The Promotion

It was a rare moment when Medeia did not have all that much going on. None of her various schemes required her direct attention and life was running pretty much on autopilot. Her experiments were running well and the raven haired woman was looking forward to seeing if her latest curse would finally fulfil her dream of creating life from pure magic. Oh, she had of course created her dear Gisen already but the angel was deeply obsessed with the idea of making a pure human being, one who was entirely homo sapien rather than a cross. The raven haired woman was hopeful that she would be successful this time and create a child that she could raise entirely as her own, a daughter that she could teach all of her secrets to. Was it strange that an immortal being wanted offspring? Perhaps but the desire was there.

Perched on her bed and fiddling around with her new iLac, the ancient being was about to call one of her lady friends, in order to help pass the time. It had been a while since she had last checked in with her allies on the legal side of the spectrum and Medeia was a tad concerned that perhaps they had forgotten about her. Such a scenario was unacceptable of course and she would not put up with that at all. Once she had hooks in on someone, they were not so easily removed. Yes, a check up was definitely necessary.

Her finger was just on the call button when a knock on the door interrupted her and after a second, a most familiar figure entered the room, as happy and as cheerful as ever. Medeia’s eyes from her iLac to watch her maid as she walked in and with a tilt of her head, she asked. “I thought that you had another few hours to go down in the kitchens. What causes you to come back so soon? In trouble again?”

“Of course not, Mistress.” Armina replied with a wide smile, her crimson eyes twinkling with amusement. “I come with you with a request from the Queen. She wants to see you in the throne room as soon as possible. I received the summons from Nadaline.”

“Did you now?” The witch replied, equally amused. “Well, I will head there right away. Thank you for the message, my dear.”

“No trouble at all.” Answered the cheerful maid, before turning on her heel and returning to her work.

With a smile, Medeia would put her on a lovely purple coloured dress and heels, before exiting her room and making the fairly short trip towards the throne room. It had been some time since she had spoken to the Queen and honestly, they had never spoken at length, despite the fact that Medeia was her second in command. She did not believe that it was deliberate and certainly was not on her part, just that they were both incredibly busy and had so much to do. Perhaps today would be a chance to put that right?

She arrived after a few minutes and gently wrapped her knuckles against the luxurious doors that lead into the beautiful room. “Your Majesty?” She asked, her tone polite enough. It was incredibly rare that she used such titles to speak to another person but there was reason for her not to be civil with the Guildmaster.

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A smile crossed Medeia’s features as the Queen took her hand, before suddenly realising her position and backing off a little. To be honest, Medeia did not mind the gesture at all and she deeply hoped that the two of them would be able to become closer. It was a rather sad truth but the witch could not help but think about the fact that the two of them were pretty much all that were left of the original members of Errings Rising. Members came and went so quickly these days with very few seeming to hang around for very long which left the Ace feeling rather despondent at times. Medeia herself had no intention of disappearing into the night though, as, Errings Rising was well and truly her home now and not just hers but Armina’s as well. They were both happy exactly where they were, which was not how the Ace had thought things would be at the start. She had never planned to settle all those years ago but times had changed and so had she.

Nodding her head in approval in answer to the Guildmaster’s request, she would soon reply with sincerity. “Do not worry, Your Majesty, I confess that my diary has been rather empty of late and I appreciate the chance to spend some time with you. I was simply checking on my spy network when my maid informed me that you wished to speak with me. If you would like us to move to the parlour then that is perfectly fine with me. Please lead the way.”

The Ace was genuinely curious as to just what the beautiful Queen wished to speak with her about. There was nothing that jumped to mind and the Warlord could not think of anything regarding her guild work that would require a conversation. Everything was going well as far as she could tell.

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There was a curious look in the eyes of the angel too as she followed the Queen into the parlour. It was a quaint room indeed and Medeia could naturally see the appeal of speaking in such a place. A small paradise, away from the eyes and ears of the guild and its members. The witch had a rather lovely set of quarters herself although they were not a match for the Royal’s. Her purple eyed gaze would glance with interest at the various bookshelves and trinkets, which actually spoke volumes about the Queen herself in Medeia’s opinion. How one decorated their personal spaces said more than words ever could.

“Exactly right.” She replied to the Queen’s question with a smile. “I have taken it upon myself to grow our ranks in that department and have started forging relationships with mages in other guilds. Some suspect that I am up to something but most do not have the slightest idea. I have been trying to get my fingers in as many pies as I can, so to speak and the results are promising. I am hopeful that in time, my contacts will be able to provide us with precious intel that will help our guild fulfil its goals.” She had made quite a few close contacts in that regard and Medeia recalled a fair few faces as she mused about that for a moment. Some were legal, others were dark in nature but they were all people who she had wrapped around her little finger. It was a rather intoxicating feeling and one she always desired.

Taking a seat, she would briefly turn her gaze towards Nadaline as the Guildmaster mentioned her tea making skills and nod. “I have a particular fondness for Earl Grey, if you would be so kind?”

Returning her gaze to the Queen, Medeia would say with a noticeable touch of approval in her tone. “You have quite the lovely parlour, Your Majesty.”

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When the Queen spoke about her contacts being troublesome, a smile crossed Medeia’s features, that was putting it rather mildly and not all of the Warlord’s spies had been consenting to her whims. “Sometimes I had to just whisper a few sweet words in their ear and sometimes I had to crack the whip. They are a rather diverse group and one or two of them are so legal leaning that they drive me to my wits end but when we make our moves against the lawmakers of this land, I am certain that they will answer our call and provide us with what we need, whether they want to or not.” Her tone was rather determined in tone but that was simply due to the confidence that she had in herself. She had come across some rather powerful mages lately and had dispatched them so easily that such encounters tended to end up being anti-climatic.

