Aym and Baal had spent the majority of the day in Mir̃alai's cult. The Lamb herself was out on a crusade, something she had been doing increasingly often according to Caxton. They had busied themselves by repairing the worn down Follower cabins.

"Do you think it is safe to go back yet, brother?" Baal asked as he nailed the last replacement panel to the side of the cabin they were working on. Aym shrugged a bit, peering out from the side of the cabin to look at his twin.

"I am unsure, I can only assume Master will call upon us when he has...finished." He grumbled the tail of his sentence, and stepped back to examine the cabin. "Do you tire of this work?"

"Hardly, it is effortless." Baal waved a hand dismissively before he picked up the stack of wood they had been depleting. "I only worry that he will be waiting on us. He does not like waiting."

"Hm, I doubt he will wait on us. Surely, he knows to call upon us." Aym insisted, walking with his brother back towards the mill to return the extra wood.

"Aym, what do you think of Nykka?" Baal looked at him curiously. Aym spared him a side glance and spun his staff idly as he considered whether to answer or not.

"It does not matter." He sighed. "I suppose we must be grateful to her, she restored our Master to his former glory. With interest..."

"Come now, brother." Baal chuckled, "You can speak freely here."

"That would be disloyal." Aym glared at him.

"How is it disloyal to speak freely about her? She is not our Master."

"True, but she is our Master's partner. He would expect us to show her the same respect."

"He has not given that order." Baal smirked.

"If you are so eager to blather on about Nykka, then do so. I will not." Aym stood by the large wooden chest while Baal deposited the wood into it.

"I have concerns, Aym. Rational concerns." Baal defended himself, shutting the chest. "She can control emotions, does that not raise an alarm for you?" Aym said nothing. "Surely you have noticed he has been acting differently ever since his return. He is not acting as he did as a mortal, nor as he did under the Red Crown. He does not seem himself."

"He said he was not being controlled, brother." Aym insisted, walking towards the temple with him. Baal raised a brow, looking at his brother incredulously.

"Really...? How can you be sure she did not make him say that?"

"Because it is emotional control, Baal. Not mind control. He can still think freely, even if she is controlling how he feels."

"So, she is making him feel like he isn't being controlled."

"You are reaching."

"I am not." Baal laughed a little, "It is very nearly mind control. All she must do is make him feel confident in himself, remove any anxiety or doubt. Of course he would be sure he was free-thinking if he was not allowed to feel doubt." Aym went quiet, finally understanding what his brother had been getting at.

"Whether he is, or isn't being controlled aside. Why would she do it? What would she have to gain from controlling him?"

"Power over two Crowns at once. The two most powerful crowns." Baal said as he plopped down on the temple steps. Aym sat beside him.

"I very seriously doubt this. She does not seem to have a malicious bone in her body. She gave up her power for thousands of years... She had access to her Crown the entire time, but refrained. It does not seem like she is some power-hungry God to me. She would have never given up her crown if that were the case."

"Hm, I suppose..." Baal leaned back on his palms, looking up at the starry night sky.

"However..." Aym began with a sigh, Baal's ears twitched in eagerness to hear this theory. "It sounded to me as if she were desperate not for power, but for love. She seemed to have this idealized version of Master in her head already. We both know he does not meet her very high moral expectations. Or rather, he didn't. Not until very recently."

"So you admit it...! You think Master has been acting strangely as well!"

"Of course I noticed it, Baal." Aym glared, his ears laying flat in agitation. "Do not speak so loudly." Baal rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes, but you agree?"

"I do... I cannot speak on how he normally behaves with a lover, he has never had one. But, his behavior towards us, towards Mir̃alai, and the way he carries himself in general is so very different. Far different than a three month absence could account for. It feels wrong."

"Exactly." Baal sighed, relieved that Aym shared his worries. Aym sighed softly, crossing his arms.

"If she is controlling him, there is nothing we can do..."

"We could ask Mir̃alai."

"That is a terrible idea, she only just healed from her heartbreak. If she believes Master is being controlled, it will undo everything. Not to mention start a feud with Nykka."

