Meet the Parents

[Zerith]

((Closed. Also all bunnying in this thread has been allowed by both partipants for the entire quest.))

“Ok, seriously. How much farther is it?”

Laughing, a young man turned around to look at his best friend. Sapphire blue eyes stared at what looked to be an exhausted Zevernus. “I already told you, we’re practically there. See?” he asked as he pointed to the top of the hill they were climbing. “Once we’re up there you’ll be able to see it. Then it’s literally all downhill from there.”

“Look at it this way Zevernus, It’s just over the hilltop.” A cheerful voice called out from behind the swordsman.

Both men turned their gaze to see the person who the voice belonged to and watched as the woman passed by both of them and kept climbing. Her long black hair trailed down her back neatly and even though she wore her usual blue dress she still looked stunning. While the two watch her climb the hill with here white mare following behind yet, Zevernus stopped beside his friend. “You know. I really have no clue what a woman like that sees in a man like you. I mean seriously, how long have you two been together?”

Punching his friend’s shoulder, Zerith grinned. “That’s cute. You’re jealous that I actually found an amazing woman and you’re still in the dark,” He replied before eyes went back to look at Jasmine. The two had been together for a little over a year now, ever since that day they left for Erebus on an assignment to the dwarves of Kachuck. The assignment had its ups and downs. Such as the brief amount of time the two were locked in a cell. In the end though, everything turned out wonderfully. What was even better was the fact that the two had fallen in love during the mission. Since then, they were together whenever they could be.

“I mean who would have thought that out of the two of us, you would be the one to find someone first?” Zevernus went on as they two walked up the hill and guided their horses behind him. “When we travelled together you were always the quiet, serious one. I was the ladies man.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what the problem has always been,” Zerith answered. “You have never been satisfied with just one woman. If you really want to get what I have, you need to be happy with just one person.”

“Right,” Zevernus replied sarcastically. “Anything else I should know. Oh wise teacher?”

“As a matter of fact, yes there is,” the halberdier responded with a glare. “If you’re not happy by yourself, you’re never going to be happy when you’re with someone else.”

“I don’t mean to intrude boys,” Jasmine called out to them from the top of the hill. "But do you two think you can hurry it up a little?”

“Y’know although she gets on my nerves sometimes,” Zevernus whispered. “Your girlfriend’s really hot.”

Punching Zevernus’ arm hard enough to leave a bruise, Zerith glared at him angrily. “Don’t even think about trying anything,” he threatened. “She’s off limits to you.”

The two friends had held that relationship for several years, they even travelled together for a while when Zerith was first getting used to lifestyle of a mercenary. Even then, Zevernus always had a habit of getting into trouble and it always involved a woman. One experience the halberdier still remember was when his friend had gone and slept with their employer’s daughter. When the man found out, both travellers were forced to spend a night in a tree, hiding from a mob of angry men. Even though Zevernus had grown older, he still had the same habits. But even though he was like that, the two of them were still close. In fact if one didn’t know anything about the two of them, they would swear they were brothers.

Eventually both men joined Jasmine and Snowdrop at the top of the hill. For the princess and the swordsman this was the first time their eyes saw the small village. For the halberdier however, his smiled alone express how happy he was to see the place again. At the bottom of the hill stood a small village of no more than twenty or thirty buildings. Although they three of them stood on a hilltop that practically towered over the community, the place was clearly full of life. Children played at the bottom of the hilltop, watched with they careful supervision of a small number of mothers. Even more villagers walked throughout the village as they went about doing their usually tasks. In the distance a group of men were coming out of the forest with two deer, apparently the recent trip had been successful. An open field was next to the village, where another group of older children were busy kicking a ball around. Not far off in another direction another group of men worked harvesting some of the crops they had planted earlier. All in all it was just as Zerith remembered. A few more buildings were built but they only meant that they community was growing, which was a good thing.

“So this is it?” Zevernus familiar voice called out from the other side of the princess, complaining again. “This is what we travelled so far for?”

