Even after the tower teleported, the sisters wouldn't take their eyes off Petyr. They were like hawks, but the former Ortesian night wasn't prey. She was the predator. Without so much as minding them, she went about her business.

Actually, it was kind of cute seeing how protective Claudia was of Hilde and Alicia. Always standing in the front, putting herself between them and Petyr, and whispering assurances despite them being just as capable. Kanade was like that with Suvee, and Suvee with Feraline. The same was true of Teana, Mikki, Pan, and Revah amongst each other.

"Ladies and succubi, we have arrived at our destination. If you will please stop staring daggers at each other, please descend the tower and follow me to meet with the Grand Eye." Eliza beckoned everyone to the stairs.

As soon as Petyr rose from her seat, the sister trio snarled until she disappeared downstairs. 

"Two grand on the succubi screwing things up first." Edina stuck a hand out to make a bet with Arenade.

"Make that three, because Petyr's short temper will definitely make things go from 0 to 100 in an instant," Arenade raised the stakes, but Edina was still willing to take the gamble.

They shook on it, like neither of them would be in trouble if everything went tits up…

"Can you guys at least believe things go without a hitch for once?" Kanae sighed.

"Our track record doesn't exactly inspire confidence." Edina shrugged and walked past her.

"For what it's worth, Master, I believe in us to get through this with minimal mishaps," Esta added confidently.

"So, trouble is inevitable after all!" she exclaimed in resignation.

They followed the others down, who were all waiting on the walkway that connected the tower to the palace. Claudia, Hilde, and Alicia were like tourists, taking in the sights of Radevic from up here, even briefly forgetting that Petyr was standing beside them as she scanned the city.

Aidenhall was not as glorious as Kanae last remembered. Towers that once stood vigil over the palace were crumpled on the ground. The lush green training fields she had sparred with other initiate knights in were blackened by fire. Construction workers outnumbered the knights again as they worked day and night to restore Aidenhall.

"I expected the Ortesian strikeforce to have inflicted more damage," Petyr remarked, seemingly surprised that Aidenhall was very much still intact.

"Grand Eye Analise suspected an attack was coming and prepared for it. You may even say we're… accustomed to being attacked by Ortesia," Eliza joked.

As they made their way into the palace, Kanae noticed Arenade and Edina preparing to leap off the walkway.

"You guys aren't coming with us?" Kanae asked.

"As a necromancer and succubus, being around the Grand Eye gives me the heebie-jeebies. That's all you." Edina shook off the jitters before flying away.

"This is your Knights of Colors business anyway." Arenade levitated off the ground and flew over. "I have a wedding to prepare. Have you any idea how much planning goes into one? No. Also, find me when you're done. We need to get your measurements for your wedding, buster. It's in four weeks! We're running short on time!"

Kanae sulked when they left.

The remaining group descended Aidenhall in search of the Grand Eye. She could normally be found in the Basilica of Saint Rue but wasn't there this time around. Clerics tending to the cathedral were unsure either.

They stopped in the middle of the corridor when heavy footfalls approached at a rapid pace—

"BY THE GRACE OF THE SUPREME ONE, ARE THOSE SUCCUBI THAT I SPY?" a bellowing voice howled.

"Oh, no." Kanae put a hand to her face.

That couldn't be anyone else. Master Marwin stormed down the hall like a raging bull having found his vigor again. Two out of the three succubi sisters recognized him immediately.

"The genocider!" Hilde snarled.

To everyone's horror, Claudia stiff-armed Marwin into the ground.

"You dare show yourself to us, succubus-killer!" Claudia drew her enchanted spanking paddle.

"Stop! He's only going to like it!" Kanae cried.

Claudia stopped short of bringing down the paddle on him.

"Pupil… why would you… deny me this…" Marwin croaked.

"Does this mean Edina won the bet?" Esta leaned in to ask.

"With Marwin around, I think it was stacked against succubi to begin with…" Kanae, with the help of Esta, pulled the old wizard to his feet.

However, although Kanae narrowly saved Marwin from Claudia, that didn't mean they were ready to let him live. The rage from Claudia and Hilde were palpable. Strangely enough, she didn't sense a single iota of fury from Alicia, who had just enough reason as her sisters to hate him.

"Give us one good reason why I shouldn't mince him up for my beasts to eat. This cattle slayed scores of succubi!" Hilde exclaimed.

"For one," Kanae began and lifted a finger, "do you really think he'll go down that easily?" She popped up a second and third finger. "You're sort of outnumbered."

