DINNER WITH FRIENDS

You all who don't get to see what goes on behind the scenes of this story, are really missing out. Right now LS and I have an absolutely hilarious A.U. going on and a scandalous sequel. We might have to share this stuff in the forum some day it's too great not to.

However, I digress. Shara promised Sanjay a final dinner and he got it and we'll just pick up the story from there. ~ DK

…

"So there really was nothing to worry about." Shara told Mina and Lana in the guest room that evening after she had returned to the Bonteris' home. "Sanjay was a perfect gentleman. He offered me enough wine. I don't know if that was part of his plan but I kept it well watered so it wouldn't affect me."

She knew she was babbling but didn't care. The final dinner she had promised to have with Sanjay was over. Tomorrow morning they only had a few documents to sign to authenticate that their marriage had been invalid. And then she would be sailing north with the Blackwells to her new life.

While she was gone, Geb and Edda had brought several trunks of items from the Rupingwoods' home to the Bonteris' for Shara to go through and see what she wanted to keep and take with her to Blackhold.

Shara laughed. "I had to visit the 'fresher a couple of times for all the water I drank."

"But he didn't object to your having the droid there, holorecording the whole thing?" Mina asked as she gently folded a skirt and placed it in the trunk of the items headed north.

"Not at all." Shara picked up a tunic that had once belonged to her mother. It was really too lightweight for the northern climate but she wasn't ready to part with it so she packed it anyway. "Of course it will probably be the most boring date holo ever recorded. He kissed my hand when I first arrived but other than that we just ate and talked."

"Well, thank the salt gods it's over now." Lana grinned at the baby boy in her arms and tickled him. "All over, isn't it, Lux."

He giggled and clapped his hands. That was new trick he had learned just in the week they had all been staying with the Bonteris.

Mina smiled proudly. "You'll be glad to get back to your little girl."

"I will." Lana sighed. "Thank you so much for allowing me to monopolize this guy's attention while we've been here. It's made missing her not quite so bad."

"I'm sure Jamos has been taking good care of her," said Shara with a warm glow in her cheeks.

The other women laughed with her and for a moment Shara felt as she had a year ago laughing with Mel and Edda at the summer fete. Back then they had spoken of the dalgos races and the Rupings' aerial displays. Shara had told Mel the legend of the Drexl eggs and they'd asked Edda a million questions about what it was like to be married and so close to having her second child.

Mel wanted to know because Bremon had just proposed to her. And Shara had been hoping that she might be carrying her own child soon, even though she had to keep the father's identity a secret. How she had wanted to tell Melaana that they might soon be sisters. She'd been so thrilled when she found out…

"Shara?" The sound of Mina's voice drew Shara out of her memory.

"Hmm?"

"I was just asking who this was in the painting?" Mina asked again.

"Oh!" Shara smiled at the framed portrait that had hung in her father's house for as long as she could remember. "It's my mother and I when I was little. There was an artist who was wandering around the grounds of the summer fete the year before my mother died. We didn't even know he painted it until all the tents were being packed away and we were getting ready to go home. The artist was going to try to sell it but Father talked him into giving it to him instead. He said our images weren't for sale, got all angry. I think he just liked the picture and wanted it for himself."

When she finished the story, she was still smiling but her cheeks were wet with tears.

Mina put an arm around her shoulders. "It's beautiful! What a treasure to remember both of your parents."

Shara nodded, cleared her throat, and wiped the dampness from her cheeks. "I had always imagined hanging it in a nursery some day but I didn't have the heart to take it from Father when I left home and I didn't think the Rashes would want something so ammature hanging in their estate anyway…"

"I can hardly wait for that piece to grace a wall somewhere in the Hold," said Lana sincerely. "We'll have to find the perfect spot. Maybe even some day…"

Shara didn't let her finish. "Thank you." Her words were choked with emotion.

Lux choose that moment to yawn loudly. His sleepy little eyelids fluttered closed.

"It's way past his bedtime." Mina whispered.

Lana pleaded, "Oh, let me hold him a little longer. He's fine here."

"I wouldn't dream of trying to move him now." Mina assured her with a wink.

"You know." Shara said softly with a mischievous grin. "A Bonteri son and a Blackwell daughter, you could just sign the betrothal contract now and be done with it."

"Dane was betrothed once." Mina laughed. "I'm so thankful it didn't take."

Lana didn't take her eyes off the sleeping baby in her arms. "It worked out alright for Marlon and I but I sure wasn't thrilled with the idea at first. We were only 13 after all."

"What in the names of the salt gods are you three gossiping about in here?" Marlon appeared at the door as if he had been summoned.

All three of the women shushed him and motioned to the sleeping baby.

"Oh sorry." He whispered, squeezed his wife's shoulder affectionately, and smiled at seeing her with little Lux in her arms.

"I was just about to tell them about our betrothal." She grinned back up at him.

"Meh. You'll leave out all the good bits." He plopped down on the bed next to her. "I'll tell you girls how it really happened…"

…

Marlon sat at the head table staring down at what would be his lordship sooner than he would like. He glanced to the side at his father. Alon Blackwell hid his affliction well. The Lord of the north smiled and his great laugh boomed out through the hall. But Marlon had discovered the truth, that the man he had always believed to be unsinkable, was dying of the dreaded genetic condition, Fartrad's Disease.

It seemed like living a lie to be celebrating the summer feast but he knew it was necessary. The northerners needed to believe in the strength of their lord. And this night especially, when they had visitors from the south, the pretense must be carried out.

Marlon's mother, Quaita Blackwell, caught his eye and raised an eyebrow. He forced a smile onto his own face. She nodded back at him and took her husband's hand in hers.