As Saraphina spoke about her parlour and her regrets, Medeia shook her head in response. “There is no need to feel upset because of that. I have never felt slighted at all by not receiving an invitation and we both have so much to do around here. It is almost as if every time we are about to talk, something happens and we never get the chance. I appreciate the chance that we have now and I hope that this is the first of many opportunities that we have to just sit back and talk.”

There was something a little off about Saraphina’s behaviour and Medeia’s smile fades slightly. The way that she looked back to lovely Nadaline, avoiding eye contact with her caused the witch to tilt her head a touch. She had never seen the Queen act quite so nervously before and for the moment, the dark haired angel was not certain what to make of it. If it had been someone else then Medeia would have tried to gently pry but for the time being, she decided against that.

As the Queen started to reminisce, a smaller smile returned to Medeia’s face. “I am not sure where the time has gone. It feels like yesterday that we had that mass induction where everyone received their guild stamps. I turned up right at the end, demanding to know why the men were not in chains.” She laughed. “That has certainly not changed during my time here.”

She paused briefly, before adding. “To think that so many guilds have come and gone and yet here Errings Rising is, still flying the flag for those who wish for the law to come to an end.”

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There was a knowing smile that crossed the Ace’s face as Saraphina spoke about the mental chains that were around the necks of the males. It was a fair statement and Medeia could hardly argue with it. She could not help but let her mind drift again back to that first day when the angel had walked through the doors of the guild. Back then, she had been so consumed with hatred and rage towards her own kind, so cold and spiteful to anyone who had spoken to her and so distrusting of all those who crossed her path. Medeia had looked down on all of her fellow guild members back in the day, a deity among mortals and although that state of mind was still there in terms of those outside the guild, she had come to respect the guild and had even become fond of certain members. She was not the same woman anymore and had grown in both strength and wisdom. How times had changed.

She listened with interest as Saraphina spoke about how easy it had been for her to run the guild, thanks in some part due to both Medeia herself and the servants. There had been a time where the witch would never have agreed to take a position of responsibility within the guild, so uncaring as she had once been but that was just another area where the priorities had changed. She had come to honestly enjoy her work as an Ace and had grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Being dominating and domineering was as natural as breathing to her but actually mentoring others and helping the guild grow had brought her more pleasure than she could have thought possible.

Medeia gently grasped her tea cup and took a gentle sip, appreciating the lovely drink that Nadaline had so wonderfully provided.

The question posed to her when it finally came caught her slightly by surprise but fortunately she was able to prevent that from showing across her features. She had never considered the possibility that the Queen would offer her such a post, believing that the white haired woman would always desire to rule by her own counsel. Medeia had never felt so good about being proven completely and utterly wrong.

The eyes of the witch returned the gaze of the Queen’s, the look in her purple orbs not for a moment appearing to be anything other than sincere. “I will do whatever is required to help Errings Rising continue to grow and prosper. Becoming an Ace has been an eye opening experience for me and I have relished every moment that I have been able to spend working on bringing chaos to this land, as well as teaching those who have come to us for mentorship. I will gladly become your Courtier, if that is what you wish of me. I have come to adore this guild, it has become my home and I will do everything in my power to protect it.”

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To see the Queen’s face light up with happiness as she accepted the role, caused a smile to cross the Warlord’s features too. She was more than delighted with her promotion and was ready and able to take on whatever additional responsibilities that would no doubt be given to her. The angel was not overly worried about becoming overburdened, as her spy network was in such a good state these days that she could deal with most issues from afar. The teaching of her students would likewise not be taxing on her time. They were at the point in their training where they needed to get out into the world and cause some chaos, which she was certain that they were ready to do. Kyra was stronger than she seemed and Addre, while not her official student, was coming on leaps and bounds. They would both make powerful slayers in time.

That being said, Medeia did not miss the brief unhappy look that crossed Saraphina’s face as she spoke of Jester. The witch understood the pain that came from members going AWOL. There had been a few who were incredibly close to her who had gone missing, apparently for good. Jennifer, Amber, Tiisha, all women who had once been in her thoughts, as well as her bed. It had almost broken her, having to come to terms with their disappearances but she had been forced to move on. Once could not live in the past forever and sooner or later, had to look forwards.

In response to Saraphina’s mentioning of an extra seat being created for her, Medeia would gently chuckle and reply. “I appreciate the gesture, Your Highness, I look forward to sitting by your side and to advise as well as I am able to.” The opportunity to sit on the Queen’s actual throne was something that she had always desired although she had never thought that it would actually happen.

The sudden change of topic was unexpected but Medeia was soon keenly gazing over the map as it was laid out on the table before them. It was clearly Hostia, the city that the guild had conquered in the past. A lovely place and one that certainly was a massive change of scenery from the snowy mountains of Hakobe. She remembered the attack well, as it was there where she had been reunited with her beloved Armina. Noting the red circles, assumingly places where they could strike, Medeia would ponder for a moment and then answer with a nod. "It would make an ideal test for our members and a chance for them to show us what they can do. With the war raging on, I would have thought that it would be a perfect time to strike too. Pergrande and Bellum’s war seems to be what Fiore’s eyes are focused upon at the moment.”

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