Nua approached the massive bed in her even more massive room, for the moment, she was alone. It was large enough for four, ‘But it’s all mine.’ It wasn’t the first time she’d lingered over some object of her own and wondered if it was all a dream. A hand came out and rested on the expensive mattress. The four obsidian posts rose up fifteen feet from the floor, and each was secured to the other across the top by a matching wooden rod, on which a curtain hung to isolate the sleeper entirely. The curtain was a bit of a mockery of privacy as it was sheer enough to hide the body, but not the shape.

She snickered a little, ‘I know enough of Pas’en now to know just why, the eroticism of enticement, to see the shadow of a woman’s form and know she waits within… perverts.’ She laughed more heartily, holding her sides, and said it aloud, “I’m living in a city of perverts!” She gave in to the happiness of the moment and flung herself onto the mattress and lay there spreadeagle, taking up as much of the bed as her lithe and lethal form could.

A knock at her door saw the smile wiped from her face entirely as the mask returned. “Yes?” She called across the room.

“Mistress, it’s Kaiji…” The voice answered from beyond.

“Enter.” Nua said formally and sat up on her bed.

Kaiji opened the door slowly, closed it delicately behind her and crossed the room. She immediately prostrated herself and pressed her lips to the foot of her goddess.

“Did you need something, Kaiji?” Nua asked as she looked down at the demon-elf that pressed herself down in subservience.

“Not I… I need only to serve you… my goddess, my deliverer…” She raised her head, when spoken to and rose to her knees, “You’re still dressed, and I thought I’d tell you what was done and see if there was anything you needed before I got your permission to rest.”

Nua closed her eyes to keep from rolling them, then reached down and slowly patted the head of her evidently most devoted servant.

On the verge of refusing, she instead, seeing the desperation in the blood red of her demon-elf, she stood. “Undress me, slave.” Nua did not use her name, and watched more closely than usual for the familiar, very tiny wince that had remained at the corners of her eyes, and found it missing.

The slender purple fingers began to move with practiced ease, unlacing the bindings of the expensive green as if she’d done it ten thousand times. The red eyes were focused solely on the task, and somehow despite every gesture bringing her close, she didn’t so much as graze Nua’s skin when it was exposed.

Each item that was removed was promptly set aside, and Kaiji elaborated on all that had taken place.

“We spent twenty of your platinum on furniture, and most of it was delivered today, the barracks are now nearly fully equipped, a few soldiers are ‘camped’ on the floor still, mostly the new ones, and Sado appointed some squad leaders among the new soldiers.” She bent down to her knees and began to undo the high boots.

“The bank of Pas’en sends its thanks for the invitation and their head will call on you tomorrow on the matter of your currency.” Kaiji lowered her head, “Mistress… are you planning on plunging the city into crisis?”

“Is that a problem, slave?” Nua crossed her arms and looked down at her curiously.

“No, mistress. You are my goddess, if you give the order, I will help you to ruin this city. My loyalty is only to you… and to my…” Kaiji lowered her face, “I should be beaten for that, a slave’s sole loyalty must be to the one who holds the keys to her collar. Should I get… it?” Kaiji turned her face away, only to find Nua sat, and put a thumb on the side of Kaiji’s chin and forced her to face her mistress again.

“I’m not going to beat you for loving someone. It can be a very great strength. If you ever betray me… yes, you will suffer greatly for it. But contrary to how I appear… I’ve loved before.” Nua laughed a bitter laugh, sending a cold breath down to touch Kaiji’s cheek with the feel of the grave.

She craned her neck upward, “Mistress may I… come closer to your face?” Kaiji’s curious nature reared its head, and though she awaited the rebuke, it didn’t come, instead, an equally curious Nua nodded.

Placing hands on the Duchessa’s knees, she rose and brought her face up, barely two finger breadths from Nua’s lips. Ruby red solid eyes met ice blue pupils, and she remained there staring for several seconds. “May I ask, my goddess, why is your breath like that? There is no warmth of life… are you… are you undead, disguised as the living?”

Nua did a double take as her servant went back down to her knees, and shook her head in denial. “No, slave. I am a death worshipper, a priestess of the undead god. I worship him as the god of death first, my golden eyes come when I call upon the power of death, and my breath as a consequence, will always be cold. I am a living woman, you’ve felt my skin, my flesh, my pulse. Do I not seem alive to you?” Nua raised a golden eyebrow and could not keep away the smirk.

Kaiji bowed her head, “No, I, I understand, my lady.”

“Would it be a problem if I were?” Nua asked, “You were a starworshipper, shouldn’t you have some repugnance for my faith left in you at least?” It was the wrong question to ask, because Kaiji cast herself forward with her head down into Nua’s lap.

