After the initial celebration, many people approached Marty.  They had words of praise or gave gifts an attempt to win his favor.  To keep face, Marty accepted. Plus, he had a good idea about what he would do with all of them.  Shalgana had gone back and changed into what were effectively wedding clothes. It seemed as though reality had finally set in as she refused to make prolonged eye contact with Marty out of embarrassment.  Marty was surprised as she had gone from a tough young lady to a girl with a crush very quickly.

Together they shared a swift ceremony, which was just an acknowledgment that they were now married.  Though his face did not betray it, Marty begrudgingly went through the motions. His mind couldn’t help but wonder to the young ladies back at home and Freyja, who he felt that he had betrayed.  To make matters worse, he felt as if he would betray Shalgana as well. 

After the ceremony, the feast began.  For the Clans, it was quite extravagant.  The tempting smell of cooked meat wafted in the air.  Marty and Shalgana sat together at the main table. With them sat Abaka, Sarnai, and Cali.

Cali was disappointed that she couldn’t sit on Marty’s lap, but her face remained expressionless.  Occasionally, Shalgana would talk to her as she knew Cali was important to Marty, and that she had healed her.  Typically, Cali wouldn’t be inclined to respond, but she did so willingly. Marty speculated she was courteous, but the real reason was different.  Cali knew that Shalgana would most likely go home with them and be part of the family, her family. As such, Cali already considered her to be something like an older sister, as she considered the other girls.  She wasn’t jealous of Shalgana in the slightest. Instead, she was happy that her family had grown.

Besides the occasional words with Cali, Shalgana would often steal a glance at Marty, though she quickly looked away.  Embarrassed, she would often look toward her father, who sat next to her mother along with his other wives. Her mother, who until now had seemed absent, was present for most of the events.  She had separated herself from Shalgana as she felt that this was something that Shalgana would have to go through our own.  

Marty was slightly surprised at Shalgana’s mother’s beauty.  She looked very similar to Shalgana, and the only real difference seemed to be maturity.  He expected Shalgana would become even more beautiful as the years progressed.

Abaka and Sarnai were relatively quiet throughout the meal.  There was the occasional moment of tension, but it was soon replaced by embarrassment.  They hadn’t shared a meal since childhood. They were no longer children and not only saw each other as adults but wanted each other as adults.

After the celebration had begun to die down, Marty got everyone’s attention. “I have something I would like to announce.  Abaka, please stand.” Marty said to which Abaka complied. “I met Abaka very quickly after I arrived here not long ago. Within him, I saw a good heart and a warrior who was ready to be unleashed.  His talent rivals even my own, and I was thoroughly surprised by his progress.”  

Several people from Abaka’s tribe nodded their heads and Ganbaatar even chuckled.  To them, Abaka’s progress was astounding. He went from someone who couldn’t defeat anyone, to someone who could contend for the strongest within three days.  Naturally, many attributed this to Marty as it was no secret that he had helped train Abaka. Marty looked at Abaka as he drew his knife with the carved Dragon handle.  There was an abundant amount of surprised looks as the blade extended from the handle. Marty placed the blade on his hand and made a thin cut. “Abaka, I hope that you will become my Anda(blood-brother).  What say you?” Marty asked as he put the blade within Abaka’s reach.

Abaka was startled.  He greatly revered Marty and felt subservient to him.  However, this action by Marty meant that he would see Abaka as an equal and family. “It would be my honor,” Abaka said as he also cut his hand and they gripped them together.

Marty laughed. “Perfect, Anda.  I have other things to announce.” Marty continued as he addressed the crowd. “I intend to leave to go back home tomorrow.  While I do intend to return in the future, I cannot be certain when that will be because my home is a very long distance. As such, it is only right that I assign a Mirza which I give the position to my Anda, Abaka.  Abaka, there is one more thing. It has come to my attention that I am partially responsible for finding Sarnai a husband. Would you be interested?” Marty asked with a smile.

“Absolutely,” Abaka replied immediately with an ecstatic expression.

Sarnai looked to the side in embarrassment and to hide her smiling face.

“Khaqan Ganbaatar, it looks like you’ll have to hold another wedding very soon,” Marty said with a smile.

