Nua’s return to her room was brief, but with clear eyes and a cold, determined expression on her face, it wasn’t hard for Solution to work out the broad strokes. ‘Something made you think of what you want, didn’t it, little elf? Oh how I wish I could have been there to see what mask you put on when you thought of everything you did, and will have to do.’ She felt her loins tingle with the sadistic thought.

Solution saw the fearful eyes of the slaves who had put themselves far into a corner, for a moment they were raw, the memory of the blade still fresh, the near death of the boy who thought to take at least one of them away illicitly. She restrained her urge to laugh, and noted that Nua glanced at them only long enough to see that they worked, before she put her back to the wall. “Solution, attend me, I’ll be going down for dinner momentarily. You’re to stay here and… mind the stock, I’ll send up something for you all to eat while I’m away.”

“As you wish, My Lady.” Solution grinned inhumanely when they were facing one another, and a tingle ran up and down Nua’s spine.

‘Oh here she goes again.’ Nua mentally groaned, but before she could even ponder what sort of little game her teacher was to play, it was already underway. Solution looked over her shoulder, “Slaves, get over here and help dress her.”

Nua looked at her with surprise and mouthed, “My hand?” Solution only gave her a confident nod, then mouthed in return…

“Better this way.”

Nua relaxed, ‘Whatever she is, she’s never lied to me.’ So, she allowed Solution to undo the front of her robe, and then she cast it off, leaving her naked front exposed.

Kaiji was the first to see that the left hand of her owner was not natural, she hesitated for a half step before she caught herself, and stared open mouthed as she got a good look at the woman who’d bought her life. Lithe, strong, powerful legs, and muscles above that spoke of long training, the firm breasts of a young elf in her prime of early adulthood, her arms seemed slender, but her mistress was clearly at ease. The hand however, had her trained mages eye.

Priceless moved like a frightened mute when she saw it, staying as far away from her mistress as she could, choosing instead to hand the clothing items to Solution and Kaiji, who fitted her article by article until it came time for the gloves.

‘Even naked, she looks like she’s in command.’ Kaiji kept from biting her lip at her own bitterness. ‘That was once me… Lady Kaiji… I gave orders expecting them to be obeyed, and they were. Now look at me, I’m waiting for the generosity of my mistress to let me wear something, while I get her dressed. No! Kill that thought! Lady Kaiji is dead! Just like you told that stupid boy! Don’t you be stupid too! This woman couldn’t possibly ever understand, or care, what this feels like for you! Kill that thought before it kills your self control.’ Kaiji knelt at her mistress’s feet, and bound the laces of her boots, right, then left, as Solution secured her shirt, lacing it up just enough to leave some cleavage exposed.

When they were done, Priceless prostrated herself, and hearing her companion do so, Kaiji knew to imitate her.

Nua looked at herself in the mirror near her bed, “Good.” She said imperiously, and held out her hands with her right palm up. “You may accept praise.”

“Mistress.” Kaiji answered without raising her eyes, she cradled her owner’s hand and kissed her palm delicately, touching her dark lips to the steel like skin of her mistress’s giving hand.

“But… I should wear gloves. Kaiji, fetch my gloves as well.” Nua ordered brusquely.

“Mistress.” Kaiji acknowledged, and stoically stood and went to retrieve them as Priceless approached and in the same manner, accepted the praise from her owner’s right hand.

Nua was screaming inside her own mind, ‘Just let them go! Stop humiliating them! Just STOP! Look how frightened they are, tell them you were just like them, tell them you’ll set them free and never hurt them!’ Those were the thoughts swirling around behind the haughty mask and eyes of ice.

Solution, she saw, drank in her enjoyment of their abject terror, in particular the fear she saw in Kaiji’s face when the woman recognized that the hand that takes lives and gives pain, was not only false, but enchanted, of unknown make and unknown power.

Kaiji came close with the dark gloves, and Nua held her right hand up, that went smoothly. Kaiji pulled it down tight over that one easily enough. However when Nua raised her left hand, Kaiji hesitated.

“Is something wrong, Kaiji?” Nua asked, raising her right eyebrow.

“N-No mistress it’s just…” She hesitated.

“That’s right, you’re an educated slave, trained in magic, and I’ll just bet the student in you is mad with curiosity about what this is, or what it does, and how I got it, isn’t that right?” Nua gave a little smirk to her slave and extended it.

