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The storm outside was rough. In the months that Henry Patton had been here, there hadn’t been one like this. His mistress, Maevin Maer, had explained to him that late spring and early summer brought heavy storms, thanks to the topology of the continent he was on. The young Terran man was not a meteorologist, but he did understand that the clouds got trapped between the mountain ranges. Maevin had remarked that one did not want to be an Iron Forge Estate servant in times like this.

Right now, Henry was lying in his bed, the sheets covering only the lower half of him, trying to figure out how to get to sleep. The rain itself, clattering against the window, was not the problem. It was actually relaxing to listen to the little drums against the glass. What was the problem was the bright flash of light and the thundering boom that followed. Unlike back home, these flashes were powerful, painting his entire room white and causing him to start awake. There were curtains, of course, but they were the thin, gauzy ones for summer and thus useless at keeping the light out. The following concussive sound caused his glasses on the nightstand to dance.

“I don’t know if I’m going to get any sleep tonight,” Henry muttered to himself as he swung his legs out of bed. He stared ahead at the stone balcony, where large puddles of water danced, and in the distance, the heavy swaying of trees hidden among the gray sheets of rain. This was a bad storm.

The reluctant Lord of Blue Blossom Estate was about to consider the success of burying his head under multiple pillows when the sound reached his ears. He was actually surprised he heard it over the deafening thunder. There were voices talking in the hallway.

That is strange, Henry thought. This floor was off-limits to all but the high-ranking fourth-order maids or higher. The young man stood, grabbed his shirt, pulled it on, and made his way to the door. He could hear the voices low and trying to be quiet but failing.

“fdaeta gara aetae mi,” one of the female voices trembled.

Another responded indignantly.

“Shvelu! Roka ata tregu ki na ve hiv shorix!”

“Eta xil shveni mi vakren tregu mi ve!”

Ghost? Henry’s tired brain had not switched on the Xaltean side yet, so he was not processing the words just yet. He reached for the knob of his door.

“ki-ki ita gavae shivae?” Did you hear that?

Henry pushed the door open just as the lightning flash illuminated the faces of three very scared-looking girls. The first fell back in surprise, while the second went to shriek. The third clamped her hands over the second’s mouth quickly enough that it only sounded like a strangled yelp.

“M..m...Master,” the dark-haired one said, trembling. “We did not mean to trouble you.”

Henry blinked a few times, trying to process these women standing in the middle of the hallway in front of his door. Out of the three, there was only one that the young man recognized. That was Minda. The Inventory Maid of the 8th order was hard to forget. Her dark red hair was loose instead of its usual three braids, and her chest was the kind that made a lot of people envious. They were, of course, uncovered and right in front of him.

The other two he did not recognize.

“What is going on, Minda?” Henry asked, lowering his voice enough that the storm could cover it up.

“It is nothing, master. I am really sorry to bother you. We beg you not to tell the Mistress we snuck up here,” Minda said quickly, trying to drag the one still with her mouth covered, though her eyes had gone wide, realizing she was in front of the lord of the estate.

“We are looking for ghosts,” the one who was not silenced blurted out, then covered her own mouth. If looks could kill, Minda would have been murdering the other one right then and there.

“Ghosts?” Henry asked with a raised eyebrow. In his time here, he had not heard any stories of ghosts or anything strange happening. Though in honesty, everything that had been happening to him was strange.

“Really, it is nothing,” Minda continued, hissing at the other.

“Minda,” Henry said, adding a bit of authority to his voice. Maevin and his entourage would have thought it adorable, but for these low-ranking women, they froze, anxious eyes wide. “Can you let her go? She is going to hyperventilate.”

Minda pulled her hand back, and the girl gasped, still breathing quickly.

“Relax,” Henry tried to say, but the girl just stared at him wordlessly.

“You are embarrassing us, Enty,” Minda hissed, giving the girl a rough nudge. That seemed to finally snap the maid out of it. She straightened and gave a slightly shaken bow.

“You said something about a ghost?” Henry inquired again, his curiosity piqued. It was not like he was going to sleep anytime soon.

“We have disturbed you enough, my master,” Minda started, but the girl with the short, dark hair who had blurted out first interrupted.

“They say she wanders the halls in the worst of storms,” the woman said, eyes wide.

“Netu!” Minda said, horrified.

“Who?” Henry asked, ignoring the maid. Propriety had already gone out the window.

Netu’s voice lowered, and she leaned in closer, as if she did not want the others to hear. “The Pale Lady.”

Before Henry could ask for clarification, another burst of light filled the hallway from the window down the hall, causing every window to rattle in its frame. Henry almost screeched along with the girls.

“She is going to hear you!” Minda hissed, whacking Netu on the back of the head as Henry calmed himself down.

“The Pale Lady?” he asked.

“No! The Mistress! We are more than dead if she finds out we snuck up here.”

“Then why did you come?”

Minda glared at the two other girls, who were more than likely her juniors. “Because they swore they could find the ghost and the treasure, and I could not let them just run around without supervision.”

“And so you thought joining them was the way to go?”

Minda did not have an answer for that. She just huffed, more in irritation at herself than anything.

“Well, it sounds like you three need to get back to your floor,” Henry said with a gentle smile, hoping it made clear he was not going to report them. Minda seemed to get it as she grabbed the others by their arms to pull them away from his door.

“What about the treasure?” the hyperventilating one said with a whine. “I wanted to find the treasure!”

“Enty! Shut up!” Minda growled. “We are in enough trouble.”

“Treasure?” Henry asked. If his curiosity had not been piqued before, it was now.

The other girl, whom he assumed was Netu, nodded vigorously, her wide eyes watching him.

“Legends say that the Pale Lady is guarding a vast treasure that she is guarding for her master. We wanted to find the treasure!”

Henry pulled his door closed gently as the rain pounded on the roof of the estate, his grin growing bigger. He was not going to bed anytime soon, so why not? “Tell me more.”

Minda released Enty’s arm with a resigned sigh and walked over until they were huddled against the shadow of his door, cast by the disrupted moonlight coming through the windows that lined the hall.

“So, the stories that I have been able to find since I am the researcher,” Netu began, her hair bobbing as she spoke with excitement.

“Is that a thousand years ago, Mistress Akina Avernell was the secret lover, a…” Netu looked around quickly and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “…she was a vtedeega.”

The three looked at him expectantly, but all Henry could do was look back in confusion.

“I do not know what that is.”

“A vtedeega is someone who is secretly having a relationship with someone they are forbidden to, either by law or by morality.”

“Relationship?”

Henry immediately understood when Netu giggled and gave a few hip thrusts as an answer.

“Oh.”

“There are some relationships that are strictly forbidden outside of the norm,” Minda clarified. “A mistress or administrator may not have a relationship with their supervisor outside of a transactional expectation.”

Henry grimaced. The young man knew he was going to regret asking this question. “Transactional?”

Minda thought for a few moments and then nodded. “You know how Mistress Maer is available to you in case you are interested in what is the human phrase I just learned.”

“Banging!” Enty threw in quickly to be helpful.

“That is it. Banging. You can bang the Mistress all you want, but she is not allowed to bear you children nor raise children you sired with anyone else. The Mistress is to remain outside of the family unit. In this case, it is said that Mistress Akina secretly bore two children for Duke of the Red Mikin Avernell because his wife was barren, even with the technology of the time.”

“I see.”

“So the story goes,” Enty continued excitedly, “that the Mistress and Duke Mikin were caught by their High Baron. It is said that Mistress Akina took her own life instead of being stripped of her bond and clothes, then given to the High Baron’s troops. In his grief, Duke Mikin hid a quantity of treasure somewhere on the Blue Blossom Estate for his children when they came of age, before he boarded High Baron Nakeet Avernell’s personal ship and tried to assassinate him.”

“Damn. And why were his children not given the treasure?”

“Both died of a disease before they reached their tenth year, and the secret of where the treasure was lost with them.”

“That is what the legend is,” Minda sighed. “History, on the other hand, lists Duke Mikin as having no children, and Mistress Akina served for ten years before transferring off the estate to the homeworld.”

Both Netu and Enty pouted. “You take the fun out of the story, Colleague Minda.”

“And you take the fun out of sleep. We should be in bed, not risking getting sent to the penance pillar. We are not supposed to be on this floor without express permission of the Mistress or our Arch Maid.”

Henry could see the terror hidden in Minda’s eyes. Half of him knew he should send them back to their dorms, but the other half did not want to be alone in this storm.

“I will cover for you,” Henry said, trying to sound authoritative and in charge.

“Really?” Enty said, surprised. “How are you going to explain this to the Mistress?”

“Do I need to?” he asked. “I am the lord of this estate. Right?”

The three nodded in agreement, but he could see the doubt in their eyes. Everyone knew how much of a terror Maevin could be when she was in a rage.

“So,” Henry started as he stepped away from the door and made sure it was locked, “let us go find ourselves a ghost!”

***

For the amount of time Henry Patton had lived at Blue Blossom Estate, he was still surprised about how much he didn’t know about the place. There were entire portions of the south side they were walking towards down the hallway that he had no clue were there.

The three maids walked just ahead of him, their bare feet making soft slapping sounds on the wood floor as they whispered to each other. Stormlight flickered in through the tall windows, illuminating their forms in stuttering flashes.

The group followed the curve of the hallway which led to a portion of the estate that had no windows but a few doors spaced out. It did not hide the storm as Henry could still hear it hitting the roof above him. As they passed one of the doors, Henry paused.

“What is it?” Netu squeaked as the three maids came to a complete stop.

Henry stared at the door, a tingle of anxiety going up his spine. “I thought I heard something in here. What room is this?”

“That's the observatory and don't say that!” Minda said swallowing but they all were staring at the door now. Henry shook his head. “I'm not kidding. I heard a thump of some kind.”

