The goddess simply sat there for a long minute, studying Kitania, and the demoness shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She wasn’t sure what Alserah wanted, and she didn’t want to say the wrong thing.
“I’m sorry,” Alserah said at last, and Kitania froze, as the possibility of Alserah saying that had never crossed her mind. It took a moment before Kitania could respond, and she inhaled sharply first.
“Why would you be sorry? You haven’t done anything wrong, at least not to my knowledge,” Kitania replied, her emotions in shambles.
“Perhaps not, but… I believed that you were safe here. It’s why I never offered you a weapon to defend yourself. Your guards weren’t among the best, because I believed that you and Niadra were safe because of my approval of your relationship. I believed many things, among which was that no one would dare strike here, in the heart of my power,” Alserah replied, looking at Kitania sorrowfully. “Perhaps it wasn’t in the palace, but you still suffered for my arrogance, and for that I’m sorry.”
“What I went through… it was nothing compared to what Niadra went through. A moment of pain, nothing more,” Kitania said, shaking her head in denial, part of her refusing to believe that Alserah had apologized. “I don’t blame you, though. This realm has been peaceful for centuries, while the true battles have been farther away. Even if you thought there were threats, who would have imagined that the angels would be so brazen? I certainly wouldn’t have, and I was sent here by them.”
“Perhaps not, but it still dismays me,” Alserah replied, and she pushed back her chair and stood. The goddess slowly circled around the table, approaching Kitania, and looked down at her for a long moment, before she slowly leaned forward and hugged Kitania from behind, shocking Kitania nearly to speechlessness.
“Ah, Your Grace?” Kitania asked hesitantly, unsure of what else to say or do. While the goddess’s embrace was gentle, she could also feel the immense strength in Alserah’s arms.
“I told you that you could call me Alserah in private,” Alserah replied, not letting go.
“Yes, but… it feels rather awkward under these circumstances,” Kitania said, shifting slightly as it felt like she had butterflies trapped in her midsection. “I’m just… may I ask why you’re hugging me?”
“Because I felt like being selfish, at least for a moment,” Alserah said, letting go at last, then circling to sit on the edge of the table in front of Kitania.
“What do you mean, being selfish?” Kitania asked, flushing ever so slightly as she did so. Alserah seemed to have a knack for catching her off guard, and it made Kitania feel a little bad about how she’d teased Isalla before.
“I already told you that I found you a bit interesting. While it might not make much sense to you, I have been faintly tempted to attempt courting you. As to why… that’s the selfish part,” Alserah said, pausing for a long moment, a hint of melancholy to her expression as she continued softly. “I said that I’ve had a great many lovers and family members pass on over the centuries. After long enough, it makes it hard for me to even consider a relationship. Those who I approach are likely to die of old age, or if unlucky they’ll be killed. Assassinations and jealousy can get the better of anyone, and despite my power, I can’t hold them off forever. I was interested in you partly because of that. You’re immortal, and if no one has found a way to kill you… it’s something that could make you a safe choice for romance.”
Alserah stopped for a long moment, then shook her head firmly. “However, that was before this. It is selfish of me, and not something which is right. Niadra nearly died, and that’s horrible. If you wish to be with her, I shouldn’t stand in your way, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s waiting for you right now. You saved her from being tortured to death, after all.”
Kitania blinked, her mouth trying to hang open, but she kept it from doing so. While she’d sometimes wondered why her mother had never been in a long-term, close relationship, Alserah’s explanation had suddenly brought the reason why into sharp perspective. The number of people who might grow jealous of anyone who had Estalia’s affection… it would be too hard to count them all. Kitania even remembered a few attempts on her life when she was young and Estalia’s reaction to them had been sudden and ruthless. But at the same time, it also caused a little pity to well up inside her as she looked at Alserah, and she took her time thinking before she replied.
“I don’t blame you for any of it. While the possibility of being attacked may have drifted through my mind at a couple of points, I never thought it would be by angels. I thought it far more likely that an outraged elf might decide I needed to die,” Kitania said, standing up, and barely able to look straight into the goddess’s eyes with her half-seated. “I really don’t blame you, and neither do I think you’re wrong to be a little selfish.”
