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Meadhbh scrutinized the decorations of the library thoughtfully, a finger tapping on her chin. Deciding there needed to be a bit more greenery, she worked her magic in growing the evergreens that wrapped around every last bit of furniture to a healthy fullness. The spruce tree in the corner perked up, pushing its head even further against the ceiling. Proud of her accomplishments, she placed her hands on her hips and nodded.
As she gloated over her accomplishments, her wizard husband strolled into the room, his head in a book as usual. Bumping face first into a branch, he sputtered indignantly. “My love, I do believe we have enough decorations. If you continue as you are, I am not certain we will be able to call this a tower. We will need to refer to it as the forest,” Gale commented as he pushed aside a poinsettia that tried to wrap itself around his arm.
Annoyed that he did not appreciate all the effort she had put into her decorations, the druid added a few more Christmas cacti around Gale’s chair by the fire. He would have an extra special surprise when he went to read later that night. Satisfied, she finally retracted her magic for the time being. “It’s our first Midwinter celebration together. Don’t you want it to be as special as it can be?” the satyr pouted, arms crossing over her chest.
Gale gave her a soft smile, and she knew immediately that she was winning him over as she always did. “Of course I do,” he began softly, as he began stepping over the ivy and holly strewn floor. “Though, I would be just as happy if we did nothing at all in an empty tower. As long as I get to spend the day with you, I am a happy man.” When he finally reached his wife, he swept her into her arms.
Meadhbh grinned up at him as she placed her hands on his upper arms. The wizard began to tilt his head down as if to kiss her, but she placed one single finger against his lips. “Uh-uh. Kisses are reserved for under the mistletoe only,” she teased him. The look which crossed his face made it hard for her to keep a straight face on her own. His brows furrowed deeply and his nose flared in annoyance. “Meadbh, this game you are playing . . .” he growled. Quickly, she shut him off by shaking her head and pressing her finger to his lips once more. “No complaining, dear. All you have to do is look up,” she commanded, a mischievous grin on her face.
With a flick of her finger, she made a mistletoe grow from the ceiling above their heads.Doing as he was told, Gale tilted his head up to see the plant unfurling right above them. He could not help but smile as he saw it. “Ah, there it is. I should have known,” he conceded, giving her a happy, little wink. “Now am I allowed to kiss my beloved wife?”
“If you do not, I will take back all the gifts I got for you, Gale Dekarios,” Meadhbh teased. He gave a small chuckle before drawing her ever closer. This time, she did not push him away. Instead, she closed her eyes, lips puckered as she waited for him to kiss her. Infected with the spirit of the season and in a playful mood, Gale paused and waited mere inches from her lips. A broad smile played on his own lips as he studied her beautiful face. At times like this, he sometimes wondered how he had gotten so lucky to have found her. She was everything he could have ever wanted and more than he could have ever dreamed of desiring. If the Absolute had not snatched them both from their lives months before, he dreaded to think what might have become of him.
As he had gotten lost in thought, Meadhbh opened her eyes to see what was taking her husband so long to deliver a kiss to her. Had he gotten lost along the way? Seeing that he was only standing there smiling at her like a fool made her squint her eyes in annoyance. A crack of a vine with a well placed smack to his rear seemed to do the trick to wake him up from his reverie. “I said, kiss me!” she ordered.
Gale let out a hearty yelp at the sensation of the vine tip snapping against his ass, his eyes flying open wide from the pain. She gave him no time at all to recover from the humiliation. No longer waiting for him, she yanked him into a kiss. His arms flailed out slightly at his sides as he almost lost his balance from the forcefulness of her tugging him towards her. Her fingers gripped onto the front of his shirt tightly as she deepened the kiss, not letting him get away. It took him a few moments, but he eventually composed himself enough to close his eyes and return her kiss.
When she was satisfied, the satyr released him from her grip. A dreamy look was in her eyes as she tilted her head back. “Much better,” she cooed. “I must admit, I almost think your kisses are better than any strain of plant my grandparents grew back on the farm.” Then, with her gold eyes sparkling with mischief, she perked up. “Don’t let that go to your head though. I did say ‘almost.’” With a laugh that filled the room, she turned around and left him standing there alone.
Thoroughly confused as to what she could be up to, Gale followed. His thoughts still remained on the kiss she had left lingering on his lips. “Now, I think we should exchange presents, don’t you?” Meadhbh announced, practically bounding across the room. She was heading to her chest of drawers they had set aside in the library after they had moved her into the tower so that she had somewhere to store her own belongings.
“Oh, yes, if you wish to commence that part of the ceremonies,” Gale began, watching her curiously. “Though I was hoping that we could wait until mother and Tara arrive to do so.” As he spoke, his wife rustled in the drawers, her faun tail twitching excitedly as she searched through the messiness inside. She left out a happy ‘aha!’ when she found what she was looking for, then came up with a wrapped package in her hand. “We could save the rest of the presents if you wanted, but I do want you to open this now. I don’t think you would want your mother and Tara to see this anyway . . .” she said as she handed the parcel to him.