Enty placed her ear gently against the door, her loose outfit slipping around her baring more of her figure. Henry stepped forward out of habit to keep it out of view.

“I don't hear anything.”

“Because there's nothing there,” Minda snapped, her voice barely above a whisper.

Then they all heard it. A thump of something hitting the ground.

Immediately, Henry found Enty's arms wrapped around his waist as she hugged him close screeching into his back. He could feel her entire figure pressed into his loose clothing.

“Enty!” Minda said horrified smacking at the girl to get her to back off. “Are you trying to get the altar?”

“Oh!” the girl shrieked letting go of Henry as if he was on fire. “I'm so sorry, my master!”

Henry waved her off, his heart beating fast though he was not sure if it was because of the girl or the sound they heard. The other reason could be that Netu had opened the door and gone in.

“Oh, no! The pale Lady has gotten her!” Entry shrieked again but Netu's voice came from inside amused. “No, I'm in here. Get in here!”

The observatory opened into an octagonal chamber, its walls lined with shelves heavy with books of every size and binding. Each wall section between the tall windows held another span of shelving, broken only by narrow ladders on rails that let one reach the higher tomes. How the hell did he not know this was here?

At the center, thick rugs softened the polished wood floor, and clusters of deep, velvet chairs circled a few low tables. A gentle glow bathed the room from the fireplace that crackled though Henry knew it was a heating coil with holographic flames. Its simulated flames flickered convincingly, orange light dancing against shelves and spines.

“This place is amazing!” Henry said in awe looking around.

“Seriously, you've never been in here?” Minda responded trying not to sound disbelieving.

“No. It's either my room or my office on the second floor,” Henry said with a shrug. “Never thought to go looking anywhere else.”

Henry stepped deeper into the observatory, the soft rugs muting his steps. The storm’s growl outside seemed muffled here, yet somehow heavier, like the weight of thunder was pressing down through the roof itself. The flicker of the false flames from the coil-fireplace painted the walls with restless shadows that darted across spines of ancient books.

“This place feels…” Netu trailed off, her voice too high and too fast. “Too quiet.”

Henry ran a hand along a shelf absently, his palm brushing along the fine grain. There was no dust so the place was being maintained.

The girls clustered together, but every time the storm cracked outside and the windows rattled, they jolted like startled rabbits. Henry wasn’t much better. His pulse was quick, and he swore he could hear faint breathing that wasn’t theirs.

Then Enty leaned closer to one of the tall windows, her loose gown slipping off one shoulder. She gasped softly at the lightning that illuminated the glass, but Henry caught himself staring at the bare shoulder before snapping his eyes away, annoyed with himself. Not the time.

“Did you see that?” she whispered sharply.

Henry’s mouth was dry. “What?”

“A face. In the glass.”

Netu whimpered. “Don’t say that!” She grabbed Enty’s arm, pressing herself close, and in the jittering glow Henry noticed how her short tunic pulled higher as she crouched. His nerves twisted—not just from fear, but from how aware he was of all of them. It was annoying that his heightened senses from the adrenalin also made him notice things Henry that thought he had gotten used to.

“Let’s… just look around,” Henry said, forcing his voice into something steadier. “If there’s a ghost, it’s not going to be waiting politely by the window.”

They moved toward the center of the room. The velvet chairs looked inviting, but the way their shadows pooled in strange, unnatural shapes made Henry uneasy. When the storm lit up again, he thought he saw someone seated in one, pale and long-limbed, watching. He blinked, and it was empty. His imagination was getting to him.

His stomach turned.

“Master?” Minda’s voice trembled. She was hugging herself, but her braids had loosened more, strands clinging to the sides of her face. Her thin nightshirt shifted when she folded her arms tighter, and Henry could see the outline of her against the firelight.

“I’m fine,” he lied, though his throat was tight.

Another thump echoed—closer this time, like something had fallen upstairs. Enty shrieked and stumbled against him again, her chest pressing into his arm as she clung instinctively. Henry almost cursed aloud, caught between terror and the heat of her sudden nearness.

“Don’t—don’t do that,” he hissed.

“I can’t help it!” she squeaked.

“Enty!” Minda said, pretense done. The higher ranking maid grabbed the girl by the hair and roughly pulled her away. “Know. Your. PLACE!”

Henry didn't have time to tell her to calm down as the four of them turned in unison when one of the ladders on rails creaked. Slowly, it began to roll along the shelf, though no one was near it.

Netu gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.

Henry’s skin prickled, his eyes darting from shadow to shadow. Part of him wanted to bolt out the door.

He swallowed hard. “We're letting this ghost story get to us. We need to calm down.”

There was another flash and this time a massive explosion as some tree on the estate was decimated by the lightening. The resounding crack caused all the girls to shriek and make a mad dash around looking for an escape.

It was Netu who fell against the book case, gropping wildly to keep herself from falling over. As she did, something clicked and the book case shifted as if released by some sort of lever.

The young maid stood there shivering and Henry moved over fascinated at what happened. It appeared that there were stone steps behind leading somewhere deep.

“Good job!” Henry turned to Netu but choked slightly. She stood there shivering only wearing the scared expression on her face having fallen out of her loose clothing in the mad dash to escape

Minda scooped up the girl's night gown and threw it at her. “Cover yourself!”

She's one to talk, Henry said to himself noting that Minda was still completely topless.

The stone steps sloped steeply down, the air growing colder with every step. Henry could smell damp stone, sharp with the tang of mold. It was like the walls themselves were exhaling on them. As they walked, there was a flicker and then dull illumination as slivers of glass lit up as they past. Henry's guess they were motion activated but with the struggle they were having, they probably hadn't been used in years. The layers of dirt on top gave them a sickly yellow glow.

They had entered a large, enclosed area and Henry swallowed again. There were stone crypts in neat rows down the open space.

Minda paused at one, brushing her fingertips over the dust-caked groove. “This is… old Xaltean,” she whispered, “I can’t read it all. Some of these symbols are archaic.”

Henry leaned close, though the marks seemed to writhe when the lantern light wavered. The edges blurred, then seemed to sharpen again. His pulse climbed. He swallowed hard, glancing away, but when he did he found his eyes catching on Enty’s silhouette as she leaned over a sarcophagus lid. Her thin gown was pulled tight, the curves beneath shifting as she braced herself. Henry snapped his gaze away, annoyed at his own distraction, but the flicker of heat mixed with his rising dread only made him more unsettled. Why was his senses on fire?

“Why are there so many of them?” Netu’s voice cracked, trembling as she pointed toward the rows of stone boxes. Their lids were carved with figures; faces weathered smooth, but their eyeless sockets seemed to follow.

“They’re sarcophagi,” Minda muttered. “Family crypts, most likely. Blue Blossom has been an important estate for over a thousand years. I think the history archives say it is where House Avernell began.”

The motion lights above had, for the most part, failed casting most of the area in shadow. As he looked at one of the carvings, Henry could have sworn he saw one of the carved figures lift its head. He blinked hard, and it was still stone. But the hairs on the back of his neck rose.

“I… I think something’s in here with us,” Netu whispered, her breath ragged.

“No,” Henry said, too quickly. “It’s just the storm. Just shadows.”

It had to be but his body didn't believe him. He could feel whatever it was moving about. But then a whisper coiled around his ear, low and breathy: Henry.

He spun, heart hammering. Nothing. Just the maids, wide-eyed, clinging to each other. Enty clutched at his sleeve, her whole body trembling against him, and he nearly leapt himself from the sudden contact.

“It’s close,” she whimpered.

The carved walls appeared to ripple, shapes bending in the corners of his vision. Shadows stretched too long. The sound of footsteps echoed behind them, perfectly in step with their own.

“Keep moving,” Minda urged, though her own voice shook. Her nightshirt clung to her in the damp air, translucent now against her skin. She must have been sweating something fierce.

They moved deeper. The air was heavy, almost wet, the further they went the more of the motion lights failed. Something moved at the edge of Henry’s vision—a tall, pale figure drifting just behind them. When he looked, it was gone.

Then the sound came: a low scrape, like stone dragging against stone. One of the sarcophagi shifted, just an inch.

Henry lost it.

“Run!” he shouted, not caring how childish it sounded.

The girls didn’t need telling twice. They bolted, shrieking, their bare feet slapping against the cold floor. Henry was right behind them, the weak overhead lights blinking wildly and randomly, throwing mad shadows across walls and carvings that twisted into screaming faces. The air seemed to laugh around them.

They burst through a narrow passage, their panic driving them forward, until the floor sloped up sharply. A final stone archway yawned open and they stumbled out into the storm.

Cold rain hit Henry like a wall, drenching him in seconds. He staggered forward, chest heaving, lightning flashing to reveal a vast stone dais ahead, its pedestal gleaming wet in the downpour. Trees loomed around them, and Henry realized with a jolt that they were at the far west edge of the forest.

Behind him, the maids leaned forward, using their knees for support gasping for breath. For a moment Henry thought he still saw the Pale Lady at the mouth of the passage, pale and watching—before another blinding flash erased the vision.

Henry wiped rain from his face, his heart hammering. They were outside, but the storm was no safer than the crypt.

The storm lashed down in heavy sheets, rain plastering Henry’s hair to his forehead as he tried to steady his breath. The dais loomed around them, the pedestal rising like a sentinel, and the forest beyond was alive with thunder.

Through the blur of downpour came light—lanterns and flashlights bobbing between the trees. Figures emerged, soaked but steady, their boots splashing through the mud. Maevin was at the front, her posture and stance seemingly incapable of being bent by the storm. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail with segments of ribbon running down to keep it under control, Tox and Nish close behind, Abiva flanking with a squad of security.

