A/N- Hurray! And a merry christmas. Or something along those lines.

First of all- AC: Brotherhood ROCKS. If you haven't gotten it yet, go find it.

Second, sorry for the long wait, I know I promised November, but you can't believe everything I say. Just a tip for the future, should you ever meet me in person- I can't actually tell the future. Cheers.

Third, not only is this the second last chapter, but I already have five chapters of the sequel finished, and the outlook is good.

And finally- if anyone ever wants to play the multiplayer of Brotherhood with me, my PS3 name is NataN35249. If not, well, it's fine. Totally your decision. I won't use my puppy eyes. Or use the fact that I have no friends against anyone... Or remind you that my LAST friend who could have played online with me died two months ago. No, no, I won't mention any of that, I promise...

Er, sorry. Slowly going insane from isolation. Not that that's a bad thing... Well, off you go, read.

He wished that she yelled at him.

Or something, really. Before, Eden never hesitated into plunging into a yelling match, and sometimes a sparring one, as they both needed to let off steam once in a while. And every single time, all was forgiven and forgotten, the two once again a nearly perfect visage of a married couple.

But most certainly, not this time. She didn't yell. She didn't scream. She didn't start breaking vases, furniture, or anything else that had the misfortune of being in her general vicinity. She didn't even try to hit him. And at this point he would've gladly any of those options. Hell, all the same time, if need be. Anything but her cold stare before she walked out of the room, her traveling cloak still closely around her. Not one personal word passed between them since they had left Florence, or over the course of their meeting over the Codex pages, It was as though an invisible wall had sprung up between them.

They only just got back on track, for the first time since their wedding, and look what happened. Soon, Ezio didn't even know the true reason for their icy war of attrition. That he gave her an order in the heat of the moment, something that was always a strict taboo between them? Or was something else bothering her? Knowing Eden, it was likely both. And more.

With those thoughts, he left their bedroom, and walked downstairs, to Maria's room. Of course, as per usual, he expected nothing but silence to meet him.

Thanks to Caterina's map, we managed to collect all thirty pages, completing Altair's musings and prophecy. Tuscany, Romanga, Milano, Naples, we searched throughout Italia, as well as a bit of Spain where a page ended up when it was passed to one of the Templars within the Spanish Inquisition. Funny story in retrieving it, actually; I was almost executed in order for us to get it back, when…well, that's for another time.

I sat in front of Leonardo's desk for almost three hours now. Rereading his notes, shifting through the codex, trying to figure out just where my unease was coming from, despite that the activity was beginning to seem rather fruitless. I felt that the answer was somewhere in the writing, likely, something I missed the first time. But I didn't even know what I was looking for, making it hard to find. Perhaps a clue as to why specifically the Apple pointed us to the Vatican, what was inside the Vault, why it was Ezio who could open it...

"Why are you still up? Aren't you leaving for Roma the morning?" I heard a quiet voice.

"Just looking over some things," I curtly replied.

Claudia sighed, sitting down beside me. "What's bothering you?"

"I could ask the same question," I glanced at her, returning back to the reading, "Then again, I think I can guess...you still feel trapped in this villa, don't you?"

Claudia rolled her shoulders, and nodded, "How is it you know everything?"

"Not everything," I chuckled, "I just know what it's like to sit on one spot for years on end and being unable to move. I think I understand."

"Not now, though," she muttered, "You go where you like and do whatever you please, just as my brother does. You always leave like this, off on another adventure, ridding the world of tyranny, and then coming back with wounds and concussions."

"Once. And it's not my fault the streets of San Gimignano are made of harder stone than anywhere else," I automatically responded.

"All I'm saying is that you're always out there, not stuck back here as an accountant with a family. Don't get me wrong, I love my family; Federico is a blessing and then some, and Paolo is really good to me...but this life isn't what I wanted. All of these responsibilities-"

"So?" I looked up at her with my eyebrows raised, "It's never too late for a change." She stopped, mid-rant, and stared at me questioningly. I clarified. "I have a husband too. Sure, I'm not very happy with him at the moment," I grimaced, "But he still counts as one. And I'm fairly sure that killing people is considered a responsibility to the world that we're saving on daily basis."

"You and my brother are match made in heaven," she snorted. This was certainly not the first time she said as much over the years, "But it's different with me."

