And now we get our "introduction" to the main villainess of Blooming Heart, and to a few new OC's who will join the story.

WARNING! - This chapter contains explicit sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised.

Chapter 6 – The Duchess of Faerghus (Ethereal Moon)

Edelgard listened to the roaring crowd outside her carriage as it wheeled its way through the streets of Fhirdiad. The royal palace lay before her, and to her sides were hundreds of angry citizens who cried out for her to leave their city. Soldiers of both the Empire and Dukedom kept the mob in check, as did the presence of the elite Black Eagle Strike Force.

Atop her ruby-scaled Wyvern Fenix, Aerin Ladislava peered through the crowd for any sign of a threat to the emperor. She didn't expect any of the mob to be bold enough to attack Edelgard when there was so much security, but it didn't pay to be careless. Behind her were four other members of the Black Eagle Strike Force, considered among the best warriors in the Empire.

Salia Tereshkova and Zola Axberg flew directly behind Ladislava on their Wyverns. Salia was a blue-haired woman who was considered the most professional and disciplined member of the Black Eagles. Opposite her, Zola's long blonde hair flowed messily over her back, the former bandit holding an impressive battle axe in her right hand. The blonde's numerous scars were evidence to her long life as a warrior. She eyed the crowd hungrily, as though daring them to attack.

Behind them were two other members of the team. The first, Trauare Wrede, had blue hair with a seashell pinned to one of her sidelocks and carried an ornate trident made from Scarletite. She rode on the back of a Pegasus named Zorne. The other, Setiawati, was a tan Brigidese woman with short dark green hair who had a bow strapped to her back as she sat upon her horse. All five women wore light armor to enable a full range of movement, though Trauare and Setiawati showed a lot more skin than the others, despite the cold of winter. Though these five were not the only members of the Strike Force, they were by far the most skilled and recognizable.

"Awfully rowdy, aren't they?" Trauare said playfully.

"They have every right to be upset at our presence," said Setiawati.

"Sympathizing with them, Setia?" Salia asked tersely.

"What of it? It is not so different from the Empire's occupation of my rumah."

"Hey, if they want to do something about us, bring it on," said Zola. "I'm itching for a fight."

"Stow it, Zola," said Ladislava. "We're here to guard Her Majesty. Understood?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Inside the carriage, Edelgard glanced back and forth between the crowd outside and at Hubert, who sat across from her. The emperor's majordomo looked positively ghoulish compared to his academy days. Meanwhile, Edelgard was dressed in a crimson royal garb, her long white hair arranged in two buns supported by her horned crown. An exquisite wavy blade was strapped to her waist, taken from the Archbishop herself years ago.

The emperor wished she weren't in Fhirdiad. She wished she didn't have an important meeting to attend with the Dukedom's leadership. She had wanted to go to Garreg Mach Monastery, perhaps to see if the Professor and Dorothea would be there. But Hubert had insisted that she not go to the reunion. She knew he was right. It would've been far too risky to expose herself to her enemies like that. And even though she was the emperor, she had to live up to her people's expectations, and that meant giving up on personal desires.

Even if she had gone, would Dorothea and Byleth have wanted to see her? Probably not, she thought. After everything the Empire had done so far, it'd be hard to believe they would want anything to do with her.

Seeing Edelgard's flitting gaze, Hubert said, "You seem troubled, Your Majesty."

"I hate coming to this city, Hubert," Edelgard replied. "If it's not the citizens who want my head, or bad memories of the past…"

Edelgard paused as the carriage came to a halt at the steps of the royal palace. Guards moved to shut the gates leading to Fhirdiad's streets as two more stepped up to the carriage to open its doors, allowing the emperor to step out.

As she exited the carriage, Edelgard looked up at the Faerghus royal palace and said in annoyance, "It's that I must see her."

…

Cornelia loved to be in control. Whether it was making the Faerghus Dukedom dance on a string, or whether it was making love, she always preferred to lead. And right at that moment, she led in the latter.

The curvaceous sorceress moaned lustily as her lips engulfed Cleobulus's mouth in a deep kiss, with Cornelia's left hand stroking the archer's brown hair. Her right hand rested on Kronya's head as the assassin rubbed Cornelia's enormous left breast in her hand while licking and sucking at her right nipple. At the same time, Cleobulus was busy stroking Cornelia's nether region, knowing just how to pleasure the Magistra.

