Princess Hannah of the Jade Harem CH 28

Hannah entered the hall to see a dozen harem girls lounging on the cushions. Roric was seated beside Rajeen discussing something as chandice sat to the side reading a book. Zillix and Idris were in the far corner with her seated at a table while Zillix, in his tiny dragon form, stood on the table before her.

It was a normal scene from a normal day in the jade harem, but she didn't see any of her immediate family. Frank and the girls were strangely absent as if they had gone off together to do something. So she shrugged and waded in to be greeted by Evalynn, who took her into a hug to share a kiss.

It is good to see you,” Evalynn said as they parted. “But you should have taken longer for the honeymoon.”

“There is so much to do,” Hannah replied, smiling at her harem sister. “Frank wants to get the monster portion of the guild up and running as soon as possible, and Quinny wants to test Idris's changes. I have some research to do and need to talk to Chandice.”

“You want to talk with Chandice?” Evalynn asked with an odd expression.

Hannah sighed and told Evalynn about the decision to explore some ideas to get answers about Hannah's past. She wanted to talk with Chandice to see how far the enchanted goblin machine had come. If it was ready, Hannah wanted to see what it could learn about the crown and maybe the polymorph effect she was under. Evalynn looked sat but understood, then suggested she talk with Chandice now. She took Hannah by the hand and led the way to Chandice, who was still heavily engaged in her book.

“Chandice,” Hannah called, causing the woman to look up with a smile. Chandice immediately set the book aside and held out her arms, begging Hannah to sit in her lap. Evalynn laughed as Hannah took her place and was wrapped in a warm hug by the beautiful blond woman.

“Please tell me you came to let me know Frank said I could buy you,” Chandice said.

“Sorry,” Hannah laughed. “But I will keep pestering him about it.”

“You do that,” Chandice said as she tightened the hug. “So, what is my favorite girlfriend up to?”

“Oh, you better not let Jaina hear you say that,” Evalynn laughed as she stood beside the two.

“Jaina knows a more beautiful woman displaced her,” Chandice remarked as Hannah smiled and settled into her hug. She was fond of Chandice for her wit and ability to unravel magical mysteries. Despite Chandice being very humble and willing to do tasks like cooking and cleaning, she was incredibly smart. Hannah found her skills at being able to detect and identify magic invaluable.

“I need to talk to you about something serious,” Hannah began, then explained her desire to try and contact the woman in the crown again. She asked Chandice if what Frank said was accurate that she and Legeis had improved the machine that identified magic. Chandice seemed to darken as she listened to the request, then sat back as she took a long moment to reply.

“I suppose it is true,” Chandice said with a hand to her head. “And I guess I kept working on it for your sake, but I hoped this was put to rest. I am afraid for you when you dig into your past.”

“What are you digging into?” Roric asked as he and Rajeen leaned forward to join the conversation.

“She wants to pursue answers about her past,” Chandice said. “And she wants my help to do it.”

“I thought Frank ordered you to abandon all this,” Roric said. “I won’t condone you disobeying your master.”

“I spoke to Frank first,” Hannah explained. “In fact, I spoke to all of them, even Umtha, who has given me her blessing as well.” She looked past Roric to Rajeen, who sighed in recognition of why this was happening.

“This is because of what I said, isn’t it?” Rajeen asked. “I should not have encouraged you.”

“You told her to do this?” Roric said as he turned on Rajeen. “Why?”

“I didn't tell her to begin digging into her past again,” Rajeen countered. “I told her that her recent actions proved she had a loving heart. I wanted to make her understand that she didn't need to fear her forgotten memories because she was just as loving back then. I was trying to alleviate the fear that her family would end if her memories came back. I wasn't trying to encourage her to go looking for the memories.”

“I am shocked to hear that Frank approved this,” Chandice said. “I honestly thought he embraced the whole slave master thing just so he could order you to stop.”

“Actually, I offered Frank some options to follow, and he was the one who suggested I talk to you first,” Hannah said. “He was hoping your improvements to the machine would give me more time to talk to my partner.”

“It wasn’t the machine that ended the conversation the first time,” Chandice reminded. “Your ghost woman said somebody named Garnet was coming and fled. I doubt my improvements will buy you any more time.”

