Mew has the same dream again.

He just cannot reach his Gulf. His beautiful wife stands there with a sword protruding out of his stomach and smiling... and he cannot scream louder until his Gulf waves at him with those blushing cheeks... then falls to the ground pale and dea...

"AH" Mew jerks up from his deep sleep but a gentle hand touches his chest and the most beautiful face he has ever seen comes to his vision.

"Gulf..."

"Shh... P'Mew..."

Mew shakes his head to recover from the dream and kisses the palm that is now rubbing his forehead.

"You were calling for me." Gulf pecks his lips with worried eyes. "The same dream?"

Mew nods.

He had the same dream days before they left the palace. Mew could not scream for Gulf even when he woke up. His wife had rolled away from him in sleep and Mew almost cried until Gulf cuddled back to his chest.

The dream is always so real. Last time too.

He could not sleep and he strongly believed it was a message. Even if it was not he would never ignore whatever that made him believe his wife was in danger.

His life is meaningless if something happened to Gulf.

He had shaken up his obliviously sleeping beautiful wife in the middle of night around second hour of deep night.

"P'Mew..." Gulf whined refusing to leave their warm, cosy bed.

"I am so sorry, Tua-eng but we have to see the Sun God, right now... come on please..."

"No."

Mew picked up his wife and bathed him with heavy heart listening to his wife's whiney words and adorable angry tears. But he could not.

"My faen, please. You can sleep on the way." He picked up their son and placed him in between Mild and Siwat, along with San; waking up Papa to tell them they were leaving for the temple.

Mew had thought of calling down his chariot but the dream was fresh in his mind and he could trust his wife's safety with none.

His wife had already cuddled to his shoulder, standing, trying to sleep again.

'Adorable.'

"Buk buk." Mew softly stomped his foot to the ground and Rudra stealthy comes to him with an inaudible huff.

"Temple." The Emperor climbed up his trusted friend, smoothly taking his wife along with him. "You can sleep now, Tua-eng. I will wake you up when we reach there." Mew gently rubbed his fean's soft ears and Gulf pouted.

"Why now? Morning?"

Mew had no answer. The dream was haunting for him to repeat. Gulf slipped back to sleep with his face on Mew's chest without receiving a reply.

Mew made sure, not a burst of cold night wind reached his wife.

He had to see his birth god and officially consummate their sacred coupling. The dreams never mean what they show. The messages are always too deeply hidden for mere mortals to unveil.

Mew had to literally carry his wife in his arms to the temple because Gulf refused to wake up.

"Sweetheart, my love. Please open your eyes and see our God. It is disrespectful not to do so." Gulf finally relented; with that pout still in place. So Mew leaned and gave it a smooch.

"Whaaa..." Gulf's words ended up in a yawn. "What about the priest, Khun Phi?"

"I am the Supreme Priest of Sun Temple, Gulfie."

"You are? I never knew that!"

"Sigh! Emperors do not conduct rituals for just anyone." Mew mumbled as he removed his Royal robes as well as Gulf's Concubine Robes before wearing the Prayer Cloak.

Gulf stared at his hubby who had started to chant mantras and hymns.

Mew took the white silk clothes and dip them in hot oils before wrapping them around his own wrist.

"Whatever my beloved's fate is, please intertwine my destiny with him." Mew bows before the glowing deity's feet.

Gulf pouted when Mew pricked his hand with a long needle. "Owie!"

"Shh..."

But his eyes widened when Mew casually rubbed his own thumb on the edge of Sun God's sword and drew blood before immersing his wound in the hot oil.

"Don't cry Tua-eng, my wounds heal right away." Mew showed his already healed thumb and Gulf glared at his prick wound which brought up another drop of blood.

Mew licked his wife's dot of a wound and heal it with an apologising smile. "You are not mage, Gulfie."

Mew shook his head when his wife yawned, dropped his head on Sun God's feet and fell asleep.

"He is my wife." Mew told the deity. "He bears the mark of my essence. This man will be with me in all my lives or I am not willing to be born as your hands."

The crown on the Sun God's head glows red.

"I know my mistakes. You punish me and only me. He is worth your heritage and you know it. The dream I had... if it is your way of proving me wrong, I have already accepted. You now know what he is to me. And that make him your Hozdertyaan. Protect him, Ancestor."

Mew ignored his wife's angry sniffles and woke him up again. Gulf had to lie on the stone bed in front of Sun God and Mew could only wonder how Gulf could fall back asleep right in the middle of scolding him.

