Imperatrix Demetra has stayed away from the public eye after she communicated with the newly arrived Otherworlders.

The reason for her absence has nothing to do with the events currently transpiring in the Undead Regions. Instead, it has to do with the expiration of a ritual that she regularly has to undertake since becoming a vampire.

It is misleadingly referred to as having a concubine- and deliberately so.

This would make any gossip-loving person simply assume it is a noble who wants to add a new lover to their bed. And since Demetra is a woman, this type of gossip has a certain appeal to those interested in hearing the spicy affairs of nobility- whether true or not. This is why this kind of rumor has followed Demetra even after all these years.

Lord Renfeld, her mysterious benefactor, has advised her not to deny these rumors to distract the public from the truth.

A vampire can undergo a ritual with a willing mortal recipient.

The mortal would experience the difficulty of being a vampire without the benefit of actually being one. The vampire would then be able to function as a mortal while still retaining their vampiric traits.

In the vampiric community, these willing mortals are referred to as the Blood Concubine. Or simply, concubine.

At this point, the true nature of Demetra is a tightly-kept secret with only a handful of trusted confidants that are privy to this information.

Those few trusted confidants are currently working around the clock to find a new batch of Blood Concubines for the Imperatrix so she can resume her regular daily routine.

This ritual, called Concubinage Ritual is an old practice that has largely been forgotten.

The primary reason why this isn't widely known is that it is only possible when facilitated by a cleric. Needless to say, a ritual that only a cleric can perform that would allow a vampire to function during the day is not something that any church would want to be known. Even if the mortal involved in the ritual is willing.

And since the many churches in Pangea strived to keep their image immaculate, any ritual that depicts them as even remotely sinister has been purged from all historical records.

But of course, vampires have a vested interest in practicing this ritual.

As there is no shortage of poorly compensated clerics who can be swayed by the temptation of gold, finding someone willing to perform the ritual is a non-issue.

For the past 20 years of Demetra's life as a vampire, she has regularly performed the Concubinage Ritual to allow her to mingle amongst the living without revealing her true self.

The ritual itself is simple, albeit harrowing and costly for both the concubine and the cleric.

The cleric who will perform the ritual would have their divine power diminished greatly for several weeks. Their power will be weakened to a point where casting the simplest healing spells would drain them of mana and leave them severely exhausted for an extended period.

The concubine will suffer immense pain when exposed to sunlight and their skin will exhibit burn-like symptoms. They will also experience being unable to have a satisfying sleep, a constant state of hunger, and a never-ending thirst. But when they eat, they will taste nothing. And when they drink, it will taste of blood regardless of the fluid they are taking.

These debilitating conditions are so bad that no concubine can last for more than three weeks at the most. On average, concubines can only realistically endure it for as long as two weeks. Anything longer than this and they are at risk of going insane and taking their own lives.

This is why vampires like Demetra have a rotation of willing subjects to regularly switch concubines.

Aside from these immediate burdens that a subject must willingly endure, there are also several conditions that two parties- the vampire and the concubine must always observe to ensure that the Blood Concubinage is working as intended.

For the concubine, they must be female and chaste. Furthermore, they must remain chaste for the duration of the concubinage. They must also never exceed the age of 22. And when they turn 22 while acting as the concubine, the magical effect would immediately be dispelled.

And so, no one can be a concubine for an extended period, even if they are willing to do so.

For the vampires who stand to gain from the ritual, the only thing they need to make sure of is that they never kill a mortal. Any person that a vampire can drink blood from must not be slain by the vampire in question for the ritual's effect to keep on working as intended. Additionally, they can only drink a limited amount of blood while the ritual is in effect.

As for the clerics, should they perish while the concubinage is still in effect, the effects would immediately be terminated. Of course, staying alive isn't technically a condition. But it is worth pointing out that the death of the cleric who performed the ritual would dispel the effects of it.

This means that the vampire is responsible for keeping not only the concubine but also the cleric, alive and well.

If there are any deviations from these conditions, the effect granted by the ritual will invariably be broken.

