With thanks to Todger65 for helping edit another chapter!
*****
The Daga's private bath was not what Isonei expected. The floor as they entered was a mosaic of small, green stones that reminded her vaguely of the mural on her Daga's wall. No sooner had she thought that, Onsh-Lothlaerith led her through a room that made her stop and stare in shock. It was almost exactly like the room the ceremony had taken place in at her Daga's house, or at least it should have been.
The large mural was scored as if someone had attacked the wall and the colors had been allowed to fade. Onsh-Lothlaerith offered an explanation without her needing to ask.
"This was once our home. When the daughter became Daga she had to rebuild the city and the house. She chose to build a new one into the cliff face by the gate. The crypts were remade and the ashes of the elder Dagas moved. Our home was made into something that the people of our city could all enjoy. We are close to our people, closer than most other Dagas."
Isonei took her eyes from the mural to look at Onsh-Lothlaerith. The pride and pain in his face prompted her to embrace him as she had Daga Gildith.
"Why are you embracing me?"
His question surprised her as much as it seemed her embrace surprised him.
Taking a breath and stepping back she looked up at him with a rueful smile.
"Your face. When my heart hurts that way I need to,"
she laughed as he stepped forward and embraced her,
"to be held."
She wrapped her arms around him again and rubbed his back under his cloak.
"You are sweet, little thorned blossom."
"Overly sweet as honey wine?"
Isonei teased pulling away from him.
"Lerian wine has a richer flavor and more depth."
Onsh gently led her through the room.
"Lerian wine pleases, yes. But the wine my Daga pleases, the wine of House Ernelis, is best."
She saw the realization dawn on his face and grinned.
"You introduced yourself as Isonei of House Ernelis. Your family makes that wine?"
"Yes. It is my father's wine. His best has apples."
She made a face as if she had tasted something tart.
"His best has sour apples in it?"
He looked interested.
"Sour apples and honey?"
"Yes. But only a little."
"No other wine pleases you as much?"
Onsh removed his cloak and took both of hers, handing them to the attendant waiting by the steaming pool and pair of washing seats with soaps arranged between them.
"Flower wine pleases. It is uhhmm..."
Miming two things well apart from each other she watched him smile.
"They're very different but you like them both. Your father's wine is best, however."
"Yes! Thank you."
"You're trying very hard to speak Lerian to me. Why is that?"
He began to undress turning away from her.
"The room. The wall. Uhhmm..."
He turned his face to her with a smile,
"Seeing the wall makes you feel as though you should be speaking Lerian. While you stay you'll walk through that room every time you bathe. Your Lerian will improve quickly, I think."
Isonei made a face at him and his eyes shimmered. Abruptly, he made a face back, wrinkling his nose and peeling back his lips in an exaggerated snarl. Her mouth dropped open and she made a loud scandalized sound, stepping toward him to poke him in the side. His laughter echoed in the bath as he turned again and stripped off his jerkin and shirt.
"Little blossom, you need to undress to bathe."
"Yes."
She sighed.
"I thought the baths were uhhmm different."
"You thought we'd be bathing separately."
Onsh's disappointment was palpable.
"Yes. It will not please my Draeseth."
Isonei hesitated before beginning to unfasten her dress and letting herself switch back to Aran, "He doesn't need to be jealous. I keep my word. But he and I have a lack of trust on some matters."
"You'll tell him about bathing with me? Will you tell him if we drink and dance?"
"Of course." Stepping out of her overdress she gave it to the attendant. "I'm not doing anything wrong and concealing my actions would give him a reason to doubt that."
"You have a lack of trust... you're willing to travel with him to Torga but you don't trust him?"
Naked, he moved to one of the washing seats and chose a soap.
Isonei joined him a moment later, to choose the soap she was required to face his bare back as he sat washing. His grey skin was a slightly darker shade than her Daga's and he was undeniably well built. The long wet hair that hung down his back made her want to move it aside so that she could have a better view.
"You're ignoring my question?"
At his displeased sounding question she took her soap and turned around, reminding herself silently that desire is a choice.
"I trust him not to harm me, I trust him to keep me safe... but I," she sighed and shook her head as she began to wash. "I don't know if I can trust him not to hurt my heart. There was an incident with a gift. It might have been a misunderstanding but it was just too painful. I don't know how it can be mended but I'm giving him the chance to try."
"I imagine he feels the same. He's afraid to trust you not to hurt his heart because you're willing to... bathe with other men."
"He should know that desire is a choice. It bothered him that I've been with other men but I explained that he doesn't have to be concerned. I've chosen to be with him and I choose to give him my desire. Being exclusive is difficult but I take it seriously. We can bathe together because I won't give you that desire."
"And what happens at the next Festival of whatever Goddess you worship? Will you still choose to give him your desire?"
"I don't know." She thought about that as she washed and rinsed. "I'm still afraid of being with just one man. Why risk making the wrong choice and being forced to remain exclusive to someone when you could choose to have an arrangement instead? It makes so much more sense."
"Do you care for him?"
"Yes. Yes, I do care for him. I adore him. But he isn't the only one I adore. I'm fond of Andnaeuth as well. It isn't the same, not-not really but..."
"And if you can't have them both?"
