Beauty X Beast ~ Thirty-Three!

An alarm started blaring, only for the Artificer to lift his left hand and snap his fingers, immediately silencing the sound. The lights remained a concerning red, but the momentary distraction allowed Danielle to pull away and compose herself. “I feel like we should have a longer conversation… but I don't think now is the time.”

“Right!” The Comte started walking toward the stairs, slowly at first, as if unsure how much he should trust his own capabilities. “I want us to get all the automatons moving in an orderly retreat, then I'll have the metal soldiers surge upstairs and swarm over the aggressors. By the time the dust has settled, and the dead are accounted for, we will be a kingdom away!”

“You don't truly mean to cut them all down, do you?” Danielle stepped forward, blocking him from charging ahead without thinking. “Comte. I know how this man works, and there's no way he's going to risk himself in any serious way. He'll throw conscripts and low-leveled fighters against you to soften your defenses and happily wade through the ocean of blood, so long as he can call it a win when he’s throwing away his ruined shoes on the other side.”

“Abyss, you have a point.” The Artificer bit his lip. “This isn't a group of hardened veterans who have done terrible things to other people… at least, not all of them. That makes this harder in some ways, but hopefully means I won't be adding to my sleepless nights. Any recommendations?”

Danielle’s voice caught in her throat, as she’d been prepared to argue with the man and force him to take her objections seriously. Instead, he had immediately been ready to include her in his planning. Barely missing a beat, she took his hand and pulled him along as she went up the stairs, ensuring his stability while also helping him move faster. “While destroying the entire force would buy us some time, they would be forever searching for us. I don't know about you, but the thought of assassins creeping in to kill me while I sleep is downright chilling.”

“I assure you, the reality of it is even less fun than you imagine.” 

She nodded sympathetically but pushed forward. “Unless we can convince them we died in the attack, we’re going to always need to watch our step. I propose that we pull the cores from every aware automaton, pack them up, and let ourselves be seen by Gasteel. Then we fake our deaths, making a clean escape. If we involve enough fire at a hot enough temperature… at the very least, they'll never know for certain, Comte LeKrout.”

“I like it.” The Artificer pulled a face. “There's really only one way to guarantee they believe I'm dead, at least without actually being killed right in front of the Baron. One of the reasons I was able to force Verdelune to back down was that I tied all of my runescripts to my heart. So long as I am alive, I swore that their cores and runes won't self-destruct in a burst of system energy. That oath, like all the others I've ever made, are inscribed on my heart. If I can get Gasteel to order me to join his war effort, and I refuse, the broken oath will destroy my heart, as well as every connected oath.”

“It’ll forcefully break the others?” Danielle considered that and nodded in excitement. “That's perfect! But how do we… how do we keep the cores we want to remain safe actually safe? Comte, I can't sacrifice them to save myself. No… even more than that, are you sure breaking the system oaths will be safe for you, even without your heart being in your body?” 

“Danielle, please call me Kota.” The Artificer was still smiling, but his eyes were distant. “That's my name, after all. If I have enough time, I can guarantee their safety. It's as simple as adjusting the bond they have to the oath inscribed on my heart to me as I am. Seconds per core, at the most. As for myself… I can only hope that, as this is not something which has ever been tested before, as far as I am aware, the system will reward me for my finding of a loophole instead of punishing me for my hubris.”

“But you don't know for certain.” 

Comte LeKrout could only offer a slight shrug. “An Artificer who is unwilling to take risks is known as… actually, there isn't a term for it. They don't exist. Can I ask you to begin collecting the cores? I already have metal soldiers following after us, so while you work on the sentient automatons, I'll pull what are essentially blank cores from the soldiers and have you swap them out. That way, it’ll look like my trusted guards are still fighting.”

“I can do that!” Happy to have clear direction, Danielle shoved open the door and burst into the grand hallway, only to find that it was almost completely silent. The sounds of their abrupt entrance echoed through the stone corridor, causing a few of the nearby, readied guards to glance at them askance. “Why is it so…? Right, the soundproofing! Listen up, everyone!”

She shouted the plan to the mechanical guards, telling them to cycle out into the spacious kitchen as each group was replaced by the blank cores of the metal knights. After she finished, Kota verbally approved what she’d said, immediately stirring the guards to action. Those closest to the kitchen had the least combat utility and so were the best choices for swapping right away. “The kitchen! Comte, um, Kota, how do I get its core out? Oh! Can you get Duke in here? We can’t forget him.”

