Chapter Thirty Seven

'I have six months until I have to marry Halt and…I actually seem a little excited for it? I'm not quite sure. When we were first engaged I used to think of our wedding day with dread, a sinking feeling in my stomach.

Now that has been replaced with this strange fluttering feeling and a tingle in my fingers, like he's just kissed me. I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to marrying him!

We have been spending quite a lot of time together though. He's become one of the best friends I've ever had. I just feel so comfortable with him. There is no pressure or expectations. Father once said that courting Mother made him feel the same way. That's how he knew she was the one, she was the only one he felt like himself around. The only person he could relax with.

I miss him. I miss them both. I wish they were here so I could ask their advice.'

'Today has been an…eventful day, to say the least.

I was supposed to be focused on the wedding planning. Caitlyn was helping me and we were sorting through fabrics and designs for our dresses. Caitlyn is the only female friend I have and is to become my sister, so it is fitting that she is my only bridesmaid.

Anyway, we were having a particularly difficult time as the seamstress kept insisting on this horrifying shade of orange, when there was this loud crash from outside. We all rushed over to the window and saw Halt standing right next to what looked like a broken roof tile! He was incredibly lucky. If he had been even two more feet to the left, it would've hit him!

Of course everyone rushed to see if he was ok, but he barely noticed, looking up at the roof. Poor man must've been in shock, having come so close to death, but Caitlyn also seemed strangely fascinated by the roof.

After that accident the day seemed to progress as expected. We finally got the seamstress to ignore orange altogether and use a very pleasant light blue before Caitlyn and I decided to spend the afternoon watching her brothers train.

I've noticed that despite being twins, Halt and Ferris rarely spend any time together. Either in studies, during any free time they may have, or even at meals. The same holds true for their training. The two rarely spar together.

I know Halt loves his brother, he's said so on multiple occasions, but Ferris seems content, sometimes even happy, with the distance. It's strange to me.

On the rare occasion that they do train together, Halt normally emerges the victor. Actually, now that I think about it, he always does. Halt approaches his training with incredible determination. He refuses to do anything less than his best. Ferris hardly ever tries. He does the bare minimum to get through his lessons and constantly tries to use some dirty trick to get the upper hand, cheating his way through the fight. He isn't very good at it though, which is why Halt always wins.

But today…it was different. Ferris seemed not only determined, but angry. He attacked Halt with a ferocity I've never seen before, not from him. If it wasn't for the fact that they were using wooden training swords, I would have been worried about him trying to lop off Halt's head. At least, that's what it looked like.

The instructors stopped him, cutting the training short, luckily, but the most unnerving part of it all was Caitlyn.

As Ferris left the room, I heard her whisper to Halt, "He scares me."

Why would she be scared of her own brother?'

'A few weeks have passed and Ferris hasn't returned to training. He seems to be back to his regular, grumpy, silent self. Still, I can't get Caitlyn's words out of my mind.

Halt seems concerned about it too, but doesn't ever want to talk about it. He hasn't pushed me when I don't want to talk about something, so I will give him the same courtesy.

I just wish I knew how to help. With the wedding getting closer every day though, more people keep demanding my attention.

I've always hated big weddings and planning one has not changed my mind at all.'

"Dad?!" Nel burst out in shock, completely forgetting that they were supposed to wait until Atanyan had greeted them.

Luckily he had expected that so he didn't seem insulted.

Halt held himself back, barely, from racing across the room to her, but he did meet her halfway, wrapping Nel up in a tight hug.

Nel returned it enthusiastically. It had been almost three months exactly since they'd said goodbye in Araluen. She hadn't realized exactly how much she had missed him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, finally pulling away.

"I decided to help escort the first of the refugees here." he explained, "We may have recaptured Gallica and Iberion, but the Toscan Senate is still nervous about anything the Riders might try through the winter, so they're still evacuating the country as best they can. All goes well and they'll be able to return home in a year, maybe less."

"You've recaptured Gallica and Iberion?" Selethen put in, "So soon?"

"It was actually thanks to the information you two shared," Halt smirked, much to their confusion.

"A story that I'm sure we'll all be glad to hear over dinner." Atanyan said, drawing their attention again. "Halt, and the visitors from Toscana, only arrived yesterday and we've been so busy getting them settled in that we haven't had a proper update yet."

"I'll be glad to share Your Excellence." Halt nodded politely.

He returned it before looking to Selethen and Nellie, "I'm pleased to see that you've accepted my invitation."

"Thank you for extending it, although we were going to need to make the trip anyway. We've captured Yusal of the Tualaghi, along with a few others of the desert raiders, with the help of Umar and the Bedullin. I've already released them into your guards' custody." Selethen responded.

"Well done." Atanyan clapped him on the shoulder, "With him locked up, the remaining Tualaghi shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'll send the reward money with the next caravan. I trust you'll get Umar his share?"

