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Henry Patton had been warned about the swift weather changes in the Arctic Circle of the planet Victory. As Tula, one of his maids with thick hair in twin tails, updated him on the weather and what to expect when he arrived in Khelen, Maevin Maer, his mistress, had explained to him the importance of this trip, as cities like Khelen were small with only a thousand or so people and no close estate to provide support. Well, no Avernell estate. Khelen was several dozen miles away from Black Fall Estate, which was controlled by House Devenek. Devenek was one of the major rivals of House Avernell, but he had been told it wouldn't be a problem. That was until the electronic malfunction of Henry's shuttle changed all that.

“Fasten yourself in!” the pilot called over the intercom as the shuttle gave a heavy jerk. Henry felt his stomach flip-flop as they dropped altitude suddenly.

“Left stabilizer's gone!” the co-pilot said, his hands dancing expertly across his panel.

“Closest landing zone?”

“Black Fall Estate.”

The co-pilot, a sharp-looking man with dark skin and long braided hair, looked back to Henry.

“Any other options?” Henry asked, swallowing.

“Ditch into the tundra.”

Yeah, that wasn't an option. The young Terran lord gave a firm nod, and immediately the pilot's hands flew across the screen while the other steered the shuttle into a steep turn.

“Black Fall Estate. This is shuttle vevet-lalu of House Avernell. We have suffered a catastrophic malfunction to our energized stabilizer and are losing altitude. By the auspices of the Gray Council, we seek permission to land.”

The comm was dead—no response—and Henry swallowed in concern. As the dark-skinned man reached to press the button again, there was a distinct chime and a voice came through. The Terran couldn't tell if they were bored or angry.

“Shuttle vevet-lalu, by the graces of the auspice, you are cleared to land. Transmitting coordinates: landing pad balu. We have an emergency crew standing by.”

All Henry could do was hold on and pray to God that he would live. Out the front port window, he could see the long tundra covered with splotches of snow and ice, which was getting closer faster than he'd like. The ground was barely visible as the sun had begun to set.

The young man glanced over to the two maids who sat across from him, fear but resolve in their eyes. Hena, an Estate Maid of the 6th Order, gripped tight to the armrests of her chair. She wore the standard pink tvekel of her rank, emerald hair long and in a braid. Her warm coat was across her lap in all its furry glory. The other was a young man he hadn't met, an Emissary Maid named Fildar who had been assigned to him. Of course, Gimavek, his bodyguard, wore his armor and had a steeled expression of someone who was ready to face his end.

Oh, how Maevin would lose it when she found out. The usual people—Maevin, Siv, Nish, and Abiva—couldn't accompany him due to important estate matters, and this was believed to be just a simple meet-and-greet to show the flag. He had been here long enough to understand. Maevin felt he needed to be seen in command and not following behind his mistress. Oh, how that did not go according to plan.

We might actually have to ditch, he thought, looking back out the front window as the ground got closer.

Like a beacon of hope, ahead of them brilliant lights flared as the expansive estate came into view. It was nestled in a mountain range, but farther away he could make out the four landing pads. Of course, the holographic display was showing them aiming for the farthest one.

Don't want to crash and burn near something important, Henry mused to himself.

It was all credit to the skill of the pilot that they did not plow into the side of the mountain that the Black Fall Estate was built into, even when a bitter gust of wind caught the flailing shuttle. It was the hard bump that almost threw Henry out of his seat that announced their arrival.

“All power is being shut down,” the co-pilot said as his hands danced over the touchscreen in front of him. Like life ebbing away, the lights dimmed, the beeping softened, until there was nothing left but the soft glow of the emergency lights built into the floor, showing how to safely exit the craft.

“Now to survive until repairs,” Fildar muttered under his breath as he peered out the shuttle window at the windswept landing pad.

“Have you radioed for help to Blue Blossom?” Henry asked the pilots as he walked towards their open cockpit.

The man shook his head. “It doesn't have the range we need, especially with the mountains interfering. It's got enough Kelenite in it to scramble any transmission. You're going to have to use the estate's comm array.”

The Terran lord nodded, though his gut churned. With the adrenaline of the near-crash wearing off, the full ramifications of the situation he was in were sinking in quickly.

Gimavek had been pulling out heavy coats of fine material, offered one to Henry, and once he took it, gave one to Fildar. Hena was trying to pull hers on but was shaking uncontrollably.

“Are you alright?” Henry asked her, trying to keep his voice calm.

Her large, beautiful eyes looked straight at him. “We are at a hostile estate. You may be protected, but anything could happen to me.”

Lord Henry looked to Fildar, which the Emissary Maid was quick to translate. “Historically, things have been known to happen to servants and personnel while being at an estate of a hostile or enemy house.”

“Does Devenek pose that risk?”

“Not in recent years, but you're not Xaltean, my master, so I do not know how they will react.”

Cinching the soft sash around his waist, he turned to Hena, who had just finished. “You stay by my side and never leave. I'm not going to let anything happen to you.”

She nodded.

“That goes for you too, Fildar,” Henry said with a smile.

Gimavek patted his pulse rifle. “If they threaten you, my lord, I'll kill every last one of them.”

God, I hope that doesn't happen.

The bitter cold wind ripped at Henry's face, stealing his breath as he stepped down the extended steps to the platform below. His hood was barely breaking the cold as the flurries whisked past him like frozen ghosts trapped in a vortex. There was only one way off the pad: a long gangway over the rock outcropping this specific landing pad was built upon.

“My Lord,” Gimavek said, his voice low. Henry's eyes followed to where he was looking, and they both could make out the clad forms of three people. They were wearing what appeared to be thick tops and long skirts with another heavy coat on top. The outfits were a dark color except for their sashes. Two of them were a deep violet, while the one in the lead was a vivid blue.

“Devenek servants use color-coded sashes or collars to denote their positions,” Fildar whispered to him as they approached. “The woman in front is either a 2nd or 3rd Order Maid. The silver tassels on the sash ends are how you can tell.”

Thank God Fildar was here. Maevin had said that there was a strand of commonality running through each house, but they also had a unique way of showing it. His maids did not wear anything that denoted their rank, while Henry knew Irisik maids with more clothing and ornaments were of higher rank.

As they approached, Henry could see them clearer. The maid in front had her golden hair in two ponytails running down the side of her head across her shoulders. She had furry earmuffs on and a look that could only be disdain.

