Without pause, without any ceremony, without an ounce of regality that would fit someone of their station, the Masked Lord tugged off their helmet. They placed it on the arm of their throne, sending Serena’s heart into her throat.

Leaned sideways, head now rested against a closed fist, Werond’s amber eyes – two polished gemstones set in a dark and smooth face – crinkled as she smiled. With her other hand, she pulled out the messy bun that was her hair and let it fall across her shoulders – two equal lengths of dark brown, somewhat tangled.

“Surprised to see me darling?” Werond asked, voice dripping with complacency.

Serena’s fingers refused to work, her heart smashing against her chest. Werond held her gaze, eyes twinkling, as she waited for a response.

Bleeding through her shock with a force that she couldn’t rein, a tiny giggle leapt from Serena’s fingers. It built in strength, banishing her shock, her fears, her anxiety, growing and growing until Serena was doubled over, consumed by a laugh that shook her entire body. Tears began to stream down her face as she struggled to stay standing up, the tension in the room evaporating like fog after a newly risen sun.

Werond sputtered and leapt out of the throne.

“Y-you’re laughing?!” She yelled, fighting back her own smile. “All that, and you’re laughing?! I actually practiced that, it was supposed to be scary!”

It took Serena a moment to respond, so consumed she was by the laughter that poured from her fingers. Werond bit her knuckle as she waited, fighting back her own giggles, as though she refused to stoop to Serena’s level.

“No!” Serena finally straightened up, barely able to sign – or breath. “No! I…” Another fit of laughter broke her signs. “I mean, it was! It was!” She flapped out her hands as though they had been stung, and sucked in a deep breath. “I thought I was about to be executed!”

“You probably should, after all that!” Werond attempted to growl, though it was wrapped in a giggle. “Laughing at me like that, especially in my station robes!”

“Which make you look like a plum!”

Serena erupted into another fit of laughter. Werond tried to look offended, only to burst into laughter along with her.

“That was stupid!” She gasped. Serena could only nod. “Stupid! Stupid!”

By the time their mirth subsided, Werond wiping away her own tears, Serena’s chest had begun to ache. She rubbed it with a fist, the occasional giggle slipping out, as Werond sucked in a few deep breaths and composed herself.

“So, you find out that I’m one of the more powerful people in the city, and you laugh at me, huh?” Werond asked.

“Hey!” Serena signed. “I’m still surprised!”

“Are you though?”

“Yes! I wasn’t expecting any of this! Don’t get me wrong, it’s…really amazing!”

Werond cocked an eyebrow at her. Serena scratched at the back of her neck; she was surprised to see Werond in such a high station – it explained a lot – but after a reveal like that, Serena couldn’t find the right words to express that.

“Right. Well…” Werond said. “Onto business.”

“Business?” Serena signed. “Are you actually going to arrest me?”

“No, never. Although I should.” Werond closed the distance between them, robes whispering. Serena’s heart fluttered as she stood in front of her. “What with that reaction. I wasn’t expecting a laugh from all that.”

“I wasn’t either.” Serena smiled. “Honest. I just…that kind of crept out of me. I was so worried about someone really powerful knowing about our mission, and then it turned out to be you, everything just…” Serena’s smile dropped as the realization tore its way to the surface. “I’m not supposed to know this, am I?”

“Absolutely not.” Werond pointed a finger at Serena. “Which means, just like last time, none of this leaves this room. Not even Damian,” She gestured towards the door. “knows who I am. No one else does. No one’s supposed to, aside from my bosses. I’m putting a lot of trust into you right now Serena, I mean it. No one can know about this, no one.”

“I know.” A bit of frustration crept into her chest. She’d already kept the last secret Werond told her. “Honestly, you didn’t have to tell me if it’s that’s the case. I sort of got the idea from last time. Especially for something this big.”

Werond stared at Serena, her lips pulling into a tight frown. She glanced down at the floor and chewed on her tongue, long enough for thin fingers of anxiety to creep into Serena’s chest.

It felt as though every other conversation between them was something like this. Every time bits and pieces of what Werond truly did rose to the surface, an uncomfortable conversation would soon follow. Serena hated to say that she was used to them by now, but it was the truth. Afterall, while each revealed more than the last, every single one of those conversations had started off negatively because of something Werond had done. And yet, Werond still felt the need to have them, something that Serena couldn’t understand.

But did that even matter? Didn’t it mean something about them if Werond, despite taking days at a time to decide, kept wanting to fill Serena in about herself?

Heat rose in Serena’s cheeks as she pulled her hands up.

