Marth seemed hungry, so it took a short while before he began answering questions between mouthfuls. “Martin may come, but it’s not necessary. It all depends on his own preference,” he said, somewhat unclearly thanks to the food in his mouth. “What I need from him is a bank note, so I can withdraw silver in Wyllmochvar that can be traced back to the fraternity.” Marth took a large bite of bread before continuing. “That way, if we’re investigated, we’ll be legitimized as demon hunters, giving us a leg up if Kavesz decides to sic law enforcement on us. It’ll also serve to lend his own actions some urgency. Kavesz is an academic, but he can be aggressive and impulsive - I’m betting on him making a mistake in his hurry,” Marth explained. “And don’t worry about how you eat when we’re in private, milady. I have seen hungry soldiers eat - you’re nowhere close,” Marth emphasized with a grin.

The rest of the meal was eaten rather… efficiently, on Marth’s end of the table. Each cell in his body was screaming for nourishment, his recent transformation having been his first. After the meal, however, Marth felt a great deal more energized. “Well, food is out of the way. Now, I have some… Early concerns, about our travel plans,” he said with a disarming smile. He got up from his chair and walked over to Dalanesca, wrapping his hands around her, snuggling her neck. “That metamorphosis I just underwent got me all pent up,” he said, the tension in his muscles and heat of his skin betraying the truth of his words. His voice tensed a little as he spoke - heavy with affection, but also laden with every tension he was carrying - fear, anger, desire. “So I was wondering if it was quite necessary for us to leave right this instant,” he hinted, his eyes golden slits should Dalanesca look into them.

Dalanesca was about to open her mouth to tell Marth that money was no object, when he further explained his reasoning behind wanting to withdraw silver while they were in Wyllmochvar.  “Makes sense,” she said, taking another bite of the meat that was now dwindling on her plate.  She chewed for a moment, but let out a laugh when Marth reassured her that her eating habits were not abhorrent to him.  “Good to know,” she said, before having fully swallowed the bite in her mouth.  “I suppose we’re past the point of me trying to impress you, anyway, aren’t we?” she said with a bit of a smile.  

“You know, another thing I’d rather we not hide from Martin any longer, aside from my ascension,” she said, her voice softening, though she trailed off as Marth walked over to her, with his arms wrapping around her.  The feel of him against her neck was comforting, and ignited something else within her.  “Is that so?” she responded, her voice soft and playful.  “I suppose that Martin can wait one more night, can’t he?” she said.  

She ducked out from his arms and stood up.  “Let me disarm,” she said, with a smile.  Though she had removed her overcoat, she still wore a harness over her dress with a few blades slung in it.  “I’ll be back in a moment,” she said, drinking in the golden hue of his eyes.  She turned and slinked away from him, ducking behind the changing screen positioned in a corner of the room.  The sounds of metal clanking on the floor could be heard, along with the rustling of fabric as she disarmed.  

A few minutes later, she emerged from behind the screen.  Not only had she disarmed, but she had completely disrobed, as well.  She stood a few feet away from Marth, near the end of her bed, the sunlight shining on her naked skin.  “I don’t suppose this is what you had in mind?” she said, her tongue darting out to lick her lips in an inviting manner.  “Forgive me if I misread,” she said, though the dark intent in her eyes proved that she knew she was absolutely correct.  

Marth opened his mouth as if to protest when Dalanesca ducked away, but was left grinning when Dalanesca went to disarm. While she did, he managed to get out of his armour - without assistance, this time - leaving his robes on on the off chance Dalanesca misunderstood completely. As she appeared naked, however, Marth grinned even wider, and disrobed himself, as well. His eyes were still slits in molten gold, and they drank in Dalanesca’s form. He walked over to her, and gently ran his hands down her sides, before gripping her waist with a growl and throwing her onto the bed, launching himself after her as she landed. He had a hunger, and while the time was just barely past noon, he knew he could feast ‘till nightfall.