“Zevernus!” Jasmine shouted as she slapped his arm. “Who cares if it’s big or not, I happen to like it. I think it’s a nice peaceful community,” she explained before turning to her lover. “Is it how you remember it?”

“Yeah,” the halberdier replied as he looked at beautiful woman beside him and smiled. “It’s just what I thought it would look like. This is the first time I’ve seen it since I left. I can’t wait to show you guys what it was like growing up here as a child.”

“Y’know,” Zevernus said softly to Jasmine, unaware that Zerith could hear him. “In some ways Zerith still is a child. Just as I am in other ways…” he voice trailed off as his brown eyes drifted down from Jasmine’s face to her chest and cleavage.

“That’s it!” Zerith snapped as he caught Zevernus red handed. “It’s go time studmuffin!” he shouted, using the nickname he had given his friend and that Zevernus always hated. “I’m going to kick your ass so hard, you’ll be feeling it for our entire stay here.”

“Is that what you think pretty boy?" Zevernus said with a grin. He gestured for the halberdier to take his best shot, "Come get some.”

In an instant, Zerith dropped his halberd and tackled his friend to the ground. There the two of them exchanged punches and climbed over each other to try and get the advantage of the others. It didn’t take long for the inevitable and soon the two of them were rolling down the hill toward the village with arms locked together and wrestling.

One thing was certain. This visit was going to be a long few days.

[Jasmine]

Jasmine rolled her eyes and laughed as she watched the two friends roll down the hill. Taking Exarion's reigns, she followed at a more leisurely pace. She had grown accustomed to Zevernus' continual comments and attempts to look down her dress and now ignored them for the most part. At first, she had kept resisting an urge to slap him just as hard as she could, but had not since he was Zerith's friend. Now that Zerith had actually caught him red-handed, the young man was getting all he deserved and more.

She paused for a moment, half way down the hill. The two men had already reached the bottom and were still wrestling, kicking and punching at each other like schoolboys. Zerith had told her a great deal about his home and his parents. She'd already met his father, though it had been over a year and half or so now. He had been a general for the armies that attacked Moriah. In the end though, he'd joined his son and sent the enemy army back across the sea. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she resumed walking, leading the horses at an easy pace. As she drew abreast of the men, she called out to them cheerfully.

"All right, Zerith, don't you think you've pummeled him enough? I'm sure he's very sorry for what he did and said."

As she spoke, a few people stopped whatever they were doing and began making their way curiously to the newcomers. A few of the older folks recognized Zerith, but Jasmine and Zevernus were new and interesting faces.

[Zerith]

“Okay! Okay I give!” Zevernus cried as he laid on his back and tried to shield himself with his arms. The halberdier had pinned him down and was punching him repeatedly, “I’m sorry alright?”

“Yeah you say that now,’ Zerith replied before he punched his friend one final time before climbing to his feet and helping the man out. “However I know that in about two hours I’m going to have to beat the crap out of you again. Or maybe next time I’ll let Jasmine do it since she throws harder punches that you,” he teased.

That’s just how Zevernus was. He would get in trouble for something and once Zerith got on his case about it, he’d apologize. Then he would manage to behave for a period of time only to create another problem in a few hours. That was the one thing that Zerith hated about travelling with him. In fact it was that habit Zevernus had that made the halberdier decide that it was time the two of them went their separate ways. The fact that were at that village together showed that they still got together every now and then. The swordsman was tolerable in small doses. Besides, his positive attitude and silly behaviour was quite amusing every now and then.

As the halberdier grabbed his polearm from Jasmine, he suddenly heard someone call out his name. “Zerith?” a female voice called out. It came out as though she doubted the man was real or that his appearance was a sudden surprise.

As his head turned to see who the voice belonged to, he smiled as he recognized the familiar face. The woman that was approaching the three of them looked lovely, her long blonde hair feel neatly down her back and shoulders. Though it wasn’t nearly as long as Jasmine’s was, it still looked well maintained and full of colour. Her face was well defined and beautiful, her eyes were so clear and blue they seemed to glow. She was a little taller than the princess beside him, and wore a simple, casual dress. Still as Zerith’s eyes settled on the woman that called out to him, he smiled. Holding his arms out wide, he answered, “Yes mom. It’s me.”

