Part 4. This Changes Everything
(The Castle, Julia's room, shortly after Estellise left the castle to...see archduke Kyle)
(Flynn's point of view)
I followed Julia back to her room. After we entered, she closed the door, and she showed me the three doujinshis with lady Estellise on the covers half naked and exposing all her private parts on her desk. Let's just say if dame Margaret were to see those, she'd have a fit.
"So you already finished reading them?" I asked the still worried maid.
"As I mentioned earlier, yes, Flynn." Julia replied. "Rather than explain it you, I feel you should read those, and see for yourself." She gestured towards her desk.
"Alright." I sat down at her desk, and opened up the first doujinshi of ' Mangetsu Santan'...
(After reading issue#1)
I don't believe this! Ragou tricked lady Estellise into a sex-slave contract with the council's seal on it. Along with taking a drug, no doubt made from that tentacle monster we recently destroyed in Shizontonia. And she had her virginity taken away by both Eric and Stan.
"I-I don't believe this!" I gasped. "Lady, Lady Estellise..."
"Is taking drugs and having sex with Lower Quarter johns. And Gary Stues no less! Hell, I don't believe it either but, do you want to look at issue#2?" Julia asked.
"I might as well." I replied. And I then started reading issue#2…
(While reading Issue #2)
"This has been going on for two months!?" I said. "How did I not notice that?"
"My guess they were timing her outings with your field patrols to and from Deidon Hold, Flynn." Julia replied. "Around where Wesley showed up, I thought it was you Eric and Stan were talking about."
"And I don't want to even know what they meant by 'samurai style'.' I said.
"For all I know that sounds like something Cumore like to do with his knights." Julia replied. "Or what Gilbert wanted to do to both you and Yuri before I killed him."
*shudder* Now I really don't want to know.
After I read the scene with him and lady Estellise. "I want to kill Wesley for that."
"Me too, Flynn." Julia agreed. "But..." When I got to the end of that doujinshi…
"Looks like Titus beat us to it."
"You mean Zagi, Julia?"
"Same loon, Flynn." Julia said. "Well that brings us to issue #3. I should warn you, who lady Estellise has sex with."
(While reading issue #3)
Oh Zaude!
"Did, did they?" I stammered in utter disbelief after reading the part where Ragou and lady Estellise. I think I'm gonna be sick.
"Feel free to throw up, Flynn. I know I did." Julia replied offering a bucket on one hand, and covering her mouth with the other. She was starting to look a bit green.
As I went through the scene with lady Estellise, ugh, servicing councilmen Nero and Bruno, It was easy to see that she didn't quite enjoy the threesome. "That looks painful."
"I agree, Flynn." Julia shook her head in disgust at those scenes. "And I know how that can feel. Even under the drug. So don't ask."
I won't.
Let's say the next scene really gave me a jolt down my spine. Not a chill, a shocking jolt like the one Cumore got when he electrocuted himself some months ago(Best 21st birthday gift I ever got). It was the conversation between me and lady Estellise earlier that afternoon, right down to what we were saying(other than Shizontonia), and what lady Estellise was wearing.
So, Lady Estellise felt that I can't afford to know what she have been up to Because she knows I'd try to help her, even if she didn't want it. So she sees me as a treasured 'knight of justice'. She stated she won't allow me to help.
"So she doesn't want my help?" I asked.
"I honestly don't know, Flynn." Julia replied. "For all I know that Charu author's making her think that. But even if that were true."
"I'd still help her anyway, whether she wants or not, Julia." I stated. "This isn't the life for her. She's a princess, not this."
"I agree, Flynn." Julia nodded. "And for the record, I want to help her too, Even if I have to make it messy."
"Something tells me it's going to come to that, Julia." I said.
Let's just say I've seen what can happen when Julia decides to get messy. Usually on those that clearly deserved it. Like rapists and the odd tentacle monster.
"Anyway there's still more." Julia pointed at the doujinshi we were currently looking at. We continued reading through the part where lady Estellise was servicing archduke Kyle.
"Which I fear is currently happening as we speak." Julia stated, looking worried. Some of the narrations were pretty upsetting, especially where lady Estellise said that she had given up. But what really concerned me was the conversation between archduke Kyle and the two councilmen that she was overhearing.
"They're planning to kill me?" I asked.
