Walter looked at Paige. He saw the tears in her eyes. Slowly he shook his head. "I don't think I would like that. I might wi-." He caught himself just before he said wish. "I might rather we had done it normally, but if you are content and okay with it than I am too."
Paige smiled as they kissed again. The company cheered again as they watched.
As they parted Walter looked deep into her eyes. "We need to go speak privately for a moment."
Paige nodded and they turned and walked off leaving everyone standing there looking shocked.
"What the hell is wrong with them?" Happy exclaimed as they disappeared into the forest.
Cabe shook his head. "No clue. What did she mean by the comment about a wish?"
Sir Sylvester shook his head. "Maybe she caught his idiocy."
Happy turned and glared at Sir Sylvester and before anyone could do anything she swung and slugged him in his jaw. "Don't you ever insult our Lady, or her husband like that again. Just because you are mad he kicked your ass while sword fighting is no reason for your hostility towards him."
Toby stepped up behind her and put his hands on her arms. He gently pulled against her forcing her to step backwards as Sir Sylvester reached up and wiped at the small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Well there is certainly something strange going on with them. Do you think it really has something to do with that Pixie?" Toby asked.
Cabe shrugged. "I don't see how. She left quite some time ago."
Walter and Paige finally stopped walking and Walter turned to face her. "I know you told Happy you could marry me right now and live happily for the rest of our lives and I feel the same way. But are you really happy with how this happened?"
Paige smiled and nodded. "We'll still have to do a state wedding when we get home but I am at peace emotionally about this. At least I am as long as you are."
Walter smiled. "Well I don't have a ring to give you at this moment but there is one thing I have to do for this to be totally okay with me." Walter got down on one knee and looked up into her eyes while holding her left hand. "My Lady Paige, would you consent to be my wife? I have nothing more than an honest and loving heart to offer you."
Paige grinned as she stared down into his eyes. "I accept your offer and consent to be your wife with all that I am."
Walter stood up and Paige pulled him in tight against her and they kissed hard and deep.
As they parted again Walter looked into her eyes. "One thing I would suggest though. Before we consummate our marriage we speak with your temple Mistress to make sure we are married in the eyes of the wise Lady. I have no idea about how she will interpret this wedding by wish."
Paige nodded as she held his hands. She winked as she asked. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get back to the camp and find out."
Walter's grin radiated mischief and he nodded. "By all means, let us settle this as quickly as possible. I'll do my best to keep my hands to myself until then."
Paige grinned as she started to lead him back to the camp site she stopped. "Wait. How do you know what I said to Happy? You were upwind of us and more than forty feet back. There shouldn't have been enough sound to reach you for you to hear. I doubt if Toby even heard us."
Walter smiled. "My hearing is as acute as my eyesight. It is how I first detected those robbers."
Paige gently punched his shoulder. "That is just wrong. Is there any other special abilities you have I should know about?"
Walter smiled. "Maybe, but you will have to wait until we consummate our marriage."
Paige felt her cheeks grow warm as Walter grinned even harder watching her blush.
As they came back out of the woods everyone was already seated around the table waiting on them so Sara could serve them. They walked over to the table where Sara was bringing over the first two plates to serve them with.
Walter sat down after holding Paige's chair. He saw Sara place a plate in front of Paige with a large steak and lobster. He leaned over to Paige. "Well, I can't really fault that Pixie's sense of dinner."
Paige nodded with a grin. "It's been a while since I've had lobster."
Walter frowned. "Really, why didn't you say something in Oxinear? We could have had some for dinner before we left. The fish wharf there is one of the best."
Ralph reached over and tugged on Paige's arm.
Paige looked down and smiled. "What is it sweetie?"
Ralph smiled. "I'm really glad you married Walter. But, do I have to call him Dad now?"
Walter choked on his wine.
Paige looked at Walter and laughed.
Walter shook his head as he recovered. "You are more than welcome to continue calling me Walter. It won't bother me."
Ralph nodded as he bowed his head when his Mother began praying over their meal.