Immediately she ran towards her son and hugged him. “Zerith! You have no clue how good it is to see you. I was so worried something would have happened to you. But then your father returned with the others and said you found them. He’ll be just as excited to see you and I am,” she said with a wide smile on her face. Soon her eyes turned to look at Zevernus and Jasmine, “Oh, I see you didn’t come alone.”

“Yeah, these are the people I people I mentioned in the letter I sent you. Over there,” he said as he pointed to the swordsman, “Is Zevernus. I’ve been friends with him for nearly as long as I’ve been away from here. And over beside me is Jasmine,” he stopped for a moment as he struggled to find a good term to use for their relationship until he finally thought of something that sounded suitable, “My other half.”

“Oh so this is Jasmine?” Zerith’s mother went on as he turned to look at the princess. “I’ve read everything about you in my son’s letter and I even asked my husband what you were like,” she said with a bright smile. “Now I see Zerith wasn’t lying, you’re beautiful.”

“Jasmine, Zevernus.” The halberdier interrupted though he did blush a little. “This is my mother, Sonja.”

“Yes, that’s a nice introduction dear. But I think it would be better to get to know each other back at our house. I bet you three are hungry from all that travelling you did to get here. Let’s go inside and I’ll see if I can fix something up for you three and we can get to know each other a bit more. Besides, I’m sure Zerith’s father will love to meet you as well.”

“Awesome, I’m starving. Which way to the house?” Zevernus asked before Sonja proudly walked off and told them to follow.

It wasn’t hard to see that the news of the sudden appearance of Zerith was quickly getting around. Numerous people stared at the man like they were looking at a ghost, while others were shouting his name and that he was back. It was almost like they couldn’t believe that he was really standing before their eyes alive and well. Yet to the halberdier, he didn’t really care what everyone was saying about him. All that mattered to him was that he was getting to see his family again and that the woman he loved came with him.

Taking Jasmine’s hand in his, Zerith followed after his mother. “I hope she didn’t scare you or anything,” he whispered. “I guess she is just a little excited to see me again and to meet you as well.”

[Jasmine]

Jasmine laughed lightly as she walked along beside Zerith. “She didn’t scare me at all, love. She seems really nice.” As they walked, she looked around the village, basking in the homey feeling it gave off. It had been a long time since was anywhere that felt like that. It made her feel somewhat homesick for the treetop village she had spent so much time in when she first ran away from Nadai.

She did not bother to hide the amusement in her face as she watched the young women gather together to giggle and whisper to each other as they watched Zevernus walking after Sonja. She spoke softly, so that Zervernus would not hear her, “You might want to keep a close eye on Zev there. The local girls seem quite taken with him.”

Zerith glanced around then smiled too, “I suppose so.”

They arrived at the house right about then, so all conversation about Zevernus was halted. The room inside was quite cozy and Jasmine was instantly delighted with the decor. Following Sonja into the kitchen, she looked around.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Hmm, yes. Could you slice up that bowl of strawberries and sprinkle them with sugar to have for dessert?”

“Sure.” Jasmine washed her hands at the sink, and then found a knife and began slicing strawberries while Sonja went about finishing up the rest of dinner.

“Will you two be going to the Festival?”

“Festival? What festival? Zerith didn’t say anything about there being one.”

“It’s a yearly thing we do here,” she answered as she worked. “You two should come.”

“Well, if Zerith wants to, then I don’t mind. Festivals are always fun.”

“Good, I don’t think Zerith would miss it for anything since he’s here. Zerith, would you go and see if your father needs any help with anything? I have quite enough to do without you and your friend crowding my kitchen.”

[Zerith]

“Festival? You didn’t say anything about a festival,” Zevernus said looking at the halberdier.

