Gana's hand was an incredibly rge piece of nd. If it weren't for the fact that it was in the middle of the city, you could say it was a forest like any other. The only difference was the entrance, which was a stone archway from which vines and creepers grew, whi springtime became a real visual spectacle because of the beautiful flowers sprouting from their stems.

  Shrubs, which had been precisely pruned, and which resembled sculptures imitating legendary animals as, were pnted oher side of this archway, in a huge row that ran several meters from the entrao the plex, giving an impressive wele to all first-time visitors, and even to those who have visited for years.

  Si was aremely safe pce; thanks to Gana's blessing, the escorts could pletely rex here, even having an area where they could rest without w about anything. For a soldier, ing to this pce was like giving them a day off where they could spend their time in a carefree manner.

  Nisire, myself, and our two maids went inside and immediately made our way to a reserved spot in one of the innermost areas of the plex. I had sehe day before to request it and, fortunately, they had a spot avaible. h scolded me for doing things so suddenly, but at least she agreed that this was the only pce we could do this without inviting her home. If I had, it would have been much more plicated because of my parents.

  We walked along the paths, admiring the impressive and lively garden that, even though it was the first days of winter, seemed to have been trapped in aernal spring. Flowers that did not grow in arden, trees that I had never seen in the empire, let alone in botany books in the family library or the capital. The sound of the wind, bined with the chirping of birds and the movement of trunks and branches, produced a melody that evoked a feeling of peace so profound that it became difficult not to lie down on the soft grass, enjoying the warmth that the sisters of heave us with their light.

  "This pce is unbelievably beautiful. I've never seen anything like it before." Nisire ented, her bright eyes darting from pce to pce, admiring every little flower, pnt, and tree around us.

  "I know. This is one of the few pces where I feel rexed. There are no problems here, no responsibilities, no obligations. There are no accusatory looks, no lies. It is a pce made for the sole purpose of showing the beauty of life, with the greatest siy that mother offer us mortals."

  "My Lady, are you all right...?"

  "I am" I replied with a sigh. Even I wasn't vinced of that answer, but I wasn't going to get caught up in it. "e o's tinue."

  I knew my ent was a bit out of line, but it was true. This pce was the only pce where I felt pletely free of everything. I know my words worried her, but I would talk to her about it soon. It was okay to just tinue our walk, enjoying ourselves as much as we could while we reached our true destination.

  We passed a few couples enjoying their stroll through the huge garden alone, as we did. There were also some parents with their children watg them ugh as they ran bad forth, pying to their heart's tent. Maybe I should bring my little sisters with me ime. I thought as we walked away, entering a new area where our reserved spot was.

  Why am I repeating it so much? Was I so nervous that I couldn't stop remarking on it, ting every time roached? Even though this was the only pce where I could rex, it seemed that just thinking about what was ing, pletely teracted su effee.

  The sery around us gradually ged from a lush, exotic garden to something more akin to a vilge in the middle of the forest. Although, of course, the buildings here, even though they were wooden huts, were much better built and maintaihan any rural pight have seen in your life.

  This area was called "The mother's embrace" which served as a district of resting rooms where anyone, regardless of their social status, les, or even without money, could reserve, for oo a maximum of 3 days, one of their s and enjoy a carefree rest. The only thing they asked iurn was to promise before the image of Gana that they would take care of nature with a sincere heart.

  Of course, they accepted moary or any other kind of donations, but the main objective of "Gana's Hand" was to attract people and make them see the wonders of nature, instilling ihe desire to care for and preserve all the beautiful things that Mother has given us.

  Many couples, whether engaged, newlyweds, or couples who have been married for years, often book some of these s tthen their bond as a couple. That includes, of course, the nightly activities.

  But uhe brothels, passion parlors, and houses run by the Valven Matriarchs, "mother's embrace" could be used for any purpose besides sex. That's why it was also frequented by families with their children, or even small groups of supervised children, who hoped to have a wilderness experiehout the attendant dangers.

  It was, without a doubt, a pce for rexation and freedom in all its forms.

