Mew might as well build a home in this lake. It is the third time, only this evening.

He sighs and wipes his face with cold water.

Gulf is figuratively killing him and Mew cannot sit in the home without getting a prominent erection.

He will think of Gulf next to him; he will get a semi and then sees his beautiful seductress of a wife coming to him with gentle but clumsy steps and...

Mew is back in lake; he groans.

"It must be difficult for you in my hut." Gulf has a fresh towel and he sits on the rock without looking at Mew. "Mild said you left without taking a towel... he thinks you are getting sick."

Mew is staring at the slightly exposed shoulder bone that he so wants to sink his teeth in. Gulf is so celestial and he has no idea what he does to Mew.

Even when he had promised his commitment and fidelity to Aan, and a man as determined as Mew had slipped and fell for that beauty.

Yet, Gulf does not know.

That baby is innocent unlike the cunning and cruel Emperor. No one knows it better than Mew.

"The palace is well ventilated and you have maids to fan you with musk scented hand fans."

Mew really wants to pull Gulf to him, in this chilled water and maybe drag the pretty unsuspecting fawn to the rock in the middle, make sure he can't escape and...

"Are you really here for the murder case?"

"Yeaah..." your lips are so plump and will it burst sweetly if take a small bite? It should... something as ripe, wet and coloured in a beautiful combination of red and pink... should not be just there to tempt... there has to be something really flavourful beneath, waiting for my sharp teeth to...

Wait what murder? Oh that!

"Sigh! I am sorry I cannot do anything to make your stay easier. I have a potted Saashwank plant for you... at night they have cold water in their leaves and it will make you sleep easier."

Gulf does not look up and Mew wants to pull that beauty by his chin, lift that face up, swim in that chocolate pools of eyes and get drunk in Gulf's warm, tight...

"I have iced mint-lemon tea if you want... Uhmm here is your towel." Gulf stands up and a wind blows that tunic showing a bit of Mew's prize of tantalizing hip bone that is aching for a deep painful pinch.

Mew immerse back to the water with a 'blum'. He can't watch Gulf going back with that gorgeous globes of filled honey pots swaying in front of him.

'You are killing me, wifey... Just come back here and lie down under me.'

He wants to squeeze that milky soft belly as he climbs slowly up to Gulf's...

FEREK!

Mew punches the water and it only laughs at his misery.

He somehow manages to release his hunger for his pretty fawn and goes home.

Gulf makes him feel all the emotions he is not supposed to feel as an Emperor.

Here he is back from the destructive lusty feelings and now he just wants to hug Gulf close, pressing kisses on that hair covered nape.

Gorgeous beautiful silky long hair.

"I will help." Mew takes the hard dough from Gulf.

"It is okay... I..."

Mew's heart jumps with happiness when the fawn does not gallop away. He does not even move and Mew would weep with joy, if he could.

"You already have back pain; I don't want you to have wrist pain too..."

"Please stop teasing me, King."

God, the voice is so small and angelic... what music will you sing when I play your body like you are my instrument?

Mew gives two punches to the hard dough and with a soft gasp Gulf stops another punch with a gentle touch on his fist. "Not so hard..."

Mew, you bloody creepy pervert!

"Gentle..." Gulf says.

Mew got this.

"I have seen you smacking it really hard."

Gulf's lips faintly twitch. "My hard is your soft."

Nope, Mew has not got this.

He does not mean it that way, you creepy perverted, sad excuse of a pathetic husband.

"Now just take the dough and we have to break it into two by twisting it like this. It is really difficult, so..."

Mew just snaps it into two that easily. "Like this?"

"Wo... yeah..."

Gulf takes a solid ten minutes by smacking it with the back of his knife to cut one piece of dough into two. The Emperor just woosh swoosh.

Gulf peeks at Mew's hands and the veins itself says how powerful those hands are.

He turns away and work on his piece of dough.

"Let me..." A raspy voice coos at his ear and Gulf shifts away. Mew just pulls that two ends and the dough is broken into two.

All his fifteen dough blocks are now cut in a matter of moments and Gulf wonders. "Woow... I knew you were strong but not that strong."