“Oh, right,” Hannah replied as she recalled the event where Chandice tried to identify the magic in the crown. She and the goblin engineer Legeis combined his technomancy with her enchanting to build a machine designed to identify magical items. It was purpose-built to identify Hannah's crown and a strange magical effect Hannah was under. It worked by carefully peeling back the magical protections, exposing the true enchantments for the detector. They tried on the first model, but the machine proved unreliable and nowhere near strong enough to peel back all the protections. But Frank said they made improvements, so maybe they could try again.

“Do you think you can tell me more about the crown?” Hannah pressed.

“Maybe,” Chandice replied. “But you need to know a few things. First, Legeis's machine has been rebuilt in a secure chamber underground. I have built a second enchanting room down there with it so that my enchanting table is now part of the machine.”

“Why would you do that?” Hannah asked, not understanding the need for the change.

“The hope was we would be able to alter the magic of items,” Chandice replied. “Especially cursed items where removing the curse might leave behind something useful. Also, it was so his machine could boost my enchanting power, allowing me to create stronger effects.”

“Did it work?” Hannah asked, fascinated by how Legeis and Chandice were working together to change magical items.

“Yes,” Chandice replied. “We have created some magical weapons with strength about twenty percent higher than I should be able to reach. The issue is I still have to actively enchant the item, using my own mana to guide the machine. It boosts my power, but my mana drains quickly, and getting any higher than that has proven elusive.”

“What about identifying items?” Hannah asked, as that was the task they truly needed.

“We have been testing that on more powerful items with good success,” Chandice replied. “Legeis came up with a better way to distribute the power, and I have enchanted a lot more of the parts to make them more durable. It should be stable to a much higher power without risk of damaging you or the crown. It might even work to identify more of your polymorph.”

Hannah would love to know more about the polymorph that her character sheet listed under active effects. It was a magical effect that indicated she had been changed to another form. It proved that her blond human form wasn't her true appearance, but like the crown, the machine hadn't been strong enough to identify what the polymorph had done. All Chandice learned was that it was extremely high level and likely being maintained by a magical item. This would ensure Hannah stayed polymorphed even after death or, potentially, a reset. It would be very interesting if the machine could tell them more, and she was eager to find out.

“How soon can we try?” Hannah asked to keep the topic moving along.

“Are you sure you want to follow this course after what happened with the dream?” Roric asked. “There could be more danger in opening this pandora’s box.”

“Do not discourage her,” Rajeen cut in. “I don't like how we keep using fear to keep her from this path. We should support her choices, especially if Frank does.”

“You’re right,” Roric relented and locked eyes with Hannah. “We will do whatever we can to help you, but what do you hope to prove?”

Hannah looked around to ensure there were no people in the harem who shouldn’t see what was about to happen. She reached up and pressed her thumbs to the center of her forehead, causing the green gemstone to appear like a third eye. It lifted up, and off came her crown, causing her to revert to the blond human form similar to Chandice.

“This is what I am worried about,” Hannah said as she held the crown to Roric. He took it and showed it to Rajeen as Hannah explained how Umtha's goblin crown was supposed to trigger the return of some of her memories. It had clearly failed, and that fact wounded Umtha, but now Hannah wondered why. Why had a plan so carefully crafted and meticulously executed failed at so critical a junction? She waited for Roric and Rajeen to admit they had no idea before telling them how she found the crown.

“I knew Umtha already, and the goblins considered me a friend,” Hannah began. “One day, two of them showed up in the graveyard begging for my help. They said a dragon was attacking their village and needed me to save them. I couldn't say no, so we went to face this dragon and discovered it was the mount of a dragon knight.”

“The dragon knights almost exclusively serve Kevin,” Rajeen said, as her eyes narrowed. “So even back then, you were in conflict with him.”

“So it would appear,” Hannah sighed. “But there is a lot more to tell you. Umtha's village was already ash, but the goblins insisted the others had retreated to the hidden village in the mountains. They led the way to a hidden temple, and sure enough, the dragon was there. To make a long story short, we had to rescue Umtha and run inside, where we found a statue of Hathlisora.”

“The temple was dedicated to her?” Rajeen asked as Hannah nodded.

