Charmed Castle
by Curse Master W
Chapter 4
“Brenda! This is the Lady of the Night! Please sure her respect!” I shouted.
Brenda’s face went black. She dropped to her knees, her chains around her wrists clinking as she did. “I’m fucked. The kingdom’s fucked. Rosemary! If they get you. Don’t you understand what that means! Your the strongest wizard in the kingdom! You can fight this!”
“Brenda, I… I want to help you. You are like a sister I had before these sisters. But your asking me to betray my Master?”
“Listen to yourself Rosemary! You’re a badass adventurer! You refused to bow to the king and become head wizard! You are amazing! You—”
The Lady of the Night looks worried. “You are our sister. Master’s little seer. You are going to help us bring her in aren’t you?”
“I… my Lady, may I ask for a moment to lay down?”
“Rosemary! I need your help! I am going to die without you!” Brenda screamed.
The Lady already began pulling me and I walked with her. We reached the hall and she stopped to look at me. “Are you okay?”
I smiled. “Quite! I was feigning confusion.”
“Oh?” The Lady asked me.
“I will it the shock through me for a moment. But I don’t want Brenda to die, and the best alternative is to charm her. But if she thinks I am perfectly enslaved, it will be much harder to get her to drink one of my potions.”
“Oh sister, are you scheming?” she asked me.
“Of course! But this potion will need ingredients we don’t have. Can we speak with Vivi? I need some supplies. If we can get that. Then I can have everything ready by tomorrow. If you would permit me. I think the easiest method would be for me to sneak in tomorrow night and pretend I am free of the charm and planning to give her a strength boosting spell. But in reality, I will be giving her a resistance weakening spell.”
The Lady put her hand on her chin. “I will ask if Master permits your plan. You mentioned you understood why she resisted. Can you explain?”
I nodded. “Her biology. Her parents and grand parents were just as resistant. That is why prolonged exposure hasn’t affected her.”
“Is this a common level of resistance? Should we be worried?” She asked.
I shook my head. “Not at all. In the whole country, her line is probably the only one resistant enough. Others would need a potion or spell.”
Well that is good news, thank you. As for the ingredients we can do that now.”
I followed her as she lead me to Vivi’s chambers. She was doing paperwork. She shot up the moment we came in and gave the Lady a curtsy. “My Lady. How may I assist?”
“We need some supplies urgently. Please assist sister Rosemary with an order for delivery as soon as possible,” she said.
“Yes my Lady.”
With the assignment given, The Lady moved on and me and Vivi looked at each other. I actually tried to make it simply by grabbing a quill and writing down what I needed.
Vivi took a look. “Interesting. I know a few of these. They are going to be pricy, but I think if we sell some of these potions. We can manage.”
I nodded. She wanted me to explain the various effects. The rarity, any downsides or what kind of metrics any merchant would wanna know about with them. Even a third of these potions were more than worth the price of what materials I needed. After she took notes, she said we needed to see Freya.
Freya was carefully looking at feathers when we found her. “I found four so far!” She announced.
I smiled and took the four vanes for now.
Vivi handed the list over to her and she called a hawk over. She did some clicking noises at it before it took to the sky’s. Everything was in motion. Please just wait a little longer Brenda. Don’t do anything rash.
I made my way to Lillian and Iris. Once again Lillian was sending offerings. I smiled. Though she seemed sad that she wasn’t getting personal messages from the goddess of beauty. “Lillian, I could use your help actually. I’ll show you another recipe but I need something from Sofia and from Elise. I need some bags that are tight enough to hold powder. And some wands. Are you familiar with wands?”
Lillian shook her head. “Wants are offensive magic, I am a healer. I knew a bit of that but never at that level.”
I described that basically I needed wooden sticks that could have an empty space in the middle and a mechanism to open them up suddenly but still be tight enough to keep closed and not let the materials leak out. They were a difficult build. But they were really good for quick casting. “Oh! And if Lillian can get a leg strap with straps for my begs and wands, that would be great too.”
Lillian hesitated. “She will need approval from Master to make anything like clothing.”
“Could you ask Master on my behalf? I wanna spend the day brewing. It is important.”
“Of course sister!” she said.
I sat down in front of all the material. This time all of Lillian’s offerings had been taken. Iris’ garden was shrinking. I would need to make what I needed now, before I risked losing materials.
“I have a feeling by the look in your eye that you aren’t asking for this stuff for my hair request,” Iris asked.
