Sabatsday, 30th of Juno, 470th Year of the Fifth Era

The sun had long been gone by the time Josias returned to his home alone. His mother had asked him where his father was and what occurred during the tonggoraja. He gave a short recount on the events before telling her that his father was currently at the lapo (tavern) drinking away his sorrows.

With a worried look on her face, Josias saw his mother off as she left the house with Janus in her arms. She was going to pick up his father from the tavern. Josias was not looking forward to having to help his mother clean up his drunk father, not especially when he was drinking out of sorrow and not out of joy.

But that was something he'd think about when he actually had to. When Josias opened the curtain-cloth of his room, he saw Serena laying on her side in a western nightgown he believed was called the 'chemise'. She quickly shot Josias a look while holding a finger in front of her mouth.

Josias mouthed a quiet 'I'm sorry' as he slowly crept inside the room. Tiur and Tigor looked quite peaceful as they slept away next to Serena on the floor mattress. Tigor was sprawled out with his stomach out from under his shirt looking like a satisfied king with his little snores. Tiur, on the other hand, was sleeping on her side and latched on to Serena. The two had been sharing a room with the young couple ever since the burial yesterday where his father had once more taken custody of them from their parents.

Suffice it to say, Josias and Serena still had yet to consummate their union. Though given the somber mood and events that had transpired as of late, it certainly didn't help to build up the atmosphere. Despite that, just sleeping next to Serena with the knowledge that they were husband and wife was satisfying enough for him. With the addition of the two little rascals, they truly did feel like a true full family.

Josias took off his shirt and put it aside as he went to the bucket of water at the corner of his room. He started wiping off the grime that had built up. It wasn't much considering all he did was attend a council and accompany his father drinking for a while. But, Serena still insisted that he take extra care of his cleanliness and Josias wasn't one to argue with her. As his father always said, 'happy wife, happy life'.

Thinking about his father, though, he couldn't really say his life was all that happy at the moment. By extension, his father's headaches were quickly becoming his own headaches as well. Josias could only pray that his father live a longer life than his grandfather so that he could stave off his own worries for longer. It was much more fun being a son and heir compared to being the actual king.

Josias walked up to Serena and gave her a kiss on her head as a few small pecks on the little ones. They were just too cute for him to ignore. Just as he was about to lay down on the mattress to sleep as well, Serena had carefully gotten Tiur off of her before she got up.

She walked to her satchel and took a piece of parchment as well as a set of ink and quill. She shot Josias a look before tilting her head to ask him to accompany her outside. Josias gave a small sigh as he followed his wife outside the room.

The two sat on the floor of the small front hall of the Bolon house. Serena pointed towards a small portable table which Josias immediately picked up and placed in front of her. Serena had taken a small oil lamp and placed it upon the table for extra lighting. She then proceeded to put the parchment on the table and started writing.

Josias was content just sitting there not wanting to say anything as he laid his back upon the wall. As he began dozing off, Serena had called out to him.

"Are you not going to tell your wife how your day was, dear?" Serena asked without taking her attention off of her writing. "I overheard you telling my mother-in-law all about it, but it's still better if my husband were to tell me himself."

"Hmmm? Oh, no, the usual politics and the like. There really isn't that much more to tell. Well except for the part that my father's going to fight my bapauda on Lunesday but you know. The usual."

"What?" Serena paused her writing as she shot Josias a confused look. Josias sighed before he started recounting what had happened earlier to his wife

When Josias finished with his explanation, Serena gave an exasperated sigh before she focused back on her parchment.

"Your uncle really is dead set on all of this isn't he." Serena lamented while shaking her head. "I don't mean any hate when I say this, but considering what he thinks about my father, I don't have the highest opinions of that-... Of your uncle…"

"Pffft, it's alright, dear, you can say what you want to say. He's my uncle not yours."

"That damned apostate. Ungrateful, self-serving, and bullheaded." Serena put down her quill as she gave a frustrated groan.

"You know, bullheadedness does run in my family. Except for me, of course."

"Especially you, Josi. I keep telling you to cut back on how much you eat, but you still never listen."

"I'm a warrior, dear. I need a lot of energy to keep up with my strength. Besides, I'm still a growing boy like Janus and Tigor." Josias wiggled his eyebrows up and down as he flexed his muscles to his wife.

"You're so unserious sometimes." Serena snorted as she rolled her eyes.

"Now, now, hasian. Humour and food are the two best comforts when someone is grieving. I mean, you don't know. I'm goofing off now, but inside I could still be just as devastated as my father about this entire mess. I mean, it's my family that's currently breaking down in front of my eyes… but all I can do is crack jokes and despite everything… I… I can't do anything to help the situation and…"

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Josias didn't realise that the tears had already started running down his eyes. He quickly gave an embarrassed laugh before wiping it, but his voice was still somewhat cracked.

"Well, would you look at that!" Josias was still chuckling though he was still wiping at his eyes "Argh. I'm sorry about that. Unfortunately you got yourself married to a little crybaby."

"I know that." Serena had dragged herself next to Josias before holding his head bringing it over to her chest in a hug "I've always known that. I'm not much better than you, dear. And… what your family is going through… what our family is going through… I'm sorry I can't do much more about this than just being here for you."

