She accepted my hand with the grace of an aristocrat and stepped out of the cell, her movements poised. Our eyes met again, and we were very close. I could sense her temptation, the curiosity flickering in her gaze as she weighed her chances. Then, she withdrew her hand.
"And how long are we suppose to be women of the king?" she said, her speech and tone refined. "Till death do us part?"
She is used to being in charge, used to authority, it comes natural to her. If I remember the name correctly she must be the wife of the Duke of Altstadt. If there's someone who shouldn't still be here it's her.
"Two years," I replied, "And after that any who wants to leave can"
Whether inspired by self preservation or revenge I sensed relief. They see a young greedy king fueled by lust, and lust no matter how powerful gets tired and is ephemeral. Of course I probably won't let them go, even though I would have gotten from them what I needed. If you were there you would have understood perfectly fine, regardless of your moral inclinations. These women were the absolute beauties of beauties, of various kinds. Letting them go would no doubt feel like a heavy loss, and I know I hate losses, especially if I can do something about it. And besides, after two years they probably won't want to leave either, no sensible woman would, no matter how vengeful she is.
"The knights will lead you to your chambers" I went on. "And tomorrow I would listen to what requests you might have"
Taking it that they've been excused they began leaving, Penelope didn't even bother with a polite bow.
I watch them leave, observing like a livestock farmer in his farm. They are all good but I already had a skill in mind.
"Sybil" I called in a normal tone.
She turned with an instinctiveness of her name been called, her eyes puffed like someone who has been crying for days. She walked to me with heavy steps. Although she should be in her late twenties, Sybil looked like a teenage girl. She had a slight, firm figure with little tennis-ball breasts, clear, freckled skin and a golden hair that seem dirtier than the pale pink gown that's cinched delicately at the bodice with lace.
Many cast curious glances but none bothered to stop.
"Now let's see what we have here"
"W-what?" Sybil's voice trembled.
"Strip"
She uttered a gurgling scream, and in a supreme effort of contempt and maddened fury, spat fully into my face!
I wiped it off. "That's better"
[Blood arts] activated and her body was instantly dragged and slammed against the cell door with just a wave of a hand. The impact cut her scream short, and she slumped to the ground. I grabbed her by the hair and forced her back up. Though the pain was instant it registered in her eyes deeply and blood streaked down her nose. I reached out a hand and cupped her breast giving it a squeeze. It was hard and firm. She grimaced in disgust and closed her eyes, clearly repulsed.
"I don't need to tell you to choose your next actions carefully, now do I?" I said then spun her around immediately, pressed her against the door, and began clutching at her dress. I dragged them up and she was squirming, eyes brimming with tears, feverish. My dick wasn't particularly hard and when I slammed in she gasped. It will get the job done, though not anytime soon.
┌─────── ♕ ───────┐
Aleksander's boots thudded heavily on the polish floor as he sprinted down the hallway. He reached his mother's door and opened it without stopping. She stood by the tall, arched window with the views of the gardens, her back to him. She did not turn at the sound of his entrance, her gaze fixed on the horizon of the morning sun.
He stood there for a few moments before saying, "He is still alive"
"I know," she said after a pause.
He began approaching her. "We can't trust them, mother" he said, then stopped by her side and faced her. "We need to regain control"
"...have you met with your grandfather yet?" she asked, looking at him for the first time.
"No--"
"You have to meet him," she interrupted, turning back to the window. "It's about time you go back to the academy as well."
"Giving up, are we?"
"No, just preparing for a long campaign," she replied, "Hansil has already agreed to go back to the betrothal agreement"
He sneered and turned away. "I went from getting ready to inherit the first kingdom of the continent to marrying my own sister so that I can one day become a regional lord"
She turned to him again, reading his face trying to see if she could tell how long he has known, and after just a brief moment she turned away and said, "Half-sister"
He scoffed under his breath.