"Not really. Paolo is a mercenary, so I'm sure he'd understand if you wanted to do something outside the city walls," I shrugged, throwing my braid back over my shoulder. "Of course, there is your brother. But I can promise that he would agree if I asked very nicely..."

"You make it sound so easy, Eden," she let out a heavy sigh, "But you know as well as I do that if I leave here, this town will start falling apart again..."

"You rebuilt this place to last," I smiled at her, "So don't hang your nose, I'm sure you'll get out of here one day."

"I hope you're right," she nodded, reaching out and giving my hand a reassuring squeezing. It was a nice feeling, as very few could boast of actually getting along with their sister-in-law, let alone counting one as a close friend. "So," she leaned on the chair across from me, "What are you working on so diligently?"

"Hm? Oh, right," I looked back to the pages of the Codex. "Something has been bothering me, and I think I just found what. Look, right there...Altair mentions someone that came before."

"Before? Before humans, you mean?" she leaned forward, reading with interest, "But that would make it God," she shrugged.

"Gods."

"Hm?"

"Plural," I pointed out, chewing my lip. "I get this strange feeling...aside from that. It just feels as though there is something more to this story than we realize. And I mean, beyond Rodrigo and his accomplices, their Order and ours. Something that we're a part of without realizing," I mumbled quietly, flicking through the pages for what seemed the hundredth time. Then I sighed. "I just wish Altair would speak plainly sometimes."

"I resent that."

"Yeah, well, I resent you not telling me what is going on," I grumbled.

Claudia glanced up at me strangely from where she too was now thumbing through some pages I gave her, "What?"

"Nothing. Just my resident hallucination still being pissed at me."

"Uh-huh," she arched a worried brow, bringing her hand to my forehead, "Maybe you should get some sleep, si?"

"Right you are, my dear," I wrinkled my nose, leaning away from her hand as I stood up, "Right you are."

I tightened the strap of my bag to the saddle, and caught a yawn into my fist. It was still too early, as the first sun rays haven't even touched the flags of Monteriggioni. After ten years of a more or less peaceful life, I almost forgot what it was like to go without sleep and food for days on end, or run for hours without break. My body was getting back into the routine, thankfully, but I was still not pleased with waking up so early.

"Eden, I have to come!"

"No, you don't. We will manage perfectly well without you there," I replied snappily. Much like a parent denying their child ice cream for the hundredth time, I suspected I was slowly going insane, thinking "When will you shut up, my sunshine?"

"But it's such a tiny group-"

"And if you come, the scales will of course tip over in our favor?" I cut Adel off, skeptically smirking. "Oh, well, I guess we'll just have to manage on our lowly skills and forces..."

She realized where she went wrong, and caught herself quickly, "I don't mean that you can't manage, I'm just saying you might need mine or Sokolo's aid. You know he can pass signals, not to mention I could help-"

That was true enough. Adelaide managed to train the golden eagle to let out shrill, carrying shrieks at certain gestures. It was almost invaluable when working as a team on a large scale. It was also something that had both Antonio and Mario almost jumping up and down like a little school girls at the strategic possibilities, which was very amusing to watch on any other occasion.

"Sweetheart, this is going to be dangerous," I sighed, "And I mean, more so than ever before. This is not some low, overconfident merchant, nor is it the Doge on a boat, within range of a pistol. We're about to play on someone else's territory filled to the brim with soldiers that for some reason don't like us very much. So trust me when I say a couple people can get by with much more ease. Not to mention, we can't risk a bigger group entering Rome at the same time. It's like a horde of snakes slithering into someone's house, yes? One or two can hide pretty well, but add another ten and the owners won't notice them only if they are blind, deaf, and sleeping."

She suddenly stopped her retort, and looked at my profile more carefully. I struggled to keep a determined grimace, finally fluttering up to the saddle. Without warning, Adel laid a hand on my leg, drawing my eyes back to her.

"You're worried," her tone changed dramatically, from the "spoiled child" voice that she reserved especially for Ezio and me, to a low, serious voice.

"Yes, I am." I easily admitted, biting my lip, "I feel like we're walking into a huge trap."

"That has never stopped any of us before..."

"Are we going or not?" Mario finally snapped impatiently. He was already on his steed a few paces away, waiting for us to finish talking. The horse was dancing under him, following his small tugs of the reigns, and it did not take Leonardo's mind to figure out that he was eager to get going. "Eden, just let her come," he rolled his eyes, though it wasn't hard to make out his fleeting grin, "You're just going to waste more time fighting a lost war with her."

