After we brought the freed luxury slaves to Windemere, we got very busy. We debriefed our mission with Kazuyran and I gave him a lot of stolen slaver gold so he could fund countermeasures against slaver incursions. Even though Windemere was almost self-sufficient, we still had to trade with our neighbors. Throughout the whole west Auvanini coast, it would be disrupted by what happened in Sadian and we went to advise Eric to make some strategic purchases to guarantee supply before the merchants caught up with the news.

I looked around the room. Kazuyran, Vanagon, Eric on one side, two scribes at the foot of the table, Talbain and I on the other. I was disguised as the fox-kin Blossom. For all official and divine purposes, Lakerta was still petrified.

We told the King everything that happened again. The freed slaves were resting from the trip to a mansion I placed on a hill on the outskirts of the city. Kazuyran himself suggested I should put it there.

As soon as the formal meeting ended, Eric invited me to dinner in his private solarium. I assumed my normal form. All this walking around on two legs was stressing my inner lamia. Hum. Maybe I could be a different lamia. Food for thought.

"How are you doing, Rosie?" King Eric asked.

His use of my former life's given name told me what he was asking about. Lorna's absence.

Eric held my hand. The texture of his silk hand was soft but not slick. It was warm like those microwave bean bags but without the beans. I was still amazed at the silk-folk.

I let the tears flow. "I still miss her," I replied.

"Me too. But you have to move on. Lorna loved you. She wants you to live your life and be happy. Magister McCalister asked me about you and the academy. You should enroll and learn. Make new friends. Stay in Windemere, help us grow."

I raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Is that the King or my friend talking?"

"Both. You are a valuable asset and a liability at the same time. But Windemere is the nation you created from the ashes!" He chuckled, "I know because I was one of those ashes. This is your home. Live here. You are gaining Exp from the people, you are breaking your curses. I won't tell you to stop going out and cracking down on those slaving rings. But think about settling down."

We talked about other things, even about the good old times when I tried to be an enchanter. He also told me an enchanter found out how to replicate my vibrating dildos but without the recharge problem. He was making a lot of money with them.

"The hill where the released slaves are resting is yours, by the way. It feels weird giving you land that was once yours, but that's what's happening. We didn't select the spot at random. It is in the perfect range to still cover the city in your Wellspring's radius. You now own the Hill and the villages behind it, if you accept them. Vanagon suggested me to make it a duchy and make you the duchess but I think you won't agree with that."

Staring at Eric's beady eyes, I answered him, "Are you trying to demote this Queen?"

"No, Matriarch," he placed a hand on his chest. "I think you deserve a shot at living a normal life. Wasn't that what Rosewise wanted but was denied? I know you like comfort, and that place will be perfect for you."

"But why make me a duchess?"

He shrugged. "It was Vanagon's idea. But I shot it down because you can't show yourself in public, and such a position would require attendance to some social functions. With that out of the table, I was split between two choices. I decided to officially declare the mansion a guest palace, subordinate to the crown. We'll staff the place with trustworthy people but it will stay for your exclusive use."

"I have a better idea. I need a new lamia identity. So I'm going to mix and match my forms and create a new lamia form. Make her the duchess. A reclusive one. Make sure you cover for my absence whenever necessary.

"Excellent. I look forward to meeting her!" He smiled just like Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith but without the cigar. Eric loved it when a plan came together too.

That was convenient. I wished Lorna could... Oh, dear. I shook those thoughts away and replied to keep the conversation going.

"What was the third choice?"

"Erecting a temple there so people could worship the Matriarch," He grinned.

I huffed my annoyance, "Not you too! Soon people will think I'm some sort of divinity." I protested. Predicting what he was about to say, I talked over him, "I'm not. Okay? I'm just someone that lives again."

He deadpanned, "If you may forgive the impertinence of this humble foolish 'creation' of yours, Rosie, from where I stand the difference is barely visible."

"But you can see the difference," I pointed out, hopeful.

