A servant showed Maian into a large sitting room. Maian took a brief look around before fixing her attention on Sephiran, who had risen to his feet the moment she had entered the room.

Plants and flowers decorated the room, and the great windows opened to the north to spare the people of the greatest heat. The doors leading to the balcony had been opened, and a cool breeze filled the room.

"Welcome", Sephiran said, smiling at her. "I regret we had not met before. Please, take a seat."

Maian replied with a smile, not sure how she should answer. Now she noticed for the first time that he was carrying a staff, apparently, he was a mage. They sat down opposite each other, and Sephiran leaned the staff against the couch.

"May I pour you some tea?"

"Yes, please."

Maian accepted a cup of still steaming tea and carefully sipped it. Sephiran started with making small talk, inquiring after her and her sister's well-being. Maian replied that they were well, feeling perfectly at ease. She was not nervous like in the morning, just curious.

"Did you know the meaning of your name?", Sephiran asked all out of a sudden.

"No, I do not", she replied, surprised. "I always knew it was a strange name, though..."

"'Maian' is a word from the Ancient Tongue, it means 'innocent one'."

"Oh", she breathed. "I see..."

So that is why my mother gave me that name. Herons know the Old tongue, after all... She wanted to show that it was not my fault, that I was not to blame. My mother and father, perhaps, but not me.

Sephiran watched her thoughtfully. Maian placed the cup on the saucer.

"Why did you choose to become a senator? And your sister not?"

"Liane was never interested in politics, I think she considers them boring. I, on the other hand... I want to change the world – or at least the Empire."

"What exactly do you mean by that? What is it that you want to change – to accomplish?"

"If I tell you, you must promise me not to laugh."

"Of course."

"I know it sounds very idealistic, but it is truly and honestly how I feel. What I want is... A world where all people can live in peace, equality and harmony. Laguz, beorc - "

"And people like yourself."

Maian froze.

"What?"

"I know what you are. I read it from your mind earlier. There is no use denying it."

Adrenaline rushed like a hot wave through her body. Maian jumped to her feet and made a mad dash for the door. She grasped the handle, but let go of it immediately, crying out with pain. The handle was glowing hot and, when she turned her palm up, she could see the imprint of the handle burned into it. She spun around to face Sephiran, who was standing next to the couch.

"I am sorry", he said quietly. "I put a spell on the door to prevent anyone from eavesdropping or entering while we discussed things you potentially might not want others to know."

"My hand just got burned and you are sorry?"

"Very sorry indeed."

He sat down again, possibly in an attempt to appear less threatening. Maian wasn't fooled.

Now that she knew it was there, Maian could sense the magic, feel it vibrate in her body. She took an involuntary step forward, away from the barrier.

"Let me go!", she demanded angrily.

"No. Not before you have answered some of my questions."

Maian's eyes darted toward the balcony. Could she make it before he got to her – or worse, used another spell?

"Please refrain from doing something stupid, like jumping off the balcony."

He knows – does that mean – he can actually read minds?

Maian knew that jumping was risky. She had two options: using her wings and risk being seen, or not using her wings and risk breaking her bones on the hard ground.

Her eyes darted back to the prime minister, who was still sitting motionless on the couch, watching her.

Maian grasped her wrist with her left hand. The pain was getting stronger by the minute, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. Angrily, she blinked them away.

I am not going to cry in front of him!

"I could take a look at your hand", he offered, his voice softening, "but you would have to come over. My healing magic does not work precisely over such a distance."

Maian did not move.

"Do you promise me that you will let me go?"

"You have my word that I will let you go, once you have answered my questions."

"Why do you not just read my mind?", she challenged defiantly.

"I only do that when faced with no other choice. I would prefer it if you told me."

Maian realised that, by refusing his offer, she would only prolong her suffering. The pain was almost unbearable by now. She could only risk trusting his word, for there was no chance she could leave the room if he didn't want her to, and winning a fight against him was definitely not an option.

