“I do apologise for Julius’ behaviour,” Lady Cyllenium remarked, giving a courteous wave to one Elyza recognised as a painter, whose self-portrait she had helped steal back a month or two ago, but her full attention was on the woman guiding them, “I would’ve stationed a butler to look after him, but his involvement was… a last-minute decision.”
Elyza simply nodded, following her example, her eyes still locked to her figure, unable to pierce the visage she had constructed, replying, “No need, Lady Cyllenium, if anybody is to blame, it is Joanne, she should’ve warned me that someone of his character would be present on this day.”
Her partner sighed at her accusation, a part of him mixing in with his character as he did, “I expected that Princess Annabeth would be attending the event, she is far more trusted by the Emperor to handle diplomatic procedure.”
“Are you deflecting blame, Ms. House?” She remarked with a smirk, relishing her position for the day.
“Of course not, Lady Adler, I shall strive to be better.”
“Nevertheless,” Their guide’s voice snapped both their focus onto her, for the first time her words sounded the way Elyza had expected them to do, perfectly crafted, “While I have never heard of you, or what you represent, it appears that establishing a relationship would be beneficial for both parties. So, in failing to predict this indiscretion, I have given you an advantage, and for that I do apologise.”
The crowd around them had dwindled the longer they walked and as the last words left her lips, they were standing in front of a tent set up in the corner of the room. It was draped with purple fabric, tassels hanging from the edges, with a door made with beads. A woman dashed out from within, hitting the man running after with beads in his eyes, forcing him to shout blindly, “Linda, he’s lying! You have to believe me!”
“Is this…” Elyza began, scanning the candles on pedestals, the stars woven into the fabric and the crescent dotting the bead ropes, “A fortune-teller’s tent?”
Lady Cyllenium snapped her fingers, and a squadron of maids appeared around her, their steps almost silent, and a simple instruction was made, “Ensure nobody interrupts us.”
“My retainer will accompany us, she can be trusted,” She added, earning a nod from the Lady as she swiped the door aside, an unspoken command put forward.
As she followed her inside, her mind scanning for any information she had in the dossier Alex had made that could hint to the Lady being spiritual, she spotted a bald man holding his head in his hands, slumped over the table with a crystal ball in the centre. “Look alive, Mr. Smith, I’ve brought guests.” Lady Cyellenium remarked, and immediately the man shot to his feet, the orb glimmering with coloured smoke as he did.
Their gaze met, and she stared into an endless void, a deep blue ocean, but unlike when Elyza had staring matches with her partner, it wasn’t all consuming. There was no glimmer behind it, the spark of curiosity, they just looked tired of it all. Something reached into her mind, but before she could put up all her walls and catch the presence, it took her thoughts with her, the man responding, “I… I’ve been telling futures all day, I’m just a bit sick of it.”
They both reached the same conclusion immediately, but her partner was quicker, “You’re a… psychic.” He was able to voice his frustration with the development perfectly for them both, something Lady Cyllenium swiftly noticed.
“The ace in my hand, I personally hired him on the day itself, just a minor precaution.” She remarked, smugness dripping from her words, yet Elyza did not feel offended, even as she knew that the tides had shifted completely in the Lady’s favour.
Alex pulled back a seat for her, a soft cushioned armchair, no doubt in her mind that it had been selected specifically to lull whoever sat down into a false sense of security, to let their mind wander. She adjusted her dress so that it would not crease under her weight, waiting for the Lady to take her seat first, which the psychic adjusted for her comfort. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts, thinking of alternative ways to approach the task in hand, her eyes trailing towards the psychic at the ire of her plans. He was grimacing.
She snapped twice towards her partner, the thoughts melding into one, the signal agreed upon the day before, to stick to the plan, Elyza instructing, “Hand over the documents.”
Alex slid a leather bounded file from the confines of his coat, placing it in her hands. Opening to glance over the papers, giving her a moment to glance towards her partner, she slid it over the table, into the Lady’s waiting presence. It garnered no attention from her, her hands busy in accepting a pipe from the psychic.
