AN: Depending on your timezone, this will be the first chapter of 2025 or the last chapter of 2024. Please enjoy.
For about half an hour, there was a mess of hugging and sobbing and shouting, of relief and worry and anger all at once.
Eventually, Wilmarina was able to sit down, a mug of warm milk in hand—the second she'd had so far, to replenish the energy she'd expended on this busy day.
"I should have returned at once," Wilmarina said. "As soon as I heard that you were also being attacked—"
"No, Mom!" Amelia said. "If you'd let people die because of us, we'd never let you forget it! At least, I'd be badgering you about it until the day you die! You want to spend hundreds of years living like that!?"
"But this building was still breached," Wilmarina said. "I thought you'd be safe enough, that's the only reason I didn't come right away, yet enemies still got in. My defences failed..."
"R-Royal Sorceress," Quhuru interjected from the side. "If I may speak… the enemies were all stopped at the door of this manse. They never came close enough to even see your daughters. By our standards, the defences were a success. If anything, the failure belongs to us, for being wounded in the process."
"But it should never have been so close," Wilmarina insisted. "Tell me, if there'd been twice as many attacking, would you have held them off? Or three, or five times as many?"
"...With those numbers, we may have fallen," Rego admitted. "But we would have refused to fall before slaying all of the intruders."
"I do not—and have never doubted your valour," Wilmarina said. "But anyone, including myself, may fall to a superior force. If I had only put up stronger defences, then—"
Suddenly, Colette approached and wrapped her arms around Wilmarina. A moment later, Amelia and Elise joined in.
"Please, Auntie Mary… enough," Colette said. "We don't have to argue about who's fault it is."
"All the fault goes to those idiots who tried to break in!" Amelia added. "Just what's their problem with us!?"
"I'm sure that everyone did the best they could to protect us," Elise said. "So please, Mother… let it be."
Wilmarina returned the embrace, all the while cursing her present inability to feel it. She eventually let out a sigh.
"Alright. Alright. I won't worry you any longer."
Though in the privacy of her own mind, Wilmarina had already resolved to improve security. She'd come up with several ideas already, such as ideas that would effectively stop any attackers without wings.
The four monsters separated. Wilmarina focused her attention on her younger daughter, who—despite being twenty years of age—was as anxious as a little girl who'd just broken something valuable.
"…Elise. Do you understand what you have done?"
The younger succubus swallowed. "Yes, Mother. I understand that this is a permanent change. But it was necessary to save them."
"Again, Royal Sorceress, it is our fault," Merrabor said. "If we'd been more skilled, our enemies would not have poisoned us—"
"It's not your fault at all!" Elise said firmly. "I… I'm not an expert on fighting, but I'm sure that these things happen, that unexpected events happen."
Wilmarina touched the scar on her face. "That's true. Well… since there is no undoing transformation into incubi, we can only adapt to this. I have a few questions to ask. First, Elise: can you promise that you won't…" her face twisted in discomfort, "go overboard?"
Elise trembled slightly. "I promise, Mother."
Then Wilmarina turned her gaze towards the newly created incubi, who flinched.
"What do you think of my younger daughter?"
They gasped in embarrassment. Wilmarina suspected that they would sooner face the three dragons in a battle to the death than answer this question in front of an audience.
"Hey, Mom, aren't you being too nosy!?" Amelia protested.
"Yes, I'm afraid I must concur," Alatto said, raising a hand. "If necessary, most of us can leave, giving you some privacy."
"It is a fair question to ask," Wilmarina insisted. "But very well, you may leave."
The dining room partially emptied out. The only ones remaining were the four monsters and the six incubi.
"Now, to repeat my question: what do you six think of my younger daughter?"
Most of them hesitated. But Quhuru stepped forward, causing all eyes to fall on him.
"I… I am willing to answer. I think that Lady Elise is one of the most marvellous women I have ever met. I would never do anything to hurt her. And if she is… willing, then I vow to do all in my power to make her happy."
Elise gasped and covered her face with her hands. The other Unsullied looked dismayed.
"How can you just… say it so openly!?" Merrabor said, red-faced.
"Well, I do hail from the Summer Isles," Quhuru said, looking embarrassed but also pleased. "In my culture, we believe in not hiding feelings of lo… not hiding such feelings."
Rego stepped forward as well. "Then I have an answer as well! Lady Elise is—"
And then the remaining four incubi spoke up as well. The combination of five voices made it difficult for any one of them to be understood. However, Wilmarina got the impression that not all shared the same feelings.