"We can't just let it go on. If Master were in his right mind, he would want us to help him. He'd be furious if we knew and didn't do anything."

"We need to wait until we are absolutely sure before we even consider interfering. It would be both disrespectful and disloyal to meddle in his personal affairs in such a way."

"But–" Aym swiftly silenced his brother by slamming his staff into his chest. He had heard the tell-tale jingle of Mir̃alai's approach. Sure enough, the Lamb came around the corner, pausing at the sight of them. Baal coughed and rubbed his sore chest with a wince, glaring at Aym.

"Good evening, Mir̃alai." Aym greeted her with a short bow of his head.

"Er... Hello. Does Narinder need something?" She asked, looking between them.

"No, we came to visit." Aym stood up. "We repaired three of the Follower cabins in your absence."

"Oh. Thank you." Mir̃alai smiled at him. "I am surprised Narinder is allowing visitation." She walked past them into the temple, leaving the doors open for them to follow. The twins did so.

"Yes, well... We requested to be allowed to visit your cult on occasion."

"I see." Mir̃alai chuckled, "I suppose sitting in a white void all day could become boring..."

"Hm, perhaps." He watched as Mir̃alai summoned a bag full of bones she had collected, she stuck them underneath the lectern and turned to them.

"I will walk back with you, I have been meaning to visit Narinder for some time. I think I can handle it now." Aym paused to contemplate a good excuse, but was beaten out by his brother.

"Oh, no, you cannot visit at the moment." Baal blurted out. Mir̃alai furrowed her brow. Aym glared at him, Baal had the worst habit of speaking without any consideration.

"What...? Why not?"

"It is of no consequence, Mir̃alai." Aym sighed, "Is there anything else you'd like us to do for you?"

"No, no, I want you to tell me why I am suddenly not allowed to visit. I was under the impression I would be permitted visitation as I please. That is what Narinder promised me anyway."

"Please do not press this matter..."

"He is with Nykka, right?" The Lamb guessed with an unamused expression. Aym hesitated a moment before giving a small nod.

"Do not lament, Lamb, after all–"

"After all, his love life is none of my concern." She sighed, putting her hands on her hips, "Yes, I know. I have been trying to cope with that for quite some time." Mir̃alai waved a hand, "It is fine... How long will you be here?"

"We are unsure... until Master calls us back."

"Care for a drink?" The Lamb offered and a bottle of wine appeared before them along with three goblets.

"Would you not prefer to rest, Mir̃alai? You have only just returned." Aym asked, taking one of the goblets. She shook her head and took the bottle to fill their goblets up.

"If I am being honest..." She filled her glass last, and let the bottle disappear again. Baal took his goblet with some hesitation. "I am not in the mood to lay alone with my thoughts, I would prefer to have company." Mir̃alai smiled faintly and left the temple to sit on the steps where Aym and Baal had been. The two followed, sitting on either side of the Lamb.

"You are handling this news better than I would have imagined." Aym sipped from his goblet.

"Yes, well, I have Nykka to thank for that. As ironic as that may be."

"I would have preferred it if Master had courted you instead." Baal sighed.

"That is hardly helpful, Baal..." Aym glared at his brother's lack of tact.

"I appreciate that, but let us not pretend Nykka isn't deserving of it. She is kind, patient, and beautiful. I hardly hold a candle in comparison." This was not a subject Aym had any experience in, he wasn't sure how to handle it. Baal, who was famous for blurting out the first thing to come to his mind, had gone mysteriously quiet at the moment Aym needed it most. Though he was not entirely sure of the right thing to say, Aym knew anything was better than nothing. Before he could put any meaningful thought into it, he began speaking.

"You are more than deserving, Mir̃alai. You must think more highly of yourself... Anyone on these grounds would agree you are exceptionally kind, more patient than you need to be. And you are certainly beautiful. I mean no disrespect to my Master, of course, but it was foolish not to choose you." His mind had been a few steps behind his mouth, and by time it had caught up, the words were already dangling in the air, taunting him. Mir̃alai and Baal both stared at him in a stunned silence. Cheeks heating up, he looked away to sip from his goblet in an attempt to ignore the awkward quiet.

