Conflicting Thoughts

It wasn't that Aliana had intended to upset or hurt Chimera with her withdrawal of her emotions. It was all she knew how to do. When faced with a situation she had no control over and no desire to see the outcomes of, she simply became a passive actor in the background, staying out of the way and making herself as small as possible. It was her only means of coping with the disappointment, the hurt, the heartache. It was what had been expected of her as a slave and it was the only coping mechanism she had. Conceal her feelings and just let it happen. She couldn't tell Chimera what to do any more than she could command the wind to stop blowing. He was going to do as he pleased. He knew it, Aliana knew it, all of Fenmyre knew it. So while she understood why he was telling her and doing what he was doing, softening the blow didn't make it any less of a blow. He could lay of smorgasbords of feasts and create a palace of a campsite for her. In the end, he was still inflicting the same wound.

Not long after she said the only word she could think of, Chimera withdrew from her in turn with a growl of irritation. Aliana didn't bother to look up at him. She didn't want to see his face or his snarl or his two-toned eyes clouded with anger and frustration. He released her paw, and Ali immediately tucked it in underneath herself along with the other, making herself as small as possible. Whereas Chimera thought he was doing good by being honest with her feelings, to the monochrome queen all he was doing was bringing her fears to life, manifesting them into reality. Chimera would never be satisfied. Not by her, nor Siren, nor Dalila, nor Erystotle, and Reila would be no different. Just another number to add to his body count, it seemed. It made her question everything he said to her, everything he'd claimed the last time he bore his soul. Aliana knew this was just Chimera's nature, which was why she wasn't angry, just bitterly upset.

She'd really thought (perhaps foolishly) in her heart of hearts that even after Viper's death, the three queens would be enough for him. Erystotle had been an outlier, a variable she hadn't expected, but ultimately one she understood. Reila didn't make sense to her. The once-slave turned the object of the king's affection just proved Chimera's fancies changed with the wind. How long would it be before he wanted to make her a queen as well? To breed with her and give her his children? How much importance could the title have if he handed it out to all the women he stuck his dick in? And even then, he wouldn't stop at four. She knew he wouldn't. Maybe he'd want another man. Maybe he'd want a dozen lovers. How long before he fell in love with one of them and she got pushed out? Just another name on his list, another notch in his belt of conquests, and all she'd have was a broken heart, bitter memories, and six children to raise on her own to show for her loyalty. Aliana began to wonder if perhaps she should start finding other brutes to fool around with as well, just to have something to stick to him. See how he liked the idea of someone he loved pulling bodies out of nowhere just to fuck with his head. It was a spiteful thought that surprised Ali that she had thought of it—but at this moment she truly didn't care. Chimera had hurt her, maybe he deserved to be hurt back.

When Chimera stood and began pacing, Aliana just kept her mournful aqua eyes set to the blazing fire. She wondered silently if he was thinking he'd made a mistake by picking her. Maybe he was thinking of how to best kill her and dispose of her body. She really couldn't predict Chimera anymore, it seemed. But despite her inner turmoil, Aliana didn't make a move to leave. Any other woman in her position would have slapped their offending man, berated him, or stormed off. Instead, Ali just lay there in silence. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. What was Chimera looking for from her? Approval? A fight? She just didn't know! Chimera spat a few more curt sentences at her, asking if she'd rather have not been told. She didn't know the answer to that either, so she didn't reply. Aliana was shutting down. It wasn't until he growled again that the clouded queen finally looked back up at him again. He was the picture of anger: muscles tensed, body rigid, lips curled away from bared teeth. This was the Chimera that Ali had known first. Volatile. Aggressive. Dangerous.

"I don't know what you want from me, Chimera," Aliana finally said, giving a defeated shake of her head and nothing more. "My input does mean nothing to you. You're going to do whatever you want to anyway. It's your right to do so. So what do you want me to say?" He was the king; he could do as he pleased. Aliana and all the others on the island were powerless to stop him. But it didn't mean that his actions were free from consequence, as he was swiftly finding out. So what did he want? What did he want her to say or do? Claim that she was happy he was falling for another woman? That she hoped Reila was as good a fuck as she knew Chi had been imagining? That she would be pleased to welcome Reila into their family? The more she put thought into it, the more anxious and uncomfortable she was getting, and it took all her resolve to keep as calm as she had been up to now.

"Aliana"