“Never! I meant it when I said I abjured the stars, I will accept any faith you tell me to! I spoke with the soldiers, I know about how you made them listen to your sermons, I see how the twenty-five begin to comport themselves. More pride, more confidence… they seldom look to the heavens anymore… you make slaves more than they were meant to be…” Kaiji could feel her bosom heaving against the legs of her mistress, but any former shame had long since vanished.

“I want to serve the god you serve, and I want you to be the goddess I serve him through. After what you did for my Priceless… and for me… I want nothing less. The only promise I ask for… if I can dare…” She touched her bronze collar and tugged it to show that it was firmly there, “Never make me take this off.”

“I have no plans to, slave.” Nua said and stroked the dark hair that tumbled freely about, “You were expensive, a hundred died for you to belong to me, they didn’t die for you to be free. Their sacrifice will not be for nothing.” She took a slow breath, forgetting entirely that she was naked but for her boots, until Kaiji slipped back down to remove them.

She transitioned back to her report with ease, “A small home was acquired just outside of town by Vargas’s wife, she didn’t spend the whole coin and the rest was returned to your treasury. Speaking of… the ah, ruin, you spoke of, Mistress?”

“Oh I won’t be ‘ruining’ Pas’en.” Nua answered, “Just… putting it in a financial crisis, a crisis I’ll get credit for solving. I’m sure by now they’ve worked out the value difference between my coins and theirs, that’s why Prince Rasgen required my coins be used to buy that title. He’s no fool. They’re keeping it quiet from me, assuming I don’t know.” She laughed a little, “But I’ve driven the cost of slaves up after they plummeted, Lur’gin will start gouging their customers, and people will trade my coins in, and find that the bank doesn’t have enough coins on hand, and Pas’en doesn’t have enough platinum to lend to them to make up the difference.”

Kaiji stared up at her mistress as if a demoness sat in front of her and listened with twitching ears.

“Prince Rasgen, being my friend, will come to me and ask for help, and of course, he’ll ask what I’d like… and what I’ll want, is shares of the bank of Pas’en. It is my money that will keep it afloat after all, why shouldn’t I have a share of it? There are empty noble spots that haven’t been taken, so I’ll ask for those as well, and that will give me forty percent of the shares. Are you seeing where this is going, slave?” Nua asked with a predator’s expression, and saw it mirrored.

“Yes, mistress! That gives you access to their books, you’ll know all their debts, you can call for an audit, Prince Rasgen will agree, as the crown will need money. When debts are called in, you can loan them the money to pay the crown, and they will be in your pocket…” She looked up lovingly at her mistress.

“My mistress, you’ll avenge my city with nothing but coins for weapons… I don’t… I don’t hate Prince Rasgen… or Sobella. I can’t relish any harm to him, not given the circumstances. But most of them?” Her hands tightened with frustration.

“Most of them didn’t lift a finger to stop the war, at least Prince Rasgen tried, but most… most… most just wanted my people, my city’s lands, and to throw us as raw meat to the Tlalmok to save themselves. Because of them as much as Sado’s folly, everyone I know was either killed or enslaved. And few, if any, are as lucky as I… to love the goddess that holds her.” Kaiji blinked back affectionate tears and set aside the boots.

“If you get more mercenary contracts, now that I can fight again… can I come with you…?” Kaiji asked, biting her lip before the inevitable title.

Nua firmly shook her head while Kaiji went to fetch night clothes from the wardrobe. “No, you’ll stay here to manage my affairs. You are my voice, see to Priceless’s education in all things, ensure my Steward has what she needs to manage the household, and wait for my return.”

“But what if you need my magic? It might save your life, you know I can fight again…” Kaiji bit her lip. “You know you can trust me at your back. I’d die for you, I love you as… as I never did, my gods. I know you’re capable, and I’ve seen what your bodyguard can do. But lower the odds just a little bit, and take me with you, mistress Aiwenor.” Kaiji’s voice was weak, but the stern posture, the tight grip of her fingers on the wardrobe, spoke of the underlying will.

“No. My odds are better with you here as my voice. There is no one better suited to act on my behalf, slave. I lower the odds of harm by keeping you here, now hurry and get me dressed for bed.”

Nua was silent through the rest of Kaiji’s efforts, and laid down to sleep. It was no surprise in the darkness when she felt a slime hand pull her into an embrace as Solution took her place in the bed of her student.

“You’re tense.” Solution whispered in a sadistic tone, and Nua felt the familiar heat rising and threatening to burn her, but she made no move to resist.

“Just wondering if I’ve sinned against our master. I’ve done... well to borrow your phrase… quite a number on that demon-elf. I don’t think I’ll be able to set her free after all this, not as things are.”

Solution shrugged, “So what? If you want her to be free, but she chooses to stay as she is, isn’t that what you call your ideals anyway?”

