Chapter 27: Rat's Out of the Bag.
Emily woke up to the sound of alarm ringing. She groaned as each tinny note pounded into her head. Without opening her eyes she tried to reach for it, only to hit bare mattress. Determined to make the incessant noise stop, she crawled out from the safety of the covers. Her muscles burned and ached as she finally reached her nightstand, grabbing blindly for the damn alarm clock.
"Looking for this?"
Emily opened her bleary eyes to see Billie standing by the bed, one hand holding the clock aloft, the other on her hip. A half second later Emily realized she was entirely naked.
With yelp she fled back to the safety of the covers only to overestimate the distance and fall right off the bed. Her landing was softened, however, by a pile of pillows, covers, and the Outsider.
He made a sudden pained noise as Emily landed on him, his black eyes shooting open and immediately propping himself up on his elbow. She immediately seized the remaining sheets off the mattress to cover herself, her cheeks burning. The Outsider looked at her curiously, his short hair a mess and his neck dotted with a series of dark bruises. Billie's heels clicked as she walked from the other side of the bed, the alarm finally shut off. She stood at the foot of the bed, arms akimbo.
"Looks like you both had fun last night," she said dryly, reaching into her pocket. Billie pulled out a newspaper and tossed it to them, landing in Emily's lap with a smack. "Make yourself presentable, the Sisters want to talk to you."
Emily picked up the paper and groaned as she read the sleazy headline: "EMPRESS SPOTTED WITH NEW BEAU." Underneath were two illustrations, one of her and Corvo leading the Outsider out of the Boyles, and another of her and the Outsider in a passionate embrace outside the Boiled Mermaid with Greta and her Sisters looking on, their astonished expressions lovingly rendered. The Outsider leaned forward and placed his chin on her shoulder.
"Who is this witch-cursed nobody?" he quoted, sounding somewhat amused. "The common story seems to be that he is an opportunistic Karnacan who accompanied our Empress on her journey to retake the throne- perhaps their affair started then, or did she turn to him after learning Wyman Fitzpatrick abandoned her for Lucy King?"
Emily closed the newspaper with a huff. "How did this happen?"
The Outsider sat up, allowing for her to turn around and face him. His dark eyes were fastened to her face, and he looked rather ashamed.
"I was not being careful, and I am sorry to have put you in this position."
Emily was taken aback by his guilt and regret. She reached out and caressed his face; he leaned into the touch, his face a combination of remorse and affection.
"Something else is bothering you," she murmured as she entwined her fingers in the short hair at the nape of his neck. There was a beat of silence before he spoke, his voice hushed and brittle.
"What do you remember about last night?"
Worry flooded through Emily. "I know that I personally enjoyed myself, but if I pushed you do to anything that you did not want to do, I am so, so sorry."
He turned his head and kissed the palm of her hand, taking in into his hands. Relief was evident on the Outsider's face, but he still looked concerned.
"You did not push me to do anything, I participated happily and willingly," he gently traced the Mark on the back of hand while looking into her eyes. "Are you sure that I did not push you?"
Emily smiled at him and kissed him on the nose. "I am certain."
The Outsider returned the smile, warm with gratitude, and placed his forehead on hers. Emily happily accepted the affection before sitting up straight.
"In any case," she said, her smile turning into a wicked grin. "I have a list of things for us to do when we aren't completely smashed."
His smile turned equally wicked, and Emily was strongly tempted to try some of those aforementioned things right then and there. Such thoughts, however, were banished by an angry pounding at the door.
She shot to her feet, grabbing a nearby bathrobe and pulling it on. After checking that the belt was secure, she opened the door. Outside stood Corvo and Billie, with Eulalia perched on Corvo's shoulder.
"How is getting dressed coming along?" Corvo asked, his voice as dry as a desert.
"It's coming along," she assured with a nod.
"Good," he replied, an eyebrow raised.
"Make sure that you wear something with a high collar," added Billie.
Emily blushed, but nodded. "Alright, just give me ten more minutes."
The two nodded slowly, and Emily closed the door, rushing off to get dressed.
"So, this is happening," Corvo muttered aloud, leaning on the wall outside of Emily's door, staring ahead.
"Did you think it was not going to happen?" countered Billie with a drawl.
