Instead of rings, most of this world’s couples exchange necklaces. To be specific, it’s the pendant that denotes your married status. You can wear it any way you like; on a bracelet, on a ferronnière, hell, even as an earring, but obviously people prefer to put it on a chain. I never did get a replacement for my broken earring, so I wore my pendant there.

All marriage jewellery used one specific gem. The lifestone was an opaque off-white semi-precious gemstone. It had the unique property of being able to recognise the mana signature of someone. Once a sliver of mana was inserted, the gem would glow a bright and pure white. Once the owner of the signature died, the gem would become a murky black and never return to its original colour. This way, people always knew if their spouses were dead or just missing. I imagine it’d also be good for knowing if soldiers were KIA or MIA.

By the way, did you know I can’t actually manipulate mana? I sure didn’t. Magic stones took your mana automatically through prolonged skin contact, and all of my skills used Demon Flames instead of mana. Lifestones required you to actually put in the mana yourself. Failing that, a drop of blood would do.

The priest pricked my finger and let it drip on the lifestone. The gem was about the size of my thumbnail. For some reason, Arslop opted to get his finger pricked as well. Was he trying for solidarity or something?

After the short ceremony, we went to the jewelsmith’s to get the jewellery forged. There was only one in Etir, and the jobs he usually got were related to adventurers wanting their equipment enchanted.

He gaped at us when told what we wanted, and I knew that by noon the entire town would know of our marriage. Still weird to think about. 16 and married. Apparently legal here though.

I was right, and the shop was fuller than usual. Senga barrelled through the door and shook my shoulders.

“You married Arslop? How?”

“Well, uh, you see…”

I told her the truth. She stared at me for a bit.

“Alright, that’s kind of funny. But also kind of dodgy. Are you okay?”

I touched my new earring as I thought about it. The weight was slight but noticeable.

Was I okay?

“Oddly enough, yes.”

I honestly didn’t actually mind our marriage all that much? For some reason, I wasn’t all that upset. Marriage is an institution of the government and all that.

And really, I was the one getting all the benefits here. I got to freeload off him for as long as I was in this world; and he got, what? Someone else he had to support? He’d made a vow not to touch me after all, and apparently honour vows are a pretty big deal to knights. I’d made it very clear that this was going to be a mariage blanc.

Senga looked at me strangely after I explained this to her, minus the info about me being from another world of course. Oh shit, Arslop didn’t know I was from another world. I’d completely forgotten.

“Joan,” she said slowly, “I hope you won’t be offended if I tell you that you have strange values.”

“They’re not really that- alright, maybe they are,” I acknowledged. “Well, I’m married now, and it’s really not so bad, so I might as well just go with the flow, right?”

She shook her head in exasperation.

The rest of day was filled up with people asking the same question. Unfortunately, Senga was the only one who believed me when I told them the true events.

After the fourth ‘no, really, what happened?’ I mentally threw my hands in the air and made something up. And they believed it.

I amused myself by telling a progressively more ridiculous story each time someone asked.

‘attacked by a monster, saved by Arslop, love at first sight’

‘kidnapped by ruffians, saved by Arslop who fought all 100 of them off, love at first sight’

‘secret affair, cursed and kidnapped by a jealous witch, Arslop went through 13 challenges and obstacles to get me back, killed the witch, broke the sleeping curse, then decided to make the relationship public’

The customers ate it up. This whole town was full of incorrigible gossips. Did they really have nothing better to do?

A few hours later and versions of the story that were somehow more ridiculous than what I’d made up had circled back to me. No matter how hilarious it was, I’d keep a straight face and solemnly confirm each and every one.

Aunt Detion had never had dinner with us two nights in a row before, but I guess the gossip was just too good for her to stay away.

“So I heard that…”

She proceeded to tell us the most ridiculous and over-the-top story yet.

It was only through sheer willpower that I didn’t burst out into uproarious laughter right then and there. Arslop looked completely bewildered.

“Where in the world did they get that from?”

I thought of the most serious things I could. World hunger. Poverty. Government corruption. Death.

“I have absolutely no idea,” I said. I was proud of myself for sounding completely natural. Aunt Detion gave me a knowing smile.

Once Aunt Detion was gone, it was time to address the elephant in the room. I let Arsral break the news of my literal otherworldliness to Arslop, because everyone knows I tend to ramble when I’m nervous.

The tension in the room was high as they stared each other down.

“I have something to tell you-” they both started. “No, you first- sorry- it’s okay-”

It was amazing how in sync they were.

They stopped talking and stared at each other again. After a minute of communication solely through their eyes, they reached a decision and Arsral went first.

“Arslop,” he said, “We need to tell you something. It’s about Joan.”

All throughout his retelling of the events that led me here, Arslop was stony-faced. When it came to what I could do, he glanced at me surprised.

When Arsral finished, the room was silent. Arslop took a moment to process it all.

“Arswen…”

“Yes, Lop?” the kid squeaked.

“What have I told you about messing around with Father’s journals?”

“To… not.”

“And what did you do?”

“Messed around with them…”

Arslop sighed deeply and Arswen flinched.

“Arswen, I am extremely disappointed in you, but I am not angry.”

Oof, the old ‘not mad, just disappointed’ routine. The staple of good caretakers everywhere.

He turned to me next.

“Joan, I am so sorry for what has happened to you.”

“Eh,” I shrugged, “it hasn’t been all that bad. In fact, I’ve been enjoying my time here. Besides, no use getting upset over something that’s already happened, y’know?”

“You are… too kind. I can’t believe I ever thought you were a friend of Heouie’s.”

Ah yes. That. The thing which got me into this situation in the first place. But like I just said, no use getting upset over something that’d already happened.

“Joan.”

He took my hands, much like he had this morning. (Just this morning! Man, too much had happened today.) The fervour in his gaze was almost scorching.

“This I vow to you, as your husband and a knight. I will find a way to send you back to your own world if it is the last thing I do.”

Too intense! Way too intense! Holy shit, this guy is intense!

I was almost jealous. I’d never felt as strongly about anything as this guy seemed to feel about his vows. I played with the thought of dedicating myself to something, then decided—nah, too much work.

“Oh. Uh, thanks? But take it easy, I’m really not too fussed about it.”

“There is no need to limit yourself for my sake,” he replied, hands tightening around mine. “I have never broken a vow in my life, and I’m not about to start now!”

No, really mate, chill. Watch the hands, the hands!

“So,” Arswen said, perhaps sensing my awkwardness, “What were you going to tell us?”

Arslop finally let go of my hands. I discreetly shook them out under the table. Man, this guy’s grip strength was good.

He cleared his throat.

“Compared to that particular… revelation about Joan’s background, my news really isn’t that thrilling. But, it will still affect all our lives in a significant way.”

Arslop took a bracing breath before continuing.

“I’m selling the shop and moving us to the capital.”