The Nightmare of Woe

As the night turns to the crack of dawn, the sun ascends above the Divine Mountains, to light up the kingdom once again. But Mist has laid itself thick in the streets of Tertinum, moving with the breezing wind, for the autumn’s cold morning air pollutes the atmosphere in Ellenoria, to prepare for the winter which will come.

In the citadel similarly to the city, it wakes up. Servants of different occupations have been awake for longer periods of time before anyone else, well, at least, those who hasn’t had the night shift like the Battle-Maidens who’re finishing up their last round before going to bed to their barracks in the Sanctuary.

Xe’Reth, who sleeps lying on his back, unseals his eyes with a quick flicker. Totally unfazed of any drowsiness from waking up. His headache doesn’t pulsate anymore as if it hadn’t even happened. He’s as healthy as he can be.

‘Was it because of the restoration of my wounds? Was that the cause of my headache? Hmm, I better experiment with it to be sure… Though, sleeping on such a comfortable bed sure helps to eliminate fatigue,’ Xe’Reth thought wide awake, staring up at the ceiling, which, too, has women of the Tertin line carved into the granite. The same as Madelyn’s quarters, but yet it’s the shapes of different women that gazes with their marble eyes at Xe’Reth and the sleeping beauty next to him.

Malinda’s one arm has sited itself on his chest while her hand runs through his dark hair, gripping it tightly. And her one naked leg has elevated over his private part, securing him in her embrace as her bosoms presses, making him aroused by the firmness yet the suppleness of those great yet beautiful shaped breasts.

Her breathing, ordinary, but the air that comes out from her mouth spreads the warmth on his neck, for her chin has situated itself on his upper shoulder, being totally glued to it. While his right arm has gone beneath her neck, running down her spine, holding her too, as she’s holding him, but less tightly nonetheless.

Her negligée from all the tossing of her body has done so her stomach, even up to her lower breasts, displays completely bare. Resting in a seductive sleeping position, but Xe’Reth’s eyes only stare at her serene expression as he chuckles inwardly, ‘She truly holds me as if she never wants to let go. Night complete, well done, me. Though, she did fall asleep faster than I thought she would. It only took a couple of minutes before she was snoozing in her dreams. That’s perfect; she’s a solid and quick sleeper. Let’s see how thick of a sleeper you are, my love.’

Xe’Reth touches her waist as he strokes it, up and down. Her skin, flawless of any birthmarks or imperfections. The heat exuding from her lean voluptuous body, making him want to ravage her to no end since even Xe’Reth isn’t immune to his desire for the opposite sex. But as he combs her golden hair with his fingers, Malinda gains a smile on her lips, and with eyebrows raising in delight. He kisses her forehead, too, but she doesn’t awaken from her slumber.

Instead of trying to touch her gently, he forms with his tongue soothing words to fill her dreaming mind, “Malinda. My love. My beautiful Goddess. It’s morning. Wake up…”

No response.

He takes her chin to raise it as his lips touches hers.

Xe’Reth kisses her multiple times, without sticking his tongue into her mouth. Again, no answer. Then as he switches his position from laying on his back, he twists his body while Malinda too moves, making her swing to the side as her arm and leg lands on the bed. To be arranged, so she sleeps with her front upward.

Being free from her shackling embrace, Xe’Reth sits up to support with hands on the bed. He stares around the bedchamber. The fireplace, unlit; the grandfather clock, its both pointers at six in the morning; the crimson drapes cover the windows and the balcony doors of crystals. But the weak sunlight still seeps through the tiny cracks.

As Malinda’s light-skinned belly raises and lowers calmly, Xe’Reth pops up a scarred eyebrow while his eyes travel to the door on the opposite side of the bedchamber, to stare at the door’s handle.

It begins to move downward to open.

Xe’Reth scowls, he pushes his feet into the bed, then swings them backward to have his helping hands lunged him forward, off of the bed to land on the surface right in front of the lowest staircase. He dashes with only his shorts on, to stand in front of the door all casual, waiting for whoever it might be that seeks to disturb his morning.

But as the disturber opens the door, it reveals to be Tanya who gains full eyes as Xe’Reth raises his hand to cover his mouth to hide the fake yawn of tiredness, “Ahh… Tanya, good morning.” Xe’Reth flickers with his eyes for good measure as Cerinn too yawns behind Malinda’s handmaiden. Having her bun styled hair slightly uneven with strands sticking out at various places.

