And now a scene I'm sure some of you have been waiting for.

Married Life

Chapter Five : Waiting Game

"Gods is it hot!" High Elf Archer fanned her face with one hand, tilting her head back to try and find some shade.

"I told you to get a hat." Cow Girl sat beside her wife, her head covered in a broad brimmed straw boater that allotted her at least some relief from the merciless heat of the midday sun. That didn't stop it from baking the rest of her exposed skin, but she was well use to working up a tan in summer, even if her fair complexion meant that she had to be careful not to burn.

Her Elfin companion groaned, leaning back against the bench the two of them were sat on in the middle of town. They were sat across from a nondescript house on one of the main side streets, waiting somewhat impatiently for the sky blue door to open.

It had been a fairly typical morning on the farm: Goblin Slayer had been out checking for any signs of goblin activity, while Cow Girl was cooking breakfast for them all. When she first gotten married and moved out of the main house, she'd still gone back every morning to cook for her uncle, but he'd politely but insistently told her that it wasn't necessary any more. Despite that, she'd continued to help around the farm, not wanting to be the kind of woman who left it to her husband to do all the work. High Elf Archer had been baking some Elvish travailing rations for an upcoming quest, the recipe a family secret that she was trying to teach her wife.

But while Cow Girl was an expert at soups, stew and cheese, baking was something she didn't seem to have the nack for, and her attempts to make the legendary Elvish dish were unsuccessful to say the least.

"Sorry I'm late." Guild Girl staggered through the door on uneasy legs, "I think I must have picked up a bug somewhere: that's the forth day I've woken up sick."

Cow Girl stopped what she was doing and looked at her wife, doing some quick mental arithmetic.

"We're go into town this morning." High Elf Archer's voice was calm and level, having already done the same calculations.

"Oh, I suppose the fresh air might do me some good." Guild Girl managed a faint smile as she sat at the table and pored herself a glass of milk.

The Ranger glanced over to the farm-hand, making sure that at least the two of them were on the same page, and was relieved to see that they were. Living together, sharing a bed, a husband, each others bodies, they had become acutely aware of certain cycles, and both realised that something hadn't happened for their wife when it should have. And yet the young clerk showed no sign of realising what her body was trying to tell her, and neither was sure just how to broach the subject.

Hence how they found themselves sitting on a well worn bench normally reserved for husbands and lovers, waiting as patiently as they could.

"Goodmorning." a familiar voice brought the two of them back to reality and they looked around to see Witch and Female Knight walking down the road towards them. Unusually, neither was dressed in their usual Adventurers attire, even if Witch did still have her pointed, broad rimmed hat, only now being used to protect herself from the heat of the noonday sun. Beneath it she wore a dress the colour of summer grass, with a plunging neckline and slit hupto her hip on one side, with a pair of sandals below. In comparison, Female Knight was much more conservatively dressed, in a white blouse, plad skird and brown leather shoes.

Female Knight looked around until she saw the familiar blur door that was well known to almost every woman and girl in the town and stopped dead in her tracks. Realising that her companion had stopped, Witch turned to ask why, and realised exactly where they were and likewise froze.

"If the two of you are here," she turned to look at the bench, then back to the door, "then that must mean that..."

"That's exactly what we're here to find out." Cow Girl nodded, knowing full well that, in such a small town, it would be public knowledge before long anyway, "She's been inside almost an hour now."

Female Knight and Witch looked at each other, then joined their two friends on the bench.

"Gods, it's hot." Witch took off her hat and fanned herself with it, causing Cow Girl and High Elf Archer to exchange knowing looks.

"So, things are... working out... for the four of you?" Female Knight asked hesitantly.

Cow Girl rolled her eyes while High Elf Archer pulled face: people seemed to be fascinated by their home life, regardless of their opinion on their marriage. Many assumed that Goblin Slayer was in some way taking advantage of the three of them, but nothing could be further from the truth. While it was true that none of them had any romantic attraction to other women before the marriage, none of them had exactly opposed to the idea once they had agreed to confront Goblin Slayer with their plan to circumvent his inability to choose between them.

Still, it wasn't something that they felt like discussing with outsiders, no matter who they were. As such Cow Girl responded by putting an arm around High Elf Archer and kissing her on the ear, making the Adventurer blush somewhat.

"Things are going fine." the Ranger smiled, taking her wife's hand in her own, "Just fine."

Any further conversation was halted by the sound of the blue door across the road opening, Guild Girl stepping through. She paused to thank someone inside, then stepped out into the street. Four sets of eyes locked onto her, trying to read her expression, but failing.

"Well?" Witch asked, impatiently.

"Yes." Guild Girl smiled somewhat nervously, "I'm pregnant."

Cow Girl let out a squeel of excitement and darted across the road, followed closely by High Elf Archer. The two embraced their wife, squeezing her between them in a fierce bear-hug. Witch and Female Knight crossed the road at a much more restrained pace, offering their own congratulations to the young mother-to-be.

"Hello." A voice from nearby caught their attention, and they all looked around to see Goblin Slayer standing in the middle of the street, a confused looking Priestess at his side, "Why are you all here?"

Witch and Female Knight exchanged a look and burst out laughing.

"I think you should tell him." Cow Girl placed her hands on Guild Girls shoulders.

"I'm..." The clerk struggled to find the words, "We're..."

"Congratulations, Orcbolg: she's with child." High Elf Archer grinned, "You're going to be a father."

There was a moment of silence as everyone turned to face Goblin Slayer, trying to gage his reaction through his distinctive visored helmet. He stood stiff as aboard for a moment, then fell backwards like a cut tree, landing unmoving on the street.

"Well, he took that about as well as I expected." Female Knight deadpanned.

To Be Continued...