  It didn't take us long to get to the we had reserved. Our pce was a small wooden house, built under a rge tree; of which you could not see the top without hurting your neck.

  "Is this the pce you wa me to?" asked Nisire, to which I nodded silently. The time had finally e. I just hoped I wasn't too embarrassed by what was about to happen and that my words could reach her without trouble.

  I signaled h and she immediately walked ahead of us, passing through a small pord then opening the door to the . Aria came in right after her a even further inside, I presumed intending to prepare tea for us.

  Nisire and I walked in, admiring the rog chair just ihe entrance, and then the very nice, rustic style of the interior. From the entrance, we could see a wooden sofa with bck leather seats, some cushions, possibly filled with cocatrix feathers, and a tea table just in front, with a small 3-stone luceria delier.

  We made our way to the sofa, where we sat down immediately. Aria ah were in the small kit preparing tea and snacks to serve us. The kit appeared to be just a stove, with several shelves for some food and a cooler on the side.

  If the yout was like the other s, the door just off the kit would lead into the bedroom and a private bathroom plete with a sihtub.

  There were no versations of any kiween us. The only sound there was that of our maids i, and perhaps the thudding of my heart, though I hoped only I could hear it.

  We stayed like that for a long time until finally the tea was finished and served. h and Aria moved aside and I began to drink from my cup. Bck tea with mint and honey was just what I o calm my nerves. h certainly knows exactly what I need and when I . I smiled at the thought, feeling the warm liquid go down my throat and instantly soothing me.

  "So..." began Nisire. Her voice was in a low, hesitant tone. "Have you e here before?"

  Her question struck me as odd, and she looked unfortable. I noticed that she avoided my gaze and that her fingers; whose hands had rested on her legs, drummed impatiently. Perhaps she was feeling nervous too? I haven't told her why we came here, so it's uandable that she feels some uainty.

  For some reason, knowing that she was nervous brought me some joy, but it also made me feel calmer, knowing that she was the same way I was.

  "I've e here before, yes."

  "I... I see. Uh... Was it some...?" she asked, even more unfortable than before. I tilted my head in fusion until I suddenly uood what she meant.

  "No, no, no! I, uh, I've never had a lover or anything simir. I e here with my parents from time to time." I replied in panic. I hadn't expected her to think something like that.

  Of course, I would like to e here with those iions, especially if it is with her.... no, wait, it's not that. I'd like to e here to spend time with my lover, but I've never found the right person until now. Well, maybe... h, but she's different, she... no, actually, she's not that different... ugh... it's better tet about that.

  I could feel my face heat up, her assumption and my thoughts were causing chaos in my mind.

  "I, uh. It's just...I thought that...no, never mind, excuse me and, please fet what I said."

  I lifted my gaze, which had dropped down to stare too ily into my teacup, and noticed that Nisire's face was slightly flushed. She had covered her face with her hands and seemed to be feeling terrible for taking that on. I couldn't help but think how cute she looked but also wao know what was going through her mind.

  I... I think I should start now.

  "h, would you?"

  "Right away."

  h immediately took off toward the room. I stood up and followed her, but before I went in I turned around and spoke to a fused Nisire who was looking at me not knowing what was going to happen.

  "Nisire. There is something I o tell you, but I need you to give me some time, you please have some patiend wait for me just a little while?"

  Nisire looked even more fused than before. I don't bme her, it's hard not to feel that way with everything I'm doing.

  She thought for a while and finally nodded.

  "I won't be long. And also..." I looked towards her maid, Aria. "It may sound a bit disrespectful of me, but I'd rather it was just the two of us," I said to her, in the most serious voice I could use. It would be ideal if it was just me and her, but if that's not possible....

  Nisire seemed to pick up on the seriousness of the matter and spoke directly to her maid without taking her eyes off me.

  "Aria."

  "Mistress!!?"

  "It's all right. I trust her."

  Aria seemed to hesitate for a moment, alternating her gaze between us, but finally, after a sigh that seemed exasperated, she decided to leave the and leave us alone. I didn't say it out loud, but I thanked her for uanding.

