Stella woke to an empty black void, nothing to be seen but pitch black emptiness. The last thing she could remember was the passionate fornication she and Camazotz had shared for the rest of that evening and night, only to blink as she realized she was in her usual attire instead of...well, completely naked. "Camazotz? Hello? Anyone?" She called out, only for a light to suddenly shine down upon her. "The fuck?"
"What a disgrace, allowing her husband to be seduced by a filthy imp, not even a servant at that; but a worthless, useless, wash-up with no contribution to hell." Came a voice as a pair of typical red goetia eyes appeared in the shadows.
"Clearly she doesn't know how to handle her husband, nor does she have the qualities to keep him placated. Was she even worth being marchioness? Maybe her parents should have just tossed her out when shown she couldn't learn quickly." Came another voice as another set of eyes appeared.
"It's laughable how incompetent she is, all those years of grooming her to be the wife of Paimon's son no less, wasted. She clearly doesn't deserve to be among our ranks." Came yet another as more eyes appeared.
"She's an embarrassment, a failure, no one in the history of the goetia family has ever caused such a scandal. It'd be sad, if it wasn't so laughably pathetic how inept she was." Came yet another voice and set of eyes, more and more appearing as they mocked and ridiculed her, laughing at her as she stepped back in growing fear and panic, trying to get away but unable to ever leave as they just closed in on her.
"Stop!" Stella yelled as she crumbled to the floor. "I did EVERYTHING I could." She said defensively. "It's not my fault Stolas was a flamboyant flake who liked imps!"
"Was it though? We highly doubt that, more likely you just couldn't cut it, weren't capable or woman enough." Came the voice of one of her two closer friends she had managed to have over the years, the rounded out female owl and lanky white patoo male appearing before her.
"I think she just pretended to be one of us, faking it so that we'd accept her and not disappoint her parents. Explains why she mostly hung around us." Her male friend.
"Yes, clearly she has nothing to truly offer or really belong. Not like we cared for her that much anyway, we had our fun, but now she's not worth the time of day." Her female friend said.
"What a pathetic woman." Her male friend said before both laughed. "Come on, best get going before her failure rubs off on us." he added before both turned their backs to her as they disappeared into the smokey darkness.
Stella's expression morphed into indignant anger. "Why you...Get back here so I can-"
"So you can do what?! Embarrass our family more than you already have?!" Came her father's enraged voice, the myriad of eyes splitting into two groups that swirled together into two giant sets of eyes, each baring down on her.
"What a fucking waste of time you were." came her mothers voice from the other set of eyes. "We put in all that effort and for what? You couldn't handle it, couldn't cut being a princess of hell. Your not even fit to be nobility."
Stella looked at the eyes in horror, only to realize that she was a child once more. "B-but...I TRIED! I really did! It's not my fault!"
"Not your fault?! NOT YOUR FAULT?!" Her father roared. "You didn't even try, even Andrealphus was able to quickly learn how to properly bow! You put in no effort at all! You'll be the ruin of our family, an embarrassment far greater than any in our history! Do it again!"
Stella gulped nervously. "B-but my feet hurt…."
"No excuses!" her mother barked. "Or do you want us to look bad? Or maybe….maybe you don't want to be nobility? Perhaps we should give you up like all the other unwanted."
"N-no! I'll do it!" Stella pleaded as she weakly tried to curtsy, only to stumble a bit.
"Can you get nothing right?!" Her father scolded. "Those who cannot be of use or are not of nobility are less than trash, and so far so are you."
Stella trembled as she looked at her father in utter fear. "B-but…"
"I said no excuses!" Fer father bellowed, a shadowy black hand rushing down at her.
Stella closed her eyes as the hand engulfed her she heard that laugh, that awful, contemptuously vindictive laugh Stolas had done, opening her eyes to see him step out of the darkness. "YOU…" she seethed. "You ruined EVERYTHING! You've destroyed our livelihood with your imp sucking FACE!"
Stolas narrowed his eyes, his demeanor shifting to like how he looked in a number of their portraits as his hands went behind his back, one of the rare demeanors of his she actually cared for. "I ruined everything, That's a laugh. I did everything a dutiful husband should even though he didn't love his wife he was FORCED to marry." Stolas said as he started to circle her. "Did you know I wanted little to do with you at first? You must have, it was written all over my face. But I gave you a chance, gave you the benefit of the doubt when you acted civil. But I suppose you were always going to be as you are now...a petulant child." he said as he leaned in close.