“Do you wish to touch your owner’s left hand?” Nua inquired, opening the fingers apart, Kaiji couldn’t tear her eyes away from the smooth white material, or the blue crystals that glowed with power, but when she looked at the little black stone in the center of the palm, all she could feel was dread.

“Mistress… please, no… I’m sorry if I offended you…” Kaiji whispered in a panic, the lids of her eyes opening wide and her lips trembled.

“Are you saying you find your mistress’s mutilation to be ugly, hideous, so repulsive you don’t want to touch it?” Solution inquired.

“No! No not at all! It’s just, just… just…” Kaiji couldn’t hide the panic in her voice, her breasts rose and fell rapidly as she began to hyperventilate.

“She’s kind enough to let you satisfy your curiosity, and you refuse her kindness, to call her ugly. Were you hoping to remind her of the terrible pain she endured losing the original?” Solution asked, and Kaiji felt like she was on the verge of tears.

“Solution.” Nua said softly, “That’s enough, I’m sure Kaiji didn’t mean anything by it, she is just cautious about the unknown.”

Kaiji’s eyes stayed popped open, but now with a different reason as the cruel voice came out more kindly to her than she’d yet to hear, at least to her. She seized on it, “Yes… I’m just, I don’t want to hurt my mistress’s hand, or dirty it with a slave’s touch if it is as special as it looks, I… I was curious but it’s none of my business!”

“As you like, my lady.” Solution said with a roll of her eyes that only Nua could see.

Nua thought it over for a moment, and then chose to address the still slightly shaking Kaiji. “I was mutilated by a monster of great evil… but… great truth. She ate my hand while it was still on my body, and made me watch her do it. That was only a fragment of the price I paid for a dream. There’s a lesson for you, slave. Your dreams will hurt you if you try to make them a reality. They will consume you, and whatever you are afterwards, you’ll never be who you were again. If you can’t bear that, then stay as you are until you die. Now go, take Priceless and continue to work on her reading.”

“Mistress…” Kaiji whispered and bowed her head before backing away several paces, and withdrawing to the most distant corner of the room with Priceless in tow.

Nua then turned and walked out of the room, leaving the three behind.

Kaiji looked over at the back of the woman she now knew was a monster, and tried desperately to ignore the woman’s preening laughter as she sat down on the bed and reached for a book of her own.

Nua went to the stairs and down to the great open dining area, and found Karlo waiting for her at the entry. “Captain Aiwenor, I got it all done, and you have the table you requested, simply give them your name, and they’ll seat you immediately. Also, I took care of that other matter, I used two platinum for them, but they’ll be here.” He bowed deeply to her, but Nua ignored him, save for a brief nod of her head to show that she’d heard what he had to say.

‘I should be grateful to be alive right now, let alone still employed.’ Karlo pondered as he moved on to return to his work.

Nua did as he said, and a woman in a black skirt and white flowing top took her straight back to the table.

They wove their way through an array of fine furnishings that Nua turned her nose up at until they reached her own space, and she was promptly seated.

A server appeared almost as soon as she was in place, and Nua turned on her most charming smile. It was a young half elven woman of tan skin and purple eyes with a joyful look on her face, Nua found the air around the woman so pleasant that she was impossible not to like immediately.

“My Lady, what may I get you to start?” She asked as she took out a pad.

Nua scanned the room and found her target, a buxom young woman seated alone at a table close by the reserved space. She wore a bright red dress of silk with a ruffle of white woven over the right breast and following a path down her leg. A gold earring hung from her right ear, and from it dangled a single pearl that had been carved into the shape of a star. “I’ll need a bottle of your best wine, your very best. Also…” She thought it over for a moment, and added, “send a glass of the same to that lady over there, with my compliments.”

The serving woman bowed politely after she annotated the order and departed. Nua didn’t have to wait long for there to be results. The dining area was mostly empty, so even accounting for the priority her orders took, and its simplicity, it was quick.

As Nua’s server poured the first glass for her, another glass was dropped at the woman’s table.

Her raven dark hair bounced lightly as she explained that she didn’t order it. Nua’s ears twitched with anticipation as the servant explained it was a gift, and pointed to Nua’s table.

Nua raised her glass when the woman blushed and accepted it. She did the same, and took a sip at the same moment.

