Background This letter is what was supposed to go through but didn't actually make it. Compuserve bounced the letter back into my hands, but failed to resend me my article. Therefore this will be a bit different, but it will get the major ideas. Firstly, I wanted to remind you that Chyrie is noble born. She probably has not walk a mile in her life. She was raised to provide a political marriage for her father. To find out more about her life previous you can do two things. One is talk to her directly. While this will give you the colored version it will tell you how she saw things. The second is to possibly talk to the magician that taught her - if her father didn't have him killed. Needless to say you have in-law problems. Secondly, this may sound cold, but it is the truth. Chyrie was not running into your arms full of love - she was running away from a fixed marriage and ran into you. Right now you have a very scared wife that realizes she is over her head. She enjoys magic, but is not sure she wants to spend so much time learning. She is enjoying being the lady of the house, but she shies away from any closeness to you. Basically, she has become confused and trapped. She is not sure what to make of anything around her. Therefore she is resorting to the one role that she was trained for her entire life. That of a noble-born lady. (Remember that sooner or later she will fall head over heals for you since the GM just loves Disney movies). Now that all of the background is aside you have three ways to deal with the situation. The first is to revert to the Master/Student relationship. The second is to turn Chyrie into the devoted wife. The last method is by becoming a shoulder to cry on. Chyrie is a natural with dimensional portals. While she does not have the raw power to ever become an extrememly powerful mage she can become very skilled. You have noticed that she is relentless about pursuing a problem. If presented with a challenge she will either ignore it completely or stick with it to the end. This change of positions is the indecision churning within her. The problem here is that eventually, all students leave their masters. Therefore sooner or later Chyrie will bore of this relationship. While she can never leave you she may become so distant it will be like she has left. Secondly, you could have Chyrie assume the position she was raised for from birth. She was primped for a powerful marriage to a husband that would care and protect for her. She is the youngest child of the baron's so her chances of gaining his lands is remote at best. More than likely her marriage to a “wizard” has removed her from their heritage. She is still a noble lady and now mistress of a house (sorta), so this would be a natural role for her to assume. She will probably let her magic fall by the wayside, but she will take up reading, plays, gossip, quilting, child-rearing, etc……. The final option is the friend. Basically, you agree to wait back and develope a friendship before proceeding any further. Now this is complicated since you are married, but what is life without complications. You will each have seperate rooms (not uncommon during these times anyways), but it has the best chance for success. Without a solid base for a relationship any further attempts will fail or just not seem right. You both have known each other for less than a year and you are constantly leaving to go adventure with your friends. This could put a big strain on a young marriage. Chyrie will continue to dabble in her magic and her duties around the house. It could take many years before the relationship begins the bloosom, but when it does it will be worth the wait. The hardest part of this option is the waiting in the wings. If you push too hard it will snap back at you 10 times worse. If she feels threatened and alone she might revert to option 2. This is a tightrope walk that offers the greatest reward and the greatest chance of failure. There might be some more options or ways to combine certain options, but these are the basic three. You might want to contact her mentor back at her father's castle - if he hasn't been killed yet. He may know some information to help guide you. Also this is a good chance to talk to the hired help (all 100+ of them) and find out about her past. Understanding the past is the key to unlocking the future.