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Author's Chapter Notes:
my thanks to my wonderful reviewers:-
Mrs P, danii, midnightgirl, ava, IBE, fyreburned, ariadne, cordykitten and dusty. Here is the next chapter dedicated to those kind people who made my day

and thanks to Ariadne for the banner
Tara thought Buffy looked wonderful when she stepped down from the wagon. She looked fit and healthy, in fact she was positively glowing in her pregnancy, full of life and carrying well. Tara was becoming every inch the healer; knowing that she would be attending Buffy later she was checking her out without even meaning to. She laughed at the changes the last year and a half had wrought in the shy saxon maid she had been.

Buffy hurried over and hugged Tara and Willow tightly before they had a chance to get to her, still graceful despite the growth in her belly.

‘I am so glad to see you both. I bought Kelda with me,’ indicating the older woman who was dismounting from her horse. ‘She’s been my right hand since I returned home. I have gifts as well.’

Willow laughed at the babbling Buffy. She seemed so cheerful, but it was the false cheerfulness someone put on when trying not to break. They could both feel the deep sadness in her.

Willow and Tara settled Buffy into the hall. They had originally planned on putting her back in her own sleeping area but Tara had given Buffy William’s old space for the duration of her stay, lower than her rank demanded but she thought the memories might bring her comfort. Buffy smiled at them both.

‘Thank you’ she said gently. ‘I miss him still and always will, and this will bring back some wonderful memories and that’s what I need now, to remember the good times.’



Buffy had noticed the changes from when this had been her home. They were good ones, every one was noted and Buffy was happy they had made it their own home and not just kept it as she had had it. Willow and Tara had moved into the shut bed and freed up their spaces on the benches, and Anya had moved up a space as well. The place was packed to the rafters with food, ready for the feasting that was to happen soon. Willow and Tara were both excited and anxious: excited about the wedding and anxious about whether the feast would be good enough. Buffy had looked over all their arrangements and had found there was nothing left to do: but thought it kind of them to ask her. Mead and ale had been brewed in huge quantities and food readied enough to feed the whole district.

It felt strange to be back in Connor’s hall and Buffy had to admit she was glad she had her own life now. They had grown and separated as was right.

The men had been gone for over seven months and were expected back at any time. Willow was a little cross, having expected Connor back in time for the autumn work, but they had had a message in the summer saying he was headed down to the Francs with a good cargo and would be back after harvest. Tara had threatened to start the wedding without him at one point. But she would get used to the waiting: they all had. Anya was just getting grumpy at the lack of sex and bets were beginning to be taken about how long she would keep Xander in bed once he was home. The longest was a week.

The women were sitting in the hall waiting for Andrew and Jon to start setting up the tables, chatting about the upcoming marriage, where they were going to pick all the flowers to decorate the hall with, and the birth of Buffy’s child. Willow and Tara had been reluctant to mention William’s name but not Anya. She was the one that had said how sad it was that he would never see his baby, and maybe Xander could be persuaded to kidnap him again, she would withhold sex from him if it were needed to bring him round. Buffy just burst out laughing. Anya’s frank and straightforward Rus ways were exactly what she needed, no tiptoeing around the fact that her child would never know its father, just the plain truth.

The conversation was interrupted by the blowing of the lookout horn. In the encroaching dusk a ship could be seen. There was a dark sail on the horizon. Willow and Tara ran out of the hall without waiting to put their cloaks on to light the signal fires. Horns sounded out again. It was Connor!!

Buffy followed at a more sedate and gentle pace: she had no wish to fall in her condition. Jon offered her his hand. The gently spoken Irish lad had been with her family since he was a child of five summers, sold into slavery to allow his mother to buy food for his younger brothers and sisters. He loved his lady Buffy and always had. His eyes had shone to see her so happy, he was hoping to ask her to take him back to her hall with her. He missed his gentle lady and Andrew was getting harder and harder to deal with.

Buffy was grateful for his solicitude, she felt ungainly and awkward as she made her way through the deepening gloom to the quayside. The torches were already lighting the way when the prow of the longship appeared in alongside. Anxious faces looked down into the ship to be met with equally anxious ones looking up at those waiting for them.

Connor visibly relaxed when he saw Willow and Tara. His heart felt lighter than it had for months knowing they were alive and well. Willing hands made light work of the unloading and soon the whole party were on their way back to the hall.

Connor walked on ahead, almost missing the fact that his stepmother was in the crowd that greeted them. He looked around to check everyone was following and saw Buffy holding onto Jon’s arm as she walked.