As they all began eating Cabe looked at Lady Paige. "My Lady, we were talking after you left and we're curious about what you said. What makes you think the Pixie's wish did this?"
Paige was in the middle of a bite of steak and Walter spoke up. "Well basically because just prior to us kissing and you guys cheered us the temple Mistress wasn't here. We hadn't said any vows and I was wearing my green leathers and Paige was wearing her plate armor. Clearly since we were the focal point of the wish we still remember what happened before she made the wish and you guys don't."
Cabe scratched at his chin. "Well I got to admit my knowledge of wishes is limited. But what you said makes sense. I hate the thought that something messed with my mind though."
Happy swallowed her bite of food. "Wait, if what you are saying is true what does that mean about the wedding? Was it binding with the wise Lady?"
The temple Mistress grunted. "Of course it was binding. I performed it. It wasn't the process of no wish."
Paige shook her head. "Walter is right. Prior to the kiss were you guys threw the rice we had just gotten to this spot and set up camp. Walter had gotten done grading Ralph's work and he had gotten everything right again. I came over to speak with Walter. The Mistress had left us this morning to go back to the Keep. You definitely weren't here. And I know we didn't bring perishable food such as steak and lobster with us."
Sara frowned. "But you told me to bring it because you planned to marry Walter today."
Paige shook her head. "That was part of the wish. It was a way to explain it for your minds to accept it instead of it just appearing. Part of Lord Markus's training for me covered wishes extensively. I just can't believe I accepted the Pixie had left, I should have known better and I should have known better than to ever say anything starting with I wish."
Walter took her hand. "Don't trouble yourself over it any further Love. We can have your temple Mistress perform a commune and find out if the marriage is legitimate."
Happy frowned. "But your Mistress was right here. How could she not know? I don't understand any of this."
Paige shook her head. "No, Walter is right. The magic of the wish has altered your perceptions. It might interfere with her doing any kind of augury or divination. But a commune would bring forth the essence of Athena and no wish or Pixie power can alter it. That is the only way to be for sure."
"You think this wish is powerful enough to interfere with the connection to the divine?" The Mistress frowned.
Paige shook her head. "No, nothing could interfere with that. But it could alter your perception of the information received and before we go too far we have to know for sure the marriage is valid. Only a commune will work to my satisfaction."
The company spent almost an hour going back and forth trying to understand the nature of wishes and what they could and couldn't do. Lady Paige and Walter did their best to answer their questions and assure them that everything was going to be okay.
Finally Paige got tired of the discussion and stood up. Walter stood up quickly with her. "Happy, you and Toby will stand first watch. Cabe, you and Sir Sylvester will stand the mid watch and Walter and I will stand the morning watch." She bent over and kissed Ralph's head. "Sleep well baby."
Paige grabbed Walter's hand and they walked over to her tent and walked inside. Happy looked around at the others and frowned. She got up and quickly moved over to the tent. She scratched the canvas. "May I come in?"
Paige sighed as she broke her kiss with Walter. "Come in Happy."
Happy stepped inside and saw them standing there holding each other. "I am a little confused. You made it clear that your wedding might not be legitimate with the wise Lady."
Paige nodded. "It is possible, yes."
"So, what are you two doing alone in this tent?" Happy eyed her.
Paige smiled. "We discussed it out in the woods and we decided no matter what the outcome of the wish wedding was we wanted to sleep together."
Happy's eyes opened wide. "Oh, just like that huh? You don't think the wise Lady is going to have a problem with that if you aren't married?"
Paige looked up at Walter and grinned. "Walter promised me he would keep his hands to himself."
Happy scoffed. "That's all well and good but you really expect him not to be all grabby when you are lying with him?"
Paige glared at Happy. "Do you have any reason to believe he can't control himself? And why are you worried about him? You think I will have no problems keeping my hands off of him? Or are you too scared to voice it?"
"When have I been too scared to voice what I am thinking? I think you can keep your hands off him far easier than he can keep his off you. He's a guy after all." Happy told her.
Paige shook her head. "So you are telling me that every night Toby is pawing you?"
Happy laughed. "We're married and ours is tempered by sex periodically."
