In rare circumstances Ren and Inanna would venture into town at night.
Ren thought it was high time Inanna was shown the real world – she couldn’t spend every minute of every day healing and meditating in the temple – she was becoming as dull as dishwater.
It was just what she needed.
This particular night, they went down to the local ale-house, a big step for Inanna these days.
They even had a pint themselves.
Inanna never drank, it was just something she had never tried before. She had seen what it did to Beircheart and really had no desire, but she realised it didn’t turn everyone into a monstrous pig – just some.
She didn’t love the taste, but did notice it helped her relax. It helped her relax so much that she and Ren even managed a dance. Inanna felt that familiar feeling and it was wonderful.
For the first time in a long time, she felt herself – wild, free and uninhibited, it had been a while.
They were laughing and having a lovely time when all of a sudden she was bumped out of the way. Ren had to catch her to break her fall.
A man turned to her extremely apologeticly, he was quite a wild dancer himself.
He sat her down at the barrels were they had left their drinks. He insisted on staying with them until he could tell she was alright.
He was a gorgeous soul, with a big heart. They were friends straight away.
He was cute too – he had a little beard hiding big rosy cheeks and was never without his glasses – he couldn’t see two feet in front of him, but it was his crazy white teeth you noticed first and his big, huge smile. It was contagious and when he laughed he would bring his hand up to his mouth, and shrug his shoulders.
He had an interest in all things spiritual, like she, and he had a real openness about him. He was gentle and kind and was to be her first male friend in a long time.
She would meet him often.
They would lie in the fields behind the palace, making up crazy stories about the king, or they would just hold each other’s hands and meditate.
There was nothing sexual about their union, it was purely platonic – just two friends, helping each other out on their journey through life.
William would always be there for her, a trusted confidante, and in years to come, her best friend’s husband.