Mew drew sacred patterns all over Gulf's stomach and head, praying and chanting.

"He is my soul and he holds my heart. With this rituals, Dear Korpbuteral, our Ancestor, I tie myself to him. He be my mate and he be my first wife. This, with I swear my existence thread, knotted and kept."

The rituals burned Mew's hand, blistered his tongue and hurt his eyes. His quick healing magic never could reduce the pain but he gladly and gratefully underwent all of them for his wife's wellbeing.

"P'Mew..." Gulf called out when Mew picked him up again.

"Shh... sleep darling."

Mew held Gulf close to his chest, sitting on the high end of the temple for the Sun God to rise. Mew smiled when Gulf adorably kept on blinking up at the sky while occasionally yawning.

"You can sleep until the Sun is up, baby."

"Really?"

Mew chuckled. "Yes. "

"Why we are here?" Gulf yawned and Mew felt bad for waking up his breastfeeding wife a lot earlier than he should.

"I... had a bad dream and I could not..."

"What dream?" Gulf looked up innocently up at him.

"That I had to see the Sun God." Mew sighed and started singing a beautiful lullaby for his wife to sleep.

And Mew was prepared for Gulf to be hurt. A dream as powerful as that would not leave his wife alone.

But the decision was easy for Mew to take. The power of Empire and life with Gulf?

There was not even a question. If only his wife was less stubborn... Mew always smile thinking about his wife's life decisions.

One force to reckon.

Now the dream is back.

Mew gulps and Gulf gently pats his back. "Want to visit the sun temple?" His wife worriedly asks and Mew nods.

Mew is not the Emperor now and the island where they are staying is not economically part of his former empire though politically they are.

It is a safe place for his family. Then why the dream?

Mew does not know and he is honestly restless. His hand remains circled around his Gulfie's waist as they walk to the temple.

He was never a good ruler, was he? These parts of his empire economically did not contribute much and he had ignored them.

The people has never seen him before. Though it has worked in his favour this time... Mew realises he was not the perfect ruler ever, not the compassionate of all...

The people of this island – Biuos - they serve the Sea God Nouideles. As a result, the Sun temple they are visiting is as close to ruins.

"Aw... don't they have a priest?"

Gulf gently brushes his beautiful fingers over the dusty stone cravings.

"We have to clean the temple, P'Mew. We cannot pray to God if the God is unhappy." Mew pulls Gulf closer when the fawn tries to get away from him.

"Let me. It is my duty, remember?"

"I thought we started sharing our duties." His wife smiles prettily at him and started to make a broom with dry sticks and leaves. "I do not know why there is no priest here. After all the Sea God is the brother of Sun God, right P'Mew?"

Gulf does not wait for his reply and staring dusting and wiping sacred podiums.

Mew pulls his wife to his lap and Gulf gasps. "We are in a temple!"

"He knows who and what we are... come on, sit with me and let me..." Pray at his feet, not to take you away from me.

The rituals are similar but the lack of praying tumblers, dongs and song bowls dims its beauty. Gulf still pouts when Mew pricks his thumb but he is alarmed when Mew's thumb does not heal right away even after dipping in hot oil.

"P'Mew, why are you bleeding, faen?"

Mew smiles. "I am not the Emperor now, remember? I do not wear the mage ring anymore."

Gulf's eyes water. "So..."

"Hey, hey... I still can summon magic but I would rather not. Without my Sornyan – the shield that protects me – my ring, I would rather not. Magic... is addicting. This is just a small wound, wifey, stop crying."

Gulf pops Mew's thumb in his mouth, sucks off the blood and hot oil before dipping a silk cloth in the oil and tying it up. "I have caused you lot of trouble, P'Mew."

"You never have and you never will. But next time you sneak off to library, tell me. I do not want another mob ganging upon me thinking I am creeping on a beautiful mother."

Gulf's blush is adorable. Mew laughs and his pretty wife falls to his chest embarrassed.

"You followed me!" Gulf squeaks.

"Of course I did. My wife is still new to this island. I cannot let him and my child be away from me."

Gulf just... wanted to know if the story of Sun Flower and Desert Symphony was made up by his husband.

"It is not that I did not believe you P'Mew... I..."

"Shh... I would rather you question my intentions and acts, beautiful. I... you... well, we are pushed together by destiny and I have hurt you so bad because I was weak; I was arrogant. Now, that I am all yours, I want you to 'know'... really really know what and who I am. So, question me wife. I will be happy."

