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Duncan frowned.

“That will fade too, in time. It generally does.” Duncan hesitated, “how is your injury now?”

“Oh, it’s fine. Phillipa fusses over it every now and then,” he said. “I like the attention it gives me, so I let her. But it’s healed rather quickly.”

“Do you think it will scar?”

“It might,” Gregory shrugged.

“Well, if that is the case, women seem to like that,” Duncan said in a lighter tone, “battle scars and all.”

“Oh, you think?” Gregory laughed. The idea that what could have been one of the worst nights of his life yields him some sort of a trophy in the form of a scar that his wife will swoon over was amusing to him.

“In any case, I am glad you are both well, Gregory. Charity and I have said it to each other a dozen times this past fortnight. We were pretty stunned when we heard about what happened from Ronan.”

“I just wish to keep this under wraps,” Gregory replied. “See to it that you make sure that the story remains what we discussed.”

“If it was going to spread, it would have already,” Duncan said noncommittally, “I think you have nothing to worry about.”

“I am so glad. And how is your own house?” Gregory asked, glad of the chance to turn the conversation toward something lighter. “Last I heard, your young one is growing up quickly. Ronan said he has taken an interest in hiking.”

“He has, and with alarming success.” Duncan laughed, easy and warm. “We are, in fact, expecting a third, come winter. Charity swears this is the last, but she said it twice before and been proven wrong both times.”

“My congratulations, to you both. You’re a family of five now.”

“Ah, yes.”

More recently, Gregory had been pondering over this exact notion.

A big family.

With Theodore, it felt like Phillipa and him had a child of his own but the thought of Phillipa giving him a child had him rather curious.

And interested.

He hadn’t gotten the chance to speak to his wife about this, but their relationship had evolved so naturally that he didn’t feel hesistant to speak about anything between the two of them anymore.

It was a blessing, surely.

They sat a while longer in companionable quiet. Duncan finally rose to go, he paused at the door.

“For what it is worth,” he said, “I always thought that marriage of yours a strange bargain, when I first heard of it. I am glad to have been wrong.”

“You never told me that before,” Gregory grinned. “From what I understand, any objections are to be made before the vows are spoken.”

Duncan let out a short laugh. “I wouldn’t have dared. Do you think you would have listened to me?”

“Likely not.”

“So there you go. I wasn’t about to interfere,” he replied. “But I have to say, it’s lovely that the two of you have made this work. It’s rare, in this age, to find someone who can understand you.”

He had said the words so simply, but they summed up the entirety of what it was.

Love was, perhaps, simply someone who understood you better than anyone else.

When he arrived back home that day, he found Phillipa lazying on the seateee. She sat up straight when she saw him enter their chambers.

“Good evening,” she smiled. “I’ve missed you.”