"I, uh, well..." Mir̃alai huffed an awkward laugh, "Thank you, Aym. That is a very sweet thing to say."

"Yes, it is." Baal agreed, still staring at his brother as if trying to unmask whoever this imposter was. "I do agree with Aym." He added quickly as if the task of comforting Mir̃alai had turned into a contest, "I am dreading the day we must take orders from Nykka as well. I'd much rather serve you again."

"You two are too kind." Mir̃alai smiled, "Really though, Baal, Nykka is deserving. She wears her Crown well, and reigns with benevolence. I am sure she would never ask too much of you."

"I suppose." Baal pouted, drinking his wine. "At least we are permitted to visit." He smiled. Aym, feeling it safe to rejoin the conversation, nodded in agreement.

"I am pleased that you are allowed... I missed having you both around, as you noticed the tougher tasks are falling behind. Not many of my Followers can handle that kind of work for long." Baal laughed a bit.

"Is that the only reason you missed us?"

"Of course not." Mir̃alai laughed. "You make for wonderful company as well." And wonderful company they were, the twins had stayed by Mir̃alai's side, drinking and chatting well into the night.

An incalculable amount of wine later, the trio still sat on the temple steps. By this point, it was fair to say all were more than a little inebriated. Mir̃alai had cheered up long ago, and the conversation shifted to all manner of subjects. Be it crusades, tasks, story telling, anything and everything had been on the table. Baal was laughing after a particularly funny story involving Attiscesus' lame attempts at pottery when Mir̃alai suddenly stood. She nearly fell over, having to steady herself with Aym's shoulder.

"What is it?" He asked, looking up at her.

"I want to go somewhere else." She said with a determined look. "These stairs are uncomfortable. Come, come." The Lamb smiled and walked, or rather stumbled, off towards the fields at the southern end of the grounds. Baal stood up and looked at his brother.

"Come on, she has a point... I am getting sore." He said, patting his rear which had been the point of issue. Aym rolled his eyes and got up, following the two towards the fields. At night, these fields were quite picturesque. Night blooming flowers glowed underneath the moonlight. Bushes of moonflowers, nicotiana, and the especially lovely Queen of the Night stood out amongst the dancing fireflies. The Lamb had apparently found a comfortable spot, she was already laying down over a bed of fluffy clover, staring at the heavens above. Baal plopped down beside her, laying back with a stretch.

"Better, yes?" Mir̃alai chuckled, glancing at him.

"Indeed." Baal smirked. The Lamb tilted her head to look at Aym, she stretched her arms out childishly.

"Come and lay with us, Aym..." She whined with a set of big, sparkling eyes.

"Ah, very well." He gave in, laying down to Mir̃alai's opposite side. He could not deny, the clover proved a far comfier seat than the temple's stone steps. To Aym's surprise, the two had gone quiet while stargazing. The peaceful minutes went by, and Aym had begun to drift into that muddled place between wakefulness and slumber. Just as he began dozing, he was brought back to attention by Mir̃alai. The Lamb had startled him as she climbed onto his lap, straddling his waist. Aym's eyes popped back open, and he stared up at her in deep shock.

"Wh-"

"Do you really think I'm beautiful?" She asked, her eyes inexplicably welled with tears.

"I-... er..." He sat up on his elbows and glanced at Baal for help, but to his dismay, his brother was fast asleep. He snored softly, laying on his side with his back to them. "Yes...? I wouldn't lie, Mir̃alai, but-" The Lamb placed her hands on his abdomen, leaning down a bit as if she could see a lie if she only got close enough.

"I've been thinking about what you said all night." Mir̃alai confessed, her hips shifting in a way that made Aym's face catch fire. "I was worried you only said so to make me feel better." She wiped her tears away with a hand and an adorably pathetic sniffle.

"Well-" He began, but was cut off once again.

