Mimi

After I set Oswald down, he suggested to Richard that I should be led to the table with all the food. I watched as Oswald walked away from the two of us, only to be swarmed by the minor nobles. Many of them asking how he was feeling lately, with the more blunt asking if he heard the rumors. Richard tugged on my hand with a smile, and I followed him to the table a few minutes away.

"You can eat as much as you want, and no one will say anything." I noticed him watching Oswald as he moved. As if he wanted to be by his side, more than my own. After a few minutes of walking we made it to the table, where I copied the others that were eating, and refined the motions. Small bites, to not reveal I could unhinge my jaw. Making certain not a drop or crumb was to fall upon my wings. I noticed Richard leaning with his back against the table, with others casting disapproving looks at him.

The butlers and maids made their rounds, a few of them with distinct looking Harper spiders on their shoulders. These Harpers were strange, in that they had knitted caps on their bumps, with doilies around their leg segments. Their chitin was oddly black and white much like the attire of those carrying them. It took me a moment to realize they were the same species, but ultimately how they appeared was only cosmetic. I did recognize all the Harpers present were female for some reason or another.

I flicked my ears to focus more on the talks going on around us. Oswald and Raul were naturally the talk of Ball currently. After all, Oswald never arrived this early, so the small nobles never got their chance to talk to him properly. He explained this away, by saying it was to show off his apprentice's pet. Then he proceeded to talk about how poorly Richard was at alchemy. I merely sipped at a drank Richard handed to me. It was sweet, and red. I realized that Oswald was saying these things to protect Richard and myself after a few minutes of listening to him.

Then there were the talks about Raul who had not come here since his daughter grew ill. Many low nobles flocking around him, since he was regarded as a proper noble before he fell. Some likely offering aid, in the hopes that they might have such a favor returned. Others seeking to keep his attention away from themselves, as they understood he was out for blood. Our eyes made brief contact before we both looked our separate ways. It made no sense for us to know each other in this setting. Though he allowed me to catch a glimmer of magic from his shadow moving slightly. It pointed towards an elven man gaping at me from the other side of the table.

I took a second to lower my head in acknowledgment of the man. He was a proper light elf with golden hair, and deep green eyes. He was well built, with a green leaf armor that clung to him. He stood out compared to the others, but I had actively avoided acknowledging him since he seemed more like a bodyguard than a noble. On either side of him were two female elves offering him food and drink, that they sampled first. I barely noticed the cape the man had falling behind him, as his consorts were more formally dressed for the occasion.

With their actions, I realized this elf was their leader, and that the two were either his consorts, or bodyguards pretending otherwise. The man gave me a smug smile, and slowly bit the air in my direction. A clear sign he was interested in me, and likely wanted to eat me up in some way. I could hear Richard still eating by my side, allowing me to shift to hide him from view of this. Thankfully Richard himself did not notice anything amiss as he was so focused on Oswald and eating.

The elf in question took this as an invitation, and did not seem to even acknowledge Richard's presence when he could have been perceived. Either the man was ignoring Richard, or just felt he was insignificant enough to not bother noticing. Either way, I decided to passively eat my food and see how long it might take Richard to notice this. Either way, it was bound to be interesting.

The man whispered to the two, asking them to stand behind him, as he 'worked his magic.' The two pouted a little, but allowed him to do as he pleased. He grinned at me, striding over. A few nobles were casting glances towards us, telling me what I needed to hear about this man in hushed whispers. He hailed from a noble family of elves in the Kingdom of Light. He was fifth in line to inherit his father's city. He was a somewhat skilled geomancer, which meant he was a step above earth elementalists. That there were rumors he had a rather powerful talent, known as Lady Killer.

I smiled down at the man, as he approached me. My eyes always glowing, as he put his hand to his chest bowing slightly. I could feel the divine energy coming from him in the form of a hypnotic suggestion in a sense. The bow was supposed to endear me to him, as he worked to enamor me. Truly, it was such a shame that his smell was repulsive to me. He looked up to me, giving me a grin that showed his teeth in a practiced way. He held out his hand, clearly meaning for me to take it. I gently placed mine over his own, as Richard seemed to take notice of me facing away from him and not eating.

