Dearest,

I shall be enjoying a little merriment at Telma's with Ashei, Naima, and Ilia - wedding related matters.

Love,

Zelda

This smells as funny as a reekfish.

Zelda, hanging out with the rest of them ladies, on a workday?

Ashei was all weird today. Maybe she wanted to talk with them girls… but Zelda and Yeti ain't that chummy.

Against my good will, I find myself sneakin' behind her steps - she doesn't know her soft flowery perfume leaves a trail strong enough for me to follow. Once a wolf, always a wolf.

'Hey ol' sport! What are you doing so late at night?'

Shad, and his darn perfect timin'.

I'm spying on my fiancee and your girlfriend. Not a great answer.

'I was goin' for a stroll. I'm kinda sleepless, bud'.

'Likewise, sport!', Shad affirmed, 'I actually wanted to ask you something'.

I kinda have an idea about who.

'Ashei has been acting strange, as if she is hiding something'. He seemed really worried. 'Has she told you anything, sport?'

'Nope', I just answered, 'I only know she is with Zelda and the rest of the bunch at the bar'.

'Are you spying on them?', he asked with a quizzed look.

'Nope'.

'Then why are you about to go downstairs on the alley?'

Darn it!

'You got me, bud'. I confessed immediately. 'I thought it was weird that Zelda went out 'ere now because she never, ever would go out if she has plenty o' work tomorrow'.

'So we are here because of the same reason, sport'.

We hid behind some wooden boxes and empty barrels after a loud female laugh startled us.

'I'm having a major hangover tomorrow!', Ashei announced, 'I apologize beforehand to yer highness for my bitchface in the morning'

'You mean your usual face, sister?', Naima asked, all'em bursting into laughter. Zelda even snorted. I had only seen that a couple of times, and she was hella embarrassed.

I think it's so cute and girly, as everything about her is.

Shad and I followed them from a distance - we weren't risking bein' caught like the scoundrels we were.

'Ashei, were you telling Shad about this?', Zelda asked Yeti. They all stopped in their tracks, halfway near the castle.

'Yup, but after seeing a medic'. She was really chill. 'It was not about having kiddos, actually, but more of the things involved'.

'What do you mean with that, sister?'. Naima asked. We did ourselves the same.

'Shad would have probably proposed to me immediately', she told them, shrugging, 'But I'm not ready for that… I pretty much don't believe in marriage - no offense, Zelda, Naima'.

'None taken', the ladies told her in unison.

Shad's face went pale. Ghosts have more color than he did in the moment.

'Man, you ain't gonna pass out, amirite?' I whispered to Shad, who was ghoulish.

'Not yet, sport'.

Low blow, Yeti! My bro here is almost a goner!, I thought.

Yeti sighed, breaking the moment of silence between 'em all.

'We're happy just as we are, we don't need rings to prove we love each other'.

Aww, Yeti's got a soft side, after all…, I thought, looking at Shad, who was smiling ear to ear. I could swear he was all starry-eyed.

'Goddesses know how much I love that nerd'.

She blushed. Yeti was as awkward as a lovelorn teenager, and I could swear Shad's soul went higher than the City in the Sky - more outta reach than his beloved Oocca!

'Let's go back, sport', he whispered, 'I just heard enough'.

'Same, pal'.

We hastened our pace and took a detour, getting to the castle before the ladies did. We stayed in my room talking 'bout what just happened.

'So she thought she was pregnant', Shad concluded, 'That's why she was so odd during New Year'.

'How'd ya seen yourself, papa Shad?', I elbowed him a little, 'With a little one on yer arms?

'Fine, I guess, sport', the scholar shrugged, 'I like kids, they're curious creatures'.

A clack on the mirror door scared both of us.

'Zelda!', I gasped, grabbing Shad by his jacket, hiding beneath the duvet.

I heard the creaking, and a chime of a laugh fill the room.

'Sweet dreams, dearest', I hear a whisper and the blow of a kiss. Save your sighs, sneaky rascal. Now you really don't deserve 'em kisses.

And the door closed back. We waited for a moment to rest assured Zelda wasn't coming back.

'Sport, we almost screwed up big time', Shad was shaking, his head peeking out of the duvet, 'If they find out…'

'We'd be not only dumped, but prolly fired too', I murmured, 'Or sent to the dungeon. Been there, not cool'.

'Indeed'. He sat on the bed.

'Brothers in secrecy?', I offered, sitting on the bed and putting my fist up.

'Brothers in secrecy, old sport', he met my fist bump.

I bet we're probably getting caught sooner or later.