Sana sat there thinking back on the days at home when she was growing up, what she had been taught and what she had refused to learn. Taking a deep breath she looked over to Hugh as he began to speak to her about secrets. Just what was he trying to get at she wondered as he seemed to go around in circles about the whole thing. Then she froze as dropped the wife bomb, not exactly knowing how to respond to that. He was so blunt about it,[i]”all burned,”[/i] he had said to matter-of-factly. Her eyes widened somewhat, almost in disbelief, mouth agape. How was she supposed to react to that? Part of her was shocked, that much was obvious. Another part of her felt sorrow for him, no one should ever go through that. 

Then the irrational woman side of her kicked in and she felt jealously. That he had had someone else he was close to before her. Sadly that part took over right then. Any other time it may not have but after all the talk of her sister, of leaving to keep from being a courtesan, all of it was a bit much for her right then and Sana had never really been one to keep her emotions in check. Looking away slowly she just stared off into nothingness. Slowly it dawning on her that if his family hadn’t died he would most likely still be living a peaceful and happy life where they had been. She never would have met him, he wouldn’t have been there to rage out and break out of the cage to save her. She would most likely be dead if they hadn’t already died. 

She didn’t know how to process all of this, it was beyond her. Then the memory of his face during her dance flooded her mind. Part of it he looked sad, almost in pain. Had her dance made him think of another woman? Of his wife? If so, what did that make her? Sana drew a horrible conclusion as she swallowed hard. She was the other woman...And the words of an old fortune teller rang in her mind. [i]One often meets her destiny on the road she takes to avoid it.[/i] Closing her eyes slowly she groaned slightly and took another long breath before her eyes opened but unable to look over into Hughs direction. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” was all she could manage to say.