mission to land on Moridon. They'd had to go through nearly two days of paperwork and permits to get permission to land here, and there had been Moridon customs officials on the spot to book the crew of the dropship in as temporary visitors and give them guest permits. Those permits had very short duration, and the Moridons watched all visitors to their world like a hawk. It was all part of their legendary security. Part of computer security was the physical security of those machines, to prevent an infiltrator from gaining access to them on site. To maintain their famous security, Moridon was one of the hardest planets in the galaxy to visit. It wasn't that the Moridons didn't like visitors, it was just that they made _damn_ sure that people who came here came for the reasons they claimed. Jason had found the customs officials to be very polite, almost friendly, but they were there on business, and they meant business. Those customs officials weren't about to let them leave the landing pad, but when Jason produced an official appointment at the First Bank of Moridon, and a bank official arrived moments later in a bank hovercar to pick them up, the officers apologized to them and allowed them to leave. The bank official then told the officers that the dropship was allowed to sit on the landing pad until they returned, no matter how long that took. The officers were very nice after that, even having some Moridon foods delivered to the dropship so Luke and Meya, who were functioning as the dropship crew, could relax and enjoy their waiting by sampling the local cuisine.

They both had to be there, and Jyslin did as well. Jason was giving Kumi and Jyslin access to this account, the ability to make withdrawals, so they had to be physically present at the account's opening. That was why they were here, sitting in this cavernous, opulent black-carpeted waiting room that had a bar and a bowl of exotic fruits, a room tailored to a Faey, but decorated by a Moridon. There were paintings and art, but they were dark in color and rather stark in demeanor, a window into the logical mind of a Moridon. The couch they sat upon was decadently soft, covered in some kind of black, silky, fur-like material, and the table before them that held the bowl of fruits from many Faey worlds was made of solid gold. They'd put the pair in that waiting room as the biometrics room prepared to receive them. They'd already gone through a great deal of paperwork and signatures, and now the Moridons were going to sample no less than 14 different unique biometric aspects of the three of them that would be used to document their access to the accounts. Diamond Prime transactions didn't only required the three normal methods of identification, however, because the Moridons would be the embedding a bio-organic, microscopic chip in their right thumbs that, when pressed against a monitor, would give the bank absolute proof of their identities, and would tell whatever bank official they were dealing with that these two were Diamond Prime account holders, and treat them with proper respect. Those bio-organic chips were absolutely impossible to duplicate, and ceased to function if they lost their hand or were killed, to prevent someone from just hacking off their hand and using it. But just the chip alone was not enough to the Moridons, so they retained the three biometric rule.

_Snazzy, Jyslin sent absently, but the hold on Jason's hand betrayed her nervousness. I wonder how long this biometric procedure will take._

_About an hour, Kumi answered. My mom went through this. They take a bunch of readings, take a bunch of pictures, take samples of your voice, then they draw some blood and take a micro-sample of tissue, then they do a full spectrographic map of your whole body. Then they implant the chip, and we're done._

_Does it hurt?_

_The Moridons are good at this, Jys, it's like going to a doctor. We'll be fine._

_That's a relief._

The door opened, and a female Moridon entered, carrying a handpanel. "We just have one minor issue to resolve before you will be escorted to the biometrics lab," she told them, speaking flawless Faey. "It's a matter of legal status. In your application, you have listed yourself and Jyslin Shaddale as betrothed, but you did not produce the betrothal certificate."

"Oh, well, an official betrothal certificate isn't required on Terra," Jason told her. "It's what you'd call an unofficial status."

"But you do intend to marry?"

"Oh yes," Jyslin said with an enthusiastic nod.

"And you have no betrothal certificate?" she asked, looking directly at Jyslin.

"I, uh, kinda can't get one right now. It's a legal issue with the Imperium," Jyslin said hesitantly.

_"She's a fugitive from Imperial Justice," Kumi stated bluntly. Jys, the Moridons don't care about what we do, and they don't care about the legal problems of their customers as long as those legal problems aren't with the Moridons themselves. All they care about is the account. You can be a mass murderer for all they care, as long as you pay your bank fees._

_Oh, that's a lovely thing to know, Jyslin sent darkly._

"Ah. That does explain it. Given your, ah, legal status, it would be more than possible for the bank to arrange to have a Templar available to you to conduct your ceremony, since you would have considerable difficulties arranging a Templar on your own. If you would"

"_Yes_!" Jyslin said with sudden excitement, literally standing up. "If you can get a Templar for us, I'll kiss your feet!"

