"Shut up," I said deciding to be insensibly bold. Afterall, what could he do to me? I was going to be his wife. I couldn't help cringing at that thought.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me. Ever!"

I ran on in silence refusing to look at him. I didn't have to say a word at all. He sought out my company not the other way round. So I resolutely ran on refusing to acknowledge his presence at all.

"You know he was blatantly lying back there. I mean kin to the Goddess? How dumb did he think you were falling for that?"

I refused to raise to the bait. It didn't matter if he lied or not. His intent was not malicious. He wanted to date me. Something the Blackthorn would know nothing about.

"He's only asked you out on account of your looks," said Raven immediately, proving that he had been eavesdropping on my thoughts. Probably had the whole day. It was good to know he had no false illusions on his future wife's willingness to tie the knot with him.

Ralph is not as narrow minded as you. He appreciates me as a person.

Raven's guffaw at that was disheartening... and provoking.

"You don't look into the mirror much do you?"  He said with another of his annoying smirk before he added, "Just how well do you think he knows you after merely a day?"

I scowled at him unhappily before I thought back to my discourse with Ralph that whole day and had to agree. We discussed nothing of a personal nature that could have given him an insight to me. He really had to have asked me out merely on account of my looks. I have not looked at myself in the mirror much of lately.

I couldn't look at myself. The woman I had grown up seeing and knowing was gone. A stranger stood in her place. A stanger I didn't want to know or recognise... Even if I was supposed to be her. She wasn't me.

I guess I have been too busy denying my new looks to appreciate it effect on those around me. Still, it must have been mild attraction. Raven was as always exagerating the impact of my looks. It could be Ralph found me passing attractive and hence invited me out on a date to get to know me better. A perfectly reasonable approach to a first date.

"Only it wasn't reasonable. No one knowingly lied about a connection to the Goddess unless they were willing to lie their head on a platter for it. That your Ralph was willing to do so after only a cursory acquaintance with you is proof enough of the impact of your looks on men. But you can choose to disregard my warning like you ignore everything else I say and simply see for yourself."

I did not disregard everything he said. Only things like this. This I couldn't accept.

"Are you saying that my looks is the only reason why Ralph is interested in me?" I demanded challengingly.

"You know the answer to that best. How many dates have you been on as the old you?" asked Raven, not caring a whit at the pain his words caused me.