I had the opportunity to again regret my attempts to keep up with the beastmen’s drinking when I awoke the next morning. It was an awful pounding sound that roused me from my slumber, each bang setting off fireworks of pain in my brain. Bang! Bang! Bang! I attempted to open my eyes and find the source of the noise, but the bright sunlight coming through the window made it so I could only squint. The room was a yellow washed haze and the pounding in my head matched the pounding in my ears.

“Rise and shine, lover boys,” I heard Rastari say from what I assumed was the other side of the door to our room. Bang! Bang! Bang! Ah, that infernal banging was Rastari knocking at our door. How was he so chipper first thing in the morning when I was so desperate to go back to sleep? It didn’t seem fair when he’d drank three glasses for every one I finished.

I felt Andrian get up from beside me and go to open the door. I sat up and immediately regretted it as my stomach started churning and I felt like my head might split open. As I sat on the bed reeling, Andrian opened the door and said, “What do you want?”

“Did you think you guys would get to sleep in while we do all the work?” Rastari asked with a laugh in his voice, “You’ve got robe fittings, an appointment with the jeweler to choose your pendants, a father who just arrived, and Estra wants to take Falyn to meet some people at the shaman shop. You can sleep after you're joined. Right now, you’ve got things to do and no time to delay.”

Listening to their voices began to bring me out of my haze. That was right, we had to finish preparing for the joining ceremony. I’d had enough explained to me though our travels that I knew what to expect for the ceremony. We would wear matching robes throughout the ceremony, and exchange pendants, chosen by the other, that we would wear around our necks to symbolize our union.

“Give us a few moments, so Falyn can wake up,” Adrian replied, “I doubt he’ll be feeling well after last night so we might need a bit to get going.”

“I planned for that,” Rastari announced proudly, “Give him this and he’ll be right as rain in no time. I’ll meet you for breakfast downstairs in a quarter of a movement.”

I heard Andrian close the door. I fully opened my eyes for the first time and saw him holding out a potion that looked similar to the one Estra had fed me after our night out in the lion village. I winced in advance at the taste but swallowed it down quickly. The bitter aftertaste lingered after I was done swallowing, even after drinking some water to wash it down.

Even if it was bitter, the potion worked almost immediately and we hastily dressed and descended the stairs to the inn's restaurant, which was already packed with beastmen. I wore my traveling cloak into the restaurant, keeping the hood up to avoid attracting too much attention. Rastari, who stood out so much among the Vraynian population, blended in seamlessly amidst the patrons of the trading city's inn. Eventually, I found him by looking for Shidah, who had come to join us for breakfast. Even here, his size was unusual and he was easy to spot at their table by the wall, which still had two empty chairs at it.

We joined them just in time for breakfast to be served. Set on the table were four plates stacked high with flatbread that had been dipped in eggs and fried. The stacks were dusted with powdered sugar and served with fruit syrup and a heavy, sweet cream. My stomach, which had been churning wildly not long before, was now grumbling at me to dive in.

I ate ravenously, clearing my plate with record speed, and I felt my strength return to me. We left as soon as everyone else had finished their meals and went out to the already busy street. Shidah bade us farewell and left in the direction of the city center, while Rastari led us back into the maze of streets and shops.

Our first stop was a clothing store that specialized in robes for all occasions. In the Beastlands, robes were worn for festivals, by many shamans, and for celebrations such as a joining ceremony. Andrian and I had to choose matching robes for the ceremony, which differed greatly from the Vryanian tradition of a fine, white gown for the bride and white doublet for the groom.

The robe store was close to the inn and was marked with a wooden sign with what looked like a dress etched on it. Upon entering the store, I saw robes of every variety hanging on racks, on the walls, and in some parts of the store, hanging from the ceiling. Some were plain, some were brightly colored, and some were patterned. I'd never seen such a selection of robes before. As I looked around the store and wondered how I would possibly choose just one, the female beastman at the counter greeted us.