'I can really show you how strong I am. Stand a bit closer, my tempting seductress. I will drop little kisses on your long neck, nibble your adorable ears, pull you to my body and fereking show you how strong my hands are, when I knead your full honey pots thoroughly. You will just moan and mewl and I want your pretty soft hands on my back...'

"King..."

Mew looks up and Gulf is already at the door holding all the broken dough pieces in a bamboo basket.

"Yeah... yeah..." baby?

"Thorn is in the cradle... I have to immerse these in basak oil. I will do it outside or my kitchen will be messy."

'Yeah... run away pretty fawn or it will not just be your kitchen that will end up messy. Ferek, that waist...'

Mew is done. So, so done.

He has to have Gulf. Not just sexually, obviously. He has to 'have' Gulf in all the ways a man can have a person.

He does not know how to do that. Gulf has barely accepted him as an acquaintance. Now he has to swim the whole ocean of 'friendship' before there is the whole mountain of 'courting'.

Mew will just die.

He goes to chop woods for the kitchen at the nearby forest when his wife is back.

Siwa and San went to meet his family and Mild is with his younger brother for the day. Mew does not really like leaving Gulf and his son alone in that hut but he can see his home from here and Ja always guards his home's entrance.

It will be fine; his wife is not a weak Mellow Flower.

He collects all the chopped wood, arranges them neatly at the backside of the kitchen, already calling for Gulf.

So, it is by accident Mew knows that from this spot he can see his wife's bedroom and bed... also his naked wife.

Half naked, but... like a creepy peeping tom, he only hides to the side and keep on watching.

His son is kicking the air and babbling at his mae.

"Oh, stop it, Thorn, you are not starving. Give mae a moment."

'I am starving, my tummy gulugulu, maeeee... hear?'

Mew gulps seeing Gulf's beautiful back curve, all from that irresistible nape to his succulent buttocks.

He watches his wife lying on the bed facing away from him to breastfeed Thorn.

Gorgeous... So freaking gorgeous.

Mew wants to lie behind Gulf, rub his hands on that smooth body and tell him how beautiful he really is.

Gulf glares at his son, who is now playing with his nipples but not drinking. "Thorn! Mae has work... come on."

Thorn pats and pinches his nipple, giggling up at him.

"My beautiful prince, drink immi... mae has to get the pickles before Moon Goddess is awake."

Gulf gently but firmly holds his son's tiny head by its back and pushes that baby bird mouth to his nipple.

Thorn takes two quick sucks and then there he goes rolling away. "Weeeeeeee...."

"Son! Mae will spank you." Gulf shows Thorn his forefinger to show he will beat his son.

'Play with mae's finger now? Okay...' Thorn cackles and grabs that wiggling finger.

"Thorn... please... I have work to do. Mae will come back to play later."

'No.'

"Fine, then I am going." Gulf tries to leave the bed and his son's eyes fill up and the wail is heart breaking. "Aww... baby. Mae is here but... drink immi..."

Thorn turns to Gulf's side and licks it once and rolls away.

Gulf just lies down with an unamused sigh and glares at his son again. "Thorn!"

Mew melts on spot seeing a tiny foot rising up from his wife's waist. "My son." He chuckles when Gulf and Thorn fight seeing that tiny foot keeps on digging Gulf's side.

Gulf somehow manages to trap his son in his embrace and without nowhere to go, the little bastard admits defeat.

'Play after immi, mae?' Thorn hums around Gulf's nipple and Gulf's softly hums back. 'Baby no need immi now... baby need mae.'

Thorn opens his eyes and look at his mae and smiles. All the milk that he has in mouth spills to Gulf's chest.

"Thorn!"

'No, drinking.' He cackles and tries to roll away. 'Fooled you!'

"Come here... you adorable rascal!" Gulf finally sits up and drags his baby, places him on the lap and forces him to drink milk. "Huh! How will you roll away now? Wanna roll again? I will love to see you try."

Goddess knows how but after so much spitting milk by Thorn and so much exasperated words by Gulf, the baby finally falls asleep, content and smiling.

Gulf looks down at his chest and glares at his sleeping son again. He rubs his tired eyes and stands up.

