Might be my last chapter for a while due to on-the-job training, so lets get this over with.
Also, another addition - I really need a proofreader at this point. I've tried downloading Microsoft Word about half a dozen times at this point and it ALWAYS craps out on me, is read as a virus, shows as an error etc etc. I end up missing paragraphs due to this and need a beta to at least check over my sentences so they don't end abruptly. Anyone who can do it please leave a note in a review. Just check if there are missing or repeated sentences if you don't want to read everything.
Things had been rather odd the past view days for Louise de la Valliere.
Granted she could say that things had been odd for the past month rather than the past few days - Her Familiar had admitted to being an Undead, her fiance had turned out to be a traitor, her longtime family friends were in fact (as she had just recently found out) Vampires, and finally she'd found out firsthand that she held a shard of the Void Magic commanded by Allfather Brimir.
That didn't even consider the sheer amount of life-changing events she'd witnessed firsthand. The school had been attacked and they caught the Mage thief responsible, she watched the death of the great and noble Tudor line along with all their loyal vassals and subjects, she'd seen the rebellious upstarts break treaty and attack her mother country days before her best friends arranged wedding, she'd destroyed an entire fleet with a single spell - an event which she disliked dwelling on - and finally she bore witness to the princess ascending to the rank of Her Majesty the Queen.
Needless to say it had been a hectic few weeks. At times she still woke up at night, sweat pouring down her face and wondering if it was all real. She kept up her correspondence with Big sis Catt, though now she did it partly out of a desire to stay sane and collected. She never admitted anything that happened - she doubted even her beloved sister would believe her - but she needed something to keep her focus on and her sister was acting as her metaphorical 'rock against the tide' as it were. Each letter she received helped to bolster her and remind her that her family...or at least Catt was still there.
She'd also started exchanging letters with Big sis Daph and Big sis Amy ever since she found out about their...condition. Given everything that happened in Albion she thought it would be best to consult them on everything given their experience. She'd kept her Void magic hidden from them for now, but she thought it fair considering how long they kept their own secrets from her. She had to keep the origin of her 'miracles' close to her chest until she was sure it was completely safe to divulge. Even her family wasn't allowed to know of her new circumstances.
Disregarding that, however, she now had to deal with even weirder events these last three days. Now, she knew her Familiar was an odd one, accepted it even, but even she had her limits. She'd listened and believed to his tales of another world, of constant death that varied between tragic and darkly humorous; heard tales of lost friends and even grew to understand the hunger he felt for this 'Humanity' similar to her big sisters and their craving for blood. It may have been heretical, but at this point she figured one or two exceptions to the rule was alright in the grand scheme of things. At least they seemed to be trying to do good.
No, what she couldn't fathom was her Familiar being in love with her.
"Raziel, what are you doing?" She called out for what seemed to be the dozenth time for the past hour alone. She was lying in her bed, her eyes shifting sluggishly between the prayer book and her pacing Familiar. Sleep had still been somewhat difficult for her and at this point she was considering spending some of her money on sleeping tonics if only to stop the screams in that plagued her at night. It wasn't as if she had anything better to spend her money on at the moment.
Contrast to her lazy appearance Raziel paced from one side of the room to another, his hands alternating between wringing together nervously or scratching at his hair as he mimicked panicked breaths. He had been like this for three days now, rarely ever leaving the room save to accompany her to wherever she went and his self-imposed exile back to the hay bales along with avoiding that maid friend of his...again. She honestly began to wonder how the two could become friends given that he seemed to avoid her every few weeks without explanation.
There was of course the matter of his sudden love confession. He'd quickly taken it back of course, claiming that it was a brief illness of the mind, and though she took offense to the idea of attraction to her being regarded as a mental sickness she was nonetheless relieved that this was the case. She liked him well enough, but she couldn't imagine how it would ever work given his personality and the whole undeath matter. That and it would be rather scandalous to get together with her Familiar even if he wasn't some type of revenant.
"Trying to keep calm," Raziel stopped and placed his head against the wall, closing his eyes and trying to think rationally. Three days, three days of thinking non-stop about his master and about her various charms. Hah, as if she was in any way charming. She was temperamental, bratty, quick anger and her...her sweet and gentle demeanor; her beautiful face and that adorable pout she did whenever-
Louise flinched when she heard him smack his head against the stone wall audibly, "Are you...alright?" She knew the question was redundant given his behavior the past few days but she felt compelled to ask regardless. It wasn't the first time he had done it, though usually used his hands or legs rather than his head. She let a sigh escape her lips as blood began to pour from his new wound. Not too long ago she would have found it unnerving, but after everything she found it difficult to care for some slight head trauma. At least he wasn't being torn in half.
"This is not normal, Louise," He wiped the blood with the back of his hand and bit shook his head, "Thoughts of you plague my mind and I cannot stop thinking of you. Day and night you hound my thoughts and even in my dreams you appear," His mouth twitched as she just stared blankly as if saying 'I don't see the problem here', "Are you not worried, Louise? This is not normal."
