1-114 Do you have regrets?

The land was full of light and color as the great trees of the elven forest created a magical canopy beyond which the sky could hardly be seen. Their leaves were of a rainbow of colors, some greens, some reds, others white or pink. Some had thin straight trunks, others massively wide trunks that meandered and twisted as they reached skyward. Flowers grew in abundance, creating carpets of color that delight the eye. Darker spaces were full of ferns and mushrooms that glowed with magical light. The air was sweet with the scent of lilac, honeydew, and cinnamon thrush, carried on a gentle breeze. Birds of every color and plumage darted among the high branches and chirped their merry tunes. The sound of a chorus of gentle voices echoed from the depth of the trees as the elves in the little village sang to their goddess with voices of silver.

In all this beauty walked a woman torn by indecision as Jaina did her best to make sense of what had taken place the night before. Even since meeting the mysterious princess who went by the name of Hannah but whose true name was Heather, Jaina had been in love. Something about Heather captivated her and held her heart in bondage. The woman was smart, caring, and incredibly brave, with a strange way of looking at life in New Eden. She hadn't wanted to be here but made the best of her situation and became a princess, a wife, and now a lover.

Jaina paced on the road, thinking of how her greatest dream had finally come true. In a dream woven by Gisley, she and Heather finally made love. It had been a powerful moment of union that left Jaina overcome with joy. She was never so happy to make love to somebody, and never was she so torn about what to do about it afterward. She hoped and dreamed that this was the beginning of a new relationship between her and Heather, but deep inside, she worried.

Heather was a deeply complicated person, carrying a burden Jaina found hard to imagine. Since coming to New Eden, she had been deceived, manipulated, and driven from her home. She was a hunted woman, struggling to build a life with her family while seeking the truth behind a dark secret. Heather had evidence that she had been on New Eden before her memories said she had. She kept uncovering clues that hinted at a dark past woven with pain and madness that she couldn't remember. People warned her not to look into that past or risk going insane, as they claim she has done several times before. Other women like Umtha and Yiylah have come along, claiming to be lost lovers of the woman Heather once was. And then there was the greatest revelation of all, that Heather might once have been the wife of the most dangerous man in the world. Umtha was the only one who seemed to remember that past, but she was insistent that Heather and Kevin had once been married. Their relationship ended in a bloody conflict of escalating violence as the two sought to harm the other as much as possible. It led to all out war between the players and a second brutal struggle with the goblins.

With all that on her shoulders, Heather went on, being who she was and coming to an awareness of the world around her. She had begun to love her new life and the people she shared it with. First, she married her long-time boyfriend, Frank, and in a funny act of subterfuge, the goblin woman Umtha. Then she became engaged with close friends Quinny and Breanne. Now they added the woman Blackbast to their ever-growing family, the group building into something wonderful and dynamic. It all circled around the mysterious Heather, who dabbled at being a Princess, a goblin queen, a wife, a lover, a slave, a scholar, and the best friend Jaina had ever had.

Jaina had only meant to inform Heather that by consuming the drink known as a glitter bomb, she was inadvertently giving Gisley access to her dreams. Somehow being alone with her in a dream had led to so much more and a moment of passion Jaina would never forget. But would this complicated woman, who was devoted to her family, regret what had happened? Had Jaina preyed on Heather's complicated life and emotions to get what she wanted? Was Heather now crying or simmering in anger over what had happened?

She explained everything that happened to Roric the moment she woke from the dream. Gisley had been on hand to witness it all and insisted that Heather would only have done this if she loved Jaina. Roric wasn't convinced and suggested she had gone too far. He demanded that Jaina confront Heather and find out how she felt about the situation. Jaina was to apologize profusely for her actions if the woman was the least bit upset and promise never to approach her again for affection. The more Roric spoke about her recklessness, the more she began to doubt herself. He was right; Heather trusted her, and Jaina used that trust to access the woman's emotions. She wanted to believe that Heather did indeed love her and was not upset, but there was only one way to be sure.