Holding it in one hand, her fingers lit up with a green flame, holding it over the chamber until white smoke started to rise from it, flicking the flames from her hand. She took in a long breath, letting the smell of mint and tobacco permeate through the tent, letting them stare at her before she remarked, “You don’t mind if I smoke, do you?”
“Of course not, Lady Cyllenium, I shall instruct my retainer to hold her breath till we’ve agreed upon a deal.” Elyza replied with a courteous smile, forcing her muscles to relax, letting herself sink into the chair as much as possible while still maintaining her posture, swinging one leg over the other.
The Lady took another breath, a longer one this time, Elyza could see the embers blaze in her pipe, the relishment in her eyes as she stared at it. Yet, there was no disappointment when the psychic held his hand out to retrieve it. Tossing it without any hesitation at her servant, her gaze locking onto the folder on the table, illuminated by the swirling lights within the crystal between them.
“Please open it to page 12, and look at line 5,” The psychic remarked, his eyes fixed on her partner, rather than her.
Her hand lifted the document, her eyes skimming the pages for something to stick out in the paragraphs of legal language, till she finally flipped to the page her servant had warned her about. Waiting till her eyes landed on the line, Elyza summarised, “A seventy–thirty split of profits, after a year to get settled of course, till then we would divide the profits in half.”
“A generous offer, but if you expect me to accept this without performing my due diligence, I’m disappointed if you planned this meeting with those unsavoury rumours in mind.” Lady Cyllenium stated, flipping the document back to its first page, starting over once again.
“Not at all, I merely wanted you to keep in mind what your company would be able to gain if you were to find my terms agreeable,” She corrected her as politely as her voice would allow her to, knowing the next question to face before the words had even left her mouth.
“What services does your organisation provide? I’ve never heard of it or its workings in either Nyxianis or Dammerskorn, so forgive me for being sceptical of the authenticity of your motives,” The Lady proclaimed, settling back into her seat, her hazel eyes glancing from above the leather lined contract.
“Officially…” Elyza began, snapping her fingers to signal Alex, who pulled out a jar full of water, pouring it into a glass before handing it over. She took a sip, trying to sober herself, speaking when her partner drew away their attention by dropping the pitcher into his shadow. “My company is primarily occupied with the transfer of goods over the western region of the land of elves, mainly constrained to crossing the mountainous regions into the… ‘Unknown Wilds’ or the land too expensive to develop or hold by any nation.”
Lady Cyllenium took a moment to read through some pages, but her eyes flicked upwards as she heard the stress on the last word. As they wandered down, they must’ve spotted many of the traps they had littered in the paper, her brow rising as she concluded, “This implies that you would be open for the family to be the sole distributor of the items your company procures from that part of the world…”
“It would be an honour to work with yo–”
She raised her finger to stop the sentence, continuing, “It also implies that you have a way to repeatedly and renewably harvest resources that are exclusive to the expansive peninsula, which are quite sought after by the rest of the world, and many are willing to pay a premium for.”
“Perhaps, after years of development, we may have found a way to cultivate many herbs and even some creatures in a way we could farm them for pieces of copper.” Elyza remarked, placing the glass upon the table.
Closing the document, the Lady took a moment before she stated, “Lady Adler, if you are open to share, what activities does your organisation participate in, un-officially? I must be aware of any liabilities, or ventures any rivals may use against me, before I invest in such an endeavour.”
Elyza gave her a slight smile, gesturing to her retainer, Alex bending down to listen to her instruct, “Work some of your magic and find some of your cocktails.”
“Right away, Lady Adler,” he remarked, bowing towards Lady Cyllenium as he left the tent, understanding the signal, “If you would excuse me.”
The Lady nodded, still staring intently at her, both waiting for the servant to leave the room, “I trust you will not betray mine, Lady Cyllenium, especially since very few people have peeked behind the curtain and lived.”