I nodded. “Right. I’m not sure if I can share but I just learned someone dangerous is well, I wanna be prepared. Natalia is strong but I’m not sure she can handle this, and I’m the only person here that knows how to fight using magic. Master said I can brew anything. I imagine that extends to offensive spells.”
My go to was fire lances. But missing a component. Hmm. Some earth magic components would work here. Plus I’d rather not use fire lance on Brenda. Hmm. Yeah, gale would be good. We had plenty of materials for it too. Oh and maybe enough for two lightning spells. Yeah. I was liking this. About seven earth spells and ten air spells. That was the most I could make with this. Maybe I should have asked Vivi for more? No, this should be enough to fight Brenda at the very least.
The whole process took like four hours and Iris watched the entire thing with great interest. She occasionally asked me some questions. But this would complete my battle prep. Lillian came back too.
“Master approved it being made but wants to speak to you before dinner to discuss why it was made. But I got the other stuff.” She set five bags and three magic wands in front of me. Perfect. I decided to place two of the vanes in the wands before filling them with air magic dust and lightning magic dust.
The rest I placed in the bags. Which gave me one bag of lightning. One bag for four air magic, one of five air magic. One with three earth magic and last one with four.
“Perfect,” I said. “Now, let’s work on the hair care and last offering for the goddess of beauty for a while. We are a bit too low on material to do any more offerings. So let’s make this a big offering. Sound good Lillian?”
“Definitely!”
I had Lillian work on make her usual offering while I finished my brewing of a few other potions. I needed one strength potion and two concealment potions. With that, Iris’ garden was now officially out of combinations of brewing ingredients. For now.
“My garden is almost fully harvested,” Iris said. “I am both happy and a bit sad.”
“Oh right, almost forgot. Do you got the black berries?”
She nodded and showed me a bucket full. I smiled. Perfect.
We began crushing the blackberries into essentially a juice as I created a small flame with my hand. I could maintain it with just mana. Wouldn’t be enough for like traditional cooking, but I didn’t wanna fetch firewood. Plus for bringing a pot of smashed up berries to a boil. It would do just fine.
I know the physical method here was a bit different but that was fine. I had a phoenix vane after all. Once the pot of berries was bubbling I had Lillian come over to me. “Watch carefully. I want you to feel what I do.”
I placed the vane in her hand and began channeling mana into it. Like before it flickered and sparked and began glowing. Perfect! I then dropped it into the berry mixture and began stirring furiously while doing pumping even more mana into the mixture.
“Wow, that was,” Lillian said looking at her hand. “So simple but so intense.”
I nodded and handed her another vane. “Your turn! Do it to your mixture.”
“I normally invoke my godddess for magic though?” she asked.
“That’s fine, if anything that will have her even more curious what we are doing. It shouldn’t do anything bad for this. If anything it will help your quality be ideal even if you make mistakes,” I said.
The truth of the matter was phoenix vanes were somewhat naturally divine. So mixing them with divine mana didn’t make them that much stronger than just divine mana alone. If you knew how to handle your mana well, the quality could be topped out, divinity or not. But it would be a bit unfair to ask Lillian to do that firs try.
She held the vane in her hand and it began sparking. “Goddess of Beauty. I, your faithful follower ask for your help, for you’re guidance. Help me enchant this vane with your will so that I may create an offering worth your notice.”
The sparking turned bright, the divine influence. Like mine, she dropped it in and she began mixing it up. Her mixture was sparking, unlike mine. That little bit of divinity sure did add a kick. I then poured our mixtures into each other and the new purple-ish paste was looking damn fine. Sparking and all.
“So what did we make?” Lillian asked.
“Basically divine make up,” I said. “More than cosmetic though, it’s basically armor. Dye a shirt in this and it would be up there with any type of plate mail you’d find. ”
“Holy cow,” Iris said. “The implications of that are, extreme.”
“Well, it did take magical ingredients a priest and two phoenix vanes. I would hope so,” I said.
We had a huge bowl of it, but in of dying clothes we probably couldn’t do more than a few shirts. But that was fine, I didn’t need much. I actually put some into a potion bottle. And then instructed Lillian to send the rest to the goddess.
Her light shined down a bit later as the mixture vanished. “My! Such quality! Rosemary no doubt?”
I flared my mana as I spoke. “Yep!”
“It has been centuries since I have seen make up of this quality. Rosemary, each day you make me want you more! I may need to chat with this Master of yours directly,” she said.
Lillian just gasped as she turned red.