Slowly, Maian started forwards. Sephiran moved to make room for her to sit on his left side. Maian hesitantly sat down, avoiding his eyes and looking down at her hand.

His left hand moved slowly and carefully took hold of her right hand. His hands felt cool on her skin, and Maian shivered. He examined her hand closely, then, he carefully placed his right palm on hers, while he kept it firmly in his left. Maian gasped when the pain intensified, but the next moment, it subsided and disappeared. She looked quickly up at Sephiran. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be concentrating very hard.

His eyes opened and locked with hers. He smiled crookedly.

"I do hope you will forgive me", he said, releasing her hand.

Maian carefully examined his work. There was no trace of the injury left.

"Thank you", she muttered.

"No, that was the least I could do. I never intended for the spell to work on the inside as well – I have made quite a few mistakes, I'm afraid. I did not expect you to react like that – or rather, I had hoped you wouldn't. But I should have known better... Would you tell me your story?"

"Why would I do that? You already know too much about me."

"You do not trust me."

That was a statement, not a question. He knew.

"The first thing my father ever taught me was not to trust anyone and to never let anyone find out what I truly was."

"Wise advice, though it is regrettable that this had to be one of your first lessons."

She looked up again, sensing a strange mixture of emotions behind his words.

"What do you mean by that?"

Again, he gave her a thoughtful look.

"No matter what I say, how many times I assure you that I mean you no harm, you are not going to trust a word I say."

Maian averted her gaze.

"In that case – how about a bargain?"

"A bargain?", she asked, puzzled.

"Yes, or a trade, if you prefer that word. Since I know your secret, it would be only fair if you knew mine."

"You have a secret?"

"Yes. And like yours, it could easily get me killed if it were to reach the wrong ears. Will you listen to my story? But I must warn you – it is a long one."

"I do not mind long stories."

Maian was ready to agree to anything that would divert his attention from herself.

"Very well. First of all, the person Sephiran, Duke of Persis, does not exist. He is nothing more than a creation made by Misaha and me. My name is Lehran, and I am known as the Great Heron, the one who accompanied the Goddess when she still walked these lands."

It took Maian a few seconds to comprehend that.

"Wait a minute – I want to make sure I just heard you correctly. You claim to be a member of the heron tribe that went extinct 13 years ago, on top of that, you say you are - " she did a quick calculation, "more than seven hundred years old?"

"I am over eight hundred, in fact."

"It is a little hard for me to believe that."

"I can prove it, of course."

He got to his feet and took a few steps backwards so she could see him clearly. Then, he spread a pair of wings, as black as his hair. At the same moment, he pushed his hair back over his shoulders so she could see his ears. They were pointy.

Maian knew enough about the laguz to recognise the characteristic marks of the bird tribe. She stared at him as if she'd seen a ghost.

Lehran flapped his wings twice, then, he put them in again and sat down.

"You have most likely been taught that there are grey and white herons, but no black ones. That is because the black herons supposedly went extinct many centuries ago. But as you can see, I am still alive, the last of my race. And I am not even a real heron any more...
"I shall only tell you the important events of my life, those that affected the future and – your life. What I will tell you now is the truth, as I have seen it for myself, not the twisted stories you are taught to be history.
"Before the Great Flood, I lived with my first wife. She was a white heron, and our children later founded the Kingdom of Serenes. Their descendants ruled the forest for over seven centuries."

"So, the royal family of Serenes is descended from you?"

"Yes. When my first wife died, I left the forest and eventually met the Goddess Ashunera."

"You mean Ashera."

"No, her name was Ashunera, Goddess of Dawn. She was the one who created the world. She also created the first living beings, which evolved into the Zunanma. And the Zunanma kept changing and growing... they were the ancestors of the laguz and beorc. I know that in Begnion, you are taught that the Zunanma are beorc ancestors only. I wonder who came up with this ludicrous idea.
"As you might have guessed, the names have meanings. 'Beorc' means 'children of wisdom' and 'laguz' means 'children of strength'. However, the two races started competing with each other, which eventually led to strife and war. Ashunera could not stop her children from fighting and killing each other. That upset her so much that she lost control of her emotions, and that caused the Great Flood."

