Mercy saw the courier approach the house on horseback the next day. She stopped weaving and stood in the doorway, waiting for whatever message the man had to deliver to arrive. She had expected a correspondence for Dadus but, when she felt the familiar vellum, sealed with magical wax, she knew the letter was for none other than Matt.

"Many days of happiness to the newly betrothed," the courier said as he handed it to her. He then turned around and returned down the lane.

"Matt! Matt!" Mercy called as she ran to the back of the property where the men were putting the finishing touches on the trellis. "Matt! You have a letter!"

She waved it at him, a grin so wide, it made her cheeks hurt.

"A letter?"

"Yes! A Marriage Letter!"

Matt paused, shocked, before scrambling down the ladder to take the velum from her. He stared at it, uncertain.

"Are you going to stare at it or are you going to open it?" Lance said, punching his twin in the upper arm.

"Cut it out!" Matt demanded, turning from him and walking off to be alone. Everyone watched his back as he opened and read the correspondence.

When he threw his head back and shouted in joy, Lance approached him. Matt eagerly handed it to him which he read out loud.

Dearest Hopeful Citizen Matthew Evertree,

We are honored to inform you of your betrothal to Hopeful Citizen Helena Sanderson of Stormhaven township some thirty miles west of your current abode. It is our understanding that the lovely Ms. Sanderson, while not a magically talented individual it would seem, is of sincere heart and fast wit. Her business sense seems to be quite developed as she is the child of Mrs. Laura Sanderson, a soon-to-be Citizen of no small reputation.

She is of the honorable marriageable age of nineteen, and being of sound mind and healthy body, has been chosen as your betrothed based on our extensive calculations and predictions. The two of you are likely to have an extremely talented child. Your life together will be quite comfortable, and you shall reach Citizenship in a respectable amount of time.

The lovely Ms. Sanderson is, at this time, also being informed of her betrothal and will be expecting your visit within a fortnight's time. Your wedding date should be set no further away than half a year's time following the conclusion of your aide to Ms. Mercy Lane's quest. Please inform your respective Magistrates of the date once decided. We will then arrange for one of our own to perform the Rite of Marriage.

We wish you well with all our hearts, Hopeful Citizen Matthew. May the Gods guide you and keep you forever in their favor.

The Marriage Council of the Borderland

This, the Year of our Faith, Five Hundred and Eighty-Seven

"Helena? Seriously! How fortunate!" Mercy exclaimed. She hugged her friend close, "Oh, Matt, I'm so happy for you!"

"I'm happy for me, too!"

"So, I suppose you will head back to Stormhaven tomorrow?" Dadus asked with a knowing smile. "You can borrow the mare. I've got a saddle and tack for her, though they need some work."

"Well, I guess I know what I'm doing for the rest of the day," Matt said before heading off to the barn. His friends watched him go.

"I'm so glad he's gotten a letter," Lance said, his voice thick with emotion. "I was worried."

Mercy put her arm around her would-be husband and squeezed. "Yeah, me, too. And for it to be Helena! He's smitten with her. What a great love story!"

Lance nodded, wrapping his own arm around Mercy. "How do you think Helena will take it?"

"Oh, I think she's going to get on just fine. You should have seen the two of them yesterday; head-to-head most of the day, blushing and acting a-fool. It was almost comical."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I will go and see if he needs a hand," he said before offering Mercy a last hug.

"Well, I'll plant some night blooming roses that you need." Dadus wiped his face with his handkerchief. Mercy politely ignored that it wasn't a hot day and so the sheen of water on his cheeks was not sweat.

"Do you need help?" Mercy asked, not wanting to leave him alone with so much work.

"Heaven's no! Plants are my talent, remember? I'll be content for the afternoon. Go about your weaving, child."

She laughed and said, "Okay! I'll be able to finish the cloth soon. But, let me fix everyone some lunch first."

She gathered a simple fare of bread, milk, cheese, and fruit. Matt talked nonstop about Helena, which had everyone grinning and teasing him by the end of the meal. He intended to spend two days away to visit Helena and send word to his parents and the Magistrate of Mount Saint Hope. There were other things to take care of, too, so the time would be limited, but he wanted to return to his commitment to Mercy as soon as possible. He couldn't get married until her quest was done, after all.