“Good morning to you too, Sir Xe’Reth,” Tanya responded, curtseying elegantly with a grateful smile. But as she peeks over Xe’Reth’s shoulder, her Miss, nowhere in sight. And because of the bed that Malinda rests on stands on a slightly elevated floor, Tanya can’t locate her. “Where is Miss?”

“You don’t see her? She’s lying on the bed, sleeping,” Xe’Reth responded rather surprised as he turns around to welcome them in with a waving hand, “Come in, those clothes must be for me, right?”

“Ah, yes,” Tanya replied while carrying a pair of new shirts, a tight black coat, and pants as she follows along Xe’Reth’s treading feet. “Black suits you the best, said Miss, so I had arranged more clothes for you to wear. And it’s rather cold outside today.”

The burning torches in the dressing room behind Cerinn, who groggily follows, blazes in more light into the bedroom, but Tanya fixes the unlit hearth quickly after setting down the clothes on the table where yesterday’s outfits had been folded. And as the flame brightens up the bedchamber a little bit, Xe’Reth coolly says while inspecting the outfits, “Tanya, I need to go and prepare for my mother’s awakening, so tell Malinda where I’m at. Oh, while I’m at it, I’ll write a list of merchandise which I will need.”

“As you wish, Sir Xe’Reth, but… Do you need Cerinn with you? Since, well, she’s got a lot to learn. Therefore, I thought I could have her around me for today so I can teach her about what a handmaiden’s responsibilities are. If you don’t need her of course…” Tanya inquired rather eagerly as she smiles, waiting for his sanction, which she’s sure she’ll get.

“Be my guest. I’ve no need for her today, though, who am I supposed to leave the written list to? Since she won’t be with me?” Xe’Reth asked, curiously tilting his head to one side.

“Oh, just hand it to one of the servants who works in this wing. It’s rather easy to notice what side they belong to,” Tanya tittered, grabbing her bun-styled hair to show Xe’Reth of what she meant. Then forcibly pulls Cerinn over to fix up her ruffled strands. “I just love this hairstyle… I asked Miss awhile back if it could be the standard hairdo that every servant wears in her wing. And she gave permission, so I’ve… —Oh, look at me chat when you need to go to your mother… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t mention it,” Xe’Reth chuckled deceptively, pulling his shorts down to display his all.

“Sir Xe’Reth! Please, you shouldn’t so casually show yourself! Go stand behind the screen—I mean…” Tanya hesitates as she turns her head away, pulling Cerinn’s skull backward while a yelp sounds out from her mouth. “You shouldn’t display yourself even though you aren’t bothered by your body… But I am. Because I’m like any other woman of servitude in this household.”

“Right… I do apologize,” Xe’Reth said with a cheerful smirk as he rapidly pulls up the man’s underwear and the pants simultaneously. “There, I will be careful in the future. Sorry.” He then puts on one of the shirts. Next he swooshes the coat jacket on, to button it half way up. Also slips into his given shoes he wore yesterday. “I’ll be going now. And I know the way. Thanks for everything Tanya. Malinda is lucky to have you. Though your sister kind of despises me I think, oh well, I can’t be liked by everyone I guess.”

“Yes… she, she can be hard to handle sometimes. But know that she would do anything for our Miss. And as I’m her sister, I do apologize on her behalf,” Tanya sighed with a lovely smile on her lips as Xe’Reth unconcernedly begins to walk to the opened door.

“I’m used to it, so I'm all right either way. Take care of Cerinn for me, Tanya, and of course, my lover too,” Xe’Reth responded with a waving flick of his two fingers as if he’s making some weird goodbye gesture.

“Ah, Sir Xe’Reth, before you leave! How long will you be gone? Since I thought of letting her sleep in a little today because of the pleasant evening, you two had yesterday,” Tanya intoned with another pull of the shorty’s bun, turning Cerinn’s expression furious with gritting teeth yet unseen by Tanya.

“I’ll be done in an hour or so,” Xe’Reth replied, turning to stare at the bun-haired shorty in joy. But raises his scarred brow in wonder, “Why, is there something I need to be aware of?”

