Chapter 42

  Audrey

  “This isn’t too bad, though I still like the hunting quests more,” I told my goddess while carefully uprooting some herbs. It had been a week since we hunted the flashbirds, and Lydia and I had decided to stick to gathering quests for now due to the reward potential. We had gotten twelve silvers in total for the flashbirds: eight for the quest itself, and an additional four silvers for the materials we sold, though we could have gotten more if they had been in better condition. Lydia practically cooked the poor birds to a crisp…

  The herb collection quests offered ten copper per plant, and since they were low-ranked quests, and there weren’t that many adventurers below rank D in Oylutz, there were tons of herbs yet to be collected out in the forest.

  “Lydia will get mad if you take them all.” Aurora reminded me as I reached for this patch's last couple of plants. Nodding, I stood up and grimaced at the ache in my knees. Lydia had said it was essential to leave a few plants in each area so they’d regrow, so it was time for me to move on.

  “It’s amazing that only ten of these nets us a whole silver, though!” I said as I looked for more herbs on the forest floor. Some of them were buried in the snow, so I had to be vigilant.

  “Lynn even gave you a little extra for them being so fresh.”

  “The time dilation in my storage dimension has always been convenient.” I hummed as I bent down to pick some more plants. “Though… It would have been nice to choose when it actually does it…”

  The air got a little heavy with my thoughts, so I quickly changed the subject before Aurora could say anything. My goddess blamed herself for our situation because it was her magic, but I knew she had no control over it either. Magic still had its own rules, even for deities.

  “Do you think Lydia’s made any progress?” I asked as I slipped some herbs into my storage. Our quota for the day was just about met, so I decided to head back to my girlfriend. She had been practicing light magic under Azure’s instructions for the last few days, so I took on most of the quest work. “I want to practice too…” I complained as I walked through the snow.

  “You’re the one who volunteered to give her time. Besides, you should be much further away from town for night magic practice.” Aurora pointed out.

  “It’s really that dangerous?”

  “Yes and no… It typically has a wide range. It’s better to be somewhere you cannot be seen.”

  I sighed as I ducked beneath some branches and entered a small clearing, where my girlfriend stood with her back to me and didn’t seem to notice my approach. A mischievous grin came to my face as I moved to sneak up on her, using the shadows to cushion my steps. Lydia can somehow sense when I’m actually in the shadows, so how about this?

  “She definitely knows,” Aurora stated plainly.

  “Does not. She’s focusing!” I shot back. Eventually, I was within hugging range and jumped toward her, only to collide with an invisible wall and sink to the ground in defeat.

  “You’ll need to try harder than that, Audrey,” Lydia smirked as she turned to look down at me.

  “Ow…What was that?” I asked with a pout, rubbing at my nose to soothe the pain.

  “Light magic!” She said excitedly, waving her hand. A shimmering square appeared between us, and a thin, golden outline was the only sign of the magic. “I can create barriers of hardened light! Isn’t it amazing?”

  I frowned at the cause of my failed surprise hug and placed my palm on the center. A small gasp escaped me at how warm it was. Besides the temperature, it felt like any other sturdy wall, despite being nearly invisible.

  “It is pretty amazing, but…” I stood up and turned away from her with a huff. “I can’t believe you stopped me from hugging you!”

  My girlfriend hid her giggles behind a hand for a moment before stepping closer. “Don’t be like that, I was just testing it!” Her arms wrapped around my neck and brought our faces together. “I’ll make it up to you…”

  The playful anger faded immediately as I lost myself to the softness of her lips on mine. Warmth flooded me as her holy magic activated, and the soreness faded from the collision.

  “There… All better?” She asked in a husky whisper that sent my heart racing. Her emerald eyes had bloomed thin lines of gold from her divinity, and they stared into mine as her fingers gently traced my cheek.

  I pulled her closer by the waist. “If I say no, will you keep going?” There was no second kiss yet, but our lips were close enough to brush as I spoke.

  “Oh, Audrey…” She nipped at my lower lip. “What are you suggesting we do out in the open?”

  “There’s nobody around for at least a mile…” I murmured, and I let out a breath as she kissed my neck, leaving a mark. “We’ve both been holding back all week.”