"It would appear so, Flynn." Julia answered. "I guess they clearly don't want you finding master Ioder." She turned to the next page. "And, If this memo by that vile author's any indication, master Ioder likely to be in Nor Harbor. And a ' guest' of Ragou."
"Not to mention the author thinks that Ragou is a bi-sexual pedo and more into young boys and girls." I added.
"I wouldn't be too surprised if that's true, Flynn." Julia said, and we both shuddered at the thought of what he might have in mind for master Ioder. All the more reason to rescue him.
But, right now, lady Estellise's top priority.
"So what now, Flynn?" Julia asked. "It's not like we can run over to the archduke's place and put a stop to this."
"I know, Julia." I replied. "It would make things complicated. For both lady Estellise and master Ioder. I hate to say this but we should let this story play out and repair the damage afterwords."
"Is that the best idea, Flynn?"
"Probably not, but it's the only one I can think of." I sighed.
"For now we should return to our duties. And after supper we should talk to dame Margaret and some of the maid about what's been happening in the last few months."
"Right, Margaret wanted me and the maids to clean the chandeliers in the main hall." Julia said. "Jeanne's not going to like this, being afraid of spiders and all."
"And I have some paperwork to take care of." I added as I got up from her desk. "We'll see each other after supper."
Julia nodded as she locked the doujinshis in her desk and we left her room to return to our daily duties…
(Flynn's room, shortly after the evening meals)
I asked dame Margaret, Natalie and Hannah to meet me and Julia in my quarters following supper.
Shortly after they showed up, I asked Dame Margaret where Lady Estellise was going. "I believe she was going to see archduke Kyle and won't be back later this evening." Dame Margaret replied. "Why do you ask?"
"It's just that I didn't know she was even leaving the castle in the last few months. I just learned about this this afternoon." I replied. "Why wasn't I informed?"
"I was told it on council business approved by commandant Alexei." Dame Margaret answered. "And the Imperial knights were on a 'need to know' basis. And your brigade wasn't on that list."
"Is that so." I replied. Guess that sort of explains why I was kept in the dark. "By the way, did you know that lady Estellise was..." I told her what lady Estellise was wearing when she left the castle.
"She went to see archduke Kyle wearing THAT!?" Dame Margaret said, looking quite surprised.
"Like Flynn said, Margaret, she was wearing that rather trashy outfit that I once wore back when I was Gradana's mistress." Julia answered. "And you didn't think this was odd?"
"I just thought she was going through a phase, Julia." Dame Margaret replied. "You know how teenagers are these days. But still..." She scratched her chin.
"That outfit she was wearing today is kind of trashy." Dame Margaret shook her head. "Not something a proper lady, never mind a princess would wear. I will scold her on this as soon as she returns."
"Tell me about it." Julia said.
"So what can you tell us about lady Estellise's behavior in the last four months, dame Margaret?" I asked. "Starting on her birthday."
"On her birthday..." Dame Margaret pondered...
And then answered. "I was leaving lady Estellise's room, having finished her studies for the day, when I ran into lord Ragou coming down the hall. I asked him what was his business here, and he said he wished to see lady Estellise concerning some Council business and wished to discuss it with her alone. And he went in, closed the door, and came out a couple of minutes later. I then went in and asked what was it Ragou wanted to talk about. She was very happy, she told me that the Council was allowing her to go outside the Castle on council business."
"Going outside?" I said. "I'm not sure that was such a good idea, considering what recently happened to master Ioder."
"Me neither, sir Flynn..." Dame Margaret said.
"Anyway, lady Estellise went out that evening, and didn't come back til well past midnight. When I asked councilman Nero what she was doing, he said it was none of my concern. Also they told me not to inform you of this, saying that this is none of your concern either." She explained
"I see...Did you say councilman Nero?" I asked.
"I did, sir Flynn." Dame Margaret answered.
"I see." I scratched my chin. "So back to my investigation, Dame Margaret. What did she do afterwords?"
"Well a week or so later, lord Ragou returned to the castle. Natalie." She turned to Natalie and Hannah. "Was listening outside at the time, weren't you?"
"Sure was, dame Margaret." Natalie replied.
"I followed lord Ragou at a distance so he wouldn't see me, and when he went in, I listened through the door. It sounded like they were arguing over something. When things got quiet, I went and hid around a corner. Just my luck, lord Ragou came around the same corner. He asked me what was I doing, and I told him I was going to see lady Estellise(which I was at the time)."