“Well I didn’t think it would be a big deal, it’s just something like village tradition. It don’t think it has any special meaning behind it.”

“Well that depends,” Zerith’s mother answered. The blonde then looked to Jasmine and continued. “This festival is special to me. The day of the festival marks the day Sevelakath proposed to me.”

As Sonja went on to tell the entire story to Jasmine and Zevernus, Zerith headed into the living room just in time to see his father come through the front door. His brown hair wasn’t as short as Zerith remembered from the last time he saw him. Instead it was longer, showing who the halberdier got his curls from. His clothes were casual, and his postured was a more relaxed one compared to the one he had back in Moriah. Overall, Zerith’s father appeared like he had made the complete adjustment back into the life he left behind. He looked happy and relaxed. His eyes settled upon the sight of his son aand wide grin spread across his face. Laughing loudly, he held his arms out. “Zerith!” he exclaimed. “You actually came!”

“Of course,” the halberdier replied before greeting his father with a hug. “I told you I would in my letter, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did. I take it that means Jasmine came with you?”

“She’s in the kitchen. Mom is reciting the proposal story. Did you get the package I sent?”

“It came with the letter,” Sevelakath replied. “I made sure to put it in a safe place.”

“Excellent,” Zerith answered with a smile. “So you hid it then?”

His father gestured upstairs, “It tucked away in my room. Just tell me when you need it and I’ll get it for you.” He laughed again and grabbed onto Zerith’s shoulder, “I still can’t believe it. You’re actually going to pr-“

“Dad!” Zerith shouted as he covered Sevelakath’s mouth. “Jasmine can probably hear you,” he whispered. “It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

“Right, my lips are sealed. Now come on, let’s go join the others in the kitchen. Your mother will probably need me to help with cooking or something.”

The two entered the kitchen at the perfect time. Sonja and Jasmine had gone back to the tasks they were doing earlier. While Sonja was humming to herself, Zevernus was getting ready to take his next shot at Jasmine. Leaning against the counter beside her, the swordsman picked up a freshly cut strawberry and popped it into his mouth.”You want to hear something interesting? I heard that some people actually think strawberries are a natural aphrodisiac. Want to find out if they’re right?” He asked with a wink.

“Zevernus?” Zerith asked as he glared at his friend.

“What is it Zerith?”

“Did you happen to notice that my old sword, Trithdursil, is hanging on the wall in the living room?”

“Actually no, I didn’t. It makes sense though. Didn’t you say you gave it back to your dad just just before he left Moriah to head back here?"

Amused with the fact that his friend took the bait, Zerith smiled slightly. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how to use it. If I keep hearing you say things like that to Jasmine. I’ll mount your head right next to that sword. Understood?”

“Hey Sonja,” Sevelakath spoke loudly in order to try and change the subject. “Have you figured out where our guests will be sleeping?”

“I already prepared the guest room,” She answered. “I figured that room as a double bed, and someone else could sleep in Zerith’s room.”

“That sounds good to me!” Zevernus exclaimed. “Zerith gets his old room while Jasmine and I sleep in the guest room.”

“In your dreams, buddy,” Zerith replied.

“Well why not have let the lady sleep in Zerith’s room and have the boys sleep in the guest room?” Sonja suggested.

“I’m afraid I can’t sleep with Zevernus, mom. He has some bad habits.” Zerith explained.

Sevelakath laughed, “Oh well. It Looks like our only option is to let Zev use Zerith’s room while Zerith and Jasmine use the guest room. Is that alright?”

The halberdier smiled, “Yes, I think that will work out perfectly”

“I don’t,” Zevernus grumbled.

Rolling his eyes, Sevelakath shrugged. “Oh well, I guess you just can’t please everyone. You’ll just have to deal with it Zevernus.”

[Jasmine]

Jasmine only shook her head at Zervernus’ latest flirtation attempt. Ever since she’d first met him a few weeks ago, he’s been continually trying to flirt with her. She found it highly amusing that the man would continue to try to woo Jasmine even though he knew that Zerith didn’t like it very much. She didn’t give an answer to Zevernus, Zerith and his father walked in before she could say anything. Instead, she smiled softly to herself and finished cutting up the strawberries.