"HOW DARE YOU." Stella seethed.
"Oh, I dare. In fact, announcing I was divorcing you so brazenly was so liberating I'm surprised I didn't do it sooner with how inept you are." Stolas said with a wide grin that quickly went away.
"You're dead you hear me!" Stella yelled.
"Oh I highly doubt that." Stolas scoffed.
"Just you wait...if I don't get you. Paimon surely will, he'll strip you of EVERYTHING." Stella threatened.
"As if he cares, isn't that right my darling?" Stolas asked as the imp that had seduced him stepped out of the shadows.
"Got that right, guy's about as caring about your affairs as your ex is about her own daughter." The imp joked mockingly.
"DON'T YOU DARE MENTION MY DAUGHTER!" Stella fumed.
"Your daughter?" Octavia said as she joined the other two. "You do only what you have to, if only enough for me to call you mom."
"I do more than that!" Stella argued.
"Do you though?" Octavia asked. "Sure we're somewhat close, but you don't let me attend your tea parties, you keep me just close enough for me to feel like you care for me, and you don't even ask how I feel about what's going on. At least dad goes above and beyond...unlike you."
"I…I care…" Stella pleaded.
"Come on dads...let's go be a family." Octavia said as she turned away from Stella.
"Right, don't want the stench of failed bitch on us." The imp said as they started walking away.
"Get back here! We're not through!" Stella yelled.
"Oh, but I believe you are." came Paimon's voice as he appeared looming over her. "I thought you'd be of fine stock, but apparently I was wrong…funny thing being wrong. And considering you provided an heir I see no reason to let you stay a princess, I'll leave you to your punishment for failing as a goetia." he said as he quickly stretched out her hand, sending her flying into the darkness where the monstrous visages of her parents waited for her, mouths opening in anger.
She could do nothing but scream as they merged into one singular maw, closing down on her as she entered it, only to now be on the streets in the shittiest section of the pride ring, clothes tattered and begging. "No!" Stella screamed as she woke, jutting up in a cold sweat and panting.
"What's wrong?" Camazotz asked as she sat up, looking over at Stella as she laid her hand on Stella's Shoulder.
Stella glanced away. "Nothing…"
"That scream didn't sound like nothing." Camazotz said as she turned Stella's head to look at her. "Stella, my lovely peahen princess, you know you can talk to me."
"It was just a nightmare...nothing more." Stella admitted, trying not to make it seem that serious.
"I see, must have been a pretty bad one." Camazotz remarked.
"...It was." Stella admitted. "Lucifer...this whole situation with Stolas is getting to me."
Camazotz smiled as she leaned in and kisses Stella's neck, "Relax my dear, everything will be alright, especially now that you have me." she grinned.
"You're right...Still, this whole situation irks me." Stella sighed.
"I know, and I'm sure it won't last too long. And when it's all done…" Camazotz grinned as she leaned in close. "You'll have nothing to be worried about except how to spend our free time together." She said coyly.
Stella blushed deeply, "Right…" She said with a slight smile, only for it to fade back to a neutral expression. "But how long will that truly last?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Camazotz asked as she canted her head.
"You're ageless, practically immortal without technically being immortal, and I...have finite years." Stella said as she looked down sadly.
"Aaah, you're worried about the whole me living till everything ends and you possibly being forgotten." Camazotz pointed out.
"Somewhat…" Stella admitted. "It just seems…"
"Pointless if I outlive you?" Camazotz asked.
"A bit...why have such an interest in me if centuries or eons pass after I die?" Stella asked. "Not to mention growing older as you stay the same..."
Camazotz chuckled. "Stella, Stella, Stella. I never forget those of note, nor would I EVER forget you. You are, and I feel will forever be, the one I actually am truly and deeply fond of. And besides…" she grinned. "Did you forget, I tend to bend the rules."
Stella blinked, looking over at Camazotz. "What do you mean?"
"I mean EXACTLY what I said."
"….You...you would do that?...for me?" Stella asked, somewhat taken aback.
