Disclaimer: I do not own Overlord.
I later learnt that the Overlord was getting bored with Rose and her nagging, and was looking for something more interesting.
I just happened to be it at the time.
And, while painful, it was great.
His face was too angular and sharp to be beautiful, but the distinctly wolf-ish cast and predatory intensity of his dark-green eyes with their golden glow leant him a dark gravity that could turn heads wherever he went. His hair was long, black and waved, hanging around his face in thick locks while a small beard accented his sharp mouth.
His ears were slightly pointed, as were his teeth.
That, combined with his sharp features, inferred that he had some kind of fey blood in him. Probably some kind of Unseelie, given his nature.
He was built powerfully, though not as bulky as one would assume from his armour and strength.
Naturally, he liked to bite, which, given the open neck of Mistress Rose' gowns, strongly inferred that he had yet to bed the wretched creature.
He left me a Bloody Unicorn horn knife and a small spellbook from Evernight when he went back to his Dark Duties.
I doubt he even knew my name at the time.
(space)
Two days later, the Blues were returned to the Tower.
It was suddenly more comfortable, like I could finally relax as the burbling little creatures, my Kin, scurried around me, watching with large, adoring, glowing yellow eyes as I learnt from Mortis.
During the next two weeks of the Overlord coming and going from Evernight Forest and Heaven's Peak, the Overlord also made visits to Freesia and the Red girls, Elsa and Moira. Freesia scored a pair of elven knives from the encounter, while Elsa and Moira each received ruby necklaces. I, myself, received two more visits, an elven spellbook from the Evernight temple and a pair of enchanted bracers studded with sapphires.
And how many girls can seriously claim they got laid on a pile of gold, anyway?
(space)
It was after word reached me that our Overlord was storming the Keep of Heaven's Peak that Lola came running down the stairs, screeching that we needed to get up to the Scrying Pool.
Freesia and I had shared a look of bewilderment and bolted up the stairwell into the Throne Room.
Mistress Rose had left the Tower.
Apparently because her sister, Velvet, was attempting, and succeeding, in seducing our Overlord.
The young woman, lounging on her bed in the Pool's reflection, was dark-haired and pale-skinned, lips like blood and large liquid grey eyes wreathed in black. Her face was agonisingly, sultrily beautiful, her sex-appeal enhanced by the black and red corset and centre-split skirt, revealing lace-up high-high heels. The black-lace gloves and silver-lace necklace were all that was needed to complete the outfit.
Now THAT was a Dark Mistress.
Seeing that the Overlord was being swayed by Mistress Rose, I promptly booted Gnarl out of the way and took his place.
"Master, please don't bring Mistress Rose back to the Tower." The Overlord paused in the Pool, head tilted to show he was listening. "I don't know how long any of us in the Dark Tower will be able to stand her before she has an accident. And...well...she's not really the Dark Mistress type, is she?"
The Lord was now regarding Mistress Rose as she argued with Velvet about bribery. This encouraged me to continue.
"She hasn't even put out yet, has she? Velvet, on the other hand, would probably jump you the first time you give her something pretty, shiny and expensive. From what I can tell, she's also excellent Dark Mistress material, especially given Mistress Rose's comments about cleaning up the blood after her, so it's pretty safe to say she has violent tendencies..."
The Lord was now regarding Velvet, who was regarding him back with bedroom eyes, Rose scowling angrily, hands on hips, in the background.
"Just think, my Lord! No more nagging. No more pink... No more being told to get out there and work when you're -ahem- otherwise occupied..."
The Minions were already lifting the bed by the time I had finished the sentence, giving rise to loud shrieks and cheers behind me.
I whipped around. "Enough! Triela! Take your girls and some Browns up and pack Rose's belongings! Rica! Take your girls and move appropriate furniture and stuffs from the Spares Room to the Personal Quarters for Mistress Velvet! Freesia! Go with them and make sure they don't burn anything!"
"And what will you be doing, hmmm?" Came the agitated hiss from behind me.
