Toofy

The small servant moved hesitantly, trying to avoid pulling at the scabs still forming on her back, as her new mistress directed her on where to deliver the few pieces of luggage that contained her old mistress' belongings.

If she moved the wrong way, or too fast, she'd end up bleeding. If she did that, and it was noticed, then she'd probably be punished for being dirty. And after that, the one who did it to her would punish her for drawing attention.

"A moment."

She froze up, and turned to curtsy, "Your ladyship."

Lady Elizabeth de Castelle looked at her carefully, sizing her up. "You were the handmaiden to Lady Twenty Four, though not for long. Do you feel capable of giving an answer to her disposition?"

"Her disposition, m'lady?" Arina asked carefully, timidly.

Lady Castelle nodded firmly, "Yes. I only met her the once and found her to be... Unpredictable. Does she have a sense of propriety? Or was she feeling more playful than usual? Or was it all an act to... Upset those who had come to view her for the first time? I wish to know of her, so I might predict how she might come to live beneath my lord's roof."

"His lordship would do best to run." Arina said hesitantly, knowing she was well overstepping. But right now... She didn't care. She was an outcast, a servant, and doomed to death. Her whole life was pain.

Lady Castelle raised an eyebrow, "An... Interesting perspective. Please, elaborate, without fear of retribution."

"My lady, my Twenty Four, despises him." Arina said quietly, "She hates his lordship. Partly for his arrogance, partly for his poor attempts at manipulating her, and partly for his racism. She already hates the noble classes for their hypocrisies."

The handmaiden continued, "If Lord Castelle was to sell her back into slavery, she would return with vengeance on her mind. If he attempted to have her killed, he would find her returning with the assassin by her side. If he took her into this house as a servant or slave, she would find a way for him to die without her taking the blame. If he took her as his own mistress, he would discover that Lord Sai is possessive. There is no good options in his future, m'lady."

"That... Is quite some confidence." Lady Castelle was unimpressed, "You truly believe Lady Twenty Four can accomplish such tasks?"

Arina smiled sadly, "The temple slave, Elia, was sent to kill my mistress, shortly before Lord Castelle took control of the estate. The slave is a succubus, capable of changing her look and form, and had been placed in the estate before Lady Twenty Four's arrival. Lady Twenty Four is now her legal owner, and the assassin is hers to use."

"Oh, my." Lady Castelle swallowed nervously, "She now has a succubus at her beck and call? That is... Disturbing to hear. Your mistress... Had no need of such charms, beforehand."

Arina looked at the woman in confusion and surprise, "M'lady?"

"It is no secret among the servants." Lady Castelle sighed bitterly, "Your mistress has toyed with my heart, and it was not ineffective. I have officially petitioned my husband to allow her to be my mistress, once he takes ownership."

"I see." Arina said hesitantly, "I am afraid, m'lady, is not aware of how badly she has just hurt her chances of enjoying such a thing."

"My husband is inclined to grant the request. He has little use for me, these days." Lady Castelle said bitterly.

Arina shook her head, "Such concerns are above me, m'lady. I would not dare to predict his lordship. However... It is of neko culture that they choose their own masters. Slave or not, Lady Twenty Four will never obey you. Her chosen master is Lord Sai."

"My husband is petitioning the emperor to have Lord Sai executed for his crimes. The trial is a mockery of process." Lady Castelle shook her head, "Her master will be gone. Would she still reject me, or consider the offer?"

"She will burn the estate to the ground." Arina said warningly, "If Lord Sai dies... May the gods grant us mercy in Twenty Four dying by his side."

Lady Castelle frowned, "You fear your mistress to this extent? Were you not infatuated with her? Or have I heard the wrong stories, once more?"

"I am enamoured. For that sin, the gods doom my soul." Arina said honestly, "Yet, I fear her all the same. She is not human, m'lady. Her physical strength and speed are beyond us, as she has demonstrated. Her mind is as devious as his lordship's. This combination should make any soul quake in fear."

"You are a believer. You do not find the temple's rules on same-sex and same-race relationships to be antiquated?" Lady Castelle seized on the topic.

Arina bowed her head, "It is not for one such as I to question the gods. I am very much lost, in need of spiritual guidance, m'lady. How is it that Lady Twenty Four was raised proudly by the temple, and yet she does not find it difficult to indulge in chaos? Which god does she pledge herself to?"