"Enough!" Wilmarina said. "I think we all understand well enough." She took a deep breath, trying to will herself into talking about this uncomfortable topic. "I… do not object to you going further…"
Elise squealed with glee. She hugged Wilmarina while babbling words of thanks.
"However!" Wilmarina continued. "I should make one thing clear. The six of you have been turned into incubi out of necessity. This does not mean any of you are obligated to… to go further."
"And—ahem—it doesn't mean this is limited to just six of you," Elise said. "So if any of the others—"
"Not yet, Elise," Wilmarina half-said, half-growled. "We should not advance too fast. We still don't know if humans of this world have any unexpected reactions to the incubus transformation. We should advance cautiously, no different to the experiments you and Colette have been doing."
Elise wilted slightly, but she did not object.
"Y-You already honour us too much…" Beroq said. "It sounds like a dream, to… to be honoured like this, and… oh, I'm talking like an idiot!"
"What Beroq means, is that you're already honouring us greatly," Fieron said, "and even giving us the option to refuse. It's… It's hard for us to believe. I'm not calling you liars! It's just… men like us aren't used to having so much choice."
"I understand," Wilmarina said. "You six may have as much time as you need to think. And Elise…"
"Of course!" Elise said, though she shot an annoyed look at Wilmarina. "I'm not a fool, Mother!"
Wilmarina took a deep breath. "I would like to stay and discuss this in much more detail… but I must visit the rulers of this city and explain what has happened. If I delay too long, Meereen may fall into chaos. And after that, I need to heal those who I've yet to heal from the poisoned harvest."
Colette and Elise looked guilty again. Wilmarina took a few moments to comfort them again.
Then she turned to the six incubus Unsullied. They immediately stood at attention, their years of training overriding their embarrassment.
"We will not fail you, Royal Sorceress!" Rego said.
"Your daughters will be kept safe in your absence!" Quhuru added. "And, speaking on behalf of our still-human brethren, they will do their duty as well!"
Wilmarina went to the fireplace and took out an iron poker. "Before I go, allow me to test your new capabilities. How much strength do you now possess?"
The Unsullied nodded and, one by one, began trying to bend the poker. Some of them had more trouble than others, but all were able to bend the poker into a horse-shoe shape and then straighten it again.
Wilmarina found this reassuring… yet concerning at the same time. With their new capabilities as incubi, these six would be far better protectors of her daughters, able to fend off an army by themselves. Yet they would also be a much greater threat if they decided to go rogue.
I know, intellectually, that it would never happen. They have too much loyalty to my family now. Still, I can't help but worry…
"It seems you will be up to the task," Wilmarina said. "I will return in no more than a few hours. Until I return, do not let down your guard."
"Yes, Royal Sorceress!"
Wilmarina informed the remaining Unsullied and the ex-bed slaves of her departure, bade farewell to her daughters and then flew out from the manse.
It was almost noon now, and the city of Meereen was baked in the rays of a harsh sun. Wilmarina, unaffected by this level of heat, rose higher and higher into the air as she flew towards the Great Pyramid.
About halfway into her flight, Wilmarina saw a winged figure fly out from the Great Pyramid, one giving off a very characteristic aura. She soon met it in mid-air.
"Royal Sorceress!" Daenerys shouted from atop Drogon's back. "We were just planning to meet with you at your manse!"
"We know you must have many grievances to discuss!" Hizdahr shouted from the same location. He seemed to be trying very hard to avoid looking down. "Hopefully at ground level, if possible!"
Both of the royals sounded quite nervous. They presumably feared that Wilmarina might be angry at them for letting so many hostiles sneak into Meereen.
Wilmarina maintained a neutral expression. "Very well. Then, since we are already near it, let us meet in the comfort of your pyramid."
Wilmarina and Drogon flew to the Great Pyramid and landed on its highest terrace. Drogon let down her two passengers from her back, then stepped away while keeping a wary eye on Wilmarina.
"Thank you… for this consideration…" Hizdahr said. He laid a hand on his chest, probably trying to calm his racing heart.
"To begin with, I have good news to share with you," Daenerys said. "The assassins who fled after attacking your family's manse have all been found. Most were killed in combat, or took their own lives to avoid being captured. However, my troops still managed to take one of them alive for questioning."
"I am grateful to hear that," Wilmarina said, still keeping her neutral expression. " Then I will now share with you what I know…"
As it would be a long conversation, they all sat down with the exception of Drogon. Servants came to bring refreshments, which Wilmarina gratefully accepted.
"When I heard of what had happened, I went out and asked the city guard to gather all who'd fallen ill in one of the larger plazas of Meereen," Wilmarina said. "As soon as I examined one of the victims, I immediately noticed the poison in their body."
