Chapter 86: Chapter 84: Combined House Meeting!

Inside the comfortable Riddlehoeven parlor, Lightning and I sit on the long half-moon-shaped divan beside Hans and Kaline, bookending them.

Niall and Maartenwitz have camped out in chairs off to the side, while Minette, Lamant, Vedette, and Lord Lammermoor sit with us on the long divan. Einswine lays his big porcine head on Lamant’s knee while Lobo chooses to rub up against Elandior Lammermoor. Gussie perches on Lamant’s shoulder. Demos is as always right beside Vedette. Peridot curls in Niall’s lap.

Master Taba has just verified what we know to be true. “Blaze and Lightning mated. The pheromones are, well, let’s just say potent.” He puts on fancy crystal spectacles I didn’t notice before. “Also, it’s too early to tell if she is pregnant. We will know in the next few days. I will test her then.”

Lord Lammermoor’s face turns into one great sunshine beam. “This is extraordinary. Two Level Four beasts mated.”

“And they leveled up through mating, as so often happens in the beast world,” Maartenwitz points out in a scholarly way.

Lord Lammermoor sighs wistfully but says nothing.

Lamant pats his arm. “Elandior, my friend, we have the unfortunate incidents at your house to thank for this blessing on both our houses.”

The man is a proper gent. I can’t believe how judgy I used to be where Lamant was concerned. Same with Maartenwitz. Daddy issues much? Both of them remind me of my dad. Why didn’t I see that before?

Kaline’s eyes widen. Clearly, if she is old enough to have a tiger love nest in her room, and protect our privacy and keep us safe, she is old enough to learn about the facts of beast life. Rich girl she might be, but Kaline understands life and how things work.

“Father, you’re right, we should celebrate Blaze and Lightning becoming close.”

Vedette can’t resist gently ribbing her sister. “And maybe that closeness might rub off on other members of both houses?”

“VEDETTE.” But Minette can’t put on a resting stern face. “Our houses have ALWAYS been close. It’s just that recent events interfered.”

“And brought us even closer, as Master Lamant said,” Hans observes.

The atmosphere is definitely chummy. More like family than two allied houses.

Einswine snorts and looks up at Lamant. [He is wise.]

[You are surprised?] Lobo wags his tail, amused.

Einswine snorts again. [I am surprised that he overcame the grudge. Humans have difficulty with that. It’s why there are wars.]

Demos can’t resist needing him. [Elves fight wars too. And have long memories.]

Gussie stares down at Lightning and me, [The two of you are so cute together.]

I blush. Leave it to Gussie, sweet, sunshiny Gussie to interrupt with such wholesomeness.

Minette redirects the humans’ and elves’ and halfling’s conversation. “Yes. When two beasts from great households mate, it’s like any other union. The problem is, it’s so RARE.”

Vedette wrinkles her nose. “WHY?”

Niall can’t resist a sarcastic take. “Because we two-legged people mess it up.”

Surprisingly, Maartenwitz agrees completely. “It’s all this competitiveness that has sprung up of late. Especially when the Tournament draws near. Beast Balls are supposed to unite us. So is the Tournament. And yet…”

He has the look of someone who wants to spill the tea but worries about people clutching their pearls. No surprise. Maartenwitz eats, sleeps, and breathes beast taming. He has dedicated his life to it. He’s always thinking about what is best for the beast taming community.

Kaline scoffs. “That’s stupid.”

And that’s my girl.

Demos growls. [So, that is why Ursula never gave me a second glance after the ball.]

I have been so wrapped up in everything, including my romance, that I forgot about Demos and his she-bear. [Kaline, question.]

[Yes?]

I remind her about Ursula, whom Demos likes. [Which house does she belong to?]

Kaline pats my head and says innocently, “So, if the she-bear Ursula, the one that Demos danced with during the Beast Ball, wanted to be courted by him…”

Demos snaps at me. [I hate you. I did NOT mean for you to run and tell the humans!]

[He’s such a meddler.] But Lightning sounds proud. [And why would you not pursue Ursula, anyway? She won’t pursue you. She’s too proper. I know her.]

For once, Demos seems at a loss. [That’s…that’s beside the point.]

[Idiot.] Lightning bats at him with her paw. [She’s waiting for you. Has been for weeks.]

