"Unnie, stop fussing."

"Well, forgive me for being wary of you leaving the castle for the first time since your episode."

"That doesn't mean that you can keep me confined to the castle. I agreed to wait a week and you made me wait ten days. I'm going stir crazy."

"Then, I'll go with you."

"Unnie, you can barely walk without a limp."

"I can still walk."

Haki sighed at her sister's stubbornness. She frowned across the table where Hari was sitting, openly scowling. "Unnie, I'm okay," she said reassuringly. "I can't hide in the castle forever."

Her beloved sister did not let up her scowl. "I don't like the idea of you going alone," she insisted. "Haki, you were unconscious for eighteen hours and unable to move for another two days after that." She clenched her hand on the tablecloth. "It was bad."

True, Haki's experience with her royal blood's rebellion had been unpleasant. While she was confined to bed, Haki had done a lot of reflecting about what happened. She had come to the conclusion that while she was still upset with Hiskaya, she herself was not free of blame. Relationships were an equal partnership. And Haki had not been very open with her feelings. All Hiskaya really noted were the intense reactions. If Haki did not express how she was feeling about Hiskaya's constant teasing and pushing, then how could she expect her to understand the ramifications?

She loved Hiskaya with all her heart. She owed it to her to be more open and honest about her feelings. No matter how uncomfortable it made her feel.

Now, as Haki sighed tiredly while she and Hari butted heads yet again over her leaving the castle, she wished desperately to see Hiskaya. Her father had made it clear to everyone in the castle that the angel was not to be allowed inside until Haki was well. His way of punishing Hiskaya for something that wasn't even her fault, Haki supposed. And so, Haki was very motivated to leave the castle.

Unfortunately, she still had to convince her overly protective sister.

"You're the one who's still hurt," Haki pointed out. "Your excursions to Heaven to talk with Shan and Hiskaya when you were still freshly wounded delayed your healing powers." Her face contorted with guilt. "I'm so…"

She didn't even get the words out before Hari threw a muffin at her face.

"Enough of that," Hari ordered with a smile. "Fine, I won't go with. My leg is a little sore today after I slept on it wrong. I think I'll make a visit to the Healing Spring today with Zeke." She sighed in exasperation. "Will you at least take Lee-Sol with you? That would make me feel better."

Pouting, Haki picked the muffin off the table and set it on her plate. "That's a low blow," she accused. "And I'm still angry with Lee-Sol."

Unapologetically, Hari smiled as she got to her feet. Haki's eyes immediately trained in on the ugly scratches that covered Hari's neck and arm, and her eyes trailed over the spots where she knew Hari's clothes were covering more. Her fingers twitched as she recalled the sensation of her claws digging into her older sister's flesh.

"You know that Lee-Sol was worried about you," Hari said. "And she wasn't entirely wrong that Hiskaya played a role in what happened, just like you did. And now that you've explained everything, Hiskaya isn't going to be forbidden from entering anymore."

There was truth in Hari's words. Haki hated that.

"Fine," she groaned. She got to her feet and smiled at her sister. "Do you want anything from the market?"

They began to walk out of the dining room. Haki walked slowly to accommodate Hari's slower than normal gait.

"How about a new flower for your garden?" Hari asked. "Working in the garden this past week has seemed to be helpful."

That was true. Before, Haki would mostly admire the work of their gardeners and would do little to help herself. She had her own small gardens, but at Hari's suggestion, she had taken it upon herself after her body began to recover to start tending to a section of their castle garden. To Haki's surprise, she could feel her blood settle as she put her effort into creating beauty for her home.

"That sounds perfect," Haki said with a smile.

Tracking Lee-Sol down wasn't difficult. She was already in the garden, haphazardly watering the plants while Yoshua complained frantically that she was being too tough. The two smiled at her when they saw her.

"Haki, how are you feeling?" Yoshua asked in concern. "Are you still tired? I can make you some medicine."