“Oh, goddess,” Minda whispered, paling.

Henry’s stomach tightened. The girls were in no state to present themselves—drenched, clothing half-clinging, faces pale with fear. And Maevin’s expression, when she closed the distance, was glacial.

Her eyes swept the scene once, sharp as knives. “What,” she said, her voice icy and full of malice, “are you doing?”

All three girls froze, trembling under her gaze. Enty tried to speak, but only stammered. Netu shrank back. Even Minda, usually confident, bowed her head low.

“I have dealt with disobedient maids who do not know their place,” Maevin's voice cut through the storm, scaring even the thunder. “But this...in the middle of a summer maelstrom. This is wreckless beyond anything I have every seen.”

The trio shrank even more now scared of their mistress than the gale.

Henry swallowed, ready to say something to ease the weight, but Maevin turned to him—and her eyes softened, just enough. “My lord,” she said with a small bow of her head, “I regret that your evening was disturbed by such disobedience.”

Henry shook his head quickly. “No, I…” He glanced at the maids, shivering and silent. “It wasn’t entirely their fault. There was a passage behind the bookcase. We thought it worth investigating. I take full responsibility.”

“Do you?”

He could see the slightest of upturned chin. Henry had been here long enough to know what that meant. He knew that the maids had crossed a line even with his own behavior and right now, if he stopped the Mistress, he would make her look weak. This was her estate to run and the Xaltean woman expected supreme obedience of her maids.

“I chose to go in that strange crypt place and they accompanied me. Everything from that point is my fault.”

Henry opened his mouth to take the entire blame as he promised but Enty was the one who stepped forward. She stood tall as the young maid stepped forward and then immediately bowed in front of her mistress, ignoring the rain beating her senseless.

“The master is kind and covers for the disobedience of his maids,” Enty stared and Netu made a strangled sound in the back. “We were out of our rooms searching for the Pale Lady and snuck to the third floor. Colleague Minda tried to stop us but we disobeyed. She came along to try and keep us from causing more trouble.”

At that, Maevin's eyes grew even darker. “You entered the third floor...without permission.”

Enty nodded her head, eyes still faced down.

The young terran knew he couldn't get into any trouble but he could fear the palpable fear of the trio around him.

“And what do you two have to say for yourselves?” Maevin asked, those icy eyes locking on the other two. They stepped forward and also bowed their heads. “No excuses, Mistress.”

Mistress Maevin Maer turned to look at her master, her eyes cooly watching his face.

“Does my master wish anything?”

Henry looked at the trio. He nodded. “Maevin, I only ask that you absolve them of the ghost hunting and the crypt after they came to the third floor. I promised that I would take the blame for that.”

She nodded but he could see the irritation in her eyes. Maybe it was the weather or the fact it was in the middle of the night so she didn't hide it that well.

“But the initial infraction,” he continued. “I will leave to you to discipline as needed.”

Her eyes cut back to the three maids, who waited for their fates. “I understand that you three are new to life as a servant to this house and there are many things I could forgive as exuberance but violating the safety and security of the master's floor is one that I cannot let go lightly.”

“Yes, Mistress,” they chorused weakly, heads low.

“Netu and Enty, you will be placed on the pillar immediately for your transgressions and a negative mark to your records. At the height of the shift, you will also be switched in front of your colleagues as an example of what happens when you break the rules.”

The young Terran saw their faces pale even in the light. He knew what that meant. They would be stripped, have their hands tied above their heads at the marble pillar on the south side of the estate and left on display for the day to the elements. Siv had explained enough about nudity is a personal choice and having that choice removed was extremely embarressing and humiliating. Not to mention getting switched with a flexible rod against the back of their legs. Punishment here was designed to humiliate more than anything.

“Maid Minda. You also violated a most explicit rule even if it was a ill conceived attempt at stopping your juniors.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“I will not be giving you a black mark but your choice is either take a reduction from 8th to 9th order and return to the fields as a Harvestor or you may join these maids on the pillar and share their punishment.”

Minda did not hesitate. “I am responsible for my juniors. I will share the punishment with them.”

Maevin did not say anything more, she roughly waved them off with her hand.

Abiva and Nish moved in fast, their fury not hidden on their face.

“Move!” Abiva snarled as Nish demanded they remove their clothes immediately. They would be marched back to the house with nothing on, their punishment beginning immediately.

“Maevin—”

“You need not explain yourself further,” she said softly. “This is your house. I will not tell you where you may or may not go.” A pause, her gaze tightening just a fraction. “But these girls are not you. And they will not be permitted such liberties again. I cannot.”

“They were just curious.”

Maevin stepped forward, her body cutting the rain as she spoke low so the security presence couldn't hear.

“My master. You still do not comprehend how important and how dangerous life among the house can be. It just takes one spy or treacherous maid to end your life.”

Of course. Maybe it was just a part of him that didn't want to accept that somebody would want to hurt him.

“Understood.”

Maevin stepped back but he gently reached out to stop her.

“I'm sorry, Maevin. I mean it.”

There was a softness in her eyes he had never seen before but in a flash it was gone and the Mistress of his estate was back.

“Let us return to the house before the full brunt of the storm arrives.”

***

The doors of the Blue Blossom Estate swung closed behind them, shutting out the howling wind and the relentless downpour. Water dripped from the girls’ hair as they had been brought in before him. The water formed little puddles on the polished stone floor. They were still naked but the two Arch Maids were pouring glasses of a strong smelling liquor that he could smell from where he was standing.

“Aeska,” Maevin explained. “It helps the constitution of those who drink it especially when one is about to be subjected to stress.”

“The storm?”

“I will order the energy shields activated in that area. It will protect them from lightening and any projectiles picked up by the wind but they will still face the cold and wind. It's the least they can do after breaking the rules.”

Henry followed, his boots splashing lightly, as the girls were herded back out the door. His mind still racing from the descent into the crypt.

Once out of the grand foyer and into the estate proper, the warmth of the estate beginning to chase the chill from their bones, Henry finally found a moment to breathe and to ask the questions that had been gnawing at him.

“Maevin… about the crypt,” he began carefully, “and… what we saw down there. The… things we thought we were seeing… hallucinations?”

Maevin’s expression softened briefly, though the edge in her posture remained. “Ah,” she said, “you are referring to the effects of the pollen.”

Henry blinked. “Pollen?”

“Yes,” Maevin continued, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face. Another maid appeared with dry towels. She led Henry to a room to the side where he recognized the entryway of the rain rooms. When alone, Maevin stripped off everything and began to dry her hair.

“There are spores in the lower portions of the estate—harmless in themselves, but known to induce strong hallucinations. They cling to the air in enclosed, damp spaces. That is why the crypt appears… more lively, more frightening, than it is in reality.”

“So… the sarcophagi, the shadows, the… figures?” Henry asked, turning his back and trying to peel his own clothes off. If Maevin was comfortable, he was going to try and be. “All of that was just the pollen messing with our heads?”

Maevin inclined her head slightly. “Exactly. Harmless, but potent in its effect on perception. It is known to stir fear and exaggerate imagination, especially among the young and unprepared. It is also why the crypt has not been cleaned or disturbed. There is nothing of real interest there, and yet it remains preserved. No one risks going in unless it is necessary, for fear of accidents.”

Henry let out a low whistle. “So… it’s just a family crypt. It’s not off-limits, then?”

“Not truly,” Maevin replied, pulling a clean, gauzy nightgown over her head and shoulders and shimmying it down around her knees. She faced away letting him finish getting dressed. “It is simply… unremarkable. A repository for ancestors, nothing more. Yet its location and history lend themselves to the stories your maids were so eager to chase.”

“I see. I suppose that explains the… intensity of what we experienced.”

With his dry clothes on and the exhaustion finally catching up, the two stepped out again and made their way towards the stairs.

Maevin folded her hands in front of her and the quiet, proper lady appeared.

“Does the master wish anything before bed?”

The dark haired woman stood there as if the entire fiasco hadn't happened. How he envied how calm she was.

“No. I'm good. Thanks.”

With that, Maevin turned and walked off leaving him alone. Henry let out a long, shaky breath, finally feeling some of the tension drain from his shoulders. Just as he relaxed deciding to make his way to his room, a faint whisper drifted from somewhere deep in the estate—a soft, almost playful sigh that made the hairs on his neck stand on end.

Henry froze. Then blinked.

“You know… I’m gonna sleep in the lounge tonight.” he said and quickly made his way to the brightest room in the house.

When I was going through the catalog, I realized that it had been quite a while since I had updated everyone about the status of all the projects. Life has been extremely rough lately for both myself and my artists who have been working on the comics.

In short, both Beloved Chains and Beloved Maid are on hiatus for a while until we're all able to get back into it again.

Does that mean there isn't anything more coming? No. I still plan to continue writing the short stories you have been seeing released, and I'm still working on converting the first issues of Beloved Chains into a novel series that's going to include many more scenes that were never included in the original webcomic.

My goal (and I say that very vaguely) is to try and release a new short story once a month, with artwork to make it more interesting.

Thanks to you all who continue to support this series. It is really appreciated, and I'm sorry that I'm not able to provide anything more than vague dates.

Until the next story!

The sun had only barely begun to force its beams through the curtains of Arch Maid Abiva’s room. The long slices of light cut through the deep blue of shadows since the Xaltean woman had not turned on any of the other lights.

Abiva had the room to herself. It was on the second floor of Blue Blossom Estate, where the offices and other important rooms were—like the Emissary Maid’s training rooms and the two libraries. Lord Henry Patton-Avernell’s private quarters and spaces were on the floor above. Only the Mistress had a room up there, and it could only be accessed in the day. At night, only the Mistress, Security Chief, or an Honored Maid assigned to tend the master could enter.