It was likely that Daenerys and Hizdahr already knew this much from their own subordinates. Still, Wilmarina decided to give the full story to ensure they were all on the same page.
"It was a poison derived from mushrooms, and impossible for humans to taste. I began removing it from the victims' bodies, all the while wondering who would dare poison the recent harvest."
"Something we were also wondering initially," Daenerys said, quietly furious. "Though the perpetrators soon decided to remove all mystery."
Wilmarina nodded. "I was in the middle of healing one victim when the Fiery Hand attacked. There were twenty-five of them, four being mages who wielded fire, and all were dressed in ordinary clothing."
Had Wilmarina faced them in an open battlefield, she would have had no trouble whatsoever. Of course, only fools would fight in an open battlefield if they had the choice.
"They were spread out through the crowd, and began attacking all at once from every direction," Wilmarina continued. "To avoid harming civilians, I attempted a wide-area sleep spell. But that only affected a third of the enemy force, and they woke up much more quickly than expected—I believe the mages had given all of their allies some magical protection."
It grated on Wilmarina to reveal her limitations to people she couldn't fully trust. However, there was no hiding it now. Countless Meereenese had seen her during her battle with the Fiery Hand today.
"In the end, I killed all twenty-five of the assassins, deciding it was too risky to leave any alive," Wilmarina said. "One hundred and twelve of your people have been injured, some of them quite badly, by the fire thrown around in the battle. Another eighteen have been outright killed."
Even more have suffered due to my own inadequacy… If only I had help here. Primera could have noticed the assassins sooner. Mimil could have put all of them to sleep at once. Sasha could have healed the wounded far more quickly than I did…
But I cannot bring them here by simply wishing for it. I must work with what I have.
"We will ensure the families of the dead are compensated for their losses," Hizdahr said. "And, while I am sure others have told you this already, I must say it too: you bear no fault for this. All of the suffering today was the work of the Fiery Hand."
"I am grateful for your words," Wilmarina said formally. "Returning to the story, after I had killed the assassins targeting me, I immediately contacted my daughters, fearing that they had been targeted as well. And I heard that there were people trying to break into their manse… but my daughters told me that everything was fine, that I should focus on healing those wounded in the attack on me…"
Daenerys and Hizdahr winced.
"So I healed the wounded as quickly as possible. I left those who were poisoned but had yet to be healed, since they wouldn't die immediately. I flew back to the manse… and learned that the situation had been far more dangerous than I first heard..."
I swore, three decades ago, that I would never lose anyone I loved again… Wilmarina thought. Yet both today, and a month ago, I came far too close to that...
Soon enough, Wilmarina noticed Daenerys and Hizdahr looking even more nervous, judging from the increased trembling of their bodies. Off to the side, Drogon had tensed up in preparation to fight if necessary. Clearly, they had noticed her fury despite her efforts to hide it.
Wilmarina took several deep breaths. Stressing out the leadership of this city would not do anything to keep her family safe.
"...I heard what had happened from them and the Unsullied," Wilmarina said. "Fortunately, the former were unharmed and the latter had only minor wounds." That part was mostly true, at least. "After that, I came here. And to be clear, I do not blame you two for this. This attack was outside all of our expectations."
"We are extremely grateful for your magnanimity," Hizdahr said, bowing his head. "We will take every measure to prevent this from happening again."
"Meereen currently has countless refugees from distant lands," Daenerys said. "Many of them being defeated enemies. We believed that they had completely lost the will to fight. Clearly, that assumption was wrong. We will have to take a firmer hand with them—"
"That won't be necessary, in my opinion."
The king and queen of Meereen were different in many ways. They reacted identically to Wilmarina's words.
"After what you've just experienced!?"
"Why would you now say such a thing!?"
"Because I have also had to deal with multiple threats from within Meereen's walls," Wilmarina elaborated. "So focusing on outsiders will be of no benefit—for me, at least. If you decide to do so because you think it will help Meereen, that is your choice. But I have my own plans for keeping my family safe."
"I… see," Daenerys said. "I won't argue with you, then. Do you require anything from us in these plans of yours? If you desire more guards, or a different building to live in, or anything else we can provide, you need only ask."
Wilmarina considered the offer of more guards. If there had been thirty or forty Unsullied in the manse today, then the odds of any assassins getting in to threaten her daughters would be almost nonexistent, and she might not feel so anxious now. Life would be uncomfortably cramped if there were that many guards, unless they also moved to a bigger building, but what was comfort compared to security?
