Minnie asked.

"Do you remember my campaign speech?" Jacob turned to Clark. "I ran for Treasurer last year, and made a deal that I was rich, so I knew how to spend money, and that was why I would make a good treasurer."

Clark smiled at him. "Now that's a logical fallacy. Being Treasurer is more about collecting money and delivering envelopes than spending money. Any dope can spend money, so I can see where you might be embarrassed. Unless you are speaking about the irony of the claim in running against the then heir to the wizard bank…?"

Jacob's face was blank. "Actually, that is what I meant."

"Sorry," Clark apologized. "I shouldn't tease you on the day of your wedding. I should at least wait until tomorrow." He then became serious. "Alice didn't know anything about that at the time, if it's any comfort. We didn't meet Grandfather until this summer, actually. She's not the type to hold a grudge, and even if she was, I still wouldn't worry about it. My sister is a little distracted today."

He glanced over at the other table where his sister was laughing at something. It was nice to see her happy. Still, he wished that this day had been something the rest of their family could have shared with them instead of the whole occasion happing in a piecemeal fashion. Sometimes, you just had to take what you could get.

"I can't help but feel like we're intruding," Minnie said, glancing at the other table.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Clark assured her. "We needed a few more witnesses anyway. And it's not like this is their only wedding. Aside from the one a year ago, and this one to renew the contract in the wizard world, there was one when we were in England last month for the normal law requirements. I think they are planning to have another after Alice graduates that Mom and Dad can come to."

"Oh, I didn't know that. Or that you were in England," Minnie said, but she looked a bit more at ease.

"It was something of a busy trip," he admitted, knowing that the results of the various ventures were still evolving. According to Adelaide, her parents had 'figured out' that he was one of Lord Carleton's grandsons, given that Alice had been correctly identified as one of the Councilman's granddaughters, and had dropped their other negotiations much to her relief. She had instead been told to remain as close to him, and by extension his family, as she could and make the best possible impression on everyone. Their reasoning was if he fell through by continuing to date Virginia, she might still meet rich men by hanging around him or his sister. Adelaide's father, in particular, was keen on giving his daughter as many choices as possible. It was her mother that wanted cash as soon as possible, or failing that, a lot more cash later since Adelaide's husband would be socially obligated to keep his in-laws in comfort if they were unable to do so themselves. The level of 'comfort' would be in relation to their son-in-law's status and resources, so her mother considered Clark Carleton a prize certainly worth perusing.

Clark once again found himself grateful for the parents he had.

"So Virginia," Jacob said, changing the subject and drawing his thoughts back to the present. "Minnie said you had found someone else to marry, but didn't say who it was."

Virginia had just taken a bite of food, and noticing this, Ellen answered for her. "She's been dating Clark, so they've been making plans."

Virginia swallowed and nodded. "I don't turn eighteen until late in the summer, so it can wait until after summer break. We don't plan on making our marriage any more public than yours."

"That reminds me," Clark said. "I wrote Mom and Dad that I was dating you, so they want to know if you can come over and meet them sometime during the summer."

Virginia nodded. "I think we can work something out."

The waiter came in, went to the 'adult' table, and said that 'Lord and Lady Grabiner' had a call. His sister and her husband left the room, leaving Clark to wonder if their Grandfather had been able to call to congratulate them or if it was something else.

Alice and Hieronymous entered the restaurant's 'call center,' which was a room little larger than her dorm room with comfortable arm chairs in front of a large mirror. Since this was a three way call, the large mirror had a line down the middle with her grandfather on one side, and her father-in-law on the other. They sat down in chairs, and the conversation began.

"First of all, I believe congratulations are in order," her grandfather said with a smile.

"Thank you," Alice and Hieronymous replied. She would have been less formal, but it was hard to be anything else in front of Hieronymous' father.

"But as we have limited time, I am afraid that business must also be addressed," the elder Grabiner said. "Given that your marriage is now 'official' in our world, it will have to be publicized and we will have to address it."

"We have been able to come up with a compromise, if it will be agreeable to the two of you," her grandfather started. "Now, Lord Grabiner has not made his desire to retire public, and your marriage seems to be a trade in his favor and it will have to seem that he surrendered something to me to make it possible. The proposal is that shortly after Alice's graduation, you take over your father's political responsibilities in both the magical and normal world, Hieronymous."

Alice's breath caught. Her grandfather would be seen as exchanging his first choice of heir for a sympathetic son-in-law taking his opponents place on the Council. As long as she appeared happy in public about the arrangement that would not be a determent to her grandfather's proposed reforms.

"Otherwise," her father-in-law continued, "we will just say that is was your doing, and none of ours. I will continue on the Council as I have, and will put on a glamor and impersonate you in the normal House of Lords until you change your mind or you produce someone else that can take the responsibility. As the normals think I am eighty-eight, a change is due soon."

"That will not be necessary," Hieronymous said. "Your terms are acceptable, so feel free to spread your 'compromise' about."