Eulalia warbled on his shoulder, coaxing a smile from Corvo. He should have guessed that something was up when the little bird began to follow him around early last evening.
"A man lives in hope," Corvo replied.
Billie scoffed. He could practically hear her eyes rolling. "The Empress is twenty six years old. Old enough to make her own mistakes."
"So you agree this is mistake?" he returned wryly.
The Spymaster actually laughed. "We'll see."
A few minutes later Emily emerged, straightening her jacket.
"You said the Sisters wanted to talk to me?" she asked.
"Yes," answered Billie as they began to walk down the hall. "I put them in the music room."
"They arrived to the tower last night in quite a state," Corvo added. "They would not leave until I was able to assure them you were safely in your room."
Emily winced. "That was certainly kind of them," she murmured.
"They are wonderful friends," Billie said placidly.
The continued down to the music room in silence. They came to a stop outside its doors. Emily took a deep breath, and then walked in.
Corvo took his place outside of the door. The conversation inside was not for him.
A sigh of relief exited Greta's mouth as Emily walked in. Hope and Marzia shot up from their chairs and ran over to the Empress. Eileen stopped plucking at the harp; everyone else remained in their seats. Surprised, Emily accepted Marzia and Hopes embraces, with Hope lifting the other two off the ground.
"Oh gosh!" Emily exclaimed, while Marzia just laughed. Hope put them down with a smile.
"I really must have scared you," Emily said, embarrassed.
The two Sisters grimaced. "Well, we certainly were worried about you," Marzia offered diplomatically.
Greta decided to speak up. "Come Empress, take a seat," she gestured to an empty chair beside hers. "I've made you some tea, and ask for a selection of scones to be brought up from the kitchen."
Just after she mentioned the scones Emily's stomach growled. Greta laughed, as did Emily and her Sisters.
"Thank you Greta," she said warmly, and took the offered seat and tea. Marzia and Hope both sat down, everyone regarding Emily.
"So," Sister Mary started. "We all talked it over, and have come to the conclusion that we will support your relationship with the Outsider."
Emily promptly choked on her tea. Greta leaned over and patted her on the back as she coughed, finally clearing her throat. She looked up at Greta, a betrayed look on her face.
"You told them?" she accused, hurt.
"No!" Greta replied. "Bernice did."
Emily whipped around to glare at the blind Sister, who seemed to sense the hostility and just shrugged.
"Nobody took me seriously, so I thought nothing of it," Bernice admitted.
"You literally described him as, and I quote, 'the owner of the cock that Heather told her to go suck'," Eileen said. "That does not ask me to take your hint seriously."
Emily's face went white and she slumped back into her chair. She placed her teacup on the table beside her, turning to Greta.
"Please tell me that I did not tell the entire pub that I was going to suck the Outsider's cock," muttered Emily, pained.
"Oh no, you did," Greta replied in a snappy deadpan. Emily winced, sucking in air between her clenched teeth.
"You also said, and I quote, 'I will enjoy every second of it'," added Hope.
There was a beat of silence as Emily put her hands over her face and groaned in mortification
"Well, did you?" asked Marzia with innocent concern.
"Marzia!" Greta choked.
Emily actually perked up. "As a matter of fact, yes."
Greta immediately covered her ears. "Can we please not talk about this stuff right now?"
"But are we not here to assess that Empress Emily is indeed in a pleasant consensual relationship?" Sister Reilly questioned, confused.
"We are, Greta just gets grossed out about sex," interrupted Eileen, taking a pointed sip of tea.
"Well, we won't talk about it if it upsets her," Emily said soothingly, shooting her a warm smile.
Greta smiled back gratefully, and uncovered her ears. Sister Mary cleared her throat.
"On the matter of us knowing the Outsider's identity, I believe the ball dropped for most of us when he commented that it had been four thousand years since he had a sex drive."
Emily barked a short laughed. "It sure explained a thing or two."
"Wait a moment," Hope held her hands up, pointer fingers aloft. "How did you know he was the Outsider Sister Mary?"
She took a long, thoughtful sip of her tea. "Well, one does not see a young man whose eyes are as black as a starless night and think him merely Void-touched."
There was another long-suffering groan from Emily. "He was not wearing his glasses last night was he?"
Greta leaned over and patted her on the shoulder. Sister Mary took another long sip from the teacup.