“Why did I do this?” Jaina cried to the trees. “I am such an idiot!” The sound of distant singing and the wind in the thick branches did little to answer her question. She resigned herself to doing the only thing she could do and speak with Heather.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Gisley asked as she fluttered down from the canopy, her beautiful butterfly wings an image of midnight with their blacks, blues, and dark purple. Jaina loved how her eyes looked like faceted glass and how the light inside them changed based on her mood. They even threw off little sparkles if the mood was strong enough, making her look ravishingly beautiful.

“I need to do this alone,” Jaina sighed as Gisley landed. “Roric said I made this mess, and I needed to clean it up.”

“You didn't make a mess,” Gisley insisted, taking her hands. “Heather wanted to do that. She told both of us that she wanted to experience submitting again. That's why we went into Frank's dream so he could tell her to do it.”

“I know, but Roric is right,” Jaina replied. “Heather has so much going on in her life that it’s easy to manipulate her trust. What if she changes her feeling about it once she has time to think?”

“She isn't going to change her mind,” Gisley insisted. “Roric is just being overly nervous about what happened because he worries it will upset Frank. But I was there and saw how Frank reacted to the question. I saw how excited he was at the prospect of watching you two make love.”

“He was in the dream state, though,” Jaina corrected. “You have told us before that dreamers are easy to guide by making suggestions. If we did that for real, would he have told her to make love to me?”

“I think he would,” Gisley said. “Especially now that you made love to him.”

“Don’t remind me,” Jaina said with a raised hand. “Roric already threatened to put me in chastity for a year.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, “Gisley said while pulling her into a hug. “You were just playing along with the dream. Heather asked you to help her make love to him, then encouraged you to take your turn. I make love to all sorts of people in dreams, and I will share a secret with you. I have made love to both Frank and Quinny in them.”

“You naughty little fairy,” Jaina laughed. “When did you do that?”

“He occasionally drinks the glitter bombs, and Quinny likes to share them with Heather,” Gisley explained. “I saw him in the dream and approached him as part of it. We made love like I do with any of the others, and then a day later, I approached Quinny.”

“Did you tell them they were dreaming?” Jaina asked, now very interested in what Gisley had done.

“No,” Gisley replied with a smile. “I never tell anyone they are dreaming or that I am the real me. I let them go on in blissful ignorance, believing they simply had a wonderful dream. That's what Frank thinks he had, and it will stick in his mind as he wonders if Heather and you would ever do that for real. A lot of men fantasize about their wives or girlfriend bringing home another woman to share. Frank is a good man who loves Heather deeply, but he's still a boy at heart and loves harem manga. I don't think he will be upset if Heather wants to bring more women into their lives.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Jaina agreed. “But we won’t know until I see her.” She hugged Gisley and headed home so she could use the magic doors. She passed into the secret hall of Rajeen's inn and hesitantly went to the door to Heather's tower. Her stomach twisted in knots as she hunted the halls for any of her family, finally finding Breanne in the lower garden.

“Have you seen Heather?” Jaina asked as she came out the tower door.

“Not since this morning,” Breane replied with a smile. “She woke up in a funny mood and didn't want to talk about it. She said she wanted to be alone to think, and I believe she went to the palace. She has grown fond of the view from the balcony there.”

Jaina felt her stomach burn as it twisted in knots to hear Heather was distressed. It could only mean she was not happy about the dream they shared and retreated from her own family because of it. With a strained smile, she waved and headed into the tower as the tension mounted. She quickly returned to the inn and headed down the hall, pausing outside the door that would take her to the palace.

“You have to fix this,” Jaina told herself, stepping through the archway into a grand room of white marble, golden trim, and soaring columns. The garden palace wasn't as big or fancy as one might assume. It was primarily one large central room with domes of glass and white walls. It had its name because the outer platform was full of flowers and foliage grown by Heather with her flower singer voice. It was a place of colorful beauty that reminded Jaina of the forest and made her wish she could be here under better circumstances. She crossed the marble floor and headed for the archway that would take her to the soaring balcony that overlooked the city. There she saw the blond-haired beauty, sitting at the rail alone as her long slender tail swished absentmindedly.