"I'm a King," Eric retorted and put his hand flat halfway from the ground. He moved the hand up or down as he explained, "I'm here. You, up here at head level, the Gods, up there? But the common folk is down there, and when they look up, what do they see?"

"The stars?" I joked. "Because it's night almost all day long?"

"The elves have Yznera and the elder fairies as patrons. They have legends, myths. What do you think the common beast-kin, were-kin, or us silk-folk have? What the ancient kin that came from Pekothas heard about Theiria and the cat princesses? Or what the refugees you brought thirty years ago in the ice train told about the punishment delivered to the pirates? Or how Windemere was revived from a necropolis and the dead returned as people made of cloth? Rosie, I remember my death. I remember the pain and grief as I wandered the dead city. Then a light eased my pain and brought me back to life. You."

My throat had a knot.

Eric continued, "I saw your flaws. Your struggles. But to me, with all I know and standing here," he brought his hand back to the chest level, "it is hard to see you as something ordinary. For the others? It's nigh impossible. To the people out there in Windemere, you are our goddess. And as the stories of your rescue, the chaos in Rerin spread, it will only cement that idea.

"By the way, I'm getting a twenty-five percent bonus Exp on any activity that's worth more than a hundred base Exp. Vanagon told me it's because of you. And every other kin out there is also earning that. Add that to the city-wide double MP regeneration. I must tell you, thank you. Because of you, this King here can stay humble."

Both Eric and Lorna grew into their position. They weren't born and bred to bear a crown. Vanagon, a true King before I killed him, helped them a lot. I felt conflicting emotions. A bit of embarrassment, pride, and a large amount of fear. Fear of what would happen if these boons vanished.

"What should I do? I can turn off the Perks if that's a--"

Eric raised a hand to stop me. "Please don't. That's my request to you. Why would you not help your people grow? Morale is on the rise. The reports I received told me rumors about the 'Matriarch's Blessing' are already spreading. People are being more productive, stimulated by the bonus. You surely sensed it."

Now that he said it, I did. I didn't have a proper measurement but it seemed my tithed Exp was growing.

"You're right. I wish I had more Perk choices available so I could grow it."

The King chuckled, "We all do, Rosie. We all do."

He coughed his mirth away. "Let's talk seriously now. Kazuyran prepared several teams to go and hunt the small-fry slaver rings in the neighboring countries. Let them do their job. Talbain is right now talking to the teams to integrate with one of them. Let him. I want you to rest, lay low, enjoy Windemere, live your life. Go decorate your house. Take a flight with Lady Nenandil. Go hunt more monsters."

I sighed and stretched. I knew Eric and he had something in mind, "What would the King suggest?"

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"Build a nice road between here and Dragonfall. One that goes straight there. The detour north through the eleon forest is too bothersome. My advisors told me we could shave three out of the five-day trip if there was such a road."

Everyone always wanted something from me. But the fact people relied and looked upon me for help put some warmth in my chest. "I'll make that road for you."

"But not right away!" He warned seriously. "I know you. Take a month of vacation first. That's an order."

I burst out laughing, "Fine, then. I'm going to live a life of leisure for a while."

We talked a bit more about easier-to-swallow subjects and I left the palace.

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With matters of state past us, I spent two weeks getting all the girls (and the six men) proper jobs. Laika became my head governess and I hired thirty other girls and three of the six men to fill other positions at my new home. All of them were kin because those would be the most loyal to me. Others with housekeeping skills found employment in noble houses and wealthy households. More than a few took positions in a high-class brothel. Nobody frowned at their choices.

For a century, a former [Prostitute] sat on Windemere's throne. The country's laws regarded prostitution as any other trade, including taxation. Because we had no legal slavery (and were actively cracking down on the illegal one), Lorna also outlawed pimps and the custom of binding the girls (and some guys too) to the brothel. A [Prostitute] could choose where she would work. Debt binding was considered a form of slavery. You could force a person to become indebted but you couldn't restrain their freedom. Loan shark was another profession that didn't fare very well in Windemere.

