The next day Opal goes to Buttercup's place after she had closed from her night shift. Opal is dressed in an all-black outfit and a mask that is covering her face on the lower part of her face while Buttercup is dressed in an all navy blue bodysuit. They head to an illegal fighting match under a nightclub underground. As they take their sit to watch the march Opal says something that Buttercup has never heard of in her life from Opal.
"Butter…" Opal called out.
"Yeah?" answered Buttercup.
"I've been thinking…" Opal says. "I have decided to become a Knight."
Buttercup could not say anything. The only thing that could be heard was the noise of the crowd cheering the fighters. Buttercup keeps quiet for one whole minute before saying anything.
"Why?" Buttercup asked.
"I want to be more than what I already am. I need more money, better housing and a change of environment." Opal says.
Buttercup doesn't say anything for a while but then breaks the silence.
"I support you." She says with a reassuring smile on her face. "I too want to leave this dump. But the problem is 'what if we are not good enough for them?'"
"We just have to try our best at the entrance exam and as trainees. And I heard that the rate of boys joining the exam is dropping but still far more than that of girls in the Empire."
"Sure. There's just one problem. You know very well that the Holy Mages will know the amount of powers you have. Those who are from wealthy and powerful bloodlines have multiple powers while those from middle-class bloodlines have more powers than the lowest class 'us' but not as much as or as powerful as the elites. As for us we either have one or two, or not at all. So no matter who you are better not play with magic or spells to win also as a low-class people, it will be a miracle to be part of the Knights."
"Yeah…"
"By the way. When is it starting and when will it end?"
"It will start by the end of the month and the finials will be in the mid-week of the upper month."
Buttercup agrees as they start to enjoy their show. As the match was coming to an end, Opal saw a familiar figure but could not just place where she had seen the individual before. The girls enjoy their time at the match as they make it back home.
"That was awesome!!!" said Buttercup with a smile on her face.
"Tell me about it." Said Opal stripping her clothes off as she got ready to take a bath.
"Hey! Why are you undressing here on the road?"
"We're in a building full of women. Is there something wrong with that?"
"Well… There's a man at the corner of that pillar over there by the right."
Opal and the man locked eyes together. The man notices as he tries to run but is stopped. Opal uses her ice power to freeze him and uses her air elemental power to blow him over to the authority with a message written on the ice where the man is frozen.
"Yet you could have waited till you got inside your house." Said Buttercup as she followed Opal in her house.
"Next time." Said Opal in the bathroom taking a shower. As she was drying up her body she saw a small letter pin on the wooden frame of her mirror. She picks it up opens it and reads it. It is written in hieroglyphs.
'Lady of the night and gigolos'. For the G. reaper awaits in bed to put thy Lord to rest. No red wine…
-Unknown misfortune.'
'Yet another lame name and an annoying mission. I wonder how evil my antagonist is. If he or she is remorseful our service will be less 'inconvenient'. If not… that just means more fun for me.'
Meanwhile, the map handed over to Opal shows her where she will meet her partners the location of her client, and the time. The map also shows how their society is divided. The most powerful, wealthy and the untouchables live at the top, the middle class stay on land which is the middle of the Empire while the looked-down upon commoners live underground. In the middle of the second-class society is a massive space equal to the mass of the top-class society.
…
At the top level of the Empire, the chief conceal is having a meeting with the royals of the empire. They are planning on placing the top down with the middle lands and in a way it won't affect the underground citizens. There is a cave right where the underground citizens are and it houses a monstrous mole chained up by large chains strong enough to hold it down. If by mistake the chains break and the mole is set free, the whole population will be wiped out. The meeting ends with these conclusions while the corruptible leader has other plans.
…
Opal returns home before anyone can see her and washes up her body before lying down on her bed. She comes up with the idea of getting a partner, someone who will stay home and watch over her house and be a useful 'cover-up'. So she picked up her phone and searched for PartNerpick.co where users get to pick any partner of their choice, more like buying people. It is also a human market for anyone who needs a slave but others use it for a love partner. So she picks a guy.
They give her information about the man she picked and that he is not to be returned after a week if not satisfied with him and he has been returned eight times which they can not tolerated. Opal wonders what could be the reason for him being returned so many times. She just thought maybe he was the stubborn type but she did not care. All she wants is someone who will be her cover-up when she is out of the house.
The next day she is enjoying a slothful day, Opal is preparing for her new partner's arrival. She dresses up in a gold and white garment and on the floor is a banquet for the two of them to eat together and after they will carry out the last step of their 'partnership'. According to the law of owning or being with your partner (willingly or unwillingly) a large amount of food is to be prepared and a week of lovemaking is to be carried out.
After some time of waiting and preparing there is a knock at her door. There stands the man she is to be with and beside him is his 'Pimp'. The man Opal asked for was dressed in the same outfit as her but looked a bit sad.
"Good day to you miss." Said the Pimp with a smile. "This the man you asked for last night. As you can see he is healthy and strong and he can last long in bed. Sadly, he doesn't have powers. But if you…"
"Thanks but I just want to have him and I did notice some bruises on him. Why?" said Opal collecting the official payment slip.
"Oh, that…" As the Pimp tries to explain himself Opal lets the man into the house. "…he must have gotten himself into trouble and forgot to treat some of his injuries. Here is the certificate you just need to sign here and here."
After she had signed up she shuts the door before the Pimp could say anything else. She helps her new partner to settle down and they start their lovemaking. After a week of sensational intimacy, the so-called Pimp came back to see if there was any trouble.
"Hey, miss." Said the Pimp. "I'm here to pick him up. Sorry, he was no help to you…"
Opal opens the door supporting herself with a table. "Y-yeah… I don't think he was any trouble at all."
"Miss are y-y-you okay… he did not do anything to…"
"No! No! He was 'good' me. Gentle like a sheep but dangerous like a lion … that is a man!"
"Well, that's a first."
After their small conversation, they carry out the confirmation of the partnership lovemaking. After that, it was official. Opal can be with Noam. Noam is preparing breakfast for both of them. Opal sits down as Noam serves her a bowl of custard.
Main while, up in the capital an individual dressed in a Daphne blue dress that covers their shoulders down to their ankles. She is one of the princesses and one of the kin to the throne of the empire. Her hair is pedi white, her eyes are daphne blue like her dress and one of her partners who is in bed with her. She is sitting on her bed reading a book next to her two partners who lay their heads on both of her laps as they watch a movie on the large flat-screen television. There is a knock at the door which distracts the couples from what they are doing.
"Come in!" said the partner on her left.
It was one of the palace maids. She looks distressed and in tears. s
"What's wrong?" said the princess.
"It's your father."
The recent emperor lies on his sickbed. Everyone is gathered in his room both his children and his wives. He tells them about his good , his bad and also confesses to some horrible things. Before he passes away he tells them one more thing.
"To both my children and my wives… I truly was an unfaithful person my whole life. I have up to fifteen children from three more women…." The emperor coughs up blood. "…I had some of them assassinated and some banished or sold but there are four of them who might still be around.... I will tell you that there are two of them out of the four they are terrible and even among the two…there…I-is o-one who I wished is never had… their names are Tziporah, Luneva, Gaius and Ozias…"
Before anything else could be said he gives up the ghost. Unknown to the family grieving on their loose, two men sited by an open window had heard everything. The two end up going to the underground society and announcing the news. At first, the people did not believe until there was evidence and it didn't take too long. The news was on all social media platforms.
The one thing on everyone's mind now is who will take over. Who will be the next emperor or Empress? And will they be better or worse? But for others, it was a breakthrough.