Path to the Apocalypse

Victoria stalked through the halls, making her way to a different section of the castle, her anger beginning to boil again as she made her way towards the other culprit involved in what almost happened to her tonight. She arrived before a certain door, kicking it open and storming into the room. "Fuck, get- Victori- Ah!" AJ screamed as she grabbed him by the throat, dragging him off of Beatrice and slamming him against the wall.

"You slimy, conniving piece of shit! How dare you send that degenerate fuck to my room! If you weren't family, I'd have you flayed alive and hung over the castle gate as a testament to why you should never piss me off!" Victoria growled at him. "If you ever do something like this again, I will deep fry your dick and have a pig chew it off!" She continued as AJ's eyes went wide, before slamming her knee into his crotch, letting him drop to the ground, watching him pass out from the pain.

"Miss- Miss Victoria? What- what's going on?!?" Beatrice asked, her voice full of shock, confusion, and shame as she struggled to cover her naked body with a blanket.

Victoria turned, glaring at Beatrice, looking her up and down, before letting out a snort. "So, you two are fucking, huh? No wonder you helped him. Did you even know why he had you feeding me those potions?"

"P-potions?" Beatrice stammered, confused. "I- I don't- he- he made me- I-I didn't-"

Victoria shook her head. "Typical. Well, I'll tell you then. Your little lover here had you feeding me fertility potions, so that when he had Duke Duhallis sneak into my room to rape me, I'd be sure to get pregnant so that I'd be forced to marry the Duke!"

Beatrice's eyes widened in horror. "But- no! I- I didn't- please, Miss Victoria, I would never- I had no idea that- I- I just-" Tears began to flow as she struggled to explain, but there was nothing she could say. How could she have played any part in such a horrible plan!?! Even though AJ had forced her to, if she'd known, she would have refused, damn the consequences! If only AJ hadn't caught her… Beatrice covered her face as a shuddering sob choked out her throat. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't fix shit!" Victoria spat.

Beatrice nodded. "I- I know…" She choked out between sobs. Suddenly she jumped to her feet, rushing to AJ's desk and grabbing his letter opener, stabbing it towards her heart!

Victoria's eyes widened, leaping forward to grab her arm before she could actually stab herself. "What do you think you're doing?!?" Beatrice didn't respond, throwing her body forward towards the dagger to finish the job. Victoria twisted her arm, forcing her to drop the dagger before she could stab herself. "Stop it!" Victoria yelled. "Why are you doing this?!?"

Beatrice burst into tears again. "What do I have left to live for?!? I betrayed you! The only thing left for me is a life of serving AJ! I'd rather die! I deserve to die!" She sobbed, struggling against Victoria's grip.

Victoria's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would you do what he asked in the first place then? Why would you sleep with him?!?"

Beatrice's struggling weakened, an empty, anguished expression twisting across her face. "He- he forced me to. He caught me- He threatened to tell if I didn't do everything he said. He- he said he'd get me thrown out of the castle… I- it- it's just me and my little brother. If- if I get thrown out- we have nowhere else to go…" Beatrice trailed off, her voice getting quieter and quieter as she explained. "I know that's no excuse. I- I should have just killed myself from the start! Maybe- maybe the Lord would take mercy on my brother, if- if I wasn't around anymore."

Victoria stared at Beatrice with a complicated look. While she still couldn't quite forgive her, she understood why she'd done what she did. Beatrice wasn't much older than Victoria, and in this society, a young girl with no money only had three options: to be a servant, a wife, or a prostitute. Maybe if she were lucky, and skilled, she could become the apprentice of some craftsman, but that would be like winning the lottery. If she was even luckier, she could become an Awakened. But for Beatrice… She only had the three options. If she'd been kicked out of the castle… all she could do was sell herself, one way or the other. Just… "What did he catch you doing?" Victoria asked. She just couldn't understand what she could have done that would be so bad. As far as she could tell, Beatrice was a model servant, at least, until recently. Attentive, well behaved, quick and efficient, never complaining… admittedly, Victoria could be pretty oblivious, but still, she just couldn't wrap her head around Beatrice doing something that could get her kicked out of the castle.

Beatrice froze, her eyes going wide. "I-I-I-" She stammered, eyes darting around as she looked for some way out, but with Victoria still keeping a firm grip on her arm, there was no way she could escape.

Victoria's gaze hardened. "Either you tell me, or I wake AJ up and make him tell me."

Beatrice's expression twisted in helpless frustration, before falling in defeat. "I- I was peeking…" She mumbled, face flushing.

"Peeking?" Victoria frowned, only getting more confused as Beatrice nodded hesitantly. "On what?"

"On- on- on-" Beatrice stammered, face flushing as the answer got caught in her throat. She paused, gulping nervously, before finally getting it out in a barely audible whisper. "On you."