It was funny that Jaina thought Heather looked just as beautiful as a Lilim devil as she did a human woman. Heather had changed her appearance many times in a long tiresome effort to hide her identity. But with the recent evolution to a Lilim, she had settled on a new appearance. She wore her blond hair long and straight all the way to her waist and occasionally used a braid. Her once dark horns that stood out like forks were now white and gently curved in a spiral. Her eyes were magically blue and danced when the light struck them just right. She still used the narrow slit for a pupil because Frank loved it, and it had been a choice he made for her. Her skin was a more natural color now with a slight hint of blue, and her long slender tail ended in a frill of skin that resembled a heart. She had recently become bold about her wardrobe and wore her striking outfit. She had pure white leather boots that went up to her thighs and were trimmed in burnished gold patterns of hearts. At her waist, she wore a simple white panty, and her breasts were held aloft by a corset made to match her boots. She wore long white lace gloves on her hand and bands of gold on her upper arm to complete her image. She looked like an angelic temptress of purity and lust, and Jaina found her even more irresistible than before.

Her heart fluttered as she came to a halt, unsure if she should approach the thinking woman. It took her several minutes to work up the nerve to walk to the rail and stand beside her, but she could not look Heather in the face.

“They tell me you want to be alone,” she said when the silence had gone on too long. “I will go if you want me to.” She waited to hear Heather's angry voice command her to go away, but Heather took her hand instead. Jaina trembled, unsure what to do as a thumb traced slow circles over her hand while Heather remained silent.

“I’m sorry,” Jaina said as her fear began to tear her apart. She couldn't stand the thought that she had harmed the woman all for her own greedy desires. She would never forgive herself for this and would carry the guilt of it for the rest of her life. She wanted to throw herself at Heather's feet to beg for forgiveness, but then something magical happened.

“You don’t need to be sorry,” Heather replied without looking up. “You did me a favor.”

Jaina was struck by that comment but didn't understand how she could be saying it. Obviously, Heather had been affected by what they had done, or she wouldn't be up here trying to clear her mind.

“I don’t see how,” Jaina cried and looked down. “I should never have put you in that position. I put my own desires ahead of your well-being.” She admitted her guild and prepared to take the harsh agreement that would no doubt come from Heather. But once again, the angelic woman showed no hint of upset.

“No, you made me understand something about myself,” Heather said, squeezing her hand. “I am a greedy person, and I abuse my relationships. I made love to you with an energy and need I haven't shown any of the others. You have made me aware that I am a terrible partner to Quinny, Breanne, and Umtha.”

Suddenly Jaina found it hard to breathe as Heather spoke to her like a trusted friend. She opened up and admitted her own faults without one word of blame. Jaina felt a wave of relief sweep over her heart, but she couldn't let Heather say such things about herself.

“Don’t say that,” Jaina argued with sincerity. “You are a wonderful person. That’s why I find you so irresistible.”

Heather sighed and dismissed her point, saying that everyone always made excuses for her, but she always ended up needing to apologize. Right now, she needed to apologize for not showing them the love they deserved. She would find them later and tell them everything that had happened, then offer to make amends. She now understood how to love them, and going forward, she would make sure they felt that passion as strongly as Jaina had. It was time to stop pretending they were a family when Frank was the only one she truly showed any affection for.

Jaina knew Heather was having trouble opening up to the other women in her relationship. She was a traditional woman with traditional values, and that meant a man. However, she was completely closed to the idea of loving a woman and was making small gains in sharing her heart. Quinny even admitted they had made love a couple of times, but Heather clearly didn't think that was enough. She was upset that she had made love to Jaina with a passionate zeal that she had yet to show the others.

“Sweetheart, they all know you are more focused on men,” Jaina said. “Quinny told me she knows you will warm up to it soon.”

“It needs to happen now,” Heather said, looking at Jaina. “I need to prove it to myself.”

“Why would you need to prove anything to yourself?” Jaina asked, unsure what Heather was getting at.

