God Rising: The Cult of Ainz
Written by: AtheistBasementDragon
Edited by: The Usual Gang of Drunken Perverted Idiots
Chapter 175: Truth and Consequences
AN: Well here we go, double release day, don't forget to check out my patr30n for original work at /tellingstories. At 3-5,000 $1 supporters I can write full time. Also, the newest Yutoob audio reading will be done and published tonight. And of course, if you want to see this series illustrated I've found an artist who I think is roughly on par with So Bin in terms of quality (though different in their own right), who is cutting me a deal on the illustration work. Suffice it to say, I'm excited... anyway if you want to see that happen faster, you can support the project patr30n at /godrising. (All funds from this go to the artist, I don't take any).
...Ruins of Wheaton...
Skana sat at the edge of the bed beside her wife, she stroked her arm gently, the worst of the scars were gone, but it was clearly not a restful sleep. Thrashing, limbs flopping uselessly as if fending off an unbeatable enemy. Sweat, it poured out of her flesh and soaked the expensive sheets. Tension. There was no restfulness to her body, it was taut as a drawn bow. Distress. Her little cries were childlike and even at her weakest and most vulnerable moment, she had never looked so helpless and small to Skana's one good eye. Fear. She reeked of it the way she had reeked of blood, the fearless monster, on finding her wife's arm extended, clutched to it like the drowning to a lifeline, only then, as Skana inched herself onto the bed, and drew her wife's head up to her breast so that her ear rested over Skana's heart, did any semblance of stillness come to her frenzied form.
"No wonder you're not sleeping..." Skana whispered softly enough that she didn't wake the blonde woman up.
She wrapped her arms around her and lay with her back against the bed and Neia held tight and secure as one nightmare seemed to fade, and another began, still, the auburn haired veteran did not move, she held her place with no motion but to caress, until her grip was suddenly broken by Neia herself, snapping to wakefulness, and finding herself in the unexpected state, twisted her body and shot her hand out like an arrow loosed, and grabbed Skana's throat.
It was such a sudden and forceful motion that it caught them both off guard; Skana's eye shot open, and so did Neia's, but where Skana was shocked, Neia's eyes were full of horror. When she realized what she'd done, she instantly pulled her hand away and looked down at it in distress.
"I'm... I'm sorry, I don't know what just happened, it was... it was just a dream and then I woke and... I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I'm sorry," the words stumbled out until Skana pressed a kiss to her wife's lips to silence the pleas for forgiveness.
"It's alright, it was an accident, everything is fine, you didn't hurt me, you'd never hurt me, and I'm tougher than that anyway, give me some credit. You didn't make me your Vice Commander because I slept with my boss." She soothed Neia when the kiss broke. Skana gave her a winning smile, charming even, with wide upturned corners that she hoped set her wife at ease. And the joke made Neia giggle playfully and wipe away the distress that was pooling in her eyes, before it could truly begin to be expressed.
"You're the best." Neia said and stretched herself out, wide awake whether she wanted to be or not, and Skana eased herself out of bed and stood up.
"That however, 'is' why you married me." She winked with a cocky grin and Neia's laugh deepened.
"Well, it wasn't for your humility, but jokes aside, I do need to..." Neia stopped in mid sentence and looked behind where Skana stood.
Skana in turn, looked behind her, and the black vortex that represented a gate, finished opening. Through it, stepped Tuare, she looked her usual self, sweet, childlike and shy, bright blue eyes and long blonde hair cascading down the back of her maid outfit. She was in a word, CZ approved 'cute'. She curtseyed to the couple and with her eyes still down to the floor she said formally, "General Neia Baraja, per the orders of His Majesty, you are to proceed through this gate to Forton, there you will be a party to the third assembly and present your vision of the faith's future to all delegates, those who will rule, and those foreign bodies that have chosen to send a representative."
Neia grinned from ear to ear, but Skana saw a brief tension in her body at the instruction.
"Skana, you handle things here, you're in charge, I've got to go, His Majesty calls!" Neia said and fairly flung herself out of the bed and ran past her wife, past the dismayed Tuare who had clearly not expected such a rapid response, and through the [Gate] before her wife could object.
"Damn it." Skana said and reaching a hand up to her face, she clenched her fingers above her jaw and drew them down in frustration.