"I had Natalie and Hannah take over for me while I was away in Aspio." Julia commented.
Natalie continued. "Anyway, lord Ragou said he still remembered both me and Hannah, even addressed me by my old name of Nagisa Sekitan. And commented how pretty I look in my maid uniform and that he regrets not taking the opportunity to *shudder* do me back when me and Hannah were his 'guests' three years ago *shudder again* He told me to carry on and left. I then asked lady Estellise what lord Ragou wanted to see her for and she told me that she was going out again."
"Just like in issue#1." Julia whispered to me.
Dame Margaret continued from there. "And sure enough, that's what she did, again escorted by councilman Nero, coming back late at night, rather exhausted, and that's how it was for the next eight weeks. Until Wesley's death."
"I remember." Hanna said. "The afternoon before he died, he was supposed to be guarding lady Estellise's room."
"Supposed to be, Hannah?" I inquired.
"That's right, sir Flynn, when I went to lady Estellise's room to see if she needed anything, instead of seeing Wesley, I saw councilman Nero acting suspiciously at her door."
"Suspiciously, Hannah?" I asked.
"He was listening at the door, Flynn." Hannah answered. "When I asked him what he was doing, he said none of your business and shooed me off. A couple of hours later, he asked us to clean up Lady Estellise's room. And when we went in to do so, we found that her bedspreads were already removed."
"I'm telling you, I think they're trying to hide something." Natalie said.
"I agree, Nat." Hannah added. "Something tells me something was going on in that room, something that got Wesley killed..."
"Just like in issue#2." Julia whispered again. And looking pretty worried.
"Not that we're gonna miss him or anything. He was almost as bad as his c.o., sir Cumore." Natalie added
"How absolutely true, Natalie." Julia commented. "Now let me if I got this right, all of lady Estellise's 'excursions' with councilman Nero were timed not only during my own four month long absence from the castle, but with Flynn's four day patrols between here and Deidon hold. Correct."
"Quite right, Julia." Dame Margaret said.
"I feel I should mention this; In the month following, lady Estellise didn't go out anymore. Although we continued her etiquette lessons as well as resuming her fencing and horse riding lessons when Drake returned three months ago, it didn't appear that she was interested in the latter two and eventually, about a month ago lost interest altogether. That was before you went off to Aspio and then Shizontonia as I recall."
Dame Margaret let her shoulders slump down and sighed. "I'd never thought I'd miss complaining about that tailcoat and trouser set that she likes to wear for her horse-riding lessons."
"Or wearing that fencing outfit either, dame Margaret" Natalie added. "Besides during that month, lady Estellise was getting increasingly antsy, and shortly after you went to Aspio, sir Flynn, she asked to see lord Ragou."
"Lord Ragou?" I asked.
"She wanted to ask him why she wasn't going out anymore. And they arranged a meeting just after we turned in for the night." Hannah added. "But here's the weird thing; that night, the guards took our keys and we were all locked in our dorms. Sometime afterwords we heard what sounded like a scream coming from the dining hall."
"I'm liking this less and less, Flynn." Julia said. I nodded in agreement.
Hannah continued. "The following morning, we noticed that the couch in the dining hall was replaced, and once again, lady Estellise's bedspreads were gone. When we asked lady Estellise what happened last night, she said that we shouldn't be concerned, and that she will be resuming her council activities outside the castle."
Then dame Margaret added in. "And during the last month, lady Estellise was going out and seeing various nobles, in particular those closely connected to lord Ragou."
"Which ones, dame Margaret?" I asked.
"There were quite a fair number of nobles, lawyers and various councilmen, but the last few I know of happen to be duke Calvin DeSade, Earl Gradana Stafford, and right now, archduke Kyle Nicolas." The last two, me, Julia, and the two Yurzoreans know all too well.
"Gradana you say? Oh, good grief, that explains the trashy outfit she was wearing." Julia said. "As as for archduke Kyle, why do I get a VERY BAD feeling that brown skinned asshole was making her one of his 'fawns' like what he did to me three years ago before Yuri stomped his penis flat." That almost caused dame Margaret to faint in shock.
"GASP! What are you saying, Julia!? Are you trying to tell us that lady Estellise is having SEX!?" Dame Margaret gasped in surprise, hand to her face.