“What do you mean?” Alserah asked, then stiffened slightly as Kitania stepped close to her.
Kitania leaned forward and kissed the cheek of the goddess, a little surprised by her own daring, but at the same time, Kitania realized something. She’d become so nervous about her situation that she’d been stepping on eggshells around Alserah and the others instead of being herself. She didn’t quite hug Alserah, instead pulling away and looking the goddess in the eyes.
“I’ve been acting far more passively than I normally would be, as I didn’t want to cause problems or upset you before this, Alserah. Even if I hadn’t been acting that way, I doubt it’d have helped today, but perhaps it would have. Regardless, that doesn’t really answer your question, and I need to give you an answer,” Kitania said, her tail swishing nervously behind her as she debated, then nodded to herself as she blushed. “I’m not opposed to exploring a relationship with you, Alserah. We don’t know each other well, so I have no idea if it’s even possible… but I don’t know if a relationship with Niadra would work out either.”
“That’s… aren’t you already far closer to her, though?” Alserah asked, frowning.
“I’m a demon, and most likely descended from an incestuous brother and sister. Even if I’m not the child of the two of them directly, that should tell you how differently demons view relationships, much like my comments about my grandmother,” Kitania said, shrugging. “I have no issues with having multiple lovers. It’s more a question of what you’re comfortable with, as well as what Niadra wants. I’m willing to see where things go from here, and will acquiesce if the two of you aren’t comfortable with it. In the meantime, though, you’re right. I should go see Niadra, then I should sleep. It’s been a long day, and I’m very tired.”
“I see,” Alserah said, a hint of red in her cheeks at the explanation, and the goddess looked to the side, clearing her throat. “I’ll have to consider that a bit further. Perhaps on the morrow, though the arrival of your friends will make things more interesting.”
“It certainly will,” Kitania agreed, her smile fading slightly, but she looked at Alserah for a moment, then spoke softly, worry and guilt almost overwhelming her. “I’m sorry that I brought all this down on you, Alserah. Truly, I am.”
“It isn’t your fault. They chose to involve me and the rest of my homeland, not you,” Alserah said, nodding slowly and standing up more fully as she made a shooing gesture. “Now go. You have a princess to comfort, and I’m glad the responsibility for that doesn’t fall on me.”
“Coward,” Kitania replied mildly, but she turned and headed for the door, smirking to herself.
For her part, Alserah simply laughed in response. It was a lovely sound, and Kitania smiled as she left.
“Kitania!” Niadra exclaimed, almost throwing herself at the demoness.
Kitania laughed as she caught the princess, smiling as she did so, teasing gently. “Careful, Your Highness, I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I’m not hurting, see?” Niadra said, pulling away and holding up her hands, showing that they were in perfect condition, complete with nails again. Despite her enthusiasm, Kitania also saw th
e darkness in Niadra’s gaze even as she showed her fingers off. “One of the priests showed up within minutes of returning and healed my hands after setting the bones. It hurt a lot, but it’s a relief that none of the damage lasted. Cecilia was healed too, even if she didn’t get too badly hurt. They sent me to get a bath and meal after asking their questions, and then… well, I’ve been staying up waiting for you. I was worried.”
Kitania looked at Niadra’s hands, then looked the princess over more closely. She was wearing a nightgown which was somewhat thinner than Kitania had expected, and they were alone in the princess’s rooms, at least for the moment. Niadra seemed a little more nervous than normal, which wasn’t too much of a surprise. After a moment, Kitania hugged Niadra again and spoke, relief rushing through her.
“I’m glad you’re better again, Niadra. I felt terrible that you got dragged into all this just because you decided to get to know me better,” Kitania said, keeping her tone sincere as she looked the princess in the eyes. “As for me… I’m fine. Her Grace wasn’t upset with me; she blames the angels who attacked us instead, and she even apologized to me for not taking my safety seriously. There’s not going to be any consequences for either of us, except maybe better guards.”
