Chapter 9

The meeting with Rayne's parents, Aric and Brianna, went really well Matt thought.

Matt met her father Aric, and if he thought the boys were larger than life, he was shocked at the father. His presence seemed huge to him.

But strangely, other than a silver forelock, Aric didn't look like he could possibly be a day over thirty at best to Matt.

To Matt Aric seemed far too quiet, friendly, and gentle to be the famous Battlemage he had heard of. Didn't they only love death and destruction as the bards always said? But then again, if he was anything like his daughter, he might be a true terror that was hidden away too.

But it was Rayne's mother that was truly stunning to him. She looked like Rayne's much older sister than Mother.

If Matt didn't know she was her mother he would have guessed her age late thirties to early forties at best. She had some grey hairs that gave it away, but she was still a very attractive woman and still built impressively as well.

Looking at her mother he knew Rayne would age well in his opinion, and for the second time he thanked his stars that Rayne said yes to him.

Her parents seemed to like Matt, and after they heard what he used to do they were impressed by his intelligence, and they asked him if he would be interested in moving to their city and doing that here in Mariners Deep.

Matt said he was really retired and no longer had any interest in doing that anymore.

But Rayne quickly pointed out that since no one knew him here and he could always say no, he didn't have to impress anyone. And with their family being who they were, no one would mess with his privacy either.

Matt liked that idea a lot and decided that he might like living in a new place.

The twins volunteered to manage the construction work side of the new business, so they decided to loosely partner up for the new business venture.

But Rayne remembered that she had burned Roger alive and he still had Matt's plans on him when she did. She apologized to Matt for their destruction.

Matt told her those were his working plans and that the originals were at his parent's house. He would have his brother bring duplicates of everything he had by the time they were married.

As he and Aric talked they made plans to build additions to Brianna and Aric's house, and the other kids for running hot and cold water inside.

But in the case of Rayne and Matt's house they would build it from the ground up.

Matt of course would designed it, but with heavy input from Rayne as to how she wanted the house laid out.

Before they knew it, it was six months later and they were at the end of the marriage ceremony, and Matt was kissing the bride.

Cassie had come down a month before the wedding to spend time with Rayne. Matt's brother David had also come down a month before to assist with the final setup of Rayne and Matt's new house and all the modern conveniences they added.

But they were fooling no one with their plans, Rayne and Matt knew they really wanted to meet each other.

And once Cassie saw David, she couldn't contain or remotely disguise her glee to anyone watching her look at him. Rayne joked with her and told her she was drooling on herself

A few times Rayne even tried to tell her to take her time, as she really didn't know David yet. And while Cassie nodded as Rayne spoke, Rayne could clearly see that Cassie wasn't listening to her.

She had told Rayne during one conversation after seeing David for the first time that she would be anything David wanted her to be, within reason of course, for her chance to be with him. And even then she might give any unreasonable request some serious considerations to see if it was remotely possible for her to still do it.

Cassie had taken Matt's advice, and her hair was just slightly past shoulder length, with bangs and in a ponytail when Matt introduced Cassie to David.

David had a large smile on his face later during the introductions and continued to hold Cassie's hand long after the introduction finished.

Cassie didn't seem to notice or care she had not reclaimed her hand back. They seemed to smile at each other, talk, and go off into their own little world where no one else was invited.

It was about three days later that Matt and Rayne realized that they really had not been seeing too much of either Cassie or David. They saw them at functions, rehearsals, and for labor with the house, but after that, they were both gone until the next time they were required to be some where.

It was that afternoon that they found out Cassie and David were spending every free moment either horizontal or getting to know each other better on dates, and suddenly during that month their single wedding was turned into a double.