Dinner was a wonderful success, as was the dessert that followed it. The Dracosius’ and their guests stayed up late into the night talking of various things. Jasmine sat quietly beside Zerith as the young people described some of their adventures to Zerith’s parents. Some of the scrapes Zevernus had gotten himself into amused the former princess greatly, but she didn’t let him see that.

All too soon, the time came to go to bed. Sonja showed Jasmine and Zerith to their room, while Sevelakath showed Zevernus to Zerith’s old room. Before they parted company, Jasmine winked at Zervernus.

“I’ll be sure to let you know if that superstition about strawberries is true in the morning, Zevernus. Who knows? Maybe it’ll prove useful with the next girl you meet.”

Laughing at the face he made, Jasmine quickly made her way into the guest room Sonja had prepared. The bed wasn’t too large, in fact it was just large enough to hold two people comfortably. This, of course, did not bother Jasmine in the least. The room had one window that faced northeast, so they would get a little bit of morning sun, but not the full effect. Dark green curtains hung in front of the window, blocking out all outside light. The floor had a large, rectangular area rug on it, which Jasmine found to be very soft once her boots were off. Smiling softly to herself, she took a seat on the bed and let her bare feet dangle over the floor.

“Well, that was certainly an interesting first day, love. So tell me more about this festival. Is it going to be fun?”

[Zerith]

Jasmine’s eagerness to hear more about the festival was predictable. In fact Zerith had actually planned on their visit coinciding with the event mainly because he believed she would enjoy it. Perhaps now she would know how Zerith felt when she showed him what her world was like and introduced him into him to her family. Now she was the stranger, the new face that people saw standing alongside the halberdier and now she was finally getting the chance to see what Zerith’s world was like before he left his home. Yet the former princess wasn’t the only one that felt like a stranger here. Zerith felt like one himself.

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it a ‘festival’, Jasmine.” Zerith answered as he placed his halberd in the corner of the room and removed his other weapons. “I’d say it’s more of a big celebration or something. There will be games for the children, some of the adults will probably do some face painting or something. There will be music, dancing, a large feast and perhaps some fireworks that night or something.”

“Well either way it sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to see it!” Jasmine exclaimed. “However, I don’t understand what the whole thing is about.”

“For most of the adults, it’s a time were the village comes together to remember all the good things that happened during the past year and celebrate. Like when my father and the other men came home, I’m sure the festival was a big one that year. I’m willing to bet my parents will be announcing how happy they are that we came this year, so some will probably drink to that and celebrate.”

As the conversation continued Jasmine changed out of her usual dress and into a large shirt of Zerith’s to sleep in while the halberdier found himself satisfied with a merely a comfortable pair of blue pyjama pants to wear. The two climbed into bed together and found it much more comfortable that the numerous nights spent sleeping on the ground outside during their journey there. Even better though was the fact that they didn’t have to listen to Zevernus’ constant chattering and for the first time in a long time they actually felt like they got some privacy.

With her head resting on Zerith’s shoulder, Jasmine sighed contently. “So what’s the plan for tomor-“

Knock! Knock!

Puzzled by the sudden knock at the door and wondering who would be knocking in the first place, Zerith sat up while Jasmine grabbed the blanket and brought it up to her neck in case it was Zevernus. Once he received a nod from Jasmine telling him she was ready Zerith spoke in a loud and clearly, “Come in.”

It was Sevelakath, who opened up the door just a enough to peek his head in from his crouched position. He whispered softly as if he was worried he would wake people up two houses away. “I’really hope I’m not interrupting anything. I was just wondering if you would be interested in having a round against your old man in the morning just like old times and then you, Zevernus and I could play that strategy game I taught you when you were little tomorrow night. Y’know, to catch up on all the time we missed.”

Turning to Jasmine briefly and only receiving a shrug as an answer, Zerith looked to his father and did the same. “Sure, why not?”