Mew loses his balance when his wife - naked from waist up - angrily stands by the window, so close to him.

"Oh, Thorn." Gulf grumbles before taking a cloth to wipe the spilled milk on his body. "I make enough. It is just you spit them out. Come to me crying this night, I will pickle your nose."

All the words are whispered, so his sleeping son will not wake up.

"Such an adorable thing just to make me yank my hair out." Gulf leans down and kisses Thorn's cheek before going to bathroom to bath... unaware of the man that follows him.

Mew has to see more of that... dear god... it is the first time he really sees his wife's tempting sculpture.

There is no going back now.

The fawn is the lion's.

Mew's legs take him after Gulf without his conscious thought and he stand there watching his wife adjusting the taps before pouring water on his head.

So beautiful.

There is a partition that covers everything below his neck up to his knee but dammit, whatever he has seen yet, is calling out to him to brand as his own.

Wet droplets at the hair ends are like diamonds on his chandelier back at the palace; even more beautiful as they adorn his Gulf, instead of a candle.

It is only when Gulf twists his head abruptly to the side to look for his towel, does Mew think about this position.

He is in his wife's bathroom, staring at his bathing and his wife will see him anytime now.

Mew quickly takes two steps back and accidently knocks his elbow on the door frame. He kneels and rolls to the bedroom before Gulf could see him.

"WHO IS THERE? MILD? Are you back?!"

"Uhmm no..." Mew shakes with nervousness. "It is Mew... I uh... Thorn moved." Mew looks apologetically at his sleeping son. "He... uh... rolled to the side and I..."

Mew looks with wonder when his son who was lying on his back all his time, like how his mae has left him, turns to the side, facing Mew.

Gulf comes running, hair not towelled and the tunic clinging to his body.

"What?"

"I was afraid he would roll down the bed."

"Oh... thank you..." Gulf dips his head and rubs his ears. "He will not... the edges will keep him in."

Mew notices the edges of Thorn's sleeping mat is elevated at all the edges and he cannot roll away too far.

"Oh."

They both awkwardly stand there for some time. "Can you... I have to get changed."

"Oh. Sure sure... I uh... Thorn... I... go now... I..."

Gulf nods and Mew hightails out of there; almost smacking to Siwat.

Ferek!

"Gorgeous, please... what do I have to do to get your attention?" Mew whimpers and walks to the lake... again.

Mew somehow manages his mind to believe that he will get his wife back one day. His mind brings up all sorts of reasons why Gulf will not give him a minute of the day.

It is so unlike Mew. Even when he goes to war that may last months, it is easy for him to believe the territory will be his by the end; then why...

Gulf is already his but he is not. He is already the mother of his child, but he is not.

Ferek!

"Gulf baby, please... I will do anything for you."

That is the thing, right?

Gulf needs no one to do anything for him. Gulf is capable, Gulf is already happy and Mew can only show him glitters and Gulf will be less than impressed.

So, the next week when Gulf and his family to go to the temple Gulf goes every Pequen Day in every three Sun Cycles, Mew does not like he is excluded.

Mew is Gulf's husband and Mew is Thorn's dad. He is family. Mew involves himself in and San, Thorn and Mild gladly welcomes him in.

Siwat and Gulf can stare at him for all he cares.

"Let's go." Mew picks up Gulf's heavy bag and leads the way.

"The walk will be too long, King..."

"I know. Let us move it. Forward march!" Mew announces and Mild giggles skipping along.

"Look P'King! I am marching. When you go back to army, recruit me and San!"

Gulf feels this is how a family outing looks like. Not sitting on the fancy carriages and sit awkwardly at posh club settings like his family used to do.

Mild and Siwat play like the love couple they are while Thorn and San tries to kill each other in the buggy until Mew growls.

Last time, it was he and his son alone; focus on the present Gulf...

Yet when he reaches the bottom of the hill with infinite steps upwards, he picks up Thorn from the buggy and takes the bag from Mew with a grateful bow.

The journey to the Coman Mae is his and his son's alone; Mew is not his family.

The Emperor is not just sad; he is heartbroken when he sees San on Mild's chest and Siwat carries his bag.