“Because I worry that I am not a good person,” Heather explained as her eyes trembled. “I now know that I used to be somebody else, somebody violent. Whoever I was, I had lovers scattered all over the world, and I kept them secret from one another. We know about Umtha and Viylah, but how many more are out there, waiting to be discovered? Why don't they know about each other, and what lies did I tell them as I ran off to find more?”

“Hannah, don’t confuse what you were with what you are,” Jaina begged as she felt Heather’s pain in her words. “Besides, we don't know the circumstances of why you had lovers before. Umtha said you were even married to king Kevin, and that ended in open war.”

“What kind of woman has multiple lovers who know nothing about each other?” Heather asked flatly. “The only answer is the kind of woman who doesn’t care and abuses those around her. I keep doing that to the people I claim are my lovers. Am I really any better?”

“Just stop,” Jaina insisted, unable to hear any more of Heather's self-deprecation. She turned to face Heather directly as a tear rolled down her cheek and fell from her chin. She wanted Heather to see just how much her love meant to her and was prepared to bare the whole truth. “I am crying because you are the most special person I have ever had the pleasure of making love to. And I am terrified I hurt you. How could a woman who evokes those feelings in me be the monster you claim she is? Besides, your current relationship is nothing like the secretive nonsense from before. Your lovers know about each other, and you have kept nothing from them.”

“Except you,” Heather replied and turned back to the city.

Jaina felt a spike of ice ram into her heart as Heather pointed out the one secret she was keeping. Unfortunately, Jaina had a role to play in that secret, and knowing that filled her with shame.

“Hannah,” Jaina said in a nervous voice. “We will just say it was a dream, and it will never happen again.”

“No,” Heather replied and squeezed her hand. “I need to tell them the truth, and I don't want it to never happen again. In a way, I am glad it happened because now I realize what I need to do for the others. I can’t just be their partner and occasionally hold hands. I need to open up and show them how much I love them.” She paused and turned to Jaina with a faint smile on her face. “And I need you to help me. I need you to teach me how to be a good lover to my wives and my girlfriend.”

The world slowed down as Jaina heard her own heart beating furiously. The look in Heather’s eyes was full of sincerity as she so casually spoke of their relationship.

“Did you just call me your girlfriend and mean it?” Jaina panted as her lips trembled.

“I did,” Heather replied and leaned in close before joining their lips in a kiss.

Hours of pain and stress came rushing out as Heather's tender lips met hers. Jaina was so relieved to know the woman didn't hate her, and even more, she wanted the relationship to continue. She couldn't control the tears as Heather stepped back and brushed them off her cheek. She smiled with a look of pure happiness, then took her hand before turning to look over the city.

“But what happened with Frank was just a dream,” Heather quickly added.

“Oh, I agree, that was only a dream,” Jaina laughed with tears of joy. Heather was even making jokes about the situation, and it did wonders to help her relax.

“Feel better?” Heather asked.

“I was terrified you were going to hate me,” Jaina said as she tried to dry her eyes. “I came to find you, and Breanne told me you had been distant all morning and wanted to be alone. I was sure that meant you had been hurt, and I was to blame.”

“Well, you gave me a lot to think about. And you know how much I like to overthink things,” Heather said.

“I should have thought of that,” Jaina said. “But I have never met a woman like you. You are deeply intelligent and careful in your thoughts, yet you can make impulsive decisions.”

“I call that the I am tired of trying to figure it out course of action,” Heather said. “If I can't reason something through, I just act and see what happens. I hate being stuck on a problem for too long.”

“Because you think about it so much,” Jaina replied with a nod. “Does it ever tire you?”

“Everything tires me now,” Heather replied. “I can't even be sure I am who I think I am or that my memories are my own. Every time I make a decision, I question why I made it. Is this part of me that I can't remember or something of this new iteration of myself?”

“I can see where that could be frustrating,” Jaina agreed and wished she could do something to help. Heather was plagued by a life she couldn’t remember and the uncertainty that she was in charge of her own thoughts.

“It drives me crazy to the extent that I try to keep my mind busy on other things,” Heather explained, turning to Jaina again. “But then you helped me find a solution.”