  “I just didn’t want to repeat what happened with Elder Salma.” She said with a laugh. “The inn’s walls are quite thin.”

  “We don’t need to worry about that here,” I said, capturing her lips again. My hand caressed the back of her neck as I pulled her in to taste more. The heated embrace didn’t break until we were both gasping for air, and she put a hand on my chest to push me backwards. My back hit an invisible wall, and my whole body was tense with anticipation as my girlfriend’s hungry gaze raked over me before meeting my eyes.

  A graceful smile overtook her lips as she pinned me against her magic. “Strip.”

  My whole body flushed with heat at Lydia’s authoritative tone, but I tried to act nonchalant. “J-Just like that…?” I asked, my voice coming out weaker than I intended.

  However, the last of my composure collapsed as my girlfriend grabbed my chin, and her knee came up between my legs as she held me in place. “You want to do it, right? I still owe you for tying me up last time, so you’ll be a good girl and do exactly as I say.”

  I could only nod slowly in response as my hands moved to undo the buttons of my uniform. Once my top was gone, Lydia’s fingers slipped beneath the waistband of my pants, pulling on them teasingly.

  “This too…” But she still had me pinned upright with one of her hands, even if she had moved her knee, much to my disappointment.

  “I-I can’t…” I whispered.

  “Why not?” The answer to her question didn’t come as her hand traced the edges of my bra. We were both wearing the comfortable set from back home, and even though she had watched me put it on this morning, I couldn’t help but be thankful I was wearing something cute.

  I stifled a moan as her hand slipped beneath the fabric, my skin tingling from her touch. Lydia leaned in to my ear, her warm breath tickling my cheek.

  “I didn’t say to use your hands, Audrey. Now take them off.” As if responding to her will instead of mine, shadows snaked up my legs and hooked into the waistband, following her orders until I stepped out of the clothing.

  My heart pounded as I stood in my underwear beneath the clear blue sky. The snow-covered forest had no chance to chill my body as Lydia’s touches kept me warm with a bit of help from her magic.

  Her hands freely explored my body, sliding over and beneath the fabric of my bra as they pleased and tracing the contours of my sides and spine. My girlfriend’s mouth left marks wherever she tasted my exposed skin. Yet, she only teased the place where I really wanted to feel her.

  “Lydia… Please…” I breathed. The whine in my voice was something reserved only for her. She paused for a moment, then the light barrier at my back slowly angled backward until I found myself lying down with Lydia climbing on top of me.

  We hovered just above the ground as Lydia stripped the last of my clothing away, leaving me completely exposed. She undid her own uniform just enough for me to enjoy the essential parts, then leaned down to kiss me while pinning my hands above my head.

  “Beg me more, Audrey. I want to hear the words meant only for me…” She murmured against my lips. Her knee slid up between my legs again, this time sending a jolt through my core at the direct contact.

  “Lydia… I want you to—Mnpf!” I bit my lip as her knee moved against me. “Please, touch me… do whatever you want. I’m yours… I’ll do whatever you tell me, Lydia.” The words fell effortlessly from my lips because it was true. I was her’s and she was mine. Lydia wanted and needed this comfort just as much as I did.

  We cried out in that comfort for nearly two hours after that. Our names became a melody on the other’s lips as love and pleasure gave us a brief respite from the darkness hanging over us.

  ***

  Lydia

  “I can’t believe I let my hormones get the best of me… My royal dignity will never recover!” I cried, hiding my face behind my hands after Audrey and I got dressed. My body had finally cooled, and shame washed over me.

  “It was amazing…” Audrey said. She still seemed a little dazed from our activity. Taking control had only made me greedier, and I feared I may have warped both our inclinations.

  “I won’t deny how good it felt… But what kind of princess has sex in the middle of the woods?” I said, and Audrey laughed as we walked. Taking the shadows would have been much faster, but the soreness was already setting in for both of us, so we decided to walk to help stretch and alleviate our bodies.

