Welcome back to another chapter of Random Branches. In the last chapter Adama and Dylan grew closer and Adama proposed to Dylan and she accepted. However, when they got back to their residence, they found Dylan’s grandmother was there telling her that she had been set up for an arranged marriage. And now on with the story.
“I brought some help as I’m rusty with traditional fae culture. There haven’t been many fairies who have wanted to make the transition between living in the fae world and the normal world,” Iris said, “This is Tristan Fae, more commonly referred to now as Father Fae.”
“Why didn’t you tell me he was coming with you, there are all…” Dylan started
“I know of the traditions,” Tristan interrupted, “I know my arrival was unexpected. I don’t mind if the customs aren’t adhered to for this as I’m not here as Father Fae. I’m here as Tristan Fae as a favor to Iris.”
“So you’re currently engaged to two people and you want to know what recourse you have to marry the one you want to and you need some help explaining the intricacies of fae culture to Adama?” Tristan asked.
“Yes, no offense to your distant relative, but I don’t want to marry Oliver. I want to marry Adama,” Dylan stated.
“None taken, there’s a reason most fairies have moved away from arranged marriages. Especially the ones who live in the normal world”
“In fae culture, it’s considered very rude to disobey your elders. Even if the elders request or set up something that you do not like at all,” Tristan started, “Arranged marriages used to be the status quo for fairies before we started living in the normal world as well. As time progressed the arranged marriages have become less common, but are still done by the oldest and most prestigious families. The Greenes, the Faes, and the Lafaes being the most common families to do arranged marriages.”
“With only so few families really participating, doesn’t that cause a lot of people who are related to be having children together?” Adama asked.
“The families are large enough that it’s not yet a problem. But each generation it gets harder as more branches of those families stop with the arranged marriages,” Tristan answered.
“So what can be done if someone doesn’t like who they get arranged to marry?” Dylan asked.
“It’s tricky to do it and not be seen as someone trying to go against their elders. You two having got engaged prior to you learning of the arranged marriage does work in your favor, but with Adama not being a fairy, that’s cancelled out.”
“Who do we have to convince?” Adama asked.
“The fairies who signed the contract. They both have to agree in order for it to be overturned,” Tristan stated, “And I think that’s all that we can really help with. Just contact your father if you decide to try to overturn the arranged marriage, he’ll know what to do.”
“I got the feeling from Tristan that it will be a long shot to get the arranged marriage dissolved,” Adama stated, “Do you want to go through that even though it will likely not come out in our favor?”
“Do you not want to marry me?” Dylan asked back.
“I do want to marry you, I wouldn’t have proposed if I didn’t,” Adama carefully started, “But I’m trying to be realistic here. I don’t want to get our hopes up that your father and Oliver’s father will both agree to dissolve the arranged marriage. Especially not after what Tristan said.”
“I want to try. We lose nothing if I try and fail. Unfortunately, due to rules, you can’t be there as those meetings are held in an area that only fairies can enter.
And a few weeks later, Dylan was off in the fae world arguing their case. Adama was left in the normal world to anxiously wait the decision.
“Have you two decided what you’re going to do if they don’t dissolve the arranged marriage?” Jacob asked.
“That’s totally not helping, Jacob,” Adama stated, “We haven’t talked about it, but I know that if she decides to not marry Oliver that she would be forever banned from the fae world and that she doesn’t want that. So we’ll probably end up calling our engagement off. It’s why we haven’t told anyone. My parents suspect something, though.”
“Of course they would having been in the unit they were in in the War Against the SUA. Plus parents have that intuition.”
It was a few days before Dylan returned. Adama spent most of that time buried in his books studying as a means of distraction. Jacob did manage to get him to do more than just study over the course of the days that Dylan was in the fae world.
But it was clear by Dylan’s face that things did not go their way when she finally came back.
“So have you decided who you’re going to marry?” Jacob asked the unspoken question.
“You won’t hurt my feelings if you choose Oliver,” Adama said, “I asked Iris while you were gone what would happen if you chose me if they didn’t dissolve the arranged marriage. I know you and your descendants would be forever banned from the fae world for that level of disrespect and with your parents and grandparents currently living there, I fully understand not wanting to get banned from there.”
“I am sorry, Adama,” Dylan said, in tears, “I just can’t get myself banned from the fae world.
And that’s it for this chapter! Will Adama and Dylan be able to remain friends or will they have to drift apart for their own sanity? What will this do to Adama’s ability to focus on his school work? Will he actually tell his parents what happened? Find out in chapters to come.
Progress towards James’ goals:
- Join Military Career – Completed Chapter 4.0
- Level Ten Military Career – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 4.8
- Max Athletic skill – He’s at level 10, maxed behind the scenes Chapter 4.5
- Max Hardiness skill – He’s at level 10 – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 4.8
- Buy out a business
- Adopt – Achieved Chapter 4.4 when James and Terena adopted Kyle Williams.
Progress towards Adama’s goals:
College Major goals-
- Go to University – Achieved Chapter 5.0
- Fill out scholarship form – Achieved behind the scenes Chapter 5.0
- Get a degree – Achieved Chapter 5.1
Spend at least one term in dorm setting, another term in your own rented place – Not doing this one as it doesn’t fit the story- Go to all classes and lectures – So far so good
- Spend free time studying (at least 2 times a week) – So far so good even autonomously, I’ve had to cancel it out during the weekend when the studying is pointless
- Go out but only to movies, comic book store, bowling alley, and school
- (optional) Get a boy/girlfriend while in college – Achieved Chapter 5.0
- Get all A’s – So far so good
- Try and get Uni all paid for by scholarships – Failed, he had to pay for the first 2 terms.
- (optional) Go through college again for more than one degree – Completed Chapter 5.1
Game Developer goals-
- Max Nerd Influence (needed) – On level 9
- Become a Game Developer
- Get married after you max nerd skill – So far so good as plan is to max nerd skill in college
- Play video games in spare time – So far so good
Progress toward’s LTW’s
- James – Become Astronaut – Level 10 – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 4.8
- Terena – Become Chief of Staff – Level 10 – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 4.8
- Adama – Major Master – Earn Three Degrees – Working on degree # 3
SimNaNo Progress:
Words in this update: 1262
Pictures in this udpate: 9
Total Words: 3014
Total Pictures: 23
Random Branches 