"I'm pretty sure it's possible, dame Margaret. I mean think about it. The missing bedspreads, the 'new' couch in the dining hall." Julia explained.
"I absolutely hate to say this but I'm certain that lady Estellise was having sex with Wesley in her room two months ago and last month with either Ragou or his lackeys both in her room and here in the dining hall. Therefore they had to replace the bedspreads and the couch to conceal the, eww, evidence."
"This can't be, Julia!" Dame Margaret was white with shock as she gasped. "That our beloved, sweet innocent lady Estellise is no longer a virgin!?"
"I'm afraid that's a very strong possibility. And I'm hoping I'm wrong." Julia replied. "I'd be extremely upset if I'm right."
She nervously gulped "But let's face it, me and Flynn both read Fidi's diary. We both know that they were planning to use that monster's drool to control the princess."
"I'm not sure she's even drugged, Julia." I said. "When she greeted us the other day, her eyes were shiny, not dull."
"I noticed that too, Flynn." Julia replied. "But then I remember Gradana making me use eye-drops to simulate normal shininess when ever he took me on any social functions."
"Do you think we should talk to lady Estellise?" Dame Margaret asked. "I wish to hear her side of this."
"So do I Margaret." Julia nodded.
"I think it's best to wait til tomorrow evening, Julia." I suggested. "Hatchette's posted to guard her on that day.."
"So for now, keep a close eye on her, dame Margaret." I added. "If anything unusual happens, let us know." Dame Margaret nodded and we went about our evening duties.
Lady Estellise returned to the Castle later that evening. Not surprisingly, dame Margaret gave her a good scolding for wearing that 'dress'.
(The Castle, The following evening after supper)
(Julia's point of view)
Dame Margaret asked me to bring Estellise her supper. It seems that one of the changes in her behavior is that she no longer eats at the dining hall anymore. Also, she's accompanying me to lady Estellise's room. She wants to know where lady Estellise was going to on the first two months...
As we approached Estellise's room, I noticed a single guard wearing Schwann Brigade colors. "Evening, Julia, dame Margaret. You two here to see lady Estellise." The knight greeted us in a familiar voice. "It's nice to see you again."
I nodded. "Sure am, Hatchette, and nice to see you too as well."
Hatchette took off his helmet. "I'm told that damn drug's reared its ugly head again." He said.
You see three years ago, both Hatchette and myself were in the Royal Guard. But that absolutely revolting commander at the time, Gradana used the drug to make Hatchette into a sexist douche-bag and me into his personal sex-slave.
We were both cured after six months on that disgusting drug. Nowadays, Hatchette's a sergeant in the Schwann Brigade, and I've since became a maid, and more recently a scholar. "Heard that you might have stopped the flow of it from Shizontonia."
"I suppose so, Hatchette." I said, recalling that wild fight I had with that revolting valssuwreath. "Now then..."
I knocked on Estellise's door. "Lady Estellise, your supper's here, may I come in?"
After a few seconds...
"You may enter." Estellise's voice called out on the other side. I opened the door and entered. As I placed her supper on her table, I noticed that lady Estellise was wearing her white dress(I never saw her all day). "Good evening Julia, dame Margaret. Thank you for bringing my supper, you may go." She said.
That's it? 'thanks for the meal, now scram'?
"Lady Estellise, we want to ask you a few questions, concerning the last few months if you do not mind." I said.
"W-What do you mean, Julia?" Estellise replied, looking rather fidgety.
"We just wish to know what you've been doing since Ragou visited you on your birthday. I was talking to the maids and Margaret, they told me what's been going on in my absence." I replied, looking closely at her eyes, they look a bit too shiny.
"I, Um, Er…" Estellise stuttered and fidgeted. "Lord Ragou offered me a task to do. A task that allowed me to go outside the castle."
"And this task, what does this involve, lady Estellise?" I continued to ask.
"Lord Ragou wanted me to do a, what was that word, sympathy call down in the Lower Quarter." Estellise replied.
"Did you say sympathy call!? Lower Quarter!?" Margaret asked Why do I get the feeling she went to the Red Light District?
"Um, Dame Margaret are you okay?" Estellise asked the now surprised housekeeper.
"The Lower Quarter, lady Estellise?" Margaret replied. "Just what are they thinking?"
