If there was one thing that Nessar worried about, it was that he feared he wouldn't be a good enough husband for Glesheri. He wasn't exactly like the typical male elves out there. He was a thin, scraggly scholar, not a strapping, muscular hunter, like what she was probably used to. He didn't even really hunt for their meat at all. Sure, he laid a few small traps for things like rabbit or squirrel, but mostly, he relied on the shipments of supplies his college of fellow scholars sent him for basic necessities, and even then, it was only enough stores for one person for a few weeks, not the two of them.
He really wanted to do something special for the two of them. She really deserved better than him, he thought. He peaked into the door of their bedroom, watching her sleep peacefully, with that same smile she always had. He would do anything for that smile.
He could still remember how they first met. He had been sent on a mission to document and study the elves of the Verge. The king was going to pay his college a fair amount to bring back information about this unknown species. Nessar thought he had a pretty good vantage point in the forest where he could observe them without being seen. That worked for a while, until he tripped and fell out of the bushes in a heap, right in front of her.
At first she was terrified, and she screamed and ran away from him. He felt awful having frightened her like that. Still, that hadn't stopped her curiosity, because she was back again within a week. This time, he came prepared, and tried to tell her he meant no harm. It took several days, but eventually, she gained the bravery to approach him and speak. Slowly, they had become friends. She would tell him about life among the elves, and he would tell her stories about humans.
She was always the brave one, he realized. Glesheri was the first to dare to kiss him. At first, it was just a quick peck, but they both knew it was something meant to be. Not long after that, they were seeing each other romantically, and before too long, he had proposed to her, wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with the beautiful and brave elf. She eagerly accepted, but made him undergo an elven marriage ceremony in secret.
Nessar sighed to himself, thinking of fond memories. He walked to the small larder on the side of the house to grab the last of the flour. Today, he thought he might try his hand at baking some bread. Elves knew about that at least, when it came to food. They had had enough peace in their Verge recently to actually start growing some wild wheat.
The problem was, Nessar wasn't much of a baker. He could cook, or at least his wife told him he could anyway, but this required just a little more finesse.
A few hours later, he could hear Glesheri stirring. "Hey," he said, sitting beside her, stroking her hair. "I uh...tried making a little lunch, but it didn't quite come out right."
He held out a plate of roasted rabbit and some incredibly flat bread. Glesheri laughed and kissed his cheek. "Well, I think it's wonderful," she said. "And I am a bit hungry. So, what are you working on today?"
She munched on the food while Nessar spoke. "Well, I wanted to get started on the next chapter of my document on elves. You really helped a lot with that marriage ceremony. That was fascinating."
"Well, I hope it wasn't only for your research."
"Of course not, but it was nice to learn about. Anyway, I was hoping you could explain to me about the elders and the king."
She nodded. "I could try, though I don't get all that involved in politics. Besides, don't humans have a king?"
"Yeah, but it's kind of different. Finished already? You sure you're not still hungry?"
"Nessar, I'm fine, don't worry so much. You keep feeding me as good as this, and I'll start to get fat."
He chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "You know, back where I come from, a fat wife is a good sign a man is successful. It means he makes enough to keep his family fed and then some. In some cases, it's a good sign his wife has had many children as well."
She giggled. "Thinking of children already?"
"Why not? Considering we've been going at it like rabbits these past few days, it's bound to happen eventually."
She got quiet and contemplative then. But eventually, whatever thought had gone through her mind passed on. "You're joking about that fat wife thing, aren't you? I still don't understand human humor all that well."
He stood up, heading for the door. "You don't believe me? I'll have to take you to Adinah sometime to see for yourself. Now, come on, busy day ahead of us, and you've slept halfway through it."
Glesheri stood up, and grabbed Nessar's arm, pulling him back towards the bed. "Oh, no you don't. In case you've forgotten, I've still got that newlywed glow about me."
He caught the seductive tone of her voice, and started reluctantly following her. "Oh, do you now? Well, what are we to do about that?"
"I can think of something."
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