Hatching a Heroine Chapter 2
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Hatching A Heroine - Chapter 14 free porn video
Hatching a Heroine
Chapter 14
Written by Emilie Ember
Edited by Talia Elliott Belser
Proofreading by FallingLeaf
Countess Liliath rose as Lonna entered her study. The instant after the
countess left the chair, before the backs of her knees could strike
against the wood, the maid smoothly pulled the large seat back. Melissa
could tell that the maid must have practiced that maneuver countless
times to achieve such precise timing. By rising like that, Liliath
showed her respect for Lonna's station while simultaneously
broadcasting her tight control over this manor.
"Princess Lonna," Liliath murmured, bowing her head. "Melissa, the
heroine." Liliath gave Melissa a small nod, and a smile of
encouragement, before turning her attention to the final member of
their party. "And of course the princess's.... bodyguard?"
"He wishes," Lonna muttered, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"He's my brother."
"Your brother," Liliath repeated. Her voice was flat as an ironing
board, and Melissa couldn't help but notice that the countess was
looking over Talith more carefully now. "Adopted, I assume?"
"That's right," Lonna confirmed, narrowing her eyes. "Is that a
problem?"
"Of course not," Liliath denied. "But you must realize that being
family to a princess is no small matter. People will no doubt try to
use your brother to get to you after you've taken charge. Are you
prepared for that?"
"I'm not prepared for any of this," Lonna told her, scowling. "I
haven't dealt with nobles since I was thirteen."
"The basics have remained the same, I assure you," Liliath replied,
answering Lonna's scowl with a faint smile. "And if you need help
reacclimating to nobility, I would be proud to give you some lessons.
But I fear all that will have to wait until after you've taken the
throne."
"...Sorissa knows we're here. Doesn't she?" Despite phrasing it as a
question, there was no doubt on Lonna's face. "When is she coming? Or
is she just sending her army?"
"Actually, Sorissa hasn't said a thing about you," Liliath said.
Despite those words, there was a faint frown on the countess's lips.
"Officially she's sending a small envoy to Dorith, and she's simply
requested that I house them for a day or two before sending them on
their way. But I doubt there's a soul in the city who doesn't know
you're here. Once they arrive, they'll ask about the rumors of your
presence, and from there, an investigation will be launched."
"Will you be alright?" Melissa asked, unable to keep the worry from her
voice.
"I'll be fine," Liliath promised, turning her gaze to Melissa. "It's
hardly illegal to meet with the princess of one's queendom. It's not as
if Lonna was ever officially declared a rebel and a traitor, after
all."
That was news to Melissa, who shot a glance toward Lonna. The glower on
the other woman's face was enough to discourage her from asking any
questions, though.
"How long do we have?" Melissa asked, turning her attention to Liliath
instead. "Until we have to leave, I mean."
"The sooner you're gone the better, alas," Liliath admitted. "In fact,
I'm hoping to have you out within the hour. I called you here to settle
the last few details before you leave."
"Details like what?" Talith asked, stepping forward to stand next to
Lonna. His brow was furrowed, and the sockets that housed his glowing
red eyes were narrowed in suspicion.
"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with," Liliath promised.
"Certainly nothing that would cause your sister harm. Or Melissa, of
course." Liliath gave Melissa a small smile of encouragement at the
end, but it didn't do anything to help with Melissa's nerves.
"Then what?" Lonna pressed, placing her hands on Liliath's desk.
"Sorissa's people could be coming at any moment. She probably sent them
right after the messenger. So tell me - what's worth risking everything
for?"
"It would seem that you're in a bad mood," Liliath commented,
apparently unphased by Lonna's ferocity. "Should I ask what happened?"
"Maybe it has something to do with your maid," Talith muttered,
pointing a thick finger toward the brunette woman standing behind
Liliath. It was the same woman who'd attended Liliath during their
first visit. So far she'd attended to her mistress with a serene smile
on her lips, but when Talith pointed her out she paled.
Countess Liliath lifted an eyebrow at the accusation, looking between
Lonna, Talith, and the maid. "I invited Tabitha to serve me today
because I understood she had a positive relationship with Princess
Lonna. If that is not the case, then I can certainly request a
different maid."
"It's fine," Lonna insisted, shaking her head. "If Sorissa's people are
on the way, we don't have time to spare on stuff like this. You should
have had me halfway out the door the moment you got that message from
her."