When Mercy took her seat at the loom, she felt an unusual sensation coming from the cloth; the song was fading back into a hum. As she worked, the closer she came to feeling the cloth was complete, the more quiet the loom became.

As she threw the shuttle one last time, and brought the beater forward to tighten the last thread into place, it was as if the cloth came alive, the energy that the loom had been holding bleeding into the cloth. The sense of satisfaction she felt was overwhelming and tears streamed as she sat, enjoying the feeling of creation.

Tomorrow, she would cut out the panels for the dress, then sew it. But, today, it was time to take the cloth from the loom. She left a generous amount of the warp and tied off the threads as she snipped them. At last, she had a swath of woven sunshine in her arms.

"That's stunning, Mercy!" Johanna said, fading into view. "I dare say that it's better than any that I've ever made."

Mercy blushed. "Thank you, Johanna. Given the quality of your dress, though, I don't think that's true."

"The dress is wonderous, isn't it?" The older woman spun and made her skirt flare. As she did, it cast a shower of glittering sparks all around her. "You'll soon feel what a joy the cloth is to work with. It's like it has a life of its own. In fact, all you have to do is tack it together and it will reweave itself into a seamless dress!"

"Really? Wow! That will be amazing to work with! And, I was thinking about these embellishments," Mercy said, pulling packages out of her bag. "I think the yellow and cream lace with the golden buttons would be an amazing look for the dress."

"Oh, it's lovely!" Johanna breathed when she saw the combination.

"I think so, too. But, right now? I'm going to take the evening off and check on the newly betrothed," Mercy said with a wink.

Matt was in the barn, polishing a worn, yet comfortable-looking saddle until it gleamed. His concentration was such that he didn't hear Mercy approach, nor did he realize that she was there until she cleared her throat. He looked up at her, then grinned.

"I'm being silly, aren't I?" he asked.

"Not at all. You just want to look good for her. We all know that."

"I wish I had brought some nicer clothes with me," he said with a far away look.

"I wish I had time to make you some," Mercy added.

"Ah, well, she has to understand. We won't get along in the long run if she cares too much about that sort of thing."

"True that," Mercy agreed. "When are you going to head out?"

"I thought I'd go at dawn, then spend the night in the Inn and come back the next day," Matt explained, beginning to polish again.

"Sounds reasonable. I wonder if Lance should go with you?"

"What should Lance do?" they heard him ask from the door of the barn. He strode in, also interested in checking on Matt. "Hey, brother, that's looking good. Much nicer than this morning when we found it," he said.

"Thanks," Matt nodded. "Mercy thought you should travel with me to Stormhaven."

"I don't like the thought of him on the road alone," she explained.

"Hmm. You may be right. You think that you and Dadus would be okay while we were gone?"

"Well, I suspect that since Dadus has lived here all this time by himself, that we'll do just fine. I need to work on the dress, so I really can't go with you."

"Understood," Lance said. "I could get more scones for us from Glendin while I was there," he said with a grin and a tummy rub.

Mercy laughed. "And work the forge. So, win-win for both of you."

"Do you think Dadus has a second saddle?" Lance looked over the tack. Off to one side was one even more worn than the one Matt was working on, but Lance didn't need it to look good, he just needed it to function.

Mercy motioned to Johanna, "Let's go fix some food and let the guys discuss plans."

~~~

"Wow, Mercy, that's gorgeous," Matt said as they all stood around the bolt of cloth Mercy was showing them after dinner.

"I've seen nothing that compares to that," Lance said, running a hand along the smooth fabric. "It feels a little warm!"

"You feel that, too?" Mercy asked in a hushed tone. "I thought it was my imagination."

"No, it really does," Matt agreed after fingering the cloth for himself.

"Johanna explained how it will be to work with," Mercy told him. "I can't wait!"

"So, you'll be going to bed early tonight so that tomorrow comes faster?" Matt teased.

Mercy punched him in the arm, "As if you're not?"

He blushed and conceded the point.

Mercy embraced her friend. "I really am happy for you, Matt. Helena seems like a fine match for you. And, a talented child! Excellent news!"

Matt beamed as if his son or daughter had just been born.

Lance yawned and stretched. "I think I'm going to bed early, too, since I'm heading out with Matt at dawn."

"Okay, yeah, I was planning on an early night, too," Mercy confessed.

Dadus chuckled and shooed them all off to bed.