"I was not questioning you." Gulf kisses Mew's cheek. "I wanted to see... how 'I' look in your eyes and I wanted to know if you were playing with my heart."

"I am glad. You cried though you were laughing." Mew squeezes Gulf again until his wife squeaks.

"You were watching!"

"Had to, faen. People were staring at you and I was jealous. Sorry."

Gulf knows Mew is not sorry but he will take the off handed apology.

They head back after their prayers and merit. By then, Thorn has driven Papa and Mama Mi up to the walls with his tears.

He wakes up and his parents are not there. No immi; no leather balls. He is abandoned. Is this how he is raising his parents?

Then Da comes with sweets and toys with mama in tow, then he lets them apologize at his feet.

Then a creepy Gluik insect bites the back of his palm, only because he wanted to see what is inside the hole in the ground...

Well...

"Thorn... stop crying. There is nothing there, baby..." Gulf fails to calm his wailing son, rubbing the small pink bruise on Thorn's hand.

'Mae no allow me to bite that ugly crawly back.' Thorn is mad and he throws his head back.

"Here, son. You can stop crying now." Mew drops the dead insect in front of Thorn, a bit away though, afraid his son would gobble it up in anger.

"P'Mew! You killed it?! Why?"

"It bit my son, wifey. See, an owie on my little son's hand." Mew takes a twine and ties the tail of the insect before dangling it front of Thorn. "Come on, let us feed it to the fishes."

Mew takes his now hiccupping son who has stopped crying, from his wife.

Gulf closes and opens his mouth again, only to close it again. He gets some of his wits back "I know I have a lot to say but I have no idea how to make up words. So, I am going to wait till we are in bed and that troublemaker asleep."

Mew winces at Gulf's glare. His wife thinks everything has the right to live. Then it should refrain from biting his tiny son.

He will just kiss his Gulf when his faen opens his mouth to scold.

That is exactly what he does and... his wife is passed out. Mew smirks and covers Gulf's naked body with blanket before slipping out with dirty sheets.

Morning comes way too early and Mew begs his wife to sleep some more in vain. There is no need for Gulf to wake up this early.

He will leave with a flask of coffee but Gulf has to do it, every day. Mew sighs when he sees Gulfie yawn again but what can he do? He is head over heels for his stubborn wife.

Gulf stands by the door with their sleeping son on shoulder.

"Be careful." Gulf yawns again and Mew pecks his wife's forehead.

"Siwa is a shout away, hear me wifey?" Gulf nods his head sleepily. "Go lie down after locking the door." Mew demands. He looks back all through his walk until he sees the light dims in his bedroom.

Mew loves his new work.

He starts working at 3 after midnight. They go to middle sea and get their catches. The seniors in his boat will catch the fish, he is in duty of fighting it and dropping it in the boat.

They will pay him some coins depending on the catch and he leaves for home by 10.

Done.

Thorn might be napping after his feeding but will be awake by the time Mew gets washed up.

The family will have their breakfast and Mew helps his wife with kitchen duties and maybe some kissing.

Sigh!

Beautiful life.

Mew will catch up on his sleep at noon, then he plays with kids while mothers get some rest until evening.

Siwa has been working at the blacksmith's and their working hours are so perfectly aligned.

Who knew the life away from palace is so peaceful?

Well, peace is where home is and Gulf is his home.

Mew plays with his wife's hair as Gulf is lying on his back on Mew's chest both of them enjoying the setting Sun and cool evening breeze.

"Wifey..."

"Hmmm?"

Mew leans down and kisses Gulf's plumb lips. He smiles when he feels Gulf smiling against his lips.

"Apart from watching me spar, what do you miss from the palace?"

Mew had accidently found out about that. The things that made him believe there is still hope for Gulf's love.

Mew always felt eyes on his back whenever he trains but when he turned back every time, there was nobody. Ignoring that some curious servants will be watching, Mew never asked who it was. Until one day...

His sparring with his commanders are always disciplined.

So, when he helps a fellow trainer who fell in front of him with a sprained ankle, his opponent misjudges the move and ends up smacking the heavy staff of Mew's shoulder.

The pain did not even register to the seasoned warrior Mew and they continued with their training as if nothing had happened.

Gulf was assigned by Mew to help him bath and they had already fell in the comfort of loving each other's bodies. Mew was particularly happy that day when his skittish wife drew on his back with a feather dipped in some fragrant oil.

A beautiful fawn playing on a hungry Lion's naked back... and anyone could assume how it ended. Mew only felt a tug on his shoulder when he tried to wear his night robe.