  “The princess I love, that’s who,” Audrey said, shooting me a flirtatious wink. The simple gesture threatened to set my heart aflame again, so I turned my head away with a pout as she continued to say embarrassing things. “Honestly… The fresh air and natural chill really made everything much more sensitive. Not to mention it keeps things from getting too stuffy—”

  I couldn’t take anymore, and scooped up some snow into my hand, temporarily turning off my heat aura so it wouldn’t melt. Then, I threw the hastily-made snowball at my girlfriend’s beautiful face to shut her up. “Oh my goddess! Are you analyzing a fight?! How can you spout such nonsense?!”

  For one reason or another, Audrey didn’t dodge the snowball, and the sparkling white powder stuck to her face like a mask as she stared dumbfounded at me.

  “I can’t believe you let that hit you…” I said, trying to stop myself from laughing.

  “My head was full of dirty thoughts about you… I didn’t even register it as a threat.” She said plainly, causing my face to blush, and that familiar heat stirred my core. Audrey finally brushed the snow from her face, and the small bits remaining on her eyelashes and brows amplified her beauty. Struck down by my own attack… Goddess help me.

  “I have no help for lustful princesses,” Azure said teasingly. She had stifled our bond right after the first kiss, so I assume Audrey’s goddess had done the same.

  “It wasn’t a real request! Stop reading my thoughts!” I demanded.

  “Trust me, Dia… I really wish I could.” She said, suddenly sounding really tired. I opted not to respond to that and refocused on Audrey, who had taken my hand and looked at me with an expression that screamed desire.

  “Hey… Thinking about it makes me want to go again. Can we?” She asked. Those sapphire eyes nearly drowned my reason, and I had to bite back the instinctual answer that almost escaped me.

  To calm both of us down, I chopped her on the head with my hand. “We’re not rabbits!” I huffed, then walked away. It didn’t amount to much distance because she still held my hand, but it's not like I wanted to let her go anyway. I looked over my shoulder with a shy smile. “At least wait a day to recover…”

  I genuinely didn’t know if our bodies would survive doing it more than once a day, given how much we lose control. There were even a few accidental magic releases this time… Honestly, thinking back on how soft Audrey always is in my grasp, how much her scent intoxicates me… It was enough to drive me crazy.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Ah, to be young and in love…” Azure sighed.

  The walk back to Oylutz took about an hour, but it felt longer having to dodge my girlfriend’s heated gaze and my goddess’s teasing remarks. When we finally did get through the gate, I took us straight back to the inn so we could catch dinner, since the sky was stained orange. We could claim the gathering quest rewards in the morning, but for now, I just wanted food and sleep.

  The innkeeper greeted us as lively as ever, and she pointed us to an empty table where we waited for the meal. A few minutes later, the innkeeper placed two plates of grilled fish in front of us.

  “We have quite the treat tonight, a shipment came in from Grunde.” She said, and I raised a brow in thought.

  “That’s the closest coastal city to the south-east, right?” In addition to adventuring materials, I’d also been studying current information of the continent… Or the empire, as it is now. Grunde was a thriving center of commerce, serving as a hub for merchant ships traveling around the continent. Its success was primarily due to its proximity to the imperial capital, where wealthy nobles would purchase luxuries at a high price.

  “Indeed, little lady,” the innkeeper laughed. “It’s rare for fish to make it out here, but rumor has it a merchant company is testing some new preservation techniques.” She pointed at the steaming fish with a smile. “Judging by how fresh the fish arrived, whatever their methods, it’s quite good, I’d say!” Another table flagged her over after that, and she left us to our meal.

  Audrey had already taken a couple of bites of her dish, and the serene look on her face made me excited to taste it. I brought the fork to my mouth and couldn’t help but hum in appreciation as the fish melted on my tongue. The seasonings complemented the natural flavor perfectly, and a small dish of sauce was even provided for sampling. The vegetables that came on the side were also good in their own right. There was only a slight bitterness on the aftertaste that I wasn’t particularly fond of, but it didn’t ruin the overall experience.

  As we ate, I thought back to what I’d learned of the empire over the last week through reading at the guild’s archive. Oylutz’s guild branch didn’t have much in the way of specifics, but I had managed to piece together how the rest of the war had gone after Venyth fell. The imperial army marched through the rest of the continent largely uncontested. From what I gathered, only Trazkel had managed to hold out for any meaningful period, but even they had fallen in a few months. It seemed that the only remaining nation was Yamada, but, as Yuzuki had said, they had isolated themselves completely and only survived due to their military controlling the surrounding oceans. The Imperials had made attempts against them, but had been unable to beat the Yamadian navy.

