Well hello there. I must warn you, this slightly longer Chapter has sexual content though I didn't really write in explicit detail.

Hopefully, you'll like the Chapter. If you see grammar mistakes, you're welcome to speak out. It'll help.

Enjoy.

The Banshee's Cry

Xe’Reth staggers as he sees his most despised woman in his heart, and he curses secretly because she’s someone he doesn’t want Malinda to meet, he mustn’t let her speak about past things that he has done with her, things he regrets, things he wants to remain hidden.

“What are you doing to Xe’Reth?! Let go of him, you… you whore!” the young woman shouted at Malinda with a shaking finger of protectiveness as her lips raise and lower themselves angrily to show her sparkling teeth.

While hearing that word, the handmaiden stands up in a quick fashion and looks with fuming eyes at this new woman who stands by the entrance. She called her Miss a whore, who does she think she is speaking to?!

Malinda puffs out air in amazement at the mean remark.

Who’s this woman who stands there all dressed up? It is as if this girl is clad to go to some exquisite festivity to show off her entire stunning being. She’s more attractive than Malinda at this moment since she doesn’t have dried up eyeliner all over her face.

As Malinda stares at her, she caresses Xe’Reth’s hand quite alluringly to see if she would react even more.

But before the girl can shriek out all of her maddening thoughts that plague her, the man behind her goes up and stands between them as he sees the angry looking handmaiden who now holds her own sword, which she has on her waist like himself.

The old man unexpectedly recognizes the woman that holds Xe’Reth’s hand. His eyes show a split second of bafflement, but he quickly assesses the situation and turns around as he leans to whisper into the woman’s ear, “My Lady, we should leave. That’s the Honored Lady Malinda and her handmaiden, Taryna. We can’t make them angry. Play it cool and everything will go as I’ve planned, say nothing about what relationship that you’ve had with Xe’Reth because it would only make things worse as you can see the somewhat affection that she has towards him.”

The young woman’s face turns instantly grim as she scowls at the words she just heard from her protector.

“Forgive the words of my Lady, Honored Malinda, she spoke out of term. She only thought that you two were hurting Xe’Reth while she simply didn’t recognize you. So please forgive this young minded girl for her horrid word that she said to you,” the protector said with a deep bow of his upper body. An arc of perfection, it’s as if he has trained that stance to its most perfect state possible.

Malinda gazes at the woman who said the unclean word to her… Who’s she to be so defensive over Xe’Reth? Is she someone he has had a relationship with? Or... is still in one?

Her head turns to stare at Xe’Reth and he sees her suspicious look, yet it has a touch of complete worry on her side because she only wanted to come here to express her emotions to him. But now all of this has happened, which makes her heart ache immensely.

“Bodyguard… You're in the presence of an Honored One. Remove your hand from the sword’s hilt, otherwise, if you don’t, I’ll cut you down where you stand,” Taryna snarled with killing intent as she fires off her piercing eyes directly at his even after he said all of the things he had said.

For she is completely overprotective when it comes to her Miss, and seeing this man that never lets go of his sword… causes her an uneasiness that screams immensely inside her alert head. He has that air about him which says that he’s very skilled in the arts of combat, a complete veteran.

“As you say,” he responded calmly while he removes his hand from his hilt and places both of his hands behind his back. Turning the atmosphere inside the room not one bit better because he stands there with his brown-gray furry brows and short hair, his clean-shaven face that shows his serene yet vigilant expression, and that stance of superiority over a lesser combatant, namely, Taryna.

The woman just stands there thinking of what to say next. She doesn’t want to ruin her life, but why is Malinda here in this house? Her rent out house which Xe’Reth pays for.

‘Xe’Reth! You couldn’t have gotten her to fall in love with you?! Right?! Right…?!’ she thought as she gives questioning glances towards Xe’Reth, which he sees but ignores because he loathes this shining star among women to his utter core of emotions, yet he also has pity towards her.

Malinda stands up all of a sudden and holds herself like the Honored Lady she is. She crosses her arms and gains a beautiful frown on her face as she speaks out, “Who’re you, and what kind of relationship do you’ve with Xe’Reth? I... demand you to tell me as I’m one of the rulers of this city.”

“Honored Malinda—.”

