Chapter Text
For the second time Elizabeth awoke from a night of passionate lovemaking in a different bed to the one she'd fallen asleep in. Her blurry eyes immediately locking onto the open window through which a gentle breeze blew and blue skies shone, a clear sign she was no longer in the dungeons if ever that was any.
“Good morning.” Nerissa greeted her from her blind spot. “How are you feeling?”
“Great actually.” Elizabeth remarked, stretching out her arms. “You moved me again.”
“We felt it was best you woke up in a place with windows after your ordeal.”
“The ordeal you put me through.”
“That's the one.” Nerissa laughed, moving to sit on the bed next to Elizabeth. “I suppose you remember it all then?”
“Well, the last hour jumps out a lot more than the couple days before it if I'm being honest.” Elizabeth smiled. “And I remember what I said to you too.”
Nerissa leaned in and kissed her. A soft, gentle kiss, wholly unlike the forceful, passionate ones she'd so far experienced.
“I'm glad.” The handmaid chuckled as she pulled away. “How are you feeling otherwise?”
“Strangely liberated?” Elizabeth shrugged. “A little confused about what all that was even about.”
“It was a test of mental fortitude.”
“And the anal was part of that?”
“It was.” Nerissa nodded. “It's just as important to be flexible as disciplined. If you had done nothing for yourself you would have broken.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Just tell me it's the last time.”
“As far as I know it is!”
Elizabeth gave her a look.
“Hey, Shiori doesn't share all her secrets with me! But from what I am aware of, it involves no more locks.”
“Oh!” Elizabeth looked down at her body, finding to her relief the chastity device she'd been wearing had also been removed. “Thank the six.”
Nerissa laughed. “Come on, let's get you up l, washed, dressed and fed. The mistress of the house awaits us.”
Elizabeth nodded and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet by Nerissa who, seemingly back in maid mode, set about readying her for the day. First leading her to the baths where she bathed her, then back to the room where Elizabeth was dressed in a fine red dress with a black corset. For food, a large meal featuring warm food and fresh fruit was prepared, a welcome change from the dry survival rations she’d subsumed herself on in the week prior.
“Aren’t you joining me?” Elizabeth asked Nerissa as she came out with the food only to step aside.
“I'm just a servant right now Lady Bloodflame.” She smiled. “My orders are ceased and it's only proper that-”
“Oh sod that, sit!” Elizabeth laughed. “I always ate with my retainers back in the capital, food tastes better when shared after all.”
Nerissa smiled and accepted the offer sitting opposite Elizabeth at the dining table and helping herself to some of the platter she’d herself lain out.
The conversation at the meal was lively, though of little consequence, the kind of simple small talk Elizabeth so rarely got to indulge in.
When they were finished other servants were called in to clear the table and Nerissa and Elizabeth, almost two hours after the latter awoke, headed up to the top of the castle’s tallest spire, where Shiori awaited them.
“My Rose.” She smiled, looking up from her book as the door opened. “Good to see you, come sit with me.”
Elizabeth nodded and walked out onto the balcony where tea for three was laid out. Though she was more focused on what lay beyond, a sweeping vista of both the city and the surrounding countryside, visibility clear to the distant mountain ranges to the south.
“It's quite the view, isn't it?” Shiori smiled, noting the knight's awe. “All of it, our dominion to watch and protect.”
“It's a beautiful part of the world, mistress, far more beautiful than the stories say.”
“I’ll bet. I don't imagine there are many nice stories about the north down there.”
“That's true.” Elizabeth nodded, taking a seat.
“You too Nerissa. It's time the three of us had a talk.”
Nerissa nodded and joined them at the table. “Time for that conversation you mean?”
“I do, don't you?”
Nerissa nodded and turned to Elizabeth. “I'm going to cast a spell now, please allow it.”
“What spell?” The knight asked.
“Aura of truth.” Shiori answered.“I believe you're familiar.”
“I am.” Elizabeth nodded. “Very well.”
Nerissa cast the spell and Elizabeth felt it's effects immediately. “So, why the aura of truth? Do you think I've been lying to you?”
“No, of course not my Rose.” Shiori smiled. “The aura is for your peace of mind as much as ours.”
