Halfling wisdom

Your workday is a bit of a blur, as your mind is elsewhere. Fortunately, there’s not a lot to do today, so you’re able to muddle through without much problem. You never expected such a simple thing to become something so serious.

It’s not that you’re opposed to the idea of a marriage, or even several, in this case. It’s the suddenness with which it was tossed into your lap. It makes everything feel much more…serious. Rachel was right, though, that you should talk with Mazzy about it. You’ve come to trust her mind at least as much as your own, and despite her occasional goofiness, she has a way of seeing things clearly that you value.

When you get home that evening, the girls are already there, and you get your usual enthusiastic greeting. Afterwards, you pull Mazzy aside for a chat. The little halfling looks concerned, but also slightly amused by this, as the two of you sit on the edge of the bed to talk.

“You look so serious, Brian! What’s on your mind?”

You chuckle. “Nothing bad, I promise. Just some stuff that got sprung on me today that I’d like to run past you.”

Mazzy smiles. “Of course! I’m happy to help, my love!”

You smile back at her. “So, you know how Kenna wants to learn how to drive?”

Mazzy nods. “Yeah, you were going to find out what you needed to do to make that happen.”

“Exactly. And I did. And…it’s complicated.”

She cocks her head slightly. “How do you mean?”

You explain to her what Rachel told you about the situation. Mazzy listens intently, and when you get to the solution of marriage, she doesn’t crack a joke like you expected. Instead, she simply smiles, waiting for you to finish. When you do, she’s still smiling.

“So, what do you think I should do, Mazzy?”

She shrugs. “In my opinion, why not? We all love you as much as you love us. Even Sirona adores you, despite being new to the group.”

You look at her, a little bit surprised by her quick response. “Just like that? It seems so sudden.”

Mazzy smiles at you. “We first met almost a year ago now, right? And Dakota and Ellie are almost as long. I know getting married is a big deal here, but you have to understand that in the old world, it’s far less of a thing.”

It’s your turn to look confused. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, the old world is not one big country, there’s no big central government, just a bunch of independent kingdoms. So for the most part, when people decide they want to be married, they just…are. Maybe there’s a ceremony or a party, depending upon the culture, but for the most part, it’s up to the individual.”

You nod. “I see. So it’s much more informal there.”

Mazzy laughs. “To say the least. The bond is much more important for monster girls than any ceremony. And you know how strong your bond is with me and the others.”

You smile, kissing Mazzy on the forehead. “You have a good point. So, what should I do now? Just..walk out there and ask?”

She shakes her head. “While I don’t think you’d get anything but happiness from any of us from that approach, I’d say wait.”

“Why’s that?”

She smiles. “A couple reasons. First, it’s traditionally the first girl in a harem that becomes the first wife. That’s a minor thing, but for Kenna it’s important. Dragons are big on hierarchy.”

You nod. “Makes sense.”

She continues. “Second, it would make everything more special if you asked us each individually, and with a personal touch. We all love you, and we all like feeling that love returned.”

You smile. “Again, you make perfect sense.”

She grins. “And finally, I know you would regret not making a big deal out of this. You love making us all feel good, and this would be a big way to do that.”

You laugh. “You know me so well!”

Mazzy kisses you, and hops off the bed. “Of course I do, my darling! Now, I’m going to go make us dinner. You start making plans. I expect big things!”

She laughs and winks as she leaves the room, and after a moment, you follow. She’s right though, you have some plans to make.