“Having trouble with the sisters?” I asked.
She was silent for a moment. “Uh, don’t remind me. Not on a day like this.”
“I have faith in you,” I said.
“Aww, that’s swell. Okay, but now for such a wonderful offering and so much of it. Surely you have a wish in mind? Name it.”
I smiled. Just as I had planned. “If you want to earn the sisters approval, treating their favorite child well is something you’d want to try.”
“Hmm,” she said pausing. “What do you mean? Is granting a wish not what humans desire?”
“I am a seer,” I said. “We anticipate. Is that not what you like so much about me? I have not fulfilled your orders, I have tried to bring them before you have them. Drewchel would surely approve of you showing your own foresight.”
With a flash a woman appeared before us. She was blonde, one of the largest pair of breasts I had ever seen. She wore a blue outfit similar to ours. Her hair reached down her back as she stretched. “You make a point. You don’t mind right? I thought, if you all consider this sisterhood beautiful, I would try and blend in for the moment. Plus, I wanted to see how it feels. A bit snug I must say.”
Iris and Lillian fell to their knees. Both trembling. Poor girls. Divinity was a hard thing for anyone to handle directly. The only reason I wasn’t with them right now is thanks to the sisters blessing. The goddess of beauty picked up my potion bottle and began flowing it with light. So much light that it’s purple hue vanished beyond its radiance. It looked more like a lantern than anything.
Before leaving, she reached down to Lillian and lifted her head towards herself before planting a kiss on her lips. “Do encourage Rosemary and your master to continue spoiling me so.”
Lillian didn’t reply she just fainted. Her lips glowing ever so slightly. I chuckled.
With that, she vanished with a blink as if she had never been there.
Iris was shaking as she tried to stand. “That was…. What was that?”
“Divinity,” I said. “Strong stuff, right?”
“Under statement of the century,” she said. “So wait, you said you were working on hair care stuff for me? Is that what that is?”
“Dunno. I hope, be a shame otherwise given how much we used for it.”
“Wait, you don’t know what that is?” she asked. “Didn’t you plan all this out?”
“I did but inspiration sort of hit me,” I said.
“I’m gonna need you to explain,” Iris asked.
“Well, I didn’t like, Drewchel will approve of her trying to anticipate me,” I said. “But more than that, if you wanna get the most out of a goddess, there is only one thing you can ask for.”
Iris scratched her chin. “Is that something I am supposed to be able to guess?”
“Maybe. Think about it for a second, if you want a god to give you the best gift, what do you ask for?”
Her face scrunched for a bit but she eventually gave up. “I got nothing. I can’t even imagine what a god is capable of.”
I raised my finger. “Exactly! So I asked for her to figure it out! She is way more capable than me!”
“You essentially dared a god to think of a gift for you! That’s…. ” Iris paused. “I think it is a good thing that Lillian didn’t hear any of this! She’d probably be upset! You tricked her goddess!”
I laughed as I began to use analyze on the potion. Ooooo. Wow, this was definitely worth the trade. I smiled thinking about it. “I can put this to some excellent use.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“Divinity, almost pure. It is mixed with make up. That limits it’s application a bit. Means I am gonna have to mix into things that are more cosmetic in nature. But oh yeah. This will work! Grab that bowl! And get me some water please.”
She handed me the bowl with the original blackberry mixture and I filled it with water and mixed it up until I got basically a light purple tint to plain water. I then uncorked the potion bottle. Just… gotta be… careful. Just one drop! And done!
The water began glowing. “And now, just dip your hair into it.”
She looked nervous. “What is it gonna do?”
“It’s divinity, it’s gonna be awesome!” I said.
“Okay,” she said as she reached down and dipped her braid into it. As if her hair was a dry towel it began sucking up the water. Which… I mean, it was essentially a dry, divine dry but same core idea. As the divine water flowed up her hair, she began getting purple highlights as well as her hair began to shine with the splendor of a goddess. Or demi goddess at least.
I looked at the bowl. About a spoonful left. “How does it feel?”
“I can feel it in my scalp, it tingles,” she said.
“Oh yeah! Told you, good shit, is probably enchanting the hair follicles at this very moment. Divinity of this level will probably last your entire natural life,” I said.
“What!” she said as her face went pink. She touched her hair. “So soft. So.. wonderful. I love it.”
“Yeah, your hair is divine now. It should react to your mind. Meaning your new hair will grow in whatever color you want. And your hair shouldn’t be something a normal can cut, unless you allow it.”