His wife cautiously takes one step at a time and Mew just wants to pick him up. He has backache and Mew can do nothing.

He walks way too close to catch Gulf if his step stumbles of the weight and pain.

Mew knows he is a stranger to Gulf.

He had taken Thorn and Gulf to the silk weavers' market the other day despite Gulf's vehement denials.

Gulf was not okay with it.

Mew dropped expensive clothes in front of him at the shop and Gulf kept on turning them back all together until he saw how desperate Mew was, as Thorn's father.

"The insides are not as smooth as it is on the outside." Gulf finally said why he did not like any of them.

The shopkeeper hated what he had heard but Gulf did not care. "The stitching comes in the inside. The extra materials are hidden. People who have silk clothes know." It was not a secret that Gulf did not belong in his shop.

"Thorn will hate them and will not wear it happily." Gulf told Mew and the Emperor almost burned the shop down.

Finally, Gulf had agreed on two shirts and a pants which were not too expensive but the insides were smooth. Mew was not happy.

"Thorn is a baby, King. He will only look at shiny things. It is what he feels good that he will choose. The expensive clothes will not feel good. These do."

"You did not take anything for yourself." There... that is what truly troubled Mew but Gulf was confused why Mew would spend his money on him. Gulf is a nobody.

All Mew could remember this pretty fawn waiting by the royal court when Mew had gone to overseas tour and brought gifts for palace residents. Mew had forgotten about Gulf and got him nothing. Gulf had gone back to his room empty handed and Mew was not a bit remorseful.

Now...

Gulf neither wants nor expects anything from him.

"Where I go now, it is better if I go alone with Thorn."

Mew is on high alert. There is next to twenty-five steps steeply ahead and he cannot let his wife along with small son go alone.

What if...

"Mae Coman is the deity of the poor, the needy, the nobody and the forgotten. You as a complete family should not step inside without the Temple Priest. It is all a belief I know but... I wish to see her alone."

Poor, needy, nobody and forgotten?

Thorn?

Gulf?

That is my wife and my son; Mew wants to scream but... Gulf slowly climbs up with a sleeping Thorn on his shoulder.

Siwat and his family leaves Mew, to go to the other side of the temple.

The Emperor can only watch his family sit with the beggars and orphans who are under the care of the Temple. They do not belong there; Mew literally squirms at the feet of the Coman Goddess.

Thorn has woken up and is now screaming in Gulf's hand.

His son would have died; that is all Gulf remembers when he thinks about pain and Gulf also starts crying. "I love you, Thorn."

Mew does not know what is happening to him but he suddenly cannot breathe and he falls down to his knees with literal pain behind his eyes.

He helplessly watches Gulf sit with the hungry poor and gets boiled rice on the floor with a spoon of salt and vinegar.

That is the Empress of Galodhikkera; that is the Crown Prince.

His son wails for food from Gulf's lap and he watches as his wife smush the food between his fingers and feeds Thorn slowly.

When his son falls back asleep, Gulf gratefully eats the rest with tears dripping down his face.

Mew chokes on the invisible hold on his throat, really unable to breath properly.

He wants to scream when Gulf sits down at the Goddess feet with Thorn and the Temple Barber sharpens his blade on the whetstone. The barber effectively shaves the beautiful brown locks on his wife's head and Mew literally felt he has lost a very valuable asset from his life.

He loves Gulf's hair so much and... it is not there anymore.

Not covering his nape; not flying around; not tickling his face when it is windy.

"I am sorry..." Mew gasps out. "I am so sorry, wife... You... my son... I am so sorry for everything... if there is a bad omen, it is me... not you... never you..."

Mew feels darkness in his eyes and he feels he has passed out.

"King?" Gulf is standing next to him and he notices he is far away from the Goddess. He does not remember coming here. If he were here, how could he see Gulf and his son that clearly? He is sure he had been standing over there.

"I... I..." Mew picks up his wailing son and gently rocks him, cradling him to the chest. "Aw... son..."

"He is fine. He hates losing his hair."