“I did? How?” Jaina asked as Heather smiled even wide.

“By encouraging me to submit and give one of those decisions to Frank. I can't explain how relieved I was to hand that over to him and how exciting it was when he made the choice. It took something I had been agonizing over for days out of my head and solved it in seconds.”

“Oh, my goodness,” Jaina cried as she started to understand. Heather had found a way to deal with some of her problems, and the solution was the slave collar. By submitting and handing over her life to another, she was freed of the burden of those choices. To a woman like Heather, who struggled with so much, it must have felt like a dream come true. “Hannah, I hadn't even taken that into consideration. All those confusing thoughts and the constant struggle to make sense of a past you don't remember. You must be under a terrible strain trying to manage it all. I just thought you found submitting to be as exciting as I do, but to you, it must be a tremendous relief. To give so many of those worries over to somebody else and be free from the burden.”

“It really is a relief,” Heather replied with a nod. “And I am giving serious consideration to becoming a proper slave girl. I know Frank would never abuse the control, and I love being his princess. He also loves taking care of me, and I would finally be free of so much confusion.”

“I feel a but coming here?” Jaina asked.

“Of course, there is a but,” Heather sighed and lifted her arm. “I found this the other day.” She rubbed her tattoo and brought up her panel so Jaina could see the display. She then took her into the Lilim class and down the abilities list to the power she got at level fifty. Jaina was shocked to see that Heather could summon a slave collar, but hers was called a masters band. It looked different, too, with dark leather and red ruby hearts around the center with three sturdy metal rings.

“You can summon a slave collar?” Jaina gasped.

“Yep,” Heather sighed. “It would appear the Lilim can take somebody to be her sex slave.”

“Well, that kind of makes sense,” Jaina said as she thought about the purpose of Heather’s class. It was a class that was very sexually aggressive and not at all submissive. So it didn't surprise Jaina at all that it was meant for a more dominant role. “I mean, you are essentially a queen of succubi.”

“I get bonuses if the slave I take is a succubus,” Heather said. “I can even cast my spells and buffs through them.”

“Oh, wow,” Jaina exclaimed, wishing Chandice could hear that. She was almost high enough level where she could summon an NPC succubus and was looking forward to it. She wondered if Heather could take an NPC succubus as her slave and assumed she could, as it was part of the world.

“Yeah, so I finally realize I might want to submit fully, and I discover I am the one people are supposed to be submitting to,” Heather said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Oh, you have nothing to worry about,” Jaina said as she realized what Heather was upset about. She was making the assumption that since she was a slave master class, she couldn’t submit to another. Jaina quickly urged her to consider Rajeen and how her harem worked. Heather was confused, so Jaina explained that Rajeen didn't have enough collars for all those girls. So what she did was use her collars to take other slave masters as her personal slaves. Then she used their collars to take more, growing her harem to the size they see today.

“So, some of Rajeen’s slaves are slave masters?” Heather asked.

“Of course they are,” Jaina laughed. “And every slave they take becomes the property of their master. They all belong to Rajeen, but some of them not directly.”

“I had no idea,” Heather said as her eyes took on a faraway look.

“Overthinking it?” Jaina asked and gave her a nudge.

“Always,” Heather sighed and shook her head. “I was trying to decide who to collar.”

“Oh, do you have a list in mind?” Jaina teased, then nearly jumped when Heather turned on her with a funny smile that said she was hungry.

“If I could collar anyone I wanted, I would collar you,” she said with a soft voice that dripped with love. Jaina was struck silent for a moment as she saw flashes of being Heather's personal slave girl.

“Me?” she managed to stammer a moment later as the images of serving Heather ran wild in her head.

“I am not going to hide it; I love you,” Heather whispered. “And I wish we could be together.”

Jaina struggled not to cry again as Heather admitted she loved her and wanted to be together. As much as Jaina wanted that, she knew it could never be. She was as committed to Roric as Heather was to Frank and would never turn her back on him.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Jaina said and leaned into her shoulder. “I wish that too. If ever Roric gets bored of me, I will ask him to sell me to you.” She heard Heather laugh and couldn’t help but join her as the two found the situation funny. They both turned to look over the city, holding hands as they enjoyed each other’s company.

