Stripping Abilities
POV: Alexandra
As we approached the portal with the Delnaros, a couple of other people were already standing there and I had assumed they were other proficient element users from around Vellum. As we approached, Lucien turned to me, “I will introduce you to the rest of the magic users here. I heard that you have to write a detailed report to Elder Edgar. It was great that he was being mindful of helping me to gather all of the information that I needed. There were two men and a woman waiting for us. Lucien turned to the woman with me by his side, “This is Tradon, he is from the north of Befent Estate. Tradon, this is Lady Alexandra Batiste of House Batiste” He bowed at me, “Your Grace, I hear that you may very well be our future Queen. It is my honor.” He was slightly shorter than me and he had a Spanish-like accent and the dark look to match. You could see the roughness of his hands and I instantly knew this was likely a humble farmer. I smiled at him, “Befent Estate is farmland right? Does your element help you to keep your fields?” He smiled back and nodded, “Oh yes, Your Grace, I have a farm in Befent Estate. I use my element to help me water my fields and heal my animals.” I suddenly got a flashback of my uncle’s memories and rubbed my temples. Lucien frowned and looked down at me, “Are you okay?” I hesitantly nodded, I didn’t want to be sent home only to fail my first task. Lucien would not be able to save me from failure. I smiled at him, “I’m fine. I just had a small throb in my temple but I’m okay.”
Lucien sighed and turned to the next man, “This is Bylas, he is to the west of Maigny Meadows. Bylas, this is Lady Alexandra Batiste of House Batiste.” Bylas had the same features as every other Maigny: blonde hair, blue eyes, porcelain doll-like features. Bylas bowed and kissed my hand, “It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I am a lower noble of House Maigny and very good friends with Meldon. He tells me you treat him well and have helped him out a lot.” I nodded at Bylas, “Lord Bylas, it is a pleasure to meet you as well. Which element were you called here for today?” He smiled, “I am a proficient wind magic user. I don’t get to use it much in Maigny Meadows but I am under the service of His Highness, Prince Blake. He was the one who asked me here.” At first, when I had heard that he was from Maigny Meadows, I was questioning why Lucien would summon him. He had mentioned a closeness to my brother and an employment with Blake which meant that he had to have been trustworthy. I smiled, “Oh well, I imagine Blake uses your magic quite often then.” He nodded, “Quite a lot, I am one of his spies in the place we both have an interest in taking down.” I was surprised by this confession, “Oh? Then did you see their prisoner then?” He frowned then nodded, “I was the one who reported this back. I didn’t like the looks of it. I know that my family is involved too and I can assure you, Your Grace, that I am not part of it.” I shook my head at him, “I have no doubts. Considering you are good friends with Meldon, His Majesty trusts you around me and Blake was okay to send you here around me, it wasn’t hard to deduce that.”
Lucien cleared his throat, “I hate to break this up but we do have to move on with the introductions. We don’t want to keep the Queen of the Seely Realm to have to wait.” I looked at him, “Oh my apologies, Your Majesty. Please proceed.” He looked nervously at the woman that was waiting for her introduction. She was smiling softly at him, she had short dirty blonde hair and narrow green eyes. She was significantly shorter than me but she exuded big energy. Lucien let out a puff of air as if the act of introducing this woman to me would be a chore, “This is Valis, she is from the east from Ligidew Hills. Valis, this is Lady Alexandra Batiste of House Batiste.” She looked me up and down, looked at Lucien, and scoffed, “Charmed, I’m sure.” She turned her back at me and I looked up at Lucien and he whispered, “She grew up in the castle as one of the maid’s daughters. She was sent away when her mother overheard her confession to me that she was in love with me. Her mother thought it would be best to keep her away. This is her first time seeing me since. She likely heard the rumors from the assembly yesterday where you confessed your love for me.” I saw her clench her fists as he explained who she was to me. I thought it was best not to carry on a conversation with her and likely why Lucien waited until the very last introduction to introduce me to her. She was likely the earth magic user since all the others were accounted for. Sylphia gathered us all around in a square and in the middle of the square was the chained-up Delnaros. She told each of us to chant, “Signa Vires Suas” until the couple had gone weak in the knees and they were glowing white. We each started our chant about half a dozen times until a faint glow showed around the couple. The former Lady Delnaro leaned on her husband and shortly after they both fell to the ground and the chanting stopped. Sylphia kissed Valis on the cheek and pulled a gold coin out of her pocket and told her something I couldn’t hear. She repeated this act with the other two magic participants. She walked up to me and kissed me on the cheek and handed me a similar gold coin, “You have done a great service for Her Majesty Queen Reina of the Seely Realm. This is a token of our appreciation. This is a coin from the Great Leprechaun’s treasure and will grant you safe passage and a favor from the Seely Royal Family.” She likely said this to all the other participants.