"Worried about what?" She sat up on her bed and yawned, "After everything you've told me about yourself this come off as rather benign all things considered," She yawned again, an action which caused a blush to spread across his face. It was just too cute- Damn it!, "You do realize that this isn't the weirdest thing to happen to you, right? First you tell me that you're an Undead, which in the church doctrine are corpses possessed by the wills malevolent spirits. Then you claim that you're different and that the land where you come from is filled with Undead that only go insane after constant death."
"Yes, but-"
"Furthermore," She interrupted, "You started bleeding, you admitted to having an infatuation with Quee- Princess Henrietta's mother, and just a few days ago you started being able to taste things despite your claims that Undead are incapable of tasting things," She raised a beautifully maintained finger and spun it in a circle, "As far as we know this is just another phase and it'll go away after a few more days. I don't see what the big deal is; I would have thought you'd be more worried about the bleeding and the tasting rather than this."
"Because I do not agree with this!" He bit out, "Louise, I care about you, I owe you much and I will give my life for yours...but this affection is tainted. I have little understanding as to its origins and I would rather be rid of it as soon as possible if it is all the same to you," He wiped more blood from his forehead. The wound had stopped bleeding now, "I cannot face Siesta now. It is difficult to act normally."
"Normal? I think you've gone past that a long time ago," She rolled her eyes, "Besides just tell her the truth. You told her you were Undead, right?" He nodded reluctantly, "Then just tell her you have no idea what's happening and hope she'll understand. I have no idea what that maid is like but you seem to like her well enough and you trusted her with that secret of yours so I don't see the problem here."
"If you started having romantic feelings for me, would you be so easy to tell the Queen?" He asked back.
"Me? Fall in love with you?" Her sculpted face was blank for a moment before she suddenly puffed her cheeks cutely and tried in vain to hold in her laughter, turning her face to turn an adorable shade of red, "Ahahahaha, thanks, I needed a good laugh!" She coughed wonderfully as her laughter died down. Raziel let out an annoyed huff at the response, "S-Sorry, its just that the idea of it is so...absurd! I can't even imagine it."
"Nor I having romantic affection for you, and yet here we are," He dragged his hand across his face, "Truthfully I worry more on what this means. Are the runes gaining strength? I understand that they have some hold over me and allow you to command me in desperate times and though I do not wholeheartedly agree it is a small price to pay for escaping the kiln. But I worry now whether this means you will have full control of my will the longer time passes."
"I thought you trusted me?" She asked back with a curiosity that made him love her all the more.
"I do, but would you trust the Queen with your life and do her every will?"
"Yes. My life is hers, as its always been as both her loyal subject and friend." She answered a determination that matched those of heroes.
"Why am I not surprised..." He frowned slightly. Gods she was amazing, "Still, I would prefer if my life was my own for the most part. I understand that I am bound to you as your Familiar...others might call me a slave, but you grant me enough independence that it is of little issue. At the very least you are honest with me unlike that bastard Gwyndolin."
"So what's the problem?" She asked again, "I'm not gonna make you sacrifice yourself to fire or something else horrific so why don't you trust me to not do anything?" She placed the book down and stretched her arms daintily as she stood up. He had to resist staring at her as she made her way to the table and took a gulp of wine she'd had delivered from the kitchen. To kiss those enticing lips he would have given anything, "Is there anything I need to make you trust me? We're going to...to war together, we need to know we can trust each other with our lives."
"Stop moving around so much, please. It makes it hard to keep focus," He had to pry his eyes away from her petite legs and resist the urge to stare at her tantalizing backside, "Surely there must be a reason for this for my lo-" He bit his tongue as he nearly admitted once again to loving her. She already knew but he hated using the word, "..Lost sanity. And I would have thought that you would worry as well. You know what I am. Do you not fear what I could do to you?"
"Do what exactly?" She asked back, "You mean when you hugged me and proclaimed that I was the best master ever or when you begged me to rub your head while purring about how magnificent and lucky you were that I was the one who summoned you rather than anyone else?" She couldn't help but stifle a laugh at the sudden blush that dusted his cheeks, "If that's all I have to worry about then I really don't see the problem."
"Not that. I have heard of forced sexual intercourse to those who believed their love was reciprocated. Surely you understand the risks of having a lo- obsessed Familiar whose affection you do not reciprocate."
"I trust you not to do that," Normally he would have found that touching, but the dismissive way in which she said it made it apparent that she didn't take him seriously, "Besides, I doubt you even know what fornication is. At worst you'd just hug me again and just stand there looking stupid like you always do. If that's what I'm in danger of then I can sacrifice myself for your sake," She made her way back to the bed and sat down once again. If he was lucky he might have been able to catch a glimpse of her adorable sleeping face again.
"I do not think you truly understand. Undead are-"
"Raziel, I order you to kneel on the floor and lavish me with compliments,"
"At once, my wonderful master," Before he realized what he was doing he found his nose being pressed against the floor of her room as rapid compliments escaped his mouth, "What should I describe about you, master? Your every feature is one of beauty and grace. I am unworthy to be even your Familiar. Your perfection puts all others to shame and even Goddesses would pale in comparison to your- Blood and damnation!" He smashed his fist against the ground as he realized what he was doing.