"I always thought the Great Flood had been caused by the Dark God."

"There never was such a being. Someone twisted history into a bad fairy tale. Ashunera saw what she had done and realised that her emotions were a danger. So, she discarded them, thus becoming Ashera, the Goddess of Order. Her discarded other half manifested itself as Yune, Goddess of Chaos. Yune, a newborn goddess, was unable to control herself and caused the Ancient War. Ashera could not fight her, so, she bestowed her power onto the three most powerful warriors of the time: Soan, the White Lion, Deghinsea, the Black Dragon, and Altina, the swordswoman who wielded the twin blades Alondite and Ragnell.
"Those three managed to defeat Yune. Ashera now wished for her sister's destruction, but the four of us managed to dissuade her. Destroying Yune would have meant destroying Ashera, after all. I suggested imprisoning Yune in a bronze medallion that was in my possession. Yune, terrified of being killed, agreed to this, and Ashera gave her consent. I used Seid Magic to seal Yune away and promised her to sing to her, so she would not be lonely. I also promised her to restore her to her full self someday. Deghinsea, Soan, Altina and I made a pledge to Ashera, promising not to start a war between all nations for the time of a millennium. The terms of the covenant were thus: If we managed to keep our promise, we would be rewarded. If we failed, and the chaos would awaken Yune from her slumber in the medallion, we would be punished. But if we felt the world had fallen beyond hope of redemption, or if we had succeeded in building a world where everyone could live in equality and peace, we should sing the Galdr of Release to awaken the goddesses, and tell them of our world. Then, they would judge us.
"Ashera went to sleep in the Tower of Guidance, and I gave the medallion – later known as Lehran's Medallion – to my children, along with the galdr and the instructions what to do with it. Ashera had said that my descendants would possess the power to use the Galdr of Release.
"Deghinsea founded the Kingdom of Goldoa and has been her ruler ever since, Soan founded the kingdom and royal line of Gallia. And – as you know – Altina founded a kingdom that later became the Begnion Empire.
"But what you do not know – because it has been erased from history – is that I was married to Altina."

Maian gasped. "You were – did you - ?"

"Yes, we had a daughter. She was the first of your kind. Altina and I were very happy, as were Soan and Deghinsea. We were not the fist mixed couple, but we were the first one to have a child. Shortly after her birth, Altina noticed a strangely shaped mark on our daughter's hand, and we thought it to be some kind of birthmark. But then, I suddenly realised I had lost my powers. I was no longer able to transform, nor could I use Galdr Magic any more.
"The following days and weeks were torment. I was desperate and attempted suicide several times... Then, I went into seclusion and fled to Goldoa. Deghinsea was deeply worried about me. When we received similar reports from other mixed couples, we realised that it was because we had mixed our blood that this was happening.
"I only returned to Sienne one more time, to tell Altina that I would leave for good. I asked her to pretend that I had died in an accident. Altina eventually married a beorc and pretended our daughter to be his child."

"So, all the empresses of Begnion were your descendants?", Maian asked incredulously.