Alice wanted to stare at her husband, as he had not yet discussed this with her, but decided that they had to present a unified front when speaking with his father. It also occurred to her that she had to warn Clark, because if her identity as the former heir of House Carleton got out his new status would. She was not sure how much attention her schoolmates paid to political maneuvers in the Council, but surely someone's parents did.

The terms settled, and evidently both of the elder men had serious business to be about, goodbyes were said and the call done. It was only then that Alice turned to her husband. "Hieronymous, are you sure this is what you want?" she asked.

"I cannot leave you to do it," he said softly. "It is as you have said before; you are still learning even the culture of our world. You are not ready to be on the Council yourself. It is what could have happened had you become with child that night, and what will happen if I do not step up to my responsibilities eventually. At least this way, it is on our terms…or at least, those terms your grandfather was able to negotiate. I have the feeling we got the condensed version, we can ask your grandfather about the full version when we both have the luxury of time."

"So if that potion had worked…" she trailed off softly.

"Never underestimate how ruthless my father is," he said. "He will use honeyed words when he thinks it will gain him something, but he will always put what he wants first. Had you become pregnant then, he would have abdicated. Had we not taken this 'compromise' I would fully expect him to abdicate when we do have a child."

"And I would be forced onto the Council?" she asked, and he husband shook his head.

"No, I would go. I realize that we have not yet discussed when we would want children, but Father would not give any promise that he would not repeat his tactic once you graduate. It is not normal for an heir to take their Seat directly after graduation. It would be like sending a new recruit on one of your father's Seal missions. You are not ready now, nor will you be prepared that soon, and it is my sworn duty to protect you, wife," he said, taking her hand as they rose up from the chairs.

"Your brother would have been returning to the States without you, had Father succeeded, and tutors would have completed your education," he finished, and then grinned. "Fortunately, that did not happen. I have no idea what we would have told your parents."

Alice had to laugh before stopping short, trying to imagine telling her parents over the phone that she had married her teacher, who had just taken a post in the English Parliament, and that she was pregnant. And telling them when they questioned the legality of the marriage, that her grandfather…Lord Carleton…had given permission as her guardian, which she certainly could not say. Maybe that she had contracted some disease and had to remain in England under quarantine that would last until she was eighteen and then said that she had decided to marry Hieronymous…but that would not explain why the baby would have arrived when he did, and was not even close to the truth.

If she had not been able to come up with an acceptable explanation, there would have been a good chance her parent's memories would have been erased of any memory of her. She shivered at the thought. There were few things that scared her more than the fact that her family might not remain intact…like if the twins couldn't keep their stories straight, or if Nancy got into too much trouble. Her family was a very large part of who she was, and she did not know what she would do without them. "I don't know what we would have told them either. And I'm glad that I have you to protect me."

"From my father, a situation you would not be in without my involvement," he said. "Though I do have to admit that it might not have been completely without cost to himself."

"How so?" she asked. She had wondered about that.

"Aside from dismembering his reputation you mean? Single-year contract marriages are often considered 'trial' marriages when they are not designed specifically for the birth of an heir," he answered. "Especially in cases like ours, where circumstances seem in favor of the marriage not working. It will be assumed by the magical community that your grandfather and my father arranged the trial marriage, and left the extension of it to our discretion."

Her husband frowned. "While the 'encouragement' of a pregnancy during this phase would not be strictly illegal, as you had not technically left your House, either my father or your grandfather could have claimed the child as their heir. There would have been a long court battle, but given your age and the fact that we had a verbal agreement that I would not bed you during the 'trial' marriage, your grandfather would likely win. He would probably insist that the child was heir to both Houses rather than merely only House Grabiner…or at least, that would be Father's greatest fear in that situation."

She goggled. "So, I could have left you, kept the child, let grandfather raise him, and he would still be your father's presumptive heir?"

Hieronymous actually laughed. "That would have joined our Houses when the babe inherited, a fate my father would consider little better than the death of the House." His face sobered. "The oldest heir takes precedence…oldest as in terms of their admission into the house…so even if he adopted someone, or if I did, our child would still be the heir since he was there first. In absence of an heir, he would be able to adopt someone, but he would have to kill off both myself and the child and even he would not stoop that low."

"That's comforting," Alice said dryly. "And Clark wonders why I don't want to get heavily involved with politics myself."

"I must apologize my dear, but being a Councilman's wife will assure you of having to put up with politics, to some extent," her husband replied. "After all, the spouse of a Councilperson is considered more of an ally than a consort. Speaking of which, you will need tutoring on the subject of protocols sooner or later."

"You're forgetting that I happen to love you, which gives me motivation to put up with it," she teased. "And that eventually, I would be directly on the Council anyway if I hadn't married into another House."

"And since you do not want to be there, I see what you are saying. This way, you are at least one step removed, but still in compliance with your responsibilities. I am happy to be of service, my lady," her husband said, taking her hand as they rose from their chairs. They then left the room to return to their guests.