“No, if that were the case she’d be regenerating in a cell, or in the hospice,” Niadra replied, smiling slightly as she shook her head, though she was rather worried about Kitania. The demoness had proven good company, after all, and she suspected she knew what had happened, considering the spider legs. “No, something else has happened. I’d like you to keep listening for more information, Cecilia. Things appear to be changing in the palace, and I’d prefer not to be caught by surprise.”
“Of course, Your Highness,” Cecilia agreed, bowing her head respectfully.
“Thank you. Now, it appears I’m ready to go,” Niadra said, smiling as she turned away from the mirror. “Are you, Cecilia?”
“Yes, Your Highness, and your carriage awaits you,” Cecilia replied, her hands folded in front of her.
“Excellent, then we’d best be going,” Niadra murmured, her smile widening as she added, “Hopefully the flattery isn’t too excessive today. If it is, I might drown.”
Her words prompted Cecilia to laugh, as they were meant to. Cecilia’s voice was mirthful as she replied. “I believe I could live with the flattery, Your Highness, but I take your meaning.”
They headed for the front of the palace, and Niadra couldn’t help wondering what had happened in the old ballroom. All that had been heard so far were rumors, and that was… vexing. Suspicions weren’t solid information, after all.
She’d have to investigate more on the morrow. Quietly, to avoid upsetting Alserah.
Kitania was halfway back to her room when a woman came around the corner who looked distinctly out of place in this section of the palace. She wore a flowing green gown, and her sandy blonde hair was done up in an elaborate bun held in place by bejeweled hair pins, while her green eyes were pretty but normal enough. The woman looked slightly irritated, at least until she spotted Kitania, and she picked up the pace as she approached.
“There you are!” the woman exclaimed, looking Kitania over and clicking her tongue in disappointment as she shook her head. “I’d hoped we’d be able to get you into nicer clothing before running out of time, but you weren’t in your room. Now we don’t have time for that, which is most disappointing, but so be it.”
“Who might you be?” Kitania asked, blinking and tilting her head as she looked at the elven woman in confusion. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“I’m Lady Seldora Usir, one of Her Grace’s handmaidens,” the woman replied briskly, causing Kitania to stiffen ever so slightly as Seldora continued. “Her Grace wishes for you to come see her, and now isn’t the time for dawdling. Come along, Miss Kitania, Her Grace awaits you.”
“Ah, are you certain I don’t have time to change into something nicer? Every time we’ve met hasn’t been formal, and if you’re tasked with bringing me to her, that seems like it’s changed,” Kitania asked, then winced as the woman gave Kitania a sharp glare.
“If you’d been in your room, yes. However, the servants are already occupied taking your things to your new lodging, and as such we don’t have the time to track down something acceptable or to allow you to change,” Seldora explained, her voice with a note of barely restrained frustration. “Her Grace was quite clear that she wanted to see you, so long as you were capable of moving again. As you are, we have no room for excuses.”
“I see. Well, I suppose I’ll just have to hope she doesn’t find my current state of dress upsetting,” Kitania replied, letting out a soft sigh. She really wished that Alserah would let her find her footing before their meetings.
“Agreed. Come along; Her Grace awaits our presence,” Seldora said and turned to walk down the hall quickly.
From behind her, Kitania heard the soft voices of the guards, barely audible.
“Ah, now what? I don’t remember being told anything about a situation like this,” one of them asked the other, and there was the soft sound of chain clinking as her partner shrugged and replied.
“Me neither, but our orders were just as clear. Escort the demon through the palace, and make sure she doesn’t get anywhere she isn’t allowed. That’s one of Her Grace’s handmaidens, alright, so… we follow,” the other soldier replied, her voice slightly amused. “It’s more interesting than keeping an eye on a door, at least.”
“True,” her companion murmured, then fell silent.
