A deal worth making

Hildegard is erasing yet another draft. How do you tell your parents in a letter your father’s overlord, who was to be your father-in-law, and his court wizard are going to relay and read that you participated in an orgy including demons, are thus no longer a virgin and are now with child? She has been trained in polite courtly conversation and in the art of writing concise and clear reports. She is beginning to suspect that her tutor, who insisted that with enough training anything can be said politely, suffered from a lack of imagination and experience. Of course an experienced tutor, at least with that kind of experience would not have been hired in any noble family, even if her family could afford a tutor with any kind of experience.

She gets up and starts pacing. The deed is done. She does not know how the integrity spell works, yet while a bride’s failure to be a virgin may be overlooked, demonic influence or a previous pregnancy would not be, let alone a child.

Most parents among the nobility, in fact usually mothers, do not hesitate to explain these facts to their daughters and invariably the more rebellious girls – in her case a cousin on her mother’s side – offer money or other incentives to some wizard’s assistant to circumvent the spell only to learn that while conception can be prevented and virginity can be restored with specialised magic, which might fool a later testing spell, tempering with an active spell invariably leaves evidence. The kind of involvement of the assistant in that case in fact leaves no doubt in her mind that he was extremely motivated to circumvent the spell. While a failure to be a virgin just lowered the bride price, the assistant had had the presence of mind to quickly relocate, correctly concluding that the overlooking would not extend to him.

She sure did a lot more than her cousin. Enjoying it. Enjoying things that were supposed to be enjoyable. That’s why they are forbidden. You don’t need to forbid something nobody would ever do. But also enjoying things that are not natural.

And she sure did enjoy them.

She puts the stylus and the tablet down with more force than strictly necessary. She is angry. Angry to be reduced to a state akin to a victim. A Rabenstein may be defeated, but they are not victims. To somebody who is acted upon and merely reacts to events beyond any control. Whom should she be angry at? The succubus? She is, but she remembers telling Peregrino to do whatever it takes to hold the castle. She squeezes her eyes shut. The memories stay.

Including the memory of her father telling her of the marriage proposal. In theory she could have refused. In theory. Had she ever been in control of her own life? Sigmundr will eventually inherit when the gods will finally have mercy on the breathing vegetable that is the duke’s son. That answers her unvoiced question.

Her fist slams into the desk. She sits still. A single shake runs through her body.

Leuma has abandoned human form. I guess that means that the negotiation will now be purely business. She does not wait for me to say something and asks a question herself „Do you understand the princle behind the ritual that summoned you?“ „Only in the most basic way. Sexual attraction is used to entice a summoned entity and the sacrifice powers the ritual.“ I answer. She smiles. Even in the form that could be Beelzebub’s hot sister that is enticing. I start wondering whether I need therapy. She adds „And the four stages of womanhood present allow life to restart. Usually you use that for rejuvenation or healing. But you are correct. Tell me what you overlooked!“. Her order works. I grimace „Yes, why Zewrepa and Melo. He could have substituted all those spikes. So a stored human sacrifice is not equivalent to a fresh sacrifice.“. How can the movement of a tail have an arousing effect on a human being? We don’t have tails. Gaining some time to consider implications I slowly rub my chin with my hand.

I continue „Now you will tell me how I can stay in control given the level of superiority you just demonstrated.“ „No“ her retort is simple. I just make a questioning gesture with my right hand. She smiles and replies „You are wise and old enough to know that you don’t know enough to be in control, even if your body is young. You can be in command. I will swear to respect that. But you will have to learn. I will also swear to not lie to you. Yet I will inevitably be the power behind the throne for a time.“

I hesitate for several long moments and ask „How well do you know me and how did you learn that?“ Her laughter is like sunshine filtering through a palm tree’s crown and black lace. „You are a man. I am a succubus. You are also similar to Marental in a way. You have to be, or his soul could not overwrite yours. You wish to be appreciated in private but you do not care for fame.“. She makes a meaningful pause „And, if it really counts, you will do whatever it may take, even if that is not a feat of heroism but making a deal.“. I raise an eyebrow.

She goes on „Yes, I know that you also have limits. As I said, you are a man. I appreciate men. Can you guess?“. I respond „I do not want to guess.“ Her smile broadens and she says „Very good. Only the men. We spare the women and children.“

The tip of her tongue protrudes between her lips. Is she that good an actress or is she really nervous? It does not matter. I nod.

She turns into human form and asks Zewrepa „Will Melo and you join us?“

Hildegard is a Rabenstein. Truth. Loyalty. Courage. That is thus her motto. She has told her liege lord something that is not true. She has to correct it. In theory she could have refused the offer. She will now make the option real. She chuckles as she drafts a formal letter of dissolution claiming a lack of virginity of the bride as the cause for breaking off the betrothal.