The following morning, beaming and feeling thoroughly in love, I cuddled into Navan’s side as we walked through the ship toward the kitchen. Nestling closer to my new husband’s chest, I marveled at the ring on my left hand. It would be a while before that word felt comfortable… husband. And yet, it felt completely right.

“Ready to face the music, darling wife?” he whispered conspiratorially, the sound of the others making breakfast echoing out toward us.

“Of course, darling husband.” I grinned as I said the word out loud. It was weird enough to think about, but to say it was a whole different ballgame. It didn’t feel real yet.

“All I’m saying is, perhaps you could keep it down a bit. The walls aren’t as thick as you think they are,” Lauren said to Angie, with an embarrassed look on her face. She looked up as we entered.

“And I’m telling you, Bashrik and I… Well, we weren’t up to anything last night. I conked out as soon as my head hit the pillow, and Bashrik stayed up most of the night playing some silly game on the ship’s entertainment system,” she retorted, a forkful of mystery machine food halfway between her plate and her mouth.

Navan and I exchanged a glance, while I struggled to stifle a laugh. It seemed we hadn’t been as discreet as we’d thought last night, and poor Bashrik and Angie were taking the rap for it. Even so, I wasn’t about to own up, not when there was something more exciting to tell everyone.

I looked across at my best friends, feeling nervous about what we were about to say. I had a feeling they’d be miffed at me for not waking them up when they were only down the hall, and I wasn’t sure if they’d understand my explanation. It had been a private moment that needed to be between just the two of us, but in their situation I knew I’d feel a bit upset at being left out of my best friend’s wedding.

“You’re up early,” Bashrik remarked. “You managed to sleep off this sickness that’s been bothering you, Navan?”

“Why does everyone think I’ve been sick?”

Ronad arched a knowing eyebrow. “Because you’ve been wandering around this ship like a zombie for days. I’ve tried to reassure everyone that you’re just tired, but nobody seems to listen.”

“That’s because nobody can be that tired. It’s just not possible,” Angie explained, pushing her food around. “I mean, the other day, he was chattering on about goblins in a forest. You tell me what kind of healthy person—oh my God! Have you… Are those what I think they are?!” Her eyes were bugging out of her head as she stared down at my hand and Navan’s. “You didn’t! Did you?!”

“What are you going on about, Ange?” Lauren asked, peering over.

“Those RINGS on their fingers!” Angie pointed wildly at our hands as she hurried over, shrieking so loud I thought the windows might crack.

“No way!” Lauren yelled, jumping off her stool and sprinting over to where I stood, wrapping her arms around me while Angie sandwiched me from the other side. “You naughty little monkey! Why didn’t you say something?”

“Yeah, why didn’t you come and get us?” Angie sobbed, though I had a good feeling they were tears of happiness.

I smiled. “We sort of got swept up in the moment and didn’t want to disturb anyone.”

“You wouldn’t have disturbed us! I could have been on the toilet with my panties around my ankles and you still wouldn’t have been disturbing me!” Angie lamented, squeezing me with all her might. I knew there was a hint of hurt in her squeeze, but she was getting it out in a healthy, loving manner. I just hoped my ribs could take it.

Lauren nodded. “We would have come running, Riley. All you had to do was call.”

“I know… We got carried away, I guess.”

“Hey, if you want to blame someone, blame me,” Navan interjected. “I was the one who coaxed her into a slapdash ceremony. She wanted to wait until the war was over, when there could be a proper wedding, but I just couldn’t bear another moment without having her as my wife.”

“Aww! If that wasn’t so freaking adorable, I’d beat the crap out of you for marrying our girl without us,” Angie said, a lingering hint of disappointment in her voice.

“You are going to have a party when all of this is over, though, right?” Lauren’s voice was so hopeful that I couldn’t let her down. Besides, I knew Jean would want to see me get married, and Roger had often talked about walking me down the aisle. I couldn’t disappoint them any more than I could disappoint my closest friends.

I nodded reluctantly. “Of course we are. It wouldn’t be right if all of you weren’t there to celebrate this with us.”

