Jorghan set down the docunt, his mind working through implications. This was different from what he’d been planning—more commitnt, more structure, more... real.
"What do you think?" he asked Sigora.
"Honest assessnt. Are these good choices beyond just strategic compatibility?"
Sigora considered carefully before answering.
"Yes.
Both won are genuinely interested in you as a person, not just your bloodline. Both have expressed a desire to build actual relationships rather than just perform reproductive duties. Both understand clan politics but aren’t so consud by ambition that they’d use marriage as leverage for personal power. And both responded well when I explained you were concerned about creating emotionally healthy family structures rather than just optimizing genetic outcos."
"You told them about my conversation with Grace?" Jorghan asked, surprised.
"I told them you’d expressed interest in building genuine connections with partners and children rather than just treating family as clan business," Sigora clarified.
"I didn’t share details of private conversations, but I made clear what you were looking for. Both won appreciated that you were thinking beyond just strategic necessity."
"Narmishina and Sashrutiena both seed like won who understood the difference between necessary formality and genuine partnership."
Jorghan moved to the window, looking out over the settlent where preparations for the migration continued.
Several hundred elves reorganize their lives to follow him to Colloniel ruins.
The weight of what he was building was becoming increasingly tangible.
"If I agree," he said slowly, "what happens next? How does this actually work?"
"You et with them formally," Sigora replied.
"Not negotiations; those are essentially complete. Just conversations where you get to know them as people before committing.
Then, if you’re comfortable proceeding, we hold traditional marriage ceremonies. Nothing elaborate given the current circumstances, but proper recognition of the unions.
After that, you begin actually building relationships with your wives rather than just coordinating with clan representatives."
She joined him at the window.
"I know this is more commitnt than you initially planned. Moving from ’strategic partnerships’ to ’actual marriages’ is a significant shift. But I think it’s better. Children raised knowing their parents are in recognized, stable marriages will be healthier than children born from casual arrangents. And both won seem genuinely interested in making this work as real partnerships."
Jorghan was quiet for a long mont, thinking about everything Grace had said on the balcony and Sarhita’s anger at being treated as disposable, and about the difference between building structures and building families.
"I want to have good relationships with them," he said finally.
"With every partner."
"With Narmishina and Sashrutiena, and eventually with our children. Not just functional arrangents where everyone performs their roles, but actual connections where people feel valued beyond their utility."
"That’s possible," Sigora assured him.
"It requires effort, genuine attention to building those connections, and willingness to be vulnerable occasionally. But it’s possible. Both won have expressed desire for exactly that kind of relationship."
"Then yes," Jorghan decided.
"I agree to formal marriages with both of them. Arrange the etings so I can actually get to know them before we finalize anything. And tell them I’m serious about building genuine relationships, not just efficient reproductive partnerships."
Sigora smiled—the first completely unguarded smile he’d seen from her in days.
"I’ll coordinate imdiately. The etings can happen as soon as tomorrow if you’re ready."
"Actually," Jorghan said, an idea forming, "what if we did sothing different? The scouting expedition to Colloniel ruins—what if Narmishina and Sashrutiena ca with us?
Three days of travel, ti at the ruins assessing the site, and the journey back. It would give us extended ti together in a context that’s not formal etings or political discussions.
Just practical work and conversation."
Sigora’s eyebrows rose with approval.
"That would work out well. You’d get to see them. And they’d see the sa about you—how you work, how you think, whether you’re soone they can actually build a life with rather than just soone powerful they’ve agreed to marry."
"You think they’d agree?" Jorghan asked.
"I think they’d appreciate the gesture," Sigora replied.
"It shows you’re taking this seriously, that you want to actually know them rather than just proceeding with formalities. That’s exactly the kind of approach they were hoping for."
She moved toward the door.
"I’ll contact them imdiately. You can depart if they’re prepared. Three days to Colloniel, two days assessing the site, and three days back. Eight days total for you to build relationships with your future wives away from settlent politics and social expectations."
"Then we will need to move the ti for all the elves moving to ruins."
Sigora nodded.
"What about you?" Jorghan asked.
"You were planning to coordinate the main migration preparations."
"Swana and Sik’ra can handle that," Sigora replied.
"They agreed to help ."
*
Jorghan left Sigora to coordinate the arrangents and returned to his preparation work.
But now the scouting expedition had taken on additional significance.
It wasn’t just about assessing ruins—it was about understanding whether he could actually build the kind of family Grace had encouraged, the kind that balanced necessity with genuine connection.
He spent the rest of the day finalizing supplies, reviewing maps, and trying not to overthink what the next eight days would reveal about whether he was capable of being more than just a powerful warrior playing at building a dynasty.
As the sun set over Brownhill Dunes, Jorghan stood at the window of his quarters and thought about two matriarchs he’d barely t, who’d agreed to formalize permanent unions with him, who apparently wanted sothing more aningful than just strategic partnerships.
*
The sun had barely crested the horizon when Jorghan t his companions at the settlent’s eastern edge.
Kaleth, the massive white Swarafa, stood ready with a reinforced carriage designed for extended travel. Supplies were already loaded, camping equipnt, surveying tools, provisions for eight days, and weapons in case of trouble.
Then ca the two matriarchs.
Narmishina of the Ma’zenti clan was striking in the early morning light.
She stood eight feet tall with skin the color of green, her physique showing the lean muscle of a warrior who’d spent centuries honing her combat abilities. Her black hair was braided in an intricate pattern that marked her status as clan matriarch, and her golden eyes held intelligence that suggested she missed very little. She wore travel leathers that were both functional and flattering.
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