The man kissed the top of my hand, as another wave of the divine energy washed over me. He looked into my eyes, his own smoldering. I merely smiled down softly as the other nobles whispered about it being over for myself. Raul was slowly making his way towards me, as Oswald kept watch from the corner of his eyes. The elf spoke in a seductive voice, "By the countless stars in the sky above, and as day meets night. I have never seen such a sight, as you. Usurper you have laid claim to my heart." His words were laced with the divine energy still, as he seemed to at least be aware of the fact that his talent wasn't working on me.

I learned how it worked, and it was extremely easy to shrug off. I smiled down at him, when Richard started laughing. "I think I heard thugs in the Underground tell whores better pick up lines when they wanted a free pass. There was a silence that quickly spread across the room, as hushed whispers began to filter to inform the others what happened. This was an unexpected, but very pleasant surprise. I had focused on learning how the divine energy worked, and ignored Richard picking up on what was going on.

Richard walked around me, to catch the elf just as he started to pull his hand away. Richard looked me over, as I pretended to be disappointed by the enthralling man pulling away. He gave a wry smile, before glaring at the man, who was head and shoulders taller than himself. The man's jaw dropped, as he backed away slightly. "My deepest apologies sir, I was unaware she was with someone else. I'm afraid I do not know who you are."

I tilted my head, resting a hand on Richard's shoulder, quite pleased with him. Richard crossed his arms, "Doesn't matter, we both know you're doing something you shouldn't be in this setting."

A few of the other nobles started to snicker, which helped the elf snap out of his shock. He smiled a little, taking a look at them and put a hand to his chest. "Good sir, do you know who I am? I'm an ambassador sent on behalf of one of the largest cities in the kingdom of Light. Do you think a low born noble like yourself can afford an incident at this time?" He smiled smugly down at Richard.

I could see Oswald making his way over, seemingly ready to step in when needed. Raul himself was placing a hand on others that seemed ready to take sides, keeping them neutral. Richard looked the man up and down, "Never said I was a noble, but you don't feel like someone with a lot of weight behind their words. Do you think you can handle it, if you make an issue here?" Richard's voice went low, as he stood straighter. A display that he was not backing down, but merely standing his ground.

It truly was a strange and welcomed thing to be defended by someone not directly connected to myself or my Hive. I had no idea how much I truly needed this, to help with the stress of everything going on. The elf stood straighter, looking down at Richard. "Sir, are you suggesting that I have no honor? That I am not here because of my achievements, but because it was given to me? You are dangerously close to a duel." The two woman on his side started to move forward, but I glared at them hissing slightly.

This caused the two to back down behind the elf, while he was forced to look at Richard lest he be perceived as weak. Richard let out a small laugh, "Can't duel for honor with someone that has none. Not even the afternoon yet, and you're hitting on girls." I was tempted to let it slip that he was trying to use a talent, but judging by Oswald standing at the front of the crowd with his cane, it would be so much better after he was involved directly.

"My name is Driz'zul! Fifth in line to the city of Dun'thal! You sir have besmirched my name, and I will have satisfaction." He glared down at Richard, his eyes starting to glow, but Richard did not back down. It was clear the man was trying to make the others know he was not to be pushed around by a perceived lower noble. Unfortunately for him, Richard wasn't a lower noble. He was associated with someone much bigger.

The hushed whispers stopped with the rapping of Oswald's silver tipped cane on the marble floor. Each tap growing louder in volume, compared to the next one. Silence descended on the crowd of nobles, as Oswald began to hobble towards us. Richard didn't take his eyes off the man, as he looked at Oswald relieved. "Finally someone I can deal with. I thought coming here early might be a good idea to see how the lesser nobles behaved. I did not expect to meet the Creeping Death himself. My good sir, please show this waif what happens when such a low born attempts to stand before their betters." I saw Oswald's eyes dimly glow at Richard being called a waif.

He hobbled over, step after step as Richard looked down. It appeared Richard expected Oswald to berate him on the spot, which may have happened in the past. Oswald stood before the us, right between both groups. He tilted his head towards Driz, "You say this lad has insulted your honor, and that you desire a duel?"

Driz smiled smugly, "Yes, my satisfaction will not be had until I dispatch this vile oaf."

Oswald slowly nodded his head, before stroking his beard before considering it. Not a single noble said a word, as they all watched with baited breath. Oswald finally rested both hands on top of his cane, "You have made your point clear. Now lad, why is it that you have picked a fight with this man."