I twitched my nose in thought, and finally shrugged. "Do as you'd like. Who is going to mind the fortress while we're away?"

"Antonio is staying a while longer. Besides, all the mercenaries know what to do, as Claudia knows how to direct them," Mario waved his hand, touching his heels to the horse's sides.

"So I can come?" Adel threw her eyelashes up. I glanced at her, and with a tug at my conscience, nodded.

She was right about me, in a way. Before, I got worried, but it didn't stop my professional enthusiasm and excitement. But this time... Something felt off, and it could not stop gnawing at my stomach. Something was going to go wrong, I could feel it in my bones, organs, tissues and cells. Briefly, I wondered if any of the other assassins felt the strange waver, and figured at least Ezio would have. Maybe it was simply Altair's presence that shadowed my instincts, though I doubted it. If anything, he was always the one that helped me sharpen and focus them.

So what gives?

"Wait a moment!" We turned around with some surprise, "You didn't think that we'd let you leave without saying goodbye, right?"

I shifted my eyebrows together, staring at Claudia with confusion. "What are you talking about, we said goodbyes this morn- oh."

Well, that was certainly unexpected.

Beside my sister-in-law stood Maria Auditore. Though her hair was laced heavily with gray, her skin pale, she was now watching the world with aware eyes, her gaze focusing on our faces with curiosity and sadness. She seemed uncertain on her feet, too. Yet she stood tall with noble grace, her chin turned upwards.

Without a words, we all got off our horses, and walked back to the two. Mario immediately engulfed Maria in a bear hug, which she returned without hesitation. I, however, was not in a hurry to introduce myself...

"I don't know what happened!" Claudia shrugged at my questioning stare, her own eyes brimming with happy tears. "Madre came down to breakfast herself this morning…I have no idea how Ezio managed it-" she abruptly stopped speaking, clapping her hand to her mouth for moment. But her tears were not those of grief, especially as grinned widely. Quickly wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she gestured for us to approach.

I noticed that Maria's eyes were now on me, and I gave a short bow of my head. "Madonna Maria."

"Are you Eden?" she asked. Her voice was cracked, and different from what I thought it would be, but nonetheless, her words were absolutely clear, "Ezio's wife and partner?"

"Guilty as charged." I replied, still slightly stunned. I could barely even hear my own voice. And for the first time in a very long time, I was suddenly unsure of how to react.

She took a step around Mario, and to my surprise, hugged me, too. "Thank you for taking care of him," she murmured against my ear.

"I did promise as much," I muttered, recalling the vow I made to her years and years ago, when everything was only just beginning. She did not remember my words, and I did not expect her to. Yet that didn't stop me from doing good on it.

And now I'm going to let him walk into something I almost completely know is a trap, alone and armed with an artifact that can change hands faster than a courtesan? What the hell am I thinking?

We were on the road for days, stopping in towns and villages. It only got warmer as we ventured further south, all hints of winter seeming to disappear and leaving what looked like permanent autumn.

All in all, Roma had beautiful countryside, similar to la Toscana, but with a tad more ruins. Pillars and ruined foundations were scattered between farmlands, small woods populated the land, and the fields were the most rich color of green I'd ever seen. But as we got closer to actual civilization...

Rome itself was a pitiful sight to behold, truly. The magnificent city I have heard about and seen in pictures in the future has not yet come to its glory. It was pathetic and crumbling, the people obviously terrified and hungry, dressed into dirty clothing they likely hadn't changed for years. The smell of rot and waste hung in the air. The small villages and towns that became more frequent as we closed into Rome were neglected, some even abandoned and in complete ruin. As I watched with some disgust as a bony dog with mad eyes tore apart a corpse in the bushes, I had no doubt that the inside districts of Rome were much more beautiful and kept, to accommodate the nobles, cardinals, and foreign ambassadors. While the pope spent his money on his children and the military power, the people around them led terrified and starving existences...

I heard Mario let out a huff discontent and disapproval on many occasions. Adel, after we passed the first of such villages, was determined to keep her eyes strictly on the road.

"It's like they're killing them, too, " she whispered to me once, when we made small camp out on the field, not wanting to find a place in the less-than-friendly towns. "Not like we do, but slowly…it's like they're dragging it all out without even meaning to..."

I poked the small fire with a stick, nodding with a grimace.