“Do you have an appointment?” she asked, “If you don’t, I can help you choose from ready made sizes or schedule you an appointment for tomorrow.”

“Alyshia is expecting me,” Rastari informed her, “You can tell her Rastari is here.”

The girl behind the counter’s eyes widened and she quickly checked our faces. The triangular ears on top of her head twitched slightly as she focused her gaze on me.

“Is this the human?” she asked with interest, “I’ve never seen one before. Take off your hood human, I'm dying to see what you look like under there.”

Judging her to be genuinely curious, if a bit rude, I complied with her demand and pulled down the hood I was wearing over my head. She studied me for a moment before suddenly jumping over the counter and running towards me. I flinched back a little but that didn’t stop her from stopping right in front of me and grabbing my face with both hands.

“You really do look like us without beast traits,” she murmured as she held my face in place to study me. Her hands shifted slightly to feel my ears, tracing her fingers along the top then pulling on my lobes. “They feel weird. I’ve never seen ears like these before.”

“Are you about done?” Andrian asked her with a dry voice. He hadn’t intervened when she grabbed me, but it sounded like he’d had enough of her touching me. “We’re here to see Alyshia about robes, not for you to fondle his ears.”

“Did I hear my name?” A low female voice inquired. The hands holding my face immediately fell away, freeing my head to look in the direction of the voice. A tall and extremely thin woman stood at the counter now, wearing an exquisite turquoise robe. Her skin, almost as dark as Rastari’s, was covered in scales, and her black hair hung straight at her waist.

“These people are here for an appointment,” the girl answered, looking somewhat embarrassed, “I’m sorry I didn’t come get you right away, but I got distracted by the human.”

“As the young man said, these people are my clients,” Alyshia told her in a cold voice, “they aren’t here for your amusement.” The atmosphere was chilly for a moment before Alyshia smiled brightly and added, “They’re here to line my pockets, after all. Ras, my dear, I hope you know how delighted I am that you brought these two here. A public joining featuring my robes will give this store some much needed exposure.”

“Happy to help an old friend jump start her business,” Rastari replied with a smile, “This is Andrian and Falyn. Make ‘em look really pretty or something.”

“I don’t imagine that will be all that difficult,” she said as she looked us over, “They match well. Golden red and dark auburn… We should start with a base color that is somewhere in between, but muted so it looks coordinated, not overstated.”

From there Alyshia started showing us robes, all in various shades of red and orange, before deciding on a subtle, rusty shade that complimented both of our hair colors. We were lucky enough to find robes that fit us straight off the rack, with only minor detailing required. My robe would be detailed in amber, and Andrian’s in green, so our robes would be matched to the other’s eyes. I thought it was a wonderful idea and expressed as much when asked. We agreed to the minor alterations and additions before she quoted us a sum that didn’t mean much to me. I could only assume it was an appropriate price since neither Rastari nor Andrian blinked at the price tag.

From there, it was time to go to the jeweler, but with plenty of time for sightseeing along the way. As we walked, I learned that, since Rastari was supposed to be attending these appointments anyway, he had been appointed to be our guide through the city and help get us prepared. I was grateful to have him there. We probably could have found our way on our own just fine, but it was nice to have a guide to show us around.

When we left the robe maker’s store, I’d moved to put my hood back up, but both Rastari and Andrian insisted it wasn’t necessary. Not only were the people of the city prepared to see a human amongst them, due to the public nature of our joining, but they assured me that no one would cause trouble with the two of them as my escort. After we’d traveled a few city blocks, it was clear that they were right. I’d been overly cautious, it seemed.

We arrived at the jeweler, which was nothing like what I thought a jeweler’s store would be. What I thought of as jewelry, gold and platinum covered with shiny sculpted diamonds and gems, was nowhere to be found. The jewelry here looked to be either precious stones or carved pendants, beautiful in their own right, without all the flashiness.