"A curious question." Lady Castelle breathed in sharply, "Could... Could our little cat be a heretic? A worshipper of one of the betrayer gods? It would explain much of her worldview."

Arina shivered, "I pray it is not the case, m'lady."

"I have questioned you long enough. You may return to your duties." The lady said, and then hesitated, "When you are done, there is another task I might ask of you. It has long since lain neglected, but there is a small shrine to the Green Goddess in my garden. My faith has not been strong enough for me to care, and I will not if you do or do not look to it, but the shrine may fall to your responsibilities, if you wish for a place to pray."

"I am honoured." Arina curtsied, and then returned to dragging the luggage towards the tiny hut that had been set aside for Twenty Four upon her return from the emperor.

Nobody yet seemed to know what Lord Castelle's plans for the woman were. Not even his wife, apparently. Who Arina noted, with jealousy, had also appeared to have fallen for the neko.

Hook, line, and sinker.

What was it about her mistress that allowed her to so freely toy with the hearts of everyone around her? Stealing what should not be stolen with a gleaming look of mischief.

Arina didn't even know if her lady would be returned to her intact by the emperor. Lord of all the world.

A violent one, by all accounts. Not simply because his wars had pushed the other nations into capitulation, but at home as well. His concubines numbered five hundred, exactly. Yet, he had an arrival of fifty new women once a month.

The lost numbers were found in accidental deaths, executions for daring to get pregnant, or sold for being too crippled to continue to serve the lord.

He could well do this to her mistress, and it filled Arina's heart with pain.

She paused upon entering the hut, and then placed the luggage into one corner and glared at the one lazing on the bed. "It appears that you have arrived, slave. Have you let the lady of the house, know?"

The coal-skinned woman rolled over, looking up at her, "Huh. The handmaiden. What was your name, again? Astrid?"

"I am Arina, and a free woman. Though we both serve, some respect is due." She said, trying to summon up a tiny bit of pride and haughtiness.

The succubus laughed, "Yeah, that doesn't work if you don't believe it. Did you know Toofy forced me to look like you, when we went to the palace? Freaking gross. You're so... Timid."

"What her ladyship requires, is what must be done." Arina said firmly.

Elia's mouth curved into a smile, "Oh. Well, now. I knew you were kinda attracted to her, but I guess I missed that. You're actually in love with the cat, aren't you? Should have used your skin to try and kill her."

"You would still have failed." Arina shot back angrily.

The succubus nodded, and sat up slowly, revealing that she was completely naked as she did. "True enough. I pity the next one who gets sent her way. She's not in a good mood, anymore."

"Will she be returned to us?"

Elia nodded, "Yeah, yeah. She's on the way. But that means a carriage and escort. She sent me on ahead. Wanted to know if you were okay. Which... I thought was a stupid question. Apparently not. Who hurt you?"

"I am a servant." Arina said tiredly, "I am quite certain you would know that if I were harmed, I would not be allowed to speak of it."

"I can smell the blood." The succubus growled, clenching a fist, "Not just blood. Someone didn't just beat you. They fucked you. That stench... Male. Human. Tell me his name."

Arina swallowed nervously, "I do not know of what you speak."

"Bitch. I am a succubus. If you think I don't know semen when I smell it, you're an idiot. He didn't even bother with safety. Probably figured he could make you miscarry or die if you ended up with a kid. So, you tell me who it is. Or... You tell Toofy when she gets here." The succubus growled angrily.

"You are uncouth." Arina glared back at the woman, "Was it only self-preservation that led our lady to purchasing you? I struggle to believe it was out of affection."

The woman stood up, and her entire image shivered for a moment, until a maid's outfit appeared across her. The skin faded until it was as white as Arina's, and her eyes faded to a bright blue from their natural red. The horns had disappeared.

For all intents and purposes, she looked like a human copy of herself. The woman glared at her, "Fine, then. I will find the fucker myself. If only to stop Lord Castelle being pissed that Toofy killed one of his servants. I'll protect her, because you're unwilling."

"Isaac." Arina said it quickly, "It was Isaac. He's untouchable, now. If you hurt him... I don't know what Lord Castelle would do. He's already favouring the man. Left him in charge of the House of Sai."

Elia sneered, "We'll see about that. Killing people without people knowing is what I do, little girl. I won't let Isaac be a threat to Toofy. I. Fucking. Won't."

