Chapter Eighty

Several Decades Later​

Abigail, Empress of the South, West, East, North, and also the Other Directions, sat upon her throne of Tentacles and Bones. The God Empress was dressed in her finest regalia. Silken robes with embroidery so fine and meticulously crafted that merely gazing upon it would drive weaker mortals into fits of envy and despair.

Across her legs lay Queen Daphne, her consort covered in gossamer cloth that hinted at the pale flesh beneath, her head and long hair laying across the Empress’s lap.

Behind the throne, hidden amongst the shadows, was Charlotte, her lips curled up in a knowing smile as she looked ahead. Next to her, the form of a young man, eyes wide and filled with a heady mixture of awe and fear.

And, below the Empress’ right hand, with her legs splayed out and a stack of impressive hats and crowns next to her, was a young woman in a Pretty Dress, the black pits of her eyes swirling while a contented smile adorned her lip.

“What do you think?” You ask as you turn the painting towards Abigail.

Abigail tilts her head to one side, then the other as she takes in the canvas. “I guess it’s nice,” she says. “You’re getting better at painting.”

You nod, your many hats wobbling above you. “You said I needed to capture people’s essense in my art, so I took some and put it in.”

Abigail sighs and picks a cup of steaming tea from her coffee table. It’s the same coffee table she’s always had, with one leg plunging into the abyss off in one corner and a bunch of stains scoring the top.

“What’s that?” Daphne asks. She’s coming out of the bedroom, hair all mussy and nightdress a bit crooked. “Oh, Dreamer made another painting?” She hugs Abigail from behind, her cheeks pressing up against your Summoners as she takes in the painting. “I like the dress I’m wearing. It’s very... shear. Not something I’d wear in public, but, maybe in private... if Abigail wants me to play the nubile servant for her?”

Abigail takes another sip of her tea to hide the way her face is going all red.

You sigh and wonder if you’re going to have to sleep over at Charlotte’s... again.

“I think I have a robe like that at home,” Daphne continues.

“I-it’s time for work,” Abigail says as she gets up all of a sudden.

You sigh as she moves past you, leaving a perfectly good cup of tea behind, so of course you do you familiar duties and finish the tea for her, then the teacup because it’s breakfast time.

“What will you be doing today?” Daphne asks you.

You shrug. “I’ll do what I always do,” you say with a big smile. “I’m going to follow Abigail and make sure she’s having fun, then I’m going to make my own fun.”

The older girl hums, a happy little noise that turns contemplative as she takes in the painting hanging from a tentacle behind you. “What gave you the idea of having Abigail look so... royal-like?”

“I said I don’t want to be anyone’s empress!” Abigail calls from her room where she’s changing.

You shrug. “I guess one day Abigail might get bored of running a shop and doing naughty things with you, so she might want to take over the world or whatever.”

With that, you get up, stow your painting, and walk off to follow your summoner.

She might be a bit silly, and your friends can be a bit strange, but you think that here, in this little corner of a little mortal world, you can at least be happy.

The End