RQL chapter 6

-(Shahira)-

Zel Reis Residence - sixth day of Liira 4896

I closed the door of my room in what is going to be my new home; after a thorough shower and morning rituals I felt fresh and rested. The rumble of my stomach was noisy enough to attract predator beast, a wave of embarrassment rolled over me and heated my cheeks. 

*I hope no one heard that.* 

The house seemed simple at first, made of wood and grey stones, the inside was tasteful and tastefully decorated. It hurts to say it, but Princess Kateri have excellent tastes. I could see her womanly touch everywhere in this house; from the paintings on the walls to the curtains hiding the windows. Red and black dominated and subtly I could see  Lee and the Princess’s combined house crests on the chimney or on some pillars in the house, It meant a great deal to me where they felt their true affiliation lies; they still considered themselves noble and part of their houses. And then there was the fruit of their union, Shiwan.

The fact that this little girl became a Earth Ranker at five years old and cultivated to make her first steps into the martial way in two days was simply awe inspiring and frightening. Her potential was immense, and that cold bitch Kahreenah would have her killed in her sleep; the Zel Reis Ancestor would want to raise Shiwan herself and kill anyone who would be in her way. So, being far from their sphere of influence in the inconsequential Bramha Kingdom  was an hidden boon. Now, staying alive and help the girl grow up, and live on is going to be tough. 

I went down to the living room and went to sit on the red sofa, waiting for everyone to come down.

Five minutes later I heard light footsteps signifying someone coming down the stairs, it didn’t sound like Lee’am or Kateri’s footfalls. It is Shiwan their child, she didn’t notice me at first and went directly to the kitchen and began to rummage inside cabinets. From what I could see here, she was prepping the utensils for breakfast; Shiwan was barely five and already this responsible? That is completely different from what I expected, I thought that she would be spoiled and entitled. The little girl began to sing and I felt myself listening to her and enjoy her cute and mellifluous voice. 

*That little girl will break some hearts and destroy nations when she grows up.* I heard myself think.

I played with my engagement ring and admired the workmanship, it was made of Mithril with purple gemstones between the mouth of the dragons holding them. It was also a spatial ring with an enormous storage capacity, the discussion last night finished with Lee’am handing it to me after asking for my hand. Kateri was livid when it happened, I thought of refusing; but I had nowhere else to go and Lee’am has always been the only male I ever truly loved. He didn’t kiss me or take advantage of me in Kateri’s presence, she might have killed him. Let’s wait for the Princess to calm down and speak of the future ceremony later; after all I will be married to her too. Polyamorous relationship are normal nowadays. Kateri was a beautiful woman and seducing her might assuage her worries if she could have us both.

“Who are you?” A lilting and beautiful cute voice said.

My eyes found the little girl, Shiwan looking at me suspiciously. She wore a black training attire; Her body was tense and she subtly  looked at avenues of escape. The more I learn about her, the more I discover that she wasn’t acting like a regular child. A smile blossomed on my face.

“Oh you finally noticed my presence, Shérah?” I asked.

“I am not a princess!” Shiwan screamed and then pouted.

“Oh you understand the Oni language? What a smart little one.” It was intriguing.

I thought that a Half-Oni would favor the human language, it seems her parents education is flawless. What else can she do, or understand? At her age I only thought of playing, eating and stealing things in the streets. Yes, I was an orphan and street urchin before being forced to join the Wraith Order of my country.

“Answer me, who are you?” Shiwan demanded.

The footfalls of Lee’am and Kateri could be heard and I waited for them to appear and settle their unruly daughter. I looked to the stairs and she followed my gaze to find Lee’am in armor with his spear in hand. Kateri was behind him with a deathly glare targeted at me, she too was in armor with her beautiful crystalline sword at her hip. 

Lee’s voice was tired but firm.

“Shiwan, she will be your new teacher and soon to-be second mother.” He said looking at me with a complicated gaze.

I understand that Princess Kateri gave him flack for accepting me, so I didn’t take it badly. We will have time to smooth over everything with time, but I didn’t plan to let matter fester. I will have to fight Kateri first and talk it out with her; yes it was tradition after all, to estimate the place of the spouses in a noble household.

“What?!” Shiwan looked at me, then looked at Kateri.

“Nice to meet you Shérah.” I said, smiling at her.

“Shahirah, come to the garden with me, we need to talk.” Kateri said with a tone that didn’t leave any doubt that she wasn’t asking.

“As you wish, Princess.” I nodded and stood up.

