Karl smiled. Sabine and him looked at one another again, gauging who would talk first. They both almost began at the same time and stopped for one another.

"You go ahead," Karl said with a grin.

Sabine tried not laugh. "It was not like a story book or anything," she began. "Karl moved to where I worked at the time. The scholar's loft is what it is called. A place where academic pursuits are patronised. He researched ancient relics and I researched alchemy. We worked in close proximity and...we were both very shy. We eventually made conversation and became comfortable. Then we started spending time together outside of the loft. I think we both had feelings for each other but were afraid to say it. I needed encouragement from my friends before I could let him know because I was afraid I was too busy. But we did reveal it."

Karl brought a hand up to run Sabine's shoulder. "You were more assertive than I expected."

Sabine flushed red. "I did not know how to do it, okay?"

"How did your admission go?" Ariel asked with a sly smile. "I do not remember that detail being included in the letters."

"It was embarrassing," Sabine said.

"It was cute," Karl retorted. He addressed Ariel. "She asked me very politely if she could kiss me, without much of any pretence."

Ariel grinned. "And how did you answer."

Karl's eyes lowered. "At that point, we had been spending so much time with so much unsaid that we both knew the answer."

"You took a while to answer," Sabine added with her own grin.

"Only because I was taken off-guard. It's not a question you get asked every day."

Sabine looked teasingly. "You were paralysed."

Karl closed his eyes and exhaled from his nose. "We worked it out in the end."

[hr]
The three generals each turned their eyes from the sigil stone to Hal-Neesa. They were silent for long enough that their scepticism was readily apparent.

"Fighting daedra with daedra," Gro-Tagnud's eyes blinked to Teroiah. "Is that going to work?"

"Records of the Planemeld are scant," Teroiah said. "But I know you speak the truth. What I do not know is how Molag Bal's daedra shall behave. If they are anything akin to Molag Bal's usual conduct, I am remiss to fight anywhere near them."