I turned enough to regard Gnarl with a raised eyebrow. "Awww, did I hurt Old Gnarl's feelings? Or maybe those brittle old bones of yours?" I shrugged, turning away and wandering towards the stairs to the Private Quarters, a group of Blues scurrying up the stairs from the Pits with cleaning items without really being told. "My Blues and I will be cleaning up and airing out the Private Quarters to make ready for Mistress Velvet. Can't have a Bastion of Evil smelling like roses, now can we?"
Gnarl snarled under his breath, but was forced to turn his attention back to the Pool as the Master and his new Mistress came through.
(space)
Things were very busy for more than a week, getting the Tower to Mistress Velvet's specifications. The Red Girls and Red Minions not with the Master's Horde were working nearly full-time in the Forge to create the statues and Throne and various other things Mistress Velvet wanted. The Browns had to completely re-tile the Throne Room floor as well as act as movers and gofers. Freesia and her Greens were set to hanging up the banners, chandeliers and other hangings while I and my Blues used our magic to change the stained-glass windows from roses toe stylised images of Mistress Velvet.
Given that it only took a few hours to get the windows done, I set the Blues to cleaning up after the other Minions as they worked, while I recorded the damage to the Treasury.
I was writing down Mistress Velvets orders at the end of the week when she finally decided to ask what had obviously been bothering her every time she looked at one of us girls.
"So what are you, exactly?"
I looked up in surprise. "Pardon?"
Grey eyes were narrowed at me shrewdly. "Well, you're obviously not a Minion, but they still listen to you. And you're just as obviously not a human, but sometimes act like one. So what are you?"
I heaved a large sigh and thought about it, eyes up and chewing the end of the quill I was using.
"Well, we were originally human girls from Spree. For whatever reason, Master decided he wanted servants, so he and his Minions came, hunted us down, and carried us back here to the Tower." Mistress Velvet settled back to sit more comfortably on her bed, eyes still watching me intently. "Gnarl had us down cleaning the Minion Pits for a few days, in close proximity to the Tower Heart to boot. The best theory I can come up with is that the addition of us being cover is Minion refuse and being near a powerful magical object caused us to assimilate the traits of whichever Minion Clan's pit we were cleaning. As you can see, I was cleaning the Blue pit." I waved a hand at my body as if she had not noticed my skin had paled from pink to white and then to a slowly deepening shade of pale blue.
Velvet nodded. "Seems like a solid theory. Continue."
I nodded, having gotten the oddest impression of someone staring at my back early in the explanation. " For all intents and purposes, we are Minions now. Higher ranking Minions than the rabble, but, aside from myself and Freesia, only on about the same hierarchy level as Giblet, the Forge Master. Freesia, the Green girl, and myself are just below Minion Reaper Mortis and the Jester on the Minion Hierarchy, and they are just below Minion Master Gnarl." I paused and went back to what I was originally saying. "As we are essentially Minions, we had the same values and subservient mentality as the Minions. We need the Master to lead us, and, when he is gone, if we cannot find another Master fast enough, we will pine and die." I smile at her ruefully. "Nothing is more important to a Minion than their Master. Nothing is more loyal to its Master than a Minion. That is why we dedicate our entire lives to Serving. Do you understand now, Mistress?"
Mistress Velvet mulled over her thoughts for a time, something oddly like jealousy in her liquid eyes, before nodding and waving me off. "That will be all. Let me know when my Darling returns."
I bowed and began to leave.
"By the way." I paused and turned back from my position in front of the screens. "What is your name? No one speaks it, that I have heard."
I blinked and bowed, a slight smile on my lips. "I am called Lethe, my Lady. Will there be anything else?"
She waved me off again and I rounded the screens, catching a flicker of metal and purple leaving the Private Quarters.
When I came down the stairs from visiting the Treasury from updating the Evil Ledger, the Master was seated on his new Imperial Throne, deep in thought.
I pause long enough to send a Brown up to tell Velvet He had returned.
As I stepped fully into the room, his glowing eyes snapped to my form. "Lethe. I have a job for you and your girls." His voice rolled around the room like the purr of a really big cat.
I came forward and knelt before his Throne. "Anything my Lord desires."
He wanted us to find Castle Gromgard.
Done. Updates will be named and added to the Horde.