A few days passed in quick succession. Life in Autelina Palace was tranquil. Asha hadn't had a single incident without her collar, and with each passing day, she grew more comfortable without it. She got into the habit of helping people around the city during the day, then once evening set in, she would wait in the garden for Dohalim to finish his duties and fetch her for dinner. Spending time with him was quite the pleasure. However, he hadn't divulged anything more about his "slip of the tongue" from their first dinner together. Asha didn't want to press the matter for fear of driving him away. She wanted to stay by him, therefore, she didn't risk it.

With a tired yawn, the hybrid climbed into bed with a content smile etched on her face. Dinner had been pleasant, as always. A brief glance out the window gave a lovely view of the stars. Wearing her new, favorite nightgown, Asha closed her eyes and settled under the covers. She had gotten accustomed to wearing the elegant and feminine clothing gifted to her. Her jumpsuit was folded on the desk, and had been since her first night there. But this night was quite different.

An unsettling presence caused the girl to sit up with a start. Out of instinct, she hissed and growled, her eyes darting toward the door. Just like before when the other Lords were there, she sensed a strong zeugle. She had initially thought it was Dohalim's patrolling the palace at night, but considering he never once mentioned it, and that she'd never laid eyes on it, she now believed it to be a possible threat. Slinking out of bed, Asha didn't even realize she'd transformed until she reached the door of her room. Her thoughts clouded, and a desire to hunt and fight this unknown creature overwhelmed her. Her head forcefully shoved the door open.

Once she was out in the hall, she scanned every direction with her fangs bared. The dim lighting did nothing to hinder her sharp eyesight. Despite that, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. But she certainly felt something off. The presence was there, close by. There was a quiet click of her claws as she crept through the halls. The beast was alert, her ears up listening for the slightest sound. Unfortunately, like before, the zeugle-like presence seemed to vanish without a trace. With it, the haze in Asha's head began to clear until she was able to think clearly once more.

Am I going crazy? she wondered. There's surely no zeugle in this place other than me. But my instincts wouldn't have kicked in if there weren't. She paused and looked down at herself, a sudden realization hitting her. Wait. Dohalim was right. Without my master to command me, I'm back in control of myself.

It was a strange feeling - to be in her zeugle form yet in complete control. She almost felt lost even, unsure of what to do about it. Her gaze fell on a nearby door, realizing she was almost right outside of the Lord's quarters. Perhaps it would be a good idea to check on Dohalim, just in case she wasn't crazy and there was a zeugle running about. Then she could go back to her room and figure out what to do about her current predicament. She carefully hooked one of her claws around the doorknob and slowly turned it. She nudged the door open with her nose, freezing when her heterochromatic eyes met those beautiful brown ones. The Lord was sitting up in bed, the blankets over his legs and a book in his hands. A lamp illuminated the area from his nightstand.

"Asha? You've transformed. What happened?"

Slinking into the room with her head down like a whipped dog, the beast's tail pushed the door shut behind her. With a soft purr, she moved to the foot of his bed, laid down, and plopped her head onto the sheets. Dohalim closed his book and set it aside, then tossed the blanket off his legs so that he could scoot forward enough to reach her. He gently rubbed her snout, eliciting a whimper from the hybrid.

"This is the first time you've taken this form since your collar was removed. Since it happened now of all times, I suppose something set off your instincts."

Asha stared at him in awe, impressed by his ability to read her. He was accurate most of the time.

"Was a guard responsible? Or perhaps you had a nightmare of sorts?" The beast grumbled, signalling that he was wrong. "You need to calm down and transform so you can tell me what's wrong."

Asha closed her eyes, feeling his warm, comforting hand on her nose. Without an order from Almeidrea, she had to try and transform on her own. She'd done it before during her master's tests, but it was usually difficult to do so. But this time, she had Dohalim's gentle touch and his soothing whispers in her ear. Slowing her breathing, her body steadily shifted until her human self was sitting on the floor, her head resting on the bed. Opening her eyes, she looked up at Dohalim with pure amazement.

"It worked…" Finding her voice, Asha sat there in astonishment. "I didn't think I could, but you helped me change back. You were right… Without Almeidrea to give me orders, I'm able to control myself better."

"I knew my faith in you wasn't misplaced," Dohalim replied, relieved to know he was correct in his assumption. "Now tell me, what's the matter?"

"I sensed something in the palace," she explained quickly, jumping to her feet. "An unfamiliar zeugle of some kind."

The Lord's eyes widened slightly. "I don't own any zeugles. Are you certain you weren't mistaken?"

"I…I don't know." She hung her head a bit. "It made my instincts kick in, but…I couldn't find any trace of it. It's like it vanished."

Dohalim brought his fingers up to his chin in his usual thinking gesture. "So, you came to check on me afterwards." The hybrid nodded at his conclusion. "Well, first thing in the morning, I'll have the palace searched from top to bottom. I trust in your judgement. If you think you sensed anything off, then I won't take it lightly."

With a nod, Asha turned toward the door. "In that case, I'll get started tonight. See if I can track it down."

Just as she took a step, Dohalim reached for her, scrambling out of bed. "Wait, Asha." She turned to face him. "You'll exhaust yourself if you do that. Please, stay."

His plea made the girl blush a little. "But, Dohalim, I can't just sit by while you could be in danger. And I-"

She was cut off by the man approaching her and pulling her into a hug. "Asha, please, just stay here."

His tone sounded almost desperate. One of his hands was on the back of her head, buried in her hair. The other arm was wrapped around her waist, pressing their bodies together. He held her so close that he could rest his chin on top of her head, right between her horns. Asha didn't know why he was acting this way, or why her heart was fluttering in her chest. Steadily, her arms went around his robed torso, and she relaxed a tiny bit.

