Chapter 40: Unsealing The Maid
Sebastian fell eerily silent, his eyes carefully tracing over the letter he was holding again and again, until he had every last word written on it committed to memory.
A letter he had just received from Serafall, regarding an arrangement that had been made between her, Sirzechs, and his son, Alduin.
"So that's how it is," his voice had lowered to the point where it was indistinguishable from a growl. "It would seem my hunch was right after all," he thought back to the day of Sona Sitri's birthday. More specifically, his suspicions about the "meeting" his attendant had reported, allegedly between Lord Sitri and Alduin.
Obviously, the letter in his hand proved otherwise. Lord Sitri simply didn't have the political sway to pull off the arrangement described in the document.
"You've gotten even bolder, Serafall." He turned around, facing his office window and looking downwards, peering out at the forest where his wife preferred to spend most of her time. "If it were just her, I'd deal with this in an instant—however, Sirzechs' involvement changes things. I imagine his support's what gave her the courage to do something this daring."
Confronting Serafall would be foolhardy from a political standpoint, but well within his capabilities from a physical one.
Confronting Sirzechs on the other hand, would be suicide, plain and simple.
He let out a slow exhale, making an effort to sweep away the wrath that was starting to plague his mind to allow for some much-needed clear thinking.
I don't understand. Roygun was supposed to prevent something like this from happening. Did I misread that woman? Where did I misstep? What didn't I take into account?
He had a feeling Alduin would try to escape his clasp at some point, it was inevitable, taking into account how he was being raised. Sebastian might've closed his heart for the sake of his goal, but not his mind. Alduin's dissatisfaction was a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode.
That's where Roygun was supposed to come in.
In truth, he had known more about the woman than just her ambitions at the time of receiving her letter. He knew about her need, her wanting, her longing for a relationship. He knew exactly what four centuries of emotional isolation had done to her, and that was supposed to work to his advantage.
Roygun wasn't supposed to let go of Alduin.
It wasn't supposed to be in her nature to do so.
Sebastian intended for her to be his anchor, an unavoidable, Satan-Class weight keeping his son right where he wanted him to be. She should've been desperate to hang onto the young Buné, viewing him as her one and only chance of having a proper relationship.
And on top of that, she had a deep-rooted grudge for not only Serafall, but the Four Great Satans as a whole. Letting Alduin go was one thing, but letting him go with Serafall and Sirzechs of all people? That didn't make a lick of sense to him.
Logically speaking, everything he planned should've worked. Alduin had only spent a little over a day with Roygun for crying out loud, there's no way he could've persuaded in such a short span of time.
No, the fact that she had been persuaded at all didn't make any sense.
His son was far too idiotic for that!
She was an awfully complicated woman, and Alduin was a child whose most significant emotional relationship was a petty grudge with Riser Phenex, another child Sebastian found equally dim-witted.
It's the same thing that happened with Thora!
He cursed inwardly, recalling how long it took for him to wrap his head around the fact that Thora was actually beginning to disobey him. A feat which he refused to believe Alduin accomplished on his lonesome.
Once more, his gaze was fixated on the forest occupying his estate's backyard.
That's right, I had a feeling she was the one behind it all.
He knew full well how skilled his wife was when it came to emotional manipulation.
Sebastian clenched his fist and gritted his teeth in indignation. She had to be the one responsible for all this, there was no other way. Alduin definitely didn't have the skillset to manipulate anyone the way she could, unless, of course, she taught it to him. Or perhaps even did all the dirty work for him outright.
Yes, it's her doing. It has to be her, I haven't told her the full extent of my plan outright. But knowing her, there's a high chance she's already figured it out on her own.
He couldn't even begin to fathom what could motivate her to do such a thing, however, he knew better than anyone that Martha was a woman who cared for nothing other than her personal interests. If her disinterest towards the plain, dull child that was her son had changed at all. That alone could be reason enough for her.
There's only one way to know for certain.
Before Sebastian knew it, he was standing at the entrance of Martha's forest.
A torrent of emotions surged through his head as he started to piece together how he was going to confront her, and more importantly, how sure he was that she was truly behind Alduin's getaway.
"What's the matter?" A voice, amplified by Wind Magic, called out to him from the center of the brush. "It's clear there's something you want to say to me, so why not come over here and say it? Unless you're getting cold feet?" The latter half was clearly intended to be mocking.