Camazotz smiled warmly, "I would, should it be something you would be interested in my lovely princess."
"But...we just started…not that I WOULDN'T want that, I'd be insane not to. Unless you mean at my time of choosing."
"It can be now or later, I am in no real rush. And as for the whole us starting out…" Camazotz smirked, "I like to think that we've known each other well and long enough, even if through sparse one on one meetings. I understand you Stella, as I'm sure you understand me, so I don't see an issue in making such an offer. That, and you seem troubled, not just by what you're going through, but genuinely worried about how we would work, so I lay out this offer to you to alleviate these worries and because I like the idea of having you around as long as I will be."
Stella blinked, unsure what to say as she was taken completely aback by the generous act of both care and love the likes of which she had not experienced before. Camazotz wasn't wrong though, she did feel like they both on a deep level understood the other, what amused and entertained, among a few other things in spite of their sparse meetings in the past. Would it be so different from accepting any other gift from her? Besides, it wasn't like she was getting younger, quite the opposite in fact, so why not?
"Well...I wouldn't mind if it was now, would rather like it actually." Stella said as she smiled somewhat.
Camazotz chuckled, a grin forming on her face. "I thought you might." She said before placing her hand on Stella's head, starting to chant in an ancient dark tongue of eldritch origin as her eyes started to glow.
Stella watched as Camazotz chanted, she didn't quite feel anything strange or any altering being done, aside from just a strange sensation that could just have been Camazotz's power enveloping her being, and it was mild at that. Stella continued to watch for a moment, only to blink as Camazotz eventually stopped. As she did though, Stella could swear she felt a bit more...vigor than she normally had. "That's...it? I don't feel too different, maybe a bit more vigorous?"
Camazotz chuckled, "Despite how it sounds, becoming ageless like me is not some grand feeling or spectacle, it's actually rather benign. You feel no different no matter how much time passes, it's not like your soul or being is being altered, I'm just simply...removing you from being tied to time's aging effect."
Stella lowered her head a bit. "I see...And I'm still…"
"Mortal in whatever sense there is for demons with your long lives." Camazotz verified. "Even I'm mortal in a roundabout way, I just can't die by any means that either side can come up with. I'm tied to existence and will only fade when it does."
"But isn't that immortality essentially?" Stella asked.
"You could call it that." Camazotz mused slightly. "But true immortality means you can't be killed even by the end of everything, so I don't count it as such. And now, you are tied to me."
"And the more vigorous feeling I have?" Stella inquired.
Camazotz grinned. "Just a little added gift, since you seemed so down."
"Thank you…for everything." Stella blushed slightly/
Camazotz smiled. "No problem, though are you sure you're fine with this?"
"I am." Stella replied with a nod. "It would give me no greater pleasure than to outlive Stolas and dance on his fucking grave."
Camazotz chuckled. "And that is why I love you, but what about Octavia?"
Stella stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating. "It'll be fine. Not that I overly enjoy the thought, but being able to watch her and those she bares and their descendants prosper should be fun. Plus, so long as I have you...then I see no downside."
"Awe, bow there's a side of you I haven't seen in...decades." Camazotz said warmly.
"I can be nice when I have a reason to be, not that Stolas was ever really deserving with how little effort he started putting in."
"Never said you couldn't be." Camazotz smirked.
"Speaking of that utter prick, I should call him and see if he's having my things sent." Stella remarked, "Knowing Stolas he's either forgotten or possibly choosing not to to get back at me, though my money is on the former considering how spineless he can be."
"I do enjoy how you say his name, it's very...amusing." Camazotz chuckled.
"Well he is an ass." Stella grinned as the two chuckled before Stella started to get out of bed, only to be stopped as Camazotz laid a hand on her shoulder.
"No need." Camazotz said as she then raised her hand close to her, like she was holding an orb or something. Hellish flames shot from her hand, forming an almost mirror like shape that showed Skittle. "Skittle, be a dear and bring the phone to my chambers, Stella needs to make a call."
"As you wish mistress." Skittle said with a bow.
"Handy little trick." Stella commented.
"Isn't it?" Camazotz smiled as the flames vanished. "Much easier than having to use other means to summon them."
"You must teach me how to do that." Stella remarked.
