Underpaid, Undersexed, and Under Custodio

Chapter 6: Change in Management

AN: If you are one of my readers from before the hiatus I implore you to reread the previous chapter, I have made some important revisions to it, we'll chat more at the end, now let's get into it.

'What. The. Fuck.'

Neia generally wasn't a vulgar or overly-emotional person, and she would like to think that was because she was a fairly mature person. But maturity was the last thing on her mind right now. She really, really, wanted to just let go of everything and break down into tears.

Her entire world was just flipped upside down, and that had already happened once with the death of her parents and the beastman invasion. Twice was just cruel.

She was currently taking a walk of shame besides the Sorcerer King, following him back to his carriage and through the crowd of clueless paladins, through the camp, and past the command tent through which she could hear a muffled screeching.

Neia would honestly be surprised if Gustavo survived this, if there was ever something to get you court-martialed in the Holy Kingdom it would definitely be wielding a sword against Remedios Custodio.

However, as much as she hated to admit it, Gustavo was really the least of her worries right now. This morning she woke up a squire in the Paladin Order, just as she had hundreds of times before, now she was… something else.

Remedios was fully convinced that Neia was an agent of the Sorcerer King, now she really was, and it's all thanks to her. The woman worked so hard at making her own demons that she actually succeeded for once. Neia would be impressed if it hadn't just destroyed her life.

One benefit of this situation was that she didn't have to answer to the Captain anymore, no, not "the Captain", Remedios. She didn't have to lay down and take any more abuse from that complete-

Neia took a second to calm down. If she hated her before, Remedios was now definitely at the top of some lists, but that doesn't mean she could lose her cool, not now.

She was just all but forced by Remedios to swear allegiance to a king, a foreign king, a king that she had just met yesterday, an undead king. A foreign undead king she barely knows who is also possibly the most powerful being to ever exist in all of known history.

Neia is a mature person, but she thinks she might deserve a pass just this once.

'What. The. Fuck.'

She continues walking, her legs are a little shaky, but she isn't sure if that's from fighting for her life or the immediate aftermath of that fight, either way her slow stride gives her a few more precious seconds to think before the Sorcerer King whisks her away to his realm.

Before her short chat with Gustavo she was honestly feeling a little good about her spot as attaché to the Sorcerer King. He seemed like a fairly nice person... person? Yes, person. He wasn't that scary once you actually talked to him for a little while, and she thought he might have been misjudged by her fanatical paladin companions. She still felt a little odd saying that about a giant skeleton king but it was true.

However, after her chat with Gustavo, she was having second thoughts. She would be an idiot to not at least consider that he could have been simply manipulating her, and she did, but now that she was practically his property she didn't see a reason for him to keep up the ruse. If there was a ruse to begin with, that is. This meant that when she steps through that portal, one of two things was going to happen, either he would drop all pretenses and reveal his true nature, or he would continue being… nice.

She didn't want to be a pessimist about it, but looking up at the undead King and seeing his red pinprick eyes stare back, she really didn't like her chances. Neia was once again about to enter the belly of the beast, and this time there was nobody to save her.

Ainz felt his new subordinate staring up at him, and he ventured a glance down at her, their eyes met for a moment and he could clearly sense the fear in them.

Ainz sighed internally as she averted her gaze and quickly looked to the ground, 'Look, I'm sorry, I didn't intend for this to happen…'

When he first saved her from the Captain's assault he had actually felt pretty good about himself, he had saved her life, and she was thankful for it. But watching what had happened through the Ring of Archiving he knew the incident was his fault to some extent, if you ignore the fact that the Captain was clearly at fault for the brunt of it.

He would have to take blame for getting her expelled from the order, however. He basically ordered the Captain to get rid of her without a second thought. Like a complete idiot.

The little salaryman within him chimed in, 'Her parent's are dead, these people might have been like a family to her-'

'If these people were her family they wouldn't have let the Captain go after her like that. They were at the very least complicit. Well, except for the Gustavo fellow...'

