Roughly another year had gone by since seeing Qat from the viewing stands, hiding around a corner, and ambushing her betrothed with a jumping hug before the 'boy' was 'rescued' by the presence of Yatrel. They had only met with each other once more officially after that, but continued to send small notes together - and less occasionally sweet gifts from Elua.
It seemed one of the reasons the Yecine had made sure to show themselves that day was to assure 'his' concerned fiance that all the medicinal ointment was failing to find purpose. The brunette of course just smiled and suggested they share them with Qatrand's friends and family.
Though inwardly she knew that her beloved 'fortress' was likely built on a solitary peak… and that the supplies had surely already been being siphoned to the garrison of a different castle. Such a thing was *perfectly fine*.
After all she had no assurances that any of her letters and gifts had been making it to her intended 'unmolested' in the first place. The important part was being someone who would send them. Constructing and maintaining her outward identity would keep the majority of her other schemes on fruiting paths.
Especially the ones that didn't force her hand and reveal just how possessive she could be.
Which is why the latest letter received from the Yecine household had originally made her quite happy. Originally. She had even successfully convinced her parents that she would be fine greeting the father and 'son' on her own. It turned out to be a wise undertaking, in a manner of speaking.
Elua was usually 'innocent' in front of everyone, but something had just touched her bottom line. The day was not at all going as she had imagined. It was supposed to be a visit to finally see each other after so long. Her gaze and aura turned icy, making the three attending servants fear something was terribly wrong. Of course, their primary thought was that the young miss was ill.
More specifically, they had been informed rather recently that the Dame Goltbred had been severely early as a child in starting menstruation, so it was likely to happen that way to her daughter as well. Especially since the nine year old was noted as beginning to develop her secondary sexual characteristics.
They could not even fathom that she was actually capable of the level of bloodlust contained and roiling underneath her 'calm' little exterior. Even though that had been by design all this time.
Nor could they fathom that their charge was hiding enough physical cultivation that she could willingly suppress that sort of genuinely unpleasant bodily function they assumed might be starting. In her mind, those eleven long years that she *couldn't* perform such a feat of control in her last life were a dark memory. One that she doesn't think about.
No, her current concern was something entirely unpleasant in a whole different way.
Standing beside the elder from the Yecine that she knew to be Qat's ostensible 'father' was a twelve year old boy with dark hair and pigeon blue eyes. Elua's gaze was almost literally suffocating him but he remained relatively composed in his 'role'.
If he knew that the only thing keeping her from actually asphyxiating him with the use of her superior essence cultivation, making him 'forget' to breathe by blasting her spirit at his, or more preferably choking him with her bare hands… was that she regretfully didn't think she could compartmentalize any image of angrily assaulting that 'cleverly designed' body double's form away from the one she truly cared about.
'Spiritual sequelae I can see coming should be avoided. I'd be fine if I'd reached the heights of a Defier, but that is still a long way off at the rate I'm letting myself progress. Well, that and availability of resources.'
Her cultivation considerations were a weak attempt to calm herself before shifting her gaze to the adult… who was idly wondering if they'd visited on a bad day. He felt it was true when the child's eyes met his own. Their mint color was very different from that of his own oldest child, but he was surprised that they contained a surprisingly similar atmosphere. Anger and uncomfortability.
If only his 'disappointment' could have reached the Fourth Echelon to be a physical Enchanter capable of certain *necessary* techniques. That child still hadn't reached it in time after all the materials and training he prepared. If it had, then he wouldn't have needed to go these extra lengths to account for its 'unfortunate womanly cycles' that started three months ago.
Anper was more than a bit of an uncaring bastard, so he just did what he was ordered to come for despite disliking having to talk to the child.
"Since it had been a while, I thought another meeting would be desired. However, if you are not in the mood for it on this day, then we can wait around until tomorrow."
The little girl momentarily bit down on her own tongue to contain her abrupt *anger*, but then cracked all the joints in her left hand's fingers while flexing her arm at her side and squinted after making a certain sudden decision. She discreetly directed her spiritual sense to invoke her Astralism towards her servants before starting to 'speak her mind'.
"I would love to spend time with my betrothed, if only you tell me where they are today?"
The elder squinted back, let his eyes tick towards the child standing beside him, then met the angry eyes of the other. He didn't understand how she could tell. The flesh sculpting and other preparations had been flawless enough that it surprised even the handful of individuals that were privy to their con game.
Yet his caution told him not to dismiss or pretend that he didn't understand what she was implying. He had no way of knowing that she was *willingly* letting his Danger Astralism detect anything.
Though the children had not met often, there had never been a scene like this. There was no way to convince himself that it was from some recent argument or disagreement between the pair. Especially since 'it' informed him of every detail of their limited conversations.
