Ariana

The Duke looked up from his lunch, looking at the offending staff in puzzlement for a while before realization dawned on his face. An expression so exaggerated that Ariana had to wonder if he was faking it. What were they up to?

Should she risk offending the Xnarthan, and more importantly the Emperor by leaving? The banquet was technically welcoming a representative of the Emperor’s. A mere Marchioness walking out would be inviting death. No, she had to stay.

Turning towards the little door behind him, the Duke snorted really hard. A mini door opened, allowing a slew of servants into the hall. The servants poured their drinkings with hands shivering with fear as they shivered under the murderous gazes of some very high Tier nobles.

"What a waste of space!" An Army General said, slapping a jug out of a young waiter's hands. "Can't even pour a glass of wine without shivering like a wet rabbit."

Repleste Rantura, otherwise known as the continental b*tch. Ariana was familiar with her, as familiar as one could be with a person that made sport of killing Elves. The rogue battalion, headed by General Rantura, was responsible for keeping the Elves weak, and securing certain artifacts that could be used against the Empire.

At least she spent most of her time behind front lines, massacring Elf villages and assassinating young Elven talents. The woman was actually quite high Tiered, a veteran Tier 24 that had experienced a lot of battles in her time. And was a known hater of banquets. What was she doing here?

"Do calm down, General, this is a merry occasion." the Xnarthan lieutenant said, smiling slightly.

"Oh? Are we invading the Elves again?' Repleste replied sarcastically.

"As a matter of fact, yes. The Emperor will arrive here in a few weeks and begin the assault anew." the lieutenant replied, making alarm bells ring in Ariana's head. The Emperor was coming? And the war was back?

"Did the Dwarves fall?" Ariana asked, wondering what had happened to the Empire's other neighbor.

"Yes”, the lieutenant said, smiling as if he was the one that had one the victory The Dwarves have surrendered to the Empire and will be inducted as a vassal state."

The Dwarves had fallen already? What had happened? The Dwarves weren't the strongest of races out there, but they were hard to get to, and harder to conquer. Human soldiers had a huge disadvantage fighting in those tiny tunnels of theirs.

"Aren't you going to toast to the Emperor, Marchioness? After all, his majesty has won us a great victory." the smile on the lieutenant's face was officially disgusting. A bit too creepy for this dinner.

"I fear that toasting would require a drink, something we have a lack of." Trevor said, smiling as he raised his empty glass.

"Well that can be easily remedied. " The lieutenant said, "Faret has brought a few wines from the Human continent. I hope you like a taste of home."

"As long as it's better than this lot." Repleste said, her wine glass melting in her hand. "The wine is some cheap stuff from the pub a few miles from here."

The waiter handed her another glass, his hands shaking even more as a bloodthirsty General stared at him.

"Are you going to stop shivering anytime soon, kid?" Rempeste asked, glaring at him in irritation. "I want to be able to take my glass in one try. A servant should be invisible, not prominent you doof." Ariana wondered if she should step in and help the poor guy, standing near Rempeste when she was bitchy was a life-threatening act.

Faret grinned as he removed a dozen bottles from some spatial container. Rempeste stared at them." Larvistor wines, from the Emperor's private collection, is it? Yes, they'll do."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Ariana just shook her head as she accepted a bottle. The Larvistor wines were from the ancient Humans themselves, kept in bottles called 'champagne substitute' in special places where they didn't turn into vinegar. The wine they drank here couldn't be replaced. Not by any Human method at least.

"And a special gift for the Void princess." Faret said, a creepy smile on his face as he brandished a flask containing a blood-red potion. The flask was suspicious. Arian could smell the contents of the wine even from within the bottle, letting her identify its contents. The flask escaped her senses.

“Can I not?” Anita said, looking at it weirdly. Ariana had to agree, the potion resembled Human blood a bit too much for her taste.

"Do you perhaps have something more…normal? Anita has a lot of allergies, she might react unfavorably to its contents." Trevor said, making Ariana very happy. At least he had enough foresight to not let the Xnarthan give their daughter strange blood-red potions.

"Do you not trust the Xnarthan, General? And here I thought you were a loyal General." Faret said, going straight to questioning Trevor’s loyalty. An odd move that did little to ease Ariana's suspicions.

"I am, honored disciple, but I am also a Father. The Emperor cannot fault me with worried about my daughter." Trevor said, not letting it go. Anita just stared at the flask as if it were a puzzle to solve. Ariana let Trevor handle it for now, the Xnarthan would have a harder time questioning his loyalty.

Rempeste just looked on, sipping her wines as if looking at a show. Arian found it weird, the Generals were usually so quick to defend each other. What had happened now?

"And I have a marriage proposal signed by the Emperor. Do you really think I would harm my future wife?" Faret said, smirking. Trevor froze as Ariana felt blood rise to her head. A proposal signed by the Emperor? Trevor's insistence on considering the proposal suddenly made sense. Not agreeing to such a proposal was tantamount to saying no to the Emperor. An act worthy of the death penalty in the Empire.

"Anita, drink the potion." Trevor said, relenting. Ariana turned to him in horror as Anita uncorked the lid of the flask while shaking her head in frustration. A salty smell filled the air too faint for Anita to notice, but Ariana caught.

A bit like beast blood, but with a stronger scent. Sapient blood. Ariana reacted quickly, setting the table on fire as she flung the flask from Anita's hands, but she was too late. The foolish girl had already taken a slip. "What is the meaning of this?" Trevor bellowed, swords emerging from beneath the table.

"The Emperor has ordered that the Marchioness shall sign an agreement of slavery by this time next week. Should you agree then you can come colle-" the lieutenant began, a smug smile on his face? But he didn’t get far. A million swords appeared as they collectively flew towards Faret, catching fire as she and Trevor poured their mana into the attack.

A shield flickered around him, but quickly collapsed under the attack. Faret cried out as swords pierced his body, his emergency measures activated. The Emperor's mana made quick work of their attack, but the damage was done. Faret lay bleeding, forcing the lieutenant to give up on capturing Anita.

Ariana turned towards the Academy Dean, hoping he could give some help, only to see him sitting there shaking his head. The bastard knew what was going to happen, and had let it. After she’d trusted him all those years…

The College Dean seemed more upset about things than him, the usually indifferent man was frowning at the Xnarthan lieutenant as if he was looking at something undesirable. Ariana teleported the three of them back home, wondering when things had come to the point when a disapproving frown was all the support she could muster from her colleagues.

Ariana

"So, what is the diagnosis?" Ariana asked, staring at the prone form of her daughter.

"Fae blood." her resident doctor said, conforming her fears.

"The good news is that Anita swallowed a very, very small amount of the poison." the doctor began, making Ariana's heart lift in hope that she'd stopped it in time.

"And the bad?' she asked, nervous at the answer.

"The blood was a Fae Duke's" the doctor said, making Ariana's heart fall off a cliff.

"The antidotes I know of-" the doctor began only to be cut off by Trevor- "Don't cure the blood of Fae Dukes."

"Is there no way to cure this? Even with the low amount of blood?" Ariana asked, desperate.

"No, I am sorry, Marchioness, Fae blood is one of the most poisonous substances known to Humanity. The blood restricts the flow of mana, preventing it from flowing. Anita's body has fallen into a restive state to try to fight it right now, but it can't.

Perhaps if she had been over Tier 15…but as it is, the blood will start shutting down her vital systems one by one until she dies." the doctor said as Ariana felt her heart become hollow.

"Anita has weeks to live." the doctor continued, finishing his death sentence.