"It's only... I am so busy between crusades, and my Followers, I do not have the time or the means to pursue anything for myself. I am almost ashamed to admit I have attempted to find a partner in my Followers, but all they see in me is a Leader. I was trying to move on, as Narinder insisted, but it wasn't working. I had begun to wonder if it were me, that perhaps I am undesirable in that way."

"You are far from undesirable..." Aym insisted, huffing as she shifted her plump hips again.

"Then, would you have me, Aym?" Mir̃alai asked carefully.

"Oh, I- I... Mir̃alai, it isn't a question of would I, but should I? I mean..." He stumbled over his words badly, the alcohol certainly didn't help this very sensitive situation he found himself in.

"Why shouldn't you?" She asked with a small frown.

"My Master is my priority... I cannot give proper dedication to a love life."

"I am busy too, I do not need you to be with me all hours of the day, Aym..." She whined. "Just on nights when I need you, like tonight." She explained quietly. Aym's stared up at her, he tried to consider her properly, but he couldn't focus. The mixture of alcohol, and her subtle, sultry movements made all attempts at rational thinking lost to him.

"I... cannot promise anything." He said finally. "If we have a relationship, understand it will always be in jeopardy. The moment my Master forbids it, I must obey. If he refuses to let me see you, I will not see you."

"Narinder would not do that." Mir̃alai insisted. "Not if he has any care for me."

"Very well, as long as you understand my position." Aym gave in hesitantly. The Lamb smiled brightly and leaned down as if to kiss him, but Aym put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Mir̃alai furrowed her brow, and he gestured towards his slumbering brother. "Not here..."

"Ah, right." She chuckled, apparently having forgotten Baal's existence, and climbed off of him. The two stood and headed back towards the temple. Aym did his best to steal his nerves on the short journey, pushing every anxious thought to the back of his mind. It was true he had a deep fondness for Mir̃alai. He respected her as a Leader, and admired her strong spirit despite everything she had been through at the hands of his Master and his siblings. It was also true he found her exceptionally alluring, though his self-discipline could normally suppress this perception of her.

The two arrived at the temple a bit faster than Aym would have liked, Mir̃alai walked ahead of him along the temple aisle. She stepped up onto the pulpit, and to a door on the right-hand wall. She pushed it open and allowed him to precede her into the little bedroom. Aym sat down on the bed a bit awkwardly, he could feel his face heating up as Mir̃alai shut the door. The Lamb seemed to sense his anxiety, as she smiled sweetly at him. Without speaking, Mir̃alai approached and climbed into his lap, slipping her arms around his shoulders. Before he knew it, her lips had connected to his in a deep kiss. His heart began to pound with this very new feeling, he had never been intimate with another before as he never had a chance. He let his instincts take control, this was no time to be analytical. That same tense feeling he had felt in the clover patch had returned, bringing with it the sudden urge to feel every inch of Mir̃alai's body. To explore her, to search for every button the Lamb had. He liked the way she arched when he held the small of her back, and he adored the soft huff he received as he squeezed her hips, but most rewarding was the sweet moan that escaped her when his hands ran over her thighs. Her hips wiggled as they had in the clover, though it incited a different response in the intimate privacy of her bedroom. Instead of causing him to feel awkward, it ignited a fire somewhere deep in his soul. Throwing every sense of propriety to the wind, he pulled Mir̃alai's hips against him as he kissed her neck hungrily. Mir̃alai moaned louder than ever, and he chuckled as the sweet sound rang in his ears. Without putting much thought into it, he shifted their position. Aym had the Lamb move off of him onto the bed where he then urged her onto her knees, her chest against the bed. Around this time, Aym seemed to have undergone a transformation. He was no longer the obedient, stoic servant to Narinder. Rather, he had become a dominant, and lustful lover. He felt her hips, one hand sliding onward to squeeze her butt. Mir̃alai squeaked, shifting her hips expectantly.

"Do tell me if I am too rough with you, Mir̃alai..." He insisted, foreseeing that he may get out of hand.