Several hours later, the screaming in Marth’s cells was finally subsiding. He was lying in bed, holding around Dalanesca, his eyes normal once again and his voice soft and gentle. “I love you, Dalanesca,” he was saying, gently massaging the damage he had inflicted. There were some bruises, but Marth had said some things that might have stung a bit as well. “I love you, and you’re a beautiful, intelligent, desirable woman. Whatever else I’ve said tonight, know that this is honest,” he said, snuggling closer. In that instant, Marth realised why Dalanesca was so good at keeping him balanced - it wasn’t her divine powers, nor the mere fact that they were together - it was that she accepted all his extremes. His anger, his fears, his joy. Hist lust, his willingness to serve, his desire to dominate. And in doing so, Marth could express himself fully, give resolution to his impulses and still have a safe place to return to afterward. He hugged her even tighter, the realisation tugging at his heart, and he spoke without thinking.

“Marry me.”

Regardless of her divinity, Dalanesca’s body ached all over as a result of their intensity together.  She relished in the feeling, and even more so in the feeling of his hands brushing against the areas with bruises surfacing.  His declaration of love to her fell on welcome ears, and she nuzzled her head against his chest.  “I love you, too, Marth… I really do,” she said, her lips brushing his chest in a soft kiss.  The next words he spoke, his further compliments for her, brought a smile to her lips.  “I know that you love me, you show it more than you think,” she said.  It was true - no matter the degradation that he doled out to her during their love-making - if one could even refer to it as such with what had just happened - she always knew that he loved her.

“When I say that I love you, it means all of you,” she said, her hand trailing down his chest lovingly.  “Every flaw, every insecurity… I love the downsides just as much as the upsides,” she said, her voice soft and affectionate.  His next words, however, drew the breath from her lungs and froze her in shock for a moment.  A marriage proposal was not exactly what she had been expecting, considering she had been pinned down and ravaged only moments ago.

She sat upright, staring at Marth, a ridiculous smile falling across her face.  “Marry you?” she asked, her voice taking on a slightly higher pitched tone.  With zero hesitation, she answered.  “Yes!”  She threw herself down onto him and smothered his lips with her own, ignoring the shooting pains that jolted to the bruised areas of her body.  She pulled away, perched above him, and stared into his eyes for a moment, the smile on her face widening.  The thought of a ring did not cross her mind - nothing crossed her mind other than the absolute happiness that his asking had given her.  “Nothing would make me happier than to know I would be spending forever with you,” she said, paying no attention to how cliched the words sounded as she spoke them.  

“Of course we’ll have to wait until after we go to Wyllmochvar… And of course you’ll need to alert the magisters, there will be so many people!  And Martin, of course, we’ll have to have him there!  And Myter!  We’ll have to invite so many people, Marth!”  She paused, chuckling at herself.  “Sorry… getting a bit carried away here!  But it’s going to be amazing!  And Angela!  Angela can officiate the ceremony for us!” she exclaimed, clearly rambling on a high of euphoria.  “It would only make sense, given as-” she paused, realizing that she hadn’t shared the latest tidbit of information with Marth.  “Given that my ascension has furthered and I’ve become the third Triune,” she said, softly, hoping that the lack of explanation until now would not upset Marth.

Marth grinned broadly as Dalanesca gave her yes, his heart leaping. He accepted her kiss greedily, and while he paled a little at the prospect of planning a divine wedding, his smile remained. He didn’t even seem phased by the fact that Dalanesca had ascended to become a triune goddess. “Wow, you waste no time planning the wedding without giving me so much as a word,” Marth joked, grabbing Dalanesca by the waist and hoisting her off, taking great pleasure in grabbing the back of her neck and pushing her head into the pillow. “I think, perhaps, that such… rampant autonomy and secret-holding, constitutes a lesson in humility!” He exclaimed, grabbing a pair of handcuffs (a gift from the goddess of fertility), resuming the couple’s earlier ‘game’.