She walked away, went to the elegant table by the side of her bed, and began scribbling something down. She rolled it into a small scroll and returned to the window. A gentle double tap on the edge and quick moments later a black raven appeared outside, flapping it's wings as it hovered, expectant. She opened the window and the raven collected the scroll with her claws and then flew away.
"You will be returning to the academy after this weekend--" she began, but he cut her off.
"I can't go back there, mother" he said, "I had mates at that party; filthy barbarians now live at our ancestral home, how do you expect me to show my face ever again."
He held her cold eyes but he didn't see the slap coming until it was too late. It turned his face sharply to the side. The sting of her palm burned into his cheek, a hot imprint spreading across his skin. His vision blurred momentarily, the room tilting as he fought to steady himself.
"You are a disappointment," she spat, "Don't make it worse than it already is. You are going back to Mittelreich, you will top your class with all acknowledgements and until you are able to hold your own against that brat do not call me mother, do not show your face before me again!"
She stormed out of her own room, leaving him stunned. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, a thin red line tracing down to his chin. His fingertips twitched, a faint spark of lightning flickering across them, darting in and out of existence. He tried not to let his panic show, mother hates weakness, but somethings are out of his hands. It has never been this bad. He lost his father, he lost his home, he lost his honor and now he is at risk of losing his mother, all because of someone who had always been beneath him. Someone the academy couldn't accept grew fangs overnight and suddenly the mere thought of him made his blood run cold and remembering events of that night paralyzes him with fear and his vision blurred with dread--
His mind finally settled, and the lightning ceased. Mother was right. This is unacceptable. Nothing would heal him faster than standing over Dragonhart again with the fear and shame in his eyes as he tries not to beg but always fails.
"Nattkryper" he called
His shadow moved, and almost immediately a shadow mage formed out of his shadow.
"Inform the rest" he said, "We will be returning to Mittelreich"
The shadow mage bowed with no reluctance and as Aleksander walked out of the room he melted into another shadow, but even Aleksander knows he is losing control of the shadow mages, it's just a matter of when and how far they could go.
┌─────── ♕ ───────┐
I finally got flight and it's decent.
That's one pivotal skill off the menu, but I don't plan on that been discovered yet. Any retard could string the facts together if I pop out with another random skill and that could be dangerous to my development. I have many other things to think about and resolve and the first on that list is Mittelreich. What's stopping them from invading the south through Drakoria? And why move now? We are in the second week of Tuh-nom-tsal, the last month of a 10 month calendar system. By next week, winter will arrive and stay around till around the beginning of Onstes, the third month of the calender. It's a terrible time to invade a kingdom more than 3000 miles away, and even if they choose to come through the portals of one of the enemy kingdoms that's still more than a thousand miles and considering the army they would bring it still makes no sense, especially when they know all they had to do was wait for 16 weeks and it would be theirs. It confuses me so much that I'm considering reaching out to Alhashem.
Første, Vlakna, Onstes, Naderde, Lehenerdia, Ekaina, Herfst, Nivis, Nif-isa, Tuh-nom-tsal. A ten month calendar, 36 days long and then a 5 day festive period to reset the calender of which on the last day would be the day for awakening, and that's the day I yearn for the most. If the invasion doesn't happen then my forceful recruitment of the males could have an unintended yield. Before now, when awakened most leave to the highest bidder or a greater nation, with impunity; but not anymore. I will match the pay of Mittelreich and Montreal, and if they still want to leave they will go with their parents and siblings, renouncing their citizenship and all immovable assets. Death penalty to any who buys the assets from them. I will extend this to the female awakeneds as well, and since Drakoria has the only major deity temple in the continent I will try to poach the talents of the other nations. Our growth is optimistic, if only Mittelreich stays quiet.
Returning to my chambers and Nadia and the dark elf were waiting.
"You already have your instructions," I stated, cutting off any greeting.
"Yes, your majesty" Nadia said, "We merely have a humble suggestion we hope you might consider."
I stopped. The dark elf already knew but mother won't be comfortable with another person finding out within hours of the last.