Cornelia gasped for breath as she looked down at her two subordinates. Both were disguised as members of the Faerghus nobility, even while all three of them lay naked in the sorceress's bed. Kronya had taken the appearance of a black-haired girl named Rissa Aine Gideon. She preferred disguising herself as Monica von Ochs, but such an appearance would've raised questions. Cleobulus, on the other hand, had taken on the appearance of a brown-haired archer named Valeska Luna Mateus. To Cornelia's pleasure, both girls still were quite curvy in their disguised forms.

Then, feeling Kronya gently biting her nipple, Cornelia said, "My, my, you're quite frisky today, aren't you?"

Cornelia took this opportunity to pull Kronya's head in closer to her chest, forcing the assassin to engulf her teat fully in her mouth. Kronya began sucking harder on it, as though trying to draw milk. The sorceress then turned her attention back to Cleobulus, lowering her left arm to the archer's ass and giving it a firm grip, to which Cleobulus gasped amorously. Cornelia accompanied this by moving her left knee between Cleobulus's legs, rubbing her slit. The archer was quite soaked already in sweat and other bodily juices. And though she didn't say anything, Cornelia heard Cleobulus's breathing rapidly increase in pace.

Cornelia pushed her knee into Cleobulus's pussy at this moment, sending a shock through her that sent the archer over the edge. The archer gasped and moaned in orgasm while Kronya, who had begun fingering her clit to reach her own climax, let out a shriek of her own as she came. However, in doing so, she ended up releasing her mouth's grip on Cornelia's tit. Cornelia immediately grabbed Kronya's head and pushed her back into her breast, causing Kronya to moan into the sorceress's immense chest. The sensation of the assassin's breath on her nipple brought spikes of pleasure to the sorceress, and within moments of her subordinates' own orgasms, Cornelia gasped softly in satisfaction.

For the next several seconds, all three lay in Cornelia's bed as Kronya and Cleobulus gasped for air, while Cornelia gave them a wide smile.

Cornelia then said, "You two are improving. You almost outlasted me."

"N-Not likely," said Cleobulus. The archer knew Cornelia was unrivalled when it came to sexual dominance.

"Care to try again?"

Before either of the disguised Agarthans could answer, a loud knock was heard at the door.

"My lady?" called a woman's voice. "My lady, are you there?"

Cornelia had to sigh in annoyance at this. It was just getting good too…

Without even bothering to dress, Cornelia rose from her bed and sauntered over to the door of her chambers. Kronya and Cleobulus remained in her bed as Cornelia cracked open the door to see one of her maids standing outside, the woman blushing as she realized the duchess was naked.

"Is this important?" Cornelia asked with a touch of irritation. "It had better be."

"M-My apologies, my lady!" the maid squeaked as she averted her gaze. "B-But Her Majesty, Edelgard von Hresvelg, has arrived."

Smiling, Cornelia said sweetly, "Has she? My, my, how time flies. I'll be down to see her shortly."

Cornelia shut the door, leaving the maid flustered outside.

It was time to start the act, she thought.

The sorceress then turned to her two comrades and said, "Playtime's over, dearies. Time to get to work." Knowing that the maid could be listening, she then whispered, "You know what to do. Remember, make it look good."

Smirking as she licked her lips, Kronya said, "Leave it to us."

As she strode toward her wardrobe, Cornelia channeled her magic, causing her clothes to lift off the floor and begin wrapping themselves around her body. Within seconds, the sorceress was garbed in her usual red dress, the neckline plunging down to her navel and her breasts barely covered by the strapless garment. If it weren't for her magic, such an outfit would never have stayed covering her body.

Cornelia then turned to Cleobulus as the archer dressed herself in a green bustier, dark brown pants and green boots. Kronya, meanwhile, dressed in a red and black garb with two small capelets that was meant to facilitate mobility.

The sorceress then said, "Let's not keep Her Majesty waiting, shall we?"

…

Edelgard sat in an extravagant chair provided by one of the maids as she waited for Cornelia to arrive. All around her in the throne room, noblemen and ladies helped themselves to a banquet of desserts and wine as they chattered amongst each other. A group of musicians were preparing their instruments off to the side.

Even after five years of war, Edelgard thought, some things were slow to change. Several people here weren't exactly what she considered qualified to be called nobles or leaders, but each had their uses. At least they were more useful than a lot of the previous nobles, most who had lost their standing as a result of the Empire's reforms.

Next to her, Hubert stood at attention as he remarked, "The duchess must enjoy taking her time."

Edelgard did not comment on this, knowing Hubert was right.

Then, all of a sudden, strings began strumming and winds began to play, abruptly silencing the chatter of the nobles with the sound of music. Lights began to illuminate one of the stairwells leading to the royal chambers, prompting everyone present to turn to the stairs.

Edelgard had to stop herself from glaring in aggravation.

