AN: I am very sorry for the months of hiatus. On the bright side, you can expect the next three chapters to come soon, those are already on the third or fourth drafts.
Colette grasped the stem of the lavender plant—gently, to avoid damaging it.
The compounds with medicinal uses are… alright, found them. Now I upregulate the production of these compounds, and make production more consistent, so the plant is more useful as medicine…
The flow of mana within the lavender shifted. And on a molecular level, certain genes changed within each and every cell.
Done. Next, I give it the general package of improvements…
After another few minutes, Colette was done. The lavender plant had no visible changes, but if left to grow for just a single twenty-four-hour period, it would likely double its mass, possibly triple it if given good sun, water and soil.
Colette did more than just that. She pulled off small pieces from the plant, using magic to prevent excessive tissue damage as she did so. Each piece was then placed in a new pot filled with nutrient-rich soil. Lastly, she shifted the now-eight pots to a windowsill.
In a few days, she would have eight full-grown plants which could provide many more cuttings in turn, leading to an entire garden to supply the city's needs for this herb. After all, it wasn't feasible for hundreds of thousands of people to rely on the healing magic of one monster, so conventional medicine was still useful for minor ailments.
It's hard to believe my current project is this… completely different to what I was studying before…
Colette shuddered. Even though it had been almost a full month since her summoning to this world, she still recalled the bloody sacrifices used to do so.
I should be finished with all the kinds of medicinal herbs soon… For my next project, how about I try working on basic magic? I might be able to help these humans use magic without such… costs.
Magic in this strange new world was rare, highly valued and universally feared. It was no wonder. Even someone like Daenerys had reputedly used a blood magic ritual to hatch her three dragons. And there were claims of even more horrific rituals in the far eastern city of Asshai.
But that's something for the future. Colette looked at the eight pots of lavender, then at a nearby door. I'm finished with these plants for now… If I go there, I should be able to listen in on their lesson…
Colette began walking across the floor using the roots of her flower. She opened the door, went out into a corridor and then walked down the corridor to another room near the end. The door to this room was closed but, instead of opening it, she just peered through the crack between door and door frame.
"…the southern part of Sothoryos is still unknown, as no explorers have travelled that far and lived to return. But it is believed the continent is no less large than Essos…"
At the front of the room was Miklaz, the clerk who'd now taken up the role of teacher as well. He was reading out loud the text of a book placed on a lectern before him, his finger moving to follow the point he was reading. And displayed on the wall behind him was an expanded image of the open book, complete with Miklaz's finger. This was achieved through a simple spell cast on the lectern.
Seated in the rest of the room was over a dozen human men. They were diligently listening to the lecture, occasionally raising a hand to ask a question.
One such question came from Quhuru: "Naath and the Basilisk Isles are off the coast of Sothoryos. Don't their peoples know more about that continent? Or do they not share their knowledge with outsiders?"
"That… is a good question," Miklaz said. "Perhaps the dangers of Sothoryos are too much for even them to explore far. But we have a Naathi here among us. Merrabor, do your people know any further information about Sothoryos?"
That question was addressed to a black-skinned man about two years older than Colette.
"Well, I remember hearing stories of my people exploring the mainland of Sothoryos," Merrabor said. "But those stories are from centuries ago. Ever since we Naathi started being targeted by slavers, we stopped our seafaring activities. So all we have are old stories, and who knows how accurate they still are?"
"What is in those stories, though?" asked Grembarro, one of the former bed slaves.
"I've forgotten some of them, but as for the ones I remember…" Merrabor rubbed his chin in thought. "There's the story of the strange folk who are part-human, part-spider. There's the story about a giant serpent that devours men, although it can be distracted if you offer it precious gems. There's the story of a lake with a forest growing on the bottom, where one can find antelopes and big cats and other beasts living as though it were dry land. Anything else… ah, yes, there was also the story of the city built from marble somewhere deep in the jungle. The city looks impressive, but any explorer who stepped foot there was never seen again."
The humans began excitedly discussing these stories about the southern continent. Meanwhile, Colette had an idea.
A strange folk who are part-human and part-spider… could there be arachnes in this world? If my family could get summoned here by accident, maybe others have in the past...
"But don't forget, these are my people's stories from centuries ago," Merrabor said. "In all the time that's passed since then, a lot can change. Even if there was once a man-eating serpent, it might have been slain by a local hero, or just died of old age. Even if there was once a city of marble, it might have now crumbled to dust."
"A good point, Merrabor," Miklaz said. "To add to that, I'll point out that this book I'm reading to you all includes none of these stories of the Naathi. That's something you should remember from this lesson: not all sources are accurate, whether they be written or spoken. In fact, almost everything you might read will have some wrong information."
