Naeku’s eyes widened. "I... Why not...?" she whispered, possibly afraid of the answer. She pressed herself a little closer into Erik’s embrace, looking for comfort.

Aster sighed and shrugged. "I like you, Princess... But we were never really close friends, were we? I mean, setting aside that I’ve never seen your human face, it was always obvious that what few friends you had never really registered high on your priority list. Your top three have always been filled by the nation, the people, and your family, in an order that I don’t want to speculate on."

She shook her head. "Now your family is even bigger, and I hope it makes you happy, but... when last we met, it was hard not to notice that your thoughts were constantly elsewhere. Asking after Dawit felt like barely an afterthought for you, so I didn’t feel like getting into it."

Her tone was perhaps a little harsher than needed, and it hit home. Naeku flinched at first, but then anger flared in her eyes. She balled her fists. "S-So, what, our friendship was always just a lie to you?! Because I dared to care about my family and responsibilities?!"

Aster frowned, anger flashed across her face for a moment, but then she shook her head and suppressed it a little.

"It wasn’t a lie, it just wasn’t that deep," she scoffed lightly. "But you can’t blame me for that. You make your own priority list, and friends don’t rank very high on it. That’s not a problem, but it is a fact. Perhaps you don’t notice the difference because you have so few friends, but I certainly felt it... And I don’t blame you, either. As I said, I do like you, and I realise how much you do for the people, but... yeah."

She shrugged again.

Naeku’s eyes narrowed. She looked angry, but Erik could feel the hurt behind that glare. Not that there wasn’t genuine anger, as well...

"You should have told me," she growled.

Aster scoffed again. "What would have been the point? Are you actually claiming you’d have put me above the nation, our people, or your family if I talked to you about it? If so, which one?"

Unsurprisingly, Naeku didn’t have an answer for that, which only made her angrier. "At least I wouldn’t have lived a lie anymore! I considered you my best friend! A-And maybe that didn’t mean much to you, but it did to me, no matter what you say!"

Aster shook her head, her expression softening a little, though her eyes were still hidden behind the blindfold. "I know, princess... but the idea meant more to you than the fact. You were lonely, I know that. You needed the idea of a best friend to feel better... and I was happy to be that for you, even if I didn’t feel the same. Telling you the truth would have simply made you sadder and lonelier... but I don’t think you need me anymore... assuming your new family treats you well."

Erik felt the turmoil in Naeku’s thoughts and tightened his grip on her waist to remind her he was there. He frowned a little, not too happy with Aster’s blunt approach... but he could see where she was coming from. If he were in Aster’s shoes, he might not have had the heart to tell her, either. Plus, Naeku had sister-wives now. Suddenly, friends and family didn’t have to be different priorities.

However, Naeku didn’t immediately agree. "So you took pity on me?!" she snarled, ignoring the tightening of Erik’s grip as she wriggled out of his arms to step closer and crouch in front of the kneeling Aster.

The vampire stayed quiet for a moment... then she nodded. "I suppose that’s true, in a way."

Suddenly, she scooted back a little before bowing forward until her head pressed against the floor, prostrating herself before Naeku. "Now I ask you to have pity on me, Princess," she whispered, her voice steady but pleadingly. "Völva told me that you will be making the decision today... So please, allow me to continue the trials."

Naeku was understandably taken aback. Some of her anger disappeared into disbelief. "You... why do you even want this so badly?! I’m sorry about Dawit, and maybe I didn’t know him as well as I should have, but I doubt he wanted this for you! I mean... I’m sure you realise the sexual nature of what you’re about to commit to!"

Still prostrating, Aster answered quietly, profound grief and pain, but also resentment now slipping into her voice. "He shouldn’t have died then..."

Before she could continue to answer the question, Erik finally felt the need to involve himself. He cocked an eyebrow as his deep, stern voice reverberated in the room. "Considering you’ve quite literally seen me on death’s door not that long ago, I doubt your faith in my divinity is that strong. Still, I have to ask: you’re not expecting me to resurrect your fiancée, are you?"

As soon as his voice penetrated her ears for the first time today, Aster shivered. A soft moan escaped her lips. Erik realised she’d already started the trials before he put a halt to it, but was still surprised this was already her reaction to his voice.

"My lord..." she whispered softly, reverently. In Erik’s mind, Nora quickly explained that Aster wasn’t allowed to call him master until she passed the trial.

"I-I would... never be so presumptuous, Wolf-Sire..." she continued, her voice trembling lightly. "No, I... I swear my eternal devotion to you. After the trial, you will forever be the only man I think off... a-and that’s exactly what I’m hoping for. I know there’s no resurrecting Dawit, but... I hope you will take away the pain... Let your will fill my entire being, so that I don’t have to miss him anymore... so that I don’t have to love him anymore. Let me be reborn into a woman who thinks only of you, my lord..."

Profound silence fell on the five of them. Neither Anne nor Nora seemed surprised, likely having known already, but Erik and Naeku were understandably taken aback. Erik had raised both eyebrows, at a loss for words. Naeku’s jaw had fallen open, equally deprived of coherent thoughts.

Naeku was the first to recover, but what appeared on her expression was disdain. "I didn’t expect you to be that weak, Aster," she scoffed, her previous anger now finding a new outlet as she felt surprised and annoyed at her old friend.

To Erik’s surprise, she reached her hand down to tangle it in Aster’s hair, before yanking her face up to eye-height with narrowed eyes. "But, fine," she hissed as Aster yelped, "if this is what you want, then I need you to prove it..."