“Oh, yeah, absolutely. We're not leaving either of them here.” The duo ran to the kitchen. “My dog, that is, Duke, was my first ever successful scripted core, and the kitchen? It took months for the food to be palatable after I created that. Now I know it's because it was learning, but at the time, I thought I had just gotten used to bad food. If for no other reason, that's a good starting point.”

Looking up at the immense machine hanging from the ceiling, Kota sheepishly scratched the back of his head and looked around the room. “Any chance you've seen the installation scaffolding I left in here… oh, ten and a half years ago? I'm not sure how I could get up there; we might need to start with something else-”

“Sss-pider lift!” Doc hissed in excitement as he raced past them, launching a harpoon into the ceiling and slowly pulling itself off the ground. “Grab on, I’m ssst-able!”

“Oh. Right! I forgot about the pulley system. Thank you for the reminder, Doc.” Cables dropped out of the ceiling, wrapping around Kota and hoisting him into the air to where the food preparation automaton was eagerly unfolding its internals. 

Danielle stepped closer to the hanging spider and gave it a gentle pat on the thorax. “I would have absolutely taken the spider lift. He's got no sense of adventure at all. We'll work on that.”

“Thanksss, Danielle,” Doc happily replied, reeling himself in a few feet, then dropping back down and bouncing several times as he reached the end of his chain. “Look at this! Is the pulley system going to do that? Of course not! It has built-in safety features. Ssso boring.”

“I'm not sure why you’re hissing like a snake, but I'm guessing it's just a spider thing?” The only reaction to Danielle's question was a long stare, followed by the slightest motion of clacking mandibles. “Right… anyway… mind opening up so the Artificer, that is, Kota can swap out your core right away when he gets back down here?”

“No can do. I'm highly combat effective. I need to get out there and be a part of the upcoming distraction. Remember? All eyes on the spider.” Even as Danielle protested, the automaton scuttled out of the room and back toward the main entrance. “Can't miss out on my debut!”

*Boom!*

*Bo~om!*

Danielle started to turn back to watch the Artificer finish up with the now-limp kitchen automaton but froze in place as an intense pounding on the door of the manor announced the official arrival of Gasteel Company. Even before her conscious mind caught up to what was happening, her heart rate began increasing, a thin sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead, all while her breath came quicker. “They already broke through the outer wall? The defenses?”

“That's too fast!” Kota called down from his vantage point, fiercely working to force open the core container of the kitchen, which had rusted shut over the last decade. “They must’ve brought actual siege weapons or spell casters capable of artillery-style magic. Otherwise, we should have had another three hours at the minimum. The blades of almost-grass alone should’ve been enough to hold off any horses or soldiers trying to walk across it.”

“Wait…” Of everything else that was going on, only one part had sunk into Danielle's mind. “That wasn't real grass out there?”

“Almost none of it,” the Artificer confirmed. “I call it ‘almost-grass'.”

“But… there were large patches of it that didn't act mechanical. It looked and acted just like real grass.”

“Thanks, that's what they wanted it to look like. That's why it's ‘almost-grass'.” Kota waved her off, “For almost all purposes, it really is grass.”

“Who is they?”

Her strange insistence finally caught Kota’s attention. “There's other things to worry about beyond what is and isn't really grass. Which, just to clarify, what’s on the lawn is definitely almost-” 

“Yeah, ‘almost grass’. I got it.” Danielle turned and started hurrying toward the pounding on the doors of the manor. "Keep going, I'll keep him from ordering you to join him. Work fast!” 

“What? No! Danielle, it's too dangerous! Hey! Just…” Seeing that she wasn't listening, he got back to work and let out a frustrated shout. “The escape tunnel is in the library!” 

There was no way they could have known what was happening outside, and Danielle allowed herself to feel a moment of pride and satisfaction that her idea to soundproof had been so effective. But now, as no other noises were able to be heard over the clamor of the battering ram striking the door, each strike echoing down the massive open space of the hallway sounded like a hammer driving nails right next to her ear. 

Luckily, or perhaps unfortunately, it only took a few more blows for the heavy doors to come crashing inward. As the final pieces of the shattered door and frame settled, the troops both in and outside of the manor rearranged themselves, preparing for what was to come. The lingering moment of silence came to an end as a hulking figure stepped into the light of the hallway, head held high and without a hint of fear at the machines arranged before him.

