After Vex cried for what felt like an eternity, Miss Giddy was there at Vex's side, whispering soothing words to her and encouraging her to stand. But Vex only did so after Angharad tugged her up.

They led her away to Miss Giddy's room. Angharad set Vex down on her bed. "Let me see," she said softly and moved Vex's hair away from her neck. The pregnant woman let out a hiss when she saw the brand glistening on Vex's skin. "Evil, vile, cruel man," she said fiercely.

"Does it hurt still?" Miss Giddy asked, rummaging through one of her drawers.

"It's slowly numbing down," Vex mumbled. But, oh, it burned.

"There isn't much I can do for treatment," Miss Giddy said sadly. She turned around with some cloth strips in her hands. "It will have to heal on it's own."

Miss Giddy tied Vex's hair up into a bun with the cloth to keep her hair from irritating the burn. Next she poured some water over it, making Vex clench her teeth and dig her nails into the bed to keep from screaming.

She handed over some linen to Vex, allowing her to clean up the mess in between her legs as best she could. Vex was ashamed to find blood on the rag when she handed it back; her cheeks burned as she remembered him putting her on his desk and spreading her legs.

All the while, Angharad never let go of Vex's hand.

"Why does he do it?" Vex asked when Miss Giddy pulled away, putting the dirty cloth in a basket.

"It makes all of us his property," Angharad said bitterly. "So he can justify this treatment. Or so we'd never forget him. It's all disgusting."

"Does he brand us first time?" Vex croaked and she accepted another glass of water from Miss Giddy, this time drinking it all down.

"No," Angharad said. "When I came here, I hadn't bled yet. But he branded me my second night here. No one's ever been branded the first time he takes them. He usually does it before he… haves sex with us."

But not with Vex. What was his purpose of branding her after her used her? Was it to reiterate the point that she was his? Or to remind her this was her life now?

Angharad patted Vex's arm, getting her attention. "Sleep here tonight. I can sleep in Capable's bed."

"Are you sure?" Vex asked. Angharad had been sleeping in the bed next to Miss Giddy's in case something happened to the baby. To take the bed seemed like inviting bad luck.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

-x-

Vex could barely sleep that night, any way she tried to lay her head sent pain lacing through her neck. Miss Giddy retrieved a light dinner of lettuce and beans for her but Vex lost her appetite. She avoided the rest of the wives and opted to stay in Miss Giddy's room trying to collect herself.

It was also because her body was sore. And she was riddled with bruises from his handling, all of them standing out against her skin. She didn't want them to see. None of them.

They will, the voice in the back of Vex's head reminded. They'll see it eventually.

But when they do, Vex will have built the hardness around her again. She could face them when she quelled the soft thoughts raging inside of her.

After she woke up, she stood, grimacing as she did so, and stretched her arms and legs. Her legs protested, wanting to rest from the abuse they received last night but Vex didn't allow it. She walked around the small room, recovering her strength.

"You're up," someone commented. Miss Giddy shuffled into the room, a plate of beans in her hand.

"No use lying around," Vex said grimly as she accepted the plate from Miss Giddy.

The elderly woman watched Vex eat her breakfast solemnly. "You are not the first," she started.

Vex looked up from her breakfast. "Not the first for what?" She asked.

"The first woman to shut herself down after Joe's taken her as a wife. There have been many before you. Back then he was a skilled manipulator; he convinced every wife that it was an honor for them to be here. All of them were eager to please him, to bear him a son but only two unworthy heirs were given to him. But some saw through his words and these women were able to hide their emotions while here." Miss Giddy eased herself down on her bed. "You're just like them."

"I'm not shutting my emotions away," Vex said quietly. "I will not allow him to own me. He will take my body but I will not give him the rest of me."

Miss Giddy smiled. "Well said, Vexation." She leaned over and patted Vex's arm. "Hold onto that belief and you may survive yet."

Vex finished off her breakfast before righting her clothes and walking back into the main room. She felt eyes on her as she reemerged. Taking a deep breath, she headed over to the book stack, ignoring Cheedo on the piano.

She plucked a book up and glanced over at Cheedo. But the younger girl's eyes were on her but rather on the visible smattering of bruises on Vex's legs. Irritation picked at Vex but she said nothing. Let them stare, she decided, they all had their own share of bruises.

Vex settled in her usual spot on the stairs and Cheedo started playing again. The book she had grabbed was about animals. Back before the world had been killed, many animals lived in it. Animals with fur and animals who could fly.

But the most fascinating animals were the ones who lived in water: penguins, fish, whales, and dolphins. Where had they all gone when the water dried up? Did they die?

"That's one of my favorites."

Capable stood in front of her, staring at the book in Vex's hands. "I love reading about things from before the world died and I wonder what it would have been like to have lived then."

"Probably better than what the world is now," Vex replied.

The redhead smiled and sat down next to Vex. "Does it hurt?" She asked, lowering her voice so Vex had to strain to hear her.