“Good, good.  They match each other almost as well as you and Shalgana do.  Also, what’s with the formality? Call me Khadam Eej(father-in-law) directly!” Ganbaatar said with a smile.

“Understood, Khadam Eej,” Marty replied as he returned the smile.

...

The feast had lasted for an hour longer before Marty and Shalgana were ushered into a smaller version of the large metal ger to share their first night.  The ger was placed separately from the rest of the gers for privacy. The two of them entered the ger without a word between them. Marty secured the ger while Shalgana went to a private area to change out of her festive clothes.  When she came out, she was only lightly dressed. Her face blushed, and she tentatively looked at Marty, unsure of what to do.

Marty looked at her gently. “Shalgana.”

“Yes?” She asked back with a flinch.

Marty bowed his head low. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”

A look of surprise with a hint of fear appeared on Shalgana’s face. “Do what?”

Marty looked away, embarrassed. “Do that thing a married couple would normally do.”

Shalgana was quite surprised at his remark.  She had spent hours in an attempt to prepare herself for the night they would share mentally.  Part of her was hurt a little due to her expectations and pride in her body. If Sarnai hadn’t told her he had probably lost someone close to him, she might have become angry.  After a few seconds, which were used to calm herself, she looked at Marty gently. “Are you going to abandon me?”

“No.  At least, I don’t want to.”

“Why not? Didn’t you say you didn’t want to win?  Why wouldn’t you do so then?”

“I didn’t care for the position nor had any reason to pursue you.  As for the reason I won, there were a few reasons, but I’d never let that bastard have you.”

Shalgana looked down, happy that he cared enough to protect her, but disappointed he did not appear to want her. “Then why didn’t you just leave?” She asked with a hint of complaint.

Marty made a complicated expression. “I’m not the type of person who would repay kindness with contempt.  I also consider Abaka and Sarnai to be my friends. If I left, I would disrespect your father, who put his faith in me and let me help them.  It would also bring much criticism to Abaka and Sarnai if I did so. I didn’t want to put them in a bad light because of my actions. I don’t know what else to do.”

Shalgana anger softened, but outwardly still appeared disappointed. “You say that, but what do you plan to do?”

“I hate to disappoint Ganbaatar, but perhaps I should just leave you here.”

“No!” Shalgana exclaimed almost instantaneously as she reached out with a slight panic on her face.  Inwardly, she didn’t want him to leave so strongly that it surprised even herself. At that moment, she realized just how attached to him she was and that she wanted to be more so.

Marty looked at her in wide-eyed surprise before he sighed with a slight smile. “Ah yes, you did say some embarrassing things.”

Sarnai blinked for a second until she remembered what she had said during their match.  Her cheeks flushed as she looked away and embarrassment. She was so caught up in the moment; she had forgotten that so many people surrounded her, and yet she declared something so embarrassing. “Is it so bad for you to have another wife?” She asked softly.

Marty’s gaze turns soft. “Shalgana, I have some things to confess to you.  The first thing is I’m not married.”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you say that you were?” Shalgana asked him, slightly disappointed that he had implied he did not see her as his wife.

Marty’s expression became sad to the point where even Shalgana was surprised. “I had a fiancé once.  A lot happened, and she died. It was not even that long ago, and I still grieve for her. I’m also responsible for several young ladies, all of which have expressed their desire for me. I’ve already promised myself to one of them, and I don’t think the others will leave me either.  That is the reason why I said I was already married.”

Shalgana took a deep breath as she realized Sarnai was correct.  He had lost someone important to him. She took on a determined look as she made, or rather, reaffirmed her decision. “If I asked you to take me with you even if you do not see me as your wife, would you?”

Marty looked at her gently as she shivered and waited for his answer.  Inwardly, he was a little surprised that she liked him enough to want to go with him, even if he did not see her as his wife.  He could tell that she did not do it out of pride, but that she did not want to part with him. Gently, he sighed, and he took her hand, which surprised her as her eyes were closed.  Through their touch, he could feel a slight tremble. That strong young lady who had pushed him back with her fearless sword now showed incredible weakness. “If that is what you want, yes I will.  I will ensure that those selfish requests that you told me and more will be fulfilled.”

