I hadn't even made it halfway down the hall to my room when Connor caught up with me. I felt his hand go around my upper arm. I tried to pull away from him, but he held me firmly. Not hurting me, but not allowing me to get free. He turned me around to face him. He was fully awake now, his eyes filled with a disbelieving anxiety. I glanced away. I couldn't stand to see his face right now. I felt shame for being so insensitive toward him. Guilt wasn't an emotion I was familiar with. I never really cared how I spoke or acted. Not until recently, until I had met Connor.

I tried again to pull myself from Connor's hold. When his other hand went to my chin, pulling my face up to look at him, I began to cry. His brow furrowed at my reaction, and he watched me for a moment.

"You are pregnant?" he asked. His voice was soft, kind. Not at all the harsh tone he had used with me earlier. For some reason, that made me feel even worse. I didn't understand how he could be so nice to me after I had yelled at him.

I nodded at him, wiping tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand.

Connor released me slowly, but I didn't move. I only stood in front of him, hugging myself. He looked away, as though pondering how he should respond to the news. His expression reminded me so much of the one I had given Prudence when told me that I laughed in spite of my sadness.

Connor's brown eyes fell on me. His visage one of confusion and doubt. I guess he thought I was laughing at him. "How long have you known?" he asked after a long silence.

"Um," I paused to sniffled, "about a month."

Connor took a few minutes to process the information. He ran his hands through his hair, releasing some of the tangles. With a sigh, he looked at me. "Okay."

I frowned at him. That was certainly not the reaction I had expected. I could deal with excitement, confusion, even anger, but I wasn't sure what he was implying with that single word.

"'Okay?'" I repeated. "What do you mean 'okay'? 'Okay' what?"

Connor hesitated. "I mean I will do what is right."

I studied him. I had a feeling I knew what he meant, knowing him the way I did. But I wanted confirmation. "What does that mean?" I asked.

"That I will marry you," Connor stated.

I had thought that was what he meant, but it was still shocking to hear. I had never wanted to get married. It wasn't an institution I didn't fully agree with. It was fine for other people, but not for me. I had always been alone. I thought I always would be. Connor was the first man I had been close to. I loved him, and I did want to spend my life with him. But I had never thought of wedding him.

I looked at Connor. I doubted he had considered marriage before now either. I think he was only mentioning it now because of what had happened.

"You don't have to do that," I told him.

I could tell my words offended him. He gave me a cool gaze, betraying nothing of what he was really thinking. I really hadn't intended to irritate him. I only wanted to let him know he had other options. I didn't want him to spend his life with me only because the situation dictated that was what should be done. That didn't make it what had to be done. Moral standing didn't concern me. I was beyond caring what people thought.

"I choose to," he said.

"Do I get a choice?" I asked.

Connor frowned at me. "Why do you feel that you do not?"

"Because you made the decision without asking me."

Connor was taken aback. Visibly stunned by my sentence. He hadn't even considered what I might want. He thought I expected him to do the right thing. To him, it was the next logical choice. I guess he thought I felt the same way.

"I am confused," he said, needlessly. "I thought...Do you want me to...propose to you?"

"No," I said.

The offended look on his face at my blunt refusal made me wonder if Connor really did want to marry me. I knew he cared about me, but I hadn't thought he felt that way.

"I mean, do you want to propose to me?"

The question seemed to confuse him even more. I didn't understand why. It was a simple question. At least, to me. To Connor, it inferred something else altogether. I had always known he and I were different, that we shared opposing opinions. But this situation gave me a new understanding of just how much we were unalike. I had thought Connor was naive, but this proved it. He viewed the world with such innocence that he honestly didn't know how to react to the middle ground.

I sighed and took his hand. "Connor, I love you. And I know you love me. But I don't want you to marry me just because I'm having your baby. I want you to do it because...you want to be with me."

"I do want to be with you," Connor told me. He pulled my hand, urging me a little closer. His expression one of adoration and contentment. "And it is because I love you that I want to marry you."

"Oh," I muttered, for lack of anything better to say.

