Nikki didn't understand much about the nature of her relationship to the Burgrave, because she had been groomed since the age of ten. 

Although, to be honest, she didn't even understand if that was true. 

Nikola Lever, a non-binary boy, had been groomed since the age of ten, by a gay vampire who'd just seen a boy.

Ahegao the Magic Kitten had only ever been groomed by that vampire in the sense that he'd occasionally treated his fleas or given him a little brushy-brushy.

And then Nikola and Ahegao had ceased to be. Merging into Nikolaheago, or Nikki, a purple-furred futanari catgirl with shoulder-tentacles and an expensive looking haircut that the quasi-medieval village would surely struggle to maintain. 

"I'm not Nikola," Nikki reminded herself, "I'm someone new."

So where did that leave her memories? Her relationships? Her sense of self?

Some things sorted themselves out naturally. That she was now regularly pussy-fucking Tatiana helped redefine and resolve their relationship. To Nikola then the Milkmaid had been someone very complicated... part sister, part mother-replacement, and an object of sexual desire. To Nikki then the Milkmaid was someone very simple... she was her lovely mommy, who loved her and fucked her real nice. 

Even the Minotaur, the engine of disruption who had driven these transformations, looked like he'd eventually resolve into a stable figure in her life. Rutt didn't hide his paternal feelings towards the Catgirl. Rutt was entering into a committed romantic relationship with the Catgirl's 'Mommy.' Nikki had a sense of where this was going. Nikki felt pretty sure that the day would come when she'd call Rutt 'Dad' and break Nikola's father's broken heart.

There was so little to figure out with Tatiana and Rutt, or with Joanna who had just become a strong and reliable friend. In those three relationships, Nikki had the time and space to work out her own new identity because those three relationships made sense.

She couldn't make the Burgrave Chevoy Vesh make sense.

She needed to confront and process their abusive and predatory relationship... but couldn't because had that even happened to her or to someone else?  

To heal and move on, Nikki needed to be able to say, "I was abused by a homosexual vampire and that wasn't okay."

But she couldn't. Because had she?

Nikola had been. But had she?

How was the sexy futanari Catgirl supposed to process traumatic childhood memories that weren't hers? How do you own pain that isn't yours?

All she was absolutely sure of was one thing.

One terrible thing that tore at her and hurt her more than any of this. One unbearable and intolerable truth.

The Burgrave Chevoy Vesh would no longer be attracted to her.

Nikki could neither deny nor abide that thought.

Many sexually-exploited young people come to associate self-worth with their value to their abuser. They come to see their abuser's desire for them as that which validates their existence. Nikola had been no exception.

And Nikki knew that the Burgrave Chevoy Vesh would not desire her.

She needed her abuser to want her. She knew that he would not.

And nothing hurt worse.

The vampire was into boys and, although Nikola's own identity had been more complex, he had looked at Nikola and seen a boy.

He would look at Nikki, with her slinky motions and frame, 32G slutbags, expensive bobbed haircut, and classically feminine girldick and immediately she her for the girl she was.

He'd probably think she looked rad as hell. She undoubtedly did. But he would not desire her.

And that would kill her.

So Nikki was hiding. 

Right now by moving her stuff down into the cellar.

The cellar of the Lever Farm was not a happy place. The vibes were sickening. This was the place where, decades ago, her grandfather had suspended his victims from hooks and cut strips from their flesh. This was the place where, a couple of nights ago, her sister-mommy had repeatedly raped a dryad with a strap-on covered in fish-hooks.  It was damp and had no natural light.

But it also had no windows for the vampire to flap up to and rat-a-tat-tat upon. 

It bought Nikki a little time. A little extra avoidance. 

So, site of her family's greatest infamies or no, it was her new bedroom. While Dabney and Jo accompanied Tatiana on her milk round, the Catgirl was carrying her belongs down from her first floor room into the atrocious subterranean gloom. 

She was surprised to find a skeleton waiting down there.

She was surprised when it moved and surprised when it spoke.

"You will accompany me immediately to Castle Vesh," it said, "His Lordship will be marrying you this afternoon."