“Ah, no, I’ll let her sleep for an hour then. She’s such a heavy sleeper that I usually need to shove her a lot to wake her up… So unladylike, but try not to say anything to anyone, Sir Xe’Reth,” Tanya whispered with a finger pressing to her lips, while looking around suspiciously, then continues with Cerinn’s hairdo.

“Don’t worry. Her unladylike secret is safe with me,” Xe’Reth mused with a smiling blink of his eye as he spins around to stride out the door, through the dressing room, and out to the central chamber where Malinda spends her time to relax.

Xe’reth didn’t bother to close the door, but as he steps into the main room, Taryna catches him waltzing in as she sits cross-legged on a comfortable seat with a glaring expression, trying to pierce his heart with her eyes.

None other, only her and him, finally alone where no questionable eyes or ears can interrupt her.

But instead of meeting her gaze, he walks to the front door leading out to the long corridor, which raises and lowers her lips to clench her teeth together as she stands up to hiss at his insolent bravery, “Stop, you filthy… dog.” Though she keeps her voice to a minimum, so nobody hears.

He does stop his movements as she commanded. But Xe’Reth doesn’t turn around, he keeps up his tenacity as he grumbles to himself, ‘I didn’t expect her to be so openly rude… Dammit, I don’t have time to play around with this jealous bitch of a woman.’

“You seem rather healthy for a dog who suffered torture just yesterday…” Taryna said suspiciously, walking up to be right behind Xe’Reth. And with a hand placing on his shoulder, she forcibly spins him around, so his dark glaring eyes stare at hers. “Now that we’re alone, let me warn you. I’ll not stand by while you defile my Mistress. It’s pure disgusting that someone of your stature is even allowed to gaze upon her splendidness. Truthfully, you should just leave before something happens to you… or to your contaminated mother that stains this citadel with her filth.”

“That is more of a threat than a warning, Taryna,” Xe’Reth smilingly said with an unfazed expression, holding back all ounce of fury. Because bringing his mother into this makes him want to teach this arrogant handmaiden what would happen if she was living in the slums.

She would be murdered painstakingly. Maybe not by him, but by someone else if she were to talk similarly to that person. Xe’Reth doesn’t differentiate between sexes. Once a murderer, always a murderer no matter if a woman or man committed it.

“Is that so…? Yeah, I guess it’s a threat, but as nobody is here, who can prove it… dog?” Taryna smirked, puffing out an air of superiority from her mouth.

“If you have nothing important to say, I need to get going… slave,” Xe’Reth said tauntingly as he turns to the double doors, but Taryna pulls him back, gripping his jacket forcefully with one hand as her other raises swiftly into the air then cascades down even faster, hitting Xe’Reth’s cheek. And with her hand letting go, he stumbles backward, to smash against the doors with a loud thud of a sound. “Argh… Are you out of your—Guh…”

Taryna squeezes both of her hands to choke his neck, hard.

Though as Xe’Reth can’t catch his breath, he grimaces with lowered eyebrows and gritting teeth to flow with his hands under her arms as he presses both of his palms together, then strikes right up between Taryna’s two arms, in the process breaking her hold of him. Making her this time, go wide-eyed as she stumbles backward, taking a little skin fragments from Xe’Reth’s neck, too, since her nails are trimmed to perfection.

Xe’Reth coughs as he stands there glaring at the flame-haired Taryna, who too glares at him with a murderous aura about her.

“What… *Cough* What is the matter with you? Are you downright mental?” Xe’Reth growled, touching his throat as it stings from the gash marks left by Taryna’s nails.

“Shut your mongrel mouth. I won’t let you take my mistress’ chastity… For it isn’t for you to take… It is min—,” Taryna snarled but she goes utterly pale and silent as that last broken word got the better of her. Her eyes wide, her mouth slightly ajar, and the pure stupidity of anger has severely ruined her chances of countering any further.

“It is mine; you meant to say…? Heh, oh… Oh…! I see, so you’re in love with Malinda, aren’t you?” Xe’Reth mused with a grin as he leans forward excitedly. While his arms go behind his back, to enjoy this moment of satisfaction. “Ahaha, that’s brilliant! You were rather incessantly jealous of our union; I could see it in your eyes. But never would I’ve thought you were a lesbian. Though, I guess being surrounded by only women can make a girl’s mind lonely.”

