Pixelle had discovered something unexpected about planning a wedding in three days.
Apparently, three days was not very much time.
"I don't understand why this is so difficult."
The three-inch Fairy Queen hovered in the center of one of Solmere's finest clothing shops while seamstresses moved around her with strips of fabric, measuring tools, ribbons, lace, flowers, and more varieties of white cloth than Jax had previously known existed.
He had learned within the first ten minutes that there was ivory, pearl, cream, snow, moonlight, winter white, and something called whisper white.
They all looked white.
He had been informed that this opinion was incorrect.
Lexi hovered beside Pixelle while the Vixens spread throughout the shop.
Llandra had immediately become useful.
Zee knew considerably more about wedding dresses than Jax expected.
Nyxian had developed strong opinions about how much of Pixelle's dress actually needed to qualify as a dress.
Bunny had found the shoes.
Not Pixelle's shoes.
Her own.
Brannic stood beside Jax, watching the chaos unfold.
Another seamstress hurried past them carrying an armful of fabric.
Brannic watched her disappear into the back.
"Drink?"
Jax glanced at him.
"It's the middle of the day."
"Didn't ask what time it was."
Jax looked toward the women.
Then toward the front door.
"I've got a bar two stores down."
"I know."
Jax looked at him.
"Of course you do."
Brannic headed for the door.
"Let's go."
Jax followed.
No one noticed them leave.
The bar wasn't particularly busy yet.
Jax and Brannic took a table near the front window, close enough that they could see the wedding shop two storefronts away.
Jax took a drink.
"I'm surprised you're here."
Brannic raised an eyebrow.
"You invited me."
"I mean I'm surprised you're not working on everything we brought back."
Brannic grunted.
"Merriweather's still figuring out what half those materials actually do. My work begins once hers ends."
"So you're waiting on her."
"For once."
Brannic took a long drink.
"Gives me a day or so."
Jax raised his glass.
"Convenient."
"Very."
They clinked glasses.
Jax leaned back in his chair.
For a few minutes, they simply enjoyed the rare opportunity to sit down together without discussing armies, weapons, construction, monsters, trade agreements, or whatever new impossible thing Jax wanted Brannic to build.
The door opened.
Bunny marched inside.
She spotted Jax immediately.
"Jax!"
He looked over.
"Yeah?"
"I need money."
Jax frowned.
"You have money. Just spend it."
"Yeah, but that's my money. I need your money for this."
Jax stared at her.
"My money is your money. We're married."
"I know. But your money is the money I spend on things for other people. My money is the money I spend on myself."
Brannic slowly lowered his drink.
Jax blinked.
"What are you purchasing?"
"Shoes."
"For Pixelle?"
"No. For me."
"Then buy them with your money."
Bunny looked at him as if he were being deliberately unreasonable.
"But they're for Pixelle's wedding, so they should come from your money."
"MY money is YOUR money. We are married!"
"Fine! I'll pay for them with my own money then."
Bunny huffed and turned toward the door.
Jax watched her leave.
The door closed.
He slowly turned back toward Brannic.
"She walked over here to ask me for money she already has."
Brannic nodded.
"And somehow you're the unreasonable one."
"Apparently."
Brannic took another drink.
"You won that one."
Jax looked at him.
"Did I?"
"No."
Jax shook his head and took another drink.
Back at the shop, Pixelle was having a crisis.
"That one."
The seamstress switched fabrics.
Pixelle frowned.
"No. The other one."
The seamstress switched them back.
Pixelle stared.
"Maybe the first."
Lexi folded her arms.
"You've changed your mind twelve times."
"I am the bride."
"That doesn't make twelve times less than twelve."
"It makes all twelve necessary."
Nyxian lounged in a nearby chair.
"She's going to be unbearable by tomorrow."
Pixelle turned toward her.
"I heard that."
"I intended you to."
Llandra inspected another length of fabric.
"Not this one."
The seamstress nodded.
Zee moved closer.
"What about the pearl?"
Pixelle looked at it.
"I like that."
Zee smiled.
"They do excellent work here. This is where I had my wedding dress made."
Pixelle stopped.
Her wings continued beating, but everything else went still.
"Your wedding dress?"
Zee nodded.
"Yes."
Pixelle stared at her.
"Are you set to marry him too?"
"I am."
"Oh."
The response was quiet enough that Zee immediately noticed.
"What?"
Pixelle glanced around the shop.
Llandra had stopped examining the fabric.
Nyxian was still lounging in the chair, but she was definitely listening.