Stay calm Sebastian, stay calm.
He shook his head, refusing to allow the comment to get to him. Letting Martha rile him up was a recipe for disaster, and for this conversation, his head needed to be cooler than ice itself.
He approached the greenhouse and took a deep, reassuring breath before he stepped through the front door.
As per usual, Martha was sitting down on a stool in front of yet another unknown plant species, tending to it with her careful, precise use of Water Magic. Ensuring that the roots absorbed nothing less than the perfect amount of nutrients for their growth, not a touch less, and not a touch more.
"Well?" She turned to him, lifting her eyebrows without expressing so much as a trace of unease or apprehension. "How can I help? You rarely ever talk to me nowadays, so I presume it's something of professional importance?"
"Don't play dumb," Sebastian replied plainly, his icy glare filled with suspicion. She could act as surprised as she wanted to for all he cared, he already knew how proficient her ability to mask her feelings was.
"Pardon?" She folded her hands over her lap, still unmoved.
Sebastian raised the letter he was holding. Allowing the vines of a nearby plant to reach out and grab the sheet of paper, and carry it over to Martha.
Silently, she held the letter up to her face and carefully began reading it over line by line, her expression growing more and more animated with each word she processed, suggesting that she was genuinely taken aback.
"Oh my," she remarked. "It seems our foolish son has gone ahead and done something, well, foolish."
Sebastian scowled, his mood souring by the minute.
Fuck, I can't read her.
"I imagine he's not the only one."
"How do you mean?" Her "act" persisted.
Slowly, Sebastian began to walk towards her.
"You have something to do with this, don't you? We both know for a fact that Alduin doesn't have the necessary wit to pull this off on his own, so I can't help but wonder whether he got help from someone more—politically adept." He narrowed his eyes, making it blatantly clear who the subject of his scrutiny was.
"Well, that's obvious isn't it? It was the ice girl and Zekram's star descendant, you shouldn't need me to spell that out for you."
He held back a snort.
The audacity of this bitch.
"Was it?" He continued. "To make this arrangement happen, Serafall and Sirzechs would need to get in touch with him, and that couldn't have happened here. However, it could've happened at that little birthday party he had to go to, thanks to your relationship with House Sitri."
"And?" She wore an appalled smirk, unflinching even once Sebastian was standing right in front of her. "Even if that were the case, this still isn't my fault. You had a whole month to intervene, and the measure you needed to take wasn't exactly a difficult one."
Sebastian scrunched his brow in confusion.
What nonsense is she about to spout?
"I doubt you failed to notice Thora's, change of heart, shall we say?" Her words caused his eyes to widen in realization. "All you had to do was question her, and you would've figured everything out beforehand instead of getting caught off-guard like this. Honestly, I found your inaction immensely surprising." She turned away, her attention returning to the plant she was tending to.
Meanwhile, Sebastian found himself trapped in stunned silence.
Martha was right.
It really was that easy, no matter where Thora's loyalties lay, she'd be powerless to resist if he wanted an answer from her. She'd have no other option but to comply. He was her employer, she was his employee. He was a Patriarch, and she was just a mere maid at the end of the day.
Go up to her, and demand an answer as to what was going on with his son. That was literally all it would've taken to avoid his current situation.
So why? Why didn't he?
What possibly could've stopped him?
What could've kept him from noticing such a ridiculously easy solution?
"It would appear you're equally surprised," she hummed. "Maybe you ought to do a little reflection, Sebastian. You wouldn't usually make such a childish slip-up, taking your obsession with that sleeping girl of yours into account."
A trickle of Sebastian's demonic power started to leak out, which was more than enough to render even an Ultimate-Class Devil scared shitless.
"Watch how you speak about my wife, Martha."
"Your wife's sitting right in front of you." She said dryly, looking up at him fearlessly. "Or has your vision also started to fail you, alongside your foresight?" Of course, Martha was no mere Ultimate-Class Devil.
Sebastian scoffed, refusing to answer.
You say that as if you haven't known what this arrangement between us really was from the get-go, as if you haven't known what that child's fate would be from the second he was given life, from the second his heart started to beat.