A smokey, herbal scent wafted down the corridor. Alicia wrinkled her nose. She whipped around and came face to face with the point of a rapier, and the one holding it, the Saint Priest Camilla Rudoux taking a long drag of a pipe.

"Hi, Amethyst! Hi, Silver! You two look well!" Camilla smiled, her feline ears twitching with recognition.

"I didn't even hear her…" Alicia muttered, both hands too frozen to reach for her knives. Literally, frozen. Hilde and Claudia, too, had a layer of frost coalescing from their wrists up.

Another Saint Priest, the elf Bocchiri Ruu, or Bocchi as everyone called him, silently swooped in on a disc of ice and bowed to them in greeting.

"Perfect timing." Eliza clapped her hands together. "We would like to speak with Grand Eye Analise on a very important matter. One concerning an alliance between Radevic and Artaggon, mind you."

"We can take you to her, but everyone has to behave. No fighting in Aidenhall unless it's in the training fields!" Camilla sheathed her rapier, and Alicia breathed a sigh of relief.

Claudia, on the other hand, simply flexed and brushed away the frost. That signaled Bocchi to create a sword of frost and fall into an offensive stance.

"I'm not going anywhere with him around!" Claudia pointed angrily at Master Marwin.

"Make that two of us," Hilde added.

"If you're expecting me to be gone from the presence of two extraordinarily attractive succubi, then you have another thing coming!" Marwin protested like a child throwing a tantrum.

Everyone slapped a hand to their faces.

"Ah, well… That certainly poses an issue, doesn't it?" Eliza casually wandered behind Marwin and grabbed him. "I'll hold him off! The rest of you go meet with the Grand Eye!"

A conjured raven plucked a teleportation pellet out from Eliza's robe and activated it.

"Eliza, you bitch! Why are you allowed to enjoy the company of many succubi, and I'm—"

The portal swallowed them both, teleporting them to wherever that pellet was calibrated to.

"Anyway, please come with me!" Camilla whirled around to lead the way, and Bocchi waited until they were ahead of him before following.

"Hey, Alicia?" Kanae wandered up to the assassin succubus from behind. "I noticed you weren't as outspoken about despising Marwin as much as your sisters."

"I wasn't around for the succubus war. I was too busy doing Ambrosia's bidding in that god forsaken temple. Sure, I understand their animosity. It's just that I have a more pressing enemy in the form of my mother, Labelle, and Ambrosia," Alicia explained.

In the grand scheme of things, the cult and its leadership were much more dangerous than a retired wizard.

They eventually stopped in front of what Kanae recognized as the tribunal chamber in session. Inside, Grand Eye Analise was presiding over the court on the center of the three seats of judgment. Her Saint Priests guarded her from the foot of the high seat. High elves in shackles stood on the platform, their heads down and awaiting their verdict. They had no audience, no peers, and certainly no jury. This wasn't a trial. There was none to begin with. It was only a sentencing.

"May you reflect on your wrongdoings in confinement. Supreme One have mercy on your souls, for I have run thin of mine." Analise pounded the gavel and dismissed the court.

Guards led the defeated Ortesians away. A few spat on the ground as they were shoved out. Kanae and her companions took their place when Analise gestured for them to enter, and gestured again for someone to shut the doors.

A tickling sensation brushed against Kanae's skin. Several areas of effect spells were in place, one of them was likely Zone of Absolute Truth. Fortunately, Steel Mind protected her from that. Several of the Saint Priests, Delayn in particular, were burning holes into the new succubi guests.

"Grand Eye Analise, we've returned to Radevic to give our report," Esta announced.

"Before we begin…" The Grand Eye pointed directly at Petyr. "That's Petyr Stormcloud, isn't it?"

Kanae tensed up. All of the Saint Priests snapped in Petyr's direction, but Petyr herself remained steadfast and silent.

"Gold? Are you certain, your grace?" Danito gasped.

"She's not! She's just a… high elf thrall I have tagging along for a snack, because… Arenade went off, and I needed someone on standby!" Kanae exclaimed.

"Uh huh." Analise was unconvinced and flashed an uncharacteristic grin. "The proud Knight of Gold, the Scion of House Stormcloud, the empire's greatest knight, now a sex slave thrall to a succubus…"

Petyr began to grind her teeth.

The Grand Eye continued, "Tell me, Amethyst. What have you subjected the weak and disgraced Petyr to—"

"I'M NOT A THRALL, AND I WILL NOT BE MADE A MOCKERY OF BY YOU, GRAND CUNT!" Petyr erupted, throwing her hood back and drawing Shifting Steel.

"Supreme One's holy ass, it IS Gold! Subdue her!" Sheena Darrow ordered in panic.