"Did I make my point?" She waited till he stood up before she continued, "Whatever this...condition is, it makes you prioritize my orders above all else. If you ever do anything that you think might hurt me I can just order you to stop," She walked up next to him and punched his shoulder softly and gave him a magnificent smile, "So stop worrying about this too much. We have more important things to worry about now. First I need to find a way for mother and father to allow me to participate in this war. I can't exactly tell them that I'm the Void Mage."
"...You are enjoying this, are you not?" She rolled her eyes in response, though the smile never left her face, "I saw that self-satisfied grin you bore when I asked for you to pet my head like a common animal."
"Well I won't deny it," She shrugged, "This is the only time when you're really acting like a Familiar and you're not spending every day with that maid so its much more convenient to call you when I need something. That and it feels much more natural for a Familiar to ask for petting rather than permission to go off and kill orcs so he can eat their insides," She stuck her tongue out cutely as the image made her gag.
"This is no joke..." He frowned as she laughed and started rubbing the top of his head...Gods, she was the best master he could ask for. He desperately wanted to be more but he knew he was unworthy of her lo...loathesome madness!, "We need to find a cure for this sickness," He reluctantly pried himself from her petting and sat down on a chair frustatedly, "If we cannot find a way to fix my mind then I will have to leave. Assuming that this blighted insanity does not end then I will not come back and you will have to go back to Albion alone."
"Alright, alright," She sighed. It was an empty threat, but she didn't want to push him too far, "Right, I didn't tell you before but I did actually ask for help from Big sis Daph and Big sis Amy. Vampires have 'Charm' magic to entice their victims and they should know more about what's happening with you. They agreed to come here today and check on you as a favor for me so you'd better be grateful."
"I would had it not been them," He muttered to himself, "Are you certain that they were the only ones you could ask? I would rather avoid contact with them if possible. No, I will not tell you the reason why," He added quickly as she looked up at him with her doll-like eyes, "You could order me to do it, I suppose, but when this condition passes know that I never forget a debt."
"Right, nevermind then," She huffed, "Well they should be here later tonight. They can't move during the day and I'd rather not explain to the headmaster that they're here so find something to do till then. Maybe talk to that maid friend of yours and explain why you were avoiding her. Its not really any of my business but she looked pretty hurt when you ignored her while following me around yesterday."
"...You need not remind me," He rubbed the back of his head and slumped slightly, "Fine, I will talk to her. With luck she will understand that this madness is not of my own volition."
"Ah, wait up, I'm going with you!" She all but ran to her closet and put on her uniform in a rush. He had to turn away as her milky white skin was exposed after she pulled her sleepwear off her body, "I haven't actually explained to the headmaster about going to war yet so we're going after we meet your maid friend. All the boys are going to sign up like all the male teachers but girls aren't expected to so I need to tell him. I don't want to come back here to find that I failed because of unexcused absences."
"As you wish..." He sighed. Despite her excuses a part of him just knew that she wanted to watch him fumble around trying to explain his actions the past few days. His wonderful master had a bit of a sadistic side, it seemed, and it made him love her all the more.
"For the last time, Guiche, I don't need you to massage me!" Montmorency shrieked, slamming the door on her fiance's face with a loud boom. Ignoring his spluttering pleas she locked the door forcefully before collapsing onto her bed and yelling curses frustatedly into her pillow. It was shameful for a noble lady to act in this manner, but her patience had officially reached past its breaking point.
A voice at the back of her head nagged constantly that it was her fault, and as much as she wanted to deny it she couldn't honestly lay all the blame at Guiche's feet. Yes he was flirting with other girls, yes he was practically trying to fornicate with them and yes he kept making excuses rather than admitting to it but that only meant she had to confront him and break off the engagement if he proved too unfaithful. Drugging him with this potion was the resort of a weak mind, something a common criminal would do rather than a lady of high birth.
"Oh Montmorency, my beautiful flower! If only-" She cast a silence spell at the door and stared up at the ceiling blankly. Three days, three days of his non-stop singing, offers, compliments, offers and Brimir knew what else in that addled mind of his. From the darkest hour of night to the sun's first rising he was always there. Outside her door, any room she escaped to...regardless of what time of day or where she came from he was always waiting with another rose and another thing to say.
It was beginning to grate on her.
"Does he even sleep?" She wondered aloud. She honestly started doubting that he did; the dark circles under his eyes increased by the day and his skin grew ever paler witch each hour that passed. Beyond that however the energy in his voice was as strong as it was when he first drank and his body didn't waver for more than a few seconds before he caught sight of her again.
She needed to cure him, "Right then. Time to end this charade," She forced herself off the bed and rifled through her cupboards. The ingredients were relatively difficult to procure, but she was pretty sure she had stockpiled enough of them and if not then she could attempt to buy them with her savings. It was somewhat grating that she had to spend money in order to fix this because of an urge to stop from from his infidelity.
"Right, here they are," She grabbed differing jars, "Crystallized salamander's breath, beholder's skin, quicksilver extract and finally the tear of the water spirit- Wait, where is it?" Her eyes widened in a panic as she shook the empty bottle. The spirit's tear was the rarest ingredient, capable of being taken only by those who had made a pact with the water spirits. Buying it now with Albion at war would prove difficult.
