My Servant System

"Begum Anput, you've returned!"

The Dogkin that walked into the dining area was quite the beauty, something that was made apparent the moment your eyes landed on her visage; some people were simply blessed with that sort of beauty, the jaw dropping and attention stealing genetics that simply reminded everyone else that life was often a cruel and unfair mistress who never gave a damn about you in the first place.

Bone structure that seemed deliberately chiseled in such a way that her smooth, flawless olive skin would be flowing seamlessly across her face, giving her an ovular canvas that was simply sublime in its natural state; her sharp, pointed brows were softened by her warm amber eyes, which glimmered like honey beneath the sun.

Her plump lips were soft and inviting, their involuntary and simple curl upwards brightening her expression even more, her bubbly aura trying to lure you into a state of relaxation and admiration.

Black locks that we had seen on everyone else within this city seemed different on her, the long braid that snaked over her slender shoulders drawing our eyes downwards, whilst the two smaller braids that were formed out of her bangs framed her face perfectly, the golden and orange beads adding to her bright and cozy aura.

Everything about her oozed the warmth of the Sultanate in its gentlest capabilities; the soft breeze as you sat in the shade, the way the sand wrapped across the lands like a golden blanket that kept everything warm, the serenity of the dunes...

But when you looked lower, following that snake of black threads, you were greeted with the sight of her own 'dunes', the twin mountains of olive goodness barely concealed beneath an orange tube top that only made her bust all the more impressive, and for a brief moment... I looked lower and had to appraise my own size, nodding to myself as I compared her to me and came back with the comforting realization that I was still bigger.

Even then, as I looked back up and saw the way her waist slimmed down before flaring back out into her wide hips... well, I couldn't help but feel 'threatened' as a woman at that moment, even though I knew logically that - whilst she was certainly an attractive and incredible woman - I was still 'above' her in the sense that I was Anput's, Leone's, and Jahi's lover, there was that innate desire to remind them about that fact, to ensure that they knew I was her 'better'.

The longer I looked at her, the more I realized that she was almost identical in sex appeal, warmth, maturity and even in attitude to Mother, the more I couldn't help but feel... odd about her; threatened and confused, but also having a small desire to get to know her and connect to her.

It was odd, and it made my mind short circuit as my logic and illogical thoughts clashed together, bringing me to a standstill as I watched her continue to walk forwards, her body swaying seductively even as her expression remained innocent; her language, both in body and in sound, was 'innocent'.

There was no intentions to seduce, no intention to allure and ensnare, but instead just the familiar comfort that everyone had from living within their own skin, that natural gait and typical vocal tones as she smiled at Anput.

"My, how you've grown~! To believe that it's been... well, years since we last saw one another~! I hope everything has been well over in the Empire, Begum Anput?"

Stopping a few steps away from the Jackalkin, she turned towards the Sultana and Lady Kio to give them a rather deep curtsy, the familiar movement executed fluidly as she showed her respect to her employers first before turning back towards her Mistress, who she gave an equally deep curtsy.

Her tail swished lazily from side to side, and her ears twitched as she stood back up straight after a few seconds, staring at Anput as she awaited an answer from the one she had served for who knows how long.

The longer I stared at her, the more illogical I felt as I studied her stance; that uneven posture with one foot slightly offset from the other, the way she naturally puffed out her chest to maintain a straight spine, the way her hips were off tilt...

It was a 'natural' stance that seemed foreign to me coming from a servant, but outside of that I knew it well; it was a confident, assured stance of a woman well aware of her charm, and it was one that I made use of as well... which only caused me to clench my teeth for just a moment as I held back a growl.

The prolonged silence from my mate seemed to speak volumes as I too waited for her to say something, this ocean of emptiness pulling us all down into its depths as we were left with nothing but our thoughts and the little information we could pull from both the servant... and the master.

"Yasmin... everything has been swell in my new home. There are things I miss from my birthplace, yes, but I've adapted, like I was told I would. Doesn't mean I don't miss the heat of the sands, but I suppose I've simply traded it for ash."

Anput finally spoke up, and the small curl of her lips as she stared at the servant only irked me more, my tail flicking to the side as my fur bristled, all whilst I maintained as neutral of an expression as I could...

"Ah, I don't think I could ever leave the sands behind..."

Shaking her head, Yasmin let out a sigh and glanced at the window, taking in the golden landscape that resided behind the walls of Muqai Al-Maedin and letting the hall fill with silence once more, only to then look back with that same grating smile as those ambers landed on Jahi, Leone, and then me.

"And you must be Lady Jahi Asmodia, Lady Leone Presa-Ash, and Lady Katherine Zara, correct? Please, accept my thanks for accepting and loving Begum Anput; I know just how much each of you meant to her when the marriages were first proposed. Thank you."

Bowing again, Yasmin only rose again when Anput said "Yasmin please, it's embarrassing!", the Jackalkin's ears twitching as she tried to wave away the words of her servant, who only smiled back at her and said "Apologies Begum, but they do deserve to know~! You used to be rather ecstatic whenever a letter arrived from either Lady Jahi or Lady Leone~! Each one caused you to hole up in your room-!"

"Yasmin!"

Anput was blushing slightly as she 'glared' at the woman, and it was that familiarity and the comfort she had that continued to stoke my illogical side as I observed this, not liking it one bit... even if I knew fully well that this was a healthy, wonderful relationship that she had seemed to foster with someone when she was younger.

This entire time the Sultana and Lady Kio had been quiet, and the pups had all been eating quietly as well, watching from the side and trying to understand what was happening, but now that the subject had been brought up, Lady Kio spoke up with a smirk, her mischievous nature making itself known once more.

"Oh, she did more than just 'hole up in her room' after getting those letters~! How often was she late to training or outright skipping them simply because she was 'drafting' a response~?"

"Mother!"

Now Anput was 'glaring' at her Mother, but the moment her Mom poured herself a glass of wine and muttered "More than I care to count, and more than I want to remember..." she blushed hard and looked away, hiding her expression from us but not controlling her ears nor her tail well enough to hide the 'shame' she felt.

The Sultana sighed as she swirled the dark scarlet liquid in her glass, before lifting the veil slightly to reveal a scarred visage and thin lips as she took a sip, momentarily diverting my attention.

"It was far too often... and each one was just yet another 'cruel' reminder of what was to come."

The melancholic rasp made Lady Kio roll her eyes as she said "Personally, I was just happy that the place didn't reek of citrus when she left!", something that made Anput almost shout, an odd strangled noise escaping her lips as she looked towards the petite Dogkin.

Jahi raised a brow and murmured "Well that is certainly good to know~!", which made Anput growl softly as she clenched her fist, still glaring at her Mother.

Leone was blushing, peeking at Anput before peeking at Jahi instead, which the Demoness caught as she smirked at both Anput and Leone, loving this new 'ammunition' that had fallen into her lap.

All the while, Yasmin was watching their antics with a warm, motherly smile, before she looked towards me and tilted her head, our eyes meeting as I continued to observe her.