"Did... I just see the Pope run past me to see His Majesty in her night clothes?" Tuare asked with her mouth opening and closing as if there were more to ask, but she couldn't think of what else it was.
"Yes... Yes you did, and I'd appreciate you keeping this between us." Skana replied in a delicate voice as she rolled her eyes.
"I... was going to help her dress for the occasion..." Tuare said uncomfortably, her bright eyes turned down to the floor, she obviously restrained herself from shuffling her feet in front of the high ranking woman in front of her.
Skana could only let out a heavy breath of annoyance, "Think nothing of it, she's... just herself. Waiting has never been much part of her nature..." she looked away out the window and added in a whisper only she could hear, "...not even in the best of times."
She turned back to Tuare and clapped her hands together, "But don't worry about it, follow her through the gate and just assist her on the other side, I assume she has quarters prepared for her and suitable clothing for however long this will last?" Skana asked.
"Well, yes, My Lady, she does. However... this gate led to His Majesty's private office where he and Lady Albedo await her coming." Tuare said with a beet red face.
Skana first felt horror creep over her, but then as she thought on it further, the stories Neia told her, she started to laugh so hard that she could not keep from crying as she sat herself back down on the bed and held her stomach while the laughter just kept coming. All Tuare could do was look back and forth from where Neia was, to where she'd run. "But… but… but…" She said on a loop until Skana finally stopped laughing enough to just point to the waiting gate.
"Just go, containing her is like trying to contain the wind, no matter what you do, it just keeps blowing." Skana said as she put her hands on her hips and shook her head with an affectionate smile, leaving a hesitant Tuare to simply do as she said, and follow Neia out of the room and through the gate.
...Forton...Ainz's Office...
'I have to get away from her, I have to, I can't be around her now, not after I did that... oh god, what did I do... what did I do, I grabbed her by the throat, how could I have... well, it was an accident, just a response when I... but she just 'touched' me, I can't do that? I'm the General of the Army, how can I just excuse that? I can't, I have to take responsibility for it... but how do I do that?' Her mind was awhirl with thoughts like that as Neia rushed out of the bed and through the gate without thinking, what had just happened with Skana bit like a stray dog on exposed muscle. She was sure she stank of sweat, she had to, as she could smell herself. How her wife had tolerated holding her as Neia's body had done that... 'I swear, she's a saint, better than I could possibly deserve.' She thought wryly, until she realized the other implication of what she was thinking.
Which hit just as she arrived at the other side of the gate and found herself looking at an open mouthed and dumbfounded Ainz along with the smoldering eyes of Lady Albedo who was clearly not sure if she should be outraged or not.
Neia looked down at herself as she went to one knee and realized she was still in her night clothes, pale white and soaked with sweat, it clung to her form in the most embarrassing way.
With nothing to be done about it, Neia just kept her gaze down as she blushed, and whispered, "Pope Neia Baraja, reporting per the orders of her god."
"Neia..." Ainz asked gently. "Why are you... ah, you know that can be seen through as it is..." He looked away uncomfortably.
"I... I was in a hurry, the gate opened, I didn't think..." Neia stumbled over her words and kept biting at her lips between every one of them.
She heard footsteps behind her, small ones, tentative ones. Tuare spoke in her shy voice from just behind Neia's shoulder. "Sire, I take responsibility for this, I made the intent of coming here clear, but did not get out fast enough that I was there to see that she was bathed and changed into proper clothing for the occasion first."
"I must also be held to fault, I didn't let her finish, I only reacted, it was foolish of me." Neia interjected.
"Lord Ainz... if you wished such a thing, you need only ask it of me... you know I am..." Albedo started to say, only to close her mouth when Ainz raised a skeletal hand to stop her before yet another inevitable clash between an over-excited Albedo and his nervously watching Eight Edged Assassins might occur.
"Enough, it's a trivial thing, unworthy of concern, though... it might be an amusing story later, for now... have a gate opened to her quarters here and let her be prepared there. I am just glad we didn't gate her into the conference room. I will speak with you later, Neia." Ainz said in as noble a voice as he could, though he could not help but feel he was a little 'stiff' due to his discomfort.
"Yes, yes of course, Your Majesty." Neia said hastily and stood up as soon as the [Gate] opened, she rushed through it, followed closely by the human maid.
Neia sat soaking in the bath, leaning forward with her arms crossed over her chest while Tuare scrubbed her back. The rough bristles felt good on her skin, but it made her miss Skana very much.