The Moridon smiled, showing a mouthful of sharp black teeth. "I don't think we need to take it quite that far. I can arrange to have a ceremony at any time you wish."

"Oh, er, well, I don't really think we can," she said, giving Jason a heartbreaking look.

"Dear girl, the Templar will hold the strictest confidence, this I can guarantee you. He will tell no one. It's in his contract," she said with a smile.

_"Really?" Oh, Jason, could we? Can we? We might not get another chance like this._

_Of course, silly girl. I want to get married too, he answered._

She positively beamed, and she never looked so lovely. "Would after our biometrics be too soon?" she asked immediately, looking at the Moridon.

"Not at all, but would you not like to have a more memorable ceremony? With guests, and a binding cord, and all the normal Faey marriage accoutrements?"

"No, no a simple ceremony is fine with us, we just want a Templar to conduct it, that's all."

"I will have the bank's Templar summoned for the ceremony then. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"We're sure," Jason told her, taking Jyslin's hand and pulling until she sat back down. "We've been trying to find a Templar for months, and the ceremony we want will be secular. I don't care too much, but Jyslin wants a Templar to conduct the ceremony."

"Secular? I'll be sure to warn the Templar of that requirement," she said absently, sliding her claw on her handpanel, writing on the face of it using her claw tip.

"I'm surprised you have a Templar on Moridon," Jyslin said, but she was literally trembling with excitement and happiness.

"We have several," she told her. "The bank has an arrangement with the abbey, and keeps a Templar on call for the convenience of our more prestigious Faey customers, to see to their spiritual needs. You will find that we offer many services to our Diamond Prime customers, madam Shaddale. This won't be the first time we've arranged a Templar to be present for the benefit of a customer, but to my knowledge, it will be the first wedding we have hosted. Congratulations," she told them with that evil-looking smile.

"Can we go now, then?" Jyslin asked in excitement.

"Yes, now that we've settled this matter, we can proceed with the biometric exam. Please, come with me."

_Finally! We're getting _married_, Jason!_ Jyslin sent with exuberant glee.

_It's nothing but someone telling us how we really feel, Jys, he answered. I don't need a Templar to tell me that life with you is the only life I want._

_I love you, she sent tenderly, reaching out and putting her hand on his face._

The biometric procedure was exactly what Kumi described. They were taken to small examination rooms, and there Jason undressed and was then inspected by a team of Moridon technicians and doctors. It felt rather uncomfortable being naked in the presence of these demonic creatures, but they were the souls of courtesy. They didn't just do a biometric exam, he discovered, they conducted a complete medical examination and checkup to make sure he was healthy and to screen for any hidden diseases; the health of a Diamond Prime bank account holder was very much the interest of the bank, and they even offered medical services to their customers to ensure they continued to be healthy. They wouldn't reject an ill applicant, they would instead expend considerable resources to try to make that ill applicant well, at least _after_ the account was opened. After the exam, where he was given a clean bill of health, they took the biometric readings. He was photographed exhaustively, including closeups of his face, and they took a retinal pattern of both eyes. They then drew a small vial of blood, and used an evil-looking needle to take a small tissue sample from the flesh of his upper arm, of his thigh, and from his back. Lastly, they put him in a machine that was like a little silver-walled box and took a complete spectrographic reading of him, reading his unique bio-energy pattern.

They gave him a soft, comfortable black robe to put on after he came out of the box. "Your clothes are being cleaned, and we understand you are to attend a service after the procedure," one of the Moridon doctors told him. "Ceremonial robes are being brought, in the Faey custom."

Jason could give Jyslin that much. This ceremony was very important to her, and though he refused to be married in a religious ceremony, he wouldn't object to wearing a Faey wedding costume to a secular one.