"What about you? You could've intervened as well, are you truly fine with him, of all people, pulling one over on us like this-"
"Us?" She interrupted, glaring at him coldly. "This is your mistake, not mine. Whether Alduin's up there or down here changes nothing for me. Don't forget, I simply chose not to fight your decision to keep him secluded from the rest of the Underworld. I never agreed to it. This is your mess, and your mess alone."
Sebastian's lower lip started to tremble with indignation.
"If I remember correctly, your lack of concern back then was because you were completely disinterested in Alduin." His glare sharpened, as if he were trying to stare a hole through Martha's face. "Why do I have a feeling that's changed? Hm? Or is it just all a figment of my imagination?"
Sebastian hadn't forgotten the day he and a not-so-sober Alduin had returned home after his successful awakening ceremony. When Martha left her forest of her own volition, all for the sake of ensuring that Alduin's body adjusted to the sudden influx of draconic energy without any complications.
That wasn't something the Martha he knew would do. In the first place, the only reason she trained him at all was because he vehemently demanded she do so before he was even born.
None of this makes any sense.
For over seventeen years, everything was moving just as Sebastian wanted it to. Yet, in the past month, all his expectations had been snatched right out of his hands, ripped to shreds, and spat on. Before he could even fully process what had happened.
Martha breathed a bemused scoff. "What? You think just because Alduin bested an equally foolish man such as yourself, that somehow makes him worth my attention? Goodness me Sebastian, you've truly lost your edge. I'm not sure whether I should ridicule or pity you."
Sebastian's scowl deepened.
"But he did warrant your attention, didn't he?" He pressed further. "Not only did you personally watch over him after his awakening ceremony, you even took him outside of the territory to get his Evil Pieces—and I know better than anyone how much you loathe leaving the comfort of this little sanctuary you've created for yourself here."
"Attention? It seems we have different interpretations of the word," as per usual, Martha replied with haste, proving she wasn't a woman one could easily best in verbal combat for the umpteenth time. "I simply wished to see what effect the ceremony had on him, that's all. It's almost been millennia since a Buné successfully awakened, anyone in my position would be equally intrigued."
"Intrigue", what a convenient word.
He took an extended, slow breath.
"Enough with the games. The fact that he managed to get Thora to switch allegiances was one thing. But Roygun? Unless the universe itself has gone mad, there's no way he could persuade her as well—not without your help, at least."
It had to be her, it just had to be.
Sebastian couldn't bring himself to accept that Alduin of all people had bested him.
His pride wasn't capable of enduring a blow that deep.
"I'm not sure what else to tell you at this point," she sighed, her voice brimming with disappointment. "I'm not the one who organized this for Alduin. Maybe instead of emulating one of his temper tantrums and accrediting your blunders to me, you should cast your suspicion at your former students. You know, the people who actively gave him the political backing he needed to pull off such a stunt?" She spoke as if she were chiding an unruly child.
Sebastian wasn't sure what to think. Usually, his instincts were on point, and those same instincts were telling him that Martha wasn't lying. His gut was cautioning him that his shrewd wife wasn't responsible for all this, as hard as his mind found that to believe.
Could this really all be Serafall and Sirzechs' doing? Did they organize all this on their lonesome?
He took a deep breath, calming himself.
I need to relax, he's only just reached Ultimate-Class. I have plenty of time before I need to act, valuable time that I can use to plan.
"It seems like you've made up your mind," she observed.
"I'll be watching closely, Martha. I suggest you keep to yourself like usual while I handle this." Sebastian cautioned before making his departure. If Martha truly didn't have any involvement with Alduin's new position, he'd rather it remain that way. Fighting a two-front battle against the two Satans, and his wife at the same time, was the last thing he needed.
How pathetic, but Martha paid his words little heed. She had no real interest in this conversation from the moment it began, nor did she wish to coddle her husband as all his plans went to shit.
"First Thora, now Roygun—" a few moments after Sebastian had departed, a slow, amused smirk started to crawl up Martha's face. "—not bad, not bad at all." Honestly, she was a little grateful to Alduin for giving her the chance to see Sebastian throw a hissy fit. Though she was perfectly capable of doing so herself, having Sebastian flounder at the hands of someone he deemed so "idiotic" was far more satisfying.
Maybe he's inherited some of my wit after all.
Despite her claims, one of Sebastian's hunches were, in fact, correct.
