Lynden Velez arrived home at twilight, just after the Daystar set.  He took a bath, shaved and changed into clean clothes before coming into his house to meet with Alexina.  Though they’d been married for 35 years, the sight of her still stirred Lynden’s heart, and as she beckoned to him from the upstairs balcony, the Lithian warlord felt the familiar and comforting sensation of her nearness envelop his soul with quiet joy.

    He could tell from the subtle expression lingering on her gentle face that she’d been worried for his safety.  Alexina reached for her husband and lightly caressed his cheek, offering her lips for a warm, welcoming kiss.

    “I’ve missed you!” she breathed, shutting her eyes and melding into his strong embrace.  The hard bulge of their child, growing steadily within her womb, pressed against his loins in contrast with the yielding of her swollen breast.  Alexina nuzzled her head against his right shoulder and thanked Allfather for preserving her husband’s life.

    Her hair smelled fragrant.  On her fingers Lynden could see smears of oil pigment that indicated she’d been painting.  “You’ve occupied the cherished places of my secret thoughts,” he admitted.

    Alexina smiled.  “That’s my home.  That’s where I belong.”

    They retreated to their room and shut the door, sitting close together on their bed so they could talk.  Knowing that Brenna had visited with him and understanding her husband’s mind, Alexina let him initiate the conversation when he was ready.

    “Blynn came to see me,” he said.  “Her Tamarian commander asked that she arrange a meeting between me and their Division commander, General Leo Braun.  I’ve invited him to come for dinner tomorrow evening.”

    “Our servants are not here,” she reminded her husband.  “This will have to be a simple affair.”

    “Blynn told me that the Tamarians are sensitive on the issue of servanthood.  They will prefer it that way.”

    The faintest hint of a smile moved on Alexina’s lips.  “Did she introduce you to  Garrick?” she inquired.

    “No, he was detained with responsibilities and could not make the trip.”

    “Then I am thrice blessed!” Alexina teased.  “Blynn has come to see me twice, and the first time she brought the boy with her.”

    “Are you impressed?” Lynden inquired.

    “He is handsome and even better mannered than his brother,” she replied.

    Lynden tightened his lips and narrowed his eyes.  “I’d like to meet this boy who has captured my daughter’s heart.”  He paused, thinking, then turned toward his wife again.  “Are you impressed with him?”

    “Hmm,” Alexina breathed.  “He is hardly old enough to shave, yet seems wise beyond his years.  I watched him treat his wayward sister with gentleness and compassion.  He is a great warrior, and Tegene, whom we both trust, regards him highly.”

    Lynden raised his eyebrows.  “Dear wife,” he said with a hint of warning in his tone of voice.  “You’re playing with me.  Are you impressed?”

    Alexina laughed lightly.  “What I think is less important than what Blynn thinks, don’t you agree?”

    “I agree that you are being evasive, and that tells me much of what I need to know.”  Lynden sat back and crossed his arms.

    “Do you oppose their union?” she inquired.

    Lynden moved his eyes toward her, then stared at the wall across the room.  “Blynn admitted to me that they are not married.”

    “They might as well be,” Alexina replied.  “They are promised to one another.”

    “Yet she insists that despite their devotion, they both remain chaste,” he stated.  “That fact speaks well of his self-control.  I admit that initially, I felt concern he would be much like his younger brother.”

    “Algernon struggles, but not in vain,” she countered.  “Among his people the unmarried do not display their beauty as we do, and I see that he is trying to avert his eyes, especially when Thea is nearby.

    “Now, do you honestly think our Blynn would bind her heart to someone lacking discipline?  She knows what is right and good.”

    Lynden nodded slowly, contemplatively.  “Of course,” he agreed.  “But I would have preferred that she select a mate from among our own community.”

    Alexina laughed out loud.  “My father said the same thing of you!” she teased.

    “I am referring to a man of our own faith, dear wife.  Blynn has also admitted that her boy is not a believer.”  Lynden’s gaze reflected worry.

    “Why do I find myself defending him to you?” Alexina asked.  “Have you no confidence in your daughter’s judgment?”

    “I trust in Allfather God alone,” Lynden replied.  “Blynn has to live with her choices, but I do fear that in this matter she has not thought every implication through.  We know very little of this boy’s family, and most of what we have learned thus far has not been complimentary.  While we realize that the path of a man is not determined by his upbringing, the binding of two lives is not an act that should be undertaken lightly.

    “Besides, my beloved, you will outlive me and all of our children.  This has been an issue of contention with your parents and older relatives since we first met.  Should Blynn marry this boy the same will be true of her, provided their union is a fruitful one.”