“The statue was me,” Hannah said. “Or my blond form with the devil horns and three eyes. It also had wings and a tail, just like I do now. There was a secret tunnel to an underground goblin city, but there was also a side passage that ended in a magic door. The goblins had no idea how to open it, but I had recently acquired a magic green gem that fit in a socket. It completed the image of a crown on a woman's head and caused the door to open. There was a magical barrier inside that the undead couldn't cross, so Webster and I went in. That's where we found the crown, and I put it on. When I came out, Umtha was calling me Hathlisora, and the goblins acted like their savior had returned.”

“We knew parts of this already,” Chandice cut in. “Where is this story going?”

“The dragon,” Hannah replied. “I ended up fighting the dragon knight on the ground while the dragon flew overhead. When I defeated the knight, the dragon flew down and didn't attack. Instead, he looked right at me and said something like, so it has begun, dear sister. Do not suffer the woman in the crown too long. She betrayed you once before.”

“He called you his sister?” Chandice repeated. “Why?”

“I don't know,” Hannah said as she grew frustrated and got down to pace. “But he said I couldn't trust the woman in the crown. He knew who I was and what my return represented and gave me a warning.”

“And didn’t you tell us this woman could take control of your body when she wanted?” Rajeen asked.

“Yes,” Hannah groaned. “And she has a couple of times. She told me my blue ring would prevent it unless I was unconscious, but I worry she is lying. I am worried that she is the reason Umtha's crown didn't work, that she is somehow preventing the return of my memories.”

“This blue ring is important; how?” Rajeen asked with a calculating expression.

“It's important because it's Hathlisora's panel,” Hannah admitted as she held up her hand to display the ring. “And it's made of the same material the staff that was left for me is made of.”

“Well, that settles any doubt,” Chandice said. “If you can use that ring, then you're Hathlisora. But how can we be sure the ring actually does protect you?”

“That's a big reason why we want to go ahead with these tests,” Hannah said.

“So you have no idea if the ring is protecting you or, by wearing the crown, if she is manipulating you,” Chandice surmised. “If she betrayed you before, then all this could be some kind of careful manipulation to ensure you fail at whatever your past self set in motion.”

“Exactly,” Hannah said. “For all I know, she is getting in the way, not helping. But since I have no idea what is supposed to be happening, I can't prove anything.”

“And you have no idea if you can trust her,” Chandice added. “Or the dragon, for that matter. You can't even be sure you are making your own choices.”

“See, you do understand,” Hannah said. “This is why Frank agreed to try some things and see if I can get some of my memories back. We are hoping I will remember enough to at least know if it’s the dragon or the woman in the crown who is lying to me.”

“And if she’s blocking Umtha’s trigger,” Chandice said as Roric passed the crown to her.

“Also, I had an idea,” Hannah said. “Do you think you can tell me if the woman is in the crown or the gem?”

“Why would you want to know that?” Chandice asked.

“Because if she's in the gem, then I want to find a way to remove it,” Hannah said. “I will remove it and put the two crowns together without it.”

“Hoping it will trigger the memory regain,” Chandice said with a nod. “Well, all we can do is try. The crown and gem were two parts initially, so whatever magic keeps them together should be removable, at least long enough to separate them.”

“Then you will help?” Hannah pressed as her hopes began to soar.

“We already agreed to help,” Rajeen said. “I will give you all the resources I have at my disposal. There are several girls among the harem who might be of use to this project. We have wizards, enchanters, rune crafters, and the like at your disposal.”

“A rune crafter would be very handy,” Chandice said as she began to think. “I bet we could use some runic plates to boost the machine. If we could get a wizard to help stabilize a magic circle, we might get even more.”

Hannah felt excited as the group began to discuss ways to approach this problem. As always, her family was ready and willing to help despite the dangers associated with it. They discussed how soon they could try and what measures could be put in place to ensure better results.

“Well, it looks like you may get some answers,” Evalynn said as she took Hannah’s hand. “I am happy for you.”

“I am too,” Hannah said, but her heart was in turmoil. “I just hope I am not making a mistake. I need to know who I can trust, but is Roric right? Am I opening Pandora's box? I don’t worry about it damaging my family with you and the others, but what if it drives me to do more?”

“More how?” Evalynn asked.

“I don't know,” Hannah said as she worked on the idea. “What if I remember something I was working on and feel the need to continue or restart it? Some of the things I was working on was why Kevin went on his rampage.”