Threatening her, albeit very slightly, was a risk she was willing to take to establish some ground in the battle, and it seemed to have worked, a smirk tugging at the Lady’s lips. She motioned her to continue, and she happily did so, “Unofficially, we are involved in transporting individuals who wish for a… well, a somewhat better life, along with beasts that may intrigue those with eclectic tastes, be it culinary or otherwise. Along with such endeavours, we work in developing instruments that may be used for extermination, along with distributing them to those worthy of them.”
This raised her opposite’s brow, the Lady remarking, “Anything that may be traced back to you?”
“Not unless the Norns themselves rewrite the script of my life.” Elyza remarked with a smile.
“Do these…” Lady Cyllenium waved the documents, slamming them onto the table as she continued, “Reflect the earnings from those hushed ventures?”
“Only their transport,” she retorted, “I will allow you to look deeper into our finances when we’ve established some sort of partnership.”
The Lady stared through her once more, gesturing with her finger towards the psychic, who bent down to her ear to whisper something, a look of contemplation flashing beneath her hazel eyes before she remarked, “I find these terms more than acceptable, but I shall only verbally agree to this for now, my men have yet to find out if you are a reputable partner.”
“I’m gla–” Elyza began, knowing that there was one last thing to discuss, and her voice was cut off by the topic she had yet to broach.
“However, this offer is too generous. So, I must ask you, Lady Adler, what do you expect from this deal?” The Lady concluded, the gaze of the psychic tightening around her head, both knowing that one slip of the tongue could lead to their plan crumbling into nothingness, and a fight they may not make it out of.
She took in a deep breath, clearing her mind before she spoke, knowing there was a trap already present in her head, “There are rumours circulating among individuals such as us, those that do business with the shadows of this world, that your company may be involved with the operations a sect of a temple no one is willing to go against. While I do not trust those that have circulated these rumours, the nature of the people involved with that sect is worrying to be involved with, especially for my kind. So, if you would allow it, I would like my escort to look over your books for the year before, in order to ensure your organisation’s innocence.”
Silence bloomed in the room, almost suffocating to her ears, the Lady’s eyes locked onto hers, both expressionless, the psychic’s eyes combing her mind for a weakness, before tapping the back of the Lady’s chair thrice. A smile crawled across her face, one that worried, “I may be able to arrange something, but I require additional… compensation.”
Her heart sunk under the reality that she thought she had already come to terms with, that it could never be so easy, but hope persisted to get this over with quickly, “What could I provide you with, Lady Cyllenium?”
“Your escort,” She answered without hesitation, or a speck of humour.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Not forever, only for the night, and only if she agrees. I want her.” She added, and Elyza could not understand what purpose her request had, unless it was just to see how far she could go with her.
Taking in a deep breath, as her eyes opened, she made sure to keep them as emotionless as possible. Right now, the only important thing was her word, and the contingency would take care of any chaotic variables that ripple from her decision, “I could arrange that.”
There was some stirring within her, but no indication that she would take back her request, instead giving her a smile. The curious part of her own mind still wanted a single question answered, “I am not a person who is familiar with relationship norms of the country, or relationships in general, but I do have to know if this may cause friction between you and the Second Prince. I would rather not have my retainer be caught in the middle of a royal scandal.”
“I would never allow that to happen,” She remarked, but Elyza waited for an actual answer, letting her gaze push the conversation forward, “We have a deal, a one time pass, before we get married, obviously. He’s already used his, so if he complains, I can contractually kick his ass.”
The last part had to be a joke, which was good, since the words made her grin, the rattle of beads following soon. She did not need to look behind, recognising the steps of her partner’s chosen boots for the evening, and Alex appeared next to her, holding in his hands two fluted glasses and a large tumbler with vibrant layers of liquid trapped within. He placed the two containers onto the table, his hand swirling the tumbler to break the barriers between the different liquids, melding into a churning sparkling caramelly liquid, like a tempest trapped between glass. Raising the glass above his head, he poured before the drink had a chance to settle again, not a single drop spilling upon the table. A show to display that they were not planning to perform any underhanded tactics, but the psychic was a variable they did not account for.
