Aster was starting to feel rather fond of the little town he’d be living in for the foreseeable future.

It was a quiet place, with kind people and a soothing sort of atmosphere that seeped into even the liveliest of occasions. The home of Calixtus, his now husband, was very much the same as the town it was situated in.

He supposed it was a modest home if he were to compare it with his family’s, but Aster had never much cared for wealth or status or the many luxuries that came with them. It was one of the reasons he’d been all too happy to leave the social complexities of life as a noble to his brother and father and instead ran off to the Magic Tower. Aster often found himself thanking whatever deity gifted him with a talent for magic, even if he just as often cursed his luck for having the additional gift of dream-seeing. Pushing that thought aside for the time being, he focused instead on the soft breeze that swept through the sunlit garden and the sound of birdsong—a sweet song that was seldom heard so clearly in the capital, with the hustle and bustle of daily life.

The Ducasse home was modest, yes, but it certainly had its charm. He supposed that could be said of the owner as well. Calixtus was a nice enough man, calm and steady in a way that was reassuring. He was precisely the dependable sort of person Aster might have a need for in the future.

He was also—though Aster suspected Calixtus would disagree—attractive in spite of the scars marring his face. Aster was well aware of the vanity that pervaded society as a whole, the way they would shun those who were different. He’d been on the receiving end of a fair bit of odd looks thanks to his perpetually exhausted look. As much as he paid them no mind, he knew it had to be difficult for Calixtus. After all, he’d ended up leaving the capital and settling in a small town in the countryside after his accident. He made a note to do what he could to ease the man’s mind before his time was up.

“I was under the impression that you had pressing matters to attend to,” Calixtus said, walking out into the garden where Aster sat, enjoying the peace and quiet along with a nice cup of tea.

Calixtus leaned on his cane with a look that told Aster he very much wanted to know what he was up to. Aster felt his lips twitch into a smile and decided it was the perfect moment to take a sip of his tea. He heard Calixtus sigh ever so slightly and carefully set his cup down.

“It’s such a nice day. I thought I might as well take some time to enjoy it,” he said, looking out at the garden that stretched out before them. He glanced back at Calixtus, meeting the man’s gaze. “I’ve found that it’s important to take the time to appreciate the little things. Especially the small moments of peace such as this one.”

“Even when you’re meant to be busy?”

“Especially then. It’s all too easy to lose sight of what matters when you’re in a rush.” It was a lesson Aster had learned the hard way. Calixtus only let out a huff, but he seemed amused. “Why don’t you join me for a bit?”

Calixtus hesitated, shifting on his feet for a moment before approaching and taking a seat. Aster paid no mind to the minute grunt of discomfort he let out. He was almost certain his new husband was still sensitive about his injuries—with good reason. The least he could do was refrain from pointing them out.

“Tea?” he asked.

“Please.”

Aster poured a cup for Calixtus, the amber liquid still steaming as it filled the porcelain cup adorned with a delicately painted floral pattern. He set the cup before Calix and returned to quietly enjoying his short reprieve.

“What will you do now?” Calixtus asked after a moment. Aster glanced at him, finding those stormy blue eyes watching him—waiting for an answer.

“For now, I think the most pressing matter would be to convincingly sell our marriage. I’m sure there will be plenty of people questioning why I suddenly decided to elope.”

Calixtus looked at Aster with a raised brow. “And what will you tell your family?” Clearly, it was something he’d been curious about.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about them too much. I’ve already thought of a whole story. Picture it—a mage, tired from the constant barrage of work, comes to a small town for a much-needed break and has a chance encounter that ends up being love at first sight. Much too enamored to wait any longer, the happy couple ends up eloping.”

Calixtus actually snorted into his tea. He hastily set his cup down and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away any stray spots of tea. Aster simply sipped at his own drink with a grin.

“Do you really think that’s believable?” Calixtus asked with audible incredulity.

“It doesn’t matter,” Aster said with a shrug. “People don’t care about how believable something is as long as they have something to talk about.”

“Is that what you want? For us to become new fodder for the rumor mill?”

“Ideally.” Aster nodded. “It would certainly speed up the process of spreading the news and I do really need everyone to be aware I’ll be staying here for the time being.”

“I sincerely hope that’s not how you plan to let your family know.” Calixtus was looking at Aster like he truly believed he would do something of the sort. Which, to be fair, he had considered. Aster was starting to think his husband was far more perceptive than he’d initially thought.

“Well then, you’ll be happy to know I’ve already sent a formal notice of my marriage. I’m sure it must have arrived by now.” He picked up one of the biscuits he’d scrounged up to go along with his tea. They weren’t quite up to par when compared to the ones Calixtus had served before, but he suspected they’d run out of that particular variety. He made a note to ask Calixtus about it at a later date. “What about you? What do you plan to tell your family?”

He’d been curious about it, if he were to be honest. Or rather, he’d been curious about Calixtus’ family. The man wasn’t particularly open to sharing much about himself. Aster supposed it was understandable, given that they were still practically strangers—even if they were married.

Calixtus did his best to cover up the grimace that appeared on his face, but Aster still caught sight of it. Clearly, the topic of telling his family was not one he wanted to dwell on.

“I hope I’ve not put you in a difficult situation with your family.” Aster actually meant that. However much he needed Calixtus to go along with his plan, he still wanted to inconvenience the man as little as possible.

“The most difficult part will be explaining to my mother why I decided to elope all of a sudden. She’ll be pleased to hear I’ve finally married. I think she was starting to lose hope,” Calixtus said with dry humor coloring his voice.

“Well, I’m glad I could help keep hope alive for your poor mother. At least for the next couple of months.” Aster wasn’t sure what would be worse, Calixtus not marrying or him simply having an extremely short-lived marriage. He supposed it wouldn’t be too bad if it ended because Aster was killed. Calixtus couldn’t really be blamed for that. “By the way, where is my dear mother-in-law?” Calixtus cleared his throat, something Aster was starting to think was a nervous habit.

“She’s gone to visit family but will be back soon. I hope you don’t mind her company.”

Aster didn’t really care, if he were being honest. Calixtus’ mother sounded like a nice enough lady from what little he’d heard of her, but even if she hated him, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. After all, it wasn’t like he truly planned to stay married.

“I’m sure we’ll get along well,” he said with a small smile.

Calixtus stared, surprise evident on his face. For a moment, Aster was confused about why that would be so until he realized he’d never truly smiled since meeting the man. He could only hope the gesture didn’t look particularly awkward, given how little practice he had with it. There really wasn’t much to smile about while he was cooped up in the tower, fiddling with one magic artifact or another. Not that it didn’t please him to spend his time doing so.

Eventually, Calixtus looked away, clearing his throat once more. Aster did his best not to laugh, even if he wasn’t sure what had Calixtus so flustered. He was starting to think he might get some amusement out of the whole debacle. It was a nice thought—that his last days would at least contain some peace and levity.

Aster and Calixtus remained in the garden for a while longer, relishing in the moment of peace beneath the sun. Only Aster was aware it was a peace that would not last.