Oh, what a tangled web this has become, boy. We should have left when we had the chance, should have never accepted her deal. All the signs were there, but we didn't heed one of them, following orders, trying to do what we could, in our power, to take down these wretches... and now? Now we are in their pocket.
At least we haven't seen Dora's brother, or mother. I dread the day we finally do, when we finally have to tell them what happened to their sweet, innocent, naïve daughter, knowing... knowing it was truly our fault she's gone. We were such fools to believe that Emry would allow us to stay friends, would allow her to stay. She was simply biding her time, waiting for that day.
Who did we have now? Who could we turn to? Jack? No... no... I fear what may become of Lilah if we do. We're far closer to her than we were of Dora, and... none of us can take that loss.
So, here we are. In the apothecary. Stirring, growing, creating poisons and elven bombs, taken by our 'love', set behind the eastern wall each dusk before we are dragged back to bed, forced to consummate this abomination of a marriage every night, hearing this... woman's moans drawl for too long, the bed creak and bite into our backside or side.
Her time was finally up this round, and she collapsed on top, gasping, panting, kissing our neck.
"L-l-love you, Freddy," she mumbled, snoring in no time... and again, for the ninth night in a row, Fred looked to the sword by the bedside, smiling weakly, wanting to reach... but couldn't, even as the tenth, the fourteenth, the fortieth rolled pass, that stomach holding him down more, sometimes kicking him, filling him with a horrid mix of pride and disgust, which all came to a head the next day in the apothecary when she walked in, wearing not but a black silken top, pulling him onto the counter. "You know, I heard that you once fucked on this, but never with me. Why is that?"
… He needn't say anything, not even bothering to look at her as she fulfilled her wish, gaze locked on the simmering flask in the back, turning bright r- boy? What di-
The apothecary, at least the lab and field, were no more, still sparking, shimmering with black lightning, leaping from the remains of that flask. Emry gasped, looking that way, finally stopped in her ride, and glowered down at him. She raked his front with her nails, snarling, showing her true self at last.
"What happened?" She exclaimed. "What did you do?"
"I did nothing. The mixture was time sensitive. Had to keep on it at all times or... well..."
A lie, but not wrong. You almost sounded convincing... Let's hope, to her, you were.
She groaned, holding him tight as guards flocked in, swords drawn.
"This is all my fault," she grumbled. "I'm sorry."
"What's all this, then?" The captain stated mid sprint, stopping before them before averting his eyes. "By the angellum-"
"It's nothing. I just... got distracted and couldn't keep up with the mixture," Fred drawled, yawning, smacking Emry's bum. "As you can see, we're fine. So..."
"Right. Let's go, men... Looks like most of your crops are gone, by the way."
"Yeah. They'll regrow. Until then, I have a stock of basic herbs to make tonics."
"Good. Good. Have a fine day, Sir Bala."
"You, too... So, you going to get up, now."
Emry... She giggled, shaking her head, gripping his cheek.
"Why should I? We have all the time now."
… Well, that wasn't what you expected. Weren't you hoping she'd freak out and say how much trouble we were in with Chastity? Weren't you hoping she'd turn on you and try to attack, so you'd feel less guilty using that knife in your pocket? Is that what is stilling your hand now?
Thank goodness, however, we have the miners in our pockets. They had the lab and walls of the apothecary garden rebuilt before the morn, taking their fair share of tonics as payment, and speaking of Chastity, she was waiting in the tavern said morning, sipping an ale at the counter, watching as we came down. She smiled, patting the stools beside her.
"Please," she said, humming as we did, taking another long draw from that bottle. She sighed, placing it back on the wooden top before turning our way, hands crossed. "Now, my lasses last night told me there were no goods to pick up, and another told me that there was an explosion at the apothecary's that took out the crop fields and the lab... Care to explain?"
"It was my fault." Emry said, yawning, her cheeks still aglow, now flushed. "I... wanted an adventure."
"Ah... So you were tending to your lovely's needs, couldn't take care of the mixture, and... boom... Now, I'd believe that if it wasn't such an... shall we say accurate explosion."
"Are you saying I prepared it?" Fred exclaimed, scoffing. "Even if I could... look. That tonic didn't have much of an impact on its own. What did, though, were the others kept behind the wall until the last few were being mixed. A safety measure to avoid leveling my entire store-"
"But enough to raze all your crops." She picked up the bottle again, draining it, and slammed it against the counter, drawing her dagger, resting it against Emry's throat. "Well, if you can't make potions for me, I guess I don't have to allow this farce of a marriage to continue, hmm?"
"Wait! Wait. I can still make potions for you. I just need time."
"Time that I don't have."
"Isn't what I already gave enough to hold for now? Look... The first batch of crops will be ready to be used in three weeks... Can you last that long?"
"... I suppose." She withdrew the knife-
Instantly paying for it, Emry's ran deep through her chest.
She looked down, wheezing, reaching for the tip protruding from her front, and tried to wheel about- just to be stuck from behind again, another dagger, Fred's, joining his wife's through her. She... she turned one last time, facing him, and her red hair turned dark, her fair skin darkening as she shrunk, Dora standing before him.
"Et tu, Freddy?" She croaked, and collapsed.
"Oh... Oh my Gods..." Emry said, falling with her, shuddering. "I... I didn't know. How did..."
"What? What just happened? What's going on?"
"Chas... She... She has a mage on her side, it seems. I thought for sure we killed her, but... Oh gods..." She bolted to her feet, grabbing his front, her eyes wide. "I need you."
"Okay?"
"We need to hide this body. Now."
"How?"
"... This is a tavern."
"Y... You don't mean-"
"It's the only way. If we are caught with her body like this, we are done. Love, please... grab the cleaver."