Kitania was slightly amused by their comments, but she couldn’t blame them. Guard duty was boring at the best of times, from what she remembered of it, and standing guard outside her door when she was confined to quarters was likely even more boring than normal guard duty. However, she quickly grew distracted as they left the servant wing and started into a part of the palace she’d never even approached before. It was the royal wing, from what she’d been told, and that startled her, if only just. She’d almost expected to be taken to the throne room.
The halls were slightly wider and were elaborately appointed, yet simpler than Kitania would have expected. She supposed it was to keep the halls easy to clean, but she felt strange, walking down the halls with her hair still damp and her feet bare. At least she didn’t feel very sore anymore, but that didn’t keep Kitania from wondering what was going to happen to her. She didn’t think that Alserah would be upset with her, but there was no way for her to know for certain. They passed a couple of halls, and at last stepped past a garden and up to a pair of double doors, each white and with elaborate designs carved into them, set with gold leaf, and Kitania almost missed the glimmer of magic in the designs.
Seldora paused, looking back as she spoke to the guards firmly, heightening Kitania’s nervousness. “You’re to remain outside until summoned or dismissed. Her Grace has no need of your presence when speaking with Miss Darkshade.”
The guards paused for only a moment, then bowed, speaking in unison. “Yes, Milady.”
“Good. Now, then, come in,” Seldora said, gesturing at Kitania as she opened the doors and stepped into the next room. Kitania followed, then stopped as she looked around and the doors shut behind her, her tension growing stronger as she blinked in surprise.
The room was different than much of the palace, the drapes in softer shades of green, almost pastels, and with several chairs with red cushions. The carpets were warm and thick, and there was a bookshelf nearby with a few dozen worn books resting on it. It had a clear view of gardens, the rear wall of the palace, and the forests and mountains beyond through a window at the back of the room, while two doors led to either side. The room was oddly comfortable, which wasn’t what she’d expected.
Alserah sat in a chair, one leg crossed over the other as she paused her knitting, another woman in clothing similar to Seldora’s also pausing her embroidery as the brunette looked up and examined Kitania closely. She wasn’t afraid of Kitania, the demon realized, which was odd compared to most of the noblewomen she’d seen. The two had obviously been speaking before Kitania was shown in, but their conversation had come to an abrupt halt.
“I see that you found Kitania, Seldora. I also see that she’d just taken a bath,” Alserah said, setting her knitting aside for the moment and uncrossing her legs. “Thank you for retrieving her for me.”
“It was my pleasure, Your Grace,” Seldora said, bowing her head and walking over to take a position on the other side of Alserah. The goddess was wearing a dress again, and she looked Kitania over critically.
Kitania stood there, feeling slightly uncomfortable as she was examined, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she forced her tail not to lash nervously as she wondered what was going on.
“I should have thanked you earlier, Kitania, but I failed to do so,” Alserah spoke at last, startling both Kitania and the handmaidens, based on the looks on their faces. The goddess smiled slowly, shaking her head as she continued. “I’m so used to everyone doing everything that they can for me that I neglected to consider things from your perspective until after I woke fully. Perhaps it was the dream spider’s weight in my mind, or my own sense of arrogance… I don’t know for certain.”
“Your Grace, I—” Kitania began, but the goddess cut her off with a pointed look. Kitania subsided quickly, swallowing her protests uncomfortably.
“Please allow me to finish,” Alserah said mildly, chastening Kitania slightly. When Kitania had settled down, Alserah continued to speak. “Your arrival is the only true offense you’ve been at fault for, Kitania, and if what you’ve said is true, even that wasn’t your doing. The encounter with Niadra upset me, but once more it was not entirely your fault. Somewhat, yes, but I could have directed you to not have attended the ball. I chose not to worry about it, at least until I believed you were seducing a princess. However, that also led to the discovery of how I’d been injured.