Ainz then realized what he was doing, 'Why am I rationalizing this? I don't know her, nobody in Nazarick knows her, she has no value to me or the rest of Nazarick, I shouldn't care either way.' He didn't want to admit it, but he could feel… something. He shook the thoughts out of his head but subconsciously filed the name Gustavo away, he might be of some use later.

Finally, they arrived at the carriage. Ainz opened the door and motioned for Neia to enter, the fear he could sense from her had lessened and she simply nodded in thanks as she entered, Ainz following close behind.

He closed the door behind them and moved to sit on the seat, once again motioning for Neia to do the same, which she quickly did.

Ainz decided that the best course of action would be to try and calm things down, he was in no rush to get back to the Tomb and something told him that Neia wouldn't mind a few more minutes to collect her thoughts.

And so he spoke, "Miss Baraja, I am pleased that you took me up on my offer," she seems to relax the tiniest bit at this, so he continues, "I was also very pleased to see that you chose to honor your promise of secrecy about my method of transportation, it wasn't fair of me to burden you with that. It also wasn't a wise choice for me to enlist your help with my project without the consent of your superior."

She just looked up at him, a surprised expression on her face, and he finished with an apology, "I am sorry, this unfortunate incident was, in part, my fault."

It was Ainz's turn to be surprised now, as Neia shook her head and spoke very clearly, "No, this was not your fault at all, if anything it is my fault. I chose to keep your secret and I chose to assist you without first asking my superior. Nothing you have done could put you at fault. I am sorry that I required your rescue thanks to my foolish decisions, please forgive me."

Ainz was used to hearing his subordinates insist he is without fault, but to hear an outsider do the same thing… it was in all honesty a little unsettling, Ainz decided to quickly shift the focus away from them and towards the Captain, "Nonsense, you cannot be blamed for attempting to please me. I gather that those were your orders," she reluctantly nods, "but the Captain on the other hand, something is to be said for her part in all this..."

The mention of the Captain sours Neia's expression, but she tries and mostly succeeds at retaining her polite tone, "Forgive my interruption, Your Majesty, but now that I am no longer under her command I feel as if I can speak freely about Remedios. I am now firmly of the opinion that the woman is insane."

Ainz was once again shocked, this time by her bluntness.

'It is good that she feels comfortable enough to speak plainly at least. Well, it's either that or she is just so inflamed by the Captain's actions that she cannot contain her feelings.'

Either way, a short silence takes hold before Ainz replies, "That is a very… spirited opinion, Miss Baraja. I must say that I am inclined to agree, at least to some extent. Although I would request that you do not reveal that to anyone for the sake of diplomacy."

Neia nods her head, seemingly pleased that someone finally agreed with her on the Remedios question, "Of course, Your Majesty."

Another silence takes hold and Ainz can tell that Neia has begun to calm down, so he speaks once more, "Are you ready to return to my realm? You have already seen a small part of it, when we first met."

She definitely looks less stressed out now, but Ainz can clearly see her gulp nervously before she nods her head, "Yes, your majesty, whenever you are ready."

Ainz nods, but before he casts Gate he asks a simple question, "I understand that it is getting late, are you tired, Miss Baraja?"

It seemed that Neia wasn't expecting that, as she stutters a little, "N-no Your Majesty, I still have some energy, I am ready to serve."

Ainz simply nodded and opened a gate.

'Alright, the moment of truth.'

Neia was standing next to a large swirling purple abyss, her new… king? Master? Superior? Just walked through. By that time Neia had already resigned herself to her fate, whatever happens on the other side of that portal, it's unavoidable, her fate was sealed as soon as she kneeled in front of him. She takes one last deep breath before stepping into the void.

Neia was greeted by a familiar sight, she emerged from the portal in the same place she was when she first came here. She quickly looked around to get her bearings and to locate the King, who was patiently waiting by the large door to the throne room.