"Then why do you even bother teaching us in these lessons?" Rego asked jokingly.
Miklaz held up the book as if about to throw it. "Well, if you don't want to learn from them, perhaps you could experience these books in another way."
There was a round of laughter, something that pleased Colette to hear. It was more proof that these former slaves had learned how to be people again. That was even more important than the academic knowledge they gained.
Though Colette's attention was focused on one in particular. Errol, the youngest of the former bed slaves, was laughing so hard that he'd almost fallen out of his seat.
Colette wanted to go inside and hold him up so he didn't fall. The teenage boy would definitely blush from being touched in this way, but she also liked the way his cheeks reddened…
Then Colette sensed a presence behind her and whirled around within her flower. She saw one of her half-sisters standing there with an enormous grin on her face.
Amelia poked Colette in the forehead. Sneaking around to look at guys in secret? She teased via telepathy. Never thought you had it in you!
P-Please don't say it like that. I just… I just wanted to see how they were… anyway, we should take this elsewhere!
The two monsters moved to a different part of the manse. During the short walk, Colette looked at her half-sister. Today, Amelia had silvery hair with a rainbow sheen and wore a red and blue outfit that was highly asymmetrical—as in, the sleeves were of normal length on the right side but very short on the left side.
Amelia had recently resumed changing her appearance each day, an old habit of hers. She'd stopped this habit after their unexpected summoning and the busy days that had followed. But now Meereen was in a much better position, so they could all afford to relax.
And no matter how she looks, she's always more beautiful than me…
Eventually, they reached a storage room, empty of people until their arrival.
"Sooo… are you thinking about pouncing already?" Amelia asked. "Because I thought Elise would be the first one to make a move."
"Again, don't say it like that!" Colette said, mortified. "I wouldn't do anything that he doesn't want!"
Amelia tilted her head. "Doesn't want? Uh, that might've made sense at the start, but we've been living with these guys for weeks now. We know their likes and dislikes, they know our likes and dislikes now. And the one you've got your eyes on is definitely interested—"
Colette covered Amelia's mouth with both hands. It was a crude solution, but also the only one she could come up with right now.
"…Please don't say it," Colette mumbled. "I… know… but I don't want to rush things." She swallowed. "I do want to… to make a move eventually. Just… not now. Does that make sense?"
Colette took her hands away and Amelia said, "It does, sis. And… I'm sorry if I made you feel awkward. I was talking to you like how I'd talk to my friends, but that was a mistake."
Indeed, Amelia was far more social than a literal wallflower like Colette. In addition to her dedicated fanbase of thousands, she had over a dozen close friends who she met with regularly… in their original world, of course.
"It's alright, Amelia," Colette said. She decided to try changing the topic. "Um… speaking of friends, I hear you're getting along pretty well with the humans you give beauty treatments to."
"I do my best," Amelia said, laughing lightly. "I still don't talk to them like I do my friends at home, since they'd think I was coming on to them—oh, that reminds me."
"Hmm?
"So, four days ago, one of my clients actually proposed to me," Amelia explained. "She wasn't the first client to be horny for me, but she was the first who went that far. Obviously, I turned her down, but then we ended up talking about what girl-girl relationships are like here."
That was something Colette had yet to hear much about. Of course, she didn't usually ask about such topics.
"It doesn't seem like they're accepted," Colette said. "The only relationships I've ever heard about are between men and women."
"If you're talking the official kind, like marriage, then sure. From what that girl said back then, there's this pressure to have kids, to 'continue the family line'." The scowl on Amelia's face showed what she thought of that idea. "But unofficially, they get up to all sorts of stuff on the side: people will have 'good friends', or 'colleagues', or… slaves that they like to spend time with."
"Wouldn't it be easier to just let people marry who they want? But hold on, you said that this client proposed to you."
"Yeah, she really let her emotions run wild back then. She felt reeeally embarrassed afterwards. But that's not the important thing! The important thing is something else. See, while we were talking about this, she kept mentioning guys as well as girls."
Colette blinked. "I… I don't understand what you mean."
"I mean, guy-guy relationships as well as girl-girl."
"W-What? But…" Colette tried to imagine the logistics, only for her mind to descend into a flustered mess, "how does that even work? And why would the men here ever want such a thing? They've got plenty of women around."
"I'm not sure, didn't want to ask too many questions or she'd get suspicious. You know how paranoid Mom is, doesn't want me giving too much away. But I did ask the guys living with us now if they knew about it. And they confirmed that it does happen. The ones who used to be bed slaves knew the most, said they were… trained so they could… service guys as well as girls. Didn't ask them for the details…"
And then they were interrupted by the door of the room opening.