“My hair is like armor!” she asked.
I nodded. “This isn’t like a blessing. This is true divinity.”
Her face went from pink to deep red. “I… how was I supposed to know asking for hair help was gonna become this!”
I grabbed her and held her close. “Your my sister, right? I am happy. Like,” I paused and I felt my heart skip a beat. “Like my whole life I had spent trying use my knowledge and magic to help the world. Fighting threats to the kingdom. Stopping bad guys. Doing all this grand stuff. But for the first time in my life. I am finally able to just. Make something for pretty hair. Something that makes my sister smile. I am so happy right now.”
She held me close. “I am so glad Master picked us both!”
“Me too,” I said. “Master did want to see me. I should probably go see him. Watch Lillian for me, okay?”
“Course,” she said with a smile.
I was becoming more familiar with the castle layout. Actually, oh that makes sense. I realized that the Master’s chambers were pretty much always the same distance away. That meant that his room was at the center of the zone. Which was also where the Golden Idol needed to be. So he was protecting it. Hmm, I looked at the divinity potion in my hand. Might be able to help him protect it with this.
Looking closely I noticed that the fluid level was lower than expected. Oh.. more of the bottle was glass after her enchantment. The inside wasn’t as empty as it was before she did her thing. That drop actually lowered it by an amount I could see. I couldn’t be sure the exact number of drops. But definitely limited. Makes sense, even ten drops would be an amazing gift.
The Master opened the door to his room. “My little seer. What brings you here?”
“I’m afraid I have some worrying things to share,” I said.
“Hmm?” he asked as he patted his bed.
“The prisoner is Lady Brenda, she is quite famous and strong and I know her personally,” I said.
“Celeste did mentioned that, but is that really so worrying?” he asked. “She had been held captive for two months.”
“It isn’t her that I am so worried about, it is me,” I said.
“What do you mean?” he asked as he squeezed my breast. “You are loyal, right?”
I gasped a bit but tried to focus. “Yes Master. I am loyal, but well, let me guess. When you captured me, my robes. Did they have any magic components attached to the belt?”
He shook his head. “Not a one. Is that an issue?” He pinched my nipple.
“Yes!” I said trying to remain on topic. “I can’t the two weeks before I arrived. And I, a powerful wizard came to charmed area without my weapons? And one of my friends was here before me?”
“Those are a bit odd when you say them like that,” he said. “What is your theory? That you erased your own memory?”
I nodded. “Yes! I should prepare divination magic at once, to find out what how to discover what my old self was planning.”
He nodded. “My sweet little seer. So much devotion. Hmm. What do you need?”
“Jaka flowers,” I said. Whatever spell I cast before, it was likely done with the understanding I would try and undo it. There was only one spell I could be sure to not fail. Jaka flowers properly prepared, an offering the sisters loved more than anything. They accepted his dried flowers. They knew of my situation. I mean of course they did. They knew everything. So if I was to have any chance. I needed Jaka flowers.
“Those are rare, we can’t order them,” he said.
“I know, but I ordered some material to be delivered tomorrow, including some scrying materials. I can use that to locate Jaka flowers.”
“Hmm. We were planning to visit a town in a few days, would that work?” he asked.
I nodded. “Sooner is better, but ultimately I am your tool my Master, if you wish to wait a few days, than is what we will do. I imagine you need to make preparations with the Idol?”
He nodded. “Transporting it while keeping the charm up but not charming everyone else is tricky. And obviously—” he paused.
“I can’t be trusted to leave the charm field to collect Jaka flowers,” I said. “I haven’t been here a week, it is likely that I would rebel.”
He touched my chin. “You are that aware of your own mind?”
I nodded. “Once my heart and head aligned, regaining some of my thinking skills was easy enough.”
“But then you know that you are under my spell?” he asked.
“I am. I am grateful. For the first time in my life, I am enjoying life to a level I never imagined. If having this means being yours. Then keep me Master. Keep me and never let me go.”
He squeezed me tightly. “I will then Rosemary. My little seer. Oh yes, what about the leg belt you requested.”
“I cannot deny the possibility that I have outside help. Or that Brenda may try and escape to get me out of the charm field,” I said. “Without magic I can’t hope to fight. I need the belt to fight for you.”
He smiled. “Than I grant you permission my little seer. I will inform Celeste at once. I command you! Do your best! Keep my mansion safe for all eternity!”
“Yes Master!” I screamed. I would! I don’t care who I have to fight! Brenda, or the king! The three sisters! Even my old self! I will protect this slice of happiness.
