Doomed and Disgraced

General Doukas stared at the maiden in front of him and wasn't able to see beyond what his eyes wanted to see.

  The tingling and burning of the slash she had just taken in her hand had shaken her already confused spirit, split between giving in for the good of all, and fighting to protect herself.

"M-my general… We shouldn't start our wedding this way…"

"HA! It's impossible not to like you! A slippery little priest of death, isn't he? I know your family's secret, after all, I am the emperor's brother. It wasn't a problem for me that the Dallassenos worshiped barbarian gods of death as long as they were faithful to the living men they should be ... You shouldn't look at me with such hatred. Your brother should have remembered that your family serves mine. Michalis had it coming… And you…" the hand holding the belt lowered and he touched his own groin in a mixture of pleasure and discomfort, to Alexa's horror, before continuing, "it's getting more beautiful…"