"Just what are you two doing in here?" Auntie Mary asked.
"Mom!" Amelia exclaimed. "Ah, we were just talking about the humans."
"Please don't tease Colette too much," Auntie Mary warned. "And I came to say that lunch is ready."
Following Auntie Mary, they left the storage room and headed to the dining room. Seated here were Miklaz, eight Unsullied—those not currently sleeping—and the four former bed slaves. This included the youngest, Errol. And as soon as her gaze came to him, she realised he was looking at her as well.
Both alraune and human looked away with blushing expressions.
"Welcome to another delectable lunch," said Alatto, the eldest of the former bed slaves. There was a hint of amusement in his voice as he looked at Colette. "But is Lady Elise again not joining us?"
"She'll be eating in her room again," Auntie Mary said, taking her seat. "I hope you understand."
The humans exchanged awkward glances, though none said a word.
It's ironic… at first, I was the one who had trouble showing my face around our guests. Now it's Elise who can't do it, for a different reason…
Elise had been behaving strangely in recent days. She had difficulty meeting eyes with or talking to the humans. And at one point, Colette had seen her staring at a pile of dirty laundry for a while, then shaking her head and rushing out of the room; to this day, Colette still didn't understand why.
Auntie Mary has been giving her lessons on how to control herself… but it doesn't seem like she's made much progress…
"It's time to eat," Auntie Mary said curtly. "We shouldn't let this food go to waste."
They had their lunch. Colette didn't find it to be anything special. However, for most of the people in this room, this was better fare than they'd had in their lives. They'd been eating it for weeks, but they still found it impressive.
During the meal, Colette occasionally sneaked a peek at Errol. The way he ate wasn't any different from how the other humans ate, objectively speaking, yet she still couldn't stop looking.
After forty minutes of eating interspersed with light-hearted banter, lunch was over. The dishes were washed using soap and water—any of the monsters could have done it using magic easily, but the former bed slaves insisted on doing some chores at least, in order to feel useful.
People began leaving the dining room and scattering throughout the manse. It was during this time that Colette saw Amelia approach Auntie Mary.
"Hey, Mom, there's this thing that's been bothering me…"
Amelia hesitated—in the past, she did her best to never ask her mother for anything. But eventually she drew closer and whispered into Auntie Mary's ear.
The older succubus raised an eyebrow. "Have you tried asking Miklaz about this yet?"
"Huh? Not yet—he's the busiest out of the guys here, I didn't want to bother him."
"Then wait here for a moment."
Auntie Mary walked out of the dining room. A few moments later, she returned with the clerk now in tow.
"Miklaz has agreed to give you girls a short explanation from his perspective. All three of you ought to hear this, so let's go upstairs…"
Auntie Mary picked up a plate already prepared with several of Elise's favourite foods, as well as several other kinds of food for nutrition. Then the three monsters and one human went upstairs and to Elise's room.
I had no idea Miklaz was like this… but in hindsight, it makes sense. All the other guests are interested in us monsters, even I've noticed it sometimes… but never from him. Elise even commented on it last week, wondering if he just has a particular type that none of us match.
Men being attracted to men… I'd never heard of the concept before today. Of course, in Lescatie there's fewer men than women, and every man is either married, or is still playing around like how Louis used to.
Hmm? There's something odd about that…
Amelia knocked on the door. "Hey, we've got your lunch! You can stop touching yourself now!"
From within the room, there was an "Eep!" of surprise. From outside the room, Miklaz looked shocked at the frank comment.
A few seconds later, there were hurried steps followed by the door opening. This revealed Elise breathing only slightly faster than normal and with clothes that were mostly in order.
"Th-Thank you," Elise said quickly. She glanced at Miklaz and then away again. "Just hand it over—"
"Actually, there's something you and your sisters all need to hear about," Wilmarina said. "Something you would never have learned in Lescatie… Though perhaps we should do this somewhere else."
Elise looked down in embarrassment, and Colette knew why. There was a very distinctive smell coming from inside the room.
"Yes, Mother…"
They moved to Auntie Mary's own room instead. This was surprisingly empty, with just a bed, a bedside table, a wardrobe and a couple of bookshelves. The other bedrooms had become filled with assorted objects: for example, Colette's own room had several houseplants, a pile of books and a little doll she'd made that certainly did not resemble one teenage boy.
"Miklaz, I give the floor to you."
The young man cleared his throat. "Very well. This is a lesson of a sort, but different from those I give to the other humans. First of all, Lady Amelia. You are attracted to women and only women, correct?"