"That's all I need from you, love…" Josias embraced his wife with a smile "Just knowing I have you here supporting me and my family through all this. A man couldn't ask for more."

"Our family, Josi."

"Hahahaha. Our family indeed."

The two of them stayed like that for a little while longer before Serena got back to writing. Josias took a peek at what she was writing but he couldn't really understand it as it was written in Germanic. Josias recognised a few words through his odd lessons with Serena or the Archbishop. Some other words also looked familiar due to his fluency in the Feldonian tongue, an offshoot of the Germanic language spoken in Feldonia and the Newlander Republic. However, that was the extent of his knowledge.

"So, uh, I've been meaning to ask you dear, but what exactly are you writing? Your handwriting is beautiful as always but I can't really read Germanic." Josias asked.

"It's a letter to my uncle in Feldonia."

"Ah, your father's older brother? It's good to see you're still keeping correspondence with your father's family."

"As far as I know my uncle and his wife are the only other family we have left. Well, maybe there still are some distantly-related Rappmeisters out there, but for my father's immediate family that's it."

"It's a shame what happened to your cousin. I don't know what it's like for the Bontarmata but for the Halak, losing one's only child – especially a son and heir like that… Some would call it a curse."

"It's much the same for my father's family, especially when they're nobility. That's partly why I'm writing this letter. Both to inform my uncle of my marriage and to apologise to him."

"Apologise for what?"

"My uncle's been hounding my father a lot lately. The newest letter we got – well, I say new but it's been months since it was written – he's been begging father and me to come visit him in Feldonia. Unfortunately with my recent wedding and everything that's been going on, I don't think it would be in anyone's best interest to make that trip, especially with my father's health and duties here. Just sailing from here to there would take months or perhaps up to a year."

Though Serena was saying that matter-of-factly, Josias could feel something in her voice. The sigh she took as she lamented not being able to go. She gave logical reasons but there was a hint of disappointment in her tone. Josias wasn't a genius when it came to reading moods but he wasn't stupid either.

"You know, maybe after all of this is a little more sorted out, you can make that trip to Feldonia?"

"Eh? No, Josi, I don't want to bother you with all that. We're still just newlyweds and it wouldn't sit right if I just left my husband for God knows how long. I'd be terribly lonely as well…"

"You're a horrible liar, dear. You're smiling now just thinking about it."

"What…? No, I'm not lying!"

"Then stop laughing like that, hahahaha!" Josias continued to tease his wife.

"I'm laughing because of your fool of a face!" Serena retorted.

"Anyways, who said anything about you going alone? There isn't a chance in hell am I ever going to let a woman as beautiful as you go anywhere far without me! Lest you be whisked away by some villainous dolt."

"Do you have that little faith in your wife, Josi?" Serena gave Josias a deadpan look.

"That's not what I mean and you know that… Besides, you're not the only one who wants to see what it's like way out there! Life in the Halaklands is fun and all but I do want to know what it's like. The stories of cities so big they make our villages look like a hovel of shacks in comparison! Not to mention, I heard the Feldonians employ 'gryphons' I believe they're called? Can you imagine that? Flying lions with the head of eagles! Flying high in the sky where nothing bounds you…"

Josias continued on and on with the stories he's heard of the far west. All of it made Serena either smile or laugh in joy. Eventually, Josias calmed down but he looked at his wife with a softer gaze before holding her hand.

"My love, I promise you… I will do my best to make whatever dreams you have come true or die trying. You deserve at least that much for everything you've done for me this far." Josias looked into Serena's eyes earnestly. Those beautiful blue oceans that he could just get lost in.

"You make it sound like I've done so much for you." Serena shook her head as she laughed.

"Your mere existence is reason enough for me to topple this world for your sake!"

"Pfft, your exaggerations are starting to sound contrived, dear… But I don't hate it."

"Of course, all of that I promise after things have started to settle down over here. After my father wins that accursed duel against my uncle and our position here is more stable. I'm sure my father and mother would allow it."

"I hope so too, Josi…"

"...and speaking of my father…" Josias quickly turned his attention to the doorway of the house. His father was being hauled on the shoulders of Lord Hasudungan and Lord Hariara. It was very apparent from his face that he was piss-drunk. He stank of it too.

Josias exhaled a deep sigh as he exchanged looks with his wife.

"I'll go see if I have some antidotes for amang (father)." Serena quickly got up as she entered their room. Meanwhile, Josias busied himself by thanking his father's lieutenants for helping to bring him all the way home. Josias' mother also thanked the men profusely before she entered with a sleeping Janus in her hands.

Josias and his mother shook their heads and sighed again as they saw the new King of Goria sprawled drunkenly on the ground on his face.

"...He's been going through a lot, mother."

"I know that." His mother replied curtly before entering her room. She had apparently laid Janus there before coming back outside with a blanket and a cloth. She had wiped her husband's face and stripped him of his shirt which stank of a mixture of puke and liquor. "That's the only reason I haven't thrown him into the river yet."

Josias laughed at his mother's joke before he moved to help her clean his father up. He wasn't lying. His father has indeed been through a lot and if a few drinks every once in a while could help him in that, then why not. Lord knows Josias could also use a few drinks.

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