Eldrigan found her standing at the top of one of Asphodel's tallest towers, right at the edge where the wind moved strongest. She wasn't leaning or shifting or even reacting to the height beneath her. She just stood there, looking out over the city like she had been there for a while.
Asphodel City is a medieval fantasy place with normal homes and tall spires. Everything looked like a medieval city at first glance but the moment anyone paid attention, it became obvious that this place functioned differently. Seventy days here had made one thing clear. There was almost no conflict.
Qalis didn't turn when Eldrigan approached. She already knew he was there. A small scoff left her as the wind brushed past her hair.
"If you're here to defend yourself, don't bother. There's no point. Your eyes are always on her anyway. The Empress of Hell. The most seductive succubus in all of Spheraphase. The best at everything that actually keeps your attention."
He didn't react to the insult. Instead, he stepped forward, closing the distance just a little.
"Why do you hate her?"
Qalis could not hold a laugh, like she couldn't believe he actually said that. She turned to face him.
"Hate her? I don't hate her. If I hated her, she wouldn't be anywhere near you. Don't forget that. I allowed this so don't act like I'm the problem here."
There was a brief pause before she exhaled slowly.
"What I hate is this version of you."
That made him frown.
"I'm not—"
"You are. You just don't see it. If neither of us said anything, you wouldn't have said anything either. You only spoke because she did."
Eldrigan opened his mouth, ready to deny it, but nothing came out. Qalis saw that hesitation and scoffed. She turned away again, looking back over the city.
"Exactly. Do you even remember how this started? Before I was even born, I was already betrothed to you. That was my future. That was everything I was raised with. And when I finally met you, I was happy. You were strong. You were reliable. You felt like someone I could actually build something with. You were the kind of man I wanted my children to have as their father. I waited for that and then she shows up."
He didn't need her to say the name.
"Some succubus comes out of nowhere and suddenly… I don't even matter anymore."
"That's not true—"
Qalis turned back to him immediately.
"We were childhood friends. We did everything together. Everything. And now what am I? A third wheel? While I'm out there scouting Krepsunas, doing actual work, you're here with her. And when I come back, you're still with her."
Qalis stepped closer, closing the gap between them.
"Tell me something. When have you ever made a move on me?"
He blinked slightly, caught off guard.
"What?"
"When have you ever taken that step? Because I can tell you how many times I tried."
Another step closer.
"And how many times you shut me down."
Her voice didn't shake.
"We're married but you've never treated me like it. You crossed that line with her so easily, like there was nothing stopping you. But with me? Nothing. Why?"
That question hit harder than anything she had said before.
"Am I not enough? Am I not beautiful?mDo you think I don't love you? Or is it her? That succubus scent. That thing about her that just pulls you in. Are you that addicted to it?"
Eldrigan stood there, completely still. Qalis watched him for a long second and shook her head.
"Of course you don't have an answer."
She stepped back, putting distance between them again.
"Not that it matters. Nothing I say is going to change anything. You're still going to go back to her and act like this didn't happen."
She turned away from him completely.
"And you'll both go on with your plans without me."
"Qalis—"
He moved, but it was already too late. Her figure vanished before he could reach her. Eldrigan stood there for a moment, staring at the empty space she left behind. Then he let out a slow breath and dragged a hand through his hair, stepping forward until he reached the edge.
"Damn. How does Veneri even deal with this…"
°°°°°
Eldrigan and Peroncerea moved through Asphodel City's main district without drawing attention. The streets were filled with noise, color and movement as merchants lined every side of the road. It was market day and the entire city seemed to have gathered in one place.
Vendors called out their offers which were enchanted items hovering faintly above tables to display their effects. Unlike the use of mystic arts in Spheraphase, everything here felt elegant in execution. Even the simplest transactions carried a sense of refinement.
Peroncerea walked slightly ahead at first. Eldrigan followed beside her but his focus wasn't on the market. His gaze wasn't fixed on anything in particular, drifting past people and stalls.
Peroncerea noticed and slowed down her steps just enough to match him, then reached out and lightly brushed her fingers against his arm to pull him back.
"You've been spacing out."
He blinked once and sighed quietly.
"Yeah."
She tilted her head slightly, watching him.
"What is it?"
"I've got a lot on my mind."
He didn't elaborate but he didn't need to. Peroncerea already knew what part of that "a lot" was. Before she could respond, a sudden shift in the crowd pulled both their attention to the side. They moved closer without making it obvious, slipping into the edge of the gathering as naturally as anyone else.
At the center of it stood a young woman.
She was dressed simply compared to what one would expect from nobility, but there was no mistaking the way people reacted to her presence. The space around her wasn't forced open by guards or authority. It parted naturally out of respect. She was speaking to a vendor in a gentle tone as she examined something in her hands. Peroncerea glanced at the people nearby, listening rather than staring.
"She's the princess," someone whispered.
"Which one?"
"The kind one."
A soft scoff followed that.
"The only decent one out of all of them."
Peroncerea's eyes narrowed slightly when she heard that.
"She's nothing like the others," another voice added. "If she were the one ruling, this place would actually improve."
"Too bad that'll never happen," someone else muttered.
Eldrigan stepped a little closer to one of the speakers, keeping his tone casual.
"Who is she?"
The man glanced at him, then at Peroncerea, before answering without suspicion.
"She's the third princess of the Reniatsus line. Doesn't get involved in politics much, but everyone knows she's different."
"Different how?"
The man shrugged.
"She actually cares."
Peroncerea glanced back toward the princess just as the transaction ended. The young woman gave a small nod to the vendor, thanked him, turned and walked toward a waiting carriage. The moment she stepped inside, the entire structure lifted smoothly into the air. Magic stabilized it effortlessly as it rose above the crowd.
The carriage ascended without a sound and shifted direction, heading straight toward the distant palace that overlooked the city. Eldrigan watched it for a moment before turning back to the people nearby.
"If someone wanted an audience with the ruler, how would they go about it?"
The reaction was immediate.
"You wouldn't," one of them said flatly.
"Not now," another added.
Eldrigan frowned slightly.
"Why not?"
"Because of the Krepsunas," the first man replied. "They've been attacking more frequently. The entire palace is on high alert. All audiences are suspended."
"And if someone still tried?" Peroncerea asked.
The answer came without hesitation.
"They wouldn't make it past the gates, Miss. They'd be shot down before they even got close."
Peroncerea gave a small, polite nod.
"Thank you."
They stepped away from the crowd, moving back into the flow of the market until the noise swallowed the conversation behind them. For a while, neither of them spoke.
"We're not going to the palace."
Peroncerea glanced at him.
"Because of the risk?"
"Because we don't know how strong they actually are. It's better to follow Qalis' plan."
That caught her attention.
"If we eliminate the Krepsunas first and the Reniatsus find out after the fact, that gives us leverage."
Peroncerea walked beside him in silence for a moment, considering it.
"We create the result first and present ourselves."
"Exactly. We can't risk walking into that palace blind."
"We move on the hideout. The issue is that Qalis won't be happy about this."