"A good lord needs a good lady," Father had told him more than once and Momma certainly was that. It was she who was really responsible for arranging all this, the show of power and nobility. Let the Southerners take that back to Iziz and the bannermen back to their islands.

It had also been Momma who approached Grandmother Flint about her extensive research and knowledge of the families and bloodlines. She'd had Marlon and Jamos both tested to see if they too carried Father's affliction. Neither of them were in danger of suffering the pain and weakness and early death that awaited their father but they would pass that risk on to their children. And this figured into their choice of lifemate.

For this decision Grandmother Flint's expertise was again called upon for advice. It was because of her suggestion that her third son along with his wife and their oldest daughter had taken pride of place at the table directly to the right of the head table where the Lord and his family observed the occasion.

Lana Flint didn't appear to be anymore taken with the idea then he was. He tried to catch her eye a dozen times over the course of the evening. Maybe he could at least foster some sort of solidarity. They were in this together after all. And would be for a long time to come. It wasn't like he wanted it anymore than she did.

Marlon's expression turned sour again with frustration. If his future bride wouldn't look at him, he might as well find something more pleasing to gaze upon. Scanning the room he located someone very nice indeed.

This year's recipient of the title of Miss North Sea was also being honored tonight, and salt gods, was she ever worthy of the title. The Kretash girls were renowned for their beautiful, exotic eyes. Adria was no exception.

She, however, was not even worth his consideration. Even leaving off Marlon's betrothal, Adria currently had her lovely eyes focused on his best friend, Glover Harkon. He must have been telling her one of his big fish stories and she was smiling and laughing.

Marlon wished a girl would look at him like that. He wished his betrothed would look at him like that. He thought she might really be pretty if she would only smile. Again he tried to catch Lana's eye and still she was staring fixedly away.

He attempted to follow her gaze. She was looking across the room at the table opposite. There sat that family from the south, the Rashes. Lana seemed particularly interested in their son. He was roughly the same age as Marlon himself and, Marlon realized with an uncomfortable twist of his stomach, a rival for her affections.

What could she possibly see in that landlubber? Marlon wondered. The boy looked like he had eaten something bitter but he hadn't touched the super that was laid before him and it was the very best that the Hold's chef had to offer. Hadn't his mother taught him better than to refuse what was offered by their hosts? Marlon's own mother would have taken a paddle to his backside for being so rude.

He looked at Lana again and back at the Rash kid. They were staring at each other now! It was disgraceful! Here! In the great hall of Blackhold! On the night that her betrothal was supposed to be announced!

Marlon wished he were Lord of the Hold now, so he could just send the whole kriffing family back to Iziz. No, that wasn't true really. He wouldn't wish his father away for anything. But still, why were they even here?

He scanned the faces of the Rash family members. The patriarch was old and uninterested. The mother may have been pretty once but she wore an expression of pure contempt that masked any sort of loveliness.

The only one who seemed to be in anyway enjoying themselves was the little girl. Her bright eyes were attempting to take everything in at once. If her meal went untouched it was only because she was too excited to eat. Her vitality was contagious and Marlon couldn't help but smile a little at her joy.

It was then that he noticed something else, those eyes! The boy had them, too, and the mother! He hadn't noticed before because their expressions were so sour. He shifted his gaze to Adria Kretash and then back to the family from the south. They were the same! They had to be related or it was an extraordinary coincidence. Marlon bet Grandmother Flint would know.

That thought reminded him of Lana, but when he turned to look at his betrothed again he saw that she had excused herself from the table. Before he could do so himself and go to look for her, someone else beat him to the punch.

"Momma, can I be excused?" Marlon's ten year old brother, Jamos asked, jumping to his feet.

Momma frowned, "Well, I was thinking we would all stand together when your brother's engagement is announced…"

"Aw come on, Quay," Alon squeezed his wife's knee under the table and smiled. "The boy will only be young once. Let him go and have fun with his friends."

Jamos gave them his signature grin. "Please, Momma!"

"I suppose it will be alright," Quaita Blackwell finally gave in with a sigh. "But don't be out too long. There will be a cake brought out for the occasion."

"You know I wouldn't miss that. Thanks Momma! Thanks Dad!" Then Jamos turned to his brother with a smirk. "Save me a piece if I'm a little late?"

"Where are you going anyway?" Marlon asked him. He was sure his parents would never let him go out and have fun with Glover tonight.

Jamos gestured with his thumb towards the Southerners. "Mel wants to see the Brylks."

"Mel? Is that…" Marlon wondered if that was the boy's name but when he looked, he saw that the little girl was standing up next to her seat. We'll, more like she was jumping up and down staring at the head table expectantly.

The boy was still seated but it looked like he was arguing with his mother. He finally rolled his eyes and stood, following his sister.

"Is he going along?" Marlon started to ask but Jamos had already run off to play the good host.

The elder brother mumbled to himself. "Well, at least Lana won't be…" He looked at the Flint's table and saw that the girl was still missing. When he turned again towards his brother and the Rash siblings, he saw that Lana had joined them.

"We can take my boat," she was saying to them. And then all four of them were out of the hall and gone.

…

Marlon sighed dramatically, "And there they went and I thought Lana was going to sail away from me right then and there."

Shara and Mina couldn't suppress their giggles.

Lana rolled her eyes. "I was not going to sail away with them. And you've left out the best part. Or have you forgotten, Nolram?"

"Nolram?" Mina asked, raising her eyebrows at Shara who was also grinning in anticipation of the next chapter of the story.

Marlon chucked, red-faced. "That's a story for another day."

"Speaking of another day." Lana stood carefully, still holding Lux in her arms. "Tomorrow's likely to be a real Nor'easter. We should all take a leaf out of this one's book and get some sleep."

Shara didn't know how she would ever be able to give into slumber but she agreed nonetheless and said goodnight to the others as they left her alone in her room.

…

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