"Okay. I'll stay."

She could practically hear the smile on his face when he exhaled out of relief. "Thank you." Releasing her, Dohalim could still feel her tension when his hands held her shoulders. "How about a soft melody to ease you?" He went over to the glass case where his violin was on display. "I used to play often, but upon becoming a Lord, time grew rather scarce. I might be a bit rusty. Forgive any errors."

Asha took a seat on the edge of the bed and simply watched him carefully take out the pristine white instrument. It took him a few moments to properly tune it, but once he did, Dohalim played the most enchanting song. It was slow and beautiful, like a ballad from an angel. The melody, meant to soothe and lull her to sleep, instead, had her in tears. That tune was familiar to her, so familiar that she knew she'd heard the exact thing before. Her memory of it was fuzzy, but his smiling face flashed through her mind several times while hearing it. She finally realized why Dohalim had treated her so differently from the start.

"I know this song…" she mumbled, just loud enough for the man to hear and pause his playing. Asha hugged her arms, quiet sobs racking her body. "Y-you know me…don't you…D-Dohalim?"

A soft gasp left the man, and he lowered his instrument and placed it on the desk. He grew misty-eyed at the fond memories playing through his head. The recent days had made him content with Asha's condition, and he thought that having her near was enough. But now that she was catching on, he realized how much his heart was hurting.

"Many moons have passed
Since last our eyes met.
My heart was overcast,
My soul, upset."

Asha slowly looked up at him, her vision blurred with tears. Those brown orbs were on her, gentle yet focused. It took her a moment to realize he was reciting a poem.

"Though noble duties took me away,
A promise to return gave me hope.
To be in thy arms, I did pray.
Thinking of thee, I did cope."

Dohalim suddenly clutched at his chest, a pained grimace contorting his features.

"When in my realm, thee appeared,
Shock, anger, it all spilled out.
It was everything I ever feared.
All I knew, I began to doubt."

The Lord fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He looked so ashamed and empty. It was like the life was sapped out of him.

"To see thee now, reduced to this state,
Ashalia, my love, if only I could alter fate."

Asha was left dumbfounded. His poem was beautiful and insightful, but it left her with just as many questions as before. One thing was certain though - Dohalim cared deeply for her. He perhaps knew her better than she knew herself. And now, he was wrought with guilt over what happened to her. When the girl rose to her feet, Dohalim pressed a hand over his face while the other clutched at his heart.

"Dohalim." He didn't speak, but instead, a quiet sob slipped past his lips. Tears were sliding down his cheeks from under his hand. "Tell me more." She crouched in front of him, reaching out to take hold of his hands with a reassuring smile. "Could you please explain what you mean? I still don't quite understand it all. I'd like to know…who I am, and who I was."

With his hands desperately clutching hers, he quieted his almost inaudible cries. "Asha…" He took a deep breath to calm his shaky voice. "Your full name is Ashalia Sakinah, a noblewoman of Lenegis. You and I… We were friends for a long time. You loved the music I played. You put lyrics to my rhythm and would move along as fluidly as a flowing river. Together, you and I, we planned a wonderful future together once I was elected for the position of Lord. We made an oath to marry one day." He smiled weakly. "I loved you more than music, or relics, or anything… Imagine my surprise when you entered my realm in this current state. Your body tampered with… All our memories and promises…erased from your mind."

Asha was stunned. She didn't know how to respond. She and Dohalim were in love once? She never would've imagined it, and yet, it seemed so right in her heart. Before she could think of something to say, more tears started pouring from her eyes. The Lord before her took notice, and slowly, he pulled her into a comforting embrace. Her trembling arms steadily wound around his body, and she held back sobs that threatened to overtake her.

"Dohalim… I had no idea…I'd lost so much. Everything makes so much sense now…"

"Please, forgive me, my sweet Ashalia. I should've returned sooner. I should've never allowed this to happen." With his face buried in the crook of her neck, she could feel the wet droplets of water hitting her skin. "Forgive me…"

"It's not your fault, Do…" She smiled slightly at the nickname that rolled off her tongue so naturally, like she'd uttered it hundreds of times. "You aren't to blame. You couldn't have known."

Dohalim picked his head up, a look of shock on his face as their eyes met. "Did you just…? 'Do' is what my closest friends called me. Do you…remember it?"

"I think so, deep down somewhere. Since I've met you here, I've felt…safe, and comfortable, like I belong. The memories might not be here, but the feelings I have still are. My heart knows the truth, and I think it's been trying to tell me this the whole time. I just didn't quite hear it before."

Smiling with pure joy through his tears, Dohalim took her face gently in his hands. "Ashalia…" Their foreheads met and their eyes locked onto one another. "I still love you. I never stopped loving you. So, please, stay with me. I want for us…to start anew."

Ashalia smiled as well, her heart beating wildly with delight as his thumbs wiped away her tears. "I'll stay. I want to stay, and I want to…know you again." The corners of her lips dropped slightly. "But what about Almeidrea? She'll come back for me and-"

"I won't let her," the man interrupted, a fiery determination in his tone. "I won't allow her to take you away or harm you again. I'll find a way. Trust in me."

The hybrid nodded slightly, the tip of her tail swishing at how happy she was. "I trust you. I believe in you, Do."

Before she could say another word, Dohalim's lips met hers. Her eyes closed on their own, and her fingers dug into his robe. She melted right into his arms, his kiss bringing forth so many emotions at once. She knew right then that she was where she belonged - by his side as Ashalia. More than anything, she wanted to be with him, and to feel and reciprocate the love that he so openly gave to her. Even if it meant going against Almeidrea.