"Yeah, so is that similar to you?" Amelia said.
"Wait, what?" Elise gasped. "Miklaz, sorry, I must have heard wrongly. Could you please repeat that?"
"You did not hear anything wrongly, Lady Elise," Miklaz said. "I am similar to your twin sister in only being attracted to my own sex."
"Do you really not feel anything for any women?" Elise asked. "Perhaps you just haven't met the right one?"
"Elise, you're being rude," Auntie Mary said.
"It's quite alright," Miklaz said. "To answer that question, no, I have never had such feelings. The four of you are women with surpassing beauty, but I have never felt the slightest attraction for any of you. But that's no coincidence. It's why I was sent to serve you in the first place."
"What?" Amelia said. "But that doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't it be better to pick someone who's, uh, more compatible?"
"Not if that someone is meant to work without distraction," Miklaz said. "I am—or was, rather—not the most competent clerk working under Seneschal Reznak. There are two or three who are more competent, yet he chose me. He did not explain why, but I can deduce the reason easily enough."
"And if he ever ordered you to spy for him, you could also do that without distraction, I assume," Auntie Mary said darkly.
"He may have had such intentions," Miklaz admitted. "But rest assured, I would never betray you! I know the meaning of loyalty."
This was getting too much for Colette to keep up with. While she was intelligent in the academic sense, she had never been good with social things.
"Okay… so you're not into us, or into any other women," Amelia said. "Then, what do you think about the men in this house right now?"
"Amelia, don't be intrusive," Auntie Mary warned.
"It is alright, Royal Sorceress," Miklaz said, though he now looked a bit shaken. "It's another thing they ought to hear, as part of their lesson." He cleared his throat. "To answer that question… I see many of them as handsome, and I enjoy spending time around them… but none of them seems to share my inclination, so spending time is as far as it can go."
"Then… what do you plan to do in the long term?" Elise asked. "We've spent some time in this society, but we haven't heard of a single marriage between men. Or between women, for that matter."
"That's true, for most societies as far as I'm aware," Miklaz said. "All men and women are expected to form partnerships that lead to children." He rubbed his chin with one hand. "Though from what I've heard, not everyone follows traditions closely. There's some men, and also women, who never marry. And even for some with my inclination who do… well, stepping outside the bounds of marriage is hardly a rare thing."
Colette felt a slight disgust at hearing that. Even after spending so much time in this world, she still didn't like the concept of adultery. She doubted she'd ever get used to it.
"For future reference, the next time you see a human who seems very close to a particular friend, or to a servant of the same sex," Miklax continued, "there's a possibility of their relationship being more than platonic."
Overall, it was similar to what Amelia had reported earlier about what lesbian relationships were like in this society. That actually surprised Colette, who'd been expecting more differences.
Colette finally worked up the will to ask a question. "M-Miklaz… do you wish it was different? I mean, would you like us to try changing this society to be more accepting of people like you?"
"I… that is a very generous offer, Lady Colette," Miklaz said. "Thank you, but I think your family's time could be better spent on other things."
"It wouldn't be a significant burden on us," Auntie Mary said. "All we would have to do is be more open about Amelia's inclination, and that we don't expect her to marry a man. That should change people's attitudes without much effort on our part."
"Yes… that does sound like it might work."
"Girls, do you have any more questions for him?" Auntie Mary said. After receiving only negative responses, she continued, "Miklaz, thank you for giving this unusual lesson. You are dismissed."
The clerk bowed and left the bedroom.
"That was not the kind of thing I expected today," Amelia said, shaking her head.
"Now I feel so… ignorant," Elise said. "This explains so much. But wait, if it's possible for men like that to exist, then why haven't we seen or heard of any before?"
Auntie Mary sighed. There was a look of regret on her face.
"This is another of the hidden flaws of our own society—of all the monster societies I'm aware of. Miklaz just told you about how the humans here are pressured into marriage, in order to have children, even if they don't always want it. Well… we monsters need men to have children, but we also seek them as a source of power. And because we can only get new men from elsewhere, men are very scarce… so, what do you think happens to those men who don't want monsters?"
Colette exchanged glances with her sisters. She could think of several possibilities, none of them good.
"Are they… made to leave?" Colette suggested, a little hopefully.
"We—your mothers and father—helped some leave Lescatie in the past," Auntie Mary said. "But that isn't the normal policy. The normal policy is that any man among monsters must be with at least one of them. He doesn't need to marry a monster, at least not immediately, but he should at least feed our kind."
Colette swallowed. She had her own desires, but being obligated to have sex as soon as reached adulthood… it would be frightening.