“Shiwan come with me, there are things we must speak about.” I heard Lee says to his daughter.

Seeing Lee’am bring his daughter to the kitchen and sitting her in a high chair was touching. I realized that he was different from the brash and thrill seeking youth I knew five years ago. Kateri and I exited the house by the back door, I followed Kateri to the garden and was stricken by the beauty of it. It was a big one with a statue of the Princess in the middle, mowed bluegrass with flower patches doting the space. The Chi was thick in the air of the garden, five times denser than the one outside the house.

“I have talked with Lee’am.” Princess Kateri began.

The Princess began to walk toward the center of the garden, there was a blackboard with things scribbled onto it near the status. Was the garden also where they trained? It should be so, because of the thick Chi here, cultivation speed must be tremendous. Kateri turned to me and looked at me from head to toe with her arm crossed under her silvery breastplate. She cut a rather dashing figure, but still looked feminine and gorgeous. Princess Kateri was more a deserving of her rank to me than her bitch sister.

“Accepting you in our household is fine with me and Lee’am pointed out that you pursuing us wasn’t your fault as your orders from the royal house forced you to take that stance. But I want to know, why you tried to kill me?” 

“Princess Kahreenah had the dubious idea to order me to kill any women that had design on Lee’am, because of that I almost killed myself numerous time. I told Lee’am about it before you escaped from Eqalyra, and that’s why I was sure that he would welcome me back.”

It was hell, five years ago I was forced to kill all those women to avoid killing myself to cheat the orders of that vile snake. It was possible for me to avoid death this way, I am not particularly feeling responsible for it. But I killed innocent women for the pleasure of that woman, I wish that I could do the same for her. But she skillfully added the “beside me” in her well worded order. I hope to never have a slavery collar around my neck, I would prefer death over it.

“Kahreenah…” I felt Princess Kateri’s spiritual pressure deploy due to the anger I could see on her face, it closed in on me; it was hard to breath for an instant. I didn’t slack off in my training, but it seemed that the Princess had more opportunity to gain power than me. Kateri’s hand was tight on the grip of her sword, I could hear the air screaming around her.

Kateri was strong, without a doubt more powerful than me by a slight margin. She should be at the peak of Sky Rank and about to breakthrough Star Rank. It was frightening that she was already at this step. I decided to cut short her temper tantrum.

“I have nothing against you, Princess; could you retract your aura please?” 

My plea seemed to have been heard as I felt her powerful spiritual pressure retract; I breathed a lungful and felt the air lighten. Kateri’s eyes find mine, she made a complicated face. I smiled at her and she reciprocated. It was dazzling, as if the sun shined upon me. 

Oh yes, I will have fun with that woman. I could feel butterflies in my lower body, desire flooding my thoughts.

“I see, my hatred toward you wasn’t legitimate. It is hard… letting go of it.” Kateri said, distressed.

“Think about every good things in your life right now. Free yourself of the hate. Let go, Princess.” I told her sagely.

She approached me and put a hand on my left shoulder; looking at me intently. Her touch eliciting weird sensation in me. It seems I have been reduced to a needy and sex deprived randy wench since coming back into Lee’s life.

“Will you help me kill Kahreenah , when the time will come?” Kateri asked me.

Her hand drifted from my shoulder to my right cheek. Yes I would do anything she desired, with moderation of course. I smiled at the Princess.

“Gladly.” I acquiesced to her proposal.

“Good. Now it’s time to begin the joining ritual, prepare yourself I won’t go easy on you.” Kateri sounded relieved, as if a weight was lifted from her.

“I was waiting for this, my Princess.” I said while taking my daggers from my original spatial ring.

I didn’t have the time to transfer my most precious items and resources to my engagement ring. Kateri took ten steps away from me and unsheathed her beautiful blue crystalline sword. The workmanship seemed otherworldly, the curve of the blade and he material seemed to make it look like a brittle piece pf decoration. But Princess Kateri wouldn’t use it if it was so. Suddenly it glowed blue and I felt water Chi into the air being attracted to the blade. Steam rose from it, and my vision was obscured by a cloud that spanned the entire garden. I deployed my spiritual senses and looked around me.

“Interesting, you aren’t panicking.” I heard the princess says.

“I will find you, Princess.” I answered and dived toward where I heard her speak from.

Here she was, I could see her silhouette in the white mist, my left hand dagger about to plunge toward her breast plate. But I felt no resistance when it pierced her breastplate, only that it felt wet. 

*Water? A water clone?!*

I felt an impact on my back and I rolled with the force and went controlled my fall on the ground to stand back up.