The store owner was waiting for us when we arrived. He was shorter than I in stature and very round about the middle. His entire face was covered in a layer of fur and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what tribe he was from. Not that it really mattered, but I was curious because it was usually quite obvious.

“Greetings,” he welcomed us, “you must be Generals Rastari and Andrian, and the rumored human mate. I’m sorry, but I never got your name.”

“His name is Falyn,” Andrian said, “and I’m Andrian.”

“It’s a pleasure, I’m Jonah and I’ll be helping you to choose the right tokens for your joining,” the jeweler stated, “so tell me, do you have any ideas about what you’d like, or shall we explore some options?”

Neither Andrian nor I had any idea what we were looking for, so we asked him to show us what he thought we’d like. Each pendant was unique in its own way; some were made with a single polished stone, some were carved metal, and others featured gemstones that were more akin to what I considered jewelry. Each stone had some kind of meaning behind it, and some of the metal pendants were engraved with specific blessings. Since I had to pick the one Andrian would wear, I had to make sure I chose something he’d like. He usually wore no necklace or other jewelry, so I really couldn’t be sure what something he’d like would be. I’d been told that, by tradition, we weren't supposed to ask for each other’s opinions either.

While I was still struggling to figure out what Andrian’s tastes might be, he had already decided on mine. For the pendant, he chose a simple piece of amber and the neck chain was a deep red leather entwined with golden thread. It was not what I would have expected him to choose for me, in fact it was something akin to what I might have chosen for him.

Seeing my puzzled face, he explained, “I got the idea from Alyshia, actually. Remember what she said about matching our robes to each other, rather than ourselves, to show our symbolic ownership? Well, this pendant will be my claim on you, so wherever you go, it'll be obvious that you’re mine. Amber also represents healing, so it’s apt in many ways.”

“Hmm, well, maybe I should consider the same,” I pondered, feeling quite happy with his reasoning, “I like the idea of publicly claiming you as mine.”

“I’m yours whether you claim me or not,” Andrian responded, hugging me from behind and nuzzling his face into my neck.

The jeweler named Jonah looked like he was pleased with our exchange and hurried to find stones with a green hue for me to look at. I ended up choosing a stone of pure jadeite, which had a lustrous green color almost identical to my eyes. I was told that jadeite symbolized love, purity, and protection. Along with a necklace made of a lighter colored leather and matching gold thread, I had finished my selection.

We arranged for payment and delivery of our pendants to the wedding site first thing the next morning. The payment was again settled by Rastari and Andrian, and was significantly more than the robes.

As we were about the leave, the jeweler looked the two of us over and gave us a knowing smile. He said, “I’ve been doing this for many years and I’ve helped a lot of couples choose their joining pendants. I wasn’t looking forward to this appointment at first, I have to admit. I really had no idea what to expect from an interspecies arranged joining, and I was rather uncomfortable with the idea of being involved. But I can always tell which couples will be happy together and I'm certain you two will be very happy, regardless of the circumstances that brought you here. Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your joining.”

Jonah bowed to us politely and we said our goodbyes. After that, we went back to the inn and parted ways. Andrian was going to meet his father and help get him settled, and I was to go with Estra to the place Rastari had called the shaman shop, the shaman headquarters just outside the large dome. I was a little nervous because it would be the first time since I left Vrayna that I would go anywhere without Andrian by my side. But independence was also a good thing for me to experience, so I kept my nerves to myself.

We dropped Andrian off at the inn to meet with his father and Rastari walked me back to the city center, where Estra would be waiting for me.

“So little human,” Rastari asked me as we walked, “what do you think of the Beastlands so far?”

“The land itself is amazing. It’s beyond anything I could have imagined,” I answered after considering it for a moment, “the people seem happy and the nation is well run. It’s been an eye opening experience, seeing how things can be done differently. I find myself questioning everything about my homeland, where the powerful few rule over the powerless many.”