“I see your point,” Evalynn agreed. “But you will never feel safe until you know if you can trust wearing that crown.”

“You know what else bothers me,” Hannah said as she blushed. “That she might be watching the things I do. You know, in my new role.”

“Oh,” Breanne said as she hid a smile. “Well, plenty of people watch that now, so you shouldn't be worried about that.”

“Maybe,” Hannah said before clearing her throat. “But I hope we can get some clarity and put some of these worries to rest.” She turned when soft hands came around her waist, and Rajeen pulled her into a hug.

“My sweet pet,” Rajeen purred. “Was this life not enough to keep your mind occupied? I feel terrible that I stirred this need in you again.”

“I never fully gave up my desire to know,” Hannah countered. “And what you said made me much happier. You took a lot of fear off my shoulders, and I am very grateful.”

“But we all hoped this past of yours would stay in your past,” Rajeen insisted. “I am to blame for this, no matter how you try to sugarcoat it. I only wanted to relieve the worry that your past might ruin your relationship.”

“I am glad you did,” Hannah said as she fell into the woman's arms. “I love you, and I promise this won't change anything. I will still be a part of your harem and call you master, but I have to put this fear to rest.”

“If this goes badly, I will regret it for the rest of my life,” Rajeen said as she hugged Hannah tighter. “I know you won't change, but I worry you will feel compelled to go further.”

“She just expressed that fear herself,” Evalynn said.

“Well, at least she is being realistic about the repercussions,” Chandice said.

“This is ultimately Frank's call,” Roric said. “He is her primary master, and if he says she can go this route, we will support her.”

“Well, we will need time to get ready,” Chandice said. “And I want to see what I can do with a little help from the girls in the harem to make it even stronger. Give me a few days to get things ready, and then we will do what we can.”

“Oh, thank you,” Hannah said as she broke from Rajeen’s arms to hug Chandice. She held the embrace before moving to Roric, pulling him into a firm hug as she thanked him for being so understanding.

“We would do anything for you,” Roric replied, wrapping his arms around her. Hannah closed her eyes and savored the hug, enjoying the warmth of her extended family. With a sigh, she stepped back as he smiled at her and wished her luck on getting her answers. Chandice handed back the crown, and Hannah donned it, becoming the sexy Lilim devil. She blew them a kiss and walked away, her heart soaring with joy.

She was so happy she went to the outer balcony and looked over her city, glowing in the midday sun. It didn't matter who she was before. All that truly mattered was who she was now, but there was a matter that had to be laid to rest. Being a Lilim was now part of her identity, and her girls loved being her succubi. That gift was granted by the crown, so knowing if they could trust the woman inside was paramount. They needed to know if this unwelcome passenger was somehow influencing her, preventing Umtha's crown from working, or just plain spying. However, right now, she was too excited to think about the dangers as she lifted her arms to her kingdom.

She sang a song from her flower singer class, boosting the effect a little essence. The air around her was filled with glittering pollen that flew across the city in spiraling arms. Her voice drifted across her beautiful city, causing flowers to bloom in every garden and planter. It also created glowing butterflies that fluttered over rooftops and into the trees, their magical neon-like light delighting all who saw them. As the song continued, rose petals in a rainbow of colors began to fall across the city as the air was filled with their lovely scent. She sang her heart out, showing her land with her beautiful voice as warm arms came around her.

Breanne snuggled into her back, holding on as Hannah smiled. She kept up her song for a minute more, then leaned into the loving woman behind her.

“Your voice is so beautiful,” Breanne said. “I love hearing you sing.”

“It’s one of the powers,” Hannah admitted. “And I boost it with a little essence so it goes farther.”

“Whatever you do, it makes the magic more beautiful,” Breanne said without releasing her grasp. “The people love it when you sing.”

“I am glad they do,” Hannah replied, enjoying another hug. “I love to sing to them and let them know I care. But, if I can be honest, I sang just now because of how happy I am.”

“Oh, what’s the occasion?” Breanne asked.