“Heavenly water sword style?!” I exclaimed.

This is one of the lost Sword martial technique that disappeared from the Eqalyra Dynasty thousands of years ago. Incomplete scrolls can still be found but unusable. Some Genius though use them to find enlightenment and add those moves to their sword play.

“Correct.” Kateri said while slashing at me 

I parried and deflected the sword with my left hand dagger and attempted to stab the sword hand of the princess with my right one; but I received a fist to my jaw for it. I rolled with the hit again, and like a cat landed on my feet and wisely retreated from the princess’s sword range. 

*She almost got me.* I thought, squinting my eyes while looking at Kateri.

“I thought that it was a lost art.” I said while charging chi in my lower body, in my arms and solidifying the metal of my daggers with it too. They were already chipped by the sword of the princess, yes the material its made off was stronger than steel at least. 

“Well, let’s say that I discovered a complete manual in a ruin when I was still an active Silver Seeker.”

I put myself in a guarding stance, as I saw the princess charging toward me. Light from her blue aura surrounded her and creating four doubles of herself… I almost forgot that the princess was a two elements user! She was going all out. 

*Fine I will respond in kind.*

I conjured wind chi from around me and unleashed a wind blade by slashing the air toward her with my dagger acting as a medium. I took out three of her doubles that were just light constructs and my left dagger clashed with the princess’s sword. I gave her a headbutt and was surprised that she turned into one of those water puppet she uses. I felt something pointy on my back, thanks to Liira it was just the displacement of air that her sword caused as it tried to reach me between my shoulder blades.

*Damnation, she is behind me.*

I kicked off the ground and avoided the sword stab, and turned toward my opponent in midair. The Princess sword was coming for my left eye, so I deflected with my left dagger that shattered on impact; Princess Kateri caught me by the collar of my shirt, let go of her sword and began pummeling my body with her fist. The wind was knocked out of me and she went for my face again. Feeling that I should do the same, I let my dagger go and caught her fist that was ready to strike me again collected the kinetic energy of her hit and landed a palm strike on her breastplate that used her own power to make her step back from the impact by two meter. 

“Interesting, the Fist of gentleness style.” I saw a sliver of blood flow 

A style that uses deft movement and agility to turn an opponent's power against them. Used by most of the noble girls in Eqalyra, it wasn’t surprising that Kateri knew of it. She used something different, something that her body doesn’t seem to show; the princess was strangely, really strong. Then I realized. The fist of Strength?! At high level it uses immense physical power to destroy everything in its path, and the greater her opponent is, the stronger she becomes. How? Normally only people with the correct physique learn this, she’s a human woman!

“But I am still faster.”  Princess Kateri said with conviction.

“Come.” I said to her signalling with my hand.

It was weird, I saw the princess flow toward me at high speed using a movement technique I never saw and close the distance between us like lightning and hitting my face. 

Everything went black.

*** 

I felt icy water being splashed on my face and I woke up with a start. Someone was standing over me, as my vision cleared I could see that the person is Princess Kateri. She was smiling at me.

“With that you and me are square, Sha. Welcome to the family.” She put an end on my forehead, caressing it.

Even with my body hurting, I felt at peace and again randy.

“Thank you, Kat?” I said with hope in my voice.

“You can call me that, you are my sister-wife, now.” Kateri nodded.

She was still caressing my head and her eyes gained a strange light in them. As if she was ready to devour me whole. Even in my state I felt the need to touch her, my hand flew to her arm and I found myself straddling her, my hands on her breastplate and my face close to hers.

“You are going to be mine too.” I said, my voice gaining a low and rough husky tone.

“Yes.” She nodded.

“This is the best day of my life.” I confessed.

Kat raised an eyebrow, and furrowed her brow.

“You were defeated I must remind you.” She reminded me.

“You were magnificent, Princess.” I told her with a laugh.

She defeated me soundly and we were not even fighting a death match; Kat was a far cry from the young woman she was when she escaped. I could have dealt with her then, now? Our roles were reversed, I think she got more opportunity and experience than me. I guess it is time to seriously train, helping Shiwan to will help in this endeavor too.

“You are not bad yourself, Sha. Now let’s go back to our daughter and our husband will heal you. He got medicine.”

*Our? Yes they are mine too.* I nodded, stood up and helped Kateri to her feet.

When we got back into the house, Lee and Shiwan awaited us. The little girl bowed to me briefly and said the most beautiful words I ever heard.

“Welcome to the family, Sha mama.”

I was so happy that I broke into a crying fit.