"An abundance of caution is better than none, but too much and you'll
simply wear yourself out," Liliath warned Lonna, frowning. "I sincerely
doubt Sorissa wants you captured. Unless you think it's merely an
oversight that's kept her from putting a bounty on you all these
years?"
"But she did put out posters for Melissa," Lonna pointed out. "And
everyone in town knows you're holding her. Unless you have a way of
wriggling out from under that accusation, too?"
"I'll simply say I remanded her to the custody of the princess."
"And they'll believe that?" Melissa asked, incredulous.
"Of course not," Lonna scoffed, pushing up off the desk and crossing
her arms again. "...But it's a good excuse. And even Sorissa can't
afford to press the countess too far. Isn't that right, countess?"
"More or less," Liliath agreed. "I have the support of my people, and
control over the seaport. Sorissa will need to carefully consider how
far she's willing to press me - though there's always the risk that
she'll simply kill me and be done with it."
"Which makes me question again what's so important," Lonna said,
turning her gaze back to Liliath. "Why are we here and not fleeing the
city?"
"You're here for this," Liliath replied, opening a drawer in her desk
and pulling out a small wooden box. Removing the lid, Liliath lifted a
small glass orb from the box. "I trust you know what this is,
princess?"
Lonna studied the orb, seeming confused at first. Melissa could tell
the exact moment that recognition dawned on her, though; a small smile
appeared on Lonna's lips, but it disappeared quickly.
"Yeah, I recognize it," Lonna confirmed. "It's a breathstone."
"Correct," Liliath confirmed, before turning her eyes toward Melissa.
"There's a spell inscribed upon it - you see, here?" Liliath tapped her
thumb against an etched design, featuring several runes bisected by a
circle. "All you need do is touch the inscription, while I hold the
orb. It will probe your breath capacity and light up relative to your
total potential."
"Breath capacity refers to how much magic you can wield," Lonna
translated. "The more magic you can wield, the brighter the thing gets.
Commoners usually get it done in a church, but generally only once,
when they turn thirteen."
"So I'll finally find out my capacity?" Melissa asked, excited. The
idea of magic had always been enticing to her, even back in her own
world. Spells that let you transform, magical swords that let you fight
to protect what was right, enchanted shields that would defend against
injustice. A lot of it had been nothing more than childhood fantasy,
looking back at it, but she still wanted to know the real deal. If not
for the dire circumstances of her summoning, she would have immersed
herself in studying magic first thing.
"That's the idea," Liliath confirmed, holding out the orb. "Just place
your finger within the circle, and we'll know what we have to work
with."
Melissa nodded eagerly, reaching out to press her finger against the
smooth surface of the glass orb. It was warm beneath her finger, and
she imagined that she could feel the power pulsing within it.
"Ready when you are," Melissa declared, grinning up at Liliath.
Liliath didn't answer. Her eyes were focused purely on the orb, and
there was a faint frown on her lips. After a long moment, she let out a
small sigh. "Exactly what I was afraid of..."
"What you were... What do you mean?" Melissa asked, worried. Even as
she asked the question, though, the gears were already turning in her
head. The frown on Liliath's face. The faint rumbling sigh that
emanated from Talith as he looked on. The way Lonna was glaring daggers
at the glass ball as if it had personally offended her. And the orb
itself, as dim as ever.
"...I don't have any magic, do I?" Melissa whispered, softly.
"...I'm afraid not," Liliath confirmed. Her tone was gentle, and she
showed no trace of the disappointment Melissa herself was feeling.
"It's a setback, but nothing that can't be overcome."
"Wait, wait, wait," Lonna protested, holding up a hand. "Not that I
don't trust you, but there's no way that the heroine has no magic. I
mean... she's the heroine."
"A position we know nearly nothing about," Liliath countered. "The only
thing we know is that the heroine is destined to kill Sorissa. If she
doesn't have magic, we must assume that she'll find some other way of
accomplishing the feat."
"But... No magic at all?" Lonna's eyes shifted from the countess to
Melissa, who was still staring at the orb. Seeing the forlorn
expression on Melissa's face, Lonna's own countenance hardened, and she
reached out to snatch the orb from the countess.
