Author's Note:The world of Gilon in which this story is set is the property of AkamaruGames and not owned by me. My thanks to Marco for letting me set my story in his awesome homebrew Pathfinder world!

Second, if you are looking for smut or erotica, this is not the story for you. While the story does include some sexual details, they are enough to let you know what is happening, but I leave the most of the details of those encounters to the reader's imagination. If you are offended by any mention of sex, this is also not the story for you. Finally, if you are expecting a typical Pathfinder adventure, this is probably ALSO not the story for you. I consider it more of a slice of life and family drama than an adventure story.

This story began as part of the backstory of my PF Undine Wizard, but since she would have been just entering adolescence at the time this story starts and the themes are fairly mature, I felt the story would best be told from the alternating perspectives of her two parents.

Although I have woven bits of adventure in where I felt like it could reasonably be added, this is really more the story of a marriage fouled by adultery and then then redeemed again. If any of you have suggestions on how the story could be better categorized, please feel free to make suggestions in the comments.

If, after all of this, you are still reading, I hope you enjoy my story!

Chapter 1 - Nahla - The Last Straw

I can't believe he's doing this to me again! fumed Nahla Mereid as she watched her husband Dharak passionately embracing an Undine girl wearing an indecently (to Nahla's way of thinking) short skirt. The girl looked to be about the same age as Dharak and Nahla's eldest son, Deniz, who had only recently left home to learn the sailing profession. Dharak promised me just last week that this was going to stop! She watched her husband run his hand up the girl's skirt and squeeze her rounded bottom and heard the girl's sultry giggle in response. Nahla's mind blanked as her heart tore in two.

Nahla had come to what Dharak called his 'club', an establishment called in the Enlightened Common tongue that the people of her home city of Sihr spoke Salat Alssada, or in the Western Common tongue more commonly spoken in other parts of Gilon, The Gentlemens' Lounge, after an unfamiliar messenger had dropped a note off at the Mereid residence and insisted that it be taken to Dharak Mereid right away because the matter was extremely urgent. Given that her husband was one of the most successful magic merchants in Sihr, it was not uncommon for either messengers or workers of Mereid's Magicks to show up at the Mereid residence after the shop had closed for the day with some matter requiring her husband's attention, but it wasn't usual for an urgent message to come to their home when Dharak wasn't there. Urgent messages usually came from Dharak's manager, Gindo Lerstwen, and Dharak always kept Gindo apprised of his plans for the evening in the event just such a message needed to be delivered.

Dharak had told her that morning that he had a business meeting at his club that night and would be home late, so Nahla, feeling the need to deliver the message personally in case it was bad news, had ridden her flying carpet down to the Salat Alssada.

No women were allowed inside the lounge itself except for those who worked there, but there was a desk where messages could be left to be run to members of the club if need be. Nahla had only just handed her carpet over to one of the valets who looked after such things and informed him she would be returning shortly and not to roll it up when she'd noticed her husband and the girl up on one of the club's balconies.

He doesn't even have the decency to be discreet? What, is the ego of Dharak Mereid so great he has to demonstrate in public view of the entire city that he's virile enough to have any woman he wants? Judging from the moans and grunts that were starting to emanate down from the balcony, Dharak and the girl would soon be seeking some privacy.

Nahla's mind raced as she fought to keep herself from completely falling apart. She went to the message desk, left the message with the attendant, carefully explained that it was urgent, and asked that it be delivered to Dharak Mereid right away. The attendant nodded and accepted the message and Nahla gratefully fled.

The club had been a source of contention between Nahla and her husband for the entire six years he'd been a member. It was a well-known fact that many of Sihr's wealthiest and most influential people brokered business and political deals at the Salat Alssada. Nahla had no problem with that part of the club - she understood it was essential to her husband's business. What bothered her was the other half of the club's business, the part that brought in beautiful young girls to serve as companions to the club's members all while the members' wives were excluded. Words like 'prostitute' and 'escort' were never used, but starting about two years ago, she had begun smelling perfumes she never wore on his person and in his clothes after an evening at the club. Paired with a noticeable lack of interest on Dharak's part in being intimate with her, she knew Dharak was either having an affair or sleeping with as many women as possible.

She had tried to turn his interest back to her, she really had. She bought beautiful night clothes and dressed attractively. She planned getaway weekends and wrote loving, sexy notes of the sort that in the past had always turned his attention toward her. But Dharak had brushed her off, saying he was too busy with work or too tired or asked if they could they go another time. Nahla had wept whenever she got a moment away from the attentive eyes of the few servants she accepted in her household.

I know I'm not as beautiful as I was at 70 and I know bearing three children has done a number on my body, but my weight is good and I'm healthy. I don't spend a ton on beauty treatments like some rich wives do, but Dharak always said he liked me better more natural. I've seen glints of interest in other men's eyes when they look at me, so I know I'm not completely ugly. Why doesn't my husband want me anymore?

Given this latest indiscretion, she was pretty sure she knew. He doesn't love me anymore and our marriage is dead. I told him last time that if another indiscretion happened, I was leaving him. I already have backpacks packed for Mahko, Kiardha and myself, though I was hoping I'd never need to use them. I have some money I've been setting aside from the household allowance for the last year and a half and I have some jewelry I can sell or trade if I have to. I even have a job lined up, though I still need to get a note out tonight to let Felaadi know I'm coming.

Nahla wrote the note to her friend and called the servant whose duties included running messages to deliver it.

As the servant ran off into the moonlit Sihr night, she thought with sadness, It's time for me and the children to go.