CHAPTER 30: PATHWAYS AND PLOTS 8

Rosanna had a different... air to her, the next time Aegis saw her.

As Aegis went up the ethereal lift (while those guards a few feet away tried not to fall to the ground as they "kept watch"), when she came to the top, she found Rosanna there, as usual, but...

[Whoa.] Aegis blushed, her eyes widening.

The image in front of her was that of Rosanna sitting on the floor nursing a cup of steaming tea. That wasn’t the part that had Aegis blushing, though. Rather, it was what she was wearing and how she was sitting.

"Ah, you’re back~" Rosanna smiled widely. She was leaning back on her left elbow, one leg outstretched, wearing only what almost looked like a white bathrobe. Her hair, which had previously been tied up elaborately, was now loose and falling down her pale shoulders.

Aegis swallowed.

[Wow.]

"Well, don’t just stand there. Come on. Take a seat."

Aegis moved closer, still processing the sight. The ghost queen looked... relaxed.

Tipsy, even.

"Having a party without me?" Aegis put on a charming smile.

"Mmm, something like that." Rosanna waved her free hand. A second ghostly cup materialized beside her. "Join me?"

Aegis sat down, picking up the ethereal teacup. It felt solid but weightless.

"Is this real?"

"Does it matter?" Rosanna took another sip. "Real, illusion, memory. You would be surprised how it all blurs together after centuries."

[Fair.]

Aegis took a sip. Whatever this was, it tasted like some sugary-sweet alcohol.

"So." Rosanna shifted, her robe slipping slightly. Aegis looked at her chest and immediately pried her eyes away the moment she spotted a bit of areola. "Tell me about yourself, darling. Beyond the ambitious student seeking forbidden knowledge."

"Hm..."

Aegis wasn’t too sure how to respond. This character of hers, Aegis Starcaller, who she was now, had her own lore. Her own story, separate from Emily’s.

[Time to get creative.]

"Not much to tell. Spent most of my life... confined." Aegis chose her words carefully. "Unable to move freely. Watching others live while I just existed."

"Prison?"

"Felt like it. Illness."

Rosanna’s eyes softened.

"And now?"

"I found a cure, and now I can finally move. Experience things. Dance in taverns, climb towers, learn magic." Aegis smiled. "Flirt with beautiful women."

Rosanna grinned.

"Including dead ones?"

"Especially dead ones."

Rosanna laughed. A real laugh.

[Holy shit I made a former queen laugh.]

"You’re delightful." She shifted closer. "I had a lover once who spoke like you. All charm and audacity."

"Lady Celeste?"

"No, no, before her. A merchant’s daughter who snuck into the palace during a masquerade." Rosanna’s eyes went distant. "She convinced three guards she was foreign royalty, danced with half the court, then revealed herself at midnight."

"What happened?"

"I made her my spymaster." Another sip. "Best decision of my early reign. Shame about the poisoning."

"Someone poisoned her?"

"No, she poisoned the entire Northern Coalition’s leadership at a peace summit." Rosanna shrugged. "Politics. She was caught and, thus, I had to deal with the issue."

Aegis blinked.

[Note to self: Ghost Queen was hardcore.]

"You don’t learn that in history books."

"History books are written by boring people." Rosanna set down her cup. "Now, let’s discuss aether weaving while I still have the patience for teaching."

She moved behind Aegis, one arm draping over her shoulder. The ghost felt surprisingly warm. Her body was incredibly soft, for how powerful she was.

"Feel the ambient aether around us." Her breath tickled Aegis’s ear. "Every thread, every current."

Aegis tried to focus. Hard to do with Rosanna pressed against her back.

"I feel... something."

"Good. Now imagine gathering those threads." Rosanna’s hand covered Aegis’s, guiding the motion. "Like collecting spider silk, but with your soul."

The visualization helped. Aegis sensed delicate strands responding to her will.

"Excellent." Rosanna’s voice dropped lower. "You’re quite talented with your hands."

[Is she—]

"The key is gentle manipulation." Her fingers traced along Aegis’s arm. "Too forceful and the threads snap. Too timid and they ignore you."

"Like seduction?"

"Precisely like seduction." Rosanna chuckled. "Though I suspect you need no lessons there."

"Hahaha, you’d be surprised," Aegis laughed nervously.

Aegis’s body betrayed her. Three weeks of flirting, near-misses, and sexual tension with various women had left her... responsive.

[Please don’t notice please don’t notice—]

"My my." Rosanna’s whisper sent shivers down her spine. "Is that a wand in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

"I—that’s—"

"Relax, darling. I’m three hundred years dead. I’m flattered, not offended." Her grip tightened slightly. "Though if I still had a body..."

"Yeah?"

"I’d show you uses for aether weaving they don’t teach in academies."

[DANGER DANGER DANGER]

"Where was I? Ah yes, thread manipulation..."

The lesson continued for another hour. Rosanna explained concepts while maintaining maximum physical contact. By the end, Aegis had learned two things:

Aether weaving required incredible focus, and Ghost Queen Rosanna was a massive tease.

"Same time tomorrow?" Rosanna finally released her.

"If you’ll be wearing more clothes."

"No promises." That wicked smile again. "Sweet dreams, darling."

Aegis stumbled back to her dorm, mind reeling.

[I got hard to a ghost.]

[A three-hundred-year-old ghost.]

[Who was definitely flirting.]

[What is my life?]

---

On the weekends, students at Rosevale Academy were left to their own devices. Aegis did appreciate having the opportunity to just relax for once, but of course, she wouldn’t be able to do that.

[I need to keep growing,] she reminded herself as she put on her uniform. [I need to be OP.]

A knock interrupted her morning routine.

"Package for Miss Starcaller!"

Aegis opened the door. A servant held three large boxes, each stamped with House Roseheart’s seal.

"From Lady Roseheart, miss."

[This must be my dress for the gala. But, already? The gala’s not for another week.]

"Thanks." Aegis took the boxes, nearly dropping them. Heavy.

The servant left. Lune stirred in her bed, hair a mess.

"What’s that?"

"A dress, if I had to guess. Or dresses."

"From who?"

"Lady Roseheart."

"Mm." Lune rolled over.

Aegis set the boxes on her bed and opened the first one. Silk spilled out. A deep purple gown with silver embroidery, obviously for the gala. The fabric felt expensive enough to buy a small house.

[Holy shit.]

The second box held everyday clothes. Tunics, trousers, blouses. All high quality but practical. No more wearing her uniform everywhere like some anime protagonist.

"Finally." Aegis held up a black tunic. "Actual clothes."

The third box made her pause. Nightgowns. Silk pajamas. Even some...

Racier options.

[Lady Roseheart, you absolute legend.]

"Hm. Those are nice." Lune sat up, watching Aegis sort through the clothes. "The purple suits you."

"Think so?"

"Mm. Brings out your eyes."