Lord Joyde The Madman: Heylo, Everybody! How are you all?
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It would seem that VIKKUTORIA has struck once again.
Ma-sorry girl, why do you have to be such a..
Yeah, I'm god damn mad at you. I mean, thanks for the super grades and all but..
You just spoiled half my goddamn story. (Well not really, just the starting points but... I'm gonna be a bit salty about that for a while.)
And I don't know how to feel about that...
Anyways, here comes the next chapter of Destiny: Infernal! I sincerely hope that you enjoy, let us begin!
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Don't mind me guys and girls! I'm just a line break...
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The Following Morning - Alice's Castle Court - Alice's Point Of View...
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"So what you are telling me is that you guys did absolutely bloody nothing for the entire time that I was asleep?" I pointed out with an incredulous tone full of disbelief.
My head maid, butler, cook and stable-master all bowed their heads in shame."W-well, to be perfectly honest, your ladyship.. we weren't even sure that we would be able to keep our jobs."
"And what about my treasury?" I turned towards my treasurer, a minor noble in control of a city within my realm. A burgher, if I ever saw any."I'm happy to say that the treasury is fully intact, clean and all of our funds are accounted for... however.."
The surprisingly young man with black hair spoke after a deep sigh."All of your ladyships parents coin has been confiscated by the kings men, as is normal for any regent to do. The money confiscated amounted to two thousand, three hundred and seventy six gold coins."
Blinking in shock several times as I placed an uncertain hand onto my forehead, I replied."How the hell does he expect me to improve my realm without any funding? Please tell me that my parents had some funds stored away or something?"
The man, much to my dismay, shook his head in negative before adopting a more merry disposition."They did not... however, that is a wonderful idea milady. Shall I start preparing plans for the building of a hidden vault?"
A nod towards the burgher and a wave towards the others indicated that I wished to speak to him in private. The other servants bowed and hurriedly removed themselves from my presence."Interesting thoughts, mayor. But that still does not solve our financial problem... any ideas?"
"Well, milady could always take a loan from someone she trusts, like the King perhaps... thy may also begin taxing your subjects more heavily... but may I ask something of your ladyship?" He tilted his head in confusion and I nodded, permitting his wish."Why does thy ladyship desire to restore her treasury quickly? I mean, as a man of coin, I can appreciate the efforts, but as the King is thy regent you do not exactly need to worry about funding when thy can simply leave it to his highness, no?"
"And you think that the king is going to fund my county while also focusing on the war effort? Pardon my rudeness mayor, but please tell me you aren't that foolish." The man bit his lip as his eyes widened in realization. He took a step back and bowed."Forgive me, milady. Here I am to advise thyself on how to properly administer thy realm and then I make such a stupid mistake."
I waved my hand in order to dismiss the issue."Never mind that... back on what you said beforehand; a loan could work but I simply can't afford to ask it off the king for the aforementioned reason... What do you think about hiring mercenaries to raid bandit encampments?"
"Hiring thugs to fight off thugs? It could work... but mercenaries rarely work on promises alone." A good point as I put a finger on my chin in thought as I looked at my poleaxe.. though, now that I think about it, its more of a halberd than a poleaxe.
The artifact shone with a dreadful crimson glow, a sharp contrast to its golden shaft, engraved blade and shining hammer-like other end."Say, do we have a herbalist or an appraiser somewhere nearby?"
He blinked in surprise.".. No, but those kinds of people are relatively easy to come by. Why would we require either, though?"
"My mothers gardens and the herbs they contain.. well, she won't need them anymore and considering how a few of those plants came from lands controlled by demons, they may be worth a pretty penny. The same goes for her artifact collection." The mayor seemed shocked at my proposition."Milady, I had just the same idea beforehand but denied myself telling you for I believed you would not wish to sell what could be yo-huh?"
I shushed the man with a glare before motioning him to come closer. He swallowed hard and did as ordered. I whispered into his ear something dreadful, a secret which a man of coin such as him would not be able to keep."My mother did not commit suicide, mayor."
He stepped away in shock and awe before swallow down hard once again and putting his hands behind his back."W-what exactly do you mean, milady?"
"She tried to kill me. The magic explosion? Whatever she tried to do failed, thus sending her flying out the window." I promptly revealed to the man, his eyes widening."B-but why are you telling me this?"
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"Its your reward, mayor. Also a way for me to keep you on my good side... In fact, why don't you think of it as a bribe? I'm sure that piece of information is something many people would give their lives for. Mother did have a lot of enemies, after all." He nodded and grinned."In short, your mother tried to kill you so you wish for her reputation as the ally of a hero to be crushed, correct? Your ladyship is delightfully arbitrary for such a young girl, I must say."
"Justice is a worthless gesture. None but fools use it, none but fools respect it. And I have no need for the respect of fools." Is my rather evil-sounding reply.
The mayor seemed to shiver and shake a bit at my tone, though not in a way that indicated he was uncomfortable."I.. see. Is there anything else I could do for you, milady?"
A nod."Two things actually, mayor. First, I'd like to know your name and second, I want you to tell me any information you know about the bandit encampments within my territory."
He blinked, then bowed within moments."Ah, right. Your ladyship does not know me. Please forgive my rudeness. My name is Gerald Yvain."
