[Bonus chapter]Fake marriage

Kavan's mother had smugly asked him if he had told Sabrina the news. Kavan is now looking guilty, maybe even scared when he looked at Sabrina. Sabrina looked at him and then his mother who was still smirking.

"Ma, let me tell her myself, can we have some privacy please?" he said. His mother rolled her eyes at them and stalked off without saying anything. Sabrina turned to Kavan.

"What was that?" she asked. Her heart is sinking. She hoped he is not breaking up with her. If he had given in and agreed to his bullying family members to break up with her and marry Reesha, she will leave. She has no need for such a man. Perfect match or not, she doesn't need a man who doesn't stand by her! To think that she went against the council of elders for him. She had stood up for him and fought for their love. She ended up on the run from her clan because of him!

"Sab…you see…due to my grandfather's condition…" he started to say. She crossed her arms on her chest and waited. It really sounded like he is breaking up with her. He can forget her offer to help his bed-ridden grandfather. The old man can stay bed-ridden forever with drool running down his chin, being unable to talk or eat, for all she cared.

"We have to rush our wedding and get married in two weeks' time," Kavan said in a gush.

She knew it. He wanted to break…wait…what? She did a double take.

"What did you say?" she stared at him, agape. Had she perhaps heard wrong?

"You're breaking up with me right?" she said. She couldn't believe what she thought she heard. Talk about her mind playing tricks on her.

"Break up with you? No! Why would I do that?" Kavan was shocked. She was even more shocked than him.

"But, but…your mother looked so smug…I thought…" she just couldn't reconcile the smug expression on his mother's face and Kavan's statement that they must rush their wedding.

"Well, we have to get married fast and without any grandeur or ceremony, just a civil procedure, signing the official documents at the marriage registration office," he said.

"I don't care about all those grand weddings anyway, it doesn't matter to me," she said. But still, why was his mother looking so smug??

"No, you are not thinking…we have to officially register our marriage," Kavan said again, emphasising the words "officially register". She nodded, puzzled at the way he said it. Why did he sound as if it's such a big deal? Civil weddings are the easiest things.

"Yes, we can even do it tomorrow if that's what you want," she replied. What's the big deal? Then it dawned on her. Her eyes widened and she clapped her hands over her mouth.

DAMMIT. Her divorce with Dashen is not finalised yet. She is still legally married to Dashen! Seeing her realisation of what he just said, Kavan continued.

"If we can't get married officially within two weeks, I will have to register my marriage to Reesha," he said.

Now she gets it. That was the reason for the smirk on his mother's face. His mother must have somehow known that they will not be able to get legally married within short notice. Sabrina knew she would not be able to get divorced from Dashen within such a short period of time.

"But…how did your mother find out about my marriage to Dashen?" she asked him. Did he tell her? He shrugged.

"I think she hired a private investigator to check on you, she knows about Dashen and the children, that was why my grandfather was so against you," he told her.

And so another dilemma arose. What is she to do now? She knows for a fact that it would take at the minimum another two months to finalise the divorce from Dashen. It is against the law to register a marriage with another man. Polygamy is illegal for women. They will never be able to register their marriage officially.

"What are we going to do then?" she asked Kavan.

"I was hoping maybe you could find a way expedite the divorce? Use your powers maybe?" Kavan suggested.

"Can't we fake the marriage? I know people who can make fake marriage certificates," she suggested in return.

He considers her suggestion.

"Maybe you have a point there…it's not like they will know the difference anyway," he said.

She took out her phone and searched through her contacts. She found the number and called it.

"I need some marriage documentations, can you do it?" she said the moment the person picked up. There was a gruff "yup" and then the line went dead. She then sent a message to the person with the details for the document.

She turned back to Kavan. "There, problem solved. We are getting fake married in a couple of hours," she said.

Kavan looked suitably impressed.

"I didn't know it's that easy!" he whispered. He looked around to make sure none of his relatives are nearby to overhear them.

"Can you get him to put the date for next week? You know, so that it's less suspicious," he said.

She nodded. Even getting fake married has to look legit.

"Now, we will need witnesses to attest to the civil wedding," he continued.

She frowned.

"Why do we need that when it's fake?"

"My family will ask questions about it. So we need people to say they were there as witnesses," he said.

Well, he has a point.

"Surely, you have friends who can help?" she asked. He thought about it then he noticed his uncle Darian looking at them. "What do you think about Uncle Darian? He has taken our side so maybe he will help?"

"No! No, not him," Sabrina said with finality, surprising Kavan.

"Why not? He has always been supportive of me and very helpful," Kavan said.

"No, I don't trust him, there's just something suspicious about him," she said firmly. Fortunately, Kavan didn't push her.

"I guess I'll call some of my old buddies then, some of them are good sport and are not close to my family," he finally said.

Sabrina would have gotten Meera to help but since she has to stay away from Dashen's family, she doesn't have anyone else. Not for the first time, she wished she knew other dragon shapeshifters from other clans.