Anastacia had spent the entire week trying to come up with a pattern for the prince’s arm plating, but whatever she tried, just didn’t seem like it fit correctly. Somehow they all felt like they were out of place, despite looking nearly identical to the patterns King had on him. After her third failed attempt of the day, Anastacia was spent, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Unfortunately for her, she woke up just as fast when she felt the presence of another necromancer.

“You lower your guard way too often.” Coquelicot pointed out and closed the door behind her. “But never mind that. Let’s just start.”

The high necromancer lunged at Anastacia, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her up. Using four of her skeletal hands to stop Anastacia from flailing and the last one to snap on a bracelet for her. Before Anastacia had any chance to retaliate, she was already thrown back on her bed.

“What’s this? What did you do to me?!” Anastacia asked in confusion and tried getting the bracelet open. It didn’t budge.

“I’m not quite sure, Alizarin planned on using it on you, before some inept waste of flesh got him killed.” Coquelicot said, with even less warmth and kindness in her voice than usual. “It supposedly brings out any hidden ambition for power a necromancer has. If that doesn’t make you more agreeable, I’ll just force you to listen to us.”

“Look, I said I’m sorry about Alizarin. I get it, you’re still angry, and you should be, but can we not break into each other’s rooms during the night and force enchanted items on them?” Anastacia said and offered her hand out, hoping that they could at least form a truce of some sort.

Coquelicot ignored her and looked around for something.

“Where is your simulacrum? From what I heard, it still resides here?” The high inquisitor inquired while looking around. She noticed and pulled out the royal blessing Anastacia had hidden behind the wardrobe. She quickly browsed through it and put it back to its place.

“He’s downstairs… I asked him to clean the kitchen during nights.” Anastacia answered. “Do you need him for something?”

“No, I was merely wondering if it was still around.” Coquelicot said and leaned on the wall opposite to Anastacia’s bed. “I’m tired of trying to coax you to work with us. We tried gifting gear to help you, being friendly and one of mine even made an offer for you to come train with us. But no, you continue to test me. So here’s the deal if this bracelet doesn’t work: You come with me, and I’ll spare the people in this establishment. If you refuse or attack me, I have ten necromancers outside, ready to turn everything in here into a puddle on the floor.”

“You can’t do this! You’d be no better than the cult!” Anastacia objected.

Coquelicot appeared wholly uninterested in Anastacia’s pleas and was just waiting for the bracelet to do something. The two of them waited for an hour in silence. Anastacia hoped that the high inquisitor was merely bluffing and simply trying to get some kind of revenge over her dead husband, but the longer the wait lasted, the more she started to worry that the high inquisitor had really lost her patience for Anastacia.

“You can stop now, this isn’t funny… I’m sorry I got Alizarin killed, but threatening everyone else here is just too much.” Anastacia said, breaking the silence.

Coquelicot didn’t respond, she just kept staring at the bracelet, waiting for anything to happen. A second hour went by without a change, as did the third. Even Coquelicot started to get tired of the waiting and grabbed Anastacia’s hand to take a look at the bracelet. It was made from a silver chain and aside from a small white stone embedded in one of the links, it had no decorations or markings. All they had to go on was the description in the old tome Alizarin had acquired, and all it said was that ancient necromancers used the bracelet to amplify their ambitions to become more skilled and powerful.

“Maybe its enchantment has just run out over the years?” Coquelicot sighed. “Do you feel anything?”

“I feel like some second-rate necromancer needs to stop touching me.” Anastacia blurted out and quickly covered her mouth. She had no idea why she would say that.

Coquelicot smiled because right before Anastacia’s answer, the white stone had suddenly taken a red hue that faded away just as quickly. The bracelet still worked.

“It remains to be seen if that trinket does anything more than make you a smug asshole, but for now that will do.” The inquisitor said and headed towards the door. “We will keep an eye on you.”

The high inquisitor left, and as soon as she closed the door, Anastacia couldn’t feel her presence anymore. First thing in the morning, she’d have the bracelet removed, either by King pulling it apart or at the blacksmith’s.

Anastacia no longer felt tired like before, maybe Coquelicot had scared her awake? She decided to use the time by reading Alizarin’s book, since it often made her sleepy, even during the day.

As the sun started to rise, Anastacia realized that she hadn’t slept a wink, nor did she feel tired. She didn’t give it much more thought, it’s not like this was the first all-nighter she had pulled. After getting dressed and taking a quick look in the mirror, she headed downstairs to get the day started with some coffee and toast. King was waiting in the tavern with Gilbert and Rosie. they were having an argument over whether King should be paid for the work he did during the night or not.

“What does it need money for? I’m not paying the pots and pans I use either.” Rosie argued. “Are you giving him a share from the quest rewards?”

“That’s different. He’s there because Anna is.” Gilbert said. “Anna, tell her that your friend here deserves to get paid for its work in the kitchen.”

“I don’t think he thinks of it like that… If he does something when you ask, he’s probably doing it because he wants to help.” Anastacia told them, and sat down next to King.

Rosie considered that a victory for her and went to get some breakfast for Anastacia.

“What’s that on your wrist?” Gilbert pointed out and lit his pipe.

“Some kind of necromancer trinket. I got it from Coquelicot but can’t seem to be able to take it off.” Anastacia explained and chose not to tell them that they were basically held hostage during the night.

She tried making King rip it open but that didn’t even bend the links in the chain nor the lock.

“Gil, could you check on the mages you said you know? I feel like I should finally get some training done.” The necromancer asked and fondled the bracelet. “I’ve got some ideas I need to try.”

Gilbert went through the list of mages he suspected would be able to help, and they picked the three that seemed to give the best spread of abilities. One was a powerful elemental mage, the second a master of curses and the dispelling of them, and the third a magic researcher and enchanter.