'MY HAIR!!! MINE!!! THEY TOOK MY MAE'S HAIR TOO, UGLY MAN!!! I wanna kick the barber's head off.' Thorns takes all his pent up anger on Mew's chest, kicking and screaming.

"Ohh... I know, son. I know... it is okay. It will grow back and no one will ever shave your head, okay? I promise." He kisses Thorn all over and then turns to Gulf. "Why did you..." Your hair was so beautiful. I miss it already.

"It is free. I cannot really afford to get my hair cut regularly." Gulf shrugs.

"So it was not a ritual?" Mew mumbles.

When Siwat, Mild and San comes, Thorn thankfully stops screaming after a miserable whimpering on Mild's chest.

Mew notices the tiny droplet of blood on Gulf's head and he feels the pain Gulf is not feeling.

"There is where the couples pray, why don't you two go?" Gulf motions for San and asks Mild.

Mew stares and stares at Gulf. 'I can take you there. I have the right.'

San is whimpering of sweat and Thorn is on verge of another meltdown. "Let us bath our kids."

Mew takes Gulf's free hand and drags him to the Temple Pond nearby. He knows he has surprised Gulf but Mew can't... not anymore.

"I will hold, San."

Gulf removes the babies' clothes and quickly baths San first and then Thorn.

"Hold them, I will be back." Gulf sits on the bench nearby and waits for Mew to come back.

What has gotten into the Emperor? He squints when he sees Mew spitting on his palm and grinds some leaves to form a paste.

"You are bleeding." Mew states without looking at him. Before Gulf could say anything, his bald head is pulled to the Emperor's chest. He feels Mew applying the paste to the wound on his head.

"That is..." Gulf starts. Surprising is the word you are looking for, Gulf.

Mew is numb.

He knows it. He used to feel this way only when he is on the battle field. Now when he looks at Gulf and Thorn, that is exactly what he feels.

Numb.

The outcome is inevitable and Mew better start bottling up all this confusing emotions before the result is truly in favour of him.

He waits patiently holding Thorn, next to Gulf when he gives the Kindness Jar along with the register and the food he has packed to the Temple Priestess.

Mew knows there will be his money in it, because Gulf has not accepted him in the family, yet.

For the time being, so be it.

Mew places Thorn at the Priestess' feet upon Gulf's request. By hierarchy, the Priestess is below his son but there is nothing Mew could do... yet.

The priestess smiles at Mew and gets down to kneel beside Thorn. "Glad I could see you here with your babba finally, Emperor. We had been waiting for so long. The light is not right nor the darkness wrong, Empress."

Gulf opens and closes his mouth. "I am not... Thorn is not..."

"Darkness is everywhere. So is light. Where is one, without the other? They chase and clash but none of them wrong, none of them right. When the time comes... accept the darkness and wait for the light..."

The Priestess plucks a flower from the flower bed nearby.

"Babba! A flower for you to play. Let him destroy it, Empress... for you may think, he has destroyed it but... has he? Where the flower of Parthenat falls... there will be a new plant. So... where is the wrong, Empress? We can only hope the flower the Crown Prince is holding is Parthenat, for not all flowers rise up from destruction. We know no right... we know no wrong. We are merely here... in the light looking at darkness, forgetting of everything in the darkness looking at light."

Gulf looks at Mew and sees the man already intimidatingly staring at the Temple Priestess. He kicks the man's ankle gently and Mew stops with a small bow.

"Aaa... Twilight is so beautiful." The Priestess' eyes glow cyan. "When the darkness meets light and never wants to leave... truly beautiful..."

Gulf squirms almost slipping on a stone and he feels a hand on his back steadying him.

"Empress... Emperor... Till we meet." She turns around taking Gulf's offerings with a bow.

Gulf bows back but Mew does not.

"Priestess is just... saying philosophies in the tongue we are not familiar with." Gulf is scared of the way Mew is looking now; as if he is ready to go for a war at the moment.

Mew picks up Thorn and kisses his sleeping son's now bald head.

"She is not... if anything... I have never heard a verse so easy to understand."

Mew takes a look at Gulf's eyes and he is falling deeper and deeper... creating a Twilight in his life.

"Follow me, Gulfie."