The robes reminded Jason vaguely of a kimono. They were pleated, made of a burnished gold, and had several layers. There was a wrapped chest part that went under the outer garment, and in that odd Faey style, one sleeve was longer than the other. The left sleeve ended at his elbow, but the right sleeve flared into a huge cuff that hung nearly six inches over his hand. This odd style Jason had seen many times before. Most semiformal or formal clothing had mismatched sleeves, as did quite a few casual clothes. Nearly all men's daily wear that were Faey in style had the uneven sleeves, but none of them were quite like this one, with the sleeve that totally covered his right hand. The robes felt strange around his legs, for it was the first time he wore what could technically a dress, despite the fact that he wore a soft pair of cloth pants underneath them, which were clearly part of the attire given they matched the rest of the outfit. What Jason did notice, and what he understood, was that the only exposed skin he had wearing this was his head, neck, and the lower half of his right arm. For a telepathic species whose abilities were amplified by touch, this he understood. Faey did not commonly touch one another unless they were friends. "Really weird," he said, fussing with where the garment folded over his chest, for the inner coat crossed just over the outer robe, and created a bit of a bulge just over the base of his ribcage. "Why can't Faey make sleeves the same length?"

"From what I remember reading, it is an old, old custom, so old that the Faey themselves don't entirely understand its origins," one of the Moridon who helped him dress said, a female that was tying off the wide sash that went around his waist. "Most Faey clothing has the left sleeve longer than the right, though some, like this one, have the right sleeve longer than the left."

"Weird," he sighed. "I'm starting to regret wearing it already."

"Well, I am no judge of what your species finds attractive, but I think you look quite majestic in it," she told him. "Almost noble."

"Thanks," he said sourly.

They took him to a small room at the far end of the bank complex, which was clearly some kind of special room just for things like this. It had no altars or statues, but the room was dark and quiet and it had a row of candles burning along a ledge that illuminated the chamber. Kumi was there, wearing a simple brown robe, and to Jason's surprise, so was Luke and Meya, wearing similar robes. They were all silent, though Luke was smiling in his direction, Meya waved, and Kumi looked a bit put out. There was a small dais in the back of the room, a dais upon which stood two people. One was a male Faey with green hair, wearing an elaborate white robe with gold embroidering, and a red shawl or narrow wrap that hung over his shoulders and down his chest, its tails nearly reaching his belt. The other was Jyslin.

Such a sight!

She wore a similar robe to his, but where his was gold in color, hers was a soft cream color. The lapel of the outer robe was red, and her robe's sleeve pattern was reversed. Her left sleeve was the one that covered her hand; that as when he got an idea of why. Her sash was red to match the border of her robe. Her hair had been done in an array of small braids that were gathered up and bound in a topknot, and were released to spill her long, fine auburn hair down her back in curly waves. For the first time ever, he saw her wearing makeup, and to his surprise, it was both thick and obvious. It was a band of eyeliner over her gray eyes that was silver in color, which clashed with her blue skin, a band of color that started at her eyelids and then thinned to a point at her hairline beside her eyes.

His lungs wouldn't work. He'd never seen a woman lovelier. He just stood there for a moment and gawked at her perfection, but then she smiled gently and reached out her hand to him. He blinked and realized he was standing there like a fool, and hurried up to stand on the dais with her. He took her hand, their uncovered hands clasped, and then she just gave him that gentle smile and slowly pulled their hands up and towards the Templar.

"I've been told that you wish a secular ceremony, outside of the normal vows and customs of the Trinity," he began in a surprisingly warm, rich voice. "And I would be loathe to go against the wishes of the intendents. But I'm afraid I'm a creature of habit, and no real specifics about your wishes outside of that one condition were given to me beforehand, so forgive me if I improvise somewhat, and possibly backslide into the customary Faey wedding.

"Usually, I would stand here before you and espouse the virtues of Trelle and the wonders of the Trinity, but before me this day stands a lesson perhaps just as important. Today, I will have the matchless honor of joining these two people together in the bonds of marriage. I see before me a Faey and a Terran, two people with different backgrounds, different customs, different cultures, and different color skins. But they are willing to put all of that aside and join their lives together. They have looked beyond what is different, and embraced what is the same. The rest of the universe would look upon them and see a Faey and a Terran, but when they look upon each other, they see only love.

