Now it was Artemis that was unable to suppress his discontent through groaning. Kosuda couldn't help but to feel sorry for his son. He could only guess how difficult this was for him. Fortunately, he and Athena fell in love BEFORE the wedding, so this waiting in desperation was not a suffering that he had to endure. He carried his bride over the threshold that very night and was as eager as she was to do so. The bed that was once hers, became theirs and bodies that once belonged to one, were now shared. She was his and he was hers, that night and forever and always.

Sympathetically, he patted the younger tom's shoulder and continued their talk. They continued to discuss the amorous adventures that awaited the newlyweds and timeline of anticipation. Avalon would not be joining him tonight, tomorrow and not for quite some time, but length of her vacancy was also influenced by him. He needed to get to know her and she needed to acquaint herself with him. She needed to trust him, to feel safe with him, to feel valued by him, and most importantly, to feel loved by the man she surrendered the rest of her life, to. This was a delicate matter and could therefore not be rushed.

Avalon had been forced to abandon her family and move into the home of a man she did not love. In essence, she had been taken prisoner and sentenced to pay the price for a crime she did not commit. Her trust and affinity were not things that would be given away so easily. To win her confidence, Artemis was going to have to court her. Artemis was going to have to make her love him. But, if he was to have any hope undertaking such a feat, there was something he was going to need to do. Artemis was going to have to fall in love...with his wife.