As soon as Neia got her bearings, he spoke, "Welcome to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. If you would follow me…" He then turned towards the doors and effortlessly pushed them open before walking into the throne room, Neia following close behind him just as he instructed.

Neia's heart was still beating fast, but she could feel herself slowly begin to calm down, 'I don't sense any immediate changes in his behavior… maybe he is playing the long game or maybe…' She decided it wouldn't be a good idea to get her hopes up just yet.

Despite already having seen the throne room, she couldn't help but feel awed by it's grandiose architecture once again. The massive pillars were unlike anything she had ever seen before, how this place was constructed was a mystery, knowing the Sorcerer King he may have just created it with magic.

Neia wasn't quite sure why they were in the throne room though, she had been expecting to emerge near the servant's quarters, maybe where Cixous lived. She wouldn't mind speaking with her again, she seemed nice enough, and Neia didn't think she was strong enough to kill her with a nothing but a look, which is something she couldn't say for her current company.

Soon enough they arrived at the throne, where the King spun around with a flourish of his cloak before seating himself, it all looked very regal, and Neia felt a little part of her admire his graceful movements.

"Miss Baraja, now that you are my subordinate I believe we have a few things to discuss. Most important among them being your duties while under my employ. For now I believe you would best serve me by continuing to accompany me for my time in the Holy Kingdom, my little project with the Ring of Archiving being your primary concern."

Neia didn't know what to expect, but this wasn't it, she thought that little request of his was born out of convenience and that another one of his subordinates could surely do the job better, right?

The King noticed her expression shift and quickly added, "Ah, but this does not void our agreement, I still do owe you a favor whether you are under my command or not. A promise is a promise."

Neia wasn't so concerned about the favor, but he sounded sincere, so maybe that really was a card she could play in the future.

Either way, she needed to proceed with caution, "Thank you, Your Majesty, you needn't feel any obligation to fulfill that promise, I am now nothing more than your humble servant." Grovelling came surprisingly easy to her, maybe she was just used to it after having to constantly defuse Remedios' murderous tirades.

Neia was shocked when she picked up a hint of displeasure in the King's voice as he replied, "I appreciate the sentiment, Miss Baraja, but I would ask that you not deny me the opportunity to administer just rewards for your actions."

Neia shivered at this, she did remember how insistent he was about the deal originally and realized that she really shouldn't pursue that courtesy, it seemed to do more harm than good, "O-of course, Your Majesty…"

The King quickly added, "That's not to say that I wish for you to use that favor prematurely, only that you do not discard it in an attempt to please me."

'He is very serious when it comes to debts…'

"Thank you, Your Majesty, I will do as you ask."

There was a short silence, and Neia began to feel a little uneasy before the Sorcerer King suddenly spoke again, at which she could feel herself slightly jump, "Ah, that is right, it's actually a little fortuitous that you are here with this timing, I was just about to speak with one of my subordinates about your assignment when that unfortunate incident occurred, you being here will make this meeting far more productive."

Neia was about to begin an apology for disturbing his previous plans with her call for help, but before she could speak the King had already begun talking with one hand up to his ear, clearly communicating with someone outside of the room, "Pandora's Actor-" he cut off for a moment before continuing, "Yes, I desire your presence in the throne room, I have a new subordinate with me who you will be working quite close with-" He was cut off again and moved his free hand to massage his forehead before continuing, "Thank you, please come as soon as possible, and please be respectful to your new comrade."

The King hung up and let out an audible sigh.

Ainz knew for a fact that Pandora's Actor would be the perfect man for the job, and he knew that this was a very important project that needed the best leadership possible. Despite this, she still had a nagging feeling that he was really going to regret this decision. Still, playtime is over, and if he is seriously hoping to stay in control of Nazarick he will have to endure much more than a little embarrassment.

Neia was still on the floor, staring up at him in anticipation, his eyes met hers for a moment and she quickly looked back down to the floor, he was about to bid her to rise when he heard the doors at the back of the throne room swing open.

"I HAVE ARRIVED, AINZ SA-MA~"

And with that dramatic entrance, Pandora's Actor pranced into the room with a theatrical swagger.