"Here, one more time," she insisted, holding it out to Melissa. "I'll
be the one activating it this time"
"Now who's wasting time?" Liliath demanded, rolling her eyes. She did
not try to take the orb back, though, instead gesturing for them to
continue.
Melissa hesitated a moment, then slowly reached out to tap her finger
against the orb once more.
There was no response.
"...It's gotta be broken," Lonna insisted, next, shifting her own thumb
to touch the circle. Instantly, the room was bathed in light so bright
that Melissa's eyes began to tear. She squeezed them shut, but it still
felt as if the glow was penetrating her eyelids.
A loud crack ended the light show, and when Melissa blinked the spots
from her eyes she saw that the orb had broken apart into three distinct
pieces.
"If you're quite finished breaking valuable magic tools," the countess
murmured, "perhaps we can turn our attention toward viable solutions,
instead?"
"Solutions like what?" Lonna demanded, placing the broken orb on the
Countess's desk. "How is Melissa supposed to face the most powerful
being in the world when she can't even use magic?"
"With cunning, strength, and a good weapon," Liliath answered, calmly,
before turning her attention to Melissa. "I have not asked after
Lonna's specific plans, because it is for the best that I do not know
them. But I assume that training you in weaponry is among them, no?"
"I... Guess so?" Melissa floundered, glancing at Lonna. There was
definitely talk about a legendary weapon, but they hadn't really
discussed how Melissa would learn to use it.
"Talith can teach Melissa how to fight," Lonna interceded, gesturing to
her brother.
Talith's eyes widened faintly in surprise as if this was news to him,
but he quickly covered his surprise and let out a small grunt of
affirmation. Crossing his arms in front of him, he looked to Melissa as
if he were daring Liliath to argue with his qualifications.
"I'm sure he can fight," Liliath admitted, shooting Talith a quick
glance before turning her attention to Lonna. "But it seems to me that
your brother shaped his body with an eye toward brute force."
"And so what if I did?" Talith demanded, lowering his hands to the
ground in order to swing his body forward, a step closer toward the
countess.
"Can you wield a sword?" Liliath asked, turning her gaze to Talith. "Or
a spear? Without snapping it?"
"...Not exactly..." Talith confessed, in a low grumble. If Talith had
teeth, Melissa thought he'd be grinding them together with that answer.
"But I know the right grips, and I make for a durable sparring
partner."
"But you can't actually show her those grips, can you?" Liliath
pressed, narrowing her eyes. "And even if you could, your form is
hardly suited for showing her proper stances."
"Do you have a point?" Lonna demanded, placing her hands on her hips
and glaring at the countess.
"I do, actually." The countess met Lonna's harsh gaze with a small
smile. "I want you to take one of my guards with you. Her name is
Joanie - I believe you're already acquainted with her, Melissa?"
Liliath's eyes didn't waver from Lonna's as she spoke, even as she
brought up the heroine's name.
"You mean the rabbit sapphi?" Melissa asked. "Wait. Is that why you've
had her guarding me?"
"You've been planning this all along, haven't you?" Lonna accused,
pointing a finger toward the countess.
"I have," the countess confessed. She was still smiling, but there
seemed to be an edge to it now as if it were merely an excuse to bare
her teeth. "Even before our first meeting, actually - from the moment I
saw you walking up the path to my manor. I could tell at a glance that
our heroine wasn't a warrior. And it's become more and more obvious
that neither of you has the right temperament or ability to teach her
how to fight." She turned her gaze toward Melissa, and her smile seemed
to soften a little. "You have a sharp mind, Melissa, and a strong
build. There's a lot you can accomplish if you have the right teacher.
You might learn to take down opponents even your friend Talith can't
beat."
"And you think Joanie can teach me?" Melissa asked. Lonna looked like
she wanted to say something, but kept her mouth shut after a single
glance at Melissa. Perhaps because of the resolute look on the
heroine's face.
Despite the confidence that she'd shown throughout the meeting, Liliath
seemed to hesitate here. "...She's the most accomplished master I have
at my disposal," was what she eventually said, but her eyes didn't
quite meet Melissa's.
"What aren't you telling me?" Melissa demanded, trying to catch
Liliath's gaze again.
The countess hesitated a moment more, and then let out a small sigh,
shaking her head softly. "Joanie can teach you how to wield any weapon
you can imagine. She's shown so much natural talent that it's almost
maddening - the sword, the lance, the bow, even a bladed fan - I had
her trained in each, and she mastered them all."