She turned and nodded at Nystasia, “Well, I guess I need to get back now. Please don’t cause trouble for the Batiste Family. Makes sure you heed whatever Ms. Talia tells you. I will miss you terribly but you are carrying out your fateful duty as appointed by our Goddess, Aphrodite. Be sure not to disappoint her.” Nystasia, looking the most serious that I had ever seen her, spoke hoarsely, “I take any orders from our Goddess very seriously and I will not let her down. I doubt she would leave this task to me if I wasn’t up for it. She did say it was also the will of All Mighty.” Sylphia nodded and turned to Lucien, “A pleasure as always, Your Majesty. I will be back to pick up my sister sometime later. I will see you then.” He looked down at his feet, “Yes, I’m aware of what that means as well. I can’t say as I’m thrilled with her leaving but I understand growth is only done through experience.” She smiled then pulled out her pendant, “Now I must be going. We are nearing the time I am to report to the Queen. Oh but one more thing.” She looked at me, “Alexandra, I truly believe that all of your wishes will come true. I give you many blessings as the future Queen of the Seely Realm to the future Queen of the Vellum Realm.” I heard a very loud scoff coming behind Lucien. When I looked at the source of the noise, Valis was standing rolling her eyes. I turned back to Sylphia, “Clearly some around here have no decorum. My apologies for the rude interruption, Sylphia.” Lucien nodded, “She is being quite rude, allow me to offer my apologies as well.” She laughed and shook her head, “Lucien has always been an attractive man, you will have jealousy directed at you your entire life from here on out, Alexandra. Best you get used to it.” She winked at me then turned and walked up to the portal, placed the pendant in the spot, and made sure the Delnaros walked through and she stepped through shortly after.
Lucien sighed again, “Now, we must make sure everyone else gets to where they are supposed to. I’m surprised she isn’t here yet.” I looked up at him, “She?” Just as I had asked the question, a portal opened up near the Seely Realm portal. Out from the portal stepped Dorothea, “Hey hunky!” She was giving flirtatious looks at the General and you could see the look of panic on his face. Lucien was stifling a laugh next to me, “I have never seen him look so scared.” I suppressed a smile myself until Dorothea finally noticed I was there, “Oh sweet girl! How are you darling Alexandra?” I let the smile show on my face, “I am well, Dorothea. Are you here as transport?” She narrowed her eyes at Lucien, “Yes, I’m essentially a mule to all these youngins. Speaking of…” She looked over at Bylas, “The brat wants you back ASAP so time to go golden hunky.” He sighed, “Yes, ma’am.” He shouted at me after she opened the portal, “It was truly a pleasure, my lady. Until next time!” He stepped through the portal and it closed. She walked up to Valis, “Time for you to go back. Lady Ligidew needs you.” Valis crossed her arms around her small chest, “I refuse! I want to stay with His Majesty!” Dorothea rolled her eyes, “Look here, young lady! I may look old and frail but don’t test me!” Valis shot me a dirty look, “I don’t understand why SHE can stay with His Majesty but I cannot!” She stomped her foot and clenched her jaw. Dorothea grabbed her by the arm, “Well let me tell you some things. ONE, you are a servant to Lady Ligidew who has so graciously taken you into her home last year when you could no longer live at the castle. TWO, His Majesty is clearly not interested in you. THREE, she is a candidate to be Queen so she may very well be his future wife. She has a right to be around him whereas you do not. FINALLY, you are addressing the sweetest person I know very rudely so I won’t tolerate that either. You’re a worse brat than the King’s brother.” She opened the portal and tugged on Valis and tossed her into the portal.
The General cleared his throat and turned his head, “I’m going to pretend I didn’t just witness that assault and battery.” She winked at the General, “Thanks, hunky. I can say though, that you deprive me of being handcuffed and a prisoner to you. Nothing would make me happier.” He looked even more panicked and Lucien told him, “I need you to make sure my carriage is ready to go. Can you do that?” A wave of relief crashed over his face as he gladly nodded at Lucien. As the General walked away Dorothea was checking out his rear end. I rolled my eyes, “Dorothea! They have a term for women like you in Terre.” She smirked at me, “Oh? And what’s that?” I sighed, “Actually, I can think of two. First, they would call you ‘thirsty’ and also a ‘cougar’ based on your taste in younger men.” She shrugged, “I see no problems.” She gleefully turned to Tradon and cocked an eyebrow at him, “You’re not bad either but you’re more of a cutie. You single?” He looked at her nervously, “No madam, I have been married for a very long time. She is the reason I am in Vellum.” I looked up at Lucien and he shrugged, “I’m not sure where he’s from.” It made me wonder if the people of Terre had immigrated to Vellum before, other than the witches. Dorothea got Tradon home smoothly as well before she turned to us and gave her farewells lamenting that she was to return to Blake’s side on something they were working on. Before she could step through the portal she called out to me, “Oh! Make sure you seek out your brother when you return. He’s got some interesting things to tell you!”
