25 Catherine Blackwolf (1/2)
”I don't trust that merchant with his weak looking appearance. Something about him gives me a bad feeling.”
Elise heard a soft voice coming from behind her and turned around to see Elena peering out of the window to see the carriages exiting the castle gates. Her forehead was wrinkled up in annoyance, but Elise was suddenly struck by the feeling that she seemed very cute.
”Oh, why is that?” Elise asked nonchalantly.
”Sirens are very sensitive to changes in feelings and the hearts of men. When the merchant was leaving, he turned around and I could sense some dark emotions of greed surrounding him,” Elena replied.
While sirens were considered a dark race and hence had no mana to perform spells, their abilities as telepaths and empaths were unparalleled compared to any other race. Sirens were masters of temptation and lust with songs to lure in unsuspecting sailors.
Naturally they had high sensitivity to the moods and emotions around them. While Elena may have been outshone by the other Valkyries in terms of raw power, it was important to note that her mind manipulation songs were far more powerful than those of her peers.
Her talent was so great that the Atlanae Queen of the sirens had even offered her a position as a princess in order to sway her to the royal family's side.
This was about two years ago, and Elena had shocked the mermaid race at the time by just shaking her head and declaring that her oath to Lady Elise was for a lifetime.
What she failed to tell her duchess was the main reason that she could tell the man had no good intentions was the hidden mark on Elise's arm. Sirens left a mark on their future spouses to sense any negative emotions that others had towards them.
The mark was invisible to the eye until the union was consummated. Part of the reason that sirens kept this matter a secret was that once the mark had been activated, the sirens who bonded would no longer be attracted to any person other than their partner.
The mark was a useful tool for protection but it was rarely used as it was a life and death bond so if the mate died, the siren would follow them to the grave.
Elena had gotten drunk during one of the monster extermination campaigns and brushed up against Elise's arm softly with her lips to place the mark.
Elise had thought nothing of the incident but when Elena sobered up, she was horrified and filled with guilt with what she had done.
It was a simple ritual to remove a temporary mark, but it required the consent of both parties and poor Elena was simply to embarrassed to tell her secret crush.
Over the following weeks, she just told herself that if her duchess ever got engaged then she would come clean and remove the mark while claiming it as an accident.
”Although…. I would kill any man who touched my lady!” Elena growled to herself.
Her frown became more pronounced but Elise who was by her side thought she was just still bothered by the merchant.
”There is no need to be concerned. The Golden Mask may have a reputation as a vicious company, but they also built up an image as an organisation that prioritises client safety and privacy,” Elise explained.
”Who could trust them if their clients could be sold to the highest bidder?” Elise was reassured as her father had constantly reminded her of the strengths and advantages of the company.
”I still think we should be a bit careful,” Elena hesitantly spoke.
Elise nodded and headed back towards her daughter who was now peacefully lying down on the new bed with an expression of contentment on her face. Elena's warning had been thrown to the back of her mind and she decided to just have Gerald run a mild investigation.
A few months later and Elise would wish that she had killed the men who had left her castle. It was one of the first mistakes that would cost her a terrible price.
(Inside the bedroom)