She paused long enough to allow and to share in that moment with her lovers, to let her heartbeat steady to a rhythm slower than the excited patter like a hummingbird's wings. This was a moment that would never come again, she was sure. One day, she might return home, forget all this, become wife to a man she should not have, become lady to a castle that she would have to care for. Out of love, yes, but also duty. This was something freely given and received. This was a choice made by a meeting of minds and hearts. She could never have this again.

"It's almost a shame," Hild said in an amiable tone as she investigated the barn. "Cold stone, some leaks, an overgrown old garden make a place like home." She was only joking however. A sturdy, well-built place of their own was more than she could hope for. "We'll have little trouble making this place function again."