Ch.19 The Tyran't Captive Part 1
Present
In her special containment cell, Rias wakes up alone in her bed, a nice single person mattress with a an especially cozy comforter, and stretches a bit while she opens her eyes more. She sleeps nude and proceeds to immediately look for her ragged clothing. Her special containment cell is a cube-like container that is like a small house resembling her former club room, with a bed, a bath, a desk with writing materials, a small bookshelf, and even a television with movies to watch. She goes to the desk where she normally places her clothing after washing it in her bath water, but it is missing. She finds a simple white cloth with a note that reads
Dear Rias
We thought that you'd like something more traditional, I'm sure you know what this is. Your old clothes have been disposed of, and this won't wear out as bad.
Love- Akeno
After reading the note, Rias sighs a bit "A loincloth….I guess I have little choice then." She solemnly says to herself as she begins to tie the cloth around her waist and feels a slight digging sensation in her rear as she finishes tying it up with a small knot. Afterward, she looks at her shelf of books, and finds one to read. Periodically, her books will be switched during cleanups, for which times she will be restrained and will also be monitored by her former peers. She looks for a minute, and finds a book titled The Tale of Genji and proceeds to begin reading it.
An hour passes, and Rias' stomach begins to growl as she quietly says to herself "I hope today I get a nice quiet breakfast, I have to keep myself healthy." She somberly looks at her desk and sees the picture of her son on, pinned by a pen head. Almost as if luck is on her side, she hears approaching footsteps.
She turns her head, wondering "Is it you again, Akeno?" only to see a different black-haired woman, Raynare, holding a large tray and presses it towards the entrance of the cell as she holds up what appears to be some kind of red key with a dragon symbol on it.
"Here's your gruel, traitor bitch. Hope you enjoy it." She says with ire in her tone.
Smirking a bit, Rias sarcastically replies "What, Issei still not willing to have sex with you, Raynare?"
Angered, Rayare strikes at the cell, pointlessly hurting her own hand "I can't stand the humiliation anymore. I have prostrate myself in front of his brats, and I got to deal with him treating me like a sex slave half the time without the sex."
Glaring at Raynare, she explains "Issei is not interested in sex slaves, you're more like a dog he keeps around because, unlike you, he has a conscience."
"Oh, and throwing you in her with nothing but a loincloth is having a conscience? Aren't you one his wives, and mother of one of his children?" Raynare rebukes
Looking at the photo again, Rias sheds a tear sadly saying "I'll never forget the day he was born, and held his tiny hand, only to have him taken from me, taken by my husband. My heart snapped into pieces…" Her eyes welling up with tears thinking of this time.
Sitting next to the cell door, Raynare sighs with frustration "I can't believe how low you've fallen, Gremory. Just like me, you were a maid, then he took your hand just like those three church sluts, and you had another one of his annoying brats. I can't even believe you ended up worse than me."
Ignoring her words, Rias simply takes her breakfast, while saying "I can't make you leave, but I will have no further conversations with you." She sits at her desk and begins eating her simple breakfast of a salad with fresh vegetables, a bowl of glistening white rice, fresh fried eggs, and a small side of sausage with a small pot of tea for drinking. She looks at the picture of her son again, and her tears begin falling more as she tries to remain silent.
"Ex, please don't think that I haven't thought of you every day since you were born." She thinks and reflects on that time before her and Issei's son was born.
Some Time Ago
I'll never forget the day Issei captured Diodora Astaroth's servants. I wasn't very familiar with them, only that I had seen them before. I was serving tea to Azazel to help him pass the time before Issei's next meeting with him. At the time, I had come to respect Issei, but I wouldn't say that I was attracted to him.
Rias pours Azazel his second cup of tea as he curiously looks at her in a maid uniform. With his usual calm smile, he asks "How's it been serving the Tyrant Red Dragon? Can't be all sunshine and rainbows, I'd imagine."
Keeping her grace, she puts some sugar in his glass while answering "I have a debt to pay for his magnanimity in the face of my transgression against him."
It was how I felt. I have nothing but regret and anger at myself for harming Rossweisse. I had no idea it was dragon aura that had caused my sudden attack, but I still feel at fault. So I was willing to accept my punishment.
But as he begins taking a sup, Akeno enters the room without knocking, and immediately bows to Rias "I'm sorry, Mis…I mean, head maid, Rias, but, Issei has requested your presence in the dungeon area.
Nervously, Rias responds "Did I do something wrong, Akeno?"
But, Akeno simply answers " I don't know, Rias. He just said he wants you down there as soon as possible."
Not wanting to keep him waiting, Rias immediately walks past Akeno, but as she walks by, she notices that Akeno has tied her maid apron rather sloppily and it appears to have been done hastily. But, she continues on her way to the dungeon area.
I had suspicions then that Akeno was in a relationship, but I couldn't understand why at the time. Of course my immediate thought was Issei. Outside Yuuto, there weren't many men in this manor at the time, there were a few butlers, but mostly maids.
