Chapter 30: Side Chapter Two – Death’s Curtesy

{290 Years before Chapter One}

 

I lazily gazed at the sleeping woman beside me. She was cute and yet I had no idea who she was. Not that I usually knew who my bedmates were.

Yawning I stretched and slipped out of bed. Looking back at my partner I couldn’t help but wince at my own handiwork. Her body was covered in scratches and bruises, marks I’d placed upon her.

For a moment I debated using [Healing Magic] to remove the marks, but ultimately decided against it. My reputation was such that only women who were into such a thing sought out my company. If I healed her now, she was more likely to be pissed than appreciative. The marks were her proof, that she’d braved a night in Councilwoman Otrea’s bed.

Sighing I sent a pulse of my magic throughout the manor. “Corrynthia are you there?”

“Always Lady Otrea.” A spectral woman replied, appearing in the space beside me. “How may I be of assistance?”

“Can you inform the maids to begin preparing breakfast for our guest? And send someone into town with her measurements to fetch a dress, her clothing didn’t survive the night.”

“Right at once Milady! Might I add last night’s performance was one of your best.”

“Filthy voyeur,” I chuckled as the spirit vanished from the room. “Now what should I wear today?”

On cue, a pair of golden spiders crawled out of my dresser with a rather ornate dress. Far from my favorite black and green combination, this dress was silver with purple accents. Designed for a woman far more upstanding and noble than me. Shaking my head I took the dress from the spiders and clothed myself in it.

Making my way to the vanity I carefully combed my hair, and even applied a small amount of makeup. Something which any other day I would never even consider. Today was special though, and special days deserve the best.

Today I was to meet with the young woman who would soon surrender her body to me, so that I could perform the Ritual of Unlife.

I’d already asked Councilwoman Annalise to meet with her. Annalise was the defacto living authority on healing magic. If she said the disease the girl suffered from could not be healed, then I believed her.

After all, I did not wish for a living woman to become a corpse if she could be saved. Even if my reputation claimed I was heartless, I was not devoid of compassion.

Today, while she still drew breath, I would obtain her consent to take custody of her body after death. I didn’t want to risk issues with her family, even if there was little they could do against me.

As I reached the front door of my manor a human man, at least a head taller than me, fell into step behind me.

“Oberon, I have no need of an attendant today. You may stay here or better yet, go home to see your family. I’m certain they miss you.”

“That will not do Lady Otrea,” Oberon rebuffed me, as the stench of cigar smoke reached my nose. “No member of the council should ever be seen without the proper entourage. It is already quite scandalous that you travel without members of the Guard protecting you.”

“I celebrate my Five-hundred and sixtieth birthday this year. A dough-face guardsman who’s lived for less than four decades would do little to protect me. Rather I would probably end up protecting them in the event of an emergency.”

“The guard has been recruiting more women in hopes of stoking your more hedonistic desires. Perhaps a few of these ladies could be allowed to guard you? Even if they are only treasures to the eye.”

“You know well enough by now Oberon that my hedonism is more myth than reality. I am only vicious to those who come to me willingly. I doubt a member of the guard would be courted by my reputation. Their training probably shoves the stick of proper morals too far up their ass for them to be fun.”

“Perhaps they will surprise you?”

“Doubtful. The only thing that surprises me is how long you’ve spent arguing against my desires. Are you not afraid of the black witch and the specters she summons?”

“I’ve seen you dismiss those who refuse to state their minds around you Lady Otrea. If anything you can consider my rebuttal an attempt to maintain job security.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes at Oberon. “Very well, follow me if you like. We’re headed to speak with the eldest daughter of the Kelsall family. Adelita Kelsall.” 

“Another woman who’s sought your courtship?”

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“Her and I are soon to have a different relationship. I’ll be using her body to create my first undead, after she passes naturally of course. I will not be bringing about her death.” I stepped out of the manor and began my stroll towards the Kelsall house.

“Do you have need of an undead Lady Otrea?”

“I have no more need of an undead than I have of an attendant, yet you still insist on following me. Still, I’ve invested too much energy into necromancy to have never made one.”

“So she will simply be a trophy then?”

“She’d be more of a child, wouldn’t she? Despite the age of her body, she will be brought into the world with no knowledge of who she was, and little knowledge of the world at large. I will have to teach her, train her, and mold her into an undead powerful enough to carry out my commands. Maybe someday I’ll even decode the Ritual of Unlife itself, and make her fully autonomous. Can you imagine it Oberon? An undead who generates their own magic, who exists independent of their creator. She would be the first of a new race would she not? I would be creating something even the gods failed to provide!”

“I would have to report such developments to the council.”

“Report it, I don’t care.” I waved my hand loosely over my shoulder at Oberon. “Stuck up scholars who refuse to stretch beyond what is known has little right to consider themselves the apex of sorcery.”

“I do not know whether to consider you an inquisitive genius or a madwoman Milady.”

“Madwoman sounds more like the rumors that circulate about me. Ever since I took on the role of chairwoman for the council, the rumors have grown more vicious. I seriously believe there may be at least one person out there who doesn’t like me.”

“I can name many people who do not like you. Most of the council would have their names on such a list.”

Smiling wryly at Oberon I came to a stop before a small two-story manor.

The Kelsall family were impoverished compared to most other nobles. Given nobility due to services on behalf of the crown. They were such unfortunate nobles of the cloth, their titles came with no land, and little in the way of monetary reward. As if earning the right to be called ‘lady and lord’ was payment enough.

Still, appearances have to be met and after a rather desperate Lord Kelsall went looking for money to fund a new home for his family, I got generous. The entire manor before me, though small, was funded with my gold. Even the staff who kept the place clean and the family fed were paid from my pocket.

I expected I could extract payment from them at some point in the future. It was hard to believe however that their payment would be made in the form of their daughter’s body. After she’d hopefully warmed them to the idea of course.

Before I could knock upon the door Oberon surged forward to do it for me. Informing the cute maid who answered the door of who we wished to see.

“Lady Adelita is very ill, I do not believe she’s in any condition to see you.”

“She is aware of our visit,” I said pulling a letter from my pocket, holding it out for the maid to read. “I have no problem conducting our business from her bedside.”

“Eh… you’re L-Lady Otrea?” The maid stuttered, turning white as a sheet.

“My name precedes me. I promise I won’t bite.”

“Lady Adelita’s bedroom is upstairs, second door in the hall to your left.”

The skittish maid retreated out of sight after selling out her mistress’s location, which made me chuckle.

“Would you like to pursue her Milady?” Oberon deadpanned.

“Seriously?” I sighed. “Who would want to bed a woman who nearly pisses themselves the moment they heard their name?”

“Carnivorousness is common in human arousal.”

“I’m hardly human…”

I broke my humanity years ago.

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