Ainz felt his nonexistent stomach drop.

Neia, of course, was completely shocked by this and whipped her head around to look back at the doppelgänger who was at this point already speed-walking, no, marching, towards the throne at near-record pace.

Ainz could only watch in horror as he approached the throne and quickly spun on his heel in Neia's direction to give a ludicrously exaggerated bow, "I am Pandora's Actor, it is my greatest pleasure to make your acquaintance, good lady."

Neia simply blinked twice before nervously stuttering out a reply with wide eyes, "I-It is a pleasure to meet you as w-well, good… sir?"

Pandora's Actor simply nodded before spinning back towards Ainz and taking a knee just as Neia had.

'You know, maybe this wasn't the best idea, I bet Demiurge could-' Ainz cut himself off before he could start convincing himself to do something stupid, instead he simply sighed once again.

First he bade them to rise, which they did, then he began speaking, "Pandora's Actor, this is Neia Baraja, I have just acquired her as a subordinate and she will be assisting you with a new project, one which will make far better use of your abilities than your current assignment."

Pandora's Actor quickly responded with gusto, "That is positively wonderful! I will do everything in my ability to ensure this project is a success, you have my word!" As much as Ainz dreaded their interactions he felt a genuine bit of happiness when he heard the sincere excitement in his creation's voice.

This brightened Ainz' mood a bit, and he allowed himself to gush for a moment, "I am glad to see you are so enthusiastic, as this is a very important project that will need your full attention. I am confident you are the perfect person for the job."

Even through the doppelgänger's blank features, Ainz was able to sense a strong emotion coming from him. For once Pandora's Actor was quiet, so Ainz continued, "The project in question is, put simply, a propaganda program. I am currently in the process of repairing my reputation in the eyes of both the people of the Sorcerous Kingdom and of the numerous foreign nations of the world who remain wary of me. I have been relying almost exclusively on simple word of mouth to spread word of my good deeds, but a propaganda program would ensure that my efforts are seen by a great many, thus making more efficient use of my time and Nazarick's resources."

Pandora's Actor was able to speak again, though he sounded a little less bombastic now he was still as chipper as ever, perhaps a little so more that usual, "That is a great idea, Father. A propaganda program would serve that purpose wonderfully and allow for all sorts of future projects… the possibilities are almost endless…" his giddy demeanor began to return in full force as he continued, "Your current task of saving the Holy Kingdom from it's invaders… something very powerful indeed could be made with that setting, the tragedy, the action, the drama, the heroism! Yes! I can make the whole world love you with something like this!"

Ainz could feel that he might be getting a little too excited, especially with Neia standing right next to him. Although she didn't give any indication of it, she might not appreciate her new comrade sounding so enthused about the suffering of her countrymen, "Yes, and that is why this project is so important, I sense great potential here, can I trust you with the leadership of this new program?"

The doppelgänger's response was an immediate and resounding yes. Which was no surprise to Ainz, but he continued to speak, "I am very happy to have this opportunity, Father. But I wish to ask, how exactly does Miss Baraja fit into all this? I understand that we will need field personnel to record your great deeds but, and I mean no offense to Miss Baraja of course, wouldn't this purpose be better fulfilled by a stronger more agile subordinate who could better match your pace? A high level summon perhaps?"

'That… is a really good point.'

Ainz shifted his gaze to Neia and started scanning her features for no real reason as he tried to think of an excuse. He noticed her fidget a little under his gaze, but didn't pay it any mind. After a few seconds it came to him, "Ah, you see, she is in a special position that no summon could fulfill. She is a human, a weak human from another nation, think about the implications of that for a moment and then explain the benefits in detail for Miss Baraja's sake."

'The oldest trick in the book, I really need to try something new one of these days.'

