though, she realized that she did want company,
specifically Ivan's, and she slid her arm around his waist.

They were silent as the tub filled, Illyanov respecting Cortin's need
to think. He'd had no trouble accepting her as the Protector, unlike a
couple of the others, but he did have the advantage of Dmitrian
traditional prophecies and a mother who'd been matter-of-factly certain
her eldest son would meet the Promised One and fulfill those prophecies
with Her. He'd guessed it might be Joan when she fulfilled part of
them by becoming an Inquisitor who assured herself of her subjects'
guilt, had thought it highly probable when she'd fulfilled another part
by celebrating her restored sexuality with all of them, and had become
positive when Michael told him she knew nothing of her mission, also as
prophesied. Becoming one with her hadn't been necessary to his belief
in her, though he admitted to himself that it was good to know rather
than simply believe. The awesome vastness of even the body-limited
part of her Self was both humbling and a promise of what humanity in
the Systems could become under her protection and guidance. The
permanent Protector's later, of course--but most definitely Joan's for
now.

Cortin stirred the rising water with her foot, watching the ripples,
comforted by the man sitting on the edge of the tub with her, his arm
around her shoulders. Taken at face value, her Writ did give her
almost unlimited power, and she'd like nothing better than to use it to
give those she loved the first expanded Family. Most of them, anyway
. . . the royals would have to find other spouses at their own level,
Ivan and Brad already had families and intentions of expanding them
with friends/lovers, and she . . . well, she knew perfectly well she
couldn't be part of the marriage. She'd give them a nice Nuptial Mass,
though.

The thought of Mass made her think of Communion, the rapturous
absorption in Divinity she experienced sharing Jeshua's Body and Blood.
And had experienced earlier today, first drinking from Mike, then in
union. It was confusing that three such different experiences could
affect her the same way . . .

"Shall we get in before the water gets cold?"

"Huh?" Cortin glanced at her companion, seeing amused sympathy on his
face. "Sorry, Ivan. I was thinking about something else."

"Are you trying to teach your instructor to suck eggs?" Illyanov asked,
one eyebrow raised. He slid into th