“I didn’t speak to you, guard. She can speak for herself. Now tell me, girl, how do you know Xe’Reth?” Malinda asked with suspicion while staring at the tight mouthed bitch in front of her. But Malinda herself is nervous of what words will come out between her juicy lips, because… if she says that Xe’Reth is her lover, Malinda’s heart will shatter since this is the first time she has ever been in love.

Will this be the doom of her? Malinda’s heart begins to pound, pound, and pound until she can’t suppress her own emotional battle inside her mind.

‘Please don’t say that he is in a relationship with you… please don’t say it. I don’t want to hear it… I don’t want to hear it!’ she thought madly as she tries to keep a completely calm expression upon her stained face that has the eyeliner which had ran down her face when she had cried.

Xe’Reth too yells inside his head angrily as he gazes at the two beauties which are having a staring contest, ‘Dammit, don’t say anything about how we used to be lovers! Don’t you even dare say it!’

It’s true, he was once together with this woman but that only lasted a month, because he didn’t have time to play around with a woman like that, who didn’t even give him anything in return. He did ask for money since she's a noble so he could support his mother easier though he got nothing from her… only her endless maddening scorn and an increased rent.

There are rumors about this lady that Xe’Reth has had a sexual relationship with. Rumors that says that she plays around with a lot of men, that she’s a slut. But that isn't true, only false rumors that the people of the slums have put on her, for she robs the people of their precious coins every month.

Once she was even bombarded with stones, well, at least, her carriage was. But that was also the time she cruelly increased the rent, which made the mob stop their foolishness. They even had begun to beg her to lower it when her workers who usually did the collection of the rent started to beat the poor people out of their money, and she did lower it though even with the lowered rent it was still expensive.

This lady has to even pay off the city-guard so they won’t interfere with her somewhat legal business, her business that her father had built, which she’s still building upon.

She does have some male company that comes to her house, but that’s work related and nothing sexually because the lady has begun to branch out to many different areas other than these houses she rents out to people. So that brings in a lot of interest that gathers many kinds of wealthy individuals.

Xe’Reth knows her well because she comes to pick up the rent he gives… personally. She has an intellectual mind and has a sense for business which she has gotten from her dead father, probably. But, she is as delicate as a flower, a rose with deadly thorns. Yet, if a person can avoid the thorns, she would shower that person with love if he doesn’t anger her.

Though Xe’Reth didn’t manage to dodge her thorns since he asked for money, and she despises those who only wants her for her wealth; she threw Xe’Reth out of her life, but not completely. She has watched Xe’Reth with a patient eye.

The lady has wanted him to ask for her forgiveness for so long, but he didn’t and that made her so mad that she increased his rent so he would become even more miserable. But he paid it, paid it, and paid it over and over again without a care for how she treated him. He ignored her, which made her surprisingly stop while she kept a little distance.

Xe’Reth can still remember that one night, a month he won’t forget anytime soon. Their first night together. His first night and hers. But he was young… Too young to be doing something like that. He was only fourteen and she was eighteen.

He was sent an invitation to come to her household that one time. At first, he thought that she wanted to evict him from his house because he was still a naïve little boy. At that time, he didn’t really know her quite well, only a few conversations about the rent here and there. Though she would look at him with weird peering eyes while sometimes she would even smile, which sent shivers down his spine. He didn’t know what those eyes and smiles meant since he was young.

Xe’Reth had a sheltered mind that didn’t know certain things he should’ve known.

While he followed the invitation obediently, he had a suspicion in his heart, because he had been tricked by a noble woman before—the one who destroyed his mother’s store.

That house of hers was a very big estate, which he stared at with a gaping mouth when he had gone up to the gate that led to the mansion’s front door. The man of sixties had come and opened the door as he had heard the silent knocks, but the man’s expression turned extremely sad when he saw the little Xe’Reth holding the letter. The old-timer guided Xe’Reth up a flight of stairs and then directed him towards a bedroom, he left thereafter while giving one last glance at the young boy.

He left Xe’Reth there… in that bedroom where female merchandise were placed all around the room. He had begun to feel his heart pound from the uneasiness. Then a door opened up which led into a dressing room.