"So what's the problem?" Melissa inquired, tilting her head to the
side. So far, Joanie sounded like the best teacher she could ask for,
but all the same, something was making Liliath hesitate.
"She only learned those weapons so that I'd stop insisting she train in
them. When it comes to actual combat, she's infuriatingly stubborn in
her weapon of choice. No matter what the situation, she'll only enter
combat with... Lucinda."
"Lucinda?" Lonna interjected, arching an eyebrow. "Who or what is
Lucinda?"
"That's what she calls her spear," Melissa replied, recalling the
conversation she had with Joanie. "Is that why you're so hesitant?
Because she's so attached to her spear?"
"Attached doesn't even begin to describe it," Liliath warned. "She held
a commoner's handfasting with it."
Lonna let out a short bark of laughter at that, and even Talith
chuckled a little. Melissa, however, only frowned.
"A commoner's handfasting?" Melissa, she echoed back. "That's like
marriage, right?"
"It's a type of marriage, yes," Liliath confirmed. "It's not legally
binding, like the contracts we nobles use for our handfasting
arrangements. There's rarely even a written record of the event. But in
the eyes of the majesty trees, it's quite sacred. Joanie truly has
married herself to that weapon."
"If that's all it is, I don't have a problem with it," Melissa
promised, idly wrapping a strand of hair about her index finger. "No
offense to Talith, but I might learn faster with someone who can show
me what to do."
"I'm not convinced," Talith protested. "This whole mission is insane
enough already, we don't need a branch with loose leaves."
"That's quite the harsh evaluation," Liliath remarked, arching a thin
blonde eyebrow at Talith. "But if you have a problem with my judgment,
you're certainly free to pick among my guards for yourself."
"But we're bringing someone with us no matter what, right?" Lonna said,
narrowing her eyes at the countess.
The right corner of Liliath's lips pulled ever so slightly upward in
response, but she didn't say a word.
"I think it's fine," Melissa declared, deciding to interrupt before
things could get more heated.
The interjection caused Lonna's eyes to widen in surprise. Her lips
pressed against each other to form a thin line, and it was obvious she
wasn't thrilled about Melissa interfering, but she only nodded for
Melissa to continue.
"I like Joanie," Melissa explained. "She's sort of... weird, I admit.
But I have a good feeling about her. And I trust Liliath."
"Wonderful," Liliath declared, even as Lonna opened her mouth to argue.
"If the heroine is on board then I see no further need to delay here.
Joanie is waiting for you in front of the manor, alongside your horses.
I took the liberty of providing you with some supplies, money, and a
few good weapons - I'm sure you'll find everything in order when you
make camp tonight."
"Just like that?" Lonna complained. "You get what you want and we're
out the door?"
"You were the one who pointed out how tight time is, Princess Lonna,"
Liliath reminded her. "We have no way of knowing when Sorissa's people
will arrive. And I'd rather not have to rush you out the back door."
"...Fine. We're leaving." Lonna spun on her heel with those words,
practically stomping her way toward the door.
"Oh, but I do have something to discuss with Melissa," Liliath added,
just as Lonna was pulling open the door. "I trust you won't mind if she
stays behind a few minutes?"
"Discuss whatever you want," Lonna snapped back. "I clearly have
nothing to contribute, anyways."
Lonna was out the door before the countess could argue. Talith
hesitated a moment, then silently moved to walk out the door as well,
closing the door behind him.
"...Why are you being so mean to Lonna?" Melissa asked the moment she
and the countess were alone.
"Because she's the princess," Liliath responded as if it were the most
obvious answer in the world. "She is going to be in charge of all of
Resperan. With luck, she may even reunite Auroris as a whole."
"And that makes it a good idea to get on her bad side?" Melissa asked,
confused and more than a little exasperated. "Is it because Sorissa's
her mom? Or because she's half-dragon? Because neither of those things
is her fault."
"None of this is her fault," Liliath agreed, softly. "But all of it is
on her shoulders. She is the only one who can unite this broken world.
The only one who can fix things."
"Then why are you so mean to her?" Melissa asked, again, stepping
closer to the desk. She placed her hands on the cool wood, wrapping her
thumbs about the edge of the desk and tightly squeezing. "Even if you
hate her, for whatever stupid reason, shouldn't you be trying to get on
her good side?"