“Sounds good to me,” Navan agreed. “I imagine Kaido and Sarrask will want to come along, though I may have to leave dear old Mom and Dad out of this one, if that’s okay with you.” He flashed me a cheeky glance.

“Perfectly fine with me. They’ll only start pointing out everyone’s inferiority.”

As Angie and Lauren launched their affections at Navan, enveloping him in a tight hug and calling him “brother,” Bashrik took the opportunity to wander up shyly. He’d remained silent while Angie and Lauren had gotten their excitement out, but now he seemed emboldened by their actions. He was smiling like a maniac, and the expression was frankly startling.

Without warning, he lunged toward me and pulled me into a tight bearhug. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d hugged Bashrik, but I definitely hadn’t received this kind of hug from him. His coldblood strength was immense as he squeezed tighter, to the point where I thought he might crush me to death with his happiness.

“Bashrik… I can’t… breathe…”

He released me immediately. “I’m so sorry, Riley. I’m just—I’m so happy for you both!” he sobbed, tears pouring from his eyes. As he attempted to brush away some of the streaming tears, he reached for some of the paper towels on the counter and blew his nose hard, the sound reverberating in my ears like an elephant’s trumpet.

“Thank you, Bashrik. We’re pretty happy about it, too,” I said, patting him gently on the back as though he were a small child. It seemed to calm him down, anyway.

“You are such beautiful creatures, and here you are, married! You’ve found your missing piece, your other half, your better part… I just think it’s so beautiful.” He collapsed in a fit of tears again, his chest heaving. I didn’t know whether to keep rubbing his back or start laughing out loud at the state of him. I’d never expected Bashrik, of all people, to act like this. Saying that, there was something undeniably touching about his reaction.

Free from the grip of Angie and Lauren, Navan moved over to give his brother a warm hug, releasing me from my responsibility as back-rubber extraordinaire. The sight of the two of them clutching one another, while Bashrik repeated his congratulations, was remarkably sweet. It warmed my heart even more, confirming my suspicions that today was going to be a very good day.

“Congratulations, Riley,” Ronad said, skirting around the emotional brothers. He grinned at me and opened out his arms before pulling me into a hug, swinging me from side to side.

“Thank you for keeping his secret,” I whispered. “He still managed to surprise me.”

Ronad laughed quietly. “I knew he would. He’s a crafty devil, our Navan.”

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s a scavenger gotta do to get a slice o’ the action? Massive congrats, compadres. Wish you’d woken us; I’d have played a jig for ye while ye danced toward yer husb-to-be,” Stone whooped, muscling in on Ronad’s hug. Even though we didn’t know each other very well, I was happy to have his congratulations. There was something so genuine about Stone that it was impossible not to like him. More and more, I was beginning to see what Lauren saw.

“Must you always rally about in such an uncouth manner, Mr. Stone?” Xiphio chided, his curt tone a stark contrast to the tears of joy running down his face. “This is a delightful occasion, not one that requires your pirate jigs or your unrefined traditions.”

“A party’s a party, Xiphio. Just offerin’ the gift o’ music, that’s all.” The ambaka chuckled merrily as he released me and wandered over to Navan, where he patted my husband on the back with wild enthusiasm. “Congrats, man. Damn excited to see me brother and me sister so happy!”

I grimaced. “Please don’t call us that, Stone. The thought is nice, but it really doesn’t sound right.”

“See yer point, won’t do it again.”

Alfa and Dio were the next to congratulate us, both mirroring Stone’s attitude. I barely knew the two of them, but they had the same charm as Stone. Alfa was the flirtier of the three scavengers, while Dio seemed to be the sensible one, and Stone was somewhere in between. It was nice to watch the way they interacted with one another, treating each other like actual brothers despite being vastly different species.

Without warning, Alfa scooped me up in a fireman’s lift and threw me in the air with frightening strength. Every time he threw me up again, he spoke, though it was hard to catch everything he said with the air rushing in my ears and my brain jangling in my skull. “I love a wedding… I bet you were a beautiful bride, Captain Ri… Shame we couldn’t have seen it… I hope we’re invited to the big party.” I hadn’t eaten anything yet, but I was about to lose whatever I had left in my stomach.