There she came while wearing a silken gown, almost see-through. She went and sat on her bed while she waved for him to come sit next to her. The smile she directed at him was such a smile of lust, for she knows she can do whatever she wants with him, without him being able to do anything about it.

Xe’Reth obeyed, so he sat beside her while not daring to look at her. He could only look down at his knees which he was gripping tightly onto. He was terribly scared.

If he angered this lady who sits beside him, would he be tossed out from his house? If he were to be thrown out how could he possibly take care of his ill mother, who was at his house at that moment feeling her pains, that painful stinging of searing flesh. Not knowing where her baby boy went… Not knowing what a woman will do to her only son. A hate she will never know because Xe’Reth’s mother will never know what will transpire here in this room… of hers.

“Xe’Reth… Do you know what we’ll do now?” she said as she licks her lips while putting one of her hands on his lap, stroking it. “No, you must first be bathed. You’re covered in filth.”

With a loud clap of her hands, two women came into the bedroom from the dressing room. It seemed that the lady had prepared everything for Xe’Reth’s arrival... He just sat there on the bed, frozen in place. He’s scared of what’ll happen to him… What did she mean about what she said?

‘What we’ll do now?’ Xe’Reth didn’t know what she meant by that. Get cleaned? Why?

This cluelessness of his… is his mother’s fault, sadly.

She never managed to teach him these things that would be taught at the normal schools around the city. He was homeschooled, so he didn’t know anything about a female’s body. He had no friends who would brag about having a crush on some baker’s daughter. Or girls other than his mother which he had glued himself onto. No one but his mother. She was his friend, his only friend which he loved and still loves.

‘Mom is still probably awake with her pains…’ he thought as his pounding heart beats and beats, quicker and quicker. ‘I must return home fast to be by her side.’

A wooden bathtub had already been prepared inside the bedroom. He didn’t notice it when he first came inside, but now when she was talking about cleaning he couldn’t help seeing the steam of the hot water coursing up into the air above.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Take off your clothes and take a bath,” she said impatiently as she saw Xe’Reth moving no muscle to get up. “Tsk, I said get up and take a bath dammit! Don’t make things harder than it already is!”

“P-Please… I… I need to go home. My moth—,” Xe’Reth stutteringly said, but with two sudden hands gripping onto him, he couldn’t finish. “Do you want me to throw you out of your house?! I’ll do it if you don’t obey my command! Now strip dammit, or do you want your mother to die from the cold winter!?”

As he heard those words he became emotionless. But in that void expression of having no choice but to obey her every command.

Xe’Reth stood up from the bed and walked towards the bathtub, his ebon eyes are filled with shadows, shadows of mixed feelings. But no tears are forming around those empty black spheres because he never cries anymore since he had cried lifetimes worth of tears for his mother's ill state. He stripped off all of his worn-out clothes until he was buck-naked. While she peered at him to see everything, she was pleased, because she was smiling to no end as a tongue moistened her dry lips.

She was indeed waiting to dig her teeth into him, to taste him, and to do the forbidden act. Xe’Reth hadn’t begun to grow until he was fifteen, so he was still very short, way too short. Though his private part had begun to grow faster than everything else, surprisingly.

He was a little boy, and this girl who’s in her first year of maturity was going to make him do these deeds. It’s her way of taking things to the utter limit for her own desires. It is molestation, abuse, and pedophilia. She’s taking advantage of Xe’Reth’s sad predicament of being poor to do whatever she wants.

The two women who had come from the dressing room began to clean Xe’Reth from top to toe. It’s his first time to get such a scrubbing of his body, even his private parts were scrubbed with slight hesitation from the women. But he could see that the two women looked at him with sadness that filled their eyes. It seemed like they weren’t so glad at what their mistress was going to do to Xe’Reth. But what can they do? They are only handmaidens who followed her mistress’s orders, not daring to disobey.

As he finished bathing, he was guided to the large royal sized bed; silken drapes hung down from the square frames that was being held up by wooden pillars. And lying there on the bed was her. A fully exposed body displayed in front of Xe’Reth’s wide eyes. Her bosoms, her most private parts were showing to its fullest. But no embarrassment showed on her face because she herself knew that she was extremely beautiful.

