Chapter 12: Mage

~~ Delta - Dec/02 - (Earth - June/2095) ~~

We met up with Kale and Arnett in the lounge room.

They were heading out to visit their families for the day. Kale squinted his eyes at us, “Bloody hell, I need my sunnies. Come on; spill the beans, what has happened?”

I looked at James, and he took my hand and beamed at Kale and Arnett, “She has agreed to make me her first husband, and she carries my child.”

I looked at James with a frown. The words ‘first-husband’ ricocheted around in my head. I thought back the conversations we had when we first agreed to be lovers. I suddenly realised that because I had not understood his culture and, in my naivety, I’d done him a great wrong.

I had set the extra demands on our relationship by telling him he would have to ask me for sex, that he could be my fuckbuddy. I had unintentionally relegated him to second husband status, in his eyes. A status that he believed was all he could ever attain since his first marriage had failed.

I had thought his desire to shack-up with me was so he could put off asking me to marry him. I now suspected that it was because I had promised not to take another lover, while with him. It meant that he was able to keep me to himself longer, as he desired.

I now also realised that James had been possessive of me because he was worried that I would find a first husband, and he would have to take his place as second and not be first in my heart or bed as he genuinely wished.

For him to swallow his pride and agree to marry me on my terms, so I didn’t send him away and deny him his child and my love was just bloody fantastic. I gasped, and they all looked at me.

“Oh James, I’m so sorry,” I said with pain for what I had done to the man I loved. I placed my hands on either side of his handsome face and kissed him gently as the tears of my shame fell.

“I forgot about your cultural beliefs, James, you were only ever to be my first husband. Never a second husband James, never, ever. You are my first and only choice, my lovely man.”

He swallowed, and I kissed him again. He hugged me to him, and I felt a great tension leave his body. I think that he now believed that I wouldn’t set him aside for another man, because of his past failure as a husband.

“Only you,” I whispered into his lips.

“Only you,” he hoarsely whispered back.

“Holy crap, you guys are just pulsing,” Kale said in awe.

I snuggled under my man’s arm content that the last shadow over our love had been cast away. I could feel the happiness radiate from James. Different cultural beliefs can be a bitch I decided.

I looked at Kale holding Arnett’s hand, “So when are you going to make an honest faerie of Arnett?”

He smiled at Arnett, and I could see he loved her very much, “I can’t marry her while I’m bonded to you unless you agree,” he told me.

I frowned, “If I agree, will she be bonded to me as well?”

Arnett nodded, “Yes, my Lady, but it’s alright, I really don’t mind. We love living and working with you and James. We have such fun and learn so much, you’re not exactly a demanding mistress, my Lady.”

James lifted an eyebrow at me, and I giggled and hugged him tighter. I sobered and looked at my so-called faerie servant. “Will you be okay with this arrangement Kale? I will free her when you too are freed, I promise.”

He looked at Arnett, and her smile answered his question. “If it pleases you, Mistress,” he bowed.

“Fine. Oh, I expect an invitation to the wedding and you two are invited to ours as honoured guests, not servants.”

They beamed at us, and we all made our way to find breakfast, I was starving.

------

I hit the bain-maries.

I piled my plate with hot toast, bacon, fried tomatoes, onion and mushrooms. I dropped on a couple of reptii snags and then some fried eggs, off the new tray the cook had just brought out to us. I was soon hoeing in. I noticed a couple of looks that James sent my way, as I worked through the small mountain on my plate.

He grinned as said, “Hungry, my lovely wife-to-be?”

I grinned at him. I got the impression that he really liked to call me his wife-to-be’. It was as if he still couldn’t believe that I genuinely was going to make him my first husband as I had promised.

“I’m starving, first and only, husband-to-be,” I returned. James looked at me as if he was wondering if I was taking the piss out of him. I winked, grinned and then jammed one of the lovely spicy reptii sausages in my mouth. I loved these snags.

He threw back his head and laughed out loud, “God, darn it, Trixy, I had better get you to a priest fast before you wake up and realise your folly in loving me.”

“May I never wake then, my love. It is a folly I’m content with,” I happily told him. I watched as his desire and his love for me blazed in his eyes. No, I couldn’t ask for more than him. I wanted no other man to be the father of my children, in my bed, or by my side.