“Good. If she hadn’t, I’d have been rather upset with her,” Niadra said, her smile fading as she scowled. “Bad enough that the angels killed all the guards, the driver and the footman died too. I’m told the priesthood is going to try to revive them, but there’s no guarantee their souls will return. I hate to think about their poor families…”
“It is terrible,” Kitania agreed, feeling guilty she hadn’t thought as much about the guards. It was an oversight, and one she shouldn’t have made. She sighed and shook her head, murmuring. “Well, at least they’ll try, and I’m sure that their families will be taken care of. What else can we do?”
“Not much. We can try to avenge them, though. What you did… it was brutal and scared me a little, but you didn’t have much of a choice,” Niadra said, shuddering. “They decided to torture me just because they thought I’d slept with you, and they considered that to be blasphemy. I can’t believe that angels would be so cruel, yet… yet they were. I hate them now.”
“Don’t hate them. Or at least don’t hate all of them,” Kitania said, her voice soft as she reached out to brush her hand against Niadra’s cheek, then back along her hair. The princess smiled, pressing into Kitania’s hand as the demoness spoke gently, a finger brushing along her ear. “Not all angels are like them. They’re zealots and extremists, not the vast majority of angels. I’ve known plenty of angels who’re kind and gentle, and some are just like you or I. Don’t let the actions of a few sour you on all of them.”
“I’ll try not to. I just… it’s a little hard, when I’ve only met a handful of angels in my life, and all of them have been stern except for these ones,” Niadra said, visibly shivering. Then she reached out to drape her arms over Kitania’s shoulders and added, “That said, it did help me come to a decision, though I’m not sure if you’ll agree.”
“Oh?” Kitania asked, raising her eyebrows curiously, her stomach clenching. “What decision?”
“Well… since they were doing all of that because of their false assumptions, it made me kind of angry,” Niadra said, flushing slightly as she reached up to twirl some of Kitania’s hair, looking a bit shy. “I mean, if they’re going to assume that I slept with you, I was just thinking… why not at least enjoy myself, if they think I did anyway?”
“Are you sure?” Kitania asked, only a little surprised by the suggestion, a slight blush rising in her cheeks, even as she smiled. “I mean, I am a demon; they’re not wrong about that.”
Niadra smiled and shrugged, a slight edge to her voice this time. “If they want to argue about it, they can jump in a tangle of vipers. At least they’ll be at home there.”
Kitania laughed, then kissed the princess gently, happy to oblige. Niadra returned the kiss passionately, and slowly tugged Kitania toward the bed.
Chapter 35
“Why won’t the ground stop moving?” Isalla asked, visibly swaying back and forth on the pier, and Rose couldn’t help a smile as she watched her friend. While Rose’s head wasn’t happy about being on dry ground again and she was a little unsteady, she wasn’t as bad off as Isalla seemed to be.
“You’re too used to the movement of the ship, so your body needs a little time to get used to ground that isn’t moving,” Vinara said, stepping off the ship and letting out a happy sigh. “I’m glad to be off the ship, personally. I don’t care for such cramped quarters, even if the captain tried to make it as comfortable as he could.”
Their passage had been swift, largely due to the windstone, and after the other problems they’d run into, that had been a relief. The only problem was how small the ship was, and Rose hadn’t appreciated it much.
Now they’d reached the Forest of Sighs, and Rose looked around the port city of Naer with interest. She’d never been here before, and the city was different than the other cities in the kingdom that she remembered, though her view of those cities had been from above.
Naer was mostly stone, with a well-built seawall protecting much of the natural harbor, and it was more heavily fortified than she’d expected, with a tall keep that also functioned as a lighthouse near one end of the bay. There were numerous species in sight, though most of the sailors and dockworkers she could see were elves, with humans being only slightly less common, but it was far cleaner and more organized than Blackcrag had been.
