Age was finally catching up to Maximellian, as the drones of his parents despair in regard to his marital status became louder every day he heard them. After the end of what was both procrastination and three long years of military training, the paladin no longer had an excuse. Dressed in his finest blue tunic and blackened leather breeches, Maximellian wordlessly approached the welcoming candle light of a restaurant with small round tables laid with fine linens, folded towelettes, iron cutlery and shiny empty china plates. Rustic in it's appeal from the rich tones of the oak wood walls and the aroma of incense to the small, a neat selection of wines spread in organized rack along the left hand side of the wall, inlaid with tiny designs of golden filigree and the soft touch of the freshly picked wild flowers at the center of every table; much to his parents chagrin and the amusement of his siblings, this was the place he had chosen. Maximellian was adamant to make his future bride comfortable.The paladin smiled to himself and settled onto the right hand table nearest the small, open wooden window to gaze out into the sunset. He was excited.

Rumour had it that the individual chosen to meet with him upon this dusk would be a woman born to a family known for their agriculture. He knew little of what it meant to grow up in such a home, after all he was raised knowing steels, parties, fighting, magic and dances. While horse riding was a thing that he greatly enjoyed, his skill in handling animals or crops was little next to none. Experience accounted nothing for thought though, and he knew that a location too dazzling would be naught but a distraction, while a place too run down or simplistic wouldn't do. The dawn of change reared its head and he was finally ready to meet whomever came through that doorway. Ugly, pretty, strong or weak - she would be his bride, his lawfully wedded wife and he would vow to protect them till the end of his days.

Aurelia sat poised at a vanity mirror in the Alta family estate. Outside there were pastures and barns for horses and livestock and fields upon fields with servants tending to crops and harvesting those that were already grown. Her mother was fussing over her hair, braiding it this way and that way, undoing and starting over at least a dozen times. When she had simply but elegantly fixed a brain on each side interwoven with ribbon, Aurelia stopped her. “Mother please, it’s perfectly fine.” Her mother huffed at her. “Are you sure? You are meeting your future husband after all.” Aurelia smiles. “I’m sure.”

She took the next moments to dress on her own, her thoughts running through her head. And arranged marriage didn’t always end well but she hoped that hers would. Hopefully he was kind to her, that was the most important part. And hopefully he was intelligent. Hopefully he was at least mildly attractive. She had slipped on a silver dress, brocade with deep blue stitching and a matching blue corset. Her mother laced her up and pulled it tight, securing it as she slipped on some dainty blue slippers. All of it matched the blue of her eyes. When she was satisfied with the look, she took a carriage to the restaurant.

It was rustic and quaint among the shining city of Adeluna but still a fine place. Aurelia took a deep breath and opened the door to the establishment. He was the only one sitting alone in the restaurant so she was sure it must be him. He had handsome sandy hair and blue eyes that matched her own. She could not help but smile. On surface value it was far better than she had expected. Now she need only sit and talk with him to discern if he had the more important qualities. She hoped beyond hope that he did.

She took a seat at the table and offered her hand to him. She could feel her heart thundering in her chest like the wild hoof beats of racing horses. “Maximellian?” It was part question and part greeting though she was almost certain that this was him. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I’m Aurelia.” She let out a quivering breath as her nerves started to settle. “It is a lovely place you picked. My parents tell me you are a merchant family? You will have to come to the estate and see the fields and pastures. Perhaps we would have a horse you might like.”

“Maximellian?” moments later the soft utterance of his name reached his ears as he turned and his eyes cast upon a woman outfitted in a garment of silver and blue, with long locks of beautiful brown hair and blue eyes just like his own. Overjoyed by her appearance, Maximilian sprung out of his chair, hoping to help her take a seat but it looked to be to late he instead sat back down and took the lady’s offered hand into his own to lean in and press a gentle kiss against her smooth skin, “Aurelia!” he exclaimed cheerfully, carefully withdrawing from the gesture “It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.” 

