The Drow Queen of Glaley [Very NSFW]

[Shiori]

Shiori winces. "What do you know?" she asks, her voice small.

[Jassinth]

"They're priests of Her," Jass snapped, holding her even tighter against him. "That says enough, doesn't it?" He scowled, then relented. "I... I went through a phase, when I was shortly to come of age, where I had a morbid, almost self-harming, fascination with learning about drow. They... they have a very developed tradition of torture and agony. I don't truly know how much of that is cultural and how much is religious however."

[Shiori]

"It has to be mostly cultural. We're... we're civilized, here in Toukami. Just because they belong to Her doesn't mean.... you know... anything."

[Jassinth]

"We must hope." Prayers ran through his mind as he closed his eyes. "Either way, the priestess-- far more are female or something closer to that than to male-- will not consider you a person. Instead, you will be a possession, a tool at best, in need of... adjustment."

[Shiori]

"The baby," Shiori whispers. "If they cause me to miscarry..."

[Jassinth]

"They won't," Jass said instantly, then blessedly thought of an actual reason to offer. "The wedding contract, remember? Your cousin was at least that useful." There was a section there that said, once reduced to a simple form, that the Tigers agreed to 'provide the finest medical care the esteemed Tiger clan could muster in regards to any and all of Shiori's pregnancies.' If Shiori miscarried, the Tiger clan would be deeply shamed, thanks to word of that section entering the gossip circles.

[Shiori]

"If they hurt me enough, my body will..." says Shiori, hesitantly. Not like I know a lot about my body, just that people miscarry way too easily for comfort.

[Jassinth]

"Shock and trauma can do that, yes," Jass confirmed. "But a miscarriage isn't an instantaneous process; it can be healed much the same as most injuries." His brow furrowed as he thought. "And I seem to recall some midwife spells and brews that can... insulate the womb. A visitor, or rather, a petitioner, needed such once. She had an arrowhead lodged in her chest, from a since healed wound. I remember overhearing them doing something to bolster the child for the surgery, just in case."

[Shiori]

Some small hope inside Shiori dies. "Oh," she says quietly. 

[Jassinth]

That had the opposite effect I was aiming for. "Shiori? Love? What's wrong?"

[Shiori]

"If they're not afraid of hurting the baby, there's a lot more they can, can do to me," she whispers. "I'm... I'm scared, Jass."

[Jassinth]

Ah, shit. Ahh.... "I can get something put together. A pain tonic. Anti-pain I mean. And something to help you heal a little smoother, quicker, that you can take in advance."

[Shiori]

"Healing, yes, but won't they.... know? If I'm not hurting enough, they might do more damage...." and it's what I deserve anyway, after what I did to Coquette. The thought feels alien, leaking as it has through the suppressive barrier that keeps Shiori sane. Don't think about that! Just focus on survival. 

[Jassinth]

"If they were torturing you, yes, but... this sounds more like a ritual, something with guidelines and such. I-Bitch isn't really known for being, ah, lax or permissive with such things, from my understanding."

[Shiori]

"Okay. Okay. Then yes, give me everything you got." A pause. "I've been instructed to do research on how to survive, that's gotta be part of it right?"