“Alright…” Elizabeth nodded, wondering what could be the reason why her hosts would even think it necessary.
“Elizabeth,” Nerissa said, her voice suddenly feeling quite different, if only because of the rarity of her saying Liz’s full first name, “Do you truly love me?”
“Of course I do!” Liz replied. “Is that what this is about?”
“In part.” Shiori smiled. “What do you think about me?”
“Well, I love you too… Though I was waiting for the right time to say it.” Elizabeth admitted bashfully.
Shiori laughed. “I’m sorry for that.”
“Well…” Elizabeth averted her gaze nervously. “Do you two love me?”
Nerissa placed her hand on Elizabeth's. “Of course we do.”
Elizabeth looked at her and smiled then over to Shiori.
“What?”
Nerissa punched her playfully in the arm. “Come on, she wants you to say it too. We know you like to be the one in control but…”
Shiori sighed. “Fine. Yes. I do.”
Elizabeth beamed.
“Yeah, yeah.” Shiori rolled her eyes though the genuine smile on her face was plain for all to see. “Look, can we get to the point?”
Nerissa laughed. “Right, of course. Elizabeth. Do you trust us?”
“I wouldn't have come this far if I didn't.”
Shiori nodded. “That's good. Though, the truth is, we haven't been entirely honest with you.”
“How so?” Elizabeth asked.
“Remember when you asked about that painting?” Nerissa asked.
“I do.” Elizabeth nodded.
“The truth is I am in that painting.” Nerissa said, looking her in the eye. “The second youngest child. I was the last princess of the north.”
“But that would mean.”
“I'm almost two centuries old.” Nerissa nodded. “I look good for it though right?”
“I can hardly deny that. Still, how can that be you?”
Nerissa looked to Shiori, who nodded. She took a breath, stood from the table and reached up to the collar shed always worn since the day Elizabeth had met her and unbuckled it, letting it drop to the door in front of her.
Elizabeth knew what she was right away, black horns sprouted from the crown of her head, black feathered wings from the small of her back.
“Demon…” Elizabeth breathed, frozen in place. “You're a demon…”
Nerissa nodded. “Your enemy. Right under your nose all this time.”
Elizabeth looked to Shiori. “What is this? What's going on?”
“What it seems, my Rose.” Shiori smiled. “A better question is, why don't you strike her down with your sword as is your duty?”
“I…” Elizabeth hesitated and looked at Nerissa. “Why do you reveal yourself? Have you bewitched me somehow?”
“No.” Nerissa said as suddenly the reasoning for the aura of truth became clear to Elizabeth. “We believe you're ready. Ready to understand what we are and what your true purpose always was.”
“My purpose?”
Nerissa stepped closer. “Haven't you always felt it? That ball of emotion in your chest? The love, the hate, the laughter, the pain? All so hot, all so buried.”
“I… How do you know about that?” Elizabeth brought Thorn to her, grasping it tightly in her hand for a familiar sense of purchase more than anything else.
“Because we're far more similar than we are different.” Nerissa smiled sitting down in the lap of the Knight, unfazed by her sword. “Will you let me show you?”
“F-fine!” Elizabeth quickly acquiesced, feeling Nerissa’s fingers crawl teasingly up from her belly to her chest.
“Take a deep breath, breaking the bonds placed upon you will sting.” Nerissa warned before plunging her fingers into Elizabeth’s chest and pulling.
Elizabeth screamed as everything hit her all at once. Memories and feelings once locked away being ripped up to the surface. Memories of who she really was.
—
She saw herself looking out from a balcony across a great citadel. This balcony, hand in hand with a girl, a girl with long black hair and two small black horns, a girl she recognised right away.
“All of this is ours one day Liz!” The girl smiled.
“Hardly.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Third princesses don’t tend to inherit much of anything you know.”
“Hmph! Sure, but everyone loves me so I bet they'll make me queen anyway.” Nerissa beamed.
“Well that's true.” Elizabeth chuckled. “Everyone does love you.”
“Even you!?”
“What do you mean, even me?” Elizabeth sounded offended. “Nobody loves you more than me.”