“What’s the matter, somebody caught your tongue?” Xe’Reth grinned broadly, while Taryna just stares down at the floor, trying to think of something with her furrowed brows, but even if she tries to lie about what she was going to say, it won’t matter, because Xe’Reth has it already in his head. “Well, I understand your feelings at least, but slapping and choking me, that I can’t forgive. Oh, and tonight I’ll enjoy myself thoroughly. As Malinda will feel me inside her. Heh. Until we meet again, Taryna… Heh…”

Xe’Reth strides right out the door with victorious legs taking him to his mother’s quarters.

Taryna, still standing in the room all by herself, mutters strange words while her face screams her anxiety. She, who’s Malinda’s protector, her handmaiden has hidden the fact about loving her not as a friend, but as a lover. What would Malinda think of her? All those times she had seen her naked, all those times she tried to comfort her from a battle. Would she become distant if she knew, knew that she has even masturbated to her image?

“Why… Why did I say that… Why…” Taryna troublingly murmured in total confusion. Her head shakes, side to side in minute movements. “Dear Divine Queens… What have I done… No, I must stop him… I must shut him up before he tells Miss…”

With a raise of her head, she stares at the doors which stand widely open, left ajar by Xe’Reth.

She grinds her teeth, then with a womanly growl, she grips the hilt of her sword and sprints after him… Straight out the doors, without closing them… To pursue him, to make him pay for knowing her most precious secret of her heart.

………

Taryna couldn’t expect it.

Her mind was in a wild state, and her words, loose. One single blunder, one sentence can destroy her relationship with Malinda. But as she lingers in front of the doors to Theresa’s quarters, she doesn’t open them. Only standing there all stunned. Afraid of what might happen if she does turn those handles, to go inside, to tenaciously peer at him while he has the single card that she needs. Yet as she slowly moves her hands to the doors’ handles, her mouth goes agape…

What can she even do now?

Beat him to promise not to say anything? Murder him, then blame it on someone else? No, she can’t. It would need planning, a plan, yes, she needs a plan before doing anything rash.

A plan.

Taryna frowns deeply as she realizes that nothing good will come of it if she goes inside, so she turns around to head back to her Mistress quarters. If he tells her, he’ll tell her, if he doesn’t, then she’ll strike out at him with a plan to split him and her Mistress apart.

Yes. She got it. But it all depends on Xe’Reth keeping his mouth shut.

‘Just wait and see what I’ve in store for you, dirty man dog…’ Taryna strides with her outfit swaying with her movements while a sinister smirk curves on her lips as she heads to her loved one. To Xe’Reth’s sleeping beauty…

………

……

By the Ebon Wall’s massive middle gate stands Malinda, her posture, frightened, bewildered of what currently displays in front of her. She’s in her red and black full plated armor with a sword in her hands, pointing its tip forward, while her shield guards of the incoming charge, but she doesn’t know why. Only her eyes stare at the emptiness of the field of corpses that lies in an enormous pile.

A collection of men, women, children, elderly, all kinds of dead humans. It’s a pile that reaches ten meters into the humid and eerie misty air. No voices, no sounds but Malinda’s out of breath breathing.

Why? Why does she stand in front of the middle gate, and in front of her, a pile of dead people? Her shield, raised, waiting for a wave that’ll never come. Yet as her eyes fixate to squint at one single corpse, a child’s body, it shudders as Malinda’s eyes widen in dismay. No, the whole mound twitches in minute movements.

“Ah… What is… going on…” Malinda panicked, she stumbles backward, landing on the reddened grass with her rear.

They move… The corpses move… towards her. They tear themselves off of their pile of mutilated bodies, to crawl with rotten flesh bubbling on their skins.

The reddened grass feeds off of the corpses. The dead helps it grow, but not this time, this time, it withers away to dry up entirely. Feeding the corpses instead. And she’s just gazing with frightened eyes ajar at the incoming horde of death that comes closer and closer to her.

The horror of howls sounds out from them, horrible screams of women whose mouths has dislocated to make them stand open even further, to let out the shriek of hatred, of pain, of everything they hold dear. Also as Malinda peers at the children that crawl with decaying flesh dragging on the surface of the forsaken ground, she grimaces as both of her hands lets go of her sword and shield, making them fall.