  "Then... I'll be back soon."

  Nisire nodded and I walked into the room. h was waiting for me with a new dress, ohat was easier to... take off.

  "Did you get everything out?" I asked, approag her, ready for the outfit ge.

  "Yes young dy, I got everything ready. I'm still fasated by how vehe subspace stes are."

  These stes are sort of holes in space that, thanks to an entment s, bracelets, or some easy-to-carry item, store a certain number of objects. Of course, it's not too much. They bee as big as a room, simir to this one, or, the most on ones, as big as a small closet.

  Currently, h brings with her a ring-shaped one, with the standard type of ste, in which we usually keep spare dresses, medies, money, and some personal belongings.

  h had begun to remove the dress I was wearing. For what I o do, we needed easy access to my Vah aain parts of my body. My body is not... normal. At least not in how a Friasan or an Atenosia should be.

  This has beeally damaging me for as long as I remember, and it's also why I don't feel fortable with other people and prefer to push them away. Of course, my family is an exception to the rule. I feel somewhat unfortable, but I know they accept me no matter what. Nya is a clear example. Although we have taken a bath together a couple of times, she has never seemed to be curious about how my body looks, seeing it as quite normal.

  Acc to what my parents told me when I was very young, it seems to be a defect or rather a mutation, as they called it iemple of Alika. This... deformity, does not affect my health at all, but, it is not fortable to see. Especially for those art of the Atenosia tribe.

  That is why it was to be expected that people like Lady Eleios would be suspicious as to why, despite having my ceremony at the age of 7, I still don't show my vah. She must have cluded that there must be something wrong with my body and wao take advantage of that.

  It's uandable. It may sound like self-deprecation, but it's a reality. I 't eve myself without feeling bad about it. And it's not just my vah... I wish it was just that.

  There's a full-length mirrht in front of me. I see the ey of my naked body. I see my emotions being transmitted through my vah, I see the sadness in the sway, weak aant. Unlike Mom, Zenya, or even little Orinthya, my vah is pale white, like fresh snow. There would be no problem if that's all it was. The color itself was not the problem, as even I say it is pretty. The problem is that all of my vah is...

  "Young Lady?" h interrupted my depressive thoughts. I see in her by the way she moves her antennae. Her mouth had curved downward slightly.

  I let out a sigh. Being so ive about all this won't do me any good. Whatever happens from now on, I'll take it head-on.

  h finishes dressing me and spends a few minutes making sure everything is perfect. She gave me o smile and took my hands in hers.

  "Young Lady... no, Sarka. You do this. I safely say that Lady Nisire is a good person, so you have nothing to worry about."

  h fihose words and gave me a gentle hug. Her warmth is f. I've thought about it over and ain, but I feel like I don't deserve her. She has been too good to me.

  "Thank you, h, you don't know how much I appreciate everything you do for me," I replied right in her ear. If there were better words I would tell her, but I know she prefers a simple thank you. It's ironic that she, being so educated and versed in the formal matters of nobility, prefers something so informal. She's a bit like Maki, which makes me smile at the thought.

  We part with a smile, and with my heart much calmer. My vah is still hidden in my dress, but I feel that if it were free it would move with more energy.

  h left the room first, to inform Nisire that I would be there soon, thehe house, as did Aria.

  I paused for a moment to take a deep breath ale my thoughts. I o think correctly about what I wao say so that she would uand correctly what I wao vey to her.

  I looked into the mirror o time.

  My hair in a high, simple bun, and my eyes... they looked a little dull, but that's why I wao calm down first before I went out. I couldn't let Nisire see sadness or cowardi me, not now.

  The dress I was wearing was very simple. It was a white one-piece dress that came down to my knees, with a design of yellow spiral lines running from the bottom edge to the nee. It's sleeveless, so it's held up with straps in the bad neck. I wasn't wearing underwear underh, at least not on top, so my chest was, in a way, exposed, though covered pletely by the dress itself.

