Writer's Note: Another fic for Morgeil, under the prompt, "Reason". This one takes place in series, shortly after "Girl's Night Out". Thanks to Morgeil for not just the prompt, but the revision advice. You have no idea how much it means to me.

WARNING: Contains spoilers for "Girl's Night Out".

Purpose and Consequence

"Let me ask you something."

It was awkward, but Jade really felt that she needed to know someone else's opinion. The situation she was in, one that made her feel like she was being tugged from both sides, gnawed at her gut more than hunger ever could.

Possibly the best way to describe Jade's relationship with Tekla was "shaky". There was something, deep down, that bothered Jade about the surviving princess, something that grated on her even deeper than Femur ever could. It wasn't something she could put into words, but it was there all the same.

Yet, even knowing that, Jade had to admit that, for all of her faults, Tekla was still, despite everything, genuine, impartial, and above all, honest. If anyone could answer from the heart, it was Tekla.

At the sound of her voice, Tekla swivelled the chair around and dragged her eyes away from the myriad of computer screens. Jade snuck a glance at the monitors, but found that a lot of what was displayed went over her head. Most of it was schematics and blueprints of what, she would hazard to guess, were the World Engines, but she wasn't too sure.

Not surprisingly, Tekla looked bemused. Jade hardly said more than five words to her at a time, if that, so inviting a conversation was bound to throw her into confusion.

"Sure," Tekla said slowly. "You can ask me anything you want."

Jade sighed, not moving from the doorway. They had been staying in the Ice Palace for weeks now, so long that Jade was starting to see it as a second home of sorts. That was why it had been so easy to find Tekla; she was always glued to the control room's chair, staring at the screens with such attention that Jade suspected they spoke a language only Tekla could understand.

But just because she was easy to find didn't mean she was easy to talk to.

Jade leaned in the doorway, looking down at her feet. She crossed her arms over her chest. Just get it over with, she thought to herself.

"If your loyalty was being tested, hypothetically," she added hastily, "what would you do?"

Tekla leaned back, obviously not expecting something like that. She tilted her head to one side. "I suppose it depends on the circumstances," she admitted finally, folding her hands together and holding them in her lap.

Jade fought the urge to sigh again. "Say you're loyal to two different people, people that you respect with the very marrow of your bones. Uh," she realised her faux-pas too late, but Tekla merely nodded, so she went on. "The first person is someone you have known all of your life, someone you would lie down dead for, but in order to help that person, you had to be loyal to someone else, which conflicts with being loyal to the first person…"

Tekla blinked slowly, looking politely interested but so obviously lost. Jade rubbed her forehead and tried again. "Say that you are really close to someone, and you would basically do anything for…them…but in order to do so, you had to in turn be loyal to someone else, which puts the first loyalty at risk. Get what I mean?"

Tekla paused, then nodded. "I believe so."

Jade finally looked up, feeling her heart racing. "What would you do?" she wondered, unable to strip the worry from her voice.

With careful moves, Tekla leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and holding up her chin her hands. "Can you be loyal to the second person without betraying the first?"

Jade felt herself pale. "I don't think so, no," she admitted.

"Then, in the long run, which outcome will help more people?"

Jade stared. It was exactly the same outcome that she had fallen on, and the fact that Tekla, someone whom she shared very little in common, came to the same conclusion, shook her a little.

"There is always a good reason for action, Jade," Tekla said, her face kind. "If those actions are done with the best interest at heart, then certainly they can be forgiven by the person who ends up betrayed."

"But, aren't you a princess?" Jade wondered. "Shouldn't you always be loyal to the people, no matter what? Doesn't that affect your opinion?"

Tekla smiled, but it was a sad smile. "You've never really asked me about my life before now, Jade," she said. "So I can easily assume that you have no real understanding of my place as princess on my home world." When Jade said nothing, she continued. "I wasn't really put into the flux of the population," she admitted. "I was kept protected - sheltered, you could say. It was only when the Beast showed up that I actually started to learn anything beyond daily routine." Her smile grew sadder, but she didn't go on.

Jade had no idea what she should say. A small part of her was actually irritated; she had come to Tekla in order to get some advice, and in turn ended up listening to the other woman's sob story. But the bigger part, the one that was still horribly confused and conflicted, found that, perhaps, at one time, Tekla knew exactly what she was talking about, because it had happened to her.

"Leaving Tek was the biggest breach of loyalty to my father," Tekla said suddenly. "I did it because I wanted to help other people instead of dying at his side. It didn't mean I loved him any less, but it also meant that, when it came to it, my loyalty lay with helping people in need, not with staying at his side." She closed her eyes, the smile dying. "It was the most difficult decision I have ever made. And yet, even though it's agony, I do not regret it."

Jade looked away, feeling her stomach clench up and her heart suddenly ache. "I…see," she said, her voice tiny, weighed heavily with the weight of what she would have to do.

"So you see," Tekla went on, her voice wavering a little. "I understand the question, and hope that you, yourself, never have to face such a horrible test."

Jade jerked a little, looking up so fast that her neck cracked. She held up her hands and shook her head. "No, of course not!" she said hastily, her voice sounding fake, even to her ears. "It was just a question, you understand, right?"

Tekla nodded slowly, but didn't say a word. It almost felt as if, somehow, Jade was being judged.

"Anyway," she pressed on, stammering a little. "You answered my question. Thank you." Without waiting for another word, she turned and practically bolted from the room.

When she was far enough from the control room, Jade stopped, leaned against the nearest wall, and covered her face with her hands. It was the closest she had come to weeping without control in many, many years.

Unconsciously, one hand went to the crystal around her neck and squeezed. She knew what she had to do.