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Content Warning:
A bit more of an emotional fluff chapter this time. CW: mentions of Homophobia, Mentions of Gender Discrimination.
“Urta, come on! They’re gonna be here and you need to be dressed!” Erydyn’s voice boomed throughout the house. Urta stood in front of her mirror, debating over a choice of clothes. Erydyn’s relatives were coming over and they were nervous about making a good impression. Sighing, they picked up a nice green and white flowered blouse. Slipping it on it felt… ok though she would have much preferred to wear a full dress. Urta slipped on a pair of loose dark green bell bottoms. This was far from what she would normally wear but it would make do. Hearing Erydyn trotting down the stone hall Urta turned to look at her. Erydyn was in a white button up shirt, a long purple flanchard with a swirling cloud motif. Urta smiled and hugged their wife. “You look nice hun” Urta beamed looking up into Erydyn’s green eyes. “Thank you. Are you sure that’s what you want to wear? It doesn't seem you, why not wear your red sheer dress? That’s one of your favorites.” Erydyn urged. Urta cast their eyes downward kicking her black boot against the ground. “I just… I want to make a good impression. You know how people can get when they find out I’m a… Twaret.”
“Urta… It’s been years since anyone I’ve know has given a shit about that. You are who you are and if they can’t accept that then we will move on.”
“They’re your parents! They have to be important to you.”
“They are, but not as important as you are. I haven’t seen them much since I left home. So this will be a bit of a reunion for us.
“Ok… How much do they know about us?”
“Not much. All they know is that I'm married to someone nice. I haven't told them… about the baby or anything about you.”
“We can deal… shit. What if this goes really badly?”
“It will not. I’m their only daughter and that bridge won’t be burned.”
“Alright… I trust you.” Urta muttered. She was still nervous about the whole affair. Parents were not something Urta had a lot of experience with. Erydyn pulled her wife into a hug and placed her head on their shoulder. “It’s going to be ok hun. I’ll make sure of it” A knock coming from the door. “That’s them! Wear what you like ok? I’m going to go greet them. Hold on I'm coming!” Erydyn called out, trotting off into the distance. Urta stared at the red sheer dress in her hands. It was shiny ruby red and sparkled in the light. “I’m not getting any younger. Fuck it” Urta reasoned. She took off her clothes and threw them onto the bed. Carefully she slipped into the red dress and remembered why she loved it. The dress hugged all of their curves and made them feel amazing. She spent a bit smoothing out wrinkles on it before following after Erydyn. She found her standing in the entrance talking to two other centaurs. One of them wore a long olive green peacoat that extended down to his flanks. He had a thick bushy mustache on his face that dwarfed the small spectacles they wore. Erydyn’s mother wore a yellow full length dress that extended past her knees. Urta marveled at the amount of fabric used. Urta gave a short wave and introduced themselves. “Hi! My name is Urta, I’m Erydyn’s wife. It’s nice to finally meet you guys.” The two centaurs exchanged waves with Urta. “Hello. My name is Hollenda and this is my husband Menon. It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Menon extended his hand and Urta shook it. His handshake was firm and his hands were thick with coarse yellow fur. “Why don’t the three of you get to know each other? I’ll make dinner.” Erydyn suggested before scampering away leaving the three alone. Urta led the pair to a set of black leather chairs and sat down. Menon chose to stand and Hollenda sat with her lower stomach on the chair “So Urta, how long have you two been together?” Hollenda asked
“We’ve been together for um… 27 years now. I’m kinda surprised that I haven't met you yet.”
“Us too… We lost contact with Erydyn when she left home. I was worried that she had forgotten about us.”
“Oh she talked about you two often. I’m glad that we were able to find you guys again.”
“Yes yes. Tell me a little about yourself.”
“Oh… well I was born in Tel’adre. My parents were… a bit absent so I fended for myself from a young age. I got into the city watch and was promoted to lead it. I met Erydyn and we hit it off very well.”
“And when did you get married?”
“Only recently… just last year. We were going to risk our lives in a massive battle. I wanted to get married in case anything happened. I’m… sorry we didn’t invite you. It was very sudden.”
“It’s fine. How was the wedding?”
“It… was more of a spur of the moment type thing. We’re planning on having a ceremony in a couple of months. I… Would like you all to attend.”