Lexi hovered nearby.
Even Bunny, who had just returned looking strangely irritated, paused.
Pixelle lowered slightly.
"I didn't think about that."
"About what?"
"I asked Jax to marry me."
Zee smiled.
"Yes."
"Then I decided three days."
"Also yes."
"I didn't ask anyone else."
"No. You definitely didn't."
Pixelle's wings slowed.
"Did I jump ahead of you?"
Zee hesitated.
"It's okay."
"It doesn't feel okay."
"Pixelle."
"I got excited."
Zee laughed softly.
"You proposed to him while cashing in a favor and scheduled the wedding three days later."
Pixelle frowned.
"I may have gotten a little excited."
"A little."
Pixelle looked genuinely uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry."
Zee blinked.
Pixelle immediately pointed at her.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were going to."
"I was just appreciating the moment."
"Don't make me take it back."
Zee smiled.
"I'm not upset."
Pixelle studied her.
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
Zee looked toward the dresses.
"The truth is, I'm both looking forward to my wedding and dreading it."
Pixelle's eyes widened.
"You don't want to marry him?"
"I absolutely want to marry him."
The answer came so quickly that Pixelle relaxed.
Zee smiled.
"It's going home for it that I'm not looking forward to."
Pixelle didn't know the entire story.
But she knew enough.
Zee continued.
"I need to go back. I know that. There are things I need to face."
She ran her fingers gently across one of the dresses.
"But wanting the marriage and wanting everything that comes with going home for it are two different things."
"So you're really okay with waiting?"
"Honestly, this little delay might help me get reenergized for it. Give me some time to look forward to the wedding again instead of thinking about everything surrounding it."
Pixelle watched her carefully.
"You're sure?"
Zee smiled.
"I'm sure. You didn't take anything away from me. My wedding will still be my wedding."
Pixelle finally smiled.
"Thank you."
"But next time you decide to reorganize everyone's wedding schedule, maybe give us more than three days."
Pixelle lifted her chin.
"That seems reasonable."
Nyxian spoke from her chair.
"I vote we make that an official Vixen rule."
"Seconded," Llandra said.
Pixelle spun around.
"I apologized!"
"And we're all very proud of you," Nyxian replied.
"I hate you."
"No, you don't."
"No."
Pixelle smiled.
"I really don't."
A seamstress approached.
"Your Majesty?"
Pixelle turned.
"Yes?"
"We should probably begin fitting the second bride."
Bunny tilted her head.
"Second bride?"
Llandra looked toward the seamstress.
Zee blinked.
Nyxian sat up.
Pixelle looked confused by everyone else's confusion.
"Lexi."
Every Vixen turned toward her.
Lexi suddenly looked as though she would have preferred being anywhere else.
Bunny's ears shot straight up.
"Lexi's getting married too?!"
"Of course."
Nyxian's grin slowly appeared.
"Does Jax know?"
Pixelle paused.
"...He knows Lexi is a Vixen."
Nyxian started laughing.
"That's not what I asked."
Pixelle frowned.
"Why wouldn't he marry her?"
Llandra lowered the fabric she was holding.
"Perhaps because no one told him?"
Pixelle looked toward Lexi.
"He knows she loves him."
Lexi's face turned red.
"He knows he loves her."
Lexi became even redder.
Pixelle spread her tiny arms.
"What exactly are we confused about?"
Zee laughed.
"I think we're confused about whether the groom knows how many women he's marrying."
Pixelle thought about it.
"One more than he thinks."
Nyxian nearly fell out of the chair.
Bunny covered her mouth.
Even Llandra laughed.
Lexi hovered in place, visibly mortified.
Zee's expression softened.
She stepped closer.
"Lexi."
Lexi looked at her.
"Is this what you want?"
The laughter quieted.
Lexi looked toward Pixelle.
Then toward the other Vixens. Her eyes locked onto Nyxian.
"I want Jax. And I want you." Her gaze moved to the others. "I want all of you, and this. Forever."
Her gaze eventually settled in the direction of the front window.
Two stores away, Jax was completely unaware of the conversation happening inside.
Lexi smiled.
"Yes."
Zee smiled back.
"Then you're getting a wedding dress too."
Lexi's smile grew.
Bunny clapped.
Nyxian immediately stood.
"Excellent."
Llandra looked toward Pixelle.
"Someone should probably tell Jax."
"No," Nyxian said instantly.
Everyone looked at her.
"What?"
Zee laughed.
"He probably should know."
Nyxian looked betrayed.