Shalgana blankly stared before tears started to trickle down her face. “Thank you.” She said with a beautiful smile.

The moment he spoke, Marty could feel an immense sense of relief and joy.  Guilt attacked him as he saw the tears stream down her beautiful face as she tried to wipe them away. “Life will be very different and may even be difficult for you there.  If you are willing to face that, I will support you with all I can.” She nodded as she gave him another smile. “Also… I probably shouldn’t say this but… If… In the future, if the others are okay with it, I… I will take full responsibility and make you my wife proper.”

Shalgana didn’t even blink as he spoke as she realized it wasn’t that he didn’t want her. Instead, it was because he felt he had betrayed the people he cared about.  It was that guilt which weighed heavily on him. She realized he felt an incredible amount of pain; that he had taken more upon himself so that those around him would not.  So, she decided to take advantage of his kindness and did something she would never do with any other man. She took the initiative and thrust herself into his bosom. Being so close, Marty couldn’t dodge and could do nothing but accept her.  With a moment of pause, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her gently.

Surprised by his acceptance, gratefulness and joy welled up within her. “I’m sorry I said something so irresponsible during the fight, but I promise you that I will always be your woman.  Even if you never touch me, I am always yours.”

“... I understand, and I don’t deserve you.  If you ever find someone who you feel deserves you and we are not truly married, I will support you completely.”

She separated herself from him, with a look of playful disapproval. “Marco, this is our wedding night, and you’re already saying I’m going to be unfaithful to you?”

“No, I only want you to know the option is there.  Also, that reminds me of something else which I have not been frank about.  Not that it matters, my name isn’t Marco, but Marty.”

“Why the false name?” She asked, confused.

“Because I came here looking for an old acquaintance, the young woman who came in with the slavers.  I didn’t want her to know it was me, so I took a false name that I found to be appropriate. However, she found out it was me, so it doesn’t matter.”

“I understand,” Shalgana replied as a sly smile appeared on her face. “To make it simpler, I’ll just call you Husband directly.”

Marty’s face almost instantly paled. “I don’t mind it here so much, but you can’t call me that if you’re going with me.”

“Why not?  Is not good enough?  Then I shall call you Honorable Husband.”

“No no, it’s not that,” Marty said in a small panic. “My society is different, and my position is delicate.  If I had such a beautiful young lady calling me’ husband,’ it wouldn’t be good for me.”

“What do you mean?  Do not wish to be seen with me?”

“No, not at all.  It is just that I’m trying to keep a low profile and a young lady of your age technically is not marriageable yet where I am from.  On top of this, polygamy is something looked down upon. Much less you, if it is discovered that I’m… involved with multiple women, even if I’m not intimate with them, I’ll be labeled as a pervert and worse. I’d rather avoid that if possible as the reason is untrue.”

Shalgana took in his words and slowly nodded her head. “I understand.  I know nothing about where you come from so I guess I shouldn’t be too quick to jump to negative assumptions. I’ll do my best to follow your instructions, Honorable Husband.” She said as she ended with a smile.

Marty sighed as he nodded.  Shalgana was obedient but had a rebellious streak.  He got the feeling she had been slightly oppressed here and might become more rebellious with the freedom she would find with him.  Instead of trepidation, he found a desire to see how she would act.

Shalgana turned to sit on the bed.  The moment she did, her eyes shot open and she realized something. “Honorable Husband, I just realized there is only one bed prepared.  Should I have someone fetch another?”

“No need.  That may look a bit suspicious. It’s fine anyway because I’ve missed having someone next to me the last few days.” Marty replied, slightly embarrassed by his last statement.

Shalgana’s face had become that of surprise before she cracked a smile. “Honorable Husband, have you been dishonorable?” She accusatorily asked but appeared only to tease.

“I only slept next to them. I’ve never... known a woman before.”

“How unexpected.  I figured you would’ve had… Some experience.  Surely you must have been popular and where you came from.”

“A little bit, but just because I can sleep with someone doesn’t mean I should.  I decided a long time ago that I would only ever sleep with a woman who was my wife.  Admittedly, I never imagined that it might be plural.”

