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Chapter 36: Reverend Mother
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 37: A Reunion
The sun's first rays are illuminating the road as I step out of the temple. Acolytes, priestesses, worshippers, and volunteers are starting to shuffle around for morning prayers and chores. Theia and I are silent as a walk through the temple grounds towards the outer gates. I’m exhausted. It is taking all my focus just to put one foot in front of the other. “Do we always walk so slow and awkwardly?” Theia grumbles. “Do you want to be the one to walk?” I ask in a sharp tone. She sighs deeply. We both know I do not have the energy or strength to shift. Silence. “Tell me one of your stories then. I walk, you talk.” I say breaking the silence. Nothing. I reach the edge of the estate. I don’t really want to answer questions or work right now. I walk into the fields towards my garden. I might get lucky and find some ripe tomatoes or berries still on vines. I run my fingers through the fragrant herbs, making the pungent smells waft toward me. I will miss this place. These lands. My
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 38: The Dream
“The world can be a terrible place. In the face of evil, a true alpha will stand his ground and fight for what’s right.” My father says solemnly “Like you, Papa?” I squeak. “I hope I am that Alpha when the time comes.” He says with a very serious tone. It seems like the statement means more than the meaning I understand. He glances worriedly at my mother. The fire cast shadows across her face and it is hard to read her expression. Her belly is so swollen with my brother that her expression was hard to catch in the shadows. “It was not a choice of strength that the Alpha of Crescent Moon made, but out of panic, Crescent Moon submitted. Malakai saw this as weakness. The alpha submitted from fear. A true Alpha is not afraid.” My father continues. The fire is casting shadows around him, like witches around a cauldron. “When it comes to our children though, appearing weak means little if it saves the child. He only had one child, a son to take over the pack.” My father gently places
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 39: Terrestrial Plane
“Do you plan to tell it or is it not story time again?” I ask. “It seems there are many stories to tell. I’m not sure which you would like to hear first.”“When there’s so much I don’t know, I’m not sure where you should start.” I say honestly.Theia sighs. I embrace the silence between us. On a cellular level we are connected. It’s intimate but also invasive. It’s comforting to always feel someone with you, but also terrifying and claustrophobic. “There are many planes to exist upon.” She begins, thoughtfully. “These planes can exist with or without your knowledge, and are in most cases self-contained.”She pauses before continuing, “The Gods and Goddesses are not bound to a singular plane. They can move and influence different planes of existence. This is the terrestrial plane of your birth.”I can see the fields of the estate in my mind. The wheat grasses bending with the wind, as if ghosts delicately danced upon them, in an invisible ball upon the fields. I could smell the deep
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 40: Travel Plans
“Goddess help me!” Agatha cries. “I’m not sure why I have to travel with the Luna so close to my ceremony or why my dress has to be packed away, but that is where I find myself.” I explain. “Two weeks of construction and alterations reduced to only one, plus having to find room on the carriage with all the Luna likes to pack!” Agatha rages on. “She could take Mari with her like she always does when she travels!”“Mari came from those markets. I would never put her in a position to have to go back to them.” I aggressively whisper to Agatha. Agatha takes a breath and considers my point. “Well you don’t always have to be the martyr.” She concludes. “Who should take my place? At least if I’m the one to go, you and Mari will be here for Dmitry. I cannot leave without someone watching out for him!” I plead. “And your wolf? Does she have the strength to protect you out there alone with the Luna?” Agatha challenges. I feel the red hot flare of Theia’s temper. Rage. All I feel is rage.
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 41: The Fitting
“What was that about!” I ask Theia sharply once I have left Agatha’s quarters. “I will not have my strength questioned like that.” She retorts. “What an ego!” I chide. “It’s not an ego if it is fact!” She growls. “I don’t have many friends. Don’t go alienating the few I DO have!” I growl back with equal ferocity. I can feel the tension and anger between us. I take some calming breaths. “Try and be nice to Mari, or just don’t say anything.” I warn. “I can only bite my tongue for so long before it begins to bleed.” Theia retorts. “She literally said one thing. Asked one question. She asked out of love and worry for me. You barely bit your tongue at all!” I correct. “I will not be questioned by an Omega!” Theia thunders. “Newsflash! I am basically a slave. My friends are slaves and omegas. So you better get used to it.” I reply tersely. “We are not an omega and we are not destined to be a slave.” “Tell me, what is my destiny? Am I powerless to change the course? If so, why do
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 42: A Farewell
“We will be together again soon. I promise.” I say to Dmitry, not only to convince him but also myself. “I don’t understand why you have to be away for so long!” He sobbed. We haven’t been apart for longer than a few days since the day he was born. I pull him into my arms and hug him firmly. I rub his back in small circles and I feel his body slowly relax and melt into my embrace. “Nothing will keep me from you. I will move mountains if I have to.” I mean every single word. A promise to him. A promise to myself. “I know.” He whispers so quietly I can barely register it. “I will be going to Kingdom of the Moon with the Luna, then I will travel to the Moon Ceremony. Tell me, what should I know about it? Any animals or birds I should look out for?” It calms Dmitry to talk about facts and science. “Let me go get my map, so we can look at the path of your journey!” He suggests. “Yes, please!” I call to him, as he races to his little library of books. He stretches the map across a s
