the altar and find Frederick is still giving his speech.
“How long was I out?” I mutter.
“Only a few minutes,” he replies. “I wish they would hurry this up. I’m getting hungry.”
I nod in agreement and glance to the right, where one of Rachel’s relations, presumably her younger sister, is staring at me. She sees my glance and looks away quickly. I roll my eyes and look back to the front.
“Gunther Kadmusson, do you swear that you will keep Rachel close to you, and honor the covenants you have made with her this day, to provide and protect, and to carry out all other responsibilities you may have?”
“I swear it.”
Frederick turns to Rachel. “Rachel Orus-daughter, do you swear that you will stay close to Gunther, and honor the covenants you have made with him this day, to care and to nurture, and to carry out all other responsibilities you may have?”
“I swear it.” Her smile is almost as big as Gunther’s.
“Then, by the authority given me by Frejjl, I pronounce you husband and wife.”
Without waiting for Frederick’s cue, they reach for each other and kiss. I snort at the sight, and Mother gives me a look.
The families mingle. I meet a few of Rachel’s brothers, but I don’t find them particularly interesting and I want to go home to eat anyway. The girl approaches me.
“Hi,” she says. “I’m Sara.”
“Kadmus,” I respond. I offer my hand and she takes it, though she does hang on a little long for my liking. “You’re Rachel’s sister?”
“Yes,” she replies. Her fair skin flushes with red as she eyes my breastplate. She’s a younger replica of Rachel, but with slightly more slender cheek and jaw bones, and she’s slightly shorter. I tower over her by well over a foot. “You are Gunther’s older brother?” She clarifies. When I shake my head she continues, “Oh. Why are you so much bigger than he?”
“I don’t know,” I respond. “I just inherited all the size and more.”
She giggles. “From who?”
Then I realize that my father is not there. His last words to Gunther play in my head. My only regret… is that I was not able to meet your sweetheart… what is her name?
Gunther’s voice follows his. Rachel. Her name is Rachel.
Rachel, Father’s voice responds. You will make it back to her… I know you will… Then the memory dies and I am facing Sara.
She sees a tear roll down my left cheek, though my eyes have not filled. Stone-faced I wipe the tear slowly, avoiding eye contact. Her face falls.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “Is it your father?”
“Yes,” I reply strongly. “He is dead.”
“Oh,” she whispers. “I am sorry.” Then she hugs me around the middle.
I’m shocked and stand awkwardly, saying nothing. Gunther looks at me from across the room and winks, then laughs at my discomfort in the situation. I give him a glare that says I’ll kill him later.
Sara lets go eventually, but keeps her hands on my sides. I suck in my gut a little out of extreme uneasiness. She takes it the wrong way and thinks I’m flexing. “You okay?” she asks. Her hands move to my shoulders and slip down to my hands, but I recoil immediately and scratch my head with one, and hide the other behind my back.
“You know,” I say. “I haven’t talked to Gunther yet. I’m going to go… uh… do that.” Then I walk briskly away.
Gunther snorts when he sees me striding towards him. “You are so dead,” I whisper in his ear. The relations he had been conversing with give me an odd look, but don’t question anything. Gunther suppresses his laughter but lets himself grin.
“I’m gonna go,” says James after talking with Gunther. “My family is getting settled here and I want to go spend some time with them before we leave again.”
“Sure,” I reply. “Trust me, I totally understand.”
“I’d probably better go too then,” says Percival. “I’d like to spend what little time I have here with my family.”
“I’ll see you later then,” I say.
We eat at Rachel’s parents’ home. The dining room is certainly big enough, but a few of us have to eat in the den or on the floor for lack of space at the table. Then there’s more mingling. Before Sara can make another move I, fortunately enough, doze off and take a nap on one of the fur chairs.
Mother wakes me. “We’re going.”
I mumble something that probably sounded like, “Uhngoob.”
I fully wake up on the way home, and notice that Nathaniel