"If he does not agree, then he is simply… made to agree," Auntie Mary continued, almost spitting out the words. "Just like what was done to the Order remnants, as I told you last month."
Amelia looked like she wanted to vomit. "The hell? How can anyone do something like that!?"
"Why do our authorities have to go to such lengths?" Elise asked. "Why… Why can't they just let men of that kind be? They could still serve society by working… it's not like we require monsters like Amelia to have sex with men! We even let monsters marry each other, and there's no children or mana generation from that!"
"Because there's no need to," Auntie Mary explained. "If anything, it's beneficial to monster society to let it happen freely. The remaining monsters then have less competition for men."
"So that's why…" Amelia said, still looking nauseous, "you talked about helping some leave, just now."
Auntie Mary nodded slowly. "It was one of the ways we, your parents, tried fighting back against Druella's new regime. We managed to sneak over five hundred men out of Lescatie… though that wasn't even half the homosexual men our country used to have, I'm sure. Even so, it was our most successful form of resistance."
Which had disturbing implications about the other forms of resistance. One part of Colette wanted to ask what else her parents had done, the rest of her was terrified of finding out the answer.
"Over half weren't saved…" Colette murmured. "Then was it really the right thing to do… making Lescatie a monster realm?"
It was an idea unthinkable to the Colette of the past. Yet she'd learned many new things upon coming to this world. As a result, she now understood that society was far more complicated and messy than taught in her lessons.
"On the whole… I would say so," Auntie Mary said.
"Wait, you're not making any sense!" Amelia said.
"You just told us about how monster society betrays one of its own principles, by forcing love on people," Elise said. "And this is the second example you've told us!"
"Which is why I specified 'on the whole'," Auntie Mary said. "The vast majority of Lescatians are better off. Just look at how your work has changed the lives of the Meereenese, and multiply that several-fold to understand what I mean. And even for people with uncommon sexual preferences, the change to a monster realm was…" she made a disgusted expression, "less negative than you think."
"In what way?" Colette asked.
"To explain that, I should tell you how homosexuals were treated in the past Lescatie," Auntie Mary said. "In men, such an inclination was seen as useful, since it prevented them from being tempted by monsters. Yet it was still seen as unnatural, and other men tended to be uneasy around them. And in women, it was seen as a horrible affliction, making a woman susceptible to monsters as well as reluctant to have children. But, and this is important, both still faced the expectation to have children. Thus, while homosexual men faced a terrible fate when Lescatie was conquered, their situation before was far from good—not everyone wanted to fight monsters, to say the least. And the homosexual women obviously benefited, since they can now love as they please."
"…So the situation has improved 'on the whole'," Elise said. "That's why you ultimately agreed with Druella's faction, and stopped rebelling…"
Auntie Mary's face twitched. It was clear there was more to the story than that.
"I… we didn't give up quite that easily. We kept up our quiet rebellion for three years in total. Even as the overwhelming majority of Lescatians accepted life in a monster realm, including our own friends eventually, we continued to fight." Her face turned dark with self-loathing. "By the end, we were being driven more by spite than by any sense of righteousness."
Colette swallowed. Hearing more about this secret past was another thing she'd never get used to.
"Our fight only stopped… well, it stopped as soon as it turned into a literal fight. For after three years, Druella ran out of patience and confronted us directly. She said to us… 'If you disagree with my cause to this extent, then why not settle it in combat, like the heroes and monsters of old? That should be more satisfying for you as well.'"
"You actually fought Druella!?" Amelia said with a gasp.
Auntie Mary laughed bitterly. "That depends on your definition. In this world, I've defeated armies of humans, and most would not consider that proper 'fighting'… Back then, Druella defeated us with just as much ease. There were seven of us against her alone—yes, even Elt and Fran participated—and we could not so much as land a hit on her. At least it was a private duel, so there was no audience to witness our shame..."
In other circumstances, Colette would have wanted to hear more details. It was said that lilims, on the rare occasions they took to the battlefield, fought with beauty and grace that no other being could match. But she was too frightened to ask for more.
"That defeat utterly crushed us," Auntie Mary continued. "That was the impetus for us to give up: the realisation that we could never win, no matter what we did."
Colette and her sisters remained silent. None of their education or experience had prepared them for a conversation like this.
"It's something that happens with any great change," Auntie Mary said. "Force, or at least the threat of force, is used to suppress resistance. You can even see that here and now: Daenerys stopping slavery in this region is a good thing, on the whole, but she could not have achieved it without her armies and dragons, and there was suffering in the process... Though this has drifted quite a bit from the original topic. I've told you quite a lot today, so for now you should rest and think about what I've said."