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 43: Just Blush
I have to pack thoughtfully. We are only taking a single carriage and the Luna’s elaborate wardrobe took up a lot of the space. What her belongings did not take had to be shared between myself and the two carriage drivers. Alpha Warriors accompanied us on horseback, packing their belongings on their own horse. Occasionally, one would request that the Luna haul a box or two on the carriage. “The Luna is not a terrible traveling companion.” Mari muses. “She prefers a quiet journey. When Horus travels along it can be difficult, he’s rambunctious.” She confides. “Rambunctious seems too kind of a word to describe him.” I snark. “You needn’t worry. He will not be traveling with you.” She says. “Oh? I just assumed he would be joining.” I say. I had assumed that Horus would be joining. I was pleasantly surprised to hear he would not. “He is needed to help prepare for the hunt with the Alpha.”“I had forgotten about the hunt.” I say more to myself than Mari. The hunt takes place in the d
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 44: Send Off
“May Selene bless this journey. May the moon guide you on a safe and righteous path. May Selene gain favorable passage for you from her siblings.” The priestess recites her prayers over the carriage and horses. The sun has only just begun to peek from the horizon. The dew blankets the ground, sparkling like an iridescent web over the grass. A blanket so delicate I imagine only the garden fairies of my girlhood dreams could craft a gown from it. The fields are obscured by the morning mists. It’s as if I am looking through the end of a glass mug, the trees in the distance are blurred and dreamy. The horses are restless to begin the day’s journey, the sounds of their throaty breaths and stomping hooves punctuate each verse of the priestess’s prayer. “May Selene guide your path. Bless Luna Osiris on her righteous path. May Selene protect you.” The priestess’s robes are made of lush silver velvet. The dew clings to it in small glittering droplets like diamonds reflecting in the sun. A si
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A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 131: Run
It was as if Asteria’s memory played out on a screen in front of me. I’m a captive audience, cordoned off in a far off corner of my mind. Separated from my body but still aware of what is happening. The scene from Theia’s point of view also playing out, oddly disconnected from me, padded feet to forest floor the smell of earth and water. The dirt flecked in her fur and her nose pressed to the earth inhaling its aroma. Asteria’s trauma unfolds before me, almost happening to me, although the screams are not my own. The hunger in his eyes. The manic rage. His whip. My feelings are not entirely my own, it is as if I am Asteria in this experience. “Prince Aares.” I say in a voice that is not my own. A memory of an event I never experienced, yet vividly recall. This isn’t real, yet, I can feel his whip biting and tearing my skin. I can feel the blood snaking down the back of my thighs. The warm ooze somehow soothing the stinging pain. My back flayed open. His scent coats my skin like an
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 130: True Form
“May the Goddess anoint you with her love and bless you with your dreams.” “We give our devotion to the Goddess!” My mate and I reply. The priestesses are all around us. Their voices echoing off the walls of the cave, it’s impossible to tell how many are speaking as the voices echo around us. Our naked bodies only inches away from one another as we stand in the pool, his intoxicating scent masked by the abundance of minerals in the spring. “We ask our Goddess to cleanse you of all your impurities. Remove any malice from your hearts.” The priestesses chant around us. My body feels drawn to him. The urge I have to touch him is overwhelming, to just feel his skin pressed against mine. Any doubts I have floating away the second I am near him. I look ahead to the priestesses. I do not dare look at him in all his glory. One glance at him may be what breaks the dam holding back my urges, my last vestige of control. “Tonight, you are to shift into your true nature. The greatest trea
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 129: Pan
“The Mountain stands, unmoving— never wavering, rooted deeply into the soil.” The Queen begins, seated behind me on a small chair, her gown spilling out of the narrow seat displaying the sheer volume of fabric she seems to carry so effortlessly. Monica is plaiting my hair for the first ceremony. An intricate pattern of different braids joined together and fastened with a plain rag tie matching my temple dress. “The Wind with her sons raging across the lands, charge right at the Great Mountain, but it still stands. The nymphs of the waters try to claw through it, but still it stands. Rigid. Strong. Proud.” Her hands move with the story, in a way it was more akin to a fireside chat rather than dressing room gossip. It reminds me of my father’s stories around the fire. I listen to her tale, knowing little of her people, attentively watching her through the mirrors reflection. “The Goddess herself blessed the Great Mountain, and appointed the Shadow Mountain pack to be the Guardians
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 128: Rigid as the Great Mountain
