Sagan's Renunciation of the Priesthood

Sagan’s renunciation of the priesthood is a decisive personal choice: after more than two centuries in the role, he gives up his status so that he can love Valera freely. The lost title and band of office make the sacrifice visible, but Valera’s concern for his happiness and their plans together frame it not as an emptying of his life, but as the beginning of another.

The Choice and Its Cost

Sagan had known the priestly role for over two centuries. He relinquished it to be free to love Valera, making the choice a break with a longstanding identity as well as a commitment to their relationship. The scene offers no account of the formal process behind his departure; its emphasis is on what the choice means to the two of them.

The change has a visible sign: Sagan has removed the band of office from his arm along with the title of M’jan. Valera notices the absence and feels sad. Her reaction registers the loss even as Sagan insists that it does not mean an end to their life together.

A New Beginning with Valera

Sagan answers Valera’s sadness by describing the change as a new beginning with her. His reassurance turns the renunciation toward a shared future rather than asking her to treat the lost office as inconsequential. Valera, in turn, worries that he will miss the priesthood or fail to find contentment in his new life, and resolves to do what she can to help him find it.

Their immediate plans give that future a practical direction: they intend to visit the different Nightwalker courts so Valera can prove what she is. They hope to show that Witches can be good and to help those who do not know how to use magic safely, including people who have become entangled in necromancy by accident. The proposed journey places their partnership within a larger purpose, though the account does not say that Sagan’s renunciation itself settles the courts’ views or resolves the dangers surrounding magic.

Significance

The event joins a private act of love to the loss of public status. The missing band makes the change tangible; Sagan’s description of it as a beginning gives that absence a different meaning. Valera’s worry prevents the choice from being presented as costless: she understands that a role held for centuries may be missed, and their next life together will require her care as well as his commitment.