We lined up near the dining all. I was freshly clean from the bath after my time with Master. I now had my belt on my leg, shining blue like the rest of my outfit. I was ready for everything that lie before me.
Master opened the door and we all gave a curtsy before sitting down. As the usual routine we thanked Marianne and waited for Master to announce the two ladies that he would serve today.
Vivi and Iris stood up as he spoke. “You two have done accomplishments that have been budding for a long time. Let them be celebrated today. Oh and a new rule. The Lady I select will be permitted to pick another girl to bring with her into my chambers for our night. This will not stem with extra privileges. Celeste mentioned I have been neglected your potential desire for threesomes.”
After dinner, we lined up like before and I eagerly cupped my breasts with my sisters. I felt sad for a moment thinking about Brenda. All alone down in the dungeon. Just one more night dear sister. I will free you tomorrow. Please don’t do anything hasty until then.
I heard a moan and saw Freya being lifted into the Master’s arms. Good for her. A lot of what was happening was only possible because of her good care of Edo. Without the vanes I would be at a loss to stop my old self.
“Iris, you have been selected as Freya’s choice. Come along.”
“Yes Master!” she said as she hopped to follow them.
Now that the next Lady of the Night and her choice were selected. We began cleaning up. There was a certain fulfillment in working with all the other sisters at cleaning things up.
Marianne tugged on my bra. “Hmm?” I asked.
“I heard you have like super good magic. Like what you did for Iris’ hair?”
“Oh yeah, the divinity,” I said. “What about it?”
“Can it be used in food?” she asked.
Hmm. That was an interesting question. I wouldn’t have considered divinity to be something like a taste amplifier but I suppose it could. Seems a waste just to use it for that though. Oh! That’s an idea. I had around ten drops left of divinity so this seemed like a reasonable use of one of them.
“I don’t have the supplies currently, but once we go to town. If I can get a high quality elixer or ingredients to make one. Along with a good wine. We could mix the two with divinity. That would probably be perfect.”
“Could I use that in cooking!” she asked with clear eagerness in her eyes.
I shook my head. “Bad idea. It’s hard to mix it perfectly. Divinity can be harmful if over consumed and if we are splitting it evenly among a dozen people we want an even mix.”
“Mashed potatoes?” she asked.
Hmm. “As long as it is blended extremely well that would be safe.”
“Yes! Can I?” she asked.
I nodded. “One drop should work if we mix it right. Agala would be a good goddess to seek a blessing for to ensure it works perfectly.”
Marianne just smiled. Right, she didn’t know Agala was the sister of the past. Which is who I’d pray to here. Because a healing elixer being spread throughout our bodies with divinity? Basically it would act as a perfect cure. Any physical issues inside or out of our bodies would be healed. And with Agala adding to it, our internal bodies would be restored to their peak youth and likely suspended their for like a dozen our so years.
I chuckled to think about it. In the past ten drops of divinity would be held as a national treasure. Used only for things like kingdom sized events. Here I was casually dropping one into a block of potatoes for my sister to increase our life span by like twenty years. It is strange one’s sense of stakes change. King Mathias would probably kill for even two drops. Yet, who cares. They are for Master and the sisters.
I gave her a thumbs up. “I got this! Don’t worry! Just get the best potatoes and recipe ready for when we get back from our trip! Okay!”
She hugged me. “Thank you sister!”
Once we cleaned up I sat with the sisters and yawned. I was still so sleepy. I guess I used some decent mana today too. I wanted to stay up. To help with the Lady’s cleaning duties.
“No need sister Rosemary. We have a busy day tomorrow, plus you need more practice before you are ready to wash the Lady of the Night. So get some rest.”
“Yes head maid,” I said as I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
I yawned. The morning went as routinely as always. Apparently Freya didn’t do anything that special as the Lady.
It was Natalia that fetched me after breakfast. She mentioned that the supplies would be arriving soon and she wanted me to ensure there was no issues or confusion with the stock received. So I made my way to the gate with Vivi, Iris, Natalia, and Freya. She seemed to be curious if nothing more. Natalia said that the supplies were due anytime.
“I had hoped to use my status as the Lady to get you to teach me more about Edo,” Freya said. “But the Master mentioned you were busy today. So it will have to wait another day.”
I smiled. “I ensure you my Lady that I don’t need you to bring status for me to help you as much as I can. I am overjoyed that you can relay on me.”
