Toln softly closed the door where the children were sleeping. Orn had put on a brave face, but eventually retired early for the night. Emmy had even gone to sleep with out complaint. He shook his head as he walked down the stairs. What am I going to do with them?

At the base of the stairs, he saw his wife sitting at an empty table on the far side of the room. He smiled and made small talk with the few guests still in the inn’s main room, as he went. He covered the last half of the distance without interruption as the few guests had chosen to give him some space on account of his rank. He scoffed internally, not that either of us care. But there are visitors in the village, so we have to deal with the farce, and play respected nobles.

“That was quite a sigh,” his wife said look up as he sat down. “Was Emmy running around instead of sleeping again?”

“No, thankfully,” he said with a smile thinking of his daughter’s tendency to play in her room long after she was sent to bed. “She has all taken over Orn’s bed. He has his nose almost against the wall and she is sprawled over the rest.”

“She follows him around like a puppy,” his wife said with a slight smile. “Given a choice, she would probably spend her time following him everywhere. She thinks the world of him, and that he is so patient with her it is making it worse.”

“Little siblings do that,” he countered before taking a sip of his drink. “The village children are always following their sibling’s around.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes, which surprised him. His shock must have shown as she laughed and he felt his own mood brighten at the sound.

“I sometimes forget that you get up so isolated,” she said, stretching out her hand on the table to hold his. “I have seen a lot of children following their siblings, most actively try to discourage it or are unkind. The most patient will just try to escape their little siblings, so they are not stuck with ‘little children.’ Orn actively supports her and tries to bring her into whatever he is doing.”

“Are you saying it is an issue?” Toln would not have thought that before, but after the fiasco with the path he was questioning everything.

“I did not say that,” his wife smiled squeezing his hand gently. “It is good that they get along so well. It also means they are not taking turns running to me complaining about the other one. Do not look at me like that. If you spent less time with the hunters and more with their wives you would have seen it as well. It is much better this way, though Orn leaving for the Academy will be hard on Emmy. I do not think she really understands what it means for him to go.”

“Do you think she will be fine staying with Auntie and Uncle while we are gone?” he asked feeling suddenly reluctant to leave her behind.

“She will be fine. At first it will be hard, but she is to energetic to just sit around. I half expect her to have a best friend, or two, when we get back.” her eyes seemed to fixate on something only she could see for a moment. Coming back to the present she continued, “Orn was always shy and standoffish. He gets along with the others, but I think he only really has the one friend.”

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“Do you really think that she should count as a friend?” he asked, feeling concern and irritation rising up in him. “You know what she did today. Orn may not have realized the effect, but his friend should have.”

She squeezed his hand again, and nodded. “I know. But we do not know anything about her. She could think this is better, or only focused on what Orn wanted. You told me what Orn said he asked for. He wanted Emmy to be able to choose. No one gets to do that. But Emmy did. That is a big ask and she did it for him. The only thing we know is that Orn’s friend is willing to do a lot for him.”

“I know. But today was the first time I have to question if that is a good thing.” He stared down into his cup. “That kind of power is dangerous. If Orn is the one directing it… How do I even teach him to handle that well? This is so far beyond what I am prepared for.”

“Says a high noble able to order someone’s execution on a whim,” she scoffed.

“That is different,” He responded looking up at his disbelieving wife. “The law and crown prohibit that kind of abuse.”

“They may prohibit and even punish people who abuse that power, but it does not actually stop you. You do not do it, because it would be wrong. Can you imagine Orn becoming a tyrant that hurt people for fun?”

“No,” he felt the weight lifting from his shoulders. “I cannot. I worry that he may be pulled into something or be a bit headstrong. But, I cannot imagine him being cruel.”

“Then we are doing good so far,” she said, smiling. “We just need to make sure he understands what his actions can do. We have kept him sheltered form the world, and possibly too much. It will be hard on him when he understands the full impact of what happened today.”

“Do you think I was wrong?” He asked. I always feel bad after I tell Orn or Emmy they did something wrong.

“No, I think you did fine. He did not think of the effects on Rory or is parents and you walked him through what he did wrong.” She seemed to consider her next words carefully. “Explaining what happened with Emmy would be hard to do. Leaving it for him to think on may help. The real question is should we go ahead with the gift we planned to give him when he started the Academy.”

He considered her words for a moment. “I see what you mean, but it think we should give it to him. If he does well it will not matter that her has it, but if he makes a mistake he will need it badly.”

{Several hours earlier in the hall}

“Why is father so mad?” Orn whispered, in the empty hall. “Emmy is so happy, and she is still father's daughter. Just because she does not have the path does not make her any less a noble.”

The hallway was silent. The moments drug by slowly, so Orn tried again. “Kao say something.”

A sigh came from beside him, and he saw the goddess looking very tired. “He is upset because a lot of people only consider you a noble if your path says you are a noble. She has an incredible talent for healing, if she was a noblewoman it would have been wasted.”

“Will it make her life harder?” Orn asked worrying that he knew the answer.

“in certain…” Kao began but Orn stopped her.

“So it will.” His shoulders slumped. “Can you undo the change?”

he looked up to see a look of horror on her face. “Please, father said I hurt her, and you just said I made her life harder.”

Kao’s shocked expression changed to one of anger. “No. She wanted it and there is nothing wrong with it. I will not ignore her will, not for you or anyone else. I do not want to talk to you right now. Talk to me again when you realize what you did.”

The goddess disappeared from the hall, leaving Orn alone with is thoughts and regrets.