Gulf was not drawing patterns on Mew's back to play. The angry welt mark of the staff was covered by medicated oil. Gulf was tending him.

The love he had thought was lost... it was there in Gulf, waiting to be unravelled.

"I miss being watched by you." Now that they are not in palace, the training is just Siwa and Mew goofing around.

"I miss nothing really... from the palace." Gulf says. "I can see you now... all the time. I do not have to hide, afraid if anyone is looking. I can..." Gulf leans up and kisses Mew's lips. "... do anything without being judged. I love it here, P'Mew and I know 'here' is not a place... it is rather a feeling. I do not know what I am saying."

"I know. I feel the same."

"You do?"

Mew nods. "Of course faen. I..."

Tiny whimpers arise from the cradle next to him and his wife quickly pecks his lips before leaning down on the cradle to see his waking son.

"MMa..." Thorn starts loud but stops when he sees his mae already looking at him. 'Oh. The Da it is.'

"DDa..." Mew also looks at the cradle and Thorn groans.

'Oh you are here too. Why am I wasting my tears then? I will cry when you are doing some job.'

Gulf and Mew smiles at their troublemaker's antics.

Thorn immediately begs Mae for immi but promptly gets turned down. "You are not hungry Thorn."

'Hungry mae. Immi now.'

"You fell asleep after immi, remember?"

Gulf knows his son and he knows Thorn just wants to cuddle and play with his nipples but Gulf has work to do. The dried Yarop seeds will not walk themselves to the jar to get pickled.

"Immiii..." Thorn pouts and kisses Gulf.

"Give him milk, baby. My son looks hungry."

Gulf sighs. "He drank all my milk a bit before, P'Mew. How can he be hungry after few minutes of nap?"

Mew glares at his wife and Gulf sighs. "You always pick your child's side. That is why he is so spoiled."

Gulf sulks as he hates Mew's glare. He refuses to admit the pang of sadness he feels when Mew glares or be angry at him. He feels... so alone and unwanted.

He moves away from his hubby. Mew does not have to glare. As if Gulf is a bad mother who does not feed his son.

He unties the knots of his robe and Thorn quickly rubs his tiny face all over mae's chest.

"Hey don't be like that... wifey." Mew notices how his wife's smile dropped of his face and he feels bad. He just does not want his son to cry of hunger. Gulf can just untie his tunic knots, right?

"Guppie..." Gulf swats away the hand trying to touch his shoulder. "Don't sulk."

"Why do you care? I am just a milk making instrument, right?"

"What?! Wifey... I was just..."

"Oh, if you do not remind me to feed my son, I will conveniently starve my own child, right?"

Mew has nothing to say and his wife turns away with an angry huff.

"Wifey..."

Mew feels even more bad when Thorn will only poke and prod at Gulf's nipples without drinking but every time Gulf tries to move he will end up screaming.

Great!

His wife is right that he meddles into unwanted business. What does he know about breastfeeding? He should have just kept quiet.

"Thorn, mama has to jar those seeds. The sand will cool so fast at night and the mat will get cold. Then the seeds will not remain dried." Gulf begs, trying to take the small hands off his chest but Thorn screams again. "Mama will cuddle with you later."

Gulf always lies down with son giving him kisses and cuddles whenever he is resting but Thorn is always as demanding as his father.

Mew knows he has irked his wife and admits his defeat. He collects Gulf's dried Yarop but his wife does not acknowledge his help.

He deserved it. He will suck up to his wife with a massage later; that is if he let you touch him.

Mew winces. Gulf is ruthless with his punishments.

"Baby... I am sorry, alright?"

Gulf finally ignores his son's annoyed screams and stands up. "I said later and later it will be. If you want to cry, cry to him. After all, aren't you two a team?"

Mew takes his crying son with a wince but fails miserably to calm him down.

Now he knows why his wife said it will be a bad idea. "Son, your mae has work. Come on, cuddle with me."

'MY IMMMMIII... MAE TOOK MY IMMIIIII... IMMIII COME...' Thorn fights him landing heavy punches on his face and Mew winces.

God, I deserve this.

The visitor bells on the front door chimes and Mew rushes to attend, seeing his wife making way to door from the kitchen.

"I got it beautiful... you work." Gulf ignores Mew and his sheepish smile.

Mew opens the door with screaming Thorn angrily biting his ear and the smile he has for his wife freezes on his face when he sees the visitor.

"Aan? What... What are you doing here?"