In another world, I might have accepted… even though it would mean having to verify the loyalties of more people. But in this world, I have guards I've already verified… six of whom are now vastly more capable…
That thought caused Wilmarina to grimace. She simply couldn't help herself.
I knew this day would come someday… but I didn't expect it to come for some years yet. And I certainly didn't think it would happen like this!
Granted, she's been hoping for this for a long time… but until coming to this strange world, I didn't think it would actually happen! It's an unrealistic fantasy!
...As unrealistic as a hero of noble birth, finally getting her happy ending…
"...Royal Sorceress Wilmarina? Do you require some time to think?"
That forced Wilmarina back to reality. But at this point, she'd probably made one or two embarrassing expressions already.
"No, that won't be necessary," Wilmarina said, doing her best to pretend nothing had happened. "To be clear, I don't need any additional resources, not at this stage."
"In that case, let us move on to a new topic," Hizdahr said. "Namely, what to do regarding the faith of R'hllor. I know that if my family were ever threatened in such a way, I would do all in my power to destroy those responsible. And I do not think you are any less defensive of your family."
"...You would be correct. To be clear, I have no enmity towards those Meereenese who worship R'hllor—though I suspect there'll be fewer of them after today. I see and talk to them on a daily basis, so I know that they appreciate my family's help as much as anyone else in this city. And some of them ate the poisoned harvest too… they had no part in today's attack."
This decision was something informed by Wilmarina's own experience. As a former hero, she used to be extremely fervent in her belief. It was only after she'd abandoned that role that she'd realised the average citizen of Lescatie was much less dedicated. When monsters offered them a tremendous improvement in quality of life, almost all had discarded their beliefs.
"However…" Wilmarina clenched her fists tightly enough for her nails to draw blood. "I would like nothing more than to fly to the Temple of the Lord of Light, kill its entire leadership, and reduce the temple itself to rubble and ash."
As she said these words, Wilmarina felt the desire for vengeance surge in her heart. It was like a beast hungering for fresh meat, a wildfire that would annihilate everything in its path.
Wilmarina slowly unclenched her fists, then absentmindedly healed her wounds.
"...But a round trip to Volantis would likely take a week, even by air. And I am hardly protecting my daughters by leaving them for an entire week. Thus, I must refrain."
Drogon spoke up for the first time. "Want us to fly over and do it instead? If they've only got arrows and fire to fight back with, then it'd be easy. We've been planning to hit Volantis anyway."
That was a very tempting offer, Wilmarina had to admit. It would remove any risk to her family, and the dragons could certainly pull it off.
On the other hand, vengeance carried out by proxy rather defeats the purpose of vengeance… And in the first place, I should not be driven solely by thoughts of vengeance.
"Yes… but only as part of our pre-existing strategy," Wilmarina said. "If you go now, you could certainly destroy the temple, and also throw Volantis into chaos… but our other preparations are not yet complete. Until those ships reach Volantis… I am willing to delay my vengeance."
Drogon let out a low growl but did not try to argue further. It seemed she was beginning to learn the value of strategy and long-term thinking.
A few days prior, a small fleet of ships had been sent out from Meereen, remnants of the Volantene fleet that had attacked last month, now returning to their city of origin. These ships were crewed in part by their original sailors, while the rest were soldiers and sailors from Meereen. And the ships were carrying a very particular cargo.
"So we will keep to the original plan, then," Daenerys said. "I suppose our troops would be quite confused if they reached Volantis and found it already conquered… Then should we also keep to our original plans for Yunkai and other cities?"
"I had little involvement in those plans in the first place, so yes," Wilmarina said.
"I continue to be amazed by your restraint," Daenerys said. "This is the second time the Red God's followers—or some of them—have tried to kill you, and with even worse methods than last time! Mass poisoning to lure you out, using the people of Meereen as shields against you… is there no low they will not stoop to!?" She shook her head and continued in a normal tone, "But if this is your decision, we will not stop you."
"Is there anything else you desire of us, any way in which we might assist you?" Hizdahr asked.
"Only one thing… I would like to question this assassin you captured."
One short trip through the Great Pyramid later, Wilmarina was in the dungeons and seated opposite a man in shackles. Said man had bruises all over his body and a gag in his mouth—the latter to stop him biting his own tongue.
The Fiery Hand assassin shot a look of pure hatred at Wilmarina. She maintained her neutral expression, but internally she felt much the same way.
"...I have need of whatever information you possess," Wilmarina said coldly. "You are likely thinking of how to kill yourself, or to resist whatever torture you expect to happen."