She pinched my nipple and I yelped. She giggled a bit. “Elise is gonna have a field day with you.”
I paused to think about that. She’d probably want me to have some potions for increased arousal or sensitivity by then. Need to make sure to give her a list of ingredients for our day out. I hope we have enough gold for the trip. I do have my personal finances at the guild. That could be useful.
The cart arrived and backed up. Natalia had opened the gate. I was curious what the plan was. Apparently they backed in to avoid getting charmed. I assume they didn’t know about it and Master didn’t want to deal with the logistics of dealing with random charmed people he didn’t want. First Vivi confirmed the number of items. Iris looked at the plants and grabbed some seeds she had apparently ordered. The ingredients I asked for were rare but the quality didn’t need to be perfect so I gave a thumbs up.
Natalia lifted the box of potions I brewed and took off the supplies. Vivi signaled the driver and he pulled off a bit before pausing to look at the potions. We all stood to watch and make sure they didn’t complain.
Eventually a girl walked over to the edge of the gate. “Quality was excellent. Better than you described. If you keep up this work. If these sell for what I think they do, I will cut you guys a discount on the next order. Just make sure you offer me first rights to sell first.”
Vivi nodded. “That was the plan.”
With that, the woman got on her wagon and drove off.
I looked at the materials. This was probably going to hurt. A lot. “I need Lillian before I do my first brew. Natalia and Celeste would be good too.”
Natalia nodded and suggested we meet up in the main area were people ate breakfast. It was normally pretty empty but once word spread pretty much everyone came over to see what I was planning.
I took a deep breath. “Lillian, take these,” I said handing her a couple of healing potions. “If the worst should happen, apply them quickly and then pray.”
“What are you thinking could happen here?” Celeste asked.
“Well. It is hard to explain but just a theory. I should be fine, just in case, I have this,” I said drinking a potion. It was green and it filled me with defensive ability. “That should up all my resistances by a good amount.”
The Lady chimed up. “Rosemary, does this need to be done? Please explain before you hurt yourself.”
“Yes, my Lady,” I said. “In plain I believe we have a secret enemy and I believe they intend to block me from using this spell. I wish to confirm this. That way I can identify that I was right and plan to stop them. To protect Master, to protect my sisters.”
They all looked worried, but none of them were going to try and stop me now. I may have neglected to mention that my old self was the enemy but she felt like nothing but an obstacle to me now. I was happy to bare the pain of her sin if it meant ensuring she failed.
I first took off my uniform, belt included. I didn’t want to risk damaging them for this. Then it was time to brew the material a thick white paste for the spell. I began swirling mana into it. “Detect Material!”
I heard a loud pop as if thunder went off on the right side of my head. I fell backwards in pain.
“Rosemary!” I heard various voices shout. I felt hands touching me but I couldn’t see out of my right eye. Then a warmth swept me. Oh that is the healing potion. It only just took the edge off but I was thankful all the same.
“Drascilla, in your name please grant me your power so that I may heal this injured servant of yours!” Lillian shouted.
Light enveloped me. I leaned up. “Wow, even with a resistance potion. She is a bitch. I can’t believe she would use a spell that powerful.”
Celeste clapped her hands twice. “Sisters, quiet please. Rosemary, explain!”
“It is a powerful spell, known as a geas. Part of the command group, She used it to block me from looking for Jaka flowers. But, I might be one step ahead of her,” I said smiling. I held the bottle of divinity. “One drop and I should be over to over power it.”
“Why the heck!” Elise shouted. “Didn’t you start with divinity!”
“I must confess I agree!” Lillian said with pleading eyes.
“Be a waste if I wasn’t actually under geas,” I said.
“Rosemary!” Victoria shouted! “Don’t undervalue yourself like that! You are worth more than that whole bottle.”
I paused. Was that really true? I smiled as I realized it didn’t matter. The simple fact that they said I was mattered far more. “That wasn’t my only reason. Now I know someone used magic on me. I needed to know that and I couldn’t confirm. Sadly there is little I can do about it until I get Jaka flowers. But hey! Let’s do it!”
I began brewing the white paste again.
“You’re sure it is safe this time?” The Lady of the Night asked me.
“Like 90% sure.”
“Rosemary!” The Lillian shouted.
I pressed onward with the divinity infused brew. “Detect Material!”
Light expanded into a map before us with a blinking red light. “That’s—”
“Sake village,” Natalia said. “A bit far for our travel. But not unreasonable. I shall inform the Master.”