"Why ruin this?"
Lexi hesitated.
"Maybe we should tell him."
Nyxian walked over and gently placed a hand beneath Lexi so the tiny fairy could stand on her palm.
"Lexi."
"Yes?"
"Please don't take this from me."
Lexi laughed.
Pixelle crossed her arms.
"I don't understand the problem."
"Of course you don't," Llandra said.
"He knows he's getting married."
"Yes."
"He knows Lexi is a Vixen."
"Yes."
"He loves Lexi."
"Yes."
"And Lexi wants to marry him."
Lexi nodded.
"Yes."
Pixelle looked triumphant.
"There. Solved."
Llandra stared at her.
"That is not how wedding planning works."
"It is now."
Nyxian wiped a tear from her eye.
"I love fairy weddings."
Bunny suddenly looked concerned.
"Wait."
Everyone turned.
"If there are two brides, does that mean I need two pairs of shoes?"
"No," everyone said.
Bunny sighed.
"Fine."
A little later, another question arose.
"Who's performing the ceremony?" Llandra asked.
"Merriweather," Pixelle answered casually.
Nyxian turned.
"Merriweather?"
Bunny blinked.
"Our Merriweather?"
Pixelle frowned.
"How many Merriweathers do all of you know?"
Zee laughed.
"She's ordained."
Everyone looked at Zee.
Nyxian stared.
"You knew?"
"Of course I knew."
"Merriweather is a priestess?"
"Technically."
Pixelle nodded.
"She loves weddings."
Zee smiled.
"That's putting it mildly."
Pixelle settled onto the edge of a folded piece of fabric.
"Years ago, she kept attending weddings she wasn't invited to."
Llandra slowly lowered the dress she was examining.
"She crashed weddings?"
"Constantly."
Nyxian looked delighted.
"I knew I liked her."
"Eventually she figured out that if she participated in the ceremony, people were less likely to make her leave."
Bunny stared.
"So she became a priestess?"
"Yes."
"For weddings?"
"Mostly."
Nyxian nodded slowly.
"That may be the most Merriweather thing I've ever heard."
Zee laughed.
"She's actually very good at it."
Pixelle nodded.
"She's performed plenty of ceremonies. She just had a somewhat unusual reason for getting ordained."
Several hours later, the Vixens emerged from the shop.
Jax and Brannic had returned just in time to see them.
Jax immediately noticed Bunny carrying a box.
He pointed.
"Shoes?"
Bunny hugged the box.
"My money."
Jax raised both hands.
"I didn't say anything."
"You were thinking it."
"I absolutely was."
Pixelle flew toward him.
"Everything is ready."
"Already?"
Llandra laughed.
"We have very different definitions of already."
Jax looked toward Lexi.
She was smiling more than usual.
"You have fun?"
Lexi nodded.
"Very much."
Nyxian covered her mouth.
Jax looked at her.
"What?"
"Nothing."
He looked toward Zee.
She suddenly found the street interesting.
Then Llandra.
Llandra's expression was perfectly neutral.
Too neutral.
Jax narrowed his eyes.
"What happened?"
"Wedding shopping," Pixelle answered.
Jax waited.
That was apparently all he was getting.
"Okay."
Nyxian started laughing again.
Jax sighed.
Whatever it was, he'd find out eventually.
By evening, everyone had returned to the Complex.
Pixelle hadn't seen Jax's home before.
She had never stayed there.
Neither had Lexi.
The two tiny fairies hovered just inside the entrance, looking around.
Pixelle slowly turned in the air.
"This is your home?"
"Our home," Jax corrected.
Pixelle looked at him.
Then around the enormous interior.
"This entire building?"
"That's kind of how homes work. You get to live in all of it."
Lexi had already flown farther inside.
Large windows looked out over Solmere and the distant lakes beyond. Comfortable furniture filled open rooms. Enchanted lights illuminated the halls. Artwork, gifts, and strange objects collected during Jax's travels had gradually begun filling the space.
It was luxurious.
But it didn't feel like a palace.
Pixelle flew higher.
Something was missing.
She turned toward Jax.
"Where are your servants?"
Jax stopped.
"My what?"
"Servants."
"We don't have servants."
Pixelle stared at him.
"You are absurdly wealthy."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I accepted it as one."
She pointed around them.
"You own this."
"Yes."
"You own businesses."
"Several."
"People build things because you tell them to."
"Sometimes, when I pay them to."
"You have enough money to employ an entire village."
"Probably."
"And you don't have servants?"
