The late afternoon sun forged suggestive dark images onto the cobblestone while I walked to the Temple of the Light. As I was approaching I looked at its glistening walls, the masterfully engraved symbols, the graceful towers. I inhaled the sweet-smelling scents, listened to the enchanting harmonies luring me inside and understood why people see it as a vision of heaven. But we are gullible creatures and see what we want to see. Give us illusions bright enough to mist our eyes a little, give us dreams sweet enough to hope, give us a heart big enough to care and we’ll see heaven where there’s only hell.

I entered the temple and soon enough caught sight of my little angel, wrapped in an eye-pleasing white robe, long brown hair lusciously tumbling down in unpredictable waves to her waist as she knelt in front of Sarianna’s likeness. I looked at the Goddess with an apologetic smile. I’ll keep her devotee’s heart for now, she can have her soul later – seemed like a fair deal to me.

I kneeled beside Esten, imitating prayer and whispered: ‘Did you know that your constant throaty murmuring is disrupting the deep spiritual work I’m attempting to undertake in the other end of the hall?’

‘You didn’t seem that bothered about it last night,’ she whispered back haughtily.

‘Oh, it was fine for me, of course!’ I enthused, ‘but here… the lack of appropriate murmuring tone is a very serious business! I strongly advise, Lady, that you immediately accompany me to a most pressing practice session!’

She smiled and gracefully rose with a coy side-glance at me, before turning and walking out to the light. I caught up with her quick enough and gently steered her towards a street leading down to the river. ‘We are going someplace else tonight. It will be fine.’ I added hastily, seeing the appearing creases on her forehead. She didn’t look convinced.

‘Have my things been taken over there already? My combs? My favourite bath-oil?’ she demanded.

Spend enough time with women and you’ll know a tantrum when you see one. Spend a lot of time with women and you’ll know the cure for each and every one of them. Of course, it also helps if they generally consider you better looking than any human man has the right to be. I pulled her close with practised moves.

‘I have something special prepared for us. You’re going to love it.’ That worked, as it always does, and she let me provide a taste of what I had in plan. The dream-root I soaked in the sweet cherry wine will still allow me a little time with her before I set off and attend to other business, I thought as I was kissing her, stroking her back with one hand, carefully pulling out a little red feather of the hair tangle and discarding it with the other.