The assassin continued glaring. When Wilmarina touched his forehead with the tip of her index finger, he began thrashing around in an attempt to avoid contact, but it was futile.
"Reveal all secrets, suppressing all restraints: Mind Unlock."
Wilmarina spoke an incantation she'd learned from Mimil nearly three decades ago, for a spell only used during those years of silent rebellion against Druella's regime. It was a spell that she'd never expected nor wanted to use again.
The assassin stopped thrashing and his eyes became unfocused. Wilmarina removed his gag.
"Why is your faith targeting me?"
"Because… the Great Other is a being… of ice and darkness…" the assassin replied in a slurred voice. "Any servants of his… cannot be allowed… to walk the earth… They must be eliminated… no matter… the cost…"
"My daughters and I have given considerable help to the people of Meereen," Wilmarina said. "And to people of other lands that have come here, for various reasons. Your group clearly knew this. Your strategy today was built around it."
"The Great Other… possesses a fiendish intellect… He can use various means… to lead mortals astray… including acts of apparent… generosity…"
Wilmarina sighed. She wouldn't be able to change the mind of a fanatic like this man. She knew that all too well.
When I ultimately abandoned the Chief God… I wasn't operating on pure logic. It was my emotional connections, to Elt and to Fran, that made me waver.
Perhaps this man has his own connections. But I have no idea who they are, and they are likely to be far away from here.
I have no realistic way to save him. All I can do is focus on keeping those girls safe.
"I see," Wilmarina said. "I understand your motivations. My next question: how did your group enter Meereen and prepare for today's twin assaults?"
Saliva leaked from the assassin's mouth as he replied, "We were on the Volantene warfleet… under false identities… Originally… to meet Azor Ahai…"
Wilmarina took a moment to recall what this meant. Azor Ahai was a hero in local legends. According to followers of R'hllor—or at least fanatics like this—Daenerys was Azor Ahai reborn.
"To show her… R'hllor's light… and help fight her enemies… When the three dragons destroyed… the fleet… our surviving members… came here… Seeing the situation… we changed our plans… We had to… eliminate any who would… lead Azor Azai astray…"
"Understood. Another question: how were your mages able to hide themselves from my notice? Did you ever hear how they did it?"
"I do not know…"
"Did you ever hear anything about their magic? Surely you must have heard something, given that you were fighting as part of a strategy involving their magic."
"Only… Only the power of dragons… They mentioned the power of dragons… in Meereen's air… said it helped their magic…"
The power of dragons… Wilmarina thought. That has been helpful for my family, allowing us to use magic more frequently than we could otherwise. For mages specialised in fire, it would be even more helpful. That would explain how they could burn through the manse's back door so quickly.
And it might even explain how they hid from my senses. Perhaps they worked out how to camouflage their own, fire-aligned energy against the dragon mana in the atmosphere, similar to how green animals are camouflaged against a background of leaves…
Or have I gotten it completely wrong? Once again, I wish Mimil was here...
Wilmarina then asked about the red temple's further schemes targeting her family. This last question produced no results, unfortunately. The assassin was a low-ranking member not privy to such information. All he could say was that more assassins would definitely be sent.
When she was done, Wilmarina took her finger away from the assassin's forehead and put the gag back in his mouth. There was a chance the gag wouldn't even be necessary now. This spell inherently had a chance of damaging the target's mind, and the chance was even greater when cast by an unskilled user, such as a Wilmarina who hadn't cast it for decades. Even if he retained his mind, the assassin would at best face a life of confinement in this dungeon.
Some might pity him. But I have no pity to spare for someone who dared threaten those girls.
Putting the assassin out of her mind, Wilmarina left the dungeon. She conveyed the information she'd learned to the royals. She also learned from them that those still poisoned by the recent harvest were still gathered in the same plaza. She therefore flew there as quickly as possible.
Here, Wilmarina saw the over three hundred people she had yet to heal. Many more people than that had actually eaten the recent harvest, but only a fraction of them had fallen ill. The Fiery Hand had only been able to produce enough poison to sabotage part of the harvest… though still enough to achieve their intended goal of luring her out.
Wilmarina went around the plaza, finishing her healing, eating whenever she needed to recover her energy, shrugging off the gratitude she received. It was rather similar to what she'd been doing during her first few days in this world.
But now… none of them show me any hatred now, but I fear the effect this will have on perception of my family. Some people may now whisper that this mass poisoning is actually Elise's and Colette's fault, and I am simply covering for their mistake. There may be trouble in future...
By the time she was done, the sun was beginning to get low in the sky. Wilmarina flew back to the manse, not wanting to waste a single moment.