"Am I being too rough, My Lady?" Tuare asked anxiously.
Neia gave her head a small shake, "No, you're doing fine. And... just call me Neia, there's no need to be so anxious."
Tuare was quiet and Neia did not probe further, she simply sat in the hot water and let the girl do her work. It was relaxing at least, the bathroom was shockingly ornate, stone floors and marble counters; the design seemed ripped from Nazarick itself; a large stone bathtub of onyx and red stones polished smoother than the finest grain of paper had been easy to slip into. Near at hand was a rack with thick, black fabric towels that seemed chosen to match the theme of the room, which itself matched the bathtub in which she sat.
It was an unusual degree of luxury, that much Neia was sure of. But rather than question it, she chose to relax herself into it for the present, questions could wait when comfort was present. Tuare's little hand took Neia's left arm at the wrist and lifted it up. She fumbled a moment with the hand holding the brush and dropped it into the water. "E-Excuse me!" She said and darted her hand toward the water to retrieve it.
"No!" Neia said suddenly and snatched Tuare's wrist in a grip that, for the little maid, was impossible to escape. Her eyes immediately started to become like a gathering storm, only for her to catch herself at the sound of Tuare's yelp, it was like a puppy that had just had it's paw stepped on.
Neia released the grip immediately and forced herself to relax, "I'm sorry, I mean... please don't worry about it, let me get it for you." Neia's voice was far more gentle than her looks, and it seemed to create a conflicted state in the maid.
"Are... is your wrist alright, I'm sorry if I hurt you... I didn't mean to, it's just I'm... I'm uncomfortable being close to anyone right now I guess." Neia apologized as best she could, bowing her head to the maid as she retrieved the brush from the bottom of the tub and placing it gently in Tuare's hand.
"It's alright." Tuare gave Neia a weak smile, the corners of her mouth barely moved as she tried to give it, "I can tell you're tense." She held her wrist, her hand shook a little as she rubbed it.
"I'm not the only one... am I?" Neia asked bluntly. Her words were blunt, but her eyes were fixated on the little maid's hand in motion. "What is it?"
"It's nothing of importance." Tuare said, and seeing Neia's eyes, dropped her hand away, and picked the Black Paladin's hand up and began to scrub her arm as if nothing had happened.
Neia bit her tongue and let her eyes fall to the rippling water as the minor motion back and forth in the confines of the tub created little waves that grew and grew with the vigor of the scrubbing, and then began to fade as the process slowed. She bit back the urge to demand answers, and said a weak, "Please... speak your mind. We've met before, albeit briefly, why are you so anxious now, you don't have to be scared of me, I'd never hurt one of His Majesty's servants on purpose."
Tuare lowered Neia's arm and went to the other side of the tub, lifted Neia's right arm, and began to scrub, she was quiet, but the Pope could see she was turning an answer over in her head. "Promise to say nothing to anyone of my answer?" She asked.
"I do." Neia returned.
"I was in the room while a report about what you did was being read... I... I know you wouldn't hurt me intentionally, I'm a loyal servant of His Majesty. But when I heard it, well..." She hesitated, and as she finished scrubbing Neia's arm and scooped water into a bucket to rinse off her charge, she took a deep breath, then spat out hastily, "it made me think of the noble who took me. He didn't think anything of our lives, we weren't people, we were tools or toys. The things... the things that happened in, well... you know, I'm sure. It made me think of the way he cast off our lives, I know that's got to be wrong though!" She added hurriedly, her voice carrying a hint of urgency as she dumped the bucket over the back of Neia's head and shoulders.
"I know it has to be wrong, it can't be all there is! You're a hero! Anything you did, it had to have a reason and I just don't know it! I know those are just the other side, they're our Lord's enemies, but it's hard not to think of the peasants there and... not see something like myself." Tuare said, glad that Neia couldn't see the shaking of her lips.
Neia caught the shaking of Tuare's lips in the mirror on the wall, the trembling of her hands. She didn't answer, she just grabbed the sides of the tub and pulled herself up to her feet.
Tuare couldn't help but look at the body of Neia Baraja over, she wasn't a tall woman, truth be told Tuare might have even been a little taller, yet despite her smaller size, the Black Paladin's body seemed like it was carved out of rock, even the feel of her hands were harder than any woman's Tuare had ever felt. 'Pretty though, even from the back, the straw colored hair, she looks like a living weapon.' Tuare thought as she went and took up a towel.