Lee-Sol fondly nudged Yoshua with her elbow. "I think she just wants people to stop fussing over her," she joked. She gave Haki an appraising look before she smirked. "I will say that I wasn't glad that the royal blood skipped me until I saw what it did to you."

"Lee-Sol!" Yoshua cried in shock.

Despite herself, Haki chuckled. "Thank you both for your concern," she said sincerely. "Actually, I was wondering if you would go with me to the market, Lee-Sol. You're of course welcome too, Yoshua." She sighed. "Unnie doesn't want me to go by myself and she's feeling stiff this morning."

"Sure, sounds better than doing chores," Lee-Sol said with a shrug. She tossed the hose to the ground, still spraying water. "Let's go."

It was only after a frenzied Yoshua rushed to turn off the hose that the three of them began walking to the market.

The simple act of walking in the sun in town after a week of staying close to home was not unappreciated by Haki. She did wish with all her heart that it was with Hiskaya by her side.

I'll go find her tomorrow, Haki decided. After today, Unnie will hopefully realize that I'm okay away from home. And perhaps she'll even join me so she can see Shan.

As always, the thought of her sister's feelings towards the angel captain brought conflicting emotions to Haki's heart. She did like Shan, but she could tell that the woman had closed off her heart. And Haki doubted whether Shan could open herself enough to truly let Hari in. Honestly, Haki was afraid that Shan was going to hurt her sister.

They made their way to the market and Haki smiled at the sight of so many smiling faces. Some familiar ones greeted her and urged her to come see their latest wares. Though Haki was not comfortable with so many people, she still did her best to keep up her princess façade and greet everyone with as much respect as she could.

"Haki, do you want to look at the flower stand?" Yoshua asked after they left the fruit vendor. "I'm sure you've been looking forward to that the most."

Haki smiled sheepishly. "I am," she admitted. "But I didn't want to force you two to just do what I like. I'm mostly happy just to be out of the castle."

Lee-Sol shrugged from her spot at Haki's side. "Yeah, yeah, let's go look at some plants," she said with a teasing smirk. "I'm hoping that you bring the wildest looking plant back with us. You'll send that perfectionist gardener into an early grave."

Chuckling, the three demons walked down the road towards the plant stand. They turned the corner and Haki stopped. There was a very familiar head of white hair standing outside the plant stand. Her heart lifted.

"Hiskaya," she whispered with a smile.

It had felt like an eternity since their fight in the alley. And it felt so insignificant now. All she wanted was to take Hiskaya's hand and not let it go. By her side, Yoshua and Lee-Sol stopped when they sighted Hiskaya and waited in understanding while Haki kept walking closer.

Her smile was wiped clean when Hiskaya's head shot up and looked in her direction with a look of horror on her face.

"Haki?!" Hiskaya cried. She had a bag in her hands and she awkwardly shoved it towards the florist with a hurried word before she slowly began walking away. Her silver eyes were searching for a moment before she grinned. "Sorry, Haki, but I'm not here to see you," she called. She turned and began to run away. "I'll come visit you later!"

Stunned, Haki stopped and stared. Her mouth dropped as she watched Hiskaya dart down the road with Milkia at her side. Haki's purple eyes watched until the two angels were out of sight.

She didn't even look back, Haki thought miserably.

There was definitely anger at Hiskaya's actions. Why would she run from her when she knew that Haki had been hurt? And there was jealousy. Why on earth would her girlfriend be giving other women presents? But the most overwhelming emotion was sadness. This was not the reunion she had been hoping for.

Perhaps I damaged our relationship beyond repair, Haki thought with a sad smile.

She didn't realize her hands were shaking until Lee-Sol put a strong hand on her shoulder. Haki's head shot up and she looked in her cousin's grim gold eyes.

"Haki, breathe," Lee-Sol commanded.

Beside her, Yoshua's eyes were getting teary. "Haki, you're getting restless," she said fearfully.

