High Elve of Red Hallow

CHAPTER 12: Wet Clay

Seseh's face wasn't like hers. The witch had made her that way on purpose. She wanted others to take note of her presence as you would a priceless painting.

Seseh was sculpted beautifully with perfect Suavity, right down to the fingers and the black hair. Carved high cheekbones, wide grin, Westerian ears, and eyebrows. Seseh had an arrogant slanted chin and squared jawline. 

She was the perfect artistic representation of architectural design. She noted her beautiful, elongated neck as she looked at her reflection. Seseh's nape was aristocratic and elegant. She held a defeated expression on her marbled features. Mesmerizing blue eyes stared back which were the only feature not sculpted by the Nymph. Although she worshiped the being inside her, she longed for a way out. She felt trapped. 

As trapped as Aracnia, the Spiderling children, and Ezekiel.

Ezekiel entered the queen's bath chambers, a vial of his latest concoction in his hand.

"Add it in, Ezekiel," she said with a mocking smile.

"It will only strengthen my mixture and help you maintain your shape," Ezekiel replied and made his way to the bath. "You know it will not cure your... ailment," he poured, watching her languish in the warm bath of his own concoction.

Up close, Ezekiel estimated that she was a few years younger than himself. She wore three rings. 

Nothing else.

Seseh watched her image mingle with the ripples of the large brown bath below her stomach.

She lay in the large, extravagant chamber. Her form tightened as a small portion of her seeped onto the marble floor. She didn't want to be there. The evil in her did.

Ezekiel maintained a neutral expression as he kept pouring the mixture into the bath. He watched it fizz and sizzle against her skin. The queen heaved a satisfied sigh as her flesh began to harden and firm with fast resolve. Her eyes flickered open and Ezekiel saw the blue glow.

Once the liquid had done its job, she let out a small laugh. "I am not looking for a cure, dear Ezekiel. If I'm cured, my thrall, Seseh will lose me."

Although you couldn't see it, Seseh wept. The thralls form was forced to look up at him in a flirtatious manner.

"I will not succumb to your temptations." The queen lifted her hand from the water and extended a finger to him. "Come closer, my little Spiderling. Let me show you pleasures you cannot imagine."

Ezekiel took a step forward but shook his head. "I will not betray my Aracnia for your dark desires."

The queen's face twisted in anger. "You think you have a choice? Your family is in my dungeon waiting for me to do what I want with them." Ezekiel felt a rage building up at the mention of his family.

As she rose from the bath, Ezekiel's gaze instinctively darted away from her naked form.

"Queen Seseh was a lady," Ezekiel heard himself say. It was too late to take it back. She stood dripping with her back to him so that her long black hair was visible for a moment. She forced the thrall to toss her locks over her shoulder onto her front. Doing so revealed the deep-reaching arch of her back and bold, round hindquarters. He felt more uncomfortable than attracted by her beauty. He had seen her many times, but always in furs or royal purple robes. He had never seen how beautiful she was. Her legs were long and well-muscled. 

She was gorgeous like a sculpture. Seseh was beautiful and he had noticed the architecture. The Nymph's work did its job and people took note. Tall and curved, fit and elegant. Everything about her exuded distinctive features more exquisite than any bas-relief. The problem was that he knew the truth beyond anything sensual.