Sorry, I know I said I was getting to a Cleobulus/Kronya segment, but that'll have to wait until next chapter. This one is Cornelia-centric again.
WARNING! This chapter contains explicit sexual content of dubious consent. Reader discretion is advised.
Chapter 55 – Dreams and Desire (Lone Moon)
Cornelia knew this dream. She'd seen it countless times over the centuries, and every time it felt like it had only occurred minutes before.
She was in Shambhala. The city of darkness, with the glow of Magitek as its only source of light, was unmistakable. Shadowed figures were all around her, watching two figures in the throne room as one was forced to his knees, while the other stood triumphantly over him.
The victor was Thales.
The defeated was her father, Omphalos VIII.
"You and your line hold the throne no longer, Omphalos!" said Thales. "Our laws are absolute! I, as victor, claim the title Agastya – Harbinger of the End! To you, the defeated, there is but one sentence!"
"Your grip on the throne will not hold, Thales…!" Omphalos VIII spat. "The Blood Oath will be the doom of us all!"
Thales smirked as he raised his blade, a wicked Agarthium claymore, and said, "The words of a coward. You will take your heresy with you to the void!"
Bias watched as her father seethed with rage as he said, "Гори в аду, предатель!"
It was his final words before Thales swung his blade and severed Omphalos VIII's head.
The dream began to fade into darkness as she heard Thales's echoing laughter.
…
Cornelia's eyes slowly opened as the dream ended. She was still in her bed in Fhirdiad.
The duchess rose naked from the covers and sat upon her bed in silence. That dream always kept coming back to her, more than usual these days. She could use her magic to rid herself of it, but she would not do such a thing. To her, it was a reminder and a motivator, to never let go of her hatred of the Agastya.
It had been over 500 years now since that day. She had been young then, untested and unproven. Yet she still had been considered royalty, in a sense. Her father's line had descended from King Ptolemeios, but after so many centuries, and after Omphalos VIII's death, that lineage meant little to what remained of their society.
After all, it was power that ruled them, and none could match the Agastya in that regard.
It had taken her decades before she had learned exactly why Thales had murdered her father in ritual combat. Omphalos VIII had been trying to turn the Agarthans away from what they called the Blood Oath: the ancient promise of revenge against the Fell Star and her progeny. It was not because he did not hate them, but because he wanted to preserve their race. He feared that following the Blood Oath to its conclusion would eventually result in the extinction of the Agarthans.
Thales, however, cared not for the survival of their race. And so, declaring the king a coward and an oath-breaker, Thales challenged him for the throne.
Omphalos VIII had been a powerful leader, which was why no one else in the highborn caste had challenged him before Thales. But Thales, with his own Dark Gift, had brought Omphalos VIII to his knees in a matter of minutes, all while a young Bias had watched.
But what made Cornelia clutch her bedsheets in anger wasn't how Thales had killed her father. He had rightfully won in ritual combat. Her father hadn't been strong enough, and so he deserved his fate.
It was how, after taking Omphalos VIII's crown, he had her brought before him, forced her to her knees, and made Bias to swear fealty to him.
He had done it as an insult to all who had supported Omphalos VIII, and to Ptolemeios's entire bloodline. He, who hadn't a speck of royal blood in his veins, had bested the line of Agarthan Kings that had ruled for centuries, and forced his opponent's heir to heel.
And for five hundred years, she was forced to watch Thales defend his throne, time and again, her blood boiling every time he cut down a potential usurper. And each time he won, he would hang the victory over her head, taunting her, knowing she was the last living member of Ptolemeios's bloodline, and believing she would not dare to challenge him herself.
But he was wrong.
Cornelia grimaced as she swore that she would bring the Agastya's entire existence crashing down around him.
A knock on the door snapped her out of her memories.
"My duchess? Are you awake?" said a voice belonging to one of the maids.
"Enter," Cornelia said without bothering to cover herself.
The door opened as the maid entered with a platter of food and drink, the girl's cheeks turning slightly pink at seeing the duchess naked in her bed. Cornelia hid a smirk, knowing her nudity was nothing new to the servant, a black-haired commoner girl with round glasses named Shirley. She had only been employed for a little over a month by this point. Cornelia had killed her predecessor, a Loyalist assassin, at the party during the Ethereal Moon.
"Y-Your breakfast for today, milady," said Shirley.