As she did so, she caught sight of Neia's eyes reflected in the mirror, those were soul swallowingly terrifying, hard and cold, sitting in a narrow shape that screamed 'predator' and despite the bath, she reeked of violence and bloodshed.
'You're such a sweet one, such a gentle one... to give me the benefit of the doubt like that.' Neia thought bitterly and tried to smile, but she couldn't make her lips move, so she just held still until Tuare came back to her with the towel and began to pat her dry.
An impulse hit her, one Neia could not suppress as Tuare went to her front and began to pat her down. "What if there wasn't?" Neia asked quietly.
The gentle, doe-like eyes of the maid went wide as someone who had a torch suddenly shoved at them from out of the dark. She froze with the towel pressed over Neia's breasts. Neia looked at her inquiringly, and slowly Tuare began to move again.
"I asked you a question." Neia said as the maid silently went back to her task.
"I-I don't have an answer," she swallowed hard, an audible gulp came from her throat, and she didn't look at Neia's face again as she went lower, "I guess... I really don't know. What do you want me to say?" She whispered as she went down to her knees and patted the Black Paladin's feet dry. "Do you want to be a monster? Do you want me to call you that? I'm a maid, I can't speak to the choices of those above my station." She bit her lip as she finished and stood up. "Please follow me to get dressed." She said more easily, at home again in a task she knew.
It was answer enough, and Neia did not press the poor girl further. Though she noted the little red ring on Tuare's wrist where her hand had mindlessly grabbed. 'A danger to herself and those around her.' The phrase from the report came back to her.
'Maybe it's not fine... but... it's almost over, almost. Just one more task and I can finish this nightmare. One more city to break.' Neia thought to herself, 'But I owe her, and Sebas, a deeper apology than I've made.' She looked at the hand that had grabbed the maid, and loathed it in that moment.
The room they entered was exceedingly comfortable, with deep red carpet and polished cherry wood walls. A large bed that looked exceedingly comfortable was in the back center of the room, with black curtains open to allow light to pass through enormous wall length windows. A work desk, a table with a few chairs, and a large wardrobe were scattered about, Neia waited patiently, indifferent to her nudity and to her surroundings. To her surprise, she really felt nothing about it.
Tuare simply scurried to the wardrobe, grabbed the few things she needed, and rushed over to where Neia stood, outside, snow began to fall, and Neia distracted herself by watching, only following Tuare's gentle guidance to put on a functional shirt and pants. She felt a mild sense of pleasure as the fabric slid over her skin. It was soft, suitably colored, made to give the appearance of a more formal uniform of Black Justice. The insignia of her army and her faith, a simple red chain ran over the outline of the body, though at the center, distinguishing her from all others, was the symbol of Ainz Ooal gown in a white as pale as a cloud.
It was a rather form fitting outfit, suitable to freedom of movement and... oddly elastic compared to any other fabric she was familiar with. When it was done, she sat and allowed Tuare to assist her with a pair of boots that came a quarter way up the calf. They were a deep black that matched the pants but they shined brightly enough that she could see her face in them.
"Marvelous." Neia said with a pleasant smile. "Thank you, Tuare, I appreciate it."
Tuare bowed quietly, but Neia caught the way she eyed the door. 'She wants to get away from me, so... this is what it's coming to, is it?' Neia thought to herself.
"Would you follow me to His Majesty's office, Lady Neia?" Tuare asked as she held the bow.
"Yes, of course, I am in your care." Neia answered uncomfortably, shifting her eyes away so she wouldn't chance seeing what she'd done.
Tuare straightened up and led the way out of the room, finding His Majesty's temporary office proved easy, and she found both her lord and Albedo just where she'd left them.
"Much better." Albedo said with an approving glance at the now clean and properly dressed Neia kneeling in front of them.
"Majesty, I have completed your task may... may this humble servant ask to take the day for herself to enjoy the company of Sebas?" Tuare asked as she made her report.
Ainz took careful note of what Tuare had just said, it was unexpected, she'd never asked for time off for herself, not in years. Most of the time, he'd had to order it, or the request came through Sebas, and then not at her behest. "Yes, you may, I will send Sebas to you once I have received his report on the disposition of other guests." He replied somberly, and he privately noted the way she scurried through the gate, leaving the three of behind her.