Colette walked out of the bedroom with a mind occupied in thought. She continued thinking when she walked downstairs and checked the growth of the lavender plants. She continued thinking when she went to the dining room for an afternoon snack.
I never imagined such things had happened in the past, Colette thought, a spiced almond in her mouth. The peace and happiness I live in—used to live in, is built on the suffering of a few…
Colette pictured Miklaz in her mind. She pictured the human now with a forced smile on his face, praising the wonder and glory of monsters.
Her past self would have had trouble imagining such things. But she had now learned about the horrors of sex slavery, having lived with its victims for weeks.
"What I wanted didn't matter," Errol had said in the past. "Only what the masters wanted. I had to look beautiful at all times, had to always smile whenever they were around. And… if a master asked to be serviced, then I had to do so immediately…"
Colette shuddered at the memory.
And that kind of suffering isn't unique… not even in other countries of this world. Amelia talked to that dwarf, Tyrion, before, and heard about what life is like in Westeros, about how serfs are treated… Society there is also built on some people suffering.
What we're doing here helps. But it's just… just a drop of water thrown onto a bushfire…
Even if Colette's family worked without allowing themselves free time, there'd be a limit to what they could change. The forces of the Demon Lord had vastly greater capabilities, yet even they had limits.
But even that drop of water might save a plant or two, Colette reminded herself. We can still make a difference. I shouldn't give up hope.
The young alraune left the dining room, planning to go to her own room for a nap. While on the stairs, she ran into Elise.
"You must be surprised at seeing me go out," Elise said ruefully. "Well, Mother's words have made me rethink my actions. I've been acting so silly…"
"I think your actions have been fine," Colette said. "Everyone should progress in r-romance at their own pace."
"But I'm not making any progress, staying cooped up in my room. So…" Elise looked resolute. "I'm going to put more effort into my research, so that I can at least help the people of Meereen. Also, I plan to join the humans' lessons, at least for an hour a day. It'll let me learn more about this world, and… learn more about c-certain individuals…"
Colette smiled. She might not have much in the way of social skills, but even she had noticed which "individuals" her sister had her eye on. Elise was just that obvious.
"Alright, I hope it all goes well for you," Colette said.
"You as well," Elise said, now smiling as well. "That innocent romance of yours has been so adorable to watch."
Colette flinched. A chuckling Elise walked past her to the bottom of the stairs.
I… I'm reaching my limit…
Eventually recovering from her funk, Colette reached the top of the stairs and then her bedroom. She got out of her flower and lay down on the bed, where she began rolling around frantically.
It's been nearly three weeks since we started living with these humans… long enough that Auntie Mary can't say they're strangers anymore…
Is it…
Is it…
…time to… maybe… take the next step…?
Back in Lescatie, Colette had read romantic stories of all kinds. There was the story of the bold witch who discovered a prince sleeping from a curse, then cured him with a kiss. There was the story of the poor man who found an ancient map leading him to the location of a creeping coin.
And there was the story of the alraune and the young gardener's apprentice…
Colette buried her face in the pillow to suppress a squeal.
I'm not so busy now… I can try… the next step…
First, I need to be able to talk to him alone… but after that…
Colette glanced at her flower. It was larger than any of the mundane flowers that grew in this world, large enough to comfortably fit her body as she went about her daily activities.
It was also large enough to fit two people, though it would be a tight squeeze.
Me and him in there… with the petals closed…
Colette suppressed another squeal.
I have to calm down… can't lose control of myself… Think of something else…
Colette tried thinking about her family back home, her father and mother and aunts and stepbrother and myriad sisters. That helped to calm her… slightly.
But when dinner eventually arrived, she was very careful where she looked, not wanting to meet the eyes of a certain someone.
After dinner, Colette checked on the growth of her lavender plants: the first one was growing quite lushly while the other seven had begun sprouting. Then she washed up and went to bed.
Need to focus… mustn't… lose… control…
But that night, Colette ended up dreaming. It was the sort of dream that wasn't shameful at all for a monster—indeed, such dreams would be encouraged back home, usually followed by suggestions to act them out.
Still, she had to dunk her head in cold water the following morning. Without that, she would have had trouble functioning. Without that, she might have spent the day acting like Elise had been acting recently.
Colette slapped her cheeks while looking at herself in the mirror.
Get it together! People's lives are literally counting on my research!
Eventually, Colette composed herself enough to try leaving her room. She opened her door, looked left and right to make sure no one else was around, then walked out as quietly as possible.
When she heard footsteps from around the corner, Colette briefly froze in place. Then she recognised the pattern of the footsteps and she relaxed.