"Then do not allow her to find out. It is all we can do." Arina said, nearly in tears.

Elia rolled her eyes, "Really? How the hell are you going to explain to her your back? The smell ain't small. Someone whipped you. You're still bleeding down there, too. Going to pretend you have your time of the month? To the cat? She'd know the difference. They don't smell the same."

Arina's shoulders drooped, "I was going to avoid her, altogether. I have not yet been assigned to aide our lady. It is unlikely that Lord Castelle would be conducive to that arrangement, either."

"Avoiding a hurricane whilst at sea would be easier." Elia scoffed, "I just saw, with my own two eyes, Toofy manipulate the emperor himself. Force him to come to her defence. You think she won't get what she wants? She will find out. And she will act. The only way to protect her is for someone else to take the fall. That's me."

The handmaiden breathed in deeply, "You would sacrifice yourself for our lady?"

"Without a fucking hesitation." The succubus snapped, "I might not want to marry her, but I'm hers. I asked, and she bit me, made me bleed. I. Am. Hers. I don't care if I'm a slave or not. Wouldn't change a damned thing. Ever."

The two faced each other, and Arina smiled slowly, "Two lost souls. Then, if you are so determined, then I would ask that you find a way to communicate your mission, with at least some tact, to Lady Castelle. She has asked to take our lady as her official mistress."

Elia laughed, "Wow. Is there a single woman Toofy can't get? But... Lady Castelle could maybe arrange for him to be in the right place at the right time. I'll consider it... But Toofy is on her way. So you need to be gone, or she'll lash out. I mean it. Cat cares about you."

"I had planned it so." Arina acknowledged.

--

The succubus crouched on the edge of one of the many roofs found on the Castelle estate. Looking down as a carriage surrounded by royal soldiers on horseback entered the property.

The arrival of Lady Twenty Four de Sai.

Neko, slave, and mistress.

Now... Now she would be the property of Lord Castelle. He would decide her future in a few moments. Before then, she was under the protection of the emperor, himself.

Predicting what would happen next was something that Yu had beaten into Elia, almost every day of her life. She had escape routes marked out in her head for the mistress, if it came to that.

Yet, she had a feeling that Toofy wasn't going to run. That she had already planned to become a slave to the Castelle estate, and that she had manipulated the wife to care for her, on purpose.

It wouldn't be enough to protect her.

There was an oddity, however. Always seemed to be something that didn't make sense when the cat got involved. There was someone else accompanying the carriage.

Lord Westcolm.

There was a man that Elia never wanted to get within eyesight of. Wasn't a secret that he often went to the temple, and paid to play with one of the exotics.

Not to have sex. To play with their minds and bodies. Sometimes cutting off body parts, just to see how they might react. Sometimes he did worse things. He was a dangerous and sadistic fuck.

Elia had noticed that the man was taken with Toofy, on the hunt. However, the neko had managed to dissuade him fairly easily. Seemed that with her loss of status, he might be interested again.

Might even be here to try and buy her off Lord Castelle.

She needed to get closer, to hear, but this was still the best position from which to make a pre-emptive strike if violence was going to be required to protect her mistress.

"Fuck." Elia cursed under her breath as a sharp pain stabbed through her hand, causing it to throb. She glared over, and stared in surprise at the scorpion that had just stung her.

She pulled her hand away slowly, holding it lightly by the wrist as she looked at the arachnid that in no way belonged all the way up on the roof of the estate.

The black carapace also identified it as a species that wasn't even native to this part of the country, it was supposed to live near beaches. Barely venomous, which was good, considering it had already stung her. Without her hearing the approach.

She flicked it cautiously off the roof, and turned her attention back to the scene in front of her, but kept her ears straining for if it wasn't alone. Maybe some magus had summoned it. Maybe Sai?

As if they'd get that lucky.

The carriage doors were opened by a servant. The butler in charge of the Castelle estate, if she didn't miss her guess. The neko emerged from it. Stepping delicately, head held high.

Lord Castelle stepped forward to greet her, speaking arrogantly. Whatever he said, irritated the woman. Twenty Four snapped at him, her tail flicking back and forth angrily.

Elia braced to attack.

--

"I disagree. I greeted you with more respect than your station deserves, slave." Lord Castelle said stiffly, "I have accepted you into my household, as a servant for my wife. There is no Lord Sai, anymore. His title has been stripped. Therefore, there is no Madame Sai. You are the mistress of a traitor. Nothing but an inhuman slave. An exotic thing, but of no import."