That did not mean the Arch Maid’s room was lacking. It was big enough to contain her slumber bed, a low frame made of rare woods, piles of blankets that made the base, and her pillows. There was a small kitchenette, a refrigeration unit, and only a small table and comfortable chair for her to read or enjoy the sunset. Further from her bed, the carpet became nistilian marble where the floor-level bath was made available. Abiva could bathe, dress, and eat without leaving her room, ready to command the Estate Legion of a hundred or so personnel. There was even a generous stipend at her rank for higher quality clothing and personal items, most of which went to her personal savings account held by the Maid Directorate.

At the moment, the redhead was standing in front of the full-body mirror, wearing nothing but the water from her bath. She let the water drip off her, enjoying the breeze from the window and trying to decide what needed to be done today. Abiva wanted to pick out the right outfit. Today was a special day—she was going to be Lord Henry’s personal maid. She wasn’t quite an Honored Maid nor an Apprentice learning to become a Mistress herself.

Siv was unavailable, handling the Winter Rose wine shipment in Belentine, and Maevin had a Council of Servants to oversee. That meant Abiva had to step in as the Personal Maid. The young woman couldn’t imagine what Maevin Maer went through with the responsibility of being not only a Mistress of an Estate but the sector’s primary servant leader. Mistress Maer was responsible for all other vassal estates of House Avernell.

Abiva’s lover, Nish, would handle both of the Legions today. Nish was normally in charge of the Reserve Legion that handled all supplies but said she could manage both.

The young woman finally noticed the time, grabbed a towel, dried herself off, and opened her small closet. She found the loose tvekel she loved to wear and a skirt to go around her waist. The medallion she always wore was still around her neck, and within a few moments she looked like she always did when on duty. Something familiar was the best option here. She didn’t want to stand out. Abiva was pretty sure her master would not like that, and she did not want to give Mistress Maer the wrong idea. Trust was hard to earn in this life but so easy to lose.

She loosened the tie around her waist so her shirt laid easily on her curves. The other thing Abiva looked forward to was that Lord Henry was cute. Nish teased her when they were alone about having a crush on him, which always brought heat to Abiva’s cheeks.

‘Maybe I can get him to blush,’ she thought to herself, letting the cloth shift, a breast slipping out exposing it. Lord Henry was so adorable when his face would turn red, desperately trying to look elsewhere. She never realized humans could be so fun.

The alarm hummed. Grabbing the last bite of bread, slipping into her soft sandals, she hurried out of her room towards the stairs. Skipping two at a time, Abiva caught her breath, slowed her breathing, and tried to walk as dignified as possible to Lord Patton-Avernell’s office door. She gently knocked.

“Come in.”

Pushing the heavy wooden doors open, Arch Maid Abiva made her way in and bowed at the waist, hands folded politely in front of her.

“Arch Maid Abiva is here as your personal attendant today, my master,” she said, trying to sound as dignified as she could.

“Good morning!”

Abiva looked up to find his blue eyes locked on her and that smile on his face. The human always seemed so happy. How could one not smile back?

“I appreciate it, Abiva. With Maevin and Siv gone, I’m feeling a bit at a loss,” Henry said, motioning to the glass panel displaying statistics while running his other hand through his hair.

“Anything in particular, Master?” she asked, stepping closer to his side and looking at what was displayed on the screens.

“I’m trying to arrange a meeting between the estates on Victory.”

“Which were you thinking?” Abiva asked, concern crossing her delicate face as she saw the map of the planet displayed.

“I’m wanting Black Forge, Silver Moonlight, and Emerald Hope Estates.”

“That would be the Houses Irisik, Nevakev, and Devenek.”

“Yeah.”

“And your purpose?” Abiva asked, trying to figure out how to be helpful. Within the first few minutes of walking into his office, this job had already proven difficult. The realization that she had to advise him on decisions that could affect the sector settled hard in her stomach like a bad piece of fruit.

“Well, the tekiasetel was pretty rough,” Henry continued, flipping through the digital pages. “And I want something that’s more… homey? Safe? Something that people will feel a bit more open and not so… political.”

Abiva understood, but for the life of her, she did not know if it was even possible. All the houses, under the same roof, and not worried about being taken advantage of? Every house of the Empire was loyal to the Empress and their people, but anything more, they fought over. No house wanted to be at the bottom, and even with their shared traits, each house had its own culture which clashed with others.

“Have you spoken with an Emissary Maid yet?” Abiva offered.

“No. I wanted more of an idea before I got them involved,” Henry admitted with a sigh. “I know I want it here, but I just don’t know how to make them feel safe.”

“They will come if you summon them.”

“I don’t want to summon them. I already tried to be mean. Almost got me killed.”

The Arch Maid had heard rumors about what happened at the tekiasetel and the arrival of the Crown Princess. How much of it was true, she had no idea. Abiva tapped the screen to turn it off.

“How about you tour your estate, my master? Maybe you’ll get some ideas.”

Henry leaned back in his chair and stretched, his blond hair catching the light streaming through the window. Abiva tried not to smile. He was so cute. If she didn’t prefer women…

“Shall we?”

---

Most of the morning was spent exploring the estate, checking on the workers in the field, listening to reports, and making decisions. For the half a year he had been here, Henry had picked up a lot. Abiva watched quietly at his side how he handled himself. He may not see it, but the Terran had the respect of those under him. The way he stood there listening, giving each person his complete attention, soliciting feedback, and making decisions. Many of the servants had been surprised, used to being just commanded, not actively consulted.

It was about midday when they found themselves at the technician’s complex. A very nervous young man was trying to explain the day-to-day operation of the construction battalion. Henry listened patiently as the other stumbled over his words.

Abiva had given them room so it did not feel like she was hovering. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone approaching. He was dressed with a loose shirt and skirt around his waist, though it was dark and rich material. His movement was perfect, head held high. His dark beard was trimmed neatly and his medium-length hair had the ribbon marker of an Emissary Maid.

“Arch Maid,” he said, coming to a stop by her, bowing slightly. He extended a computer tablet. “Arch Maid Tashak believes he found the best thing for Lord Henry, based upon your explanation, if it is correct.”

Abiva took the tablet and ignored the tone. She had gotten used to it.

“It is called the veehaneaset. It is the least formal gathering of estates that meet the master’s request, though it has rarely been done with houses. It requires a level of comfort that foreign estates have never been comfortable with.”

Soft War. Abiva took a moment to be amused at how many of their formal gatherings had the word war in it. It summarized their entire negotiation culture.

“Thanks, Colleague Kanesh,” Abiva said, clicking it off and folding her hands in front of her to wait patiently.

Kanesh did not move but stood beside the Arch Maid, folding his arms and watching the Lord of the Estate.

“He has surprised me,” Kanesh volunteered.

“He has surprised a lot of us.”

---

“I appreciate your help, Abiva,” Henry said as they made their way down the stone path toward the house. “I think I have a much better idea on how we should handle this.”

“I’m really glad to be able to help,” she said, pleased. There was a bit of a skip in her walk, hands clasped behind her back, and she swayed back and forth like a child on her way to the candy shop.

“You did a really good job. I'll let Maevin know,” the young man said.

Wow. He was willing to provide a personal review to the Mistress? She had done that well? Abiva could feel pride in her chest. She was doing well, wasn’t she.

“You don't need to, Master. I'm simply happy being useful to you.”

Henry gave her a smile that brought one to her own face. This Terran was so cute and adorable.

“You're amazing, Abiva.”

“And you're cute.”

Maybe it was how friendly and comfortable he was, or how Henry complimented her, but before she could even register what she was doing, she gently booped his nose. He froze for the barest second before breaking into a laugh. Abiva said with relief. That was stupid. Thank the goddess Mistress Maer did not see that.

Turning to look up toward the open veranda, Abiva's chest tightened in sheer terror. Standing within the doorway, blue eyes locked on her, was the Mistress herself.

“Maevin!” Henry called out, picking up to a trot and waving at her. Mistress Maer’s eyes turned to the Lord of the estate, and the terrifying expression melted into a calm and mellow one. “You're back early.”

“It was postponed. Virdirin Flu. We didn't want to take the risk of spreading it. Did Abiva take care of you?”

Those eyes turned back toward the woman who was walking submissively behind her master.

“She was amazing. Helped me resolve a lot of problems. Thank you for assigning her.”

“It is good to see that she is able to remember her place and help you.”

The knot in Abiva's stomach twisted even tighter.

“I have something I want to talk to you about,” Henry said, offering the computer tablet Abiva had earlier. “You got time?”

“Of course, Master. Abiva—”

Abiva quickly dropped her head in a polite bow. She was actually too scared to look at those eyes.

“You did well. You're dismissed for the day.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

She did not wait around.

---

For the rest of the day, Abiva took over her position from Nish, who was quite frazzled running both Legions. The Arch Maid threw herself into her work, trying not to think about the expression on Maevin's face. There was more in there than just disapproval. She had to have seen her boop her master's nose and how close she was standing. There was something else, though. By evening, when the sun had gone down, the realization slowly sank in.

That was why she was standing in front of the private office of the Mistress, the ornate wooden door between her. Abiva's heart raced, her stomach flipping, and a faintness washing over her. What she was about to do could earn her a whipping or even the altar if her superior so inclined.

Raising her hand and tapping lightly on the door, she heard Maevin's voice call to her.

“Enter.”

Walking in, she stood in front of Maevin's desk. It was a cozy room, the holographic projector lazily showing a scenic view of one of the many mountains on Victory. Bookshelves lined the walls, and there was a comfy sitting chair in the corner by a lamp table, a tea set sitting on a shelf ready to be used.

“Arch Maid Abiva requests an audience with the Mistress,” she said, head bowed.