"I will, in due time." Camazotz smiled.
It didn't take too long for Skittle to bring the phone to Camazotz's chambers, first knocking on the door and announcing himself both out of professionalism, and not wanting to interrupt anything that would lead to his untimely end. As the imp brought the phone over to Stella's side of the bed he presented it to her. "...Thank you...Skittle." Stella said with some slight effort, not used to thanking the help for doing what was expected. She took a moment, preparing herself to deal with that twig of a soon to be ex-husband of hers, how the very thought of him angered her, years of her life wasted having to put up with his very presence. Taking the phone she dialed what was once her number, readying herself to deal with whatever headache was to come.
"Hello?" came Pringle's voice.
"Pringle, it's me." Stella announced herself. "Get my weak dick of a husband on the phone, I need to see if he's got my things on the way."
Pringle blinked as he wasn't expecting Stella to use his name. "…Of course lady Stella."
"...Thank...you." Stella managed to say, she could swear that if it was possible she would have heard the surprise and shock that was likely on his face. It didn't take long for her to hear him hurriedly make his way toward what she could guess was the main foyer and then outside, announcing to Stolas who it was.
"What is it now Stella?" Stolas asked with some annoyance.
"Don't take that tone with me Stolas, I'm not the one who started this mess. I'm just checking to see if you got my things ready to send." Stella stated with just as much annoyance. "You said you'd make sure they'd be there soon."
"Yes I know, they'll be there shortly." Stolas said, already sounding exasperated, as though just merely answering a question from her was draining.
"Well are they being careful?" Stella asked.
"Of course they're being careful!" Stolas shot back.
"Well excuse me for wanting to make sure you didn't screw something up like our marriage!" Stella shot back, though she could hear Octavia faintly in the background which made her pause for a moment, only to hear Stolas tell their daughter that apparently she can't be anywhere two seconds without her stuff, which enraged her more. "ARE YOU TURNING HER AGAINST ME?!" She fumed, the nightmare from last night still fresh on her mind.
"No, I'm not turning her against you-" Stolas defended.
"Make sure you don't!" Stella demanded. "She still needs us both!"
"Yes Stella!" Stolas replied with held back exasperated venom that Stella could absolutely feel, making her even more annoyed and angry.
"Well I'm happy that I don't have to see your fucking face again! I don't know why I even bother trying to…" Stella then paused as she heard Octavia asking if Stolas would be done before tonight, only for him to say that it'd likely take all weekend then to just chuck her things in not caring if they break. "WHAT?! What did you tell them to do?!" She shouted, only to then hear Stolas spell out she was a bitch to their daughter. "How dare you say I'm being a bitch to our daughter!"
"Well how was I supposed to know you could spell?" Stolas mocked. "I've never seen you read!"
Stella's pupils dilated with fury. "Fuck you! I didn't know you had any strength, I never saw you lift anything heavier than your grimoire!"
"Funny!" Stolas scoffed. "You know for saying you don't want me besmirching you in front of our daughter you sure are not proving your anything otherwise or showing any care!"
"I'm not the one who instigated this argument!" Stella fired back. "All I was doing was trying to see how sending my stuff was going."
"And there it is, not even showing an ounce of care for Octavia as always!" Stolas countered.
"That's not true, I've shown plenty!" Stella argued.
"But not enough." Stolas pointed out.
Stella blinked. "I-"
"You what?" Stolas asked, his voice still filled with anger/
Stella felt a bit of a chill run down her as the similarity to her nightmare hit her. "Could...could you put her on the phone? Just to see how she is..."
Stolas blinked, not expecting Stella to ask in a non-hostile tone or show any care. "I...sure." He said as he turned around only to see Octavia no longer there. "Uh...one moment, she must have gone to get breakfast or something."
"...Alright." Stella replied as she waited, keeping the phone in hand as she heard Stolas walk. She knew all to well from the sounds of the footsteps and how many there were where he was, she had practically memorized the location of every room and how long it was from each. So when she heard him stop she knew he was at the kitchen, only for their to be silence.
"Huh...not here, must have gone to her room. One more moment…" Stolas requested.
