David West could barely sleep once he returned to his chambers. In the morning, he may be able to free his beloved from her bond to Dalrinjian, or have to give her up forever. Or have something even more complicated to deal with, depending on the results. He finally dozed off as the suns came up and was awakened by a knock on his door.

  The rat-faced man stood there. “Ten gold to leave here with no shame on your head. Or follow me to your doom and Dalrinjian’s victory.”

  David felt a sudden urge to turn him into a full rat but resisted it and instead just said: “Lead the way to doom, then.”

  With a mock bow, the other said: “as you wish, Baby Mage,” and set off down the hall. David followed, uncertainty and ck of sleep making the experience a little nerve wracking.

  Four Magisters, one the High Magister Parkidden, joined the Battle Mother and Thellissandra’s friend Kaylondea and all stood before a cauldron. Sandra was seated beside it and Dalrinjian stood behind her, looking smug. Gray mist rose from the cauldron, and the Battle Mother, the only person in the room who acknowledged his arrival other than Sandra herself, held an odd metal stick with what looked like a rge cotton swab in one hand.

  “All who have a stake in this testing are now present,” Parkidden intoned. I will begin the Ritual of Testing, and then all men in the room must turn to face the walls as the first stage is performed. When that is complete, the Battle Mother will complete the Ritual

  And insert the Testing Stick into the cauldron. If the smoke turns bck, Thellissandra will be known to be not pregnant. If the mists turn a brighter white, we will know she is with child, and if they remain gray, the Test will be decred inconclusive. Are all prepared?”

  Everyone present murmured assent, and Parkidden then began reciting something in an archaic nguage that David could not understand. The nguage itself was beautiful and almost hypnotic, and he started when it ended abruptly.

  After a very short pause, the Battle Mother intoned

  "All men present must now look away.”

  Dalrinjian gave David a smug look and turned to face the wall. David and the other men turned away as well.

  Nearly a full minute passed before the older woman spoke again. “All may now turn to the cauldron”

  The cloth head of the Testing Stick was now discolored red and yellow. She said a few lines in the same strange nguage the High Magister had used and then dipped the head of the Stick into the liquid of the cauldron. The gray mist thickened as the room fell silent. David started to breathe a sigh of relief, but then he saw lines of white spider-webbing through the dark mist, slowly turning it a pale, off white color.

  “Yes! She is mine!” Dalrinjian announced triumphantly.

  Kaylondea then stepped forward. “No, she is not!” she decred.

  “Kay, you do not have to do this,” Thellissandra warned, touching her arm

  Kaylondea gave her friend a smile and said: “I want to, even though we will both get in trouble for it; you deserve to be free.”

  “What is this babbling? She bears my child!”

  “No. It has been over two months since you were st with her. She felt ill one night when you pnned to visit and I …well, I have desired you for some time so I pretended to be her and refused to have a light on; I can manipute Spirit to alter my appearance and voice enough to pass as her in the dark. The next two times I asked her to let me take her pce, and she agreed. It is wrong, but I have wanted you and she never did.” Kaylondea stated and then turned to the others and added: “I should be tested today as well.”

  There was a moment of stunned silence, and then: “I must go cleanse the Testing Stick. It will take half an hour,” The Battle Mother decred, and headed out to do just that.

  “But she is pregnant…”

  “With Thengarian's child unless Kaylondea here lies or Thellissandra has been with another lover,” Parkidden decred.

  Once again silence swept the room.

  “No, I have only ever been with Dalrinjian and Thengarian, and I have not been with Dalrinjian in over two months,” Thellissandra replied.

  “They lie! Thellissandra is mine!” Dalrinjian excimed, enraged. “This is all a trick!”

  “No, there is no trick,” Sandra replied. “I was only ever with you out of duty and was relieved to not have to repeat it. I had hoped this would not come out because I did not wish either of us to be punished for the deception, but it is true. And you know her assigned partner died the day before she took my pce. Since she will be old enough to choose her own partners next month, she was never reassigned.”

  “You, however, still have a few years to go while you can be reassigned…” One of the Magisters informed her.

  David stepped forward: “there is another way. Where I come from, she is old enough to know her own mind, old enough to… well… ah….” He took a deep breath and dropped to one knee before continuing: “Thellissandra Magetamer,” he said, noting a few quiet ughs from the group at the name, “will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  There was stunned murmuring. One of the Magisters present physically restrained Dalrinjian who was calling out insults very loudly at this.

  “David,” Thellissandra began, realized her mistake and plowed on, correcting it to: “Thengarian David Michael West, if you think, for one moment, that I might possibly say ‘no,’ then you do not know me well enough to ask that!”

  It took David a full second to realize that was a “yes” and to take her in his arms; he was about to kiss her when Parkidden cleared his throat. “I believe there may be precedent to allow this but need to do some research. We do, however, have a second Testing to attend to.”

  Dalrinjian continued to curse quietly until a stern look from the returning Battle Mother silenced him, and the second Testing Ceremony began.

  This time the smoke almost immediately turned white, no gradual shift or “spider web” effect, just pure white smoke.

  Kaylondea moved over to where a Magister continued to restrain Dalrinjian. She walked up to Dalrinjian, ran a hand along his chin, smiled and said: “Am I really so unpleasant to look upon that you would abandon me and our child?”

  He stammered “No you are indeed beautiful, but not like Thel…”

  She stopped him talking by giving him a deep, passionate kiss. “Did Thellissandra ever kiss you like that?”

  “I … ah… no…” He was actually blushing at this.

  “Well, I will, every chance you let me. And you already know how I am in bed. But perhaps we should go and I can refresh your memory without deception?” She added slyly.

  He just stared at her. As he seemed to have lost the power of speech, she continued: “I am fairly certain this child will be your son and will need his father. Come, let us celebrate before I begin showing in a week or two.”

  Dalrinjian’s head dropped in defeat. “I accept you as my lover. But I would have some words with Thengarian first.”. He raised his head and looked at the Magister holding him before he added: “No, I will not attack him.”

  The Magister looked first at Parkidden, then at David and both nodded so he released his grip.

  Dalrinjian walked up to David: “Once, you saved my life, saved all of our lives, and for that I thank you and acknowledge that you truly deserve the title of ‘Mage.’ But you have taken something of great value from me and for that you will pay, not today but someday. That is a promise.”

  Quietly Dave responded: “Look, I never meant to start a fight with you, never knew you existed until after I came here, and l never understood the pairing system - still not completely sure that I do. You have an amazing woman who wants to be with you; this should count as a win. But if you wish to keep it going, I will not hold back. That, too, is a promise.”

  Dalrinjian gred at him for a moment, then chuckled. “I will think on this but do not get your hopes up, Baby Mage,” and with that he stormed out. Kaylondea fshed an almost predatory grin and stalked out after him.

  “Thengarian, the Battle Mother and I must take Thellissandra for a while. You are free to follow your own pursuits for the next few hours, then we will summon you, or send a messenger with news, depending on how things go.”

  David bowed to both of them. “I will probably be in the lone library that I have access to, then. Thank you, both.”

  They returned his bow silently and left, Thellissandra in tow behind them.

  David left the room, wandering aimlessly for a bit. He noticed there was some excitement in the hall but was lost in his own thoughts. Had he really proposed like that? And she had said yes! And how would things py out with Dalrinjian? And … he was definitely going to be a father - would it be of twins as the vision he had that first night had implied?

  An awareness that someone seemed to be staring at him broke David from his reverie and he turned to see an olive-complected man of about his own age, a man with incongruously copper colored hair, staring at him. When the man noticed David returning his gaze he gasped and said one word: “Aldorus?”