Nothing about her carried revulsion or disgust. But there was something. Something… Rare. KayNan’s eyes opened and he sat up, scanning the cubicle of space he claimed. It was claustrophobically small and stiflingly quiet. As always. Exactly as he liked it. If he stood to full height, his head grazed the ceiling. The only way to stretch was lengthwise. The chamber was just shy of a yard wide. Barely penetrable dim pervaded the area. Cold and dampness kept it company. A scent of corrosion permeated the very stone walls and floor. From there it reached out to embrace the eleven loops of chains dangling from big, iron nails along the three of the four walls. The entire area reeked of decay. That was how his servant, Marten, described it, and that’s exactly why KayNan liked it. It usually kept everyone well away from this section of the estate. And that included women. He finished checking the small area. Everything was precisely what he expected. Exactly as it had been for centuries.