  Had Duke Rose not betrayed us… Or had Mother and Father been able to stop his plans, would things have gone differently? Or would we still have lost? It was a question that plagued my mind with the benefit of hindsight. I despised myself for questioning the parents I respected so much, but it was clear that what happened had been caused by my parents overlooking Duke Rose’s actions for so long.

  The parents I know would have never let him run wild. Whatever their reasons, they had both carried regrets to the very end, and I knew they would want their children to learn from their mistakes. I’ll overcome their regrets and avenge their deaths.

  The meal passed quickly as I stewed with my thoughts. Audrey had kept herself busy talking to her goddess, and I was grateful for her consideration. Even Azure had stayed quiet, which was quite the task for her, I’d come to realize.

  “You’re thinking something rude about me, aren’t you?!” she accused, having sensed my true feelings.

  “It’s your imagination, my goddess,” I said with a small smile. After our empty dishes were taken away, Audrey and I retreated to the room. My body was feeling quite heavy from the… thing in the forest. It took everything I had to change into my nightgown, and I could tell Audrey was also feeling the exhaustion as we collapsed onto the bed together. She had enough wherewithal to stow at least our discarded armor and weapons away in her storage before getting comfortable.

  “Good food always makes you tired, huh? Especially after a good workout.” My girlfriend yawned, and I nodded in agreement. No doubt, the delicious meal was the cause of our eyelids sinking against our wills and the heaviness that overcame our bodies.

  “Dia! Something’s wro—!” Azure was shouting something in my head, but I couldn’t quite make it out. I’m so tired…

  “Holy Ma—! Heal You—!”

  The last thing I saw before everything went dark was Audrey’s peaceful face on the pillow.

  ***

  Lydia

  Where am I…? My eyes slowly opened, but the rest of my body felt heavy and unresponsive. I sat on the floor of a dark room, and the cold stone floor chilled my skin. I realized sluggishly that this wasn’t our room at the inn. Panic filled me, and I tried to move, but my arms felt like lead, and it seemed I had been restrained by something.

  Audrey… Where’s Audrey?!

  “Dia! Thank goodness you’re awake!” Azure said, her voice filled with concern.

  “What happened? My head is pounding…” Having learned from the hangover incident, I used holy magic to heal myself, and my mind became clear. I looked over my shoulder now that my body was cleansed of what was affecting it, and saw Audrey slumped against my back, still unconscious. “Were we drugged? I can’t believe we didn’t notice.”

  I was upset at myself for letting my guard down. At the very least, I took solace in seeing our nightgowns still intact on our bodies. If they had dared to lay a hand on Audrey… Heat flared around me at the thought, but I quickly calmed myself.

  “They haven’t done anything yet. It was hard to tell since your eyes were closed, but I felt nothing beyond them carrying you.” My goddess’s carefree tone was nowhere to be heard. She sounded furious. “They’ll have several lifetimes of divine punishment for even touching our cute guardians!”

  “Ah, well, now that I’m awake at least, there’s no reason to worry.” Perhaps some of Audrey’s overwhelming confidence had infected me, but we were Divine Guardians. Even if our limbs are bound, our magic is still accessible.

  I relaxed against Audrey. My hands were tied behind my back, with a larger rope around my whole torso, keeping my arms in place. They had tied my girlfriend the same way, so I was able to take her hand in mine and use my holy magic to wake her up.

  “Mmmmnnn… Sasha, feed me even more cake…” She mumbled something as she stirred awake, then I felt her jolt in surprise. “H-Huh?”

  “Good morning, having a nice dream?” I asked with amusement. Audrey’s head turned to look at me, her confused expression just barely visible in the dark room.

  “Is this that ‘BDSM’ play that Leah mentioned?”

  “I’m going to punish her for teaching you that.” My attendants are getting too cocky. I sighed, letting the comment go for now. “It seems we’ve been kidnapped.”

