Shifting Worlds

Seeing how Artorias slumped under the weight of her question immediately made her mind go into a flurry of assumptions and worries, but none of it ended up matching what Artorias eventually brought himself to tell her. There was only one other and that much at least was a comfort, but she was completely stunned when she heard who it was. She had had only met Bowen once and really couldn't even remember what she looked like, she only really recognized the name because of hearing it in passing or in stories. Her jaw nearly dropped to the ground at the reveal and she just stared at him for a long moment while he shrunk under his own shame and embarrassment. At the very least she felt completely confident that he was telling the truth. There wasn't a chance in hell that he'd tell that kind of lie. If anything he was just making things more difficult for himself by telling her this, but instead of lying and pointing toward someone else he admitted to being attracted to his long lost sister. Her brow creased as he began to apologize, saying how he never wanted to put her in this position and offering her an out. She knew it was an out that she didn't want to use, but she also wasn't entirely sure how she wanted to proceed.

She was sure most girls would call something like this a deal breaker. She wasn't unaware of that. It was hard to fully wrap her head around the fact that this boy that she loved with her entire heart also wanted to sleep with her handmaiden and his sister. Her gaze shifted away from him, looking off across the plains as she really tried to consider it. If he had told her that it was just random lust for any random girl then she might have had a worse reaction, but the fact was that the only wolves he had these urges for were two wolves that obviously meant something to him. The slave he had saved and brought into a better life and his sister that had been lost from his life for so long that had finally returned... For whatever reason that felt different to her. For some reason that was easier to swallow. It was easier for her to know exactly what he was feeling and for who instead of questioning and letting her mind make up its own assumptions and guesses.

Her jaw tightened as she looked at him again, settling on her decision even if it was one she wasn't fully happy with yet. However... she could compromise in order to keep what she wanted most - Artorias. She lifted a paw as she fixed him with a firm look, poking his chest with her paw to punctuate her words. "If you ever feel like this for anyone else you have to tell me. If you actually do anything with either of them I want to know. No secrets. You hiding things or lying is much worse to me than... this." Her expression softened slightly as she lowered her paw, her ears flicking back with a sigh. "I don't want you to have to feel like you're constantly restraining yourself or forcing yourself to be something else. That's not a good way to live... As long as its a limited thing, as long as you don't decide you suddenly want harems and slaves..." It was hard for her to actually say it out loud, hard for her to speak her permission for him to be with Lia or Bowen, but it was there. She wanted to stay with him, but she refused to let him constantly monitor himself to do it.

There was really only one other question lingering on her mind, one last worry to to ease before she could let it go. "But if you're going to do this you have to promise me that I'll always come first," she added softly, her words no longer holding the slight edge of anger that they had before. "I want to be the one to marry you and have a family and rule with you... If something ever changes, if you ever start to love someone else more than me... Then I don't want this any more. I'll only agree to this as long as I am the one that you love most."

"Briar Fatalis"