“Oh we will. It would be a great pleasure to attend.” Hollenda assured. Erydyn had brought out an assortment of grilled vegetables. Urta licked her lips in anticipation. Erydyn was a good cook and relished the opportunity to cook for others. They ate with wild abandon, savoring the flavorful spices and herbs in the dish. The others at the table ate too, though with less gusto than Urta. “It’s good. I always remember you being a good cook.” Menon complimented. Erydyn swallowed before replying “Thank you. It is something I enjoy, though I will admit I have less people to cook for here than back at home. Is… everyone OK?”
“Our herd disbanded shortly after you left. It has been myself and your mother for some time now.”
“Oh I’m sorry to hear that dad.”
“Don’t be. Times have changed… and that lifestyle is no longer feasible.”
“So what have you been doing then?”
“Well we’ve been living more like the sedentary folk. I found a job as a fletcher and your mother works as a nurse for a doctor.”
“That's good! Where do you live?”
“Somewhere in Ancheim… a town called Navarro. It's a nice town, rural though.”
“Oh I love Navarro, it's where Urta and I planned to take our honeymoon before getting the letter from you.”
“I see. Well I’m sure we will visit often now that we know where you live.” Manon assured. The dinner was gone and Urta was stacking empty plates and cups on top of each other. She took them into the kitchen leaving Erydyn with her parents for a bit, figuring they needed some time. Walking into the light airy kitchen she plucked a red bumpy fruit off one of the hanging plants. Erydyn used her magic to cultivate many plants around their house. Setting the dishes in the sink, Urta thought about how the meeting was going so far. So far Urta liked them, they were kind and understanding of the situation. Gently she started to wash the soiled plates by hand, preferring to get her hands dirty. The task was easy enough, and Urta stacked the plates onto a drying rack. Turning around she walked past the cupboards stopping at the picture on the wall. It was a small set of portraits depicting Urta and Erydyn on their wedding day
Urta wore a navy blue suit coat with a white buttoned shirt. They wore a pair of fishnets and a black miniskirt as well. Erydyn wore a stunning red dress coat that sparkled in the light. She also had on a floor length white lace flanchard that dragged while she walked. In the picture Urta was held in Erydyn’s arms, the position was surprisingly comfortable. The next photograph depicted the pair at the foot of a wooden tabernacle. A priestess of Marea was behind it performing the ceremony. Urta still remembered the vows she exchanged. ‘Erydyn. When I met you all those years ago I thought you were an angel. I’m not joking, I looked up into the bright summer sun and saw you standing over me. You looked so divine I called out to you. When I learned you were a part of the guard I expected you to kick me out. Instead you gave me shelter, food and kindness. I fell head over heels for you almost instantly. I was still nervous about showing you who I really was. You were the first person who didn’t judge me, who didn’t hate me. It felt like a dream… but it was real. We’ve been through so much together but you’ve never given up on me. I want to be with you… till the breath leaves my body and my heart gives out. You… you make my world and I would love nothing more than to walk beside you. Erydyn… please do me the honor of marrying me today. So that every day… I can wake up and see your face awash in that light… and think back on when we first met.’ Urta was tearing up at the memory. Erydyn was their best friend, their everything, and the mother of their child. Urta wiped their eyes with a napkin, taking a moment to compose themselves. They decided to grab a small bottle of whisky and some pell glasses. Urta hoped this would explain their absence. Walking back through the kitchen Urta found Erydyn engaged in a lively debate with their parents.
“I can’t just move my house. It’s a Sagial temple… what that means is my Guardian chooses where i settle. It’s a bit frustrating when it comes to long term planning.”
“That makes no sense. Why would they give you a Guardian? Aren't you supposed to be some kind of soldier?”
“I don’t know. I think it’s so we can separate our fighting life from our home life. Didn’t you see Oxthala when you guys came in? He should have been in the courtyard.”
“We didn't see anyone in the courtyard except for the massive red tree.”
“There you go. Oh, hey love bug you’re back.” Erydyn finally acknowledged Urta’s presence with a quick kiss on the lips. She sat down at the table and poured a glass of clear amber liquid before dropping some ice in it. “Anyone else want some? It’s Cuthrow V.S.O.P 15 years old.” Urta asked. The assembled group shook their heads, given that it was a late dinner. The fox morph shrugged and took a sip of her drink. It was smooth and a bit spicy just how she liked it. “I’m just saying as we age it might be nicer for us to be a bit… closer together. I didn’t mean to upset you dear.” Hollenda huffed out. Clearly Urta had missed a disagreement while she was in the kitchen reminiscing. An awkward silence hung over the table for a moment. “It’s… something I’ll talk about to Oxthala. I need you to understand though mom I signed an oath to serve the Sages till I cannot anymore. It's… very important to me.” Erydyn explained looking at the ground. Her parents' time in the herd had left them with a strong group mentality. She didn’t hold it against them… but it was difficult to deal with sometimes. “I’m sorry I got upset… I want to be closer to both of you. It’s just hard with our jobs. Everything is changing now that the war is over and It’s been hard on me.” Erydyn admitted hanging her head. Urta placed a hand on Erydyn’s and squeezed tight. “Hun It’s OK. We’re doing our best with everything. Please don't stress too much, It’s not good for the little one.” Urta urged.
