November seemed to pass in a blur for Alice. The pine scented green pillar candles were reordered because they had done well last year. She and Hieronymous agreed they both wanted a small, quiet wedding. A private room at the Glen afterwards would be in order, and Virginia helped her pick out the cake the restaurant would provide. Potsdam was rather insistent about helping decorate a room in the dungeon for the ceremony itself, and it was all Alice could do to constrain the professor's plans to something Alice would consider elegant rather than gaudy.

Dueling practice was much more interesting than it had been last year. Instead of taking turns with spells, she and Virginia simply let loose as Potsdam watched until a winner could be declared. Her roommate had still been a little peeved at her the next day. Apparently she hadn't considered that Alice would leave a doppelganger to distract her while she turned herself invisible to perform a choke hold that she had learned in Judo. Since she had used some Green magic to make Virginia pass out faster, Potsdam had decided that it counted and named Alice the victor. Virginia had forgiven her after she taught her that particular trick.

Mid November brought the drama club's rendition of The Tempest. With Donald as Ariel the mischievous spirit that year, Ellen sat beside Alice opposite Hieronymous, with Virginia and Clark in the row beneath them.

When she had asked Clark why he had not tried out for the play, he had stated that he would prefer portraying an antagonist that produced a melodramatic amount of insane, evil laughter. Alice made a mental note to check if the next play featured a megalomaniac villain. Her brother's impersonation of "The Shadow" from that old radio show he liked would fit in perfectly there. Virginia had listened to this conversation, looking at Clark like she had not run into this brand of 'crazy' before. Her roommate had wanted to know what other kind of weird thoughts went on in her brother's head, at which time Clark asked her which country she wanted to rule for him when his batch of sub-atomic monsters were ready to take over the Earth.

Alice had to reassure her that yes, he was joking, and that this was behavior she had seen at home before. Virginia suddenly looked fascinated, and Alice had excused herself to elsewhere leaving her brother and her roommate alone. She then went to find Ellen to talk about dress shopping.

...

"I have yet to see your sister on duty today,"Hieronymous said to Clark as they watched Miss Cochran leave.

"Alice said Minnie was working a double because she had covered for her last year," the young man replied, reorganizing the cash box. "Ah, and what diversion has your sister found to occupy her?" he asked. "She was planning on dragging Ellen to the bridal store to help her find a dress. Alice says she feels like she 'got married with a cigar band' last time and wants to do it a little differently this time."

Hieronymous sat back in his chair, thinking, while Clark waited on some customers. When they had married, Alice had been given the choice of marriage or death instead of a grand proposal. Instead of swearing 'till death shall we part' it had been a one-year contract. Her mother had not been there, fawning over how beautiful she looked or her father with tears in his eyes as he gave her away. There had been one witness that had later, perhaps unintentionally, betrayed her confidence. She had stood in a barrowed dress, and they had even dispensed with the proverbial 'cigar band.'

It was little wonder she wanted a proper wedding dress this time. It was also about time he found the heirloom ring his father had sent. It also brought to mind that there had been some events most young women looked forward to that Alice had missed by being with him. He would have to see what he could do about that. After all, she deserved that and more from him.

He knew that the 'window dressing' would be different, and he knew that it would be a comfort to her to have Clark there as her family's representative this time. The biggest difference, though, would be the groom.

Last year he had been upset with himself for failing in his experiment with the manus, angry with her for the rash behavior of crossing the wards instead of getting Petunia, and distressed at the entire situation. He had been linked to a young woman that, in personality at least, reminded him of Violet.

And short of the day of that fateful venture into Otherworld, he had never been so scared in his life.

She had only been sixteen, and she was his student. It was his duty to protect her, as much as he could, from making mistakes. Even had their ages been closer, he had felt that he had been too damaged to love again, perhaps too cowardly to take the risk.

Even as a child, he had known that he was necessary duty rather than a son to be loved. His mother had been gone as soon as she had born him and her year and a day contract was up. He had been the only goal of his parents' relationship. Various nannies and tutors had raised him, and he had some affection for them but had not let himself get too attached because he had known that they were only there temporarily.

And then he was off to boarding school, and had met Violet. She had been a special girl that had seen the best in everyone, even him. With those deep blue eyes she very nearly shared with Alice and that long white-blond hair, Violet could have had any young man she had wanted. For some unknown reason, she had wanted him.