Maevin set down the stylus and folded her arms across her chest.

“Well.”

“I came to apologize for my actions. I believe I was too familiar with our lord.”

Abiva forced herself to look at the icy eyes boring into her. The hidden anger was almost noticeable on her face.

“I asked. Lord Henry does not report any untoward behavior. I have nothing to discipline you for. You're dismissed.”

Maevin picked up the stylus again, her knuckles white from how hard she was gripping it.

Here I go getting myself a beating. “Mistress. I have angered you.”

Maevin looked back up, her sleek brown hair tumbling down her shoulders. “The master was happy for your assistance. My opinion in this matter is moot.”

“Mistress,” Abiva pushed. “I... I do not want you to lose your faith in me. I have worked hard to earn your trust and I do not want you to start doubting me now.”

Maevin Maer's eyes coolly watched her. This was it. This was the point that Abiva knew she was going to get her butt whipped.

“I am not trying to usurp you and be bedded by the Master.”

Those blue eyes turned cold and horrifying within seconds.

“I—”

“Be very careful with your next words, Arch Maid,” Maevin said, her voice coming out in a low hiss that would have frozen a summer lagoon. It was too late though. Abiva had crossed the point of no return.

“My mistress. I do not seek to steal his affection that he gives you. I am not a Vtedeega for you desire to be his Mbakihanxash.”

The sound of the stylus splintering shot through the room as Maevin snapped it. She flew to her feet, the rage escaping in a screech of fury. Maevin backhanded Abiva, and the Arch Maid did not move her face and accepted the blow. Her head snapped to the side, and she stumbled. Abiva forced herself to stand straight, resume her position, and not wipe away the blood that trickled from her broken lip. She could feel the heat swelling in her cheek.

“How dare you,” Maevin hissed. Abiva had never heard it so quiet and deadly. How could she blame her? The Arch Maid had just openly accused Mistress Maevin of trying to become Lord Henry Patton-Avernell's consort and lover while claiming she was not a rival.

The redhead forced herself to stand her ground as Maevin came forward, fury burning in her eyes and face.

“How dare you make such a claim,” Maevin choked out, the anger making it hard to speak. “If I did not have my master's trust, I would break every bone in your insolent body for such a disgusting accusation.”

Abiva could see in the Mistress' eyes that she had hit upon something. There was no way that Maevin would have even considered it, though based on months of behavior, there was the dimmest hope. The Arch Maid had dragged out that scandalous secret into the light.

“I would accept it a thousand times over, my mistress,” Abiva said, dropping to one knee. “I only say it to make clear to you that I am not a threat. I am loyal to you, loyal to the master. I would rather face your fury than have you doubt my integrity and would give my life so that you know I would never betray you or Blue Blossom.”

Maevin Maer towered over her like a shadow of death, silent and unrelenting.

“Stand,” the woman finally said.

Now only inches separated them. Maevin's cold eyes studied the Arch Maid's face, but there was something new there: understanding and maybe just the smallest bit of respect.

“I accept, Arch Maid Abiva, that you have no intentions towards our master and that your transgression of touching him was a lapse in judgement.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“You retain my confidence.”

Abiva's shoulders sagged in relief. The Mistress believed her.

“I am overjoyed to still have your confidence.”

Maevin gave her a slight nod, but that coldness returned. “Your words though.”

“I understand.”

“Give me your left hand.”

The Arch Maid's gut twisted again, knowing full well what was coming. Of course, there would be consequences. Her insult had to be answered. She offered her non-dominant hand to Maevin. Maevin pulled it toward her chest with both hands and, in a sharp move, twisted and pulled. Abiva let out a strangled cry of agony as the loud pop echoed in the room. The Mistress had dislocated her wrist. Maevin held on to it, pressure still applied.

“Don't you ever say anything like that to me again, Abiva,” Maevin said coldly. She added just a slight bit more pressure to get a strangled sob from the Arch Maid. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mistress,” Abiva whimpered.

The woman released her hand, which the redheaded maid held to her chest, the pain radiating from it.

“Go see Doctor Torbet for treatment,” Maevin said dismissively as she returned to her desk.

“Yes, Mistress. I need to be more careful about running in the courtyard.”

Maevin's head shot up, fury returning because of the planned lie.

“Abiva!”

“Please, Mistress,” the redhead said quickly. “Allow me this lie. I do not wish Lord Henry to learn of your discipline and be cross with you. I could not let you be scolded for my sin.”

The two women kept eye contact before Maevin went back to her paperwork. Exiting the room, Abiva leaned against the wall, clutching her wrist and sighing with pained relief. She had survived. It could have been so much worse. The lines she crossed could have had her stripped of every right and privilege for such a statement. But Abiva had fixed it.

The Mistress still trusted her.

CW: Suggestive Situations & Cultural Sexism.

Henry Patton’s office was well lit as the sun streamed through the window behind him. His large, solid wood desk was empty except for his personal laptop, a digital interface that he used for the estate, the emitters for the holographic screens, and a few knickknacks from home. Henry gripped a slim, glass-like computer pad in his hand as he worked his brain to decipher the Xaltean words on the form that was displayed.

Even after how long he had been here, being Terran meant this second language was a struggle. He could speak decently, but reading was still a chore. Henry was slowly getting it though. The young man had been studying the language for a few months now and, with the amount of practice thanks to the patient maids, he was getting pretty good at it. Henry knew he was probably the strangest thing anyone had seen: the studious expression as he studied the form and inputted the information, and the permanent red blush on his face as he glanced up at the naked woman who stood in front of his desk, her skirt and top on the chair beside her.

The maid had a calm but bored expression on her face as he studied her and tried to figure out how to input the information correctly in the form. Her gray eyes were looking over his shoulder, out the window on the sunny day—probably wishing she was outside.

“Huh,” he mumbled to himself as he tried to recognize the sentence against a space. “baeba lemaete means…”

“Bust measurement,” the maid said in accented English. She cupped her own to refer to them, and Henry tried not to look startled. “The form is asking for my bust measurements.”

“And you are?” Henry asked, trying to keep eye contact and not look at where her hands were.

“One hundred and nine Akme, three Akma,” she said simply as if he understood what she was saying.

“Ummm… I don’t think there’s enough room in the form for that.”

“Oh,” the maid nodded. “1751 umi with Oga strap.”

Umi. He knew that one. It was the smallest measurement, so his brain tried to process her size from that. His eyebrows went up. He hadn’t realized she was that big, though he hadn’t looked in detail and would be the first to admit he didn’t understand women’s clothing.

“Master,” she said with a smile as she saw him trying to think. “Please remember, the Empire uses what your people call BASE-8 mathematics. I believe you use something called metric. I would be… 34.5 centimeters with a… C Cup.”

Did she just do all that in her head? It re-affirmed again what Maevin Maer had said: maids of the houses were highly intelligent.

“Oh. I get it.”

No. He still didn’t get it. Instead, he decided to just type the numbers in that she gave him. He could recognize those symbols.

“Master?”

“Yes?” he asked, looking up.

“The paperwork requires you to do the measurements to confirm I’m not lying. It does play into the final equation of the paperwork.”

“Oh.”

Well. Henry wished he knew this before he told Siv that he was going to be doing the annual valuations for the estate. Siv, the second in command to Mistress Maer, had tried to warn him, but the Terran was gung-ho and wanted to help around the estate. What better way than paperwork?

It was when this maid came in to do her annual evaluation, stripped out of her clothes and stood there, that Henry realized this was not normal paperwork. Opened on his personal laptop was The Bonded Evaluation System, an archaic and sexist document from his point of view. For as liberal as this culture was, it appeared to still have old practices that had yet to be retired.

Sighing, Henry strode over to the woman with a small device in his hand. He hovered it over her chest, and a red light shot out, encircled her bust for a few seconds, and then vanished. The Xaltean numbers blinked on the screen, showing that she had been correct.

Henry returned to his desk but, instead of sitting down, typed in the measurement.

“Am I a four again?” she asked, her gray eyes focusing on him in curiosity. Henry glanced at the rule document and read it in his head. Four points for Very well-proportioned, minor deviations. Deviations? What the hell did that mean? How subjective was this document? Was it designed around personal taste?

“Yeah. Four,” he said without looking again.

Of course, there were other measurements he had to accomplish, and Henry was proud that he pulled it off without looking like a pervert. When High Baron Hesh Avernell had offered him this posting as a thank you for saving his family from an assassination attempt, the Terran did not expect to be in such situations.

He had seen more naked men and women in the few months that he had been here than he had in his entire life. Yes, he was Innocentia, so nudity was severely frowned upon. Henry had seen a few things on the gal-net when he was younger, before his parents caught him—not to mention the clinical textbooks. This though… nothing prepared him for this.

It was after the third woman had put her skirt and top back on that Henry thought he might have to take a break, feeling flushed, when the door opened swifter than probably intended. Mistress Maevin came hurrying into the room with a look of concern and maybe a hint of trepidation in her eyes. The maid he had just finished the paperwork on quickly bowed and escaped the room.

“My master,” Maevin said with some hesitance, her eyes running over him as if searching for wounds. “Arch Maid Siv told me you were helping with the annual reviews.”

“Yeah,” Henry responded, sitting back in his chair, taking off his glasses and scrubbing at them with his shirt—a bad habit he picked up as a kid. “Wasn't quite sure what I was getting myself into.”

“Siv should have—”

Henry raised his hand to stop her and smiled. “Siv did do her due diligence. I was just being stubborn. I wanted to help more. I wanted to be a lord of this estate.”

“I see,” the dark-haired woman said, coming over and sitting in the chair across from him. His smile grew bigger as he saw the confusion in Maevin's eyes, not quite sure how to respond to him.

