Author's Note:
~50k words now folks. Thanks for sticking with my tale so far.
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The year and a half since Qatrand returned had been better in some ways but also more of the same. Elua - now midway through her twelfth year - only saw the fiance about once a week, when the older girl could make it to their family dinner. But she never stayed as long as that first time and they never got to have many long private chats. The Yecine elders still seemed intent on not letting the pair spend an excessive amount of contact with each other.
The Goltbred heiress figured that Anper might think she would learn the truth if they did.
After Qat had achieved her family's main goal of reaching the cultivation level that would allow her to continue with their 'heir' deception, they provided a lot less 'resources' but still kept most of the 'control'. She was also of Guild age, therefore most of her day was spent on the work assigned through there to the swordswoman.
Her work at The Ironclad Order sometimes even sent her off to other places for a week or more! Which meant some months she didn't even see the Yecine four times.
A mint eyed girl laughed and chatted 'merrily' with three other people while exiting her shift from the Wolfhide Fellowship. She had already sensed the presence of her 'fortress' waiting for her around the corner, again. She had been there last time… and the few times before that in the last few months. That's why she led them past that way… and once again brought up their 'plans' in earshot.
The schemer couldn't be certain if it was a single factor or all of them together that created the wonderfully *jealous* quiver in the dark-haired 'boy' that had come and waited all that time to meet her.
'No matter the case, it is nice to be 'coveted'! Clear eyed promises are lovely, but I'd been wondering how *drastic* my gem's 'protection' could ever be… since there was never a flutter there when confronted by the 'rivals' I worked so hard to make.'
Whether she had actually 'worked hard' or not beyond maintaining her 'facade' was debatable. Qatrand er Yecine stepped out of the alley just after the group passed and cleared their throat loudly.
"El. If you choose to dine with them today instead of me t-then I won't allow you to see each other again."
It was an empty threat in the first place, something that she only thought of because of a public argument the dark-haired Guild member witnessed the day before on mission. While she hoped it wasn't taken too literally, Qatrand did sort of hope it would at least remind the brunette that she was 'available' today and had planned on joining their family for dinner.
Being 'forbidden' to do something by her future husband-wife had quite a *different* effect than the swordswoman intended. Elua's young body developed goosebumps and stiffened involuntarily.
The smaller girl had expected a few things. Like the other bringing up she had a plan already. Or maybe being upset enough to say she won't come to dinner next time… or even 'ever again'! In all cases she was *prepared* to 'sooth'. To explain the situation.
Now she just *had* to make a bigger deal of it!
Ignoring everything else, she stalked over with an odd expression and gait before leaning into the suddenly 'outspoken' Yecine's chest and gazing up at their pigeon blue eyes. The mint set had lost their usual child-like vibrancy while gaining a strange 'depth' that her fiance found hard to place.
It wasn't the 'dullness' she had been exposed to a few times. So she figured it was still some side of the brunette's 'second' persona.
"If you're going to try and punish me, Qat… you should know I don't actually care that much about other people. There's you and me - and most everything else is just 'noise'. That's why when you need to, you should always do something to *me* yourself~"
Her silky voice obtained hints of a taunting roughness as she spoke. She hopped up and steadied herself on the other's shoulders while bracing her thighs around the taller girl's strong waist. With a tilted head, her mouth angled close enough to the underside of Qatrand's chin that her unsettlingly hot breath could be felt.
The taller girl's arms raised slightly but stayed out to their sides. She felt uncomfortable… in a way that was different from when she had just thought that her younger fiance forgot about their dinner plans.
"El… what are you doing?"
"For instance, have you ever heard of spanking? I promise that would teach me a *lesson*. Maybe teach the both of us. Nngg… okay, I admit coming from you it might be more of a reward than anything: but it would still make me listen to all your orders~"
The girl giggled like 'usual' while leaning her body back away. She had satisfied her need to *tease* her betrothed with flirty banter brought on by the sudden attempt to be 'controlled'. She put on a 'gentler' smile and prepared to use her 'normal' voice. Now she had to act like the proper, 'serious adult' in the relationship.
"When we're older, in private, and when you want to, of course. Even I have lines and recognize proper conduct. I'm never going to do more than tease you. Just tell me freely if I cross one of yours, Qat. A line. Especially if it's one you just discovered. For instance… anything I did just now? I don't want you to resent me."
The brunette voiced the last sentence in a dull whisper while looking down in between them, causing the somewhat frozen limbs of the other party to finally encircle to support Elua lightly. Meanwhile… three girls who had only meant to invite the popular 'fairy' from their cohort out for fun were forced to watch the couple flaunt their intimate relationship in public!