"My Lord, I have been briefly informed of your expectations, but I assume there is more you wished to discuss with me in... greater depth?" Neia asked tentatively.
"Yes, Neia." Ainz said quietly, "But not of that nature, I speak of reports of your... wellbeing."
Neia felt her heart skip a beat and her muscles tense, but she did her best to give no outward sign.
"Look at me." He ordered, and she raised her head.
Albedo raised her arm and pointed decisively to Neia. "You are the human representative of Lord Ainz before the world, perhaps you did not plan on that role, but it is yours nonetheless, if you falter, it will appear as if he has."
"If I should falter, dispose of me in such a way as he is not disgraced. Then raise another in my place" Neia said without flinching.
"Albedo... that is not what this is about." Ainz said patiently, and placing his skeletal fingers over her hand, he lowered it back down to her side.
"You are not so lightly replaced as that, Neia Baraja. Your loyalty to me is second to none among humanity. And while I will not deny that, were it necessary to do so, I would sacrifice you, as any king might have to do with any subject... but no proper king casts loyalty aside as if it were nothing." Ainz answered with equal patience.
He dropped his arms to his side and pushed further, "A report came to me recently from CZ, suggesting you have been getting... increasingly violent. This is a war of course, so I expect violence, but she says you sleep little, that when you encounter certain... types, you become blood drunk and push yourself to excess. What do you say to this?"
Neia took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she composed her thoughts, "My Lord, my... father, if I may, my god, center of my justice... I admit my violence. I ache to end all this, to put down your enemies, to destroy the Slane Theocracy and end this war. Every day they resist is an insult to you that I find intolerable, every day they exist at all, sullies your world. They have made me out to be a terror in order to galvanize their people to fight harder, so I use their stories against them. I teach them the meaning of terror, but... I am doing what must be done. I cannot rest easy, as long as they live. Please... allow me to continue to the end, then as I promised, I will... find a rest in the place you intended for me as we once said. I am not worse, I am only more driven. If I exceed your will, I accept my punishment, whatever it may be."
Tuare found herself in her quarters in Nazarick again immediately, again she gave thanks for the [Gate] spell for the wonder that it was, and realizing exactly where she stood, she fell back against the door to her room, her back striking it with a sullen 'thud' she slid her body down until her knees were curled up to her chest, and she inched herself into a little corner where two walls met.
She rolled up her sleeve to expose the mark Neia had put on her. It was turning an ugly purple. Her lip started to tremble. She sucked in her breath. "You're not going to cry, you're not going to cry, you're not going to cry damn it!" She repeated to herself. "God... it hurts, it hurts... how? Why?" She asked the empty room as her thoughts began to race.
"What do I do? Do I report her? It was an accident, she said she felt bad about it... I guess I can just ask Pestonya to heal it and say nothing, but she might report it, it is just a bruise, right? Right?" She asked nobody, and touched it with two fingers of her other hand, it stung. Pain shot up her arm and she sucked in her teeth, but no tears came out.
'I mean, if I report it, what does it matter? I'm just a damn maid, a charity of the greatest of kings, she's the damn Pope, she's a commanding General, she's a hero... even if nobody calls me a liar, other than Sebas, who would care? And even if they do, do I want to make an enemy out of... her? That... by turning her in? No, she apologized and that is more than I've ever gotten out of anyone who hurt me before, and it was an accident, I should let this go. Just not say anything, I don't want to upset Sebas.' Tuare concluded, not daring to give actual voice to those thoughts, even to an empty room.
None of those thoughts gave her any sense of peace, she didn't get up from the floor, it felt like where she belonged, and she gently blew on the bruise in a futile attempt to sooth it.
'She sounds like the NPCs.' Ainz thought for the thousandth time as he looked into her devoted eyes. Albedo at least, seemed to approve of the sentiment. She'd been watching Neia a great deal since the woman's stay in Nazarick after the Last Battle of Prart. Why she'd started watching, he didn't know, but at least she behaved herself around Neia, without the brusqueness or evident hatred she had for most humans. "I will remember that, Neia." He said in a serious voice.
"As I expected of Your Majesty, but if your humble servant may beg one more thing..." Neia said, and her gaze shot to the floor. "I must... report myself for disciplinary action."
