Chapter 55: Milinda White
On the way back to Vincent
East Empire Royalty Tent
Milinda
My name is Milinda White. Milly for short, however since I was 6 years old no-one has ever publicly called me by that name. It took until I was about 8 years old to not automatically respond to my name. They gave me the fake name from my attendant called Grace Gregory. She always impersonates me as my body double, she looks nothing like me. For security reasons she took my name Milinda White. My father the emperor was executed recently and we had lost everything. I still haven't cried. I loved him he was a good father. They where kind enough to let us say goodbye, but still why did he have to die? My father warned us all not to show animosity toward them. How can we not, they are directly responsible. He also ordered his 1st wife Victoria to have general Kaijuu marry their daughter Priscilla in order to secure our future. My mother Elizbeth White is his third wife. I haven't seen her in years. She was banished from the palace and is not part of the royal family anymore. It's morning and we are packing up to travel again as soon as Victoria-sama arrives.
She's here.
"Come closer girls"
All the women from the royal family and their attendants stay together in the tent they had made up for us.
"General Kaijuu has agreed to see me, I'll be riding with him today. Priscilla I'll make a strong case for you, however I'll give him the choice to have any of you, so be prepared."
She left and so did we. We got on the wagons they confiscated from the city for our trip.
Our attendants broke down the tent and packed it up.
We set off for the day.
We waited patiently as our attendants set up our tent again.
About 2 hours after we went inside, Victoria-sama comes in.
"Girls gather round."
We do. She's looking around.
Her eyes lock on to me.
Priscilla speaks up:
"By your demeanor mother, It seems it was successful, I'm ready to depart at once."
She stops her by raising her hand.
"Not you, her"
She points to Grace standing next to me.
Priscilla's taken aback. She's staring at Grace.
"He asked for you specifically Milinda. You, Grace and I will be accompanying the general for the trip tomorrow."
Grace bows
"As you wish mother."
"You may all go for now."
She gestures me to come closer and whispers.
"I need you to read him tomorrow, tell me how he found out about you and try to find out anything else that's useful, you'll report to me afterwards."
"I understand."
I have a bad feeling about this.
That night I had some trouble sleeping so I had grace use the sleep spell on me.
The Next Day
General Kaijuu's Carriage
There's a man sitting in front of us at the back of the carriage, he's wearing his full armor headpiece included. He looks like the picture of a demon demon from a book I read once.
From his legs to his arms to his shoulders are all spiked. Even his headpiece is spiked, his torso has these sections indented, they are red. It's the same armor he wore when he came to the throne room to meet father. We are sitting closest to where the horses are opposite him.
Mother starts off:
"General Kaijuu-sama, may I ask you to remove your helmet so we may begin."
He has his arms crossed and is tapping his finger.
"Very well, but first a gift for each of you."
"You shouldn't have."
Mother has her fan covering her mouth.
He picks up a box revealing a yellow folder underneath, I think I've seen one before.
I can't remember exactly where though.
He hands Grace a bracelet, and gestures for her to put it on. She does.
He then hands mother a set of earrings. She takes it and bows her head.
He then hands me a black choker with a red round jewel on it.
"For me?"
I speak out of turn. Damn.
"Yes please put it on."
I look at mother, she nods.
I put it on. It clips in the front. it's a perfect fit. I don't even feel it.
He removes his helmet and places it on the folder next to the empty case.
He's kind of normal looking, no discernable features, spiky black hair, because of the sweat from the helmet. I can't tell what his body looks like because of the bulky armor.
"Well then general Kaijuu, may I introduce my daughter Milinda White"
She gestures to Grace sitting on her right. She bows her head. Then she gestures toward me.
"This is her attendant Grace Gregory."
I bow my head. I look at his face. Silence. Why?
"Before we continue general Kaijuu-sama, if you would indulge me, you see Grace here is a kind of fortune teller and to appease my worries for my daughter's future, would you be so kind as to submit to a reading from Grace."
"Very well."
"Thank you so much."
She closes her fan and points it toward his arm.
"Please remove your gauntlet and give her your palm."
In the past we've captured a few spies from the Shadowfall kingdom. When I look at someone's face I can listen in on their surface thoughts. When I make skin to skin contact I can see everything, all their secrets, their past, everything. From the captured spies we gathered their numbers, we were sure we'd win before father ordered the invasion.
He removes his gauntlet.
The only information I have on this guy is from what I read from the man and woman that came to the throne room with him. I could tell that they really respect him. He is hella strong and smart. He's responsible for the victory. If not for him we may have stood a chance.
No we would have won.
I reach for his hand. Show me your secrets, all of it will be laid bare in front of me.
I take his hand...
Nothing. Wait! What!?
I look at his face. He looks calm.
I feel a chill run down my spine.
He notices me looking.
"What's the matter Milly?"
He knows my name, how the hell. I let go of his hand in a panic
"General Kaijuu-sama that is Grace Grego-"
"Stop lying"
We are stunned silent. Mother's sweating bullets as his stern gaze land on her. Grace is shaking. I'm frantically looking around.
"I'll forgive you this once, but lie to me again and you'll pay with your life."
Mother panics then calms herself, she opened up her fan again as she takes a breath.
"How did you--?"
He stops her.
"I can't tell you, nor do I want to."
He grabs my hand. I don't know what to do. Help me mother. She's still as white as a sheet. Grace passed out.
"I'll have you as my wife, but only if you choose it of your own free will, until then come work for me, I won't take no for an answer."
What should I do, my face is getting hot. What just happened? Are we gonna die.