A good hour later, Marth was spooning Dalanesca, once again with a tender hand on Dalanesca’s bruises. His hands reached up, massaging Dalanesca’s breasts as he spoke. “We’re really good at multitasking, aren't we?” Marth joked, clearly referring to their love story in the middle of the demon hunt. Outside, the sun was finally setting. Marth waited for a moment, before kissing Dalanesca’s neck, and turning away. “With that in mind…” Marth sat up in the bed, and addressed the realm itself. “For the notice board: Two female magisters - one light, one dark - and two male magisters, again of different alignments, are to meet lady Dalanesca and the Redeemer and Destroyer in the middle of the Grey Square by eight bells tomorrow morning, prepared to travel.” He got back into bed, and snuggled up to Dalanesca again. “There. All set for tomorrow… My beautiful fiancé,” Marth said, grinning and nibbling on Dalanesca’s earlobe.

Dalanesca was quite grateful that Marth had not seemed offended in the slightest by her lack of mentioning her further ascension until just now.  A playful squeal emitted from her lips as Marth held her down by the back of her neck, her face pressed into the pillows of the bed.  She could hear the jingle of the chain on the handcuffs as Marth grabbed it, professing to her that she deserved to be taught a lesson.  Her eyes narrowed deviously, and she reached her arms out behind her, allowing for Marth to cuff her wrists together.  “Then by all means, please teach me,” she said, her voice low and sultry.  With a few swift movements on Marth’s end, she soon had her face pressed into the pillows once more, moans and screams of mixed pain and pleasure muffled by their fabric.

“Good does not even begin to describe it, love,” she said, her eyes closing as his hands crossed her chest.  Her wrists were a bit achey from the handcuffs, though the pain was subsiding.  Her hands had begun trailing their way down his chest, intent on reaching a destination below his waist.  She frowned when he kissed her neck and sat up, moving away from her to speak to the realm.  Reality set back in  as his words reminded her that they had things they needed to attend to in the morning.  When he climbed back into the bed, she smiled as he moved in close to her, his lips on her earlobe eliciting a shiver from her.

“We are ready for tomorrow, that is true,” she said, the devious glint returning to her eyes.  “But I don’t think I am quite ready for sleep… not as of yet, anyway,” she said, maneuvering herself and urging Marth into a position so he was lying flat on his back.  She climbed atop him, straddling his torso.  Playfully leaning down, she pressed her lips hungrily into his own, her breasts brushing across his chest.  After a moment of her lips against his own, she moved her mouth to trail across his jawline, lingering on his ear for a moment before tracing down his neck.  

She shifted her body lower along with her lips, lingering on his chest for a while.  Her hands trailed down beneath her, finding their intended destination from before, successful reaching it this time.  Her lips continued their movement for a some time, and before long her mouth had taken over the work of her hands.  Some time after that, she crawled her way back up to him, connecting her body with his own in another manner.

Some time passed, and with a panting sigh she lay down next to him on the bed, her naked skin glistening with beads of sweat in the pale moonlight that now shone through the windows.  Nuzzling her face close to his ears, she closed her eyes.  “I love you,” she whispered, and with that she drifted off into a blissful sleep.

-

Dalanesca’s eyes fluttered open to bright sunlight streaming in through the windows.  She lay still for a moment, relishing in the weight of Marth’s body next to her own in the bed.  Just then, bells began to time.  She listened, counting them, realizing when the seventh and final bell chimed, she realized that she and Marth had overslept.  Magisters had been instructed to meet them in the courtyard at eight bells, and they were going to need to rush to get ready.

She leaned over and placed a firm kiss on his cheek.  “Wake up, love,” she said, softly, so as not to startle him.  “We need to head out, we’ve slept to long.  It’s already seventh bell,” she added, and climbed out of bed, hurrying over to her bureau.  She had opted against her armed dress, this time, and was clothed neck to toe in black leather armor, her harness fitting properly over it.  “I’m afraid we won’t have time for breakfast,” she said, approaching him.