"I will..." The Lamb muttered, sounding embarrassed now that the tables were turned. Aym chuckled softly, his fingers running over pussy. It was easy to find amongst her wool, she had been soaking wet. Mir̃alai gasped and moaned sweetly, pushing her hips back in hopes for more. Obliging, he pushed two fingers into her, sliding them in deep to test her response. "Ah~ Aym..." She huffed, gripping the pillows. There was something extremely satisfying about invoking these lewd sounds from her. Desiring more, he began thrusting his hand, fingering the Lamb to pull louder moans out of her throat. Despite being new to all of this, he was a fast learner. Subtle shifts in his movements, calculated curving of his fingers succeeded in ripping loud moans from her throat. It was clear that he had found her g-spot. Intent on making Mir̃alai climax, he continued to finger her in just the right way to make her pant and scream. "Ah~! Fuck!" She cursed loudly amidst her pants, "I- I think I'm close...~" She moaned.

"Mn~ Cum for me, Mir̃alai..." Aym purred lowly. It seemed saying this was enough to push her over the edge. Mir̃alai's pussy clenched tightly around his fingers and she very nearly screamed in pleasure as she reached an intense orgasm. He chuckled softly, and continued to finger her just long enough for her to ride out the climax. Aym pulled his fingers out of her, giving her a moment to relax as he disrobed himself. Soon, he was behind her once more, this time with the tip of his member poised at her entrance. She was panting heavily, her hips wiggling for more. He smirked and held them still, "Are you ready?"

"Y- Yes..." She huffed hotly, grabbing the pillow in preparation. Without further adieu, he pressed into her. The feeling was beyond anything he had ever experienced. Her hot, twitching insides gripped all around him, squeezing and pulsing. It took every ounce of restraint in him not to begin pounding into her, but he knew to take it slow. As far as he was aware, this was her first time. This had been confirmed by her squirming and strained moans. "Hn... A- Aym..."

"Are you alright, Mir̃alai?" He asked tentatively as he was pressed deeply into her, not moving until she was ready.

"Y- Yes, you are just... just so much." She muttered.

"I see..." He chuckled softly, pushing into her a bit more, his erection pressed to her cervix causing her to moan sweetly.

"Damn..." She huffed, visibly trying to relax. "You can move now." Mir̃alai gave her permission as she finally got used to his size. Aym began to thrust, moving at a slow pace to begin. Each time he entered her, he was sure to press as deep as he could. Mir̃alai moaned sweetly, and soon began to move in tandem, causing him to hit her cervix harder. He chuckled, taking this as a sign she was ready for more. He held her hips firmly in his hands as he quickened the pace, she responded with louder moans. She had relaxed easily this time around, continuing to match his rhythm. "It- It's so good~!" Mir̃alai cried out, urging him to fuck her with even more intensity. Happy to oblige, he pounded into her, stretching her insides. "Fuck, Aym~! I-" She hadn't even made it through her warning by the time her pussy gripped him. Her entire body seemed to tense as she came, this orgasm was clearly more intense than her first. Aym was deeply pleased with himself. He did not let up this time, he continued to ram her with even more vigor to incite screams of pleasure from the little Lamb. He managed to hold back his own climax long enough to pull two more orgasms from her. By the third, she was a complete mess. Muttering unintelligible words of pleasure amidst ear shattering moans, and sharp, labored breaths. Aym could hold it back no longer.

"Mir̃alai, quickly..." He grunted, "Where shall I...?"

"In- Inside~" She managed to respond, "Please, Aym, I- I want you to fill me~" There was nothing to be done, his climax had hit him with such an intensity that he too moaned boisterously. He slammed into her as deep as possible, filling her with a massive load of hot cum. She gasped and cried out, pressing back against him. Aym couldn't resist a few rough, uneven thrusts, needing to ride out the orgasm. He huffed and pulled out of her slowly, watching as his cum leaked out of her, dripping onto the blanket below.

"Damn..." He muttered breathlessly, looking around for a means to clean her up. He spotted a stack of clean rags sitting atop a box of medical supplies. Aym grabbed the top rag and gingerly began to wipe his fluids off of her. She twitched and whined at the overstimulation, but gave no other complaints.