What she herself thought was that Xe’Reth should consider it an honor to be able to feast his eyes upon her body. And to take her first. Her untouched leaf that had waited to be plucked from its gorgeous branch.

The two handmaidens didn’t leave, they stood on either side of the wide bed, to see that everything was going to go as it should.

“Come now… Xe’Reth. I’m letting you have me. I’m letting you touch me, to feel every curve of my delicate body, and letting you take that which’s my most precious object in the entire world. Indulge yourself Xe’Reth. You can now begin,” she said as she lay there on the bed like an unmoving log, waiting for Xe’Reth to initiate, but he didn’t know anything about what this girl was saying.

Though he began to feel a pulse in his body, and that pulse grew and grew as he stared at her naked body while she was lying there motionless. She had closed eyes, but he could also see her body that was shaking slightly.

‘Is she… cold? Well, mother always said that you shouldn’t sleep naked without a cover… Didn’t her parents teach her anything…?’ he thought as he mocked her inability to know what he knows while he still was being oblivious to what was going on, even after he had heard her speech of gibberish, called, narcissism.

The two women saw Xe’Reth looking at their mistress with troubled eyes. They leaned down to whisper into his ears about what he was supposed to do. Of course, that made him nervous and scared, but to be able to do that to a noble… The nobles he so hates, he couldn’t help but do what the two women said.

Two people naked, one a young boy, and the other a girl of maturity which was forcing this boy to have sexual relations with her. But as Xe’Reth began while being guided by the two women, she couldn’t expect what would happen next.

As things settled down, Xe’Reth sat on the side of the bed not tired at all, while she was lying there all sprawled. She’s unconscious, all of her strength has left her… Blood was staining the silken sheets, and wetness was covering all over as if some kind of fountain had exploded and soaked the whole bed.

The two women who helped Xe’Reth with the bathing and told him about what he was supposed to do as he began, was now cleaning their mistress. Xe’Reth was astonished at how good it felt, surprisingly. But he had too much energy inside him, and that made the older girl feel his endurance.

He sighed, here and there, while looking around the room with unaffected eyes. He doesn’t feel bad at all.

The two women were shocked beyond words. Never had they seen such a sight before, they couldn’t even stop him from continuing because they were stunned by the spectacle that displayed in front of them.

Their mistress even tried to shout out for help, but ultimately, her vocal cords couldn’t make out her words because she was already making a lot of other loud noises while Xe’Reth had just thought that she wanted him to continue, because she would obviously say something if she wanted him to stop, which she didn’t… Only moans and wails of ecstasy.

They couldn’t react until their mistress was lying there unconscious with drool running down her mouth; slight twitches also came from her sweat soaked body.

Xe’Reth then clothed himself with his raggedy clothes as he saw that he could make his escape. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be angry at him and throw him out of his house. That was what went through his head the whole time, but she wanted this so she can’t really be mad at him… right?

‘I wonder if I did something bad?’ he had thought but he shrugged his shoulders. ‘Mother always said, “If you don’t voice your thoughts, how can people hear you?”’

He sneaked out the bedroom and walked hastily through the corridor, then down the staircase where he saw the old geezer who had guided him. He was currently sitting down on a chair while polishing his proud sword of endless memories, but as he saw Xe’Reth coming down the stairs he was indeed amazed because Xe’Reth didn’t show a face that had been desecrated, more of a victorious look he had on his nonchalant expression.

The man stood up as he gave a simple sigh; he didn’t say anything, he just went to the door and opened it so Xe’Reth could leave. And Xe’Reth did leave without saying anything to the man. One might think that Xe’Reth was just putting up a strong front, but no deceit was shown on Xe’Reth’s now cunning face, only slight worry since he did go a little too rough for her to handle.

He shrugged his shoulders once again.

“AH!” he exclaimed with self-hatred. “Stupid! Stupid! Wait for me mama, I’ll be home soon!”

Running as fast as he can, he sprinted towards the street with such fast-moving legs. And as he vanished beyond the metal-fenced gate, through the main window of the girl’s room, she stood gazing at him running away while having a blanket over her whole body, only showing her ruffled hair and exhausted expression.

She sighed as she turns around, feeling tired from their forbidden act. But she turned back to look once more out onto the snowing darkness that has torches on the side of her walkway that leads to her mansion’s front door.

