Your faith commands you to stop

You know if this proceeds you will give yourself to this handsome man. The Burning Rose knows it too. You can hear her wordless voice, beckoning you to that place within you that calms the fire. You study Rakins' face as you pull back. He smiles at you and smooths a lock of crimson hair from your eyes.

"You do not need to say anything," he whispers. "I have overstepped my place and... I apologize."

You kiss him again. Softly, but your lips lingering. You want him to know that he is more than forgiven.

"If I were merely a sister of the Burning Rose," you say, your lips brushing his, "I would accept this pleasure. I would accept it eagerly, captain. But I am more than a sister or a paladin. I am on a holy quest to deliver that blade to Gerlangen. I must hold my faith near to my heart in these difficult times. I owe it to my sisters who fell in the abbey."

"Of course." Captain Rakins sits up. "If you were not a sister..."

"When this quest is over, I may find you again captain. And together we can... explore the possibilities of this moment."

He nods at that and stands from the bed. He seems as if he wants to say something more, but he settles for placing his hat on his head and excusing himself from the cabin. Once he is gone, you sigh with both relief and disappointment. If he had **** the matter, even a little, you would have yielded to him. Then your conscience could have blamed him for the price you would pay. But he left it to you, silly, pious Sabine. Always trying to be the good girl.

You flop back into the bed, wishing at that moment that you were Glenda. Darkness settles over the sea and you soon find sleep in the swaying ship. Your dreams are peaceful and unremarkable and you awaken, with Glenda beside you, to a shout from Captain Rakins.

"Sabine, Glenda, please join me on the deck. We are making our approach into Gerlangen."

Glenda seems strangely distant from you, as if she harbors a secret. You cannot abide that.

"What is it, sister?"

Glenda cannot make eye contact. Her back is turned as she finally admits, "I... I am not going."

"What?!" You stare at her in dismay. "Sister, we've been through so much. We have arrived at our destination."

"I am going to stay on the ship. I... I think I love Duullem."

"You abandoned your vow!" you hiss with anger.

"No. Not... not quite. But he said he wanted to marry me. I like it here, on this ship. I've never been on a ship before. And I can see the world with him and we can have children together and live on an island."

It's all a bit too much for you to hear. You feel your anger boiling. You must convince Sister Glenda to abandon this ridiculous fantasy!