All is Calm, All is Bright

Balkan stepped out of the carriage onto Guild grounds, not bothering with a heat shield. It had been quite warm, at least by his standards, at his in-law's house. Eventually, a combination of the heat, the large number of people, and the level of noise created a pounding in his temples that he was no longer able to ignore. He made his excuses to his wife, who decided to stay behind with their daughter, and returned to the Guild, feeling himself relax for the first time all day when he saw the gates.

He started to turn toward his quarters but changed his mind at the last moment and turned instead toward the University building. Without really making a conscious decision, he turned toward the doors to the roof and made his way up the stairs. He had always found the roof of the University to be an excellent place for contemplation, and on the current night, he felt the need to go there and decompress. As he stepped into the chilly air, however, he realized he was not the only one with that thought.

The dark figure at the other end of the roof turned, and Balkan recognized Akkarin immediately. After a hurried greeting, Balkan started to retreat, but Akkarin waved him over. "I was nearly ready to leave," Akkarin told him.

"No need to go on my account."

"It's fine." As Akkarin stepped toward the door, Balkan noted that the other man looked worried, an expression Balkan could rarely remember seeing on his face.

Before he could consider his words, Balkan asked, "What is wrong?"

Akkarin paused, turning to Balkan. He considered for a moment before speaking. "I just had some surprising news earlier today and needed a few minutes by myself to process it."

"What kind of news? Will it affect the Guild?"

"No, it is of a personal nature." Akkarin paused, and his gaze wandered into the distance. After a moment, Balkan realized he was looking toward his Residence. "Sonea's pregnant," he finally said, his voice so soft it was difficult to hear despite the quiet of the night.

Balkan's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh. I did not realize you were trying." He stopped, grateful for the darkness as his cheeks reddened. He had no business asking about the other man's family planning.

"We were not, but. . . well." Balkan heard a hint of embarrassment in Akkarin's tone as well, something he had not expected from the other man.

"Do you not want another child?" Balkan asked gently, having quite a bit of experience with mixed feelings about children. He himself had not wanted children, but his wife had been insistent, and he had given in to her in the end.

"It's not that exactly. It's just that I thought we were done with that phase of our lives. I will be nearly fifty when this baby is born. And Sonea will be older as well. Though things are considerably easier as magicians, age introduces risk factors that I am not entirely sure I am prepared to deal with. Not to mention the fact that I imagine raising a baby will be considerably more difficult at fifty than it was at thirty-five."

"I was older than that when Brielle was born. And I did not have your experience to draw on. I am sure you will be just fine."

"I agree," a new voice remarked, and both men turned to see Sonea at the top of the steps. Akkarin gave her a half-smile that Balkan had noted he reserved especially for her.

"I suppose it is hard to argue with that," Akkarin remarked. He stepped toward her, and they clasped hands for a few moments, their eyes taking on the glazed look of two people communicating mentally. Once they had finished, Akkarin turned to Balkan and asked, "Would you like to accompany us back to the Residence for Midwinter's dinner?"

"I would not want to impose."

"It would not be an imposition," Sonea assured him. Balkan considered for a moment. Though he disliked the crowds at his in-laws, he suspected a Midwinter's dinner with Akkarin and Sonea and their friends and family, even a crowded one, would be quite different. He always felt out of place when with his wife's family, but he felt right at home at the Guild. Perhaps a Midwinter's feast with others from the Guild would be a good compromise between a rowdy dinner at his in-laws and a night spent alone.

"That sounds good," he finally agreed. They gestured for him to lead the way, and he walked down the steps and out onto the University grounds, turning toward their Residence. At one point, he glanced back to ensure they were still following him and was surprised to see Akkarin had his arm wrapped around his wife, and she was leaning heavily against his side. They generally maintained their distance in public, but he supposed given the circumstances, the increased intimacy only made sense. However, seeing them wrapped up in each other made him wonder if he would ever share such moments with his wife. Somehow, he doubted it.

As they reached the Residence, the door swung open, and Balkan stepped inside, turning back to face the couple behind him. "Go on up," Akkarin told him, nodding to the stairs. "We will follow in a moment." Balkan moved toward the stairs, but halfway up, he could not resist turning around one final time. What he saw should not have surprised him given everything he knew about their relationship, but in some ways, it did. Akkarin had framed his wife's face with his hands, pulling her close for a deep kiss, much different than any kiss Balkan had witnessed before from any couple. It seemed to embody everything good in a relationship—trust, passion, desire, and, ultimately, love.

Feeling suddenly like a voyeur, Balkan turned back to the stairs. When he reached the upper level, he followed the sound of voices to a large sitting room, his eyebrows skyrocketing when he saw the number of people there. Akkarin and Sonea's own children were present as well as his nephew, of course, but Balkan also saw Regin and his two daughters, a small group of novices he believed were in class with Akkarin's oldest sons, Rothen, Rothen's son whose name he could not remember, a woman with two small children that he assumed was Rothen's daughter-in-law, Dannyl, and Dannyl's assistant. All heads turned to look at him when he entered, and he felt self-conscious for a moment before Regin approached, engaging him in a conversation about the novices which quickly absorbed him. He did not even notice Akkarin and Sonea enter the room until the former announced dinner. The large party crowded into the dining room which, though quite large, felt small given the number of people eating. It seemed, however, that Akkarin's servant had outdone himself, for the table fairly groaned under the number of dishes on top of it.

As they began eating, Balkan noted immediately that the rest of the group had forgone all formalities and treated one another as equals despite the vastly different positions among those in the group. Even Akkarin's servant sat with the others, his dark skin conspicuous among the paler Kyralians. Partway through the meal, Akkarin's attention suddenly focused on the door, and Balkan heard him mutter, "Well," under his breath. He excused himself, making his way out of the room. A minute or so later, he returned with a guest Balkan had never expected to see—the King himself. Immediately, forks clattered to plates as everyone started to rise, but King Merin waved them off. "Stay seated. This is not a time for formality. I just came to let Akkarin know that our envoy was successful in every mission, and he thought perhaps others in this room might like to hear the news as well."

Balkan's eyes widened. "Every mission?" he confirmed.

"Yes. I just received the report. It seemed fitting to announce it today—I thought Midwinter an especially appropriate time to demonstrate hope for the future."

"And on that note, Sonea and I have some news as well that I am glad you are here to hear, Merin," Akkarin said, exchanging a glance with his wife.

"I'm pregnant," Sonea said, eliciting a number of congratulatory remarks. Akkarin and Sonea shared another long, intimate look as they waited for the hubbub to die down.

One of their oldest sons—Balkan had never been able to tell them apart—cocked his head to the side suddenly, staring at his parents. "There's more, isn't there?"

Akkarin's lips curled slightly. "Well, let us just say that you and your brother will not be the only twins in the family anymore." The room fell silent for a few seconds before chaos suddenly ensued. Balkan heard shouts of surprise interspersed with congratulations and various questions. Many people stood to embrace Sonea, and a couple braver souls approached Akkarin as well. Balkan stayed seated, having never been one for emotional displays, and he watched as Akkarin's eyes locked with his wife's. Though he merely mouthed the next three words, the expression on his face made his sentiment abundantly clear. For the first time in a long time, Balkan, who was naturally a pessimist, began to feel hope for the future.

A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! I have been building this over the last few chapters, but my intention was to gather everyone together who will be a narrative character in my sequel to the High Lord's Fate in a somewhat believable manner. Hopefully, I achieved that or if I didn't, hopefully you enjoyed it nevertheless.