“Well then, Honorable Husband, will you lay down next to me?” She asked as she struck a pose in an attempt to entice him.  From his perspective, it was extremely clumsy, but that only made it cute. Without a break in his poker face, Marty lay down next to her as if he was utterly uninterested.  Shalgana pouted slightly in disapproval and turned away from him which couldn’t help but make Marty chuckle. “Sorry, I’ve got high immunity towards beautiful women.”

“At least you think I’m beautiful.”

Marty reached over and turned her on her back and said nothing while he gently looked into her eyes.  After a couple of seconds, she looked away in embarrassment. “Tell me about where you’re from; what’s different.” She said to change the topic.

“Well, for starters, where I come from is a place you couldn’t ever reach.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is not a place you could reach by walking, flying, or any other means of transportation you can think of.”

“Then how do you get there?”

“Did you ever find out how you healed?”

“No, my father said you had done something, and he had promised not to say.”

“Cali and I healed you with magic,” Marty replied as he created a flame on his finger for second before he snuffed it out.

Shalgana’s eyes went wide as her mind shot back to the fire in her ger.

“I can use this magic to connect two points in spacetime for travel. In this case, I connected two different worlds.”

“A… A different world?”

“Yes, but not extremely different.  Your culture has similarities to an old part of my world.  A lot has changed since then, however.”

Shalgana listened with rapt attention as Marty, for the next half hour, described his world to her.  Naturally, he did not go over the entire world, just a part where he lived.

“And that’s the basics.  Do you have any questions?” Marty asked after he finished.

A sly smile appeared on her face. “Can you tell me about your… Mistresses?”

“They’re not my Mistresses.” Marty retorted in a small huff.  He summoned Cali, who had been in the ger the whole time. She turned into her human form and settled on Marty’s chest, thankfully with her clothes on. Shalgana’s eyes went wide in surprise as this was the first time she had ever seen Cali’s abilities.

“Cali you have already met.  She is a soul bound to matter through spirits.  Spirits are the manifestations of emotions and are used as a fuel in their magic.  She was entrusted to me by her father, a deity-like being in a world other than my own.”

“You mean you’ve been to other worlds?” Someone asked.

“This is the third world I’ve been to.  The three of the… four, all came from that world.  The first one is named Caelia. Caelia is half-human, half-dark elf.”

“Dark elf?” Shalgana asked.

Marty was slightly taken aback as it was the first time the ring had failed a translation.  However, he soon realized that it was because she did not have a similar concept. “An elf is a human-like species that tend to be fairer than the average human.  They also have unique ears which are typically tipped and elongated. Dark elves specifically have black skin and usually white hair, though Caelia inherited her human father’s light skin and crimson hair.  Next is Caelia’s sworn sister, Shiro. Shiro is a Demihuman, specifically the species that have attributes of a cat. She has white hair with two cat ears on top of her head and her tail. After that is Morgan...”  Marty’s happy expression softened as he paused. “She is completely human and a Princess from that world. She’s insecure, cute, and slightly violent; the definition of a tomboy Princess. She has beautiful golden hair that she wears in a ponytail.  Finally is Anna, our maid and an artificial human created from the current technology of another world.”

“I see.  You seem to care for them.”

“Aside from Anna, who I can’t become emotionally attached to, they are the most important people in my life.”

Shalgana nodded before a slight pause. “Are there any things like differences and customs that I should be aware of?”

“Let’s see, aside from what I already went over...  Ah yes, regular bathing is normal.”

“What?” Shalgana asked with a surprised look on her face.  To her tribes, bathing was something that wasn’t done. On top of their unwillingness to disrespect the water dragons, a person smell was very attached to their persona.  Something given that contained a person smell was considered a significant gift, especially if someone in a higher position gave it. “Why?” Shalgana continued to ask.

“People who smell are considered to have bad hygiene.”

Shalgana’s appearance became a little disappointed. “Do you not like the way I smell?”

“T-That’s not the point,” Marty said with an unusual stutter. “It’s just something you’re going to have to use too.”

“Aren’t you afraid of offending the dragons?”

“There are no dragons in my world, so don’t worry.  You won’t be bathing with dragons.” Marty replied with a chuckle.

“So I won’t be bathing with you?”

