Chapter 990 989: Musings

Chapter 990 989: Musings

The feast was wrapped up not long after that, the servant lingering around for a few minutes more before excusing herself as she went off to prepare and ensure that Anput's chambers were ready for her return, as well as ensuring that her chambers were stocked for three additional bodies.

The conversations during the feast returned to normalcy, the digs and jabs at Anput for her not so hidden 'alone time' after receiving a letter from either Jahi or Leone fading away and being replaced instead by suggestions and ideas for us to follow going forwards.

Head to this tea shop, try the food at this place, go and party at this club and stay away from this club, if you want to train with us we train at these times primarily, the importance of eating either dinner or breakfast with the family no matter what unless we were outside of the city; everything that could be told to us as 'rules' and suggestions were given, and whilst it wasn't the most captivating discussion, it was necessary.

It also lulled the pups to a state of tiredness that Batul had fully embraced, whilst the others all fought against their drowsiness as hard as they could, only to let out adorable yawns and rub at their eyes in the fleeting hope of staying awake.

But, like children tend to do, they listened to their bodies and drifted off at the table, signaling the end of the meal and prompting everyone to get up and begin making their way to wherever; the Sultana and Lady Kio were going to put the pups to bed for a nap before returning to that initial hall, where they planned to relax until nightfall, indulging in some wine and games.

As for us, we had different ideas on what to do, with Anput yearning for some physical activity whilst Leone made her desire for the soft embrace of a mattress quite clear, leaving Jahi to linger in the middle as she appraised each of us.

This entire time, I had been listening but not comprehending what was happening, my mind more occupied by what I had felt earlier when Yasmin's eyes met mine; I was out of it currently, and they could tell that, but none of us knew how to really bring me out of that state, not even myself.

So I just agreed to follow Anput towards the palace's forging area, my desire to ask some questions and sort out my scrambled mind making that choice easy as I continued to mull over what I had felt.

That brief, fleeting moment where our eyes met felt far too familiar and far too foreign at the same time; I felt threatened, but I also felt attracted, intrigued...

I wasn't thinking about how this gorgeous Dogkin would likely be an incredible partner in bed, nor was I curious to see the reactions she would give when I teased her or played with her in bed; that wasn't the attraction that I felt.

It was something more complicated, its entanglement to that feeling of being threatened confusing me even more as I walked behind Anput throughout the spacious halls of the palace.VIsiT n0(v)eLb(i)(n).com for the best novel reading experience

It had looked like a normal Caninekin, but as I thought on it some more as I took a seat, I couldn't help but wonder if that was a memory dredged up from so long ago Yasmin had simply looked different..?

lightsΝοvεl ƈοm She could have continued to grow and mature during Anput's absence, after all...

"Kat? Whatcha thinking about?"

Her voice was filled with warmth as she ignited the forge with a snap of her fingers, the whooshing of flames preluding the clattering of metal on metal as she placed her hammer on the anvil.

I listened to the crackling of the flames for a couple of seconds before answering "I'm... Anput, was Yasmin your servant growing up? Like how I was Jahi's; a... in the Empire, I guess we are called handmaidens, or some variation of that. Personal servants devoted to one person and then to a family or group."

"Hm? Ah, she is a sayida, or a... what's the equivalent... oh, a Lady; someone who has a family of her own that is reputable but is still 'lesser', I suppose. Technically yes, she is a 'maid' to me, but she also taught and guided me with a few things."

Anput placed an ingot of simple steel into the forge and began to hum to herself, leaning against the anvil and tapping the hammer against her palm as she added "Yasmin is only a couples years older than us, but her Father decided to try and ingratiate himself with Mom by giving her away as a potential concubine. His reasoning being that her Mother was beautiful, so in a few years the Sultana could have cultivated her own beautiful flower, ripe for the taking..."

Curling her lip in disgust, the Jackalkin glanced at me and said "The idea of giving his daughter away - of 'selling' her - angered my Mom. I'm sure you recall that my Mom herself was a slave once. The practice of selling and treating living people as nothing but livestock for no reason past personal gain, without having the actual strength yourself to subdue and 'own' those people... it's disgusting. Even when the strong tried to keep slaves when she ascended to her position, she made it clearer than the waters of an oasis that such an act would be met with the blade of her scimitar kissing their necks."

She chuckled softly and shook her head, only to say "Whilst the idea behind the 'gift' was disgusting, now that her Father had been killed and her Mother left to try and salvage a broken and weakened family, Mom decided to take her in anyways as an apology; she gave the Mother a large sum before shooing them away, leaving them to fend for themselves. I was getting older, so Mom wanted me to have someone a bit older than me but still close in age to take care of me. Someone to teach me and guide me on the things in life that an adult wouldn't think about. That was what Yasmin was paid to do."

"You... never felt weird having someone like her as a servant? Someone who has nowhere else to go, someone who is almost 'forced' into this position?"

I wanted to ask something else, but for now... I had to admit I was a tad curious, and learning anything at all about Anput whenever I could was always a good idea, even if it was done only because I had... worries.