Her sitting body wobbles in terror. The dead crawls as she stands up to turn around to escape them with spasming lips and teary eyes. She must escape to the side entrances of the Ebon Wall, to find safety… But she gasps as nothing reveals behind her. Merely the pile of corpses which slowly rolls and tumbles down to begin crawling towards her.

She turns to her other side, but another pile of death, she turns again, but yet one more. She spins to seek out a way to escape. However, wherever she gawks in fright, only death appear.

Her shield and sword, she needs them to defend herself. She searches for them as the bodies of children, men, women, and old cry to her in various sorrowful voices, yet no words, only the misery of what death actually feels like sounds through them.

But her weapon or shield, nowhere in sight as the grass surrounding her begins to loose its crimson color. It withers, for the dead has encircled her entirely.

“Aahhh!” She startlingly screamed as they now circle around her. Their eyes, rotten to the core, whitened completely, even flowing out of their sockets. Their bodies lacerate blood, black deep blood from their gashing wounds from being stabbed, slashed, and bashed. Parts of their bodies miss a hand, an arm, even some misses a cut-off head.

But what they all have in common is their armor, their outfits. They’re gray. The symbol of the slave army. Their brands of slavery which show in their tattered garments of war, or, at least, they look like outfits for a soldier, but the clothes display the amateurish workmanship. Cheap enough to mass produce, to give to expendable slaves, to send them off to die for their kingdom which they were born in.

To throw away their pathetic lives… for the game.

“What… what do you want! Don’t come closer! Don’t come, I say!” Malinda cried, waving her hands in revulsion at the fresh smell that they exude from their decomposing bodies.

Though, as the crowd of death makes no movements at all towards her, only their peering gazes, they make way for an adolescent that holds Malinda’s shield, hugging it in front of her body. The child can’t be no more than twelve years old. But the skin of this child isn’t rotten nor is it starting to rot. An ordinary girl whose hair, short and utterly ruined as if it was cut by a child…

The erected corpses around Malinda has their eyes on her still, only the child walks smilingly towards her without a care in the world. A smile to shine brighter than the burning sun.

“Come! Come quickly!” Malinda yelled, gesturing for the little shieldbearer to quicken her thin little legs. So thin and so unnourished. It sprouts for a saddened scowls on Malinda’s expression. Then the child finally stands in front of her as the corpses fill the passage where the little girl came from as quickly as it opened. “You’re safe here with me, I won’t let them touch you… But… But how did you make them do that?”

No response from the child, solely a smile as she raises her shield-holding hands up, to give it to Malinda in the most gladdened moods ever on the child’s expression. A smiling mouth ajar, eyes as blue as her own. But as Malinda grabs the safeguard, the child says horrifyingly to her,

“For my murderer…”

The shield falls from Malinda’s hands to hit the desecrated ground beneath her with a thud. Her breath shudders as air escapes from between her shaking lips, to take a step back, and another step, for she witnesses her own sword that has implanted itself into the child’s stomach.

Though as Malinda’s eyes travel to the face of the girl, the child’s mouth drips black blood, and her eyes flow dark dye. Everyone around her. Their blood pours out of their bodies as Malinda’s breath quickens and quickens as panic strikes her.

“P-Please, f-forgive me. I had no… I couldn’t… It was… Ahh… Ahhh…!” Malinda yelped as the dark blood reaches her feet. It also ascends as Malinda jerks her head side to side to find somewhere to escape, but no matter where her eyes journeys, death still awaits her. Surrounds her. “No, no, no, I didn’t mean to kill her… She… she was attacking me! What was I suppose to do?! I had no other choice!!”

Her voice screams at the sky for clemency for some unknown reason. She has never believed in the Goddesses, so why would she turn to them now?

Tears run down Malinda’s face as the blood goes to her waist. She hiccups as she’s frightened out of her mind. Her whole expression is damaged. Wrinkling brows, spasming lips, and a head which shakes in terror, for she can’t swim. She has never learned how to.

As her hyperventilation turns her whole body frozen, she merely stares at the bleeding child’s head as it disappear when the blood reaches her bosoms. But as she raises her gaze to the crowd of corpses, they too have gone, leaving her in a sea of darkness. That unique feeling of being all alone grows her horror even further.

“No… No, please, stop it… I don’t wanna drown… Mama… Papa, I’m scared… Help me… Help—Ah… Ahh! Nooggugh…!” The blood reaches her mouth, making her choke on it as she desperately tries to swim with flapping arms and legs, but it’s of no use. She’s wearing her heaviest plate armor on. Only sinking her to the bottom.