And finally, the greatest price that the concubine and cleric must pay is that they will no longer be able to have children of their own. This is the ultimate penalty for participating in a ritual that would allow a vampire to experience living.

In addition to all this, both the concubine and cleric can only serve a single vampire.

The ritual will not work if several vampires are intended to benefit from a single concubine and cleric.

In return for the difficult situation the concubine and clerics need to subject themselves to, vampires who are interested in this ritual would pay them exorbitant amounts of gold and various benefits. Typically, the benefit offered to the concubine is ten times greater than the cleric due to the debilitating conditions they must endure throughout the entire concubinage.

Such is the arrangement that Demetra has with her clerics and concubines over the years.

Many vampires who possess immense wealth follow the same setup. It is one of the things that Lord Renfeld taught Demetra when he made her a vampire all those years ago. Of course, he didn't personally teach her, but he delivered a message via one of his minions.

And tonight, Demetra is set to meet with a new potential concubine. In the meantime, she has passed on her tasks to her right-hand woman for the night to personally meet and interview the potential concubine.

She has recently released all of her concubines free from their obligations after they passed the age of 22. Unfortunately, finding suitable candidates to replace the concubines has proven to be challenging of late due to the dwindling population in her estate- if the fortress can be called that.

Several crimson bottles lie empty on her desk; while she waits for the appointed hour, she takes the opportunity to drink as much blood as she can before the ritual commences. Once the ritual has taken place, the amount of blood she can drink will be severely limited.

Despite what she has become, she kept a code to never harm her subjects for their blood. Everyone she ever drew blood from has been a willing participant and has been properly compensated.

Of course, this comes under the condition that they can keep the transaction a secret.

And so far in her 20 years of living as a vampire noblewoman, no one has been stupid enough to break their vow of silence.

After all, why would someone who has been compensated well, deliberately break their word and offend a noblewoman who happens to hold a high military position and is a vampire?

***

As the clock struck midnight, there was a knock on Demetra's private chamber.

"You may enter," said Demetra.

The door opened and two people entered.

The first individual is a one-eyed man in his mid-30s wearing a faded gray cleric's robe and the other is a young woman around the age of 20.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Greetings, Domina," said the two in unison while bowing. "We hope you are well."

Domina is the term used by Lorikan commoners when addressing a noblewoman- particularly the lady of their estate.

Addressing Demetra with her military rank when they are not part of the military is improper while referring to her by name is a punishable offense.

"You may rise," responded Demetra in acknowledgment of their formal greeting.

"Petruvius, leave us," Demetra told the cleric. "And close the door."

The man called Petruvius left the room.

Then Demetra approached the young woman and addressed the most crucial matter at hand.

"Did Cleric Petruvius explain what this ritual entails?" Demetra asked the woman.

"Yes, Domina."

As if expecting this question, the woman took a deep breath and began to recite the answer that she had been practicing.

"I am to serve as your Blood Concubine," said the woman. "This is to be held in secrecy under pain of death."

"If someone were to confront me and I have no choice but to answer, I am to simply state that I am your concubine- a lover. Nothing more."

"Very good." nodded Demetra approvingly.

"And do you understand what this will cost you?" asked Demetra.

"Yes, Domina," said the woman with conviction. "I forfeit the chance of having children of my own. And I would also willingly carry the difficulties that you carry."

The woman continued speaking. And this time, it didn't sound like a script she practiced. Instead, she is speaking from her heart.

"I am ready to be your Blood Concubine for as long as I possibly can," the woman declared. "Cleric Petruvius has already explained to me what I will experience when I become your concubine."

"In return, please make sure that my family is well taken care of." the woman pleaded in a tearful tone. "I can be your concubine for as long you like."

"You have my word," responded Demetra."In exchange for your service, your family will never know poverty. They will live their lives in comfort."

The woman breathed a sigh of relief and began to sob.

"Thank you, Domina." said the woman in tears. "Thank you, truly."

"Very well, then." acknowledged Demetra. "One more thing, what is your name?"

"I am called Agrippina, Domina."

"Well met, Agrippina."

Demetra turned towards the door.

