Let Justice Be Done Ch. 61

"...So yes, I'm afraid I hadn't had time to read such an extensive collection of novels as you had, Lady Eleen. I spend most of my time forging, perfecting my craft." Viviane said, before taking a sip of her cold drink. 

"Ah, yes, I understand that, as I too, spend a lot of my time sword training." Eleen said trying to show she was as hard working as Viviane in her craft. 

It had been merely two days since Raguel brought Eleen before Viviane, and the two...didn't outright reconcile, but at least tried to interact and maybe get to know each other. 

Viviane wasn't hostile or even disinterested in her attitude, she didn't show enthusiaism either. Rather she was acting with a sort of...positive neutrality.

Eleen on the other hand seemed nervous, and would turn to her haughty self if she felt too self-conscious, only for a remark or joke from Raguel to throw her off.  

Bit by bit, with more time and conversation, the two became more relaxed and comfortably open to talk about somethings that interest them, rather than general subjects where one has no real opinon one way of the other. 

Raguel smiled at the scene, satisfied in acting as a social lubricant for the two fairies. 

Viviane's hand came up and lightly tapped the back of Raguel's head. 

"Hey," Raguel pouted. 

"Eh?" Eleen looked on in confusion. 

"He knows what he did," Viviane elegantly looked in a huff. 

"Ah!" Eleen understood. "Your...marital bond." She looked thought, a light flush on her cheeks. "I still can't believe that rumor about you two are real. To have such open bond without any set rules, or boundaries. How...brave." Eleen said in slight awe. "And naughty." She said under her breath.  

"Well, one of the down sides is, I can't joke in my own mind," Raguel gave Viviane a mocking glare. 

"Not when it's such poor manner of a joke." Viviane looked back her husband with her head raised in superiority. Raguel could feel she was trying to shame him a bit, but wasn't being condescending, and subtly jesting. 

"Alright, how about this for a joke." Raguel thought really hard about tickling Viviane, sending a very visual image and vivid feeling to her. 

"Eyah!" Viviane flinched, imaging the tickling, before realizing it's not real. She stood up looking at Raguel with an annoyed pouty glare.

"Eh? Eh? What happened?" Eleen looked at the two confused. 

"Oh nothing, just some mental tickling." Raguel said with a smirk, while waving his fingers around. 

"Ah...I see." Eleen tried to remain composed, but couldn't help the small happy smile at the playful mood in the air. 

"Oh? Then shall I show you some of my 'tickling' dear husband? I assure you it won't be imaginary." Viviane smiled menacingly, as ice melted around her, and a dozen sword-shaped water figures hung above her. 

"Oh shit!" Raguel jumped away and starting flying so as not to be splashed. 

"Wait, no! Don't kill each other, I just got a meeting with Lady Phaedria for you!" Eleen got up and cried out, as Viviane began chasing Raguel around. 

Eleen joined in at some point, and not even sure what she was doing, beyond trying to keep up with the couple, finding herself unable to stop laughing. 

===x===

"Ah, welcome to my humble home, Lord Raguel, Lady Viviane." Lady Phaedria said, lying on her side, in a lazy manner on her chaise longue.

Raguel and Viviane led by Eleen had arrived to the Lake of Idleness, to meet Lady Phaedria. 

Her home was a lake house placed in the middle of the lake, resting on top of it. 

The place had many servants, humans and other magical beings, all serving the Lady of the Divining Lake. 

Eleen's smile lowered a bit at Phaedria's use of Viviane's true name, as she herself didn't do so, due to politeness toward Viviane. She hid it with a surprisingly quickness, and a use of glamour, that Raguel thought he might not have realize if his senses weren't observing Eleen and Viviane at that  point, to watch their reactions.  

"Yes, thank you for such a lovely invitation." Viviane's grin nearly looked savage. 

Raguel looked on in worry, but trusted his wife, as he felt her assuredness from their bond, and a feeling telling it it's okay. 

Phaedria and Eleen's eyes widened. Phaedria on instinct let her Fae Magic run and reach out--

And was slammed shut from finding any hold on Viviane's being. 

The sheer magic power and holy attribute pulsing from her soul, destroyed any attempt by the Fae Magic to gain ground, crushing the fae magic tendrils and burning them.

Phaedria quickly pulled back her aura in a flinch, that she hid under her glamour. 

The message however was sent well enough. 

Trying to intimidate or control Viviane will end poorly for the fool who does.     

"My, my," Phaedria had a sultry look. "You really have changed since you found love." Her smile held some false pride, as if she wanted to take credit for such event. "I suppose my prophecy came true after all." 

"Hmm," Viviane made a noise, as she looked away as if recalling a memory. 

The group had sat in 'outdoor' area closer to the water. Phaedria's home was very open with minimal walls, and a large bed in the center of the house. However, Raguel could sense that the lake house was just the tip of the Lake Lady's home, with stairs the lead to the rest of her castle under the Lake of Idleness. 

