Mimi

Everything went as it needed to, and despite the few hiccups, I was able to use them to my advantage. The Deacon was extremely happy with the outcome, and a little disappointed I wouldn't be doing such a thing monthly. It wasn't my job to grow his church for him, but at least he had new followers. The biggest issue that came from it, was Cynthia staring at me with a bit of pain in her eyes. As if looking at me, hurt her somehow.

After the sermon was over, I walked back to the room where I was dressed up. The priestesses followed, before I gently sent them out. Cynthia raised a brow, after she realized we were alone. "I thought you wanted to take off those flowers as soon as possible." She forced a smile.

I crossed my arms, "Maybe they grew on me a little. Now, what has you so bothered?"

Cynthia still wasn't able to look me in the eyes. She kept her head low, "Are you okay?"

I blinked, remembering when Richard asked me that same question and I almost killed him. "What do you mean? Why are you asking?" I tried my best to sound a little worried. If I sounded comforting, or certain nothing was wrong, then she might think I was hiding a problem. Everything was fine until after the sermon, which meant the issue had to do with something I said during it.

She teared up, "I mean... how do you feel? Are you able to deal with all the pain your feeling?"

The pain? I mainly forgot most of the words I spoke, because the whole ordeal hardly mattered to me. Beru kept most of those memories just because he liked how it all happened. I scanned over them, realizing the most likely source. I let out a small sigh, before sitting down on the reinforced chair. "When I first started, my Hive was maybe the size of what I have here in this church. I don't like talking about my past, but know that I know how it feels to starve. I know how it feels to be eaten, and to eat another while they struggle. Compared to those days of eating myself, I am much better now. There is more pain now, but there are also nicer things."

Cynthia paled a little, "You've been through so much... I can't even imagine doing half the things you have done, even when I don't feel bad." She finally looked up at me, wiping away a few drops. "How do you do it? How do you cope with that pain?"

I saw different emotions in her eyes, before realizing how much deeper this went. I pulled her into a warm hug, "I should be asking you that. I'm strong enough to kill a fiend by myself. You? You're weak, and still you ran from the Fire Kingdom to get here. You survived against everything thrown your way, just to protect your son."

She started to cry into my chest, "I got my parents killed, because I fucked a dragon! I know the assassins are still coming, and I'm so scared they'll get Drake. I don't even go past the church's garden."

I stroked her gently, "You know you're weak, but you're doing your best to make sure your son is safe." I'm surprised she didn't break down before this. She must have bottled it up, for quite some time. She probably thought she was too weak to even deserve crying about all this. That it wasn't her place to complain, that she should do her best to stay out of trouble. Really, people make things far too complicated.

Cynthia nodded, doing her best to cry quietly. Her lips trembling, while I continued to hold her. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't be the one crying here. I shouldn't be relying on you like this, you shouldn't have to take care of us... not when you're hurting so much." Great, she's projecting.

I continued to stroke her back, while thinking of some arrangement of words to help her get past this. I wanted to make all of this better, but I supposed I was the one that cracked open her bottled emotions. She probably wanted to be just like me in a sense. It was endearing that she looked up to me, to the point she was able to push all that pain down. There were no words I could think of to help her here. I chose silence, to allow her to get it all out.

"You're too good for this world, and I'm glad to know you! I'm sorry for forcing you to do things you don't want. I'm sorry for making you wear the flowers." She just broke down more, apologizing for every inconvenience she had me endure. Then she started going on about how she was sorry for the things she did to her grandfather, and so on. This had to stop.

"Are you sorry for having Drake?" My words made her recoil, as if I struck her. She slowly shook her head, the doubt in her eyes. She was wondering if she should feel sorry for that. I stared back at her, making her wince. When she tried to look away, I gently held her chin. I forced her to look at me. "Never feel sorry for having a child you chose to bare. We all make mistakes, but our offspring should never be seen as a burden. You've done so much to ensure he lived, so there is no need to apologize for all you have done. Never let your child feel resentment towards your actions for their future."

She swallowed hard, finding her backbone again. She nodded, before pulling away. She wiped her tears, taking a shuddering breath. "I'm sorry you saw me like that..."

I shrugged, "You saw me when I was cowering in a corner, eating pickled hearts."

She laughed at that, "I didn't see it like that, but thinking back. I guess it makes sense, you probably snuck out at the time, didn't you?"

I grinned, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Still, if you need to talk, I'll listen to you. Beru wouldn't mind either, and he's more available."