    “Oh, he’s a warrior,” Alexina teased.  “I wouldn’t worry about that!”

    Lynden acknowledged the running joke about their fertility difficulties with a low  murmur and an affectionate nuzzling of Alexina’s ear.

    “And isn’t this the same choice I faced in marrying you?” she inquired.  “If I found you the most noble of men, and knowing you would die before my time, elected to lavish my love upon you until your heart beats its last, why should I expect my own daughter to think otherwise?

    “Shouldn’t we support her decision and offer the counsel she needs to make this love of hers endure?  Shouldn’t we live according to our faith and accept this boy into our family with the same embrace that Allfather magnanimously extends to us?”

    “We should take care,” he cautioned, “that we do not discard restraint and wisdom.  These are also gifts of Allfather, given for the benefit of all people.  Perhaps we would be wiser to defer judgment in this matter until we know more of the boy’s character.”

    “Then what of Cassie and Jared?” Alexina inquired.  “Shall we ask him to leave our home until we’re satisfied with Blynn’s future husband?”

    This remark cut at Lynden’s appeal to wisdom, as he had given his approval of the relationship and formal courting between Acacia and Jared to the young attorney’s family.  Alexina had every right to bring this up, but Lynden didn’t appreciate how quickly she’d found the flaw in his line of reasoning. 

    “We do not live vicariously through our children,” he countered.  “I’m not suggesting that we deny Brenna’s love, nor reject the one she has chosen as her mate.  We have always respected her independence, and we will learn to love the Tamarian boy in time.  Yet she asked for my blessing with fear in her eyes.  How can I see this and bless their union without knowing the measure of the man she has chosen?

    “Now, as far as Cassie and Jared are concerned, given the circumstances and information available to me at the time, I offered my consent for him to live with us and court Cassie.  He’s here now, we have come to love him, and we are witnessing the birth of real commitment between them.  I would feel more confident in the long-term prospects for Brenna and her Garrick if I could see similar evidence of their fidelity.”

    “Blynn fears that you will not approve,” Alexina responded.  “I see an ocean of sorrow in her soul, and beneath a hardened veneer she remains frail.  Blynn believes her love for Garrick is a gift from Allfather, but she is torn because though the boy respects her faith, he cannot accept what he does not personally perceive.”

    Lynden realized his firstborn daughter had changed, knowing from experience how witnessing death on a large scale left a scar that could never fully heal.  Brenna, though she could boast proficiency with a sword and bow that rivaled any man, now felt the bitter wounds of broken bodies, cruelty and suffering that accompanied combat experience.

    “Blynn’s emotional vulnerability underscores the wisdom of not rushing forward,” Lynden said at length.  “If their love is true, we will see evidence in time.”

    Alexina had been dreading this moment.  “I’m not certain she can wait, my love.”  Once the words had been spoken, Xina paused, holding her breath.  “She has spoken to me of things that a daughter can discuss with her mother, but not her father.  She feels a measure of guilt for a strong, physical attraction to this boy, and has pushed him to the point where he feels compelled to marry her.”

    “So she lied to me?” Lynden asked, anger rising in his voice.

    Xina shook her head and constrained her husband with gentle hands.  “No love, she did not.  The boy has exerted commendable self-control because he loves her.  But if Blynn is ready to give up her virtue for him, how much longer can we reasonably expect him to rein in his desire?  Blynn is lovely.  What man wouldn’t want her?

    “Garrick is handsome, and truly a gentleman.  He’s already become an officer, an achievement not attained without strong effort.  We know he comes from a troubled home, yet I have seen the redemptive power of Allfather at work among his younger siblings.  How do we know that the boy will not, at some time in the future, come to an understanding of Allfather’s love when he experiences a full measure of acceptance and grace in our relations with him?”

    “You hem me in on all sides, loving wife.  How do you expect me to respond?”  Lynden, clearly troubled, let out a long sigh.

    Alexina straddled his legs and held his face in her soft hands.  “With good will,” she whispered, her bright eyes alive in the evening light.  She kissed him lightly.  “With love, honor and understanding.”

    Lynden pushed his hand through Xina’s thick, soft hair and shut his eyes, enjoying the sensation of her silken locks slipping between his fingers.  “I share a serious problem with the Tamarian boy,” he admitted.

    “What is that, my love?”

    “We are both utterly bewitched by beautiful Lithian women!”

    Alexina giggled.  “I am only encouraging you to righteousness,” she teased.

    Lynden responded by tickling her.  “I think you just want to plan a wedding!”