Technoblade and Evelyn walked arm in arm through the castle gardens, unhurried and blissfully happy in each other's company. Techno's long, unbraided hair mirrored Evelyn's flowing pink skirts, each waving slightly as they walked. After a few minutes, they exited the gardens and walked over to the willow on top of the hill overlooking the castle.

"Can I kiss you?" Techno's voice was low, almost pleading.

"Pardon?"

"Forgive me. May I kiss you?"

Evelyn swayed under Techno's incense gaze. She wanted him to. Oh, how she wanted him to. But…

"We're not even engaged," she reminded him halfheartedly. "It would hardly be appropriate."

"What if we changed that?" Techno asked, grinning and raising an eyebrow in a way that set Evelyn's heart beating at a gallop.

"Beg pardon?"

"Evelyn, I never want to be without you by my side. I want to spend every day with you, every stormy night, every lazy morning. I want to watch the sunsets with you and eat desserts way too late at night. I want to care for you when you're sick, and I want yours to be the arms that hold me when I wake up in the middle of the night. I want to create a life together and to make happier memories than any I have ever known. I have wandered this earth for longer than I care to remember, and now that I finally get to live a mortal life, I want to spend it with you. Evelyn Clearwater, love of my life, will you marry me?"

"Yes!"

Evelyn nearly shouted her answer before he had even finished talking. Tears streamed freely down her face and joyous laughter bubbled up from somewhere deep within.

"A million times over, yes," she repeated. Techno cheered triumphantly, picked her up, and spun her around, overcome with joy. Finally, they slowed and he lowered her back down to the ground, keeping her close in his embrace.

"Oh, Evelyn. You have made me the happiest man on earth."

"If you are the happiest man, I am the happiest woman."

"Evelyn?"

"Yes, Techno?"

"Now may I kiss you?"

Her hazel eyes drifted up to his crimson ones, and it was over.

His lips caught hers in a tender kiss, soft and questioning. Evelyn kissed him back, letting instinct take over for a few precious seconds. He took her face between his hands, cradling it and keeping her close. Every thought in her head dissolved into a pure white. She felt an unfamiliar curl of desire twist inside her, bending all the rules, getting dangerously close to snapping the last trembling bit of restraint. She tried to pull away before things got out of hand.

"No," Techno begged, bringing her lips back to his. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing him closer. The low groan at the back of his throat, a small, pleading noise, set every inch of her skin on fire. Evelyn's hand snaked up his back and into his hair, feeling the silky strands between her fingers.

They broke apart, breathless, foreheads pressed together. How much time had passed, neither one knew. Evelyn was the first to open her eyes. Techno's eyebrows were scrunched together and a pained expression flicked over his face. Evelyn pulled away, alarmed.

"Are you okay?" she asked, immediately worried. Techno chuckled, slowly opening his eyes. A deep emotion played in them, one Evelyn couldn't name.

"We need to get married soon," Techno said. "I love you more than I can say, and if we keep doing that… I'm not sure how much more self control I can muster."

Evelyn smiled and nodded in agreement.

"You and me both," she said, breathless. "Note to self - keep the kissing to a minimum."

Techno frowned.

"I don't know about "minimum." Just, not out of control. We are engaged now, after all. We do have a few more liberties now, and I fully intend to take full advantage of them."

"On that note," Evelyn said tentatively, gesturing toward his face, "May I…?"

Techno nodded and closed his eyes to allow her full access to his face. He hummed happily as she took it in her hands. Slowly, tenderly, she traced the features of his face, tracing every scar with her fingertips. Sometimes she would ask him where a particular scar came from, and he would tell her. She ran her fingers along his ears.

"Why are they pointed?"

"I'm not sure, actually. Something left over from my time as a god, I think."

"Where did you get your earring?"

She held the small blue gem in her hand, studying the way the light refracted off it.

"It was a gift from Wilbur. I used to have an emerald one. Philza had a matching gem. They were treasures from one of our conquests long ago."

Techno remembered that he had several treasure stashes around the countryside - spoils of the wars and conquests he had won long ago. When he was immortal, material things had little to no value, but now they ensured that he and Evelyn would never want for anything.

When Evelyn's hand drifted back down to his cheek, he kissed the palm of her hand and reopened his eyes. Evelyn smiled at him.

"My turn?" he asked. Evelyn blushed modestly but nodded, closed her eyes, and leaned in closer.

He did the same thing, tracing her face gently and studying every detail of her features. She wiggled her nose when he brushed it gently, pulling a chuckle from both of them. His eyes followed the curve of her jaw and her neck, then froze when he saw the necklace she was wearing.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, touching his thumb to the small pendant.

"It was a gift from the family that ran the bookshop I lived next to for a while. In the town, I mean. I just thought it looked nice with my dress."

"If I get you a necklace, will you wear it?"

"You don't need to do that."

"I want to. I'm going to get you a proper ring, too. Until then…"

Techno slid a silver band off his pinky and put it on her left ring finger.