Using Blossom the fox-kin's identity, I visited the Academy to talk to McCalister about getting professional help, he offered himself to help pick my brain. As usual, I was wary and double-guessing my actions around the guy. {Pinnacle of Charisma} was very, very annoying when you didn't want to be swayed by the other party (or became aware of the influence). And McCalister wanted several things from me. Even though they were all academic and not emotional in nature, I still didn't want to get involved.

I think Lorna was wrong regarding mind-affecting traits. But the people of this world had always lived with the System. To them, someone with a Perk or Skill to influence people is as normal as someone on Earth that took an oratory or public relations course. Yet they could bend your will and make you buy insurance. Insurance you'd regret buying later and ask yourself why did you do that.

But to me, it was most unnatural. Maybe because now I could sense its influences and before I couldn't. Had The Master done the same to Apricot? I don't know and the answer was lost to the mists of time. However, I felt that surge of unnatural agreeableness every time he made a statement. It required focus and it was draining. I couldn't open up with him.

After talking for a bit longer and pondering my options, I declined his offer to help me and told him I'd find my own shrink. He didn't understand but I didn't care. McCalister had three main goals regarding me. One, keep me in Windemere the longest possible so he and his academy could benefit from the Wellspring. Two, the number of magical perks, abilities, and my resilience meant that he could advance magical research greatly if he had my cooperation, either as a co-researcher or as a guinea pig. And three, I was a first-hand witness to ancient history. From the birth of the Auvani tribe through the Death Princess, the Demon Lords, Queen Allorallla, and more recently Roeswise and King Locksley, I was crucial to several pivotal points of this world's history.

But I was more interested in writing the next chapter than living again the old ones.

I broached the subject of a scholarship program in Princess Lakerta's name. I wanted to sponsor sixty students of magic. Twenty beast-kin of several animal clans, twenty were-kin also of varied beast subtypes, and twenty lamias. He told me they would need to hire extra teachers and improve the facilities. He told me how much those tuitions would cost and my heart sank. Three platinum coins for each student.

I paid and left.

I spent my month of "vacation" decorating my mansion and getting to know my staff. I created a backstory for Duchess Nagini, the lamia. She was a lamia noble from Pekothas and when she heard of Princess Lakerta's predicament, she came to Windemere to research a cure for her petrification.

I was alone in my bedroom in front of the mirror I wiggled my tail a bit to get comfortable and started to morph. Thinking about snakes from the documentaries, I settled for the San Francisco Garter Snake. The magnificent pattern of orange, deep blue, and turquoise strips running the length of the tail would serve me well. Using {Chimeric Transformation}, I shifted my scales' color to that pattern. I lost my rattle for a while, unfortunately. But I gained the twelve points of physical Attributes because my tail was considered an animal part now.

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> Illustration of a San Francisco Garter Snake (yeah, I know you can google it):

[https://i.imgur.com/B23MR3y.jpg]

Image credits: CC BY-NC 2.0 - Natalie McNear via flickr.

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Just to confirm what I feared, I checked the tip of my new tail. It was a female snake's behinds, not a Lamia's. Hope nobody checks my nether regions.

I had to change my upper body too. Lakerta was a stunning woman. My dark chocolate skin tone was gorgeous and the H-cup breasts hanging from a well-proportioned upper body were eye-catching. Too eye-catching, unfortunately. I reskinned my upper body using Rosewise as a model. Modest a-cup breasts and pale skin. I shuffled and messed with my facial features, mixing and matching traits from all the women I've lived as until I found a unique face that only resembled my past selves en passant. And that's because I knew where the cheeks, eyebrows, eye format, lips came from.

I called my staff and showed them my new identity.

"I'll be posing as Duchess Nagini from now on. Please don't let people know I'm the Matriarch. I don't want this house to become a place of worship. I don't want to be worshipped at all. You worked well at the auction house, I hope you find this job satisfying."

"Yes, Ma... Your Grace, I mean," Laika grinned. "We are delighted to work here. It is an honor to work for you."

The others replied with similar words.