“So does this mean we get to make love again?” Jaina asked, desperate to know if this meant they could share their love openly.

“Yes, but only after I have fixed things,” Heather said. “I need to show Quinny, Breanne, and Umtha the same kind of love I showed you. It isn’t fair to build a relationship with you when I am not done building one with them. They also need to know about what happened in the dream. They need to forgive me and give me permission to continue this, especially Frank.”

“I fully understand,” Jaina agreed as she nearly bounced with excitement. Heather was fully ready to pursue an open, loving relationship with her, but her family came first. That made Jaina think, and she realized she also had an obstacle to overcome. Chandice was her girlfriend, and she loved the woman dearly. She couldn't have a relationship with Heather that didn't include her. “But uh, there is one more thing.”

“What’s that?” Heather asked.

“Would it be too much to ask you to love Chandice too?” Jaina begged. “She is my official girlfriend, and I share everyone with her. It would hurt her feelings terribly if we had a close relationship and she wasn't included.”

“Ha, I have to love your girlfriend as well?” Heather giggled.

“Maybe just a little?” Jaina pleaded, giving Heather sad eyes.

“I don't really do things by a little,” Heather stated. “But I like Chandice and wouldn't mind spending more time with her. If she wants to be a part of our relationship, I will love her just as much as I love you, but only after my current family is firmly established,” Heather stated.

“Right, they have to come first. I perfectly understand,” Jaina said while trying to contain her excitement. She looked forward to the day when both blonds were in her arms as they made love in the forest. She held that thought and looked over the city, admiring the view from the palace. “You built a beautiful land here. People love being here.”

“Most of this was Frank,” Heather said. “He loves to build things. When I first met him, he told me all about the graveyard he wanted to build. He could describe everything like he had seen it a hundred times and had this boyish enthusiasm. It's part of what I love about him that desire to create. But he put all that on hold for me and followed me all over the world, trying to help me escape it.”

“He was always hoping you would stay,” Jaina said. “He might not have said it, but you can tell he wanted you to stay with him.”

“I know,” Heather said as she looked at Jaina. “And I have never been more happy. I love him, and I want him to have all his dreams. Even the harem he tries to pretend he doesn't need.”

“Ha, I can tell he enjoys it,” Jaina agreed as she thought about Frank. She had seen the looks and glances as he admired his girls, especially when they wore slave silks. “And now he has a whole kingdom to build with.” She expected Heather to continue speaking about Frank, but suddenly she switched to Moon. She was worried that Moon jeopardized the whole city and Frank might lose what he had built.

Jaina knew about Moon from the other day when she was called to help Heather complete a ruse. Moon was a vile manipulative woman who betrayed a naive Heather's trust by tricking her into becoming a necromancer. She planned to kidnap Heather and take her north to turn her in for the bounty, dooming her to a cruel punishment she didn't deserve. It was a terrible thing to do to a person, especially someone as nice as Heather. Thankfully Frank arrived with Umtha and a goblin raiding party to save the day, but Moon tried again, several times, and nearly succeeded except for a random encounter with a paladin. The man sacrificed his life to save her and only managed that by killing her himself. He forced her to respawn so that Moon would have to hunt for her again. Heather and her friends lost their home in that struggle, causing a major blow to her confidence. Now that woman was in the city asking questions, and Heather was on edge over it.

Heather had confronted the woman using her Lilim form to disguise who she was. She tricked Moon into believing that she was already planning to steal Heather away to claim the reward herself and would not tolerate Moon's interference. To help complete the ruse, Jaina had been brought in to masquerade as Heather's Lilim form while Heather played herself. They then arranged to pass Moon on the street so the woman could see the two together and help ensure the lie. Heather then went straight to her mother while Roric and Jaina slunk away and returned home.

“I assume you told Gwen,” Jaina stated.

“My mother said she will deal with Moon,” Heather replied.

