The Art of Submission

?Three?

"Father Arrow again, I am following the will of the goddess." They were leaving in less than an hour and he decided now was the time to try and convince her to not leave. She made up her mind.

She saw the twinkle of anger in his eyes before it dissipated. "Arana I am just voicing my concerns for you. That is all. I do not want you two to possibly trauma bond."

Trauma bond? Trent had been through enough trauma for the both of them without that night. "I've been through things too, Arrow. Separate from that night. I understand your concerns but I am fine. Whether you're talking about Pomelia or Trent, no bonding over trauma will be happening."

He nodded his head in understanding before grabbing a cup. Arana frowned, noticing it wasn't his usual pick with morning breakfast.

"No hot bean juice?"

A twitch of a smile crossed his features before is disappeared. "I don't have the craving for coffee," he spoke absentmindedly as she watched him bite into a piece of toast. Rather...harshly.

He was upset with her, but he would have to process his own emotions on why. It wasn't his place to be worried about her after she constantly told him this was what the goddess wanted. Arana was petrified even though she wouldn't say it out loud of the goddesses decision but she would manage. Somehow...someway..

****

"I'm just nervous. What if they don't like us."

"Does it matter who likes you or not? Listening to people who don't matter will get you nowhere in life."

Arana sat in a dark van with Father Arrow, her two novices, two LPA guards, Agent Grace, a very high ranking and influential agent in the LPA ranks. Whom also happened to be her former novices mother. The woman was blunt beyond belief, she didn't like Arana and Arana was sure she had never seen the woman smile. And she had seen the woman a multitude of times.

Arrow had said nothing since they got into the car. The only ones who continued to talk were the women. Mostly the two novices and Agent Grace chiming in occasionally. Which Arana didn't mind much, until she started giving advice that Arana didn't particularly agree with.

"Well, I agree don't feed into what people say as much but also be open to people. This is a new experience and even if they don't like us or are wary it's still our duty to treat them with the level of respect the goddess would want us to have for her creations."

Arana watched Agent Grace cut her eyes at her through the front mirror and Arana smiled at the woman. Arana did nothing wrong to warrant Agent Grace's glares or annoyances so she ignored him. She was going to continue being her true self even if Agent Grace had an issue. She could take that up with the goddess.

The rest of the trip was utter silence. The sound of everyone's heart beats and Rosemarie's constant tapping of her fingers on the window were the only things that could be heard. One of the agents in the front passenger seat kept turning on the radio and each time it came on, Agent Grace would slam the button in, shutting it off.

The hostility in the car wasn't needed and Arana had enough on her plate so she let the agent act like a toddler and let her anger out. The woman was going through some things. Most likely nervous to see her daughter whom she abandoned when she was a child, and to know that, that said daughter is now living in an undesirable pack.

Arana knew Agent Grace was not in a good headspace so she just sat back, and tried to think about her own issues and problems and how to work them out before she had to slip on her mask of smiles and welcomes and please do not mess with me or my girls attitude. It was tiring, alway looking after everyone but this is what she signed up for. At least she had other priests an priestesses fo rely on. At least she had Arrow with her currently.