But that little conversation made me realize something. "Wait, is this the bar they told me about?"

"It's a cafe," Rymar assured me. "But yes, this is my business. We serve meals, drinks, and a cool space to spend time with friends."

Pausing, I looked around to take in the room I sat in. The walls were made of polished wood, just like the floors in the house. There were windows, but they were high up, and we'd come down stairs when we entered. That meant most of the seating area was slightly belowground. Dimmed lanterns hung from the ceiling, dispelling the worst of the shadows, and at least twenty tables were placed in the large open space. A few had people seated at them.

"So this is a dining hall?" I asked.

"Sorta," Rymar said. "Probably serves a very similar purpose." Then he clasped my shoulder. "So how about I get all of you some food, hm? What's your favorite meat, Ayla?"

Favorite. That word had been coming up a lot lately. The problem was I didn't have a favorite. I liked all the new things! I wanted to experience more of them. But Zasen had said for now, and that it was okay to change my favorite later.

"Venison," I decided. "Maybe."

"Then I'll get you something delicious made from venison," he assured me. "Ladies? The usual?"

"Please," Jeera said. "Thanks, Rymar. I also have a wad of cash, so bill me."

"Yeah," Rymar chuckled as he pushed to his feet. "Not gonna happen." And then he headed back towards the door he'd come out of.

"So he owns all of this?" I asked.

Jeera nodded her head slowly. "He does. When they were younger, the guys made plans and then worked together to make it happen. Rymar wanted to run a bar - which is why Kanik and Zasen always tease him about this being a bar. Well, the boys worked hard, pooled their money, and bought this place."

"Rymar paid them back too," Brielle said. "Well, mostly. Kanik and Zasen still have a stake in it, I think."

"And Saveah," Jeera added. "For Tasult's share. That's what's keeping her going right now. Zasen and Kanik told Rymar to give her their share for the kids."

I heard all of that, but most of it didn't make sense. One thing stood out, though. The men had helped each other. They took care of each other. They didn't try to compete, but rather shared their bounties. To me, it sounded amazing. It sounded... caring.

"So does everyone come here to eat?" I asked, trying to make sure I understood.

"Well, there are other restaurants," Jeera explained. "People also cook at home, like how you've been eating lately. But when they want to let someone else do the work, they go out."

"Or if they're at work and home is too far of a walk," Brielle added. "See, we're in the business district, Ayla. Most of the buildings around us are stores or places people make..." Then her words trailed off and her eyes looked past me. "...things."

This time, I was smart enough to turn, but it wasn't Rymar who'd caught her attention. It was the door opening and someone walking in. With the bright light behind them, I couldn't see who. My eyes took a second to adjust from that blinding glare, but when I blinked the third time, I recognized the solid green man from my trip here trotting down the stairs and heading towards the other side of the room.

I tensed. That was the man who'd slapped me. Then again, he'd only done it once, but I didn't think he liked me. Would he be angry because I was here?

Then a man on the other side of the room called out, "Omden!"

Following the sound, I found another face I recognized. It was the tan, black, and green man named Drozel. At the sight of Omden, Drozel stood and his face immediately brightened. Omden said something too soft to hear, and the pair kept walking towards each other until they embraced in a tight hug. Then Drozel leaned back just enough to palm the side of Omden's face.

What happened next completely changed my view of Dragons. Drozel looked at Omden for only a moment before he leaned back in, pressing their mouths together - but this wasn't like the kisses I was used to seeing at weddings. This was the type of kiss those books had talked about. Drozel's mouth opened, Omden's matched, and the men kissed with their tongues. I was sure of it because I caught a flash of black.

I knew I should look away. I was convinced staring at them must be rude, but I couldn't help myself. They touched so gently. They kissed like they were happy. Neither man acted like he wanted it to be over, or as if he was embarrassed about doing something like this in public. No, they kissed like the entire world could stop around them and they wouldn't even notice.

I found myself smiling. That was love. That was what being married should be like. That was the type of kissing those fantasy books had talked about - and it was real! It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, but I didn't even know how to put any of it into words. Yet when Brielle touched my arm, I jumped, waiting to be corrected.

"Is that okay?" she asked.

I nodded quickly. "I think so? I mean, no one will get angry with them for affection in public, right? Because Moles would make them repent and send them to their chambers for a week. But only young couples make that mistake, and never more than once."

Jeera just shook her head slowly. "I'm going to guess that's the first gay kiss you've ever seen, and you're more worried about them getting in trouble than anything else?"

"That's the first loving kiss I've ever seen," I corrected. "Gay or whatever the word is for the other option."

"Straight," Brielle told me. "Well, or bisexual, but it's hard to kiss two genders at once."

"But not impossible," Jeera added before waving that off. "But seriously, Ayla. Does it bother you to see two men kissing?"

"No," I promised. "Should it?"

"Some religions in the past - and I can only assume Moles based their religion on the past - said being gay was wrong."

"No," I said, more force coming out with my words than I expected. "If that's wrong, then I don't think I like what's right. Maybe the Moles say they're right, but they weren't. I know they were wrong, but I don't know all the ways yet. I'm trying to learn them, and the men have been helping me. I just don't want anyone to get in trouble. I care when I know someone is going to be punished because of something. I'm not worried about different, because different is what saved me."

"Which actually makes a lot of sense," Brielle said. "But now I have questions for you."

"Okay?"

"Ayla," Brielle said, her tone turning gentle, "have you ever had sex? With anyone?"

"No!" I gasped.

"Did you ever want to?" she asked next.

I shook my head. "No, that is how women get pregnant."

"Not always," Jeera assured me.

"But it happens," I insisted.

"Sometimes," Jeera relented. "I'm just curious if you'd ever kiss anyone like that?"

"I don't want to be married," I mumbled.

"And up here, you don't have to get married to kiss someone," Brielle pointed out. "Kissing is allowed, Ayla. No one will force you to get married for doing it."

"Yeah?" I asked.

Jeera nodded. "She's telling the truth. But what I'm curious about is, well, if you had to kiss someone, would it be a man or a woman? Do you like either one?"

"I..." My eyes jumped between them.

"Do girls make you feel silly?" Brielle tried instead. "Make you smile too much and have your tummy get all fluttery feeling? Or maybe boys make your heart beat faster and you want to look at them a little too much? Or maybe the other way around? Both? Neither?"

I just shrugged. "Everything makes my heart beat faster. I get nervous because I don't know what I'm allowed to do."