Ainz let Pandora's Actor fit the pieces together for a moment, after which he began to speak again, "Of course, you truly are a genius, Father! Having a human serve as the eyes and ears of the production would lend a level of authenticity among other things. It would allow the humans the production is intended for to more easily relate to the struggle being portrayed. After all, if it is from a human's perspective then they would see the sheer magnificence of your power as if they themselves were there! Not to mention the fact that Miss Baraja originates from the Holy Kingdom itself, that fact lends the film more credibility than I could ever ask for! Genius!"

Ainz was impressed that Pandora's actor could so easily grasp the intricacies of a situation he had next to no involvement in, yet another reminder that almost everyone around him was much more intelligent than he was, at least in Nazarick. His creation might remind him of his cringeworthy younger self but he was far smarter than he let on, and that gave Ainz a little bit of solace knowing that the project really was in good hands.

The briefing was coming to an end, now was the time for orders, "I am glad you understand my thinking, now, we do not have any footage for you to work with quite yet but there is still work to be done. I need you to research methods of distribution for when we complete the project, I am willing to spend a great amount of resources on this but the more efficient the better, obviously. Your familiarity with magical items should serve you well here, I am sure it will be no issue for you to come up with something practical."

Pandora's actor nodded, "Yes, Father. I can already think of a few ideas, but I will need some time to conduct experiments. I should be done with that well before you have acquired enough footage to create the finished product!"

Ainz gave a quick nod back and then a wave of dismissal, "Good, you are dismissed. Inform me when you believe you have found the ideal method of distribution, until then you are free to use whatever resources you need, within reason of course."

"Very well, Father. I shall make you proud! It is my DESTINY!" With one last overplayed flourish Pandora's Actor spun on his heel and once again marched across the throne room and out of sight.

Ainz sighed to himself again, 'Well, I guess that could have gone worse…'

Neia didn't know what to think about what had just transpired, the actual content of the briefing was nothing to write home about, she was a little surprised by the King's reasoning when her usefulness was brought up but it all checked out. No, what left her feeling odd was her new "comrade". He raised a lot of questions, many of which she didn't think would be a good idea to ask her new boss quite yet.

A few seconds after Neia saw the strange creature exit the room the King spoke again, "Miss Baraja, I am curious as to your thoughts on Pandora's Actor."

Now she definitely wasn't expecting that, it seemed like quite the loaded question, but Neia was also pretty sure that lying to him was a very bad idea, she decided to just be honest, "I mean no offense, but I found him to be very… confusing."

The undead king beckoned for her to continue, choosing to remain silent, and she reluctantly obliged, "His personality was very… unique. His mannerisms are foreign to me, and I sometimes felt as if he was joking about something, although I don't think that is the case now."

He seemed satisfied with this and began to speak, "I understand he is quite eccentric, you will find that many of my subordinates are that way, although he is a rather… extreme case," he pauses for a moment before continuing, "the important thing is that you are able to work with him, you will be spending most of your time with me but I think it is highly likely that we will be coordinating our efforts with him to some extent as well. He may seem a bit strange but he is very capable, I assure you. Do you think you will have a problem working with him?"

Neia rapidly shook her head, "No, not at all. If you believe he is the perfect person for the job then he will be the perfect person for me to work with. I hope to get along well with all of my new comrades."

'I really hope to get along with them, after all, they are probably strong enough to kill me without a second thought if the Sorcerer King of all people considers them useful.'

He seemed pleased by her response, "That is a good outlook. It is my hope that all of my subordinates can view each other as family, although I often find that to be a tall order indeed, they are a very diverse bunch you see. Pandora's Actor is one of few of my more powerful subordinates whom I expect to be fully compatible with you, I do not want to get into specifics at the moment but some aren't very fond of humans. I assure you that I have no such inhibitions."

Neia didn't know what to say to that, she was glad to hear that the King didn't have any ill-will towards humans but she had begun to understand that on her own. This briefing showed her that he wasn't just putting up a facade of tolerance, he really was just going to have her as a subordinate, and it seemed there was no evil undead funny business involved, which is all she could really hope for given the circumstances.

