3rd person P.O.V

Izadora focus:

Izadora guided Anacostia into the Necropolis and through twisted halls lit with hanging fluorescent lights to her office where she seated the other Sergeant and pulled a bottle of Vodka from the bottom drawer of her desk along with two glasses. "She's married. The woman who is practically my mother is married...to one of my cadets." Anacoastia said, staring at her drink.

"It was a shock to me as well, but I only found out when Craven was standing waiting outside for Alder to get to the resting room," Izadora swallowed her Vodka in one smooth motion. "I assume nobody else knows." She said to Anacostia quietly. Even with the door shut Cadets could be very nosy at times. Anacostia just nodded clearly in shock. Izadora put her own glass on the table and then took the other woman's glass, it was clear Anacostia wasn't going to drink it and Izadora was not one to let alcohol go to waste, so she drained the second glass before placing them both by her door to remember to wash them later. "One of my cadets is basically my step-mom." Anacostia said, clearly in a spiral. Izadora just sat at her desk to do some necessary paperwork while Anacostia processed this new information.

Tally focus:

Tally woke up the next morning on the day of the Reel, worry and fear curling in the stomach, she has run out on the boy Gerit at Memorial Hall to meet Sarah at the necropolis after they had agreed not to see each other, she was worried about the outcome of the reel and how Sarah and the witch father would deal with the death of Porter last night, which had almost killed Raelle as she tried to heal him. Abigail suspected that participation in the reel would become mandatory as a way to boost morale after his suicide.

Raelle was currently in the infirmary overnight and she would be getting released at lunch time, after the impromptu announcement and memorial in regards to Porter. It was all of these thoughts and fears that Sarah and the witchfather confirmed later on in the morning. The Reel was mandatory. Tally did not know if she would be with Gerit or with Sarah. Back in her room Tally distracted herself from her anxieties by trying on the different dresses that she had brought with her. Of course it wouldn't be a day in the Bellweather Unit without Abigail calling Raelle a shitbird, and Raelle and Abigail teasing Tally. Eventually she decided on a yellow-gold dress and she left her hair loose, just as she would wear it when visiting Sarah. While changing she thought back to when they had been given their scourges, Gerit had given her the scourge that now sat coiled at the end of a bed with a cheeky smile. If she had not been in love with another she would have thought him quite attractive. She felt bad for toying with his emotions but if it was necessary and could help then she would do as much as she could. She drew the line at sleeping with anyone but Sarah though.

Tally sought out Berryessa at the drinks and meal before to ask if she would end up with the person she wanted, even if they were destined for another, all she was told was that the reel knew the hearts desires, not the minds and that the reel is never wrong. She feared both that she would be with Gerit and that the Blessing was wrong and that her feelings for Sarah were wrong, or that she would end up with Sarah and that there would be no way to follow the arrangement made on their wedding day to keep their marriage secret for the first year. Both of those thoughts plagued Tally as she joined Abigail by the dance floor and awaited Raelle, before the reel could begin. She hated that there was no longer the option to sit out from the reel. She also hated that she was yet to see Sarah properly, she caught a glimpse of her and the biddies across the floor talking to the witchfather.

When Berryessa had introduced the reel, Tally made eye contact with Sarah as the drums started and everyone began to take off their shoes. Tally joined her unit on the dance floor and let the music fill her completely, catching small glimpses of Sarah dancing with the witchfather and other officers, dancing just out of her reach, as the final bars of the music played Tally came to Gerit, held loosely in his arms, but as the final notes played out she felt two strong and familiar hands on her waist pulling her back and turning her to new partner. "Sarah" Tally whispered breathlessly.

"I couldn't bring myself to use work, to manipulate you, I just couldn't." Alder said, bending her head close to Tally as she pulled her closer. Tally wrapped her arms around her wife's neck linking her own hand together.

"I assume you have a space tucked away somewhere," the young witch said and received only a nod in return. "Take me." Tally said, attempting to move to hold Sarah's hand. However Sarah just tightened her arms around Tally's back and lifted her up from the floor. Tally was carried off the dance floor with only a few watching eyes. Everyone else was too preoccupied with their partner or partners for the night.