Now that they said it, Haki realized that her blood was beginning to get uncomfortably warm as her emotions shifted faster than she could control. She took in a steady breath and tried to smile comfortingly at her friends.

"I think it's time to return to the castle," she said.

Thankfully, Haki's emotions were not as wild as they had been when she had lost control. They made it back to the castle and Haki went straight to her room with Lee-Sol while Yoshua rushed off to find Satan.

"I'm going to change," Haki told Lee-Sol while she walked to her dresser and grabbed a change of clothes.

Lee-Sol raised an eyebrow and leaned against the wall. "What for?"

Haki began walking towards her bathroom. "I'm going to garden."

Once she was dressed in a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt, Haki and Lee-Sol went to her garden. Haki smiled at the sight of the large rectangular plot. It had taken a lot of pleading for the gardener to agree to leave her work alone. Normally, Haki just admired their large gardens. The fact that she was able to contribute to them brought a sense of pride.

"I'm not getting dirty," Lee-Sol announced. "I'll nap under the tree. Shout if you're feeling particularly murderous."

Haki pouted. "You don't have to phrase it like that," she complained.

While Lee-Sol napped, Haki tended to her garden. It was a fairly large plot, to her at least. It was ten feet by ten feet. At the moment, there were stems that were making their way out of the fertilizer, but no leaves or petals yet. There were weeds, so Haki crouched in the dirt and carefully pulled every weed she could find before they harmed her garden.

The physical activity was soothing and allowed Haki to ignore the world around her. As her focus was purely on her task, her emotions began to settle and her blood cooled. Haki smiled tenderly at the beginning of her garden. She got to her feet, not even caring that she was covered in dirt and sweat after weeding for over an hour.

"You look like you're feeling better."

Haki turned around and smiled. "Hey, Dad," she greeted with a smile as she approached him. "Yes, gardening helped calm me down."

Her dad, demon horns and physique on display, smiled with his white eyes. "I'm glad that you found something that works as well for you as training does for your sister," he said. His face turned serious as he approached her. "I'm sorry that you have to go through this," he said softly while pulling her into a tight hug. "I would take it away if I could," he whispered to her.

In that moment, any misgivings she still had about her dad denying Hiskaya's presence vanished. Haki hugged her dad back tightly.

"I know," she whispered back.

*BREAK*

Sleep eluded Hiskaya again that night. This time though, it wasn't out of guilt or doubt. It was out of excitement.

It was finally time to go see Haki!

Once the sun was up, Hiskaya rushed to get ready before she walked over to the window. She smiled down at the tiny pot that she had been faithfully tending to over the past two weeks.

"I never realized how much work it takes to raise flowers," Hiskaya murmured in appreciation. "I'm so happy that it worked and it's ready to give to Haki."

Wrapping the pot was nerve-wracking. She was so afraid that she would damage the fragile petals. But when it was wrapped loosely in paper and then set in the gift bag, Hiskaya was positively beaming.

There was definitely a skip in her step as she left her house and made her way to the Underworld.

The weather was just as beautiful in the Underworld as it had been in Heaven. Hiskaya landed on the outside of the village next to the castle Haki lived in. She walked swiftly down the path that led her to the castle. The bag was held protectively in her arms. When she got to the castle, she approached the guards on duty and smiled when she recognized one.

"Good morning, Yunwoo," Hiskaya greeted.

The guard clutched his spear tightly. There was an uneasy expression on his face. Disapproval in his bright eyes.

"Hiskaya," he greeted neutrally with a slight bob of his head. "You are no longer banned."

The tone of his voice led Hiskaya to believe that this wasn't a popular decision.

She frowned. "I'm really…I didn't mean…"

After giving her an appraising look for a few long moments, Yunwoo closed his eyes and sighed. "No, I know you wouldn't purposely cause harm to Princess Haki." He opened his eyes and gave her a sad smile. "I guess that this is something an Elyos will never fully understand."

