Sweet as the Grape

Sericea felt her throat tighten as Absinth's words sank in. The confirmation that Setekh had hurt her mother, not just physically but mentally and emotionally, made Sericea's stomach churn. She thought of her own interactions with her grandsire, the secrets they shared, the lessons he taught. Had it all been part of some twisted game? Was she just another pawn for him to manipulate?

Sericea's paws fidgeted anxiously in the grass as she struggled to maintain her composure. She couldn't let Absinth see the turmoil raging inside her, the way her world had been turned upside down in the span of a few moments. She had to be strong, to protect the bond she had forged with Setekh, even as doubt began to creep in like a poisonous vine.

“I’m sorry,” Sericea whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Momma. No one should have to endure such cruelty, especially from someone who was supposed to care for them." She looked down at her paws, unable to meet Absinth's intense gaze. Sericea's mind whirled with conflicting emotions - the love and admiration she felt for Setekh warring with the growing unease sparked by her mother's revelations. How could she reconcile the grandfather who had shown her such favor, who had promised to help her achieve greatness, with the monster Absinth described?

Sericea took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. She couldn't let her mother see the cracks forming in her resolve, the way Absinth's words had shaken the very foundation of her beliefs. She had to be strong, to protect the secrets she shared with Setekh, even as a small voice in the back of her mind whispered that perhaps those secrets were more dangerous than she had ever imagined. "I can't even begin to understand what you went through," Sericea said softly, finally lifting her gaze to meet Absinth's. "But I'm glad you escaped, that you found a way to break free from his hold." She hesitated, her bushy tail twitching nervously. "Do you think... do you think he could ever change? That maybe, with time, he could learn to be different?"

Even as the words rolled off her tongue, Sericea knew they were naive, a childish hope born from her own conflicted feelings. But a part of her desperately wanted to believe that the Setekh she knew, the one who had shown her such attention and favor, could be more than the twisted monster Absinth described.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"