“Look,” Henry finally said, putting his glasses back on. “You have been absolutely amazing to me. You have helped me adjust to Xaltean culture, shielded me from things I wasn't ready for, and taught me what I needed to know. I mean, I'm speaking to you in your own language.”

Which was true. Reading was still difficult, but lately Henry had found it a lot easier to speak in Xaltean than English with the residents of the estate.

“You are doing a great job at it,” she said with a hint of a smile on her face.

“Thank you, but Maevin. It's time to take off the training wheels.”

Mistress Maer tilted her head to the side in confusion.

“Training wheels?” she said in her accented English. “I do not know this phrase.”

“Oh… uh…” The young man started in his own language. “There are these things on our bicycles that help keep it upright.”

“Bicycle?”

“Let's just say it's time to stop treating me like a newcomer and help me learn how to actually be who I'm supposed to be.”

“Ah.”

Maevin sat there, blue eyes studying his face as if trying to come to a decision about something. Her face became firm and she stood, giving him a nod.

“Of course, my master. It is time for you to take up your title in front of the Estate and the House you represent. I apologize that it has taken this long for me to see how much you've grown.”

Henry smiled, leaning back in his chair. “Thanks! I'm really glad you think so!”

Then it happened. Maevin pulled at the delicate butterfly pin on her clothes, and the material found itself on the ground around her feet. Henry could not stop his eyes from going wide at the beautiful nude form in front of him.

Yes. Just like he had been telling himself earlier about all the naked people he had seen before, but Maevin took his breath away.

“Siv can handle the rest, as it is actually the job of the Mistress and her apprentice to do such work, but you are responsible for the Arch Maids and myself. My annual is not yet completed.”

Henry broke his gaze away to look at her eyes, and he saw it: the mirth and challenge. Maevin Maer was making him prove he meant what he said.

The young Terran stood and tapped on his glass compu-pad to bring up her record. He strode over to her, keeping eye contact with her pretty eyes and cute nose.

“And you'll need to be thorough,” she said as he began to reach for the digital measuring device he had pocketed. “It is important for my record as a Mistress.”

Thorough. She was definitely going to make him prove his words. Henry Patton steadied himself. He was not going to chicken out. He had seen how hard each and every person on this estate worked and embraced their difficulties, and he was not going to be any different.

He could do this. Henry knew he could. The words and advice over the months came back to him: Siv telling him about the word Aema—consent, and the fact she was his by law and by Aema. Maevin was providing implicit permission by disrobing for him to do his duty for her record. It was not easy to break away from the social rules that his family had drilled into him. He was not just Henry Patton. Right now, he was Lord Henry Patton-Avernell of Blue Blossom Estate.

That was what Henry did. He asked her questions about her duties, got the statistical information to build her static profile. Twenty points for being the mistress for both her title and her experience level, another thirteen for her accreditations and certificates, and another ten for length of service. The concrete points of the Bonded Evaluation system were easy.

The young man only looked up once at Maevin, who stood there still, the hint of a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. Anyone could count points. This was the part she wanted to see him do. Henry took a deep breath, reached forward, gently gripped her elbow, and began to examine her arms, her neck, and forced himself to focus on appraising her as expected.

Henry found himself looking at her body in detail, examining her skin that was soft and smooth. He felt the weight of her breasts and also made sure she knew he was giving her an appreciative but detailed gaze.

Just like Siv said. I can look. I have permission. He kept telling himself, ignoring the puritanical screaming in the back of his mind.

Finally, the work was done and he walked back, slightly tripping but caught himself. Even though everything was proper and expected for his position, his face was flush, heart racing, and his mind imprinted with the feel of her body.

“I'm proud of you.”

Henry looked up to see that she had begun to dress, but there was pride in her eyes. Once Maevin was covered again, she sat down in the chair.

“I was doing my duty,” he said through dry lips and resisted reaching for the water bottle. He did not want to show her his shaking hands. “I respect you too much not to give you what is expected of a Mistress of House Avernell.”

Maevin reached over and picked up the compu-pad and flicked through it, and when her eyes dropped to it, he quickly got the water bottle and took a swig or two.

“I am even more impressed,” Maevin said with a gleam of mischief in her eyes. “You didn't take the easy way out and rate me five all the way around. You even threw a three in there. Did you find my height that disappointing?”

“I don't have to explain my reasonings. I am the master.” Henry hesitated. “Right?”

“Of course,” Maevin continued, clicking the forward button again, her eyes lighting up. “But I got a five out of five on my hips and buttocks. I believe I know my master's personal tastes.”

Henry could not stop himself from glowing beet red. “I was trying to be honest,” he muttered under his breath, eyes falling to the desk. Her delicate but rich laugh echoed softly in his office as she stood.

“You have done well, my Master. I shall make sure you are more involved with day-to-day operations as expected for your position.”

Henry smiled as she walked out and made sure to pretend he didn't notice her sway her hips just a bit more than needed.

He had done it. He wasn't a failure. Henry was on his way to becoming a true Lord of Xaltea.

“You know if the Mistress finds out I did this, she is going to be furious. Enraged even.”

Henry Patton looked from the crowd of tourists flowing through the Belentine starport to his Chief of Security, Tox Utivin. The dark-skinned man stood there with his arms folded across his chest, his sharp eyes roaming from him to the crowd and the scarlet cape draped over his shoulder. Unlike his usual Xaltean outfit, the young Terran was wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and denim jacket to cut the decent breeze sweeping through the planetary capital of Victory.

“Look. I am never going to get a chance any other time,” Henry responded. The two were standing in a small two-room storefront that had one-way glass. Tox had explained it was a holding location for dignitaries and such for House Avernell. It was empty and smelled a bit dusty from lack of use. Plush chairs and couches were neatly arranged for anyone to sit.

Tox shifted on his feet and let out a tired sigh. “Fine, but I’m not going to let you out of my sight. How do you want to do this again? Just so I’m clear.”

Henry could not keep the smile off his face. He checked his pocket and pulled out a small circular device large enough to fit in his palm, flipped up the clear cover, and held it out.

“I have my emergency beacon. The plan is that I’m going to mix with the tourists coming through. There are a lot of humans these days, and I’ll just slip in and appear to be one of them coming out of the starport. Then I can explore Belentine without an army and at least half a dozen maids trailing after me. I can see the city through the eyes of a commoner.”

“But you’re not a commoner. You’re a Lord of House Avernell.”

“That’s the thing,” Henry laughed, pointing out the window. “They don’t know that. I know you’ve got a few soldiers here, but the rule is simple. Don’t interfere unless my life is on the line. Just let things happen naturally.”

Tox sighed again and then nodded. “Your wish is my command, my lord, but when Mistress Maer finds out, I fully intend to put you in the line of fire.”

Though Henry laughed at that, it did give him pause. Mistress Maevin Maer, the woman who ran the estate and was his right hand, would lose it if she discovered that he was just let to roam. He could already picture her icy blue eyes sparking with fury and the polite but utterly devastating admonishments that would follow.

“Is it worth it?” Tox inquired, divining what he was thinking.

“Yeah.”

“Very well. I will see you at dusk.”

Slipping the disk back into his pocket, Henry opened the door as a large swath of tourists funneled out from customs and easily merged. Not a single person even looked at him as they were enraptured by the smooth, tall skyscrapers that made up Belentine’s skyline. It was filled with buildings of varying heights. They were a mixture of square and rectangular structures like he would have seen on Earth, while others had gentle slopes and curves like one would expect for Xalteans.

The walkway they were taking from the starport toward the public transportation was suspended over a section of the city, and Henry could make out the circular building of the Central Maid Directorate down below. The crowds were snapping pictures, pointing, and gabbing. The amount of English he was hearing was far more than he was used to.

“Look over there! You see that tall tower?” one girl was saying, pointing towards a spire that raised in the center of the city and dwarfed everything else. “What is that?”

“That’s some sort of beacon?” the father said, confused as he looked at the brochure.

“It’s the defensive shield emitter for the city,” Henry said before he thought better of it. The family of four looked over to him, surprised.

“I don’t see it in the pamphlet?” the father, a rotund man with a red face, said, holding it out.

Henry gestured vaguely toward some Xaltean officials. “I heard someone mention it while I was walking by.”

That seemed to be a good enough excuse. Henry lost sight of them as they all began to board the sleek buses that sat in a bypass ready to merge with the high-speed highway that ran in the center of the city. Voices continued to chatter excitedly around him as he found a window seat. For the first time in a long time, Henry felt normal.

Wow. I can’t believe I forgot what it’s like being a nobody, he thought to himself.

“Can we go see the fountain park?” a young boy squealed somewhere in the back as his parents tried to shush him.

“I heard they opened up Gisar’s Grove to tourists,” an older woman in the seat in front of them said to the man beside her.

“You think we can buy a maid or two to take home?” someone on the other side of the aisle joked. Henry shot a glare at the two twenty-something boys examining the pamphlet as if it had answers.

The bus began to move, and before he knew it, they were rushing down the highway at high speeds, the scenery flashing by them. A glance at the digital sign at the front by the driver mentioned Anashee Square. That was where he wanted to go.

---

Getting off the bus was relatively easy as the passengers flooded out and dispersed within the already present crowd. The square was massive, about a mile across, with lines of businesses and medium buildings along the U-shaped plaza. Like an onion, going down toward the center was layered with steps that circled the concrete valley until it reached a fancy water fountain with the statue of Ala, the Goddess of Rain, in the center.

Souvenirs. That was what he needed to get. Annabelle would have wanted something fluffy like a stuffed toy, while his dad would have appreciated something with history. How about mom, older brother, and other sister? That was a different question.