Marth got stirred from his slumber at the sound of the bells, but didn’t really wake up entirely before Dalanesca pecked him on the cheek. He groaned, clearly not in the mood for hurrying at the moment - small wonder, considering how energetic the pair had been the previous evening. He also fell sort of hung over, a side-effect of all the things that his body had underwent the previous day, and so he was in no mood to rush. “Relax, Dalanesca,” he groaned, as she began hurrying to her bureau and getting dressed. “We have an hour.” He sat up, groggily, from his position, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. “We’ll have time to eat before the rendezvous with the magisters.” He got out of bed, his naked form showing something slightly peculiar. The tattoos on his back had grown slightly more pronounced, particularly the older ones, as if the previous day’s metamorphosis had refreshed the ink in his skin. While that wasn’t technically the case, Marth couldn’t exactly see his own back, so he was unaware of the phenomenon himself.

Just as Marth were about to go get dressed, there was a sharp rap on the door. The voice on the other side belonged to Clive, the acolyte which served as Marth’s steward. “Excuse me, my lady Dalanesca. Pardon my intrusion, but is master Coralax with you?” Marth made a half-hearted apologetic gesture in Dalanesca’s general direction. “I’m here, Clive. You may enter.” The young man opened the door, to find his lady dressed and his master not. This didn’t seem to phase him in the slightest - Marth and Dalanesca’s relationship was public knowledge at this point, and being Marth’s steward, Calvin had pretty much seen the whole show already. “Master Coralax, I heard you’re leaving for a mission. Is there anything I should arrange before you depart?” Marth gave a yawn before he properly replied. “Breakfast. And go to the treasury, I need two thousand crescent’s worth of valuables. Make them commodity items - it’s for a transaction.” The young priest nodded, and gave a bow to Marth and Dalanesca in turn. Marth added an afterthought. “And inform the magisters in the Grey Square there’s a chance lady Dalanesca and I will run a little late.” The young priest nodded in affirmation. “Breakfast, Two K silver, may be late. Got it.” Marth smiled weakly at Clive. “Good man.”

When Clive had closed the door and left, Marth turned to Dalanesca, smiling weakly. “Sorry, milady. But I really do need some food before we go - and since we’re unannounced visitors to martin anyway, we can pick our own time.” He went over to the stand where he kept his equipment, and began getting dressed. “And I instructed Clive to look here, if I am not in the Tower and he needs me for some reason. Which reminds me, we should get labels for the door or something.” Marth chuckled a little as he half-jokingly listed the labels that would be good to have. “Do not Disturb. The Lady is in. The Master is in. The Lady and Master are in. Noone is in. Do not Disturb but Feel Free to Listen.”

Just as Marth got properly dressed, a soft knock on the door announced the arrival of food. Doors were opened, tables were set, extra cups of mint tea where ordered by a still somewhat groggy Redeemer and Destroyer. When all was said and done, it was barely a quarter past when Marth had his customary over-easy fried egg, crisp bacon, and dark bread on the plate in front of him. Today, he’d also chosen to partake in a fresh salad with shrimp and mayonnaise, to kickstart the day. As he was arranging his food, Marth looked up at Dalanesca again, his smile wider. “So, milady. I will have to get you a proper ring, of course, but… An engagement is an official thing.” He let the implications hang in the air, for a moment silently terrified that Dalanesca had somehow forgotten.

Dalanesca raised an eyebrow at Marth as he informed her of how much time they would have, but said nothing. It was a bit odd to see him not rushing to meet a deadline. She brushed it off under the assumption that he must still be exhausted from the previous day’s transformation he had undergone. Instead, she stood back and watched him rise from bed, her eyes widening slightly at the obvious changes in the many tattoos and markings on his back. She thought about mentioning the changes, but figured she would leave it for a later time. If she were to be perfectly honest with herself, she was unsure whether Marth would care about the changes at the current moment.

