Dreams, nightmares, and Royal Tea etiquette apart, we were finally at the entrance of the Crown Prince's Birthday Gala. What a mouthful.
What an exhaustive day, I an. And it was far from over. After the eting with our sponsors' families, it was ti to throw us to the wolves. Again, by wolves, I an the snickering snobs, sons of a court [Lady], the nobles...
What's wrong with ? My mind kept going on a tangent. In retrospect, it was Barbara's anxiety leaking through the familiar link. That must be it because the strength with which she hugged my doll form would break sothing made of softer stuff.
Ahead of us, Eleanora and Elizabeth stood like wax statues with their families, their heavy makeup would probably solidify into a porcelain mask if allowed to bake in an oven. Isaac was behind us with the good and slightly afraid Margrave. He was still wary of after our little friendly altercation.
Differently from other epochs, the order of admittance into the venue was tripartite. First, the second echelon of nobles gained entrance and started to make themselves comfortable, while the lower Houses waited in line to be announced and ushered in. Margrave Hamilton should be inside already, but he insisted to escort us. Or to keep an eye on . Your bet was as good as mine.
The line moved again.
Eleanora sent to . I relayed it to my dear [Crystallomancer].
She ntally stuttered and blushed.
I glanced askew at her.
Elizabeth replied.
Eleanora rolled her ntal eyes.
Elizabeth warned, her tone leaving no room for dissent.
Out of fear, Barbara quickly revealed my teasing.
It was my turn to roll my ntal eyes.
*
*
"Baron Carmine Epps!"
The [Crier] called. Elizabeth and her family strutted into the venue and had their mont of glory as they walked down the stairs into the main ballroom. Barbara squeezed my arm. Odd. Having limbs and head, I an. A few minutes later, they called the "Da Katina of House Cheverton," and Eleanora's mother led her family inside.
Barbara scuttled forward and stopped before the stone-faced [Royal Guard] knights blocking the entrance. The [Crier] looked down on us (both literally and figuratively) but resud his professional deanor after a brief scowl.
Isaac sent it to .
I replied seriously.
Isaac cleared his throat to mask his chuckle. How sweet of him to think I was joking.
Our ti arrived. The [Crier] took three steps into the grand staircase hallway, and shouted, "Da Barbara of House Ambrose, and The Netherbane Syllabus!"
The knights took a half-step to the side, opening a gap. Barbara didn't move. She stared at the [Crier], then at the [Royal Guard] armor.
I whispered into her head. Contested (Charisma Diplomacy) test won.
The [Lady] was holding her breath. She produced a fan and used that to get a gust of fresh air. Her decolletage was reddening and I could see goosebumps pushing against her delicate gloves.
"That's certainly a sobering tale," she finally said with a faint huff. "I am most grateful for sharing it, Da Netherbane."
While the other won around us nodded in agreent, Barbara was quiet, reminiscing... oh, shit. But I needed to address the [Lady] first and seal the deal.
"Yes, I know many tales of the Goddess that didn't go into the scriptures for one reason or another. I would be delighted to invite you [Ladies] for tea and a storytelling session when we manage to buy ourselves a mansion."
"Oh," one of them, dressed in orange, perked up. "I believe my father has a mansion in the capital he's willing to sell."
Two ladies in the back snickered. I grinned back at the speaker, stretching a bit the stitches in my mouth in a way that seed definitely creepy for a mont.
"That's a deal, I am sure your father will offer a fair price. The mansion is surely damaged by the quake, but to an {ultra-rare} [Crystallomancer] with {Earth Magic Affinity} and my spells, it shall be an easy repair even if it's only rubble remaining."
The lead pink-haired [Lady] glowered at the one who spoke up. Boy, not knowing their nas and not using {Appraise} sucked. "I am sure it is a done deal," she affird vehently.
"Yes, definitely."
Puzzled, Barbara glanced at the two won, then at . "We're buying an estate?"
"A mansion, yes," I shifted my attention to the saleswoman. "How big are the mansion grounds? I must make sure it is up to a future [Archmage]'s standards," I finished the sentence staring into the eyes of the leader in yellow.
"It's rather modest if it's the one I'm thinking of," the pink-haired woman replied.
I felt the perfect mont to drop the bomb, hook, line, sinker, and the kitchen sink. "Small, ruined, I think your father should pay us to take it off your hands and renovate it. Such an eyesore in the city's skyline."
> Contested Charisma test won.