I shook my head. “Let someone else go. I need you and Lillian for the next part.”
I grabbed the other materials. It was time to brew what Brenda needed. I wanted to get her ready as quickly as I could.
The fact I still had the resistance up effect on me was good. I grabbed the four potions I would need for Brenda. Along with my weapons. I was ready. I handed the concealment potions to Lillian and Natalia. “I need you nearby but far enough she can’t see you.”
“I see the purple one is for weakening her, what is the red one for?” Natalia asked.
“Strength up potion,” I said.
“Strength up?” Natalia looked at me confused. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
“A bit. But she isn’t likely to just drink what I hand her, she knows I am with Master now. The strength up is enough to help her break her chains. Should earn me some trust. But if I got the level just right, she should still be stuck in her cell,” I said.
“And then she trusts you are helping her cuz she recognizing the strength up and breaks the chains!” Lillian said.
I nodded.
“Why are we here then?” Natalia asked. “Sounds like you got this in the bag?”
“Well, I am wizard, she is a warrior. If she breaks the gate I am fucked. So Natalia to hold her back while I prep spells and Lillian to heal as needed.”
“Should I get a strength up potion too?” Natalia asked.
I shook my head. “The aura boost would counteract the concealment, she’d sense you.”
They both drank the potions and then waited by the door as I entered.
“Brenda! Hey, we gotta be quick,” I said running into the room.
“Huh, wait,” she said looking at me. “Is that really you?”
“Yeah. Sorry, I was building up trust. I couldn’t blow my cover right away. I got some magic supplies and brewed a resistance potion for you and a strength one.”
She looked at me carefully, from head to toe. “Give me the strength one.”
“Here,” I said handing her the red bottle through the bars. She drank it instantly and her aura surged. The chains snapped like nothing a moment later. “This one should keep the charm effect at bay. That is why you lost right? Natalia is strong but not stronger than you, the voice was distracting you. This will block it.”
She held the purple potion. She tucked it in her bra. “No need. We are just escaping.”
“But, what if she blocks us!” I said.
“I see your belt, we can handle it. Come on, let’s go.”
“But the bars!” I shouted. “I’d rather not waste magic to—”
The metal door snapped in an instant. Clinking against the stone floor. “It’s okay, let’s go.”
“Okay, let’s do it,” I said as I let her take the lead.
She paused though and looked at me. “Why so far behind?”
“What are you talking about. I am a wizard, I am a backliner!” I said.
She ran towards me. Shit!
“Natalia!”
The door swung open and Natalia reached her backside after I already took a punch to the face. My whole world was spinning. Ouch.
Natalia was being hit pretty hard too. I saw Lillian praying while looking at me.
“No! Natalia,” I said as I stood. I was fine. A bit dizzy but fine.
Brenda noticed Lillian and ran towards her.
“Fire lance!” I shouted as a bolt of fire raced between her and our healer.
“Wanna know how I knew?” Brenda asked, her feet creeping towards the door.
She didn’t know I had vanes though. This was something I could use against her. “How?”
She pointed at my leg. “Your belt is brown. If you stole your stuff back, it would have been brown. But it’s blue. So the dick of the house signed off on you getting that didn’t he? He isn’t very subtle you know.”
“How dare you call him anything but Master!” Natalia raged.
Brenda dodged her and kneed her in the back.
My wand was sparking. That was enough. “Stun flash!” I said as the wand opened and a huge light emerged. I closed my eyes moments before. This was a paralytic spell that worked by sight. A warrior like Brenda wouldn’t be aware I had the materials for it. Plus she was worrisome of me. She wouldn’t take her eyes off me.
“What…” Brenda said as she staggered.
Natalia stood up but we both noticed Lillian squeak.
“I can’t move,” she said.
Oppsie, looks like some friendly fire. “Sorry Lillian, it will wear off in a couple minutes.”
I reached into Brenda’s bra and dug out the potion. Really glad she didn’t smash it. Like, this potion was pretty gel like. I could have scrapped it off the floor, but that would be gross.
“Rosemary! Please! Don’t do this! Fight it! We can save them all!”
“Natalia, do you wanna be saved?” I asked.
“Saved from what? Being in heaven with my love, my one Master? No,” she said.
“Seems conclusive,” I said.
Her face tensed as she was clearly struggling to move. Laughable, even with her resistances a vane enhanced stun spell would not be so easily broken. I grabbed Brenda’s mouth and opened it.
“Ait, on’t o dis,” she said as her tongue moved ever so slightly.