Cynthia nodded, "Yeah, I'll probably do that going forward. I didn't know how much it all bothered me, I guess I felt if I never thought about it, all of it would sort of just go away."

I stood up, "It probably will never go away, but there are times we need to be strong. I will have questions that only you will be able to answer. Especially since I just had my own child in the Underground."

Her eyes lit up at that, "You'll have to bring them here! Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" She grinned, trying to throw fake fury at me.

I grinned back, explaining that I had no idea how she would turn out. Throwing a few excuses, and generally playing her game. Minutes passed, before a priestess came in to let us know the lesser nobles were ready to talk. Cynthia looked at me with a nod, as she was to be my representative going forward. She was to be the one talking to the nobles on my behalf, using her experience as a lady in the Fire Kingdom. I needed to trust her, and watch what was about to happen before deciding if I could truly use her for this or not.

Lady Cynthia

The debts I need to repay to Mimi are far too much. I know I shouldn't have broken down like that, but everything was just too much. So many would have taken advantage of my weakness, but she didn't. She offered her heart to me, letting me cry out my woes. Then tackled those doubts, I really did all of this for Drake. I couldn't regret it, when I know I'd do it all again to keep him safe. Mimi is smart enough to use people, and get them to do what she wants. I know she'd be better at dealing with the nobles of Eclipse, than myself. Though she is trusting this to me, I need to act as representative and make deals on her behalf.

This is a way to chip away at the debt I owe her. To keep Drake and Sarah safe. I laughed a little, while putting the last bit of makeup on. I was afforded a few minutes to finish making myself presentable. Mimi herself was busy explaining that I was the one to go through to discuss any matters related to her. A part of me wanted to exploit this for my own gain, and that was the part I squashed down. I will never take advantage of a friend. Let alone, someone that saved my child's life and worked constantly to keep them safe.

I looked back at the mirror, my hair braided behind my back. The formal clothes I switched into after the sermon and my moment of weakness was over. The clothes Raul had prepared weeks in advance, in case he needed me to speak to his friends and he wasn't around. It stung my heart, knowing that I might have to chose between Raul, and Bral, one day. Still, that was for a later time. I needed to focus, and make sure everything was just right.

When I was finally finished, I left the side room. I made my way down the hall, a couple of priests standing nearby in case we needed anything. I heard a bit of laughter in the room, and took a deep breath. I walked in to see the five lower nobles sitting around the table, while Mimi told them a joke about different priests entering the same bar. It was an interesting thing to hear coming from her, but I shrugged it off. One of the men noticed me and smiled, waving me over.

I took my seat beside Mimi, smiling back at them. "Good evening, I hope you do not mind my late arrival."

The small group smiled back at me, the oracle from before speaking up. "You're perfectly fine, we had a bit of wine while we waited. Mimi here hadn't tried it before, so we raised our glasses together."

I looked back at Mimi to see her wobbling a little. Elves were notorious for being light weights when it came to any alcohol. While the room was mostly private, I had no idea how to deal with Mimi if she was drunk. The men on the other hand seemed to flash bitter smiles themselves, a bit disappointed at needing to talk to me now. Mimi reached for her glass, which I quickly took and tapped against one of the men's. The clink made Mimi jump, while I smiled. "No more for her tonight, Cheers!"

The mood brightened, while I downed the sweet wine. Mimi looked at the cup sadly, while I placed it back in front of her. I needed a way to keep her busy, so she wouldn't make a fool of herself. Swallowing hard, I gently ran my finger along the rim of the glass, a note coming from it. Mimi's eyes widened in surprise, and I smiled internally. "Mimi dear, would you like to make some music while listening in on our talks?"

She grabbed the glass, and thankfully she didn't break it. She gently ran her fingers over the rim, trying to recreate the note from earlier. The men understood what was going on, but Raul held a decent taste in friends. They were eager enough to let it slide, but the rumor about Mimi being brought down with a single sip of wine would spread. That information was just too much to not spread for some easy coin. "Now then, I'm sure you gentlemen have much you want to discuss. Especially after seeing what she is capable of."

Beru connected to me, |"Forgive me for interrupting, but I noticed the Queen has not connected to you. Is everything alright?"|

I felt the headache coming on from having to juggle two conversations, but kept my smile in place. |"Mimi's indisposed, so I need you to tell me what she wanted. That or, if you have a way of asking if something is reasonable or not. I was going into this, expecting some help, Beru."|

The Oracle smiled warmly, "Yes, master Raul stated that lady Mimi would be here today. On his word, we came to discuss business. Most of us here felt it was a grand opportunity to better acquaint ourselves with sir Richard, and the lady. We were not disappointed, and she took the time to inform us that we should go through you. Was this planned, perchance?" He raised a brow, tilting his head towards Mimi's current state.

