“Master, this is Mia.” The girl looked at Lena carefully, and a bit fearfully. Kata had already agreed to not refer to her as the empress while she was out, or among anyone else other then Lena, or the Others. “She slept in the kitchen during the winter last year, and asked if she could help me move some goods in exchange for letting her sleep here again.” Lena looked in the girl’s eyes.

“Are you an orphan, Mia?”

“Yeah. My ma died not long after I was born. My pa went hunting on the mountain, and never came back.” She said fearfully. The girl was really cute, but it was obvious that she went hungry quite often.

That could mean one of two things. The father died, or he abandoned his daughter and went somewhere else.

“I see. Well, if you want to stay, there are chores that can be done. Moving firewood into the kitchen so Kata can cook. Cleaning. Sweeping. That kind of thing. The kitchen is the only place open right now, so you can sleep in the bedrooms there, if you want to.” Mia’s face reflected a bit of shock.

“Really?”

“Yes. Also, as long as you do your chores, you’ll be fed three times a day, like both Kata and myself.” She looked at Kata. “Did you get enough bedding?” She nodded. “See if you can get some proper cots so she can sleep on a real bed, at least until we get real beds built. She can also clean up the courtyard, and work the soil a bit. It’s too late in the season to plant anything, but if she cleans up the weeds, it will be ready for the spring.” Kata bowed.

“Thank you, Master.”

“Also, Mia, I would like to talk to you every night. Do you know about the goddess? This is her temple.” Mia drew back.

“I’ve heard she eats little girls.” She said fearfully. Lena frowned.

“Who dared to say such a thing about her? The goddess would not accept any offering of a child!” Lena ground out, then cleared her anger. “Sorry, Mia. I know the goddess. She loves girls, but she would never accept a child sacrifice. If one of her followers were a child, and they died, she would take her to Haven so she could grow up strong, but she would never kill and eat a child.” Mia tilted her head.

“Haven?”

“It’s the place she lives. A place she takes her followers when they die. You see, here, on this side, we get sick, age, or die due to an accident. Some of us, your mother for one, die due to physical weakness. By being a follower of the goddess, she grows fond of us. She doesn’t want us to die, or leave her. So she takes us to her side. Makes us like her. Strong. Powerful. And forever young.” Lena said with a gentle smile. Mia tilted her head.

“Even my mom?”

“Well, I don’t think your mom knew the goddess. I can not say if she’s there, or not there. She might be with another god, but that is something I do not know. When it’s my time, she’ll take me to Haven. When it’s Kata’s time, she’ll take her to Haven as well.” Kata blushed at Lena’s words. She wasn’t sure of this herself, but if Lena asked her, the goddess would do it.

“Would she take me too? So I won’t be alone anymore?” Mia’s simple question was easy to answer.

“If you learn about her, and eventually love her, yes. She’ll take you to Haven, and you can be among thousands of friends so close, they will be sisters to you.”

 

 

“Goddess?” Lena opened her eyes and saw those deep red eyes. The lips smiled, and the look on her face was soft, and gentle.

“I didn’t know what you would do, my Empress, but you always exceed my expectations.” She lightly caressed her cheek.

“I heard about Nicci’s Offering.”

“And it didn’t scare you?” Kyrie asked quietly.

“She smiled. A ceremony deliberately designed to make the Offering a test, yet still allow them to smile. I see your Others, how they all smile, and love belonging to you.” She said warmly.

“Would you change the ceremony?” Kyrie asked.

“No. It’s once. It’s intimate, and if each one knows what you’ll do, then they will smile. I would let the acolytes see their sisters glow though.”  She said, her cheeks still warm due to the look in the goddess's eyes.  Kyrie tilted her head.

“Glow, Empress?”

“You’re the goddess. When they are Offered, can you not let them see, when she dies, that you took her to your side by making her skin shine, and her eyes glow? The holes where her eyes were, I mean.” Lena blushed a bit more. Kyrie smiled, and kept her teeth hidden.

“I see what you mean. By letting the children see my intentions to take their sister, they will have more faith. They will also smile. Is Mia our first initiate?” She asked softly.

“If she wants to be one. I will have to tell many more stories for her heart and mind to become yours though. Um, I think I know the answer, but may I ask a question?” Lena she quietly. Kyrie touched her forehead gently.

“You do know the answer, my Empress. All my subjects are female.” She watched Lena yawn delicately. “When you fully heal, I will visit you more, Empress Lena.” She whispered, then blew a red mist onto her body.