Okay, Let's continue. "Did Ragou give you anything?" I asked.
"Um, yes, he gave me a contract for me to sign." She said.
"Did you at least read it?" I asked.
"Um, no, Julia not really." Estellise sheepishly pressed her fingers together. "I probably should have, huh.?"
"Yes, you probably should have, especially the fine print, who knows that those contracts involve." Margaret sternly replied. "Was that all Ragou gave you?"
"Um, no, Dame Margaret." Estellise replied. "Lord Ragou gave me a medicine. He said it was to protect me from the diseases down in that part of the Lower Quarter that I was going to."
"Couldn't your healing artes do the same thing?" I asked, sitting on her bed, examining the bedspreads. Definitely new.
"I wasn't really sure, so I accepted the medicine." Estellise replied, sitting at her table.
"How did it taste?" I asked
"It was rather sweet, Julia." Estellise answered. "But it made me feel a bit funny, my head felt dizzy and my body felt tingly, and later made my eyes go dull. Lord Ragou gave me a prescription for some special eye-drops that restored their shininess."
Sweet taste? Dizzy head? Tingly body? DULL EYES!? Concealed with eye drops no less? Oh no! Estellise, don't tell me that you're actually taking that revolting drug!?
"Julia! What's wrong!? You're starting to look pale. Are you okay?" Lady Estellise asked as she stood up.
Calm down, calm down, Julia. This is absolutely no time to go into a complete melodramatic swooning fit. I stood up and walked around for a little bit waiting til I was calm enough to continue my questioning.
"I have, well, one more question before I leave you to your supper. On your 'sympathy call' Where did you go, who did you see, and what did you do?" Something tells me I'm not going to like the answers.
"Um, if I remember correctly, it was an area called the Red Light district." Estellise answered. WHAT!?
"And I met Eric Onkos and his friend Stanley Falakros and some of their friends." DOUBLE WHAT!?(Imagine those two smelly dark-skins and their friends doing her...To Kill Bill alarm, Author)
"And I've been having sex with them for the following eight weeks." TRIPLE WHAT!?(I don't need to tell you what Julia is imagining, but again it's to the Kill Bill Alarm, Author)
Told you I didn't like the answers!
"AH! Julia!" Right now, I'm in a complete state of shock leaning against the wall, clutching my chest, breathing heavily, I felt like I was having a heart attack!
And I wasn't the only one in complete utter shock. Margaret was as white as a sheet and it looked like she was about to have a melodramatic fit. Her eyes were, like mine, were completely wide and on the verge of tears!
I was hoping I was wrong about Estellise having sex, but it turns out I was, oh Zaude! I WAS RIGHT! Just like in those doujinshis! And that damn asshole, Ragou is behind it all! Along with Charu!
"Lady Estellise, what have you done? How could do this to us!?" I gasped.
Then Margaret added. "You were actually having SEX!?" She gasped. "Of all the worst things that could possibly happen, this is THE! WORST! POSSIBLE! THING!" You absolutely took the words right out of my mouth, Margaret, not that I can blame you!
Then Margaret…
Does a melodramatic twirling swoon onto Estellise's bed. "Oh, why, lady Estellise!? WHYYYY!? WHYYYY!? WHYYYY!? Why did you do this to us, lady Estellise? WHYYYY!? How could you allow yourself to become a cheap, improper slut? WHYYYY!?"
She buried her face into a pillow and continues to cry. "Sob sob. Where did I go wrong? Sob! I failed! Sniffle! I completely failed! Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo!"
I glared at Estellise. "What have I done?" She stared at the sobbing housekeeper.
Then I grabbed Estellise by the shoulders and shook her. "Just what in Zaude's name was going through that foolish head of yours when you signed that contract!?" I demanded as I felt the tears on my cheeks.
All that lady Estellise could stammer was. "J-Julia, Dame Margaret, I'm so sorry! I.-I just wanted to go outside the castle! I didn't know that the contract involved until it was too late! I'm so sorry!"
I slapped her across her face. "Well you should had taken the time to read it, you fool!" I replied. "Dammit, lady Estellise! That was stupid, even for you!"
"Julia! Stop!" Dame Margaret begged as she stood up. "How could you slap her highness like that! And talk to her like that! That's not..."
"Not now, Margaret!" I snapped at her.
Then I returned my attention to that foolish princess, and took a deep breath to try to calm myself down.
