"I can't wait to see her break your heart!" Sally said happily.

My eye twitched at her. "Very rude."

She snickered happily as she walked ahead of me. We were alone, heading up the mountain towards Vexli's village.

I had hoped Vim would have joined us… so he too could witness Vexli and I exchange vows, but the darn fool was off helping Light or something. I wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, or where, but I knew it was important. Too important to distract him with a simple wedding, at least.

Honestly I would have waited to have it, until he could have joined as well, but Vexli and her people had a very stupid tradition… one that kind of uh…

I sighed as I stepped over a branch. The rustled a bit as I walked over it, since it had been a recent dropping. The thing still had green leaves all over it.

"Don't think I've ever met these folks. They kind of stick to themselves out here, huh?" Sally said, likely just making small talk as we traversed the dense path.

This wasn't even really a path, honestly. I don't think it's even a game trail, what with the thick bushes and fallen trees and branches all over.

"They are content in their village. And it's safe and hidden from everyone, so they don't have to worry about much. Even when that mercenary war happened not far from here they hadn't even known about it, thanks to where it is," I said.

"Right? Hold on, I need a breath…" Sally huffed as she paused a moment, putting a foot up on a larger log as if to stretch a bit.

I stopped with her, and watched the way she arched back a little as to stretch her neck too. Sally didn't look tired, and in fact looked just as I remembered her from forever ago, but I knew it was likely her age showing. She was older than I was, though I wasn't sure by how much, and I was supposedly a few hundred years old already.

Actually…

Why wasn't she married already too? Sally was beautiful. And unlike me, was not just very well respected throughout the Society but genuinely loved. I don't think she's been banished from anywhere, ever. And she's always involved in the bigger workings and whatnot too…

Plus she was actually a lovely person. So lovely that I had never even thought about trying to bed her, because it would have felt… wrong, I guess. She was in my eyes not just a friend, but maybe even a sister. A family member.

"Have you found anyone yet, Sally?" I asked gently.

"What…? If you start boasting and teasing me just because you've found someone who finally got pregnant I'm going to thump you!" Sally said, though with a grin.

I grinned back at her. "Please don't say that when we get there. They actually have a very serious rule about it, if she has a baby out of wedlock the man gets hung since it's seen as assault," I said.

"Even though she's happy with you?" Sally asked.

I nodded.

"Huh… well I guess I can't blame them. That's a good way to keep people from doing anything stupid, I guess," Sally said with a frown as she thought about it.

"Or just makes people do even stupider things," I said.

"Probably. But who am I to say? And concerning your question… no. I've not found anyone. Unlike you I don't hop in and out of beds every chance I get," Sally said.

"I've told you that's not how it happened…" I mumbled.

She chuckled at me and then swapped the foot which was resting on the log. She stretched her other leg for a moment, and then nodded at me. "I've been looking, though, you know? I really have."

"Oh…?" I nodded gently, and wondered if I should tease her… or if this was the wrong moment to do so. She suddenly looked, and sounded, a little serious.

"I'm not sure why I'm finding it so difficult. Brandy thinks it's because I waited too long. You know, now that the Society is all… smaller and stuff," she said.

Right… We had lost a lot of members during the wars, and then several thousand had left to the other continent. "Can I uh… ask something a tad personal, Sally?" I asked.

"Hm?"

"Why'd we never do anything?" I asked.

She scowled at me, for just a tiny moment. "You're like a little brother to me. Plus I don't like how you smell."

"Smell…?" I frowned at that. Really…? That was super surprising, because usually my smell was what so many women first used as why they had wanted to taste me. Even Vexli commented often she liked it.

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Sally nodded as she frowned. "By the way have you ever noticed Vim doesn't smell?"

"Hm? Yes. Not only doesn't he have a scent, nothing he touches has a scent either for a long time after he messes with it," I said. I'd noticed it before, back during the wars. A few times he had been covered in gore and grime, and yet hadn't smelled at all. It was rather obvious.

"Makes me wonder what he actually smells like… you know?" Sally said as she frowned in thought.

Oh…? Wait…

Studying my friend, the woman who herself claimed to see me as a sibling, I suddenly felt a little stupid again.

There was no way… right? "Sally…" I groaned at her.

"What!? Wait… no! I'm not saying that!" Sally immediately realized what I was saying, and her face grew a bit redder as she hurriedly waved me away.

Oh my gosh she does! "Don't fall for him! He's a monarch!" I said.

"I know…!" Sally groaned as she hurriedly covered her face, making a terrible whine as she squirmed.

Just great! Was that why then? All this time…? It made a lot of sense, actually. Sally was always getting involved in the inner-workings of the Society… maybe it wasn't because she actually wanted to be, but rather because by doing so she had more opportunities to be near Vim!