Nerves played at his partner and it was clear to see. Though whatever fears she had, he hoped that he could dispel them quickly. “My family, they are merchants, yes. Their wares usually consist of steel and weaponry mined from the mountains we live in, but the younger of us? We do many things.” the bright gleam in his eyes was replaced by a flicker of acceptance before returning to their natural state “Let us not talk of them for now though, this evening is about us.” He laughed with a hint of his own nervousness as he sat back against the chair. The promise of going to open fields to ride with his new bride was one that he enjoyed, the Paladin had long thought to buy a horse and what better way to seal an arranged marriage and partnership with a household than by buying from them, though he had hoped to be more authentic than that. “Horses are something of pleasure for me, I enjoy riding them though I confess I do not own one and it’s something I’ve been looking into.” He paused, allowing a moment for his nerves to diminish before continuing with a gleaming smug grin “…though if it’s a second outing you already want I would gladly go horse riding with you Lady Aurelia.”

His reactions were very promising and shows that he was as equally delighted by her appearance as she was of his. She imagined they both were letting out a big sigh of relief under their breath. As any well trained nobleman, he had stood up in a fluster to politely help her sit down. On the same token, Aurelia did many things on her own and much preferred it that way than being treated like fragile porcelain doll. The light energy blooming beneath her fingertips, it was being trained she would be a force. 

Aurelia raised her brows at the mention that his family were merchants in steel and weaponry. A waiter interrupted them and brought a local seasonal drink to the table. It was a sweeter honeyed wine. After the drinks had been politely filled she cleared her throat. “So I must imagine then you family business is bustling. All of the cities like to stay well prepared as things do tend to happen on a rather quick pace around her. She chuckled as she took a sip of the sweet honeyed wine.

“Farming and livestock of course, always busy, people don’t stop being hungry. We just have to worry about the crops going bad or livestock falling ill. I would wager to say your family has the more stable market.” They circles back around to the subject of horses. “Our pastures have many marvelous stallions and mares. We even some more suited as warchargers.” Max picked at her. When the waitress came she ordered a glaze chicken with some vegetables. She waited for for Max to pace his order and the waitress to vacate them. “I’ve been thinking. We have talents, many things we could offer. What do you think!”

A touch disappointed, though not surprised that Aurelia remained adamant to speak of their family’s wealth, Maximellian put on his best face. Enough so that he became grateful for the interruption of the waiter’s sweet honey wine as it was slowly emptied from its bottle into their glasses. Aurelia had made it clear to him that she was of her own head and mind, though he remained uncertain of her desires thus far. All he could gather was that she wanted to remain distanced and pinpoint out what his family had to offer. Naturally, something that would always come from a meeting like this one. His eyes wandered to the outdoors, maybe he should have picked a more dazzling location after all. “Yes…” he trailed off, lifting his glass to his lips to take a long savoured sniff of the wine before taking a sip and gently easing it back onto the table as his head turned to meet the noble, dropping his mirth to a more matter of fact demeanor as his smile disappeared. This meal was no longer about the union of two individuals trying to get to know each other personally, Aurelia had turned this into a political game for him . “The mines have their own problems, similarly to your trade we have natural disasters. While not much natural resource is lost, many miners lose their lives to fumes or cave-ins. We pay them well for their efforts, but it is not always easy on the families. Smiths share some similar risks to the miners, minus the cave ins-”

Maximellian briefly took up the small parchment menu to skim through it as he spoke.  “- I’ll order a medium steak and a glass of water. Thank you.” he interjected to the smartly dressed individual patiently waiting for their choice of food. The waiter took the small piece of parchment and carefully laid the towel onto Maximellian’s lap before whisking away behind the closed kitchen doors.

 War-chargers, horses, mares, green pastures and fields, Aurelia’s family fed the people and their crops needed a lot of care or they would not grow properly. She had a taste for chicken, enjoyed wine, looked good in blue and was an optimist for the future. Maximellian furrowed his brow, he had hoped that she would not hold her cards to her chest this tightly. Words of offering great talents were spoken and he couldn’t help but release a small bout of laughter “If we didn’t have talents to offer we wouldn’t be very good examples of society,” a surprised smile entered his features as his eyes bore into hers, unsure of where this was going “It is our duty to the people and our households to be great. I have no intention of sitting around idly to inherit the wages of my forefathers. With or without my house, I alone am great.”  Maximellian trained his eyes on Aurelia very carefully now, eager to hear her response.

