Absolution

Gentle touches and caresses would fill the remainder of their night. A night that neither woman wished to end. The end was necessity though. Only with an end could a beginning take hold. Though she loved Deathbelle, Iolaire was not what the woman needed or deserved. The small healer was simply a step to mending a broken heart so that that heart might fill with love once more. That was her highest hope for Belle. She was a woman crafted for love and a life without it wouldn't be a happy life.

Curled around one another, the pair had shifted so that Belle could hold Io against her chest. The dainty fae pressed herself gladly against her love, nestling into the thick ruff. Dual-toned eyes closed as she worked to memorize this moment as it could very well be their last. Oddly enough, it didn't bother Iolaire as much as it should. From the beginning, she knew that she was a stepping stone. She was not Deathbelle's end game. Their affair had begun as a promise to help the woman and had ended up being much more. She would always love the Empress and she had no doubt that the woman would always have affection for her. Io was glad though that Deathbelle might finally get what she needed. And, if Hannibal fell through, she would be there to catch her.

Her words had sparked light conversation between them. Belle's admission bringing a gentle smile to Io's maw. She then spoke of Ashen needing good fortune. Iolaire gave a soft nod. "Good fortune comes from the paths we take and the risks we make." Pulling back slightly, the small dame stared hard into her lovers lavender eyes. "Give Hannibal a chance. That's all I'll say on the matter." She had a feeling and her feelings were usually right. There had been no lie in the man when he spoke of his love towards Belle. Io believed him. If he meant what he said, then perhaps the pair could heal one another. If he turned out to be a liar and hurt the woman in question, well... Then Iolaire would castrate him with her dullest knife and leave the rest to Sirius.