Even if only a little, Alduin had started to attract her interest.
But it wouldn't hurt to make sure this isn't a mere fluke.
She opened her mouth and bit down on her thumb, using the freshly drawn blood to create some kind of a circular formation on the flooring of her greenhouse. One which quickly began to resonate with her immensely robust Ki, and imploded into a cloud of white smoke.
"It is an honor to receive your call after all this time, My Lady." The smoke cleared to reveal a woman with fair skin and dark hair fashioned into a single bun atop her head. Her attire consisted of a long, loose-fitting white and red robe, similar to what a Shinto priestess would wear.
However, as beautiful as she was, there was something—off—about her, something sinister shimmered in the dark, abyssal orbs that were her eyes, something inhuman.
"Tagitsuhime," Martha addressed one of the three princesses of Ryuichi Cave. "I have an assignment for you."
A delighted smile appeared across Tagitsuhime's face. "Of course, My Lady, all you need to do is ask." Out of all the summoners who managed to successfully form a contract with the cave, there was only one capable of enlisting the subservience of the prideful princesses themselves.
Martha Sallos, the first person to ever gain the ability to refer to the White Snake Sage herself as a "friend," and earn the undying admiration of each and every resident of Ryuichi Cave. Sylvie included.
"I need you to go to the human world and keep watch over my son," Martha said, handing Tagitsuhime the letter Sebastian had received. "The specific location's in there."
"Your—" Tagitsuhime fell silent for a moment, wondering if she had misheard the woman. "—son?"
"Yes, that's precisely what I said."
The corner of Tagitsuhime's lip quivered, her eyes widening as if the biggest bomb in the world had just been dropped on her.
"S-S-SINCE WHEN?! YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THERE'S BEEN A YOUNG LORD THIS WHOLE TIME?!" Tagitsuhime grabbed Martha by the shoulders, rocking her back and forth with her mouth agape.
This totally isn't going to be a royal pain in my ass, Martha exhaled, forgetting just how much the princesses fangirled after her, which would probably affect her son by extension. Oh well, it'll have to do until I decide to make a personal appearance.
===
I sat in silence, patiently listening as Thora recounted the final details of how she and Sebastian originally met.
Honestly, when she talked about the old man, I wasn't sure what to think. Even though Ladora himself told me that Sebastian used to be, different, from the man he is today, I was still struggling to visualize the version of him Thora had just described to me.
I just can't seem to match the Sebastian I've lived with all my life to the one she has, and apparently, everyone else around me who knows him, Serafall included. To me, he's always been cold, cynical, and apathetic. But to them, he was supposedly their fucking knight in shining armor.
"Young Lord," she continued. "I'm not telling you this story because I expect you to suddenly change your feelings towards your father, though he was indeed a better man in the past, that doesn't excuse how he's treated you. I simply thought it was about time you knew more about… me."
I nodded, taking a moment to gather my thoughts before speaking.
"Like how you're a Dhampir?" Now I understood why she reacted the way she did to Gasper's file back on the train. "I don't mean to judge, but you don't look the part." I don't understand, her lack of vampiric physical traits aside, shouldn't I have sensed it at some point?
"About that," she turned around and pulled down the back collar of her uniform. "Some time before you were born, I had my vampiric side sealed." I watched with growing intrigue as blood-red, runic symbols appeared on her upper back. And for some reason, the energy radiating off the inscription evoked a sense of familiarity within me.
"Sealed?" I repeated. I had no idea it was even possible to outright "seal" part of someone's biology like that.
"The Lady's the one who made it for me." Ah, that explains why it feels familiar. "It was necessary for me to properly care for you around the clock. Even though we Dhampirs are capable of physically living without consuming blood, mentally speaking, extended periods of abstinence can cause us to become irritated… for lack of better words. Ever since the Lord took me in, he's been feeding me a drop of his blood once a month to keep my concentration from wavering."
Interesting, I should probably make a mental note of that for when I start training Gasper.
She continued. "Because of my prolonged consumption, I've developed a certain… instinctual yearning for draconic blood, particularly that of your father's, and since you share his—"
"—you wouldn't be able to control yourself around me," I finished, earning an affirmative nod from her in return. "But isn't flat-out sealing your vampiric side a bit excessive? It's not like you'd need to consume much of my blood anyway, a few drops a month would've done just fine, wouldn't it?"