"Sure…" Stella said as she restrained her unbridled hatred for the man she would soon be divorced from. She listened, the steps the exact number she knew they'd be from the kitchen to Octavia's bedroom, something she had almost forgotten from when Octavia was but a hatchling, back when things were more...pleasant.
"Not here either...odd." Stolas commented.
"What do you mean NOT THERE?" Stella asked with growing irritation.
"Don't start getting snappy with me, I mean she's not in the kitchen or her room. She must have gone out, she was dressed and talking about something...maybe she was trying to tell me she was going shopping. It's not like I could pay attention with you harping on me!"
"Harping on you?! Don't blame me for-" Stella paused as she felt Camazotz rest her hand on her shoulder. "Look, just...just at least tell her I wanted to know how she is OK? I know I'm getting her on the weekends but she's still my...our daughter."
Stolas blinked, caught off guard by the request. "...Right, I'll let her know."
"Oh, and Stolas?" Stella asked.
"What?" Stolas replied.
"If ANY of my things are broken when they get to my family estate...I will castrate your dick off with a rusty spoon!" Stella threatened.
"Fuck you." Stolas retorted.
"Fuck you too!" Stella shouted as she slammed the phone on the receiver. "Fucking prick."
"At least you didn't have to talk to him face to face." Camazotz said with a slight chuckle.
"Thank fucking god for that, I couldn't stand looking at his disgusting face." Stella fumed before letting out a sigh. "I just hope Octavia's alright...I swear if Stolas was too incompetent to keep up with her..."
"Weren't you just saying how you two weren't that close?" Camazotz smirked.
"Yes...but I'm still her mother." Stella stated. "I might not get her whole "emotional goth teenager" phase, but I want to make sure she's not led astray by her flake of a father." She added, showing her clear dislike of Stolas. "She will have her duty to fulfill as a member of the Goetia family after all."
"As do we all." Camazotz said with a knowing smile. "Speaking of which, I must soon get to mine, thankfully they're not that much so what do you say to maybe some tea in the after noon and a bit of fencing?" She asked.
Stella blinked. "Fencing?"
"Yes, I tend to fence among other things, though I take it you never have." Camazotz esplained.
"No...it's just been tea parties and other activities suitable for a lady." Stella admitted.
Camazotz smirked. "Then would you like me to show you what it's like?" She asked. "It can be quite...empowering."
Stella thought for a moment. "...Yes."
Camazotz' grinned. "Excellent, and rest assured I'll go easy on you at first."
"Although I really should be heading back to my family estate to make sure my things arrive." Stella remarked.
"Oh I can easily teach you how to make a portal for you to go back and forth as you please, if you like." Camazotz offered.
Stella blushed a bit as she smiled. "I would like that actually…"
Camazotz grinned more, looking more like a predator with cornered prey. "Does that mean you enjoy sleeping here?"
Stella blushed. "I...do. It beats sleeping alone…"
"Excellent! After breakfast I'll teach you the spell and you can go back and forth as you please so you can handle your business and stay here. Skittle…" Camazotz said as she looked at her servant. "Have the cooks prepare something nice to enjoy, we'll be down shortly. Say around…" She grinned as she moved her hand onto Stella's thigh as she looked at her. "Ten minutes?"
Stella blushed. "Fifteen to twenty at the least."
Camazotz grinned wider. "Twenty minutes."
Skittle nodded. "I'll tell the cooks to have it ready in forty mistress."
"Perfect, you may go." Camazotz dismissed.
"Yes mistress." Skittle said as he promptly, without moving too quickly, left.
"Now then...I'm feeling peckish, I think a nice pre-breakfast snack is in order." Camazotz said coyly before pouncing on Stella, bringing the covers over them.
Stella couldn't help but giggle excitedly as she and Camazotz began to kiss passionately, yet again the ageless woman was proving to her how much she had been missing and lacking while married to Stolas. He was such a stiff and Camazotz…Camazotz was exciting, refreshing, and kept her quite happy. Whatever fear or worry she had about what might happen to her status or position during all this seemed to be pointless now that she had Camazotz, someone she actually cared for. So long as she had Camazotz, everything that might happen didn't seem like that much of an issue. Well, aside from her standing with her daughter, but that would be something to work on after all this was over. She just hoped that idiot soon to be ex husband of hers didn't lose her.