"That is such a wondrous thing, and it fills me with simple joy. The thought, nay, the idea that simple love can bridge the gulf between a maiden and a lad, a Faey and a Terran, an aggressor and a protector, it is such a powerful lesson to us all that love is the greatest force in our hearts, and can be the binding force that brings us all together, no matter our species, and accept and cherish one another. The two of you are a wonderful example of the boundless, glorious power of love.

"Jyslin Shaddale, subject of House Denalle. Do you promise to take this man to be your husband, to honor him, cherish him, nurture him, and protect him? Will you promise to guide him in his hours of need, and be guided by him when your own path lies uncertain? Will you stand with him through times of trial and triumph, through fitness and health, through the counting of the years, giving yourself to others with his blessing, but giving your heart only to him? Will you promise to lay down your mantle of maiden and take up the burden of woman, to be tied to this man in the bonds of matrimony, and walk from this place not as a maiden, but as a wife, mother, matron, and the protector of your family?"

"I will," she said, gazing deeply into his eyes.

"Jason Fox, freeman of no house. Do you promise to take this woman to be your wife, to honor her, cherish her, nurture her, and to be protected by her? Will you be guided by her in your hours of need, and guide her when her path lies uncertain? Will you stand with her through times of trial and triumph, through fitness and health, through the counting of the years, giving yourself to others with her blessing, but giving your heart only to her? Will you promise to lay down your mantle of lad and take up the burden of man, to be tied to this woman in the bonds of matrimony, and walk from this place not as a lad, but as a husband, father, teacher, guide, and supporter of your family?"

"I will," he whispered He would be _anything_ for her.

The Templar put both of his hands over their clasped ones. "At this time, I would usually wrap the binding cord around your hands to symbolize your eternal bond to one another," he said gently, smiling at them. "But, as there will be no binding cord and marriage bracer, instead we will adopt a custom of the world of Terra. If you would please," he called over their shoulders. A Moridon hurried to them, and held out a simple cushion, holding two very plain silver-colored rings. "It is the custom of the world of Terra for a wife and husband to exchange rings as symbols of their eternal devotion to one another. And so, since I have recited the vows of a Faey marriage, instead will you exchange these rings.

"Jyslin Shaddale, if you would, take up his ring and place it upon his finger."

She never looked away from his eyes. She picked up the larger of the rings and singled out his ring finger, going on the talks they'd had, and slid the ring down his finger. It was just a tad large, but they must have been hard pressed to find a pair of rings so quickly.

"Jason Fox, if you would, take up her ring and place it upon her finger."

He glanced down to take the ring, and then reached out for her left hand. She placed it in his with a glorious smile, and he slid it onto her finger. Unlike his ring, hers fit very well.

The Templar put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Before me stands no longer the maiden Jyslin Shaddale and the lad Jason Fox," he called in a loud voice. "They who stand before me now are Jyslin Fox Shaddale, and Jason Fox Shaddale, joined by the bonds of marriage as is my right and privilege by the laws of the Imperium and my service as a Templar of Trelle. What they have joined today, let no one separate." He leaned forward and smiled. "Kiss him, _woman_," he said fondly.

She did so, with enthusiastic gusto. She threw her arms around him, almost dislocating the Templar's wrist, and gave him a passionate kiss that made his knees wobble. She then hugged his fiercely and whispered in his ear, her voice cracking with emotion. "Oh my love, you are mine now," she whispered to him. "I will spend a lifetime proving to you that I am the woman you were born to marry."

"There's nothing to prove," he whispered back, his voice thick as he was nearly intoxicated by the light fragrance of her gorgeous auburn hair. "I love you, Jyslin."

"Well now, this has certainly made my day," the Templar chuckled, patting them on the shoulders. "It's always a Templar's most joyful duty to perform a marriage, and I feel especially honored that Trelle would allow me to marry the two of you. For a Faey to marry a Terran shows me that there's hope that this unpleasant business on Terra with the rebellion can be settled quickly and peacefully. But fear not, children, what took place here today is between you, me, the Moridons, and Trelle. And I don't think any of us will feel especially talkative."

Jason and Jyslin looked at him, and Jason sighed. "That's a relief to hear, Templar."

