Late for her meeting with Chsensera because of the time spent with Addison, llhaesa scooted through the hall, her mind thinking back to Addison’s wish for a Newfoundland puppy.

Llhaesa mentioned the request to Ronnie and Jahrae; now her mind drifted back to their conversation, with Jahrae unknowing of this species of Esrha, and so they both teamed to bring up the Arrkarharan internet to search for an example.

Seeing the picture, Jahrae’s eyes grew wide, followed by a question pointedly aimed at llhaesa. “And you told her this was ok?”

“I did.”

Jahrae burst into laughter, partially because she loved the idea of one of these giant and gentle furballs, but partially because she intended to pretend annoyance in order that llhaesa would volunteer to help Addison care for the creature. Looking sternly at llhaesa with arms folded, Jahrae asked, “And who will provide care for the Esrha – I mean dog?”

“Addison will, and if she cannot, I will assist her.”

Ronnie joined Jahrae in finding this amusing, but in the end, both agreed to llhaesa and Addison getting a Newfoundland, affirming llhaesa’s commitment to Addison.

Reaching the lounge, llhaesa found Chsensera waiting at a small table not far from the bar, just to the right of the baby grand piano. The lighting was in its usual subdued state, conducive to relaxation and conversation.

“Hello, Chsen. Sorry I am late; I was preoccupied in conversation with Addison, discussing her desire of a pet. Jahrae tells me you have something to ask of me?”

Before llhaesa could answer, a server arrived and took her order of a beer and an appetizer. Llhaesa asked if Chsen wished another drink, and as Chsen nodded, the server recorded the request and set about fulfilling the order, with llhaesa asking for everything to be on her tab.

“Llhaesa, you know Jesnsera and I are partnered. What you do not know, and what I wished to personally tell you, is that we wish to marry.”

Llhaesa grinned, her grin reflecting her happiness for Chsen, but also that she sussed this out days ago, and had a surprise in store for this one. “Congratulations! When will you marry?”

“Tomorrow, providing arrangements are complete.”

“Tomorrow! You two did not waste time!

“Ahem… tomorrow marks nine weeks for us together, and I believe you married at four weeks?”

“You have us on that one, Chsen! May you have all the happiness in your marriage that Jahrae and I share in our marriage!”

“There is more, llhaesa. I wish to know… wish to know whether you will accompany me in place of my mum.”

“Of course I will, that is an honour I will treasure. Of course, your mum is ok with my standing in for her.”

Chsen’s face formed an expression of puzzlement. “You did not ask that as a question,” Chsen stated, hoping llhaesa would explain.

“I spoke with your mum days ago. The two of you are in love, obviously in love, and it did not take me long to suspect something was afoot here. I called your mum and had a nice chat. I needed to call her anyway, so this worked out well. Khaehala is thrilled that I am ok, and standing in for her.”

“You knew I would ask you?”

“No, your mum knew you would ask me.”

“Well, thank you! Now I have both of you in our wedding!”

Now it was llhaesa’s turn to be confused. They just discussed how Chsen’s mum was back on Arrhazon, so Chsen referred to someone else. “Both of us in your wedding – who is the other you refer to?”

Chsen laughed, thinking back to the tease-fest of four days before. “You and Jahrae are in our wedding. Jahrae is conducting the ceremony and officiating. As commander on this voyage, that duty falls to her.”

Far from the feigned reaction of days before, Llhaesa felt something tingle inside; a mix of pride, of love, of this as honour, of how Jahrae in this role meant much to llhaesa, as did the prospect of standing with Chsen as she married Jesn. To llhaesa’s way of thinking, life formed up nicely now that she was out of the clutches of captors.

“Is this a formal or informal wedding?” llhaesa inquired, beginning to think through logistics.

“Informal and formal, we remain undecided.”

Llhaesa giggled knowingly, remembering that their solution was to semi-elope. “That solved precisely nothing! When will you decide, ten minutes before the ceremony?

I understand your view, but people need to know today how to prepare tomorrow. It takes time for me to put on war paint and accessories!”

“You need no war paint, llhaesa. Yours is a natural beauty. How about I call Jesn to join us and we can finalise things? There is something both of us wish to ask you, though I fear we exhaust our quota of requests.”

“Very well, though you are free to ask me as well! Do not worry on exhausting your quota of requests, I bill by the hour.” Llhaesa replied, winking at Chsen.

