Even sitting, the height difference was noticeable. His six-foot frame versus her eight feet meant he had to look up to meet her eyes properly. But somehow that didn't matter; it didn't feel awkward or wrong.

"I care about you," he said simply.

"Not because you're training me or helping me or giving me a place to stay. Because you're you. Because you make me laugh, because you challenge me, because when I look at you I see someone who's strong and kind and everything I—"

Sigora kissed him before he could finish, leaning down to close the distance between them, her hand cupping his face with surprising gentleness.

The kiss was soft, tentative, and questioning, both of them testing this new territory, seeing how it felt, whether this was real or just adrenaline and proximity creating false connection.

It felt real.

When they separated, both slightly breathless, Sigora's expression was a mixture of wonder and uncertainty.

"Was that—" she began.

Jorghan reached up, his hand sliding into her hair, gods, she had so much hair and gently but firmly pulled her head down toward him again.

"Yes," he said simply, and kissed her again.

This time there was nothing tentative about it. This was certainty, want, and the acknowledgment of feelings they'd both been suppressing for too long.

The height difference became irrelevant, she was taller, but he was strong enough to guide her where he wanted, to claim the kiss with confidence that had nothing to do with physical size.

Her hands found his shoulders and his chest, exploring with touch what she'd only allowed herself to look at before. His own hands traced her spine, feeling the strength in her frame, the warmth of her skin through the fabric of her robes.

They broke apart only when breathing became necessary, both flushed, both grinning like idiots.

"This is a terrible idea," Sigora said without conviction.

"Probably," Jorghan agreed, his hand still tangled in her hair.

"I don't think the clan or family would accept these new dynamics."

"Don't care."

"What would the other clan say?"

"Still don't care."

Sigora laughed, the sound carrying pure joy.

"You're impossible."

"And you're beautiful. Can we stop listing reasons this shouldn't happen and focus on the fact that we both want it to?"

She kissed him again in response, softer this time, sweet and promising rather than urgent. When they separated, she settled against him, which required some creative positioning given their size difference, but they made it work, her head resting on his shoulder despite having to bend at an awkward angle.

"We'll need to be discreet at the Council," she murmured.

"At least until your position is firmly established. The other clans are traditional in many ways, and this kind of relationship between the family could be improper."

"So we're doing this? Actually trying to make this work?"

Sigora pulled back to look at him, her expression serious despite the lingering warmth in her eyes.

"I'd like to try. If you're willing to deal with the complications, the political implications, the fact that my children might have opinions about this—"

"Swana and Sik'ra like me."

'Well, what if they learned that you would bang their mother? What about it then?"

Jorghan grinned. "I like the sound of it."

Sigora shook her head.

"But this would make it... different. More real."

She bit her lip, a gesture that looked endearingly uncertain on someone usually so confident. "And there's Grace to consider. You said you asked her for the same thing; what would you do if she agrees with you?"

Sigora had to come to terms with Jorghan being some kind of Lust demon; she was aware of his sexcapades with Sarhita and Katisana, and seeing how he was going too far to be with her, she was now sure that he was definitely demon of lust.

And she cared too deeply about him to see his flaws.

Jorghan considered this carefully. "Honestly? I think it makes it clearer. Grace needs to see what family actually looks like—people caring for each other, building relationships based on choice rather than obligation. If she sees us together and sees that family can form in unconventional ways, maybe that helps her understand she can belong too."

Sigora smiled, clearly pleased with his answer. "When did you get so wise?"

"Some kind of wicked wise."

"Must have had a good teacher."

"Really, Jorghan, you should keep this a secret from the family and everyone else."

They settled back into comfortable proximity, the conversation shifting to lighter topics, stories about past Council gatherings, humorous incidents involving other clan leaders, and the political personalities Jorghan would need to navigate once they arrived.

But underneath the casual talk was new awareness, new possibility. They'd crossed a threshold, acknowledged feelings that had been building.

Whatever complications this brought, they'd face them together.

*

Hours passed in pleasant company. The sun tracked across the sky, the desert gradually giving way to more varied terrain, rocky outcroppings, sparse vegetation, and signs that they were approaching the mountains that formed the northern edge of the realm.

Finally, Sigora sat forward, her hand on the reins becoming more active as she guided Kaleth toward their destination.

"There," she said, pointing ahead.

"Dewura'tt."

Jorghan moved to the front of the carriage, looking through the opening, and his breath caught.

At the base of a massive mountain, twelve colossal statues stood in a semicircle. It was the first thing that caught his attention.

Each one had to be at least three hundred feet tall, carved from the living rock of the mountain itself, depicting what Jorghan assumed were the founders or greatest heroes of each of the twelve major clans.

The statues were ancient, weathered by centuries of wind and rain, but still magnificent in their scale and artistry. Each one was unique, showing different styles of armor, different weapons, and different stances. But all shared a common element: they faced outward, as if protecting what lay behind them.

And behind them, carved into the mountain itself, was a city.

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