Soraya's attitude toward Roxanne, the Goddess and Cassiopeia differed slightly.
She respected them with the deep instinctive regard of a younger sister who understood exactly which women she probably should not treat and regard casually but with the deepest respect. She could tease Cassiopeia, certainly, because apparently nobody connected to Phei escaped that forever, but when any of those women became serious Soraya listened.
Cassiopeia had been particularly surprised by it.
Among Phei's women, she was still his slave. Some were kinder about it than others, some barely cared about the distinction at all, but the position remained there, understood even when nobody bothered saying it aloud.
Soraya had never treated her that way.