There was a twinkle of fun in her eyes as he studied her expression. “Perhaps you are correct,” he agreed slowly. Knowing his wife, he could only imagine what was inside waiting for him. Turning it over, he began to meticulously unwrap the gift. His wife bounced up and down on her hooves excitedly, her hands clasped in front of her face as she watched his every move. It quickly became apparent that his gift was a book of some kind. The black cover was embossed with an intricate design, bringing to mind luxury and style. The title was written boldly in gold across the front: “Tips and Tricks from a Menzoberranzan Lover.”
At once, Gale began to blush as he glanced up at his wife. She, on the other hand, was practically shaking with mirth. “Remember that time when we met those Drow twins at Sharess’ Caress, and you didn’t want to take up their offer even though it would have been for the four of us? Well, I thought maybe we could just reenact it here. You could conjure up some Drow, and we could get really freaky in the bedroom.” Meadhbh gushed out her plan, excitement painted across her pale and freckled complexion as her hands flailed with enthusiasm.
Gale was well aware of the incident that she spoke about, though he didn’t quite want to be reminded of the time his lover was propositioned by the brother and sister duo. “Has this idea been on your mind ever since that time?” he asked her, growing suspicious. She only shrugged innocently. “Not necessarily. I just came across the book when I was out shopping and knew immediately we could have fun with it. You know how much I like it when you duplicate yourself . . .” He had to agree with her statement. He too liked when he played that little trick in the bedroom and could watch himself take her in ways he couldn’t possibly do when there was just one of him. “Then I will agree, but on one condition: they have to be non-sentient. I know you are well aware that I do not like to share you with anyone,” he pouted slightly.
Meadhbh grinned as she kissed him on the cheek, nodding her assent. Of course she did. That was one of the reasons why she loved him. His protectiveness made her feel loved and adored in ways she hadn’t felt before. “No sharing, ever. Unless it is with magical duplicates,” she agreed, wiggling her fingers at him for added effect to her words.
Satisfied, Gale pulled her to his body once more. Tossing his newly gifted book on the pile nearby to be collected at a later time, he cupped her cheeks in his palms. Before she had any time to protest about mistletoe, he kissed her. “Thank you for my gift, my love. You were correct in your assessment that I would not have wished to open that in front of mother and Tara,” he murmured against her lips.
Smiling into the kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I am trying to make a good impression with your mother. I know Tara can be quite the stickler when it comes to my behavior at times, and I don’t want her to get upset and bite me like she did last time she saw me smack your ass,” Meadhbh replied, nose brushing against his before going back to kiss him once more.
“In her defense, she is quite protective of me. How was she to know that it was a love tap? I don’t believe she has ever met someone quite like you before,” he explained, giving her a look of complete adoration. “But she will grow used to you in time, I have no doubt about it. If I love you, she will grow to love you too.”
“She will have to learn how to tolerate me, at least. I’m not going anywhere. And if she thinks I’m going to give you up that easily . . . well she has another thing coming. After all, I was about to take on a goddess for you. What makes her think I wouldn’t take on a Tressym?” Meadhbh cocked an eyebrow as she spoke.
Gale only tsked lightly. “To be quite honest with you, I am much more afraid of the damage Tara could inflict upon you than Mystra. After all, the goddess of magic did give me a way in which to earn back her favor. Tara on the other hand . . . I am not so certain she would even allow me to blow myself up to earn back her love should I anger her.”
Suddenly, a very familiar voice interrupted them from the study doorway. “Truly, Mr. Dekarios, do you think so little of me?” Both their heads turned in unison to see the winged cat perched on the shoulder of a stately woman whose gray hair was twisted up in a bun. The striking resemblance to Gale was uncanny as her dark eyes took in the couple. “Are we interrupting?” Morena Dekarios asked as she glided into the room, a knowing smile on her lips.
Gale let out a little gasp of surprise as he instinctively moved away from Meadbh, as if he was a teenager caught making out with his date in the stacks of the Blackstaff Academy library. His wife, on the other hand, gave him a look of contempt at his actions. “No, no, mother! You were not interrupting anything. We were just discussing what was on the menu for this evening’s meal,” he stammered.
An amused appearance was on Morena’s face as approached her son. She gently patted him on the cheek. “Gale, my silly boy, I am old but have not forgotten the ways of love. I must remember now that it is not only you in the tower alone. Next time, we will announce our intentions of entering your home so that you and my new daughter will have plenty of time to prepare yourselves.” The older woman gave Meadhbh a knowing wink, which the satyr promptly returned. It was obvious the elder Mrs. Dekarios was happy to be sharing her son with his new wife.
Jumping down from Morena’s shoulder, Tara began winding herself around Gale’s legs. “Even though I should be unwilling to forgive you for your vicious gossiping about me earlier, Mr. Dekarios, I will overlook it just this once. What is the spirit of Midwinter without forgiveness, after all?” Tara purred.
Bending down, Gale picked up the Tressym and hugged her as she pressed her head against his cheek. “Thank you, Tara. I do appreciate your forgiveness,” he said as he pet her between her wings. “Now, would you be so kind as to wish Meadhbh a happy Midwinter also? I know she would truly appreciate the sentiment.”