“My lord,” she started with a half bow that was nowhere near as respectful as it should be. “I am Kita, Estate Maid of the 3rd Order. This is Milu and Aeba. They will be your honored maids.”

Without another word, the three turned and began walking back the way they came.

“Honored maids?” Henry quickly whispered to Fildar.

“Those are specific maids assigned to you for the duration of your visit. They will work with Hena and yourself for your stay.”

“Anything I should worry about?”

“From them? No. That's a line for the houses. Honored Maids must be respected and protected. If not, there would never be someone to trust from the other side.”

Henry nodded. Fildar pointed out an obvious thing with the way the politics seemed to work with these people.

“That doesn't mean they aren't spying on you,” Fildar added as if just remembering it. “So be careful what you say; it will get back to the Lord of the Estate.”

“Which is?”

“Duke of the Blue Shantuk Devenek.”

“Duke?!” Henry said, blinking quickly, trying to keep his eyeballs from freezing from how wide they were. “That's like above my title. And I'm in charge of the planet?”

Fildar nodded. “House Avernell controls the sector. It does not matter what one's rank is if you are not of the controlling house. Duke Devenek's authority is below yours, but I highly recommend you show deference for his title. The respect is going to be important in our situation.”

Well, this was getting better and better. “So I'm over everyone.”

“Unless a member of the royal family visits or any Gray Council High Baron.”

The gangway that they were walking along connected to what appeared to be a long balcony that ran along the mountain's side. There were windows in the rock, and the entire estate seemed to have been built within the crevices and cracks of the mountain. It made Henry think of those old sci-fi movies where one thing phased into another. But all the lights were glowing a warm orange that cut through the gray and white of the snow and deepening twilight.

When they reached a large circular space that was in the center of a large crevasse with other paths sprouting off of it, Henry was glad of the tall guardrails on the paths and spaces, especially when the wind came racing through, making him stumble.

When they finally made it to the large, heavy glass doors and passed the threshold, the heat of the room blasted him in the face. It was whiplash, coming from the freezing outside into the room. As they walked, the Devenek maids unfastened their sashes, shrugged their winter coats off, and then re-fastened said sashes. Their outfits were still warm-looking: long-sleeved fine wool, with skirts that reached to their ankles. As they walked, he could make out the slit running up the side of their legs that gave them the freedom of movement while staying warm.

This entire time, Henry had no clue where they were going, and when they finally stopped in front of yet another set of doors, Kita turned to him, unimpressed.

“The master waits for you, Lord Patton-Avernell. Your guard will remain outside. Your maids may accompany you. Maid Milu and Maid Aeba will prepare your room for the evening.” Kita flicked her wrist in dismissal, and the two others immediately bowed and headed away. Kita pushed open the doors and stepped in.

The place was amazing.

The living room itself was quite large and round with tall windows lining both sides. Directly across from him, breaking up the near-continuous glass, was a massive fireplace and a stone facade running up and into the roof. What was not glass was the natural mountain itself, the structure coexisting with nature. Shallow steps descended two concentric circles, each further down with space between them. Each level was filled with chairs, lounge beds, and tables, while in the center and final circle was a couch that followed the curve while having missing sections on the left and right allowing passage from the center. A large smoky glass table sat in the center, and on the far end was his host.

“My master,” Kita said, crossing her arms across her chest like the letter X and bowing deeply from the waist. “Lord of the Green Henry Patton-Avernell of Blue Blossom Estate.”

Shantuk Devenek was a fierce-looking man. He was at least six feet, broad-chested, with amber eyes that seemed to bore through anything. His hair was a hue of blue as he lounged in the chair. At the announcement of Henry's name, he sat straight, his eyes keen.

“I sincerely apologize for my intrusion into your estate unannounced,” Henry started, trying to sound official like he had heard Maevin speak with many of the visitors who had come to Blue Blossom. He made sure to enunciate the proper Xaltean sounds as he spoke. “I am grateful for you extending shelter.”

“Lord Patton-Avernell,” Shantuk rumbled, standing. “Your apology nor gratefulness is necessary. It is extended as required by the auspices of the Gray Council.”

Henry did not let the brusqueness get to him. This was a hostile faction, that was something he understood. The tiekesetel taught him that much. Henry just stood there quietly, a trick Maevin had taught him. The Duke finally found the silence uncomfortable and motioned for the Terran lord to come down. With Fildar and Hena trailing behind him, Henry truly comprehended the size of the man who ran this estate. He towered over him by at least a foot. Shantuk gestured to the couch opposite, and the Lord of Blue Blossom Estate sat. Immediately Fildar took a position standing behind him, while Hena went to her knees to his left side, eyes cast down, waiting.

It was uncomfortable, but Maevin had explained to him the position and posture of the maids in official gatherings. She was his personal maid, was close if needed, but did not make eye contact with others as it was above her station.

“We have sent a message to your estate,” Shantuk started. “Though they obviously wanted to get here sooner, the weather has turned extremely unsafe. You will be staying the night.”

Well, there was that. Henry let his gaze drift around the chamber once more. The interplay between the warm orange lighting, the glass, and the natural stone gave the room a kind of carved elegance that raw but somehow fit the vibe (for a lack of a better word) that House Devenek was giving off.

“This is… impressive,” he said finally. “I can't even imagine how you planned this place to fit so seamlessly. It's gorgeous.”

Shantuk’s brow twitched, the faintest tightening at the corner of his eye. “It was built by Devenek hands with assistance of the artisans of House Nabeth,” he replied, tone cool. “Function over spectacle. The mountain leaves little room for indulgence.”

Henry didn’t miss the tone, somewhere inside of him he knew he should play things more carefully but the opportunity was so tantalizing. Another House and Maevin wasn't here to make sure it stayed on track. “Their architects must have known exactly how to take advantage of the terrain. Those windows look like they’d withstand a blizzard and a half.”

The Duke blinked. The expected rebuttal clearly wasn’t returned to him. He shifted in his seat.

“It is… sturdy,” he conceded. “The old builders favored resilience. It is not as grand as Avernell holdings.”

The passive edge was unmistakable, yet Henry tilted his head thinking. What had he read in the reports earlier yesterday? “Is that because of the location? Or supply issues?”

That made Shantuk pause. Hena stiffened beside Henry, which he did not miss, and for a split second he realized the question was extremely direct. He could feel Fildar's nervous energy behind him.

“My master,” Fildar started softly.

Shantuk studied the Terran, his eyes searching Henry's face for something. There was mixture of indignation but also confusion on The Duke's face.

