Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 284

Chapter 284: Lysette’s Concerns

Shortly after dusk, Lysette roused from the bed in her temporary cottage in Ereill and began to dress herself for the night ahead.  At first, she had been offered a beautiful sequined evening gown of iridescent black, but with her avatar’s chiseled, masculine appearance, wearing a dress looked more than a bit silly.

And so she, with a bit of help from Nightshade, chose a flowingly-tailored suit.  A shirt of silvery white underneath a suit jacket of pitch black made even more abyssal by the head tailor’s own artifice.  The sleeves, rather than being hemmed just before the waist, were tapered in a diagonal pattern not unlike the originally proposed dress.  The pants likewise had been refitted to provide a bit of extra length in the back of the ankle rather like a pair of small dress tails.  And finally, a pair of silver evening gloves and a necklace of white gold which matched both the shirt and her avatar’s flowing hair, neatly tied up into a long ponytail.

As Lysette stepped in the mirror to observe her form with her eyes as well as her aura, she thought of Mirae.  Thought of how desperately she wanted to get them into this outfit, to one day dance with them at the upcoming wedding ceremony.  And of course, to remove them out of the same outfit after the ceremony and be as loud as the two wanted without any regard for Serrena’s complaints about the noise.  For that one special night, anyway.

A knock came from the door just as Lysette put the final touches on her outfit.  With one final spin, she answered it.

To her surprise, it was Dennell himself who stood outside.  “Greetings, Your Ladyship.  I trust that you have been informed as to the schedule for this evening?”

“Of course, Dennell.”  She paused.  “Your Excellency.”

Dennell smiled and offered his hand, which Lysette took as the two made their way into the Grand Temple.

The structure of the evening was relatively standard for a formal dinner and event.  The main meal would be served precisely at midnight, but preceding that was an evening of talking among the elites of Ereillan society.  It wasn’t an event that most of the commoners were invited to, something that still irked Lysette to no end.  But for the sake of the alliance she was trying to build and to preserve the tenuous peace between herself and Zarielle, she let slide her offense.  For the time being, at least.

The pair arrived well before even the first guests; the senior acolyte had preparations to attend to, and Lysette was expected by Zarielle down in the sanctum.  Already since the morning, the main hall of the temple had gone through a metamorphosis.  The hundreds of pews had been moved elsewhere, replaced by dozens of long tables spanning the length of the hall.  Where the altar once was, now a single massive table stood, suspended about a foot in the air along with a small number of glossy chairs made of a substance known as obsidian.  And the room as a whole was now slightly brighter, lit by blacklight and black flame as an accommodation to those not accustomed to eating in darkness.

Without saying a word, Lysette made her way to the elevator and descended down into the sanctum while the others continued with their preparations.  Although Lysette wasn’t certain, the ride downward into the depths of the temple seemed quite a bit shorter than the first descent.  Perhaps some aspect of space warping to accommodate the convergence of multiple different worlds, all anchored at a single point.

She was greeted by Zarielle, who was wearing a gown slightly less overtly scandalous than before.  But still not one that bothered to hide the form of a goddess who had no concrete physical form save that which she deigned to create from time to time, and certainly chose one which was beautiful.  Objectively gorgeous by any measure, from flawless skin to…  well…  everything else.  Certainly a form that would have made Lysette feel inadequate were Mirae not clutching her main body and reminding her that they wanted and could want no one else.

“You’re looking dashing, my dear Lysette.”  Zarielle smiled.  “I was wondering what kind of outfit I would expect of you.  And I must say, you do not disappoint at all.  Even I’m a bit envious of your fiancé right now.”

“Your envy has been noted.  Mirae responded with ‘Mine’, followed by a playful snarl and wrapping their arms tighter around my waist.”

“I wouldn’t dare.  I would ask that you steel yourself for potentially intrusive questions.  It has been quite a while since the last time I appeared personally for one of these.”

“Then, while we wait, I have a potentially intrusive question of my own.”

“Very well.”

“Is there a place for someone like Mirae in your ideal world?”

“I don’t understand the question.  Why would there not be?”

“Dennell was instructing me in Ereillan culture, with the hope that I would not embarrass himself, me, or you when we arrive in a bit.  And he had mentioned that it was a country founded on the premise that everyone has their place, that we should all try to live in harmony and acceptance with that place.  Do our role, our part, be our chosen fiber in the tapestry of society, and learn to be content.  

“But Mirae, they’re not like that.  They have rejected the name given to them at birth and the social expectations that came with being assumed to be a woman.  A lot of the things your people have extolled resonate with my Reciprocity.  But a world without Mirae isn’t a world I can abide by.  Not after they’ve given me so much.  And not just Mirae, but all those who are like them.  I know that there are customs about allowing people to dress in a manner that may not conform to people’s expectations.  But defying things often assumed immutable, like gender and identity, are not so easy for the populace at large to accept.”

“It is difficult, trying to balance the interests, needs, and wants of so many different groups.  I am supposed to be the guide for those who have been cast aside by other elements of society.  At least, that’s what I try for, if I don’t always succeed at my goals.  Though, Mirae has made me question how well I’ve gone about doing so.  I’m–”  Zarielle paused and looked away for a moment.  “I’m sure they aren’t the only person who feels trapped and uncomfortable in a body they don’t feel suits them.”

