With special thanks to Duneden for letting me borrow from his story Goblin Slayer: What Comes After to fill in some character development on a topic a number of you have been asking about. Not going as indepth as last time, but I am will to bend to popular demand when and where I see it fitting the narrative I have in mind.

Married Life

Chapter Fifteen: Celebrate Good Times!

The Guild Hall was full almost to capacity, with brightly coloured bunting hanging from the rafters and the scent of fresh bread and succulent meat in the air, mixing with excited voices and joyful music as a troop of travailing bards did their best to be heard over the commotion. Everyone was dressed in their best, even Goblin Slayer, who'd been forced by his wives to actually dress in something other than his armour or the old work clothes he wore on the rare occasion he was without it. Instead they had procured him a black suit and white shirt that somehow still managed to look like he'd slept in it, despite their best efforts.

It had been a busy two months since the birth of Grace, least not because she'd been joined by twin brothers, Jacob and Eugene, named after their grandfathers. Cow Girls labour had been long and tiring, and she'd slept for two days straight afterwards, her husband keeping vigil while Guild Girl had nursed the newborns along with their sister. High Elf Archer had tried to keep watch over her wife, but at seven months pregnant with her own child, she simply hadn't been able. Fortunately the young redhead had awoken, and there were no signs of anything to be concerned about.

Apparently even more money exchanged hands this time, and people were openly asking High Elf Archer if she had any insight into the baby she carried.

The preparations for Priestess seventeenth birthday had already been well underway, and she had been more than happy to make it a joint celebration. Given just how popular the young cleric was around the town, it hadn't been hard for Inspector and Padfoot Waitress to organise a massive celebration, with people freely giving their time to help make the Guild Hall ready for the big night. With winter behind them, and spring in the air, people seemed to be in the mood to celebrate and let their hair down. Perhaps the only negative, from Priestess' point of view, was the absence of a certain guest she had personally invited.

It had been almost two years to the day since her first visit to the Guild Hall, and her joining the ill-fated party of freshly. minted Porcelain ranked Adventurers looking to destroy a neat of goblins not far from town. Two years since she had watched half that party die right before her eyes. First had been Warrior, the party leader, who'd been overwhelmed by goblins and hacked to death whilst trying to come to the aid of Wizard, who'd been stabbed in the guts by a poisoned blade. The bright young mage had been next to die, her life ended by Goblin Slayer to spare her the agonising death that the poison had in store for her. The party's forth member, Fighter, had tried to cover Priestess while she sort to help Wizard, only to be incapacitated by a Hobgoblin and then set upon by the rest of the tribe. Even as they stripped her clothes and prepared to violate her, she'd called out for Priestess to run, to try and get Wizard to safety.

Priestess had failed in her task, but she had helped Goblin Slayer avenge her fallen comrades on the goblins after he had saved her from suffering the same fate. They had found Fighter alive, huddled with the goblins other prisoners, her senses having fled her body in order to escape her ordeal. Catatonic, she'd been taken in by the same village that had posted the Quest, and although it had taken a long time, she had started down the road to recovery. In a bid to exorcise the feelings of regret that had been plaguing her, Priestess had written to the Village Elder, asking after her former teammate.

The last thing she had expected was to receive a response from Fighter herself.

She'd turned her back on the life of an Adventurer, but she had found peace, happiness and even love in that small village, marrying the local Apothecarist. The two had started exchanging letters on a somewhat regular basis, keeping each other up to date on what was happening in their lives and the lives of those closest to them. Learning that the other woman had found a way to put what had happened in that dark, dank cave behind her and find a new reason to live had helped heal the emotional wounds Priestess had been carrying around, and she had happily invited Fighter and her husband to attend the celebrations, only to receive a response informing her that they would not be able to travel, due to the fact that Fighter had fallen pregnant with their first child.

The news had lifted Priestess' heart, and she had even found herself visiting Wizards grave to pass the news on.

The minstrels started playing something you could dance to, bringing Priestess back to the present as couples made their way to the small open space available. Spearman and Heavy Swordsman looked worried, but not nearly as terrified as Rookie Warrior, who was quite literally dragged across the room by Apprentice Cleric and forced to dance with her. Being forced to actually put his hands on his partner in a non-professional way looked ready to fell him quicker than any enemy blow, but he soon loosened up and even seemed to be enjoying himself after a while.