At the knock on the door, Dalanesca turned to face it, listening to the voice that came forth. It was unfamiliar to her, but so were many of the voices attached to her multiple magisters. There were just so many of them, it became quite difficult for her to keep track of them all. However, when Marth addressed the assumed magister at the door, she furrowed her brow for a moment. The apologetic look on Marth’s face gave way to the fact that this Clive was obviously his steward or squire or something thereof, being shortly confirmed thereafter. She sat back quietly and listened to the exchange between the two, giving Clive a quick smile to let him know that she was most certainly not upset by his presence. When he departed, she turned back to Marth, giving him a bit of a head shake.

“Don’t worry about it, love,” she said, with a bit of a smile. “However, I must say… is Marth Coralax being lazy?” she asked, her tone becoming a bit playful. She walked over quickly to where he was getting dressed and stood on the tips of her toes to plant a quick kiss on his lips as best she could given their height differences, and walked away, sitting herself down on the edge of the bed. She could not help but to laugh as Marth listed off the various signs they should obtain for the door, and she giggled softly as she added one of her own. “Perhaps we need one that says the Master is in the Lady?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at him.

Moments later, their food had arrived. As Marth began arranging his own food, she began to scoop her own onto a plate, feeling a bit famished from the strenuous activity she had undergone the night before. While Marth spoke to her about a ring and the implications behind it, she smiled. “I see no need to hide it,” she said, the light in her eyes clearly reflecting the joy she felt at the prospect of their union. “Maybe we can find a beautiful ring somewhere in Wyllmochvar?” she asked, her voice lightening more.

“However - we do have things at hand that need tending to. Perhaps we make an official announcement upon our return from Wyllmochvar?” she said, with a smile. “Granted… might be fun to tell Martin,” she added, her eyes darkening a bit. “It might soften the blow of the information of my ascension,” she said, laughing softly. “ ‘Hello, Martin, good to see you again - what’s that? Oh yes, I’m a goddess… also Marth and I are getting married,’ “ she said, her voice taking a lofty tone of humor. “I’ll leave that up to you, love,” she said, in terms of informally letting others know of their new status. “However, I’ll have to get message to Angela sooner than later… she’ll kill me if she doesn’t find out from me,” she added.

“Finish up and eat, love,” she said, after a moment. “I know you’re feeling a bit lazy today, but I’m very energized and very excited about the prospect of marrying you. If you make me wait too much longer to leave… it’s going to end up being a very long time before I let you out of this room,” she said, narrowing her brow playfully.

Marth was shovelling bread, bacon, and a chunk of omelette in his mouth as Dalanesca replied to his queries. “That would be amusing. Some magister drops by with paperwork to see a tag reading ‘The Master is in the Lady’ hanging on the doorknob.” He chuckled as he wolfed down another mouthful of food - he was clearly ravenous. He was already halfway through the portion when he deigned to open his mouth again. “Jokes aside, I think Martin should be informed. As for Angela… you and I are going to the sundering Gardens to share the news together. I have to thank her for the cuffs and paddles, anyway,” he said, before devouring the last scrap of food on his plate and immediately refilling it.

Marth smirked at Dalanesca (with his mouth full) as she mentioned may having to keep Marth in the room for quite a while. He wolfed down another mouthful before speaking with a sly grin. “I know I informed the magisters we may be a little late, milady, but I doubt I could satisfy you before we’d spent the entire day. It’ll have to wait.” He finished his second portion. “And I’m not feeling lazy, just… When I was a lieutenant - and captain - I always had someone to answer to, someone else’s schedule to keep. Now that I only answer to you - who are my primary reason to be late in any case - I’m trying to learn to ease up a little bit. Besides, with magisters and priests to tend to our needs, an hour is a lot more than before,” he said, his smile more innocent. He then moved over to his armour, kitted up, grabbed the Dragon Lance, and was ready to head out.