“Supply,” he finally said. “Our logistical access is… constrained.”

Henry frowned. “Constrained how? Weather? Distance from central lines? I didn't see anything in the reports I get.”

Shantuk’s jaw tightened. “Politics. That is why.”

That was blunt and Henry could feel every person in the room both side stiffen. It was too late now, the Terran had broached the subject. He felt back out now would have not looked good.

“I take it it's an Avernell thing?”

Shantuk raised a humorless eyebrow.

“Do you not know that your estate controls half the orbital starbase and docking yards around Victory? Devenek holds only three lanes. Not enough for proper freight handling for our primary and four others in the star system. Not enough for consistent throughput of raw goods from the system lanes.” His eyes narrowed. “That limitation is not accidental.”

Henry’s stomach dropped. He had known tensions existed, but not specifics. “I… didn’t realize access was that restricted. I thought the starbase was operating under shared auspices.”

“It is...on paper.” Shantuk leaned back in his comfy couch and stared at Henry. “But Avernell controls it and our houses are not quite...friends. Their priority queues push our shipments out-corridor. Their tax negotiations slow approvals. And we—” He gestured vaguely toward the mountain around them. “We sit on frozen rock. We cannot grow, cannot expand, cannot compete with an estate blessed with open land and warm valleys.”

Henry stared. “That’s… actually unfair.”

Shantuk gave a sharp, mirthless laugh. “You state the obvious, Lord Patton-Avernell.”

“No. Really.” Henry shook his head, hoping he was coming across earnest. “If your estate can’t get materials in or out, you can’t build anything, can’t maintain anything, can’t even manage regular improvements, let alone keep your staff and family safe, that's a problem. That’s basic infrastructure. That affects everyone.”

Yes. At this moment, Henry knew there were politics at play. Victory was controlled by House Avernell and House Devenek was a rival. It was made clear that High Baron Avernell intensly disliked High Baron Moket Devenek so it was obvious why Black Fall estate was struggling and why this Duke looked at him with anger and distrust. But it was unfair and after all the mistakes he made, he was tired of things being unfair. Shantuk narrowed his eyes at his silence.

“You speak as if you intend to do something about it.”

Henry lifted his hands slightly. “I want to. I don’t know all the bureaucratic processes yet, but I have authority. If Devenek needs more docking lanes or more queue access, I can try and get it started. There's a renovation planned.”

“Master!” Hena hissed softly placing her hand on his knee..

Oh. That was supposed to be a secret. His Security Officer had said that things like that could lead to sabotage from other houses who didn't like them. That was how the houses fight.

Henry patted her hand as Shantuk glared at the maid who spoke out of turn.

“Forgive her, Duke. She has only my best interest and you can understand why what I said was not really a smart thing.”

“It was foolish.”

Silence thickened the room. Even the fire seemed to crackle quieter.

Shantuk stared at him with an intensity. “Answer me this, Terran, Why would a house that detests mine offer such a bounty with nothing in return?”

“Well, there would always be something in trade,” Henry said.

“Of course there is. And what do you expect me to pay for this privilege?”

“Nothing monetary.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t want us to be rivals,” Henry said plainly. “I’m not here to start fights or keep feuds alive. I barely understand half the customs I’m supposed to follow.” He said awkwardly. “As you just saw how my maid reacted. But I do know that if we are always wating for the knife in the back, we can't truly take care of our own.”

Shantuk’s jaw moved slightly, as though testing the weight of Henry’s words.

“I see.”

“Look. You know that we're upgrading the starbase. Yes, I understand that telling you is a risk since, as you said, our houses are rivals. But this is what I would like to propose.”

Henry internally cringed and laughed at himself as he seemed to not be able to stop himself. Boy, Maevin was going to have his ass for what he was doing here.

“I would like to propose a joint venture. House Devenek is the second largest house here on Victory and within the star system. If you provide workers, resources, and experience along with Avernell engineers, we'll give you a larger portion of the station so you can take care of your people.”

Shantuk’s gaze drifted to Hena, to Fildar, then back to Henry with what could only be disbelief at this strange Terran.

“Do you not worry that we will sabotage the station weakening Avernell's position here?”

“And ruin your advantage?” Henry asked feeling a moment of brilliance...god, he hoped it was brilliance. “You're getting more space, participation where you can claim that you helped make the upgrades, and the chance of not worrying someone is going to back stab you.”

“The High Barons would not go for it.”

“Not their call.”

That brought stunned silence. The temperature in the room had dropped and it was not just because of the night that had descended.

“Explain.”

“I saw the paperwork that was drafted for Blue Blossom. We are House Patton-Avernell. I'm saying we do this as the Lord of Blue Blossom to the Lord of Black Fall. We work together for the betterment of our people, not for our houses.”

“You are either naïve,” the Duke murmured, “or far more dangerous than you appear.”

Henry swallowed. “Is… that a good thing?”

A faint, almost imperceptible, smile touched the corner of Shantuk’s mouth.

“Time will tell.”

He rested his hands on the armrests, posture relaxing a fraction.

“For now,” he said, “we will treat your proposal as… a gesture. Nothing more. But gestures can have weight. And if you are sincere in this desire to ease tensions…” His eyes locked onto Henry’s with quiet intensity. “Then I am willing to see where this goes.”

Henry nodded. “That’s all I’m asking.”

Shantuk gave a slow exhale, something easing in his shoulders.

“Very well,” he said. “Tomorrow we will speak in more detail. But tonight—you are my guest. And the snow outside ensures you remain so.”

With that. The meeting was over.

---

Night settled over the Devenek estate with a slow and heavy presence. The storm that had begun in the afternoon had grown into a full mountain gale. The floor to ceiling window of the guest room showed a sheer drop into the crevasse, now filled with swirling white. Gusts of snow slammed against the glass in repetitive waves, each one muffled but unmistakable.

Henry stood near the window for a moment, watching the wind tear through the abyss. He had never seen weather that violent. The rains in the valley where Blue Blossom was were scary in their own right but there was something with the way the snow and wind ripped at everything.It was as if the storm wanted to swallow the entire estate whole.

Behind him, the large guest chamber had taken on an unplanned arrangement. Fildar was already asleep on the long couch that curved beneath a wall of carved stone having been worn out from the adrenalin of the meeting. He begged forgiveness as he collapsed on the couch. Henry did not even fault him for it. He wanted to collapse too. He had refused the servants quarters with his characteristic stubbornness. Gimavek sat on the floor in front of the door, back straight, pulse rifle within arm’s reach. He intended to rest with one eye open and had no intention of letting anyone slip past him.