  “That explains why Aurora’s upset…” She said. She was more worried about her goddess than the situation, and fell silent for a moment, no doubt apologizing to her goddess for letting this happen. “So… What do you want to do?”

  I hummed in thought at her question. “Well, I’m sure we can handle whatever they have planned, so let’s wait and see who the culprit is. Can you use the shadows to take a look around?”

  “I could… But won’t that take the fun out of it?” Audrey’s absurd response left me dumbstruck for a second.

  “The fun of being kidnapped?” I asked.

  “It’s kind of a novel experience, right? I think we should play the part properly!”

  “Sometimes I wonder what the inside of your mind looks like,” I said dryly. We bickered about the ethics of being a proper kidnappee for a while, until Audrey gasped.

  “Ah, my artifact is gone again! Why do people keep robbing me?!”

  “You gave it willingly the first time.” I pointed out with exasperation. “At least we know the most likely culprit now…”

  As if waiting for his cue, the door to the room slammed open, and in walked the guard captain, followed by the group of adventurers that had harassed us at the guild. A team-up, huh?

  “Good morning, little ladies.” The captain smirked as he crouched down in front of me. “Did you sleep well?”

  “We’ve had better,” I said, unbothered.

  “Wait! I’m facing the wrong way! Someone turn me around!” Audrey cried out. She couldn’t see our captors, since she was facing the wall. The serious atmosphere that had come in with the men’s arrival was lost as the adventurers looked at each other in confusion.

  Surprisingly, one of the men actually complied, moving her beside me, where she gasped dramatically.

  “No! It’s you guys!” She suddenly stopped, then tilted her head cutely. “I know Mr. Guard, but who are the rest of you?”

  I couldn’t suppress the laugh at my girlfriend’s attitude, and our captor's faces went red.

  “Are ya mockin’ us girlie?!” The adventurer’s leader shouted.

  “A little, yeah.”

  The guard captain had to physically step in to stop the adventurers from doing something they’d regret. “You ladies have quite a mouth on you.” He said with a wry smile.

  “Better to be mouthy than be a greedy thief.” I shot back. “If you return what you stole and promise to leave us be, we’ll let you go mostly in one piece.”

  The man only laughed at my heartfelt offer. “You misunderstand the situation. You see, these gentlemen here told me all about your magic, so we put some mana-draining bracelets on you.” He narrowed his eyes down at us. “There’s no chance of escape.”

  Our hands were out of view, so I hadn’t noticed the feel of the accessory until he mentioned it. But I’ve never heard of such a magic item… “It drains mana? I didn’t know something like that existed. Seems like it’d be in use everywhere if that were true.” I said. It was true that I felt some of my mana leaving my body, but I still had plenty at my disposal, not to mention my stella, which was completely unaffected.

  “It’s a new product from the Imperial Institute of Magic. It’s only started to hit the market.” He explained with a grin. “I’ve heard rumors that even the top mages of the imperial court were rendered useless with it.” Audrey and I shared a glance, and she shook her head. The captain took that as a sign of defeat and finally got to the point.

  “Now that you understand the trouble you’re in, tell me where you stashed that fancy armor you were wearing. The weapons, too.”

  “Why? Want to see how you look in women’s clothing?” My voice dripped with sarcasm, and it was Audrey’s turn to shake with laughter. The man frowned and bent down to glare at me.

  “Even my patience has its limits, little lady. I could tell at a glance that your equipment and the redhead’s accessories were top quality. I’ll make quite a profit by selling it off. Now tell me.”

  “So what, you’ve been stalking us? Par for the course for kidnappers, I suppose.”

  “If you hadn’t hidden the goods, you would have woken up safe and sound in your bed.” He said.

  “How kind of you.” I scoffed. “Let me guess… You bribed or threatened one of the cooks at the inn?” It would explain why we didn’t notice anything suspicious and how they had gained access to our room. It was even possible the innkeeper herself had given us up, but I doubted that from what I’ve seen of her personality.

  His silence told me everything I needed to know. The man slowly drew his sword, pointing it at my neck. “Last chance to leave here alive. Where are the goods?” His eyes were calm and merciless.