His eyes were fixed to him, as Alex finished his charade, handing a glass to Elyza, and the other was placed in front of Lady Cyllenium. She knew what question was to come, and she knew that the only way to mask the truth would be to sow chaos in her partner’s mind, somehow overwhelming the man she knew had different parts of his mind split up to be prepared for anything.
An idea popped in her head, and it didn’t seem unappealing at the moment, but she knew it would give him a lifetime supply of jokes. Sighing, before the Lady asked the question, she took a hold of his hand, yanking him towards her, grabbing his neck and connecting her lips to his. She wanted it to be a show of ownership at face value, she wanted not to think of anything other than pushing him off balance, and she thought his disguise would help her mind stray from reality. However, even as she closed her eyes, a part of her brain was still screaming that she was kissing Alex. His lips felt too soft, and that was all her mind allowed her to learn, knowing the act she had to play.
Pushing him back, tensing her face to ensure a smile didn’t crawl across it, as her eyes opened, Elyza saw that the Lady’s brow was raised, forcing her to explain, “To make sure she doesn’t forget who she works for.”
It was accepted, the psychic wincing as he struggled to read her partner’s mind, who currently looked like he didn’t know if he was standing on solid ground, and Lady Cyllenium inquired, “What exactly is this drink?”
Alex had to snap himself out of the trance, regaining his mask which she could not figure out if it was an act of its own or his true self leaking through, but nevertheless her partner quickly responded, “Vodka, tequila, light rum, gin, some orange liqueur, splash of vanilla, mint… and some seeds that I believe to be cardamom.”
She waited for the psychic’s approval, who hesitantly tapped thrice on her seat, and then took a sip of the caramel coloured drink, and something sparked in her eyes, stating, “Ten gold if you give me this recipe.”
Before he could answer, Elyza clarified, chugging her glass to try and calm her nerves,“Is our deal finalised then?”
She seemed apathetic, waving her comment aside, the psychic picking up the document and flipping it to the last page as her ring glowed red and green with flames. The Lady pushed the ring into the document, branding it, before the psychic returned it to her partner, simply commanding, “Brief her, and send her my way as soon as possible.”
Alex simply bowed as she left her chair, glancing at Elyza from the corner of his eye, clearly wanting to know what had transpired. Thankfully, the psychic left with the Lady, a warmth flowing over her soon afterwards, her partner nodding to signify they were allowed privacy for a moment.
She wanted to speak first, but he held up his finger, taking a breath to calm himself before remarking, “While, at the moment and after a thought, it does seem like a smart move, I still have to say something… Next time you want to do that, do inform me beforehand, I’ll chew on some… mint or something of the sorts. Also, if this was just a ploy to taste my luscious lips, you could’ve just asked.”
The sigh that escaped her mouth upon seeing his grin crawl back across his face almost made her forget about the kiss, but she knew what she was about to say would be the perfect payback for the comment, “I got her to agree with the terms, so laugh all you want, but I am not the one who has to entertain the Lady for the night.”
“Lady Adler…” There was a pause as he deciphered her words, continuing, “What exactly do I have to do?”
“Sleep with her.”
His eyes narrowed as he tried to spot if she was lying, “Okay… I seem to be irresistible no matter the gender, which I guess is good to know. Thank god she took the drink then, I can probably put her to sleep and skip the entire thing.”
“You put in the toxin?” She confirmed, Alex nodding in response, straightening his tie as he moved towards the room, “I’ll keep the bell on me, when the coast is clear, I shall meet you at the records room, till then I just need to keep myself occupied, maybe try some of those pastries I spotted.”
As she followed him, his grin froze, absolute joy on his face as he stopped at the exit of the room, and there was hope in her heart as she remarked, “Has Felicia arrived?”
“No, no, it's just… I was thinking that the general we’re supposed to look out for was a bit late.”
Following his gaze through the crowd of nobles, Elyza’s eyes rested on the head of the man whose sketch felt more real than the reality in front of her, whose face she had been trying to find in the books of history for days. “Perfect, I have someone to stalk for the evening.”