"First off, I'd prefer to call them help."
Pixelle waved a tiny hand.
"Fine. Where is your help?"
"We employ people when we need them. Parties. Large dinners. Guests. Things like that."
Jax continued toward the kitchen.
"But we're all able-bodied individuals who can cook—"
"Jax can cook," Zee interrupted.
Jax stopped.
He looked at her.
"I was trying to include everyone."
"You shouldn't lie to the Queen."
Bunny raised a hand.
"I can cook."
Llandra looked at her.
"What can you cook?"
Bunny thought.
"Potatoes." She paused. "Wrapped in foil."
Nyxian stared at her. "That's the easiest thing to cook! You clean them, wrap them in foil, set the oven, and walk away for a couple of hours."
Bunny looked at Nyxian with shock and horror.
"I'm supposed to clean them first?"
Jax slowly shook his head, trying to remember how many times Bunny had cooked the potatoes.
"We will discuss this later."
Llandra sighed.
Jax continued.
"We can clean—"
"Well," Llandra said.
She slowly turned toward Bunny.
"Most of us."
Bunny's ears straightened.
"What?"
Llandra stared.
"I clean!"
"When?"
Bunny opened her mouth.
Stopped.
Thought about it.
"Usually after you have already cleaned up after me."
Silence.
Every Vixen looked at Bunny.
Bunny looked around.
"That still means I intended to."
Nyxian nodded solemnly.
"Intentions are important."
Bunny pointed at her.
"Thank you."
"But, they're not as important as actually cleaning."
Bunny lowered her hand.
Jax refocused.
"The point is, we can take care of ourselves. If we need help, we have people we can call. But we don't need someone following us around all day just because we have money."
Pixelle looked unconvinced.
"Why not?"
"Because being rich doesn't mean we need to be lazy."
Pixelle stared at him.
"I am a Queen."
"Congratulations."
"I am supposed to be pampered."
"You're going to have a rough few days."
Pixelle huffed and flew toward the back door.
She opened it and was greeted by a view unlike anything she had expected.
Her eyes adjusted to the sunlight.
Then Pixelle discovered the pool.
She stopped in midair.
Lexi stopped beside her.
The water stretched out before them.
To everyone else, it was a large swimming pool.
To two three-inch fairies, it might as well have been an inland sea.
Pixelle slowly flew over it.
"You have a lake at your house."
"It's a pool."
Pixelle pointed toward the distant landscape visible beyond the Complex.
"You already have lakes."
"Those are farther away."
"So you built a smaller lake closer."
"Basically."
Lexi flew down toward the water.
"It's warm."
"Heated," Jax said.
Bunny jumped into the water.
"And no monsters!"
Pixelle considered this.
"Acceptable."
Someone found one of the floating trays normally used for drinks.
To Pixelle and Lexi, it was a raft.
Soon both fairies were sitting on it while Bunny and Nyxian swam nearby.
The sun slowly sank toward the distant lakes.
Gold spread across the horizon.
Pixelle sat with her legs hanging over the edge.
"This is nice."
Jax sat nearby with his feet in the water.
Pixelle reached for her drink.
Empty.
She looked toward the table.
The drinks were at least twelve feet away.
Her expression changed.
"Wait."
Jax saw it coming.
"You mean I have to fly all the way over there and refill my own drink?"
"It's twelve feet."
Pixelle stared at him.
"Do you have any idea how far twelve feet is?"
Lexi raised her hand.
"I do."
Pixelle pointed at her.
"Thank you."
Jax looked between them.
"You both have wings. And fly faster than most people can run."
"That's not the point," Pixelle said.
"Not even slightly," Lexi agreed.
Pixelle sighed dramatically.
"This is the worst."
She flew across the patio, refilled her drink, and returned less than a minute later.
"Exhausting."
Jax nodded.
"You're very brave."
"I know."
As the sun disappeared, conversation drifted.
Stories.
Jokes.
Old memories.
Eventually Zee looked at the two fairies.
"That lake over there is where we met him."
Pointing at the water in the distance, the two fairies perked up.
Nyxian added immediately.
"He stepped out of the water, and it was love at first sight."
Pixelle placed both hands against her chest.
"Aww."
Lexi smiled.
"That's so sweet."
Nyxian nodded.
"It really was."
Then she sighed dreamily.
"And then I saw his chest and his face and fell in love with those too."
Zee groaned.
"Really, Nyxian?"
"What?"
Nyxian looked offended.
"There were multiple things to love."
Jax shook his head.