Neia and the King remained in silence for a moment before he spoke again, "Sorry, I feel that I may have gone off on a bit of a tangent towards the end there. Rest assured, you will be fine. All of my subordinates are loyal and if I say you are not to be harmed then it will be so, their personal feelings on the matter being irrelevant."

Neia knew that that was supposed to reassure her, but the fact that some of them would have personal feelings which would compel them to harm her didn't do much to ease her mind.

She supposed it would be best to just appreciate the sentiment and go from there, "Thank you, Your Majesty, I look forward to being an asset to you and a friend to everyone else under your command."

Neia once again felt that he was pleased by this, as his tone seemed slightly more lively as he replied, "Wonderful, an attitude like that is sure to minimize any issues, keep it up."

'He seems to like it when I suck up to his subordinates… next time we see Pandora's Actor I think I'll try to be a little more personable. I can't afford to pass up any opportunities to get on the King's good side, that might end up being life and death.'

Neia's thoughts were interrupted when the King spoke again, "You must be getting tired now, correct?"

Neia, didn't realize it until then but she was definitely starting to feel tired, so answered truthfully, "Yes, your majesty."

"I thought so, you will not be needed for the rest of the night, I suppose I need to find a place for you to sleep."

A surprisingly long silence followed, with the King stroking his chin thoughtfully, Neia decided to speak up, "If it is troublesome to house me here I would be willing to return to the Order's camp."

The King shook his head, "No, I don't think that would be a good idea, not unless I am present, should another incident occur it would be more troublesome to leave and ensure your safety than it would be to just find a room for you here. I am sure there is an appropriate space on the ninth floor, perhaps with the maids?"

Neia initially expected this, so she quickly responded, "I think that would be more than adequate."

He nodded, "That's right, you are familiar with Cixous, one of the maids, I'm sure she would help you settle in." He stood and motioned for her to follow, leading her out of the throne room before casting Gate.

They both stepped through and emerged into a hallway, it seemed pretty simple in comparison to the grandiose throne room, but it was still beautiful, immaculately clean, and of elegant design. The sable black floor reflecting her visage back at her when she stared down at it.

"Miss Baraja?"

Neia realized he was waiting for her, and she quickly fell in behind him, they didn't have to walk for long before they came to a door, upon which the King gently knocked.

There was a shuffling noise from behind the door and a voice which Neia recognized as Cixous', "One moment please!"

After a few seconds the door swung open, Cixous looked just as she had remembered, but she wasn't wearing her maid uniform, instead she wore a loose-fitting set of dark blue pajamas. She stood in the doorway rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, "Is that you, Foire? I thought you-"

She stopped rubbing her eyes and looked at who had actually knocked on her door, her eyes widening in shock, "L-Lord Ainz? What-? Ummm…"

After a second of confused mumbling she quickly dropped to one knee and apologized profusely, "M-my apologies, Lord Ainz, I wasn't expecting you to be here! How may I serve you?"

Neia turned to look at him and saw that he was scratching the back of his head, his vision tilted upwards and away from the maid, "No, you have my apologies, Cixous. It would seem that I have underestimated the amount of time that has passed, I also should have informed you of my intention to see you beforehand."

Cixous rapidly shook her head, "Not at all, Lord Ainz. I am prepared to serve you at any time!" She looked down to her pajamas and blushed profusely, "If you wish, I shall change into my uniform-"

The King cut her off, "No, that won't be necessary. You may rise," she did so and this is when she noticed Neia who gives her a little wave, the King continued, "I would like you to assist my new subordinate, Miss Baraja, she needs a place to stay for the night. I believe you two have already met?"

Cixous' eyes trailed over Neia, "Yes, we have met, she was with the Holy Kingdom's delegation if I remember correctly. I am sure I can find her a place to stay if that is what you wish, my lord."

He let out a hum of confirmation, "Yes, please do," he then pulled out a small scroll and handed it to Cixous, "message me if there are any issues. I will be attending to other business. Sorry again for the sudden intrusion, Cixous."