"Promise me you'll wear this until I can get you a proper one?"

"I promise."

The branches on the willow tree swayed gently, content to shield the lovers from the world for just a bit longer. They sat together, leaning against the trunk of the tree. Evelyn rested her head on Techno's shoulder and nuzzled into the crook of his neck. Techno was going fairly crazy at the feel of her breath on his skin, but never in a million years would he move as much as an inch so long as she stayed there.

"Techno?"

"Yes, blossom?"

"When are we going to get married?"

"When would you like to? We could do it as soon as tomorrow, if you wish. Or we could wait a year or two, though I won't be particularly happy if we go with that option. I've waited thousands of years to find someone like you, and I do hope you'll forgive me for wanting to start this next chapter of our life as soon as possible. That said, I have already waited thousands of years for this moment; I suppose a little bit longer won't hurt. What would you like to do?"

Evelyn thought, playing with a strand of grass.

"I think traditionally, a wedding takes place a few months after the engagement. That gives the couple time to send out invitations to all their friends and extended family, receive gifts, and put everything in order."

She grimaced as she remembered how crazy it had been to plan Margaret's wedding. Techno didn't miss the flash of unpleasant emotions.

"We could do that, I suppose," he mused. "Or we could do something much simpler."

"Like what?"

"We could do a small ceremony with just the two of us and the pastor. I've never been a fan of weddings being less about the couple and more about the fanfare surrounding the ceremony."

"That is a tempting option," Evelyn admitted, "but I don't think I could do that to my family. I owe it to them to do an actual wedding."

"Who told you that?"

Evelyn didn't have an answer. The clock tower chimed noon, pulling the couple out of their beautiful reverie. Techno kissed the top of Evelyn's head, then reluctantly stood and helped her to her feet.

"Evelyn," he said as they started walking back toward the castle, hand in hand, "our wedding can be whatever we want it to be. We don't have to make it all about your family or our friends if we don't want to. Let's keep talking about this over the next few days or weeks, but know that if you tell me you want to get married in the middle of the woods on a random Tuesday morning with nobody there but you, me, and the pastor, I will support you. If you say you want to rent out half the castle and invite every person in town, I will support you. The only thing I require is for you to be happy."

Evelyn nuzzled her head into Technoblade's arm.

"Thank you."

Once they made it back to the castle, Techno asked Evelyn if she wanted to share a meal with him in his study. She politely declined, but instead offered he accompany her back into town so they could eat at the inn. She pulled absently at a strand of her hair as she spoke.

"While we're in town, I think you should meet Ranboo. As reluctant as I am to end this beautiful moment with you, we really should address the topic again. I loathe fighting with you, especially on such a happy day. If you could but meet him, perhaps we can reach some sort of compromise on what to do moving forward. I can see now it was rash of me to let him stay last night, and I'm sorry for not thinking of you when I offered to help him. I'll be sure to ask you before I do anything in the future. "

Evelyn's eyes were downcast as she apologized. Techno rubbed the back of his neck, slightly abashed.

"You needn't go that far, my love. And perhaps my reaction was a bit more than the situation warranted. Truth be told, these last few days have been trying on my nerves and your innocent revelation was just the sheaf of wheat that broke the donkey's back, as they say. Though, that doesn't excuse my reaction. Maybe just consult with me next time you want to do anything like that in the future. I want to respect your privacy, agency, and judgment in our marriage."

"And I, yours. Are we okay, then?"

"Yes, my love. We are okay. Let's go eat and meet this friend of yours."

Evelyn reveled in the freedom she had now to hold Technoblade's hand in public. The feel of his calloused palm in hers was unfamiliar, but beautiful. As was the feel of the ring he had given her. Though it was merely a simple silver band on her finger, she felt as though the whole world could not help but see the way the light danced off it as they walked. What a happy day this had turned out to be!

Technoblade, as was to be expected, showed no emotion on his face besides mild disdain as they walked around in public. Now familiar with his intricacies, though, Evelyn could see the joy still playing at the corners of his eyes every time he glanced down at her and smothered a smile. She squeezed his hand, and he returned the pressure softly.

They ate leisurely, conversing easily in the corner of the dining room. If anyone gave them the occasional odd or suspicious look, neither party noticed. After the meal, Evelyn's bliss was spoiled with a wiggle of nervousness as she anticipated introducing Technoblade and Ranboo. Nothing could go too terribly wrong, surely?

Once upstairs, Evelyn knocked on her door and announced herself to Ranboo, telling him she had brought a friend. She expected Technoblade to be genial when he first met Ranboo, and indeed he was, but she did not expect the odd look of recognition that flashed over his face when they first met. Techno masked it quickly, but she made a mental note to ask him about it later.

"It's nice to meet you, Ranboo," Techno said, bowing at the waist. Ranboo bowed back awkwardly from his half-crouched position in the corner. He met Techno's gaze evenly, and something seemed to pass between them.