  My vah is ed around my waist, under a false part in it. It was designed with that in mind. It was h who made it, and I leasantly surprised by her high quality and iy iing it. It makes me wonder how is she able to do things like that without the need for eyes, but whenever I tell her, she always smiles and wiggles her anteh glee. I could swear that, if she could, she would wink at me and say in a flirtatious voice that it was a secret.

  That thought helped me. Now I had a smile on my fad some hope in my heart.

  I took o deep breath ahe room. There was Nisire, sipping the st of her tea, when she saw me walk out. Her eyes widened. She ositively shocked. I could tell by the blush on her cheeks. That made me smile.

  "I-I'm...I'm ready," I said, my voice came out a little low and in stutters, but I knew she heard me perfectly.

  I watched her swallow for a moment before she pced the cup oable and tried to get up. I immediately told her it was okay to stay there.

  I walked over to her and sat back dowo her. She seemed to want to say something, so I kept quiet and patient.

  "You...You look...I think My Lady y-you look incredibly beautiful." She stammered.

  Such words came from her lips. I felt my face heat up quickly. It was the first time she had ever plimented me like that. Whenever we meet, she usually gives me pliments with her calm void cheerful but serene expression. But this time, it had been different. She struggled to utter words and the ess she usually had was gone.

  I was happy. I was incredibly happy. It was a ce that my current appearance caused her this, sidering that was not the purpose at all, but it made me happy.

  "Thank you, Nisire. Thank you."

  I couldn't help but express it. Those words she dedicated to me improved my mood even more. And, as my father says, when you nd the first punch, you have to keep hitting until you win.

  "Nisire," I called out to her, trying to get her to trate fully on my voice. "There are a few things I'd like to talk about and... it's going to be a little difficult for me. So, any questions you might have, could you be patient and wait until the end?"

  I k was a little strao start that way, but I wao get everything out of me because once I started, I wouldn't be able to take it back.

  She tried to analyze my expression for a moment but smiled and nodded immediately.

  "Of course. Take your time My Lady. I will listen to every word you have to say to me and atiently for you to finish."

  I replied with a smile and a thank you. I took a st breath, gathering all my ce, and began...

  "You must know this by now, but my parents; a Friasan and an Athosia, have 4 children. My older brother, Losward, myself, and my two younger sisters, Zenya and Orinthya. As far as we know, this is the first time 2 individuals from both tribes have mixed, so there was always a certain level of curiosity, for some, as to what their offspring would be like. Losward was born a Friasan, no problem at all. Maybe too mu that side, but without ah issues. My little sisters were the same, with Orinthya being perhaps the most simir to our mother."

  I took a breath to let that little introdu settle in properly. I could see her expression calm, and somewhat thoughtful. I had a feeling she was w why I didn't mention about myself.

  "The problem...was me," I said, with a sad smile. I had my hands csped together to keep my ay from showing too much, but I couldn't keep my fingers still. I was starting to feel scared. I didn't want to do it, or for her to see me make that kind of dark expression, but in the end, I couldn't help it.

  Before I felt too caught up in it, I decided to tinue.

  "When I was born, it was a normal birth, no plications. Except... my body was different." At that point, I turned my back to her and asked her to release the straps that bound the dress together.

  "M-My Lady!" she replied in a stutter, agitated. Anyone would respond that way if they were presented with this same situation, but...

  "It's okay...it's necessary. You'll uand once you do."

  Nisire thought about it for a while, but with nervousness, and a very careful touch, she removed the knots that held my dress in pe by ohe fabric desded to just above the base of my vah, leaving my bapletely bare. Immediately I could hear a gasp of surprise.

  "This is mostly the reason why I don't wear clothes that show muy skin, especially on my back."

  This art of that so-called "mutation". A dition that, while not so rare in Friasan desdants, was far greater than had ever been seen before.

  "Why it happens isn't important, what matters is that it runs from the middle of my back to the middle of the bay thighs."

  What Nisire should be seeing now is a huge spot of a coppery color. No, it's not a birthmark like the one Orinthya has on her chest. It's as if that part of my body is more part Friasan than the rest. Eveexture of my skin in that region is different, somewhat rough and hard. Such is the skin of the Friasan tribe. Tough because of their nature and with that texture protect themselves better.

