Chapter 184 – A Family Celebration

Aki

‘And where is Persephone now?’ Malika asked Lilyth and Phosi the morning after they both returned.

We got summoned to the Viscount’s audience chamber the first thing after breakfast. After obtaining a report from Lilyth regarding what had happened, they began grilling her about the loose ends.

‘I wouldn’t know,’ Lilyth replied.

‘Me neither,’ Phosi agreed.

I knew that both of them were lying. I was shocked by how much Phosi’s attitude improved towards Persephone, but it probably had to do with the girl’s enslavement and her overall help in facilitating Lilyth’s return.

Malika seemed really mad about their answers.

‘Do you realise how much of a threat she poses to the people of this land?’

‘Yes,’ Lilyth shrugged. ‘However, unless you have a means of tracking someone who can teleport, there is nothing we can do about the subject.’

‘Why didn’t you deal with her in the first place? You had her at your mercy!’

‘I am not a murderer, Lady Malika. It is not my place to execute helpless women. Also, last I checked, I do not answer to you about such things. That would be Nyx and Ereshkigal, and neither of them has so far complained about my handling of the issue.’

In fact, Lilyth got a brand new armour set from the latter for dealing with the whole “slavery on Varlia” thing.

Malika had no answer to that.

‘And what about the slaver you brought here?’ the Viscount asked. ‘This is something that I do have a say in.’

‘I was contracted by his father to get Dainyir away from Varlia. While Helricht didn’t keep his end of the bargain, I did. As for what happens to him, if he is in violation of any of the local laws, by all means arrest him.’

‘It was a contract made under extreme duress from a man who enslaved you and, oh wait, forcibly married you to said son. No court on Andermon would find this contract binding.’

‘I am well aware of that, my Lord. The interim authorities on Varlia allowed me to decide his fate. As he had treated me well, I offered him a chance to leave with us.’

‘You were his slave!’

‘And I chose to be merciful.’

‘One day, your mercy will prove to be your undoing, Lilyth of Terra. Have you at any point stopped to consider the long-term consequences of your actions on Varlia?’

‘No, my Lord. My schedule was pretty packed between regrowing my arm, survival, enslavement and causing a slave rebellion. Next time an ancient sorceress will banish me to a remote warlord-run island, I will ask her to send a political officer of your choosing along with me.’

The Viscount got red-faced at that answer.

‘Do not mock me, slime.’

‘My lord, I apologise. I was merely pointing out that the circumstances were more conducive to short-term thinking.’

‘But the sorceress? The slaver? Following the battle, you had plenty of time to consider those.’

‘Persephone was an ally of convenience. The alliance was only dissolved upon her returning me to Ror-Bhyk. Once again, as far as she goes, I answer to a higher authority. Dainyir is… was… my husband.’

‘He’s a SLAVER!’

That’s the real pain point for him, isn’t it?

‘My lord, if this is a question of the image of the province,’ I interjected,’ then I would argue this is not an issue. The only people aware of his previous allegiances are in this room.’

‘The sorceress knows too! And even if we keep this a secret, it doesn’t change the fact that he profited from slavery!’

‘My lord,’ Lilyth replied,’ as I said, if you feel Dainyir should be punished for his actions, then I will have no objections to that’

‘It is you bringing him here to begin with, that’s a problem!’

‘In this case, I apologise. I did not consider it problematic.’

‘I should exile your slimy ass for this.’

‘If you feel that would be the proper cause of action, then I will accept the punishment, my Lord, ’ Lilyth said with a tone and expression that said she was done with the subject.

‘OUT! ALL OF YOU!’ the Viscount finally shouted, then he must have remembered something because he quickly added. ‘Actually, not you, Aki. I have something to discuss with you in private.’

Well… shit.

Lilyth

‘He is right, you know,’ Sav told me while we were returning to our quarters. ‘That was mighty stupid of you.’

‘In retrospect, I fully agree,’ I admitted. I just don’t see how I could have done anything else. Should I have left him to be lynched or ditched him on that island?’

'Both were perfectly valid options. But I am not saying I don’t understand. Leaving the one person that was kind to you in a shitty situation to rot would be difficult for most people.'

‘Out of curiosity, though, did you seriously consider him to be your husband?’ Deirdee asked.

‘Nope,’ I answered, truthfully. ‘I was forcibly married to him in a humiliating ceremony. But that does not mean I hated him. We lived together, both liked reading books, slept in a single bed, fucked that one time, ate meals together, had a room we started decorating together…

…And I was pregnant with his child.

‘By all accounts, we were acting like a normal couple. It was for appearances, sure, but at some point the lines between “husband” and husband would begin to blur.’

‘Shit,’ Sav muttered. ‘They set you up for failure. Between the attempt to capture Phosi and this, I doubt the motherfucker in charge wanted you to ever leave.’