Cornelia always loved to make an entrance, the emperor thought.

As the musicians played their song, the Duchess of Faerghus began to sing as she slowly descended the stairs with a seductive swagger.

Raging wind

While your visage fades away

Where the world

Lies in pieces at my feet

The fire and the storm

And the snow and the mist

Struggle inside, help me gain insight

Cornelia stopped singing for a moment as she reached the bottom of the stairs, leaving the musicians to linger on soft notes. The duchess looked over at Edelgard, smiling as their eyes met. Edelgard did not return the gesture.

Cornelia continued her song.

Hail my proud queen, on and on on and on

That wax and wane showed

It's ebb and flow

Selah, selah, are chanting evermore

Hear, oh hear

All the voices trapped in thee

The audience began to applaud Cornelia's song, even as the musicians continued playing. The duchess raised her hands as magic swirled around her in a show of lights. Along with being a powerful sorceress, Cornelia was reputed as the greatest singer in Fhirdiad.

But Edelgard was not amused by the duchess's love of theatrics.

See myself in your eyes that's colorless

Visions pass and emotions run through me

Struggle inside, help me gain insight

Hail my proud queen, on and on on and on

That wax and wane showed

It's ebb and flow

Selah, selah, are chanting evermore

Hear, oh hear

All the voices trapped in thee

Again, the audience applauded Cornelia's lyrics. The duchess turned her gaze again to Edelgard, knowing she would see the hidden displeasure in the emperor's eyes.

Then, in a whisper, Cornelia said, "Fair moonlight… Will you fill my void eyes…?"

She then raised her voice as she finished her song.

Hail my proud queen, on and on

Hail my proud queen, on and on

Selah, selah, are chanting evermore

Hear, oh hear

All the voices trapped in thee

The song ended, and the audience could not withhold their applause. The clamor could be heard outside the palace.

Smiling magnanimously, Cornelia said to the audience, "Thank you, thank you. That was a song I wrote for our emperor, Edelgard von Hresvelg, who has graciously blessed us tonight with her presence." She turned, raised a hand to Edelgard, and then said in a motherly tone, "My dear, it warms my heart to see you. Your mother and I were such good friends, and nothing would make me happier than for us to be as close as I was to Patricia."

Edelgard did not reply as Cornelia walked up to her. She knew the sorceress's words were hollow, and that the woman who was now Duchess of Faerghus had been responsible for her mother's disappearance in Duscur. But the audience around them would never believe such a story. Edelgard had no proof.

She knew Cornelia was putting her on a spot, and she hated every second of it. It was just like the woman to want to control everything, right down to this exchange.

And she could do little other than play along with Cornelia's game. She needed the duchess's support and antagonizing her in front of everyone wouldn't benefit the Empire.

"Know that I will always support you toward your goal of a united Fódlan under Imperial rule, as it was in the days of old," said Cornelia.

Finally speaking, Edelgard said, "Your generosity knows no bounds, Cornelia Arnim. I thank you for such… thoughtful words."

Edelgard lifted her hand to Cornelia as she stood, prompting the duchess to take the emperor's hand and kiss it. Cornelia did not kneel as she did this, leaving the duchess towering over the emperor while Hubert watched in veiled disgust.

As Edelgard resumed her seat and Cornelia stepped back, the duchess turned around and said to the audience, "Hail Edelgard, Flame Emperor of the Adrestian Empire! Long may she reign!"

The audience shouted, "Hail Edelgard!"

And as the audience cheered, only Cornelia noticed the emperor struggling to contain her ire at the duchess's choice of words.

Nor did anyone but Edelgard and Hubert notice as Cornelia gave a sultry smile to the emperor.

Cornelia Arnim, a character I feel was criminally underutilized in Three Houses. I plan to fix that.

For this chapter, I was trying to go for a bit of a "Disney villainess" approach with Cornelia, taking inspiration from Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians), the Wicked Stepmother (Snow White), and my all-time favorite Disney villainess, Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty). It's been decades since I first saw Sleeping Beauty, and Maleficent STILL gives me goosebumps. Of course, none of those Disney villainesses were quite as… ahem, amorous as Cornelia.

You guys have already seen Salia and Zola from Part 1, but Trauare and Setiawati are new additions. You can figure out where Trauare's originally from on Google, and you can get a glimpse of what Setiawati looks like by searching "Sichte Meister", at least in terms of body type. I do have to wonder, however, if I'm going with too many females for OC's. I dunno, I just have a harder time creating and utilizing male OC's.

Lastly, the song that Cornelia was singing is called "Befall". Search for it on Youtube and you'll find it easily.

See you next chapter.