“You assisted me for nothing at all. Yes, you’ve said that no one deserves such, but even so, you had no reason to do so, especially without making demands,” Alserah said, pausing again as she seemed to consider, her lips pursed. Then she spoke softly, almost guiltily. “I fully anticipated you refusing when I asked if you’d fight the dream spider. I expected you to refuse, yet you didn’t. If you hadn’t chosen to participate in the battle, I’m certain that at least one soldier would have been slain, if not many more, and that several might have been infected with more dream spiders. You sustained an injury that would have been mortal without your spells, and even then would have killed any other person in the room save for me. Yet through all of it, you have asked nothing of me.”
Kitania opened her mouth to speak, then paused, unsure of what to say, then closed her mouth again. She really didn’t know what to say to that. She could ask for something, but she wasn’t entirely certain what Alserah had in mind, and she didn’t want to cause further problems. Besides… she’d feel bad if she asked for something at this point.
“I’ve startled you. Unsurprising, really. I’ve startled myself a couple of times today,” the goddess murmured, and she smiled, raising her hand and making a beckoning gesture. For a moment, Kitania was about to move forward, but then she felt the lock on the restraint collar click and come undone. An instant later, the collar flew across the room and into Alserah’s hand, and the goddess calmly set it down in her lap, continuing. “There we are. Kitania, you are no longer a prisoner. If you wish to leave, you may do so, or you may continue to enjoy the hospitality of my palace. At least, assuming you haven’t lied about being Estalia’s daughter. I believe that my ambassador will be reaching her court soon.”
“I… I haven’t lied about that. I may not have told the whole truth, but I haven’t lied,” Kitania said, swallowing hard as she reached up to touch her bare neck, a little stunned to suddenly not be wearing the collar. “We recently reconciled… and then my home was attacked, so I really don’t know how she’s going to react. Probably a bit ambivalently since she knows I’m immortal. But I really don’t know what to say. I suppose I should say thank you.”
“No, I’m the one who should be thanking you. If you’d never told me about the spider, chances are that eventually I’d have died, and the creature would have wreaked havoc across the country,” Alserah disagreed, shaking her head firmly. “They might have infested the region, and without your knowledge they’d have been nigh impossible to stop.”
The room fell quiet at that, and Kitania couldn’t help flinching at the thought. She hadn’t thought about the possibilities in quite that way, but Alserah wasn’t wrong. In a region other than the hells, where the spiders weren’t walled off by the oceans and a volcanic mountain range, along with plenty of creatures that knew how to deal with them, they’d be a horrible blight on the world. A tiny part of her wondered if that was what the demon lord who’d used the fang on Alserah had in mind. Either way, it didn’t matter much now. The important thing was that it wouldn’t happen, which was something of a relief.
“I’m glad it didn’t come to that,” Kitania said at last, shaking her head as she let out a breath. “It would be a horrible way to die, and I stand by my words before. No one deserves that.”
“Indeed. Now, for the moment your things are being moved to the coral room. I believe that you’ll match the décor, and it’s appropriate,” Alserah said, smiling a little more. “I’ll also have more clothing provided for you. If you’re to be socializing in the palace more, you’re going to need an appropriate wardrobe.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Kitania said, feeling even more self-conscious of her outfit as she gave the best curtsey she could manage. She was distinctly off-balance, and a tiny part of her wished she could regain the sense of poise she’d had back in the hells.
Alserah nodded, then looked at Seldora as she spoke. “Seldora, please escort Kitania to her new room. While her guards are to remain, their focus is now to be protecting her from anyone who might decide that she’s unwelcome here.”
“Ah, I am pretty much impossible to kill,” Kitania replied, feeling a little uncertain about the change of role.
Raising an eyebrow, Alserah replied softly. “I know. However, that doesn’t mean someone couldn’t decide to torture you until your mind shattered. You told me yourself that such was possible, with the dream spiders. Others may consider the possibility, and in that regard your immortality is hardly a gift.”
Kitania froze, hardly daring to breathe for a moment. She’d thought about the possibility before, it was part of why her worst fear was to be trapped in a cave-in or the like, regenerating without the ability to move or escape. Still, she hadn’t thought that the goddess would put together the same possibility. Or that she’d talk about it in front of the two handmaidens.