Demos’ face collapses. [You’re lying.]

I growl, low. [HEY. That happens to be my mate you are talking about. Ad you are an idiot for not pursuing her. Or asking for help.]

Lobo agrees with a wag of his tail, and Gussie glares at Demos, while Peridot doesn’t care, and Einswine just snortles at us, convinced that we’ve all gone mad.

Lord Lammermoor coughs. “Ursula belongs to the House of Barrero. We deal with them more than you do, because they are elves, but drow elves. Dark elves. The reason that Ursula has been reticent to entertain Demos’ attentions is simple: dark elves are a mysterious, unnecessarily suspicious lot. Paranoid in the extreme. They trust our house, but humans? No.”

Hans makes a rude sound, for an elf. “They are SO infuriating.”

Kaline’s eyes light up. “But our houses are allied. So does that not make Demos part of your house in a way?”

My girl is so smart, and Lightning rubs up against her, licking her hand.

Elandior smiles. “I do believe that I can talk to Baron Nimor and Baroness Zilrae Barrero. We can publish the banns about Blaze and Lightning just as we would with humans.”

Vedette and Kaline squeal. “Oooh yes!”

Now wait up. We did not sign on for this. But Lightning lifts her head in an attitude of lofty resignation. She knows this world, this beast taming version of Game of Thrones. At least no Red Wedding and no forcibly marrying a grieving daughter to Tyrion Lannister, who seemed to care about her at least. No horrific scene with Cersei. We are more like Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons.

I nudge her. [Do you care about banns? Whatever those are.]

She lets out a little “mrrrp” that I take to be amused pity. [No. But our humans do. You don’t care about human fashion or dressing up, but I’m sure you indulge Kaline.]

Gussie hijacks the conversation. [I care about fashion. I love fashion. Not because Master does. And I want to go to that tailor shop. Everyone promised…]

I humor my friend. [Fine. Fine. We will. I’ve told Kaline, but Master Lamant was sick, as you well know. And then we discovered the mystery with–]

[I don’t need a recap. I remember.] Gussie fluffs her feathers. [Honestly, Blaze, you are even more bossy now that you’re mated to Lightning. You must get it from her.]

Lobo woofs. [She’s not wrong.]

Minette grins, oblivious to our interaction. Our byplay is just background for a beast tamer. “We have had the information for the banns ready to go for weeks.”

“What a coincidence. So have we,” Elandior declares. “Let us have them published immediately.”

Kaline asks the obvious question. “Where will Blaze and Lightning live?”

[I love her, but silly question.] I bump noses with Lightning. [I’d live in a goblin den if you were there, my mate.]

She doesn’t claw me for saying that. [Fine, but clear out all the goblins first.]

Oooh, an agreeable mate. I can deal with that.

“Why choose?” Hans grins boyishly. “They have both houses, with the best of both worlds. Wherever Blaze is, Lightning is. And wherever Kaline is, I am.”

Kaline blushes, but says, “And likewise.”

The families all cheer. Even Einswine swoons at this, with tears running down his hoary battle-scarred face.

Elandior favors his son with a warm smile. “It is a tradition in our family that the younger members, especially the heirs, are fostered out to other houses that we have alliances with. Prior to this, we have been seeking a suitable house, but after the Beast Ball, it was evident which one it would be. As of this moment, Hans will live in House Riddlehoeven with Lightning and return home regularly with Kaline and Blaze.”

Everyone agrees, and the proposal doesn’t come as a shock. Hans beams at his father, too moved for words, with a quiet certainty and contentment that’s appealing. He’s a teenager being told he can live with his girlfriend’s family and it’s all tradition, so it’s cool.

I love elves. There are a few in fiction and in gaming and manga and TV and movies that I wouldn’t want to be pals with, but in general, they’re honorable and brilliant.

Lamant claps his hands. “Then let’s crack on with that announcement, shall we?”

And shortly, the village and all of Tanglewood gets this announcement:

“Special Bulletin! Hear Ye One and All!

Match and mating between Blaze the Tiger of House Riddlehoeven and Lightning the Tigress of House Lammermoor. The two shall heretofore live together in either and both houses . The beast taming world wishes them many blessings!”

I have my mate. What could possibly go wrong? For today, I hope nothing!

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