I am pressed so close to him that I do not miss the flicker of his skin at the mention of Bahadir and my time spent with him, but in truth, I do not think my brother need worry. The bay stallion had not been the type of villanous creature that kept mares against their will, at least from what I had witnessed, and my reluctance regarding him was of a purely personal reason. It had been jarring to go from beholden and beloved princess to ignored herdmate in a matter of days, and I resented him for the lack of attention. I know it is unfair of me to still wear this grudge, but my beauty was one of the few traits I could claim to my name here.

Antares does not press me for more, and I am mindful of the jealousy he might exhibit if I do, so I leave the matter for now. If it becomes something that I must discuss with him I will do so, and gladly, but I see no purpose in riling him now with such a thing.

We turn then to the matters of Rigel and this new mare and I giggle at his estimation of the mare's fate. The handsome brother could certainly speak enough for all of us, but he also had a kind and patient heart. He, like my own love, was honorable and more of a man than many I had seen in Mahgrib in my youth. Any woman that was paired with him would not be left wanting for his affection, I thought. He did his best, even to me as his sister-to-be, to treat me kindly and with respect to my biases and inhibitions. Our talks had not gone perfectly, but he was not at fault for such a thing.

Together we fall silent for a moment, relishing in the shared companionship of our bath and my heart is restored to full again. When he does speak again, I tilt an ear back to listen to him and fight the impulse of my form to tighten in tension. I am glad to know of the things that passed between my beloved and his priestesses - both of them - even if I also hate the knowledge of both. Anxiously I trail my lips through the mane that I can reach as he speaks to me of the world that we might build. There is still much I am learning about his gods, and much he does not understand about my Allah, I think, but together we might yet provide a space large enough in our hearts for both.

After a moment of silence I speak, my words deliberate. "I believe we can do such a thing."

I trail my gaze back to study his body as I speak, even as I work to keep the worst of the tension from my shoulders. "I know there are parts of my faith that you question, and rightly so. The subservience of my sex seems... backward compared to the freedom you offer your girls. I do not mind changing of such things. Nor do I mind much of what I understand the temples teach, bar one."

I shift in the water so that I might see his face, no longer content with only reading the rhythms of his body. "I cannot countenance the idea of our sons going to a Priestess of Min as she existed for you, my love. I would not be able to bear comforting them through such a loss, or through the uncertainty of not knowing."

As I speak of these things, they feel like a boulder rolling down a cliffside, picking up and flinging debris as it rolls. Whether I would be able to take shelter or fall beneath its wrath remained to be seen, but now that they were open, I would not hide from them any longer. "I understand the purpose you place in such Priestesses, and the respite you have found in them here, too, but I will not stand aside to see such a loss of family perpetuated."

My voice is almost apologetic as I end, though no less certain for it. Of the many things I had learned from Rigel, it is this point that I have chosen as my standing ground. The rest, I think, I can learn to live with, but I will not see my first grandchild, when that day eventually comes, be turned away to a life bereft of a father's love and devotion.