Aurelia didn’t mean to appear as standoffish and business like as she was. Her mother had advised her to confirm what the noble family had offered and that was simply all she could think of at the moment among her bundle of emotions and nerves. His handsome appearance was far more distracting than she had expected. While her family had always regaled her of her beauty, she was not the type to be very confident in herself. She was disappointed to see his alluring smile vanish as they stayed on the subject of family wealth and what each family brought to the table in this union. 

“Perhaps we can do something to show the miners we care about their lives and that we know their job is dangerous?” It was something easier said than done. What did you offer that was not so hollow and empty as levying their lives against coins and goods? “Don’t you think we should be better than our parents? More loved?” She could picture now the faces of the harvesters working out in the fields in heat and sweat to harvest the crop they sowed and cared for themselves. She wondered if they ever felt short changed or unimportant. Truthfully she had never asked them any of these things. “I see their faces. I often wonder how they feel.” Perhaps she was too soft-hearted to be a noble. 

In all honesty, Aurelia has seen little talent in many nobles. Certainly most of them could dress well and be charming in conversation but what did they really have to offer? It was their workers that did all of the heavy lifting and producing the product. Being an only child in the family she had gone on many a meeting with her father. She could remember talking to those that cared for and bred the horses and how they knew so much about the beautiful creatures. She swore they could tell a horse’s nature just by looking at it and inspecting it. 

She was relieved to know that Maximellian was not one of those nobles who felt content to relax on their haunches and simply let the wealth flow in. She felt perhaps she could build and change the way of things with him. Aurelia knew they could be better than their parents and forefathers simply because they both seemed determined to be. “I often feel it is my family’s workers that bring our wealth to the table. I just feel that they deserve more. Some of them are far more talented than many nobles I have met.” She shrugged, feeling nervous for such a statement because many would not agree. 

“I’m sorry for such business related talks. I must admit I am nervous. You are a great deal more handsome than I expected.” She felt a hot flush rising in her cheeks from how silly she felt. “I guess I just want to do more, be more than a pretty figurehead. I want to better what we have. I feel it is our duty.” She took a sip of the honeyed wine and felt it was time to change the subject. “Though enough about business I’m sure we have plenty of time in the future to talk of it. What about you? What interests you? For me I find solace in Light. I go regularly for prayer and spend some time honing my magic.”

Compassion shone through the cracks of Aurelia’s mask she had armed herself with to reveal a woman whom he was finally glad to meet. Warmth slowly returned to his features as he carefully listened to her thoughts, wishes and concerns for their future. Fixed on her eyes as the colours of her cheeks turned to soft pink, he felt a sense of empathy and care for his future wife. Heart warmed by the honesty she presented, soft laughter escaped his lips. He was sure, whatever obstacles they would face, the two of them would conquer.

“One day very soon Aurelia, you will be the other half of me and I shall be the other half of you…” he trailed off and got up out of his seat to kneel at Aurelia’s side “Do not fear the future of your people, for that is something you will make and I will be at your side. If there is a way we can make our people’s livelihoods better we shall. It will not be instant. There will be tough times again but there have always been tough times and every time, we have made it to become the people we are today.”

Maximellian reached to take her hand and smooth his calloused fingers against her soft skin “As of this moment, I am yours.” He offered a moment of comfort before returning to his chair.

Elated with a large happy smile from ear to ear, Maximellian nodded his head with enthusiasm “Ah a lady of the light! A woman after my own heart, I too pray to my god. Though maybe not as much as I would like-” he took a large sip of wine, “Most of my recent years have been in the pursuit of training to better my knowledge of combat, leadership and survival skills. What I enjoy though? Wine, Comradery, Beauty, Passion, Romance… the things that people live for.”


He paused as the waiter brought out a small basket of fresh bread and replaced the cutlery "Thank you," the paladin politely addressed the butler then swiftly returned his attention to Aurelia "Tell me. What does an enchanting, magical woman of god do to enjoy life beyond her duty to the light or her people?"