Nua rolled to her side, the sheets rustling as she put her face close to that of her beautiful teacher. “I made a choice to be this way, I don’t think she’s making a choice. I feel like I’ve manipulated her, and it’s getting… I don’t know… it’s just too easy to address them as ‘slave’ and think of them that way too.”

Solution put her hand to Nua’s throat, but did not squeeze. “Do you want to die before you change, my student?”

“Are you proud of me yet, teacher?” Nua asked without blinking at the threat, she instead inched closer.

“Let’s just say I’m not ashamed of you.” Solution giggled with a monstrous smile spread over her face.

“That’s a start, but then the answer is no, I’m not ready to die yet. I haven’t brought Raymond back, I have no city, let alone kingdom or empire. I can’t be satisfied yet.” Nua responded and covered the hand that held her life in its power.

“Then you’re OK with change, things are different here, the rules of the west applied to how they did things that your master hated. Work with the rules here, and so what if the mask becomes the real face? If you still want to set them all completely free, then do it when you have ultimate power. Or let His Majesty make it a condition of alliance or absorption. Do whatever you have to do to win… and when you win, you can do whatever you want, that is what it means to win, isn’t it?” Solution asked, and Nua rolled over on her back and stared up at the ceiling.

“Yes, yes it is. Thank you for the lesson, teacher.” Nua answered, and began to drift off into slumber with much greater ease than she expected.

Priceless lay on her side and lifted up the cover on the bed their goddess gave to them. A part of her wanted to tease her Kaiji by saying, ‘Come play with your servant.’ Slightly mocking the punishment she saw as the greatest of rewards, but in the dim candle light when the door shut with a little click behind her lover, Priceless saw it was not the time to jest.

Kaiji’s demon-elf skin, always purple like the royal she was, had grayed as blood drained from her face, and she was quiet, reserved. She took off her clothing and slid into bed, soundless except for the rustling sheets. Priceless lifted a leg to let Kaiji entwine herself more intimately, then raised up her upper body on her elbow to allow an arm to pass beneath so that she could be embraced.

“And now you love her.” Priceless said the words with quiet reservation, devoid of judgement as the horns of her demon-elf lover graced over her skin and dark lips came to meet her skin.

“Yes… when you were taken… that night…” Kaiji explained what happened, and Priceless stroked the back of her lover’s head, running soft fingers through the black strands and down her back to where the hair tapered off.

“I see. I’m surprised she didn’t… well, I just assumed that since she slept with her bodyguard… although I don’t remember any noises then…” Priceless chuckled, “I just assumed they were quiet.”

“You’re oddly at ease with that possibility.” Kaiji remarked with a clinical air that briefly dispelled her more emotional mind.

Her lover kissed her lips briefly, “Of course I am. Maybe publicly nobles make a show of not making love to their inferiors, but if you didn’t, you’re a rare one I think. In some ways, my precious Kaiji, you’re very innocent. Everything is in some way about sex, except sex, that is about power. And there’s no greater power than owning a living body. And no easier path to power than that for the powerless.”

“Philosophy in the bedroom, I did not expect that… you have hidden depths, my Priceless.” Kaiji gave a sad little smile to her lover and returned her kiss.

“Nothing like that, I was talking with one of the newest batch of acquisitions today, a very beautiful courtesan named Diana, and she expressed her thoughts that way to me…” Priceless trailed off when Kaiji’s eyes widened at the name.

“Diana… green eyes? Ruby lips? Long dark hair? Singer’s voice and probably mentioned dancing and lute playing?” Kaiji asked, feeling her heart pound urgently.

“Yes… that’s her. Is she the one from before?” Priceless asked with interest, drawing Kaiji a little closer.

“Yes… the one whose lesson I applied in the bath the morning after you went missing. I wondered what happened to her when the city fell, it sounds like she landed on her feet. Or her knees, given that she’s here, she hasn’t been presented to Lady Aiwenor yet, I take it?” Kaiji asked the question, already certain of the answer.

“No, not yet, why?” Priceless asked, letting her hands start to wander more boldly.

“She’ll be a powerful weapon, the Steward did good work in acquiring her…” Kaiji’s thoughts were interrupted when her back arched at a sudden great pleasure that rushed from an intimate touch from plying, talented fingers.

“You’re bold…” Kaiji gasped out, digging her nails into her lover’s back.

A hungry, flushed face came over Priceless, her breathing became, deep, labored, heated. Her breasts heaved against those of her lover. “Today was magical for me… I’ve never felt so wonderful… even though the power I used was borrowed from her name… it was the greatest pleasure I’ve ever felt! And I…” Priceless bit down a little on a delicate demon-elf ear, drawing a cry of pleasure from Kaiji’s lips, “want more… and I’ll take it…” Priceless whispered, and then she did.