"Dammit! Lady Estellise listen to me. You're being drugged and being raped. I ought to know. I had this happen to me for over six months about three years ago. And what they did to me still haunts me to this day. And now I'm seeing this happening to you. And I don't like it. I know what you're going to say; 'This drug I'm on making it all feel good.' Am I right?"
Estellise just nodded as she rubbed where I slapped her.
"I thought so. Ragou's contract is not consent, The drug you're addicted to is not consent. As far as I'm concerned, those Lower Quarter Johns raped you, Wesley raped you, Ragou and those two councilmen raped you, along with whoever Ragou sent you to see in the last month. They took advantage of Ragou's contract, They took advantage of that drug and your addiction to sex!" I told her.
I let out an exasperated sigh and let my shoulders sag. "And, as your servant and head maid, your well being is my responsibility, and I simply cannot allow you to continue down this accursed path. This has to stop, Lady Estellise. Before it leads to Zaude knows what. I'm telling Flynn."
Estellise gasped. "Julia, please no! Don't tell Flynn! I beg of you!" She pleaded hand over fist near her chin. "I don't want him to..."
"To do what, lady Estellise? Come and help you?" I replied. "Even if you won't allow it? I'm afraid that's no longer an option. Want it or not, he's going to help you and so shall I. Good evening." I bowed to her. "Come on Margaret, we need to speak to Flynn."
"Right." Was all the rather upset housekeeper could say. Let's face it, me and Margaret need some freaking strong drinks after what just happened. But first thing's first...
"I overheard everything, Julia." Hatchette said as we came out. "I still remember those two oversexed smelly jerkasses. Can't believe that baron Ragou's making Lady Estellise take that crap and go to the Lower Quarter for eight weeks."
"Me neither, Hatchette." I said, shaking my head. "This is absolutely worse than I thought. We need to tell Flynn."
"Want me to come with?" Hatchette offered.
"No, Hatchette." I replied. "Stay her and guard lady Estellise. We'll let Flynn, Jurgis and Schwann know that you know about what's going on. Don't say anything. Until they talk to you."
"Got it." Hatchette resumes his post and We headed back to The dining to tell the others what we found out.
Not to mention we had to stop by the nearest washroom when Margaret started thinking about Ragou and lady Estellise and what they did a month ago, and she started to...
Well you get the idea.
(The Dining Hall)
(Flynn's point of view)
We've been waiting here since they cleaned the tables. The staff was pretty straightforward in tidying up the dining hall.
Unlike last year with those roadies from Earth who did it with style, tossing dishes, goblets and silverware around with such uncanny precision, getting them perfectly clean without so much as chipping them, almost giving dame Margaret a heart attack. Of course, that's another story.
Right now, it's just me, along with Natalie and Hannah.
It wasn't long before Julia and Dame Margaret entered. They both looked very upset.
Julia calmly closed the door behind her, and walked right up to that new couch. Dame Margaret just sat down at our table. There was nothing but silence before...
I finally spoke. "Julia? Are you okay? what have you found?"
For several long seconds, Julia just stared vacantly at us before...
"Lady Estellise was taking drugs and having sex with Lower Quarter johns in the first eight weeks following her birthday. Oh, Zaude, I was right. It's just like in those doujinshis!"
She sat down next to dame Margaret. "Right now I'm just too upset to be melodramatic, and I need a freaking drink."
"Me too." Dame Margaret added. "Assuming I can even hold it down."
"Julia is there anything else you want to tell us?" I asked.
"Yes, Flynn." Julia sighed. "Lady Estellise mentioned that she was given a contract to sign. She signed it without reading it first. Then that frigging asshole, Ragou gave her some medicine, but he lied to her, it was really Tentacle Syrup, no doubt made from that revolting monster we destroyed back in Shizontonia."
"You sure it was that drug, Julia?" I asked.
"Positive, Flynn." Julia answered. "Lady Estellise even told me the all too familiar taste and the effects of it herself."
"And did she say who she went and see?" I asked. "Please, Julia, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."
"She did, Flynn." Julia started trembling with anger. "The people she met on her first 'sympathy call' was none other than Eric Onkos and Stan Falakros and some of their revolting smelly friends. Just like in that doujinshi we read."
