<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Sixteenth Day in the Guilded Cage</span></div><br/>Arensha was brought to her own climax within a few seconds of the other two, her voice joining Judi's as both women voiced out their pleasure.<br/><br/>Tired out, she was content to collapse on al-Samara and crawl next to him, harem politics forgotten for now, just enjoying the moment curled up against the warmth of his body. Unfortunately, this was not to be. What started as an innocent enough exchange between husband and wife soon escalated into a full-blown argument. As they railed against each other, ignoring the catgirl - who, admittedly, was trying to make herself as small and unobtrusive as possible - Arensha felt like an outsider, eavesdropping upon a scene she was not supposed to observe.<br/><br/>But as she listened to the argument in front of her, it dawned upon her that this was an opportunity that she could exploit to get closer to al-Samara and perhaps dampen his and Judi's affections towards each other, at least for a time. She waited until what she felt was the right moment to cut in, right after Judi had finished her line: "Where were<em>you</em>when the assassins came? You had no idea what it was like, here, when we were attacked!"<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Bluff</div><div class="spoiler_body">At 2015-04-18 08:40:27, Autocad (uid: 39463) rolls: 1d20a9 Result: 15 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=74652)<br/></div></div><br/><br/>Even before she finished speaking, Arensha knew her attempt had backfired. The anger redirected upon her from the two of them was almost a tangible blast of heat from two furious flames. She hung her head low as Judi yelled at her, and knew better than to make any attempt to defend herself when she saw the slap coming. Fortunately al-Samara checked her hand in time. His words were more reasoned than his wife's outburst, but they stung at Arensha all the same.<br/><br/><em>What am I doing? When did I become... this?</em>the catgirl wondered to herself, in a moment of clarity.<br/><br/>"I'm sorry," she said simply, still staring down at the floor and unable to meet his eyes. She pulled her garments on hastily and left the room not long after Judi.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>With al-Samara and Judi probably less than perfectly disposed towards her for the next little while, Arensha decided to try to work on recruiting Claudia to her cause. Unfortunately her silver tongue had taken quite a tarnish lately, and she pushed too hard, landing herself back at square one... she decided to give Claudia some much-needed space for the next few days.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Diplomacy</div><div class="spoiler_body">At 2015-04-18 09:16:39, Autocad (uid: 39463) rolls: 1d20a8 Result: 11 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=74653)<br/>And Claudia goes from Indifferent back to Unfriendly...<br/></div></div><br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Seventeenth Day in the Guilded Cage</span></div><br/>After yesterday's debacles, something straightforward and physical seemed like exactly the change of pace Arensha needed. "Brinya it on!" she said, wrapping white strips a few times around her own fists and taking up a ready stance.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Sparring</div><div class="spoiler_body">Attack roll with archaeologist's luck: At 2015-04-18 10:24:44, Autocad (uid: 39463) rolls: 1d20a13 Result: 26 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=74654)<br/>Acrobatics roll with archaeologist's luck: At 2015-04-18 10:25:10, Autocad (uid: 39463) rolls: 1d20a11 Result: 18 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=74655)<br/></div></div><br/><br/>While Hanifa, moved, almost danced, with flair and style, it wasn't exactly accurate to say that Arensha's moves exhibited a less refined style, rather it was more like she had no coherent style at all. Her moves were practical and direct, to the veteran eye they were obviously self-taught and honed in battle, but no less brutally effective for that. The match was close, each blow, each maneuver, answered by the other in kind, but at the end even Arensha had to admit that Hanifa had held the upper hand, if only barely.<br/><br/>During the bout, Arensha found herself automatically scanning her surroundings for anything she could exploit to her advantage. Of course, in the sparring ring, such opportunities were simply non-existent. Still, she had a sneaking suspicion that if a real fight had taken place, on a battlefield not as artificial and sterile as the ring, things would turn out differently.<br/><br/>"Good match," Arensha offered her hand to Hanifa. The physical exertion had worked out some of her frustrations out of her system, and she was starting to feel better already.<br/><br/>That night, the catgirl was almost desperate to make it up to al-Samara for her mistimed intervention the previous day. She wasn't too absorbed to notice that her friend wasn't entirely comfortable with the arrangement, though. Arensha could sympathize, but she wasn't about to ask al-Samara to stop the threesome, lest it sound like a complaint, no matter how minor. Still, she did what she could, trying her best to subtly lead them to positions where she and Hanifa could lavish attention upon al-Samara without having to do the same to each other.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Sense Motive</div><div class="spoiler_body">At 2015-04-18 10:41:43, Autocad (uid: 39463) rolls: 1d20a3 Result: 15 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=74656)<br/></div></div><br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Eighteenth Day in the Guilded Cage</span></div><br/>Sharisa's warning wasn't unexpected. Arensha was expecting her rival to try to take her revenge as soon as she could, after all, had their positions been reversed, Arensha would have done the same. But the news about the suspicion on Faliensk, now that was a pleasant surprise. It seemed that the seed of suspicion she had planted during her debriefing with Ahriman had finally sprouted. Although looking back, now that she had a better idea what the chief of security was capable of, telling him anything but the truth and the whole truth back then had been a huge gamble in hindsight.