Kilniara nodded, “I am not ulvan.”

Gwenvair’s face fell, “You are not ulvan.”

The two fell silent for a moment, parsing the moment until Gwenvair turned back to look at Kilniara.

“You felt this. You thought me to be thief?”

Kilniara smiled and chuckled, “Not as… overwhelmingly as you did, but yes. You do not?”

“We are family. Why would I be jealous of family.”

Kilniara nodded, “So, if another is accepted as family, then you do not feel… jealousy?”

Gwenvair shook her head but then quickly grew embarrassed as she continued, “No… just… mostly… excited.”

Kilniara’s eyebrow twitched, “Seeing me with him makes you… feel heat?”

Gwenvair squirmed and turned away, “He is … strong.”

Kilniara chuckled, “Maybe. But … for most kin, it seems that we see our mate as only ours.”

Gwenvair nodded, “Then…”

Gwenvair trailed off, grimacing and growing concerned before firming her resolve. She … deserves him, and she was first.

“Then I will withdraw.”

Kilniara widened her eyes, “No! I … no!”

Gwenvair frowned, “But… you do not … this… Joe is right, this cannot… It will not work.”

Kilniara paused at that and despaired, “You cannot do anything? I thought… Queens…”

Gwenvair paused at that, “But… it will … it is a change.”

Kilniara nodded, “He deserves it.”

Gwenvair felt her hope flair, but then grimaced and shook her head, crushing it, “Joe would not accept that.”

Kilniara frowned, “He will.”

Gwenvair shook her head, “You know I am Queen now. I know him, even in so short a time.”

“He won’t?”

Gwenvair shook her head, “He will not accept you forced to his desire.”

Kilniara shook her head, “But I desire it as well!”

Gwenvair paused at that, thoughtful, then shook her head, “If you did, then… this…”

Kilniara grasped Gwenvair’s hands, “I want you! I truly do. And I want this. I know my jealousy is… will be… and I chose this because … you… you would… you are Queen. As you said. And besides, you are now Queen! You cannot stop.”

Gwenvair frowned, “I… cannot stop, but I can find another,” she finished with a painful grimace.

Kilniara grew explosively angry.

“No!” she shouted.

Gwenvair paused, surprised, “But, I canno…”

“No! You are Queen. Hear me! I know my jealousy. I know its dangers. I still desire this. I still desire you. I want this. Yes, I want this for Joe and I want this for you. But I also want this for me!”

Gwenvair paused and Heard. And she Heard truth. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes and she stepped forward, grasping Kilniara’s forearms.

“But… you know… I know… your jealousy…”

“You are Queen. Be my Queen!” She spoke firmly.

Gwenvair once again stopped, taking the moment to very carefully Hear before nodding, the confirmation evident. Gwenvair breathed deeply, nodding shallowly in thought before turning to look at Kilniara.

“This… will change you. Joe… does not like this. I have Heard him. I know this.”

Kilniara nodded, “But I desire this.”

Gwenvair once again nodded, Hearing cautiously and Hearing compatibility, “You… are right. Are you sure you cannot Hear?”

Kilniara laughed, “I wish I could. It would help us, I think.”

Gwenvair blinked at that, eyes wide as she began to breathe quickly, “I am Queen!”

Kilniara heard, then she Heard. Her eyes widened as well as she stared at Gwenvair, “You are Queen! But… can you?”

Gwenvair nodded very cautiously, “If… you desire… if you want it.”

Kilniara’s breathing rapidly increased to join Gwenvair’s and they stared at one another for a few moments before both began nodding their head’s slowly. Finally, Kilniara spoke.

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“You are Queen. What… can you do?”

Gwenvair replied slowly, “I have Heard Joe well. I believe… I have Heard him quite well.”

Kilniara nodded, “But, today, you Heard more.”

Gwenvair quickly nodded, “I must Hear more.”

Both fell silent at that, but then Kilniara looked at Gwenvair, “And… you must Hear me!”

Gwenvair’s eye’s widened at that, “I… ye… I must Hear you!”

The epiphany hit her so strongly that she grew lost in her thoughts for a few moments before turning back to Kilniara and continuing.

“I have not Heard enough. I must Hear more.”

Kilniara nodded quickly, “You must Hear him more. He is very wise. And you must Hear me. And I must hear you! And … any others, they must choose this, desire this as well!”

Gwenvair’s head began to nod as she thought of this, “You are right… I must Hear… all!”

Kilniara smiled, “Unless it’s another ulvan!”

Gwenvair chuckled at that and shook her head, “True… but… this is… I have… I do not think any ulvan has ever… tried to Hear others before! The focus has always been… This… I must… I will speak with my mother and the elders! Mayhap they will… offer wisdom.”

Kilniara nodded with a smile, relief and joy easily Heard, “See! I knew we could figure this out! Do not give up on us!”

Gwenvair smiled but then frowned, “But… I will need time! Can you … Will you… be OK?”

Kilniara giggled brightly, “Knowing an answer is possible renews my strength. Besides, you already know my resolve and my experience before. You have Heard me, if only a little. Will I be unable to wait?”

Gwenvair paused, carefully mulling over this morning’s event before she began nodding. Her nods grew faster and firmer as a smile grew on her face, the remembrance of what she Heard giving her confidence.

“I think… I believe you are right, but let me Hear you now.”

Kilniara nodded, “I desire this.”

Gwenvair paused, then nodded.

“I wish you as our Queen.”

Gwenvair quickly nodded at that.

“I desire you as my sister with Joe.”