"That's not exactly how I remember it."
"It's how I remember it."
"You were trying to arrest me."
"I had just met you. Putting you in bindings is my way of flirting."
"Exactly."
Nyxian smiled.
"I was very friendly."
Llandra laughed.
"That's one word for it."
Pixelle looked toward Llandra.
"What about you?"
Llandra smiled.
"We met at the lake, yes. I did not know what we were encountering. So I was a bit too cautious. So forcing a naked man out of the water to retrieve his clothes was not my finest day."
Nyxian chimed in, "Oh, but what a fine day it was."
Llandra just shook her head thinking about the embarrassing encounter. "Our beginning was somewhat less dramatic."
Nyxian scoffed.
"She shot things for him."
"I did not shoot things for him."
"You went on an archery date."
"That is not the same thing."
Bunny leaned forward.
"He took me on a giant game of hide-and-seek across Solmere."
Lexi looked at her.
"Really?"
"With children."
Pixelle smiled.
"That sounds fun."
"It was."
Bunny's expression softened.
"It was one of the best days I'd had in a very long time."
Pixelle turned toward Zee.
"And you?"
Zee glanced at Jax.
"Mine was quieter."
"Romantic?"
"Eventually."
Jax frowned.
"Eventually?"
Zee smiled.
"You were a little slow."
Nyxian laughed.
"A little?"
Jax pointed at her.
"You're not helping."
"I never claimed I was."
Pixelle laughed.
Different women.
Different stories.
Different beginnings.
Yet somehow all of them had ended up here.
Together.
Pixelle looked toward Lexi.
Lexi was already watching her.
They smiled.
Pixelle had spent her entire life thinking of marriage as someone joining the Fairy Queen's life.
She was beginning to realize that wasn't what was happening.
She and Lexi were joining this one too.
And somehow, there was already room waiting for them.
Later that night, Jax took them upstairs.
Pixelle flew beside him.
Lexi followed.
"What's up here?" Pixelle asked.
"Bedrooms."
They reached the second floor.
Jax opened the door.
Pixelle flew inside.
Then stopped.
Lexi nearly flew into her.
"What?"
Pixelle pointed.
Lexi looked.
"Oh."
The bed dominated the room.
It was enormous.
Wide.
Long.
And possibly the most comfortable-looking thing Pixelle had ever seen.
She flew toward it.
"Why is your bed so big?"
"There are five of us who sleep in it."
Pixelle turned.
She counted.
Jax.
Llandra.
Bunny.
Zee.
Nyxian.
Then she pointed toward Lexi.
Then herself.
"There are seven now."
Jax nodded.
"Yep."
Pixelle looked at the bed again.
"Should we get a bigger one?"
"I doubt it."
All six women looked at him.
Jax gestured toward the bed.
"No matter how big I make the thing, you women end up sleeping on me anyway. We have at least a third of the bed that doesn't get used."
Pixelle looked toward the bed.
Then back at Jax.
Her smile slowly appeared.
"Oh, we'll definitely use all of it tonight."
Jax paused.
"I meant for sleeping."
Nyxian's smile appeared immediately.
Pixelle's grew wider.
Jax realized his mistake.
"No. I mean at least a third of the bed isn't slept on."
Nyxian walked past him.
"Oh."
She ran her fingers across the mattress.
"We'll still be using those sides tonight."
Jax closed his eyes.
"That's not what I meant."
Bunny walked past him.
"We know."
Zee followed.
"Definitely."
Llandra kissed him lightly on the cheek as she passed.
"You walked into that one."
Lexi hovered beside Pixelle.
She whispered something into her ear.
Pixelle's pink eyes widened.
Then she grinned.
Jax pointed at both of them.
"No."
Pixelle blinked innocently.
"I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to."
Nyxian laughed.
"She's learning."
Jax sighed.
The bedroom door closed.
Later that night, one hundred percent of the bed had, in fact, been used.
Eventually, the wonderful onslaught claimed its victims one by one.
Laughter faded.
Conversation disappeared into exhausted silence.
Bodies relaxed.
Wings settled.
And as sleep took them, something predictable happened.
One by one, they slowly migrated toward the middle.
Toward Jax.
An arm across his chest.
A head against his shoulder.
A leg over his.
Two tiny fairies finding comfortable places among the pile.
Jax lay beneath the accumulated weight of his increasingly ridiculous love life.
Exhausted.
Comfortable.
Happy.
His eyes finally closed.
One last thought drifted through his mind.
Yep.
A third of the bed is still not being used.