Maybe a cookbook for mom? Ephraim would probably like something military.
Modesty Patton, his twin sister who was a nun of Celestianity, would be a lot harder. I’ll get her a book. That’s the safest option.

Walking along the edge of the plaza and avoiding the crowds and the open-air courtyards, Henry finally spotted a large mall that had smaller shops inside. That was probably going to be the best option.

As he walked, the young man glanced over and noticed three people that stood out from the tourists and Xalteans who wore regular clothing. They wore traditional outfits in dark orange with black trim. Their tvekel skirts reached the ground while the folded layers covered their chest and back. The one that appeared to be the leader had a tiara in her hair that sparkled against the dark curls. They were obviously members of a House, though he did not recognize which. They were definitely not Avernell.

The leader glanced over toward him and their eyes locked for a moment. Her eyes were dark and felt like they could pierce him straight through. There was cunning in them as she surveyed everything, causing his stomach to flip-flop. Dropping his eyes, Henry stepped into the nearest shop to just stay out of sight.

It was a small shop filled with clothes and other trinkets designed to get the attention of shoppers from other planets. There were products with English and Spanish writing, as those were two of five official languages of the Terran Confederacy. He walked between the shelves looking for something his family would like.

Henry sensed it first, a presence behind him. He turned around, and standing only a few feet away was the woman in orange from earlier. Her sharp eyes were tearing through him, and there was a smirk tugging at the corner of her pretty mouth. Up close, he could see how fierce she appeared, her long face and slender nose looking at him like a predator that cornered prey.

“Oh,” Henry said in English, refusing to give away he knew Xaltean. “Am I in your way?”

“No,” she answered in accented English.

“Oh, good. I'm just trying to find some gifts for my family before the shuttle leaves,” Henry said, trying to sound like a tourist.

“I see,” the woman said stepping closer, her scent reaching his nose. A mixture of smoke and spice. “Do you plan to stay long in Belentine, Lord Patton-Avernell of Blue Blossom Estate?”

Henry's stomach dropped into his shoes. His face must have gone pale as the predatory grin grew bigger.

“Eta ki vi ki?” Who are you? Henry asked in Xaltean, trying to regain his footing.

The woman bowed mockingly to him as she spoke. “I am Battle Maid of the 4th Order Tivin. House Irisik.”

Shit, Henry thought, taking a step back.

“I'm surprised your handlers let you out on your own,” Tivin said, stepping forward and not allowing him a chance to retreat. “It is unbecoming of a Lord of the Green not to have their entourage with them.”

She took another step forward, and Henry found his back against the wall. “Or their security.”

“You really think I'm without security?” Henry said, trying to sound brave.

“No,” Tivin answered matter-of-factly. “I know of the stories of Primal Tox Utivin who serves as your Chief of Security. He's got soldiers watching you.”

“Good that you know.” Did that sound brave?

“The problem is,” she took one more step forward and there were only a few inches between them. Her scent overtook his senses. “Their reaction time will be twenty to thirty seconds, no clear shot if you deployed snipers. I could have a knife in your stomach before they could get in the shop.”

Henry's eyes dropped to her belt, where the sheathed weapon sat.

“Is threats the way a servant of Irisik greets a lord?” Henry asked, trying to remember everything his Emissary Maids had taught him and use the culture against her. There were only words between him and whatever she had planned.

Tivin's eyes did not leave his face; they seemed to search for something. Fear, maybe? Henry breathed a sigh of relief as she took a step back.

“We are in the back of a tourist shop,” Tivin said, reaching near his head and running her fingers across the costume jewelry that clinked and swayed. “No one knows we are here and you haven't earned my respect.”

Xaltean propriety stated he should have challenged her on that. He was the ruling Lord of the sector, and she owed him deference to his title. Instead, he reached out and plucked the necklace she was fiddling with from her hand.

“Well, in that case, how about you accept this as a gift from me?”

Tivin started at those words. She actually took two steps back, a horrified look on her face. “What did you say?” the woman demanded.

It was Henry's turn to smile. “I mean, if we are doing away with protocol and propriety, why can't I offer a pretty girl a gift? Are you interested in going out to eat together? Maybe take a stroll in the nearby park? I hear Gisar's Grove is beautiful at this time of day.”

Tivin's face blanched, and she stepped back even further, keeping her distance as if the words themselves could harm her. Her voice lowered in volume as she hissed at him. “I am not your heshut! How dare you treat me as if I am your toy that you can decorate and spoil.”

“So, the rules are important then?” Henry asked, setting the necklace down. He saw the realization cover her face and then a burn of red in her cheeks. For the first time, she lowered her eyes. She gripped the edges of her skirt and curtseyed deeply.

“My Lord Patton-Avernell. My greetings to you. I apologize for my inappropriate conversation and will accept any punishment you deem appropriate.”

“How about,” Henry said, side-stepping around her as Tivin looked up, “we pretend that we never had this conversation?”

“You'd let it go?” Tivin asked suspiciously. “Do you expect my body in return?”

“For crying out loud,” Henry said with a roll of his eyes. “We aren't sex-crazed monsters. I'm in enough trouble with my Mistress that I'd rather not add inter-estate diplomatic incident to the list.”

Tivin remained silent as she stared at him, and for a second, he thought the situation was going to get intense again. Instead, she simply nodded at him.

“Then I shall take my leave, Lord.”

She turned to leave as she could see the two others that had come with her to Belentine making their way across the plaza toward them.

“For what it's worth,” Henry offered, “it was actually nice to meet you.”

Tivin just looked over her shoulder at him, a hint of confusion on her face before she vanished out the door. Henry let out a sigh of relief.

“I cannot understand how you keep avoiding death.”

Henry visibly jumped, and his heart skipped a beat. In the shadows in a connecting row, he saw Tox lean out into the light. “First the tiakesetel with House Nevakev and now here.”

“You were there the whole time?” Henry asked, relieved that he actually had someone with him.

“Of course,” Tox chuckled. “Did you really think I was going to let you out of my sight?”

Henry laughed at that as they made their way to the door. The Terran had to make sure of something, though.

“You did hear that I don't want anything done about this Tivin, right? Nothing about her mouthing off to Maevin.”

“I honor your wishes no matter how strange they may be.”

Forget the souvenirs. Henry wanted to get back to Blue Blossom.

When the torrential downpour came, the maids working in the manicured woods scattered. The summer rains had finally come to the planet Victory, beating back the sticky heat. The storm came so fast that the only warning was the wind ripping through the branches and the roar of the water.

For Henry Patton, though, he was not so lucky. He had been deeper in the woods than normal and was trying to help clear out the overgrown section. The young Terran wanted to install a recreation area near the temple. The temple of Ala had been a fixture for some time and needed more visitors. Maevin had been proud of him for the idea.

When the rains came, Henry was dragging a rather large branch when the wind ripped at his loose shirt. The maid working with him, Xion, called out, and the two made a sprint towards the only shelter near them. It was a kiosk of stone with a roof that spread out from the center pillar, providing cover. The rock was smooth from years of exposure. They hopped the two steps to get off the ground that was fast turning soft and muddy.

Even with the speed they ran, they were both soaked—Henry more than the Xaltean maid. Henry’s loose shirt was sticking to him while his trousers dripped water into his shoes. He looked like a wet cloth bag wrapped around a human. Xion hadn’t as much to worry about. She wore what resembled a swimsuit bottom and a metal band on her sternum that followed the contours of her breasts. She was a Harvester of the Sixth Order. The utility band was magnetic and held onto her skin through a sort of bio-magnetic system. Xion was wearing nothing else. Henry had gotten used to the fact that most of the maids around him were topless. It took a bit, but he was finally getting comfortable with it.

“You okay?” Henry asked as he sat down on the carved stone step of the kiosk, glad the rock had retained the heat of the day.

“Out of breath,” she laughed as she began to ring the water out of her long, brown hair. “That came out of nowhere. Weather services failed again.”

“Something in common with humans then,” Henry added. “Ours are horrible at predicting weather too.”

She giggled again as she threw her wet hair over her shoulder with a splat. Before she could say anything else, the gauntlet on Henry’s wrist hummed and lit up. He tapped it, knowing who was on the other end.

“Are you alright, master?” Mistress Maevin Maer’s voice came over the small speaker. “The maids said they hadn’t seen you when the storm started.”

“I was further in the woods clearing some brush,” Henry explained. “I’m under one of the kiosks out here. I’m not sure which…”

Xion spoke up at that point. “Northern rest two, mistress.”

There was a pause that lasted a lot longer than he would have thought.

“Xion is with you,” Maevin stated. It was not a question, and her voice carried a tone he did not recognize.

“Yeah. She was helping me move brush.”

“I’ll have a vehicle come pick you up and get you out of the rain.”

Henry shook his head even though Maevin couldn’t see it. “No, no. We’ll wait it out. We’re under cover, and it’s a warm rain.”

“As you wish, my master,” she responded, but there was that long pause again before Maevin continued. “Xion—”

“I understand, Mistress, and will uphold your expectations.”

The channel closed with no other word, and Henry looked to Xion with confusion. There was mirth in her eyes.

“Did I miss something?”

“There are propriety and rules when it comes to the lord of the estate,” Xion said, sitting down beside him. “Third Order maids and higher are the only ones allowed to be alone with their master. It is because they have proven their loyalty and safety. I am only a sixth order harvester. I have not proven to my Arch Maid that I am trusted.”

“Trusted? I don’t understand. You all have been really nice to me,” Henry responded, the confusion deepening.

Xion shook her head, causing the dark curls framing her face to bounce. The rain was still falling heavily, accentuating the security of their little hideaway.

“Oh, my master. You are so wonderfully naive. I wish the rest of the Houses could be like this,” she saw his face and continued. “Would you feel so comfortable sitting with a maid from Black Forge Estate or House Irisik in general?”

