Here's a quick little story about the relationship between Aphrael and the Elene god. See what you think.

Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Danae of Elenia made her way through the Basilica in Chyrellos. Recently, the entire Elenian court had arrived on one of its occasional pilgrimages to the centre of the Elene faith. Danae was quite surprised when, during a meeting between the court and the upper hierarchy of the church, Archprelate Dolmant took her aside and quietly told her "I've been asked to tell you to pay a visit to the Basilica while you're here. Somebody wants to have a talk with you."

"Who wants to talk with me?" she asked.

"Who do you think? Who has the power to give me orders – aside from your mother that is?"

"Do I really have to talk to Him? He's so stuffy."

"Well, I obviously can't make you, but do you want to have to explain to Him why you didn't the next time the two of you get together?"

"I suppose not. If you talk to Him first, tell Him I'll be along tonight."

Danae swiftly arrived at her destination. Almost as soon as she did so she was greeted by a booming voice. "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG, APHRAEL?" it asked.

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that. You know how much I like to meddle."

"OF COURSE I DO."

"Do you really have to do that?" Danae asked with a pained look. "I'm not one of your worshippers so you don't have to impress me. And do you have any idea how much I dislike trying to talk to a disembodied presence?"

"YES. YOU'VE told me from time to time." The voice stopped booming as a very regal looking man with an immaculate beard and robe appeared in front of her.

"Well, that's better," Danae said. "At least now you won't give me a headache."

"You know you can't get a headache, Aphrael, so why do you have to go through this every time?" the Elene god asked.

"Because I know it annoys you. Now what did you want to talk about?"

"Aphrael, you should stop breaking the rules. They are there for a reason you know."

"Yes. They're there because you put them there. Honestly, I've never known anybody with such a passion for rules. You know, the only reason we all agreed to the rules was to get you to stop talking about them. I swear that you're the god of lawyers as well as the Elenes."

"Yes, I know that. And you're right; all lawyers do some homage to me just as all thieves do some homage to you. Almost all of us have a secondary role, remember. Your cousin Setras, for instance, is the god of artists. Nevertheless, rules are rules. The others have asked me to remind you of that. You've got to stop trying to take everybody else's worshippers. Even the Troll-Gods have complained to me that you are trying to poach from them."

"What would I want with a troll? Although, now that you mention it, it might be fun. I've never had a troll before."

"And you're not going to have one now. You need to moderate your poaching or the rest of the gods are going to do it for you."

"That's not fair. I already keep my poaching within limits. After all, the only worshippers I've recently taken from you those like Stragen who don't really worship you anyway."

"True. The others main complaint is that you haven't given back the worshippers they leant you yet."

"Really?" Danae asked with surprise on her face. "That must have slipped my mind."

"Aphrael, give them back," the Elene god said sternly.

"Oh, alright. If they want to spoil my fun I'll just have to concentrate on your worshippers."

"Aphrael," the Elene god responded warningly, "don't push it. I've allowed you a pretty much free hand but don't go too far. I've already let you have the Pandions, along with every other Elene you've been in contact with. From now on stick to agnostics and atheists. Get your priests to do the converting."

"Spoilsport. And after all I've done to help your people too. After all, it was me who persuaded you to let the Church Knights use magic."

"Yes, and can you honestly tell me that wasn't motivated by a measure of self-interest?"

"Well, no. Still, have helped a lot over the years haven't I daddy?"

"Yes, you have. Remind me why I decided to pick you up as a baby when some of my Elenes killed your chosen parents?"

"You just found me too adorable?"

"Perhaps. Run along and play now, Aphrael. Let me have a few years of peace before I decide to see you again."

"But of course, father. Oh, and remember I still want Talen. He's mine" Danae gave the Elene god a quick kiss before turning and leaving him.

"Yes daughter. You've told me often enough," the Elene god said softly enough that Danae couldn't hear him. "You'll get him, eventually. I won't let him get away any more than you will." The Elene god smiled a faintly indulgent smile before he returned to his preferred insubstantial state.

This is mainly based upon Aphrael's comments about the Elene god. She always calls him stuffy and a rule maker. This description sounded to me a lot like the one a daughter might come up with for her father. I thought it might be fun to write a little on that idea, and this is the result. Tell me what you think of it.