Ainz felt his nonexistent heart start to race. "Explain." He said succinctly, glad his emotional dampener was already kicking in.
Neia began to speak, the words raced out of her like a gale force wind, so fast it was hard to follow. "I accidentally hurt Tuare! I didn't mean to! I swear I didn't! It was an accident! It was an accident! W-While she was..." She went on to explain, the dropped brush, the impulsive grabbing of her wrist, it all came out so fast that he had her repeat herself several times to be sure he understood.
"Is that all?" Albedo asked dismissively and waved it away with a hand gesture as if it didn't matter.
"It is, I swear it! Lord Ainz entrusted me with a servant to care for me, and I... it was my responsibility to treat her well, and instead I hurt her..." Neia whispered out slowly as she ran out of breath.
'That would explain her desire for time off...' Ainz thought, but then another question occurred to him. "Why didn't she tell me, did you instruct her to keep quiet?" Ainz asked in a displeased tone.
"No, never, My Lord!" Neia exclaimed, but thought quietly for a moment about his question, "If My Lord will forgive my speculation, I of course do not know exactly why she said nothing, but I can guess. Either she feared not being believed, or that it wouldn't matter one way or the other, or she feared... she was... so afraid of what I might do if she reported it... she felt safest saying nothing at all."
"So... you could have gotten away with it? Why speak up, then? Isn't it very human to try to avoid punishment?" Albedo's voice was more amused than anything, and she folded her hands low in front of her body, seemingly indifferent to the entire matter.
Neia did not activate her voice, but she didn't need to, the power of her conviction rang through from the marrow of her bones to the tip of her tongue as she spoke, her eyes fixed and hard on the easy golden gaze of the Lady Albedo, "Because I am His Majesty's loyal servant. I am entrusted with one of the highest stations a human can be honored by. Therefore I must exhibit the highest standard of conduct in his service. If I try to escape punishment for my weakness, I will compound one weakness with another, I will degrade his service and degrade myself. I... I don't want a world where a peasant maid can be denied justice because of who did injustice to her. I am not fighting for that, I am not killing for that. If I let this go, if I don't face responsibility for what I've done, even accidentally, then all those deaths are for nothing... I would be a sinner of the worst sort."
Ainz kept the sigh to himself, 'Accident or not, Tuare is a resident of Nazarick, and I can't let this go even if she does. And if that isn't enough, well... at least Neia has turned herself over. What kind of 'justice' am I to dispense for this? A fine? A physical punishment? No... I think I have a better idea.' Ainz ran through the options in his head, allowing the silence to stretch out as the stare between the Guardian Overseer and the Defender of the Faith to stretch out. Neither blinked, but neither seemed hostile to the other, it was like two figures staring at one another across a canyon and each was trying to work out how to build a bridge to the other side.
Finally, he spoke, "You did the right thing in reporting yourself, the first thing you must do is apologize to her in my presence, acknowledge what you've done, after that, your punishment is in her hands, she is the aggrieved. If she goes to excess, I will intercede, but within reason, it falls to her to decide what satisfies her justice." Ainz broke the silence, and Neia bowed her head.
"As you will it, My Lord." Neia answered humbly.
"Albedo, retrieve Tuare." Ainz said calmly.
"At once, My Lord." Albedo replied, and gracefully stepped through the [Gate] when it opened.
They did not wait long.
Tuare looked around the room in anxious confusion, all three of the powerful figures had their eyes turned on her, she was the center of attention, and her every darting look around was one that sought a place to hide, yet for all their stares, she felt no hostility, which ironically added to her confusion and anxiety. Goosebumps broke out over her body, her hairs stood on end. 'Oh no... did she tell them, did she tell them she disciplined me, am I in trouble? Oh god, no... No... what if they send me away, what if I have to leave Sebas what if they make me go with... her, what if she hurts me again... no... no... no...' She wanted to start wailing, she couldn't keep back the trembling in her body, but she kept back the impulse to cry, at least.
"Go ahead, Neia." Ainz said patiently.
Tuare felt like a bird under the gaze of an approaching serpent as Neia stood and came over to her, she went completely motionless, and then her mouth dropped open as Neia went down on both knees, then pressed her head to the floor at Tuare's feet. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm really and truly sorry! Please... Please forgive me! I didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't! It was an accident!" She shouted to the floor and her eyes filled with tears that nobody could see. "You were just doing your job and I didn't mean to. I really didn't mean to! I just reacted without thinking. I'm so sorry..." The words rushed out until she had no more breath to give them life.