Hena hovered near Henry, jumping every time a large gust of wind slammed against the window. When one particularly loud crack echoed upward through the mountain, she flinched hard and grabbed Henry’s sleeve. She immediately let it go.

“I apologize, My master,” she said with a bow.

“You okay?”

“I will be.”

“Hena.”

The maid looked at him and glanced to the protocol maid who was out cold.

“I'm scared. I've never seen a storm like this and we are at a hostile house. I don't want to die here.”

“You're not going to die. You're safe in this room.”

Hena did not seem to believe him, her eyes large in fright. He sighed. He had done it before but he motioned to the bed.

“You want to crash here with me?”

Her eyes got even wider.

Henry nodded. “It is fine. You can stay here.”

What ever doubt she might have had, it was gone when the wind hit the window again. Before he could react, she shed her clothes, and darted into the bed with nothing but the blanket pulled tightly around her shoulders. She curled into a terrified ball, eyes fixed on the storm outside. Henry sighed inwardly. He just invited a girl into his bed. Who was now naked. His mother would have been horrified.

'I guess I have changed a bit.'

He settled on the opposite side of the bed, still dressed, giving her as much space as possible. She immediately inched closer, seeking warmth like a frightened animal.

Fildar’s voice drifted from the couch, low and gravelly. “That was a risky maneuver today.” He yawned but did not lift his head. “Speaking so honestly to Shantuk could have turned very ugly.”

“I thought you were asleep,” Henry called over leaning up against the pillow. “You don't have to wake up.”

“I dozed. I appreciate your indulgance, My Master,” he said yawning again.

“Go back to sleep.”

Fildar didn't seem to argue as he was snoring again. Another thunderous crack rattled the glass. Hena burrowed closer and hid her face.

Henry laid back on the pillow and drifted to sleep. How long he was asleep, the young Terran did not know. Henry awoke with a slow pull of awareness, as if the dark itself was trying to lull him back into sleep. The storm outside had grown heavier and the world beyond the tall window was filled with swirling curtains of white. Moonlight hit the snow and scattered a pale glow through the room. Faint shadows trembled across the ceiling as the wind pressed against the mountain walls.

Warmth pressed against his side. Hena slept half draped over him, breathing softly. Her skin felt like heated silk under the blankets. She had curled up there after whispering that the storm howled like the dead and that she would never get any rest alone. She was drooling on him. There was something so stark and hilarious about that. It took everything in him not to laugh.

Fildar was still snoring and at a glance, in the shadow of the door he could see Gimavek still blocking it but asleep, weapon in his arms. Which is why Henry’s heart lurched when he saw the silhouette sitting on the edge of the bed.

Someone was there.

Someone he had not heard enter.

For the briefest instant every muscle in his body went tight. His breath caught in his throat. The shadows parted just enough for him to see the sharp line of cheek and jaw, the long fall of hair, the steady eyes watching him without blinking.

It was the maid from earlier. The haughty one.

Kita. That's it.

His pulse kicked hard. For one terrible second he was certain she had been sent to kill him just as Hena had warned.

Kita lifted a hand, palm toward him. Her voice came quiet that it was almost lost in the wind. “Relax. If I wished you dead you would not have woken.”

“How,” Henry managed, “did you get in here without waking them?”

A small light crossed her eyes, something like pride. “One trained by House Gijol can easily enter a room like this.”

Gijol. The house that trained Ashkatula. Assassins.

Henry swallowed. “That is not comforting.”

“It is not meant to comfort. It is meant to answer your question.”

He tried not to shift too much, because Hena murmured and tightened her arms around his ribs, completely unaware. Kita’s eyes flicked to her only once, then back.

“Did Shantuk send you?” Henry asked.

“Yes,” she said. “He must balance the will of House Devenek with the good of his estate, yet he is not without honor. Though he pledges your safety, I am here to personally guarantee it.” Her gaze softened a fraction. “He assigned me to make sure nothing happens to you before morning.”

Henry frowned. “Is there a threat I should know about?”

“There is always a threat.” Kita's said. “Your presence here benefits some and offends others. Devenek has foes who would relish the chance to kill a visiting lord and force Shantuk to answer for it. There are others who would enjoy thrusting blame upon him. You and your House are not the only ones that pose a threat to us.”

Henry let out a slow breath. The bed felt smaller and the chamber colder. He stared at her for a long moment. Her presence was unnervingly steady.

“Then what happens in the morning?”

“I take you to your shuttle. I have sworn to ensure you leave these walls in safety.”

“And if something happens to me,” he asked, “or you fail?”

“Then my throat will be cut and my body left to bleed out in the snow. Such is the consequence of failure.”

Horror swept through him so fast it made him sit up slightly, which only made Hena cling tighter. “That is insane. I have my own guard. You don't have to risk your life like that!”

Kita regarded him with an expression that might have been amusement. “It is not throwing anything away. It is the life I chose. Devenek gives me purpose. I serve until I can serve no longer. I will not fail my master.”

Henry shook his head. “No one should have to live like that.”

“It is the way it is. I accepted that long time ago.”

He let his back sink into the pillow again, though the tension refused to leave his body.

“I am not going back to sleep,” he whispered. “I won't let you risk your life.”

“You will sleep, little lord” she said in a voiceless laugh. “Your body needs rest. I am here. Nothing will touch you.”

Her confidence was so complete that it settled over him like another blanket. Hena breathed against his shoulder. Fildar snored. The storm howled against the window with a deep, rhythmic pulse. His eyelids grew heavier in spite of himself.

Kita remained a still figure at the edge of the bed, he shadow almost statuesque in the dark shadow illuminated with moonlight.

Henry’s eyes fluttered once.

Twice.

Then he was gone.

---

The wind carved long, low notes across the landing platform as the morning broke. The storm had not fully passed, yet it had lost the angry bite it held the night before. Snow drifted in slow spirals and the light was muted behind a curtain of cloud. Henry stood with his winter robe pulled tight, hood drawn low, breath steaming in the cold. Hena stood beside him in her formal winter layers and looked far more composed than she had in the middle of the night. Fildar and Gimavek hovered close, both alert in spite of the early hour.