Hannah told her about the conversation with Chandice and how she, Roric, and Rajeen had agreed to help. They were even going to use some girls from the harem to help improve the process and ensure that Hannah got some answers. Breanne was happy for her and hoped they found peace in the process. Hannah did, too, but the more she considered it, the first task was to establish if the woman in the crown was blocking her memories. If they could prove that, then they knew they couldn’t trust her. Once that was put to rest, they could work on ideas on how to recover them safely or, at the very least, learn more about her past. There was also the matter of what happened the last time they tried to study the crown.

Hannah thought back to how Chandice first tried to unravel the magic of the crowns. She tested them together using powerful magic to identify the magic that made them work. Somehow, it created a link to the woman hiding inside, and she appeared as a ghostly image of red light. She identified herself as Alluzora and said she was bound to the crown. According to past communications with this woman, her binding was voluntary as she was meant to help and protect Hannah as she worked to open a door to Abbadon. She had insisted that Hannah had agreed to this arrangement in her forgotten past, but just like Umtha was sworn not to reveal too much about that past.

The woman was a succubus trapped in that prison world, but hopeful Hannah could get her out. The conversation only lasted a minute, but in that time, the woman did something odd. She pressed Hannah on why she hadn't chosen to become a succubus yet. Hannah hadn't given it much thought at the time, but in hindsight, did Alluzora know something she didn't? Was there something important about being a succubus?

“Mind control,” Hannah said aloud as Breanne leaned back.

“What?” Breanne asked.

“I was just thinking about the last time we tested the crown, and Alluzora appeared,” Hannah replied, turning in Breanne's arms to face her. “Don't you think it's odd that she asked why I hadn't become a succubus yet? I mean, with all the more important questions that could have been asked, why focus on such a trivial detail?”

“I suppose,” Breanne replied but asked why this was suddenly so important.

“This is about mind control,” Hannah said as she considered it more. “The succubus is immune to it. As far as we know, she is one of the only classes with such strong defenses. Even Alexandria, who is a class focused on deception and mind control, isn't as immune to it as we are.”

“So, you think becoming a succubus was intentional?” Breanne asked. “That all this was a part of some grand plan?”

“Not only am I immune to it, but so are you,” Hannah said. “Even the slave system might be part of the plan. Consider what we know. I die and am forced to reset to human. What advantage does that offer except the bonus class? Then, I am guided to a magical crown that replaces my human class with a devil line that can evolve, but I keep that bonus class. That devil line can evolve into the succubus line, eventually becoming the Lilim. With that line, I am immune to mind control, and I can collar others to make them immune as well. I would never choose that line on my own, but we know that Frank was always meant to be at my side. He was in the past, and he is now.”

“And Frank has always dreamed of having a harem of girls,” Breanne said as she saw the train of logic. “He, as your master, would insist you took the succubus line.”

“Right,” Hannah agreed. “He would make me do what I wouldn't do on my own because it's important somehow. So the key is why is it important, and the only thing I can think of is the immunity to mind control spells.”

“So, being a slave girl is part of this scheme that is guiding your steps,” Breanne said before shaking her head. “No, it’s too complex. I don’t see how anyone could have created such an elaborate plan and ensured you would follow it.”

“I am a Lilim sex slave,” Hannah stated. “If this were two months ago, you would be laughing at the idea of me saying that. Yet, here we are, as if somebody waved a magic wand and made it happen. Just like how the gremlin appeared in my tower the day before the dragon knight attacked Umtha. It's as if somebody is intentionally guiding my steps, ensuring I go and do whatever needs to be done next. Even meeting Frank wasn't a random chance. He was waiting for me, placed perfectly to ensure we would begin this adventure together. He is the one who wants this lifestyle and a harem of succubi slave girls. Even you and Quinny might be important to what is happening. Why drive me to become a slave master class if I have no girls to collar? You two are meant to wear my collars for some purpose that hasn't revealed itself yet.”

“I find this path of reasoning disturbing,” Breanne said as she stepped away.

“You probably fill a double role,” Hannah insisted as she recalled when Alluzora appeared. “Remember what she told us. She said we needed to go to Ezbenzon if I wanted more answers. You are the only one of us who knew it was a hidden necromancer city and that no living being could enter it. Why do I have an undead husband and two wives if not so they could go with me to a place only the dead can go? “

“So I am part of this madness then?” Breanne said in a distressed voice.