“You are more important to me then you can ever know.” Kyrie stood up, and Nicci appeared from out of the mist beside the bed.

“How deep did you go?”

“I got to her heart. Her body is stronger then I expected.” Nicci said with a smile. “It’s also difficult to stay focused. She clouds my mind with her scent.” Kyrie nodded.

“I understand, but stay focused. I want to lay the lines soon. Dig deep tonight, Nicci. She needs to be Soul Bound before the lines are laid.”  Kyrie said softly, then disappeared from the bedroom.

 

 

“Soul Bound. A state that only the gods are in.” She sighed, laid down with her leg over top of Lena’s thighs. She lightly caressed her cheek and smiled.

“I can understand why the goddess desires you so much, Empress.” She rolled so that her body was more fully on top, laid her lips on Lena’s neck, and bit deep.

Like Kyrie, two small bulges appeared under Lena’s skin, from within Nicci’s mouth. As thick as her thumb, one traveled down the left side of her neck, while the other moved down the right. They disappeared at the collar bone as Nicci dug deep within her body.

Why does anyone dig deep? Like a gardener, Nicci dug the rows, and planted the seeds that the goddess had left within her body.

 

 

“She better not lose control.” Kyrie said firmly and pushed Rachel’s face down between her thighs.

Nicci had remained attached to Lena’s neck for most of the night, and if the sounds were any indication, she had already climaxed at least twice.

To the Others who often devoured each other for sexual pleasure, Lena was a delicacy, and far more tasty than any of the Others in Haven.

 

 

“Kata, she needs some clothes and shoes. Get some brown fabric, thin for summer, thick for winter, along with beige for underclothes that she will need in the winter.” Lena said as she watched Mia sweep the courtyard pathways.

The Empress yawned and blinked to clear her eyes of a red fog that filled the peripheral of her vision.  She was used to it now, but when she first noticed it, she tried to blink it away. Also, for an unknown reason, she still felt tired though she had just slept the entire night.  Almost as though something has sapped her energy.

“Brown, and beige. Anything else?”

“Leather. Thick enough for belts, and leather thin enough to be made into shoes. When I was young, I made some things with leather for my father’s business. I’m not a professional cobbler, but belts and shoes are easy enough. As long as she can wear a robe, Mia will be warm enough until we are able to make her underclothes. Do we have blankets too?”

“Yes, Empress. Hanna encouraged me to buy a lot of supplies for a lot of people. She knew that if there were hungry and cold orphans, you would not turn the girls away.” Kata said in her normal tone. She did not speak hard, or soft. Just a simple tone that didn’t speak about her emotions.

“Yes, the goddess loves females, Kata. There are no male Others in Haven.” Lena said in her soft voice.

“I see. That is why I have only seen females so far. And why Hanna only speaks about girls.”  Kata pursed her lips, which drew Lena's attention a little.

“Yes. I think there is something in the history of the temple that gives the reasons why. It might also be that most of the wars are fought by males, and females can often be victims, unable to fight against the stronger gender. Unlike yourself, Kata, most girls do not train to be as strong, or as lovely.” Kata blushed brightly.

“I...do not know what to say, Empress.” Kata’s voice was a little bit strained.

“Then don’t say anything. I’ve always trusted you enough to always be comfortable when your sword was on your waist. I never felt comfortable with other guards, as I always knew your intention to protect me.” Lena sighed softly. “I never expected to appreciate your physical attractiveness as well.”

“I never meant to draw your attention, Empress. This is just who I am.”

“I know. My attention is recent. After Nicci told me how she used to climb into a guardian’s bed when she was young, and how her guardian buries her in her ample chest now that they are both in Haven, my thoughts are more chaotic, and less pure.” She smiled. “But I don’t regret a thing. My guardian is a lovely woman. I am glad she’s by my side, and her sword is ready to protect me.” Kata blushed brightly.

“It does not bother you that I appear more male then female?”

“When did I ever say you appeared more male then female?” Lena growled. “Hanna!” The Other appeared out of the mist.

“You called, Empress?”

“Nicci said you had an Other friend who was a warrior at one time. Bring her over to this side. I assume she’s muscular?” Lena said angrily. Hanna grinned.

“Very. She’s a good choice. Be right back.” Hanna said with a chuckle, and disappeared.

“Empress?”

“You will learn that not every woman is delicate like a flower petal, or as useless as myself, Kata. There are many like yourself, who are strong, capable, and beautiful.” Lena said angrily.

Kata was shocked. For the first time since she had come to serve the Empress, Lena was angry at her.

For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.