bent to wipe slobber from the baby princes face, butotherwise Lassen did not interrupt his childs play with thepuppies. Behind them, Dylen and Riodan stood side-by-side, armsaround each other, oft exchanging adoring looks and tender kisses inthe manner of newlyweds the world over.Wewanted him to be happy. And now he is.Hirlenglanced at Rohyr, just a tad startled. Despite having been exposed toDylens abilities through the years, he was still awed when heexperienced mind-speech.Hebeamed at Rohyr, nodding in agreement. Looking at his son again, hesaw Dylen gazing back at his brother, his rare sweet smile gracinghis lips. Hed heard Rohyrs message, the elder Teris realizedwith even more wonder.Hirlensighed with contentment and utmost felicity. His son was indeedhappy. For he and the Deir of his heart were finally one in aninviolable union.Theirswas a bond that had withstood the test of trials and time. Their lovewould prevail in this lifetime and beyond.Glossaryof TermsAbasireParent who functions as the head of the family.AddafatherParent who functions as the principal caregiver of the family.ArdanNorthContinent hereditary monarch or potentate of a large sovereign realmorrulingoverlord of an aggregate of internally autonomous statesArdisAnArdans consort.ariad belovedAn endearment.by-blow Anillegitimate childDeir(pl. Deira) Memberof the race of hermaphrodites that populates the world ofAisen.dyharHighhonorific applied to Deira of noble blood or high-ranking profession.enyr (pl. enyra) TrueBlood A Deir whose antecedents kept their breeding with thegelrato the barest viable minimum and thus retained much of the physicalstrength and endurance and most of the mind gifts of the Naere.felka(pl.felkar)Prostitute who works in a brothel or walks the streets for patrons.Herun (pl. Herune) NorthContinent ruling aristocrat. Herune may govern sovereignprincipalities,fiefdoms, city-states or great urban centers.hethar(pl. hethare) companionDeir who provides sexual services and/or socialcompanionshipfor a considerable fee. Unlike common prostitutes, hethareare well-educated and highly cultured and, in most cities, generallyaccepted in polite society.heyasAcommon expletive.ilDesignatesthe birthing parents surname when an illegitimate child carrieshisbiologicalsires name, e.g. Dylen Essendri ilTeris.mirashAconception suppressorminDiminutiveform of address applied to a Deir of junior years or station. Usagewarrantsmutual familiarity whether familial, platonic or professional.NaereTheDeiras hermaphroditic race of origin.OdagrandfatherGrandparent who functioned as caregiver of his family.sedyr(pl. sedyra) HalfBlood Deir whose antecedents bred indiscriminately withthegelra, which resulted in the diminishment or disappearance of many ofthe characteristics of the Naere in succeeding generations.serlbaronetNon-noble holder of the lowest hereditary North Continent title.Shaja SouthVihandran hereditary rulertemplarExtraordinarilymentally gifted Deir.theinbaronNon-ruling member of the North Continent nobility.tyarGeneralhonorific for someone of higher years or station or whose professionwarrantsmore than general courtesy. The EndAboutthe Author:Asfar back as her college days, Eresse enjoyed writing stories set inhistorical times or, even better, fantasy settings. A good numberturned into homoerotic romances because many of her male leadcharacters wound up having more chemistry with each other than withthe female leads.WhetherEresse subconsciously wrote them that way even she does not know. Inany case, this penchant for fantasy M/M romance became the wellspringof Ylandre, the world in which her seminal piece SacredFateand its sequel HallowedBondtake place.Eresselives in Southeast Asia with her husband, three sons and one dog. AnAB Journalism graduate, she started her writing career as anadvertising copywriter. She is now a freelance writer and acontributor to a number of publications. She also enjoys cooking