Chapter 113 – Failed Negotiations

*** Aurora ***

This is going to be a set of awkward conversations.

Men are placed on the second to top floor for their safety. But Alzi is already pissed off, so I have to ask. Hopefully Isda is willing to explain it to Alzi for me. We maids really need help in making my Lady not hate us.

Right now, I do not think we will be able to get pregnant like the Princess asked. She will probably get the regular servants first, anyone who would annoy the Princess and her maids. Maybe I can push her to Calli. She is weak but a fire mage, and if having a child with a dragon improves any affinity, it should be fire like the Queen.

I walk into the dining room, finding them waiting for the food.

"Lady Isda, my Lady is asking to be on a lower floor than the fourth," I say in a small bow.

"No, the Princess is already on the third floor, and the seed can't be any lower. The Princess needs to be on the third floor. Alzi has done it for a decade. She can handle it now," she says.

"She was quite insistent."

"So that was what that was about," she says, leaning back with a sigh. "I'll see if I can get her to calm down. I think I know a few of the reasons she doesn't want to be up there. You can go and give her the warning. Tell her I'll be there to explain it all."

"Thank you, Lady Isda," I say, retreating. I should take my time coming back and lower the wait for the answers, make sure the room is ready, and all that.

*** Alzi ***

They finished cleaning me a while ago but didn't offer to do anything else, so I just flipped over and floated around for a time in the warm bath. The maids retreated to the side. I think they're still naked, but I don't really care.

But if switching rooms takes so long, shouldn't they go and help? I probably got the lazy ones since they seemed to have set up the family already and just tacked me on to fuck me over.

Yuki said you can do some really basic spells with other affinities if you use enough mana. I should have enough to heat the bath some more. Or would the heat all escape as the water gets cycled?

The useless headmaid said they would teach me how to use mana so I could try it after they teach me how.

"What is taking so long?" I call out.

"I'm not sure, my Lady," one says, the water and fountain muffling the voice too much to tell who said it.

Yuki could've gotten me a bath like this, right? She seems to have a lot of money or the Duchess? I could get a healer class and could've done it myself I think. I would need to buy the enchantments for the water circulation stuff and then heating. The room would be an issue I think. Heat and steam are bad for wood normally. A year's saving would do it, I guess. Or two.

How much do enchantments cost, and how much could I charge for my healing?

I would need to learn a lot before I could heal anyone. Kelly would've taught me, but I doubt useless is going to find her and let her teach me.

I should just fall asleep here if it's going to take this long to get a bedroom ready. This mansion should have plenty of bedrooms. Why can't I get one of the guest rooms? I'm sure they have more than they need.

...

"My Lady, are you awake?"

"I am now," I say, waking up still in the bath.

"I am afraid you will have to stay on the fourth floor. Isda will come to explain the reasons after dinner. Can you get out of the bath, and we can dry you off, so you are ready for lady Isda?" the head maid says.

"No, I'll just sleep here," I say, closing my eyes again.

"Isda is pregnant. She should not come into this bath. So please come out so we can discuss this. She believes there are things you are worried about that will not happen here."

"I can sleep here," I say, closing my eyes again.

"My Lady, get out of the bath," she says, stirring the collar awake.

"What Lady gets ordered around by her maids. I don't want to be here. I don't want any of this. Just return me home or sleep or go the FUCK AWAY!" I scream as the collar shocks me into walking out.

"My Lady, I do not want to do it this way. You can not leave. The Goddess will not accept a divorce," the damn maid says.

"She will. Just take me to the stupid temple and ask. Take the collar off, and let me speak my mind. Let me go home," I cry out, collapsing on the side of the bath.

"My Lady I..."

"Stop. I'm not a lady. The maids hate me. What did I do to any of you? I don't want to be here. I hate all of you. I didn't storm into your life and take your kids from you, then force you to marry a random woman, taking you away from your love. I have a fucking SLAVE COLLAR ON! Shut up and leave me alone. I can't even sleep on the floor I want. What noble can't even pick the floor to sleep on."

"The Princess did not pick. The head of the family does not get to pick. The seed is the other one. Normally a man, but a herm fills the same role. Come on, Alzi. It would feel nice to sleep in a bed. Tomorrow, we can work on the relationship between you and the maids."

"Go away," I say.

"Is Alzi still in here?" a new voice asks. The stupid golden girl.

"Lady Isda, you should not be in here while pregnant," the old maid says, abandoning me.

"A few minutes will be fine. Alzi can heal me and our kids," she says. "Do you want to feel them? They started kicking a while ago, but they seem to know you're around," Isda says, walking over to my sprawled-out form. "Look, dear. I'm sorry for how this turned out. I know a lot of your life hasn't turned out how you wished. But you just married a princess. One aimed for the throne, and I think she can do it with your help. So can we work out a deal so you give this family a shot?"

"I want my mommy, her wives, Yuki, Kelly, and Mai."

