Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 267

Chapter 267: Unexpected Missive

After a long day of ensuring that the diversion project was proceeding smoothly and fixing any lingering shortfalls, the village of Ciricu gradually wound down for the evening.  Lysette and Mirae, together with Aurie in her adult form, sat down around a small table in the former’s dining area and prepared to eat their first and only meal so far that week.

Despite it being the first meal in days, however, it was modest.  In the center of the table rested a heaping helping of fluffy, buttery scrambled eggs.  Flanking the eggs on one side was a smaller bowl of shredded fried potatoes, mashed into flat discs about three inches in diameter.  And finally, there was a small plate filled with a few pieces of heavily salted bacon and some cured, dried sausage of some sort.  Aurie drank from a small font of tea, while the two lovers both stuck to water.  Ice cold.

“I know it’s not the fanciest or largest feast, Aurie, and it’s probably not going to be as good as what you’re used to back home.  But I worked hard to make this in celebration of today’s accomplishments.”

Aurie took the first bite, a massive portion of egg that only stayed put on her fork through divine providence and only fit in her mouth through the demigoddess’s own deific intervention.  She chewed and tilted her head.  Then she furrowed her eyebrows.  Lastly, she swallowed, making eye contact with Lysette.

Lysette recoiled slightly.  “I made them as I would have for my family back before…  Well, everything.  I hope it’s not as terrible as your expression is suggesting.”

“Oh!  I’m sorry!  It’s really good, I promise,” Aurie said.  Despite her previously bemused expression, her words didn’t sound deceitful.  “I just was thinking how much better they’d be with some lemon butter sauce.”

“Lemon butter?” Lysette asked.  “The lemon intrigues me.”

“Lyse!  I know how much you want your lemon custards, but I hardly think a sweet dish like that goes well with eggs and bacon!”

“Personally, I’m on Lyse’s side,” Aurie said.  “I don’t think there’s ever a bad time for sweets and dessert.”

Mirae crossed their arms.  “Really?”  They sighed.  “Wait, I forgot.  Demigoddess of Whimsy, usually looks like she’s about twelve.  Come to think of it, I’m surprised you’re in your adult form anyway.”

“Is that a bad thing?”  Aurie snarled.  “I’m comfortable around you two now.  Plus, you’re so lovey-dovey around one another that I know neither one of you is going to try anything.

“You know.  I’ve had plenty of guys show interest in me over the past century.  A few women and others, but by and large, mostly guys.”  Aurie paused.  “Of course, I say that, but that’s actually kind of a lie, you know.  I’ve had plenty of people show interest in the idea of being with me.  Two types of people.  Well, three, but also two.

“First, you’ve got the people who are just interested in me for my body.  I mean, nothing wrong with that.  At least for the most part, they’re more or less honest about it.  They want a couple of one-off rounds or something, I dunno, casual?  Is that the word for it?  Anyway, I have no problem with that if they’re respectful about it.  And cute doesn’t hurt either.  Bedroom Whimsy and all.”

Lysette smiled.  “I do remember you mentioning that term before.”

“But anyway, they’re not the problem.  Sure, the creeps who don’t know how to take no for an answer are, but most of them get the message eventually and those who don’t take a boot to the face for my trouble.  The real problems are the people who just want to use a relationship with me as a way to get power for themselves.”

“There are people trying to get with you just because they think you’d make them a demigod like us?” Mirae asked.  “I guess I could see that happening.”

“Why would you jump to that sort of conclusion?”

“I mean, that’s how I became a deity.  Fell in love with Lyse and eventually, she gave me some of her divinity.  The first night we stayed here in Ciricu, as a matter of fact.”

“Lyse, you really don’t think like other deities, do you?”

“I have the four of you, Saff–”  Lysette paused at seeing Aurie wince.  “I mean, Miss Stick-Up-Her-Bum, and two dead demigods to compare with.  And Zarielle, I guess, although I’ve not seen or heard anything from her in quite some time.  So I guess I can’t say I know in what way I’m different.”

“Like, you know how we were talking about how my mother just sees me as a tool for her benefit?  A way to assert her influence on Aimarion where she couldn’t?”

“I still think she loves you in her own way,” Lysette said.  “But I remember our conversation.”

“Well, most of the time, a deity is empowered with a specific purpose or goal in mind.  Why did you turn Mirae into a deity?”

“Because I was selfish,” Lysette said.  “Because I was selfish and worried that the one I loved was going to succumb to war or time and I wanted above all else to make sure I had someone by my side.  At the time I thought it was possible to turn everyone into a deity, before learning about Omnia and the system which governs Aimarion.  But I needed them by my side, to rein in my more demonic tendencies and provide a trusted second opinion about how to proceed.”

“That doesn’t sound selfish at all,” Aurie said.  “Okay, maybe a little, but it’s a lot better than ‘I’m going to give you power so you’ll serve as my proxy on Aimarion and one day get vengeance against our enemies.’  Wait, don’t tell me…”

“Yep,” Lysette said.  “That’s pretty much exactly what Zarielle did for me.  Almost the exact same words if I recall.”