  “I can see you’re used to intimidating people,” I said, returning his glare. “Unfortunately, the pressure you give off is nothing compared to my mother!”

  “Your Mother? Wha—” He looked confused, but I just cut him off and looked at Audrey.

  “Can we stop pretending now?”

  My girlfriend shrugged casually. “I guess. It’s not as fun as I thought it would be.”

  With that, fire burned away my ropes, and shadows cut Audrey free. The four men backed up warily as we stood and stretched.

  “How can you use magic?!” The guard captain shouted in anger.

  “Seems you bought a defective product,” I said, and a pure white flame appeared over my hand. “Now… What should we do with you?”

  A few water arrows formed in the air around Audrey, and shadows spun around her feet as she gave them a friendly smile. “I’d be happy to give them a bath!”

  The display of magic made the adventurers lose their nerve, and the three men turned to flee, only to collide with one of my barriers blocking the door. My new magic is already proving useful for more than an impromptu bed.

  “The two of you are making us goddesses feel stupid for worrying about you…” Azure sighed.

  “We can handle lowlifes like these at least.”

  “Damn! The door is blocked!” Their weapons proved ineffective against the invisible wall, so they returned to face us.

  “Audrey, let’s get them back to the guild. I’m sure Lynn would be happy to take a report.” I said, and my girlfriend nodded in agreement. Killing them would be easiest, but I was tired of all the death surrounding us lately. Whatever the guild decided to do after we turned them in was none of my business.

  “You sure are confident…” The guard captain said, but I didn’t miss the sweat rolling down his face even as he stood firm in our way. “You really think the two of you can take us all?”

  “One of us could handle you lot,” I said plainly, which caused all the men to flare with anger. Unlike my brothers, these men couldn’t swallow their pride when needed.

  “You’ll die for taking us lightly!” The captain yelled, and the four men charged at us.

  ***

  Audrey

  “In the end, the fight ended just like that,” Lydia explained to the receptionist. The four men who had taken us hostage were all bound by the ropes they had used on us, plus some hidden shadows for extra caution. They sat on the floor of the guild, unconscious and bruised, but alive.

  “I’m terribly sorry some of our adventurers caused you trouble. This party has been on a probation list for a while, and I’m sure this will be the final strike on their memberships.” Lynn said with a frown. “As for the captain, that might be harder to handle, but it’s not something you’ll need to concern yourselves with.”

  “Thank you. We also brought a witness testimony from the cook they threatened. I’m sure that will be of use.” Lydia handed her a paper that bore the cook’s story, along with his signature and the innkeeper's.

  After handling the matter with our attackers, we also received our rewards for completing the herb collection quest. “That’s another 10 silver in our pockets!” I said excitedly, throwing the coins into my storage dimension.

  “And with our free stay at the Inn, we should be able to save up quite a bit before the rank exam,” Lydia said as we walked through the cobblestone streets. The innkeeper had apologized for her staff’s role in our kidnapping and wouldn’t stop bowing her head until we accepted her offer.

  “At least something good came of it. Even though the two of you are acting like nothing happened,” Aurora sighed heavily.

  “It’s me and Lydia! Of course we’d be fine!” I said confidently.

  “Audrey, Divine Guardians aren’t invincible. Please just be more careful.” Her tone was serious.

  “Right. I know, I’m sorry for worrying you. I promise to keep my guard up.”

  After everything that happened through the night, Lydia and I decided to take the day off from questing. We decided to go on a shopping date to pick up some casual outfits, and the rest of the day passed quickly as we explored the town. Lydia held my hand tightly the whole time and did her best to avoid any area that was too crowded. Her concern made me incredibly happy, and I once again found myself wishing this simple life would become normal for us.

  After our date, and enjoying a dinner blessed by our holy magic, we lay next to each other on the bed. “Two weeks until the exam. Make sure you study properly to pass the written part, Audrey.”

  I groaned as my girlfriend lectured me. “I get it! I promise I will!” It’s not that I wanted to fail, but sitting and reading all day wasn't my idea of fun!

  “I’m going to be testing you randomly. For every question you get wrong, there’ll be a punishment.”

  “What kind of punishment?” I asked excitedly.

  “Just what has Leah done to you…?”