Chapter 30 – Mistress Handling Her Day After

*** Mistress, the morning after ***

"Honey, please take a day. Vasati is willing to handle the brothel. She's more than capable of handling it for one day. She could handle it for a week or at least let us, your wives who run their own successful businesses, come in and help. We all can spare a few hours to do the paperwork portion." Ara demanded. It's the same request they all asked over and over. They passed right over the 'I'm likely pregnant' part and just focused on the brothel.

"No, I'm really not feeling that bad. I'll need help later as the pregnancy takes more of a toll on me. There's no need to tire us all out now when I'm fine," giving the same tired response.

"Honey, you aren't fine. Alzi has no choice but to keep moving. The collar enforces that. You, you're just forcing yourself to go forward. It will come crashing down. My shop is the smallest. I'll close it down and move it into Ava's. She can handle the increase; she already has a few workers to help. Just a day or two, then we head down together."

"No, I'll handle it now. I won't push myself. Just let me keep going. I know I'm going to need help, but right now I just want to keep working!" I shout back to her. I hate to end the conversation forcefully, but I want to get there before the courtroom gets packed, so I just walk out the front door to the carriage before she can respond.

"Courthouse?" is all the driver says, likely hearing our shouting match.

"Yes," I say, stepping inside. I spend the short trip trying to focus on the events, pushing what few emotions I have to the side. Arriving at the courthouse I see there aren't many carriages outside. Hopefully, this can be over quickly. Spending hours to fill out paperwork about my rape with my slave is not how I want to spend today. Taking a deep breath, I open the door and start towards the doors.

The courthouse is grand and makes my brothel, the best one in the Capital, look like a run-down shack. It doubles as a temp to the Goddess of Justice. The courthouse only has one floor but is much taller than my four-floor building. A Large dome covers the main courtroom, a full marble facade for the siding, and column after column holds up the overhang. Every inch has carvings dedicated to the cases that define essential laws of the land.

The Border of the Door is a story about the first case that was brought before the Goddess of Justice, what to do about the Goddess of Nature about the rape and capture of the newly made Fertility Goddess. The Justice given was for the Goddess of Nature to carry a child for the Fertility Goddess.

I start to push the golden doors open; quickly, magic takes over to open them for me. I make my way inside into the reception hall. Paintings fill every inch of the walls and ceiling. They range from over a thousand years old to just a decade old. I don't see room for any new paintings, so I wonder if they will start replacing them or just leave it as is. Most are about the Goddess or famous judges, but a few are just random landscapes.

Lights are magical dots made as small as possible to let everyone see the intricate painting on the ceiling. The Goddess of Justice sprawls the entire ceiling. Different cases she personally oversaw surround her.

I need to stop looking at the artwork and get in line. I wish I could go to a magistrate for this case, but rape makes you go to the full court to get a decision made. I make my way to the shortest line, about a dozen people ahead of me.

Waiting to file my case, I think about what I should do about the Princess and Alzi. I owe Alzi a lot after last night. I doubt she's going to be happy to have gifted her owner a child. A child she'll likely never see. I already plan just to have her do massages every other day and let her have the same rules as the other girls when it comes to clients. I hope that is enough to keep Yuki and Vasati off my back. If she unlocks her next class somehow, I can let her choose it.

I guess I can ask about how to request an audience with the Queen or write a message that she will read while I'm here. I've heard that there is a process for raising a topic with her, but it must be long, or everyone would be doing it. Well, I'll at least be able to tell Yuki I tried everything.

The line is moving quickly. I guess this is just picking up forms and then sending you to the correct office. In the few minutes I'm waiting, the line is already half the size it started. A few girls just walk out, but most walk into the back with some papers in hand. Each of the five lines is growing despite the short time they spend with each girl. Each line has about twenty people in them now.

Should I go to the Fertility Temple after this? Save Kelly from having to check me out. Ask for some guidance, maybe? My family could use it, some help with Alzi and myself wouldn't hurt. I could see if they would want to spend some time with Alzi and have a few Priestess truly pregnant for a bit. I should ask Alzi about that first. The Priestess won't have sex with an unwilling girl even if she is a slave. It wouldn't be the worst idea to give Alzi a chance to talk to the Priestess.

One person till I go. This close to the counter and I still can't make out what the girls are talking about. Just hear a general mumble that echoes through the large room. Nerves start to come as I get closer. Some fear mixed in about needing to share that shameful moment with strangers. Plus, was it really a crime? The owners did it so blantaly, didn't even try to hide it or make me forget. It just forced me onto her penis, then went on like nothing happened.

"Next," comes from the counter. I got a little distracted.

"Hi, I II I would like to, um to to, file a case for." I try to swallow something in my dry mouth. "rr-rrape and destruction of property," I manage to get out.

"I see; when did this occur?"

"Last night."

"Place and people."

"Um yes, the red. The red light district. The Cosmos, cosssmos Brothel. I, I've have a. the list of people here." Passing along a list I made of the owners present.

"Thanks, what property was damage."

"My slave." I want to tell more of the story, but my stammering and whispering are annoying me. Why can't I just talk clearly like normal?

"I see. Take this form, go through the right door, and then into the third door on the right."

"Thank you." I start to turn to the door.

"Do you need this list back?"

"If you don't need it, I'll take it."

"Here you go." handing back the small sheet I quickly snatch it.

"Thanks." I turn to the right and spot the door. It is on the edge of the room, fifteen feet or so from the rightmost wall—average size door instead of the thirty-foot doors at the entrance to the building. Taking small steps, I head over. I've told my story once; I'll likely need to do it again. Then I should be done. The judge can handle the rest.