She clenches her fists in anger. "I just want to NEUTER THEM RIGHT NOW!" She pulls out a dagger and stabs the table with it, sending chips of wood into the air. "AND THAT BASTARD RAGOU AS WELL! AS WELL AS THAT ACCURSED… STUTHOR, CHARU FOR CAUSING ALL THIS!"
"Calm down, Julia!" Dame Margaret pleaded. "I Know your as upset about lady Estellise as I am, but please don't take it out on the furniture!"
"I know, Margaret." Julia replied, pulling her dagger out of the table and slumping back in her chair. "I'd rather be stabbing the you-know-whats of the scum that de-flowered her." I can relate.
"Oh my gods!" Hannah gasped. "Are you telling us that lady Estellise was sent to the Red Light District in the first eight weeks? Giving her body to those disgusting oversexed men?"
Julia nodded, still trembling with anger.
"How, sob, how awful, sob sob." Hannah looked like she was about to burst into tears. "What should we do?"
"That's what I'd like to know, Hannah." Natalie replied. "But crying about it ain't gonna solve this mess."
"Natalie's right, Hannah." I said.
"So what now?" Natalie asked. "It's not right that the council's using lady Estellise like that and making Hannah, dame Margaret cry and Ojou-sama I mean lady Julia angry."
"I think, personally, the best thing to do right now is wait." I said.
"If we try to move on either the nobles that lady Estellise visited, or the stockyard johns, it could tip off the ones behind her current state of mind and make it near impossible to properly cure her."
"So you're saying that we should go about our business for the time being." Julia said.
"That's right, Julia.." I replied. "Until I get the antidote."
"And once it's in our hands, guys..." Natalie interrupted. "It's intervention time."
"That's pretty much the general idea, Natalie." I replied. "Oh yeah, what we said here does not leave this room, keep it to ourselves, we don't want anyone else knowing what we're planning. Got it" we all nodded. "Good."
"I'm afraid you're right, Flynn." Julia said. "I absolutely don't like the idea of lady Estellise being dragged further and further into who knows what kind of evil. But I do suppose that's all we can do for now, sigh." She slumped back in her chair. "Natalie, Hannah."
"Yes, lady Julia?" The two maids asked.
"For now you two are to keep a close eye on Estellise, report to me, Flynn, Margaret, Schwann or Jurgis of anything out of the ordinary." Julia ordered.
"HAI, ojou-sama." The two maids bowed.
"Oh, yeah, Captain Jurgis, and Schwann should know about this." Julia told us. "We should tell them as soon as possible."
"Noted, Julia." I nodded. "Under no circumstances is lady Estellise to leave the castle." I said. "All right this meeting is adjourned. Let's go about our evening duties."
(Jurgis Brigade HQ, Moments later)
Me, Julia, and dame Margaret made our way to sir Jurgis's office. As we entered, We noticed that not only was sir Jurgis waiting for us, but so was sir Schwann and the Aiheap twins. We told them about what we discovered about lady Estellise's excursions.
"I was afraid of this." Sir Jurgis shook his head when I told him of what's happening. "First master Ioder goes missing under my watch, and now we learn that Lady Estellise is having affairs with some of our more disreputable nobles?"
"It would appear so, sir Jurgis." I answered. "Last night it was with archduke Kyle, and the maids and dame Margaret here told me that she also went to see earl Gradana."
"That jackass needs another kick in the nuts if you ask me." Chastel interrupted.
"No kidding, sis." Hisca added.
"Which I most certainly would be all too happy to do." Julia threw her two gald in.
Then dame Margaret added. "And before that, she went to see duke Calvin."
"Duke Calvin DeSade?" Sir Jurgis asked. "I don't like this." Duke Calvin has a reputation of having people tortured as a hobby.
"Tortured?" Dame Margaret gasped.
"For good reason, Jurgis." Sir Schwann added. "I was sneaking around his estate(as Raven of course), keeping tabs on her highness. She was escorted there by Nero, but it wasn't just Calvin waiting for her there."
He showed us some pictures taken with a custom flashless camera blastia. The other person in that picture looked like a fat middle-aged Yurzorean wearing a green shirt and white pants, there was no mistaking him.
"Kitano Masiji." I said. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he'd be back in Mayoccia, considering that we ran into his son in Shizontonia a few weeks ago."