"I would not be so concerned about that," the Sister soothed. "He had woven quite the illusionary spell that fools anyone not trained to look beyond such things."
Emily just nodded and sipped her tea. There was a knock on the door, and Greta sprung to her feet to open it. A maid entered with a tray of scones and condiments and sent them down on the low table near Eileen and Bernice. Everyone nodded in thanks, and the maid quickly took her leave. When the door closed Sister Reilly began to speak.
"Is there any way for you to bring the Outsider here for us to meet?" she enquired gently. "I feel rather uneasy endorsing this relationship without knowing what sort of person he truly is."
Greta pulled a face. "One does not call upon the Outsider, he just decides to grace you with his presence."
All eyes went to Emily as she walked over to the scones and helped herself to a strawberry one with a dollop of clotted cream.
"Greta speaks the truth," she said as she returned to her chair. "He more or less decides to show up to a place whenever it strikes his fancy. I have never been able to successfully call him to my side."
A thoughtful look bloomed on Hope's face. "Greta, Sister Mary, have you read anything that talks about successfully summoning the Outsider?"
"Oh, now there's an idea!" Sister Mary remarked as she adjusted herself in the chair. "Most everything that I have read swears that it can bring the Outsider to you, but they are all obscene rituals that have a small chance of success and are remarkably ridiculous."
Greta combed through her mind as well, trying to remember anything about summoning the Outsider. So far it was as Sister Mary said- all gruesome rituals that produce no results. But perhaps it was less about summoning, and more about calling. She thought back to Emily's birthday, and the song Elanor sang.
"I've got it!" she slapped her knee in excitement.
"You do?" Bernice drawled. Greta rolled her eyes before eagerly turning to Eileen.
"Eileen, do you remember the book of old songs that we found?"
The little woman immediately brightened. "The one with the transcriptions of ancient music notes?"
"Yes!" Greta exclaimed with a clap. "That one! Do you remember any of the songs?"
Eileen grimaced, sucking air through her teeth. That did not bode well.
"You're going to summon the Outsider with music?" Hope said skeptically.
"It cannot hurt to try," Marzia defended sweetly, a keen look on her face. "If it fails at least it will be a lovely time."
"That is if I remember the notes," Eileen cautioned. "And Greta the lyrics."
"Just play what you remember," Greta encouraged, filled with confidence. "I am sure I will remember the lyrics."
Eileen gave her a doubtful look. "If you insist." She positioned herself at the harp, and began hesitantly plucking out the notes. Greta felt her smile grow more and more and began bouncing up in down in her chair in excitement.
"That's it!" she cried. "Keep playing it!"
Eileen nodded, and began to play with certainty. Emily leaned forward in her seat, a look of wonder on her face. Greta waited until the melody looped back to start singing.
"Hoo-sun zei-is, fai new
me-de holos syn lie pou"
Just as she finished singing the second verse and was about to start the second she felt her tongue freeze in her mouth. Moments later, the Outsider appeared in the room with an incredibly vexed look on his face. Eileen stopped playing the harp in surprise.
"Please, Greta, do me a favor and never sing that song again," he begged, sounding rather pained.
"Well I thought that Greta had a lovely voice," spoke up Emily, scone finished and a defiant look on her face. The Outsider huffed.
"It is not that Greta sang terribly, per say, it is that she utterly mangled each word," Greta felt her tongue return to normal as he walked over to Eileen at the harp. "Eileen was at least close in the melody."
Bernice clapped her hands in brief applause. "In any case, we have found a way to summon you."
The Outsider looked genuinely offended. "I cannot be summoned."
Emily stood up and put her hands on his shoulders, turning him to face her. "I, at least, need a reliable way to call upon you, and you did come when this song was sung. Humor me in this."
He smiled softly at her. "Only if I can show you how to sing it properly."
Greta watch Marzia promptly melt, practically cooing at the two, who politely ignored her. Eileen regarded the two with a touch of impatience, clearly waiting to see if her skills were needed.
Emily adopted a regal pose, removing her hands from his shoulders and smoothing her expression, but a smile snuck onto her face anyhow. "I accept your offer."
The smile on his face turned mischievous and he bowed before turning to Eileen. Emily's smile grew at the bow and she folded her hands, affection just flowing from her.