Gwenvair smiled in relief, her hand coming up to rest on Kilniara’s cheek. The two fell into the moment for a bit but then Gwenvair frowned.

“And your jealousy.”

Kilniara’s smile faded, “I am jealous, but I can restrain it for a time.”

Gwenvair smile faded, but her face firmed in confidence of what she Heard.

“Will it grow?”

Kilniara grimaced, “Probably, so I cannot hold it forever, but for a time.”

Gwenvair frowned but nodded, “How can I help mitigate this.”

Kilniara paused at that, then her shoulder’s fell and sadness flooded her face, “Love me. Prove your love to me. Prove his love to me. And seek me out. Never leave me alone.”

Gwenvair’s frown faded and a smile grew in its place, soft and trembling, but hopeful all the same as Gwenvair came to wrap her arms around Kilniara, hugging her tightly before pulling back to look up into Kilniara’s eyes.

“I Hear you! I Hear you, and Joe will as well.”

Kilniara’s relief was palpable, and the two quickly hugged tightly again before pulling back. Their heavy conversation fell with that, and the two felt relief flush over their shoulders before Kilniara laughed and turned to a nearby goblin.

“Let’s kill this one.”

Gwenvair smiled and joined her. They fought in silence for a time until Gwenvair spoke one last time.

“I will speak to my mother for her wisdom and I will seek an answer quickly… in days.”

Kilniara smiled, happy, and Gwenvair Heard it, “Thank you, sister.”

That brought an end to it, and although the topic proved heavy, profound in a way that would alter the rest of their lives, their resolution had brought peace to both of them and soon both simply fell into the joy of companionship, small talk, and destroying goblins with each other and with Joe.

The day passed quickly, with Joe taking a break midmorning then calling an end to the day with a meal at one of the guild halls before they all headed back to the inn. This time, Gwenvair did not call for returning to the villa, Joe seeming set on simply staying at the inn to rest for the afternoon when Kilniara rejected an offer to spend the afternoon and Gwenvair left that afternoon and headed for the inner clan and her mother.

Gwenvair watched Joe head back up to his room, exhausted and even grateful for Kilniara’s willingness to rest. Already, the two worked well together and her Hearing revealed ways to help others. The two boys already rushed off with the afternoon break declared and Gwenvair couldn’t help but smile over the lax tutelage that Joe offered his apprentices. He offers… a very nice life for his apprentices!

When Joe disappeaered up the stairs, she turned to Kilniara, “You Heard?”

Kilniara smiled, “No, but his exhaustion is obvious.”

Gwenvair nodded, “You should begin Hearing subtly soon.”

Kilniara paused at that and looked at Gwenvair with expectation, “What… What’s it like?”

Gwenvair laughed, “I don’t know … how to truly say. You will know when you Hear.”

“Is it.. words?”

Gwenvair smiled, “No.”

“Then, an image? A thought?”

Gwenvair frowned at that, “I… a whisper of a thought. A ghost of an image? A faded echo of sound? It’s… too hard to explain.”

Kilniara frowned at that, “It doesn’t seem… too certain.”

Gwenvair smiled, “No. But, it is enough.”

That brought Kilniara’s smile out and the two fell silent for a bit before Gwenvair sighed, “Then, I should go. I must speak with my mother.”

Kilniara looked up and grew thoughtful, “Should… I come?”

Gwenvair seemed surprised at that, but then Heard, and nodded carefully, “Yes… maybe you are wise.”

Kilniara blinked in her own surprise at that before smirking, “You heard!”

Gwenvair grew excited, “Then, you can Hear?”

Kilniara laughed, “Still, no. You responded to a question I did not ask.”

Gwenvair’s excitement dropped, “Ah, right. Then… Yes, let’s go together.”

The two returned to the inner city and headed directly to the clan's audience hall, speaking of nonsense, but the urgency of their mission bubbled beneath the surface despite both their efforts to ignore it for now. Their walk was quick, purposeful, and without deviation. Their conversation, however, was almost the exact opposite, rambling in its topic so completely as to be almost worthless beyond the effort to fill the air with wordy noise. Their conversation quietened when they left the busy streets of the inner city for the quiet calm of the park like walks of the inner clan, but still proved about as meaningless as before.

When they finally made Gwenvair’s court hall, luck proved to be on their side, and those seeking court of the Matriarch that day were few and the latest one on a simple matter briefly discussed and rather immediately dealt with. And while Matriarch did notice Gwenvair’s urgency, she did not rush her wisdom or judgment on the issue. It took a good two or three bells for the issue to be concluded before she felt able to adjourn the court for a moment.

“Court will be adjourned for a half Great Bell. Take your rest as you may.”

A soft grumbling rose amongst those not able to catch her ear that day, but it was softly raised and without any directed malice; seemingly more upset over time lost than angry at the Matriarch for taking a break.

Everyone bowed at the Matriarch’s statement, although she didn’t wait for them, simply standing and disappearing behind the throne. Gwenvair grabbed Kilniara’s hand and pulled her along, taking several hallways and a servant’s tunnel before arriving at the private sanctuary that the clan leader used during breaks at the public clan hall. While the servant’s entrance was certainly an unusual entrance for Gwenvair to take, it was something that was often used for clandestine meetings, to some extent. There were, however, no truly private meetings. Only the surprise of Gwenvair’s arrival and the immediacy of it might allow for some small privacy. The emergency nature of the meeting, however, would likely alert many around the clan and it would not remain private long. For that reason, Gwenvair maintained decorum. It was wise to always do so.

“Matriarch. First in Line for Matriach greets you.”