The door of the manse was being guarded by two Unsullied. One was still human, the other was not. Both bowed their heads when Wilmarina arrived.
"Welcome back, Royal Sorceress," said Potho.
"There has been no further trouble in your absence," said Merrabor, the incubus among the two guards.
"Thank you for your service," Wilmarina said. She narrowed her eyes. "And… has anything happened related to my younger daughter?"
"N-Nothing at all has happened!" Merrabor said quickly, his dark cheeks reddening. "I swear, on the name of the Lord of Harmony, that is the truth!"
"I see. Then I expect, for the rest of today at least, that both of you continue your duties."
""Yes, Royal Sorceress!""
Wilmarina opened the door. As she did so, she felt out the defensive enchantments on it.
While this door wasn't breached like the back door… the enchantments have lost a good deal of their energy, perhaps twenty to twenty-five percent.
She could have replenished the energy now, but she was too tired and the manse was well-defended at the moment. She therefore decided to leave it for now.
I can't believe I'm cutting corners with this… I have clearly been working far too hard lately...
Wilmarina explored the manse briefly. She encountered some of the other incubi, who all greeted her awkwardly and respectfully. And from their smell…
It's clear that they have not taken… that step yet. In hindsight, I should have expected this, it's only been a few hours since the attack. I've been worrying for nothing.
But when time passes, and everyone calms down… what then?
Wilmarina looked for Colette and found her in her experiment room. To Wilmarina's relief, the alraune was more cheerful than she'd been earlier. She perked up even more when Wilmarina told her that the rest of the poisoned Meereenese had been healed.
Well, except for those who were killed by the Fiery Hand… Wilmarina thought to herself.
"Thank you for sorting that out, Auntie Mary," Colette said.
"Are you sure you don't need more time to rest?" Wilmarina asked. "You don't need to push yourself to return to your research."
Colette nodded. "When I was scared before… I was scared that my work had accidentally hurt people. I was scared about the people who fought to protect us… d-dying. But now, neither of those things is the case anymore. And, since coming to this world… I've had to learn about many new things. I think that's made me a little stronger."
A little stronger? Wilmarina thought. You understate yourself greatly, Colette. You are far stronger in willpower than I was at your age.
"Lastly, while you were out, I've been talking with the Unsullied, the ones Elise turned into incubi," Colette continued. "I've been helping teach them about their new condition. That's helped me move on from what happened in the morning."
"I see. And speaking of which…" Wilmarina lowered her voice. "What do you think of… what Elise wants to do? I should be more specific… um… what do you think of those six?"
"Hmm… sorry, I don't know them all that well," Colette said. "Both Elise and Amelia would know more than me."
"Well, what do you know currently? And… how suitable do you think they would be… as…"
"Again, I don't know all that much. For example, with Berroq, all I know is that he comes from this island far to the north, where the people make a living hunting whales, and he thinks Meereen is very hot compared to his home, and what else… oh! I know that he likes to make bone carvings in his spare time…"
Colette proceeded to rattle off half a dozen more facts before moving on to a different Unsullied, who she described in just as much detail.
She knows nearly as much about them than I do, and I questioned all of them about their backgrounds when they first entered my service! Admittedly, she's been stuck in this manse for weeks, with little to do in her spare time except talk to them, but still… Colette has come a long way from the girl who had trouble going outside on her own, even in the safe monster realm of Lescatie...
"...and that's all I know," Colette said at the end of her descriptions. "As for how suitable any of them are… I think they're nice people. I think they'd definitely try to make Elise happy. But I… I don't have any romantic experience myself, so… I can't be certain."
"That's enough, thank you for sharing your opinion," Wilmarina said. "I'll go to her now. And Colette, please don't push yourself. I'll check in on you again when it's time for dinner."
Wilmarina left the room and began heading down the corridor.
Mersé… if you could see your girl now, I'm sure you'd be proud of how far she's come.
That reminded Wilmarina of the harsh reality: she and the girls were still isolated in a foreign world with no known way to return home. And even though it had been almost a month, they'd seen no signs of their family contacting them.
I can think of various reasons why, none of them pleasant. But we must not lose hope.
Wilmarina considered talking to Amelia next. However, when she searched for her older daughter's aura, she found it in a room together with the auras of two of the Unsullied incubi.
She must be talking to them about their condition… I should not interrupt.
Wilmarina therefore went to Elise's room. She hesitated for a few seconds before knocking on the door.
There was the sound of muffled footsteps, then Elise opened the door.
"...Hello, Mother," Elise said, fidgeting.