“MMoohhhmmm… MMMMAAAMAAHMAHAM… PPPAAAPPPAHPPA…”

She holds her breath for her dear life. But, the sea of blood above her has actually stopped rising.

In her last crucial moment, as she runs out of her remaining air, she bends her legs, then pushes with all her might to fly, to reach the surface, “MMMHHHMMHH.” But the dead won’t let her go; their hands, their vulgar nail-gripping-hands holds her at the bottom. Drowning her as her eyes start rolling into her skull.

She stretches out a gauntleted hand for someone to take. And right as her eyes begin to close for her own miserable death, a hand does grab onto hers, to pull her free from her demise of drowning which she has dreamt of countless times before, always ending in the same horrible conclusion; she drowns and wakes up in a cold sweat.

Though this time, someone does grab ahold of her gauntlet, no, she now has her beautiful hand all exposed. Her whole body, fully naked. To pull her out of the water of darkness, to gain back her breath. But as she takes a deep inhale of air, it’s as if she doesn’t even need it. Instead, she coughs, still gripping the hand which saved her. And as her eyes go wide in disbelief, she utters startlingly,

“X-Xe’Reth…?”

Her tears flow out even more. Her lips tightened up immensely upon witnessing her lover standing there beside her, smiling as usual. Smiling at her.

With a flicker of her eyes, only in an instant, they turn horrendous in fear, for a darkened being has replaced her lover completely. The blackest of creatures with a man’s lean body, but it has zero features. Only a shiny surface and the abyssal eyes; no mouth nor nose nor ears. Only those globes of darkness peering at her. And as her eyes move bravely to look at her hand, her eyes go even wider as she’s now holding a five-fingered hand with razor sharp claws.

Then the creature’s other claw pulls Malinda close, turning her stomach inside out in dread, for it’s as if its skin is made of glass, no, of crystal. Such a smooth surface but as she’s in its embrace, her shaking won’t stop, though from two single words, “My Malinda,” that rings inside her mind, she raises to gaze into those dark eyes which now stare lovingly at her.

“Xe’Reth…? Is that yo—…”

“Ahhh!”

Before she finishes her sentence, she gasps loudly as her eyes flicker in surprise. She’s back in her room, lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling of the carved women of the Tertin line.

“Miss, thank the Divine Queens you finally woke up… I’ve been trying to wake you for five minutes now, but you just wouldn’t snap out of your nightmare,” Tanya troublingly said, almost welling up in tears, while Cerinn looks standing at the foot of the bed as Tanya sits sideways like a fabled mermaid right beside her Miss. “Was it the same nightmare, Miss? The pile of corpses? You drowning in blood?”

“Tanya…” Malinda muttered with eyes filling with tears, but as shock hits her, she whips her head side to side to search for the man she wants. Not even realizing that she doesn’t have a headache from the night before. “Where is Xe’Reth…? D…Don’t tell me it was a dream too…?”

“Xe’Reth? Oh, he had to tend to his mother, so he didn’t want to wake you,” Tanya quickly responded to satisfy Malinda’s worried heart, which sighs out in relief upon hearing her handmaiden’s words.

“Thank the Di—Wait… No… It wasn’t the same dream at all…” Malinda wrinkled her eyebrows to then gaze down at her own body. “Ah! How long have I been exposed like this, Tanya?!” Malinda shouted as she hurriedly covers her exposed body with the bed’s cover, which lies tossed away at the foot of the bed.

“Ah…”

“Ah…”

Both of Malinda’s and Cerinn’s eyes flickers as they make eye-contact.

“Who, who’re you? Tanya, why is a servant here in the morning? I explicitly prohibited any servants from being here when I wake up! Answer me, now!” Malinda bellowed in anger, pulling the cover around her whole body, tightly, so her half nakedness doesn’t show for the wide-eyed Cerinn.

“M-Miss, you don’t remember her? She’s Xe’Reth’s new handmaiden that you authorized to be under him…” Tanya shockingly said, presenting Cerinn with an outstretched hand, then crawls off of the bed to put her hands on Cerinn’s shoulders while standing behind her, “See? She’s the one who your sister was going to throw out of the citadel. Her name is Cerinn Jeyver.”

