I stare at the undead rabbits. One has no ears, the other just one. The one I regrew. My blood is capable of maintaining the undead. Is it only for my undead or any? Not like I am going to go hunting for fresh undead. Really shouldn't have made these two. So far the souls haven't diminished yet.
Seven days until the tournament. I hope the commoner stands won't be too crowded. I'll want to root for Qorth. Assuming they don't pull the rug out from under her. I huff out a sigh.
“I'm still annoyed that you refuse to restore more of them.”
I give Lea an annoyed look.
“Yes, yes, I know I got attached and we shouldn't be wasting blood but they look so pitiful.”
I roll my eyes and head out of the couture.
-----
“You know, they have a request out for adventurers to cater Xavious welcoming party.”
Mags rolls her eyes at me, “Don't wish to attend as my daughter?”
“Didn't think you wanted to attend.”
“But I have two cute daughters to show off.”
I grin at her, “Only if I can go as myself.”
Being in attendant form was a drag and I know she will hide my—
“Sure.”
“Lady Dungeon forgot who she was talking to.”
I ignore Said and balk at Mags, “Mother, I don't think the knights will appreciate my showing up, nor would the [Viscount].”
“Ah you didn't want to enjoy some back handed compliments and various sneers.”
“No, that doesn't sound fun at all.”
“It really isn't, the queen made me put a geas on myself to not kill my peers in duels.” Mags huffs out a laugh.
“Truly?”
She just grins at me. A different thought crosses her mind.
“O, I will need to borrow Red tomorrow. I'm sure you wish to avoid the Sdrae marriage meeting, yes?”
I nod, holding back my bile. Red is just being cruel.
-----
Yosef leads us to the Xavious parlor. I had cleaned the room a few times for the lord's various guests. Strange to be one now. Mags sits down with me.
“Surprised you came as your Kitsune form.”
I wanted to be true to myself if we were going to entertain such proposals.
She laughs, looks around.
I left my ghost behind.
“So you expect me to do all the talking.”
All the better to present as a demure girl, yes?
-Ha, as if, also gross.
Mags gives me an annoyed look and looks to say more when the door opens. Kiledo Sdrae and Timothy Xavious step in followed by Jeremy and the Viscount. Jeremy beams a smile at me and I give him a look of indifference.
Upon seeing me, the Sdrea house pauses and then looks at Jeremy. He just nods. Did he not tell them who I am? Before they can broach the subject, Mags speaks.
“My daughter has told me you wish to discuss something with me, house Sdrae.”
Skipping greetings mother?
She ignores me and looks at the two men. There is a cough and it's Kiledo who starts.
“[Countess] Magdeline, Jeremy has spoken to us of your daughter and seeing as she is of eligible age we were hoping to speak of a betrothal.”
“I see, so then he hopes to marry into my house.”
Kiledo falters a bit. Timothy speaks up, “Ah well, seeing as you are not likely to surrender your title to her we thought it better that she marry into ours.”
Mags laughs at that, “You are correct that I have no plans to give my title to her. Are you planning on giving Jeremy your own [Viscount] Sdrae?”
“After he has finished his knighthood, not all of us are blessed with long life.” Kiledo answers.
A polite smile forms on Mags, “How cruel to give him a title he would have to turn over to his sister the moment he married Sara.”
They wince at the name, clearly Jeremy didn't tell them who I was. They grow confused.
Yosef whispers, “Your tea, my [Viscount].”
We wait for Yosef to finish the ritual. I grab two cookies for myself. Something to nibble on while Mags has her fun. Timothy tries to clear the confusion.
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“Why would Jeremy need to pass on his title? You said you had no plans to give…her your title.”
She smiles, “Because she plans on claiming her own before completing her education.”
No spit takes, I am actually disappointed. Instead of shock they appear annoyed. Kiledo is the first to admonish Mags.
“Your jest is in poor taste [Countess], she is only level twenty two. Even your meteoric rise had you at a higher level at her age.”
The smile didn't leave Mags face but I can feel the annoyance radiate off her. She makes no effort to hide it.
“Considering the poor treatment my daughter received at house Sdrae, I thought this meeting was in jest.”
Kiledo once again becomes confused, “That was a regrettable moment. If we had known she was your daughter, we certainly would not have made demands of her.”
It's Jeremy who speaks up, “That was her sister though, I have sought forgiveness from her already.”
Mags looks at him, her smile gone.
“My daughters share one soul, young Sdrae. What is done to one, is done to the other. They remember those memories as if they are each their own.”
He pales at that. I finished my second cookie. Yosef offers me another, I smile and gladfully accept it. I place a hand on Mag's arm. She gives me a look that questions my sanity. With a sigh she continues.
“Right, back to it then. If young Jeremy wishes to become part of Sara's future house, she only sees a fiance as a boon to ward off other suitors. I would caution that it would be purely a marriage of convenience, young Sdrae. If you wish for a heart to woo, you are going about it in the wrong way.”
He audibly gulps. Timothy speaks up before he has a chance to say anything.
“Would it be possible to have her marry into our house should she fail to achieve her ennoblement by the time she finishes her education?”
Mags gains a wry grin, “Sure, as long as the house Sdrae does not back out after she does.”