"Petruvius, enter."

The door opened once again.

"Yes, Domina," said the cleric respectfully. "I am ready to fulfill my part."

It wasn't the first time Petruvius facilitated the ritual so he already knew what was expected of him- and what it cost him.

Thus, there was no need for Demetra to confirm his willingness.

"Then, let us begin," declared Demetra.

She headed towards the wall in her room and began feeding it with her mana. Afterwards, the wall opened revealing a hidden room.

It was a room with various rune encryptions required for the ritual. In the middle of these numerous runic encryptions are two tubs placed within an arm's length of each other.

One tub is made of pure gold with rune encryptions. While the other is made of pure silver that is also filled with encryptions.

Demetra turned toward her would-be concubine.

"If you have a change of heart, now is the time to back out," said Demetra. "Remember, this will only work if you are willing."

"If you decline now, I assure you that no harm will come to you or your loved ones," assured Demetra. "All I expect in return is your silence and you will receive a small sum of gold."

Agrippina simply shook her head at this offer. Whether this is a test or not, it doesn't matter to her.

A small sum of gold may sustain them for some time, but being Demetra's concubine would hold far greater benefits.

She has already made up her mind before meeting Demetra.

"I am ready to be your concubine," declared Agrippina.

"Very good," said Demetra, acknowledging her conviction. "I trust you already know what to do?"

Agrippina nodded.

Then, she wordlessly removed all her clothing. Demetra as well, began to do the same.

Petruvius has performed the ritual several times now so he is no longer new to seeing her Domina in a state of undress.

However, he still made an effort to avert his eyes as the two women before him undressed.

During his first attempt at facilitating the ritual, Demetra caught him staring at her naked body far more than what was reasonably necessary for the ritual.

As punishment, Demetra took one of his eyes out.

It was a lesson Petruvius would never forget. Needless to say, he kept his desires in check in future rituals.

When the two women were done removing all articles of clothing and accessories on their bodies, Petruvius gestured for them to lay in the tubs.

Agrippina on the silver tub, and Demetra on the golden one.

As the two women lie in the tub, Petruvius begins to feed his mana onto the rune encryptions on the floor.

The rune encryptions began to glow when the entire circle was properly fuelled with the cleric's mana.

Petruvius proceeded to the next step and drew a sacrificial knife.

"Agrippina, I will start with you," said Petruvius. "Place your hand over our Domina's tub."

The woman did as she was told.

The cleric then cut Agripinna's wrist and let the blow flow onto Demetra's naked body and tub.

As soon as the blood hit Demetra, the encryptions in her tub began to glow silver.

"Domina, please place your hand over your concubine's tub."

Demetra did so.

And just like what he did with Agrippina, Petruvius cut Demetra's wrist and allowed her vampiric blood to flow onto her concubine's exposed body and the tub. The encryptions in the silver tub began to emit golden lights.

After a few minutes, the cleric made another cut on the arms of both women.

He then cast a recovery spell on Agrippina to ensure she did not die or lose consciousness from blood loss. Additionally, he took a bottle of an exquisite-grade healing potion from his pocket and poured some drops for Agrippina to drink.

The potion is meant to simulate her blood recovery as well as dull the pain. This is to help make the process a bit bearable for her.

As for Demetra, the common healing spell would not work on her while the more powerful healing magic would outright harm her. Potions will also not work on her either. She simply has to endure the process until it is completed.

The bloodletting continued for several hours. This is the crucial part that the cleric must pay close attention to.

The ritual started at around midnight and must be finished by dawn- not too soon and not too late.

By then, the tub must be filled with the blood of two women for the ritual to be completed.

Otherwise, the ritual will fail and Demetra will have to wait a fortnight to make another attempt.

But Petruvius has been doing this ritual for Demetra for many years now so there is little risk for the ritual to fail due to the factors he is responsible for. He left the church he used to serve in exchange for the more tangible reward that Demetra offers in exchange for his unique service. And he has been paid handsomely ever since for it.

In reality, the most common cause of failure for the ritual is due to the vampires themselves.