“Oh, her…” Malinda recalled as she becomes enlightened with a mouth ajar. Her face changes in a flash to smilingly gaze as an awkward chuckle escapes, “Heh. Please, do forgive me for yelling, but I don’t like when a person sees me in the morning.”

Cerinn merely courtesies with a smile, a somewhat honest smile. Malinda drunk a lot yesterday, so she mustn’t have noticed her when she put on those revealing yet erotic negligée, then fell asleep in Xe’Reth’s embrace.

“But Miss… You’re not sweating… You usually do when you have that nightmare,” Tanya noted, tilting her head in surprise. She lets go of Cerinn as she puts her knee on the bed’s edge, to begin crawling to the wrapped up Malinda. “Why didn’t you sweat, Miss? Hmm, was it because you slept with Xe’Reth perhaps? He brought you comfort?”

Malinda ponders with a biting lip as her eyes widen in a shudder at the sudden thought; Xe’Reth had pulled her out of the sea of blood, to then turn into a blackened creature… But, those loving eyes that peered at her was exactly similar to Xe’Reth’s gaze which he gives her.

Though why the image of that monster? She winces as a smile sprouts on Malinda’s lips as she assures, “Yes… Yes! It was Xe’Reth! He… He actually saved me from drowning. He saved me inside my nightmare, Tanya.”

“R-Really? That, that’s extraordinary, Miss. Thank the Divine Queens, now hopefully you won’t wake up in those wettened conditions ever again,” Tanya joyed with hands clutching together under her chin as she sits next to her Miss. “But, oh well, time to get up, it’s almost seven o’clock.”

“All right… Hmm, where is Taryna?” Malinda asked, searching for her faithful handmaiden with her gazing eyes which scans her brightly lit bedroom. Drapes have opened up to shine in the view of the rising sun.

“Ah… She came to tell me that she would be working out at the sanctuary’s training yard with the Battle-Maiden trainees,” Tanya frowningly said, shaking her head of how her sister can be so energetic in the morning. “She was in a rather pissed off way, too… Oh, I hope she and Sir Xe’Reth didn’t fight with each other when he went to his mother’s quarters…”

Malinda sighs in dismay at Taryna’s sudden grumbling personality, “Well, I certainly hope she didn’t. But I made a promise to her that she only needed to listen to my orders and not Xe’Reth’s… Do you also want to make a promise like that?”

“No need, Miss. He’s your future husband and my future Honored Master so it would be offensive to him to make such a promise. My sister can be a hassle. I’m sorry, Miss,” Tanya apologizes with a drooping head, but perks up as she inhales and exhales. “Enough of these discussions, Miss, time to clothe you and style your messed up hair. Come now, off of the bed, as Xe’Reth will probably come back soon.”

‘No servant has come with a list, so he’ll probably give it personally to me,’ Tanya wondered as she climbs off the bed to guide the short Cerinn to wherever her Miss will be seated to be prettied up to become her divine self.

“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?!” Malinda shouted, furrowing her brows in worry as she only now grasps what time it is.

She, too, gets off the bed, to quickly stride with the cover wrapped around her whole body, dragging it on the flight of steps, then on the carpeted floor as she goes to sit down in front of a mirror table beside the hearth. On the south side of the wall in the bedroom.

As she peers into her own reflection, she grimaces in complete fright. Her whole appearance, ghastly, not worthy of showing. Her golden healthy hair has ruffled itself up. Puffing out in every direction, and her distress turns ever more grimacing because Xe’Reth had indeed witnessed her sleeping position, her appearance, and her half-naked body, all vulnerable to a man’s desire.

“He must think I’m a complete sloth of a woman!” Malinda moaned, leaning in to turn her head to gaze at herself from different angles. But as Tanya and Cerinn gazes with their eyes, standing right behind her, all of their six eyes widens to the fullest capacity as Xe’Reth walks up to stand all nonchalantly at their rear.

“Well, you certainly is a heavy sleeper, but I love you nonetheless,” Xe’Reth declared gently, smiling at his newly awakened maiden. “You didn’t even wake up when I kissed you a couple of times on the lips. Oh, I mean… Ah, well, I couldn’t help myself, you looked so beautiful even in your current state.”