“Well… We could put on swimwear so that no one would- wait, what do you mean?” Marty asked when he realized her insinuation.

“You’re a dragon, right?” Shalgana asked after a slight pause that expressed her insecurity and nervous.

“What makes you think that?”

“Well, when you rescue me in my ger, I saw that you had scales.  Then, I overheard Ariunbold imply that you were dragon after your fight with his son.”

Marty sighed. His skin rippled before red scales appeared all over his body.  The only visible part that wasn’t covered in scales was his face as the scales ended on his neck. “Please don’t tell anyone. The only others who know are Caelia, Shiro, Cali, and Morgan.”

When his scales appeared, Shalgana’s became thoroughly shocked.  She had never expected it was true; it was more of a fantasy she held.  In a panic, she quickly sat up and prostrated herself before him. “I’m sorry for anything I’ve done has been disrespectful.” She said as her voice trembled.

“Shalgana, it’s okay,” Marty said as withdrew his scales and reached out to raise her.  

“I’m still me.  Please treat me as you have been; I prefer it that way.”

“Okay,” Shalgana said with a slight hint of hesitation.

Marty sighed as he noticed she faced him with the fear now. “I’m not a dragon, at least, I don’t think so.  I was born a human, and I absorbed a dragon and gained this ability.”

“I… I see.”

“Please, treat me as you have been.”

“I will try; I just may need a little time.”

“Well, sleep on it. It’s about time to go to bed anyway.”

Shalgana nodded before Marty snuffed out the lights, and they rested for the evening.  Over the last couple of days, Marty had gotten a little sleep. In a few short minutes, he drifted off with Cali on his chest, who also rested.

Shalgana lay at his side quietly.  Under the circumstances, there was no way she could rest.  It took her a long time for reality to set in. All the new information about him ran through her mind again and again.

...

Time passed, and, after an hour, Shalgana still had not fallen asleep, so she stared at Marty.  It was around this time that she noticed his face contorted slightly into a pained expression. Traces of sweat could be seen on his face as he began to move slightly in his sleep.  It was not until tears started to spill that Shalgana thought something was wrong. Cali weightlessly lifted herself off of his chest and sat on her knees next to him.

“Is he having a nightmare?” Shalgana asked in a whisper.

“Yes, he is,” Cali replied.  For the first time since Shalgana had seen her, Cali made a truly sorrowful expression.

“Should we wake him?”

“No, he doesn’t want us to.”

“Why not?”

“Because… Because he said he feels it’s an appropriate punishment for having failed her, but I think he wants to see her again.”

Shalgana nodded but said nothing.  Her heart ached as she realized he was haunted by the memory of the woman he loved.  

After a few more minutes, Marty suddenly reached out to the air as if he was gently brushing something. “I’m sorry, Freyja.” He whispered weakly.  A couple of seconds later, he woke up. He looked around and saw Shalgana and Cali at his sides. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, I wasn’t asleep,” Shalgana replied. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“Marty nodded, “I had a dream about a burning house.”

“You know, if you want to talk about it, I’m here to listen.”

“Did I say anything in my sleep?” He asked Cali.

“You apologized to Freyja again,” Cali replied.

Marty turned to look at Shalgana, who patiently waited at his side. “My late fiancé’s name was Freyja.  She was one of the two princesses in the kingdom I arrived in when I unwillingly transferred to their world.  She was the heir to the throne and Morgan’s sister. She was an incredibly beautiful woman. So beautiful that it could only be matched by her kind, caring, and patient heart.” Marty said as his face turned even more painful. “She was murdered; the fatal blow was dealt right in front of me. I was too weak to save her; I was too weak to heal her. I couldn’t even stay with her as she died because I had to protect the others.  Instead, she died alone on the floor.” Marty said as he grasped his chest.

“Did she blame you?” Shalgana asked.

“... No, she didn’t.”

Shalgana quickly embraced him. “Then, don’t blame yourself.  As strong as you are, you’re not infallible. I’m sure she wouldn’t want you to suffer either.”

Marty said nothing as he embraced her without want, but to feel the warmth of another person.  Still each other’s embrace, they slowly drifted off to sleep.

...

