"Fate chooses our mates for us. Who are we to go against Fate?" Elizabeth asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying dear, that certain couples must be going against what Fate has planned for them," Daphane nodded to the other women in the room who looked on as the two of them continued to go back and forth.

"So you're saying that my father and Caspian of the House of Rioux are too stupid to recognize that they aren't mates?" she asked keeping her tone even.

"Of course not..." Daphane said.

"Then you must be stating that Fate herself is in error. I have to say I am shocked. I never thought I would encounter such blasphemous opinions here in Lycaonia." Elizabeth clucked and sipped her tea.

"I never knew Daphane felt that way."

"Shocking."

"Who knew?"

The women around them murmured amongst themselves. Elizabeth didn't dare to look over at Daphane; instead she turned to Adelaide.

"Lady McKenzie, I must say your home is one of the finest I have ever seen. My Uncle Magnus has such a sweet tooth, I know that he would be envious of this fantastic tea that you have served." Elizabeth held up her cup and took another sip.

"Thank you, Elizabeth. I'm afraid that tea is one of my vices. My boys give it to me every year for Christmas. I could arrange for some to be sent to your uncle," Adelaide offered. Elizabeth knew that Adelaide offered out of genuine kindness and not as a way to garner favor. The rumors she had heard of this woman were true. She was a rare kind soul.

"Thank you! If you could tell me where to purchase some I would like to send it home as a present this year. That man is so hard to shop for. I mean, what do you get someone who literally has everything?" Elizabeth gave an exaggerated sigh.

"Lady Elizabeth, I don't mean to be a bother, but, well, is your father truly as handsome as they say?" Rosalind asked, blushing.

"Oh my yes! Drat the man. Do you know how hard it was for me to find someone to date? None of the men who approached me even compared, that is, until Gavriel," she hid her smile in her teacup as gasps raced around the room.

"Gavriel? Do you mean Gavriel Ambrosios?" a dark haired lady sitting to the right of Daphane asked.

"Yes, Gavriel is my mate. I was claimed yesterday," she replied calmly as chaos broke out around her.

"I can't believe it!"

"Another warrior has mated!"

"How romantic!"

"That means that House Ambrosios and House Rioux are now tied together," one woman whispered and everyone got quiet.

Sugar.Honey.Iced.Tea! Note to self: Call father to let him know I've mated.

"Adelaide you must have been mistaken. I could have sworn you said that Elizabeth was a new family member when you introduced her," Daphane said wiping her brow with her useless purple satin handkerchief.

"Oh, she wasn't mistaken. I have adopted Meryn as my little sister. She is tied to House McKenzie, House Ambrosios and now House Rioux and is under my personal protection." Elizabeth looked Daphane in the eye as she spoke the last words. She watched as the woman paled. In the background they heard a tower bell chime.

"I'm sorry to say that is all the time we have for today ladies," Adelaide said jumping to her feet. Instantly the ladies were standing and whispering to each other as they made their way out the door.

"Meryn, excuse me for just a moment, I really need to call my father before one of these ladies leaks it out that I am now mated." Elizabeth stood and reached into her pocket and pulled out her wristlet. Meryn nodded.

Marius stepped forward. "This way, Lady Elizabeth."

"Thank you Marius," Elizabeth said and then followed the man down the hallway to an empty office. When Marius left closing the door behind him she pulled out her phone and called her father.

"Hey pumpkin! I was hoping to hear from you today. Did you make it to Lycaonia in one piece?" her father asked as his way of answering the phone. Elizabeth felt tears prick at her eyes. She could just imagine her father smiling in the middle of his lab, her other father would be standing close to the phone listening in, both would be wearing lab coats, whatever experiment they had been working on forgotten in light of her phone call. She couldn't help the sniffle that emerged. So much had happened, she was suddenly very homesick.

"Bethy? Baby? What is it? Are you hurt?" her father asked, sounding frantic, and no wonder. She hardly ever cried, not even when she had fallen out of that dratted office window.

"Bethy is hurt? Where is she?" she heard her Uncle Magnus demand in the background.

"Magnus hush she hasn't said anything yet." her other father, Caspian said.

"I just miss you all so much." She felt her throat close. This wasn't like her at all; she was not an emotional person.

"She's crying! She never cries! What has happened, darling?" her father demanded.

"I'm okay really. I don't know what's come over me." She wiped her eyes.

"Do you need us to come to you?" Caspian asked gently.

"No, really I'm fine."

"You're not fine. You didn't cry when you broke your arm, or your other arm or your leg or your nose or..." her father rattled off. She grinned and laughed between tears.

"I'm mated," she said and then there was silence.

"Papa? Daddy? Unky?" she called out using her childhood nickname for her uncle.