Chapter 21 But I Have A Contract!
No one saw it, not from where they were— and also because she would never let it happen. She was back at his side, crouching as her cape covered him fully before she turned her direction back to the Queen, “I apologize. He sometimes cannot control himself—”
“No,” He was whispering now. She turned her attention to him. Amir looked… nothing like the man that she had grown slightly comfortable with. This one looked scared, like he was only inches away from doing something he would regret. Something shiny, like tears fell from his eyes, but not exactly, because this one was sparkling. Literally. “You must move away—”
“We will have a talk for you not mentioning this to me,” Maeve looked cold, almost like a wall of ice as those words left her lips but without letting herself bask in the thought for too long, she grabbed the back of his head and shoved it into her neck, whispering softly in his ear, “Take as much blood as you want,”
“Enough,”
As soon as those words left the Queen’s lips, Amir’s hands wrapped around her, steadying himself as whatever magic she had placed on him vanished, returning him back to his present state. Maeve didn’t bother pushing him away, her gaze turning back to the Queen who now had a serious expression on her face as she said to the people on the left, “See? Did I not tell you that her Vessel was unwell and it would be best not to drag this on any longer?”
… what?
Now, of course, the other houses looked confused, lost. One of them, Anastasia shook her head as she said, “W-We heard rumours that Lady Montague might be unwell but n-not the elf—”
“The elf?” She raised an eyebrow. “She clearly just showed his importance to her. Do you still refuse to accord him the respect that he deserves?” The air in the room suddenly changed and in that split second, it felt as if every atom in that place charged, ready to attack from every point whoever dared to move as she asked, “First, you make a complaint against one of the High Noble houses, then you refuse to respect her Vessel. Do you truly not wish to air out your grievances?”
They couldn’t speak. Maeve could see it. See the way they were all shaking. She wondered why they would do this, believe that she would be fair to them after everything she has done.
And then it hit her.
The Queen planned this.
All of this. She must have convinced them, promising that she would back them in this case, but she clearly was not. Maeve could already read how the plot would progress from here on out. The Queen would punish them for their insolence, and if it was anything like what she predicts—
Wipe out their entire generation.
“I would like to hear their complaints,”
She didn’t know when she found her voice, or when she was standing. Of course, the Queen’s attention slowly fluttered to her— an act that made Maeve aware that this was also in the plan. She knew Maeve would opt in to save them. She smiled, “Go ahead, fellow houses. Speak,”
They were too scared to speak, any a normal person would be too scared to, but one of them did. The male of the Banister house. He turned to Maeve anyway, unable to face the Queen— an act that had Maeve glaring at him with that evil look of hers that had him instantly staring at the floor. “I-I challenge House Montague to the duel,”
“I accept,”
No hesitations. No questions.
The man raised his head, and ever so slowly, he began to smile. Maeve flashed him another glare. He stopped.
The Queen spoke again, “Are you certain?”
Ah, you witch, stop feigning ignorance. You planned this. “Yes.”
“You are aware that the elf cannot join in this duel,” She continued, “It is a fight involving mana. Something he does not possess? I am certain you do not have any Vessel who can take his place,”
“I do,” Maece replied, bowing to her before turning her attention to the male. “It will be done in a week from now. I shall send letters of the day I pick. I win, you give me your servants in the Bannister household. Each and everyone of them. If you win, I give you my Vessel,”
He didn’t think about why she would give something she had literally just protected. The best part about men, Maeve realized, they didn’t think. “I accept.”
“Good.” Then she took a paper from behind her robe and held it out to him. The look on her face was uncanny, like a plastic doll pretending to be human as she said with that same uncomfortable grin, “Sign this. I don’t take verbal agreements seriously, I fear. And do not worry, you will leave with all your limbs intact,”
Now, at that point, he looked slightly uncomfortable. Most especially because he didn’t understand where in the gods name that paper came from, or how she already had it in the first place. And same thing with Amir who was now rising from the floor and standing behind her.
But the thing is, Maeve might not have planned on the Queen being the literal bringer of chaos… BUT SHE HAD PLANS ON INCREASING HER WORKFORCE.
There was only little the people in her Estate could do, and she already knew better than making them work for her. She didn’t need the Count and the Countess panicking more than they did when they heard she had gone into Cursed Lands.
Which was another thing she had to find out about.
“A-Are you really going to sign it, Aidan?”
“I don’t want to… But there’s a pressure in my head that tells me I have to. And I must listen to it!”
Maeve’s evil smile widened as she moved the contract closer. “Yes. Yes. Now, sign (away the entirety of your life). Thank you,”
Amir sighed. Slowly, but surely, he feared he would become as corrupted as Lucien currently was… and due to his disregard for humans, he was not sure he would fight it. “I need to pray when I return home,”