“I’m glad to hear it.  And, thank you.  I know it’s not easy for anyone to change their ways.  And that goes at least triple for deities.”

“Such a change is peripheral to my ideals and my Domain.  Easier for me to work to accommodate those who are uncomfortable with their bodies than to stop being a schemer who operates in the shadows.”

"I suppose not." Lysette wasn't sure what to believe from Zarielle's words.

“I would expect nothing less of you, my dear.  Now then, the curtain rises.  The ball awaits.”

Zarielle placed her right hand on her hip, and Lysette locked arms with the Lady of Shadows just the same as she did with Mirae back in the meeting hall in Ciricu.  The elevator again descended to pick the two up, and very soon thereafter, they began their ascent toward a happening that Lysette could only begin to speculate upon.

“You’re worried, aren’t you?” Mirae said.  “You don’t have to answer that.  I know you too well, love.  Remember that we’ve been one.  In more than one way.”

“I talked with Nightshade about fighting, about making decisions on the battlefield.  How hard it is to struggle in the heat of the moment, when blood is surging, muscles shake.  When it’s kill or be killed or have a friend or–”  Lysette choked on her word before forcing it out.  “Or having my love hurt.  Or–  Or worse.  But even all of that isn’t as difficult as playing politics with so many powerful people.”

Mirae stroked Lysette’s arm.  “Because you are not as good at it, love.  Ever since your rebirth, you’ve rarely had to deal with being physically weaker than those you surround yourself with.  And now, we have few people we have to fear in a physical confrontation.  If Zarielle’s words are to be taken at face value— something I urge caution on always— Mirette needs to fear no one in this world.

“If I may speculate, love, I think that after that night, you’ve sought control more than anything.  Control over your life, and the physical might to never let something like that happen ever again.”

Lysette nodded.  It was all true, even if hard to admit.

“Politicking, on the other hand, doesn’t care if you have the physical strength to topple mountains or kingdoms.  But I think it will be good for you in the long run.  Good for all of us, if you get some practice resolving disputes with words instead of fists.”

Lysette only nodded, letting Mirae place their hands on her waist as they began to dance.  Slowly at first, with Mirae taking the lead as the divine couple swayed back and forth.  The main dance would come soon enough, but for now, Lysette wished only to enjoy the late night with her love, dancing in the dark chamber while the party in Zarielle’s Grand Temple was about to begin.

A crowd of two hundred and twenty was there to greet her and Zarielle as they emerged out into the main hall of the temple.  Several among them audibly gasped, and more than a few men in the crowd looked visibly flushed as the Goddess of Darkness forced all eyes upon her.  Lysette remained stoic and steadfast, offering no more than a couple of polite, undirected waves while Zarielle seemed to relish the cheers and admiration and silent and not-so-silent prayers from the crowd.  Prayers which Lysette could no longer hear.

“My countrymen, my people, initiates, acolytes, temple staff, and all the wonderful people of Ereill, my chosen homeland, I want to thank you all for being here.”

A polite applause filled the room.  Five seconds and not an instant longer, just as instructed by Dennell.

“And of course, I want to give thanks to all those who couldn’t be here tonight.  I offer my blessings to them as well as they carry out the all-too-unthanked tasks that make being here possible.”

Another applause of exactly five seconds followed.

“Tonight is a night of remembrance, but it is also a night for celebration.  For too long, Ereill has been besieged by enemies who have taken advantage of our perceived weakness and our isolation from our allies.  They are cowards, one and all, but no one can deny that their cowardice and underhanded tactics have served them well.  Until today.  Today is the first day we can finally fight back, to reclaim that which was stolen from us.  Stolen by our enemies who would see us annihilated.  Will we abide by this?  No!”

Despite the passionate speech and Lysette’s expectations for decorum to be broken, what followed was yet another polite applause of exactly five seconds.  An errant thought about mind control or brainwashing briefly crossed the back of her mind before being suppressed with fortitude and prejudice.

“No longer will those who have chosen the path of Shadow have to live in fear of the light!  No longer will we have to fear our enemies who still, even now, seek to expunge our way of life from this world.  It is my responsibility to shield each of you from harm.  A task which I have sadly not been able to carry out as well as each of you deserve from me.

“But now, we are no longer alone.  I am joined here by an aspect of my dear Lysette.  My daughter in divinity.”  Lysette bowed slightly at being addressed.  “Over the past several months, she has struck multiple blows against our enemies, growing stronger in the process.  And she has gained numerous powerful allies.  And now, tonight, she takes yet another step toward joining the pantheon of Aimarion.  Not just as a subordinate, but as an equal, united in shared purpose and ideals.”

Lysette wasn’t quite sure how shared their ideals were, but again remained silent.

“Tonight is a night to celebrate Lysette and her many accomplishments.  As well as the many deeds she and her comrades will no doubt accomplish in the years and decades to come.  For that, tonight, we feast!”

Another polite applause followed.  Exactly five seconds, as it always was.

Chapter 283: https://www.patreon.com/posts/116816580

Table of Contents: https://www.patreon.com/posts/101896170

Chapter 285: https://www.patreon.com/posts/116943440