"What I don't understand, though, is why they can't do something about it," Adel suddenly wondered. I shifted my eyebrows together slightly, and she explained, "Look at it," she waved to the admittedly pastoral scene in front of us, "The fields are tended, the livestock seems fine, and the mill wheel on the river steadily turns. They should at the very least have food-"

"It's those friendly little squads of guards that march around with sharp sticks. They take most of it away," I snorted, "And whatever is left is not enough to last them the harsher seasons."

The large groups of guards indeed patrolled the land, and on top of everything, they all likely had instructions to stop and search all newcomers that even distinctively looked like assassins. Luckily for us, just as we were nearing the city, rain began to pour, giving us an excuse to wear cloaks and hoods.

"Signore?" the captain spoke almost demonstratively to Mario only. "Who are you and what's your business in Roma?"

"I'm a traveling merchant, and this is my daughter and granddaughter," he shrugged, telling the already agreed tale. The guards looked over us skeptically, but I kept my eyes down, and Adel simply pretended to shiver, curling into her cloak. Fortunately, they didn't press further, or realize that neither I, nor Adel looked anything like each other or Mario. Then the guards noticed our lack of a cart or caravan. "My other helpers got so drunk last night in that small village to the north that we decided to ride ahead. They'll catch up with the caravan some time tomorrow..."

"What's the rush?"

"My granddaughter here is sick," he gestured to Adel, who acted out a very convincing coughing fit. "There was no decent doctor in the village."

I think they would have asked to look in our bags anyway, but the guards were so exhausted by patrolling the muddy roads, where you couldn't see anything past your own nose, that the captain simply just waved his arm, allowing us through. However, he warned us to pay entry at the gates and be done with it.

"What would have happened if they still asked to search us?" Adel asked once we got far enough away.

"We would have killed them, which wouldn't have changed anything considering the numbers of bodies that swim up in the Tiber river daily," Mario shrugged. "But it's best if the enemy doesn't suspect us. A dead squad of armed guards on the job is a little above average crime."

I silently agreed with him. My belt and full arsenal of weapons, as well as Mario's armor with the Assassin and Auditore seals imprinted into the pauldrons would have given us away quickly. Adel had only a small symbol on her hip and a dagger that was fairly explainable, considering we were traveling through animal and bandit-infested lands.

Sokolo had to travel the storm in a large, covered cage. Adel hated to put him into a cage, but even more so make him fly during this downpour...

We didn't enter through the official gates, of course, as that would be an extremely stupid thing to do. Instead, we traveled around the major roads, slipping in without much incident.

"Where are we meeting them?" I asked as quietly as I could through the rain.

Mario didn't reply, just leading us through the narrow streets in an uncertain direction. Soon, I walked more freely. Once the rain eased up, I even got some enjoyment from the unofficial tour, catching the drops with my face with pleasure. The sudden memory of my mother twirling in the rain in the middle of a deserted street came to mind. I could almost imagine the spinning of her yellow umbrella, the only bright spot in the gray city...

I fought the urge to break into a dance myself, feeling rather silly, though the wet streets looked very tempting. Then again, anyone beside me at this moment would have thought me insane.

"We'll set up temporary headquarters near the Basilica," Mario finally informed me after we roamed through the streets for almost an hour.

"The owner won't mind?" I raised an eyebrow, though I doubt he saw it.

"The owner is just as fed up with the Borgias as the rest of the city," he waved his hand.

"Can you tell me where it is?"

"Yes, it's just across the apothecary's shop right down that street."

"Lovely. I'll see you later, then." I took a moment to throw my eyes around the street, memorizing its location, and made a step out of our small group.

"Where are you going?" Adel asked with alarm.

"I can't rest in a location I haven't explored," I shrugged, "Don't worry, I'll stay out of trouble."

"This walkway is your best chance of getting into the Basilica," Niccolo pointed to the map, "If our plan works, the security will be minimal, allowing you a clear path."

"Capisco," Ezio nodded, tracing the walkway with his finger. "It's best if I catch him off guard, or he might rush things…or go into hiding."

"Then make sure you dispose of all witnesses of your infiltration until he's dead, then," Mario nodded. "We will explore the area tomorrow morning, so hopefully we can begin soon."

"Where is Eden?" Ezio suddenly glanced around the room, realizing there was someone missing.

"Outside," Adel chirped, "She went to scout, but then...I think she lost her mind."

