Arad didn’t understand what matter of pride Nina was talking about, but she quickly explained it to him. There were two things barbarians took pride in, and especially she who was the strongest of their clan.

The first was the vow of strength, might ruled all for the barbarians, and her relationship with Arad was but the same. Usually in marriage, or how the barbarians called it, The Nesting, one of the two approaches the other with a challenge.

The second party can either refuse the challenge or accept it. In Arad and Nina’s case, she accepted his challenge long ago. That only left fighting, which now Arad had won. So technically, she is already his wife the moment she woke up unconscious after their fight. The pride is that even if he were to kick her out, she’ll never look for another partner.

This pride was already fulfilled, and she could boast about marrying one of the most powerful men in the lands.

The second pride related to Arad’s other wives, she, as a barbarian, refuses to lose to them in anything that relates to physical might. She won’t cry about not being the smartest, barbarians were never known for their brains after all.

Merlin had told her stories about the others, about Lunara, Claug, Kali, and the others. Nina herself knew how… enthusiastic Merida could be, how active Eris is, and how enduring Aella was.

So even if it was only once, she didn’t want him to hold back. Just him, her, and their strength, no magic or tricks. She wanted to accept Arad as he is, the three-meter giant onyx dragon. She knew that eventually those of the wives on the larger side would be able to take him on, but she didn’t want to lose to them.

Nina also made it clear that she doesn’t have much of a say now that she lost. It was her pride, and she was the one who should work to protect it. If he didn’t think she could take him on, it was because she was weak, and since she lost, she had no way to argue back.

Arad looked at her in silence for a few moments, baffled at the complexity of such a simple matter, even when it had all started with a barbarian. He didn’t want to use his full size, he didn’t want to use his full strength, he didn’t want what happened to Merlin yesterday to repeat itself. Nina, on the other hand, would rather get hurt physically than damage her pride.

And Arad thought that dragons were annoyingly prideful. It seems that barbarians still challenge them for that title.

Nina understood that none of them could get what they wanted without the other having to let go. Nina of her pride, and Arad of his protectiveness. She wanted a strong and domineering husband, while he just wanted a lovely wife.

It was then that a smile appeared on Arad’s face. He looked at the entrance of the cave, feeling the wind coming through. Nina looked and saw nothing. She didn’t even feel anything coming from the outside.

“A monster?” She asked with a worried face. Arad should have a wider range of senses than her. But he shook his head, “No… I just remembered what a wise woman once said.”

“A wise woman?” Nina tilted her head, and Arad nodded, “A palm-sized fairy. The essence of relationships is compromise. Zephyr knew what she was talking about.”

“Zephyr?” All Nina could remember about the peculiar little spirit was seeing her drunk, fooling around, or dancing with the squirrels. She didn’t see any wisdom in her. She giggled and looked at Arad. He quickly explained another thing about Zephyr.

“Zephyr, just wanted to live a happy and peaceful life. She doesn’t have any grand goals or ambitions. She probably feels as much fun dancing with a squirrel as a demon lord destroying the world or assuming their throne.”

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, contemplating their memories of the humble fairy. Soon, they understood what compromises each of them had to make.

Arad has to let go of his protectiveness and go all out on her, and she has to loosen the hold on her pride and agree that they should stop if she is harmed. They didn’t forget that she was now a powerful tarrasque with an unmatched durability; it was just that Arad was that powerful, if not more.

With a concerned sigh, Arad released his size magic and returned to his true size. Towering over her already huge body. Nina was a giantess among humans; not many were as tall as her in the whole of Alina, even among the barbarians. But to Arad, she almost looked a bit shorter than he.

When she looked up at him, she quickly noticed a frown appear on his face, and her heart sank. “Arad… is… something wrong.” Arad looked at her with a smile and turned around. “One, two, three, four… do I need to say anything?” He tilted his head and stared at the empty air.

Suddenly, a voice replied, and it was a familiar one. “Sorry.” It was Merlin’s voice. She had been using a scrying spell to watch their battle, and that one had stayed with them even now in case something bad happened.

“I don’t mind if you watch, but Nina must agree as well.” Arad sighed, and then his voice grew deeper, “And you three? Any last words?”

Claug’s giggle boomed through the cave. “Please don’t worry about me, I just wanted to learn some new moves.” She, too, was spying on them with her scrying magic.

Then Gaia’s voice came, “You’re the ones who shattered the desert. I was just sitting around fixing it.”

But then the last one appeared. Zephyr lay on Nina’s chest, “Please don’t mind me. Must’ve been the wind.”

Arad grabbed the fairy, “You don’t say.” He lifted her up and stared at her.

“Come on, don’t get angry. I was just worried about you two. One awkward dragon and an awkward barbarian, a recipe for disaster.” She turned back to Nina, “Say, can I stay? To give you my blessing.”