Once they were both cleaned up, he pulled on his trousers and laid back in the bed. His heart was still pounding, and he had only just caught his breath. Mir̃alai scooted close to him, laying her head against his chest.

"Thank you..." she muttered, her voice a tad raspy in the aftermath.

"My pleasure..." He chuckled a little and put an arm around her, pulling her closer. Mir̃alai leaned up, placing a sweet kiss on his cheek before resting back against his chest with a content sigh. It didn't take long at all for the two to fall asleep.

Aym was awoken the next morning by sharp, panicked knocking on the bedroom door, the racket was intensified by his pulsing hangover. It seemed Mir̃alai was equally displeased, she had groaned, momentarily burying her head into the pillow. When the noise persisted, she huffed and sat up with the intention of answering. This wasn't necessary though, the door swung open and Caxton hurried in.

"Leader...! Are you okay? I-'' He went instantly quiet, and stared at the two, his eyes flicking from Aym's shirtless torso as he sat up, then to Mir̃alai who had been in the process of fastening her fleece on. "I... Oh. My apologies."

"What is it, Caxton?" Mir̃alai asked, clear agitation in her voice.

"Some of the Followers reported, er... screaming in the Temple last night... I hadn't heard anything, so I thought I'd check." He muttered, his face red with embarrassment as he had clearly put the pieces together. Aym could not repress the chuckle that escaped him as he stood up and gathered his robes together. Mir̃alai rolled her eyes.

"Goodness... I am fine, Caxton. Please do not barge into my room like that." She said as she stood. The Lamb looked into the mirror, patting down her messy wool. "What time of day is it?"

"It is still early morning, Leader." The rabbit replied quietly.

"Good, I did not oversleep..."

"Leader, I don't want to overstep..."

"It would seem that ship has sailed." She glanced at him.

"Right, erm... Is this- I mean, are you two...?" He trailed off, too uncomfortable to speak his mind.

"Aym and I are in a relationship, yes. As of yesterday evening. You needn't keep this a secret."

"Good." Caxton nodded, looking at Aym who was tying the last few laces in his robe. Mir̃alai had finished ahead of him, she walked past Caxton and out of the temple. The rabbit did not follow her, instead he turned his attention to the cat. "I am glad she chose you, she needs someone loyal. Unlike Narinder." While Caxton surely meant it as a compliment, it did not land as one. Offended at the insult to his Master, Aym glared at him.

"Why do you insist on speaking ill of my Master in my presence?" He asked irritably. Unfazed, Caxton shrugged.

"It is the truth, Narinder ran from his feelings right into the arms of another. He does not deserve our Leader." Aym had grown tired of Caxton's disrespectful behavior regarding his Master. Irritated with the faith enforcer, he decided to go on the attack.

"Did you know she had tried finding a partner in a Follower?" Aym asked, approaching the rabbit. Caxton seemed to stiffen a little at the comment. "The way you behave around her, I would assume you'd jump at the opportunity."

"That is-! That is wildly inappropriate, she is my Leader." He glared, his face reddening again.

"Ah, I see." Aym chuckled, "She did not ask you... That must sting. Fret not, I shall take good care of her, little hare." He patted Caxton's head as he walked past him. When Aym exited the temple, he saw Mir̃alai holding her Doctrine in one hand, blessing her Followers with the other. Most likely her way to earn quick devotion in lieu of a sermon. He decided it best to leave her be, and walked off in search of his brother instead. Aym had made it halfway to the flower field when he spotted him, Baal was sitting on the edge of a table eating from a bowl. He looked up and waved at Aym, beckoning him over.

"There you are...! I was beginning to worry. Here." Baal handed him a bowl of fish stew he had apparently fixed for him.