"You may relax, I'm not angry at you," Wilmarina said. "May I come in?"
"Y-Yes!"
Wilmarina entered the room. Unlike yesterday, she couldn't smell anything untoward here. To seem less threatening, she sat down on a chair. Elise chose to sit on the bed.
"Earlier today, I was definitely… unsettled, to put it mildly," Wilmarina said. "But after having time to think, I've come to realise that…" She paused. She'd been planning to say that it was a trivial matter, but that might come across as insulting. "I've come to realise that I didn't need to worry so much."
"But I broke your rule against… against not taking the next step…" Elise said. "I might have saved them, but it was out of my own… desires…"
Wilmarina took a deep breath. "I certainly never expected this to happen. However, considering the situation, I think you made the right choice. You saved their lives."
"But… we still lied to you, about how safe we were here… If we hadn't..."
"If you hadn't, then I would certainly have come back immediately. I would have cured those six easily. And if I'd done that… other people would have died instead."
It would have been more accurate to say "even more people would have died". But Wilmarina wasn't here to add to Elise's worries.
"This world is simply that dangerous," Wilmarina said. "I've been underestimating it… Until today, every single time I left you girls here, I was actually putting you at risk."
Elise perked up slightly. She'd clearly noticed the implication in Wilmarina's words.
"And starting from today… you girls are vastly better-protected than before. We have six incubi here now, already with extensive combat training. Even if—for some bizarre reason—Daenerys sent her three dragon daughters to attack us, I suspect these incubi could keep you all safe. I now regret not turning any of them into incubi earlier—if I had, you girls wouldn't have been put in such danger."
"You had good reasons not to, I understand that much, Mother," Elise said. "But so far, you've been talking about protection and security… What I would like…" her voice shrank to a whisper, "to know is…"
Wilmarina sighed. "This is a conversation I hoped not to have for years… but perhaps that was always unrealistic. So… Elise. I've watched you grow up for twenty years. I think you've become a fine young woman. I… I trust you can go about this relationship maturely."
Elise let out a joyful squeal and hugged Wilmarina tightly.
The last time she was this happy, she'd just discovered a new species of fungus… Wilmarina thought as she returned the embrace.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Oh, I had so many arguments that I planned to use, but I was too, too nervous to remember them, and then it's turned out I didn't have to, and—"
It took Elise almost a full minute to calm down. During this time, Wilmarina reflected on the contrast between her daughters.
Amelia gives me grief with her dress sense, occupation, manners and many other things. But I have never had cause to complain about her romantic relationships, since she has never had any and does not plan to for years. Whereas Elise is a perfect daughter in most aspects, yet…
Eventually, Elise pulled away and sat back down on the bed. "Mother, thank you… I didn't expect you to accept th-this in a matter of hours."
"Well, I'm more flexible than you—or Amelia—think," Wilmarina said. "Please recall who I used to be."
"A… A hero?"
"A hero who thought the only proper relationship was between one man and one woman. Oh, and who had no idea that anyone could move between those two categories. Then came the days of the Fall of Lescatie… I became a monster, I entered a relationship with Elt and Fran that even included four others, and Eva gained a body that suited her, something which I came to accept. All this happened within just a few days."
"When you put it like that, it was incredibly fast…" Elise looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Mother. I've misjudged you for so long…"
Wilmarina placed a hand on Elise's shoulder. "It's nothing to be sorry about, Elise. I've done my best to leave that part of me behind."
Truth be told, Wilmarina had taken more than a few days to fully change her mindset. On more than one occasion, she'd cursed her own transformation into a succubus. But there was no need to share that with Elise. It was an aspect of her past that only her spouses needed to know.
"But there's a few issues I must mention," Wilmarina said. "First, while our society doesn't forbid… relationships like this, there is no actual law against them, but if you go through with this… you'll be the target of tremendous envy."
Elise nodded. "I know. It's something I've been worrying about for years… When I talk to those six, I'll mention this issue to them, so that they only… accept if they're ready for the consequences."
"Good. That brings me to the second issue. Elise… I have said this earlier today, but you can't expect all of them to agree to this. I know, this sounds strange coming from me, but it's the truth."
"It's not strange at all, Mother," Elise said. "Your situation was different, you and the other mothers were chosen because you all loved Father already. But for these six men, I converted them out of necessity. I'm not arrogant enough to think they all l-love me…"
Elise sounded a little fearful by the end. Wilmarina patted her head in reassurance.
"Don't worry. I'm aware of how they interact with you… including in my absence."
That made Elise fall off the bed. She was red-faced as she rose back up.