"Please, call me _Je'ada_ Mahr," he said. Jason had to dredge the language that Jyslin had inserted for the definition of that word, for it was one that few people would know. _Je'ada_ was an archaic Faey term for _husband_.

"An odd title," Jason noted. "I don't know much about Templars, but to have a title that means _husband_ in Old Faey is unusual."

"My son, I'm a married man," he grinned, holding up his right arm and pushing up his sleeve, showing Jason a golden marriage bracer. "I am married to Trelle, as are all Templars. It's why no women are Templars to Trelle; only men may serve her, for only men may marry her. And trust me, she does not grant a divorce," he winked.

Jason had to laugh, but then Jyslin smothered his face in kisses, and he completely forgot what he was talking about.

                                        * * *

They let them keep the wedding robes. They had them cleaned and sealed in a composite plastic-like material so they'd never fade or decay, and then had them delivered to the dropship while Jason, Kumi, and Jyslin completed what was left to do at the bank.

Kumi was _unbelievably_ jealous. She kept glaring at Jyslin any time she wasn't looking at the young noble, and she's already told them three times how angry she was that she didn't get her chance with Jason _before_ he got married. When Jason asked why that made any difference at all, she blushed slightly and said that there was always that chance that she could make love to him so well that he'd be her constant bedmate. She lamented that she couldn't get the revenge she had planned now, and she complained that now Jason had to have Jyslin's blessing before he screwed girls on the side, so she couldn't just try to seduce him whenever she had the chance.

That shocked Jason, just a little bit. That was _not_ just typical Kumi banter. She had something of a crush on him! It surprised him to find out, but Meya just shrugged and told him in a private sending that she'd been infatuated with him for quite a while. It wasn't love, it wasn't really even a crush, it was just an infatuation and a nearly obsessive need to get "the one that got away." Kumi wasn't in love with Jason, she was in lust _for_ Jason. That infatuation with him was why she'd been so willing to help him, and it had also gotten her shot.

Jyslin heard Kumi's complaints, of course, and jokingly told Kumi that if she could get a _willing _Jason between her legs, more power to her. She had Jyslin's permission, so long as it was consensual. She flatly warned Kumi that there would _not _be any revenge, however. Jyslin's blessing made Kumi's mood considerably better, though it didn't sit too well with Jason. He knew that Kumi would just take that as a license to be more outrageous... but then again, he was now in the Faey world, and he saw the writing here. Kumi was infatuated and she was Faey, so that meant that she would chase, and chase hard, until she got her curiosity satisfied. Jyslin was just setting the stage to allow that to happen when she finally _did_ lure Jason into bed with her. Kumi would get her curiosity satisfied, she'd calm down, and everyone would be happy.

It was still something Jason had trouble rationalizing. He was _married_ now. And he took _her_ name! But, in fairness, she also took his name. That Templar had named her _Jyslin Fox Shaddale_. Jason guessed it was some kind of custom for the married couple to take the last names of both spouses and not just one, though he'd have liked it a little better if his given name had been Jason Shaddale Fox instead of Jason Fox Shaddale. His last name wasn't just a source of family pride to him, he also happened to like it. After all, it was certainly easy to spell, if nothing else.

Not that the marriage really changed anything. They couldn't really celebrate it or go on a honeymoon, but that first night back showed that to them, it was just officializing something they already had. They were too busy to honeymoon. If they survived this insanity, then maybe they'd go on honeymoon.

The only thing Jason really regretted was the rings. His work and the fact that he and Jyslin had to wear armor precluded them wearing their rings. It was important to him to wear it, for it was a symbol of their union, but he just couldn't. It was potentially dangerous for him to be wearing a metal ring in the work he did, he might lose his finger. He wanted to wear it around his neck on a chain, but Jyslin told him that if he couldn't wear it on his finger, then she'd rather him not wear it at all. There was too much risk the chain would break and he'd lose his ring. So, they both took off their rings and put them in a little crystal case that Jyslin put on a stand in the bedroom, and promised that when all this was over, they would take those rings out and wear them once again.