"For the hundredth time already? Lord, what is she doing?" Ezio walked over to the window, opened it, and leaned out. Thankfully, he was protected from the now thin rain by the overhanging balcony, so he could see properly. "Eden!" he called out

"Shoo," was her only response. She didn't even look at him, still staring at the sky with a euphoric expression.

"Eden, I realize you're mad at me, but that's no reason to freeze yourself to death!"

"No. I will get a cold, and I will die, and then you'll all see. I will haunt your asses beyond the grave and make you feel absolutely awful about it."

He sighed, looking back to the rest of the assassins, who were back to hovering over the map, tactfully leaving them to their argument. Then he lightly jumped over the window sill, landing soundlessly in the street. As he walked towards her, he unlaced his cape, and went to wrap it around her shoulders. However, she just proudly refused it.

"You're missing all the planning, you realize."

She didn't reply, still not looking at him in an almost childish manner.

"If you get a cold, you're not going to participate in the mission tomorrow."

That did the trick. She jerked her shoulder, and then turned and walked through the doors. Letting out a breath of relief, he followed. Yet she didn't head upstairs to the meeting, but instead turned towards the bedrooms.

Deciding enough was enough, he followed her into the room. She completely disregarded his presence as she shut the door, beginning to dry her hair.

They shared the silence for a long moment, and when he couldn't take it anymore, he spoke first. "Eden, can you please stop acting like a child?"

She looked at him with raised eyebrows, almost surprised.

"Children pout," she argued, "But I am seething with wrath," she sniffed, "And frankly, giving you what you deserve."

Well, at least it was progress...

"But you can just try to tell me to shut up," she suddenly added, voice barely above a hiss. Ezio immediately felt like groaning, "You seem to be getting better at giving orders..."

"Eden, I was desperate, and about to watch as the Apple escaped us once again and ended up in the hands of our worst enemy. I only-"

"I seem to recall something," she spoke slowly with forced calm, though he knew his wife long enough to know that underneath it, she was raging with all the fires of hell. "Like how when I agreed to wear this ring," she waved her left hand in the air, the wedding band flashing in the light, "We made a deal that nothing would change, and that you would never try to order me around..."

"E-"

"As well as the fact that I would not be left behind on our missions, and I still belong to no one but myself. So tomorrow, you are going to just skip off on your mission to kill Borgia," she cut him off, now all but tearing her fingers through her wet braid, untangling it, "And expect me to just hang around, waiting for you to come back?"

Ezio was taken aback slightly. "Is that what you're so angry about?"

"I'm angry about a lot of things," she snarled. "I'm mad that you gave me an order! I am pissed off because you are dancing right into your possible death! And of course, I am fucking livid that somehow, in the end, I am still just the wife of an assassin that is inferior and forced to wait behind, not knowing whether or not my husband is going to ever get back home! And I am absolutely furious because you seem to be perfectly content with this idea!" She utterly despised the fact that she could the tears dancing along the edge of her voice. The only relief that she was too worked up to let them spill over.

"Is there any chance you're picking a fight?" he suddenly wondered, "Because it would make things easier if I don't come back?"

"There is…a slight possibility of that being the case," she grumbled, voice dropping as she turned away, continuing to dry her hair again. "Ezio," she sighed, "Try, just for one minute, to put yourself in my position, si? What if it was me off on another suicide mission against a person that refused to die up to now? And just try to imagine that this same person is already armed with another Piece of Eden. Oh, and I forgot to mention that he's also surrounded by fortressed walls and elite, mercenary guards?"

He obediently imagined the scenario. Almost instantly, his eyes widened, a violent shiver running down his spine and causing his hand to instinctively clutch the dagger in his swordbelt.

His grimace certainly wasn't hard to miss. "Not a pleasant prospect is it?" she muttered. "But one we have always dealt with this so far. So this time, do you honestly expect me to just sit down with my hands folded? Waiting for you to come back either horribly injured, or at worst, dead? And that's assuming the Borgia bastards even bother to send the body back in one piece-"

"Eden, please, listen to me," he put a hand on her shoulder, spinning her around to face him properly. Her sharp eyes stared back defiantly, the familiar stubborn expression he'd come used to over the years evident on her face. "I have to do this, and you know perfectly well why. But if I don't make it out-" he swiftly put a finger on her lips as she began to say something. "If that's the case, then at least I can die with the knowledge that you're safe. As you've told me yourself many times, 'don't do anything stupid.'"