----------------------------------------
_Stop thinking about it._
I’m fucking trying, alright.
_It's bad enough I’m stuck in your head, the constant replay makes me want to heave, which will then make you heave, and neither of us want that._
“Is there a problem?” Lady Cyllenium spoke from ahead, snapping him temporarily from the argument within his own head, sensing that something was keeping him preoccupied as he was guided to her chambers.
“Of course not, Lady Cyllenium,” Alex replied immediately, trying to silence the empress by shoving her in a closet in his mind.
_Could we not just kill her?_
Would you like to be hunted by all the King’s men?
_Not to talk about all the King’s horses._
Did you– Did you just make a joke? If yes, I have no clue about what you’re referring to.
_… I’m afraid that you may be infecting me._
Shut it, freeloader.
His brilliant plan had failed, and he couldn’t help but blame his partner, who he knew for a fact was currently enjoying food he never got the chance to enjoy, dragged around by the Lady as she met with her various supporters. Forced to wear a smile, the mask, and especially his illusion was starting to irritate him, all the while his mind was struggling to remain in the moment, keeping the kiss with Elyza fresh in his memory, even though he repeatedly reminded it that they could not risk any mistakes.
The halls were stark white, the flooring of marble, windows that stretched to the ceiling, letting him stare into the stellar illuminated gardens, floating dots of glowing green illuminating the petals as they glided between the flowers. It was a calming sight, a view that should’ve been immortalised in oils and ink, but something felt wrong that his partner wasn’t there to tell him which of the plants had poison in them.
_You really are a perfect idiot._
HEY! I’m dumb, not an idiot, there is a difference.
_You would be the expert on the matter._
Why are you so chatty today?
_Your mind is scattered, not enough to exploit unfortunately, but I can annoy you as payback._
An urge to sigh remained unfulfilled as Lady Cyllenium glanced back as she stopped in front of the door, her hazel eyes noticing something amiss as she stared into his. “Whatever happens in that room will not leave it, and you will follow every single instruction without fault.” Her words were slightly slurred, a consequence of the copious celebratory drinks she was forced to intake, but he had to put trust that the toxin hadn’t diluted too much in her blood.
“Of course, Lady Cyllenium,” he shut out the part of his mind stuck on the past, locking the memory in a box similar to where he held the demoness, wanting to not let it affect his act. “However… Are you sure you would not prefer me to cook you a hearty meal and draw a bath? After such an eventful day, it may be better to unwind and relax.”
She just stared at him, her gaze telling him exactly what she thought of his suggestion, gesturing to him to approach her. It was worth a shot, following her command till he stood right in front of her, waiting for another instruction. Suddenly, the Lady grabbed his collar, slamming him against the doors, the wood groaning as it yielded to his weight. He struggled to maintain his footing, a bit impressed at her form as she continued to use his weight against him, pushing him onto the bed as she climbed above him.
Her lips fell on his, the stench of alcohol filling his mouth, her hand climbing under his shirt. Alex could feel her fingers tracing the skin above his own, moving upwards till they reached the fake breasts, the Lady stopping just before she caressed them, withdrawing her lips as she remarked, “I plan on enjoying your company today, have you tend to my every need, and I would think you would be excited to spend a night with a soon-to-be Princess of Luminae, not many get that chance.”
_That would be true, if you weren’t just an absolute slut._
The effort it took to not roll his eyes at the freeloader’s jab was threatening to exceed the effort he was exerting to flush his cheeks in bewilderment, his eyes locked onto her hazel orbs, trying to convey absolute enamour at the figure who had just kissed him. He forced a gulp, nodding at her instruction, panting slightly, and she retreated her hand from beneath his clothes. She swung off of him, her other hand tracing to poke his nose as she removed her necklace, “Remove your coat, quickly, then break my feet free from these wretched heels.”