“Sorry, I think that came out wrong, talking before I thought, I…” Serena trailed off as Werond shook her head.

“No, you’re right. We’ve had these talks so often; I shouldn’t have said it like that. I’m sorry.” Werond met her gaze, a serious look in her eyes. “But for this specifically, I need to be sure. If you tell anyone about this, both of us are going to face a lot of trouble. More than I think you realize. I’m masked up for a reason. No one, save the few people above me, know about what I do. And we need to keep it that way.”

“Of course. You know my fingers are frozen. But…if I really have to be sworn to secrecy, why even tell me Why not come down and meet me in the coliseum? I would have never known. I mean…I probably wouldn’t have asked at all if you just said that you couldn’t talk about it.”

A distant look filled Werond’s eyes as she stared at her. Serena’s hands twitched with a follow up, but she kept them down. After a moment though, that look bled away, replaced by a tired gaze that seemed to age Werond by years.

She stepped forward and wrapped her hands around Serena’s waist, that familiar warmth sending Serena’s heart beating just a little bit faster.

“You’re right. For something like this, I shouldn’t have told you. You didn’t really have to know. But…” Werond’s voice went low. “I needed to. I needed to tell you. That day you found me on the patio still haunts me. Maybe not because of what I did but…what you said afterwards. And…I can’t even begin to tell you the back and forth, back and forth,” Werond swayed her head in rhythm to her words. “that I had to myself, all the damn time. Telling you that you couldn’t help, realizing you could, teasing you with just a little information, being cryptic – I can’t do it anymore.” Werond bowed her head. “I couldn’t keep myself trapped like that or keep pulling you along.

“But I’m scared. I’m scared of pulling you close and wrapping you up in something that you shouldn’t be involved with. I know, but…I’ve told you before, it hasn’t worked out. And I don’t want what happened last time to happen to you. It’s why I pushed you away so much.” Werond raised her head; Serena blinked as she stared back into Werond’s glassy eyes. “I’m not used to people being there for me. Even though I have this kind of position that affords me so much comfort in life, when it all inevitably comes crashing down, even with others around me…I’m always alone. It was just something I was used to. And the first time someone genuinely wanted to be with me, to stand beside me, it…backfired. Horribly.” She turned her head and grimaced, tears creeping down her face. “It made me realize how much I preferred to be alone rather than hurt like that. Maybe I could dip into some physical comforts occasionally, but I’d never tie myself down like that again. And for a while, that worked. Then…you came along and…threw all that out the window. I’m grateful that you stepped into my life like that, but…I’m just so afraid that it’ll all come crashing back down, and you’ll end up hurt because of me.

“I know what you said before, about deciding what you need to be protected from and how awful that made you feel but…it’s hard for me to accept that when I can so easily keep you in the dark and ensure that what happened before will never happen again. I could tell you nothing and keep it that way, and never, ever pull you in too close. But…I know how wrong that is, how terrible that makes you feel.” Werond sighed. “It took me far too long to realize that then it should have, and even longer to accept it. It’s just…you mean so much to me. Your warmth, your excitement at life, your…want, to be with me. Can you blame me for wanting to preserve all of that? To never take that chance of losing you? I could just keep everything the same and ensure that nothing horrible will ever befall on you because of me. But I realize how wrong that is. It’s…been too long since someone talked to me like you did that day.

So here I am laying it all out for you because I needed to. I needed to tell you so that I could escape from this mental hell I’ve made for myself and give you the peace of mind you deserve. You needed to know exactly who I was. Anything less than that would be unjust for you. But gods…” The red in Werond’s cheeks seemed to fade away. “just putting this all into words terrifies me. That what happened before is going to happen to you. But I had to tell you. I had to. It’s just…taken me far too long to do so, and for that…I ask for your forgiveness.”

Werond deflated, her shoulders sagging, and she broke Serena’s gaze. Serena could only stare at her bowed head as she struggled to digest Werond’s words.

Her chest grew tight as Werond released her waist and wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. Not for the first time did the confidence that radiated from her fade away, broken apart by the ghost of her past. And try as Serena might, she couldn’t figure out what to say to make things better. Perhaps there truly was nothing she could say.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t try, even if it came out a mess.

Heart quickening, Serena reached out and took Werond’s damp hands into her own. She pulled them back to her waist and left them there, Werond instinctively resuming her hold around Serena, a little less tight this time.

As she looked up, her glassy eyes searching for a response, Serena laid the sides of her hands against Werond’s chest – just like last time – where they belonged.