"You know it's not that simple," she shook her head. "The logistics aren't important, what matters is that you're the house's Young Lord, and I'm a servant and your caretaker. For me to do such a thing would be exceedingly uncouth."
"Right, house rules and all," I muttered idly, mulling over her words for a moment until a wry, mischievous smirk overcame my lips. "But we're not home anymore, are we?"
She was quick to recoil, immediately picking up on what I was about to suggest.
"What? You said it yourself, you're supposed to be my caretaker." I scooted closer to her, my heart and mind scheming in tandem. "How are you supposed to properly take care of me if you don't have access to your full strength? We're not in the Underworld, who knows what threats could be lurking about?"
"Young Lord, I…"
I leaned in, my voice reducing to a low, expectant whisper.
"Or am I not worth unsealing it for?" My upper eyelids dropped as I feigned disappointment. "How hurtful of you, Thora, and here I thought we had something special going on." I continued sarcastically. We were both aware I was just being plain stubborn, as per usual.
"That's not the problem, you know that." She exhaled.
"Then?" I awaited her elaboration.
"For starters, this seal was curated by your mother. I certainly don't know how to undo it, and I'm not sure you do either, no offense."
"None taken," I waved her off. She had a point after all, undoing one of my mother's spells would be like trying to solve a thousand-sided Rubik's cube.
"Moreover, the seal's been on me for almost decades now. Even if it were to be undone, I wouldn't be able to seamlessly settle back into being a Dhampir without any hiccups, chances are, I'd experience a rather… forceful initial reaction from the reawakening. One which I'd rather not subject you to, Young Lord."
"Why not? Don't think I can handle it?" I snickered, cupping my palm over my mouth. "Or is this 'reaction' you speak of more than just a yearning for blood? Perhaps something more… intimate?" I licked my lips, making my intentions crystal clear by shooting a pair of bedroom eyes at Thora, a skill I may or may not have picked up from my fiancée.
"Y-Young Lord!" She flushed angrily.
I chuckled, thoroughly enjoying one of the rare instances where I managed to get her to drop her usual stoicism.
"In all seriousness, keeping your powers sealed isn't going to do you much good. We're on our own now, and we have a responsibility to keep two princesses and their peerages safe from whatever threats they may face." I folded my hands under my chin. "Thora, you'll stagnate at this rate. Your Blood Manipulation is bound to be a potent weapon, but it needs sharpening, you can't just throw it on the shelf and let it accumulate rust."
Thora's already plenty strong, don't get me wrong, but she has the potential to become stronger. And the stronger she is, the safer she'll be. Not that I won't do everything in my power to protect her, it's just that life can be unpredictable, and I don't want her to get caught off-guard.
Especially since there's also a good chance the old man's going to try something soon.
She pursed her lips, her eyes telling me she agreed with my logic, yet, a flicker of hesitation remained.
Could the reawakening process really be that bad?
"Thora, I may not be as strong as the old man. But I'm much stronger than before," I steeled my gaze. "Trust me, I can handle whatever you think you're about to throw my way. Besides, I'm a Buné, we're leading experts when it comes to controlling powers with a temperament."
She continued to deliberate, ultimately letting out a sigh of resignation.
"You don't even know if you're capable of breaking the seal in the first place."
"Well, it depends on the type of seal my mother placed on you." Truthfully, I wasn't much of an expert with the art form, or even a novice as far as I'm concerned. Martha did teach me a few binding spells that made use of our Wood Manipulation, but binding and sealing aren't the same thing. I have basic theory on the subject, and nothing more. I've never really put it into practice.
And when it comes to a seal of this level, capable of segmenting half of Thora's lineage and suppressing it, I can't even begin to fathom how I'd go about unravelling a spell that complex. However, there's a chance I won't need to take that approach at all.
"The type of seal?" She repeated, presumably doubtful that I was capable of breaking Martha's seal regardless of what kind it was. Not that I blame her, I'm not that confident myself.
"When it comes to placing a seal directly on another person, I know there's a big difference between a seal that's put on someone voluntarily and one that's done involuntarily." To forcibly seal a person requires an immense amount of effort, and a considerably powerful seal. Of course, the amount of effort varies depending on the strength disparity between the caster and their target.