"I want to dance." Priestess looked around, and seeing Goblin Slayer sat at a table with his family, grabbed his hand, "Mind if I borrow him?"

"Fine with me." Guild Girl nodded, "Too tired to dance myself."

"Same." Cow Girl agreed, rocking the basket that contained her twins.

"To fat." High Elf Archer frowned, "Let's see what moves Orcbolg has."

"I don't dance." Their husband tried to protest, but once again found himself unable to say no to the women in his life, even the ones he wasn't married to.

Priestess led Goblin across to the dance floor, arriving just as the song ended and the musicians started a slower tune that encouraged the dancers to move closer. The young cleric could have sworn she saw her companion shoot the chestnut haired woman leading the minstrels a look, only to get a wink in return, but then they were caught up in the sea of moving bodies, Goblin Slayer surprisingly attune to the melody.

"You're a much better dancer than I expected." she commented, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes.

"My sister taught me." he mumbled, "She always loved to dance."

"I'm so sorry!" Priestess backed up, mortified, "I didn't realise..."

"It's OK." Goblin Slayer assured her, "It's a... happy memory."

Reassured that she wasn't stirring up bad memories, Priestess resumed dancing, enjoying being close to Goblin Slayer, of feeling the warmth of his body against her own. Feelings that she'd been trying to suppress started to bubble to the surface, brought forth by the music.

"You know, I'll be eighteen in a year."

"I see."

"High Elf Archer promised that, if I still had... feelings for you, when I turned eighteen, then I could... join."

"I see."

"Goblin Slayer, sir, I... I still have feelings for you, and they're only growing stronger."

"I... see."

"Do you... do you think I'd make a good wife?"

Goblin Slayer was silent for a moment, working to pick the right words: he didn't want to encourage her, but at the same time, he didn't want to ruin her birthday.

"Any man would be lucky to have a wife like you."

Priestess looked up at him to make sure that he wasn't making a joke at her expense, but seeing the truth in his eyes, her face lit up like the rising sun. The music that had been playing came to an end, and she pulled him down so she could plant a soft, chase kiss on his lips. Giggling, she disappeared off into the crowd, vanishing from his sight in an instant.

Goblin Slayer found himself standing at the bar waiting to be served when he felt the presence at his side.

"The two of you cut quite the figure out there." the leader of the minstrels smiled, "And you a married man and all."

"Bard." Goblin Slayer looked over at his new companion, "Quite the surprise to see you this far north."

"Oh, I'm getting paid quite well, or I wouldn't be here." the musician lent against the bar, "Mage wanted someone to check in on you."

"You didn't ask why?"

"For what he's paying?" Bard chuckled, "I do this, and all debts are forgiven."

"From what I recall, you owed him a lot..."

"And he obviously wants to make sure you're doing OK. But I am just a humble wandering minstrel: who am I to question the actions of one of the Sorcerer's Council?"

"From what I recall, you had a habit of questioning every order." Goblin Slayer looked around the room, "You're alone?"

"Expecting to see Lord Paladin waiting tables?" Bard threw her head back and laughed, "No, I'm travelling incognito. Even left Swordswoman at home."

"So, what are you going to tell Mage?"

"That Minotaur Blacksmith was right: that somehow those wives of yours have managed to domesticate you." Bard accepted a glass of wine from Padfoot Waitress, "Oh well, back to work I guess. Be seeing you, shorty."

"She's very good." the Tavern employee stood watching her go, "Friend of yours?"

"Someone I met once, when I was younger." Goblin Slayer accepted a tankard of ale, "Nothing worth talking about."

Paying for his drink, he made his way back to the table where his wives sat waiting.

"Who knew you could dance so well." Guild Girl moved next to him and nuzzled up close to him.

"I suspected." Cow Girl smiled as she put an arm around High Elf Archer, "Grace, his sister, Grace, was the best dancer in the village where we grew up. Every festival, all the boys would line up for the chance to dance with her."

"Next time, then." Guild Girl finished her lemonade, "I think it's time we got the little ones back to bed."

"I second the motion." High Elf Archer looked her own drink, wishing, not for the first time, that it contained wine, not water, "Time we all got to bed."

Bard watched the family depart from her place up on the small stage: she didn't know exactly what Mage was planning, but it was bound to be interesting...

To Be Continued...

So yeah, the bit about Fighter is based off of Dunedens story.

If you liked what you read, go check out his work for yourself.