Chapter 2 – Love at First Crash Site
Rena loved the Shingo Forest. Who could blame her? Whenever she sat in her favorite little clearing, she could practically hear a strain of calming music playing in the background as she watched the sunlight maneuver through the overhead foliage, the birds flapping across a sky blue with hope, and the odd large hairy mammal preying on any stupidly brave, nonhiding rodents. Though the larger species native to the forest were normally agreeable and relatively harmless to humans, an incident involving one under the influence of the Sorcery Globe had been the catalyst for one of Rena's other favorite moments in the Shingo Forest: her first meeting with Claude Kenni.
On that day, she had found herself under attack from one of the larger and, she remembered later, smellier denizens of the woods. Just when she was ready to give up the ghost, though, a dashing hero, whom she would later dub the Warrior of Light, drove the beast off with his pocket phase gun. Just thinking about it made her heart beat like a big brass drum. Not even the fact that Opera Vectra later managed to crash her starship, rather messily, into the same forest could ruin the nostalgic value of the scenery for her.
And that was why she had brought Claude back to the place. That was why she felt it was the best place to make her proposal.
"Claude?" Rena spoke in the most alluring tone she could muster. She tried to heighten the effect by batting her eyelashes a few times.
"Yes, Rena?"
"I just wanted to say that I'm glad I met you." Building up the tension, of course.
"And you wanted to bring me here, to where we first saw each other, to make it even more special?"
"Of course," said Rena. "If it weren't for you, I'd be dead now. Trillions of others, too. You're a hero."
Claude blushed. "You did just as much to help stop Indalecio. You're the one who stopped his Crest of Annihilation."
"I know that," said Rena, "but you really did more than your share. In fact, I think it should be obvious why I fell for you."
"But I lost the duel," said Claude, his voice sounding a little dejected at the reminder.
"Dias cheated," said Rena. "I didn't realize it at first, but when I stopped to think, I noticed that he broke the rules. That's why he won."
"How can anyone possibly cheat in a battle like that?"
"He began before the start signal. He never should have been the one to win my hand. It should have been you."
"Why are you telling me this?" Claude hung his head. "Are you just trying to make me feel bad?"
"Not at all!"
"Then why say you love me after you already married Dias?"
"I didn't marry him," said Rena. She paused for a moment before continuing. "I broke off our engagement when I found out he cheated."
A drop of sweat formed on Rena's forehead when she realized that she might have paused for too long. She wanted the proper dramatic effect, but she didn't want to look suspicious. Claude couldn't know exactly what was going on until she got her contract in ink and sealed with a No Divorce clause. Expellian law was funny that was.
"You came back… for me?" Claude sounded confused.
"Yes, I did," said Rena. "You knew we'd be together from the first moment we met, didn't you?"
"Honestly, no," said Claude. "I mean, the way you kept mentioning Dias, I felt quite a bit like a third wheel."
"Never mind that," said Rena. "You won. Dias lost. Now all that's left is for us to fill out the proper paperwork and then start our new life. Together."
"Claude and Rena Kenni," Claude whispered. "I like that."
"I'm keeping my last name," said Rena. I don't want to turn into Rena Lanford-Tax-Flac-Kenni-Raviede-Jean-Geeste-Anchors-Jules-Cross-Chandler—what was Yul's last name? Wait, Chandler? I hate Noel. And when did I fall in love with Celine?
"Okay, sure," said Claude. "I have no problem with that, unless you're just using it as a ruse to appear single so you can date other guys."
"Why would I want to date other guys?" said Rena.
"I was just joking," said Claude. "Just a joke."
"Oh," said Rena. "Yeah, it is kind of funny, the way you say that."
"I'm a funny man," said Claude.
Joke's on you, Claude, my sweet.
"I have the papers all here," said Rena. "Right inside my bag. I just need your signature on a few of them, and then I'll take them to Cross to get them filed. In the meantime, I'll be thinking of where we're going to live."
"I was hoping we would live back on Earth," said Claude. "I have my career to think about."
"Could you please put your career on hold?" said Rena. "Surely you can do that for someone as cute as I am, can't you?"
"Uh, I guess," said Claude. "Only for you."
"Great," said Rena. "Shall we, then?"
"Yes, hand me the papers, my Dear Rena."
Claude took from Rena a pen and a couple of legal forms, with the signature blanks already outlined in red marker. "You've really thought of everything, haven't you?"
"Not yet," said Rena.
"By the way," said Claude.
"What?"
"I never did tell you when we first met, but you look absolutely gorgeous in this light."
Rena smiled. Rena smiled a smile that meant much more than Claude knew.
