Establishing warmth and trust.

Trust

"Can I trust you?" Nathraena suddenly asks before moving closer to you.

You are left confused as she stares at you intently. You avoid looking below her eyes as you knew that her curves will be staring back at you. The last thing you want is to pop a boner while she is flushed against you. Then again, you are likely to grow an erection anyways. She probably knows this as well.

"What do you mean? I thought we already agreed to work together in this mountain?" you ask, not removing your pants and underwear yet.

She chuckles and shakes her head. "We've established we are not enemies, that is all. For us drow, this is important as we usually have each other, but you are not drow. I must know whether I can trust you will be by my side?"

"I will," you answer, but Nathraena shakes her head.

"Actions will speak louder than words. I mean no disrespect to your elven wife, Daeel, but if you continue to think about her, it will be the end of you which may also spell the end of me. You need to be focused if we want to survive and that also means we must be in sync," she explains.

You furrow one of your eyebrows, understanding what her concerns are, but you know that you won't be able to show her until there comes a time when you and the drow have to work together in a battle.

The drow appears to decide that another battle has to take place now to truly get the answer. Leaning forward, she surprises you by grabbing your head with her hands and locking her lips onto yours. You widen your eyes in response, wondering how to proceed. Is this is what she means by trust?

You are about to kiss back as you realize she is testing you, but then Madness decides to play with you in that moment. In the corner of your eye, you see Elayna, glowing amongst the dark that surrounds her.

No, it can't be... you think, time appearing to stop before you and the drow's lips turning colder than she already is.

Your beautiful elven wife looks on at you with tears brimming in her eyes. Her whole body is dressed in her usual yellow sun garment, the same dress she died when she slept her final night with you.

"Are you planning on forgetting about me, Daeel?" she asks, clearly hurt by the scene of her lover kissing another.

No...I would never... you think, unable to reach out or break away yet.

You feel like crying, but you wonder whether this is truly Elayna's soul communicating with you...or the trickery of Madness? Regardless, this is a far more difficult choice than you could have imagined as you are torn between potentially betraying your wife and losing the trust of Nathraena.