I stared at her for a long moment. "Why... why did you tell me that, Wren? What if I think about it when Eve is around?"

"I used a family technique, The Silver Mirror, to conceal part of my mind from myself, and surrendered the rest to her. The trigger for it to return was a clear opportunity to kill her. If you can't conceal your mind, now you have to choose between me and her. Do you think I could forgive what she did, even if you could?"

"I... no. I don't have the right to forgive her for that... but I do think she's getting better. And without her, is there really a chance at ending slavery?"

"Ending slavery?" Wren shrugged. "A nice dream, but irrelevant. The only reason I decided to hand part of myself over to her was so I could kill her."

"...do you think you can, with part of you worshipping her?"

Wren's face flushed a little. "Obviously, I'll just use The Silver Mirror again, and hide away that part of myself forever."

Mistress... no, Eve... the terrible and awesome woman I had surrendered my body and mind to over and over again. I had a chance to escape, maybe, if I cooperated... well, no. "I'm sorry... I don't think I can help you do this. Princess would probably kill both of us, and... no. Sorry."

She nodded gently. "I understand. She's been manipulating you longer, and you were never taught the resistance techniques. Every trace of your original self must be gone by now." She leaned in closer, and stroked the side of my neck gently. "Can I tie you up again, Mistress Sasha?"

There was something hard in her eyes, and I got the definite feeling she was going to kill me. But at this distance, she could kill me in an instant regardless. My only chance to survive was...

"You're going to try to escape, right? Can't you take me with you?"

She hesitated. "I need you to die, so her mind shatters." She stroked my cheek. "Close your eyes for me, okay? I'll make it really gentle and easy. I still remember you as--"

I shook my head violently, tearing up. "I hate that name, please don't say it."

"I still remember you as my friend," said Wren softly.

I slowly and gently put a trembling hand on her chest. "Can't you just... wall away the vengeful part of your personality? Please? I don't think killing me is going to make you happy. Or you know, alive."

Wren's hand wrapped around the front of my neck, threatening to choke me. "That's not what this is about. I remember what she's done to me. Over and over and over again, I remember what she's done to me."

"But you don't have to, Wren. If you let go of your vengeance, you could live."

Her eyes narrowed. "As what, exactly? As her slave? It'd be better to die!"

"You wouldn't have to be her slave if you walled it off right. Or even around her. Princess would give you to someone else if you recovered and you asked."

"Even if I stopped myself from knowing..." Wren shook her head. "I really wonder if you ever understood honor."

"No, Wren... if I ever did understand it, I really don't now, in this situation." I smiled up at her a little. "I just don't want to see you die."

She leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. "Then close your eyes, Sasha." Her voice was soft, but commanding, and there were tears in her eyes too.

I started to close my eyes, and saw her raise her free hand to brush away her own tears.

"WIND!"

With that single word from my lips, and all the mana poured into the simple shape of the spell, her body was flung back and hit the wall with a sickening crack, then fell on the ground, unmoving.

My heart surged in concern, and I wanted to run up beside her and make sure she was okay... but instead, I slowly moved towards the door, keeping my eyes on her, ready to cast another spell, until my trembling hand opened up the door, and I rushed through it, slamming the door behind me.

Valentine stood outside with a couple of trays of food, and started to smile at me, but it faltered as she saw my face. "I was going to bring you some food since... you know."

"Thanks." Wait, that wasn't the right thing. "Um, Valentine? I have to help me or Wren is going to die. I can't let someone else die too. I... Velt...."

Valentine cringed at that name, and she looked around, and took a deep breath. "Okay... I'll try, but I can't guarantee anything." I opened the door for her, and she walked in, followed by me as I closed the door behind us.

Wren was slowly struggling back up from the floor, whimpering softly, but smiled a little as she saw me. "Good strategy, my friend. I wasn't expecting a spell that simple, with such a pure mana flow... I didn't even know you knew it."

I slowly walked towards her. "Can you let me heal you?"

She growled. "Why do you keep trying to help me up even after being the one who cast me down?I'll kill you if you get close."

"No... I don't think you will, Wren."

"You want me to give up my mind? Become a pathetic little pet like you?"

I bit my lip. That hurt. "I... let's take a moment to think through alternate solutions, rather than jump to one of us needing to die, okay?"