“Um…” She clunkily began, her voice a whisper. “Thank you for telling me all that. I…honestly had no idea what you were going through…or had gone through. I’m…” She nodded. “grateful, that you decided that you could trust me. It means a lot to me, especially with…how hard it is for you. I just wish I knew what I could say to all that, but I don’t. Other than thank you.”

“You don’t have to say anything besides that.” Werond whispered back. “Your want to be with me tells me everything I need to know. So…thank you, for that.”

“Of course. You know I love you too much to just let you suffer.” Serena fidgeted slightly as heat rose in her cheeks and ears. “A-and you know I’m always here if you ever want to talk –”

“No.” Werond cut her off. “No, I…sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt but…I’d rather we didn’t. I was adamant in the tub, and I’m adamant now, I do not want to go into detail about what happened. I know I just said that I wanted you to know who I truly was but…that’s too painful for me to talk about. Maybe…later. When the wounds don’t feel fresh anymore. But that might not be for a while.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to be a hypocrite.”

“You’re not, that’s fine.” Serena leaned in. “I think I know enough anyways. And you know that if anything ever happens…I’ll be here for you. Always.”

“I know. You’ve…” Werond nodded. “proven that enough. And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.”

“I’m glad.”

Werond nodded again and broke her gaze, tears finally beginning to dry. After a moment though, her eyes narrowed, and before Serena could sign, she turned back towards her.

“Always, though?” Werond asked, cocking her head, a hopeful spark in her eyes.

The weight of the question settled on Serena’s shoulders like an anchor. Her mouth worked around the words, as though she could speak.

“I haven’t given it any thought.” She shook her head. “I – sorry, I shouldn’t have said it like that. I’m –”

“No – no, it’s fine.” Werond said quickly. “I shouldn’t have asked, I…saw the panic on your face. Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“It’s fine, honest.”

Werond glanced away, a deep red blossoming across her cheeks. Serena cursed herself silently, wishing she hadn’t accidently given Werond a false hope that like.

“You know,” Serena signed, grasping for something different. “you still haven’t told me what exactly you do. You had this entire thing planned out for me and I still don’t know.”

Werond shot Serena an odd look, her eyes brightening just a bit.

“Uhm, isn’t it obvious?” She asked, glancing down at her robes.

“Well sure, but I want to hear you say it. I want to hear the full title.”

“Oh really? And why is that?”

“Because I need know exactly who I get to kiss each night before bed.”

“Oh my –” Werond turned away, her lips creeping upward. Heat flooded into Serena’s cheeks.

It felt good to make Werond smile.

“I honestly shouldn’t tell you now.” Werond said, looking back at Serena. “That was horrible.”

“Well, I learned from the best.” Serena shot back.

“Okay,” Werond pointed a finger at her. “nothing I did was ever that bad. All my lines were much better than that, especially considering how I got you in –”

Serena reached up and planted a hand over Werond’s mouth, cutting her off before she could speak the truth. With her free hand, Serena signed, “Title?”

Werond shook her head as Serena uncovered her mouth.

“Alright, alright.” Werond leaned in, pulling Serena’s waist against her. “Well, Serena Lash, against their better judgement, you have the pleasure of sleeping beside the 74th Masked Lord of the Castle Ward.” She grinned wolfishly. “There, is that what you wanted?”

Serena grinned back, and began to sign, only to stop as the words sunk in.

Castle Ward.

She gasped, unable to hide her shock.

Werond’s smile vanished instantly, a puzzled look taking its place as Serena struggled to compose herself.

“What did you just realize?” She asked pointedly, straightening so that they both stood properly. “Because it looked like you just realized something.”

“Uhm, nothing, I –” Serena stammered, talons of unease raking her chest.

“Uh, are you sure? Because that was quite the look you just gave me.”

“I – I didn’t mean that, it’s just…”

“What?” Werond leaned in slightly. “You almost flinched when I said my title. What did you just realize about it?”

Serena looked away, her heart in her throat. How had Werond guessed that?

“Hey.” Werond continued. “You can tell me. Honest.”

She glanced back. Werond stared at her, an intense look in her eyes, though it was filled with nothing else save genuine curiosity.

Perhaps that meant something.

“Uhm…” Serena began. “I just…I met a cleric in the healer’s section, and we were talking about the city and everything and…he made mention of the Masked Lord that ran the Castle Ward and –” Werond cocked a brow. “and I just…realized we were talking about you.”

Werond smiled. “And that made you react like that?”