It wasn't a secret in the mountain. They found a hastily prepared reception the day after they got back, once Kumi, Meya, and Luke had time to spread the word that they'd found a Templar on Moridon willing to marry them. The others threw them a party that evening, and they'd had a pretty good time. Tim and Symone were a little disappointed that they weren't there, but then again, they understood that they'd had to seize the opportunity when it presented itself. Jason promised to take them to Moridon to be married when they finally decided to do it, though both of them seemed not that concerned about it. They loved each other, and didn't feel the need for any ceremony to tell them that they would be together forever.

Kiaari did do one thing for them. She personally delivered a message to Lorna that Jyslin wrote. In the letter Jyslin told her aunt that she was alive, doing well, and had married, and apologized to her and the family for any difficulties they had because of her, and the potential embarrassment she brought upon them. She told them that she had to follow her heart, and her heart had told her that there was no place she could be happy except standing at his side.

Ian and Molly didn't seem to take much notice in the wedding, because they were too busy being overwhelmed. Molly wasn't there as a fighter, so she wasn't enrolled in the combat training classes. But she was placed in Jason's flight training, because _everyone_ in the mountain had to be able to fly. Ian started daily one hour sessions with Jyslin, as his wife tried to urge the talent inside the boy to express without having to resort to the kinds of things that were done to cause it to come out in the three other humans. Just as it had been in the others, his talent was dormant, sleeping, and would not awaken without being prodded by a telepath. The sessions were instructional for Jyslin as well, as she puzzled out how she could do this without doing what she did with Jason.

But, God, was that boy a gift from the Lord. Not because of his talent, but because his mother, Molly Fletcher, could trace their _entire_ family line on both sides of Ian's family tree for over six hundred years. All those photos and scrapbooks were about their family, for Molly's hobby was genealogy, tracing the roots of their family back through history. If they'd not found Ian, they'd never have found Molly and her numerous books about Ian's family line. Because of the maddening issue of a common ancestor between Tim and Temika, they'd decided to see if they could trace Ian's lineage back and maybe find a common ancestor.

It was five days after the marriage, as Molly, Jyslin, Tim, Temika, and Symone sat around a table with all of Molly's books, looking through them as she rather excitedly told them all about the Fletcher family. "And this was Lucas Fletcher, the first Fletcher in America," she told them, pointing at an ancient photo in the book before her. "He came over with his wife, Maggie, in 1886. My first ancestor in America was David Cremeans. This is him here," she pointed on the opposite page. "He was only 18 when he came to America, in 1868, just after the civil war. He married a half-Cherokee woman named Shelly Moonstar Brooks and settled in western Virginia."

"Cremeans. Where is that name from?" Jason asked.

"It's English," she answered. "Anyone with Cremeans as a last name has an English ancestor," she told him. "That's your origins too, Tim," she told him. "McGee is originally a Scottish family name, and part of their family moved to England and Ireland."

"How do you know that?"

"I studied," Molly chuckled. "The McGee family is from northern England and southern Scotland. They were a lowland clan from Scotland originally. So, that means you're one of the English McGees. So, if we're looking for a common ancestor between my Ian, Tim, and Temika, it sounds like England might be the place to look. Especially because Fox is _also_ a British family name," she added, looking at Jason. "The Foxes are from England, Scotland, and Ireland."

"Molly, you just became my new best friend," Jason told her with a laugh.

"Hey!" Tim said with mock outrage.

"So, if we're looking at a common ancestor, then we might want to look at England," Molly repeated, patting Tim on the forearm with a smile. "I'm not sure where Temika fits in, but I'd guess that somewhere in her lineage, she has a white ancestor, who's from England too."

"Ah wouldn't be surprised, Molly," Temika laughed. "As you can see from mah face, Ah'm not one hundred percent black. Ah already know that. Mah gramma said that mah family is descended from the southern slaves. Ah don't think it'd be a stretch that one of mah ancestors had a baby from a white father."

"Didn't we put one of those sensors in London?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, but it hasn't returned any hits yet," Jason grunted. "If we could find more telepaths that know their backgrounds as well as Molly does, we might have the answer."

"Actually, dear, I think you already do," Molly told him. "It's clear to me that this common ancestor is English. I think you should concentrate your search for other telepaths on people with English ancestry."

"If that's so, why doesn't the London unit return any responses?" Jason asked.

"Maybe we sh