The door to the interior hall slid open. Duke Shantuk stepped onto the stone platform. Another man followed. He was tall, broad shouldered and wrapped in thick protective robes. A silver sash crossed his waist which was a new color and there was not time for Henry to ask Fildar. Frost clung to the man’s beard and he bowed formally before taking his place behind the Duke.

Shantuk inclined his head to Henry in a calm, almost neutral greeting.

“Lord Henry,” Shantuk said. “This is my steward, Vedarat. He ensures the estate remains in order and that our servants operate with discipline.”

Vedar bowed again. “An honor to receive you, my lord.”

Henry returned a respectful nod. “Thank you. Your hospitality was… very thorough.”

For a moment he wondered if Kita lingered somewhere nearby, perhaps in a shadow or watching from a vantage point above the open courtyard. He kept his expression steady, offering neither hint nor implication. Shantuk watched him, and a knowing spark flickered quietly behind the Duke’s eyes. Nothing was said aloud.

Shantuk folded his hands behind his back. “I have considered what you asked of me,” he said. “If you submit your proposal through the appropriate channels and if it does not compromise the structure of Devenek, then I will honor it. You have my word.”

“Thank you,” Henry replied. “I appreciate you considering it. It was out of the blue.” He hesitated only a breath. “And thank you for the precautions you took last night. I understand their purpose and appreciate your concern.”

Shantuk’s expression did not change. His tone remained even. “Your safety as a visiting lord is my responsibility. Nothing more.”

A low roar carried through the air. The group turned to see the Avernell shuttle cutting through the haze. Its engines glowed faintly as it descended, pushing aside loose snow that scattered across the landing pad. The stabilizers flared, fighting the last gusts of wind.

Shantuk stepped closer to Henry so their voices could carry above the turbulence.

“You are an unusual Terran,” the Duke said. “Unusual and brave. Few would be bold to talk as you did in the presence of a rival house.”

Henry felt an uneasy warmth rise in his chest. “I do not know if I would call it bravery. Maybe stupidity? Mom did always tell me I talk too much.”

The comment about his mom seemed to have been lost on the Duke. Shantuk gave a quiet hum that might have been amusement. “Either way, I look forward to our next discussion.”

The shuttle settled into place and lowered its ramp. Snow gusted beneath the engines and Fildar signaled for their small group to approach. Hena adjusted her hood and stepped closer to Henry. Gimavek followed keeping a watch on the perimeter.

Henry turned back to the Duke. “Until next time.”

Shantuk inclined his head once more. “Travel safely, Lord Henry.”

Henry followed his companions toward the ramp. As the engines hummed and the cold stung against his cheeks, he felt a knot form in his chest. What had he done? What had the Duke said?

Unusual. Brave.

Reckless. I think that's the best description.

He pulled in a slow breath and stepped into the warm shuttle interior. Henry may have bitten off far more than he could chew.

'Crap.'

Maevin was going to kill him.

While going through my notes preparing for what I wanted to do for 2026, I realized that I hadn't written one of these in awhile. Life has been busy and with waves of sickness across the planet, my artists have been caught up in it themselves. Though there isn't a lot of content coming out at the moment, this does not mean that the Beloved Universe is done. On the contrary, I have more things coming up!

So, what are the goals for the coming year?

Beloved Maid Novellas

After releasing Ascendent Rising I realized I wanted to do a few more novellas. So at present, there are two that I plan to release in 2026. One takes place back in the Issues 1 through 4 range while the second takes place back on Felicity III like Alone in the Wilds did.

In regards to the webcomic, the next script is finished and the artist was half way through when he had a life event that had him go on Hiatus. We're waiting till life settles down before he picks up the pen and starts the next issue!

Beloved Chains

Only two pages left as of this blog post for the fourth installment, the goal is to get it done before the year is over so that we can start issue 5 fresh of 2026. There will be, unfortunately, another delay between 4 and 5 as my artist is finishing up an unrelated project and I want to get a stack of pages so that there is more consistent release unlike what we were dealing with right now.

Short Stories

I will continue to release short stories on the Blue Blossom Adventures blog with a goal being once a month. I'm actually to a point that I believe I have enough to compile them into an anthology.

I actually have two stories that I have not released that are going to be special stories only included in the anthology book. That way those who want to buy it get something special out of it instead of just a collection of what has already been released.

Ending

I think that's it for now. A lot of stuff is still in the air and I haven't laid out all I want to do in 2026. I really don't know if there is going to be more, the same, or less content as I'm making things up as I go at the moment.

As always, thank you so much for your continued support of the universe. I love it so much and just knowing there are others that enjoy it to really make me happy. Maevin and the gang live thanks to your kindness and enjoyment of the story.

See you in 2026!

Henry Patton needed a break, at least from his office. The spring rains that had been pummeling the estate had slowed down, and Henry found that he could finally sit on the stone patio at the back of the estate house without ending up in a foot of water. Much of the grounds around Blue Blossom were still waterlogged, which gave the green grass a strange glitter. At the moment, the skies were still sprinkling rain, but the delicate umbrella covering most of the table kept him dry.

He was puzzling over a pile of small computer pads in front of him, the smoky green crystal displays flickering with reports for him to read. Many were in Xaltean, though he had a few translated into English—the complicated ones with big words he hadn’t yet figured out. Something about the reports was bothering him.

“These are all the reports since I’ve gotten here?” Henry asked, looking up from them at Nish, who was standing nearby. Nish Kevet was the Arch Maid of the Reserve Legion and Abiva’s lover. Like Abiva a week ago, it was Nish’s turn to babysit him while Maevin was away at the rescheduled Council of Servants; Siv had gone with her this time. Nish had a reserved but calm personality, almost the opposite of the bouncy Abiva. The girl was under the awning that extended over the door back into the living room, also out of the drizzle.

“Yes, Master,” she said with a simple but firm nod. “This is everything from Serene Vale Estate since you took residence, as requested.”

Henry stared at the paperwork as the wet breeze ruffled his hair and caught some of the rain on the side of his head. These reports had been filed by a Mistress Eena of Serene Vale Estate and, though he was still new to many of the subtleties of the culture, he was sure he’d found what was off. The young Terran made a decision.

“Nish, can you have Maela or one of the other Emissary maids come see me? I have some questions.”

“Of course, my Master,” she said, swiftly tapping the thin gauntlet she wore on her left arm. Within a few minutes, Maela appeared.

