Forrest looked confused for a moment before the meaning of her question dawned on him. He nodded. "My apologies Aoede, the smile meant I was joking, a concept I now realize you may not understand. The easiest way to get and explain would be, I said something you had already implied and used it against you in a way that made it seem like you had made the assumption you stated I was making. Hopefully you can understand jokes and sarcasm better. The more you are with me, the more you will begin to learn about those concepts, you can decide if that's for the better or for the worse."
Forrest put his hands up in a show of placation to get concerns. "I promise you Aoede, I will never force you to do or stay, anything or anywhere you don't want to. I merely meant I hope that the longer you stay with me, the more you learn of me, you wish you stay with me, either as my guest, the one I protect, or, and this is my hope, want to pursue a relationship with me. As in more than friends, or more than me as your protector. I have feelings for you I have never experienced before and I wish, should you agree, to pursue those feelings, eventually, when you're ready. If you are ever ready." Forrest nodded his understanding."You will never have to worry about being alone again Aoede, not unless you choose to be. You can stay with me as long as you like, and once I've received my own domain, my own people to govern, you can help me build my city, we can make it together. A place where innocents can come for protection and knowledge. A place of our making."
Forrest shook his head to calm her fears. "Aoede, battle is what I was made for. Rest assured that no matter what happens in your prison city, I will come back for you. You will be safe in Lord Cordels city, he owes me that much, and then once that war is done and I return we shall go and find out own lands, or own settlement and we will build our city, you and I, into whatever it is we want it to become. And if that is too much too soon, if you desire to stay in Lord Cordels city and not come with me, or even go out and find somewhere to make your own without me, well that is a decision you get to make all on your own. Your choices are yours forever now Aoede. No one will make those choices for you anymore. If you stay with me or find someone else to make a life with, or just choose yourself, I will honor any choice you make, regardless of how much I wish to try and make a life with you. This is a lot, I know and I'm sorry, you have surfaced feelings I never intended to feel. My job is to protect the Pantheon and all I want to do now is make the world safer for you. You have stolen my heart, Goddess of the Soul."
He smiled as she bowed her head and gently moved his hand up her arm, across her neck and throat and up to tilt her chin upward to look into his eyes. Gently and with grace he didn't even know he had, spoke once more. "You no longer have to bow to anyone, Aoede. You are your own woman, this feast is no less than what you have always deserved. You're welcome, the thanks I will take, but you do not serve me, and I am no better than you. Hold your head high and become the goddess you so deserve to be. Stay with me, and I will make you one of the most powerful beings on this planet, make our city one that everyone cherishes to be a part of. You and I, we can do great things, amazing and wonderful things. We can make the lives of the people here better, and be able to give them the chance to stand on their own with no worries. Stay with me, and I will give you the universe." he spoke in merely a whisper, but the want and truth behind every word was conveyed with his every word. Before he could catch himself he bent taking her mouth with his in a deep and passionate kiss. When he realized what he had done he backpedaled away from her with his hands up. "I'm so sorry, I…. I got caught up in my thoughts of what could be. If you wish I'll leave you alone now. I apologize for my forwardness, you didn't ask for that, I shouldn't have done it without your permission."