"Yes, all of them. All of them bore the same mark, and all of them had the ability to hear the voice of the Goddess, sense impending danger, read minds and sense emotions.
"I noticed only little of what was happening outside the borders of Goldoa. In order to protect the world, Deghinsea never interfered with other nations. Goldoa remained neutral and the border closed. There was no trade, and no diplomatic relations.
"But some news reached even Goldoa. I heard that in many parts of Tellius, it was custom to keep laguz as slaves, in Begnion, this was especially bad. I tried to persuade Deghinsea to move out and save our oppressed brothers and sisters, but he refused. He stubbornly stayed on his course. His only daughter, Princess Almedha, was so angry with her father that she left Goldoa. No-one ever saw her again. I, too, left, for Begnion. Just like you, I wanted to change the world. And I knew who could help me with that – the most powerful ruler of all. The Voice of the Goddess, the Apostle and Empress of Begnion – my daughter.
"Finding Misaha was not difficult. Nor gaining her trust – after all, she was able to peer into my soul. It was through her that I learned what had happened to her kind – that they were considered a violation of the law of the Goddess. People believed that Ashera herself had forbidden laguz and beorc to marry, which is not true. Ashera never knew of the hybrids. I was shocked by what she told me, but Misaha was relieved. She finally knew that there was nothing wrong with her – that her existence was not a crime.
"Persuading Misaha into signing the Emancipation Law was not difficult – I found an unexpected ally in your father. Of course, now I know why he was so strongly for laguz rights. The new law was introduced and, since the old prime minister had only recently died, Misaha gave the position to me. That was the birth of Sephiran.
"However, Misaha was not content with emancipating the laguz. She wanted the hybrids to have the same rights, and intended to reveal her Brand and its true meaning to the world.
"I have no proof of this, but I believe the senators somehow got wind of her plans, and killed Misaha before she could make her move, along with the newborn princess. After that, they made my other children scapegoats and thus sparked the Serenes Massacre. However, I have no proof that this story is true, either.
"I stayed in Begnion to look after my daughter's legacy and to make sure the senators didn't abuse their power. That's about it."

Maian said nothing while she tried to grasp everything he had told her.

"So that means – the goddess never said anything – it was all just a lie?!"

"I'm afraid so."

"All the hiding – all the fear – for nothing? Empress Misaha was murdered because of a lie?"

"Yes."

"Who – who did this to us? And why? How could anyone hate us so much?"

"I do not know. But even if I did – this person might have died a long time ago."

Maian shook her head. "I cannot believe this..."

Lehran waved his hand.

"You have a lot to think about", he said softly. "Take your time. I have removed the spell – you can leave now, if you like."

Maian didn't need to be told twice. She fled from the room, the manor and ran, until her legs couldn't carry her any further and her lungs felt as if they were about to burst. She leaned against a wall and tried to catch her breath. To her relief, no-one had followed her.

Lehran was still sitting in the same spot when Zelgius returned.

"Good evening, master."

"You are back earlier than I expected, my friend."

"I saw no need to stay longer in Nevassa than I had to. What is the matter? You look unwell."

"Oh, I just have the feeling that I totally messed up today."

"What do you mean?"

"I have given young Senator Maian the fright of her life."

"Did you, now?"

Although Zelgius kept his usual impassive face, Lehran could sense his amusement.

"I cannot believe that."

"You would understand if I told you what happened."

"But you will not tell me."

"No. If I did that, Maian would never trust me. But I want her to trust me."

"Will you manage to gain her trust?"

"I believe so. But it might take some time. She is similar to you, but not as brave."

"She is still very young, after all. We cannot expect her to be brave, considering her sheltered childhood."

"You are right. I should have gone easier on her... Anyway, what news from Daein? How is young Ashnard?"

"King Ashnard is just the same as ever. Determined to conquer the world."

"I see. So, he hasn't changed much. And what about Sir Gawain? Any news?"

"No. All I know is that he left Gallia along with his children. But I do not know where they went."

"I see. It bothers me not to know where the medallion is... but as long as that girl keeps it, it should be fine. Though I still wonder why she was able to touch it without losing her mind. It was too much for her father, after all."

"She is her mother's daughter."

"Of course. Elena could touch it, too... I wonder, will the son take after his father?"

"That is an interesting thought. Maybe we will find out."

"Yes. We will have to wait. You will have to stay in Sienne for a while, general, or the senators might get suspicious. I do hope Ashnard can spare you for a while."

Shocked, Liane stared at her sister. Maian guessed that she had to look perfectly awful by now. Her hair had come down, she was even paler than usual, and her eyes were wide with fear.