“Good, one less thing for you to worry about,” Jaina said.

“You know I am going to worry about it anyway,” Heather replied. “I just don’t want this perfect home to be threatened. Sometimes I think I should go ahead and reset. Then I could ditch the necromancer class and pick something else.”

Jaina was horrified by that statement as Heather was a chosen and couldn't reset by normal means. She watched as Heather nodded and explained how she would have to be taken to a spawn and repeatedly killed, dying within moments of her respawning. Once it happened enough, the system would see it as an error and assume she was stuck in a death loop. It would then reset her, allowing her to change everything from her race to her classes and randomly spawn her somewhere else.

Jaina asked the grim question that somebody would have to assist her by killing her repeatedly. Heather confirmed that was true and suggested Frank would do it out of love for her. He desperately wanted her to be free from the curse of the necromancer class, but Jaina worried how something like that would affect him. Out of a sense of mercy, she offered to ask Roric about using Gisley, who could, at the very least, put Heather to sleep before each death.

“I wish there were some other way for you to leave this class behind,” Jaina said.

“You know, Blackbast offered to collar me and keep me at her temple,” Heather replied. “With her collar locked, I could barely access the class, and nobody would ever look for me. I nearly said yes, but it meant saying goodbye to Frank, and I couldn't do it. I guess I was falling in love with him even back then and losing the will to leave him.”

Jaina saw her wipe her eyes as she thought about Frank and how much he meant to her. She put an arm around Heather's waist for support and went back to watching the city until she had more control.

“I'm sorry. I can't believe how long it took me to realize how much I love him,” Heather said.

“You were in translation shock,” Jaina said. “They make people train for months for this and put you through rigorous psychological conditioning to prepare you for the change. This is a one-way trip, and if you're not ready for the drastic change of reality, it hits you hard.”

“I never wanted to be here,” Heather cried as she shook her head. “And now I find out I have been here a dozen times before, and all of them ended badly.”

“You don't know it was a dozen times,” Jaina cut in, desperate to help her lover. “And you also don't know they ended badly. All you know is a few fragments of the previous life, and it sounds to me that you were a woman determined to make a difference.”

“I started two wars and may be responsible for thousands of players never respawning,” Heather countered.

Jaina heard the pain in her words and searched for something to turn her logic around. She finally remembered Umtha and the story of the goblins who saw Heather as a hero.

“If I recall what Umtha once told us, you promised to rescue the goblins and get them home. You also learned that the visitors offered you a chance to leave, but you refused to leave them behind. You made a promise to a group of people you owed nothing to, and you refused to break it. I know you think the scattered lover's thing means you were an abuser, but never forget, you refused to turn your back on Umtha and the other goblins. You were loyal to your own detriment, and that is something very few good people can claim.

“Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that,” Heather said.

“That’s because you have too much to think about,” Jaina said, and she hugged her tightly. “You should tell Frank you want to be a slave girl, then let him and Blackbast worry about everything. You can spend your time laying in the harem with me and your other lovers with nothing to worry about but who to kiss next.”

“You make it all sound so attractive,” Heather laughed.

“It might be the perfect life for you,” Jaina said as she envisioned Heather in Rajeens harem. “You would be free from all the worry, and you could feel that sense of submission night and day.”

“Please don’t tempt me with that again; that’s how I got into trouble last night,” Heather replied with a smirk.

“But it was such a fun dream,” Jaina teased. “And we can set the scene any way you want. If you have a place you want to visit, or a location to set the mood, all you have to do is imagine it, and Gisley can recreate it.”

“So we can go anywhere I can imagine?” Heather asked.

“If you want to make love on the beach, a remote garden, or even a frozen ice sheet, all you have to do is see it in your mind,” Jaina explained. “The dreams flow according to what you expect, and Gisley can make your thoughts appear.”

“Hmm,” Heather said, then went ridged in Jaina's arm. She whirled around with a sudden burst of energy, the look in her eyes one of shock. “I know exactly where I want to go!” Heather stated with almost palpable excitement. “And I want everyone to come with me!”