The Aurora Immortal Dynasty - Chapter 216: Alone at last

[Louise56]

I can't wait for the wedding, Frida look so beautiful.

[saltpastillen]

This is the best day ever!

He came, Grim came to my wedding! Isn't that sweet of him?

He couldn't stick around for the ceremony, but his visit left me in a delightful mood. The man who passed wasn't even invited, so we didn't have to postpone anything. Compared with granmda S's surprise, dad's was so much more up my alley.

Frida: I can't believe he made this happen, it has to be the best wedding present ever!
Arnulfo: I didn't realize your dad's connection reached all the way to the other side.
Frida: Well, it's not something he talks openly about, besides Grim's more like a family acquaintance than a business colleague. Grandma K's the one who introduced them to each other.
Arnulfo: I would never have guessed she consorted with his kind, she always seem so sweet.
Frida: Well, it was pretty one sided at first but since he's a great fan he finally managed to get in her good graces, and she thought that he and dad should work together.
Arnulfo: I see I still have a lot to learn about the family.
Frida: Not having second thoughts are you?
Arnulfo: No, never. There's nothing I'd rather do, than spend my life with you, besides with your family around, I doubt I'll ever get bored.
Frida: Good thing! Because as you saw just now, we have family friends who can deal with people who dissapoint us.
Arnulfo: You sweet talker, you, threatening me with bodily harm. Are you sure you don't want to become the Emperor of Evil when your dad steps down?
Frida: Well, I wouldn't mind having someone to boss around, but I was hoping you'd let me practice on you, once we're married.
Arnulfo: What are we waiting for? 

Once the sun started setting the ceremony began. Dad had a new wedding arch shipped in all the way from Sunlit Tides, got it for a good price too, he has strong business connections on the island. It was just family and close friends, apparently Grim's appearance had scared some of the more sensitive guests and they left early. Dad was angry, but I told him I didn't mind. It was nice to only have those closest to witness the occasion.

I couldn't keep a silly grin away from my face, and I was happy there was no one there I had to project an image of cool reserve too, because during the ceremony cool was the furthest thing from my mind.

I was actually closer to tears, and I saw more then one of the grandmothers wipe away something from the corner of their eye. Grandma K didn't even bother, she just let the tears roll down her cheeks.

And then it was time to kiss the groom. We kind of lost ourselves in each others arms for a while, but moms excited shriek of "my baby is married, maaaariiiiieeeed!" put a stop to that.

The party continued late down at the beach, but Arnulfo and snuck away early, assisted by granny C and granny S, they had a special wedding surprise for us.

Following tradition grandma K got a photo of the wedding to hang in her study.

And I got one to hang down in my YA exhibit.

[DeLouche]

Awesome wedding - mixture of fun and emotion. Frida makes a beautiful, if somewhat callous bride

[saltpastillen]

Don't let her catch you say that!

But, I agree, she was just too excited about Grim showing up...

[SimBlip]

...we have family friends who can deal with people who dissapoint us...
I'm sure Arnulfo will never make that mistake! 

Lovely wedding, despite the poor man who... Erm. Lovely wedding!

[saltpastillen]

Grandma S and C had planned a short camping trip for the two of us. It wasn't really what I envisioned when I thought romance and relaxation, but granny S just hushed me when I talked, and told Arnulfo to "make sure you take advantage of your time alone together".

Since we had snuck away from the party before cutting the cake, we decided on roasted marshmallows as a celebratory dessert.

But roasting the marshmallows soon turned into an impromptu fencing match, which lead to tickling...

...and more.

Frida: I love you.
Arnulfo: I love you too.
Frida: If I ever forget to tell you how I feel, you remind me, you hear?
Arnulfo: I'll remind you every day.
Frida: I knew I hit the jackpot with you.
Arnulfo: And I love that brain of you, almost as much as the rest of you...
Frida: Now you're just fishing for compliments.
Arnulfo: Don't you think I'm pretty? *bats lashes*

Frida: Let's watch the stars, I want to show you something.

Frida: See those two twin stars next to the angelfish constellation?
Arnulfo: Yes, they're your two newest discoveries aren't they?
Frida: Yes they are, and I named them after us, so no matter what happens to us here, we'll always be together up there.

Frida: What are you doing?
Arnulfo: I'm taking you to bed, there is only so much more of you being sweet I can take.
Frida: The tent!
Arnulfo: What?
Frida: The tent is closer. The tent now!

The sun was slowly rising when we finally settled down for some rest. This time alone together really was a most wonderful gift. And as we were drifting off I whispered in Arnulfo's ear "if there isn't a nooboo in the next few days, let's wait and have some more time for just the two of us." First I thought he'd already fallen asleep, but then I felt him squeeze my hand, and kiss my temple."We're one mind in two bodies, yes, lets have more time for just the two of us". We slept safe in each others arms.

[Snufflesxx]

Wasn't it just yesterday that Elise was getting married to Simon? And I'm sensing a shift in the nooboosphere 

[fanofaband]

*Sniffle* I think Frida's my favorite so far.

[DeLouche]

*Sniffle* I think Frida's my favorite so far.

Yeah, mine too - Frida and Klara, I think...

This was such a lovely and romantic chapter! Camping out and roasting marshmallows makes for an awesome honeymoon.