“Excellent, see you in the morning then. Good night you two.” Sevelakath replied before shutting the door and returning to his own room.

As the halberdier laid back down, the former princess laughed softly. “Interrupting? Does he think we’re a couple of teenagers or something?”

Zerith laughed at the comment. “I guess he figures that since we’ve been travelling with Zevernus we haven’t had much privacy. So It should be easy to guess what he thought we’d be doing.”

Blushing slightly in reponse, Jasmine trailed a finger along his chest. “Well now that you mention it...”

Knock! Knock!

“Who is it?” Zerith called out as Jasmine rolled over on her side and groaned in frustration.

“It’s just me sweetie,” Sonja called out from the hallway. “I don’t want to interrupt. Your father told me what your plans are for yesterday. So I was just coming to ask Jasmine if she wanted to go on a hike with me while you boys were off doing your thing.”

“That sounds lovely!” Jasmine answered with a bright, cheery voice. “I would love to go on a hike with you.”

“Alright then, I will get started on making some food for our trip first thing in the morning. Good night!” Sonja said happily as the quiet sounds of her soft footsteps signalled her departure.

“Alright then, love” Jasmine said quietly as she wrapped an arm around Zerith’s waist. “Where were we?”

Holding a finger up to tell Jasmine to wait a minute, Zerith slowly climbed up out of bed and started heading towards the door. Despite Jasmine’s constant questions asking what he was doing, the halberdier remained silent. If there was one thing he could predict about Zevernus, it was the swordsman’s timing. After grabbing onto the doorknob quietly, the halberdier wait just a few more seconds before giving the doorknob a sudden twist and opening the door quickly. ‘What do you want, Zevernus?”

Sure enough it was Zevernus in the hallway. He had his right hand raised as if he was about to knock on the door. As soon as his eyes saw Zerith, the swordsman flashed a smile. “Hey there buddy, I hope I’m not interrupt-“

“Interrupting, I know. I’ve heard it twice already. What do you want?”

Biting his lip and looking away from the halberdier. Zevernus answered, “Not much really. You see, since we stopped travelling together I’ve formed a fear of the dark when alone. So I came here wondering if it would be possible for Jasmine to tuck me in bed.”

Zerith’s eyes narrowed as he stared at his friend with such intensity that Zevernus even though the halberdier was just going to pick up Amenzanil and run him through with it. “Go to hell. Zevernus.”

“Oh come on Zerith! You know I was just kidding!” the swordsman said with a laugh. His eyes shifted from Zerith to Jasmine for just a second before he looked back at the halberdier and whispered so quietly that only Zerith could hear. “Come on man. At least tell me what she’s wearing?”

“You pervert. I’ll show you.”

A sly smirk appeared on Zerith’s face as he figured out the perfect response. “Good night Zevernus. I hope we’re not too loud to prevent you from getting a good amount of sleep.” With that said Zerith shut the door and locked it, leaving a stunned and absolutely shocked Zevernus disappointed and alone.

“So what did he want this time?” Jasmine asked as Zerith crawled into bed beside her.

“Not much really,” he replied. “He wanted to know what you were wearing.”

“So what did you tell him.”

“I didn’t give him an answer,” was the answer. He rolled over to face her and gave her a mischievous grin. “I could have told him what you were wearing, but we both know you probably won’t be wearing it much longer. It’s like you said,” he stopped for a moment to kiss her. “We haven’t had this kind of privacy for a long time.”
She smiled at him, “So you’re saying?”

“I’m saying I got fed up with being interrupted, so I locked the door. Right now I just want to focus all my attention on you.” He leaned over and kissed her deeply, his weight warm and convincing.

[Jasmine]

Jasmine giggled softly, letting his weight push her onto her back as she returned his kiss eagerly. Softly, she ran her fingers up and down his back, then caressed over his shoulders. Their lips parted as he left a trail of kisses along her jaw and down to her neck. Jasmine moaned and shifted beneath him, thoroughly enjoying herself and looking forward to the rest of the night.