Aurie laughed.  “Yeah, for most of them, giving out divinity and power is all about control and influence.  And yes, you’re building influence, but like.  I have never met anyone before you all who was willing to just give everyone in a community Cultivation.  Not to mention, I heard what you did with those siblings…  Rolf and Tricia, was it?  Yeah, I’d be yelled at if I told my mother that the supposedly ‘scary’ demon queen,” Aurie added scare quotes with her fingers for emphasis, “just handed over information to people and said ‘Yep, I’m totally okay if you want to use this information and become our enemies now.’  Like, just not done by anyone else.”

“Anyway,” Lysette said, slightly embarrassed.  “You had mentioned that people were just using you for power.  Can you explain what you meant?”

“Well, remember, I’m more or less treated as a princess.  And no, it’s not as much fun as you’d think.  Basically, princesses are just there to look pretty and be married off for the sake of alliances and whatnot.  I had no small number of men hoping to ‘provide me with an heir’, as though they weren’t able to grasp the idea of ‘I am a goddess and I’m going to live for hundreds of years’.  Or they were hoping they could marry me and rule as king after my father passes away.”

“I’m sorry,” Mirae said.  “That sounds awful, being forced to marry someone you aren’t fond of.”

“That’s not the worst part though, Mirae.  The worst part is the absolute disdain and lack of regard with which so many of them treated me.  Like, imagine being talked about as though you’re just a…  I dunno?  A tiara, a crown, I guess?  Something that you have with you that says ‘I’m in charge here, and you have to do what I say.’”

Mirae nodded.  “You’re upset that most of the people who’ve expressed interest in you are either purely interested in the physical, or they don’t care about you as a person, and only see you as a means for their own political power?”

Aurie nodded.

Mirae’s eyes watered.  They reached out and hugged her much like a hug between siblings.  Close and warm without getting too much of either.

“I’m so sorry, Aurie.  I…  I couldn’t imagine being betrothed to someone who isn’t as completely Devoted to me as I am to them.  Who loves me for me, and not just for my strength or influence or…  childbearing potential.”  Mirae grimaced as they tried to force the words out.

Lysette nodded in approval with her partner’s words and wrapped her arm around them.

“It’s not your fault, Mirae.  Besides, if not for all of that, I wouldn’t have gotten sent here.  I wouldn’t have met all of you and learned different ways of living.  And it’s a lot of fun here too!  Um, are you two okay?”

“Are you?” Mirae asked.  “You seemed upset earlier.”

“I mean, I was.  But it’s not like it’s my nature to stay upset for too long.  I think it’s something you grow into after a few decades.  If it’s something important enough to remain angry about, you learn how to temper that rage and wait until the perfect time to strike!  Even if it is like… a decade later.”  She looked around.  “Or two.”

“Do I want to know?” Lysette asked.

“Oh, yeah, so this whole thing started about… forty years ago, I want to say and–”

Aurie’s story was cut off by a knock upon the front door.  Lysette flared out her aura.  The individual wasn’t anyone from Ciricu.  Whoever they were, though, they were quite powerful.  Not as powerful as any of the three in the room, but more than capable of fighting off most humans.  About on Rayleigh’s level, more or less.

Lysette remained on guard as she opened the door, revealing a middle-age man with a stout, toned physique which nicely complemented his salt-and-pepper hair, more the latter than the former.  His expression and temperament were both completely neutral and professional, and he didn’t seem any worse for wear from his travels, wherever he’d come from.

“Serrena?” Lysette messaged.  “Do you know anything about the man at my front door?”

“There’s a stranger at your front door?  Hmm.  No, I haven’t seen anyone fly in.  Rayleigh didn’t hear anyone either.”

Lysette clenched her fist for a moment.  Whoever this was definitely more skilled than their bonded Essence suggested.  And capable of being extremely stealthy.  Her eyes flickered to Mirae for a moment.

“My apologies for disrupting your dinner, Lady Lysette.  And please, I did not come seeking a battle, especially one I could not win.”

Lysette found the choice of words odd.  Both that this man would address her as ‘Lady Lysette’ and that he would be aware enough of her abilities to know that he could not hope to defeat her in a physical confrontation.  Both suggested a single likely reason for the man’s being here.  Though it was one she was loath to get involved with.

“Forgive my intrusion, my lady, but may I step inside?  I have things to say that I would rather not be intercepted by wayward ears.”

Lysette didn’t want to invite the likely source of trouble, but if her hunch was correct, she was about to be contacted by one of her few remaining allies.  Potential allies, she corrected.  Potential allies with a fractious relation, but still leagues better than the outright enmity that most of the other gods had shown to this point.

She sighed.  “Very well, I will hear you out.  Please tell me, what is so important that Zarielle would send a messenger all the way out here to speak with me?”

Chapter 266: https://www.patreon.com/posts/115715615

Table of Contents: https://www.patreon.com/posts/101896170

Chapter 268: https://www.patreon.com/posts/115845852