I shook my head a couple of times, "No, this was not planned. What was planned, was that I am to be introduced as the representative you need to go through. Mimi is a very busy lady, and typically comes here once a month to heal those on the list we have. I am much more available, and am supposed to act in her stead while making deals." Mimi managed to figure out how to make the glass sing, and I didn't bother looking her direction. We had to get through this and keep her dignity as upstanding as possible.

|"She sought to thank the oracle noble for his aid earlier in the sermon, lady Cynthia. I have their cards and the faces attached to them via the memories she has stored. She left notes for what she wanted from each of them, and what she was willing to offer."|

|"I need them now Beru!"| The men smiled at Mimi's silliness, before turning towards me. The memories slowly filtering into my mind, as Beru did his best to explain it.

The oracle nodded his head, no doubt using his power to see if I was telling the truth or not. He let out a gentle sigh, "I suppose we'll have to take care of this meeting now. I doubt anyone here wants to wait for another month before having this chance again. I do apologize for any complications the wine may have caused." He was definitely a smooth talker.

I kept my smile in place, nodding once, and waving a hand dismissively. "Perfectly fine, may I ask what all of you would like to go by as we proceed through this meeting? Will I be going by your titles, or names?" I could see light flicker in their eyes, as they started to look at me more. They were beginning to recognize me as a lady, instead of a random priestess picked from the church. They wouldn't know my relation to the Deacon. I will make this work somehow Mimi.

The men introduced themselves one by one, choosing to go by their titles and occupation. This was to be a backroom meeting that technically never happened. It bought me precious seconds, while Beru continued explaining what the memories he had on these people were. I never felt so grateful for needless formalities. "Wonderful! Now I am aware of business, and titles." I clasped my hands together, with a heartfelt smile. Just a few more seconds. "My name is lady Cynthia, so that you know whom to ask for when you stop by." This raised a few brows, while I gave a small giggle, "Fret not, the lady part of my title is just something of a keepsake. I hailed from the Kingdom of Fire, but have long since renounced the place of my birth."

Everything I needed was there, and Beru was ready to explain in more detail if needed. We'll start with you mister Oracle. I put my hands on the table, something that threw them off a little. "Now then, we have business to tend to. Master Oracle, you helped the church and lady Mimi deal with some unsavory lies earlier. I'm certain my lady would seek to reward you for such."

The others raised a brow, but this wasn't uncommon. You either started with a gift to soothe tension, or ended with one to ensure compliance. The man in question straightened, no doubt using magic to ensure I wasn't doing anything unkind. "My lady, I do not need a reward for merely doing my job. It is much worse for someone that is supposed to bring about the truth, to let lies fester."

I put my hands in my lap, nodding once. "Still, it is a job that you have done without being asked. My lady appreciates fairness, and those willing to work. Might I ask you reason for coming? What you seek from establishing a relationship with my lady?" I used to hate these kinds of word games so much, but now I had Mimi's power backing me up. I wasn't in the lower position when dealing with these people, used as a set piece to potentially garner affection from a more powerful family. I was someone on equal, or better footing with those I was speaking to.

Oracle nodded twice, a display of consideration. "The Guard has been bringing in less criminals these days, and it has taken a toll upon my coffers. I find myself with more free time, and wish to hone my craft if possible. I suppose it might have been better for me to go to the Deacon and ask for a job as a listener to confessions. Perhaps an alliance with the lady, or her word that my own allies might be safe?"

It was a round about way of saying he didn't want to be a target, and needed coin. I nodded twice, considering his words. "As it so happens, the Deacon can use someone with a willingness to find the truth. I'm sure he's eager to employ you after what you did during the sermon. You have the lady's recommendation. She will potentially need your services herself, and will pay you properly when such occurs. I will definitely discuss an alliance with her at a later date, since I can talk to her directly as an Entomancer."

This took the others by surprise as they eyed me with renewed focus. The Oracle smiled, "May I ask why you can do such as an Entomancer, over the other ones that were hired by other nobles? None of them were able to get through."

I smiled back, "It's because she trusts me, and I will do what I can to help her. Other Entomancers have a tendency of attempting to steal her bugs from her. The worst offenders were given very potent warnings, if I'm up to date on such."

A round man coughed into his chubby fingers. "Quite, I'll be certain to inform the others to not make those same mistakes." He was the lower noble in charge of agriculture in one of the many districts.