“Uh…well he mentioned a scandal with a servant –”

The effect was immediate.

Werond shoved herself away from Serena, ripping her hands from her waist, as the warm atmosphere vanished, sending a shiver down Serena’s spine.

The curiosity in Werond’s eyes snapped to a maelstrom of cold, naked fury. She hissed through clenched teeth in a tone that Serena had never heard from her before.

“Who said that?!” She demanded; Serena’s chest threatened to cave in on itself. “Tell me who the fuck said that!”

“W-Werond?!” Serena stammered. “What –”

“I mean it god damnit! I will not have slander against me!” She raised her hands to her head as though she meant to clutch at her hair, only to drop them, letting out a deep growl of anger. “They have no right to speak against me like that! Especially that!”

“They didn’t mean anything bad!” Fear stabbed through Serena like a knife. “They were just telling me about –”

“They shouldn’t!” Werond marched back towards Serena and stuck a finger in her face. Her face contorted as she spoke, the rage that poured off her body seemingly tangible. “No one should be discussing it! You tell me their name, right now!”

“Werond!” Serena pleaded.

“NOW!” Werond bellowed.

Despite herself, Serena jerked and cringed back, hands clutched against her chest. Terror washed over her like water, and she felt her entire body go cold. She could not meet Werond’s gaze as she followed her.

“Werond you’re scaring me!” Serena signed, taking another step back. Werond stepped forward again, deaf to her words; her hand shot out and grabbed Serena’s wrist, cutting her off before she could speak.

“Answer me god damnit!” She bellowed. “Who talked about this?!”

“I – don’t –”

“Tell me!”

She tightened her grip around Serena’s wrist, crushing painfully it.

Serena screamed.

Werond jerked, her eyes going wide.

Slowly, the fury that had embedded itself within her began to bleed away, realization filling the hole it left behind.

Werond released Serena’s wrist, and she pulled her arm back and clutched at it. Werond stared at her, her hand still held in the air, mouth slightly agape. Her eyes flicked about Serena, and as they did, tears returned to them.

“I…” Was all she could say as she dropped her hand.

Serena flinched.

The motion seemed to awaken something within Werond.

Her chest began to heave as she gulped down air, entire body starting to shake. She wrapped her arms about her, hugging herself, as her entire face turned red.

“G-gods, I – I’m s – Serena I –” Werond spoke as though she’d just run the length of the coliseum, barely able to spit out her words. “I didn – my g – I –” She unwrapped her arms as her hands began to clutch at the air, searching for something, anything, but coming up empty.

Werond took a step back and pressed the back of her hand against her mouth, sweat beginning to form on her forehead. A single heaving sob tore through her. Without a word, she turned on her heel, stumbled back to her throne, and collapsed into it. As she leaned back, Werond buried her face into her hands, entire body now trembling horribly. A low, quiet sob escaped her lips, consuming her utterly.

Serena remained where she was, staring, as Werond broke, descending into a fit of sobs. After a moment, she ducked her head and began to rub her wrist, the pain beginning to fade.

As her heart settled, the shock of it all slowly creeping away, those familiar thin fingers of anxiety blossomed across Serena’s chest as she struggled to put her thoughts in order. She wanted to move yet the terror of what had happened kept her feet firmly in place. Werond took no notice as she continued to sob.

It wasn’t like Werond to react like that, Serena knew as much. But that didn’t change what had happened only a few moments ago. She had gotten short with Serena before when she had pushed about Werond’s life, but never had she been this…physical.

She glanced up at the throne; Werond hadn’t moved, her sobs still racking her body. Something sharp pierced through Serena’s chest at the sight, forcing her to look back at the floor.

It put her at a loss. No one had ever reacted like that towards her about anything. And if it was anyone else, Serena would have been marching out of the room already. But what was she supposed to do when it was Werond who had scared her, threatened to hurt her? And at that, was it an indication of who Werond really –

Serena shook her head, quickly becoming furious at herself.

What had happened was nothing more than Werond’s response to wounds that were still fresh, regardless of how long ago they had been inflicted. It meant nothing beyond that.

It had to.

Serena looked back towards Werond, wincing as that piercing pain came back. The sobs that racked her body had finally begun to quiet, though her face remained buried in her hands, and she still trembled. It was as though she was afraid to look at Serena, a pile of purple robes too scared to move.

A shiver jumped down Serena’s back as she slowly made her way over to the throne. The anger in Werond’s eyes had chilled her to the bone, but seeing her now, slouched over, face buried, body frozen – it was all too much.