Richard kept his head low, "He was hitting on Mimi..." Richard teared up a little, as this clearly felt the same to him as when Vivian did this. He felt emasculated, and the hurt of someone who should be helping him asking that question.

Oswald let out a long burp that lasted a couple seconds, and he used his magic to have it condense and linger in the air. "I see, you were doing this to protect his honor." He rested a hand on his chest, "Also excuse my age, you find it more difficult to control bodily functions as you get older."

Driz crinkled his nose, as Oswald directed the smell of it to his nose. He coughed a little, "No offense taken, my good sir. I would still like my satisfaction however. I fail to see how he was protecting my honor."

Oswald gestured to me, "This girl is a monster, unless you seek to ruin the elf image more by suggesting that not only tribes sleep with beasts." I could feel Richard's joy as it became clear Oswald was going to defend him.

I waved with an extra arm, "Mimi is a good girl. Mister shouldn't use magic on others though."

Driz paled, as others in the crowd gasped. Most of them were fake, but it added to the tension. Oswald raised a brow, tilting his head towards me. "He used magic on you?"

I smiled, nodding. "Yes, Mimi felt it. Divine like when Oswald used his talent on her. Did not work on Mimi, because my own talent stopped it." I put my hands on my hips in an over the top exaggerated display. Richard looked at me quietly, before glaring daggers at the man.

Oswald's eyes lit up a little, as the burp fully entered Driz's mouth as his jaw dropped. Driz began to cough, as Oswald blocked off his ability to breathe properly. "As you can see, Mimi is a monster that can detect magic being used. It is very improper to use magic on others in this setting. Not only did you declare a duel against someone trying to aid you. You also broke the unspoken rules of the ball."

Driz held his throat, coughing heavily. "I can taste it..." His eyes were tearing up, as the two behind him moved to help keep him upright.

"Do you understand why we don't allow magic in this setting? I will expect proper compensation for you attempting to influence others through such means." Oswald allowed Driz to breathe, as he was held up gagging still.

"W-what about my duel!?" He wheezed out, as his companions wiped the errant tears.

Oswald gestured to Richard, "This lad is my apprentice, the fact that you declared a duel towards him, meant you were asking me for a duel. Frankly, you aren't even worth a fart since I could clearly kill you with a burp alone. Mimi, watch him and make certain he doesn't use magic again. If he does, tell me right away." He looked towards me as I nodded, then back at Driz, "There you have it, I will duel you if you choose to spit on my honor again. I am letting you live, so march your ass to the other side of the room and contemplate how you're going to fix this before the king arrives."

Driz started shaking after he realized just who he would have to duel if it was accepted. He quickly did a low bow, before jogging with all sense of nobility gone. Richard gave Oswald a beaming smile, "Thank you, master." He bowed and kept his head down.

Oswald nodded his head, "You're getting better lad, try to stay out of trouble." He gave me a wink, before turning and joining the nobles as they started to disperse again.

Richard raised his head watching Oswald as he rejoined the group. I felt an immense sense of satisfaction, with how it turned out. After Oswald blended in with the crowd again, Richard finally turned towards me with a small smile. "Hey... I know it's been a while." He kept his voice low, as we were left alone at the table with all the food.

I nodded, before making myself another plate and started eating.

Richard rubbed the back of his head, looking at the food. "I know I haven't given you a lot of attention, or really even helped you too much lately." He felt awkward with his emotions, a little nervous even. Though he also felt pride at Oswald having helped him, and that he was finally able to defend me. "I probably won't have much time to spend with you still, since Oswald wants me to focus on training so much. How about tonight, I make it about you?" He reached for his plate with half eaten food, but I gently stopped him.

He looked up at me confused, as I smiled at him. "Richard, let me feed you." I gently grabbed the plate from him, cutting proper portions and cleaning his mouth with a napkin.

"I... what?" He was still very confused, as I sat on my knees. He really didn't understand what it meant for a Queen to feed someone under her. That was fine, because he would eventually figure it out. It also helped to make the nobles think I was just a dumb monster, that didn't know how to properly conduct myself. Which was more important given the fact that they were starting to watch us now.

"Pretty please?" I smiled, while holding the fork with food towards him. He was embarrassed, but finally relented with a sigh.