“Then will you vow always to stay with me?” The girl said, suddenly serious.
Elizabeth took her hand in her own and kissed it. “I will. I'll protect you forever Nerissa.”
—
She saw herself on a battlefield many years later, soaked in blood, welding the very sword that now rested in her hand, fighting side by side with Nerissa.
“The battle is lost.” Elizabeth yelled, striking down a soldier bearing down on her lady. “We should get to safety.”
Nerissa shook her head. “My family have all died fighting off the invaders. It's just me left.”
“All the more reason to run!”
“No, Elizabeth. There must always be a Ravencroft here, this is my duty. You should run and save yourself.”
“No!” The knight shook her head. “My duty is to protect you! I swore that when we were children. If I can't make you move I can at least protect you here.”
Nerissa pulled her close and kissed her. “There's no-one else I'd rather see the end with.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Me neither.”
—
She saw herself a child once mor,e knocked out on a cold slab, the man she called her father above her, Cecilia to her side.
“Finally. This girl shall lead us to a new golden age.” The man said, placing a scalpel down on the tray held by the automaton.
“This is highly illegal my lord.” Cecilia observed, placing the tray to the side.
“The finest swordswoman the north ever saw, bound to eternal service to house Bloodflame is worth bending a few laws. Besides, nobody will ever know, right Cecilia?”
The automaton sighed sadly. “Yes my lord.”
“Good. Now, wake her up and stick to the script I gave you.”
Cecilia nodded, taking a syringe and injecting it into the arm of Elizabeth, causing to splutter awake.
“You're awake my lady.” Cecilia said, adopting a warm smile. “You had quite the fall.”
“Who… Where…” Elizabeth said confusedly, looking around in a daze.
“I'll explain everything.” Cecelia smiled. “Don't worry, I am here for you.”
—
Back in the present Elizabeth gasped for breath, looking down in horror and wonder at her chest where, above a wound, blazed a bright blue flame.
“What am I?” She said, looking to her companions.
“From what I can tell, you're the spirit of the original Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame bound to a clone body.” Shiori answered. “But Nerissa won't let me dissect you to really get a good idea.”
Nerissa shot her a look. “Come on, don't joke right now, she's just recalled a whole other life.”
“I was there, with you.” Elizabeth nodded, looking at Nerissa. “But you…”
“They killed us.” Nerissa nodded. “But I'm a demon. I'm bound to this place and all it took to bring me back was a powerful enough witch.”
“Yoo hoo!” Shiori cackled.
“Why?” Elizabeth asked.
“Why?! Why not?! Didn't you hear, we witches are crazy.” Shioti laughed.
Elizabeth gave her an unimpressed look. “You're avoiding the question. Don't think I don't know how the aura of truth works.”
Shiori's expression flattened. “Fine. You got me. I did it to get revenge on my family.”
“Revenge?”
“You know I was excommunicated for witchcraft?”
“You were?”
“Exactly! They sent me out here IN EXILE!” Shiroi became suddenly animated. “When I was just a teenager they dumped me in this old castle far away from where I could cause a stir! ‘Well,’ I said, ‘I'll show them how much of a stir I can cause!’”
“And you summoned Nerissa?”
“Yeah, and you know, one thing lead to another…” Shiori shrugged.
“That's her way of saying she fell in love with me.” Nerissa laughed.
Shiori sighed. “I did.”
“And then on the rare chance we had to come to the capital, I saw you. My old lover in the flesh.” Nerissa smiled. “And I knew, I had to have you back.”
“But I'm…” Elizabeth hesitated. “My new duty is to bring people like you both to justice.”
“I know.” Nerissa nodded, reaching down and picking up her collar she’d let drop to the ground. “But now you know what your real duty is, right?”
“The promise we made here all those years ago, huh?”
“Care to renew that vow?” Nerissa asked back, holding the collar out to her. “Will you dedicate yourself once more to me?”
Elizabeth knelt. “I will.”
Carefully Nerissa looped the collar around her neck and buckled it shut and, like that, the flame that burned in her chest flickered out.
“I love you, Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame.” The demon said with a smile.
“I love you too, my Lady.” Her knight smiled back.