  All that runs along the bottom and bay body. Unfortable in many ways, and not very pleasant to look at.

  "When I was a child, around the age of 4, one of the new maids took me to take a bath, and... when she saw it she said some very hurtful words. Words that became embedded in my mind that I have not been able to free myself from. They have been like shackles, but they ch tighter every time I remember them. Maki took it upon herself to harshly reprimand that maid and soon after she was sent to Port Harlor, to a mansion where we go every few years on vacation. Shortly thereafter h was assigned as my personal maid. I think you imagine why."

  "I imagine." She replied. A brief ent. I tried not to analyze the tone she used, I just wao tinue and... hope none of this would ge our retionship.

  "My life would be so much simpler if it was just this. I would just o hide it and there would be no problem. But... I'm teically an Atenosia."

  "I see. It has to do with what happened with Lady Eleios, doesn't it?"

  "Mmm, it certainly has to do." I immediately unbuttohe hidden part of my dress and released my vah. White as snow, it moved slowly to rest gently on my back. There was no response from Nisire this time. Only silence. Unknohether it was somethiive or not, but I didn't want to dwell on it, I just tinued speaking.

  "My vah suffered some of the effects of that mutation. Normally they have a bck color or very dark shades of purple, but... you see mine is different. Besides the fact that her appearance is very different from any other Atenosia out there. It's... deformed..."

  I couldn't stop my voice from crag at the end. I could feel myself wanting to cry at that instant. My chest felt tight and it was a little hard to breathe. But I o say it, I o let it out. If I didn't, if I didn't show her how I am, I feel like I would never five myself.

  Maybe someone might say I'm exaggerating, but right now, in my heart, I know how I feel about her, and I don't want to hide anything from her, I want to be ho not only as payment for the siy she has show also because I want our retionship to start like this, s, no lies, no hiding my fears and insecurities. I want to be able to trust her from the bottom of my heart.

  Nisire was silent once again. I knew she was seeing my vah, I could feel her gaze. I was used to that. I'm very sensitive to such things after all this time.

  The vah, for a normal Atenosia, is a long thin tail, thick at its base and being narrower until the end, where it ends in an arrowhead-like shape. There are some variants, but they always have the same base shape at the end.

  Mine? Not only is it deformed from the base, being much thicker in that part, but it also has a rough texture, simir to the skin in that area of my back. The tip is... half of the arrowhead, with 3 cuts is its edge. As if some beast had bitten and ripped it as it couldn't carry it away with its jaws.

  "I suppose... you're w the reason for all this, aren't you? I... this time we've spent together, sihat day we met, I've seen nothing but hoy from you. The beautiful words you dedicate to me, the pliments, the joy of seeing me, and how much fun our time together is. Those sincere feelings you have shown me... I feel I have not reciprocated them adequately."

  I sighed, feeling my body tremble a little. I was scared, and my brain was w at full capacity to dey hearing an answer from her. I know all too well what a nice person Nisire is, but it was hard not to feel anxious.

  "Ah, I don't want you to think I felt pelled by that. These are my true feelings. My genuine desire is for you to know who I am and... what I look like. I... I'm..."

  Ah... I couldn't take it anymore. I k was time to listen to her, but I was so terrified to think that she might be disgusted by how I look, that she might see me as... see my deformities and think it's better to abandon me...

  I couldn't stop my tears from flowing... at some point I had started to embrace myself, feeling smaller and smaller.

  "I'm... I'm very grateful for how you've treated me so far, so... I would uand..."

  "Lady Sarka." She spoke. Her voice made me startle at the tone and tent. trary to her formal and calm tone, she uttered my name. She had never called me by my name before. To her, it was always My Lady, or in formal events, Lady Baelian. Why the sudden ge?

  I wao turn my gaze and face her, but... the sudden ge ierrified me even more.

  "Lady Sarka, I'm sorry. Truly, I'm sorry for not being the person you expected me to be."

  I see... I... I was wrong...

  I felt, how my whole world colpsed in that instant...

  FivesZeta