"Thank you..." Aym sat beside him and started to eat. Tension knotted his gut as he sat in silence. It seemed Baal had no idea of what had transpired just hours ago, and Aym was not at all eager to tell him. Baal had long ago confessed his feelings for Mir̃alai to Aym; he had been infatuated with the Lamb before their Master left the cult. Though he had never acted on it for propriety's sake. It had seemed the twins had identical tastes in women. Aym had foreseen a possible problem in the future. He did not admit it to Baal, but his feelings had also presented themselves around the same time. In silence, Aym cursed himself for not confessing his feelings that day, it would have made this inevitable conversation much less painful. It was only a matter of time before he'd find out about the relationship, and Aym was dreading it.

"You look exhausted, brother. My back is killing me after sleeping on the ground last night." He sighed, rubbing his back with a hand, "I imagine you didn't sleep much better than I." Aym nodded a bit, taking a rather large bite of food to give himself an excuse for his silence. "When did you wake? I woke shortly before dawn and you weren't there."

"A short time ago, I slept in the temple." He answered vaguely.

"In the temple? Why would–" Baal paused and set his bowl down on the table. "Mir̃alai was gone too..." Aym sighed, setting his bowl in his lap in preparation of what was to come.

"Very astute of you..." He grumbled, watching the tall grass wave in the wind ahead of him as it caused him far less grief than making eye contact with Baal would have.

"What happened after I fell asleep, Aym?" There was no point in lying, it would only prolong the inevitable.

"Mir̃alai asked if I would have her."

"And you said 'no', right?" Aym didn't reply, and Baal grabbed him by the arm, giving it a yank so he would look him in the eye. "You said 'no' because you know how I feel, right?" He glared. Aym looked at him, leveling his gaze.

"I agreed." Baal stared at him in exasperation.

"You agreed?" He hissed, "You agreed knowing how I feel?"

"Yes, Baal, I did... I was drunk, we were all drunk."

"Oh? Then break things off, tell her it was a mistake."

"No." Aym spoke defiantly. "I am sorry, I understand that you're hurt, but you cannot possibly expect me to deny her advances when I too have feelings for her."

"'Advances'? Did- Did you sleep with her?"

"Yes, Baal, I did." Aym glared, becoming annoyed. "You do not have a claim on her. I have just as much right to pursue her as you do."

"You bastard..." Baal growled.

"Why are you angry with me? You're acting as if I courted her. She is the one who climbed on my lap. She asked. I only agreed." Baal looked as if he were moments away from striking, but Aym continued regardless. "It is not my fault she prefers me."

"Everyone prefers you." Baal muttered, getting up from the table. He stormed off towards the gates; Aym made no attempt to stop him.

"What happened?" Mir̃alai asked with a worried expression, having apparently noticed Baal's dramatic exit.

"I told Baal that you and I are together, he did not take it well."

"Oh no, does he...?" She began tentatively. Understanding what she implied, Aym nodded, standing up from the table.

"Yes... He's angry because he had told me about his feelings months ago."

"He should be upset with me, not you."

"Well, I'm sure being upset with me is easier for him."

"Are you okay?" Mir̃alai asked, taking his hand gently. "You seem rather upset too."

"Baal and I haven't fought in..." He shrugged, "I cannot even recall our last argument, over twenty years ago, surely. We've always been very close."

"I'm sorry, Aym, I can't help but feel responsible."

"Do not blame yourself." Aym kissed her forehead, "It will pass."

"I do know how he feels, I don't wish to inflict that pain on another."

"Baal is strong, we both have emotional discipline. He will handle it better than you did." Aym assured her, "I mean no offense, of course."

"I know, hun." She smiled a little, giving his hand a squeeze. "Do keep me updated, and if there's anything I can do for him, I'll do it."

"He only needs time." Aym's ears twitched as a familiar, high frequency sound pierced them. The noise emanated from a small black orb, drifting at eye level only a few feet away. He sighed a little, looking down at Mir̃alai. "Master is calling upon me, I must be going."

"Very well..." She slipped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to place a tender kiss upon his lips. Aym returned it, hugging her close. When the kiss had been broken, Aym felt her cheek.

"I will return as soon as I am able."

"I understand..." She nuzzled against his hand. "Take as long as you need." Aym nodded, kissed her forehead once more, and released her. He walked towards the cult gates, the orb hovering just behind him as he went.