The mention of the Estate and House that Blue Blossom was in a feud with made the realization of what she was saying.

“A lower-ranking maid could be working with an opposing house. If I was with Irisik, I would have you where no one could rescue you.”

Henry Patton chuckled nervously. “You’re… not Irisik?”

Xion let out a laugh of pure mirth, the smile that had been hiding in the corners of her mouth now covering her face. “How dare you insult me, My lord! I am loyal to you and House Avernell.”

Henry knew she was mock-offended and relaxed. The two stared out into the rain. It came down creating a gray curtain where the green and brown obscured the woods.

“Is it true your people hate us, master?”

Henry turned to look at her, but Xion’s eyes were still looking out towards the trees. He had no idea where the question came from but took a moment to think before responding.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said with a sigh. “I think Xalteans are misunderstood, and that misunderstanding breeds fear. Do you think we hate you?”

“I used to,” she admitted, her brown eyes flicking over to him with a bit of uncertainty. “People used to say that humans were disgusting creatures who could not control themselves. People who would burn our worlds, steal our resources, and violate our bodies.”

Henry swallowed, not quite sure how to respond, but Xion quickly bowed her head when she saw the expression on his face. “I’m so sorry, Master!”

“Don’t be,” he responded, forcing himself to let the tension go. “I think it’s things like this that keep our peoples from getting along. We had our own beliefs about your people too.”

“Like what?” she asked, curious.

Henry stopped for a moment. Having grown up within the Innocentia, they had a lot more to say.

“I was told you all were wanton, decadent freaks who only thought of their own pleasures.”

Xion turned again to him, and for a minute, Henry was worried he said too much, but her eyes were twinkling. “But some of us are wanton, decadent freaks.”

The young man laughed awkwardly and quipped, “I now see what Maevin’s concern was.”

Instead of being insulted, she gently patted him on the shoulder. “Your virtue is safe with me, my master.”

Henry looked out towards the rain that had become a soft cadence. For a moment, this place had begun to feel like home.

When I was restoring my servers that hosted my blog (I had a complete hardware crash), I realized that I hadn't published an update in a while. When I went to check the last time I had posted something, I found out it had been eight months!

So here you go! The updates to what is going on behind the scenes in the Beloved Universe.

Beloved Chains – Slow but Sure

I had hoped we would be further along in finishing the fourth installment of the main web manga, but that has turned out not to be the case. 2024 has been rough for everyone, especially my artist who is attempting to finish this all up. We were able to get a few pages released so far, but we're only a little over 40% complete.

Not to fret though! Not only am I going to be seeing 6 pages of drafts soon, but Issue 5 has already been paid for so we can go directly into that story!

Just hang in there and we will get to the end of this issue, I promise!

Beloved Maid – Almost Done

I cannot believe that Beloved Maid has gone on for nine issues! When I originally created this companion comic to Beloved Chains, it was meant to be a silly comedy. It turned out to be much more than that and spawned not only a whole host of new characters but its own novella too!

Beloved Maid is finishing up its 9th issue now, and there are only two issues left, with the 11th being the last one! So, we are really close to seeing the epic conclusion of Princess Aevina's arc!

Did the Visual Novel fail?

No. The visual novel is still on my project list, but it has had to take a back seat to a lot of things. Programming a game—even as simple as Tales of Blue Blossom—still requires a lot of coding and content to write, and working with one artist has made things slower. The artist who has been doing the artwork has been working on over 200+ pieces for almost two years now.

My goal is to start working on this visual novel as soon as Beloved Maid has been completed (or at least I have all the scripts written for the artist).

Then we'll get to tell this tale!

Anything in the pipeline?

There are a few things I'm throwing around that I am thinking I want to work on. Some of those are:

• Beloved Chains light novel series
  
• A new companion comic (not sure on this one)
  
• Deck-building card game
  
• Simple mobile app game
  

These are only a few ideas I have tossed around, none of them having made it off the idea board yet.

Ending

Well, that's it. I probably won't write another one of these until possibly after the New Year. Again, thank you so much for your continued support for this universe, and I hope you all have a wonderful autumn and winter!

Wow. I cannot believe it has been six months since I provided an update for everyone who isn't a member of the Discord server. So, here we go!

Beloved Maid: Alone in the Wilds – Released!

I did think I was going to be able to, but I actually got the first novella in the Beloved Maid series released!

Beloved Chains: Issue 4

There really isn't much to provide for this section except that Issue 4 isn't dead. The artist who is finishing it up had some unavoidable emergencies that have put this on hiatus.

Pages will be released as soon as I get them!

Beloved Maid: Issue 7

For everyone that is following Beloved Maid, we are on our way through Issue 7, and the good news is that the rest of the series is entirely funded!

After laying out the entire story, there will be twelve issues total and one more novella for this part of the universe! That doesn't mean that it ends with these characters, just the series itself.

Plans for this year

For 2024, I really do not have more plans except for continuing the projects that we already have but also get the collections released that I had been planning for some time. There is the short story collection and Beloved Chains: Spring, which combines all the issues of both web comics (plus artwork) into one physical volume.

Ending

So, that's that. Not much else to update you with, but if there is something specific you'd like to ask, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or join the Discord and ask there!

Autumn Updates from the Beloved Universe

I am amazed how fast the summer has gone and now that we are back in autumn. We actually passed our four-year mark here at Comic Fury on the 7th of this month! In a way, it is hard to believe that this much time has passed while working on this passion project, and I appreciate each and every one of you that have stayed along for the ride. So! What's still coming? Let's get that update done!

Beloved Chains

Issue 4

Just a few updates when it comes to this one. Issue #4 is still going. All the layouts have been completed, and I already have the first completed page. I'm hoping to get at least half the pages in my hand before I start releasing again.

I want to avoid too long of a hiatus, but I also don't want to put you all in the situation of not knowing when the next page is coming out.

New Artist!

I am happy to announce that we have a new artist for the series, and you have actually seen his work before. MajiroB, the artist behind the Interlude 2 – “Obedience”

He will be taking over the story for Issue 5 that is presently being written! I'm very excited to be working with him in the coming months!

Beloved Maid

All of you haven't finished Issue #5, but I already have almost all of Issue #6, which will be uploaded right behind, so there shouldn't be any interruption between the two!

Digital Comics Released!

I have also gotten Beloved Maid released digitally for anyone who wants to get a personal copy and support the project! You can find them below:

• Issue #1 Amazon
  
• Issue #2 Amazon
  
• Issue #3 Amazon
  
• Issue #4 Amazon
  

Blue Blossom Adventures Visual Novel

Unfortunately, this project has been on the bottom of my to-do list due to how much it takes to get done. Like I mentioned in my last update, I had to redo all the code again to make it better and run smoother. It was a lot of work down the drain, but in the end, it'll make the game a lot better!

More to come on this, even though it might be a while.

Novellas & Short Stories

In the gaps between art releases and the other projects, I decided to lean into the talent I actually have and get some content out for those who like to read about the world as much as read the comic.

Forsaken & Other Stories

The short story collection is now at 5 completed stories of 15. Some of the other ones I'm working on are longer, but I'm going to get this done. I plan to release a few more online for everyone to read if they'd like.

Between a Princess & A Hard Place

The first novella based in Beloved Maid! I started this one while on vacation as I had a wild idea to slip some story between a point in Issue #6. There are about 10,000 words of the planned 25,000, and I hope to release it before the end of the year!

I've been really wanting to get a novella done for this universe, as I wanted to see what these characters were like in a story.

My Beloved Chains: Spring

This is almost done. It is actually an omnibus of Beloved Chains Issues 1 through 4 and Beloved Maid Issues 1 through 5, plus the inclusion of a lot of the art, including some art that has never been released!

The goal is to release this as a Print on Demand manga so that anyone can get a physical copy of the entire universe to read whenever they want!

How can You Keep up on Projects?

I decided it was time for a way to track the projects so you could easily see how they are going. If you go to the following page, you can see an updated status of the present project, where it's at, and the funding status of the next issue after!

Status of Beloved Universe

How you can help?

I'm still working on a perk system built into my Beloved Universe website, but if you are interested in helping out, there are a few ways you can help:

• You can donate through LiberaPay or through PayPal.
  
• Purchase one or more of the released volumes.
  
• Vote and share Beloved Universe with whoever you want to enlarge the readership!
  

Where to Hang Out?

Interested in hanging out and seeing snippets and sneak peeks? I release some snippets of projects in progress on our Discord, and for those who love decentralized technology, you can join us at our new Matrix server (which bridges to Discord)!

Discord

Ending

That's it so far! Thank you again to each and every one of you who has taken time out of their day to follow the adventures of Henry, Maevin, Aevina, Larry, and the rest of the Beloved Universe cast!

Have you ever had that moment where you were sad and happy at the same time? That is what I am experiencing right now.

I am sad to announce that Laura Mondragon, the artist behind Beloved Chains, will be departing the project after the conclusion of Issue 4. That is the bitter part, as she has been with me since the project started and created the fundamental visual style that defines the Beloved Universe. Through the five years we worked together, she became a dear friend and will be sorely missed.

The sweet part is that her decision to step away is due to the need to shift priorities for her family life and opportunities to pursue her career as a professional artist.

I will be the first to say that I am proud of her and what she has accomplished, and though her iconic drawing style will be missed, it would be selfish of me not to want her to be the best that she could be!

Beloved Chains is not Dead

No, this does not mean that Beloved Chains is coming to an end after the completion of the fourth issue. I will have more news on the next artist who will continue the series in the next blog I post, sometime mid-week!

Stay tuned for more updates on where we will be going from here!

Thank you all for your continued support of this project and the love you have shown Laura's work. I know she has great things ahead of her!