After exiting the room, Rias walks down the hallways, passing by various maids and workers cleaning and deciding around this newer home. But, what catches Rias' eye immediately is Asia, because she catches a glimpse of Issei's first lover, and she looks very different now. She appears a bit more muscular and now wears a form fitting bodysuit with green that covers her chest, groin, and shoulder area like a leotard with the rest black, gold boots with a gold gem in the base of the feet, gold bracers around her wrists, a gold neck brace, and she has three small jewels on her forehead with two green ones and a yellow one in the center of her forehead, and she has a fierce look on her face.
But, as she stops to look for a moment, Asia looks towards Rias with kind eyes and a gentle smile, kindly asking "Is something wrong, Rias?"
Catching herself, Rias bows politely, responding "Oh, I'm sorry for staring, Lady Asia. You just seem more determined than usual."
Bashfully, Asia laughs a bit, explaining to Rias "I've been training lately, so I guess I've put on more muscle and maybe a more serious face." She then looks around and further says "Oh, I have to go, please continue with your day." Before she runs off and leaves Rias alone again to continue her way.
The building is going about as usual with the staff conducting their usual duties that Rias observes on her way to Issei, even recognizing some stray devils, some who've she's heard betrayed their masters, and she glares at them, slightly while walking towards her post.
Within minutes, Rias arrives in the dungeon area, mostly empty for the moment, aside from some prisoners, for various crimes against the Red Dragon's faction, and at a nearby cell, she sees Issei with an angry look on his face. But he looks towards Rias and he smiles at her kindly.
Politely, she bows to him, asking "You wished for my presence, right, master?" she asks formally.
He nods, saying "Yeah, I need you to do something for me." And waves for her to come closer and she investigates the cell, seeing three devils behind the bars with a protection spell to prevent them from escaping. But it feels redundant, because the devils all appear to be seriously injured.
He simply asks "Take a look at these three, and tell me if you recognize them."
Rias looks closely at the three, and the queen catches her attention "I've seen this woman before….If I remember correctly, she is a servant of Diodora Astaroth." She explains.
Issei looks at the woman, and bluntly asks "Is that the truth."
The woman opens her mouth saying "Yes, I am the queen of Lord Diodora Astaroth, heir to the…." But she covers her mouth with her hands, despite the pain she is in, and her expression turns to utter terror.
"Yeah, if I had a name, then there was no way to get out of this." Issei says to the woman coldly.
However, concerned, Rias asks "What did she do?"
Issei grips his hand into a fist "She tried to kidnap Rose, and she threatened my parents, and I'm not letting that fly."
Hearing his words, Rias compulsively says "I agree with you. If someone threatened those who I think of as family, they'd feel my rage as well."
Kneeling to Diodora's queen, Issei calms down and states "Look, there's no way out of this. Just tell what you were planning, why Diodora did this, and then I'm willing to make a deal."
Diodora's queen simply shakes her head, much to Issei's annoyance, and he says "Look, I'm not really into torture and stuff, but you're really forcing my hand here." He then snaps his fingers and then Ophis appears. He looks at her, and annoyingly asks "Hey, Ophis, can you get answers from these people."
Ophis looks at Diodora's queen, who gets an intense fear at the mere sight of Ophis, without even knowing what she is. Ophis simply approaches the cell and goes through the bars like they don't even exist and raises her hand and an infinity symbol appears above her palm.
I don't very much like remembering what Ophis did to her, but it was very unpleasant. I only got a glimpse since Issei ordered me to follow him since he didn't want to watch either. He may be considered a tyrant, but he's never been one to enjoy torture and interrogation, and I am grateful he considered my feelings as well. But I still remember the screaming as I exited the area with him.
Issei and Rias exit the area while Ophis does this favor. Taking a breath and looking towards the ceiling, Issei has a look like he's thinking about what to do. Rias just follows diligently and waits for his words. But he looks at her, and says "Hey, I think I'm about to ask a weird favor." To which Rias just bows and waits.
A few minutes later- Sitting Room
In an empty sitting room, Rias has Issei's head on her lap as she cleans his ears gently, while he softly says "Thanks for doing this, Rias. It feels relaxing, and I didn't want to wake Irina from her nap."
She simply says "I am a maid in your service, Master. It's only natural to follow orders."
But Issei just says, plainly "Rias, I appreciate your commitment, but you can just be yourself here. You're not my slave or anything, and I don't want you to be humiliated."
While cleaning his ear, Rias just reminds him "Issei, I caused you trouble. I got Rossweisse caught into my personal problems, and even when I was your prisoner, you never did anything to harm me directly, and even called off my arranged marriage. If anything, I should consider you someone worthy of my trust, or even a friend now that I've said it aloud."
Blushing a bit, Issei thinks on it for a moment, and says "You know, Rias. I was thinking that maybe it'd be good to have someone like you on our side, like not as a maid."
Rias pauses her cleaning and hears Issei's words, and his tone makes her hesitate, and she takes a moment to think.
It was here, at those words, that I've always thought of as the start of our relationship, but I never expected how things progressed from here.