Eziel, Isalla, and Rose were all wearing the necklaces that hid their wings, and that made them look like beautiful humans, while Vinara looked like an unusual elf, like she had for most of the trip. Their presence was attracting a fair amount of attention, but Lady Azalea’s guards helped keep the onlookers away.
“I’m just glad to be here. We’re far closer to Kitania, and we’ll be able to investigate the traitors,” Rose said, her tone brisk as she looked around, a sense of anticipation coiling within her. “Now we just have to get to the capital.”
“True, true… how is it that neither of you seem to be having a problem with being on land, anyway?” Isalla demanded, looking between Rose and Vinara, sounding slightly irritated. Behind her, Eziel was quietly moving their luggage into a neat pile.
“It isn’t that I’m not feeling unsteady, it’s just not as bad as what you’re going through,” Rose said, looking at Isalla in amusement, resisting the urge to tease her. “I’m not sure why you’re affected more, but it is what it is.”
“As for me, I used my ability to shapeshift. It helped correct my sense of balance as soon as I stepped on shore, so I only had a moment of discomfort,” Vinara added, then paused as she looked toward the buildings further inland and added, “I wonder what’s taking Lady Azalea so long?”
“She’s checking to see if there are any new instructions from His Majesty or Her Grace,” one of the guards explained, shrugging as he glanced back at them. “The message book she has is for emergencies, not extensive communications.”
“Ah, I see. That would explain a few things,” Rose said, relaxing a little. She’d been wondering why the ambassador hadn’t communicated with her superiors more, but that explained it.
In relatively short order, a pair of carriages pulled up, and after speaking to a couple of the guards that accompanied them, their guards directed them toward the carriage. However, Rose noticed that their guards looked slightly on edge now. She didn’t ask why, but she also noticed Vinara’s attitude shift somewhat, looking more focused as they loaded their things into the carriages.
It was a little longer before Lady Azalea returned, and the frown on the elf’s face made Rose’s concern grow as her back stiffened slightly. The elven noble walked up, glancing at the carriage before she nodded and spoke. “Good, it’s large enough for all of us. There have been changes in the last couple of days, so I need to talk to all of you. As soon as you’re ready, we’ll be h
eading to a nearby fortress in order to teleport to Mist.”
“Teleporting? I thought we were going to go overland, since it only adds a day or so to the trip,” Rose said, her eyebrows rising in surprise. The abrupt change of plans wasn’t a good sign, and that worried her a lot.
“We were, but things changed. I’d like to wait until we’re in the carriage to explain, since I’m not entirely certain of all the details myself,” Azalea replied, looking more than a little annoyed. “Suffice to say that it appears that Her Grace is exceedingly unhappy about something.”
“Oh dear.” Isalla paled, swallowing, and Azalea blinked at her.
“Ah, my apologies. It isn’t your fault or that of Miss Kitania. I’d say it didn’t involve her, but that wouldn’t be true either,” Azalea said, then looked at a couple of guards who were stowing her things, ordering, “Please pick up the pace, if you would? We’re expected to be at the palace just after dawn tomorrow.”
The look of shock on several guards’ faces was telling, and Rose considered before asking cautiously, “I take it that’s moving more swiftly than normal?”
“Yes. We’ll be resting in Mist and will likely be there an hour or two after dark. If we pressed on, we probably could reach the palace by midnight, but apparently it isn’t that crucial to get there quickly,” Lady Azalea explained, tapping her leg in worry.
“Well, we’d best get moving, then,” Vinara said, and she moved to finish stowing her things, moving with a brisk efficiency.
Within ten minutes, the carriages were packed, and Eziel was moved to the one with Azalea’s maids, leaving Isalla, Rose, and Vinara to accompany the elven noble as they got moving.
“Now that we’re moving, what’s going on? Why the sudden urgency?” Isalla asked, looking better now that she’d adjusted to being on land, though she was obviously worried. The jostling of the carriage wasn’t pleasant, but it was far easier to deal with than the ship, Rose thought.
Mortal Gods (Mantles of Power Book 2) Page 30