Receiving Waukeen's favor was naturally thrilling. Although Aaron's assessment of her was "not as motherly as Selûne, not as sexy as Shar," he certainly welcomed the chance to have something happen between himself and a goddess.
But Aaron knew he would not, and could not, maintain this sort of relationship with Waukeen for long. He already had Mama Selûne.
What had happened between Lliira and Waukeen was irrefutable proof: if two goddesses had no overlapping domains, they might coexist peacefully. But if even a few crucial domains overlapped, there were only two possible outcomes.
The first was for one side to overpower the other, making one deity subordinate to the other.
The second was a bitter struggle that left both sides devastated, a lasting feud that would continue until a definitive victor emerged.
Lliira and Waukeen had reached an agreement beforehand, and they had once been close friends, so they had barely managed the handover. Even so, their once-deep friendship had ended in ruin.
Selûne and Waukeen hardly even had a friendship to speak of.
Likewise, by choosing Selûne, Aaron had automatically distanced himself from the goddesses associated with her, such as Lady Firehair Sune, the Cat Goddess Sharess, the forest goddess Mielikki, and the goddess of joy Lliira.
Waukeen regarded their encounter as a "reward," and Aaron felt the same. They might continue cooperating and remain friends, but this particular relationship would not last.
Simply because Aaron had chosen Selûne.
Waukeen found that regrettable. Earlier, in the bedroom, the Lady of Wealth had hinted that if Aaron was willing to switch his allegiance to her, there would be Gold Notes aplenty, and their relationship could continue for a long time.
But when she saw that Aaron was unwilling, Waukeen immediately withdrew her overture. She was an exalted goddess. Having