She was a medium-sized young woman with an athletic build, but unlike the colorful nature of the other maids, she wore a black outfit trimmed in silver with the same midriff cut and short tvekel skirt. It was quite fancy and rich in appearance. Her hair was cut short and asymmetrical around her head, while two long braids ran down the back to her waist, each tied with a silver bow. The maid bowed with an elegance Henry hadn’t known was possible.

“Emissary Maid Maela, my Master,” the maid said, identifying herself. “How may I serve?”

Henry motioned her over, which seemed to catch the girl off guard for just a moment, but she approached as he pushed the computer pads toward her.

“I need to check something. You see these reports?” Henry asked, holding one out. “This one was filed three days late. This one refers to Mistress Maer without her proper title, while this one omits it completely. These two were addressed to the Arch Maids instead of directly to Maevin. And there are quite a few other things—like referring to Maevin as eemodaema instead of xikihanma, which is her title. These are protocol mistakes, right?”

Maela took a few moments to check, pushing some of her dark hair out of her eyes. “Yes. They’re simple mistakes, usually seen from people who haven’t filled them out before or are new to their position.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed. “How long has Mistress Eena been in her position again, Nish?”

“Six years,” the other maid answered.

Henry nodded, frustration growing. “She’s doing this on purpose, isn’t she? This woman is insulting my Mistress.”

Maela’s eyes flicked over to Nish. “I understand I’m putting you on the spot,” Henry continued, “but I need to know.”

“She’s doing it on purpose.”

“I knew it. Who the hell does she think she is, insulting the woman who runs this planet, this estate—and is my friend?” Henry asked. “Who is House Medekin? They’re not even on the registry or listed with a royal charter I can find.”

“House Medekin is a small, unregistered house that has been part of House Avernell for several hundred years,” Maela explained. This subject seemed more comfortable for her. “They control three estates through this star system and a nearby one. Serene Vale Estate on the continent of Teratha is their primary.”

“So how do they fit into the reporting structure with their Mistress and…is it a Lord of the Green or something?”

“No, a shivxihanxa, or Lord of Honor. Lord Ruxsh is not royalty like you but is not a servant either. The shivxihanxa have many of the same powers over their estate that you do, but cannot claim a title. He is referred to as a Lord only in name, not power,” Maela explained. “His house is subservient to yours.”

Henry sat back, folding his arms, finally letting the anger edge into his voice. “They’re being rude.”

“Yes.” Maela didn’t have to add anything else. It was a fact.

“And Maevin hasn’t said or done anything about it?” Henry asked, looking toward Nish.

The young woman shook her head, causing her blond hair to bounce. “She has never said anything to me, nor have I heard Siv mention it.”

Henry Patton sat there staring at the reports, his face running through a gamut of emotions—none of them happy. He could feel the anger boiling inside him. The same anger that had almost gotten him in serious trouble at the tieseketel a few weeks ago.

I can’t make the same mistake again, he thought to himself.

As if some deity was listening, the patio door slid open and a tall, dark-skinned man with a metal eyepatch and scars all over his face walked out. The wet wind caught his cape, which billowed about him, adding to his already impressive stature. Tox Utivin bowed.

“Yes?” Henry asked, knowing he wouldn’t speak until prompted.

“The monthly sweep of the estate walls is complete. Nothing untoward found,” Tox said in his raspy voice.

“Thank you.”

Tox moved to leave when Henry stood, making a decision. He wasn’t going to do this on a whim, but with a plan. The Terran had to stand up for the honor of his Mistress.

“Tox, can you get me a security team together?”

That got the man’s attention. His eyebrow went up, causing wrinkles to cascade up his bald head. “Is there a security issue we need to address?”

“No. I’m going to the Serene Vale Estate and I need a security team.”

“Master?” Nish said, her voice trembling, her beautiful eyes wide with nervousness. “Shouldn’t we wait for Mistress Maer to return? She should be back in a few hours.”

“No,” Henry said with a shake of his head as he picked up the computer pad and slid it into his jacket pocket. “Maevin is my Mistress, and I’m not going to let this stand.”

***

The continent of Teretha was across the ocean, but with a sub-orbital shuttle from Blue Blossom, it was only a three-hour journey. Throughout the trip, Tox and Henry exchanged only a few words. After the Terran explained what he was going to do, to Henry’s relief, his Security Officer did not try to persuade him otherwise. In fact, Tox had adjusted the armament of his security team to create the impact Henry wanted.

“We’ve got clearance to land,” the shuttle pilot called over the intercom as the small ship shuddered through the air currents. Henry looked out the window, the anger now replaced with trepidation, as the landing pad for Serene Vale Estate, a small but sprawling collection of buildings, grew closer.

After the soft bump of landing, they made their way to the hatch, followed by the six-man security team who were armored well above what was necessary. Tox placed a hand on Henry’s shoulder.

“You are in charge. Make them understand that,” was all he said.

The hatch hissed and opened while the ramp automatically extended. The first three soldiers stepped out, followed by Henry and Tox, with the remaining three taking up the rear.

Standing at the edge of the pad was a young man with two women behind him. He wore a full robe with a belt around his waist, the edges of the cuffs and the collar trimmed with white lace. His violet eyes flicked between Tox and Henry with nervous energy. He immediately bowed low while the women behind him curtseyed.

“My Lord Avernell,” he said smoothly, though a tremor laced his voice. “I am Maid Kelshar, Arch Maid of the Estate Maids. I profusely apologize that we were not prepared for your visit, as it was unexpected.”

“Where is Lord Ruxsh?” Tox demanded, his voice sharp enough to startle Henry.

“He is en route as we speak. He was at a meeting with the shivxihanxa of the Azure Mist Estate, about an hour from here.”

“And your Mistress?” Henry added, trying to match the bite in Tox’s tone. It did not sound as intimidating, but it had the desired effect.

“Mistress Eena is coming in from the fields and—” he glanced down at the thin screen wrapped around his forearm with visible relief “—has entered the estate and will be here momentarily.”

“I’m not waiting out here in the wet,” Henry said, striding past him. His gut tightened as he did so, half expecting someone to tell him to stop and wait. That did not happen; instead, they scrambled out of his way and followed quickly behind.

Henry glanced at Tox, who gave him a subtle nod and whispered, “You are the Lord. Make them understand.”

The young Terran lord found the estate similar to Blue Blossom with its wooden floors and soft palette of colors, though it was smaller and less opulent than some areas of his own home. Arch Maid Kelshar kept up but dared not move too close to the security team. They reached what appeared to be the center of the estate, a large round room from which hallways branched in several directions. That was when Henry saw her. Mistress Eena.