"Of course."

"That's settled then. Let's get you to your rooms then. I'll send someone for you three when dinner is ready. My wife is particularly excited to meet you Nellie." he said, giving her a wide smile.

"I'm excited to meet her as well." she smiled back.

"Perfect," he waved over a nearby servant, giving them instructions to lead everyone to their respective rooms, before turning back to Selethen, "If I may borrow you for a few moments first?"

He nodded, saying a quick goodbye before walking away with Atanyan. Nel watched him a moment before being led away towards her room, Halt following close behind.

The room turned out to be a small suite. A decent sized living area, filled with comfortable looking furniture, with the actual bedroom to the right. A large window overlooked the river.

She ignored that, pulling her dad in for another hug that he happily returned.

"I'm so happy you're here."

"Me too Nellie-girl, me too." he whispered before letting go, "How have you been? Are you happy? He's treating you well, right?"

She almost laughed at his worried questions, "I'm fine, I promise. He treats me very well dad. There's nothing to worry over."

"I'm a father and a Ranger. If I stop worrying, I die." he said bluntly and this time she did laugh.

Moving to the table, Nel poured them both a cup of coffee from a pot that waited there for them, "I mean it though. Selethen is a great husband. He does everything he can to make me happy."

"That's good at least." he muttered, taking the cup from her. Nel felt a sense of deja vu as she'd just had a very similar conversation with Aloom.

Halt watched her silently for a minute, with that piercing stare of his.

"What?" she asked, squirming under his gaze.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

The question caught her off guard, making her choke and cough on her coffee, "Excuse me?!"

"I know you too well Nellie. You're a horrible liar, especially to someone who has spent a lot of time with you, like I have. I've also seen plenty of people in love." he explained pointedly, "You're in love with him."

"No! Maybe?" she sighed, dropping her face in her hands, "I don't know. I've never been in love before. Everyone always says you just know, but I don't."

Halt sighed as well, "It's different for everyone Nel. I didn't fall in love with your mother until at least a year after we met, but Arald likes to tell people he fell in love with Sandra the moment he saw her."

Nel stared at him, completely shell shocked. She'd never heard him refer to her mother so casually before.

Halt seemed to understand her silence, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"Why do you never talk about her?" Nel whispered, "Does it hurt too much?"

Halt shifted in his seat, "Partly. It's…complicated Nellie-girl."

"How complicated?"

"Very." he sighed again, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees, looking pained, "Look, I know that you've always been frustrated by me never telling you about her. Crowley's told you more than I have…but once I start, I'm not sure I'll be able to stop. If I tell you anything, then I'll end up telling you everything and I'm just not sure-"

"Dad, I'm almost 25." Nel knelt next to him, taking his hands in hers, "I'm ready. I can handle it."

"But I can't." he said sadly, "There is so much I haven't told you, and I'm sorry, but I'm not ready for you to know yet. I can't hide any of this from you Nellie, I can't hide anything from you. It's all or nothing and…I'm not ready yet."

Nel took a deep breath. "Dad, her journals were in that trunk you gave me. I've read them."

It was Halt's turn to look shell shocked, "What?"

She just nodded, smiling gently at him.

"How much did they tell you?"

"Mostly everything, I think. She started before her dad died and kept going until I was about three or four, so…"

"Until she died." Halt finished before chuckling dryly, "She was so damn insistent on taking those books with us. I never knew she was journaling everything."

"Even Rangers don't know everything." Nel joked, trying to lighten the mood.

There was a light knock on the door, rousing them from their conversation. Before either of them could say anything, the door opened and Selethen gingerly poked his head in, "I'm not interrupting, am I?"

"Can you interrupt if it's your room?" Halt wondered.

"You aren't," Nel assured him, rising from the floor and going back to the couch.

Selethen walked in and sat next to her, accepting the coffee when she offered it. He winced a little as he sat back on the coach.

"Are you ok?"

Selethen nodded quickly, waving off her concern, "Just sore from all the travel."

Nel frowned, but accepted the answer, "What did the Emrikir need?"

"A reality check." he muttered before he could stop himself, obviously frustrated. Halt and Nel exchanged a look, prompting him to continue, "It was about some questions he included with the invitation last week. He wanted an answer and an update, but what he wants…it's just difficult right now."

"You said he was getting involved in something?" Nel asked, trying to remember.

"Yes. With everything else going on these days, it shouldn't even be one of his concerns, but he won't drop it." he groaned.

"I've noticed that monarchs can be like that." Halt mused, "What exactly is he not dropping?"

Selethen looked at them uncomfortably for a moment, "...Children. He's been asking about children constantly."

"Children, our children?!"

He nodded, "Every conversation ends with him pushing for us to have a child. I keep telling him we'll have kids in our own time, but he's not satisfied by that. He was…very upset when I told him so again."