“Xe… Xe’Reth… you, you must say something when you come into the room!” Malinda cried, being totally embarrassed, but two pouty lips form, “And you shouldn’t kiss me when I sleep, only when I’m awake… It isn’t fair for only you to fe—I mean… Wake me up when you wake up!”

Both Cerinn and Tanya presents their surprised eyes while they have already turned around to bob their heads in recognition of his presence since Tanya has taught Cerinn of how she should act around Xe’Reth. To be totally at his beck and call, to do whatever he needs, but of course, to some degree.

Xe’Reth closes in on Malinda as his arms curls around her covered body, squeezing her tightly, whispering in her ear, “I can’t wait for tonight. I will truly ravage you until you go crazy in ecstasy. Because I’ve read up on a woman’s body. I know all of the spots to make you feel pleasure, even without having sex. Since sex usually only gives relief to the male partner and not the female partner. Though, you’ll experience it tonight, my love, my Malinda, when I give you the wildest night you’ll ever have.”

Malinda’s heart pounds immensely as if someone punches her chest, but with a lower lip biting in arousal, she directs her eyes to his. And he gives her a kiss, a morning kiss. Though a little bit more than a morning kiss as his tongue peeks inside her own mouth, to swirl, to water, and so that Malinda loses herself entirely in his embrace. Ah, his embrace which she so enjoys being part of.

“Ahem,” Tanya sounded out with her throat, which breaks off their steamy kiss. Xe’Reth, unfazed by it, while Malinda reddens, averting her eyes away innocently. “Sir Xe’Reth, could you please not interrupt me? I was about to begin to pretty her up. Now shoo, shoo, and where is that list of merchandise you wanted to buy, hmm?”

“Oh, I do apologize, here it is,” Xe’Reth said, grinning as he slides out the rolled up paper which peeks out from his pocket. “I think I’ll leave you ladies to your business, as I, well, what’s on the agenda for today?”

“Ah,” Malinda gasps as she remembers with flickering eyes, “I need to go to the DLO and speak with the Inquisitor about you know what, Xe’Reth…”

“Oh yeah, that’s right, shall I come along then?” Xe’Reth asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

But she shakes her head in disagreement, putting her own hand on his to assure him, “No, it’s okay, I’ll handle it. You just stay in the citadel. Why don’t you explore its wonders? But of course, you’ll have a guide with you. Tanya, pick someone who can go with him while I’m out, okay?”

‘Perfect, just what I need to do. But a guide? Tsk, oh well,’ Xe’Reth thought in slight worry, yet only his serene mask is on his face. He squeezes Malinda’s shoulder as he agrees, “Wonderful, I’ve always wanted to explore this place of marvel.”

He radiates more than ever before, which gladdens Malinda immensely as she stares at his handsome facial features, wanting to kiss his lips some more, but she sighs out before Tanya can respond, “That settles it, now… now shoo, Xe’Reth, go wait in my main room…—In our room, I mean.”

“Hehe, as my Honored Lover commands of me,” Xe’Reth said, kissing Malinda on her cheek, then strides out where he came from, to leave the ladies there while Tanya holds the rolled up list.

She unrolls it as her eyes go wide.

A whole list of around two hundred words in even spaces and pictures, as if some skillful writer or painter has composed it. Full cursive too. A list of different sized and shaped glass containers, having even the measurements written beside the drawn objects; a set of alchemy supplies. He has also highlighted the various herbs he needs. And written down his exact body size; waist, chest, arms, legs, and height, not missing a single measure for his clothes. Because the current ones do fit a little too tight.

A lot of other drawn pictures and written words are on the list, but all Tanya can do is stare as she reads the letters.

“Amazing, he did this under an hour?” Tanya impressively said in awe. While Cerinn too peeks at the list, yet her uninterested expression sighs in exhaustion. Being around this handmaiden has taken a lot from her. She can’t wait to be free to do what she wants. To be the one in charge of her own way of things.

“Hmm… did you say something?” Malinda asked, being totally oblivious to her own loving mood as she touches her kissed cheek with a smile on her lips.

“Oh, nothing,” Tanya responded, rolling the list up again to put it neatly into her dress pocket. “Now then, let’s make you gorgeous. Look Cerinn, closely, so you learn a thing or two.”

Tanya cracks her fingers as she readies herself to transform this awakened beast into a beautiful maiden of love…

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