lisa sprawled across the gazebo bench, enjoying the afternoon breeze.
The little structure had beco their unofficial hangout spot over the past few months. Today though, they had an... unexpected guest.
Princess Aria sat primly on the opposite bench, her back straight and proper even as she watched Isabella literally sprawl across lisa's lap like the world's horniest housecat.
[She hasn't said a word about the project,] lisa thought, absently scratching behind Isabella's fox ears. [So why is she really here?]
"l~" Isabella purred, her tail swishing lazily. "Pay attention to ee~"
"I am paying attention to you, you needy slut," lisa laughed, giving the kitsune's ass a playful swat.
Armia, lounging against one of the gazebo's pillars, rolled her eyes at their display. Though lisa didn't miss how the darian's gaze lingered on Isabella's exposed thighs.
Raven just sat cross-legged in the corner, cleaning her knife and pretending the rest of them didn't exist. If she didn't know that this was literally just how Raven was, lisa would say she was doing her best to look cool and mysterious in front of the princess.
Through it all, Aria watched. Her grey eyes were sharp, analytical, taking in every interaction like she was morizing a battle plan. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire
[What are you looking for, princess?] lisa wondered, noting the tension in Aria's small fra. [What are you hoping to see?]
Finally, after watching Isabella attempt to stick her tongue in lisa's ear for the third ti, Aria spoke.
"Might I have a word with you?" Her voice was soft but carried an edge of... sothing. "Alone?"
Isabella imdiately sat up, her ears flattening.
"Whatever you have to say to l, you can say to all of us!"
But lisa caught the look in Aria's eyes. This wasn't just so attempt to catch her off guard.
"It's fine, Bella," lisa said, giving her fox-girl a gentle push. "Why don't you guys go grab us so snacks?"
"But-"
"I'll let you sit on my face later if you go now."
Isabella's ears perked right back up.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
As Isabella bounced away, practically dragging a protesting Armia with her, Raven gave lisa a significant look.
"You sure?"
lisa nodded.
"I'll be fine. Just keep Isabella from buying out the entire snack stand again."
Once they were alone (as much as they could be with Aria's knights lurking in the background like the Secret Service), Aria's formal posture seed to crack slightly.
"That spell you created," she said without preamble, her voice barely above a whisper. "The healing one."
lisa's eyes widened.
"The one you used to save my father," Aria continued, her grey eyes boring into lisa's red ones. "Tell about it."
Sothing in her voice made lisa's tail twitch nervously. This wasn't just casual curiosity.
"Why do you want to know?"
lisa felt her stomach drop as Aria leaned forward, lowering her voice even further.
"Father has been... different since you used that spell on him," the princess said, each word carefully asured. "At first, we thought it was just the aftermath of the poisoning, but..."
[Oh shit oh shit oh shit,] lisa's tail curled anxiously around her own waist. [What did I do to the fucking KING?]
"Different how?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Aria's grey eyes darted around, checking that they were truly alone.
"His behavior has beco... erratic. He's more aggressive in council etings. More..." she made a show of trying to find the right word, "...intense. And his magic..." She shook her head. "Well, anyway, I need to know exactly what that spell does."
lisa let out a nervous laugh.
"Yeah, about that..."
"What?"
"I, uh, don't exactly know?"
Aria's perfect composure cracked.
"What do you an you don't know?" she hissed, her small fra practically vibrating with tension. "You CREATED it!"
"Look," lisa held up her hands defensively, "spell creation isn't exactly an exact science, okay? Sotis you just... throw stuff together and see what sticks!"
The princess stared at her like she'd just said she ca from another world.
"You... throw stuff together?"
"Yeah! Like, you know how so words of power just sound right together? And how certain spellsigns kind of flow into each other? I just..." lisa made vague gestures with her hands, "combined so stuff that felt right!"
[And maybe used so forbidden Blood Magic, but let's not ntion that part!]
Aria's eye twitched.
"Are you telling ," she said, her voice dangerously quiet, "that you used an experintal spell of unknown effects... on the King of Syux?"
When she put it that way, it did sound pretty bad.
"In my defense," lisa offered weakly, "he was dying at the ti? And it did save his life!"
"And potentially did who knows what else to him!" Aria ran a hand through her white hair, ssing up its perfect arrangent. "I cannot believe this. You're supposed to be so kind of prodigy! How can you not know what your own spells do?"
lisa's tail twitched defensively.
"Hey, nobody else was coming up with ways to save him! Sotis you have to improvise!"
"Improvise?" Aria looked like she might actually explode. "This isn't like making up dance steps! This is fundantal forces of nature we're talking about!"
