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Chapter 13
Anver
Tishlie kept pulling against me, but I ignored it. I was done with her tantrums. I had nothing else to prove. Zeal had made it clear to me that I was done with my penance, and that allowing her to treat me like this helped no one, not even her. So if she wanted to complain to my instructor, then fine!
"Priest Roek?" I called out the moment we were in the door.
"Let go of me," Tishlie whimpered, pulling once more.
"Anver?" Roek asked, standing up from his chair at the back of the room where it looked like he'd been talking to Saval.
The Path of the Body instructor also jumped to her feet. "Is there a problem?"
"It seems my ward wants to complain to my instructor," I said, pushing her towards them. "She's offended that I wouldn't allow her to simply slap me."
"What?!" Roek roared, surging toward us.
Saval caught his arm, holding the man back. "Tishlie, what's going on?"
"Anver keeps leaving me," she said. "He'smyguardian, but he's always with Nariana. She left him! He matched with me, but she's trying to steal him away."
"He's allowed friends," Roek informed her.
"Not when I need him!" Tishlie screeched.
"That's enough," Saval told her, her tone leaving no room for debate. "Your guardian is a gift given to you by Zeal. He's supposed to be treasured. Yes, by you, Tishlie. That means the better you treat him, the more your bond with him will grow."
"That's not what Ciella said," she mumbled.
Saval just pulled in a long, slow breath. "Well, it seems Ciella's wrong. Are you aware that your bond with him can break if you make him resent you enough?"
"Never mind the slapping," Roek added. "Anver, how long has this been going on?"
"A while," Saval answered before I could. "I heard about it last semester."
"ItoldNari not to get involved," I said, trying to explain.
Roek just lifted his hand. "You are a Priest of Protection, Anver. That means you are of equal rank to Tishlie. You are not her servant or her inferior. Your duty, as declared by the marks on your skin, is to keep her safe in her sessions, and to protect Zeal's investment in his temple: her body. Hopefully, her mind as well, but we have limited control over that."
"But he's supposed to help me, isn't he?" Tishlie asked.
Roek chuckled. "Help you how? What is it you think he should be doing, Priestess?"
With wide eyes, Tishlie looked back at me, then between both of our instructors. "To keep track of my responsibilities and things like that. It's what Ryshie does for Ciella. He sets her alarms, reminds her of her appointments, and he gets her clothes ready for her."
"I see..." Roek drawled.
Saval just hung her head and sighed. "Did you know about this, Anver?"
"Some," I admitted. "I also know that Ryshie hopes that by impressing Ciella, he will get some affection from her. The times she thanks him or the smiles she gives him when he does her tasks are his reward."
"And you?" Roek asked. "What are you hoping for from Tishlie?"
"That she'll realize I'm not only asexual but ringed. That I'm not here to get her turned on before her sessions - or for her supposed partner."
Saval grumbled, and this time Roek reached up to rub her arm. "Did you want to request a reimmersion, Anver?"
"What?!" Tishlie gasped. "No. He can't. We'd have to start training all over, and - "