Toofy smiled lopsidedly, "She was hoping that he would be stupid enough to say that. The guards are not gone, Lord Castelle. He should have realised the reason."

Lord Castelle waved, "Clearly they await Lord Westcolm. Though what the emperor's military teacher intends to do here, on my property, is not something I would find easy to imagine."

"I am but a simple messenger, on this day." Westcolm bowed from his saddle, "At the request of Madame Sai, the emperor has refrained from revoking the title of her lord, until after the trial. Our glorious emperor has also issued orders that you, Lord Castelle, serving as her guardian, ensure that not a single hair on her head be harmed."

Toofy grinned at the incensed man, "She fucked the emperor. Did you really think he would not be nice to her? He would have killed her if she disappointed."

Lord Castelle winced, "Such callous words should not be spoken in front of the royal guard, your ladyship."

"Castelle must protect her. Not one hair. It is the emperor's orders." The neko shot back, "This is his property. Toofy can do as she pleases. You are not her owner. You are her guardian. She can educate you on the difference, if you are still stupid."

Westcolm held out the orders, which Castelle snatched. He broke the seal and reviewed the document, before glaring at her. "Apparently the emperor did not reveal the extent of his orders to you, Madame Sai. I am to treat you as one of his future brides."

"Toofy fucked him. Of course he wants her." She rolled her eyes, "But she is a neko. She chooses her master, and her master is Lord Sai. Now, Toofy is sore. The emperor was not small. Where is her room?"

Castelle sighed heavily and waved to one of the women, "This is your new handmaiden, Madame Sai. She will escort you."

"Where is her Arina?"

He shrugged, "I left Isaac in charge of the reassignments. He has ever served your lord, faithfully. Such details were of little interest to me."

Her ears fell backwards, and she let out a little hiss in his direction, "As a bride of the emperor, human. She wants her Arina. He will find her, himself."

The neko turned to the new handmaiden and clicked her tongue. The woman curtsied and Toofy walked behind her. She didn't bother to keep the smirk from her face as she did.

She'd figured she would enter Castelle's estate as a slave. That the emperor had decided not to be her enemy, for now, was fortuitous, and made it much easier for her to do what she wanted.

She walked up close to the human girl, sniffing the back of her neck openly. "Hmm. You smell like orchids. You helped the Lady Castelle in her garden?"

"Yes, mistress." The woman answered quietly.

She smiled, "Toofy likes her. Lady Castelle is nice to Toofy. She wants to see her, as soon as she has rested. What is the human's name?"

"Human, mistress?"

"You."

The woman breathed in sharply, "Sorry, mistress. I am surprised you would wish to know it, if you are still to have your previous handmaiden. I am called Xivian."

Toofy rubbed her face on the woman's neck, "You smell pretty. Toofy likes your perfume, Xivian. Not a pretty name, though. Elf. Means ugly child. Not suiting you."

"You are educated in ancient elvish, m'lady?" Xivian said in surprise.

She nodded, "Toofy was taught at the temple. She didn't do very good with the languages. Only speaks human, neko, a bit of demonic and high elf. Never learned the undertongues, like goblin or orc. Got her in lots of trouble... Learned to curse in rattan. That's fun."

"A greater education than many who seek to be my lord's mistresses." Xivian said, impressed with the barest basics of a temple-trained girl.

The neko shook her head, "These are those Lord Castelle trusts with his house? Toofy would teach hers, so they would know how not to offend her guests. If you cannot greet a guest in their native tongue, how is this a noble house?"

"Sorry, mistress. Lord Castelle frowns on the exotic."

She laughed, "Oh, she knows that. Is this her room?"

The hut in front of them was barely adequate as a servant's quarters. There were holes in the walls and the roof. She could see moss and mushrooms sprouting where there should be rope and other bindings.

She doubted she could even burn it down.

Then a smell from inside hit her nose.

Toofy's golden eyes flashed as she pounced through the doorway, looking around wildly. It was only a lingering scent, but it was unmistakable to her.

She whirled to the handmaiden, "Arina was here. Find her. Now."

"Lord Castelle was already requested for this duty, was he not, mistress?"

Toofy knocked the woman onto her back, snarling into her face, "Arina will be found, within the hour, or Toofy will start killing people. She will start with the Xivian."