"So I don't think you need to worry about that part," Wilmarina continued, trying not to laugh. "Now for the third issue. Elise… please try not to…" She fidgeted nervously. "Please try not to… become pregnant."
Elise become even redder than she already was, to the point that roses would have looked pale in comparison. "I-I won't, Mother, I promise… I know the trouble that would cause in our current situation..."
"You did learn the technique for this, I hope—"
"Of course, Mother! I-In fact, I've already… implemented it…" Elise covered her face. "I've been doing it for weeks now..."
"Well… that's good…"
It was difficult for monsters to be impregnated even in normal circumstances. But if a monster ever wanted to remove even that low chance, there was a biofeedback technique for preventing ovulation for as long as desired. Without this, there'd be a constant flood of monster births, thanks to the bottomless lust of their kind.
Without this, I'd probably have at least twenty daughters by now...
"Then there is nothing more I need to say," Wilmarina said. "You may take the next step with my blessing, Elise."
Wilmarina was embraced by her daughter again, this time lasting for about ten seconds. Then she stepped out of the room.
"Everything went well," Wilmarina said to Amelia, who was now standing next to the door. "I'm allowing to Elise to proceed."
"I figured, from the total lack of any shouting," Amelia said, though she sounded relieved. "When I heard you'd gone up here, I had to come too."
No doubt to help if the conversation had devolved into an argument. Wilmarina felt heartened by the strength of the bond between her daughters, despite their very different personalities.
"You really accepted it this fast, Mom?"
"Well, as I was just saying to Elise..."
The two succubi went down the stairs to the ground floor of the manse. They went to the dining room, where Wilmarina had some biscuits to satisfy her hunger.
I've been exerting myself too much today…
"...and that's why I'm now allowing this," Wilmarina said. "It shouldn't cause us trouble while we're here, as long as we keep those incubi in this manse. Though when we finally return home…"
"Yeah, that might be a biiit of a problem," Amelia said. "Only matters when we're home, though."
"More importantly, how are you feeling at the moment, Amelia? It's only been a few hours since you were in danger."
"I wasn't in danger, Mom, you were, along with those six guys. Seriously, you don't have to worry about us so much."
"I'm only doing what I ought to—"
Amelia leaned in and peered closely at Wilmarina. She let out a gasp, then grabbed Wilmarina by the shoulders. It was so abrupt that, even as a former hero with lightning-fast reflexes, Wilmarina was caught off guard.
"Mom, just how are you feeling?" Amelia asked. "You've been working all day! You don't look tired at first, but that's just an act!"
"I'm not… I'm just…" Wilmarina sighed. "No. You're right. I do feel tired."
"Then you're taking a nap right now!" Amelia said, pulling her mother back towards the stairs. "You're not going to help anyone if you collapse!"
Wilmarina was led up the stairs and to her own room. At least Amelia didn't go so far as to undress her and tuck her into bed.
"If anyone comes looking for you, I'll tell 'em you're busy working to make their lives even better!" Amelia said just before she left. "So you can stay there and rest!"
Once she was alone again, Wilmarina got out of bed and began walking around the room. Actually sleeping would be a bad idea after all the food she'd eaten today.
Still… Wilmarina smiled. I can't deny that it feels good to get a chance to rest, and for Amelia to be so considerate nowadays?
Or perhaps she was always this considerate, but I never noticed it, since we're so often at odds back home…
Wilmarina looked out the window. It was probably dusk now, though she was unable to directly see the twilight. She could only "see" the mana of the various living organisms outside, and through that perceive the general shape of the buildings and the ground.
Just how long will this impairment last? My sight and sensation do not appear to be recovering at all, even weeks after I was hit by that cursed flame…
If I had my full capabilities, would I have been less anxious today? But the Fiery Hand could break in here due to my defensive measures being insufficient… I must improve them…
Now, how did they break down the back door? They used concentrated fire magic on the door, but that alone was insufficient, even with the speculative boost from dragon mana. They also needed to have their strongest fighter strike the door many times until it finally gave way. And afterwards, they attempted to enter through the breach.
So, if I make the door inaccessible to normal humans…
Wilmarina continued her planning for several minutes. Eventually, she decided that she ought to rest as instructed. If Amelia noticed her still looking tired, she'd probably start asking her sisters about how to cast sleep spells.
I can hardly believe so much has happened today…
Wilmarina lay on the bed without bothering to change her clothes. She closed her eyes and practised breathing exercises.
By the time someone knocked on the door to announce it was dinnertime, Wilmarina felt a little more refreshed than earlier. And when she entered the dining room and saw everyone alive and well, she was able to smile.