“True,” Kitania admitted, looking at Seldora and the other handmaiden nervously.
Seldora shook her head and spoke, looking Kitania in the eyes. “We won’t tell anyone, Miss Kitania. Her Grace chose us as handmaidens because she trusts us absolutely. Come along; let’s take you to your new room.”
“Very well,” Kitania replied, relaxing ever so slightly as she breathed out slowly.
As she left, Kitania saw Alserah pick up her knitting again. It wasn’t the sort of hobby she’d expected for a goddess, but the woman was rather good at it. She’d probably had plenty of practice.
“I believe you scared her,” Verra said calmly, resuming her embroidery.
“You’re right. However, I thought it best to reveal that I’ve figured out the weakness that her apparent immortality has,” Alserah confirmed, nodding slightly as she got back into her project. Not many of the nobility knew that the scarfs their children received were made by Alserah personally, but that was for the best. She liked giving them gifts without them being expected. If they did, she’d probably stop making them.
“I suppose. The thought is rather chilling, the idea that someone could be tortured without even the hope of oblivion,” Verra replied, then the handmaiden looked up, concern in her eyes as she asked, “Do you truly believe that some people would attempt it?”
“Unfortunately, I do,” Alserah replied, sighing as she shook her head, moving the knitting needles almost unconsciously at this point. “The grudges that some people hold are incredibly deep, and still others simply enjoy causing pain.”
“That’s saddening,” Verra murmured softly.
The two worked in silence for a minute, then Verra spoke again. “Your Grace? Do you truly find her interesting in a romantic sense?”
Alserah hesitated for an instant, looking up at Verra, then smiled thinly and laughed. “I hid it that poorly?”
“I wouldn’t say poorly, but it was obvious to me. We’ve been together for long enough, after all,” Verra explained, smiling as she added, “I believe Seldora noticed as well. It’s why she’s being harder on Kitania, I think.”
“Ah. Well… yes,” Alserah admitted, stopping knitting for the moment as she thought, her emotions still muted, more out of habit than anything else, but a pang of guilt ran through her. “I’ve lost enough lovers that someone who’s immortal… well, she intrigues me. However, I’m not going to force the issue. For now, I’m going to
wait and see what happens. We’ve yet to see what we’ll learn from Estalia.”
“Very well,” Verra agreed.
Then the two of them went back to their work, each in a comfortable silence.
Chapter 19
Isalla’s eyes were closed as she searched for the core of her mana again. Over the last several days she’d been going through tests with one of Estalia’s magi, and while she’d been delighted to realize she had some talent with magic, it wasn’t nearly as easy to get used to as she’d hoped it would be.
“It might help if you visualize your mana core as an object, Isalla,” Vinara said at last, the succubus’s voice smooth and soft as she interrupted Isalla’s efforts. “Visualize it as something which feels right to you as the source of your mana, and perhaps it will help you find it more swiftly.”
“Um, I’ll try that, then…” Isalla said, losing her focus slightly, but she kept her eyes closed to avoid being distracted by looking at anything. Vinara tended to be very distracting, which was the reason Isalla had her eyes closed to begin with.
Taking a deep breath, Isalla considered several ideas for what mana might look like. Ranging from a glowing blue orb of water, to a swirling knot of air, or even a fire or tree, none of them felt right. Instead, she slowly gravitated toward a gemstone. The gems set into Estalia’s crown, or into Rose’s armor, were each filled with mana, and they were easy to visualize. Still, their color didn’t quite feel right, either. Isalla considered for a long moment, then imagined it as a shining yellow gem, warm as the sun’s light against her skin.
It took a fair amount of time, but eventually Isalla managed to visualize the gemstone, and to somehow use it to find her core of mana. In her mind’s eye, she had the light pulsing with her heartbeat, and she let out a sigh of relief.
Mortal Gods (Mantles of Power Book 2) Page 16