She stood calm yet confident, her long blue-silver hair falling over her shoulders in loose waves, a few strands catching the light from the skylight above. A thin crown rested neatly on her head, its simple design speaking of Eena’s position within the house.

The dress she wore was fitted, the fabric tracing her shape to reveal but not flaunt. Fine stitching lined the edges of the bodice and sleeves, trimmed with the same lace, though more modest than many of the outfits Henry had seen. A small pendant hung at her throat, matching the delicate jewelry on her arms and ears, and another piece adorned the bridge of her nose.

“My Master Patton-Avernell,” Eena began, her voice high-pitched yet smooth in pronunciation. “I am honored you have—”

Henry cut her off. “Mistress Eena?”

“Yes, my Master.”

“Tox. Seize her.”

The nervousness in her eyes turned into abject fear as Tox gestured, and two of the guards immediately stepped forward to seize her arms. The other maids around them gasped and backed away.

“My Lord!” Eena cried, terror stealing the breath from her voice.

“Be silent until your Lord arrives,” Henry said, trying to sound harsh and authoritative. His adrenaline was pumping, his stomach twisted in anxiety. At that moment, he wished he had brought Nish with him, but someone had to stay behind to manage things and inform Maevin if she returned before him.

They did not have to wait long before the young Terran lord heard running footsteps. An older, wiry man with a receding hairline appeared, followed by two guards. He came to an abrupt halt as he saw Henry standing with his arms crossed and his Mistress being held.

“Lord Patton-Avernell!” Ruxsh managed, shocked. “I apologize for my forwardness, but why have you arrested my Mistress?”

“I’d rather not have this conversation out here,” Henry said, working to keep his voice steady and authoritative. He made sure his Xaltean came across clean and clear, just as Yil had taught him.

“Please! My office is right here. I am happy to help smooth over any misunderstanding.”

Ruxsh quickly led the way, his robe billowing behind him. They soon entered a small room with a bay window overlooking the valley behind the estate. Without being told, the guards forced Mistress Eena to her knees, where she shook, eyes wide with fear.

“My Lord,” Ruxsh began carefully, standing near his desk. His eyes dropped to Eena’s, which were pleading. “May I ask what we have done to offend you?”

Henry pulled the computer pad from his pocket and handed it to the man. “Your Mistress has been insulting mine.”

“No,” Ruxsh said, horrified. “Mistress Eena would not do anything—” His voice trailed off as he read the condensed report of protocol violations Maela had prepared. His eyes shot to Eena, filled with both horror and anger.

“I will not tolerate a maid or servant in a position of authority insulting or demeaning the woman who commands the Servant Legions of this planet and sector,” Henry said, working hard to add the proper emotional prefixes to convey his anger. “Mistress Maevin is due honor and deference, which your Mistress has failed to give. This is unacceptable.”

At those last three words, Eena’s knees gave out and she sank down into a seated position.

“Is this how you train your staff?” Henry demanded.

It was Ruxsh’s turn to look nervous, but he did not falter. He lowered his head. “I offer my apologies that my servants have insulted you and yours. There is no excuse for such behavior.”

“No, there isn’t.”

“If you will allow me,” Ruxsh said, “I will discipline the Mistress for her actions and do whatever is needed to make amends. Our treasury, though small, is willing to pay a Penance Levy for her offense.”

Henry had no idea what a Penance Levy was, but he was not about to admit that.

“Do you have someone who can maintain your estate for you?” Henry asked. That was when Eena whimpered, realizing what was coming.

“I do, but—” Ruxsh began.

Henry hesitated, unsure what to do next. His original intent had been to scare them, but now, standing here, he felt the gravity of the situation settle over him.

“The Lord of Blue Blossom has instructed me to return Mistress Eena to our estate so that proper discipline can be administered,” Tox said smoothly, stepping in. “She has not only insulted the primary house but also set a poor example for the other estates under our authority.”

“My Master,” Eena whimpered, looking desperately to Ruxsh for help, but Henry could see resignation in the man’s eyes.

“Your will is law,” Ruxsh said with a bow. “If I may be bold, my Lord,”

“Yes?” Henry asked as the guards pulled Eena to her feet.

“Mistress Eena has committed an egregious infraction, but I ask that you please consider some leniency, if only because she means a great deal to me.”

“We will see,” Henry said, turning away and hoping no one noticed his knees shaking from the adrenaline coursing through his system.

***

If Henry had thought the flight to Serene Vale Estate had been quiet, the return flight proved him wrong. The entire shuttle was silent, with Tox sitting beside him while Mistress Eena looked as though she was barely holding herself together. Though she feigned interest in the view outside the window, a shiver escaped her every so often.

What was he going to do? As the shuttle drew closer to home, Henry realized he didn’t actually have a plan beyond bringing the offender back. He had made it all up as he went along and was probably as anxious as the person in front of him.

By the time they landed, the rain had become a steady drizzle. With efficiency, they moved along the colonnade from the estate port to the estate proper, the mistress flanked by guards. As Henry entered the large courtyard at the back of Blue Blossom, he saw the flowing blue hair of his mistress stepping out to greet him. The way Maevin Maer visibly started at the sight of Eena between the guards told Henry she had been completely caught off guard.

“My master?” Maevin asked, her voice full of confusion and concern.

“Can we go to my office?” Henry asked. He wanted to make it a command, as he had been doing, to show he was in charge. But he could never raise his voice or order the woman around. There was something so regal and beautiful about her. Maevin nodded silently and swept ahead as the other maids moved out of the way. The entire mood of the estate had shifted, sensing that something major was happening. All that could be heard was the sound of boots, sandals, and the clink of jewelry as they made their way to his downstairs office. Once inside, the lush carpet deadened the sound. The door slid closed, leaving only Maevin, Henry, and Eena.

Immediately, whatever poise Eena had been holding melted, and she began to sink to the floor. To Henry’s surprise, Maevin quickly gripped her arm and gently led her to a chair.

“Peer Eena?”

“Peer Maevin!” Eena squeaked desperately, fear plain in her voice. “I beg your forgiveness. Please! I know I shouldn’t have. You understand though, right?”

Confusion filled Maevin’s blue eyes, and she glanced at Henry, who sat trying not to shake himself. The fact that Maevin had used a term of equal footing made him regret his decision. The Mistress of Blue Blossom turned to Henry and, with the most elegant curtsey he had ever seen, spoke.