Okay, that hurt.

Hiskaya cleared her throat and began to walk past. She gave him a sad look and quickly walked inside. Anything she wanted to say felt stuck in her throat.

It was the same as she walked through the castle towards Haki's room. Every Asmodian that saw her gave her looks ranging from disapproving to downright hostile. But none of them questioned her being there, which led her to believe that news of the lift of her ban had spread.

When she got to Haki's room, she hesitated for a moment before she knocked on the door. Her heart was pounding. Was it out of nervousness or anticipation? Each second that passed with no answer only made it worse. Were her hands sweating?

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and opened the door.

"Haki?" she called. The room was empty. She sighed and closed the door. "Where could she have gone so early?"

"Put this off a little long, didn't you? Especially after that little stunt of yours at the market."

Hiskaya looked up and grinned sheepishly at the approaching Hari. "It wasn't time until now," she insisted as she held up the bag. "Do you know where Haki is?" Her eyes took in the angry marks on Hari's unbandaged neck and arm. Were those claw marks? "How are you?" she asked in concern.

Hari crossed her arms and grinned. "I'm fine, and don't ask that in front of Haki," she said. "I'm still trying to get Haki to get over her guilt." She placed a hand on her leg. "But my leg is still a little out of sorts. Hopefully, yesterday's trip to the Healing Spring helped." She began walking, a slight limp in her step Hiskaya noticed. "Haki has been waking up early to spend time in the gardens these past couple weeks."

"Really?" Hiskaya asked as she walked with her. "Haki isn't often one to wake up early."

"That's true," Hari chuckled. "But it makes her happy. These days, she's the one waking me up."

They walked in companionable silence while Hari guided her to the gardens. When they reached the door, Hari stopped and gave Hiskaya a hard stare.

"Don't screw this up," she warned.

Hiskaya swallowed nervously. "I hope not," she squeaked.

The smile that Hari gave her was genuine. "I believe you," she responded. She turned to limp away. "Will you do me a favor and tell Shan that I'm fine?" she asked over her shoulder. "And that I'll come to see her soon."

"I will," Hiskaya assured her. "I think she's still salty that you avoided going to Hanulim."

A chuckle escaped the fiery princess. "I can imagine. But it wouldn't have worked anyway."

Before Hiskaya could question her about that, Hari turned a corner and was gone.

After frowning after Hari for a few more moments, Hiskaya stepped outside of the doorway and into the garden. The garden was full of blooming flowers that Hiskaya admired momentarily. She now understood better how much care had gone into keeping the garden so pristine. But there was no Haki standing around admiring the flowers or resting under the shade of her favorite tree. Where was she?

There was an obvious lack of flowers towards the back of the garden near the shed. Each garden plot was full of life, and the one in the back did not compare yet. Hiskaya walked around the garden, frowning as she looked for Haki. Surely, Hari wouldn't have lied to her about Haki's whereabouts?

A loud thud from the shed made Hiskaya pause before she headed back towards the castle. She turned and frowned in confusion. Then her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Haki exiting the shed. Hiskaya blinked several times, not sure if she was seeing things clearly.

Haki was dressed very casually. She wore a pair of dark shorts and a blue tee-shirt. Her black hair was pulled into a ponytail that she had worked through a human sporting cap that rested on her head. She was covered in dirt and her skin was slightly colored from the sun.

Hiskaya couldn't help but stare.

It seemed that Haki didn't notice she was there, because Haki went straight to the young garden and began to kneel in the dirt. The plants were new, smaller than a foot and had yet to sprout flowers or anything of the sort. But the garden was immaculate without a single weed in sight. Haki pulled a small pair of pruning shears out of her pocket and began to delicately snip the tops off of the taller plants. Hiskaya frowned in confusion.

"Why are you cutting them?" she asked.