While letting out a somewhat innocent giggle, her two handmaidens’ showed smiling expressions, but… they backed away from her in fear as they saw her impulsive twitch, which they’ve seen before.

“Heh… heh. Hehe… Haha… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” such an exhilarated and insane laugh comes out from her mouth that shows her sparkling white teeth while she threw away her blanket to exhibit herself in the broad and lengthy window. But none saw her nakedness out in the street because it was completely empty of life, for it was at night.

Only the flakes of snow saw her standing there in her insane magnificence while laughing hysterically.

With a fast jerk, her head turned around as she heard something behind her. She stared with new eyes of pure darkness, her pupils, irises, and her scleras had turned pitch black. Her handmaidens who had recoiled from sheer fright from her hideous tantrum and her terrifying eyes were preparing for something as if they readied themselves to restrain her.

They were truly scared for their lives because this girl wasn’t stable.

She unexpectedly began tossing her head back and forth, side to side as if some kind of attack hit her hard, then, she walked in a trance to her royal soaked bed… and fell asleep soundly while the handmaidens breathed out their troubling worries.

Then as the snowy days went by, Xe’Reth was called again, and again. But as they were getting closer to each other, he bravely asked for money so he could take care of his mother with ease, which in turn made him get thrown out from her house.

It was as if she had changed into another woman. He was literally thrown out from the front door after she had chased him through the house while her handmaidens’ desperately tried to stop her from hurting Xe’Reth.

As if she was some kind of banshee, she shrieked at him while he ran for his life as one of the handmaidens held her in place. It was a time of the day when the geezer was out doing business for her mistress, so he wasn’t there to stop her from doing something which the old man knew she could do.

The handmaidens were the geezer’s daughters, and his mistress was an insane being, but he had taken care of her since her father had died… Killed by her own mother who had disappeared out of thin air. Only a surprised face of fear was upon her father’s face when the old man found him dead in his study. The geezer had tried to find his former mistress many times but to no avail.

Though as Xe’Reth was thrown out by one of the handmaidens and not their mistress, he was glad, for he didn’t even like her. She was weird he had thought nonchalantly while picking up his clothes that had been sent out with him, for he was naked in the snow while he felt the melting crystals beneath his feet.

She was someone who forced herself on him. She demanded many things from him and never gave anything in return. He was glad that he didn’t need to put up with her demands. But as he lived on, her wrath came in the form of an increased rent.

But here now inside this rundown house of his, he knows what kind of woman she is. And what she truly is. The secrets that she and her family has kept… is… fascinating. Though he had promised to not utter a word when the geezer had come and visited Xe’Reth at his house that day when Xe’Reth had been thrown out of her grace. But that was only a promise to not talk about her tantrums.

Though what the old man didn't know was... Xe'Reth saw those globes of pure blackness. Almost like his own eyes but without the blackening of the sclera.

Only recently had he found out what she was, when he read an old book of fabled creatures that once roamed the world. But as he had promised to not utter a word when he asked about it to the geezer, which he almost killed Xe’Reth for. Because that kind of secret must be kept in absolute darkness. And Xe’Reth keeps his promises that he makes though he does feel a somewhat pity towards her dilemma.

There they stand. An Honored One, a lesser noble, and those who have to follow excluding Xe’Reth because he isn’t anyone other than Malinda’s focus… at this moment at least.

Malinda waits for the reply from the now sane woman.

She had asked what kind of relationship that they’ve with each other, but that makes the girl think hard at what she’s going to say.

“Malinda, she’s just my landlady who I need to pay my rent to, and we were also friends once, but that was three years ago. Now we’re just complete strangers,” Xe’Reth responded instead as he still leans with his back towards the door. “S-She must’ve seen you two and thought that you were hurting me as the old man said. It is… understandable wanting to protect someone you’ve known, but indeed, the word she called you… was too much.”

“Y-Yes, he’s correct Honored Malinda. And I’m here to pick up his monthly rent as I was in the neighborhood. Please do forgive me, I was worried that you were hurting him, and that made me very alarmed; hence the cursing to get your attention away from him,” the girl said as she followed along the lines of Xe’Reth.

