Chapter 35 : We will never speak of this, Ever part 2

"Which of you trollops did this?" I ask the crowd of women in my drawing-room.

I had hosted the sleepover this time, leading to my quarters expanding to include a few double-bedded guest rooms.

"My, Antonio, your hair looks marvelous, If I must say." Dayan drawled from her position in the lounge; The corner chair by the fireplace. Her hair was slightly out of place, and she was still in her pajamas, as I had all but dragged them out of bed.

Rose, from her position in the kitchen across from us (I currently have an open floor plan. Tastes change.) pipes up, "I can barely remember what happened last night, honestly." I heard murmurs of agreement and realize that I also...cannot remember a thing after coming back to the church.

"I remember, meeting up in the capital...on main street. We shopped for a while and had lunch at this new place of the priest's recommended to Ant, before headed to the Blelyft, which transported us directly into Ant's private quarters--"

"They don't do that normally," I interrupted, getting an annoyed look from Gertrude--Yes, I learned their names! No...I'm not preening. Shut up. Trollops.

"Like I was saying, we appeared in Ant's private quarters--"

"When did I give you permission to call me by my first name?" I interrupted again.

"Last night, after we brought out of wine." Lillian piped up and Gertrude made an "I'm done" gesture before going silent.

"Your skins darker than it usually is," Dayan noted, surprising me.

I observed my slightly mocha skin. It was darker, so unlike the color, I had gotten used to. My mother, Irene, was of an indigenous tribe in her home country and was naturally very dark-skinned, beautiful, and unlike those in this nation. My other mother, Sheri, on the other hand, was very pale with bright red hair and bright eyes.

I was born in this world with very dark skin, like mocha with a few dashes of milk, a rich bright brown. I also had very thick, and curly black hair, and bright emerald green eyes. Since becoming the pope, the goddess died my hair a grayish-white color and lightened my skin considerably. (Against my wishes!) She also changed my eye color so that instead of my beautiful greens, I have this yellowish cat green that become emerald green once I deplete my magical stores.

I once blasted my bathroom to kingdom come trying to get my original coloring back a few weeks after the changes, going mad as I was, and I only had them for maybe two days before the goddess restored my reserves, causing me to go back to that once hated, white hair, lighter skin, and yellow-green eyes.

So, yes, I was very surprised and delighted when my skin was just a little bit darker, just a little bit closer to my original coloring. And as It was now, it was almost like it, so, so familiar. Like coming home after experiencing an out-of-body experience. A feeling of belonging.

It was wonderful.

And then my bubble was burst, and with a knock on my door, a bang really, my whole world was upended, just with a single sentence,

"Your holiness, the high pope, your mother--"

And everything went white.