"I don't hate her," Liliath said, laughing softly. "I don't even judge
her. As you said, her parentage is hardly her fault."
"Then why?" Melissa asked, for the third time, staring into Liliath's
green eyes.
The countess returned the gaze without flinching, a sad smile on her
lips. "Because she can't let it get to her."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said," Liliath said, sighing. "Her role is to be the
queen of our continent. Her duty is to heal our broken world. It's a
hard, harsh task that lies before her. One that she never asked for.
One that she's imminently unqualified for. And one that will set her
against people far crueler than I. She needs to learn how to control
her temper, or she'll never succeed."
"So... what? You were testing her?" Melissa asked. "...Did she pass?"
"She did not," Liliath confessed, with a sad shake of her head. "But
she didn't fail, either. She simply has a long way to go. And you, I
fear, are the only one who can take her there."
"...Me?" Melissa demanded, nonplussed. "What do you mean? What am I
supposed to do?"
"Be with her," Liliath answered, softly. "Even if it's only as her
friend. That girl needs to feel like there's someone truly in her
corner."
"Then why couldn't it be you?" Melissa asked. "If you were nicer to
her, then-"
"My job is not to be nice to royalty," Liliath interrupted. "My job is
to watch out for my people. To that end, I am willing to use her, abuse
her, or even betray her - whatever it takes. Something she
understands."
Melissa opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it, unsure what to
say. Liliath's gaze softened faintly in response, and when she spoke
next it was in a softer tone.
"The princess needs you, Melissa. She needs someone in her life who's
there from choice, and affection, rather than necessity or political
guile."
"She has Talith for that, though," Melissa pointed out.
Liliath just shook her head. "The sort of love she craves is not
something a sibling can provide."
"...Oh." Melissa wrapped another strand of hair around her finger,
giving it a nervous tug. "And if I can't give her what she needs,
either?"
"Then we might have nearly as much trouble with our next queen as our
current one," Liliath warned. "But I didn't ask you to stay behind so
that I could talk about Lonna. I wanted to talk about you."
Melissa gestured to herself, blinking in surprise, and the countess
nodded with a faint smile.
"You're disappointed about not having magic, aren't you?" she asked,
cutting straight to the point.
"...A little," Melissa admitted, surprised at the question. "I mean. I
didn't even think magic was real a few days ago, and now it is - but I
still can't use it."
"And on top of that," Liliath added, "you have to fight someone who
can. It must be quite distressing."
"...I don't suppose you asked me to stay because you have a way around
it?" Melissa asked, a faintly bitter smile on her lips.
As expected, the countess gave another shake of her head. "I do not."
"Then... Then what am I supposed to do?" Melissa asked, her voice
barely a whisper. "How am I supposed to win?"
"By entrusting your all to those who have put their faith in you,"
Liliath responded, pulling open a drawer to her desk. She pulled out a
dagger with a silver hilt and a pure black sheath. When she turned the
hilt toward Melissa, Melissa noticed the inscription of a kraken on the
pommel.
"This blade bears my family crest," Liliath explained, speaking softly.
"By carrying it with you, you'll be making your connection to me
official. Simply revealing it will be enough to prove that you have the
backing of my house."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Melissa protested. "The queen-"
"Will likely have me locked up, depending on the scenario in which this
comes into play," Liliath admitted. "Perhaps worse. But if your need is
ever great enough, I want you to have the option."
Melissa stared at the blade for a long moment. "Why are you so nice to
me?" she asked, at last, turning her eyes from the blade to the woman
who offered it.
"Because the fate of my world lies in your hands," Liliath replied,
meeting Melissa's gaze. "It doesn't belong in them. This is our
problem, which you simply got drawn into. Yet here you are, all the
same, with our burden in your hands."
Melissa stared at the dagger for a long moment, before finally reaching
out to take it. "Thank you. I still think you should be nicer to Lonna,
though. If she's really going to be queen one day, then she's going to
need people around her who she can trust - people who know how politics
work."
"I'm aware of that, yes," Liliath agreed. "Have I done something to
make her distrust me?"
"It doesn't matter if she trusts you if she can't stand being around
you."
"...I'll keep that in mind," Countess Liliath murmured, after a long
moment.
Melissa nodded, slowly, before turning toward the door and the princess
on the other side.
Avriella
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