Sarah carried her to a private spot she had prepared earlier in a clearing near a raised part of the grounds. She laid Tally down on a mattress surrounded by glass lanterns and they made love all night.

The next morning Tally woke up next to Sarah for the first time ever, cuddled together naked on the mattress. The lanterns had been extinguished at some point around the sunrise. Sarah was already awake staring at her and she blushed when Tally looked up at her. "Good morning, my love," she said, reaching up to kiss her.

"Good morning, my darling. I trust you slept alright?" Sarah asked, pushing Tally's red hair away from her face. Tally nodded and hummed. "We might have to tell some people." Sarah said, turning on her side to face her fully.

"I know Abigail and Raelle will have questions, but if they assume I was with Gerit then I'll let them make that assumption, but I don't know who saw us leave the floor together. It might be better to tell just the two of them and then they can help cover, but I don't know who Gerit was with and what he might tell the other boys." Tally said her head turned to stare at Sarah's face.

She reached up to move a stray strand of hair from the older woman's face and she caught her hand on the way down and linked their fingers together. Tally started to sit up and was immediately pulled back down to the mattress. "Stay. please?" Sarah asked quietly. Tally chucked and stood up this time. Feet firmly on the ground.

"Never thought you to be the clingy type," Tally said as she picked up her underwear and dress to put them back on. "Raelle and Abigail will come looking soon and as much as I love the view, I don't think they want to see either of us naked." Tally tossed Sarah's clothes on the mattress before doing the zip up on her dress. Tally bent down to give Sarah a kiss. "I love you, I'll call my mom this afternoon and let her know that plans have changed." she said before turning around and walking away from the mattress and lanterns.

"I love you to Tally, and I'll deal with the Imperatrix" Sarah said as tally started to leave, she turned around and smiled before waving and skipping off through the trees barefoot to find her shoes. She found her shoes and her unit at the same time, by the dance floor. "Sooo, how was it?" Raelle asked once the trio had collected their shoes, Tally choosing not to wear hers. "Sex with General Alder. How did that happen?" Raelle pestered her.

"It was mind-blowing." she said, which caused Abigail to do a double take.

"Wait, Alder? I thought you were with Gerit, I saw you dancing with him at the end." she said, very confused.

"Wait you didn't see them, Tally was all over her after the reel." Raelle said to Abigail.

"Well. Sarah is kinda, sorta, my wife." Tally said, pulling the two others away from everyone else to under a tree. Abigail started to shout but Tally covered her mouth with her hand. "We got married before conscription day, it's a 10 year arranged marriage, and supposed to be a secret right now." Tally rushed, trying to get all the relevant information as she could before the questions started. "We'll discuss this privately in your room later." she said before walking away from the other two leaving no room for arguments.

Abigail seemed to accept this for now and turned the conversation towards herself; they got invited to Abigail's cousin's wedding the next weekend, as an attempt to appear as a proper unit in front of war college instructors and administrators. The trio quickly got to their room and made their way to the showers and into clean clothes. Before piling onto Raelle's bed. To learn everything they could from Tally about her relationship with Sarah. "What exactly do you want to know? I can't tell you everything." Tally said leaning against the ladder to her bunk.

"If you got married before conscription day how did you get close enough to be partnered with her at the reel?" Abigail asked, as she put on her socks.

"Well, she stayed with me and my mom for a week and then spent the week before conscription day back on base, and I've been visiting her in my free time. We don't talk about work or training together when I visit her unless it's an official visit, but those would be as a unit and not on my own. I'm surprised you didn't notice me always slipping away all these weeks." Tally said. Looking right at Abigail who ducked her head. She did have a point; neither one of them had noticed Tally constantly slipping away, she hid her relationship very well, even Raelle was impressed she had been caught with Scylla on several occasions and had a habit of just running out at meal services to see her necro.

"How was the sex?" Raelle asked again, clearly not content without an answer. The blonde leaned forwards to stare at Tally, a hand supporting her tilted head.

"It was amazing, she's so attentive." She said with a dreamy look on her face