‘Buffy!’ he cried and ran back to her, swinging her up into his arms. That was when he realised that she was pregnant, very pregnant.

‘William’s?’

‘Yes,’ she replied quietly. ‘It’s good to see you home, Connor. Willow and Tara said I can stay until after the child comes,’ she added more cheerfully.

‘And so you should, you will always be welcome in our hall. I left him fit and well and with his family. I gave him the gifts you sent.’

‘For that I am glad; now come on Connor, you were almost late for your own wedding!’ she laughed and let go of her stepson’s hand as he went back to his own women. Jon escorted her up to the hall and made sure she was well settled. It seemed strange to hear another welcome Connor back and give the hall to his keeping. She was just one of the guests, as was right and proper.


It was a week later that they prepared for the wedding.

The women had set up a bath house outside and everyone was kept very busy running to and fro with hot water so that everyone could bathe and prepare for the next day. Connor had been banished to sleep in one of the tents, leaving Willow and Tara in the bed for the last time as single women. Their dresses were carefully folded on the table, and their jewellery was waiting for the morn.

Helga and Anya spent the morning helping them braid and prepare their hair. Tara had looked uncomfortable as the complex braids were put in and Anya noticed that something was wrong.

‘You should be smiling, and not have haunted eyes,’ she said determinedly.

‘It’s traditional with my p-people for a new b-bride to wear her hair l-loose to show that she is a virgin, but I don’t want to upset anyone,’ she stammered out.

‘Why didn’t you say something? We’re not trying to turn you into something you’re not,’ Willow said. ‘We didn’t know, you should have said.’

Tara smiled, but Anya was already ripping out all braids and pulling a comb through her locks. Anya smiled and reached for a piece of silk and started rubbing it down the dark blond strands. Tara wondered what she was doing that for and looked puzzled.

‘It makes your hair shine,’ Helga explained and then had to get out the way as Buffy and her helpers came in with armfuls of greenery and flowers to decorate the place up.
It was early afternoon by the time Connor was allowed back into the hall and when he entered he felt as though his breath had been ripped from his body when he saw the two women waiting for him. Willow had a full hangerock in the most wonderful green, and Tara had been dressed in the Saxon style, with full embroidery around the hem of her underdress. He wanted to rush to them and take them both there and then, but understood that he had to go through the marriage first.

Connor stood before friends and family and formally swore on Lord Leif’s armring that Willow was his first wife. He presented her with the keys to the house. Then turning to Tara he swore that she was his true second wife. The cheers rang in the hall when the oaths and promises were completed and they all sat down to the feast that had been prepared for them.

The tables were piled high with meat fish and fruit: expensive imports jostled with trenchers filled with white bread and fresh butter. The mead flowed like water from the spring and the party continued for most of the night.

Before the tables were cleared for the dancing the blacksmith came into the hall carrying his hammer. He laid it first in Willow’s lap and then into Tara’s. Tara had been warned about the fertility rite and managed not to blush too much. There were ribald comments all around about Connor being expected to perform twice that night, but they were taken in good part. Tara blushed beautifully: she was so happy. Willow and she had sat one either side of Connor; she had managed to eat some of the glorious food set before them, and she, Willow and Connor had shared a single horn of mead, which had been refilled regularly throughout the evening.

Eirik had sat next to Buffy during the meal. He had chatted to her about the year’s trading and the fact that his mother was nagging at him to take another wife. His first had died in childbirth two years ago. Buffy gave him a look at that comment and Eirik went bright red. He had forgotten Buffy’s condition. Buffy thought he was sweet as he tried to get himself out of trouble.

‘If you’re digging yourself out my friend, its in the other direction,’ she laughed.

‘He did love you, you know.’ Eirik said to her quietly.

‘I know and the memory of that love will keep me happy for the rest of my life. I must admit though I do hope his child has his eyes, it would be lovely to see them again.’

Eirik squeezed her hand and refilled her cup, allowing her to regain her composure.

Willow and Tara stood up from the tables, and the other women joined them. A curtain was hung across the hall to shelter a space for them to undress in. Anya helped Tara and Helga undressed Willow; leaving them in their thin under-dresses they pulled the blankets aside and let the two women crawl into the bed. The sheets had been sprinkled with flowers and there were more flowers over the blankets; the whole thing smelled sweet and fresh.

Connor was stripped down to his undershirt by the men before they pulled back the curtain and shoved him into bed with his two brides. The cat-calls and laughter followed everyone outside, leaving just Buffy, Helga and Anya in the hall to ensure the marriage was consummated.

The party continued outside, in and amongst the tents. While Connor and his wives shut their bed against the world.





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