"Yeah, that guy's currently hiding at the Yurzorean embassy." Sir Schwann said. "So, for now we can't get to him. Anyway, you probably have heard that duke Calvin's into S&M and all kinds of torture, right?"
"Yeah." I replied. "He practically makes sir Cumore look like a saint by comparison."
"Unfortunately, not even royalty is above him in his mansion, take a look st these, they were the reason why he invited Kitano..."
He showed us a set of pictures he took through a basement window. They show lady Estellise chained up naked to a wall, then Kitano took a white-hot branding iron with the Yurzorean word for pig(豚) on its end, to reflect his hatred for the opposite sex, to her. Oh, Zaude! I was shaking in rage at this.
"Oh, Zaude, how horrible!" Dame Margaret gasped, looking like she was on the verge of fainting.
"Why that stereotypical son of a bitch!" Chastel, like me was trembling with rage, no doubt remembering the same thing done to both her and Hisca three years ago. "I'll Kill him!"
"I timed my shots with his cameras." Sir Schwann continues. "And after that scene was done, lady Estellise used her healing artes to remove the brands from her body. They took her upstairs and, well you get the picture. I was just about to tell Jurgis this when you two kids and the housekeeper showed up."
I'll not beat around the bush here, I was upset and angry at what was done to lady Estellise. Dame Margaret, Hisca and Chastel were just as upset. But Julia….
Ho boy! She took a long look at those pictures. The silence was deafening as she was trembling in pure rage.
"Why, why those, those, THOSE(Although this is an M rated fan-fic, I deemed it wise to cut out this portion of Julia REALLY ANGRY tirade in order to preserve the eyes, ears, and sanity of the readers, Author)ASSHOLES!" And she punched sir Jurgis's desk hard enough to a dent in it.
"I'M ABSOLUTELY GOING TO KILL THAT FAT YURZOREAN BASTARD! I'LL...I'LL CUT OFF HIS MANHOOD WITH A RED HOT IRON SPOON AND MAKE HIM EAT IT! THEN I'LL GUT HIM ALIVE, STRANGLE HIM WITH HIS OWN INTESTINES, AND CARVE HIS CORPSE INTO PIECES AND FLUSH THEM DOWN THE NEAREST TOILET! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" As angry as I was, her fury could probably make a giganto run screaming into the night. "NOT TO MENTION, OOOOOOOOOOOH!"
"Kya! Julia! you're scaring us!" The twins said as they glomped each other.
"She scaring you two!?" Dame Margaret trembled as she hid behind me. "What about me!?"
"Hah hah… I'm so dreadfully sorry you all had to see that everybody." Julia apologized. "I really need to control my strength or my temper. And now I suppose I'll have to repair Jurgis' desk. To just lose it like this. How embarrassing."
"That's putting it mildly, Julia. Anyway, I'd like to do something about this, but..." Sir Jurgis said. "The noble Quarter isn't our jurisdiction, It's Cumore's."
"Not to mention, Duke Calvin will claim that those photos were fake." Sir Schwann added. "And since I didn't get any pictures of duke Calvin humping lady Estellise, though I did hear it, We can't quite prove to the council that she was having sex. And that's even harder since quite a few are in baron Ragou's back-pocket."
"So what are we going to do?" Hisca asked.
"Cure her and put an end to this." I replied. "Tomorrow I'm going down town to the local apothecary to see about getting the antidote."
"Hopefully we can cure lady Estellise." Julia added. "But that still leaves the contract. We need to find it and destroy it if we are to truly free her from Ragou's control."
"Something tells me that ain't gonna be easy." Sir Schwann said. Both his estates hare in Zaphias and Capua Nor are pretty well guarded and He'll likely keep it close to him."
"Yeah, there are times like this when we need a freaking drink." Sir Jurgis said as he went over to the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and several shot glasses. "And, quite frankly, learning what been going on here under our noses with the council's shenanigans with her royal highness qualifies." He poured the whiskey into the shot glasses and hands them out to us. He takes a sip from his glass.
"No argument there, captain." I replied and took a sip.
"Seconded, Flynn." Julia takes a sip.
"And third." Dame Margaret also took a sip.
...Yeah...
(End Part 4)
Author's Notes:
This chapter focuses on our heroes trying to figure out just what exactly is going on with Estellise.
Anyway that's it for this chapter. Next two chapters we cover a week of waiting til a certain hippie returns. Later.