In the early morning that followed, Shalgana began to stir.  She subconsciously snuggled close to the source of warmth next to her and stayed there for several minutes.  It was only after that she remembered where she was. Embarrassed, she slowly looked up at Marty, who was completely awake as he looked down at her.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Marty said before he kissed her forehead.

Shalgana quickly got up and gave him a nod. “Good morning, Honorable Husband.” She said a bit embarrassed.  She wasn’t embarrassed about the forehead kiss. Instead, she was embarrassed that she had stayed the night in his embrace.  To her, it was a higher show of affection than if they consummated their marriage as that would’ve been more about responsibility.

Before she could get away, Marty hugged her. “Thank you for cheering me up last night,” Marty said softly.

Embarrassed and happy, Shalgana didn’t make a move as she accepted his embrace.  They spent the next few minutes talking to each other. There was still a small amount of awkwardness between them, but it profoundly diminished after the previous night.  They exited their ger together and traveled only a short distance until they found Shalgana’s parents together in small conversation.

They sat just outside the ger which belonged to Shalgana’s mother.  It was quite probable that she and Ganbaatar had spent the night here.

“Mother, father,” Shalgana said as she stepped towards them, but stopped to remain next to Marty.

“I’m not going to stop you,” Marty replied to her pause.

Shalgana nodded before she hugged her parents.

After the hug, Ganbaatar looked at her and Marty with a slight smile. “It’s good to see you.  I must say I was slightly worried as I had yet to… hear from you.”

Marty was shocked at his remark that lacked subtlety and couldn’t speak.  

Shalgana, who also understood the insinuation, looked down and away in embarrassment.  She moved her hand to cover her mouth as her cheeks began to blush. “Father, you know that Marco is a considerate man.  He was very gentle and embraced me almost all night.”

At Shalgana’s words, Marty couldn’t help but make an awkward smile as her words were technically correct, and Ganbaatar’s expression lit up.

“Good, good,” Ganbaatar said with a happy nod. “I have some good news as well.” He continued as he placed his hand on his wife’s belly.

It took a second for Shalgana to realize, but her face lit up when she did. “Mother, you’re with child?”

Her mother nodded. “Yes daughter, we’ve been sure for two months now, but we didn’t want to tell you until after the Kurultai.”

“Congratulations,” Marty said with a smile. “Ganbaatar, how many children does this make now?”

“21 children, 17 grandchildren,” Ganbaatar replied with a laugh. “I expect more grandchildren soon.” He continued as he glanced at Marty.

Marty nodded and awkwardly smiled.

They made a light conversation all through breakfast with the addition of Abaka and Sarnai.  There were some sad farewells as Marty prepared to leave. Ganbaatar had offered 20 oxen and two dozen horses which Marty had politely refused.  Instead, he took only a dozen horses which are required to tow a metal ger, which Ganbaatar insisted he took. Aside from provisions that were necessary for the supposedly long journey ahead, the only other thing, or rather, person Marty brought was Sam.  Everything else, including the other slaves, was left behind in Abaka’s care. Practically overnight, Abaka became one of the wealthier individuals as many of the gifts given to Marty were granted to him. Thankfully, he remained quite humble and grateful to Marty.  A mentality helped by Sarnai, who couldn’t help but remind him who gave him his wealth.

Sam obediently did as she was told without any fuss.  She could only wait until she would be taken home.

After their goodbyes, Marty, Shalgana, Cali, and Sam traveled half a day.  After Cali had scouted around them to ensure that no one would see them, Marty had Sam got off the cart. “I’m going to send you home now.  Remember, you do not know how you got back, I wasn’t here, and you have no idea about my relationship with Shalgana.”

Sam nodded her head. “Thank you,” she said softly.

Marty nodded but did not reply.  With a flick of the wrist and a snap of the fingers, Sam disappeared and reappeared in her bedroom.

“Is that magic?” Shalgana asked with interest.

“Yes,” Marty replied as he looked over the horses and ger.  He was slightly worried as a larger door would take more mental energy.  That, coupled with the fact that he just created a standard doorway, meant that might be too much of a strain.  After a couple of seconds, his eyes fell on Cali.

“Fine,” Cali replied to his gaze with indifference.  Cali imitated him as she snapped her fingers, and all of them disappeared.