“'The many' aren’t as powerless as you might think. They just don’t know they have power because they believed what 'the few' told them. Now, I hold no ill will toward Elantro, but I’d love to see what would happen if the people realized that noble status only means something if you acknowledge it. Your common people could rise up and take back their power quite easily,” Rastari said in a casual tone that didn’t match the weight of his words, “or maybe Elantro will earn the position he was handed for being born, and make the necessary changes without an uprising. But I doubt that will happen while his brother is still in the picture.”

“Birthrights, inherited power, and the corruption behind it. Not only would I not be here right now, I probably wouldn’t have been born, had my father not wanted a male heir. I don’t know if you know this, but women aren’t allowed to inherit, hold titles separate from their husband, or fight in battle. That's why he destroyed my mother's life. He needed a boy and she didn't matter. I thought that was just how things were. Hereditary titles, male dominated society, people living miserably every day.” I stopped walking for a moment. “When I think about it, from my birth until now, everything I’ve suffered was because I was born a noble but my mother was not.”

“So if everything you’ve suffered is because of that, what are you going to do about it?” he inquired, “You’ve agreed to help the Beastlands by exposing your father, but what happens next? Like it or not, you’re still Julien, Marquis of Ramport, to those people.”

“What happens next? I have no idea, to be honest. But Julien de Ramport isn’t me. He’s a part of me, but… I don’t think I can explain it to you, because I don't fully understand it myself.”

“You misunderstand. I don’t mean your personal identity, I mean your identity to the people of your nation. It might not feel like it to you, but you are one of the powerful few you spoke of. Have you never considered that you might have the power to initiate change and make a difference in the lives of the people who are suffering?”

His question stumped me for a moment. Didn’t he see how truly powerless I was? I might have been born a noble, but I was a bastard who knew nothing of politics and power struggles. Finally, I admitted, “I don’t see it that way. I may be powerful by the standards of commoners, but I am at the bottom of the ladder of nobility.”

“That’s exactly my point,” Rastari said with a glint in his eye, “I’m not saying you should try to convince the nobles to give up their power, that would be a fool's errand, but wouldn’t those powerless commoners listen to your words? You’re a man of noble birth after all. If a man of your status were to help them see that they’ve been wronged, it might be the spark they need to start a fire.”

“You want me to incite a rebellion against the Royal Family and the nobility?” I asked him incredulously, “Are you actually serious?”

“Of course I am,” he answered without hesitation, “Once your father is out of the way, there’s no reason why you couldn’t. It could benefit both your people and the Beastlands if something like that were to occur.”

“I understand what you're saying, but the First Prince was chosen to rule by the Gods. The nobles might be just people with money and power, but the Royal Family are a family that was blessed so they could protect our land,” I explained, hoping he would understand the difference.

To my surprise, Rastari burst out laughing at my defense. “Is that what they taught you to believe? You’ve seen through the rest of the bullshit, but you still think that your Gods chose some human family to protect a land they could just protect themselves?”

“But according to all of our books and lore, Prince Elantro's golden eyes are proof,” I protested, “It doesn't matter if it's the truth or propaganda. I don't think I can do what you're suggesting, not only because I haven't settled my own beliefs, but because the people believe in this above all else. Even if I'm a noble, I'm not a Royal or a God. They would have no reason to listen to me.”

“Once your father, the Second Prince, and the real reasons behind the war are exposed, I think you would have a very good chance at convincing them. Do you know what those golden eyes look like to me? A genetic trait that was passed down through generations,” Rastari said confidently, “and maybe a little bit of magic involved. Besides, there’s no reason that Elantro couldn’t retain his position. If the people did rebel, they should be willing to make peace if their demands were met. All he'd have to do is treat the commoners fairly. But you don't have to do or decide anything right now. Just think about it, okay? If you decide to just go back to the Beastlands with Andrian after the human ceremony is over, no one will fault you. But consider the possibilities and the changes you could help make.”

I felt a little like I'd been backed into a corner. Not knowing what else to do, I nodded. There was no harm in considering.