“Waltz of the Mountains.” The King sneers. “Let’s see how well you keep up.” He casts a glare at Edward. “You know how your Grandmother adores the dance of her homeland, grandson. Do not disappoint her for the sake of your mate.” The warning is clear. “Yes, my King. I would not dream of disappointing.” He bows deeply, his hand on his heart pledging his allegiance. I remember our first meeting. “You play a dangerous game, girl.” He said with his hand around my throat. I suppose I am still that dangerous silly girl, too headstrong to fully submit. Incapable of bending to a tyrant. Incapable of silence. I am who I create. I feel Theia and Asteria in the front of my mind. Any overt display of power would be disastrous, so they lurk, careful not to allow their presence shimmer in my eyes. I deeply curtsy holding my hand to my heart as well, averting my eyes to the floor, not uttering a word. Silence and obedience. That is what the King demands. My stubbornness to blame for not b
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 127: Waltz
Silence. I dare not speak or move. “I have heard you can dance.” The King says in my direction. A small smile creeped on his lips. A sneer. “Yes, your majesty.” I say meekly. “You shall dance for us.” Edward looks at me with sadness in his eyes. A shimmer of anger rippling in his fields of green, at my faux pas. The weight of the King’s displeasure not only hitting me, but crushing him as well. Collateral damage. “I would love to see the waltz.” The Queen hums. “Edward can lead her if she does not know it. Besides, she will be expected to dance at their wedding celebrations.” I hope he indulges his wife. It is a far better option than being forced to gyrate in front of the King. His expression leads me to believe he wishes to not only remind me of my place but humiliate me in the process. The Queen’s suggestion is only her tossing a rope to her grandson to save him from the front row seat to my humiliation. The King looks to his Queen. “Very well.” He replies. “L
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 126: Fairytales
Fairytales have a modicum of truth to them. Just enough truth that the reader can absorb the message, learn whatever moral imperative is being taught. The tricky part is discerning what little bit is rooted in truth, and what is an outright lie, a fantasy embellishment to keep you reading. I prefer the stories with happy endings, lessons are still learned, but the main character in the end is well and fine. Perhaps that’s my first mistake, assuming my placement in the tale is the main character, rather than the abused maid or gullible villager, or otherwise nameless background character. A person in the crowd as the King strolls down the street naked. A lady’s maid to the wicked queen or damsel in distress. A nameless cousin to the main character, who tried on the shoe but it did not fit. Perhaps I am the main character, in one of those tales where she tragically dies. Her choices and bad decisions leading her to death, rather than the happiness she was seeking. The Queen seem
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 125: The Bluebird
“Beauty is pain.” Monica consoles. “You cannot achieve divinity without sacrifice. We want ethereal. We want glamor.” “We want to be able to have dinner.” I squeak, the corset of the gown so tight I can barely breathe. “Or maybe just be able to breathe.” I have been trying on gowns for hours. I tire of looking at my reflection. “Long deep breaths from the lungs, not the belly.” She demonstrates, her body rod straight, long measured breaths expanding her ribcage. My wedding gown, gowns for tea and dinner, dresses for travel and leisure, for breakfast or prayer— the stacks of fabric seem endless. I was nothing more than a doll. Monica has the same persistence as Agatha. I remember her wrapping me in endless fabrics for my Moon Ceremony gown. “You will be elegant! Ravishing! Demure!” She shouted as she wrapped me in satins and tulle. “Posture is key. Beyond that, relax. High anxiety breathing isn’t very effective or attractive.” Monica concludes. I smile, my mind wander
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 124: Orchard
Something in my soul longs for the sunshine. The rays on my skin make me come alive. My internal battery dependent upon feeling the sun against my skin. I do not recall the last time I was outside in the sun. It seems a lifetime ago that I was able to truly enjoy it. My gown manifesting what I need the most, time to bask in the sun. I can feel the whispers of winter on the autumn wind. A small chill dancing in the breeze, winter days soon to come. I stare upwards to the sky. The sun’s rays like golden spires piercing through the clouds, a magnificent sight. The sun coyly peeks from behind the clouds to bathe me in its rays. Today, I am the sun, and I will absorb the warmth and joy it brings me. Monica stops in front of a small gate created between two apple trees. The trees already bare from harvest, the priestesses and acolytes have started the pruning process, preparing the orchard for winter. The branches and stems are neatly stacked in piles along the treeline. My ow
A Daughter’s Revenge Chapter 123: The Sun Incarnate
The material is a diaphanous gauzy gold, a Grecian peplos, the fabric expertly draped on the body. A hint of silhouette peeking through the multiple layers and folds of fabric, my feminine form exposed through gauzy golden haze. I am the sun incarnate. Even my tiny golden bracelet glints in the light, highlighted by the gown's golden glow. My ring proudly displayed on my finger. Monica has dusted my eyelids with a golden shimmer and painted my lips a soft pink. I look upon myself in the mirror. The long elegant gown perfectly compliments my shape. Long gone is the young girl dreaming of her escape, replaced in the mirror with an elegant woman, soon to be a married woman. A princess. A future Queen. The gown strikes me as familiar but I am unable to place it. I feel an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. “You look divine!” Monica squeals. “You are the artist, I’m just the canvas.” I respond softly. I stare into the mirror in awe of her art. I don’t even recognize myself in the reflectio