Straightening himself out, he continued."As for the bandit encampments... well honestly, since I've managed to keep my city in check and stocked full of guards, I must admit that I don't know much about them. A short trip to the nearby Adventurers Guild should fix that easily enough."
I nodded and hummed in thought."Any slave markets nearby?"
"Normally, I would not dare answer this question but.. well, your ladyship has proven herself worthy of my trust. There is one very close to your castle, milady. In the forests surrounding your estate, there is what appears to be a bears cave if one who is a hunter would check the claw markings on the outside.. however, in reality, this den of debauchery belongs to a particular group of slavers who are usually referred to as The Grizzlers for their unusual level of savagery during raids." He explained before tilting his head in confusion once more."Though, I must ask.. what exactly does thy ladyship need from a slave market?"
"My personal maid ran away after her slave brand expired upon my mothers death, which means I need a new body pillow." He blinked in shock as I turned towards my Halberd/Poleaxe."Plus, the weapon I inherited from my father... it has other properties than a mere healing enchantment, the power of said enchantment notwithstanding... powers which I plan on testing."
"... milady, are you planning on hunting down the aforementioned bandit camps on your own? And you need a slave to act as your second when delivering proof of your deeds to adventurer guilds?" He asked of me and I quirked a genuinely surprised eyebrow at the man.
A very happy eyebrow, at is."Oh my... and here I thought that I was being unreadable. Guess I was wrong."
"Milady, I have heard rumors about your supposed cynicism and arbitrary nature before, thought I believed it all to be mere slander... but this is still a bit much, don't you think?" He asked of me with a piercing gaze, to which I replied with a sinister laugh."Oh dear mayor, you have no idea how right you are."
I walked off my throne, my fathers halberd magically floating in the air, seemingly following me of its own free will as I spoke."I am merely a nine year old girl whose mind has been shattered by the deaths of her parents, by the apparent suicide of her mother! Oh woe is me, right?"
His confused gaze caused me to continue my maddened laughter as I took in a deep breath."In reality, I was always like this. My parents? I couldn't care less about them, mayor. Their deaths only served to free my depravity. I.. have always been a social outcast in every shape and form... my cynical disposition has caused me to befriend people much older than me rather than those my age. And the elders I befriended were more than happy to push my logical, cruel and in-childlike personality forward."
"You say that, but it is common knowledge that you are a devout worshiper of Vytar, the goddess of nature, purity and motherhood. Is this also a lie?" A question which made me pause for a moment as I reached for the golden pendant with a round emerald in the middle of it, an amulet of Vytar herself, bought by collecting years worth of my previous allowance."No. That part of me is true."
"Then how come you are like this? If you are truly as zealous as the rumors describe you, why is it that the girl I am seeing in front of me is more reminiscent of a demoness in the shape of a child than some pious future nun or priestess?" I laughed at him.
Walking back to my throne and sitting back down onto it with eyes closed in thought, I reply to the mayor."Yvain, my zealotry towards Vytar comes from the fact that I had no parents from the start. My mother didn't care about me and father is someone I barely even knew. What kind of little girl does not want to spend time with her parents, her mother at the very least?"
"So your religious fervor was born out of your need for a parent, is what you're saying? Alright, that is plausible, but it still does not explain your... abnormal personality." He spoke in such a way as to avoid insulting me.
I let out a sigh."... well, I have no explanation for it. It is simply who I am. If you don't believe me, go and ask my former classmates from Clause's School Of Basic Magic about me. I am certain that they will tell you much the same."
He let out a breath of relief."Good... if you did have an explanation for your personality, then that would have been far to suspicious, milady. In fact, I would have been certain that I am talking to a demon and not a child."
Shrugging at him, I replied."You're allowed to invite as many priests to my court as you'd like if it would make you feel better... hmm, that might not be a bad idea at all, actually."
"Milady?" He replied with a questioning gaze as I chuckled."Your opinion of my personality points towards the fact that others may feel much the same way.. if I fill my court with priests of the gods and well-off burghers like yourself rather than nobles, I may avoid potential backlash from the peasantry."
Slamming my right fist into my left palm in a very childish gesture, I issue an order to the mayor."Yvain, I want you to find me a spot close to my castle where we can build an abbey or church once we have the appropriate funds. That will surely please and attract members of the priesthood."
A surprised nod comes from the man."Very well, your ladyship. Is there anything else thou wishes of me?"
I shook my head in negative, causing the man to bow and leave me alone.
Leaning back into my throne, I feel myself dozing off... falling into a sleep the depth of which I have never felt before.
... I just hope I'm not going to sleep for three months this time.
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Don't mind me guys and girls! I'm just a line break...
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And that is it for this chapter of Destiny; Infernal!
I sincerely hope that you've enjoyed it as much as I did!
Gonna have to change a couple things thanks to VIKKUTORIA tho.. Don't want to retain a spoiled plotline and also to make this more enjoyable to my older fanbase.
Hmm... there are so many places I could take this.
Either way, its gonna have to be after I write the next chapter of Euphoria.. or not, well see.
Stellaris: Utopia just came out after all... maybe there won't be any chapters at all depending on how addicted I get.
Sorry.
But my gamer side is often the victor when it fights against my writer self.
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Anyways, read and review! And Good Morning/Day/Night to you all! ADIOS FOR NOW!