"Astrid, dear, it's your turn next since you were the one who was dared," said Tonilia as she collected the dice and passed them around to the assassin. Astrid cupped them in both hands and rattled them around before sending them flying onto the table. One bounced off her tankard and was about to go sailing off into the air when she caught it in one hand. She flipped it discreetly before placing it beside its mate.

"Two fives. Who might that be?" said Astrid. There was a brief moment of silence, and then Arnbjorn raised his hand slightly. Astrid laughed softly, "Well, imagine that. It must be my lucky night."

"Imagine that," Delvin muttered under his breath, but if Astrid heard, she chose to ignore him.

"Darling, come here," Astrid beckoned to her husband, "remember that guard we met by the fishery earlier? The one who was so very rude to us?"

"Think he needs to be punished?"

"Hey! Hey! What did I say about killing people," Mercer interrupted. Astrid merely waved his objections away with a flick of her hand, her eyes never wavering from Arnbjorn.

"Of course, of course. We wouldn't want to break the rules, would we husband?"

"Never," he agreed.

Astrid let him by the hand until they reached the marketplace balcony. For a city with such a rough reputation, Riften was awfully peaceful this evening, though Astrid. Though of course, the fact that most of the city's riff raff was currently occupied with other, less nefarious amusements might have something to do with that. Astrid leaned over the railing, staring at the moon's reflection over the murky waters.

"A fishery guard huh?" Arnbjorn said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"You still remember him?"

"How could I forget? He was our first contract together." He kissed the back of her head, then rested his own against it. "So, you got a real dare for me?"

"I do, in fact. I'm just not sure you'll accept," said Astrid coyly.

Arnbjorn laughed. "Try me."

"I do wonder though. You say I'm your wife, I say you are my husband, and that means something to me. But would you actually marry me, given the chance?"

Arnbjorn's blood froze. "Are you daring me to marry you?"

"I didn't say that. I just asked if you would."

"But why? If you're happy with the way things are now-"

"So you wouldn't?"

"No I- Why bother going through the formalities, in some temple of a god we don't even worship?"

"You're saying it would be pointless? Marrying me?"

"Not like that. Everything is fine the way it is. Isn't it?"

Astrid smiled, "Of course it is my love, of course it is." She untangled from him and started walking towards the guild's entrance. "Let's go back, darling. They're waiting on us." Arnbjorn leapt after her.

"What about my dare?"

"Zero points."

"What? You didn't even dare me!"

"I guess I didn't," she said with her back still to him. Was she upset? Astrid was such a mystery to him. He could spend a thousand lifetimes with her and never come close to unraveling her enigma. And suddenly, he understood.

"Astrid! I dare you to marry me. At the temple of Mara, right now." Astrid stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to face him, a look of real joy spreading across her face.

"I accept."