Respect the Price
That evening after dinner, I confronted Freia about Joel’s plans, relating the entire story from the beginning. My ignorant American lover would attempt to become one of my people whether I liked it or not, and his own reasons for it were strong. I cried for a long time in Freia’s arms, my mind completely consumed with images from the abyss. I saw Joel’s handsome young body ripped apart, his arteries dangling in the hands of the Prince, his life gradually expiring while I watched. For the first time in my life, my thoughts and heart remained fixed upon Joel alone, and I realized that somehow I had to love him, despite my preoccupation with Teuton priests. No priest could give up so much for me, renouncing his heritage for the sake of my purity. Even Augustin’s impossible