"Eileen, can you please play the melody again?" the Outsider asked politely. Eileen actually looked surprised, but started playing again, this time an octave below. Like Greta, he waited for Eileen to finish playing the melody once before he started to sing.
"Hóson zêis phaínou
mēdén hólōs sy lypoû
pros olígon estí to zên
to télos ho chrónos apaiteî"*
His voice was not what Greta would call remarkable, but there was a captivating sweetness to it, and a surety behind each word that only a native speaker would possess. He turned to Emily as he finished the last verse; Eileen kept playing.
"Now you give it a try," he bid, his arm outstretched as if welcoming her in a room.
Emily took a breath and sung. Her voice was only just serviceable, but the words were clear and she could carry the tune. The Outsider listened to her, his head tilted rather endearingly. When she finished singing, Eileen stopped playing.
"Not too bad, especially for the first try," he commented warmly. "If you sing this, I will come to you."
Emily smiled. She was about to respond when Greta got to her feet and took her by the hand, surprising her enough to silence her.
"Sorry, now that we have him here the two of us must leave," Greta said apologetically. Understanding immediately crossed Emily's face. She turned back to the Outsider and quickly kissed his cheek.
"Humor the Sisters please," she requested with a quirked smile.
A wary look bloomed on his face, but he nodded.
Emily turned on her heel, Greta's hand still in hers, and the two left the music room, the door clicking as it closed behind them. Corvo looked at them, his curiosity poorly hidden. Greta let go of Emily's hand. Eulalia let out a happy chirp and fluttered over to Emily, who cheerfully pet the little blue bird with her newly free hand.
"The Sisters wish to interview the Outsider," Emily answered the unasked question. "In the meantime, I am going to tackle MP Emerson's proposed tax code."
Corvo's gaze turned to Greta. "And you?"
The Sister grinned. "I am going to be recounting past tax codes for comparison."
He laughed at that, and the three went upstairs to the office.
The Outsider knew that this was coming. It was the sort of thing any person with enough sense could predict- he just had the extra, dubious benefit of the Void shoving said information into his face while he dreamt.
"Please," invited Sister Mary warmly. "Help yourself to some scones and tea, and have a seat."
The scones looked tempting, but it was perhaps best not to eat in front of this particular tribunal. Tea, however, was safe. So he helped himself to a cup and took an empty chair. The Sisters watched him attentively, all sitting properly, hands folded. Sister Mary took a small notebook from a pocket and flipped it open.
"I would like to start with a note of clarification," she said. "When you were made into the Outsider, you were only fifteen years old, correct?"
Bernice choked on her tea mid-sip, drenching her face and staining her clothes. Hope also looked taken aback, and leaned forward, her eyes narrowed.
"Sister Mary, assuming the Outsider looks like he did when he was," she waved a hand. "… created, there is no way he was fifteen. He had to at least be twenty."
"Was life not hard back then?" retorted Sister Mary with such syrupy innocence that the Outsider chuckled into his cup of tea. "Stress as a way of aging a person."
"No, I'm with Hope on this," Eileen interjected, holding up a finger. "There is nothing about his physical being that indicates that he is fifteen."
The Outsider cleared his throat. "To cut this pointless argument short, yes I was fifteen when I was sacrificed to become what I am now. Whether or not I look my age is moot because I have existed for over four thousand years, so I would like to think that I have matured a bit since then."
The Sisters blinked. Eileen lowered her hand, looking rather sheepish. Hope looked him up and down, incredulous. Bernice raised her eyebrows and sipped the rest of her tea, while Sister Mary simply wrote in her notebook. Sister Reilly broke the silence.
"So Outsider, what attracted you to our Empress in the first place?"
The wisp of a woman forcibly reminded him of the kind potter's wife who would give him clothes her children had outgrown, and let him nap in her garden. Immediately he was fond of her.
"I have long been interested in how people have wielded power over others," he replied frankly. "Emily first came to my attention simply due to her position as Empress. In how she handed Delilah's coup," he fiddled with the empty teacup, thoughtful. "she showed true compassion and intelligence that few rulers display. And after I was expelled from the Void, she offered me food and shelter."
"So you are attracted to Emily because of her compassion?" asked Marzia, her expression open and inquisitive.
"That is certainly part of it," the Outsider could not help smiling a little. "I enjoy talking to her. She is very clever and has a drive to be a better ruler."