With that, he activated a ring and promptly dissipated into thin air. Leaving Neia alone with the maid.

"So…" Neia looked over to her and saw that she was positively beaming.

"A surprise visit from a Supreme Being to my personal chambers…" She then let out a dreamy sigh. It almost reminded Neia of how she would occasionally see young girls fawning over the Nine Colors, usually her dad, which was actually pretty weird now that she thought about it.

She was snapped back into reality when Cixous spoke, "Alright, let's get you to a room. I'm certain there is one open at the end of the hall, please follow me." She then began to walk, Neia getting into position right beside her.

Neia decided to make a little small talk on the way, "Miss Cixous, I'm really sorry about the sudden disturbance, it looks like you were about to have a restful sleep before you were interrupted."

Cixous gave a little wave of dismissal, "Not at all, if it weren't for you, Lord Ainz would not have visited me." She flashed a kind smile, but it eventually faded and was replaced with a worried expression, "I wish I was able to properly prepare myself though. I ought to look my best whenever I'm in the presence of a Supreme Being, and here I am in my pajamas with no cosmetics and my hair all messy…"

Neia was never one to care much for girly things like makeup and such, that came with the territory of having a paladin for a mother, but she could still sympathize, "I think you look perfectly fine, beautiful actually. Especially compared to me." Neia then gestured towards her tunic, which was partially soiled thanks to her battle with Remedios earlier that day, for emphasis.

That seemed to lighten Cixous' mood a little and she gave a soft smile, "Thank you, Miss Baraja. Don't be so hard on yourself though, you have the excuse of being a soldier. And now that you are serving Lord Ainz in that capacity you are to be given considerable leeway with things like that."

Neia gave an awkward smile back and they arrived at the end of the hall soon after. Cixous stepped inside the room, confirming that it was uninhabited and had all the required furnishings.

She then turned back to Neia, "Here you are, if you need anything else then feel free to knock on my door, other than that I hope you have a pleasant night's sleep Miss Baraja."

Neia nodded and Cixous stepped out of the room before turning back one last time, "Oh, and one more thing. There is a spa on this floor where you may take a bath and launder your clothing, if you have time to take advantage of it tomorrow then I would be happy to lead you there."

Neia nodded thankfully and Cixous simply turned and began walking back to her room without another word.

Neia turned around and sat down on the bed, it was quite soft and the sheets were as smooth as silk, and upon further examination, she realized that they actually were silk. She wasn't even surprised at this point, of course the Sorcerer King's maids slept on silk sheets, he was a Supreme Being after all.

She sighed as she stroked the soft sheets, 'Maybe… maybe this isn't so bad. I think I might actually get through this. No more Remedios breathing down my neck or trying to disembowel me depending on the time of day, no more dangerous scouting missions, all I have to do is listen to the Sorcerer King.'

'And that, I think I can do.'

AN: It's been a while, a year and two days to be exact. I don't have some big excuse that would wrap everything up nicely, to be frank, I just burned myself out, went too far too fast. I messed up with my last chapter, I got a little too excited and threw the pacing off, that mixed with me starting to feel a little burnt out killed my interest. But I kept going back and thinking about this work, I kept getting these ideas for what to do, and just a couple days ago, on the one-year anniversary of my last touching this fic, an idea came to me. It was good, good enough that it made me want to write more. So now here I am, I won't promise anything, I actually have stuff going on in my life now so this is unfortunately not exactly a priority, but I am interested in this fic again.

Thanks to all the guys coming back to this who were around before my hiatus, I know how much it sucks when something you are interested in gets abandoned, and I felt pretty bad reading the reviews asking if this was going to be continued. I'll try, and I will avoid burning myself out again, that's all I can say. Thanks for sticking with me.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as always I invite any and all criticism with open arms. There will not be another chapter before next week, I have plans that will keep me away from the computer until monday, other than that I will write when I wish to do so, which is a fickle thing. Like I said, no promises. See you next time, whenever that may be.