The wooden floorboards creaked as Serena halted before Werond, echoing loudly in the now silent room. Werond did not react.

Serena so desperately wished that she could speak aloud, that her words weren’t blocked by something as simple as closing one’s eyes. Perhaps Werond didn’t need words right now though. Perhaps Serena just needed to fulfill her promise.

Fighting a feeling of awkwardness, Serena lowered herself down and sat on the thick rug. She tucked her legs against her chest, tightened her long skirt around them, and, hesitating for just a moment, laid her cheek atop of Werond’s leg.

Heat poured off of Werond through her robes, warming Serena’s face. She did not react to the gesture.

With a sigh, Serena folded her hands into her lap, and stared out the window at the front of the room. She felt foolish, leaning against Werond, but there wasn’t anything else she could do.

So, for a time, Serena remained there, praying to Bahamut – the only god she knew – that Werond understood the gesture. Gradually, the tremors of Werond’s body began to fade until she was stock still, her breathing becoming regular again. It took all of Serena’s will not to nod off despite the situation, so comfortable she was leaned against Werond, the rhythm of her breathing lulling her almost to sleep.

She jumped when Werond’s hand, damp with sweat, slowly began to brush through Serena’s hair. She reached up immediately and laid a hand on Werond’s knee. And after a moment, Werond laid her own over it.

When she spoke, it was with a voice choked by years of regret.

“I-I’m so sorry.” Werond whispered. “I-I n-never meant to do…that. It’s just…it still hurts. It still…” She drew in a shuddering breath. “There w-was a scandal. His name was Tai, and I l-loved him so much. Everything y-you are to me, he was back then. And…I killed him. I k-killed him. I d-did stupid things when I f-first became a Lord and – and I f-fucked up and let a b-bill go through and it d-defunded parts of the city and people starved and Tai b-blamed me and w-we argued and,” Werond could barely breath. “I – w-we found him h-hanging in his room and it’s all my –”

A sob ripped through her, cutting off her words as Werond shattered once more. Serena looked up at her, only for Werond to pull her hands away and bury her face back into them, her sobs quieter than before.

Without thinking, Serena pushed herself up in front of Werond. She grabbed her wrists and easily pulled Werond’s hands away, revealing a dark, tear-soaked face, eyes filled with a self-hatred that Serena had never seen before, face marred by the heavy weight of regret.

A face so alien that Serena couldn’t see Werond through it.

Sucking in a shuddering sob, the Masked Lord of the Castle Ward looked away and whimpered. “D-don’t l-look at m-me.” She squeezed her eyes shut and grimaced.

Serena’s heart broke.

Fighting back her own tears, she pushed Werond’s hands into her lap; she leaned forward and placed her knees on the throne in between Werond’s legs and fell against her, doing her best to wrap her arms around her. Without hesitation, Werond embraced her back and buried her face into Serena’s shoulder, her sobs growing louder.

Serena’s chest ached as she listened to Werond cry for regrets she’d never truly understand. She so desperately wished for something she could say – something she could do – to help Werond out of the hole that she had fallen into. Yet all she could do was lend her shoulder.

She tightened her grip around Werond. Werond clutched at Serena’s back, and together, they held one another in an embrace that could offer only the slightest bit of comfort, for wounds inflicted so long ago.

Gradually, Werond’s sobs began to fade as she ran out of tears to shed. Gradually, her grip on Serena loosened, hands trembling from the effort. Serena loosened her own grip, her tired arms thankful, but she did not pull away. Instead, it was Werond who, having grown silent once more, gently pushed her back. Serena remained kneeled on the throne, ignoring the aching in her legs, and met Werond’s tired, worn, and damp gaze.

“Let me…” Werond cleared her throat, voice steadier than it once was. “Let me…get my thoughts straight, I…” She trailed off as Serena nodded.

She waited for Werond for what felt like an eternity. It may as well have been. How long had they been in here? It felt like barely an hour, but she couldn’t be sure.

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry. I just…” Werond began. “You’re turning into him. You’re…taking his place faster than I thought you ever could. And the closer you get, the more I fear…that I’ll push you to an early grave. And just the thought of that…” She sucked in a shuddering breath. “k-kills me inside. I…I’ve thought that…maybe…it may be best if we never get to –”

Serena pressed the sides of her hands against Werond’s chest, harder than she wanted to, hard enough to jerk Werond into shocked silence. Blinking away her own tears, Serena stared at Werond with an intensity that she didn’t know she had.

