27. Kiara and Erenia’s Moment

"It's a lot of money, my dear." Erenia said, as they met back in their own room. "I know you want to hold it back in our own family holdings, but things are not the same, now. It'll be some time if we even get there. I've only got a small group of aides."

"Then let's skip this succession ceremony." Kiara said, but then she realised that'll be worse. Every single noble family had a ceremony when the power was transferred from one to another. Even a small one. If they couldn't even do one, that was it, she might as well didn't exist to the nobility.

"I'm just holding this position on your behalf, until you are ready. I hope to pass it in much better shape to you, because you and your future husband will rule this land. Taking up a big debt upfront just for a ceremony like this..." Erenia tried to use reason.

Kiara sighed. "I know. I know. It's just..." She wasn't sure why she cared so much about how the other nobles saw her. Her peerage, as she saw it, was a family of noble warriors. She wanted to keep that reputation.

"We have a lot of debt, inherited, and some from your father's... interests. Let's not do more, or I will owe Count Edmund a lot more than I already owe."

The younger knight twitched at how her mother referred to the drug addiction. But it was the second part that really caught her attention. "What do you owe him, mother? What do we owe him?"

"A lot of money, a lot of favors, and our safety. His forces rushed to our lands the moment the chaos broke out and saved us."

"Isn't that suspicious?"

Lady Erenia sighed. "He visited us before it happened. He knew our territory was ready to revolt at any time, and my aides said his men were on standby ever since that visit."

"Why did he visit, mother? What did he want?"

Lady Erenia sat at this part, and tried to think of something to answer. She wasn't sure why she was so flustered when her daughter pressed her for an answer. She was normally more composed. "He wanted a deal."

"What kind of deal, mother?"

Lady Erenia couldn't say, that she sold herself to him. The mark above her crotch glowed faintly, invisible to both of them, it's lust energies swirled within Erenia's body. The silence was deafening for Kiara, who repeated her question.

"Mom. What kind of deal?"

"I'm going to work with him for some things." Erenia answered, trying her best to avoid thinking about the sex. She almost wanted to blurt out the truth, but no.

"What things?"

"Business."

"Is there an agreement?"

"...yes. A magical oath."

Kiara was so stunned that she collapsed on the floor. "Mother, you agreed to a magical oath? You told me never ever to agree to it."

"...yes." Lady Erenia was embarrassed. "But he saved me and all of our people. Our land was infested with criminals, with people who served other lords. He agreed to help us, if I agreed to it."

"Then what did you agree to?"

"I... I can't tell you, but it'll keep you safe."

Kiara was mad, so mad that she stomped out of her mother's room. She decided to pay Count Edmund a visit.