"Fine, but only if I can feed you back." I smiled and nodded as my heart almost skipped a beat. It was almost like he was a worker in my Hive, except there was the amazing satisfaction that I didn't have to tell him to do it. He was going to protect the Hive and help it grow, as well as protect me. We weren't connected, save by the tamer ring, and that just made it even better. I could feel his emotions, but couldn't control him, or make him do anything. He wanted to do this, and I killed the cascading emotions. It appeared that some of Edna's memories made me want to gush over this. Though it was still rather wonderful.

Oswald Manfred

Balls typically went the same, no matter the year. If there was a war, nobles would talk about it. If there was a famine, they would talk about. Anything that might potentially affect them, or how much coin they might make, they will talk about. These were the same self serving individuals that I would never protect. It was why I lived in the inner walls, to hopefully protect anyone worth a damn. You reminded me of this Richard, why I lived for so long.

With every lie I breath to these nobles about how terrible you are as an apprentice. With every mistake you made exposed to them. This was not the place for you thrive. The court, the lies, the politics; they will all stifle you. You are someone that needs to be free to grow. I know these whispers of my lies will eventually reach you, but thankfully people are staying away. They do not see you as a viable way to get to me. I am damn proud of you lad, and prouder still that you are finally starting to shake off the shock from nearly dying.

Everything in this ball is exactly as expected, a few good people moving among a den of snakes. Most of these families are echoes of the ones before. Humans truly do live and die far too quickly. This is where my parasites will end up, when I move on. Scrapping together as bottom feeders, trying to cling to groups that might help them. Just like the elf that joined us here.

I could tell he was a parasite just from a glance. How the women clung to his side, either addled out of their minds, forced by a ritual, or maybe even a talent. I caught him approaching you both, as Mimi met him. I had to stop mid conversation with a few nobles to approach and watch. I felt a smile creep on my lips as you stood to protect the lass. I never would have realized how much you grew, had you not called out my name like in the past. You were seeking to stand on your own feet, and not rely on me. It hurt me on some level, with a bitter sweet pain. You truly were maturing into a find young lad, and you were learning from your mistakes.

I truly am a sorry master for not guiding you as I should have in the past. For not realizing this just wasn't where you should be. The least I could do was allow you this outburst. Especially as I explained everything to the foolish elf. The lass was helpful, and she already seemed to have a firm grasp of what she needed to do. I wish I could do so much more than only say, "You're getting better lad, try to stay out of trouble."

I left the two, since there was still more for me to do. More lies to tell the world about my apprentice, to make him appear useless to even the lowest nobles. Richard, you just aren't ready for a place like this. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, as the Whispering Shadow approached me. Raul was a very capable man, and he seemed to have business with me. "Greetings, Crawling Death." He formally bowed, making it clear he was going to make a request of some kind.

I returned the bow, not going an inch lower to let him know I planned on treating him with the respect he deserved. "I have heard of you Whispering Shadow, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The other nobles that hung in groups around us started to mix, and talk about what they heard.

Raul smiled at me, "It brings me joy, that my title and achievements managed to reach the ears of one such as yourself. May I have the privilege of asking how my title was brought to your attention?" He gave me a wry smile, "You may call me Raul if you so wish."

I nodded, taking a glance at the lad and lass. I smiled slightly as the lass was sincerely playing up her part as a monster to be underestimated. Looking back at Raul, I saw his complexion darken slightly. I raised a brow, before shrugging, "We may need to talk somewhere private for that. After all, you do not seem like the type of man that wishes to be ignored."

Raul let out a low laugh, mixed with a sigh. "Haah, I suppose you are right. A little privacy would be wonderful. I'm afraid I am not used to being up so early."

"Then please, lead the way." I gestured for him to go ahead, as I followed. His complexion darkened after I looked at the two, which meant there was a connection there. Who exactly was the lass getting involved with these days and why? I felt a small bit of regret for not keeping tabs on her, but I needed to know what Whispering Shadow wanted with her. I followed behind him, not letting our shadows touch.

The nobles watched as we walked out onto the balcony, before they chose to mingle again. It was truly a shame that they would chose to move closer to Richard and Mimi while I was occupied. Yet, I had to make certain the king wasn't trying to hunt Mimi in the near future. Otherwise this would all fall apart, and Richard would be left exposed to whatever else might happen. I needed to make this quick, and a blunt approach would make that happen. After all, I still needed to figure out who was planning on killing me before it happened. It couldn't be this man, since he should still hold some use.