Upon realizing what she had said she froze, turning to Menon. The stoic centaur raised an eyebrow at the look. “Erydyn honey. What does she mean?” Hollenda urged her daughter to answer. Erydyn looked into Urta’s eyes to gauge their mood. There was fear and uncertainty in them, she was clearly afraid of something. Erydyn knew why and gently squeezed Urta’s hand. She seemed to relax a bit at the gesture though still grasped tightly onto Erydyn’s hand. “It is something I wanted to talk about soon. I am pregnant. We wanted a child for a while and have only recently had the opportunity to do so.” Erydyn divulged. Hollenda clapped her hands excitedly and squealed in delight. Menon stroked his mustache in contemplation. “How exciting! It must have taken a bit for you all to find a doner.” Hollenda was chattering away about nurseries and visits and all manner of baby talk. Erydyn waited for a good moment in the conversation before cutting off her mother. “It is a very exciting time for us. However… I would like to make it clear that Urta is the father.” Urta shut their eyes and prepared for the response. “ Your father and I don't care who you're married to. We just care that the two of you are happy” Hollenda assured. Urta breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly. This was not at all what she expected, and she was still uneasy. “I am happy. Being with Urta is the easiest thing I've ever done. She's a fantastic wife and I'm confident will make a great father.” Erydyn smiled at her wife, catching the emerald eyes of the fox morph. Hollenda stood up from her chair by her husband. “Thank you both so much for dinner. Can we stay a bit longer? Or would you two like some time alone?” Erydyn glanced a bit at Urta who shook their head. “I think Urta needs some rest. I hate to cut this short….” Erydyn stated solemnly. While she wanted to spend more time with her parents she knew Urta needed some support. Especially considering the fact that they had dug their nails into her hand out of fear. Erydyn got up and walked with her parents leaving Urta alone in their thoughts. ‘Oh Marea I made it awkward didn’t I. I really hope they don’t hate me. They probably want to spend more time with their daughter after 27 damn years. Here I am letting my emotions and my past get the better of me.’ She thought. Erydyn gently tapped them on the shoulder causing the fox morph to jump. “I’m sorry! I made it all about me and they probably hate me. Here I am in the past and you need to send them away to take care of me.” They stammered out, dropping their head to not meet Erydyn’s gaze. The centaur pulled Urta into a tight hug, burying their face in her chest. She made quiet shushing sounds while stroking their head. “Shhh it’s OK. They’ve got a long journey home and would’ve had to stay the night. You didn't force them away. Besides… I want to take care of you.” Erydyn cooed, ruffling Urta’s ears. She felt them melt into her arms as the stress and tension left her body. Gently she picked Urta up and plopped them on her back. She took the pair into their red walled bedroom. Erydyn stopped in front of their large low bed. “Onto the bed, you need some wife cuddles immediately.” Erydyn commanded. Urta obliged, laying down onto the flower pattern sheets. She reached out their hands and grasped for their wife. The centaur obliged, laying down and wrapping her arms around Urta. “To be honest… It's a lot for me to process as well. I didn’t leave the herd on the best of terms.” Erydyn sighed. So much time had passed since then but she still remembered the scowl of her father as she took off with her meager belongings. “It's OK though… we're miles away from what happened. As long as I'm with you I know everything is going to be alright. You're the kindest, prettiest, most amazing wife I could ever dream of.” Urta replied, causing a blush to spread across the centaurs cheeks. “Oh stop you. Laying it on a little thick there hun.”
“Just reminding you of how much I love you and how we make the greatest team. I love you so much.”
“I love you too… When you were in the kitchen for a long time, what were you doing? Took a long time to wash your plates.”
“....... I was looking at pictures of our wedding and remembered my vows to you. It made me happy.” Erydyn hugged tighter, feeling the warmth radiate from her lover. “Oh hun… it makes me happy too. I love you so much.” Erydyn and Urta hugged each other tight. They would stay entwined like this for much of the night. All the while feeling the depth of their love for each other.