Turning into the indicated direction, he slowly strolls along the street with her. There are other guests from the banquet walking along the street as well, while others are in carriages on their way home.

“It’s too bad you’re leaving in the morning,” Meliana says with disappointment as she lays her head on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I know,” he replies. “It’s been nice being here.”

“Maybe you could stay longer?” she asks hopefully.

“I wish I could, but I’m unable to,” he tells her. “I need to help get Jiron and Miko out of the Empire and back home.”

“I understand,” she says. “Maybe when things change, you could come back and visit?”

“Perhaps,” he says, “but that is highly unlikely.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she agrees.

Arm in arm, they walk down the street until they come to her house. A light is on in the front room. “Mother is waiting up for me, it looks like,” she says as they come to the front door.

“I guess this is where we say goodbye,” he says to her.

Suddenly, she embraces him and places her lips upon his, giving him a warm and eager kiss.

When she breaks off the kiss, James is left breathless and a little flustered. “I’ll miss you,” she tells him.

“I’ll miss you too,” he says when he finally gets his voice working again.

She turns and begins to open the door when she pauses and says, “Goodbye James.”

“Goodbye Meliana,” he replies as he watches her enter her home and close the door.

Feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, he makes his way back toward Nate’s family estate. Visions of Meliana and the way her lips felt on his fill his mind until he realizes he’s already back to the door to his room. He doesn’t even remember walking back, he must’ve been on autopilot.

Opening the door, he finds Jiron snuggled in his bed with one of the serving girls he’s been seeing.

“How’d it go?” he asks from the bed, not the least bit embarrassed.