Though something is eating her from the inside… What if he was to say the things she has done to him? She forced a minor into her bed, she has extorted him of his freedom of choosing his first time to bond with someone he truly loves. She took that away from him without a second thought.

“Rent? How much does he pay you exactly? Five silver coins? Seven silver coins?” Malinda asked with questionable lowered eyebrows because she doesn’t like this woman who has just shown up. It makes her uneasy that Xe’Reth has had a friend which is a woman that’s almost as beautiful as herself.

'Three years ago... that would make him fourteen... Sigh, thank you Divine Queen for easing my hearts worries...' she thought happily because the age of fourteen wasn't a time when people would begin to be in relationships. For the kingdom has set a law that those acts are only allowed when teenagers would turn sixteen. So it eases Malinda's mind greatly upon hearing what Xe'Reth said.

The lady froze in place as she heard those words from between Malinda's deep red lips… because she has made Xe’Reth pay double the normal rent people pay monthly here in the slums. Ten silver coins are her normal rent, but she makes Xe’Reth pay twenty only because of what happened in the past.

“O-Of course the normal rent is what he pays. F-Five silver coins per month,” the girl said with a forced smile. The old man arched an eyebrow at his mistress, but it was a good response, otherwise she would be in royal trouble if she said how much Xe’Reth actually pays her.

‘Lowering the rent to save your own skin, huh?’ Xe’Reth thought as he gazes at her with unaffected eyes. ‘But don’t worry… I won’t ruin your life by revealing that you took advantage of me, for it would only cause me harm if Malinda would know that I shared a bed with a monster before. Yes… We better just go our separate ways… for good this time.’

Malinda snaps her fingers at Taryna to make her give the money which Xe’Reth owed the girl. Taryna obeyed and unfastens the pouch she has on her waist as she unties the strings. When the pouch is widely visible it shows many glittering gold coins inside of it, no silver, only gold.

“Give her a coin for her trouble,” Malinda said to Taryna as she holds her cross-armed stance of superiority, and Taryna simply did as she's told by her Miss. She goes up to the girl while the geezer now stands beside his mistress, watching closely with his hands behind his back.

As Taryna gives the coin to the girl, Malinda opens her mouth again and says with such a sharp tone, “You can now leave if you don’t have any further business with Xe’Reth, which you don’t have.”

Malinda’s eyes turn distrustful as she wants to hear the response that was supposed to come, but no response comes, only a curtsy is what the woman gives.

The woman shows a quick sorrowful glance towards Xe’Reth as she turns around.

When she reaches the door she turns back her body and asks, “Forgive me for asking, but, what kind of relationship do you’ve with him?”

“It is none of your business, as it is a private matter, but I’ll quench your curiosity. He’s my lover as of today… and as he has me as his lover, he’ll be leaving this… house. And will be moving into the castle with me of course, so you can find someone else to move in here, to this heap of garbage you call, a house,” Malinda said with such a straight face of conviction because she has made up her mind that Xe’Reth doesn’t need to live in this kind of rotten place anymore.

She wants him to live in the castle where she lives. Such little time has gone by, but she has finally found someone she can share her life with. And she won’t be denied of her happiness, even if she has to do things she won’t be proud of. She also has to find the perpetrators; those who hurt Xe’Reth with their vile acts of torture.

His mother also needs to be on her agenda of things to do.

The sickness is unknown to her but she can take care of it as long as she doesn’t make it worse.

“You’re… lovers?” the girl asked as if she doesn’t believe what Malinda just uttered. She feels that her legs are starting to give out while she squeezes her hands so tight that her nails dig into her skin. While her mind is beginning to ooze with insane thoughts that brew in boiling steam.

“Yes, we’re lovers. You didn’t hear me clear enough? Then let me say it even more clearly.”

“I. Love. Him. And. He. Loves. Me. Was that clear enough?” Malinda asked with annoyance behind every word. “Now leave, he’s in a state where he needs medical care, and I can’t spend my time dealing with someone like you, so leave now before you test my patience.”

“But who did—,” the girl tried to ask why he’s in this kind of beat up state, but a fierce voice shoots out instead. “I said, leave you impudent girl! Don’t make me say it again!”