“Stop throwing her up like that, Alf. It ain’t ladylike,” Dio barked.

To my relief, Alfa stopped, catching me deftly and setting me back on my feet. “Sorry, Ri. I got a bit carried away. I love a wedding; it puts everyone in a good mood, don’t you think?”

I stumbled, and Navan’s hand reached out to steady me. “It does… but please don’t… throw me again.”

A small smile played upon Navan’s lips. “Yeah, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t break my wife on our first day of marriage.”

Alfa laughed heartily. “I promise I’ll restrain myself.”

“Forgive his enthusiasm, Riley. It comes from a good place,” Dio said. “Congratulations on your marriage. I wish you both a long and happy life together.”

“Thank you, Dio, and thank you for getting him to stop.” I laughed. Dio bared his teeth in a fanged smile. “Now, let’s see if this machine can conjure us up a wedding cake, shall we?”

“Did ye say cake?” Stone lifted his head eagerly. “I’ll help ye.”

As I made my way to the food-printing machine, Stone met me on the other side. He seemed to be in good spirits, though his eyes kept drifting toward Lauren, who was mid-conversation with Xiphio. Meanwhile, Navan was pouring drinks for everyone, his chest puffed out proudly.

“How’d ye do it, Ri?” Stone sighed, leaning his chin on his hand.

“Do what?”

“Make this romance bollocks look so easy.”

I chuckled. “Well, for a start, I wouldn’t go around calling it ‘bollocks.’”

“Ye got me wrong, Ri. I love a bit o’ romance, but it makes a bumblin’ moron outta me. Me mouth gets in knots and I can’t speak proper,” he lamented, gazing at Lauren. “I try and do what our pal Xiphio does, but his tongue is made o’ pure silver and mine is a jumble o’ nonsense.”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “Take this mornin’. I was bringin’ her breakfast in bed, as a bit o’ a treat like, but walked in on her in the niff. She screamed, I dropped me tray, and she hasn’t spoken to me since.”

I felt so sorry for him, but the image of him wandering in on Lauren getting dressed was too funny not to laugh. The poor guy was doing everything he could to try to impress Lauren, yet he kept failing miserably. I knew why, but I didn’t think he was going to like what I had to say.

“You need to stop trying to be like Xiphio,” I explained. “You aren’t him—you’re you. Lauren likes you the way you are, so just be yourself around her. You won’t get anywhere if you act like some overly romantic idiot she doesn’t know.”

He frowned. “But she likes the charm o’ Xiphio.”

“Yes, but she also likes the banter you two used to have before you became this weird version of yourself. Honestly, act normally around her and you’ll be surprised how she reacts.”

“Ye think so?”

“I know so.” I didn’t want to get in the middle of a love triangle, but now that I understood Stone more, I felt sympathetic toward him and his plight with Lauren. He was trying to better himself, thinking that was what Lauren wanted. It was sad, in a way, to see him second-guessing himself. Hopefully, now, he would stick to his own path and see where it led him.

“Right, that settles it then,” he whispered, his face determined. “Today’s the day. I’m gonna tell that lass how I feel about her. I’m goin’ to be meself, and if she doesn’t like it, I’ll stand aside and let Xiphio keep on charmin’ her. I’m not a quitter, Ri, but I know when to give up.”

I smiled at him, feeling buoyed up by my own romance. “I think that sounds like a good plan, Stone. Just don’t make any overblown gestures.”

“Right y’are. I just have to be meself. Easy peasy.”

The food-printing machine beeped, revealing a huge cake covered in lurid green icing. Picking away a tiny bit of icing, I saw that the sponge inside was an unappetizing shade of black, though the crumb I’d managed to pluck out was absolutely delicious. It wasn’t exactly what I’d hoped for on my wedding day, but it would do. Everyone loved cake. I was just glad there was some other culture out there that loved it as much as humans did.