I placed the bottle in her mouth without the cap and tipped it upside down as I leaned her head back. I began rubbing her neck and helping it slide down.
“How are you doing Natalia?” I asked. “If you can walk, fetching the Master would be great. This part will be a lot easier with him.”
“I can manage that,” she said walking away.
Once she finished swallowing, I pulled the potion bottle out of her mouth. “Feeling better yet?”
“Rosemary! Please! Help me! What about my grandmother, you loved her right?” she asked. “Don’t do this to her legacy! I don’t wanna be a slave! Just kill me!”
I held her head close to me. “You misunderstand. It is because you are so special that I worked so hard to get this ready today. I want you to feel the joy I feel. I want you to be happy. Plus, Master ordered me. I can’t defy him.”
“Oh my god. You really are gone aren’t you? A puppet. What happened to the Rosemary that refused the king, Matthias? But you knee to some random man! What even is his name! His legal name!”
Hmm. Actually no one had said it. “Master is the only name he needs. I am happy! Can’t you be happy for me?”
She clenched her eyes shut. It was beginning. The voice of the charm was likely getting stronger. I saw her finger twitch. It may be a close one actually.
“Rosemary… I looked up to you?”
I helped her body begin to fall to the ground into my lap as I pet her hair. It was black and straight. “You can still look up to me. We are sisters now.”
“Sisters?” she asked. “No, the voices. I… they are so loud.”
“I know,” I said as I continued to stroke her head. “They will get more subtle once Master talks to you.”
She pushed me away and tried to crawl to her feet. She made it about three feet before her still mildly stunned legs fell to her knees. She closed her eyes and her aura began souring and the electric sparks vanished. Oh, so she’s free.
“I’ll come back for you,” she said.
Glancing at Lillian she was still stiff as a board. That is the maiden of murder’s supreme warrior genes for you.
As the door opened Master looked at us. I dropped to my knees in response.
“Hello, I heard you needed me.”
“Maa… no,” Brenda mouthed. “Just… end me. Please.”
He reached down and kissed her on the lips. Her eyes went wide before closing.
“How did that feel?” he asked her.
She once again hit her knees on the stone floor, breathing heavily.
“Answer me.”
I felt a chill, he didn’t even direct it at me but hearing his voice using such a demanding tone just made me wanna kneel lower.
“Good,” Brenda said. “Please. Please…. I am… begging.”
“Begging?” Master asked. “For what?”
“Let me leave. I’ll be good. I swear on my grandmother. I won’t return. I won’t interfere.”
“It would be such a shame though. I like you,” he said.
“You do?” she asked. “No, wait—”
“You would be beautiful in blue. Can I have your clothes, I’ll give you a uniform in exchanged. What do you say?”
“My clothes?” she said looking at herself. “My mother sewed these for me though.”
“I know, they are valuable, just like my uniform. Isn’t it a good trade, or do you not want my design?” he asked.
“Wait! I… I didn’t say that. Just I… but those outfits. They are so slutty.”
“Your still fighting aren’t you?” he asked. “Why? I don’t like seeing you suffer. Please, just give in. What am I to you?”
“My… the one I serve,” she said looking down.
“No. You know what I want,” he said.
“Please.”
He just waited.
She clenched her hands and punched the ground a few times. “Yes Master.”
“Good girl. I have a rule for you my little warrior. Listen well to your sisters. You are not permitted to call any of them by name. Only call them sister,” he said then turned to us. “And you are only to refer to her as sister. Until she understands our sisterhood, this should help her.”
“Yes Master!” I said along with Lillian and Natalia.
“Understand?” he asked our little sister.
“Yes Master, I understand.”
“Thank Rosemary then, she helped you.”
She stood up and walked over to me. “Thank you sister.”
“No,” Master said interrupting. “Effort. Thank her properly, don’t just say that like a robot. Or are you not actually thankful?”
She stiffened up. She looked at me and tapped her right breast twice with her left hand. It was a warrior salute. It would look less silly if she was in her armor. “Sister, thank you for helping me escape the cold dark dungeon and showing me the joy of having a Master.”
I looked up at. Her body was still shaking. She was still trying to resist. I hugged her. “Please listen to the head maid and ask her about the Lady of the Night. I am so looking forward to seeing you at dinner tonight. Please try and relax for me sister.”
“Yes sister, I will,” she said.
“I’ll take her to Celeste, you girls should rest up as well,” Master said as he took sister and carried her in a bridal carry out of the room.