The following morning...

A smile hovered on Jasmine’s lips as she slept in the guest bedroom. Before she opened her eyes, she could hear the sounds of birds singing and people moving around. She could also smell a delicious breakfast. Sighing contentedly, she rolled over, still mostly asleep, to cuddle with Zerith for a few minutes before getting up. However, her hands found only empty space. Startled, she sat up in bed and looked around for him.

“Zerith? Zerith where are you?”

She looked around for a few minutes, then calmed down, chiding herself for not remembering where she was.

I’m home, on Althanas, not Earth. Zerith is probably out helping his mother or father with something. Relax, Jasmine, stop being so paranoid, you’re home.

After several deep breaths, Jasmine rose from the bed and dressed herself. Lately, when she woke alone, her mind often went back to the years she spent on Earth with Oberon. Even though it had only taken a matter of seconds in time on Althanas, she and Oberon had spent nearly 5 years on Earth, countless miles from everyone they knew and loved. It had been very difficult for her to wake up everyday without Zerith.

After brushing her hair, Jasmine went down to the kitchen. The delicious aromas of bacon, eggs, and pancakes greeted her as she went in and took a seat at the table. Sonja was flipping over several pancakes, humming softly to herself. Across from Jasmine, Zervernus sat, eating his breakfast.

“Good morning! I hope I’m not too late for breakfast.”

Sonja shook her head and answered from the stove, “Of course not, dear. I’ll fix you a plate in just a moment.”

Jasmine sat quietly, waiting for her breakfast, hiding her amusement at the memory of how Zerith had said good night to Zevernus as she watched him eat.

“Oh, where’s Zerith? I don’t see him around.”

“He’s outside with his father,” Sonja answered as she approached the table with a plate of food. “They got up a little early to get a head start on their day.”

“Oh, okay. That looks delicious, thank you!”

[Zerith]

Clang!

The sound of metal striking metal chimed loudly in the lush, open field that laid next to the house of Zerith’s parents. Two figures stood alone, one wielding his red halberd, the other dual wielding swords. The halberdier had just tried to end the battle with a fierce downward slash, only to have his blade meet both of his fathers’. Now the two of them were in caught in a test of strength, with Zerith trying to push his blade down further while he father tried to push upwards in order to fend off his son.

“So, have you put any thought on how you’re going to ask her to marry you yet?” Sevelakath asked shortly before he managed to bring his right foot up to kick his son back. The last time the two fought, the father was more than able to get the best of Zerith. Yet that was years ago, and the halberdier’s skill with his new weapon of choice had grown exponentially. Sevelakath was now the one struggling to keep up.

Before he could go on the offensive, Zerith charged again. First trying to hit aim for his father’s ribs with the crimson shaft, then attacking the other side with the titanium blade. “Not really. All I know is that I want it to be something unique that she’ll remember forever. Besides, now that mom decided to tell her how you proposed to her, I guess I’ll have to do something bigger.”

“I understand the fact you want to make it extravagant.” His father replied after he parried a strike with one of his swords then finally attacked with the other. “But don’t you think substance will be what’s really important to her?”

Zerith blocked the dehlar blade with the wooden shaft of his halberd. “I agree. Yet we both know I just have a knack for surprising people. Like take this for example.” A sudden burst of enhanced strength and agility filled the halberdier, making his next move too much for his father to handle. A quick spin of his weapon and he slammed the redwood into the side of his father’s knee with such precision that only a master would have. He continued on, kicking his father in the chest with such force that the old man flew onto his back, the wind knocked right out of him.

“Wow,” was all Sevelakath could manage to say as he tried to catch his breath. “I never thought you were really as good as Jasmine made it sound like you were last night. If you had fought like that back in Moriah, I wouldn’t have stood a chance. Though I must admit it, you’ve really exceeded my expectation.”