He went to say something but was startled when Lee and Sean appeared beside us. “Hi Trixy, James, we were wondering if you would like a trip to Watson Island,” Lee said.

I looked at her, wondering how she knew. She grinned and dobbed Kale in. “A certain faerie informed me you planned to make James your first husband and that you were carrying his child. May I touch you?”

I looked at James and agreed. Lee touched me gently, and I felt a warmth similar to when Alec had touched me. She smiled brightly, “A feisty daughter you shall have. She will be as beautiful and as intelligent as her mother.”

I glanced at James, and he was beaming from ear to ear. I had to smile for him. Lee interrupted the moment as she continued, “Your son, however, shall be a gentle giant.”

She looked between us, “But don’t let his gentleness fool you. He is as intelligent as his sister is. He will fight his battle with wits, not his brawn, as one would expect. He will be a son to be proud of Trixy and James.”

I had to smile at James’ dropped jaw and shocked look. “Twins? We are to have fraternal twins. My family is not known for twins of any sort. My parents and family will be astonished. I’m bloody astounded. Damn Trixy, you are bloody amazing, my love.”

“Yes, she is very special,” Lee said. “So how about we make both of you even more unique. I believe I have a couple of boxes awaiting you if you’re interested?”

I shrugged, and Lee touched me, just as Sean touched James.

------

I blinked and found myself in a magnificent Dome home.

Lee asked if I would like to meet her children, and I grinned, “I hope I get my figure back like you, Queen Lee. It is hard to believe you only gave birth to Jackson a couple of weeks ago.”

She smiled and looked down at herself, “Yes, it is definitely one of the advantages of being gifted as I am. I think you will have no problems retaining that magnificent body. Allan said he believes you are more closely related to Sean’s family?”

“So, he said, but I believe my father was a cousin of his a couple of times removed. But he believed my mother was from Sean’s family tree. So, I guess I become the missing link between the families,” I smiled at her.

Lee nodded, “Yes, which could explain why you follow a different path magically to your cousins. It has been become a pet hobby of mine to investigate family lineage. It is truly fascinating. You have given me another new line to investigate. I would be very appreciative if you can supply whatever information you can.”

“Would you like a copy of the picture’s I showed Allan? I have digitised them, I can also send you the other photos of my family I have,” I told her.

She smiled her appreciation. “I hope you don’t have the same problems with your children that I seem to be having with mine,” she said.

“Oh?” I said as we walked to her rooms.

She grinned, “Helen has learnt to crawl.”

“And this is bad because?”

She chuckled, “She also likes to hide. She leads the staff on a merry chase, sometimes they just have to wait until she gets hungry enough. She seems to be able to find our cook Erving and the kitchen with little trouble.”

I also had to laugh. Lee then said, “I gave up and put a finder spell on her while she was asleep; otherwise, only her father seems to be able to find her.”

She introduced me to Jackson, and I found him utterly charming. “How big do you think he will grow?” I asked.

Lee looked at her gurgling son. “I don’t honestly know; Sean is no slouch. With his shape-shifting abilities, I suppose Jack can be as tall as he wishes.”

I stepped closer and smiled at the baby boy, “I wonder if he wants a feisty giantess for a wife?”

His little hand reached out and touched my tummy. I heard the word like a soft breath in my mind, ‘mine’. I looked at Lee. She had raised her eyebrows, and she looked at her son.

“I think you will have your work cut out for you boy if you take her on.” Her son gurgled out a laugh, and I think we both got the impression that he knew exactly what he was in for.

I found it a bit unsettling, but then Jack was the son of a Queen Wizard and a Lord Wizard. I got the impression he would be a formidable enemy if you crossed him but a loyal friend if you earned his respect. It would be interesting to see how he turned out.

Lee took me back to the ceremonial room after a brief tour of her beautiful home. I could understand why she loved living here. We met up with Sean and James, who seemed to have struck up an easy friendship.

I looked at my cousin by blood in some branch of my family, and I could see my ancestress in him. He smiled at me, and I shivered as if I had just recognised a kindred soul.

Lee explained to us about the responsibility of being chosen by one of the magical boxes. Of our commitment to the One People, to all the people who would make these two worlds their home. She asked if we accepted this responsibility. We both nodded that we did.