Connor surprised me by smiling at me. "Will you marry me, Faith?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at him. He was genuinely proposing to me. I found it sweet and amusing. "You're not going to get down on one knee and ask?"

I had thought the question would bring a frown to his face. I hadn't considered that he even knew about that custom, as he was ignorant about so many. But when he began to kneel, I took his arm and stopped him.

"I was kidding."

"Oh," he said.

There was a moment of silence. Connor watched me expectantly. I realized with a shock that I hadn't answered him yet. I played the words over in my head before saying them aloud. I wanted to be sure I said them perfectly.

"Yes," I accepted. "I will marry you, Ratonhnhake:ton."

He smiled at me. It was the most sincere smile he had ever given me. I wasn't sure if that was because I had agreed to be his wife or because I had finally used his real name. It might have been a combination of both. But mostly the former, I hoped.

October 11, 1773, Connor and I were married. In the eyes of the Kanien'keha:ka, at any rate. There were no legal documents confirming our unity, but it was accepted by his people and by our friends, so that was good enough for me. I'm not really certain Oia:ner was happy with Connor's decision to wed someone outside his tribe, but she had consented. I think if he hadn't been her grandson, she wouldn't have been so quick to give the marriage her blessing. I was glad she did. I wanted to be a part of Connors life in every way. I also thought it was important that our child be raised with a knowledge of it's father's culture.

I enjoyed the few days I spent in Kanatahseton, but I was glad to get home. The two day horseback ride was uncomfortable for me. As were the beds in the longhouse. They were little more than a pallet and the rooms offered next to no privacy. All members of a single family shared a small cubical. There was an optional covering for the front wall, for those who chose not to see and be seen by all the other residence. But nothing more.

It goes without saying that Connor and I did not consummate our marriage the first two nights. Not only was I horribly embarrassed that someone would hear, my pregnancy had given me an aversion to intercourse. My husband was understanding and patient with me. He said he could wait until I was ready. He was happy just to be with me. I think that made me love him more.

I felt a little bad that none of our friends got to be there for the wedding ceremony. But they all gave us gifts when we got home. It was all useful stuff, such as blankets and material we could use for clothing. Lance's gift was the most surprising and helpful, though. He gave us a cradle he'd made. I assured Connor he didn't know about my pregnancy yet, but I hissed the question to Myriam later to make sure. She promised me she'd not said a word to anyone. I doubted Prudence would either.

Achilles didn't say much to us when we returned., other than the obligatory congratulations. I could tell he was happy to have me home to cook, though. He ate two bowls of the cabbage soup I made for supper. I didn't mind. I was glad someone besides me liked it. Connor was not a fan of cooked cabbage. He rarely ate anything that didn't have some sort of meat accompanying it.

After dinner, we sat outside on the porch. Connor and I shared the swing as Achilles sat in a chair nearby. I held my husband's hand as we rocked slowly. E:rhar lay at our feet, his tail thumping against the wooden floor noisily. He was pouting because Connor had scolded him for trying to jump in my lap. I wouldn't have minded. Even though the dog was almost as big as I was, I treated him like a baby. But I think Connor was afraid he would hurt me. Or hurt the child inside me, rather.

"I hope you're ready for what trials lay ahead," Achilles said. He was watching Connor and me with an expression of both sadness and hope. "I'm afraid I won't be of much help to you in the coming years. My experiences are with death, not life."

I gazed at him. "That's a cynical way of looking at it, don't you think?"

Achilles chuckled. "Maybe. But it's true."

"The world is not always so bleak as you think it to be, old man," Connor stated. "There is light as well."

"Occasionally," the mentor mused. "You've always been quick to see what others miss. But that doesn't make you wise."

"No," Connor agreed. "Nor does it make me a fool."

Achilles huffed quietly in agreement then stood up. "I'm going to bed," he announced. "Faith, make sure Connor's up for training in the morning."

I looked at him, wondering why he'd asked me to do what he usually did. Then I remembered that I was Connor's wife and I suppose that duty now fell to me. I sighed and nodded.

"I can wake myself," Connor said.

"Sunrise," Achilles stated. I'm not sure if he was talking to me or his apprentice. "No later."