"Alzi, dear, you know we can't bring all them in. A marriage isn't something that we can just do," Isda says, kneeling by my head.

"Seemed to work just fine for me," I mumble out.

I hear her give out a little sigh, "Alzi, you're special. The nobles knew it, but they didn't know how special; otherwise, you would've been sold years ago."

"I had a deal I wouldn't get sold at all. I'm supposed to be in the brothel for seven more months, and then I get to go home to my mom and raise my kids with her and Mai," I cry out. "Give me that back."

"You have a collar on. Please don't make us use it."

"Use it. You have nothing to offer me. I can make kids easy enough. I have plenty of bastards. I just gave twelve to a Duchess before you tore me from my world yet again. Tore me away from the kids I wanted to meet. Kids I had plans for. I had people I loved. I had everything I wanted in seven months. If you can't give me that, then just force me."

She takes her time responding, instead taking my hand and placing it on her bloated belly. The kids seem to rush to the hand.

I should've done this with Mommy and Mai.

"Alzi. I was sad when I realized I wasn't going to spend another night with you. You made that night perfect. Gave me everything I asked for. Everything I dreamed of. This family can give you that. It'll look a little different from your dreams and hopes. But it'll fill that spot. You'll have kids to raise, a family that loves you, and women you can love. Give it a chance. In a few years, if you still hate us, we can try to work something out to get some of your old loves to be with you. Give me and the kids you gave me a chance."

The damn collar picks that last sentence as a command. Slowly shocking me as I refuse to care about anything.

"Now, I know you don't want to be on the fourth floor. But I promise you this. You will choose when you get pregnant and who does it. Not me, the Princess, or any of our wives will force you to carry our children. When you do choose to get pregnant I'll have you moved to the first floor. Ok. The fourth floor has almost everything you need on it. You'll only have to come down for dinner and if you wish to take a bath or if you need to go outside. You shouldn't have to leave for a while, so it'll just be for dinner. Almost everything else will come to you on the fourth floor."

"No. Second floor."

"It isn't safe, dear," Isda says.

"Oh no, someone will kidnap me and take me from my wonderful life here," I spit out. "I guess it makes sense you worry someone will take me. You did just do that yourself."

"Alzi, we will love you. The ones that take you from us will not treat you nicely. You'll be sold to the highest bidder and used as a breeding whore for the rest of your life."

"What am I doing here?"

"You aren't a breeding mare for us. You are a wife that we care about."

"Second floor."

"Alzi, the fourth floor is your floor. It will be for you. A few rooms for the maids. The rest will be made out how you wish. The second floor..."

"Second floor is all the wives that matter are. I'm just the extra. The one to let you have kids."

"No, the second floor is a mix of wives and maids. Some wives are on the third floor."

"I'm still the odd one out."

"I'll move up there with you."

"Second floor. Move a maid up there."

"Alzi, work with me here. I have a hard stance on the fourth floor. Help me make it work."

"Lady Isda. You really must get out of this bath. You are sweating too much."

"I'll be fine. Alzi, what do you need," she keeps insisting.

"Take me home."

"This is home."

"Dinner. I don't have to come down for dinner," I say to get the collar to stop.

"Twice. Two nights a week, you can have your dinner on the fourth floor."

"Yes, better make sure I don't get a thing I ask for. Don't want the slave thinking she can get too much."

"Alzi, you need to meet your wives if you're going to join the family properly."

"I don't care about that."

"Three nights."

I don't even bother with her. It will be three nights for a week or two then they'll start dropping it or finding some reason I have to join them downstairs.

"Four is the highest I can go, Alzi. That gives you the majority of the nights. The Princess won't be happy about this."

"Good. She can be mad. She can feel a bit of pain."

"Can we leave? I am feeling a bit lightheaded, Alzi."

"I still hate all of you."

"I'll work on that. I promise Alzi. I know this night hasn't been a good showing for the family, but it will get better. Just give us a chance. Aurora, can you help me out?" she says. My hand slides off her belly as my maid helps her out of the bath. I stay still, waiting for them to force me up the floors.

The minutes slowly pass by before the bitchy maid comes back in, now in her uniform.

"Come on, my Lady. Stand up so we can dry you off and then get you clothed. We're all tired, and I think you want to sleep just as much as we do," she says, commanding me to my feet.

She does the drying spell, and then I follow her to the changing room to put on my robe and heels. Then, I go up four flights of stairs again. My skills keep me from dragging my feet through the empty mansion.

Inside my room, I found all the things Yuki had: a desk, chairs, a couch, a small table, windows that opened to a terrace, a large canopy bed, and a pile of pillows. The only problem is that everything is white and reflects the light from my body.

"Make it all black. I won't be able to sleep well with all the light," I say, stripping down.

"I'll make the request. Hold out your arms, please," the maid asks.

"Why?" I say, flicking my heels across the room to the corner.

"For your nightgown."

"I'm good," I say, collapsing on the bed and going to sleep.