Marth and Dalanesca, despite the long dinner, arrived at the Grey Square just as the bells began to chime eight times. As instructed, four magisters were present, ready for travel. Marth looked over them and gave them an approving nod. “To the Tower we go.” They walked towards the Two-Faced Tower, where the Skylance was prepped and ready to beam them down - and so it promptly did.

The group appeared just outside Martin du Reolar’s castle town, appearing just in time to see the lord and his escort heading out, all clad in tabards half black and half white. The astonishment on Martin’s face when Marth, Dalanesca, and the four magisters appeared mere metres away from them would have been hilarious to any outsider. “Marth! Dalanesca! What are you - did you hear about my pilgrimage?” Marth opened his mouth, but was momentarily lost for words. Then he realised that they were accompanied by four magisters - clad in black and white, just like the tabards on Martin and his escort. “You’re… You’re headed for the blinded scales?” Marth asked, to which Martin gave a nod - still with a somewhat spooked expression. “Yes. The moment I heard other gods had appeared, I prepared to make a pilgrimage. Why are you here?” Marth opened his mouth to speak. He then looked lost for words again. Then he just laughed. “Well, Martin, let me save you the trouble and bring your pilgrimage to an end.” He stepped forward, and slammed the Dragon Lance in the ground, letting off a flash. “Let me introduce to you the Justiciar, She who Maintains Order and Balance… Dalanesca.” The magisters immediately took two steps to either side of their goddess, and took to the knee.

Dalanesca raised an eyebrow at Marth.  “Angela gave you those?  I was wondering where they appeared from,” she said, with a bit of a laugh.  “Leave it to her, worming her way into everyone’s bedroom when she’s not even there,” she said with a chuckle.  Angela was by far one of her better friends, but the goddess had a strange obsession with the personal lives of others - she could not blame her, as Life and Fertility seemed to go hand in hand with what happened in the bedroom.  She thought on it a moment, shrugging her shoulders and letting it fall from her mind.  She looked forward to the two of them heading to the Sundering Gardens together, and she was even more excited about sharing the news of their engagement with her fellow Triune goddess - at which point she realized she would need to inform Moliira, as well.  She mentally added it to her list, and turned her attention back to Marth.

“Fine then,” she said, with a bit of a fake pout.  She had, of course, been joking on the prospect of more time alone with Marth, but she knew that they had other things to attend to.  She listened intently as he gave his explanation for not worrying as much about the time, and it brought a smile to her lips when he mentioned that she was generally the reason for being late.  “But what will I do without my strict, overly-punctual Redeemer and Destroyer?” she asked, sticking her lower lip out playfully.  As soon as he was ready, she followed him out of the room and to the Two-Faced Tower, where they quickly used the Skylance to project them to their destination. 

The site that befell her upon their arrival had her at a loss for words.  She could see Martin along with several others - the others being dressed in the exact same manner as the magisters accompanying Marth and herself. She opened her mouth for a split second to say something to Marth, but snapped it shut when Martin called out to them.  Her eyes widened slightly and she looked to Marth for assistance, but it seemed that he was at just as much of a loss as he was.  When Marth confirmed with Martin that they were, indeed, headed for the Blinded Scales, she let out a breath of air and brought a hand to her forehead, looking away for a moment.  His explanation of a pilgrimage furthered Dalanesca’s incredulity, and she let out a barely audible sound.  

When Marth made a show of introducing her, she nearly rolled her eyes.  She gave Martin a little wave, before quickly turning to the magisters.  “Get up,” she said, waving her hands at them.  “You know I hate this nonsense,” she added.  The magisters quickly stood again, and Dalanesca turned to Marth.  “And enough with the theatrics, love,” she said, her voice mildly scolding.  “I’m divine, not a celebrity,” she added.  She turned back to Martin.  “No need for a pilgrimage, Martin,” she said with a smile.  “Pretty sure you’re already in my good graces,” she added with a grin.  “Part of the reason we’re here was to tell you of my ascension,” she added, and turned back to Marth.  “Among other things,” she said, leaving the discussion open for Marth to chime in.