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During the next few months, I put myself to work on finishing my estate. Just a mansion sitting on the hill wouldn't do. From the foot of the hill to Windemere, it was a half-hour walk or a little less than two kilometers because the majority of people in this world were comparable to Olympic athletes because of the System and Attributes.

I raised walls around the mansion, shielding it from prying eyes. Then I added a tower poking above the walls because the view of Windemere's countryside to one side and the capital to the other was stunning at night. That was important because it was night twenty-three hours per day (minus five minutes, you can do it, Galbarar!). The climb up the hill was possible only through a ramp that went around the back. I added several facilities including gardens, an orchard, a ballroom, guest house, and an open-air amphitheater at a plain area the foot of the hill where the ramp started and finally walled that section leaving some room to grow later.

When I was done, I'd transformed my hilltop mansion into a stone motte and bailey castle. Satisfied, I went overboard and enchanted the walls. Mana storage, self-repair, damage resistance, protection from climbers, and health benefits for those insides.

Now that it was bigger, I needed to add more people to the house staff. These wouldn't know my real identity. I had another reason. I needed a skeleton crew to man the house when I took Laika and my loyal kin to the Dragonfall Dungeon to power-level. And I wanted these new hires to be mostly lamias.

The duchess went to town, literally. I asked around and eventually found one of the two lamias I brought along with me. Her name was Auraria and she was the happy mother of more than two hundred little snake girls. That was kinda insane for formerly human me. Lamias could have up to two twenty-five daughters per year in two... clutches? Don't quote me on the collective term for baby lamias. Times thirty, she wasn't even that much busy.

I saw signs of Fire, Earth, and Nature affinities, but none for Wind or Water. The System told me the "blue lamia" was at risk of extinction. Hard to believe, but if there was at least a one percent chance of one being born, there would be one here. Instead, only the latter three types were present. I might need to go search for blue and white lamias to bring them here.

The girls were ecstatic to see a noble lamia. They knew about Princess Lakerta but mostly that she brought their mother here and now she was a statue like everyone else heard.

After the introductory pleasantries, Auraria asked, "Now, your Grace, I must ask. What do you want with my girls?"

"I want to recruit some of them to be my elite guard. Twenty. What I offer is a very good payment, health care, housing, clothing, and education. Ten of these lamias will be trained to acquire the [Royal Lamia Guard] ultra-rare Class. It is the same zero-rank Class Princess Lakerta took. I want to pick their professions too. The other ten will enroll at the magic academy and learn to become spellcasters. I see we have green, red, and brown lamias here. They can learn and specialize in their elemental affinities. I'll also take the girls to the Dragonfall Valley to gain levels. I'll raise them to the first rank before they see actual combat. I guarantee the girls will be safe until they hit level fifty-five once their training ends. During their graduation, they'll receive a full set of weak-enchanted gear."

The brown lamias for example, if they acquired their elemental forms as I did, they would be immovable, nigh-impervious to damage heavy-hitters. And the red lamias would be powerhouses, adding immense speed and fire damage to their attacks.

She unhinged her jaw. Literally. "No offense, but that sounds too good to be true, your Grace."

I leaned closer to her, "We lamia need to stay together. And get stronger. We need to find the blue and white lamia and bring them here to Windemere. We need to strengthen our species. I'm not asking your daughters to sacrifice themselves. They won't shed a single drop of blood or lose even one scale until I finish their training. We need mages if we are to help our Princess Lakerta."

She hesitated.

"I'll also let another ten of your girls enroll in the magic academy, without entering my service, as a gift from me. Everything is already paid for. They will receive the basic training at the academy and I'll take them for one tour in Dragonfall. I won't level them until the first rank-up but close enough. They'll come back from this tour in their thirties, once they acquire their Class. I will also make sure they don't get anything lower than 'very rare'. Do we have a deal?"

The way the little lamias were staring at Auraria, she couldn't refuse. "I guess you hired yourself some squires, your Grace! But please, take care of my girls!"

I grinned. "I will, my dear Auraria. I will."