‘Hoooh…? Really, Malinda, you can be aggressive and arrogant. It seems that I need to be extremely cautious of your personality, even more than I thought,’ Xe’Reth leans casually at the door, not feeling any pain anymore from his self-inflicted wounds.

‘You’ve already decided to make your own decisions, too, huh? Well, the castle doesn’t sound that bad… but inside the castle lies the General which I need to be careful about, and his keen wife who runs things... Dammit, things are moving way too fast. I didn’t expect that you would be this daring Malinda, to take everything into your own hands before even speaking to me about it… Sigh. Such a bold woman you’re. But you're my bold woman now...’

Xe’Reth’s body and mind seem to have recovered somewhat from his gashes. He has lost blood, but that wasn’t so bad now that the wounds are starting to close, slowly, which can’t be seen because his blood is covering them.

The woman’s pained expression shows as she was yelled at by Malinda, then as she gives one last look at Xe’Reth with blank lonely eyes, she leaves, while the man follows closely behind her.

“Are you… all right, do you need your medicine—?” the old man asked as they stepped outside, but he is interrupted by a beautiful hand, a shaking hand. He can’t see her expression but she’s holding her other hand over her mouth to not show the sorrowful grimace which’s on her face.

Walking with a quick pace, she goes into the carriage and shuts the door with a big bang.

A large crowd has gathered. A lot of poor people of this area of the city is just looking upon the golden carriage… And some looks at the carriage of their landlady. Some are even thinking of stealing Malinda's carriage, but with a sudden yell, “People! That carriage is the owner of the Honored Malinda, so before you think foolish thoughts, know that she’s one of the rulers of this city. Any misconduct would most likely be your doom!”

He stands there as he finished with his shouting warning.

As he sees the surprised faces of the surrounding people, he climbs up onto the driver’s seat of the carriage that they came with. He waves with his hands for people to move out of the way. With a slight whip action, the horses start to move in a calm pace.

As they now are a little bit further away, the man hears soft saddening cries that come from the inside of the carriage. But the cries becomes louder and louder as the girl can’t keep herself in check of her emotions, those emotions of losing something very precious, and those emotions of complete and utter insanity.

First when she called Xe’Reth to her house that night, she was only going to have sex with him because she had always liked that boy, which she had seen searching for a house so desperately, to save his own mother. Though through her personality she took things to the extreme, if she only didn’t push him away when he asked for money...

If she gave him what he wanted would she be living in happiness right now? Yes, she probably would, though with her damaged mind it would be hard to achieve.

She had just kept an eye on Xe’Reth to see how he continued to live from the increased rent she gave him, but he didn’t come begging to get it lowered, which she had looked forward to.

When no boy came to beg, she instead kept her watchful eye over him as the three years went by. Every month she would personally collect the rent from him and see his painful expression as he gave the rent… his hard earned money.

She had always hated herself for how she treated him… but she couldn’t help it. She wanted him to be miserable so he couldn’t do anything, or be anything special, just a simple teenage boy that lived in the slums was what she desired.

If somehow a girl would show some kind of affection towards him, that girl would be utterly crushed by her, she wouldn’t allow him to have someone if she can’t even have him. The old man has always scolded her about her personality because it isn’t normal what she’s doing to Xe’Reth. But when the push comes to show… she can’t do anything else than to be that cruel person.

The old man sits there on the driver’s seat as he hears the muffled wails of his mistress, those painful moments that she has endured waiting to be reunited with Xe’Reth. But compared to Xe’Reth’s afflicted state that he has been in, it isn’t anything to grumble about.

Today she had actually gotten the courage to come and ask if he would come to her house again, to talk things through. But never had she expected that Malinda was going to be there… holding that hand of his, which belongs to her!

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!” she let out one screeching scream as her madness takes hold of her, which makes the old man drive the horses as fast as he can through the street of wide-eyed people that hears his mistress’s insane banshee-like shriek.

They then disappear down the street of poverty…

Phew... Thanks for reading this slightly longer chapter. Hope you liked it. And don't forget to voice your thoughts! :D

Xe'Reth has lived a life of strife and happiness, though of course, those who're rich can always get away with things... Even if there are laws that hold them. It's a sad truth. :P

Comment/Follow/Favorite