Jovis, Year of Severus, 15, I.R., the 53rd day of Fall, Arenfall

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"He made a mockery out of me?!" Lady Bieroff threw her bronze cup on her breakfast table. "That—agghh!" She threw her plate into her unsuspecting maidservant who stood by the side of her chair.

The hurled plate hit the maidservant's temple causing her to bleed and collapse from the impact. The other maidservants didn't make a move. Lady Bieroff stood up from her chair and stormed out from the garden.

It had been two days already she kicked out the conniving 305-M out of Arenfall castle. The red-haired slave had caused a lot of troubles for her plans. Firstly, her plan to set a small chaos in motion to get Prince Arterius to work with her was foiled by the slave. Then, 305-M called for his brother's support and was given an authority closely similar to hers.

She knew her brother had grown worried with the Prince's newly developed inventions. Most likely, her brother doesn't want the older prince to gain followers in the kingdom. Her brother, Senator Lucresia had been supporting Prince Veritus from the very start. He loved the boy's ruthlessness and intellect towards war.

On the other hand, her brother had been recently intrigued by the older Prince's recent technological creations. As a warmonger himself, her brother would like to the get ideas and weapons that Prince Arterius could invent or discover to further advance his goals. She knew what her brother truly wants, to be the most powerful man in the entire Principalia and he's willing to go far and wide to be recognized as such.

She on the other hand, just wanted a place to rule for her own and the Crescent Isle was that place to be. Lady Bieroff wanted power for her own. A power that no one can take away from her. After her husband died, she thought that becoming the new Lady of the House would now give her the power to control her own land. Unfortunately, that was far from the truth. She should've heeded the prophecy she saw in one of her trances.

The horned god spoke true! He also told her that only he could give her that kind of authority. She should've listened to him and sacrificed her sons just like what he asked her to do. It was very easy to please the horned god. When she asked for authority over the house, the horned god simply asked for one life to take—she chose her husband's.

She couldn't stand her husband since the day they were betrothed. He was a small statured man with a bad temper. He had an ego as big as their castle but cannot seem to back up his words. He lavishes himself with jewel and fine silk but was obnoxious and was as graceful as a rat in a sewer. Aside from being a disappointment in life, he was also a disappointment in bed. The seeds he bore her were nothing more than weak-willed boys who couldn't get out of their father's shadow.

One day as she wept alone in her room. She heard a voice calling to her from the closed Stone Hall. It took her seven sleepless nights to finally answer the call, and when she did, her life changed for the better.

She met the horned god one night during a sleepless fever dream. At first, she was scared of the wraiths surrounding the god in his crystal stone. But she sooner found out that her fears were nothing more than a worthless apprehension of her weak mortal soul.

The horned god promised her power and authority beyond compare; the things she badly wanted achieved in her controlled life. All the deity wanted was a place in her heart, devotion and unquestioned loyalty. For her troubles, she was promised the world. The horned god showed her a glimpse of her rewards and saw his generosity.

She saw herself sitting in a golden throne laid with all the riches in the world at her feet with men bowing beneath her throne.  She lavishly wore a golden silk dress adorned with jewelries from far and near the Principalian states.

She gave herself to him that night, both in spirit and body. As the horned god consummated her, she felt his power rushing inside her body. She felt the freedom of his warm embrace and saw the answer she never thought she'd find. After that night, she became his worshiper—better yet, priestess.

`As she stormed along the halls she contemplated if whether she should sacrifice her children to him. On one hand, regardless how weak and incompetent they were, she still had a soft spot for them, especially the youngest one.

If she did sacrifice her children, that would go against the norms of being a Principalian noble. Although killing a husband was not unheard of in their culture and history, same cannot be said with killing those within their bloodline.

She would gladly sacrifice others for that matter either he's a prince or a simply irritating red-haired slave. However, the god was very specific of what he needed to be sacrificed and she wasn't about to go that route yet.

Her thoughts were blurring as she tried to plan on what to do next. She wanted her own freedom and wanted this land for herself, but with the Prince's presence it was way too difficult to do what she wanted to happen.

Her only way is the horned god's way, but the price was too steep for her to pay…at the moment. She made a turn into the dull-colored corridor and found herself in front of the closed Stone Hall. She took a deep breath, as she tried to come up with a bargain—a pleasing bargain enough to whet the god's benevolence.

She pushed the open the heavy doors of the great hall and walked into its darkness. The smell of spice and incense filled the air. Her head began to lighten as she inhaled the scents of the altar. As she went closer to the altar of the horned god, her heart began to race as if meeting a lovable suitor once again. Her body felt hot as she felt the urge to make love to the deity. She undressed herself as a sign of her devotion to her one true god before she continued the rest of her way.

Suddenly a wisp of green ethereal light began to appear and lit her path. She walked towards the statue uttering words from time immemorial praising the horned god in all his glory. As she reached to the foot of the statue, she caressed its foot and kissed it. She then licked the statues foot and began to pleasure herself as she went higher. She stopped as she reached the phallus and called out his name.

"Oh, Lord Zados! Lord of the Underworld and keeper of the moon, heed my call!" She said as she licked the stone phallus. "Your servant needs your wisdom and benevolence."

Just as she stroked the statue's staff, the statue moved and choked her neck.

"What is it that you want, mortal?!" The god said angrily.

"M-my…m-most ve-venerable, god…I came here to..ack..ack…" The statue loosened its grip on her neck. She dropped on the floor gasping for air. "Hurgghhh…Hurgggh…I came here to ask for a bargain."

"A bargain? You still think that there can be a much better sacrifice than your sons?!" The horned god felt intrigued. "Fine, let me hear it."

Lady Bieroff crawled on the floor and climbed the statue's throne and whisper something in the god's ear and hoped it was enough, but the deity said nothing. It only sat there unmoving and as the lights dimmed her despair slowly crept on her.