When I returned I discovered she had found my bedroom. On the bed she had draped herself, and she was extremely naked. My jaw dropped, eyes widened at the apparent complete forgiveness I was being given.

“You …”

“Just come,” she lifted up a hand from her olive tinted perfect form. Holding it out to me as an invitation she welcomed me home. “And we'll forget our differences for now?”

A smile flickered across my lips. Though the dynamic in this relationship was not ideal, I was delighted at this form of surprise so early on. My heart rose to a tempo of excitement, and I began to work on my shirt as I moved over.

“I am willing,” I said warmly.

And we had two hours of sweet, gentle romance.

Afterwards, I sat on the edge of my bed, looking at my discarded clothes. Regina leant against my back, belly first. Her fingers tangled slowly into my hair and ran the length of my horns. Extending as they did from my temples and arching back it took her some time to trail her hands the full length of them, however the longer the better. I felt strangely elated at the sensation, calming after the storm we had created in my now messy bed.

“Do you know why you look like a tiefling?” she asked, after a moment of silence.

I frowned. “I would say tieflings look like us. We were there first.”

“And all of your kind … primordials, they have horns?”

I nodded in response, though was careful not to lower my chin too deep so as to upset her trailing touch. “Some even have tails. But I cannot tell you why. It is what it is.”

Gently she leant to kiss my bare shoulder. “I do not mind what features you may have. You are handsome at least.”

“And you are very beautiful,” I murmured in reply. It was satisfyingly different to have this conversation. Most of ours was playful banter about how each other was wrong, and now here we were discussing how attractive we found the other.

“Thank you,” she rested her chin on my shoulder. Tilting my head down I regarded her as she grinned at me.

“Hello barbarian.”

“You probably could come up with some other insults,” I mused.

“Mmmm. Idiot. Primitive. Uncivilised. Erroneous. Fool. Heretic.”

I laughed and raised a hand to curl my own fingers into her hair. “Thank you for being so honest.”

“Well you are something of a heretic,” she kissed my neck again. “Maintaining an incorrect doctrine outside the established hierarchy.”

“Or just belief in myself, my own skills and a desire to never run the risk of being called someone's property again …” I replied.

She paused, and looked up at me. Slightly, I smiled. There was a pause between us, where our eyes remained in constant watch. Slowly she blinked, mouth lacking in a smile but still joy in her eyes.

Leaning over my shoulder she gave me a quick last kiss on the lips before she slipped off the bed. “On that, we should probably start heading.”

My heart fell. I had hoped to distract her to some extent, and have her not thinking about our expected journey to Morningstar's court. But she was what she was - a loyal servant, worthy of praise for that dedication. As I watched she strode towards her underclothes and began to pull them on.

“Do you know if I have clothing there now?” I asked.

She nodded a little. “After you spent a few days with us last time, those clothes you left are now waiting for you, available. I believe he actually calls the room yours.”

“Of course he does.” I stretched as I prepared to get up. Looking around I spotted a book on the small cabinet that I had been reading recently. Getting up I took a small step to gather it up, then began to look for my clothes.

“Things would be a lot easier if you did swear fealty to him,” she sighed.

I shrugged on my trousers over my undergarments. “Unfortunately that is never going to happen, so you will need to deal with the pains of a long distance relationship,” was my response.

“Are you bringing that?” she appeared before me and gestured to the book.

Now she was in her dress once more, her black locks cascading wonderfully. In her hands also was the picnic basket, with a blanket hiding it's contents. Nodding, I held out the book and she took it from me.

“Remember your boots,” she lightly said.

“Mmm,” I grunted, amused that she thought I could forget them.

As I found them, beneath my shirt, I found another book. This Regina took from me, slipping it beneath her blanket, as I tugged on a clean shirt. Boots laced and buttons secure I spent a moment musing with the cuffs before she appeared at my elbow.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“As I'll ever be,” I picked at a stray thread.

I saw her nodding, and then gently she took my hand. A smile began to come over my face as she slipped her fingers in with mine, and she pulled my hand back towards her face. I began to turn, smiling and watching her, when the unexpected happened.

Suddenly her other hand moved and a golden tinted metallic cuff was suddenly being fixed around my wrist.

I let out a groan. Trust her to distract me. Regina simply laughed as she pulled my hand around my back, sharper this time, then reached out to grab my other hand. I barely resisted, knowing what she wanted, and what the consequences were of fighting this. Some of my power blossomed in readiness, eager to be free, but I willed it back down. Less delicate now she pulled both my arms around, and shoved my second hand into the second manacle, closing it shut with a light click, so that my two hands where now firmly bound behind my back. Slightly, I bent over from where they were cuffed at the small of my back, and she appeared at my front, ecstatically beaming.

“There,” she said, satisfied. “All ready.”

“Bound and ready for transportation,” I rolled my eyes. I tested the manacles, easing my wrists apart, and found a light bell sound filling my ears - the sound Morningstar's chains apparently made.

Quite delighted with her distraction she nodded, and looped an arm with mine, her other holding onto the basket. “Come along prisoner, I need to deliver you.”

And she raised a palm. Within was a pulsating white stone. Tightly, she held onto me as the world spun around us, and I was pulled from my new life for a brief encounter with my brother.