"Could I buy it still? No, that would take too long..." She rubbed her forehead and sighed irritably. Even if she did have enough money to procure the Tear it would simply take too long to do so. Given the events at Albion and the Ragdorian lake's proximity to the ports it could take possibly weeks for the package to arrive and by that point she would have gone mad from her fiance's antics.
"Brimir damn it all..." She collapsed back onto her bed and looked up at the ceiling again. Why did she even try?
"So...you were saying, Raziel?"
Talking with Siesta hadn't gone exactly as expected. It started off great at first: She had first acted hurt that he had ignored her, but after a while the mood had shifted back to Tarbes' recovery and then finally they had found common ground with plans for its restoration and all tension was forgotten. He'd even gotten her agreement to take him back there once they both received enough free time. He was sure Louise wouldn't mind.
Unfortunately things had taken a rather sour turn once he caught sight of his master's pristine body sitting back against a tree. On his prompting she had taken care to sit a fair distance away so she could observe his attempted restoration without interfering. When he caught sight of her again after an hour of talking to Siesta it was as if a weight had been released and he was now in paradise.
Louise's slender hands turned the page of the book gently, the wind blowing on her vibrant pink hair. Her face, as beautiful as a doll, twitched with barely noticeably annoyance as she mouthed out words he couldn't make out. Even though her expression was one of annoyance he couldn't help but think on how cute she appeared as her face reddened in slight irritation.'
Ah, what he would give to take her small hands in his, to whisper sweet nothings to her ears and hold her close to him as they drifted off into slumber. After another round of muttering she folded the book gracefully in her lap and looked up to him before making a slight gesture for him to get closer.
She had said something, though he knew not what it was. Oh, he was such a fool for not paying attention! Perhaps it was a declaration of affection! ...But no, that would have been foolish. His master's beauty knew no boundaries and she would never settle for something like him when she doubt had prince's that begged for her hand and slightest attentions. He would have been content to serve as her devout servant for all eternity.
Had he been actually paying attention he would have realized she was urging him to pay attention and that Siesta was getting suspicious of his constant staring.
"I...I can explain..." He replied slowly, flinching back at the thinly veiled anger hidden behind the maid's smile.
When the urge had gotten too much he had simply walked off in the middle of her confessions about wanting to open her own winery with her special someone. While he would have liked to discuss who her special someone was in order to befriend them he was consumed by the sudden urge to gain his master's attentions. And so without further comment he went towards his master, placed his head on her lap and all but begged for her affections.
Which is where the talk had ended and any chance of reconciliation was ended mercilessly without hesitation.
"N-No need for an explanation, I'm very...happy for you," His master seemed unsure as well now that someone other than the two of them had caught on to their 'affair'. She had no problem teasing him about this in private but she could ill afford rumors of her actually being in a relationship with her Familiar, "Ms. Valliere is your master, so it stands to reason that you would gain...feelings for her," Her expression looked as if she had swallowed something sour. Not like his master who looked enchanting no matter what.
"I...I can assure you that I do not have romantic feelings for Louise. Our relationship is that of a Master and a Familiar."
"Y-Yes, its exactly as he says!" Louise added quickly, "We've been through a lot together, but I couldn't possibly have feelings of love for him. I mean you know who he is, yes? It wouldn't work out no matter what!"
"That would be a lot more convincing if she wasn't petting you right now!" Siesta yelled back, her face red. Both Louise and Raziel looked away, though Louise's hand never stopped stroking his hair, "Look, if you like one another then that's fine! Just please don't lie to me when you're being so obvious with one another! If you must hide it then do so without being so love-dovey in public!"
"We-We're not being lovey-dovey!" Louise denied fervently with the intensity of a thousand suns. Ah, even when she was rejecting him his affection for her grew.
"You have his head on your lap!" Had she been calm she would have realized she was talking back to a noble and immediately apologized. As it stood now however she contented herself with simply leaving with some parting words, "Its...alright, its none of my business anyway," Her expression didn't match her words, "You can fall in love with whomever you both please. Live well and have a happy life!"
"S-Siesta, wait-" Before he could utter another explanation the 'supportive' maid turned around and walked away briskly. Raziel watched her go before he placed his arms underneath his head and groaned. Louise wondered how strong this enchantment must have been if even now he refused to get up and go after his friend. She was under the impression that they held special feelings with one another given the amount of time they spent in each other's company.
"Are you okay?" She asked after a minute or two of uncomfortable silence.
"..." He shook his head from side to side, his face still firmly pressed downwards so she couldn't make out his expression.
"...If I pet your head will it make you feel better?"
"..." This time he nodded. Louise sighed and started patting his head...he hated that it made him feel happy inside to be petted by the best master in the whole wide world.
"Ah, my dear Montmorency, why do you reject me!?" Guiche cried out melodramatically. He didn't understand it! He'd given his sweet flower any compliment he could have possibly thought of, sung serenades to her, waited on her hand and food and was always at her side despite her shy claims of not needing him to accompany her to the baths. While he would have loved to see all of her in the glory of her transcendent form he didn't do it out lust or something so base. A goddess like her deserved to be waited on hand and feet as was her right.
"Montmorency, what must I do to prove myself worthy of you!?" He beseeched his Goddess. Once again she didn't deign to dignify his unworthy self with a response. It was well within his right, of course: He was a dog, a worm hoping to gain the affection of someone infinitely his better. Oh, how had he not seen her true beauty when he had the chance!? Now he was reduced to grovelling like a dog.