Aurelia was pleased to see warmth and delight return to his face as it had fallen earlier due to her businesslike demeanor and choice of conversation. She hadn’t meant to put him off, she was simply nervous and taking care of the one thing her parents had asked of her in this arrangement. Perhaps some would mind being chained to a stranger in a marriage contract as soon as they were of age and ready to bear the burdens of the Houses, but she had been taught from a young age that her duties were to House and the Goddess above all. Though Maximellian was proving that he would be a delightful partner for her to forge her way through nobility and life. 

It was true that a day in the near future they would take their vows to each other and be bound until death. Her blue eyes followed him as he stood and came to kneel by her chair. He did not want her to fear for her people or tough times ahead, Aurelia reveling in the promise that they would truly see to their people’s needs as opposed to pretending to care but doing nothing as most nobility did. She had a truly soft heart if not for the servants themselves than for their families. 

“I am glad it was you that was chosen for me, Maximellian. Plenty of noble men are keen to kick back and let the wealth flow in without a thought for the troubles of their people or the wants of their wife. You have been a pleasant surprise to me this day, as you are exactly what I would have chosen myself.” Aurelia smiled kindly at him as he continued to kneel beside her. Every bit of it was true. Someone of such virtue who cared about what most considered property was exactly what she would have chosen for herself had she been free to pick her own husband. She must thank her parents upon returning home for finding such a good match. 

She felt warmth as his rough hands took her delicate ones and encircled them, gently petting her hands affectionately. He pledged himself to her easily and happily it seemed. “And I am yours as well.” She raised his calloused hands to her lips and pressed a soft kiss before releasing them to allow him back to his chair. 

He looked like she felt- happier than anything that their parents had found such a suitable match in each other. Many were not so lucky and had to endure eternity with someone they were not fond of or in some cases hated. Some noble women even suffered poor treatment at the hands of their betrothed husbands and would sometimes smell another woman in them when they finally did decide to return home. Aurelia didn’t expect she would have such troubles with Maximellian. 

She was pleased to hear that he too worshipped the Lady Glory, patron of Light and Strength. She took a sip of wine, nodding to show that she agreed with him. “It is important for someone such as yourself to know those things. They are worthwhile endeavors to take upon learning. Your combat skills are what my magic is to me. A means of carrying out the will of Light and Strength and to protect myself and family.” 

Aurelia also thanked the waiter who brought the bread. She pinched off a piece and popped it in her mouth. It was still warm. He asked her what she enjoyed, and she smiled at his keen interest in all facets of her. “I love riding. It is something I use for solace and to think and other times to rest in the silence, just me and a beautiful and amazing creature working together to enjoy ourselves.” She took a sip of the sweet wine to wash down the bread. “I am also a voracious reader. I can find enjoyment in almost any book. Passion and romance are something I also enjoy as well. I also love to paint. I am no master at it, for certain, but I can make something well enough to display.” 

She paused a moment, thinking. “What are some of your wishes of our wedding? Is anything of particular important?” 

Naturally, Aurelia’s reaction to his being was no surprise to the paladin. Maximellian knew well that many would have chosen him as a husband. He was the perfect candidate for any marriage, after all what was there not to love? He looked good, he smelt good, his family had land and he put in the effort.  There was no question in his mind that he would find a bride who would love him, though he was glad his parents had chosen a woman that he too was beginning to appreciate. The benefits of this union were promising for their households regardless of the outcome of their meeting. Short of little but the men to use the resources both families provided, combined their houses could raise an army.  For him, this gathering was one intended for joy, romance, friendship, whichever came first… or last.

As duty bound as the paladin remained, one of the strongest lessons that was instilled into him was that no matter what the circumstance, as long as he could be as true to himself he would succeed.  Spellbound by Aurelia’s countenance, he could feel the lingering warmth of her lips against his hand as his heart beat heavily within his chest “I have to confess, you are more attractive of both body and soul than I had cared to imagine. I too… feel relieved to have you at my side to rely on,” a faint flicker of boyish embarrassment flickered across his features. While many women had often tried to keep his attention and he had shared a kiss before this day, it dawned on him that he held a severe lack of experience in this area. Bound by his duty to his household and his church to remain free from the sins of desire till he could promise to remain in holy matrimony, the thought of anything beyond that was a taboo.