He did as commanded, pulling his coat up over his head as he stood from the bed, removing it in a single movement, yanking his tie loose, throwing them both in a darkened corner. As he crouched, he ran his hand through the carpeted floor, trying to induce static within them without alerting the Lady. He held out a hand, a request that Lady Cyllenium agreed to, resting her ankle on his palm. Her breath grew shallower as his hands traced the back of her ankle, brushing against her soft skin as it moved towards her heel, the sparkling chandelier above causing her hair to glow golden.
Letting go caused the static building within him to spark against her foot, just as he removed the heel, Lady Cyllenium was unbothered by the slight burning sensation, placing her other foot onto his waiting arm. However, as he continued the charade, causing another spark against her skin, his mana having seeped into her, the process was complete, and the Lady held a hand over her mouth to hide the yawn that followed. As he placed the other heel to complete the pair, her head drooped down, her eyes struggling to stay open, and he was impressed at his own skill as the toxin was working better than he expected.
The Lady tried to stretch her back, shaking her head, fighting to stay awake. She let another yawn escape her mouth, before collapsing into the silk sheets of her bed. Alex stood over her, taking in the room he found himself in, a tapestry forming the curtains, a mirror surrounded by a gold frame placed against a window, the wallpaper purple with a pattern of waves repeating within it. It frankly looked much more soulless than the other noble’s rooms he had visited, no personal items on any of the shelves that sat beside the bed, two cupboards whose handles still shined, and various perfumes, powders, and lotions dotting the only desk. It smelled stale, as if left to rot to time.
He felt a tinge of sadness that such a house was seldom used, the snores of the Lady informed him it was time to leave. Yet, he did feel a tad guilty about leaving her as is, lying alone on what was supposed to be the most important day in her life so far.
_Why choose now to be a goody two shoes? Haven’t you been lying to her since you entered her mansion?_
Unlike you, you cold–hearted demon, I actually have some semblance of empathy.
_That’s… debatable at best._
I liked you better when you just wanted me to kill people.
He picked up her sleeping figure, placing her head on the best pillow his eye could spot. Removing her earrings and placing them on the bed table beside her, tucking her in before tip-toeing out of the room. As soon as the doors closed behind him, he let out a sigh of relief that had been waiting ever since he had given the Lady the drink. Snapping his fingers against his ears, trying to stay focused, his hand dipped into the shade he cast on the door, his mind focusing on crafting a path for it through the domain of darkness, squirming towards the bell on his partner’s person, before he could feel air brushing against his finger. They wrapped around the bell, and rang twice, before he pulled his hand back, flexing his fingers as the rapid change in temptation and temperature confused his nerves.
The want for his mind to wander was strong, a blip in their plan that accounted for them to calm themselves if only for a moment, but he knew if he allowed it to do so, it would inevitably end up in the one place where he could never come back from. He had struggled against it for the past month, but it still persisted, and the wandering presence in his mind only made things worse.
_The great Alexander Whitlock is… scared?_
Is that not what you want? For me to be in a constant battle with myself, so you have a chance to lay a seed and infect my entire mind.
The presence suddenly solidified for a moment, and his eyes turned against him, allowing him to hallucinate the Empress standing beside him, looking down upon him.
_It has been five years, and still you dwell on it. I have no interest in controlling a body so scared of its own capabilities, it will only hinder my conquest, and who knows if you overcome it, it may allow me to exploit another. _
She almost sounded worried for him, making him scoff at the idea, knowing those thoughts had to be altered by her, an underhanded attempt to get his guard down. However, some part of him had always resonated with her, supporting the chaos she wanted to bring down upon the world. It was a part he hated that he had to tolerate, filled with spite and hatred against the world, but he did so anyway, it had allowed him to survive, it was what guided him to extend his hand to others.
Is the great Empress of Shadows anxious that the mere puppet she wishes to command till the world is engulfed in total darkness is a bit sad?
_I’m just trying the ‘empathy’ you spoke so highly of, can’t have you die before I return to the material world._
Now, that’s a decent joke.
_I’m truly horrified at what you’re doing to me. So, snap the fuck out of it, you annoying prick. The night is still young, and I can sense something fascinating awaiting us._
Ah, the best part of this lifestyle, trudging through dense financial documents.