She then stood, taking the glass, and approached the table where Nua sat. “This is an excellent vintage, thank you but it must have cost a fortune.” Her ruby lips formed a small smile, “I’m waiting on my husband but…”

Nua shook her head, “Oh no, dear lady, I have no idea what it costs, I never ask the price. I only saw you sitting alone, and… waiting alone, like drinking alone, is utterly boring.” She flashed her winning smile up at the woman, and gestured to the seat opposite herself.

“Why don’t you join me, and when your party arrives, then we may part ways?” Nua leaned forward a little bit, and it didn’t take even a moment for the woman to decide.

She sat at the opposite end of the square table, and Nua began to chat with her like they were old friends. Every bit of training as a priestess on how to win an ear was used, little questions prompting statements… and a bit more wine. Nua used them all and peppered the occasional insightful comment with a bit of wit, such that the raven haired beauty was in no mood to leave when Nua spied out of the corner of her eye, that a man was sitting down at her table and looking around, confused.

Nua sprang to action, “Just one moment.” She said to the woman who was now fixated on her. She stood and approached the table where the man, who she saw had a moderate build, dark eyes, and the rough fingers of someone well used to writing… but all else was soft, if formal and controlled.

“Sir,” Nua said politely and extended her right hand to him, “I’m afraid I’ve absconded with your companion, please forgive me.”

The woman raised her glass and waved to him when she saw what Nua had done. He looked at both in surprise, his companion extended her hand and wiggled her fingers, calling him over.

Uncertain, confused, he complied as Nua began talking to him about how charming his wife was, a compliment he seemed to take very well as a smile spread broadly over his face.

Nua sat back down, and the man’s wife patted the seat next to herself, with nothing else for it, he slowly took the seat for himself.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.” He said just as his wife was about to start speaking.

“I’m Nua, Captain Nua Calen Aiwenor, a guest here in this hotel.” The effect of her words was immediate.

“I’ve actually heard a little about you.” He replied, and Nua smiled winsomely.

“Everything good, I hope.” She let her charm seep out of her as she sat back in her chair, “But oh, we seem to have a problem.”

He looked at her dubiously, but Nua didn’t explain, she raised her hand, and a servant diverted themselves immediately to attend to her, “It seems I have two additional guests this evening, another bottle of the same.”

The man’s eyes widened only slightly, and nor was he alone, as numerous eyes saw a second bottle of expensive wine carried to the same table. Nua kept the charm up, teasing bits of information about himself and his life out, she recalled the lessons she learned in Hoburns. “The most fascinating subject in the world is the self. People will divulge almost anything about themselves, if you show you’re interested in them. Whether king or commoner, this will be true. Say little, ask much, and you’ll know everything you want to.”

She then recalled the lessons of Solution, “The best way to intrigue some is by sex, by others it is wealth, by still others it is by mystery. But all of those have one thing in common, do you know what it is?”

‘Desire.’ Nua had answered, and then growled as she felt the stinging pain of slime acid on her left hand.

‘Yes, but too vague. Suffering comes from desire, but more importantly, the cause of that intrigue is that you ‘offer’ what they desire. YOU must offer to them what they want, by the use of your body, or your money or an army or even ‘hope’ for something as simple as avoiding pain. If you have what they want, and are the only way to get it, they’ll get close to you, then you can use them, then you can kill them.’

‘I will remember that… Lady Solution.’ Nua had replied, and wrapped the injury before taking up her knife again.

It didn’t take long for that to break someone from ‘the herd’ of the wealthy, a young man in a military uniform sans armor, engaged in brief conversation before approaching her from their table.

Nua waved to him like he was a dear old friend and stood up, she approached him, before he could reach the table and shook his hand with her left, putting just enough pressure to show that there was strength there.

She put her right hand on the green military shirt and made careful note of his rank on the chest. Her hand then slid down to his lower back and she drew him further away from those he’d left, and gestured to the chair beside her.

She laughed a loud, golden, charming laugh at an idle joke he told, and raised a platinum coin, drawing a servant’s eye. “I seem to have acquired another guest, bring another bottle.”

She heard him swallow, and suppressed her urge to laugh even as she embraced with abiding love, her lord and master, the Sorcerer King who gave her wealth uncountable, and the means to increase it beyond the dreams of most who lived.