Tuare looked down in abject wonder as one of the most powerful people in the world humbled herself before a maid. "My punishment..." Neia said quietly, "is for you to decide, I will accept it, as your justice. Whether you wish money, or to see me flogged, whatever you wish, I... am under your justice, as the one who wronged you."
"H-How?" Tuare could only ask in disbelief as she finally ripped her gaze away from the kowtowing Pope and looked up to Lord Ainz.
"She reported herself, she is accountable for her actions, as all under my rule are, and she did wrong. That it was an accident does not make it acceptable in her eyes, and she is not willing that anyone, even a maid, should be denied justice because of their station, or because of the station of the one who does injury." A hint of pride was in Ainz' voice as he spoke, and it gave Neia the courage to speak up again.
"It doesn't matter what you are, or what I am. I didn't have the right to do that to you, please... tell me how to make it right." She said without breaking eye contact with the floor.
A thousand thousand memories rushed through Tuare's mind in that moment, the nobles, the 'customers', the justice she never got and would never get, not fully. Here was a chance to get a little back, someone of a station like theirs was hers to hurt if she wanted to... she felt her heart race and her chest seize up for want of breath. For a moment she felt the impulse to declare something savage, she pictured the one at her feet, bucking under the sting of the lash for daring to touch her, a scream ripping from her throat, or a hammer to the fingers that had grabbed her wrist, a mangled, twisted and broken mess. For just a moment, she indulged the fantasy of painful revenge, as if Neia at her feet was a stand in for all of the ones before.
She looked down at her, the breathing of the woman at her feet was slow and constant, her body rose and fell with every breath as Tuare thought it through, 'It was an accident...' She reminded herself, 'And she's not them, I can't punish her for what they did...' And then a brilliant thought occurred.
"I want ten thousand." Tuare spoke impulsively.
Neia raised herself up and turned her eyes to Tuare. "Gold, platinum, silver, copper? Name it, and it is yours even if I am impoverished forever!"
Tuare shook her head and smiled sadly, she lowered herself down so that she was kneeling in front of Neia. She gently cupped the face of the Pope in her hands, and forced herself to meet the eyes of the Black Paladin. In what might have been the bravest moment of her life, she did so, and replied, "No. Ten thousand lives."
"You want me to kill ten thousand people? Who?" Neia asked, incredulous that this could be the same maid from before.
"No, Neia... I want you to 'spare' ten thousand, when you go to Kami Miyako... I... I am not stupid, I have an idea of what you intend... but if you want my forgiveness, it will cost you your vengeance. Ten thousand who you would have simply let die, if not kill outright, you must instead save or spare." Tuare said in a gentle, hushed voice only inches away, she stroked the wet cheek of the pope, and somehow felt just then, 'She's not as scary as I thought at first...'
Neia looked away from her, back down to the floor. She thought for a long moment... "I will meet your price. I will go out of my way and ensure that ten thousand lives are spared from death, even if it would be easier to ignore them or to take them. I will exclude however, the lives of breakers or overseers, if that is acceptable to you."
Tuare nodded, and placed a kiss to Neia's forehead when the woman looked up at her touch. "Is that acceptable, Majesty?" Tuare asked humbly.
"It is." Ainz replied formally as he watched the scene unfold, 'That was unexpected... but... perhaps for the best, Neia might benefit from a more merciful influence.'
"Thank you, Tuare." Neia whispered as the maid stood, and held out a hand to help Neia rise to her feet.
"Tuare, you will attend to Neia and her wife after the conference, and until she has met your price, at Kami Miyako." Ainz instructed, and the two women bowed.
"It will be done, My Lord." The two said in unison.
"Yes, it will, but for now, Tuare, go see Pestonya to be healed, and then enjoy two days off." Ainz instructed, and a joyful expression crossed the maid's face with a large smile from ear to ear that seemed to make her glow with life.
Neia smiled weakly at her, the nature of the little blonde maid was such that it seemed impossible to not like her, a spirit of happiness radiated from her like warmth from a candle. 'How could I have hurt 'that'?' Neia wondered in dismay and disgust. 'A threat to herself and others.' The memory of what was on the damnable paper ran through her mind again.
'Oh, that's how.' Neia thought grimly as the maid departed.