Her legs were sore and her neck ached. "Yes," Vex said simply. "It all hurts."

"He even branded you," Capable observed. She reached out to touch Vex's neck but Vex jerked away from her. Capable put her hand down.

They sat in silence, Vex returned to the book while Capable rest her head on her knees. "It doesn't get easier," Capable said after a long while.

Vex looked at her. "What?"

"Sleeping with him, being his wife. It won't get easier," she repeated. "He'll come for you again and again until you're pregnant. Then he'll leave you alone but there's so much pressure over the baby. Carrying it to term, delivering it, and hoping it's a boy and healthy otherwise… he'll be so unhappy with you."

Toast's words came back to Vex; Capable lost her baby in the third month. "What happened after you lost it?" Vex asked.

Capable stared at Vex, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "He came back for me seven days after. No waste in grieving over what could have been. But he was different. First time he'd been nice, he even doted on me while I was pregnant but this time, he was cold like he was disappointed in me or he blamed me. I cried afterwards but Angharad was there, reassuring me that losing the baby wasn't my fault."

"And it wasn't," Vex interjected. "Angharad is right. No one can control these things. If I could control anything, I'd be back in Gas Town beating Gobbler's face in with a wrench."

Capable cocked her head. "Gobbler?"

"He was an old man who shared my living space, bothered me all the time by complaining about lack of water and food. He betrayed me to the People Eater's men in exchange for water. But then he told the People Eater the water was all his and the People Eater had him killed." Vex grinned thinking about Gobbler's demise; it was a nice satisfaction.

"Have you ever killed somebody?"

Capable's question threw Vex off and she coughed. "No," she finally said. "I've never killed anyone but I had been in fights over water or the right to a piece of machinery." While she preferred keeping to herself, those times she had been desperate for something—anything—to keep her from dying and she was more than willing to hit someone over the head with a wrench or metal pipe.

The redhead smiled and opened her mouth to say something but the sound of the door opening made both of the freeze and snap their attention to the door way.

Their silent guardian, Furiosa, stood to the side and made the sign with her fingers as Immortan Joe entered the room, holding a bowl.

He gazed over the room, eyes going from Cheedo to The Dag to Angharad's belly to Toast and finally to Capable and Vex on the stairs. He strode towards the two and Vex felt Capable stiffen next to her. "Leave us Capable," he rumbled as he approached.

Capable stood and made to join Angharad before he reached out and grasped her arm. "Tomorrrow," he promised her.

Vex felt her insides go cold as the redhead glanced towards Vex and gave Immortan Joe a small nod.

Vex kept her body still as Immortan Joe slowly lowered himself next to her. "I brought you something," he said and handed her the bowl. Inside were a bunch of small, round, green fruit. Grapes, she decided, judging by the picture from her books. "Eat one," he encouraged.

Carefully, she picked one up and bit into it. It was sweet but had a bit of a sharp tang to it. But it was delicious and she found herself eating another one.

"You like it?" He asked.

She stopped, remembering herself. "It's good," she admitted to him.

"I'm glad you like it."

He reached over and gingerly touched the brand on her neck. Much to Vex's displeasure, she hissed between her teeth in pain. "I'm sorry but I had to do it," he said and rubbed her shoulder tenderly as if it could heal her wound.

Why? The question burned through her but she refused to ask. Let him explain himself to her if he so wanted.

"It's to remind you that I saved you. I picked you up from the dirt and raised you to the status of my wife," he explained."You will enter the gates of Valhalla by my hand, shiny and chrome."

And she was supposed to be grateful for that? For this Valhalla he spoke of? What ideas does this crazy, vile man have? Rage coiled inside her and she dug her nails into her palm.

"Look at me." He put a hand on her cheek and turned her head so she could see him. His thumb stroked her cheek as he stared at her. "My beautiful Vexation. I know it hurt but it will get better in time. I am easy to please as long as I have your obedience and your son." He pulled her into an embrace, pressing her uncomfortably against his armor. "It will give me no greater joy than to see you give birth to my son."

Vex's breath hitched. Her arm twitched and she desperately wanted to strike at him, to attack him, and scream that she was not a thing to be owned like Angharad said the first time Vex arrived here.

But before she could do anything, he let go of her and stood. "I will be back soon," he promised. "We have much work to do."

Immortan Joe turned from her and walked over to Angharad and caressed her swollen belly. He said a few words to Furiosa before leaving and the door slammed shut, echoing loudly.

Vex swallowed heavily and glanced down to the grapes. A treat for a job well done, she realized. He had rewarded her for last night. Suddenly her appetite for the fruit was lost and she set the bowl down. Someone else could eat it.

She stood up and walked down the steps and put her book down. "Miss Giddy," she called. "Where's that flute?"

-x-

Not much to say about this one. A bit of Joe's view on the whole thing and how he interacts with his wives and some aftermath on Vex's part.

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