Even as Meadhbh went to step towards her to attempt to pet her, Tara bared her fangs and hissed, swatting a paw at her. “Tara!” gasped Gale, quickly pulling her away so that his wife would not get injured. Immediately, Tara brought her paw up to her mouth and began to lick it innocently. “Oh, I truly apologize, dear. It is instinct, after all. I cannot help myself sometimes. I am Gale’s familiar and protector, as you might understand.” Once she was done with her leisurely cleaning, she lifted her eyes up at the younger Mrs. Dekarios. “Well, dear? Are you going to pet me or not?”
Cautiously, Meadhbh held out a hand. This time Tara allowed her to place it on her head and stroke her brown and orange fur. A soft purr could even be heard emanating from the winged cat’s throat. Relaxing his shoulders he hadn’t even realized were tensed, Gale left out a relieved chuckle. “Now that we have that all settled, how about we gather in the dining room? I have quite the feast planned for all of us!”
The quartet traversed Dekarios tower to the festively decorated dining room. Just as the study had been decorated, evergreens and holly wound their way around every surface. A pine tree was growing proudly in the corner, decorated with strings of popcorn and winter flowers. “You have done a beautiful job decorating, Meadbh,” Morena complimented as she took in the sight.
The satyr smiled proudly. “Thank you, Mrs. Dekarios,” she replied. Immediately, the older woman laid a hand on her arm. “Please, as I said before, you may call me Morena. Or, even better, mother, if that is something you would prefer.” Meadhbh felt a tear come to her eye at her suggestion. After losing both of her parent’s at such a young age, to have a mother in her life once more was more than she could ask for. “I would definitely prefer that,” she told her.
Gale was waiting patiently at the exquisitely set table, holding out the chair for his wife. Taking her hand, he guided her to the chair. She sat, but not before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. He was smiling as he pushed her into the place setting on the right hand side of the head of the table. Then it was his mother’s turn to be sat on the other side of his chair. Tara climbed up into her own chair across from him.
Happy that they were now all gathered, Gale rubbed his hands together. “Now, for the food!” With a flourish of his hands, he chanted “Veniam Iuva Me!” Blue spectral mage hands appeared from thin air, which he promptly sent from the room. Within minutes, they had returned carrying platters heaped high with food. “Wow!” Meadhbh commented at the sight as a plate of honey roasted Rothe ribs was placed on the table in front of her. The table seemed barely big enough to hold everything. Gale had gone out of his way to prepare dish after dish of food, some of which included roasted duck, stuffed winter squash, potato leek soup, root salad, mushroom tart, and a Waterhavian cheese board. “Gale does tend to outdo himself at the high holidays,” Morena chuckled.
Gale only shrugged sheepishly at the assessment of his desire to please. “I wanted today to be one to remember. After all, today is quite special. I have never been so truly happy before in all of my life.” He smiled at his wife as he took her hand, kissing it gently. She felt her heart flutter as she looked into his dark eyes. “You are such a sap, Gale Dekarios,” she teased, trying to hide just how very pleased she was by the display she knew was put on just for her.
“That I am. A sap for you, my love.” Gale gave her a wink as a mage hand brought over a bottle of Arabellan Dry to pour into their wine glasses. Once all had their glasses filled, they raised them in a toast. “To the new year to come, and to the new life I get to begin with you,” Gale toasted as he clinked his glass against Meadbh’s. “To love and happiness, and to the many years we will have together,” she replied in return. They toasted to Morena and Tara before downing their glasses. Then they all began to feast on the delicious food before them.
When all were finished eating to their heart’s content and each had exchanged gifts with the others gathered, Morena politely excused herself for the evening with a complaining Tara in tow. She had insisted that the newly married couple should spend the upcoming hours alone, and gave her daughter-in-law an extra tight squeeze when she left.
After the door closed behind his mother and familiar, Gale turned to his wife and lifted her up in her arms. “It does seem we are alone once more, Mrs. Dekarios,” he stated as he smiled up at her. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her legs squeezed tightly his hips. “That it does, Mr. Dekarios,” she answered, pressing a kiss to his nose.
He gave her a thoughtful look as he remained quiet for a few extra long moments. “What are you thinking about?” she asked him. He gave out a happy sigh before he began to speak. “I am just contemplating how happy I am. And the reason for my newfound happiness is the creature I am currently holding in my arms.”
His words made Meadhbh smile. “You make me so happy too, my love. So very, very happy.” Tilting her head forward, she placed her lips against his in a long, lingering kiss.
When they finally parted, Gale peered up at her. He noticed she was now the one to grow quiet as she studied him. “I believe it is my turn to ask what you are thinking about now,” he asked. Meadhbh tilted her head, a mischievous grin suddenly coming to her face. “I’m thinking about how much I want to crack open that new book I got you and try out some of those tips.”
At her words, Gale threw back his head and left out a hearty laugh. “Who am I to deny such a request from my loving wife?” With that, he carried up into the bedroom, the couple laughing all the way.