Haki was so startled, that her hand slipped and she ended up cutting her palm on the shears. "Ouch," she complained while she dropped the tool.

In a heartbeat, Hiskaya was there, kneeling beside her in the dirt.

"Are you alright?" Hiskaya asked. "Let me see." She set the bag down on the ground and gently took Haki's hand in her own. Thankfully, it wasn't a terribly deep cut, but it was bleeding heavily. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

While Hiskaya gingerly inspected the cut, Haki watched her impassively.

"Why are you here?" she asked softly.

Well, that was hardly the greeting she had been hoping for.

"I came to see you," Hiskaya said simply. She got to her feet and held out a hand. "Let's clean that cut out," she said with a smile.

Haki didn't take the offered hand immediately. Her purple eyes were warily looking up at her. Then she sighed and reached up with her uninjured hand.

Not the ideal reaction, but promising nonetheless.

They went to the shed where there was a sink and a first-aid kit. Hiskaya watched silently while Haki thoroughly cleaned out the cut and used a clean towel to stop the bleeding. Haki grabbed the first-aid kit and tried to open it with one hand with little success. Without a word, Hiskaya grabbed the kit and opened it.

"This reminds me of when you took care of me when my hands were hurt," Hiskaya said with a tender smile.

To her relief, this time Haki returned the smile.

She cleaned Haki's cut and bandaged it up as best she could. True to form, she was not very talented at wrapping injuries. It looked like Haki was preparing to go into a boxing ring down in the human world. But Haki didn't complain. Once Hiskaya was done, Haki put the kit back and walked out of the shed. Hiskaya hesitated for a moment before she followed.

Haki went back to the garden and picked the shears back up before continuing her work. Hiskaya tilted her head in confusion.

"Doesn't your hand hurt?" she asked. "I can do that for you, if you'd like."

Shaking her head, Haki continued, but she was smiling slightly. "This is my part of the castle garden now," she explained. "It's my responsibility to tend to everything I'm growing here."

When Haki didn't offer anything else in terms of explanation, Hiskaya didn't ask. Instead, she sat on the edge of the plot and silently watched as Haki went through each plant and inspected it carefully. Some she clipped, some she left alone. Each top that was clipped was tossed to the side in a small pile. Hiskaya watched in fascination as Haki became increasingly damp with sweat from the warm sun beating down on her. But there was a satisfied smile on her face that Hiskaya couldn't recall ever seeing before. Smiling herself, Hiskaya relaxed and watched.

After a few minutes of silence, Haki took in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," she said calmly.

Well, that wasn't what Hiskaya was expecting. Her jaw dropped.

"You're sorry?" she repeated. "I'm the one who pushed you over the edge." Tears stung her eyes. "Hari came to me the day after our fight. She told me that you…" her voice cut off and she had to take in several stabilizing breaths. "I didn't know," she said weakly. "I didn't know that you are haunted by more than your magic."

Haki frowned and continued working, not looking up from her task.

"That's what I'm sorry for," she said. "I should have been more honest with you. I should have told you that the constant pushes to make me jealous and angry were starting to wear on me." She paused and looked at Hiskaya with a sad smile. "It was your comment about jealous women being difficult to love that pushed me to talk to my dad, and that led to the necklace."

Hiskaya's gut clenched. She got up and carefully walked on the garden (so many plants to avoid!) until she was kneeling next to Haki. Slowly, she opened her arms, and when Haki didn't resist, she wrapped them around her shoulders in a tight hug.

"I didn't mean that," she whispered against Haki's neck. "I was joking to get a rise out of you. I'm so sorry. About everything."

To Hiskaya's relief, Haki set the shears down and then returned the hug.

"The necklace helped to bury the negative emotions," Haki whispered in her hair. "When the magic broke, everything came crashing down on me at once." She began to tremble slightly and Hiskaya held her tighter. "I've never…burned like that before. It was thanks to Unnie that my royal blood settled before I was…before I became worse."