Shoulders sagging, she hung her head a bit before swiftly looked up, meeting his gaze. "So after thirteen years, you still haven't caught on that that rule implied only to you?" she vainly tried to hold back a grin. He almost let out a relieved breath as he sensed that the storm was over. "I don't remember a single stupid situation I've gotten myself into that I could not get out of. You, on the other hand..." she poked him in the chest.

"Perhaps you're conveniently forgetting the incident in which you were almost executed in Spain?"

"I'm still here, ain't I?" she smirked, immediately appreciating the way he took her hand in his, interlacing his fingers with hers. "And with no help from you, by the way. You missed the rope by a mile!"

"An inch!"

"An inch that could have killed me if I wasn't the amazing and awesome person I am!"

"...fine," he allowed. "But please, think logically, I know you're good at that. If we say for one moment that you are not my wife, but only my partner, it doesn't change anything. It will be much easier for one person to get in an out rather than two."

"Nope, not buying it," she adamantly shook her head in disagreement as she pulled her hand out of his, though she made no move to extract herself from where he still had a hand on her shoulder. "We made it work before. Hell, we all but specialize in saving each others asses! Have you already forgotten? Or did the decade we spent of minor contracts and training Adel completely wipe your memory of those days when it was just the two of us against what seemed like the entire world?"

Ezio felt his determination to keep her out of the basilica chipping away. He wanted her there just as much as she wanted to come along. She spoke truly, for together, they were a force that enemies in good sense hurried to clear the path away from. Either always her watching his back, or the other way around, it was her fast daggers that complimented his heavier sword, her arm that pushed him upright when he stumbled, and her voice over the sounds of battle that gave him inspiration. Yet logic and common sense told him that it would just be too dangerous on this particular mission.

Eden knew him to well not to notice when his defenses were beginning to wear. Throwing her arms around his chest, she hugged him to her in a drowning man's grip, her fingers curling up along his shoulder blades. As she rested her forehead on his shoulder, he felt the warmth of her breathing on his collarbone. The strong, steady thrum of her heartbeat was unmistakable, especially with his heightened senses guiding him, as they always did.

"You're an idiot," she whispered. "Even after all we've been through, even after ten years of marriage, you are denying my help? Have I not proven myself to you?" she murmured into his skin, "What if you die tomorrow? Just imagine what would happen to us all if that happens..."

He did - and shivered. The fact that Rodrigo would get two very powerful artifacts and get inside the Vault, possibly bringing on the worst era in the history of the world...absolutely mind-numbing

"I'll tell you what would happen. Claudia and your nephew Federico would be crushed. You mother would sink back into her shock, perhaps to never claw her way out of it again. Mario would drown himself in alcohol. And the Assassins as a whole would lose all remaining faith. Perhaps even worse, the entire Order will be wiped out completely. And while you wouldn't care much while you're six feet under..." Eden's voice nearly broke on that, her tears now opening spilling down her cheeks, despite her mounting efforts, "I can't... I won't let you do that to us, or- mmph!" Before she could continue, he captured her mouth with his, utterly unyielding, nearly daring her to speak.

For he didn't want to hear more.

I pulled away only a few moments into the kiss.

"Well aren't you a brave one," I whispered mockingly against his lips, my eyes boring into his intensely. "You will have to work much harder than that to-"

For a moment, I wondered if I pushed him too far.

This time he shut me up by a more fierce, bruising kiss. Encouraged by the noise of approval that came from my throat, he grasped my shoulders and pushed me into the wall with enough force to jolt my senses. It hurt, but I was suddenly so caught up in the moment that I barely even noticed the pain. For it would be nothing compared what I would feel should I loose him…

How could I let him go alone? How could I possibly stay behind and allow him to wander straight into mortal danger when I needed him so much that I could barely breathe at the thought of him dying? When all of my being suddenly relied on nothing else but him? When I could not even bear the thought that this could possibly be our last night together?

His hands did not stop for even a second, roaming my body, exploring it for the thousandth time, touching all the places that he knew drove me wild. I repaid him in kind, my fingers grasping his hair in an attempt to deepen the kiss further. My other hand already moving on removing his armor, the intricate lacings and buckles were infinitely familiar to me now.

"I'm coming with you," I hissed to him in the moments when we had to pull away for air, "If only so I can save your insolent ass from getting killed."

There were no objections this time around.

And even if there were, I would not have listened.