Chapter 43: Chapter 82 – A Queen’s Dangerous Secret

Days after my Valentine's date with Ange, some of the tenants had been prodding me about what movies were. It occurred to me that other than the occasional outing to purchase things, I haven't been taking them out enough to grow accustomed to Earth. 

So today, on an early and sunny Saturday afternoon, I decided to take all my tenants out into the city.

Which proved to be a mistake right out the door. From the start, just watching over Ange and Cresta was hard enough. I had seven netherfolk tenants to look after. Fortunately, Ines was free enough from her studies to come chaperone with me.

"Movie time!" Cresta picked Tamara up onto her shoulders as soon as they hopped out of the car and took off running across the plaza.

"Damn it, Cresta! Quit running off whenever we go somewhere!" I shouted.

"Take a load off, man! We're here to have fun. I'll go on ahead and make sure they stay out of trouble," Ines offered and raced after to catch up to them.

Sighing, I took stock of the rest of my tenants exiting the car one by one. Valeanor, Irapesha, Ange, and… 

Someone was missing.

When I glanced back into the car, Remmy was in the backmost seat. She had morphed into her small blob form.

"Remmy, what happened? What are you doing back there?" I reached in to pull the giant jello out.

"Can I… goto the arcade instead? I don't like being around… so many people…" The introverted slime shuddered as if she was a vampire and the sun was her weakness

Attracting attention was par for the course whenever any of the netherfolks go outside. Even now, having just exited the van, people were throwing glances our way.

Of the seven, Remmy would probably have the hardest time if she were to ever go her own way. Luckily, living in the digital age meant that she could order groceries and enjoy entertainment without ever leaving the house.

I didn't recall Remmy being so shy when we were at the carnival, but she did have a bunch of games to keep her distracted at the time.

"What about the other Remmys?" I held her up to my face to ask. "I thought they would come out whenever you didn't want to be alone?"

"I'm being bullied…" Remmy squeezed her eyes shut in distress.

What a way to live, being able to make copies of yourself only to have them tease you. Thankfully, I knew one way to solve this.

Plopping Remmy atop my head, I cupped both hands over my mouth and yelled, "Cresta, you forgot someone!"

Cresta came zipping back so fast that Tamara's eyes were spinning. Across the plaza, I saw Ines throw her arms up in resignation after having caught up to them, only for Cresta to have run back.

"Sorry, Remmy! I got too excited and didn't see you!" She plucked the slime from my head and handed her over to Tamara, who then placed it onto her own head.

"Let's go again!" Tamara whooped, and Cresta dashed them right back to the theater entrance.

"All is well again." I nodded to myself.

"Are you not close with Cresta?" Valeanor asked Irapesha. "I thought you would be among the ones to follow after her."

"Cresta is still young and excitable. She needs to be among those who can match her youthful vigor," Irapesha explained with a hint of teasing.

The elven queen squinted. "Are you calling us old?" 

"Irapesha is being considerate, staying by your side so that you wouldn't be left alone." Ange walked by and butt-checked Valeanor.

"I have no issues with being alone!" Valeanor folded her arms. "H-Hmph. If you three wish to accompany me, then I shall allow so as my escort. Go forth!" 

I opened my mouth to say the line, but she shot me down with a glare.

"Oh, you be quiet," she said.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll behave."

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As usual, the weekend of movie releases was always bustling. Long lines formed outside the building for the latest hit, waiting on auditoriums to be cleared before moving in.

I specifically chose a movie that had already been out for a while to see, that way we didn't have to wait long. The tenants just wanted the experience of watching on a giant projection screen anyway. When we purchased our tickets and walked into the building, Cresta raised her nose to the scent of buttery popcorn and soda.

She threw Irapesha a pair of pleading eyes.

"Very well. Akira tells me coming to see a movie is an occasion, and you have worked for your own money to spend. Spend at your leisure." Irapesha gave Cresta permission to buy whatever she wanted.

"I've been unshackled for the day! Time to try everything!" Cresta whooped, dragging Remmy and Tamara along to buy snacks.

"It's a shame we won't be able to do what we did last time," Ange said, squeezing my hand and tapping the side of her cheek as she gazed at some of the couples in the theater.

"Wait, we're not supposed to bring that up!" I became instantly flustered.

"And what is that supposed mean?" Valeanor glared at me.

"Nothing!"

We were suddenly distracted by the laughter of little children around Irapesha, having taken interest in her physical draconic features. She delighted in playing with them, allowing them to stroke her scaly tail and tattered, leathery wing until their parents pulled them away in panic.

"Don't bother them! They can be dangerous!" a mother scolded her pouting son, dragging him away by the wrist.

"Madame, I assure you we are anything but dangerous," Irapesha tried to explain.

The woman and her friends had a few choice words.

"Obviously, they didn't teach you not to touch someone else's child where you came from."

"The last thing I want is for you to accidentally hurt my daughter."

"You should have kept those things back where they belong!" one of them shouted to me.

The last comment ticked me off.

"Maybe you're the ones who need to go back to school for a lesson in manners," I fired back.

The fury of half a dozen housewives with nothing better to do on a weekend other than to look after their children descended upon me. They laid in insults, asking why I wasn't in school, where my parents were, and how dare I tell them how to parent.

It wasn't until Valeanor stepped in that they stopped. In fact, a single clack from her heel on the floor echoed much louder than it should have, and something like a magical pulse had rippled from her person to silence them. The same ripple reached my spine, and something like a cold hand clenched my bones to hold me up straight.

Valeanor stood between us, arms on her hips, and nose turned up to the ceiling to look down on them. "Who are you to berate my caretaker? Leave my sight."

As if they were ordered to do so, the women seemed to comply and began to leave with their kids in tow. In spite of what happened, the children, who had been more than excited to play with Irapesha, waved goodbye to them on the way out of the theater.

"Now that is the Queen Valeanor I know." Ange smiled.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, but I could not stand to hear them make such unsavory comments to you both." Valeanor turned around, giving me a glimpse of two glowing eyes. As they dimmed, so did whatever magic was holding me in place.

"Wait… what just happened?" I asked, slowly coming out of the daze and able to move again.

"I see your magic is still sharp as ever." Irapesha clenched and unclenched her fist after regaining control of her body.

When I turned to Valeanor for answers, she cast her gaze away and sighed.

"I had hoped to keep it a secret, but you deserve to know. Details of my power are not in those papers of yours. You see, I was born with a special gift, greater than what a succubus can do, I can compel people to serve me against their will."

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