However, when someone willingly allows themself to have a seal placed on them, hardly any strengthening on the seal is required, because the caster isn't facing any resistance. Martha isn't the wasteful type, and knowing her, she has absolutely no reason to go to any lengths to make sure Thora's seal is stronger than it has any need to be.
Which means, there's a chance I can brute force my way through the seal by weakening it with a catalyst beforehand, and shattering it with my Ki right after. The catalyst being none other than my own draconic blood. Of course, I have a stronger one with Tiamat's blood—but there's an alarmingly high chance that'll hurt Thora, badly. That's not a risk I want to take.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm counting on Martha's apathy for once.
"Mine was done voluntarily," she confirmed.
"I see," I nodded, reaching forward and tracing my digits across her skin, using my Ki to examine the seal.
Phew, it's as I expected. She didn't put a whole lot of strength into it, the only question is if it's weak enough for my blood and Senjutsu to overcome.
Wait a minute.
I don't need to use my Senjutsu, do I? I happen to have someone around with Ki far more potent than mine.
"Sylvie," I called for my serpentine companion, who proceeded to slither her way out of the back of my shirt and coil herself around my throat.
"How may I be of ssservice, massster?"
"I'm going to try breaking the seal my mother placed on Thora, mind lending me a hand?"
"Of courssse, what would you like me to do?" I could tell that she still wasn't all too fond of Thora, but I'm not going to force her to change her mind as long as she's cooperative with me. Hopefully, they'll get along with time.
"It's quite simple. I'll give Thora some of my blood to try to stimulate her suppressed vampiric side, which should make the seal vulnerable. Once that happens, all I need you to do is pour your Ki into the seal, and try to make it shatter if possible."
If Sylvie were a little more experienced, she'd probably be capable of unsealing Thora completely on her own. But she's still a newborn, right now, all she can do is rely on her innate talent since she hasn't had the opportunity to receive any professional tutoring.
Note to self, find a teacher capable of giving Sylvie proper Senjutsu lessons.
She flicked her tongue, glancing at Thora before replying.
"As you wisssh."
"Hold on," Thora narrowed her eyes. "What's this about your blood?"
I smiled without answering, strengthening my index finger with Touki and using the nail to create a vertical cut across my palm. My blood isn't nearly as potent as Sebastian's yet, so she'll need to consume a lot more of mine to create the reaction I'm hoping for, but I still need to be careful, I can't afford to let her overdose.
"Drink up," I beamed, holding my bleeding hand out towards her.
"Young Lord!" Unsurprisingly, her first instinct was to try to refute me, but she knows me too well to think that there's any hope of getting me to back down when I'm wearing my signature look of unyielding stubbornness. "You're incorrigible…"
"And you love me for it."
"That's debatable," she sighed, clasping my hand and holding it up to her face. "Just keep in mind, Young Lord, whatever happens from here on out, you asked for it."
"I know," I met her with an unbothered reply. "I've caused you a great deal of trouble ever since I was placed under your care, it's only fair that you're allowed to return the favour, isn't it?"
She scoffed, pressing her mouth against my wound and beginning to suck the blood out, a sensation that had me immensely ticklish… but in a pleasant way, the kind that made my face redden a little, and caused my temperature to rise.
As expected, the sanguine seal began to react, lighting up in response to Thora's ingestion of my blood. If my hypothesis is correct, her suppressed vampiric side should be trying its damndest to break out of the seal now that she's consumed draconic blood once more, after years upon years of abstinence.
Let's hope this works.
"Sylvie, you're up."
"Very well," she slithered across Thora's arm and made her way towards the hopefully weakening seal, taking a moment to examine it before acting. "It seemsss Lady Martha didn't bother giving the ssseal any added defense, breaking it ssshouldn't be too much of a hassle."
"J-just hurry up and do it already!" Thora urged as her cheeks flushed beet-red, presumably an effect my blood's having on her.
"Fine."
Sylvie bared her fangs, proceeding to sink them into Thora's flesh precisely where the seal was. Thora hardly even winced in return, but I could tell that something was beginning to build up within her, something that would release any moment now once she reawakened.
And then it happened. The seal's bright luster faded from sight, and the runic letters plastered on Thora's upper back vanished into thin air.