"Now that we're all here," Evelyn began, "I was hoping we could all come up with a plan for what to do next. Techno tells me the circus has moved on without causing trouble, so you should be able to stay around here relatively safely if you should wish. Unfortunately, some of the locals would likely recognize you so you shouldn't walk around in public, but we could probably find somewhere you could stay that would shield you from unwelcome eyes. Isn't that right, my love?"

Evelyn turned to Techno, but he seemed to be lost in thought as he looked at Ranboo. With a start, Evelyn realized that his eyes were glowing slightly. Across the room, Ranboo's eyes glowed too but with more intensity. After a moment of tense silence, Ranboo blinked and looked away. Techno shook his head wearily, his eyes no longer glowing.

"I won't speak for Evelyn, but I will need time to think about your proposal before I give you an answer," Techno said, addressing Ranboo. "I am not in a position to travel with you nor help you find what you seek, but perhaps I can help you start your journey."

"What's going on?" Evelyn looked from one man to the other, equal parts confused and frustrated at being left out of the conversation.

"Ranboo has shown me a bit more about himself and what he hopes to do moving forward. He has made a request for each of us."

"What does he want us to do?"

"He would like you to teach him to write and speak more fluently in the Common Tongue."

"I'd be happy to," Evelyn agreed immediately, "but what did he ask of you?"

"I'll tell you later, blossom. I need to think about it first. In the meantime, there is the matter of where Ranboo will stay."

"I can find a home," Ranboo said slowly. "Evelyn and Techno do not need to worry about Ranboo. You have already been too kind. I am in your debt."

"Where will you go?" Evelyn asked.

"Into the forest. It is quiet there."

"There is a woodcutter's cabin midway between the town and the castle," Techno offered. "I believe it's been abandoned for a few years. You could stay there."

"Can you show me?"

"Yes."

Ranboo's eyes glowed again for a moment, then he ducked his head a smiled.

"That will work," he affirmed. Techno tilted his head in acknowledgement and flicked an ear.

Without another word, and in a puff of purple sparks, Ranboo was gone.

"What just happened?"

Techno kissed the top of Evelyn's head and chuckled.

"I believe our guest has taken his leave, in his own way. Mister Ranboo certainly knows how to make a dramatic exit, I'll give him that."

A timid knock at the door drew their attention. The innkeeper waved abashedly and cleared his throat.

"Pardon me for interrupting, General, but I have a letter for Miss Clearwater," he apologized, flapping a piece of parchment in his hands. "It's from the Queen, so I thought I'd deliver it personally."

Techno and Evelyn exchanged a look as she reached to take the letter from the innkeeper. It appeared like a regular letter, so there must not be an emergency, but it was still unusual for Margaret to write to Evelyn at the inn.

"I'll leave you to your letter, my love. May I pick you up for dinner tonight?" Techno asked, brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She blushed.

"I would like that very much."

Techno bent down for a quick kiss, leaving Evelyn happily stunned. He grinned innocently.

"Until tonight, then."

Evelyn giggled and pushed him, not unkindly, out the door. Techno's happy expression dissolved the moment he was alone with the innkeeper. They stared at each other for a moment. Techno raised an eyebrow. The innkeeper nodded. He knew that if he wanted to keep his job, and quite possibly his life, he could not tell anyone what he had just seen. Techno flicked his ear, satisfied, and left quickly.

Back in her room, Evelyn sat at her vanity and opened the letter from Margaret. Her eyes skimmed the contents quickly, searching for any signs of an emergency or bad news; when she found none she breathed a sigh of relief and began reading the letter again more slowly. As the loopy letters and carefully crafted words sunk in, Evelyn's heart soared. Margaret was proposing an idea that would secure a job for Evelyn, allow her to live closer to Techno for their engagement, and provide a life for both of them after they got married (not that Margaret would know about that part). And best of all, she would get unlimited tiny human snuggles.

When the time came, Queen Margaret wanted Evelyn to take care of the newborn royal baby.

Author's Aside

Hey guys! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. There's a lot of

exciting stuff coming up for Techno and Evelyn, and this is just the beginning.

On a much more somber note, I wanted to address the tragic news that the real life Technoblade

passed away this week. I definitely cried as I watched his last video, and this whole week I've wrestled with

how to say goodbye to someone I grew to know and love as a friend, but who also had no idea that I existed (if that makes sense).

It's been tough, as I'm sure it's been tough for all of you. Just know that as much as I can be,

I'm here for you.

If you are dealing with difficult emotions, know that it's okay and you're not alone. Find people you can talk to,

that you trust, and who will listen. Things will get better, I promise.

Finally, I think it's fair to say that while the person known as Technoblade might have passed on from this life,

we still carry a piece of his spirit with us everywhere we go. He continues to live through our memories,

our art, our stories, and our love for each other.

So in a way, Technoblade never truly dies.

Take care, my friends. Be safe, drink water, go for a walk, and know you are loved. 3

Rest in Peace Alex, aka Technoblade, July 2022