"Please, I know I made a mistake! Let me make it up to you!" At this point the silence enchantment had run its course, but she had still chosen to remain quiet in the vain hope that if she did so he would give up and go back to give her some peace and quiet. But no, he wold never give up! He had done the grave sin of not giving himself body and soul to her and he would never repeat that mistake!
"No, must ignore the fatigue! If I cannot ignore the weakness of the flesh I cannot expect to find myself worthy of her!" He announced to the world. With enhanced fervor he knocked on the door once again, "Montmorency, I shall never give up! I will prove myself worthy of you! Please open the door so I can prove that my love for you is real! I will do anything!"
Inside the room, Montmorency stuffed herself under her pillows and tried to keep calm. She'd already tried to make him leave before and all that managed to do was convince him that she was 'testing' his resolve for her. Hours upon hours she'd heard him proclaim his undying love for her and at times it had gotten more than a little unnerving; he'd proclaimed that he would kill his own family and any she so desired as long as she asked.
Outside, Guiche grew more desperate. She hadn't responded at all. What if she had gotten hurt? Perhaps...perhaps jealous rivals had sent assassins for her! Of course any assassin would be enchanted with her beauty that they would take her for himself. He...he couldn't afford to lose her. He felt his breath quicken as a warmth spread throughout his body. He couldn't take it. If anyone was going to take her from him, he would rather they both die.
He needed to see her. With a deft wave of his hand he cast a counter-lock spell and moved into the room silently before closing the door behind him. She was still resting underneath the pillows and blankets and hadn't taken notice of his presence just yet. Even covered up as she was with only traces of her hair sticking out she put even the most majestic paintings to shame. He wanted to touch her, to hold her in his arms and never let go. Even if it was being selfish he couldn't resist the idea of their union.
"Montmorency," He called out as if in a trance.
"G-Guiche!?" She stood up abruptly and nearly fell off the bed. What was he doing inside!? "G-Get out of here!" She hissed, waving her arms dramatically to prove her point. But he couldn't focus on her orders, all he could pay attention to was how the red in her cheeks made her all the more ravishing. He askew clothes, exposing the skin of her stomach and thighs, was practically inviting him.
"I...I can't do that, Montmorency..."
"W-What do you mean!? You love me, right!? So listen to my orders and get out of here! I...I need to think..." How could she get the Spirit's Tear? Her family was no longer in good standing with the spirits so she needed to find a way to get a Tear from other sources. Until then it was best she stayed away from Guiche for the time being and vice-versa in order not to start any untoward incidents.
"Its because I love you that I can't leave!" He yelled and, ignoring her scream of surprise, pushed her down onto the bed, "My every waking thoughts are filled with your beauty and I know you might never forgive me but I cannot hold myself back! I love you! I adore you! No, we are soulmates bound by both love and fate! I cannot imagine life without you at my side!"
"N-No, wait-" Her words died in her mouth as she was forcefully kissed. Her mind went blank for a moment before she felt him unbuttoning her uniform,"No, wait, Guiche, not like this!" She tried to grab for her wand until it dawned on her that she had left it on her meal table, "I-I said stop!" She tried to push him off this time, tears streaming down her face, but despite his fatigue managed to hold her down.
"Ah, my dear Montmorency!" He kissed her again, and her tears continued to flow. He didn't care anymore. She must have been shy, that was all it was. When they consummated their union she would understand and they would live a happy life together...and if not then he would jump from the highest tower to his death. Life was not worth living without her love.
Her struggles were left unheard as he deepened the kiss, his hands fondling her breasts forcefully as his member grew more erect. He wanted to take all of her, to prove once and for all that she loved him.
All she could do was try to scream in vain.
Daphne and Amethyst arrived not too long after the disastrous meeting with Siesta - Or rather they had already been there by the time they had gotten back from their room. The meeting with the headmaster taken a bit longer than expected; his master, who put even royalty to shame with her incandescence, had to choose her words carefully in order to avoid mentioning her Void Magic to the wizened sorcerer, though the slight smile he hid beneath his beard had him wonder if he didn't know something beforehand. Regardless with that she officially had the schools permission to go to war.
And given the slight trembling of his wonderful mistress' hands on the way back he couldn't tell if she was relieved or even more scared than before.
Greetings were short and to the point. Well, as short and to the point as his master could afford to be; there was some hugging, mostly to Daphne, while Amethyst instead chose to maintain a respectful distance and bow. After a quick recap of the situation of the situation Amethyst had agreed to check on him.
"I don't sense any magic affecting him," Amethyst leaned in closer and he flinched back out of instinct. He felt her magics trying to claw into his mind, but compared to his love for Louise it was of little competition, "Wait, no I take that back; there's a small trace of magic coating him, but its not what you're looking for. If I had to guess that's probably what's allowing him to look normal. I saw it before on Kari...an old enemy we had."
"How observant," He frowned, "Regardless of whether this is magic or not I need to find the origin of this abnormal affection. I have little experience in love but even I know it should not appear this way. From my observations it is similar to the magic that addled Guiche's mind when you first met us. Forced affection, a mind bent against its will to the hollow loyalty against another."