"She is also remarkably beautiful," added Hope matter-of-factly, a quirked smile on her face.
"She is indeed," he agreed. Eileen rolled her eyes, earning a stern look from Sister Reilly. She ignored the look, and spoke to the Outsider.
"How do you feel when Emily does not follow your advice?"
"I'm not in charge of her," he answered, somewhat irritated at Eileen's presumption. "If I think she is in danger of making a terrible mistake I will counsel her, and if she commits to a path I do not agree with then I will not interfere."
"So you will not try to stop her if you do not agree?" Bernice sounded surprised. "Even if you think it is terrible and dangerous?"
The Outsider shrugged. "It is not my place. I do not rule the Isles nor do I want to. I know my knowledge and advice has value and I like offering it to Emily so long as she wants it," he sucked on his teeth as he thought for moment. "I will likely interfere if not following my advice does threaten her life."
The sound of a pencil scratching on paper as Sister Mary wrote in her notebook. Marzia was whispering in Sister Reilly's ear- he could make out the words if he wanted to, but decided against it. He was finding it to be more interesting to not have all the answers. Marzia stopped whispering and pulled away, watching him with large dark eyes. Sister Reilly cleared her throat.
"What are your intentions regarding this relationship?"
Intentions… must one have an intention in a relationship other than to be with a person and make them happy? Perhaps what she was asking is if this was something casual, like between uncertain youths or careless adults. It was certainly not that, but he would hesitate to call it serious. After all, it has barely been more than two weeks since Emily asked him to court her. There was plenty of time for her to decide that he was not what she wanted. What a painful thought that was indeed!
"Hellllo?" Eileen snapping her fingers jolted him out of his thoughts. "Did you hear Sister Reilly's question?"
"Yes I did," he replied absently. The Outsider looked Sister Reilly in the eyes, who returned the gaze with kind patience. "As for what I intend, I want to make Emily happy. I want to be with her so long as she will have me."
Marzia and Bernice audibly cooed at his response, visibly charmed. Hope looked satisfied with that answer, as did Eileen. Sister Mary did not look up from her notebook, she just continued writing.
"Well Sister Reilly," she said, pencil scratching against the paper. "Are you satisfied with the potential health of this relationship?"
Sister Reilly broke eye contact with him to smile warmly at the older Sister. "I am."
"Excellent," she closed her notebook with soft clap. "Thank you for humoring us. I wish you and Emily the best. I promise that knowledge of your relationship will not leave this circle."
The Sisters nodded and murmured in assent, Bernice and Hope giving him thumbs up and Eileen nodding enthusiastically.
"Oh, and one more thing," she added, her tone chilling significantly. "If we get any indication that you are manipulating or abusing Emily, we will find a way to unmake you. Understand?"
The Outsider swallowed his offense at the implication and nodded. It was a perfectly reasonable threat, one he should have expected.
"Good," Hope remarked, staring him down. The other Sisters also gave him stern looks. They were surprisingly threatening, and he was filled with a sudden thankfulness they were in Emily's corner.
"Thank you," he said, astonishing the women. "For supporting Emily and not jumping to persecute her simply she has chosen to be with me."
Marzia smiled brilliantly, but the rest of her sisters seemed to become sheepish at his words. Bernice in particular looked especially awkward.
"We like Emily, and to be honest you don't seem too bad either," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "She has a good head on her shoulders and it's not like you are actively leading her to make horrible choices. To be frank the last thing we need is yet another change in power, and it's a major relief that you have no desire to rule or anything."
"Just know we'll be keeping an eye on you," added Eileen.
How many people were explicitly minding him at this point? He supposed it was only natural for there to be such suspicion around him.
"Alright, we all must get going," Sister Mary said as she stood up, a warm smile on her face. "We all have quite the amount of work to do."
Knowing he was dismissed, the Outsider stood up as well and gave the Sisters a short bow. Perhaps he should join Emily and Greta; tax codes had rather fascinating impacts on the dynamics of power.
Decision made, he left the music room.
*Song name: Seikilos Epitaph. Translation: While you live, shine/have no grief at all/ life exists only for a short while/and time demands an end.
AN:
Thank you all for the continued support! The kind comments in particular are leaving me bashfully speechless. I will be traveling for the rest of the month so please forgive the potentially irregular uploads.