Mother closes and puts her fan away.
Mother manages to bow to him, she bows deeply. She's shaking too.
"Please spare us general Kaijuu-sama, I sincerely apologize for our conduct, It's as you said I tried to deceive you. There is no use in denying it now. I ask you again to please forgive us."
Mother's holding her breath as she waits for him to answer.
"I'll forgive you this time, however she won't be able to report what she read from me, since the choker I gave her blocks that ability."
mother sits up and looks at my neck.
As I look back at him I notice he's still holding my hand.
"You'll be staying with my second wife for the time being."
I look over, mother passed out.
He lets go.
Is this why father warned us, did he know. It's all coming back to me now, that yellow folder I saw, there where a few of those in father's study, he told me 'Only important men gets divine revelations from god' when I asked. I look up at him, his stare is intense but I notice a kind of kindness in his eyes. I can't think.
He takes the folder, the case and his helmet and moves it to the floor on his left then moves over.
"Please join me, let's have a chat."
I get up. the carriage hits a bump. I'm falling. He catches me.
"Be careful. Now please."
As he gestures with his right hand for me to sit.
I take a seat next to him.
"You probably hate me since I was directly responsible for your father's death, that's fine for now. However I think that with time you'll realize I was only protecting my family. If you do decide to marry me, know that I'll always protect you. Whatever you decide, as long as you remain in my employ your family will remain safe, I can guarantee that much. Please know that the choice will remain yours and yours alone."
His stare tells me he's serious.
I look down. I stay silent.
After a while he starts talking to me about this and that. I mostly stay quiet.
I don't know what to think.
Mother eventually woke up. Grace is still out, maybe she's just playing dead. I can't tell.
Mother stays silent, I can see her knuckles whitening as she grips her closed fan on her lap.
Eventually the conversation fizzles out. He's laying on his arm looking out the window.
Later
It's nighttime. We're standing in front of a tent.
"Go ahead."
He holds the tent flap open for me.
We enter.
Grace has gone to collect my things. She won't be joining me again for the rest of the trip.
"Who's this?"
I see a beautiful woman standing there busy getting dressed, her breasts are huge, she's wearing a black nightgown.
"This is Milly, my new wife in training."
My face is getting hot again, I look down.
He touches my back. I jump.
"You'll be staying with my wife for the rest of the trip. This is Felmina."
She's right in front of me. I didn't notice.
"Welcome, as he mentioned my name is Felmina, second wife of general Kaijuu Ryu-sama. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
She curtseys. such elegance. She then takes my hand and leads me.
"You can put your things over there."
She points to a bed with a wardrobe on the far side.
She walks up to him.
"Where did you find her? How did you meet? Where is she from?"
"Management."
"I see... "
She flutters her eyes at him:
"Anyways can we do it tonight?"
"Not tonight, I need you to look after her."
He points at me, she looks over to me
"She must be feeling a bit scared from being away from her family."
"I'm fine."
I bow to them.
She starts hanging on his neck.
"You see she's fine, I got all dressed up, please we'll be right next door."
He looks down at her. he closes his eyes and sighs.
"Ok fine, but just once. You'll sleep here tonight. No exceptions"
She's beaming as she lets go. Then she gets this wild look on her face. He's blushing.
"Well then Milly, I'll see you later."
She waves to me as she drags him off.
It wasn't just once.
It's the middle of the night and they are still at it.
As long as I work for him we'll be safe huh.
Not a bad offer considering.
I can't get this choker off, it's locked.
I cant even get my fingers on anything but the jewel, It's like it's like a tattoo to my neck.
When I gave up I felt a kind of peace wash over me. As it does my mind starts to wander:
When I first got my reading ability I couldn't control it at all. Everyone's surface thoughts spilled into my brain. When my real mother realized this she had me examined, they couldn't find anything physically wrong with me at the time so we went home afterwards.
I told my mother not to worry. 'I'm not worried' she said. She had me moved to my own room after a few days and I could finally sleep again.
Soon after mother Victoria found out about my ability.
I stupidly told her Nancy her maid didn't break the vase, it was a cat.
She wanted to know how I knew and I said I can hear people even when their mouths aren't moving. Next thing I knew I was adopted by mother Victoria and gathered from her thoughts that she had my mother sent away when she protested.
After my real mother was banished. Grace was assigned to me. She took my name in public and I served her, our roles reversed in private. Every now and then some people came by to escort us to what they called interrogation rooms. I've read some scary things from people, some of whom where badly hurt at the time.
I later found out this was after normal interrogation was ineffective. They used me when they couldn't break them as they put it.
One day I found that I couldn't hear mother Victoria's thoughts anymore.
I learned to control my power with time and practice. It's now only when I relax my guard like before I go to sleep. That is when the thoughts of others close in proximity come rushing in.
It seems with this thing on that won't be happening again. I feel kind of relieved.
I hear the tent flap open, are they done. I didn't even notice.
Thank heavens I can finally get some sleep.
"Are you awake, Milly"
I hear a gentle voice.
She walks over. She's right next to me.
Wait she's getting in my bed, why? What!?
"You poor thing, I'm so sorry for what happened to you because of us... I'm sorry."
Her voice is soft and gentle. She pushes her breasts against mine as she hugs me tightly.
"You can cry if you want, I'll be here for you. You're safe now, I promise."
She feels so warm, her voice feels so soothing. I feel tears welling up.
I start sobbing quietly.
She rubs my back
"There there, Your safe now."
I fall asleep in her arms.