Damned arranged marriages can't be so good!
"I… didn't know how to deal with you climbing on me while I was standing. The breath on my neck… did make me… uncomfortable."
The heiress filed that away as there had been a spiritual blip other than complete 'dislike', but engaging with that was for the future!
"Okay. I won't do that second thing. Also, I wasn't honestly going to go with them. If you weren't here yet, then along the way I would have 'remembered' that you were waiting on me and ditched them."
Elua lightly clapped twice on Qatrand's shoulders after speaking quietly without a care of the casual social deception.
"Come on, then. Carry me to the main street. I've been standing for hours~ We can ride together home like last week."
The mint-eyed girl sent an 'apologetic' smile and wave at her 'work friends'. They had served the 'purpose' she desired. If one of them hadn't mentioned it, she probably wouldn't even have *remembered* that they had ever talked at the Youth Guild in the past!
'Part of me had still been sure at least one of them had lied about that…'
The betrothed couple marched and rode forward without any particular embarrassment. The Goltbred attendant waiting for her young miss near the carriage, saw that the pair had upgraded from holding hands to holding each other. The servant coughed pointedly with a look at the Yecine.
"Ah. She said she was tired?"
Qat defended with uncertainty. The excuse felt flimsy and she was weak to 'authority'. The girl's personal servant could be seen as almost 'equal' to her parents. It wouldn't be good to leave a bad impression!
Meanwhile the brunette was stuck thinking about the word 'tired'.
'Well, I only implied it. But there's no sense in making her the only one lying. Not that that's what she thinks she is doing~'
The younger girl nodded in agreement.
"I see. That is concerning. You know, she used to make me go for on a hike with her back home every day from this job instead of riding. Are you unwell…?"
The heiress honestly had not thought further minutes ago than that she wanted to stay attached like she was. There was no choice but to pretend!
"Or are you just acting weak around a strong boy just to be pampered? I had a little sister like that, young miss. She would make me carry her claiming to be exhausted only to bolt off back to playing the moment we got home. Be careful with this one, young master. If that is what she is like, she will play little tricks if you let her keep winning."
The little mouth that had opened to put on an act and spin a tale finally closed once the woman stopped speaking. She felt betrayed! Elua also now felt *vindicated* about the illusion construct still attached to the servant's spirit.
'I'll show you tricks, woman.'
As if her intent were being read, the set of mint eyes was covered with a calloused palm - and a side of a thumb rubbed between the furrowing brow. The Goltbred thought that she would have to do her best to not tell Qat too soon… that such a little trick was effective!
She already almost forgot what she was supposed to be upset about.
"If I didn't want to indulge her, I wouldn't."
'Hnng… and there went the rest! Something about some woman besmirching me? Who cares about that~'
Her 'fortress' was just too calm when saying something so 'captivating'. That sort of statement also spoke to a larger point that the younger bodied of them had been thinking of for quite a little while. That the older girl had a personality that wouldn't do things she wasn't willing to… but was that true?
The closer the day she would join a Guild came, the more Elua wanted to pose a question.
"Hah… I love you Qat, will you marry me?"
The thumb paused and the Yecine's spirit roiled.
"Wasn't… that the plan already?"
The swordswoman was confused and concerned - maybe El really wasn't feeling well like the attendant suggested! A 'sweet giggle' helped ease that perturbed spirit.
"Why yes, it was their plan. They arranged it. Both of us agreed to it. We've probably referred to each other from the standpoint of being bound in such a way quite a lot. But believe it or not… neither of us have actually asked each other."
Elua er Goltbred released her hold and carefully slid off the taller girl. Then she reached for one of the hands she loved and raised it to her lips to place a kiss on the back of it. A certain construct in a servant was activated. The surrounding noises vanished before the lifeless features came to the forefront.
She had not shown this side of herself strongly again since the evening her fiance had returned home.
"Now, I did it. I've asked. So, what will it be? Qatrand er Yecine, would you like to be married to me? Ah, but be sure you know *what* I am asking. I want your real answer. The one irrelative to either of our families."
The reincarnator would say that she was *displaying* herself as 85% 'real'. The pressure of a peak spiritual Primalist wrapped itself around the young woman - with the experience in control of a former Demi-god, so that it did not 'suppress' much at all. She just placed it close enough for the 'inexperienced' Qat to be able to probe it a little with her own spiritual sense.
"Do you, personally, want to bind your future to this kind of me standing before you?"