Prologue

35th of Gavos, the Waning, 2nd year 10:00 p.m.

                Rick kissed Alice, not a cute peck of lips together where both people seem embarrassed in their intimacy, but a deep kiss, his hand behind her head, her hair grasped in his hand, eyes closed, he inhaled her expensive mango scented Taevon perfume. She wrapped her arm around him pulling him tight against her body as though she were trying to absorb him into her skin. She was still wearing her wedding dress and he was in his suit; they had barely made it into their hotel room in the Isle District before Rick had grabbed her and kissed her.

                He pulled away, grinning, “Married!”

                Alice returned the smile, red makeup smeared, “Finally!” She grabbed the back of his head and pulled him back down for a kiss.

                When they pulled away again Rick could not help but laugh at Alices’ makeup which was smeared up onto her cheek and the tip of her nose. “Perhaps we should clean up, this suit has me sweating like a sailor in a hurricane.”

10:05

                Alice looked at the red smeared across Rick’s lips, making him look a bit like a demented clown. “Hmm, no, no. I think you look perfectly handsome as you are. I always did think red suited you quite well.”

                “I have to practice wearing makeup if I wind up getting rich and moving to the Governor’s District.”

                “Ew, no, all those rich people also keep their faces shaved,” she gave a pointed tug on Ricks braided goatee, “with a clean-shaven face and makeup I would feel like I was kissing a woman.”

                “so does that mean I cannot shave my goatee off?”

                She pulled his goatee, so he had to bend down, and she kissed him, “never.” She smiled, now help me get these hair pins out.”

                “How many were put in there?”

                “No idea, Aunt Teresa just started doing my hair and putting the pins in to style it just right, but I did not count how many.”

                “Oh goody,” Rick dead panned as they moved to the sink and began digging into her hair.

10:10

                Rick pulled pin after pin out counting as he went, “ten, eleven, twelve, My goodness your hair is ninety percent pins, thirteen, fourteen.” As Alice took off jewelry and worked on getting the worst of the makeup off. Rick paused, his fingers still in her hair, and he looked in the reflection of the mirror at the two of them. “I’m sorry.” Alice stopped scrubbing her face and turned around her causing them to be nearly nose to nose, her eyes rimmed in black bunched up.

                “Sorry for what?”

                “This is not how I dreamed of it.”

                Alice furrowed her brow and tried to step back, but the bathroom counter was in the way, “fine. I’ll take the pins out myself.”

                “What!? No! No! The honeymoon, I always dreamed of going on a cruise, touring the mainland circling the equator. But instead, we get two nights in an overpriced hotel in the middle of the most touristy area in Nexus city, then we go back to work, because if we don’t the bills won’t get paid.”

                “Oh, Rick. We have years ahead of us, we will save a little each paycheck, and then one day we will have the money to cruise to see the mountains of Taevon and the beaches in Seffalon. But Rick, I love you, and even if we could not have even done this, even if we had to spend our wedding night at your apartment then go to work the Next day still, I would have treasured being married to you. So do not fret, we have many years.”

                “Yes.” Rick smiled. “Many years.”