[SimBlip]

Beautiful and very romantic! I loved this chapter so much!

[Louise56]

The wedding was beautiful and the honeymoon so romantic.

[saltpastillen]

We slept in, and didn't arrive home until late afternoon. We would have stayed longer if it weren't for the fact that it was dad's birthday. That was something I simply wasn't willing to miss.

He seems pretty comfortable with his graying hair. That could of course have something to do with mom calling him her "silver fox".  I would call him debonair myself. He's still a rather imposing figure at work, but mom has been asking him to retire, she says the glow creeps her out. 

Arnulfo got a makeover (he really needed a new hair cut) and a wardrobe change as well. His favorite color is lilac, so he tried using it in every outfit.

Sadly, or maybe fortunately, we soon figured out there wasn't a nooboo on the way just yet. Arnulfo and I are pretty happy about it, since it means more time for us to just enjoy each other, but the rest of the family (read mom and the grandmothers) are getting pretty restless, thankfully dad is still on our side.

Elise: I can't believe they want to wait to have a nooboo!
Simon: I'm sure they just want to focus on their careers first, give them a few days to settle in and I'm sure we'll hear the patter of little feet.
Elise: But I'm an elder now, I want grandbabies!
Simon: And you'll get them, before you know it you'll have a little boy or girl to paint portraits of. They might even want to learn to paint, wouldn't that be fun?
Elise: I'd love it! You better have a talk with her, she always listens to you more.
Simon: I'm not going to tell her how to live her life.

Married life settled into a routine.

Arnulfo kept in shape.

I worked on finding alien life in space.

I practices tutoring on my captive family.

Arnulfo got a job at the Science Center, where his PhD in Physics would be of use.

I pushed myself to become more athletic.

I finally found my 20th star, and became a celestial explorer, this time I named it Jules.

And my mother? Well, she was enjoying immortality.

[saltpastillen]

Thanks for your kind words everyone!

Frida was one of my favorites as well, but now that I think about it, I guess every new heir becomes the new favorite in some fashion.

I'm glad you thought the chapter was romantic, that was what I was aiming for. I was a bit afraid I crossed into sappy, but then thought, "if someone has the right to show a little sappyness it's got to be Frida"!

[SimBlip]

Happy birthday, Simon!
He looks as distinguished a gentleman as ever. And he is such a great husband and dad!

[saltpastillen]

Arnulfo and I had settled into a nice routine. We had work, and some skilling to do, and a lot of time together. But the grandmas were getting restless. And there was only so many uncomfortable breakfast chats you could sit through with your great-great grandmother before you felt like strangling someone.

Klara: ...all I'm saying is that if you're having problem to conceive, the doctors have great new treatments.
Frida: Stop it! I've told you all, we want to wait! We are not having any problems, except for you all butting in where you have no right to!
Klara: We're just worried, and don't get snappy with me young miss! You're in a immortal dynasty, you have an obligation to bring forth the next generation!
Frida: Well, I'll do it in my own bloody time. You weren't exactly a YA when you had grandma S, now were you?
Klara: Times were different back then! The dynasty hinged on every penny I managed to scrape together for my novels. You don't really have that problem. What you have are four relatives all desperate for a nooboo to spoil, and if you think we are annoying now, do you really think more waiting is going to calm us down?
Frida: Argh, I can't deal with you people any longer! *storms off*
Arnulfo: Grandma K, I assure you Frida want's a nooboo just as much as you do. But now is not the right time, and if I could give a suggestion about your strategy - I don't think nagging is going to help. This will happen when Frida and I want it to happen, what she needs now is space. Space and maybe time away from you.
Klara: I just don't understand why it's so hard!
Arnulfo: Really? Weren't you the one who vowed never to have any more nooboos?
Klara: I concede your point. I'll tell them to back off for now, but if there is no developments once she becomes an adult - we'll have to revisit this issue.
Arbulfo: That's all I'm asking.

Arnulfo spent a lot of his time at home in the garden, grandma C took care of it before he moved in, but since he needs to improve his gardening for his career, it's mostly his own. He says it't very soothing to spend time there, and the fact that it gives him time away from the grandmas has to be a big plus.

That afternoon, he called me from the car on the way home from work, and told me to get ready. We were going out for the evening. I was kind of stressed, I had a lot of skilling planned, and had planned to play some ranked chess matches.

Frida: I'm just not in the mood for an outing right now, I've got some chess matches already booked, and I'm afraid they'll start canceling again if I don't keep these appointments.
Arnulfo: Don't worry, you'll like this, I have everything planned out.

I don't know what I was worrying about, he knows me so well after all. We went down to Central Park, and I got my chess matches.

Arnulfo used the time to brush up on his own game.

Then I was shocked to learn that mom was my next opponent! Thankfully she didn't insist on talking about nooboos. I won of course (well, was there ever any doubt?).

She went home right after her loss, and we had a late night bbq together.

While we were watching the stars, I realized this was the most relaxed I had been since our short honeymoon.

We arrived home in a very good mood, very good indeed.

Here's a quick look at my YA exhibit. I've bought a dusty old lamp for my LTW points, but I don't really need more clutter, so I just store it down here in the museum.