Kapri walked through the expansive halls of her manor with the sound of her heels clicking against the polished floors. Next to her, her stewardess, Siera, followed closely behind her, with her voice calm and firm as she read from her neatly organized clipboard.
"Lady Kaprice, it's been two weeks," Siera said with her tone lace with quite admonishment that she could clearly hear. "Don't you think its time to clear your head and resume your duties. There's much to be done."
Kapri hummed absentmindedly in response with her attention fixed elsewhere. She was dressed lazily in a jade-green dress that stopped at her mid-thigh, pair with high heels snd a pearl necklace. Her hair was pulled back into a bun as she gazed through the manor's window at the children in the garden.
They were quiet now, the younger ones—-between the ages of two and eight—played in the soft grass. The sight should had brought peace to her, even a little. It only reminded her of the older children, the brothers and sisters of the younger, that those same knights had to exterminate. Bound to the intimacy pact, it sealed that fate for them.
"I wonder if they're okay after having killed children," she muttered as she looked at her platoon just on the other side.
"Lady Kaprice," Sierra pressed with her voice cutting through Kapri's thoughts.
"Yes, I hear you," she answered Siera, her tone with little conviction. She had finally tore her gaze away from the window. "My apologies. Let's call it a day."
"You still have responsibilit—"
"I said enough for today," she said with a firm voice before she turned as she walked towards the living area.
Her mind still stuck on what happened in that tower with Lord Dazriel. The way he quickly reminded her she was only as powerful as she is because he allowed her. He pressed her down while standing over her, it made her feel a little worthless. Though, Lord Dazriel have plenty of times put her in danger where her life was threatened she never felt as shitty as she did now.
The drawing room was occupied by a few of the knights and some of the JLDRA, lounging furing their downtime. Their conversations hushed as Kapri walked in, and all their eyes turned to her. None approached; her mood was evident like a storm cloud hovering just above her facade of regal. She cross the room and sank into a couch at the far end as she stared blankly out the window.
Across the room, she noticed Kavi, her arms were crossed and her expression was oddly dark. Kapri assumed she was still suspicious of her behavior. She registered the scowl a little too late and she walked over unsheathing her saber.
"Kavi, why are you—"
Before she could finish, Kavi sliced the saber over Kapri's head. Then she heard an "Ouch," from over her.
When she turned around, Kapri stiffened. She didn't notice Velmuth was behind her, and how was he freely walking around. He was supposed to have been locked up in the dungeon.
"Is this how you treat Lady Kapri's lover?" Velmuth asked as he touched the blood trickling from his cheek where she had cut him.
"You're nothing to her!" Kavi said as she went for another strike.
"Stand down," Kapri ordered her, her eyes narrowed and voice weay as she stared at the junior. "Kavindra, stand down."
Kavi's jaw clenched, but she obeyed as she lowered her blade but stomped out of the living area. Nyxith, he had been playing pool with the older knights, gave Kapri a concerned glance before she chased after her. The other knights seemed a little annoyee she suddenly left the game unfinished.
Kapri sighed as she stood up and grabbed Velmuth's wrist. She pulled him from the drawing room towards sun room. When they got into the room of windows, she closed the door behind her as she stared at him. He rushed up and kissed her, as much as she didn't want to pull away she did.
"Stop it." She demanded as she backed away.
"You don't like it," he wiped saliva from his bottom lip.
"Don't get too comfortable with me because I let you live," she muttered as she looked away from him. "Most of the people here want you dead because of the predicament you forced me into. Your only lifeline is whether I decide it isn't worth keeping you alive or if Lord Dazriel gets a hold of you first."
Velmuth chuckled softly, his lithe frame sat down on a chair. His white hair has recently been cut short, and his roots has started to appear light brown. His eyes, once a glittering silver, was now glimmered with faint golden hue.
"Well, he won't even recognize me now that my hair is growing out and I took out my contact," Velmuth said. "Though, I'm hurt by your words. Do you not feel good seeing your lover?"
"That's the problem. I do," she sighed as she rubbed her forehead.
"Then why resist?" he asked her as he gestured her to come closer. She walked over to him, standing between his open legs as his hands caressed her waist.
His lips grazed as her thigh, where her short skirt exposed her brown skin. Kapri whimpered, but try to hold her voice in hope no one would hear.
"I want to taste you," Velmuth said looking up. "Can I?"
Kapri breathed hitched, before she slammed her palm over her mouth. She held back the instinct to reply as she almost blurted out a yes. Before, Velmuth could coax her to respond, Kapri was pulled back from him.
When she looked down she saw pale forearm across her stomach. Looking up she saw Jugo was in fact holding her and he Kúed up his scythe as he pointed it towards Velmuth. Velmuth held a small smirk across his lips.
"You want to die, Velmuth?" Jugo asked, his tone neutral so it didn't sound like he was as serious as he was. "Why are you out of that hole you belong?"
Kapri tried to pushed his hand away. She forgot Jugo was already a little stronger than her at her strongest, and she was barely half of that. So, it felt like pushing against steel shackles.
"Stop, I order you to let me go and don't kill him!" she said to Jugo.
"You can't order me around. I'm not your subordinate," Jugo said to her as he held her even closer to him.
She had forgot. "Please?" she said again. "He wasn't doing any harm to me. I just felt bad, and he was bringing me comfort."
Jugo's expression didn't shift. "I can provide you with that comfort," he said flatly.
"Of course, it's not the same as when I comfort her," Velmuth smirked, as he stood up and slowly walked over to them. Jugo raised his scythe again, but Velmuth just put his hand against her lower back. "What she need is a little more than empty presence."
"Empty?" Jugo lowered his scythe as he stepped closer. Pressing behind Kapri while Velmuth trapped her in front. "Surely, that is better than a man who has to force her to love him. At least I can say she love me without."
"Yet, can you say you love her?" Velmuth said. "The fact of the matter is you can't. That is not enough for a demon, yet a human."
"Okay, enough," she interrupted them. "Jugo is enough the way he is."
Velmuth grinned as he looked down at her. "Aww, she's sentimental. Don't let it fool you into thinking you are in fact enough, Reaper."
"Reapers just don't feel things," Kapri muttered though her voiced lacked conviction.
"They don't feel things often, but they can definitely feel things," Velmuth leaned over and whispered against her ear before he kissed the side of her neck.
Kapri balled her fist. "I want you both here, so stop arguing about dumb stuff."
"You want us both? The same way?" Velmuth asked as he stood up. "Can you even handle that?"
"You know that's not what I meant," she said, her heart pounding like crazy.
"But you're so excited," he commented. "You would like that wouldn't you."
"No, Jugo is like a friend to me," she said, though she did in fact like that idea. "Please, don't say weird things like that. I run this damn manor!""
She failed to sound menacing as she stomped her feet.
The room fell silent. Jugo expression didn't change much, but Velmuth tried to stifle laughter before it just burst out. Then he backed away from her in a mocking surrender.
"As you wish, my Lady," Velmuth murmured with his golden eyes glinting with amusement.
Kapri sighed heavily, as she leaned against Jugo's solid frame. For now, she wanted the quiet to be enough. Yet, the memory of Lord Dazriel holding her down like she was nothing sound so loud in her head.