"Which I'm really good at manipulating!" lisa protested. "Look, I know it sounds bad, but my spells WORK. They might have so... unexpected side effects, but they do what they're supposed to!"
"Unexpected side effects," Aria repeated flatly. "On the KING."
[When she keeps saying it like that, it does sound pretty terrible,] lisa admitted to herself.
Aria took several deep breaths, visibly trying to calm herself.
"Okay," she said finally. "Okay. This is... this is fixable. We just need to figure out exactly what the spell does. Which ans..." she grimaced slightly, "we need to talk to Zephyra."
lisa perked up.
"The court sorceress? But, maybe she's busy with-"
"This takes priority," Aria cut her off. "If there's anyone who can analyze an unknown spell's effects, it's her. Though," she added with a pointed glare, "she's going to be just as thrilled as I am about your... experintal approach."
[Great,] lisa thought. [Now I get to explain my 'throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks' thod to the most prestigious mage in the kingdom.]
"When do we-"
"Now," Aria stood, brushing off her skirts. "Before your little harem returns and this becos even more complicated."
lisa glanced in the direction Isabella had dragged the others.
"They're going to wonder where I went."
"Then leave them a note," Aria said impatiently. "This is more important than whatever debauchery you had planned for the afternoon."
"Hey! I'll have you know my debauchery is very sophisticated!"
Aria just stared at her.
"...I'll write the note."
As they hurried across campus, lisa couldn't help but wonder what other "side effects" her spells might have caused. Isabella had used the sa spell on Kimiko, after all...
[Note to self,] she thought as she jogged to keep up with Aria's surprisingly quick stride, [maybe start keeping better records of what goes into these spells. And maybe stop using them on royalty without proper testing first.]
Though honestly? Given how her life had been going lately, she'd probably end up improvising so world-changing spell by next week anyway.
At least things couldn't get more complicated than "accidentally resurrected the king with vague side-effects".
Right?
... Right?
---
{Zephyra}
Zephyra massaged her temples as the purple-skinned man before her shrugged for what felt like the thousandth ti.
"And you're certain you didn't notice anything unusual before falling ill?" she pressed, her athyst eyes scanning his face for any hint of recognition.
"Nothing unusual, Lady Vortell," the nim replied. "Just woke up one morning feeling like death ward over."
[Helpful,] Zephyra thought dryly. [About as helpful as every other interview today.]
She was about to ask another question when a familiar, completely inappropriate rhythm echoed through her office door:
Knock knock knock-knock knock... knock knock!
[Ah,] Zephyra fought back a smile. [There's only one person who would dare knock that way on the Court Sorceress's door.]
"That will be all," she told the nim man. "Thank you for your ti."
As her interviewee shuffled out, Zephyra called out:
"Enter, Miss Blackfla, and please try to rember this is a palace, not a tavern."
The door swung open to reveal not just lisa's grinning face, but also... Princess Aria?
[Well, this is unexpected.]
"Sorry about the knock," lisa said, not looking sorry at all. "But we need your help with sothing."
"Both of you?" Zephyra arched an elegant eyebrow. "How intriguing."
"It's about my healing spell," lisa continued, fidgeting with her tail. "We need to know exactly what it does."
Zephyra's other eyebrow joined the first.
[The spell that saved the king? The one she supposedly created from scratch?]
"I see," she said carefully. "While I'd be happy to assist, I'm rather occupied at the mont with-"
"This cannot wait."
All three won were startled by the sharp tone in Aria's voice.
The princess seed to catch herself, smoothing her features back into their usual calm mask.
"What I an to say is," she continued more diplomatically, "this is of utmost importance. It concerns the king's... health."
[Ah,] Zephyra thought, pieces clicking into place.
"I understand your concern, Your Highness," Zephyra said, choosing her words carefully. "But proper magical analysis takes a bit of ti. Even for a spell as... fascinating as Miss Blackfla's creation. I wouldn't be able to properly determine all the effects just this evening, if that's what you were hoping for."
She didn't miss how lisa's tail curled nervously at the word 'creation'.
[Interesting. Very interesting.]
"I will examine the spell thoroughly," she assured them both, "as soon as I complete my current investigations."
"But-" Aria started to protest.
"Your Highness," Zephyra cut her off gently but firmly, "I promise you will have answers. But rushing magical research rarely ends well. As I'm sure Miss Blackfla can attest."
lisa had the grace to look sheepish.
Finally, Aria nodded stiffly.
"Very well. But please, make this a priority."
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