"You don't have to say it like that," Daphne piped up from the bed, "But Amethyst is right; I can't sense any magic either apart from that 'skin' you're wearing. Hmm, let me think," She stood up and placed a hand against her chin, "Has anything happened in the past few days? Something that could have forced this little revelation on you? I heard Saxe-Gotha was...difficult and its said that love blossoms when both are faced with death."
"If that is so then I would have had these inclinations as early as the attack on the school," He bit back, "This is not romantic affection. Something is causing this, and Louise and I must find the source before it worsens. Regardless I have already experienced death and I am well aware it does not cause feelings of endearment."
"There is of course another solution," Amethyst cut in, "If this affectation isn't due to magic then perhaps some other substance is affecting your body? If that's the case then it would be in the blood. A sample of blood should be enough for us to determine if any foreign substances are affecting your body."
"I have no desire to be treated as a suckling pig," He frowned.
"They're not like that!" Louise spoke up this time, "Big sis amy and Big sis Daph are nice. Mother and father trusted them to take care of us when they went away for business so they won't hurt you."
"Your blood does not taste like that of a newborn," Raziel answered back. Louise looked confused while Daphne looked down and blushed, "Whatever my blood is it seems to feed off their hunger more than it does an average human's. I would rather not risk injury again if possible as the process is...unpleasant, as Lady Amethyst can attest," His eyes flickered to her, though unlike her sister she showed no signs of looking down in shame.
"Direct feeding is not necessary," Amethyst replied with a slight hint of annoyance, "All I need is a sample of blood. Make a small cut and bleed it into a handkerchief and it should stay fresh enough for a few minutes that I can determine what exactly is affecting you."
Much more reasonable then. Borrowing a handkerchief from Louise's dresser he took the serving knife from the small table and pressed it against his thumb. As he watched the crimson liquid flow he felt a sense of foreboding, "Just my imagination..." He placed the appendage against the white cloth staining the accessory red.
"Hmm," Amethyst accepted the handkerchief and smelled the blood. It was much more pleasant compared to normal blood, though less so for her compared to her sister. Off to the side she could see Daphne fidgeting in place and taking deep, calming breaths. They needed to make this quick, "Your blood is laced with something, that much is clear. A potion of some kind."
"A potion? Some poison from Tarbes then?" Though he couldn't imagine how or why someone would lace him with a poison that induced affection.
"No, I doubt it," She licked the minuscule splatter of blood smiled slightly at the sweet taste. It was a good thing she'd learned self-control long ago, "This is...a love potion, if I'm tasting it correctly," She took another lick, "Yes, I'm certain it is. It functions as an aphrodisiac as well. Its like a coating of perfume. Subtle, nearly untraceable, but there's enough of it that I can still sense it. Was there something you drank? Potions like this are rarely ever ingested without being laced into something."
"No, I don't..." His eyes widened. Three days ago, when he had found out he could taste. Wine, sour but with a subtle aftertaste, "That wine..."
"Wine? What are you- Oh!" Louise's mouth opened wined as she gasped, "You mean that rare vintage you brought back?" He nodded, "Hmm, well the timing fits. You made that little confession of yours after you drank it. Still, that doesn't answer where it came from. Who would go through all the trouble of lacing perfectly good wine with an aphrodisiac?"
"Aphrodisiac?" He asked back.
"Oh, that? Its...uh..." She blushed and shook her head, "Nevermind that. Lets just say that you're lucky that it won't affect you because if you'd done anything untoward...well, lets just say its a good thing you didn't," She coughed awkwardly, "Anyway, if you were affected by a love potion then the cure should work for you as well. All we need to do is buy one and- no, wait, that would take too long with the war on Albion. Hmm, Big sis Amy, can you do anything?" She asked the Vampire.
"We've done all we can, Louise," Amethyst replied, "Its already affecting his mind so you need the curative to counter it. We can also try draining him of blood completely, but I doubt that's a good idea. Too many risks involved and the pain alone would adversely affect his mind. Its better if you go to a potionmaster and have them brew an antidote. Is there anyone you know?"
"Yes, but I'd rather not ask her for a favor," Louise sighed, "Thank you both for your help. I'm sorry if I bothered you by asking you to come here."
"It was no trouble , Louise," Amethyst gave her a soft smile, "Our new taskmaster is being reluctant with tasks right now and we were hoping for an excuse to leave. Ever since Tarbes his mood has turned far more foul. You'd think he would be happy with Tristain's victory. Besides," She grinned, "Daphne wanted to see you. She's been worried ever since what happened with the fighting."
"Just make sure to stay safe, okay?" Daphne said with her own smile, "Karin would have a fit if she ever found out you put yourself in danger like that." She let out a tired breath, "Still, you better find a cure as soon as possible. As the days pass the obsession increases and the recipient begins losing control of their inhibitions. While Sir. Raziel seems to be resisting the change it is better not to risk it."
"Well, thank you both, but I'm fine," She smiled and bowed to the pair. She couldn't tell them she was going to war, "I'm going to go see Montmorency. Maybe she can find
And so with a relatively quick goodbye - he was honestly beginning to wonder what the point of all the hugging was - the two Vampires left and the pair made their way to Montmorency's room. While the two never really got along with one another desperate times called for desperate measures and if push came to shove the clinking of coin would be enough to convince the low ranking noble. Given her family's circumstances Louise figured she wouldn't be too prideful to accept money.