By the time Petyr took one step, all eight Saint Priests were on her. Bocchi encased her legs in ice. Camilla pointed a rapier to the back of her head. Delayn cast a binding spell around her wait. Lani and Chappy created a pool of darkness beneath her feet, from which tentacles sprouted from to hold her still. Vestrid was in the thick of it, trying to wrestle her down. Sheena, Danito, and Ulric stayed back in case she broke free. Even with five of their combined might, they were having a hard time keeping her at bay.

"If the earlier incident with the succubi didn't count, does this mean Arenade won because of Petyr's outburst?" Esta whispered.

"Quit keeping track of their stupid bet! Grand Eye, I have a very good explanation for this!" Kanae exclaimed desperately.

"It is the former Gold after all!" Analise laughed out loud. "I couldn't mistake that temper for anyone else. If she isn't a thrall, then she is here of her own free will. But I presume you're not here to deliver us a war criminal, and neither is she here to turn herself in?"

After a long, arduous stand-off, they talked Petyr down from attacking the Grand Eye. The Saint Priests were hesitant to let go of her, but in a show of good faith, Analise instructed them to. Kanae and Esta recounted everything. From Hilde, Claudia, and Alicia's desertion, the Queen-Mother taking all of the Ortesian prisoners, and Lord Charron's condition to an alliance.

At the end of it, Analise pinched the bridge of her nose.

"The demon lord wants to free the former demon lord, and you brought Petyr to stop her if things go awry. Here's a thought: how about we don't take the risk of freeing her and become allies anyway? Gods take me… I haven't been Grand Eye long, and I already want to retire… It's also difficult to take you at your word when you're shielded from the influence of the Zone of Absolute Truth." Analise sighed at Kanae specifically.

"I-I think it's a good trade! If Radevic is allying with Artaggon anyway, then Lord Charron has every incentive to keep Roshasha from taking revenge for her imprisonment," Kanae explained.

"You're still a young ruler," she began exhaustively, "so I forgive you for that. What happens ten years from now? Fifty? A hundred? Will we still remain allies? What if Roshasha wants to rule again? I have to consider what's best for and what threatens Radevic in the future."

Petyr scoffed. "Surprise, surprise. Every Grand Eye, you included, eventually plays the passive role. When you made Kanae the Knight of Amethyst and repelled Gretchen, I figured this one was different. You turned out to be just like every coward before after settling into that cushy seat of yours."

They eyed each other down. There was history between them that no one's let Kanae in on yet, and she was deathly curious.

"Amethyst, I'll consider it. I'll even allow you to visit Roshasha's prison to see for yourself what kind of demon we're dealing with. But I have a condition of my own. You know that spell you have? Turn Horny? I want you and your succubus friends to cast it on Petyr. Repeatedly. She isn't protected by the reversal potion anymore, so this should make for an amusing sight," the Grand Eye said.

"Huh? Analise, you bitch! Kanae, don't you dare!" Petyr snapped.

"I'm sorry, Petyr. I need you to take one for the team." Kanae apologized.

"It will be my pleasure to make this cattle squirm." Hilde smirked menacingly.

"I'LL KILL YOU—"

Kanae, Hilde, Claudia, and Alicia inflicted their most basic succubus spell, Turn Horny, on Petyr. The high elf gritted through it and stood her ground for a few seconds. However, four succubi stimulating her was too much for even the empire's greatest knight to withstand. She dropped to her knees, then collapsed on the floor a trembling mess. Her entire body was twitching. She foamed at the mouth. A wet spot formed at her crotch.

"How do you like that? Not so tough now!" Claudia taunted from above.

"Kuh… uugh… I'll get you all back… for this… mark my… words…" Petyr murmured.

"That was therapeutic!" Analise smiled and descended from the high seat. "Saint Priests, Amethyst wishes to see the former demon lord. Oblige her."

All eight Saint Priests surrounded Kanae and her companions in a circle. They muttered an incantation. A stream of magic flowed from their bodies to a central point that formed a portal— an artificial rift.

"Are you telling me Roshasha's inside?" Kanae asked.

"I won't give you the specifics of her imprisonment, but yes. Roshasha lies within the deepest part of a secure dungeon, full of traps and dangers to dissuade even the greatest of heroes. If you fail, well… a rescue team will find you eventually. You are only going in to meet her. The final say in her release lies with me. Now, enter and good luck." Analise nodded.

The succubi sisters shrugged and entered first. Esta picked up the still shuddering Petyr and followed them in. Kanae breathed deep before walking in after them.