"Lady Phaedria is a very powerful seer. One of the strongest in the world!" Eleen explained to Raguel with genuine enthusiasm. "She has helped many with her prophecies, allowing them to know of the horrors or hopes of their futures so they would be better prepared." Eleen had a happy grin, and Raguel made sure not to scowl. "And she's one I am honored to call a friend."

"Yes, ever since she arrived to the Winter Court, Eleen had been a great friend for me." Phaedria said, making it clear to those who caught onto the wording what her feelings on the matter were. 

Ah, so this is the bitch whose face I must punch. 

Before Raguel could comment, however Viviane spoke. 

"Human." Viviane said, getting everyone's attention. "I believe you said 'a human will open my heart but my passion will dwindle, but a Fallen will flame my inspiration but my heart will be safe in its home'." Viviane gave an "innocent" smile. "I believe Raguel is neither. So I can't really say your words ease my heart."

Eleen frowned but held her tongue. 

Raguel called out his wife on her bullshit through their telepathic bond, but kept quiet and watched, while Viviane just sent back a feeling of smugness through their bond. 

Phaedria kept a calm smile, but Raguel could see her eye twitch through her glamour. 

"But then again, you said you weren't really trying that day, and were more focused on...the gentleman you were occupied with, even during that meeting and the message I was meant to deliver to the Winter Queen that day." Viviane kept her biting words, while speaking with a calm pleasant tone. "So I can't fault you for that...mistake, or were you perhaps playing a prank on me?" She tilted her head, having a playful smile. 

"Oh my," Phaedria's eyes shined with a mixture of anger and lust, while looking at Viviane. "Love really had changed you, Lady Viviane." It was an expression that made Raguel want to interject, but he promised Viviane to follow her lead, and he wanted to support his wife, not fight her battles for her. 

"Yes, it has. Which I suppose is good rather than just stay the same day in day out. Even my inspiration is aflamed." Viviane said calmly. 

Ooookay, I'm sensing that Phaedria pissed off Viviane a lot in the past but she could never act on it. 

However something else grabbed Raguel's attention, it was the aura of the place they were in. 

It felt like an aura that caused the mood between people to be tinged with lust and sexual attraction. It lowered inhibitions, yet did so in such a way as to not force emotions or thoughts. 

Curiously, the hazy sexual passion aura stayed clear of Eleen. 

So it is something under her control, huh.

Viviane and Phaedria exchanged verbal barbs, while Eleen sat smiling thinking they were getting a long. 

Meanwhile Raguel looked into the servant emotions and wills, expecting the worse. 

It...wasn't what he feared, that they were mind controlled, their will subverted. 

Rather they were seduced by Phaedria and the Lake of Idleness. They have their full mental faculties and choose to stay, as Phaedria had gave them all the option to leave whenever they wanted. She couldn't even stop them if she wanted. 

Raguel could see in the Fae Magic permeating this place that, part of why the seduction aura was so strong yet so subtle is because of the magic conditions placed upon it.  

The servants here may have their rationalizations, ultimately they were here of their own free will, and could leave whenever they choose. They just don't due to liking the pleasure Phaedria and this place could give them. 

"Lord Raguel," Lady Phaedria said, getting his attention on her again. "Given the happy occasion of your marriage to little Vivi here," Viviane's eyebrow twitched, yet she said nothing. Phaedria was watching Raguel's reaction, waiting to see if he'll be annoyed at her use of his nickname for his wife. Raguel showed nothing. "I wish to aid you in your future quest to free that young fae boy, Myrddin. Thus would you like to hear a prophecy?" She smiled sweetly. 

Raguel's eyes narrowed, breaking his image of nonchalantness.  

He had prayed to God for guidence on the matter, and was told the only time he could save the boy who would become Merlin, with minimal bloodshed and harm, would be through going to the Summer Festival Auction. 

Father had told him He would grant him something that would definitely hold enough value to free Myrddin without any conflict with the Summer Queen or her Court. 

Thus at the moment while intrigued, he was more irritated, especially since he felt Viviane's attitude that they wouldn't be able to leave till they accepted. Another magic condition of the Lake of Idleness. 

Raguel turned and gave Phaedria his attention. He Looked at her and into her and saw who she was. 

Under her glamour her true self was just as beautiful, yet her eyes were covered by a glowing blindfold, and her eyes didn't work anymore. 

Her seer ability used to have a curse upon it where no one would believe her, no matter how accurately she predicted the future. Now, since joining the Winter Court, the curse had been altered so that people would misinterpret it, or distrust it, rather than outright dismiss it.  

It was a change that she wanted and was amused by seeing the effects of during her centuries of life. 

Her True Name was Kassandra of Troy.