"Maian, what happened?"

"We need to talk", Maian managed in a whisper.

Seeing that her sister was about to faint, Liane carried her up the stairs and into the garden.

After drinking a cup of hot tea, Maian finally felt like telling her sister what had happened.

"The Prime Minister – he knows about me."

Liane clasped her hands in front of her face.

"Oh no! How did he find out?"

"He told me that he read my mind. What should I do now?"

"I honestly do not know. This is bad... How did he react?"

"At first, he refused to let me go, but he also healed my hand when one of his spells accidentally burned it. After that, he wanted me to tell him my story, but I refused. Then, he did something very strange and unexpected – he told me his story and secret, in exchange for knowing mine."

"What kind of secret is it?"

"I cannot tell you. He would expose me the moment he found out. And he is in a better position than I am – after all, he is the prime minister. I fear that all I can do is wait and hope that he will not expose me... if he does, I could try to use his secret against him, but I do not know if it would work... they would only have to see my Brand to know he is telling the truth."

The following morning, Maian ordered four of her guards to accompany her. Cynthia, the commander of the guard, a slender woman with magenta-coloured hair who wielded a lance in battle, Tyna, an elemental mage specialised on lightning, a swordsman and an axe-fighter. All of them were draco-knights, but they could also fight without their steeds.

Maian's new strategy had two major drawbacks: her guards were not allowed into the meeting hall, and Maian didn't know whether they would remain loyal to her if confronted with her true nature.

When Maian arrived at Mainal Cathedral, she noticed that not many of the other senators had arrived yet. A servant stepped forward to greet her.

"Good morning, Senator Maian. There has been a change of seats. You are to sit over there, by the window."

Maian's gaze followed his outstretched arm.

"Why is that?"

"By order from the Prime Minister. And no, I don't know why. I've been asked this question already. Apologies, my lady."

Maian went to sit in the chair next to the window. The window had been opened and a fresh breeze was filling the room, carrying the fragrance of flowers with it.

Lehran came striding into the room. Their eyes met for a moment, and he nodded, as if to himself, before he sat down. Maian noticed to her dismay that she was seated closer to him than the day before.

This time, Maian fared better. The open window helped her a lot, but after three hours, she felt the weariness return.

Oh no... not again...

That moment, Lehran called for a break. The other senators were delighted, and gathered around the trays laden with food and goblets of mulled wine servants had brought. Maian rose from her chair and swung herself onto the window sill. She was so lost in her thoughts that it took her a few moments to realise that Lehran was standing next to her.

"How are you feeling?", he asked.

"Ah – quite well, thank you."

"I thought you might prefer to sit closer to the window – closer to the open. You had me worried yesterday when it seemed like you might faint."

"I almost fainted", she replied dryly.

"I know – but you will get used to it. Just take it easy."

Maian had no idea what to say to that.

"I would like to see you again this afternoon. We still have a lot to discuss."

"That – will not be possible. My sister insists on me spending the afternoon with her."

Maian feared he would see right through her lie, but she wanted to avoid being alone with him again at all cost.

"I see. Well, that is a pity."

Maian heaved a sigh. Lehran had asked her again the following day, this time on the corridor, in the presence of her guards and several senators. Again, Maian had given him an excuse. By now, she had seen through his strategy. The other senators had noticed that he seemed to favour her and were surprised she did not seize the opportunity. Lehran was known to have no friends among the senators, and every one of them would give everything to get close to him – and his power. And they could not understand why Maian let an opportunity like that one slip.

When he asked her again after today's meeting, Maian realised she had lost. She couldn't think of a good excuse any more, and her behaviour had caused a lot of gossip among the senators. If there was something she feared more than Lehran, it was too much attention from everyone. So, she reluctantly agreed to come and visit him this afternoon.

"Are you sure this is a wise thing to do?", Liane asked, hovering nervously as Maian prepared for her outing.