Moving past the door is a narrow hallway devoid of all decorations, just a line of doors. I slowly make my way to the third on the right and walk in. Another door and a lot of chairs greet me. A succubus occupies one; I wonder if a group decided a succubus is always fair game for sex? She has a hard life till she gets some wives to help protect her. She looks at me when I enter, just a quick scan before turning back to the other door. I take a seat next to her and wait with her.

"Next." comes from the other side of the door, and a small girl walks back through it, dwarf based on proportions. It looks like she was crying, not that I blame her. I'll probably be fighting tears soon. The succubus enters the door leaving me by myself. I started to look over the two forms I was handed. One is for the rape, the other for the damaged slave. I wasn't told to fill in any information so I just wait, not wanting to walk through the night more times than I have to.

While waiting, a man and woman, both catskin, join me. They take the seats next to me. They hold hands but say nothing to each other. I go back to waiting. It takes about an hour for the succubus to come and the voice to call me in.

Inside is a tiny office, just enough room for the desk and three chairs. A miniature painting of a family is on the wall, and there are a few dot lights. Behind the desk is a woman in a very fancy dress. It completely covers her skin below the neck. She sits perfectly straight, with a slight smile and hands resting on the desk.

"Please take a seat. I'm sorry for what you've gone through. Please work with me here, and we can get the people properly punished for the acts they committed," she says in a polite and practiced voice.

"Thank you." Taking the right seat. "I was given these two forms. I didn't know if I was supposed to fill them out or not, so I left them blank." Trying to keep my voice even.

"That is fine; let me see. Oh, you also had enough property damage. Okay, let's start from the beginning. I can fill in the forms. You just take your time and start from the beginning. Please do your best to tell me everything. I know it is hard, but I'm here to work with you." Same tone.

I go through it. I had to pause a few times, mainly when they tied me up and forced me onto Alzi—finishing with Yuki taking Alzi from my hands.

"This is a harder case than normal. I'll need to get the other parties here. Thank you for bringing in one testimony; this will speed up the process. If they have a radically different story, we will need to have a full court for this, but your story lets me fill in all the information needed. Can you give me an address to get in touch with you once the case moves forward?"

"Yes, I wrote it down here." Handing a sheet with my home address on it.

"Thank you for coming so quickly. It helps to move these along and limits the chances we need to book the full courtroom for this. Now, is there anything else?"

"Yes, is there a way to request an audience with the Queen? I have another matter with the slave that I would like to have her word on."

"A few Queens ago stopped the public audiences. There is still a form, and they do occasionally work, but don't get your hopes up." For the first time in the meeting, she isn't sitting perfectly straight, bending over to get something from a drawer. "Here it is. Please fill this out and just send it to the court. We will direct it to the right person. A letter will be sent about the decision."

"Thank you for everything." Tears threatened to appear.

"It is my job to the Goddess and Queen. May Justice follow." I just get up and walk out so I don't start crying on my way out. I fight the tears all the way back to my carriage, taking a second inside to calm down. I could really use a priestess with less businesslike encouragement right now.

"Fertility Temple, please."

"Yes, Mistress," comes from the driver before she stirs the horses into motion.

Slowly, we make our way to the temple. It shouldn't be packed in the middle of the day.

"Here, Mistress."

"Thank you," I call back and get out to a less impressive building. It's smaller, the same height as my brothel, though a bit wider and deeper. The front is covered in marble statues but no gold. I push the doors open, using a little mana to help and find myself already in the main chamber. I find a seat in the back and give my shitty prayer. I just ask for guidance. I don't want to pray my pregnancy into existence. I do need to confirm it somehow. I look around, seeing if I can find something to help me, though I'm not sure what to look for. I really need to go to the temples more often.

"Do you need help?"

"Shit," I jump up, turning to face a Priestess smiling, hands wrapped under a fake bump. "Sorry, Priestess. I got a little lost. Yes, I think I do. I may be pregnant. I was hoping to check that and well give a better prayer either way I end up."

"I see. I can do that for you. Follow me; privacy is always good with these types of things." She quickly turns to the right and starts walking, forcing me to shuffle out of the pew and scramble to catch up. I guess she's a little mad about my curse.

"I'm sorry for my language. I'm normally in a much more vulgar place, and my tongue has gotten a little loose over the years."

"Don't worry; the Goddess understands. You've had a rough night. Just come here and rest on the bed. If you are pregnant, would you like to know the count and genders?"

"Yes please," following her instructions into the white room. I lay on my back, preparing for the mana that is going to come crashing into me. Just a few seconds pass when I feel it, and then the screen shows. Pregnant with three kids. One boy, two girls. I'm sorry, Alzi, your first boy is from rape, and you may never meet him. I'll try, I promise. You deserve that from me.

"I hope you can find joy in the news. Good can come from the pain. Our Goddess would love to help you on your journey through this if you let her. Try to have your family join when you can; it is great for healing."

"Thank you. This is a big change in topic, but I have a slave that is a herm. I haven't asked her if she would be willing yet, but..."

"No, I thank you for the offer, and I'm pleased you think to ask her how she would feel, but not at this time. Do pass on the note that we would love for her to visit. But do not suggest she ask us to breed. Let her make that decision."

"I see. I'll try to bring her here."

"We would love that. Is there anything else you need? I can help you create a prayer if you would like."

"No, I think I know what I want to say now."

"Good. May the Goddess make your life bountiful." With a slight bow, she leaves me alone in the room. I quickly follow, wanting to get to my brothel soon.

I go back to the pew and give a real prayer this time. Asking for the health of my children and Alzi's children and for help with the Princess. I throw in an ask for Alzi to get the marriage she wants. I'll need to go to the Goddess of love for the last part, but it won't hurt to ask twice. I walk out, a little happier than I started the day. I pass a donation bin and drop a few gold coins in.