Hiskaya pulled back. There were tears now leaking from her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me about this whole Demon's Body business before?" she asked. "Maybe I could have helped with that too when we sealed most of your magic."

Haki shook her head. "You can't seal blood," she said simply. "And it was never an issue before." She hesitated before she bit her lip and clenched her good hand. "Normally, you're the one who helps settle me when my emotions overwhelm me," she explained. "But this time…"

"I'm the one who set your emotions out of control," Hiskaya finished sadly. "Haki…"

"I don't blame you," Haki added hurriedly. "You didn't know. But after the market…"

This time, Haki broke off and looked away.

"I didn't run away from you because I didn't want to talk to you," Hiskaya cried. "Once I sensed your magic, I almost ran right toward you."

Haki frowned. "Then why didn't you?"

Grinning sheepishly, Hiskaya grabbed Haki's uninjured hand. "It wasn't time yet," she said. "I saw that you were okay, so I decided to wait until it was ready to see you."

Haki's frown deepened. "I thought you were breaking up with me," she admitted. "My blood began to burn again after that."

A strangled sound escaped Hiskaya as she froze in horror. It felt like she had been simultaneously dunked in ice water and had her heart stomped on. She grit her teeth and held Haki's hand even tighter.

"I will never break up with you!" she shouted. "Your life is mine, and my life is yours," she said, repeating the words that meant so much to them. She winced. "I really hurt you again?" she asked sadly.

Haki blinked a few times before she smiled softly. "I calmed down before it got bad," she reassured her. She looked around the garden bed. "That's why my dad ordered the gardener to give me this plot. Having something physical to do keeps my mind distracted and helps me calm down. I've been sad and concerned about us, but I haven't had any outbursts since the market."

That news comforted Hiskaya slightly. But it didn't ease much of her guilt.

When neither of them made an attempt to continue the conversation, Haki resumed her pruning. After she was done, she picked up all of the discarded parts and carried them to a compost bucket to dump them inside. She then returned the shears and gingerly washed her good hand before she walked up to Hiskaya.

"I could use a quick shower," Haki said with a smile and a blush. "Then maybe we can talk?" She reached out her unbandaged hand and gently wiped the dry tears off of Hiskaya's cheeks. "Crybaby," she teased.

Hiskaya chuckled and grabbed Haki's hand in her own. She then pressed a loving kiss against her palm. The feel of Haki's skin on her lips sent a shiver down Hiskaya's spine. And judging by the way Haki's flush deepened, she felt it too.

They walked through the castle back towards Haki's room. The wrapped gift was in Hiskaya's hands, and Haki didn't comment on it. When they were inside, Haki silently approached her wardrobe and pulled out a clean outfit.

"I'll be quick," she said. "Make yourself comfortable."

Hiskaya set the bag down and frowned. "Wait," she said hurriedly, causing Haki to pause and raise a quizzical eyebrow at her. "Your hand is hurt," she said, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. "I can…help."

The two lovers stared at each other for a few silent moments, each blushing furiously. Then, Haki smiled timidly.

"Alright," she agreed.

She grabbed an outfit for Hiskaya to change into and they wrapped Haki's hand up in a plastic bag to keep it dry. They entered the bathroom and hesitated for a moment before they began to shed their clothes.

They were not unfamiliar with showering together. But this was the first time that Hiskaya was almost afraid to touch Haki in the slightest. She still didn't know the full extent of what had happened to her, and she didn't know if there were any lasting physical effects. But Haki didn't make any sign that she was in physical discomfort.

While Hiskaya washed Haki, she treated her like the precious thing she was. Her heart was pounding. Or was that Haki's? Her fingers trailed down Haki's back slightly longer than necessary while she washed it. Haki's muffled moan both surprised and encouraged her. When she began to press soft kisses against Haki's soapy shoulder, she didn't make any sign of protest.