"We-We can offer it to you as a housewarming gift," the girl in orange counter-offered.
"Yes, surely a lot of broken timbers to use as firewood lying around. How about a wager? We'll have it fixed and fully renovated by the end of the month. If we don't, we'll pay double its full value."
> Contested Charisma test won.
I felt I was stealing Halloween candy from children.
"We'll take that bet," the leader said on her minion's behalf.
Before soone else could start another dick-asuring... not a good analogy, none of us had any. Oh well. Before anyone could start more shenanigans, a liveried servant with the [King]'s colors approached us, the sea of nobles and the ring of ladies parting like the red sea before Moses.
"Das Ambrose and Netherbane," he addressed us with utmost politeness.
A few of them gasped that the servant, obviously a high-ranked official, ca for us of all people. His friendly and calm tone also hinted that we weren't in trouble.
"Milord," I replied and nudged Barbara to bow along with . "How may we help?"
His eyes narrowed a bit in a smile signaling approval, though his mouth remained still. "His Majesty wishes for a bit of your ti at your earliest convenience."
I never understood that idiom, which ant "right fucking now" in layman's terms. Especially when it's a [King] asking.
"Of course," Barbara said, relived for a way out of that delicate social entanglent. "If you would lead the way."
"Surely. This way, my [Ladies]," he nodded and turned around to lead us.
Before I went, I addressed the pink-haired girl. "My [Lady], you were sent to us by the Goddess herself. I am most pleased you lent us a bit of your ti and ear. And I extend the invitation for tea again to all of you, [Ladies]. Our servants will send you an invitation."
"We'll be delighted to attend, Da Netherbane," she curtsied.
"If you excuse us, [Ladies]," I said and Barbara picked up to follow the liveried servant / court official.
*
*
The party, however, didn't stop for us. The lower echelons had already joined the middle and high nobility inside the venue for so ti when the court official ca for us, and now the guests of honor were entering the ballroom. Our escort was about to leave through a lavish side door when the [Crier] called soone I had to take notice of.
"Countess Rosebloom of Auvani, Duchess Nagini of Windere, the Matriarch's anointed [Saintess]!"
What a mouthful. And what about House Nagini? Wasn't it extinct? WAIT A MINUTE. [Saintess]?
I had to look, so I opened tiny eyes in the back of my head between the strands of woolen string I had for hair. There she was, a six-tailed Kitsune girl that looked to be in their teens, capturing everyone's eyes, gliding down the grand staircase, a satisfied smirk on her lips, eyes narrowed, gazing straight at us.
Fuck the wards and my aunt Prudence. {Appraise}!
> Level 69 female kitsune [Saintess].
Her grin widened as she sensed my {Appraise} attempt. She returned the favor, and for once it pierced my curse. She read my Class, level, species, everything she wanted to. The reason she managed to? The curse blocked any attempt to read my Status unless it used Divine energy, and any Divine energy other than the Matriarch (or Loki) was siphoned into Pandora before it could take effect.
She was the real deal. Which raised two questions. First, what was Pandora doing to anoint another [Saintess], and second how the hell I wasn't aware the church had one.
I had not a single clue regarding the forr question, but the latter was as obvious as the pain in the {Fate Magic Affinity} I was feeling.
Fate was a fickle mistress. And also liked to watch the drama unfold. Using Fate magic was opening oneself to Her whims, regardless of the knowledge that it ca at a great personal cost. The dragon [Saint] and the brood-bitch toyed with Fate, tortured Lorna, and ended up as Exp for my growth. The price they paid was impossible to asure, given that the Broodmother was now reborn elsewhere, tasked with rearing a whole universe from zero by herself.
Lorna and mom paid a big price upfront, their lives, and now we were stuck in this matchmaking ga for who knows how many lives. But since their boon would co only at the end, the impact was softened.
I was sure it was a "sleight of hand" by Fate's delicate fingers herself that obscured the information about this [Saintess] from .
The kitsune's smirk beca a grin, like a fox who ate the hen, the roster, the chicks, and all the eggs along with their damn bloody cursed grimoire. I felt danger, but not in a physical sense.
The court official crossed the door, and Barbara followed, carrying . Whatever designs that kitsune girl had for us, it would have to wait until after we et with the [King]. Mom and I, eting with [Kings], the results had a poor track record, for the [Kings], mostly. At worst, another crown for her collection.
I only hoped it would end well this ti.
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