“You have done well, my Empress.” Kyrie said softly, and lightly stroked her cheek. Lena groaned as the needle went through her skin and pulled the flesh closed.

“Will you tell me now?” She said weakly.

“Rachel, Hanna, Nicci, and now Lydia will answer any questions you might have. Feel free to ask them about anything.” She looked into her eyes. “You endured what few women can, and still wish to know about me. I am happy that you are not angry with me.” Lena smiled a bit, while her eyes were clouded with pain.

“Please stay.” She asked in a whisper. Kyrie sighed. “Tell me about the Offering.” Kyrie closed her eyes.

“It would be better if one who endured shared their story, Empress. I have never endured an Offering as I do not die.”

“I understand.” Lena let out a slow breath.

“Hanna, tell her about your Offering. Distract her as much as she needs.”

“It was beautiful, Empress.” Hanna said dreamily. “Maybe it would be better to tell about my life, so that you understand.” She smiled as the doctor wound the bandages around her upper body. She was bound tightly, to help ease the pain, and swelling that would occur.

“I am sorry that the herbs can not be used, Empress. The goddess’s power is too strong. The flow of her energy makes the medicinal herbs ineffective.” Talia said from the side.

“The mage said it was because she finds it insulting.” She said, while she grimaced.

“Why would easing someone’s suffering be insulting? He was a warped man.” Hanna growled. “The Offering ceremony was a beautiful thing, but we were not thrown on the altar, and offered up without preparations.” Hanna said with a small smile.

“How...whew...difficult to breathe.”

“Carefully, Empress. The wounds will ache for a few days, and even sting, but they will settle down.” Talia smiled sadly. “The goddess must be quite upset right now.”

“No doubt.” Hanna said in a whisper. “When I was five, my parents brought me to the temple. This temple. We were taught all about the goddess when we could understand who she was. Our goddess is the goddess of death, and life from death.” She told the story in a soft tone, to keep the Empress focused on her.

“When I came here, I was excited. I could finally come to the goddess’ temple and serve her. I had no idea what that meant, but I found out it was quite similar to normal every day life. There was a High Priestess, Temple Priestess, guardians, acolytes, and initiates. We did everything, from growing the crops to feed ourselves, to cleaning, cooking, and repairing the temple.” Lena smiled as Hanna described a simple life.

“At the end of the month, I had my scheduled purification ceremony. I blushed, cried, and couldn’t finish the entire ceremony.” Lena paid attention. “You see, the purification ceremony is an altered and partial Offering ceremony. It’s to help us understand what we will endure when it is our time. The Offering is special for us.” Hanna smiled softly.

“Please, tell me more.”

“I was so upset.” she pouted. “I attended my first purification ceremony, and could not go through the entire procedure. You see, we have to take off our initiate’s robe, and all our clothes under that. We then put on a black robe that all the Others wear in Haven. This will embarrass those of us who are not used to being naked like that. It exposes us to the goddess, and if we harbor something bad, it will make us feel even worse.”

“The Temple Priestess only smiled softly, and hugged me. She said I didn’t have to worry. Every month, I would be permitted to have another one, and each time, it would get easier and easier to do. I thought she must be correct, so I waited.”

“My chance came after another month. I got through the nudity, but then came the next step. Oh, I was so young!” She blushed brightly. “The ceremony is pure. The Offering is pure, but it’s also a one time thing. Each purification allows us to get used to, and not panic at the Offering. It also allows us to smile at our own Offering. It is painful, but it is also beautiful.” Hanna sighed, then noted how quiet Lena became.

Nicci came around the altar, and only appeared when Lena passed out from the pain.

“We should move her to the bedroom, Hanna.” Nicci said softly. “The altar has served it’s purpose, and unless she wants to be offered in the future, she will not be here again.”

“Alright. We’ll each take an end of the sheet, and carry her to her bedroom. Make sure that her guardian knows where her bedroom is located, and where the guardian should sleep.” Before they could lift the sheet, two more Others appeared.

“Gently, girls. Gently.” Within their minds, they heard the soft tone directed at Lena, and the concern the goddess felt for the human woman.

“We understand, goddess. She is important to you.” Hanna said reverently.

“Yes, she is, my Others. She is your Empress. Remember that.”

“My bed?” Lena woke up a few hours later. Hanna smiled softly and poured her a cup of water.

“The goddess would not leave it behind, Empress. She would not allow something that belonged to you to benefit those wicked people.” Hanna helped her to lift her head and sip the water.

“She had it made for me, didn’t she?”

“You figured it out. I’m not surprised. She said you were intelligent.” Hanna said softly.

“And everything else is here as well.” She saw the rest of her furniture scattered about the room.

“It belonged to you. She would not leave it behind.”

“That means my dowry is here as well.” Lena said and looked into her eyes.

“Yes. Downstairs, in a storeroom.” Hanna said with a smile. Lena smiled softly.

“Good. There is no reason for my parent’s wealth to provide for him, his bitches, or his bastard children.” Lena grimaced as the pain went through her chest. Hanna laid her back on the bed, and smiled down at her softly.

“We’ll have to assist you with everything, Empress. This wound will make it difficult to do the most basic of things for the next few weeks. You have no choice but to withstand the embarrassment, Empress.” Hanna said in a low whisper at her ear.

“Then tell me the rest of the story, Hanna. Tell me why you love the goddess so much.”