As I watched in surprised, Alis swung the once solid front door of our cabin outwards. Spread out through the door was a world of perfect blue skies, brilliantly green grass complete with little pretty daisies, and a forest in bloom in the distance. A gentle breeze blew past the door, bringing with it the fragrance of spring.

Small wispy clouds floated in that perfect blue sky, slowly floating from across that narrow frame. Even a few birds darted through the sky.

Heading away from the door was a series of perfectly round stepping stones leading to an ornate white marble gazebo, something that wouldn’t look out of place in Ancient Rome. It was kind of beautiful, but also an eyesore as it really didn’t fit in with the whole rustic ascetics of the cabin and the natural world that now surrounded it.

Inside were two statues. From this distance, it was hard to see their details. One figure stood with a hand on their hip in a relaxed feminine manner, their other arm was hanging down by their side, holding a drawn sword. The other figure stood more solidly, almost rigid in its stance, and held axes in both of their hands.

There was a strange sense of power resonating with something within me coming from the gazebo.

‘Oh, it’s there.’ Alis said to herself.

Now that she said it, I realised that the sense of power was similar to the power which washed over and engulfed us when traversing from the world to our divine cabin.

‘It doesn’t look right, does it?’ I said, looking at the ornate gazebo.

‘No,’ Alis replied.

‘It’s too grand.’

‘I agree.’

‘ That is what you are worried about?’ Celameth said, turning so she could face the two of us. ‘I thought you said that the crappy cabin was the entirety of the divine realm Aggard let you two have access to. That out there is much larger than just the cabin.’ Her too perfect face was pinched with frustration as she stared us down. Celameth waved her hand outside. Even in that simple motion and in her rant she appeared perfectly straight backed and regal.

‘How big would you say our realm is, Klarric?’ Alis asked.

I thought about it and concentrated. As I did, I had a sense I could feel the entirety of our realm. In doing so, I believed it would take about a day for us to walk from here to the nearest edge. And maybe a day and a half to the furthest edge.

‘Forty miles by about forty to forty-five miles?’ I said.

‘Yeah, that sounds about right.’

‘That is much bigger than that— That— Cursed cabin.’ Celameth said angrily. Her perfect cheeks blushing a pale red with anger.

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‘So you don’t like our cabin?’

‘No. It’s so… So crude. Even with those sofas and that metal kitchen, it is just so crude. Not worthy of myself yet alone, you two. I can’t believe that Aggard herself created such a crude building. Where is the strength, the majesty, the regalness?

‘How can anyone know just how much power you have if you hide it behind such innocuous trappings? That single marble shrine is not enough to proclaim your strength to anyone who comes. Even if the statues of you two are brimming with power and larger than life.

‘You need more of that,’ she regally motioned to the marble gazebo, ‘and less of this crudity.’

‘Well, excuse me for not being all damned regal and majestic like you, your ladyship. Empress of All The World.’ Alis shouted. Waves of powerful fury flowed out from her.

The pressure of the wave made Celameth’s legs collapse. She fell onto the flagstone floor looking up at Alis, her rosy cheeks now as pale as Alis’ cheeks were normally. Alis’ normally easily visible freckles were blending in with the fury tingeing her face red.

‘I grew up in building after building. If I was lucky.’ Alis spat out. ‘Sometimes I had a roof to cover my head, sometimes I was lucky, and the roof was whole and didn’t let in any water. Until I became an elder trainee of Aggard, I never had a room to myself, and even that didn’t last for long. No one ever waited upon me. Having a home like that there was beyond my wildest dreams.

‘Do you know what I dreamed of when surrounded by dozens of fellow homeless orphans? No. I guess not, Princess Palace Born,’ the waves of fury grew so great that even I had to take a step away from Alis. ‘All I dreamt of was a single cramped room in which I could lock the door. A room which had two beds and a fireplace with a small fire burning to hold back the freezing nights to a simple chill.

‘So that cabin is so far beyond what I even believed was possible for me to live in. Not only that, I live in it with my husband. A person who I love so much it hurts. It hurts for me to know that he loves you, hurts that he loved Aggard. I want that love of his all for myself. And this cabin which you claim is indecent is anything but. I can feel the love with what it is constructed.

‘Can you not sense the thought that Aggard put into crafting such a home? It’s large enough to be grand, yet not too large that it makes me feel too unwelcome. It’s close enough to construction techniques from our world that it isn’t too offputting, but has amenities from Klarric’s old world. Amenities which would be overwhelming to someone like me who never grew up in a tower filled with those mock trimmings from Klarric’s world.’

Alis lapsed into silence. A moment later, those waves of fury dissipated. She spun around and stormed outside.

Taking the opportunity left by Alis’ angry departure, I made my way over to the pale and shivering Celameth and crouched down next to her. ‘Celameth, you may have grown up as an Empress, but the two of us had no such upbringing. Both of us lived simple lives, and though grand in its own way, the home Aggard created for us is simple enough that we feel comfortable living in there.

‘I have seen buildings which I guess would intimidate even you with how grand and ornate they are. Priceless furniture, paintings by masters, gold gilt, and intricate fixings at their minimum. Yes, they are pretty to look at, and explore for an afternoon, but to live in them would make me uncomfortable. Their mocking grandeur did not stop at their doors. The immense lands in which they sat were part of their owner’s wealth, and they were happy to show it off.

‘Wealth that might’ve come from my world’s mightiest empire. If that empire was destroyed, as yours was, well… Well, it might as well have destroyed everything. That one small island at one time ruled a quarter of the entire world.

‘I can understand where you are coming from about the power and majesty of a divine being’s home. But we, the two of us, or at least I don’t, don’t see myself as a god. I don’t want you to worship me as a god. I want you to love me as a man, your husband. Do you think you can do that?’

Celameth was biting her lip, her shoulders slumped. She couldn’t bring herself to look at me.

‘If it is your will, I shall endeavour to do it. My Lord.’