A fierce, blood-red aura exploded out of Thora's figure, radiating a starved intensity that erected the hairs on the back of my neck. I didn't hesitate to grab Sylvie and place her behind my back. I'm not sure what's about to happen, but I have a sinking feeling that Thora's about to experience quite the episode.
Well, I am the one who said I could take whatever she ended up throwing at me.
Her appearance started to change, her skin growing a touch paler, and the usually dim shade of crimson held captive within her irises started to brighten, glowing the same way mine did. Her metamorphosis was finished by the extension and sharpening of her canines, making her presence as a proper vampire known.
Or a proper Dhampir, I suppose.
"Thora, are you alright?" Even after her physical change, it was clear that she hadn't fully settled into her unearthed strength. Her face had reddened even further, and her breaths had grown long, heavy, and labored. Sweat was pouring down her face and staining parts of her uniform, causing the parts of her skin that were visible to glisten like a summer lake.
"Y-Young Lord…" Slowly, her eyes shifted towards me as her fingers clenched the edge of the couch, like she was trying to restrain herself.
"Yes?" But I chose to remain as close to her as I possibly could, intent on keeping my promise.
She bit down on her lower lip, the sound of leather tearing filling the room as she raked her nails through the fabric of the sofa. Her face told me whatever restraint she was trying to muster wasn't going to last.
"Feed me," she growled, lunging at me and grabbing me by the shoulders. Her body weight pushed me onto my back, and her hands clawed into the folds of my shirt, which she tore into with abandon. I could see steam puff out of her mouth with every breath, and I could feel her attention laser-focused on my neck.
Ah, so that's what she's after. I was beginning to wonder why my instincts didn't warn me of any danger for a moment.
"I guess it's my turn to prepare lunch for once," I simpered. My hand gently supported her nape as I pulled her in close, aware that part of Thora was still attempting to hold back on her vampiric instincts out of concern for me. "There's no need for you to hold back, you can drink to your heart's content," I whispered into her ear, giving her lobe a faint, provocative nibble.
Her sharpened canines plunged into the side of my neck and slurped up my blood like she hadn't eaten in centuries. I could feel her heart race as our torsos pressed together. In an attempt to soothe her, I ran my fingers through her cascading, sweaty raven locks.
"A-Alduin…" She heaved, raising her head as blood dripped from her gaping, panting mouth.
I flinched in response to hearing her call me by name. "Yes, Thora?"
"I want more…"
"More blood? I've still got plenty to spare, you can go for seconds if you-"
"No," she cut me off. "I want… more. I want more of you Alduin... give yourself to me."
I felt my heart skip a beat as Thora looked down on me, her eyes shimmering with blatant, carnal desire. Even though I was the one who suggested something like this might happen, I wasn't truly expecting it to come to fruition, it was supposed to be a mere jest.
Yet here she was, stripped of all her usual decorum and straddling me with her palms planted firmly on my abdomen. Sweat continued to pour down her skin and rolled onto mine, creating a humid, musty amora around our bodies. One which restlessly wafted through my nostrils and caused my face to mimic the bright-red blush on her face.
My flight or fight response kicked into overdrive, it's clear what Thora wants from me, or at least, what her instincts desire. However, is it right to respond to them? Should I push her away and tell her she isn't thinking straight? Or should I adopt the same advice I gave Roygun? Stop thinking, and just go where my heart leads me.
Actually, there's probably something I ought to do before I make that decision.
I reached behind my back and gave Sylvie a light tap, giving her ample time to skedaddle. Unlike my last time with Roygun where I may or may not have gotten swept up in the moment, which in my defense, only happened because it was my first.
"What's wrong, Alduin? Why the silent treatment?" I could feel the heat emanating off Thora's body begin to rise. "You said you'd give me whatever I wanted, didn't you? You said you were going to repay me for all the 'trouble' you've caused, didn't you? So come on, repay me."
She ran her tongue between her lips, wetting them as a lustful grin crept up her face. Her expression was one I didn't think she was even physically capable of wearing, but she was doing so nonetheless. Leaving me positively stupefied.
And excited.
Really, fucking, excited.
"Thora, are you sure this is what you—"
"Shut up," she snapped, covering my mouth with her palm. She leaned down and put her mouth right up to my ear, reducing her voice to a low, lascivious whisper like I had done to her countless times before. "I've been wanting to do this to you for a while, Alduin. I am a woman after all, and like any woman, I have needs. Needs that you recklessly festered with all your flirting and lewd gazes, and then went ahead and woke up. So try to take some responsibility, alright?"