"So by your equation then I am more likely to succumb to temptation than Walter is." Paige raised an eyebrow at Happy.
"What? How do you figure that?" Happy asked almost panicking.
Paige looked up at Walter and reached up and pushed her fingers into his ears. "You forget, I haven't been intimate in ten months. Would you like to ask Walter when the last time he had sex was?"
Happy shook her head as Paige removed her fingers and winked at Walter. "So are we about done with this now?"
"So you are going to go ahead and sleep together then?" Happy asked.
Paige nodded. "I don't plan on being separated from Walter anymore."
Happy stepped over and opened the tent flap. "Mistress, come join us."
The Mistress remembering the last time she followed Happy's direction was reluctant but since Lady Paige hadn't issued a different directive she got up and walked over and into the tent.
Happy looked at the Mistress. "We need you to go ahead and do the commune now. I don't want anything to go wrong tonight."
The Mistress looked at Lady Paige as she heard her sigh. "My Lady, you want me to perform this now?"
Paige nodded. "We were going to let you finish your dinner first but it seems Happy is too impatient. Please invoke the commune."
The Mistress nodded as she stepped up to them both and took one each of their hands in hers. She bowed her head as she began chanting.
Walter didn't realize it at first but he was holding his breath and he quickly took in a deep lungful of air.
Paige smiled up at him as they stood there waiting.
The Mistress quit chanting and her eyes opened as she looked at the couple before her and she smiled as she spoke in a voice of choral proportions. "My children how happy I am to see you together."
Paige smiled. "My Lady, we are grateful for your answer to the invocation. Walter and I are a bit worried about how our wedding happened a short bit ago. Is our marriage valid in your eyes?"
The smile disappeared from the face of the Mistress. "You both are familiar with the tenants of marriage, correct?"
They both grew a bit worried when her smile disappeared but they nodded.
"Are you both agreeable to be bound by them?" The Mistress asked.
"With all that I am my Lady." Walter answered as he looked at Paige.
Paige smiled. "I accept all of Walter with all of me."
The smile returned to the Mistress's face. "Then go in peace and wedded bliss my children. You are sealed to each other in my eyes."
Walter pulled against Paige's other hand drawing her closer and they kissed deeply.
After a few moments the Mistress began coughing and reached up to her throat as she released their hands.
Happy reached up and steadied the Mistress as she recovered from the possession.
Walter and Paige broke their kiss to look at the Mistress. They smiled seeing she was recovering and that Happy was holding her up to keep her from falling.
Happy smiled at the newlyweds. "Well I guess it is official then. Wish or not, you are married now. "Have a pleasant night." Happy winked at Paige before she led the Mistress from the tent.
Happy helped the Mistress to sit down and handed her a glass of water.
Toby looked at his wife. "Well, don't keep us in suspense any longer. Is the marriage legitimate?"
Happy looked up and smiled as she nodded. She looked at Cabe. "Toby and I will stand a six hour watch. You and Sylvester go get some sleep and you can stand a six hour watch. We'll let Paige and Walter have the night to their selves. It's bad enough to have to spend your wedding night like this without adding standing a watch on top of it."
The other three all nodded in agreement when they heard an excited squeal from Lady Paige's tent and they all grinned.
Victor looked over at the others. "Well if you want, there is no reason the four of you should extend your watch hours. Sara and I can take the watch that our Lady was going to stand with her husband. Mistress if you'd like I'll run a divider in our tent and you can sleep in there."
"Thank you," the Mistress said simply with a smile.
Happy nodded with a smile. "That works for me. Thank you both."
Greetings! Hoping everyone is well! We're doing okay. Wife had an OT gal come out today so that kind of slowed me down. Plus I had to do a major rewrite of this chapter as Walter and Paige were complaining about how it was written before. lol
I commissioned another piece of artwork, this time for this story and I just got it today. I posted a link on my profile page. It is the first one under my link to find me on Twitter. Titled "Lady Paige and Walter"
This picture is from when they were in the robber's camp. Rica did an outstanding job on it.
To the Adventure! -Tim