Shirley set the platter down on the bedside table and lifted the cover, revealing a serving of venison, eggs and grapes. Cornelia had to stop herself from sighing; it was a fine meal, no doubt, but one she wasn't interested in for now.
"Venison, is it?" Cornelia said in slight disdain.
Realizing Cornelia's displeasure, Shirley stammered, "I-If you want something else, milady, I will go and fetch it immediately."
Shirley turned to exit the room. But just before she grabbed the door handle, she heard the duchess cast a spell. The door glowed for a second. Shocked, Shirley tried to open the door, but it would not budge.
"Stay here, dearie," Cornelia said seductively as she stepped out of her bed and walked toward the maid.
Hearing the duchess's footsteps, Shirley's eyes widened in fear as she turned around, just in time for Cornelia to grab her chin.
"I have an entirely… different hunger at the moment," said Cornelia. "And you… will satisfy it for me."
Shirley quivered like a newborn foal as Cornelia leaned forward and bit the maid's right ear. The maid gasped in shock as Cornelia then licked inside her ear.
"A-A-A-Ahahah…!" Shirley stammered feverishly.
She then let out a sharp gasp as Cornelia grabbed her right breast. The maid might not have compared to Cornelia's massive endowment, but she was still buxom herself. But now, as Cornelia cupped her breast in her hand, Shirley could only quiver in shame at being so blessed.
"M-M-My lady…!"
"Shhshhshhshh…" Cornelia cooed softly. "Do not resist it. Relax, and I will show you heaven like you have never known."
Cornelia's right hand glowed as she channeled her Mana again. Still gripping Shirley's right breast in her left hand, Cornelia drew her right hand down the front of Shirley's uniform. The black dress seemed to disintegrate to Cornelia's touch, tearing a line down the middle. Shirley's bra and corset came apart at the seams and fell away from her body, and within seconds she was exposed above the waist, the front half of her dress all but destroyed. The duchess took a second to smile at her handiwork as Shirley could barely believe what was happening to her.
For a second, Shirley thought to scream. But Cornelia, seeing the panic in her eyes, engulfed the maid's mouth in a wet kiss just as the bespectacled girl tried to call for help. Shirley, overwhelmed with shock, felt her scream die in her throat as Cornelia's tongue danced with hers.
Cornelia separated from the kiss for a second and said, "Mmm… strawberries. You should've brought some of those with you."
"M-My apologies, milady!" Shirley gasped in terror. "Please, let me go! I – AAH!"
Shirley let out a shriek as Cornelia pinched her right nipple between her long nails. She then grasped Shirley's breast in her hand and began kneading it like dough. She reached her right hand down into Shirley's ruined dress as she groped her.
The black-haired maid was at a loss for what to do. She didn't want this, but if she tried to stop the duchess, she feared she'd lose her head.
"Please, milady! Don't! I – AHH!"
Shirley let out another shriek as Cornelia's fingers found her slit and slipped their way into her folds. The duchess's thumb danced over her clitoris as Shirley almost lost the strength to stay standing. Cornelia could feel how wet she was inside, and as she plunged her fingers deeper into the girl's pussy, she found another surprise that made her smile.
"Mmmhmm… Untouched, are we?" said Cornelia. "I love virgins."
"Milady, please! I – I don't–"
Cornelia removed her right hand from Shirley's skirt. She channeled the same spell as before, and the apron and skirt of Shirley's uniform burned away, as well as her underwear. Now with nothing protecting her, Shirley tried to put a hand in front of her pussy, but Cornelia grabbed her wrist and pulled it aside.
"Nooo! Please, not that! Duchess Corneli– AAAAH!"
Shirley shut her tear-filled eyes as Cornelia stuck her long fingers into her pussy, while the duchess began nibbling her ear again. The maid was so overwhelmed by pleasure that she felt like she would faint at any moment.
She'd only heard rumors of the duchess's lust, and in her foolishness, she had dismissed them as just that. Now, as she cried and quivered, she wished she had never taken this job.
But as much as she wanted to scream, she found herself unable to do so. Her mind was telling her non-stop to cry for help, strike the duchess, or do anything to stop her. But her body would not listen to her mind. It was as if she couldn't control herself.
Little did the maid know, she was right. Shirley's blue eyes were glowing with a violet glint as Cornelia molested her, using her Dark Gift, Dominus, on the poor girl.