Valentine was beside her, and set down a tray in front of her, covered in food. "You could at least have a last meal. I... well, I got a lot of things because I don't know what you like."

I slowly closed the distance and place my hand on her head, and her tail thumped against the wall a little as I spilled healing energy into her, undoing the damage I had done as best I could.

She slowly sat up, wincing a little. "...you don't have to be so nice about this... I don't know what to call you now. I don't want to call you that thing's name."

I sat down next to her and took her hand. "You don't have to call me anything in particular."

Wren pulled her hand away from mine. "I'm not going to buddy buddy up with you just because we're in strategic talks now." Her stomach growled.

Val smiled a little sadly and picked up a grape and held it to her lips, and she hesitated, looking up into the eyes, then parted her lips and took the into her mouth.

Wren chewed it, swallowed, and looked up at Valentine for a long moment. "...Why are you so calm about all of this?"

"As an ex-gladatorial slave, I'm very very used to friends killing each other, Wren. I'd rather not see it again, though." Valentine's voice was soft.

"...oh." She looked a bit guilty. "Yes, well, I... didn't think about that part when I watched you, I guess." She picked up a slice of meat from the tray, took a bite, and shook her head as she ate it, tearing up again. "Why does food still taste good? What's the point?"

"It just does." Valentine reached out to pet Wren's head, and her tail thumped against the wall a few times, her face flushing, and pulled back a little, putting a hand up to protect her head.

"Don't... I haven't gotten to seal away the part of my head that... that Eve didn't ruin. Why are you even still alive, Valentine?"

I took my own tray Valentine had laid in front of me, nibbling at a piece of fresh fruit... the two of them seemed more in their own world right now, and I'd hate to interrupt when it might convince Wren that life was worth living.

"Because living is great! There's food, and sparring, the feeling of wind and water against one's body, a hot bath at the end of a long day, and so many girls..." Val smiled widely, her eyes sparkling as she looked down into Wren's eyes, and she reached down to gently stroke her cheek. "I'd hate for you to lose out on more of your life just because of the bad things that happened to you."

Wren's blush spread. "...fine. Fine, you win." Her voice had a sharp edge to it. "As long as you become my exclusive girlfriend, I'll give up on revenge."

Valentine blinked, eyes widening, as she flushed too. "Exclusive?" She squeaked.

Wren smiled up at Valentine viciously, and grabbed hold of her chin with her entire hand, pulling it down to look at her. "Exclusive."

Valentine squirmed a little. "That's hardly fair...."

Wren released her chin and shrugged. "Is what you're asking of me fair? I've already given up on my dreams, and now you want me to give up on my revenge too? So in return give up all other girls, and become just mine." She smirked. "You can't do it, can you? So stop asking the impossible."

Valentine looked down shyly. "I... Princess Asperia does own me, you know."

Wren dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "Other than her, of course. I know how things work here, more or less."

"...okay. I'm yours, Miss Wren." Valentine's voice was soft and shy, and she scooted up closer to Wren so their sides were just touching.

Wren paused midbite of a roll, and stared up at Valentine blankly. "...I didn't think you'd just say yes," she said faintly.

I hadn't either, until Valentine started getting all submissive about it.

Valentine sighed, shoulders slumping. "So you weren't serious about it?"

Wren closed her eyes for a long moment, then nodded. "...okay, fine. I did offer it during negotiations. I didn't really want to kill... my friend, either."

Valentine wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, but Wren pulled away slightly.

Wren cleared her throat. "I do... you two should leave me alone for a little while, so I can sort my mind out."

"Okay. Thank you for letting me be your girlfriend, Miss Wren." Valentine's voice was shy and nervous and a little excited, but she released Wren and got up. I took my food tray and walked out with her.

As the door closed behind us, I looked up at Valentine. "...do you really think you'll be able to handle this?"

"If she's that dominant with me... absolutely."

"...doesn't Princess frown on exclusive relationships?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine," replied Valentine with a starry-eyed look in her eyes. Or... those were the beginning of tears?

I wrapped my arms around her much larger, trembling body and hugged her the best I could. Somehow, I wasn't jealous of her this time.

She carefully wrapped an arm around me and wiped away her tears with the back of her other hand. "I was so scared she'd die, Sasha." Her voice was a little above a whisper. "That the kindest thing I could do would be to kill her."