Fieron, one of the Unsullied, appeared around the corner. Originally from the city of Volantis, he was brown-skinned and—like all Unsullied—relatively short and slender in build. If Colette had been standing instead of sitting in her flower, she would have almost been at eye level with him.
"Good morning, Lady Colette," Fieron said. "Your sister Amelia asked me to call for you. Breakfast has begun."
"Thank you," Colette said.
They began heading towards the stairs. Along the way, Fieron sniffed the air.
"Pardon me, but… is your fragrance stronger today than usual?" Fieron asked nervously.
Colette froze for the second time today. She hadn't even noticed—but then, it was rare for anyone to notice their own body odour.
"D-D-Do I smell bad?" Colette whimpered.
"It isn't bad at all," Fieron said quickly. "However… when we meet the others at breakfast, I think that a certain boy in particular might get… distracted."
Colette was now utterly mortified. She wanted to go back to her room and hide there for the rest of the day. Then her rational mind took control again.
There's only one thing I can do… It should work, but if it doesn't…
Colette cast a basic spell to stop her odour from leaking into the environment. This wasn't something she needed back home, where the smell of alraunes, and of countless other monsters, was commonplace. But it would prove useful now.
After confirming with Fieron that he could no longer smell her, the two of them continued to the stairs. Still, Colette felt embarrassment deep in her heart.
I need to be more careful from now on… mustn't forget that my race secretes more pheromones when feeling… strong emotions…
The alraune and the Unsullied proceeded down the stairs. At the bottom, Fieron muttered the following words:
"This is just my opinion, but… if you avoid looking at him again today, he may mistakenly think you hate him."
"R-Really!?" Colette blurted out. "I-I never meant to, to do that! I—"
"Best to lower your voice," Fieron said. "I'm sorry if I unsettled you, just… thought you ought to know."
"Th-That's fine… I'm grateful for you mentioning that…"
All of the Unsullied were learning to be more than just mindless soldiers. Fieron in particular was becoming notorious for his habit of bringing up topics others didn't want to talk about. And the others were making progress in their own ways.
Colette saw more proof of that when she finally arrived at breakfast. Here, she saw another Unsullied passing a plate of fried eggs to Elise. Both the Unsullied and Elise blushed as this happened.
"Th-Thank you," Elise said, accepting the plate while averting her eyes.
"I-It's nothing to be thankful for," said the Unsullied. This one was Merrabor, the one who'd told stories about Sothoryos in the lesson yesterday. "Just a… common courtesy…"
Off to the side, Amelia was stifling a laugh. Colette could understand why. This wasn't the first time that Merrabor had tried to be helpful to Elise—in fact, acts of "common courtesy" like this were a major reason why Elsie had previously been hiding in her room so much.
"Instead of that, try these grapes, Lady Elise!" Rego said, pushing another plate over. "They were picked just this morning!"
"Those might still be dirty from the field!" Quhuru retorted from the other side of the table. He pushed a third plate over. "Instead, try this soft and fluffy bread instead, I baked it just half an hour ago!"
While listening in on the competition, Colette found a place at the table. By chance, she found herself sitting opposite from Miklaz.
"So immature…" Miklaz murmured, rolling his eyes. In a normal voice, he said to Colette, "But you should indeed try out these dishes, Lady Colette, especially the fruits and vegetables." He pushed over a plate of slice cucumbers. "Many of those are from the first harvest of your magically improved crops, which took place this morning. It's only fitting that you enjoy them."
"Th-These are the same fruits and vegetables we've been having for weeks," Colette protested. "The ones we were testing, before mass distribution… And it wasn't just my work. Elise helped as well. But still, thank you..."
Colette added some cucumber slices to her plate, then she picked up a slice of bread and smeared butter over it. As she began to eat, she thought about Miklaz' recent interaction with her.
He really doesn't desire me, or any of my family… He never tries to sneak peeks at us, he never gets nervous talking to us… She glanced at what was happening around Elise. And he's certainly never acted like them...
Even after the detailed explanation yesterday, Colette still found the concept of male homosexuality hard to grasp. She suspected she'd need at least a few more weeks to properly come to terms with it.
It feels like such a waste… all that essence not getting consumed, not being turned into mana…
But maybe that way of thinking is wrong… people shouldn't have to live their lives in the way that's most efficient for society…
Colette wondered what it would be like when she finally returned to her own society. She would no longer see any war or killing or suffering, nor would she attract so much attention for being a monster. On the other hand, she'd return knowing that her society had its own flaws, flaws she'd been blissfully unaware of until now.