“Please don’t finish that.” Serena shook her head. “I know what you’re going to say, and I don’t care. I…I can’t help it if I’m turning into him, but I want to stay with you. I don’t want to go away because of what might happen.”

“But –”

“Listen to me.” Serena pleaded, heart beginning to race once more. “I’m strong enough to take care of myself, and I’m strong enough to know that I want to be with you. Werond I,” Her throat tightened. “I want to be that person that you can rely on. Even if it takes you years to overcome all of this, I want to be there to help you through it. Just like…how you were for me. On the caravan. If I can’t do that, then what am I?”

“Serena,” Werond smiled joylessly. “we haven’t even known each other for that long, and you’re talking like that?”

“That doesn’t matter, and you know it.”

“I…” Werond stammered. “I know, I just…”

“Why are you hesitating now? After everything we’ve done, up to right now, you’ve been with me. You’ve even asked if I’d stay with you in the city. And now…now you’re having second thoughts? Why?”

“I…” Werond looked away and bit her lip. Anguish filled her eyes, while anxiety began to creep back into Serena’s chest. “Because it took me this long to realize what you meant to me. And what you mean to me is exactly what he was, and…I can’t go through that again. I can’t.”

“And you won’t. It’ll be different.”

“Serena,” Werond met her gaze again, her eyes hard. “you’re not hearing me. It doesn’t matter if it’s different, Tai died because of me. Because I messed up. I’m not the person you knew on the road over here – that woman is a lie. A lie I made so I could pretend to be someone else. I’m still the terrible person I was –”

“Don’t say that!”

“Look at me Serena!” Werond yelled, sending a jolt through her. “Did you already forget what I did to you just now?! I’m not good! I haven’t changed! Remind me of what happened before, and I’ll go down in flames and bring you with me! I’ll – you’re going to end up hurt more if you stay with me and –”

“I don’t care!” Serena yelled back childishly. “I just…I don’t care!”

“Why?!” Werond stared at her, eyes wide. “Why aren’t you listening to me?”

Heart pounding in her chest, Serena’s hands twitched as the truth rose to the surface of her mind.

“Because I don’t want to be alone anymore.” She said. “And neither do you.”

Werond’s mouth moved, though no words came out. She stared at Serena, her eyes searching for something. After a moment, she sighed deeply.

“You’re right.” She whispered. “I…you’re right.” Her jaw tightened. “But what I want doesn’t affect things. I still haven’t changed. I still hurt you. And I know that, if we stay together, I’ll end up hurting you even more…even if I’m not the one doing it.”

“Then let me get hurt.” Serena signed. “I don’t care. What you did, it…it was scary, but that’s not you. It’s not. I know it’s not. I know that the person you were then is not the person you are today. And I know you don’t believe me so…” Serena sucked in a breath. “I’ll stay. I’ll stay, and I’ll prove it to you.”

Werond blinked. “But what about –”

“I don’t know.” Serena shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ll think of something, but right now, I’m not concerned about them. Whatever happens will happen, either with you or them or if I get hurt or – whatever.” Serena sighed. “But please…let me be there for you. I just want to stay with you. I can’t – I don’t want to think of it any other way.” Her voice fell to a pleading whisper in Werond’s mind. “Please.”

Werond stared at her. Her mouth opened as though she had more to say, yet nothing came out. Serena’s heart thumped in her chest as she waited for a response, praying beyond belief that Werond would say what she wanted to hear.

“I want to say no.” Werond whispered finally. “Because I don’t think you’re listening to me.” She shook her head as Serena began to sign; her hands traveled to her hips, and she held her as though she were afraid to let go. “But maybe you’re right. Maybe that’s what I need. It’s been so long since…everything, and I don’t want to be alone anymore. I don’t think I can survive that.” She sighed. “It’s not going to be pretty Serena. It’s not. I know what you said but…it still hurts, after all these years. It’s not going to be fun.”

“I know.” Serena signed. “But so long as I’m with you, I know that everything will be fine. I know it will.”

Werond squeezed her eyes shut and tilted her head back, breathing in deep. When she looked back at Serena, a tiny bit of determination filled her eyes – pieces of amber submerged beneath a glassy sea.

She smiled.

“That stubbornness is going to get you killed one of these days.”

“Maybe.” Serena smiled back. “But right now, it’s making sure that I get to wake up next to the woman I love tomorrow. And for that, I’m thankful.”

Werond’s smiled widened. She pulled Serena in and, pausing just long enough for permission, kissed Serena gently, showing her gratitude in the best way that Werond knew how.

It was the sweetest kiss Serena had even known.