<br/><br/>"Thank you Sharisa. I'll be extra careful for the next few days," Arensha promised.<br/><br/>After Sharisa left, Arensha went to find Judi and make amends.<br/><br/>"I'm sorry about last time, I really am," she told the geniewoman, sounding as contrite as possible. "I know I sounded like I was accusinya you of beinya unconcerned for Sultan al-Samara's safety, but I know that there isn't anyone who cares about him more than you do. I hate to admit, probably not even me." She had a chuckle at her own expense, and continued, "It's just that, whoever's behind the assassins knows that I'm in the way by now. Every attempt on al-Samara is obvious, but each attack on me can be explained away as an overzealous prank played by a rival. It's happeninya already - you can even check with Ahriman, he's probably investigatinya too."<br/><br/>Arensha sighed. "I've heard rumours that there'll be another attempt on me soon... so in case anythinya happens to me, I don't want our last words to be filled with anger." She would take Judi's hand in her own, if allowed. "We both love our Sultan in our own way, so we should be workinya together with each other, and not be at our own throats, right?"<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Diplomacy/Bluff check if needed</div><div class="spoiler_body">At 2015-04-18 11:35:21, Autocad (uid: 39463) rolls: 1d20a9 Result: 23 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=74658)<br/></div></div><br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Nineteenth Day in the Guilded Cage</span></div><br/>It must be serious if it made Bakr too distracted to leer, and Arensha paid attention.<br/><br/>"That anonymous lotion you were given... It has an ingredient designed to erase one's memories.  I fear, that someone in this palace is trying to pacify you, for one reason or another." Upon hearing these words from Bakr, it was easy for Arensha to look shocked, because she truly was. So this was what Roshul had been slipping into the catgirls' lotions to control them! Her own memory loss... she began to suspect that she didn't have an accident in the library, after all.<br/><br/>Then Bakr presented his second finding. Funny, how such a small, strangely coloured thing could hold the key to unlocking her memories. "I'll take it," Arensha said without hesitation. She didn't mean that she would drink it right there and then, of course. After all, Bakr might have other things on his mind now, but if a certain catgirl drank a potion and fell unconscious in his chambers, he might be tempted to do something he would regret.<br/><br/>She needed someone who could watch over her and protect her while her mind was sorting itself out and she was vulnerable. She needed Hanifa's help.<br/><br/>"Hanifa," the catgirl said, the excitement in her voice undeniable, when she found the silent girl at last, "I found it! A potion to restore my memories. I don't know what will happen when I drink it, so I'm countinya on you to watch over me if anythinya happens. You'll help, right?"<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Fortitude Save</div><div class="spoiler_body">At 2015-04-18 12:12:40, Autocad (uid: 39463) rolls: 1d20a3 Result: 23 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=74663)<br/>Natural 20!<br/></div></div><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">As soon as Arensha drinks the last drop, her head begins pounding to the point where she gets one of the worst migraines in her life.  Her vision becomes blurry, she loses balance in her legs, it feels like her stomach is about t void its contents...<br/><br/>...and then, it all stops.  Briefly forgetting where she is for a moment, she finds herself lying face up in Garetz' infirmary.  "Are you alright?" he asked.<br/><br/>Arensha...no, no, that is not her name.  It's Menya.  She remembers time spent in a lodge in Osirion, full of tomes and books, bearing the symbol of the Pathfinder Society.  She remembers trekking across the hot desert on horseback alongside Hanifa, fighting sword-wielding thugs and exploring darkened tombs.  She remembers being gifted with a Wayfinder, treasured magic items from a prior era which are given to Pathfinder members upon recognition of great deeds.  She remembers being gifted the mighty task of retrieving the Forgotten Crown, of being captured by gnoll slavers a few weeks ago, being brought to Katapesh and being bought by Sultan al-Samara, of Hanifa's neck injury which she used to feign muteness...and she remembers Roshul coiling around her after being given an oil massage, the naga describing the properties of its memory loss...<br/><br/>...Menya's been tricked.  For all this time she thought herself a concubine, her and Hanifa being kept as pleasure slaves...the honeyed words of al-Samara of how she was a faithful servant for five years...</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Menya woke up as though from a long dream. She panicked for a moment, wondering where she was, before she recognized the place as Garetz's infirmary. Hanifa must have brought her here after she passed out. She sat up and gestured for Hanifa to come closer, and whispered into her ear.<br/><br/>"I'm<em>Menya</em>, and Menya remembers everything." Then she continued in a more normal volume, a wisp of sadness in her voice, "And yet, Arensha who loves Sultan al-Samara, still lives on."<br/><br/>Betrayal. That was how she felt, betrayed by everyone except for Hanifa, who had done her best to help her friend without being detected and forced to undergo the same fate. There was no way that the others could be ignorant of the truth. Whether willingly or unwillingly, they had played along, contributing to the fabrication that was Arensha's whole life. Worst of all, was al-Samara's lies. From the very beginning he had lied to her, and now that the foundations of their relationship were exposed for the fraud that they were, the whole rotten edifice of her love for al-Samara should have come crashing down. Should have.<br/><br/>Why, then, did it hurt so much? Why were tears rolling down her cheeks?