The Oracle thanked me for what he was given, and his business was concluded. I turned my attention to the farm minister. "It seems there has been a problem between my lady, and yourself." I made certain to mention Mimi first, to make it clear she was above him in this situation. Even if she was using her lower hands to make cricket sounds, while still playing the glass.

The man sputtered a little, "P-problems!? Hardly! I did not know about how your lady's insects worked. I'll certainly apologize on the behalf of those entomancers I have employed. We were just curious, but if your lady is offended do let me know if there is anything at all we can do to remedy such."

He sent quite a few entomancers to the orchid to try and steal some workers, from what Beru showed me. He should be made an example of, given how it probably did hurt Mimi a little. I pretended to contemplate, before shrugging my shoulders dismissively. "My lady is not the vindictive sort, so we'll accept your apology. Do know that my lady and her Hive are one and the same. Her bugs are protected by the law, and acknowledged as a person with equal rights to everyone present. Any workers that might have been lured away might be seen as her children in a sense."

The man paled a little, before regaining his composure. "I see, that is quite the unbecoming notion. On to what I want to ask, however. A lot of farmers in other districts have seen the orchid and nearby fields growing healthier crops lately. Specifically the orchid where your lady's insects have been seen. Might it be possible to have a few find their way into my fields?"

I nodded twice, before looking down in thought. "My lady, and myself actually discussed this topic before. The bugs have monster blood, but they are able to produce honey and tend to the plants without the need of pesticides. They mercilessly attack all pests they can find, and can be talked to if enough trust is garnered." This made the man lick his lips in anticipation. "The issues is that their growth is slowed by bees. They are taking great care to not destroy the ones in the orchid we are talking about."

The man blinked, "The bees? Are you saying that your lady would destroy my hives!?" He blustered, his face turning red, "Their honey is half my coin! I'll have you know." He managed to settle down, casting glances at Mimi who still made cricket noises.

I shook my head, "Not destroy, but take over in a sense. Even with hives half as small as typical bee hives, my lady's workers are able to produce the same volume of honey. Not only that, but they are able to tell you what they need, and it is possible you can feed them sugar water during the colder months. You stop trying to control them, and she will make contact with your entomancers tomorrow. Her control is very strong, and she's more than happy to expand and protect a territory."

The man rubbed his chin, "What promise do I have that she'll fulfill her side of the deal though? It's already late spring, and the summer harvest hasn't even begun."

I shook my head dismissively, "What promise does she have that you'll fulfill your side? My lady is a wise one, and knows that trust needs to be built through both parties. How much would you say you spend on pesticides, or even entomancers trying to quell the vermin that eat your crops?"

He grimaced, "Far too much. How quickly can she move in? If I'm going to sacrifice my bees for her workers, I need a reasonable time scale to prepare."

I shook my head, "How about a better deal? More a gamble really, she will double your profits this year, and you give her half the coin you make in said profits. If she fails to double your profits, then she will pay the difference with her own coffers. All you need to do is prepare the papers for last summers profits, and she will move in before you plant the seeds."

There was stunned silence, at the boldness of the deal. A thinner man broke the silence, another farm minister, someone that clearly had issues with the man he sat across from. "My farm has more land! I'll accept that deal!"

The round man glared at his skinny counterpart, both of them glaring at each other with greed and malice. |"My lady, I do not believe we can spread out to both of their lands in a reasonable manner. What are your plans?"|

I shook my head slowly, "Fighting each other in front of others?" I did my best to sound sad, even letting my smile fall. "My lady wishes to help you both, but I cannot provide the deal to both of you." I turned towards the first farm minister, "I was making the deal with you first however."

The skinny one spoke up again, "I'll take less of a profit! Fifty percent instead of a hundred!"

I smiled on the inside, looking at him. "Well, this meeting didn't happen, and there is no binding contract..."

The round one spoke up, "By the hells you won't! Twenty five percent!"

"As I was saying, before the first seeds were planted..." I started to wonder how low they'd go.

The skinny man grinned at his rival, "If we meet my profits from last year, she can have half of them!"

The fatter man glowered at his rival, "If we reach ninety percent, she can have half of mine." Neither of the deals were beneficial to the men in question, though the lack of purchasing certain pesticides, runes, and wards would still mean they made around as much if all goes well. It just depends if this is a good year for harvest or not.

I grinned, nodding to the bickering rivals. "It's a deal, my lady will move onto both of your farm lands."

The oracle spoke up, "Well done gentlemen, you played yourselves."