"He has so far done nothing to harm me. Besides, if I had kept this up, I would have caused even more gossip. You know how dangerous that is. And I already said I would be coming. I cannot back out now."

"I understand. But please, promise me to be careful."

"I am glad you decided to come."

Maian slowly sat down on the couch opposite Lehran, like she had done the last time.

"I have put a different spell on the door this time, just in case you should try the doorhandle again. It should not burn you again."

"That is – very considerate of you."

"Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you."

"Hm." He leaned back. "You still do not trust me."

Maian didn't feel she had to comment on that.

"What can I do to make you believe me? Have I not proven myself trustworthy by keeping your secret?"

"You could still be plotting something", she replied.

"And what would that be?"

"How would I know? I cannot - "

She broke off and tilted her head to one side.

"What is it?"

"There might be a way", she said slowly. "I noticed something about you – I could sense the thoughts of everyone in the room, but not yours. It was as if you were not thinking at all."

"I assure you, I am thinking most of the time. But being able to hide one's thoughts is a common skill among my tribe – was, I should say. All herons possess the power to read minds and sense emotions. Since we think it is enough if others know our emotions, we hide our thoughts from one another. When I came here, I didn't expect to meet someone who would possess those abilities, but after meeting Misaha, I became more cautious, and I have kept my mind shielded ever since."

"So, the reason why I am unable to sense your thoughts is because you do not want me to."

"Correct."

"But it might help me – after all, you want me to trust you. Am I right?"

"You want to have a look at my mind?", Lehran asked, sounding amused.

"I do not think that anything less would convince me."

"Very well. But I will not show you everything – there are some things I share with no-one."

As Maian focused on him, she could suddenly sense the flow of his thoughts. It was as if he had removed a veil – or if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun. The same moment, she realised that he had been completely honest with her. There were no hidden thoughts concerning her.

"That will be enough." Maian closed her eyes. "I believe you now."

"I am glad to hear that."

His thoughts disappeared again.

"Might I offer you some tea now?"

Maian looked up to see him smile.

"Yes, please."

"Would you tell me your story? I am truly curious."

"Very well... I have no memories of my mother, she gave me away when I was but a few days old... I believe she just wanted to recover from giving birth to me before she travelled all the way to Sienne... Our housekeeper found me inside a basket, along with a letter from my mother and this..."

Maian slowly pulled the golden thread with the feathers tied to it from underneath her clothes.

"Your mother's?"

"Yes. She wanted me to keep it, and I have been wearing it as long as I can remember... As you know, my father accepted me as his own, and I was raised just as my sister had been. However, because of my 'special condition', I had to obey many rules. As a child, I was not allowed to leave my little realm – the garden and the four rooms my father had given me for my exclusive use."

"Your own father kept you locked up?", Lehran asked sharply.

"So to speak. But it was for my own safety – when I was young, I had a habit of spreading my wings whenever I felt like it. So, he could hardly let me out."

"You have wings?", he asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes, but why are you so surprised? You got wings yourself."

"Indeed, but I am a heron. We are supposed to have wings. Hybrids, on the other hand... it is a million-to-one chance that the child bears the characteristics of the laguz parent." Suddenly, he smiled again. "You are lucky, in fact, that your mother was a bird. If she had been a beast, you would have trouble hiding your tail and cat ears."

Maian laughed. "Yes, that would have been a problem."

"Might I see your wings?"

"Um – well, yes."

Maian got up and spread her wings. They were as big as his, but her feathers were grey, just like her mother's had been. Maian flapped her wings and immediately rose off the ground.

"Ah."

She landed again and stretched her wings.

"You can even fly."

"Yes, my bones are hollow."

"So not only you look like it, but you are breakable."

Lehran got to his feet to take a closer look at her wings. When he reached out to touch the left one, Maian instantly flinched away.

"My apologies."

He took a step backwards. Maian put her wings in again.

"So you spent your childhood in hiding. What happened when you were older?"