"We think Ophelia will serve better by the king side than away in the forest teaching the others" she began, "Eder is more than capable to train them, and while that's important we believe safeguarding the person of the king to be of more importance"
"And you want this yourself?" I asked the dark elf, and she only nodded subtly but it was enough to make me happy, though I didn't show it. I turned back to Nadia. "Find her replacement then, and fast"
She bowed, and I walked away, the dark elf following closely, already on active duty. As we entered the chambers, I noted mother was gone and the bedsheets had been changed. My thoughts drifted to what the dark elf's work attire would be now that she was no longer with the assassin group and they can't have any similarities in them.
"Step out," her calm but firm voice broke in.
I raised my eyebrows in confusion, glancing around to ensure she wasn't speaking to me. Few moments later, there was a 7 foot vertical dimensional tear from beside my work desk, and from it's lean depth Edgar Mhaduk calmly stepped out. He wore a high collared, dark military-style uniform adorned with gold and bronze accents, a harness crossing his chest, fastened with ornate clasps. He had that sly grin that I have come to associate with his face, and he wasn't alone. He came with another, similarly dressed but tighter and body hugged to accentuate curves of a sharply fit woman, and completed with a hood that hides her face.
"That was better than I thought" he said, curious attention on my one armed bodyguard. Hard to say if the looks on his face was that of admiration or silent resentment, and then he turned to me. "Greetings your majesty"
I had already gotten my composure back. "You are quite bold," I said.
"No need to fret, your majesty" he said, "I come with no malicious intent, I come to offer a truce. A chance for old enemies to become allies"
I chuckled darkly and walked to my table. Halfway into filling my cup with wine I realized they could have poisoned it but I tried not to show fear, and then I held the cup high.
"There will be no talks," I said, with calm menace. "You will run and as long as I'm alive I will hunt you till the last of your blood is no more"
His expression darkened. "I was under the impression you are a reasonable king"
"Well I'm not," I said, dropping the cup, "And this meeting is over"
I expected an attack. I had a spell ready. A gravity spell that slows time for like 2 seconds within the circle and then there was my always active shield, but the dark elf suddenly exerted her presence, and though I couldn't feel it much it was obviously enough to deter Mhaduk, who was much stronger than her. He cast her a glance and his sly grin broadened a bit.
"You are making a terrible mistake, let's hope it's not too late before you realize that" he said as his body began merging with the darkness. I gave a mocking thin smile and they completely faded away. I turned away and walked towards my bed. Of course I won't hunt all of them, shadow mages are rare after all. So rare that the last one was six years ago. I will hunt them to an almost extinct point, or at least they will fear same then I will offer a deal that they can't refuse. That's the only type of alliance I'm comfortable with, unless there's no choice, but in their case there are so many choices.
I sat on the bed, legs stretched ontop, watching Ophelia. She wasn't uncomfortable with my gaze but she wasn't pleased either. I was trying to figure out which of the skills alerted her to the shadows' presence but none seem likely.
"How did you know they were here?" I asked.
"The darkness smelt different" came a quick reply.
"Hmm" I said, giving it a thought. "How does that work?"
Her subtle huff didn't escape me but I acted like I didn't notice. "Same way you would notice a very pungent food outside of a kitchen" she slurred.
"So you know exactly where they were?"
She felt reluctant to answer but gave in, "Not if they have moved around heavy enough"
I now understood her reluctance so I dropped it, and besides my curiosity was more or less cured. My mind became preoccupied with other matters.
"I have a task for you" I spoke up again. "I need a message sent, and one as brutal as possible."
Her brows furrowed in confusion, but I will explain it to her, and I'm sure she will understand and be very willing to act. The message needed someone with no regards for human life. Someone whose hatred for people knows no bounds, no matter their age. One with unhealed trauma and if her eyes and scars tell me anything, she's the closest to what I can ever hoped for. I have already suspended sales of the gold soaps, and order a sizeable increase in production of the normal soap, business is about to become very serious.