The two rivals seemingly broke out of whatever trance they were in, mentally kicking themselves for going so low. They couldn't back out now, but I knew Mimi would find a reasonable solution, and will likely reward them somehow. I was just lucky I knew of the rivalry, and making a seemingly impossible promise paid off. Mimi kept making those cricket noises, but I hope she'll be proud of how these deals turn out. Now came the hardest deals to strike.

I looked at the middle aged man, his sun kissed skin thick and leathery from years of hard work. He had a few scars on his face, but that wasn't uncommon when dealing with runes. There wasn't much that could be offered to him, but I could at least make a connection. Mimi fully expects that she'll need someone to make runes for her in the future. I needed to get this man on her side. He caught me staring, and smiled back. "May I help you?"

I nodded once, "Yes, I'm trying to think of why you might be here actually. Did you want an alliance, or something? I'm afraid my lady's bugs can't carve runes."

He nodded his head slowly, "I came here to see these trades happen, and know where everyone might lay after this is over. Your lady already did something that I cannot repay, so I am more than happy to agree with an alliance or some form of aid."

I raised a brow at that, disappointed that there were no memories that Beru could give me about this surprise. "If I may be so bold, might we spend some time after everyone leaves? I am curious, and I'm sure you want to talk to my lady before she is gone."

The man slowly nodded again, "That would be for the best, it is a private matter after all."

There were a few whispers, as it made the other nobles curious. Still that was one less to deal with. The last man dealt with lumber, and processing it. Someone in the builder's guild, that could get Mimi the raw resources she'll want later. I turned to the rugged man, that looked like the picture of a lumberjack. I honestly thought he was a bodyguard, since he had an older man beside him while in the crowd. "What can I do for you then, master lumber?"

The man rubbed his beard, "Well termites are a problem, I was wondering if you could take care of the bastards for me."

I nodded twice, "That shouldn't be a problem, but if you're inclined to let my lady place a nest in your mill. She can keep them from coming back. If you have your workers feed her hive, she might be able to protect your lumber as well."

He raised a brow, "What promise do I have that her hive won't use my lumber as material?"

"She'll pay for any lumber she uses, but you should have scraps you could let her hive have to make its nest. It helps with the cleanup, but she has a fine level of control over her bugs as you are aware. Not only that, but they can be taught to defend certain things or even people."

The room went silent again, as the lumber man crossed his arms, "Defend? What do you mean by that? How can bugs hope to defend against the thugs that try to break into my warehouse?"

I smiled back at him, "Perhaps you'd like an example?" I called in a few priests, while Beru prepared a few ghosts. Then I went on about how their poison was only able to knock a person unconscious, but there were others that were able to kill with it. Just a single ghost was able to knock out a fully grown adult, which did make the lower nobles look at Mimi with a healthy dose of newfound respect, tinged with fear. It was more cost effective to hire an entomancer to guard a place, versus a group of adventurers or even guards. I could see their minds churning with the possible applications, even while I explained that Mimi couldn't build nests inside the innermost walls.

Before I knew it, a few priests brought in dinner for the guests. The deals were set, and everyone was fairly happy with how it all turned out. I just wish the priests didn't bring out more wine for the final cheer, and farewell. At least Mimi was enjoying herself, which she really did deserve.

Mimi

I was quite pleased with how well Cynthia did. She only needed a gentle push, and I got to see how well she could do without me. It was going to be a bit difficult to grow the Hive as fast as I need to fulfill all of those promises. Though it was only another challenge. I will have to hunt with Raul tomorrow, then see Vivian about points of interest outside the walls. She wanted a few outposts, I needed flesh for the Hive, and there were monsters or beasts living just outside the walls where I needed to go.

I just had to make sure to have those outposts facing away from where the rouge Hive was coming. They should be entering the tunnels by this point. I really should introduce Gray to Vivian or Brian at some point. It might be more efficient than poking a curious entomancer, and using them to convey my messages.

I picked Cynthia up after the nobles left, letting her struggle a little while I gave her a hug. I pretended to stumble drunkenly into a guest room. Cynthia struggled to get free, but I wouldn't let her go. An hour later she finally gave in, while the Deacon just saw me fast asleep and ushered to two little ones into the room. They tried to help their poor mother escape from the monster, before being taken into my wings with her. I tickled the three in the struggle snuggles. Finally they all fell asleep, while the priests resolved to never give me anymore alcohol.

It was important that everyone thought alcohol was my bane, since I couldn't let them know about how this actually happens with coffee.