Mai found herself, soon enough, in the Vedil Tower. She was in a bedroom, with a level of luxury she had not seen since her departure from the Occluded City. The door was unlocked, but she was quite certain that if she tried to leave the room, guards would stop her.

The room was lightly furnished, but all inside was of the highest quality. The bed, silk, the armoire, polished, and somehow filled with clothes both of Mai’s size and befitting one of her stature. The room was on the interior, so there were no windows, but a potted plant in each corner completed the room, and gave it an open feel.

Mai didn’t really have a desire to look out a window anyway, and see such a beautiful city covered in burns. She was all alone here, as she, Broken, and Ishad had all been separated, but again she cared little. Mai did not want to see anyone now. She needed time to recover.

A knock came on the door. Mai, confused, didn’t answer it, but a moment later, Ishad slipped in, and the door shut behind him. But this Ishad was different.

He wore a dark tunic, a blue vest, and pants. His clothing seemed to befit one who was a merchant, more than one who was a monk. His short, brownish hair, instead of being pressed down to his skull, had been combed loose. Mai remembered what Ishad had told her of his history, and wondered what could have happened to make him seemingly return to what he once was.

“You changed,” she said.

“That I did,” Ishad replied, taking a step further into the room. “Priest-Lord Ralad verified what I told him, and now, I am a free man. I am no longer held by any bonds of duty.”

Mai wanted to say she was happy for him, but stopped. She didn’t know if Ishad would find it insulting if she said that she was glad he was no longer a monk. She doubted it, but did not want to do anything that Ishad might find insulting. She had a sudden desire to impress him.

“You look good,” she said.

“You do too,” he said, in response.

And the truth was, Mai knew she did. Her wounds, which turned out all to be minor, had been dressed and properly looked at. She had been given a red gown to wear, befitting her nature, and the servants in the Tower of the Vedil Lords had probably improved her appearance as much as they had improved Ishad’s.

“How did you get in here?” she asked him, sitting on the bed, and inviting him to do the same, which he did.

“I asked to see you, and the soldiers outside my room obliged,” said Ishad. He looked at her, and Mai suddenly remembered that since last she had talked to him, he had learned who she really was.

“I guess you want some answers,” she said.

“What about?” asked Ishad. “Learning about your identity wasn’t a total shock. Broken called you Mai, and even before the truth came out explicitly, I knew that the first name of the princess of the Arathou Dynasty was yours. I had all but assumed the truth, even before it was explained to me, and verified by a Truth Teller.”

“You mean, you aren’t mad at me?” asked Mai.

“Why in the Empire would I be mad at you?” asked Ishad. “Not telling me who you really were was simply what you thought you had to do in order to stay alive. It’s perfectly understandable.”

“No. it’s not,” said Mai.

“Yes it is, come on,” replied Ishad.

It was bizarre for Mai to see him talking like this. It seemed as having his tenure as a monk end was the best thing that could have happened to Ishad. In an odd fashion, the way Ishad now behaved as if everything was under control reminded Mai of Broken, except while Broken brooded, Ishad seemed content.

“So, what are you going to do with you life, now?” asked Mai. If Ishad is not going to talk about who I am, then I’m certainly not going to force him to. Mai was glad she had been given the opportunity to avoid the subject.

“I’m going to do what I always wanted,” Ishad said. “I’m going to start my own merchant company. My lip reading skills will become useful, one way or another.” He paused, and his eyes, which a moment ago had been hopeful, now looked hard and real. “But first, I want to see you to Asan Paril. It might seem stupid, as we hardly know each other, but after this night’s events, I want to make sure you are safe before we part.”

Far from Ishad sounding stupid, to Mai, he sounded touching. “Thank you,” she said. “That really means a lot to me.” And, in Mai’s heart, it really did.

Suddenly, Mai realized the origin of the raw emotion. She liked Ishad. Liked him a lot. She put a hand to cover her suddenly open mouth.

“It’s not that big a deal,” said Ishad, thinking Mai’s new action related to the last thing he had said.

“No,” Mai said, “It’s just, that…” Unsure what to say, she leaned over, and kissed him. His lips returned the gesture, and they held that way for a rather long, nice moment, until Ishad pulled away.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he said. However, he didn’t seem very sure, and that gave Mai all the courage she needed to press.

“Why not?” she asked, sliding a hand into his lap.

“You’re a princess,” said Ishad. “Not just any princess. The Princess of the Empire.”

“I don’t care,” said Mai. “Why should you? You’re not a monk anymore, Ishad. Live some.” Mai lightly grabbed Ishad by the shoulders, and pulled him down to lay flat on the bed. He didn’t stop her. Mai retreated, and lay back on the bed as well. The pair’s feet dangled off the edge.

“But…” said Ishad. “I’d be taking advantage of what just happened. The stress of this night…”

“You are just as stressed as I am,” said Mai, staring straight up at the flat, white ceiling. “There’s no advantage to be taken here. I’m not drunk.” She briefly remembered the one time she had been drunk, in the lair of Devin’s thieves. For a moment, she felt embarrassed, but she pushed that emotion away. This was no time to feel that way.

Nothing happened for a moment. Then Mai rolled on top of Ishad, and something began.