Whelp, there goes my self-restraint.
It's a good thing I got Roygun's permission for this in advance.
The corners of my lips began to stretch upwards. I offered her a stiff, eager nod which seemed to get a pleased rise out of her.
"Good, now kiss me." She withdrew her palm, sliding her arms around my neck and pulling me into a deep, hungry exchange. Strangled moans resounded from both our throats as our tongues seamlessly rubbed against one another, second by second, I could feel myself beginning to fall under Thora's lustful tempo.
And I didn't mind it in the slightest.
"Puah," she reeled back, hanging strands of saliva still connecting our orifices. "That tongue of yours is quite the weapon, I guess you had plenty of time to practice with it while you were bedding Roygun."
My eyes widened in response to her comment, not just because of her words alone, but because of the emotion they carried.
"Call me crazy, but I think I just detected a note of jealousy." I put on a shameless, smug grin. "Or am I mistaken?"
"Yes, you are both mistaken and crazy," she responded with a playful flick to my forehead. "And if anyone's jealous, it'll be her by the time I'm done making you mine." She shifted her attention to the tall, proud tent I had pitched, the tip of which was rubbing against her noticeably moist groin, even through the fabric of her underwear.
She slid downwards, grabbing onto the waistband of the trousers Roygun had given me, and beginning to unbutton. Her movements were, admittedly, a little clumsy, making it clear that she was a cherry girl, but she eventually got the job done.
I have a feeling she'll more than make up for her inexperience with her overflowing, aroused instincts.
"Goodness," she took a slow, exaggerated breath. Exhaling against my pulsating shaft with a pleased look in her eye. "Now I see why she was so, vocal, when I passed by your room." The light touch of her fingertips brushed against my cock, earning an excited, stifled groan from me as I leaned back and got comfortable. Buckling in for whatever she was about to service me with.
"Mmn!" I bit back a moan, shuddering as her wetted lips suctioned my tip into her mouth, greeting it with an undeniably pleasurable steamy warmth. Her inexperience quickly lost relevance, overshadowed by the slow, gradual bobbing of her head that exposed me to the squelching sensation of my dick grinding against her soft, pillowy tongue.
She couldn't speak with her mouth full of me, but I could tell by her intense, lingering gaze that my reaction only aroused her further.
Her cheeks hollowed as she took in more and more of my length, fully intent on swallowing it all the way down to the base. Though her tongue movements were sloppy, she more than compensated for it through the sheer, reckless abandon with which she gagged and slicked on my member.
"F-fuck, Thora," I breathed, feeling my piece begin to swell and throb, signalling that it was on the verge of release.
She looked up and made direct eye contact with me, the words go ahead written on her face.
I jolted forwards, grabbing onto both sides of her head and thrusting my hips upwards and throat-fucking her with as much force as I could possibly muster. I could feel my cock reach down into her esophagus, greeting it with the sensual pressure of the inner walls of her throat clamping down on it whole.
SPLURT!
Unable to hold on any longer, I unleashed a thick, piping hot jetstream of semen down her windpipe. A strangled croak escaped her breath as her cheeks puffed up, my fluids leaking out of the corners of her mouth as if she had tried to chug a gallon of milk in one go.
Immediately, she started to rapidly tap my thigh with a mildly panicked expression.
Shit, I might've been too rough.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!" She broke into a coughing fit once I had withdrawn my member from her throat, hardly able to contain the ocean of cum spewing out of her mouth. "Fuck, Alduin!"
"Uh, did I go a little too far there?" I sheepishly scratched my cheek.
"YA'THINK?" She pinched my ear, tugging on it with a fierce scowl. "You nearly suffocated me!"
"Owowowowow! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you, alright?" I pleaded for her to have mercy on my earlobe.
She narrowed her eyes. "Yeah? And how do you plan on doing that?"
I let out a confident chuckle, sticking out my tongue and allowing it's full, draconic length to hang out in the open. Causing Thora's eyes to widen in a mix of astonishment, awe, and eager anticipation.
"Why don't you lie down and find out?"
It's time for her to experience all the bedroom skills I honed during my night with Roygun, hehe.
———
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