Chapter 57: Chapter Fifty-Four: The Promised Cup

“Dressing up for me?” Otrea chuckled, tracing the length of me with her eyes.

“It’s a special occasion,” I replied, trying hard not to blush. I had everything I needed to make the espresso corretto I’d promised Otrea when we first met. To mark the occasion I’d even dressed myself in the outfit she’d gifted me after my seventeenth birthday.

The frilly black-and-green mini-dress paired with knee-high socks, and lace gloves made me feel very magical girl-ish. Which was Otrea’s favorite motif so it seemed fitting. Besides, today was all about making good on my promise to her, and I wanted her to love every aspect of it.

Even Mommy Laura had contributed to Otrea’s treat. After waking up I found a crystal decanter of brandy on my desk. With a little note from Mommy Laura telling me not to do anything too lewd with my newly adopted sister. Accented by a little winking face.

Since the note was written with the poorly masked intent of making me embarrassed. I still didn’t know if Mommy Laura truly saw Otrea as her daughter or not. Ultimately I decided to just not think about it.

“You finally have everything you need huh?” Otrea mused, watching as I prepared the Moka Pot.

“Yes. Libelle was instrumental in getting the tool I needed made. I almost kissed her after she brought it to me. I guess I’m not very good at holding grudges.”

“Ellione wasn’t either. If I wasn’t around to get angry on her behalf I have no clue what would’ve become of her.”

“You know,” I began after I started to heat the moka pot’s base with magic. “I don’t really know anything about Ellione, despite the fact that she gave birth to me. Perhaps you could tell me a bit about what she was like?”

“Of course,” Otrea smiled. “When I first met her, I had something of a reputation. Masochistic women sought me out, and would often brag of the nights they spent with me. So when Ellione showed up at my manor, I believed she wanted the same. I started verbally dressing her down before even giving her the chance to speak. Of course, she started sobbing.”

“Is it unusual for a woman receiving such treatment to sob?”

“Pixie tears are not unusual. Faked exaggerated cries, pretending as if they’re devastated by what is being said or done to them. But real, honest, unmistakable crying, that is highly unusual. I realized my mistake immediately. I tried to explain myself, to apologize, but she turned and ran away. It took six months before I learned I’d dressed down the first-born princess herself.”

“Did you fear any kind of reparations because of what you’d done?” I asked pouring the espresso into a small glass.

“When it happened I was already too powerful and feared for anyone to do anything. Besides, Ellione hadn’t told anyone what’d transpired at my doorstep. She approached me again after a meeting I’d had with her father. And this time I made sure to let her speak.”

“Is this when she asked you to send her to Earth?” I asked pouring brandy into Otrea’s espresso.

“No. She asked me to teach her magic.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. She was already quite skilled at it. After all she was the princess so she had no shortage of skilled tutors. But she wanted to learn [Ether Magic] and I was the only expert on that in the whole kingdom.”

“Why?” I held out the cup of espresso for Otrea to take.

“Because she believed after endless research on her part that [Ether Magic] was the key to stepping between worlds. She didn’t tell me that at first however. I honestly had no clue what her goals were. But I felt bad enough for treating her so poorly that I agreed to teach her without questioning it.”

Otrea gazed at the glass of espresso in her hand for a moment before sipping at it. She took a moment to finish it, a warm smile spreading across her lips. “This is very good.”

“Isn’t it? brandy and espresso complement each other perfectly I think. They’re a wonderful combination, really warms you up.”

“So when did you and Ellione become lovers?” I asked as I made another espresso corretto for Otrea.

“Towards the end,” Otrea gazed at me with a sad smile. “I was centuries old. The idea of being in any form of committed relationship with someone going into their second decade was ludicrous. So even as those feelings bloomed, I failed to act on them. Maybe if I’d admitted I’d fallen for her sooner, she’d have decided to stay. Sadly it didn’t work out that way, I didn’t admit what I felt for her, until she’d already roped me into her plans to leave this world behind.”