Chsen called Jesn on her ships mobile, and Jesnsera arrived minutes later. Taking a seat to the side of her partner and opposite llhaesa, she seemed somewhat fidgety to llhaesa, nervous about the question they prepared to ask.

Chsen looked at Jesn, obviously looking for her to ask, and it was apparent the two partners had discussed and planned this element. “Llhaesa,” Jesn began, “we were hopeful you would sing for us during the ceremony.”

Llhaesa again felt honoured, and quickly responded with, “Of course I will. I will sing what you wish, how you wish, and when you wish.”

“Thank you, this means much to us, llhaesa. I do have a song request, and we will both understand if you prefer not to sing it, but it is our favourite.”

“What is it you wish me to sing that you feel I might resist?”

“Forever, Wherever.”

Llhaesa could not help but feel the force of remembrance, her mind retracing back to the circumstances of when she wrote the song, putting every ounce of her love into what she felt at the time was a final declaration to Jahrae. On the horrid night 14 years before, llhaesa faced the prospect of imminent death.

“As you suspected, the song is an emotional one for me, Chsen and Jesn. All of my love poured out of me into the recordings of that night. I felt resigned to my fate, and wished to leave something for Jahrae that would be a reminder that my love for her was limitless; it would be all Jahrae had left of me.

To this day, the songs stir the emotions of the moment within me, and to this day, I feel the total love of my partner that inspired the writing and recording, as I felt it then.

I will sing this song for you, and I welcome doing so for you, but please know that in all honesty the song will pull me away from focus toward the two of you, of the commitment you make to one another, and toward my love standing before you, presiding.”

Llhaesa watched as a tear dropped out of Jesn’s right eye. Grabbing a tissue from her jeans pocket, reached out to the young woman and gently and lovingly daubed it away.

Chsen watched llhaesa’s caring and simple kindness and felt tears forming as well, but she managed to squelch the tears for now. “Llhaesa, I suspect Jesn feels as I, that your frank admission, that your focus would be such, reaffirms the meaning of the song for us. Thank you.”

“You are most welcome Chsen. Now if I may switch subjects, there is a matter I wish to discuss with you.”

Chsen looked puzzled, and tentatively replied in a prompting manner, “OK?”

Llhaesa smiled, but after conversing with Khaehala, felt she needed to pursue this course. “I mentioned education the other day, referencing our children, but your names worked their way into the matter, in terms of the example I wished to set.

I wish to clarify this for you; it was not my or Jahrae’s intent to demean and devalue either of you. You have yet to finish school, Chsen, and you are young – not yet 20. Your mum trusts Jahrae and me to guide you, and please take no offence, for I pushed Jahrae in this way in her school days as well.

Your mum informed me your school performance is exemplary. Since we will live on Arrkarhara for over a year, you need to attend college. Moreover, I expect you to ready for graduate studies thereafter.

My understanding is I am not the only one at this table with dreams of earning a doctorate.”

“You believe I can enrol in school on Arrkarhara?”

“Yes. And we will work to set up an interface to Arrhazon College if need be, just as I do with the doctoral programme and N’rellia.”

“I would love to do this! I have another question for you, now. Are you considering teaching on a collegiate level?”

Llhaesa smiled, as she looked inward for the answer. “Yes, I have Chsen. I am not interested in a full tenure, but teaching one class of students might prove very rewarding, enlightening, and if you pardon the word, entertaining.

Do you see me as a tough prof to have, or that I will kick the arses of wayward students?”

“You would not kick someone’s arse, llhaesa.”

“Oh? Brellian might have reason to disagree with you.”

“That was different – and did you ever kick his arse! You are one of the kindest, gentlest souls I have had the pleasure to know and love.”

“OK, so which is it, formal or informal?” llhaesa looked for a decision, reaching back to the original subject matter.

“We compromise – it shall be semi-informal!” Jesn called out, ending the debate.

“Semi-informal it is. Just before I sing, I will ingest helium; I believe that would be a nice touch!” Llhaesa teased.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Chsen challenged.

“Hmmm… daring me, or daring my partner generally is a challenge we often accept.”

Chsen’s facial colour changed immediately to a crimson shade. “You would really do this?”

“Have you ever seen video of when I appeared at Hrensa Music Hall?”

“Yes, why – the opening song, the one you and Jahrae sang when you reunited!”

Jesn looked straight into her partner’s eyes before she spoke for her and Chsen with a simple reply, “Oh, great! Just great! And Chsen, no more dares, m-kay?”