"I love you, Haki," Hiskaya whispered against her ear.

Haki shivered. "I love you, too," she said.

When they were both showered and dressed, Hiskaya helped to dry Haki's hair before guiding her to her bed. She gently pushed the confused Haki down and grinned nervously.

"This is for you," she said while holding up the bag. "I couldn't come see you until it was ready."

Frowning slightly, Haki slowly opened the bag and took out the paper bundle. She gently opened the paper and gasped at the pot of pink flowers. Hiskaya smiled apprehensively.

"Is this…milkvetch?" Haki breathed.

"Yup," Hiskaya said proudly. "I grew it from a tiny seed. That's why I was talking with the plant stall owner in the market and gave her a thank you gift." Hiskaya smiled at the way Haki was staring at the flower in complete awe. "I didn't realize just how much work goes into raising plants like this. I wanted to give it to you when we reunited, but I guess I underestimated how long it would take."

Haki's purple eyes filled with tears. Her head whipped to look at Hiskaya. "Do you know what this flower means?" she demanded.

"Of course," Hiskaya assured her while she sat next to her. "That's why I picked it." She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Haki's. "It's what I wanted to say to you. Always."

Sniffing, Haki gently placed the pot on her nightstand before she tackled Hiskaya to the bed in a tight hug.

"I love it," she cried in Hiskaya's chest.

Hiskaya smiled and hugged Haki tightly. They stayed like that for a few moments before Hiskaya pressed a loving kiss on top of Haki's head.

"I know that I'm more comfortable around people," she began. "And having physical contact with them comes naturally to me. I'm sorry that I kept making you jealous. Both accidentally and on purpose." She hugged Haki tighter. "I guess I liked the idea of you getting worked up and possessive over me. It never occurred to me that I was making things difficult for you. I'll change."

Tears began to dampen Hiskaya's shirt as Haki continued to cry.

"I don't want you to change your happy personality," Haki mumbled. "I understand why you were so upset over my sudden change when I wore the necklace." She pressed a kiss to Hiskaya's collarbone. "I'm sorry that I didn't express my feelings better. I am as much to blame for what happened to me as you are, so don't blame yourself."

It was like a weight lifted from Hiskaya's soul. Even if it was just slightly.

Slowly, Haki sat up while wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Hiskaya joined her.

"Hiskaya, I don't like when you try to make me jealous," Haki said, stammering slightly in uneasiness. "I know that I get jealous sometimes when you don't do anything wrong, and I'm sorry. But it upsets me when you go out of your way to make me jealous or upset with your teasing." She blushed. "At least, please try not to do it when we're in front of others, because then I'm also overwhelmed with their reactions."

"I'm sorry," Hiskaya said sincerely, leaning to press a kiss to Haki's cheek. "I promise to work on that." She sat back and her smile turned sad. "Haki, I hated hearing from Hari that you have struggles with being a demon that I never knew about. Please, talk to me and lean on me."

Instead of instantly agreeing, Haki bit her lip nervously.

"I'll tell you what I can," she said at last. "I'm sorry, Hiskaya, that I never talked to you about everything. And I'm really sorry, but I still won't."

Hiskaya blinked in surprise. "Why not?"

"It's not my decision," Haki said hurriedly. "I'm bound by royal decree, all Asmodians are, to not reveal certain things to those who are not Asmodian."

"Seriously?" Hiskaya gasped. "But…but I won't tell!"

Haki chuckled and reached out her hurt hand to cup Hiskaya's cheek. "Even so, I'm physically unable to speak of certain things." She smiled comfortingly. "But the things that I can discuss, I will. And when I'm struggling, I'll do my best to let you know."

That was probably the best that she was going to get. Hiskaya sighed and covered Haki's hand with her own.

"Whenever you need me, I'll be there," Hiskaya promised, silver eyes shining.

Haki smiled tenderly. "My generous love."

"My happiness."