Over the next few days as they traveled, they were focused on their mission during the day but at night, he would think over everything that had happened since the start of their mission. He found that overall, he actually enjoyed Ellie's company- finding her skills with people a valuable asset to the mission. She was good with the people, taking the lead with talking with the commoners in each town or village they visited, and she made an excellent impression on the locals. Nozel remained silent for the most part, focusing more on the manual labor than the discussional aspects of their mission.
In those few days since Tolsa, they had managed to visited the rest of the locations in the Forsaken Realm and had moved onto the Common Realm. They had stopped in Nairn, the weather having turned rather foul, and found a couple of rooms at the local inn where they could stay until the storm passed. As Nozel relaxed in his room, his mind turned to their night of drunkenness. The fuzziness around the memories of that night had finally begun to clear and he he began recalling how they ended up where they had.
After the elders insisted they kept drinking with them, Nozel found that he was far less formal than normal and let loose- feeling rather comfortable around Ellie. Then seeing how he and Ellie interacted, the elders and some of the other villagers present commented on how cute they were together, how great of a couple they were, how beautiful their babies would be, and so on. After a few moments of this, someone suggested that they should get married, which then led to the whole room agreeing and cheering for them.
Ellie and Nozel had just looked at each other, contemplating whether they should or not through their drunkenness, agreed in the end. Nozel felt that- for him at least- it was more from the enthusiasm of the townsfolk than anything else, but he did remember being rather happy about it nonetheless. The elders led them to the town chapel, got the local priest to officiate the brief ceremony, and then when the deed was done they had ushered the newlyweds to their lodgings.
The next part made Nozel turned red as a cherry just thinking about it because he recalled every detail about the rest of the night after that. He remembered the feel of Ellie's lips as he kissed her, the gentleness of her touch, the softness of her skin, her fragrance, the feel of her naked skin against his own, and the intimacy that had run between them as they consummated their marriage.
Shaking his head and clearing his throat, he shifted his focus from that memory to the following morning. He had found a sense of comfort in Ellie's warmth and presence next to him, even before their night together, and he found that he really liked how her smile was warm and beautiful.
Meanwhile, as thunder sounded closer than before outside and rattled the glass panes of the inn's windows, Ellie was working up the courage to talk to Nozel. She was disappointed that the last few locations they had been to since Tolsa either couldn't do the annulment or they didn't have a church or chapel in town. When they had reached Nairn, Ellie was relieved to see that large church towards the center of town, but she found that she was really nervous and a bit scared to approach Nozel about it. After a few hours, she finally worked up enough courage to go down the hall and knock on Nozel's door. She waited a moment for him to answer and almost decided against it, but before she could turn and walk away, Nozel opened the door and looked down at her.
"What is it?"
Ellie bit her lip and fiddled with the tie of her dress for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I-I was wondering if we should hurry to the church... before the storm gets too bad..."
Nozel watched her a moment. He could see her unease and uncertainty, but he had come to a decision just a few moments before. "Come inside, so we can discuss it."
Ellie hesitated, having not been alone in a room with him since Tolsa, but she gingerly stepped into his room and stood off to the side with her arms wrapped around herself as he closed the door.
"I do not want to go to the church."
Ellie glances up at him, taking a small step back as he comes closer to her. "W-Why..?"
"I do not wish to ask for an annulment," Nozel said, stopping where he stood when he noticed her step back a little.
"What..?"
"I wish to take responsibility for my part in our... situation."
Shocked, Ellie's eyes widen a moment or two before she looks away. "But I..." She felt tears beginning to brim her eyes. "I'm just a commoner, Nozel... and I'm from the Diamond Kingdom... I don't want to bring shame to your family..."
"That doesn't matter to me anymore," Nozel replied, his tone softening. "If... you would rather get the annulment, I will respect and honor your decision. However, as I said, I wish to take responsibility for my part in this and I would like to try to make this marriage work. If we can."
Ellie thought over what he said for a moment. "Are you sure..? Do you really think we could make this work...?"
"Yes."
Ellie turned back to look up at him. "But... what do we say to people..? What will your family think..?"
Nozel stepped closer to her, reaching up to catch the tear that had slipped free. "For now, let's keep this a secret and take the time to get to know each other better, and get used to being a couple. If we cannot make this marriage work, then we will get the annulment."
"And if we can..? Make it work, I mean..."
"Then we will find the right time to break the news to everyone."
Ellie sighed, leaning into his hand as it rested on her cheek. "If you're certain..."
"Ellie, let me do right by you."
Ellie looked up at him, surprised. "That's the first time you've called me that."
Nozel offered her a smile, a genuine and gentle smile that was a first for them both. "I must admit, it suits you."
Ellie returned his smile with one of her own and sighed. "Alright." She met his gaze once more, adding, "Let's see if we can make this work."