“Well,” the paladin threw back his glass drunk all that remained of his wine to help him regain his composure, “our families will probably try to organise the details. If it is the people you wish to help, we can make sure that we secure the services of the common people and allow the tradesmen to see the fruits of their work with a personal invitation.” His gaze shifted to the candle light.

What was a legacy? They were a part of the legacy of the great men and women that came before them. Born from lines of people who worked hard to become heroes to secure wealth and safety for their lines to come. He refused to bring shame to the memory of his ancestors, but how could he balance helping the poor without tearing down the path they had laid? There was very little way he could think of helping the people fully unless they made everything of equal baring. Which was a nice thought, but if everyone was a noble; what then? Would the norm be worse than Aurelia feared. Would everyone want to be shut in pen pushers who judged the outside world while those who worked to keep their legacy running were forced to work for the same thing. As much as he empathised Aurelia cause and would do what he could, he knew that even in nature the concept of equality was a fallacy. In a natural world the strong were the ones who survived while the weak perished. Maximellian would do his best to act as a fair example to the common folk by helping their conditions and allowing them a better quality of life, but to risk the chain of command would turn their society into chaos until somebody created a monopoly on the state of play and ended up as a dictator.

“It is good to have friends and recognise their abilities as people, it would benefit us and them by circulating coin in a fashion that is outside the noble circles as well as gain us the contact of craftsmen who we could count on in the future. No matter how we approach this wedding we will need to be careful whose shoes we tread on. In order to maintain our ability to help our people we must ensure the chain of command stays the same, else our influence will be lesser and we no longer have influence over the pen pushers with the power to do as we ask. I have very little in the way of personal desire for our wedding other than for it to be grand and under the light of Sirona ”  Maximellian snapped his attention back to Aurelia when he realised that he may have been talking at her rather than with her. The tension that had slowly built in his muscles as he spoke relaxed “Those are the length of my thoughts. If there is something specific you want for our wedding like the colours you are free to choose what you wish. The better question is, what would you like from the wedding my lady?” he asked with a wide smile, taking another sip of the honey wine "…you'd look good in a bridal gown."

The affect of the mead was gradually beginning to take a hold of him.

Aurelia had expected many things from her future husband sitting in front of her, but the boyish embarrassment she found in his smile and the slight flush of his cheeks as he regaled her of her beauty in mind and body was of surprise to her. Maximellian had few faults, but she could tell from this conversation that he needed no one to bolster his confidence. She thought that would prevent any embarrassment on his part, but it seemed that some had slipped in and found its way to the surface even if only for the briefest of moments. Even then, she found it endearing. 

Both of them lacked the experience in physical intimacy as their religion demanded their cleanliness until marriage. Nothing would occur until they were legally wed by Sirona herself. She reached across the table for his hand, lacing together their fingers. He had a grand idea in inviting their people to witness the union of their two houses. Aurelia nodded in excited agreement. “I think that is a wonderful idea. I will tell my mother to extend the invitations to the workers of both of our families’ land.” She drank some more of her honeyed wine, trying to find it as comforting as Maximellian had. 

He had differing ideas in how they would achieve the same goal. Aurelia knew that his way was probably far more practical than her lavish dreams. Truthfully all she wanted was to ensure that no belly’s went hungry and that everyone had a decent roof over their head. She nodded in agreement with him. “You are more practical than I. At the heart of everything, I simply want to be sure that no one, especially no child, goes hungry and that every family may have a decent place to call home.” It was true that in the circle of nobility they would have to take care in who they might tread on. While they were noble they were far from the most powerful of the houses. 

“I am sure mother will help pick the colors…” She had no doubt that her sometimes overbearing mother would run rampant with the wedding and give little input to her daughter. After all this was considered an affair of the family itself not just her. They would need to present their wealth without being too wasteful. It was a fine art to balance on the knife’s edge of what was expected of the nobility. Often she felt as though she were walking a tightrope to appease everyone in the situation. She hoped such pretense could be dropped with Maximellian. 

When he complimented her, she felt the warmth shooting to her cheeks and knew they were turning red. Aurelia felt a hotness around her neck as her desire for him rose. “Thank you,” she replied quietly. “I thought perhaps we might journey to Sirona ourselves to ask of her the honor of performing our union. What do you say?”