Ashia didn't reply or move for several minutes before she looked at Miriam.<span style="color: #404040">"of course you can't understand, no one has spent five years mistreating you while everyone around you sings their praise. the people you love most haven't shamed and guilted you for not smiling and eating the latest pile of shit someone threw in your face. the person you hold most dear hasn't stood by and watched the abuse, dispelling any illusion that you are making it up and still demanded that you shut up and endure. you haven't had your children indoctrinated to love the person who has singled you out for abuse... Ras' cult killed my first Brood of children, they ritualistically slaughtered them in his name. i had them in the palm of my hand, i could have avenged my babies... at the time The'kal had Ras bound as a Troll loa, a demigod of sorts that depends on the faith of followers to live and gain their powers. if i had killed the cult Ras would have died and at the time he... he was kind to me. he expressed sympathy for my loss, disgust at the actions of his cult but he asked me to let them live. he told me he would die if i took my revenge and he asked me to spare them so that he might live. i stayed my hand to spare Ras' life. when my son retaliated against this injustice he sought to harm Ras' children and i have not seen my son since that day. shortly after things had settled down Ras turned against me and he has been slowly escalating the abuse for five years. the only thing sudden is that he finally pushed me too far and i fought back but isn't that the way with breaking points? the only thing extreme is the how much i have to defend myself for wanting him gone. and i fail to see how my desire to not have him screwing with my emotions anymore is grounds to question my competency as a parent. if anything the increased emotional stability will make me a better mother."</span><div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>