“Maybe, but as far as we know, you never reset and lost your memories,” Hannah said. “You still remember the Necromancer's war and what happened from your perspective, yet you never met Hathlisora.” Heather paused to pace as the idea started to come together. “So, as far as I know, my inclination to be attracted to women is one kiss in college, yet I am now as inclined as Jaina. That's a rather drastic change in a very short amount of time. We know that Hathlisora had no problem loving other women since she considered Umtha, her lover.”

“And Viylah,” Breanne reminded. “Don’t forget her.”

“Viylah,” Hannah repeated as the pattern grew larger. “Your right. But what role does she play?” Hannah stopped to consider the mysterious woman who lived in the graveyard yet seemed content to do nothing. She was a mimic player like Jaina, whom they discovered living in the swamp pretending to be a small cabin. She claimed she was waiting for her lost lover to return, and in very short order, they discovered that lover was Hathlisora. Hannah invited Viylah to join their kingdom, but all Viylah wanted was a home in the graveyard. She now pretended to be a small mausoleum and surrounding paths, spending her day eating a few undead. Quinny occasionally played chess with her, and Frank spent time talking with her, but Umtha didn't trust her at all. In fact, Umtha warned Hannah that something was off about Viylah and she should not be trusted. Was it jealousy? Viylah claimed to be one of Hathlisora's lovers, yet Umtha had never heard of her. Did Hathlisora have other lovers scattered over the land, or was there something else going on?

“We need to know more about Viylah,” Hannah said at last.

“She’s an odd person but very polite,” Breanne said. “She spends a lot of time talking with Frank and Quinny over games of chess.”

“Yes, she likes chess, I hear,” Hannah agreed with a nod.

“You are starting this chaos again,” Breanne interjected. “Where you tackle twenty different things at once and make no progress on any of them. Focus on the crown and getting a few answers before you widen your net to include everyone else's role.”

“You're right,” Hannah sighed. “I always do this. I never finished my full study of the book we found or any of the ones from the library. Then there is the strange clock in the magical room, the necromancer circles, the amulet which I practically discarded, the monster behind the waterfall in the mountain, even the dragon skeleton which never despawned.”

“Wait, when did that become a factor?” Breanne asked in surprise.

“Doesn't it seem strange that I am facing dragons everywhere I turn?” Hannah asked. “It starts with a dragon that calls me his sister, then Umtha tells us I fought the dragon knights to stop them stealing eggs. We find the dead dragon in the mountain and then go on an insane quest to return what we call a dragon's egg. Then Jaina magically becomes some dragon's mate, and he begins issuing dire warnings about my past. Over and over, I am associated with dragons, but why?”

“Hmm,” Breanne said as she considered the question. “Didn’t Zillix say he liked your Lilim form with your wings out because it made you look more like a dragon to him?”

“Yes,” Hannah agreed. “It seems to be a theme.”

“It does,” Breanne agreed. “Speaking of which, did you ever sit down to talk to Jaina about what he said?”

“Not really,” Hannah admitted. “We did talk a little bit, but I was too afraid to pry for solid information.”

“Well, perhaps it's time you two sat down and had a serious conversation,” Breanne said. “If you are insistent on digging into your past, you should find out what he's told Jaina. As I recall, he will be listening to her as you speak, so he might even provide Jaina with more information as you go.”

“So I could speak to him, but through Jaina,” Hannah surmised. “That would be less intimidating.” They went to the rail and looked over the city as the ideas began to condense into plans. Talking with Jaina about what her dragon said would be a good first step. Then Chandice could make a second attempt to study the crown with the improved machine and enchanting combo. To stay focused, she would concentrate on those steps first, but there were a dozen other options she had been neglecting. Maybe it was time to resume reading the necromancer's book and study some of their lost arts. Whatever the case, she would take her steps slowly and not abandon her life as a harem girl. This was her anchor now, the foundation that would keep her sane as the truth revealed itself. As they uncovered the secrets of her past, she would rely on the love of her family and the harem to keep her grounded.

Breanne put an arm around her as Hanna smiled and let the stress melt away. She was Princess Hannah now, and no matter what they learned, that wasn't going to change. This was her life, and she loved it. All she wanted was to know if the crown was safe to wear and maybe remember the love she had before with Umtha. The rest of it could wait until a later day when they were ready to face what would come.