“What can I say? I guess I just had a good teacher at first, and then the rest some from practical experience,” Zerith answered as he wiped the sweat from his forehead as he tried to catch his breath as well. “I guess I just want to propose to Jasmine in a way that reflects the type of person I am. I brought her here not just to meet you guys and see the village, but to really my past and how it’s turned me into the man I am today. I want her to really see the type of person I’ve become, and not just see me as her warder.”

After Zerith helped Sevelakath to his feet, the proud father smiled warmly. “I know you’ve probably heard this already, but don’t worry too much. I’m positive she will say yes. Just be yourself and I’m sure she will always remember how you asked her to marry you.” He held his son’s shoulder as if to offer him support. “Now come on, I bet your mother is nearly finished making breakfast and Jasmine is probably awake and wondering where you went off to.

It wasn’t long until both men entered through the back door of that house that lead directly into the kitchen. Sevelakath entered first, smiling brightly at his wife and immediately greeted her with a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Good morning, beautiful,” he spoke in a warm, gentle tone.

Sonja giggled in response, “Good morning to you too, sweetie. I take it our son didn’t bruise you too badly, did he?”

“No, I think he was deliberately trying to take it easy on his old man.” Sevelakath replied as Zerith finally entered behind him and quietly took a seat next to Jasmine. The halberdier gave her a quick kiss and quiet greeting before gingerly placing his left arm on her back. “Even then, he still gave me a beating. I don’t think I would stand a chance against him anymore.”

“Right, well then why don’t you two eat your breakfast. Zerith, you’re place is right in front of you on the table, dear. While yours is on the table next to Zerith, darling,” she pointed out to her husband. Going back to humming whatever tune she had earlier when Jasmine joined her in the kitchen, Sonja picked up the final plate of food she had prepared and sat down in a chair next to her husband. Everything had already been laid out on the table, including a large glass jug of orange juice and enough empty glasses for everyone to use.

Zerith couldn't help but observe the way his parents interacted. It was just as he remembered, his mother always bright and cheerful while his father appeared to be a good man. The way they spoke to each other, the expressions their faces had when they looked at each other just seemed to reflect the respect and love they someone continued to have for the other. Neither of them knew it, but their son envied them for having that bond.

His sapphire eyes lingered on Sonja. Her long, blonde hair fell gracefully down her back and while it wasn't nearly as long as Jasmine's ebony hair, even the princess would acknowledge that Zerith's mother must have taken just as much care of her hair as she did. Her blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, much like Zerith's had on the rare occasion. Yet it was her smile that stood apart from everything else. It wasn't the fact that he teeth were still a bright shade of wide, or how the smile itself was perfectly proportioned to her face. What stood out the most was the fact that when Sonja smiled, you would find yourself wanting to smile as well. When it was accompanied by her cheerful laugh or humming, some could swear you could feel the atmosphere around her fell a little more relaxed.

The meal she had prepared must have been much different that the type of meals Jasmine had when she was growing up. It was much more simple, and much less extravagant. Gone where the fancy dishes and massive tables. Instead everyone ate of plain, ordinary dishes and a simple, but functional table that could sit eight or so people comfortably at best. Yet although it wasn’t as elegant as dining with nobility was, it did have something very important. Sitting at that table made you feel like you belonged somewhere. Like you could relax and not have to be intimidated by anyone else around you because you were close to each other. It felt…homely.

“So Jasmine,” Sonja began as he poured herself a glass of fresh orange juice. “I understand that you normally like to go out for morning, but I was wondering when you would like to go for that hike with me? I figured we could have some fun, I could even tell you all sorts of stories of what Zerith was like when he was little. Stories that he probably wouldn’t want me to tell any girl.” She added with a mischievous grin.

“Oh mom,” Zerith groaned. He began to wonder if his mother couldn’t help but be unable to resist the urge to embarrass him, and he really hoped that Sonja wasn’t intimidating Jasmine. Especially considering what he was planning on doing during the festival. Otherwise he wasn’t so sure he father would be right when he predicted Jasmine’s response, and that was something the halberdier really wished Sevelakath would be right about.