A Sinner’s Chance

Despite my desire for nothing more than some relaxation, it was as if there was some cosmic force that was throwing trouble at me just because it could. The most troublesome was that I was unable to view my Status, or perhaps it was more apt to say that even though I was able to view it, it was filled with nonsense. When I had tried to use the Status Plate, I was met with the magical equivalent of bluescreening, followed by the Status Plate shattering into pieces.

I was certain that the majority of my Skills and things were still retained as I spent some time working on what I could and couldn't do anymore, and while for the most part I was able to confirm that most of my Skills worked, I was unable to get any of the Aspect Skills to work along with the Soul Overlays. I wasn't sure what that meant, as I could still use some abilities that had been merged into the Aspect Skills, so it wasn't as if they had disappeared all together, but for the moment, I had no way of finding out what had happened.

The worst part about this was my loss of access to Seshat's Library, and therefore all the information contained within. Without that, I would be forced to rely on my own conclusions about things, rather than concrete evidence. That said, I didn't need to do much information gathering at the moment, as I was far too busy keeping Gabriel and Alcrem restrained.

Their fates had been put off being decided while the duchy got itself back in order. I was extremely grateful for the Skills and experience that my lovers had since they were a great help in progressing things smoothly. Aside from Ashara and Marian, no one had any administration experience so those two were left to deal with the overall management and paperwork, while Steria and Arya went out and about to help with reconstruction, tend the wounded, or other forms of help the citizens needed.

Since I was the one in charge of keeping Gabriel and Alcrem confined for the time being, I had plenty of time to reflect upon Kalista's request and how I would go about it. My biggest issue with it was that by keeping her alive, I was basically feeding the enemy free information. It wouldn't be an issue if I could have Gabriel willingly sign a contract, but I didn't think she would, and I doubted that any other form of binding would be effective at stopping the information from leaking either.

As I mused over the problem, a sudden thought came to mind on how I could solve the issue, I wasn't actually sure if it would work, but if it did, not only would I be able to cut off the Archangel Gabriel's information, but could also obtain information about her as well. With a devious smile on my face I called a servant to have them bring Kalista to me.

It didn't take long for Kalista to arrive, and she curtsied to me as if I was a higher ranked noble, rather than a sister, but I could see hope in her eyes as she took a seat near, taking occasional glances at the restrained Gabriel. "Dearest sister, what is it you have called me for?" She asked, using only the most polite speech she knew.

"Don't be so formal." I said, waving my hand dismissively in the air. "I have a proposition for you. While I can't guarantee anything, I first need to hear your thoughts on the Archangel Gabriel, the original who our sister is but a fragment of." My arms crossed as I gazed intently at Kalista, who tilted her head.

"Archangel?" she questioned, her voice almost a whisper. She stared blankly for a moment, lost in thought before responding with a shake of her head. "I care not for 'the original' as you call her. I only wish that my blood sister lives, no matter the condition."

I was surprised to hear her answer, I had been troubled about what I could do if she insisted that the Archangel also be spared, but my worries appeared unfounded. "Very well, a final question before I tell you the proposition." I said in a serious tone. While I wasn't fond of what I was going to ask, nor did I actually plan on following through, I wanted to test how resolved Kalista was. "Were I to command you to strip, to service not only myself, but also-" I was unable to finish my sentence as Kalista stood and disrobed in an instant, before kneeling next to me, her hands beginning to caress my legs.

"Wa-w-wait." I sputtered, utterly taken aback by the lack of hesitation Kalista had displayed.

Her hands stopped as she tilted her head to look at me, a mixture of anxiety and fear in her eyes. "Am I not appealing enough for you my lady?" She questioned, her tone one of subservience.

I placed my head in my hand as I rubbed my temples. "You're plenty attractive, but I was only asking hypothetically, I wanted to see if you would sacrifice your body for Gabriel, and it would seem I got my answer." I said as I removed my hand and met Kalista's eyes as she knelt before me, a subtle hint of disappointment in them.

"So you didn't plan to turn forcibly take me and Gabriel and fuck us into obedience?"

I blinked a few times, unable to fully comprehend what had just been said to me.

"Or what about taking us into a torture room and forcing the two of us to pleasure each other under threat of pain? Or enslaving us and forcing us to perform all manner of hedonistic acts for you and others? Or-"

"Stop." I said cutting her off. I didn't know if she simply had a skewed perspective of me, or if she was simply venting her bizarre fantasies, but I had no plans to make Kalista do anything against her will. Gabriel on the other hand was a different story, and Kalista's outburst had given me an idea, one that, while ultimately harmless, would at the least enrage the Archangel Gabriel. Looking at Kalista seriously I asked. "How would you like to be able to be able to be with Gabriel at every moment of every day, inseparable from one another?"

I had purposefully been vague, but with Kalista's agreement, the explanation of the details left her strangely excited, to the point where I could only consider her obsession with Gabriel bizarre and unhealthy, but such an obsession would hopefully allow me to utilize her to the utmost of my benefit.