‘Steal the servant, the master will follow, but never ever let them lead when they get close to you.’ The lesson sprang to mind again, as the more senior, older gentleman rose as well, leaving a lovely demon-elf in fine, formal clothing behind to find out why a member of his party was now seated at another table.

Nua got a good look at the woman, in rich white clothing bedecked with swirling rich purple patterns in shining thread. Her horns and ears alike had expensive jewelry dangling from them, golden chains from which hung white pearls also carved into the shapes of stars.

Again Nua stood, the woman was confused. Her bright solid red eyes did not register as pupils did, but her face was expressive enough, her dark lips parted slightly, as if she were unsure of what to do.

Approaching the man as he approached her, she clapped him on the shoulder and shook his hand, “Good evening, good evening!” She flashed her charming smile and eyed the uncertain woman, reading like a book the roles between them. He led, she followed, but the unexpected events left him unsure of just what transpired, and Nua took advantage of that. “One should never leave so lovely a woman by herself, not among so many charming guests.”

Caught offguard by her openness and forward approach, he stood dumb for a moment as Nua approached his woman and touched her shoulders, “Come, you’re far to beautiful to be left alone in a place meant for good company. She winked at the demon-elf, whose brief blush grayed her cheeks a little, and the woman stood, guided by Nua’s hand on her lower back, she followed to where her companion stood.

It took only seconds, but Nua started chatting them up and said slightly louder to a nearby server, “I’ll need another table, and chairs for some extra guests, oh and another bottle of your best.”

And so it went, Nua introduced herself and began to trade stories and anecdotes, encouraged jokes, and above all, kept the wine flowing to them, creating an epicenter of intrigue as new guests began to arrive for dinner, and soon found themselves on an ever lengthening row of tables among their peers.

An hour into her venture, Nua paused to listen as a servant whispered into her ear. She then stood and clinked her glass a few times, until she had the diners attention. “Now, I have as it turns out, a small confession to make. I have, you see, a fatal flaw, it is my selfishness.” She flashed her teeth in yet another charming, self deprecating smile that earned laughter from those who had been drinking her wine for the last hour.

“Yes, it’s true, you see, I happen to love music, and earlier today, I spoke with a servant about who the finest musicians in Pas’en happened to be, and… I’m afraid I hired them to perform here. Thankfully, it seems that since we’re now one table, there is plenty of space.” She looked out over the dining area, most of the tables had been moved, save for the one that sat unused marked ‘reserved’ which now seemed to be quite a lonely place.

“So, with that in mind…” She extended her left hand out from where she stood, ‘towering’ as it were, over those who remained seated, and a group of musicians entered and set themselves up in a corner, “I trust you won’t mind if we have Maiazar and his troupe play for us?” The name had heads snap back and forth as if to be sure what they were seeing and hearing actually matched.

The troupe was made up of a group of elves led by a demon-elf in a formal solid black, formal wear with a white ruffle at the front. He conducted the tune with the flawless motions of a master of his craft, and the long lived elves proved the value of practice over time, playing on stringed instruments that sent a low, reedy noise over the dining hall.

For the next hour there were periods of lively talk followed by silence as the most skilled musician in the city provided a concert for them on someone else’s coin.

The liquor kept flowing, and knowing his audience well enough, Maiazar began to play more lyrical favoring tunes, and the diners began to sing along. Nua took the lead, and the body of diners seated in front of where she stood raising her glass, and goading them to ever greater indulgence, sang the chorus.

That was the scene laid out in the dining area of the most expensive hotel in Pas’en, when a servant approached and lifted the ‘reserved’ marker, and a young man started to sit down with a woman of nearly equal age to himself.

For a moment, he looked around in confusion, seeing the dining hall of the best restaurant in the city, in the best hotel in the city, rearranged, and the most popular musician in the city, playing a seemingly private concert. Rather than order, he whispered to the servant, pointing out the elven woman standing at the head of it all, “Who is that?” He asked as he focused on her with bright blue eyes.

“That?” The servant asked as he looked over and then looked back to him, he leaned down and whispered, “That is Captain Nua Calen Aiwenor, my Prince.”

Nua caught it out of the corner of her eye, noting every detail, and allowed her charming laugh to fill the air as she sang a particularly racy lyric about a lizardwoman maid of lewd inclinations, drawing laughter from the guests in equal measure to herself.

‘Got him.’ She thought, as she waved him over to her and lifted her glass in cheer.