He was even made aware of the stunt his pawn had pulled at the Youth Guild, though annoyed by that discussion being after the fact. Mostly that the 'disappointment' had left secluded training without getting its hair dyed black like had always been required.
"My son is unfortunately feeling a touch under the weath-"
"How unfortunate to hear. Truly."
The silky voiced girl interrupted by projecting her voice only slightly louder than his. A minor but satisfying power move.
"However, if you bring *that* to my family again to pass it off as my betrothed - or any other being besides the one who was promised me… I will have it contained and looked into. I do not actually care what other purposes you use or require a double of your 'son' for."
Elua could think of many reasonable excuses he could give for the production of such an individual if she tried. Some of which would be gladly accepted by her father. She understood that Ondua er Goltbred was a man that understood the world well enough - though she considered him to be overly doting, a musclebrain, and easily tricked by those he trusted…
"There are not two unique Qatrand's in my heart. So there are not two ever allowed here."
Her chosen 'option' was to be romantically willful, even though revealing that she knew the boy before her was 'wrong' meant that the elder's guard would be raised in the future. It had just been so, so quiet of a decade - let alone her long seclusion in that voidspace before rebirth - that being angered this much was too hard to contain completely.
Perhaps if she actually had reason to fear his level of strength it would be a different matter. She would always be more circumspect with opponents she could respect and fear.
"Do we have an understanding, Anper er Yecine? Or must I go through the hassle of making my case to my mother about how you are treating my feelings?"
While the fathers were the original old friends, that didn't mean the other relations had gone unacquainted over the years. Her scheming opponent was well aware that not only was this young daughter highly favored by both of her parents, Yatrel herself in particular had a certain personality that could be… trouble.
Anper had been present during more than one of her 'fits'. He was starting to feel the same air of casual insanity about their small heiress. Even though she *seemed* quite weak.
Still, he didn't fully understand the logic behind this 'tantrum' of hers. It was one of the reasons he disliked childish people.
"It appears to me that it is a little late. Your servants will-"
Elua snapped her fingers for 'effect' and the illusion that had been overwriting their senses since earlier finally ended. The three almost immediately broke into movement.
"Young miss, if you are really feeling so unwell we should ask your fiance to visit some other day."
"Yes, the madam has already warned us to look out for this."
The young girl frowned in expertly portrayed 'sadness' while pressing both hands to her abdomen where she would be feeling pain.
"You're right… if only near my stomach did not hurt so. I think this is what mother has been talking about after all. Elder Yecine, Qatrand… do you mind coming back in around ten days? From what I've been told, that should be plenty to get over… this."
The man's eye twitched, but he nodded in acquiescence. It did not escape his notice that the three servants jumped into the conversation as soon as she performed the snapping gesture.
After two of them led her away and the remaining one led them out *genuinely politely* as if nothing else of note had been discussed recently, a slight cold sweat did begin to grace the man's neck.
The elder first thought she just had a tight authority, but the way their sudden conversation about her feeling 'unwell' began now seemed a lot more sinister. Like they'd really heard nothing that the girl had said about the double… that they had seen none of her anger and icy behavior - but also like they had seen or heard *something*.
They spoke like the brunette had *already* complained out loud to them about the 'pain' she feigned and they were following up with what she said - when he was sure that was not the case.
He was also sure that sense of illness was faked as well, even though she looked terribly uncomfortable before she left. She had been in such 'viciously fine' vitality right before then.
'A terrifyingly adept liar that can somehow make those with weaker spirits see what she wants? Or manipulate memories…'
He left the Goltbred estate with an unhealthy level of respect and fear for the child, intending to figure out how to adjust his plans once he calmed down. Most of the more severe plans he could concoct were bound to fail as even with what he witnessed, he hadn't accounted for the fact that he could possibly be included as one in the number of 'those with weaker spirits'.
Meanwhile, no existence could ever claim her words as false - for she had really *allowed* her body bring upon its first terrible womanhood to sell the story. Abusing her Astralism so much over a relatively minor matter like falsifying her first period's entire length would just leave needless accumulating spiritual traces on all the people she had to interact with.
There was also the fact that Yatrel er Goltbred truly had recently done the motherly duty of explaining the miserable mechanics of being a female. Elua could have reasonably put it off until much later - years even - until it might be 'long enough' by regional standard to become a physical cultivator that could suppress the occurrence.
Altogether it was more than a whim that led her to use this excuse for sending the unwanted pair away. She had a 'feeling' her fiance might be enduring the same thing. Though in the coming days, she did regret enduring this bitter path in frequent but passing intervals of cramps.