The ritual dictates that their tub must be filled with blood- mortal blood. During the entire duration of the process, the vampires need to restrain themselves as they must not drink even a drop of blood.

Otherwise, the ritual would fail.

The concubine, also, must ensure not to drink a drop of vampiric blood.

While mortals don't find blood appealing as vampires do, someone who has their wrist bleeding profusely might accidentally open their mouth due to the pain and end up taking in a few drops of blood from the tub.

In other words, there are so many ways for the dark and sensitive ritual not to succeed.

Petruvisu skillfully regulated the two women's blood flow. He would either add a cut or close the cuts he made as needed to ensure that the pacing of bloodletting would fill both tubs at the arrival of dawn.

He would periodically give Agrippina health potions and healing spells to ensure she remained conscious throughout the entire process.

As for Demetra, she has been doing this ritual far longer than Petruvius is facilitating it for her so she understands fully how to perform her part; all she needs to do is to keep her thirst for blood in check.

Finally, after hours of the harrowing procedure, the tubs had been filled just at the crack of dawn.

The golden tub is filled with mortal blood. And the silver tub is filled with vampiric blood.

"Domina, Agrippina, it is time." said Petruvius. "It is now almost dawn."

"Please submerge yourselves and make sure not a single drop of blood gets in your mouth. Stay submerged, I will signal you when it is time to rise."

He turned to Agrippina.

"Agrippina, please hold your breath for as long as two minutes. You must not inhale or exhale, do you understand?"

As for Demetra, it is no trouble for her to hold her breath as she never needed to breathe to begin with. Just as before, the challenge for her is to keep her temptation in check not to drink the entire tub dry.

The two women did as told and fully submerged themselves in the blood of the other.

The mortal bathed in vampiric blood, and the vampire bathed in mortal blood.

While they are submerged, the cleric once more feeds his mana on the rune encryptions in the tubs to complete the ritual.

And then it was done.

As he was panting from mana depletion, Petruvius plunged his hands into the tubs filled with blood to gently squeeze the shoulders of the two women to indicate that they could emerge from the tub of blood.

Knowing the next step, Demetra got out of the tub on her own while Petruvius assisted Agrippina on a chair to rest. Then he too took a seat beside the new concubine.

One is suffering from severe loss of blood, the other from complete mana depletion.

But the ritual is completed.

The next step is nothing more than to confirm that it was a success. It is completely up to Demetra.

Demetra activated another sealed wall. This time, there is no room behind it; simply an opening where the light of the sun can shine directly.

There, with her body still exposed and full of blood, she let the sun's light hit her body. When a vampire is exposed to sunlight, they would immediately feel an intense burning sensation.

But Demetra, despite being in the sun completely naked- except for the blood that covers her entire body, feels nothing but pleasant warmth.

This singular fact confirms it: the ritual was a success.

***

Demetra let the two mortals rest on the chair. Before leaving, she left the cleric an instruction.

"When you recover, help her clean up and give her something to wear," she commanded. "For now, just let the blood flow off her body."

"Yes, Domina," Petruvius weakly responded.

If the previous rituals are anything to go by, it would take about an hour before Petruvius can regain enough strength to assist the new concubine.

As for Demetra, she left the secret room and went to her bathroom to wash herself off of her concubine's blood.

Despite the ritual being completed successfully, it did not change the fact that the blood on her was making her thirsty.

She hastily cleansed herself of all the blood and soaked her body in a pool full of roses that had been prepared in advance. This is so the scent of roses would stick to her body and override the scent left behind by all the blood.

Before dressing up, she inspected every aspect of her body in front of a large mirror.

Her deathly pale skin now turned into a healthy color, her red eyes became purple once more, and her silver hair now turned silky black.

If anyone were to see her, no one would think of the word vampire and associate it with her.

It's not just her appearance that returned to life, her body which felt neither pain nor pleasure as an undead now responded like normal when she pinched it.

The pain, while unpleasant at first, was a welcome feeling.

And it's not just pain. When she touched her most sensitive parts, her body reacted pleasantly to the stimulation she gave herself.

Not only does she look alive, but she also feels alive.