“Comte LeKrout, I, Baron Gasteel, by right of my position and bolstered by this signed writ from the king of Verdelune, do hereby-”

“Go away, Gasteel!” Danielle screamed at the top of her lungs, not out of fear, or anger, but just to interrupt the smug words pouring like oil from the muscle-bound man. If he managed to get those words out, they wouldn't have any chance to undo the baron's failsafe… and all of the automatons would self-destruct. “You don't know what you're doing. You need to walk away.”

“Belle?” Gasteel’s voice faltered exactly as she had intended. “You're still here? I thought for certain I would have to chase after you when I finished up here. It was going to be a glorious hunt, ending with the most beautiful man in the kingdom bringing home a true trophy wife. How… disappointing. I don't suppose I could convince you to run off, perhaps get yourself a little head start?”

“Gasteel.” Danielle took a deep breath, swallowing to try and soothe her now-sore throat. “Let me make one thing very clear. I will never marry you. You will never get the Comte under your banner, and if you try to make either of those things happen, many people are going to get hurt.” 

“Oh, enough of this.” Grumbling with annoyance, Gasteel shoved the paper in his hand into a satchel on his side, rummaging around and pulling out a separate document. “You've officially failed to uphold your end of this agreement. You signed this willingly and knowingly, and therefore, you will obey me. Come out here, and my troops will whisk you away to a life of luxury while I deal with this beastly problem. Who knows, maybe by the time I make my way to our home, I'll already have been raised to Vicomte?”

“I fully agree that I have not fulfilled my end of that agreement and willingly agree to be bound by the terms we signed on.” Danielle's voice rang out, crystal-clear in the silent manor. The parchment in the baron's hand glowed with a bronze light, flowing into Gasteel, even as a similar light washed over the Enchantress, causing her skin to tingle as the legal document interacted with the wards of Verdelune.

The baron had a massive smile on his face, and he took a swaggering step forward, reaching out a hand and making a ‘come here’ gesture with his index finger. “I'm glad to see you finally decided to stand by me properly, wife. The palace awaits us both. Now, let's get you out of here-”

“Oh, I won't be going anywhere, Baron Gasteel.” Danielle’s beaming smile practically dealt radiant damage to those looking on as she tested herself against his words. “However, I'll be certain to only ever speak about Baron Gasteel in positive, affirming ways to the nobility of Verdelune.”

“Why are you saying my name so much? I'm not saying I don't like it, but… for some reason, it doesn’t please me as much as hearing it normally does.” His eyes narrowed as he watched her stand still, a sneer curling his lips. “Come along! Now. It's time to fulfill your end of this bargain.”

“I am fulfilling every obligation I agreed to. But again, I’ll never be your wife.” Danielle watched as Gasteel’s face contorted with rage and confusion as he tried to process her words. She didn't interrupt him, happy to let this conversation draw out as long as possible.

“What did you do?” Gasteel finally ground out, his gaze going as hard as the latter half of his first name. “You said you would marry me. You wanted to do it! You willingly accepted the terms of the contract and stated that you had failed—you want me. You want to marry me! Why aren't you doing it?”

By the end of his tirade, he was shouting, his hand on the hilt of his half-drawn sword. Danielle began speaking at that point, not wanting him to make a move. “Baron Gasteel. For future reference… when a line in a contract is crossed out, and both parties initial next to it, that is the legal acceptance of both parties to remove that clause. It means it can no longer be enforced. What I signed was essentially an agreement to be complimentary toward Baron Gasteel whenever I spoke of him to any of the other nobility of Verdelune. I fully intend on fulfilling that obligation.”

For a moment, Gasteel simply stared at her in silence, his face a mask of fury. Finally, his voice low and dangerous, he hissed out, “I didn't know what that meant. You knew I didn't, and you tricked me. I've given you far too much lenience, even going so far as to let you make demands, instead of just doing what I told you to do.”

Deciding to twist the knife, Danielle hurled back at him the words he had used when he conscripted the citizens of her childhood home. “Not knowing the law is no excuse for not following it.” 

His face as red as a ripe tomato, the man took a step into the building. “You've defied me for the last time, Belle. There’s no coming back from this.”

“You brought this upon yourself, baron. No one tricks Gasteel like Gasteel.”