"Will she agree to a cure, Louise?" He refrained from looking at her. If he did he might have fallen in love with her all over again.
"Possibly. We're not exactly friends, but she should- Wait, do you hear that?"
As they drew closer to the water Mage's door they became acutely aware of the sounds of struggling and muffled screaming coming from inside. Raziel looked around the hallway warily: No one else was here due to visiting their family so Montmorency should have been alone inside her room, "Louise-" Before he could finish his suggestion Louise pushed open the door forcefully and ran into the room. Reluctantly he followed inside as well.
He had a difficult time processing what he was seeing inside.
Guiche was holding down his fiancee by her arms, kissing her forcefully as tears streamed down her face. Their attires left much to be desired: Montmorency's uniform had haphazard rips and her skirt seemed be on the verge of falling apart altogether. Likewise Guiche's clothes had been thrown haphazardly around with his frilly shirt discarded on the floor and his pants halfway down his legs.
They seemed to be in the middle of sexual intercourse, though he didn't care much for what they were doing. All he could think about was how cute Louise looked with her mouth agape.
"Wh-What's going on here!?" She finally managed to speak. At once Guiche looked at them with wide eyes as if he had just noticed their presence now. Though how he missed his master's awe-inspiring presence he had no idea.
The surprise was just enough the traumatized girl to push off her fiance and scramble to the other side of the bed, "L-Louise! Help me! He's insane!" She pointed at Guiche, her breath haggard as she tried in vain to cover chest and between her thighs.
"Insane? Montmorency, my love, I simply wanted to show you how much I love you!" He attempted to jump forward in order to hug her and she fell out of the bed with a panicked cry. Guiche hit against the bedpost with an audible smack and blood erupted from his nose like a geyser but he ignored it as he continued to smile and hug the frightened girl once more.
"R-Raziel, stop him!" Louise ordered.
He had no idea why she cared, but he obeyed. The lovesick Undead grabbed the bleeding teenager and pulled him back roughly by the neck. Guiche briefly choked at the sudden whiplash before Raziel punched him across his bloodied cheeks with enough force to make him lose consciousness, "Blood..." He shook his hand distastefully. He didn't mind it usually but he didn't want to look bad in front of his beloved master.
"Montmorency, are you alright?" Ah, his master was kind as always. He watched her kneel beside the traumatized girl and inspect her for injuries. Seeing no signs of blood between her legs Louise let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "Its alright, he didn't-"
"No its not!" Montmorency interrupted with a shrill yell. Gods she sounded like a harpy compared to his master's alluring calls, "He..He tried to..." She engulfed the smaller girl in a hug and cried once more. Overwhelmed by the sudden closeness Louise could do nothing more than pat the other girl on the back awkwardly as tears began to stain her uniform. She honestly had no idea how to deal with this.
She didn't know how long they stayed there, Montmorency crying on her chest while Raziel just watched them silently like a hawk. Eventually Montmorency managed to calm herself and separate from the smaller girl with a mumbled "Sorry". Nodding, Louise ordered him out of the room and to take Guiche with him for the time being. She needed to find a way to calm Montmorency down.
Calming the girl down had taken the better part of a half hour, though to say that she had done the calming would have been an overestimation. For the most part she just listened to her ramble incoherently while occasionally nodding to show that she was still paying attention. While she did indeed sympathize with the other girl given her confirmation of Guiche sexually assaulting her she had no idea what to say in these situations. She'd dealt with trauma in recent days but taking care of others who suffered the same was a taxing attempt.
Across from her Raziel was sitting next to the tied up Guiche. Montmorency had fed him a sleeping draught so he wouldn't be awake for a while but she didn't want to risk him attacking her again so she ordered that Raziel bind him just in case he awakened. They didn't need a repeat incident.
"Wait, so you used a love potion?" Louise asked as Montmorency finally stopped to take a drink of wine. She nodded with only the slightest bit of hesitation, trying to rub to redness from her eyes. She honestly didn't care if Louise knew anymore; she'd gone past the point of caring about being found out despite its illegality. She wouldn't be able to erase the memory of her fiance forcing her down anymore.
"I...I wasn't thinking," She pursed her lips, "I thought it would make him more loyal, that it wouldn't be so bad," She clenched her fists, "I didn't realize that it would get more potent the longer he ingested it. I thought he would just stop flirting and that it was worth the risk...I was a fool."
"Hah..." Louise frowned. She had to say something, "Look, its not your-"
"It is your fault then," She cringed as Montmorency's attention snapped to her unamused Familiar, "You fed him the potion and now you act surprised when it took effect. Actions have consequences, even a child knows that," She could immediately notice the distaste in his voice. She tried to say something before it escalated into an argument but Montmorency cut ahead of her.
"I don't want to hear that from someone eating corpses!" She stood up and glared down at him and he returned the favor with his own narrowed eyes, "Do you think I don't know that I was wrong? I know I made a mistake and I'm going to fix it."