Maian sat down again before continuing her story.

"As soon as I was able to control myself, my father allowed me to use the other parts of our manor. And I had a private tutor from that day on. I had the same education Liane has had, since my father wanted us to be equals. And then, finally, I was allowed to leave the manor for the first time. I was so excited... I had never seen the outside world before, just known the stories others would tell me.
"But still, I was not able to got out often... only two or three times a year. The reason for that was that I was not ageing at a normal pace, and my father was afraid that someone might notice. But now, people had seen me and pretty soon, there were rumours about me... about my beauty..." Maian looked down at her hands. "I was only thirteen when I received the first offer of marriage. I had to reject it, however... I have no idea how the empresses managed to do this, but I would have never been able to hide my Brand from my husband. I declined all the offers that followed the first, and those were many. The young men just did not realise that I had no intention of marrying at all, they just thought I was waiting for the right one – my prince."

Bitterness laced her voice now. "Among those who came to declare was one, a young count... I liked him very much, and I would have loved to be his wife..."

Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes. "Because of that lie, I am unable to find personal happiness. I cannot marry; it is too risky. I lived with that knowledge paining me until I was sixteen. And then – the Serenes Massacre happened."

"What do you know about that?", Lehran asked, probably more sharply than he had intended.

"Too much. I wish I could forget it... I had a vision of what was going to happen. It took me some time to convince myself that it really had been a vision and not just my imagination... and then, I had to convince my father as well. He set out with his best men in an attempt to save the Serenes, but they were too late... I collapsed. The pain almost killed me... My father went back to the forest to bury the dead. I have been there – visiting my mother's grave. The forest is such a desolate place now..." She looked up at him, her eyes full of unshed tears. "If I had not hesitated so long – if I had told my father right away – then perhaps - "

Her voice broke.

"It was not your fault", Lehran said softly. "There was no-one there to teach you how to recognise a vision, you had to figure everything out by yourself. You did all you could. Do not blame yourself for what has happened."

"So much pain... so much suffering and misery... And why? Why did all of this happen? What went wrong? I do not understand..."

Unable to hold it in any longer, Maian hid her face in her hands and let her tears flow.

A hand gently touched her shoulder and the next moment, Lehran took her into his arms. Maian noticed that he smelled like pine needles. Without thinking, she hid her face in his chest. One of his hands gently stroked her hair.

He did not say anything, but he still managed to comfort her. Apparently, he had not lost all of his heron powers.

As soon as she had calmed down, Lehran released her. Maian wiped her eyes and looked at him apologetically.

"I am sorry about that, I did not mean to - "

He held up a hand to silence her. "There is no need for apologies. You have been through numerous hardships, and you are still very young. And it is no shame to show one's emotions."

Maian blinked. "Young? Did you know that I am almost 30 years old?"

"I did know that. But compared to me, you are a child. Once you have lived for one century, I might consider you a teenager", he joked.

Maian couldn't help it, she had to laugh. But then another thought crossed her mind and instantly, she was serious again.

"Am I going to live that long?"

"Most likely. The laguz blood makes your kind age slowly, and since we herons live longer than all the other tribes save for the dragons, I expect you to live a long life. Besides, Misaha told me something... it appears that many of my daughters took poison or faked their deaths as to hide the fact that they simply did not die."

Maian gasped. "They sacrificed themselves to protect their daughters?"

"Yes."

"What kind of life is that... A life full of fear and distrust, without friends..."

"You do not have any friends?"

"No. How would I ever make friends with anyone? I never was much among people. And I would have been unable to trust them..."

"In that case, please allow me to be your friend."

Maian stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. I want to be your friend – just like I have been your father's friend."

He held out his hand. Maian reached out and took it.

"Friends", she said, smiling.

"Friends", he replied. "But I must ask one thing of you – please never call me 'Lehran' in public. I feel no desire to explain that to anyone."

Maian's smile widened. "I shall keep that in mind."