“You know I’ve not hit my second decade. Yet you’ve already kissed me, bit my ear, and cuddled me.”

“Forgive me for saying so,” Otrea replied sipping on her second espresso. “But I didn’t see our relationship as anything near committed. I saw you more as a fun toy to play with as I wanted. Until the day Eurycelia nearly died. Then you graduated from toy to valuable tool.”

“Well that’s not flattering in the least,” I giggled. “So what have I graduated to in your mind now?”

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Otrea gazed quietly at me. “I don’t know. You’re so important to me now, I can’t think of you as anything other than yourself. The daughter of gods, born from the womb of the only woman I’d have given up everything for. You’re the rarest treasure in all the world. Just when I thought I’d collected everything I’d ever desired. You appeared to prove me wrong.”

I smiled. “Well I know what makes me special in your eyes. But what made Ellione special? How’d you start falling for her to begin with?”

“She was the most intelligent woman I’d ever met. As young as she was, she could hold her ground intellectually against almost anyone. I guess looking back it makes sense. She had decades of past-life memories available to her. Still it always surprised me. She could’ve been my equal if she’d stayed. Actually, it is highly possible Ellione could’ve surpassed me. I’ve never seen a talent like hers.”

“I guess comparing the two of us, I don’t really stack up huh?”

“You came to this world differently than she did. She was born here, you traveled here. I met her after she’d spent years with private tutors. Not to mention she had a goal she was desperate to achieve. She’d do anything to return to the world of her memories. It is not fair to compare the two of you.”

Smiling I pulled a chair over to sit beside Otrea, leaning my head on her shoulder. “Tomorrow I’d like to make this for everyone. Except Eskame of course, she’s too little for alcohol. Is there any magic you could use so that Kyra and Adelita can have it?”

Otrea hmm’ed before smiling. “I think I know the spell.”

“Also, I know that magic can be used to impregnate people. Do you think it is possible for Adelita and Kyra to become pregnant? Even though they’re an undead?”

I gazed up at Otrea right as her cheeks took on a pinkish hue. Turning to gaze at me she opened and closed her mouth a few times, obviously struggling with what to say. Finally, she grabbed me by the shoulders. “I told you those two were the closest thing I’d ever have to children of my own didn’t I?”

“Yes?”

“Then why are you asking me to help you get my daughters pregnant?!”

“I’m not going to do it now!”

“But you’re planning to do it?”

“They both seemed pretty happy with the idea.”

“Become Queen,” Otrea said grinding her teeth. “If you become Queen and allow me to return to Ciriczar, I’ll make it so that Kyra and Adelita can carry your child.”

“Seriously? I’m far from royal material, I don’t know the first thing about being a queen.” I sighed. “I just want to open a cafe in the capital and serve coffee. Maybe make all my girlfriends wear cute costumes and work as waitresses for me. I guess when we’re ready for kids I’ll have to be the one to carry them.”

Otrea smiled. “You’re free to do as you please. I’ll help with your dreams as much as I can. But impregnating my daughters is something I’ll only allow the royal Bernice to do.”

“That’s kind of your way of saying it’s never gonna happen right?”

“Of course not,” Otrea grinned. “I know who your mothers are. And it would be very unfortunate for someone who didn’t want to be a queen to suddenly end up with the title.”

“You’re kidding, right? Mommy Laura would never use her powers on me.”

“Now you’re the one that’s kidding,” Otrea raised an eyebrow at me. “I’d say she almost exclusively exerts her power on you and those around you.”

I paled. Unable to refute Otrea’s words. After all, many of the things that’d happened to me recently had seemed rather unfortunate.

“Hey! Everything turned out good in the end!” Mommy Laura’s voice echoed in my head.

As much as I wanted to refute her words, it was true. My life was full of more love and happiness now than I could’ve ever imagined possible. And I had coffee, what could be better than that?

[Book 1 End~]