So he had decided that her love was worth the risk, knowing that every other affection he had experienced had been either temporary or conditional. But Violet herself had been temporary, and he had not taken the risk again.

And then Alice had appeared, another brilliant and supposedly Wildseed girl, with a heart to match Violet's. And she had to be bound to him, and he could not have her for her own good even if he had had the courage to pursue her.

It was easy to mask fear with anger, and to his discredit he had done so on the day of their marriage and the weeks following.

"You don't seem that interested in your book," Clark noted after some customers finished their purchases and walked away.

Hieronymous realized that he had been staring into space. "I was just thinking about something."

Clark nodded. "Like any female, she can be hard to understand. If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask me. I have known her longer, after all."

Hieronymous smiled to himself. Apparently young Clark had theorized that the only subject that would distract him from his books was Alice. He was a sharp lad. Perhaps it would not do any harm to ask. "I had been wondering what it is that your sister sees in me."

"Well," Clark said, "for the best answer, you might have to ask her. We do have a few opinions, though."

"Exactly who are 'we?'" Hieronymous asked.

"Well," Clark started, "Ellen thinks Alice likes the intellectual types, and wanted someone at least as smart as she is. Virginia thinks that Alice is a little crazy, but as she seems happy being crazy she's letting well enough alone. Donald knows that most Wildseeds feel insecure entering the magical world and thinks that she likes having someone capable of helping her acclimate to her new world."

"And you?" Hieronymous asked.

"Well…you aren't going to like my analogy," Clark admitted.

"Perhaps, but I would have you continue anyway."

"Well, imagine that you want a dog. It doesn't have to be soon, but you know that you will want one in the future," Clark started. "Before you are strictly ready to have a dog, a stray appears in your backyard. You have to keep it temporarily for whatever reason, and during that time you get to know it, and it gets to know you. You develop trust and respect for each other, and come to like each other.

"When the time comes, you have a choice of keeping the stray, or getting another dog. You could get a puppy, but a puppy would be much more immature than the dog you already have. Their personality could develop into something you aren't sure you would want, and a lot of training would be required to get the puppy to the point the stray is already at. The stray may not be perfect, but is making a visible effort to integrate into the household. The logical thing would be to just keep the stray."

"I am guessing that I am the stray dog in the story," Hieronymous said.

Clark shrugged. "I said you wouldn't like the analogy, but it's the best way I can think to describe the situation. And we all may have a piece of the puzzle."

Hieronymous nodded. Alice's friends had fair points, but her brother had seemed particularly astute. And few brothers considered their sisters logical, but in most situations Alice used excellent common sense, the exception being the day they had married.

"Thank you for your thoughts. And let me know when it is time to go," he reminded Clark. "I might become engrossed in my book and forget to check the time, and this is more likely now that I have fewer questions on my mind."

Clark nodded. "Someone forgot to do that last year?"

"Your sister," Hieronymous admitted. "And she almost fainted headfirst into the table with exhaustion. She had worked Minnie's shift as well as her own that had run over, and I may have overemphasized the order not to disturb me unnecessarily."

Clark winced. "That could have hurt."

"I took her to the Glen as a restorative, but I'm afraid to say that I was not much of a conversationalist at the time." Of course, he had done that on purpose. He had been intrigued by her, and it had alarmed him so he thought it best to keep the most distance possible.

"She must have thought it was awkward, not talking," Clark reasoned.

"She asked me about what England was like. I simply said that it rained often and that the sheep there had four legs as opposed to two."

Clark stared at him for a moment. "So, you overworked her by neglecting to check the time, curtailed her effort at being social, and then inferred her intelligence was comparable to possibly the most stupid creature on earth? I've been around sheep before, and they're pretty witless."

Hieronymous grimaced. "I behaved rather thoughtlessly." He had meant to distance himself from her, but not to be outright rude.

"That was not really my point," Clark said. "From what I've seen of you, I can't see you doing any of that to her. And you've been talking to me more like we were friends instead of teacher and student. She's done quite the number on you."

Clark turned to greet some more customers, and Hieronymous returned to his page but did not really see the words as his mind was still elsewhere. The young man was correct, he realized; Alice had somehow brought out the best in him.