“My master. May I ask why Peer Eena has been brought here from her estate?”

“Because of what she did to you,” Henry said, though the anger and bravado had left his voice.

“Did to me?”

The young man handed his tablet to Maevin, who took it. As realization dawned across her face, she clicked the device off and set it down on the side table beside the chair where Eena cowered. Taking a slow breath, she met Henry’s eyes. He could see she wanted to speak, but the decorum he had established with his act had tied her hands. Thinking quickly, the Terran spoke.

“I was going through the reports on my own, trying to understand how the Legions were handling business,” he explained carefully. “I found Mistress Eena’s reports and the improper behavior.”

“And my master felt that a personal visit was needed?” Oh, how she phrased that. He knew Maevin well enough to know she was asking why he had decided to charge off to the other side of the planet. Right now, he wanted to know that himself.

“I found such insulting behavior toward my mistress, the one I and the planet rely on, too much to leave unanswered.”

“And how do you wish to punish her for this action?”

Henry had no answer.

“I… I want Eena to understand the gravity of the situation and how I expect the people of my house to be treated with the respect they deserve.”

“Before the master makes a decision,” Maevin continued carefully, her voice controlled and submissive, “would he be willing to discuss this with his own mistress?”

“Yes.” Thank god she asked. Relief flooded through him.

“Nish,” Maevin said, and the blonde-haired maid opened the door and quickly stepped inside. Authority had returned to Maevin’s voice. “Please take Mistress Eena to the lounge. Get her some food and drink if she wishes.”

Eena stood but quickly gripped Maevin’s hands, which the other woman gave just the gentlest squeeze before walking out. When the door closed, Henry’s shoulders slumped, and that pristine image melted away. Maevin’s face was a mixture of confusion and irritation. He probably would not have noticed before that irritation lived in the gentle creases at the corners of her mouth.

“My lord,” she said in her accented English. She had switched to his native tongue, which meant Maevin was making sure there was no misunderstanding.

“Stop,” Henry said, raising a hand in defeat. “I realize that I screwed up badly. I just… everything you’ve done for me, for this estate. I’ve seen you staying up late at night finishing the reports, taking the stress and responsibility of keeping things going. I just couldn’t bear to see someone insult you like that.”

The young man looked up and, for a moment, saw the softest smile she had ever given him. It vanished as she controlled her expression.

“You did not screw up as you said,” Maevin began carefully. “Yes, Eena was out of line, but I was not going to do anything about it unless she started acting out further. There were reasons I was letting it go.”

“Ah.”

Maevin stepped forward, and he tried to hide his smile as she went into teaching mode. “You had a right to challenge her behavior, but normally that’s done through me or others. Maid issues are to stay maid issues. In your case, you terrified an entire minor house with your arrival and arrest.”

“Ohhh,” the Terran said as realization began to sink in.

“Yes. The Serene Vale Estate is probably expecting to face the full might of House Avernell, and Eena thinks she is going to take most of the brunt of it.”

“I just wanted her to be respectful.”

Was that a giggle from his mistress?

“You honor me in ways I cannot put into words,” Maevin said with a hitch in her voice.

“Look. You’re my friend, and I cannot imagine doing all this without you,” Henry said with a stupid grin. “I need you to help me stop causing these massive diplomatic incidents. What do we do? I don’t want to hurt her or anything. Can we let her off the hook now?”

Maevin shook her head, amused. “No. We’re well past that. What we need to do is make sure she is disciplined but in a way that also lets House Medekin know there won’t be future repercussions.”

“Is there a way I can apologize without undermining us?” Henry offered.

Maevin thought for a moment. “I have a thought.”

***

When Eena was brought in, the woman no longer looked pale, but her eyes were still full of fear. Henry had put back on his “official” persona, with Maevin standing beside him at his desk. Eena bowed low.

“Mistress Eena,” Henry began, and she grimaced. “I want to first extend my apologies to you for the way you were treated.”

Eena made no effort to hide the look of shock on her pretty face.

“As you know, I am Terran. Mistress Maer has kindly explained to me that, though you did disrespect her, I was unaware of other avenues to address this. Your estate and house will not be affected.”

Eena’s shoulders sagged as if releasing a massive weight.

“I... I thank the Master for an apology he does not have to give,” she said, her voice exhausted.

Maevin stepped forward as Eena pulled herself to her feet. “Peer Eena, though I have been forgiving, Lord Patton-Avernell is right, and correction is necessary. I believe it is important that we all remember where we came from. To that end, will you accept, as discipline, a temporary change in position? You will serve Blue Blossom as a Harvester for two weeks as penance and a learning experience, and then return to your estate with your original title.”

“I accept!” she said quickly.

With the formalities out of the way and evening finally setting in, Henry found himself sitting in his chair, exhausted and feeling like an idiot. Maevin had returned after finding Eena a place to stay. She updated him on the meetings and how the day had gone, as if he hadn’t nearly caused an entire estate to think it was going to be wiped out.

“Maevin,” Henry said as she was about to get up and leave.

“Yes, Master?”

“Why were you letting her get away with it?”

Maevin Maer thought for a few moments, then sighed. “I guess it’s because I felt she deserved some leeway.”

“Oh? No offense, but you give no one here leeway. Ever. Even me.” Henry made sure to smile so she knew he was joking.

“Mistress Eena was destined for Blue Blossom, not me,” she began, settling into the lounge chair in front of his desk. “She had worked hard to earn the spot, but High Baron Avernell overrode the decision and placed me here instead. Peer Eena had to spend three months training me, knowing that the position she had worked hard to earn was being given to someone else. It’s part of the job, but it’s never easy when it happens. I suppose I let her get away with it because she had a right to be bitter toward me.”

“I see.”

“I just didn’t expect you to fly down there and drag her back for it,” Maevin said with a chuckle. “You almost gave all of us a heart attack. Rumor has it that all the estates on the planet are talking about it.”

“Is it going to be an issue?”

“I don’t think so. The rest may just be a lot more careful around you now.”

Maybe that was a win. Henry wasn’t sure, but at least this time, he hadn't caused a war.

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.

“hae isa xnibake,” one of the female voices trembled.

Another responded indignantly. “haema ki!”

“eta dek mi haema, dama ki! eta shreegoruteshe na anuenae liv.”

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.

“ke ita lav ki hae?” 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.

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!