Hauntingly Beautiful Girls

"Broken"

The noble man feels some of the obligation commands loosening. The woman that married him lies very still. In the sight of the town and with the archivist also crumpled close by, he has little hope that he could actually touch her (to help her).

The archivist sits up first. He grabs the archivist case and cleans it with his robe. He is nervous in disposition at the best of times. Keeping the case on his lap, he gets a startled look and touches his neck.

The servant bond on the neck was gone. A terrible failure that will make his people mad at him for losing compensation. He looks at the noble man kneeling, immobile.

The servant trembles holding the case. He may no longer open it. No longer a person allowed to instruct in the archive building.

The guardian mark is still there. A terrible situation. He could never think to actually save someone. Especially if they did not count what he just did. A thoughtless reaction. They were killing her. But I am not a deity. He shudders on the ground.

Lauren Cooper does not move. She wonders if she even has limbs anymore.

Dozens and dozens of Deities in her head. The last time, there was just one, it was nice. Complementary, joyful.

This time it was an argument. She was the topic, they argued against her. Against her life. Against her chances. She has much of that in her head.

The reason her odds were so low. Mountains of reasons.

Foremost. She would likely die at the action of her husband by commands bound by the mother-in-law.

It was her own laughter within at that thought that got her to breathe noticeably.

Death by raiders from out of the desert was the second likely demise. Oddly the arguing Deities filled her with hopes of negotiations. A balance that was expected of noble houses.

Lauren sits up and weakly thanks the young man. She sensed that her death was the plan of some of those identical looking Deities. Hard things that looked nothing like a plush toy owl.

She catches the gaze of her husband.

She asks the archivist to move a bit away and out of sight.

Standing, he stands as well. She understands it so much better now. He has no choice.

She leads him by hand to the far side of a portico column. He is not visible to the glass where his parents are. He is not visible to any in 'Civilization's Edge'.

Just the two of us.

She kisses him "I had no idea. I promise you. I will get you free of this."

In pulling him close, he was not relaxed. But he sighed and enjoy the moment leaning together.