Shadow of the Abyss

Chapter 403 Jealousy*

raven had never seen a handsome woman before. most women tended to like looking pretty, wearing dresses, or dressing their faces. yet the one before her seemed the opposite. she was cradling a young man. he seemed almost like a babe in her arms. where he had not grown, she might have thought he was.

'hehe! he looks funny like that!'

she hurried over to her amethyst eyes, searching the woman up and down. "you're handsome. why?"

the question caught the woman, dignified in her manners, off guard, and she could not say why. everyone from guards to servants seemed to gape; some even drew weapons.

the woman lifted a palm, and the guards, all women, stilled.

"i prefer it as such, child. why do you ask?"

raven had to think. "you're different. i was just curious. most women want to be pretty. but you want to be handsome."

"i am what i am," was all she said, smiling. the women around her seemed to second that thought, each carrying out a nod of approval.

raven seemed to nod, and she saluted," thanks!" then she was off skipping away without a care in the world. to the kitchen, she went for something to eat. ever since she awoke, she had felt she hadn't eaten in months. atelia wasn't in her room, and medusa was nowhere to be seen.

somewhere over the flagstone yard, she skipped, waving at a few pretty things. pretty men. that seemed all the more ready to wave back. 'i wonder what master is doing.' she stopped looking up at the skies, half remembering a dream that was not a dream. it was calling to her, yet no matter how much she reached for it, nothing came.

when she woke, her master did not look happy. he seemed a little sad but a little glad she was there. she thought of the hours they spent in bed and smiled, remembering.

looking up at his room on the second floor, she leaped seven meters into the skies, catching the stone banister to pull herself up. a few guards caught sight of her, but as she waved at them, they waved back and continued their patrol. she had said hello to just about every guard and servant.

as much as they had to protect against outsiders, she had to protect her master against anyone she did not vet herself.

'you seem almost excited? i thought you would loathe this. do i excite you?' raven's ears perked up at her master's heavy voice.

'what's he talking about? excitement?' her footsteps pushed her closer to the door of the terrace, thinking nothing of privacy. 'how can i protect master if he doesn't tell me who comes to his chambers? morning, noon, or night. master is a dummy! a big dummy.'

she frowned a little at the curtains that obscured her vision. they were warded to prevent prying eyes. a meaningless act to any with vale qi. her eyes burned with the shadows of the vale, removing any sort of obstruction.

altair had that smile that did not meet his eyes on his lips as he stared down the translucent nightgown wrapped around elena. she was pretty. she seemed almost radiant beneath the rays of sunlight peeking through. color dotted her cheeks as she turned.

raven wondered if she walked through the halls looking like that. 'surely not. women are embarrassed about such things. weirdos.'

"i merely wish to pay you back, is all," elena said, though she didn't sound convincing. raven could tell that much, and she struggled a little with social norms.

when he entered her, raven all but imagined it was her and not some unworthy sow. it was her who he entered, her who moaned as she lived for his cock. her who had to beg for rest and more all at once. he was not gentle with elena, nor was he passionate like he was with syris. it was cold. and yet, even that was enough for her. she would accept him that way.

'what's wrong with me... i...what's wrong with me.' raven touched her cheeks and found it wet, the wetness streaming down her cheeks. uncontrollable tears.

'am i not worthy? am i ugly?' she turned her head, bumping into something soft. really soft.

raven looked up from tasha's breast, not bothering to ask anything but, "am i pretty."

the question took tasha by surprise, though she found her composer soon after, smiling as her fingers ran through her hair.

raven knew what she was, but her touch at that moment did not seem evil. it felt warm. 'so-so warm.'

"do you want master?" tasha asked calmly, never stopping to run her finger through raven's silky black hair. "do you want him to honor you like he does... that wench?"

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"honor me?" 'yes, it is an honor, isn't it.' "how?"

"it's simple. you must let master see you as a woman, oh guardian of the vale. it's a title i'm sure you take seriously. but you forget yourself. you forget all the joys that come with being a woman. tragic.

a beautiful thing like you."

"i...i'm pretty?"

tasha's grin met her eyes. her blood-red eyes. "darling, you are prettier than me, with all the right assets to boast about. all you need is a bit of... education."

raven blinked and wiped her eyes dry. "you'll teach me?"

"oh, of course. i've always wanted to add another to the equation. if it can't be syris or alyssa, why not you? perhaps we'll all fall on his spear together as sisters."

'sisters?'

raven both liked and disliked the sound of that. the idea of someone other than her accepting her master made her belly ache.

"teach me!"

tasha placed a finger over her lips. 'shhh!' she turned her head, and they stared as altair spread elena's legs wide like a butterfly.

"the best way to learn is to watch. the day is still young, and night has yet to fall, dearie."