Auntie Mary, my own mother, all of our parents have given up already… But is there really nothing that can be done? Surely there has to be some way to change people's minds…
Colette thought of countless ideas as she ate. It was a change from her usual habit of thinking up ideas to improve Meereen's agriculture even further.
But when she finished her sandwich, Colette caught sight of her own green hands. She looked down, taking in the flower that her humanoid body was nestled inside.
No matter what… I'm still a monster. I can never give birth to any sons. My body wants essence not just for reproduction, but for power, and for pleasure. Nothing I can ever do can change that…
It was at this point that Colette realised Errol wasn't here at breakfast. She couldn't work out why. Did he simply sleep in today? Or was he… trying to avoid her? The second possibility terrified her.
I'm sure there's a perfectly normal reason for this… I shouldn't worry so much…
Colette's musings were eventually interrupted by Wilmarina entering the dining room. It wasn't uncommon for her to come to meals late due to her many responsibilities.
"Welcome back, Lady Wilmarina," Rego said formally. He was now sitting at a respectfully far distance from Elise—Colette suspected he'd moved away as soon as he heard Wilmarina approaching.
"Did the birth go well?" Quhuru asked in a similarly formal tone.
"Yes," Wilmarina said, already piling food onto a plate. "It turned out to be a breech birth, but I was able to bring the baby out with no issues. Both baby and mother are healthy."
That saved Colette the trouble of asking why she was late to breakfast. It also reminded her of just how limited her own skillset was.
I have no idea how to help with a difficult pregnancy. In the first place, monsters never get the kinds of pregnancy complications that humans do, so there was never a reason to learn them… Only those who join the Greilia Sabbath would ever learn such skills.
Should I try learning more medical magic than the basics that I know right now? But Wilmarina says that I could save even more lives with my current research… and after seeing so many starving people, on my first day in Meereen, I can see her point…
Breakfast continued. Unsurprisingly, those Unsullied who interacted with Elise were much more formal about it now.
But I'm pretty sure Auntie Mary has noticed already, Colette thought. Nothing ever seems to escape her notice. And Elise is… not being as subtle about it as she should...
The first to finish breakfast was Amelia.
"Okay, I've got an early start today, so I have to get ready for it!" Amelia said. Today, the succubus was wearing a sunny yellow dress and had given her wings red and green feathers. "Enjoy the rest of the food!"
As Amelia left the dining room, Colette felt amused at how much her half-sister had changed. Back home, it was common for Amelia to sleep in until noon, sometimes even later. More than once, Colette had seen Auntie Mary go upstairs and literally drag her elder daughter out. But now Amelia was incredibly diligent in her work.
Over the next ten minutes, a few of the Unsullied and a few of the bed slaves similarly finished breakfast and left.
Colette eventually finished her breakfast with a bowl of scrambled eggs and a glass of pear juice. Then she too left to start her work for the day.
In the end, I couldn't come up with any good ideas… Maybe it was arrogant of me to think I could, when all of our parents couldn't.
Well, it's back to my research. The lavender plants, if all went as planned, should be growing nicely. I can start on something new now…
I've created many varieties of crops now. Should I try going into a different field?
Colette went to her experimental room and began reading through her notes.
I know much more about mycology now than I used to… I could try helping Elise with her research. She's been working on entomopathogenic fungi lately, but having trouble making progress...
...Well, maybe one reason for that trouble is her being distracted.
That thought caused Colette to giggle out loud. She just couldn't help herself.
On that topic… what'll happen when we finally return home? I know everyone must be worried about us. What'll they think when they see us return with company? I'm sure they'd be so surprised, and jealous…
And that thought made Colette wriggle around within her flower while squealing into her hands. If there was anyone else in the room, they might notice her fragrance starting to grow stronger.
H-Have to calm down. Don't want to act like Elise has been doing recently…
After taking a few deep breaths, Colette calmed down enough to pick up her notes again.
She had been reading for five or six minutes when she heard the loud knocking from below. That caused her to drop her notes, letting the sheets of paper flutter to the floor.
Someone's at the door?
There were the muffled sounds of many footsteps. Colette left her room to see just what was going on.
When Colette came in sight of the front door, she saw Auntie Mary and several Unsullied already there. They were gathered around a strange man who was kneeling and gasping for air.
"…terrible thing…" the stranger said. Sweat was running in rivulets down his face. "This is not… an accusation… please understand…"
"I understand, now tell me what has happened," Auntie Mary said.
"Starting this afternoon… people have been falling ill… some quite gravely…"
"…and the cause?"
"Again… not an accusation… but only those who… tasted the recent harvest…"
Colette felt her stomach turn to ice.