Among the Dark Gifts, Dominus was one of the most powerful, but it could only be wielded by those of royal Agarthan blood. In Cornelia's hands, it allowed her to take control of another's mind if they were within around 150 meters of her. She could not control more than one mind at a time, and some foes, such as Thales, were outright immune to it. It also, to her chagrin, didn't work very well on monsters or wild beasts. But for those who could not resist it, it gave her complete control over them.
Normally, mind control spells were complex, time-consuming, and highly visible. Yet Dominus was not based on magic, as it was a psionic power. The only giveaway for it was the violet glow that would appear in Cornelia's eyes and the eyes of her puppet. And Cornelia had spent centuries mastering her Dark Gift. She could use it to manipulate others subliminally, or take full control of someone to make them do what she wanted with precision. She didn't even need to tell her victim what she wanted; she could simply order them with a thought and they would carry it out.
And though Cornelia didn't like to rely too much on Dominus, she knew Shirley would've alerted everyone in the palace by now if she hadn't enslaved her mind. Of course, once she was done with her, she planned to make her forget the whole thing happened. It wouldn't do for people to spread rumors that the Duchess of Faerghus had a penchant for raping her maids.
Shirley whimpered as Cornelia gave her breast another squeeze. She was giving Shirley just enough of a grip on her own mind that she thought she was giving in to the duchess's touch. Cornelia didn't need her Dark Gift to make her think that, but it would take far too long to break her in the old-fashioned way, and she wouldn't be able to keep the girl quiet without controlling her mind. She had a schedule for the day, after all.
"That's a good girl," Cornelia whispered to Shirley as she continued crying. "Now, do your part for me, would you?"
Shirley, not knowing why she was obeying such a perverse order, slowly reached up and grabbed Cornelia's right breast in her hand, squeezing it a bit too hard.
"Mmm… clumsy…" Cornelia softly hissed. "But I've had far worse. You've got potential."
Cornelia smiled as she manipulated Shirley's mind, forcing the girl to bend over and take the duchess's right nipple into her mouth. The duchess cooed as the maid's tongue lapped over her teat. She continued to finger the girl's slit as the maid, her body shaking on the cusp of orgasm, suckled at her breast.
Yet Cornelia did not do this solely for pleasure. She could easily find other ways to please her body. No, she needed this for another reason. She needed control. She needed others to submit to her.
For she had been forced to submit to Thales for over 500 years. And every moment of it burned at her soul.
"That's it," Cornelia said to Shirley. "That's a good girl. Let me reward you for your trouble."
Cornelia wiggled her fingers around in Shirley's soaking quim, knowing just the spot to make the girl reach her climax. As she stroked the maid's insides, she pinched the girl's clit at the same moment that she nibbled on Shirley's neck.
It was more than the mind-controlled girl could take. She would've been screaming in orgasm, but Cornelia's control ensured it came out as a long, feverish gasp of ecstasy instead. Shirley shook in Cornelia's grip as her juices came flowing out of her nether region.
Cornelia released her grip on Shirley, both physically and mentally, letting the girl slide to the ground with her back to the wall. Her head slumped to the side as she lost consciousness.
Cornelia smiled at the maid, knowing she was going to enjoy this girl again soon.
The sound of rustling air caught the duchess's attention. Knowing it could only be one person, she turned to see Rissa before her. The disguised Nightblade had evidently Blinked into her chamber, but even she couldn't be completely silent.
"Rissa," said Cornelia, not wanting to use Kronya's name in the palace.
"Having fun, are we?" Rissa replied. "How was this one?"
"This had better be good if you're barging in unannounced."
Rissa's expression became serious as she said, "We've got a problem. Baron Dominic has betrayed us."
Cornelia's mood immediately soured at the news.
Yet again, her control over others had slipped.
She knew she would not let this instance go unpunished.
Sexy or disturbing? What's your take on this?
In my mind, I would classify this as non-consensual. The maid clearly didn't want to do this, even if Cornelia made her enjoy it. And where do you draw the line when mind control comes into the mix? There will probably be different answers for everyone, so let's not get into any sort of flame war here and just say "Cornelia evil".
Speaking of which, I'm taking the moment to expand my Cornelia's backstory a little more. Some of you will probably think that Cornelia being of royal Agarthan blood is contrived, but in terms of my narrative, it's a bit of a necessity. I know I'm going to piss at least someone off. Deal with it.
I'll definitely work on doing Cleobulus and Kronya next chapter. I just couldn't resist doing a smut chapter for Cornelia that doubles as a character study (of sorts).