Her wry grin is met by the two men. Each believing the other has the upper hand. I flick a glance at Jeremy who suspects I already qualify as a noble. He whispers into Kiledo's ear just that.
“That's utter nonsense, boy.” The man looks at his son and starts to reconsider. He looks at me again. Then to Mags, “Apologies for the outburst, I noticed your daughter is an [Adventurer]. Does she wear a [False Soul] ring?”
She looks at me, I just shrug.
“She does, it's best to be cautious when so young.”
Kiledo is no longer so certain of this proposal. I doubt a fourth cookie is in my future.
“Ah well as these are just preliminary talks, we should meet up at another date to discuss further.”
And that confirms it.
-----
Red got to have a funny meeting with cookies. I get the annoying one with knights.
-Would you have enjoyed the cookies if you were gagging the entire time?
I suppose not, but that's besides the point, why didn't you secure me cookies?
-I couldn't say.
I bark a laugh at that. It earns me an annoyed look from the marques. I have never been to the marques office before…at least not in person. Or is this really Sir Ujan's office and the knight commander kicked him out. Not like there will be much reason for either to stay here after the tournament.
-Just five more days.
“With the tournament approaching in five days.”
-I just said that.
Shush.
“We wanted to give you one last chance to surrender.”
I bark out a laugh. Another annoyed look.
“Seriously, just like that, surrender. Will the capture quest become a kill quest should I refuse. Will you be the one to march into my core, to plunge a core slayer into the floor next to my rapidly cooling bodies? Will you collect my magic cores before you leave? Perhaps a head for a trophy. My bones are mithril, perhaps the whole corpse then. Ah to be dissected at the adventurer guild processing room. Will the sap who has to do it have nightmares or will it just be another day on the job?”
“Are you done?”
“Sorry, I just wanted to know what I was in for.”
“Imprisonment.” He pulls out a familiar manacle.
My mood sours, a great deal of anger is welling up. Not mine though. Mothers.
“You would dare threaten my daughter.”
“[Countess] Magdeline, your daughter is a threat. Should she leave the country her resources could be used to launch a war against the Queendom. Her potions alone could double the magical firepower of an army.” He speaks patiently as if to a child. It does nothing to mollify Mags.
“A threat you created by being heavy handed. It is you who should be collared.”
“I only do what is necessary to protect the Queendom.”
Mags laughs, there is no mirth in it. “My daughter devastated an army in defense of the Queendom, you on the other hand have antagonized her.”
He narrows his eyes at Mags. I interrupt the argument by walking over to the manacle. I put it on. I stare at the Marques. He touches the collar.
“You will remain in the queendom of Atlas.”
He removes the hand.
“Thats it?”
“That is all I would demand.” He looks tired.
Rather boring. I place a hand on the manacle. Mithril, my own? It's almost tempting. To leave it. My hand heats up. My newly reformed fire core roars. The smell of burnt flesh fills the room but the manacle falls off. I stare at the marques the entire time. I leave the burnt flesh for him to stare at.
“Seems it didn't take.”
Shocked, the marques sputters as I sit down next to Mags.
“Are you not going to heal her?”
She looks at me and then marques, “What’s wrong, Zindinhar? No stomach for it? More than willing to tie my child down with a shameful collar but can't bear to see her injured?”
He winces.
“I suppose that means we are back to killing me for future crimes.”
“There is nothing wrong with having precautions towards a possible outbreak.”
Now it's me who is getting angry, “Which I would have agreed to if you had talked to me about it instead of immediately dictating my future. You don't speak of a citadel to contain a dungeon, you speak of one to contain me. To keep me here for the Queendom. Wasn't my ennoblement meant to tie me here. You see me as a thing.”
I was practically screaming at the end. Mags grips my shoulder. Not having to breathe makes calming down strange. I do my best, anyways. Not winning arguments by screaming. As if there was an argument that wins. I slump into my seat at the thought. Then through it. I return to my couture, after another tantrum.
-----
Rabbit two lost an eye.
“Souls diminishing.”
I glance at the rabbits. But their souls are the same shape.
-The outer shell sure, but the core is rotting away from the inside.
The part that holds the memories…the goblin skeleton. Her memories were piecemeal. So will their memories rot away to nothing while the outer shell powers the body?
-Seems like it.
Better that way, to forget what you once were.
“Careful.”
Do not worry sister, we must always remember. We still wish to live.
I feel a bit of mirth at that. A faint smile catches me as well. I turn my senses to the nobles party.
“A good evening, Lord Xavious. I heard of the dreadful business with the dungeon.” A certain baron starts the pleasanties.
“It is most unfortunate, [Baron] Anvar, Lady Yan, this is my daughter, Delores.”
Delores gives a curtsy to the baron, but says nothing more than a perfunctory greeting. They are in a receiving line at my previous lord's garden. Behind the baron are some lords and ladies but it appears the bastard wishes to continue to hold up the line.
"Is it true that we must suffer under a pavilion? I have a mind to return to my lands then bear the cold.”
“Unfortunately the dungeon has been deemed too great a risk. A great number of our brethren have already left.”
“Truly a shame, but that actually convinces me to weather the season then. A good chance to claim a quality knight I think."
“You always were one to find advantage, Anvar.”
The baron smiles. I gag. Glad I skipped the party.
“Me too.”