Feeling terrible for her, I tried to think of what to say or do. She was squeezing her own face, groaning in embarrassment.

I knew that feeling. I had felt like that when I had realized my affection for Vexli. And had felt even worse when I had returned to see her, and knelt down to declare it. She had slapped me something fierce, and then had ran off without a word. I had sat there, in the middle of a field, for what had felt like hours just… wanting to crawl into a hole and die.

Unlike Sally though I had been saved. Vexli had returned, and without a word picked me up off the ground and kissed me. My friend wasn't going to be rescued anytime soon in such a way…

"I uh… I don't know what to say Sally… other than I hope you realize the end result…" I said, deciding to break the awkwardness myself first.

"I know…!" she groaned through her hands.

"How long…?" I asked.

Sally took a deep breath, huffed, and then revealed her face. It was flushed, and it made me feel a tad weird. I'd never seen her like this before… That was the kind of flush a woman got while in bed. I'd recognize it anywhere.

"Since he saved me. From that monarch," she whispered.

Oh gods…! "From the beginning!" I groaned. Well, not really. That was after I had met her, so it hadn't been. She had been in the Society for a few decades before that, but it had still basically been from the beginning. At least two hundred years ago.

"I know! I know! The worst part is I don't even actually find him attractive…! So I can't explain it!" she shouted.

Ah… I nodded. "Yeah… I get that. Vexli is beautiful, but honestly I prefer them to be a tad well… older," I said, using that term made sense to me here and now at least. Vexli didn't look like a child, like Merit or anything, but she definitely didn't look like a fully grown woman either. Vexli, appearance wise at least, was definitely not my standard either.

"You're competing with those like Celine or Merit," I said, feeling horrible for my friend. At least I only had to compete with the men in her village, and the few who visited on occasion. Though I mean… I had allowed her sister and niece to die in my hands, so I had always felt like I was fighting a losing battle, but… that hadn't been the case, I guess.

"Celine's dead. Merit's not even on his radar. The one I really have to worry about is his destined one," Sally said with a sigh. Her flushed face was finally returning to normal.

"Destined one…?" I asked. What'd that mean? Was that one of their religious things…? I didn't remember reading about that in their bibles.

"There's a bunch of prophecies concerning his mate. Some kind of giant cat. One that can hide in shadows and can eat saints and give birth to new ones," Sally said.

I flung my arms up. "Don't tell me that stuff! By the Gods Sally!" I shouted as I stepped away, shaking my head hard enough to try and shake the knowledge from my mind.

But I couldn't. wouldn't be able to, ever.

How was I going to keep that secret!

"Oh. Right…" Sally mumbled as I now took a turn in rubbing my face.

Great! Vim absolutely hated such prophecies! Particularly ones about him…! Now I was going ot have to keep this a secret from him, to my grave! Was I going to be able to…?

"Sorry, Tosh…" Sally apologized.

I groaned as I took a deep breath and nodded. I let it out slowly, through clenched teeth. "It's okay… I uh… I deserve that, after revealing your secret as I did," I said.

"Kind of you."

It was!

I turned to look back at her, and found her giving me a soft smile. A sad one. The kind that made me want to give her a hug. She liked hugs.

"I'm sorry Sally. I don't even know what to say," I said softly. I couldn't imagine it. She basically loved someone she could never have. Not even touch. Vim, although everyone thought he did, actually didn't sleep with anyone in the Society. It was one of his rules. But I knew the truth. The few people who claimed he had done so, like Jennifer, hadn't actually done the deed. I had witnessed myself them sleeping in different rooms, or tents, only for the rumors to spread afterward. I never really called them out, because I knew Vim didn't care about them, but…

That meant Sally wouldn't even be able to get Vim's attention for a few nights, or anything.

I couldn't imagine that. How could I have endured if Vexli would have… never reciprocated my feelings? To not even know her touch? Her love or wrath? Her smell, even?

It almost made one feel like life wasn't worth it.

"It's okay Tosh. I've long since accepted it," Sally then said.

"Hm… is there anything I can do? Want me to help you find someone?" I asked.

"Please don't. You barely have good enough taste in women, how would you do with men?" she asked, teasing me.

I smirked at that. "Hey now, I think Vexli is flawless."

Sally gently smiled and nodded at me. "I bet she is. I'm looking forward to her breaking your heart," she said, again.

Groaning at my friend… we returned to walking. This time a tad bit slower, as we delved into some lovely conversations. We opened our hearts, spoke of things never spoken before… and…

Then when we walked into the village, and found it burnt down and destroyed…

I realized there were gods in this world. And they were as cruel as Vim claimed.

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