"And yet you still cry and play the victim," He spat out, "You are no innocent in this and if anyone forced the situation it is yourself. You told dear Louise that you were nearly raped but Guiche is the one that was raped here. His mind was bent against his will by your poison."
"Oh and I suppose Guiche is completely blameless, am I right?" She laughed bitterly, "I'm not afraid to admit that I messed up but he forced my hand. You don't realize how far he was going with those 'conquests' of his. He was going too far and I had to reign him in."
"You did not-"
"That's enough!" Louise cut in, "We are NOT her to argue on who's right or wrong. Montmorency made a mistake, but Guiche's not faultless and arguing doesn't help any of us," She sighed, "Look, Montmorency, the reason we came here was because Raziel also got afflicted by a love potion as well. If I had to guess its because Raziel ended up with the wine you left behind. Either way we need a cure."
"He had a love potion- Oh, I suppose that explains the 'dear Louise' name," She shook her head, "Well, you're out of luck. I have all the ingredients here but the magical base is rare and we're going to have to wait weeks before delivery gets here. Unless you think that you can fight a water spirit by yourself and cut off a bit of it we're completely out of luck," She frowned, "And believe me I want this cured more than either of you."
"Weeks are too long," Raziel crossed his arms, "Even now I feel the poison's effects growing stronger. I do not want to risk Louise falling prey to the same madness that consumed Guiche. We need that ingredient and we are going to get it."
"Didn't you hear what I said?" She snapped back irritably, "Albion is preparing for war, we can't exactly buy it now that they're in conflict with Tristain. We could try the black market but I have no idea who would have access to that so we're not going with that either."
"Why not try that...dark substance you always use?" Louise suggested.
"I already attempted it when you expelled me and Guiche from this room - It did nothing," He clicked his tongue, "Normally Un...others like myself are not affected by this toxin so it holds little effect. Or perhaps this insanity is not considered the poison that it is and is thus not cured as it does with any other venom. Regardless the cure is needed for both Guiche and myself."
"Merde..." Louise muttered. He didn't understand the word though he assumed it to be a curse of some kind, in which case he would have to agree.
"Look, I'm sorry you both got involved, but there's nothing we can do. My family used to have a pact with the Water Spirits but we did something to earn their ire and now they're very unlikely to give us a Tear for free. At best we're going to have to make a deal, and since spirits have no concept of time they might make us do trials that could take years to complete and in that case it'd be faster to just wait for a delivery."
"We are going," Raziel said, "We need to see if there is even a chance of gaining this ingredient sooner unless you wish to deal with Guiche's madness for weeks."
"Rrrrgh, you...have a point," She conceded, "The closest place that houses water spirits is the Ragdorian lake, and that should take at least a few hours by horse. Just...Just give me a couple of hours to pack my things and we can go. With luck we should arrive there by noon tomorrow and we can start our task. Hopefully we're given a quick one so we can get the tear easily."
"Right, that works for us as well," Louise nodded, "Come on, Raziel. We should prepare too."
"Anything you desire, mistress," Raziel bit his lip at the servile response and resisted the urge to hug her once again. Gods why was she so small and huggable? He knew it was an induced reaction but parts of his mind deluded him into thinking that it was real.
"Are you alright? You said it was getting worse," She tried to hold his shoulder but he managed to force himself to move away from her. She was such a paragon of kindness, worrying about her unworthy pet.
"I am worried. I am an Undead so it stands to reason that I would not be influenced to sexually assault you, but it is too risky. We need this cure before my condition worsens and I do something I will regret. And...I hope Guiche is alright."
"Montmorency got the worst of it," She pointedly ignored his eye rolling, "Look she's not blameless, but you have to admit that she doesn't deserve what could have happened to her. Guiche was acting like a bastard these past few days. Anyone would be ticked off."
"I...cannot argue, you are right, honored mistress," He couldn't bring himself to dispute her. She was right. She was always right.
I'm splitting this chapter to curb the word count, but I'm literally working on the next chapter right now so it should come out soon, maybe a day or two if I'm lucky. For now its turning up larger than I expected so I'm leaving off here where continuing is easy
ashlands of the cold - Don't worry most easter eggs are going to be far less obvious now. Anyway that guild plays a role later so I introduced it now to avoid a hassle later on. Also, I have no idea what RLJ is, sorry.
Sakurada Kiritsugu - Sad to say it isn't as insane as you'd hope :( Lack of complete hormones or knowledge about love in general does mean he doesn't know how to act when enamored with someone...and since he KNOWS its unnatural he can resist the change.
kishinokurobi - They're not having sex if that's what you mean:P Its more like a child and their parent.
Dragon vs Phoenix - Because Louise only got it in canon when she chased Saito into Montmorency's room out of jealousy. That couldn't happen here so Monty doesn't get interrupted and Raziel got it through sheer bad luck. If he'd waited just a bit longer it would have been Louise that got spiked so she's lucky he decided to indulge.
general zargon - A lot of this stuff did happen in canon, hence some people's complaints. Likewise I have no MS word - believe me I've tried to get it - and word online is generally iffy for me so I use the doc manager to type. I'd prefer to have a proper proofreader to check over my stuff but I don't really know anyone. Sorry if that stops you from enjoying fully but I'm one guy and I make mistakes.