Zion scratched the back of his neck, looking mildly embarrassed. "I'm just curious. Things… don't always seem so clear when emotions are involved."
Azzy exhaled, his tone turning thoughtful.
"Zion," he began, stepping closer. "The god we invoke when swearing vows—Zeus—married his own sister."
Zion blinked.
Azzy smiled faintly. "And who do we pray to during wedding rites? Hera, who is his wife—and also his sister, who shares the same mother and father."
Zion's eyes widened.
"In the wild," Azzy went on, voice calm but edged with quiet intensity, "monsters mate with their own offspring to preserve their bloodline and hold over the domain. They don't question it. They don't debate morality."
He looked Zion in the eye.
"The gods don't care. The beasts don't care. So why should we pretend love obeys the rules?"
Zion opened his mouth, stunned.