‘I know…’ I whimpered.

I already discussed this with my wives, and we were going to pick up where we left off as far as our trips to Nyx went. Though rather than making it a continuous state, it would be more of an ad-hoc thing. A day here, a few there. That kind of stuff. Despite everything, I did manage to get some rest on my involuntary vacation, so it was more about therapy now.

Aki caught up to us a few moments later.

‘What did the Viscount want?’ I asked her. ‘Chew you out for not controlling me on a “mission” you weren't on?’

‘N-no,’ she stammered out. ‘He just wanted to know our next steps. Told him we were finally heading into the caves under the Murdergrove.’

Why do I have a feeling there is more to this?

Aki

‘A dinner invitation?’ Caei asked once the four of us were in private.

‘Yes,’ I nodded. Just the four of us.

‘What about the others?’ Lilyth asked. ‘That’s kinda rude to exclude them.’

‘I said the same too. But he told me all would be made clear in time.’

When we entered the Viscount's private dining room, he, Malika and Savri were already waiting for us, sitting around a large emerald-shaped darkwood table.

What?

‘What’s Sav doing here?’ Lilyth asked bluntly. ‘I thought it would be just as.’

‘Patience, young Lilyth,’ the Viscount smiled. ‘All will be explained shortly.’

‘Last I checked, I was older than you, my Lord,’ Lilyth said.

‘Just a figure of speech, my dear,’ Malika came to the defence of her husband.

‘Yes,’ my brother agreed. ‘Still, I apologise for this faux pas. Anyway, why won’t you all take a seat, and we’ll get down to business. Dinner shall be served shortly.’

‘We have invited you hear for a small family get-together,’ Malika picked up the thread once we were seated.

Family? Oh, shit.

Before anyone could react, Lilyth was back on her feet, her knives in her hands.

‘Easy, miss Lilyth,’ my brother raises his hands in a placating gesture. ‘I mean you no harm. Though your outburst means you already know.’

‘Know what?’ Ren asked coyly.

‘That Aki is my sister,’ Wilhum sighed.

I looked at Lilyth and nodded for her to sit back down. She didn't seem happy but obliged.

‘Believe me,’ my brother laughed nervously, ‘even if I wanted to go against the group, at this stage I fully acknowledge it would be suicide. Your group are probably the most powerful individuals in Ror-Bhyk. Maybe in the whole region.’

We all reflexively looked at Malika.

‘With the exception of my lady wife, of course,’ Wilhum added nervously. ‘I know she used to be a powerful mage.’

‘I have retired a while ago,’ the demon admitted. ‘Long before you were born, Savvie. I gather you were told by Persephone, Lilyth.’

‘Yes,’ she confirmed.

‘What exactly did she tell you, if I may ask?’

‘Just that you were the one to imprison her and that you and Zekuthran killed a Daughter named Isana. We didn't talk much about this stuff.’

‘I understand. Thank you, my friend.’

The Viscount coughed and continued his likely prepared speech.

‘I actually wanted to hold this dinner after you dealt with that soldier spying on us. But then you were spirited away, split up and once again proved your extreme competence by surviving and thriving. By the gods, you and Phosi were enough to topple a warlord, Lilyth.’

‘I didn't do much. It was mostly Phosi,’ Lilyth corrected. ‘And we had help from the freed slaves.’

‘Lilyth,’ my brother replied, exasperated. ‘I would be surprised if your kill count was below ten.’

‘Nah… it was six just on the escape attempt alone. I lost count during the big battle, but I think it was around fifteen. Maybe twenty.’

By the gods.

‘And that was in your depowered state, correct?’

‘Yes.’

‘So… It would be correct to assume that if, right now, you went full out, you would wreak about as much havoc as Phosi?’

‘Hard to tell without testing. Having seen her in action, though, I think she is much, much stronger than I, but you are right, my Lord. My escape attempt would have gone very differently once I realised that peace is not an option.’

‘Quite,’ my brother smiled sadly. ‘This was only further evidence for something I had realised around the time you cleared the Murdergrove. If your group wanted to topple me and put Aki on the throne, there was nothing I could do, and yet you just went on as if nothing had happened and even worked for the good of the city, meaning you likely had no intention to remove me from power. There was, of course, the good possibility Aki did not know, but I doubted it would matter in the long run.’

‘Yes,’ I confirmed. ‘I don’t want your throne.’

Wilhum smiled, hearing that.

‘Now, our father left me the choice about your fate.’

He got up, walked over to a cabinet and took out two old sealed letters from it.

‘This is a message from our father to you,’ he said, handing me one of them.

He then sighed with certain finality and handed me the other.

‘This one officially recognises you as his daughter with all the rights that come with it. So, allow me to welcome you to our family, Aki von Caiver.’