"I didn't know he was so focused on grandchildren." Nel murmured, twisting her ring around her finger.

"Me either." Selethen admitted, "It's strange. He never used to care before. In fact, he never brought it up until we were engaged. I wonder if it is actually Yasmine pushing for it, she always wanted children, grandchildren are really her only option now."

"That is strange," Halt hummed, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I wonder why he is so focused on it now."

"Could it be for the war?" Nel asked, "If you had to fight, could he be worried about you dying without an heir?"

"I don't see why. If he has to appoint another Wakir, he has no shortage of loyal options." he answered.

"Maybe he just wants grandchildren that badly." Halt suggested, but the expression on his face told Nel that he didn't believe his own words. "Maybe for the treaty? A child could cement it even more and after everything that's happened…"

"Not impossible." Selethen said in consideration.

"What about you dad?" Nel asked brightly, "Are you hoping for lots of grandkids?"

He scoffed, seeing through the subject change clearly, "Like that's up to me. You'll either have kids or you won't, I don't get a say in the matter. Either way, it's your choice, but if you do, just know that if any child calls me Pop-Pop, it's on your head."

Nel burst out laughing, a small smile stretching across Halt's face. Selethen looked at them in confusion, "Am I missing something?"

"Growing up, Baron Arald always told me to call him Pop-Pop. Dad hates it." Nel explained between giggles.

"It's stupid! It's a horrible, stupid, childish nickname!" Halt burst out, "He also isn't anywhere old enough to be your grandfather, so why Pop-Pop of all names? Even if he was, what is wrong with a simple 'grandpa'?!"

"So I take it this means Pop-Pop Halt won't want to babysit very often?" Selethen asked, keeping far too straight a face.

Halt glared at him, "You two are monsters."

"Well, I inherited it from you. Selethen's just twisted." Nellie said as nonchalantly as she could, but a small smile still slipped out.

"Hey!"

"You are! Need I remind you of all the stories Aloom told about-"

"You can't believe a single thing Aloom says." he interrupted, leaning forward quickly.

Nel was about to snap out a response, but stopped when Selethen winced at the movement.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"I promise, just sore from the ride."

Nel shook her head, "You ride all the time, this is more than that. Let me see your stitches."

"I'm fine," he insisted.

Nel glared at him, mouth set in a firm line, "You either let me look at your stitches or I will have my father hold you down so we can force medical care on you."

Selethen rolled his eyes and glanced at Halt, but the Ranger shook his head, "She's not joking. Had to do that for Crowley and Gilan a couple of times."

"And you." she made sure to remind him.

Halt shrugged, "Worth it, but at least I learned my lesson after that."

"Barely." she huffed before turning back to her husband, crossing her arms, "So, what's it going to be? Willingly? Or with dad's help?"

Selethen let out a breath, taking off his outer robe without any more arguments. Nel gasped and Halt's eyes went wide at the blood that had soaked through his shirt.

"What happened?" she whispered, but clearly didn't expect a response. She practically ran to grab her medical bag, Halt reaching forward to help Selethen raise his shirt over his head. He winced again as the movement stretched his side. The bandages were completely soaked through and Nel began unwrapping them cautiously.

"How in the world did…" her voice trailed off as she took in the sight. "Your stitches are gone!"

"Gone?"

"Gone! At least half of them!" She quickly pulled out fresh bandages, pressing them to his side to try to stop the blood. It wasn't bleeding heavily, but enough to obscure any proper view of the wound. "It's like they were removed, but without any of the proper care or procedures!"

"They must've snagged on something, accidentally tearing them out." Selethen muttered.

"Half of them snagged?" Halt raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.

"While they were bandaged up?" Nel added.

"Look, I don't know what to tell you." Selethen glared at them, "You're the one who kept lecturing about traveling with stitches. Looks like you were right, two straight weeks of travel was too much for them."

"But they were healed! I was going to remove them after dinner!"

"Nel, I'm fine! I don't know what happened, but we can just remove them now, alright?!" he snapped.

Nel blinked at him in shock and Halt began glaring at him.

"Fine." she whispered, not meeting his eyes, "You'll have to wear bandages a few more days though, just to be safe. I'll grab some more."

She left, back to their supplies, and began sorting through them. Selethen looked at her regretfully, an apology on the tip of his tongue.

Halt was faster, leaning in and whispering too low for Nel to hear.

"Speak to her like that again and trust me, you two won't have to debate about having kids because I'll make sure you won't be able to, understand me?"

"Yes sir."

Random Arasel Tidbit:

Nellie's favorite season is winter. She loves the snow and ice deeply and really misses it in Arrida.

Selethen's favorite season is spring, when the rains and floods are done and the ground is thriving, plants starting to pop up and bloom again.