"On m-" Victoria began, before her eyes widened in understanding, all her anger towards her melting away. Suddenly everything made sense! If it got out that Beatrice was secretly a lesbian, and she was peeking on Victoria… There's no way the Marquis would let her stay in the castle. Additionally, she'd immediately lose any chance at finding a husband, her only resort being prostitution. Beatrice's options had been to choose between letting AJ fuck her or letting a series of random strangers fuck her. She probably hadn't even thought about what AJ was doing to her food! AJ definitely wouldn't have told her or let her see what he was doing, in case she told Victoria. She probably thought he was doing something petty, like spitting in it. How could she fathom that AJ was so twisted that he was setting his sister up to be raped and impregnated?!? Victoria quickly released Beatrice's arm, her own face beginning to flush as she suddenly became very aware that Beatrice was completely naked, even the blanket she'd been covering herself with lost in her rush to kill herself.

Beatrice curled in on herself, full of shame and disgust at what she'd done, what she'd let AJ do, at what she was. All she wanted to do right now was crawl in a hole and die. Why? Why did she have to be like this? Why couldn't she just be normal?!? What was wrong with her? Why- why was the worst part of all this Victoria rejecting her? Tears streamed down her face. "I shouldn't even exist!"

"Don't-" Victoria began, before freezing, not sure what to say next. "Let's- let's go back to my room. We- we can figure this all out there." She finally came up with.

Beatrice nodded dumbly, mechanically moving towards the door, before Victoria stopped her, snatching her dress off the floor and handing it to her to put on. Once Beatrice was clothed, they headed back to Victoria's room in silence, Beatrice stuck in a swirl of depression, while Victoria wondered how the fuck she was supposed to address all this. Should she tell Beatrice she was a lesbian? How would that go? Would they- Victoria flushed as images of her and Beatrice entangled together flashed through her mind. Slowly however, the entangled forms began to shift, turning from Victoria and Beatrice to Thomas and Jessica, causing Victoria's heart to sink.

Suddenly, Victoria shook herself. *No, I can't keep doing this!* She chastised herself. *Jessica is gone, and that hurts, but I can't let it stop me from living my life! I can't keep sinking into a depression and closing myself off every time something reminds me of my old life!* Victoria glanced at Beatrice again, before taking a deep breath and hardening her expression. She still didn't think anything was going to happen between her and Beatrice, but she wasn't going to ignore her just because it hurt to think about relationships.

The two arrived at Victoria's room and Victoria sat Beatrice on her bed, taking a seat next to her. "So… I- I get why you did what you did. I still don't like it, but… it wasn't your fault. AJ is the one to blame, not you. I'm… sorry I yelled at you when you didn't deserve it." Victoria began hesitantly, not quite sure what she should say to make Beatrice feel better. "As for- as for the peeking…" Victoria paused, struggling to find the words. "That- that was wrong, but not- not because you like girls. It was wrong because it was an invasion of privacy." Victoria struggled to put herself in the mindset of a girl seen naked by another person. She was still stuck in the mindset that if a girl saw her naked, and found her attractive, well… that was a bit exciting, right? However, that was a very male centric viewpoint and even then probably not a healthy one. Logically, if it's wrong for one person to see her naked without her knowledge, it's wrong for any person to see her naked without her knowledge. Still, she couldn't exactly force herself to be angry about it… "Uh… anyway, the thing about you liking girls… that- that isn't a bad thing, you know? I mean, I like girls." Beatrice's eyes widened as she whirled to face Victoria. "So, uh, don't- what?" Victoria asked as she noticed Beatrice's look.

"You- you like girls?" Beatrice asked hesitantly.

Victoria nodded. "Yup. Apparently before and after the accident. Which… Well, at least I'm consistent."

"You like girls." Beatrice asked again in a tone that suggested it wasn't exactly a question, more of a statement full of disbelief.

"Again, yes. I believe I've been pretty clear on that." Victoria repeated with a frown.

Beatrice blinked a few times, processing this new information. Her expression changed a few times as her emotions rollercoastered: excitement at the idea of potentially being with Victoria, devastation as she remembered her betrayal, ruining any chance of that actually happening, hope as she remembered Victoria saying she didn't blame her, and hesitation as she remembered Victoria's chastisement about peeking. She bit her lip in consternation, glancing at Victoria nervously. "What- what does that mean? For- for me…"

Victoria let out a long breath. "That's a good question… I honestly don't know at the moment. I mean, AJ still knows your secret, though I might be able to threaten him into silence. You can still be my maidservant too. Just, you know, no more peeking, alright?" Beatrice flushed, nodding along. "Other than that… Well, so far, you're the only other… uh, girl who likes girls… I don't know the word in this language. Oh, gay. We're gay. That works, right? Of course it does." Victoria paused for a moment, before shaking herself. "Anyway, you're the only other gay girl I know, so… we can at least talk about it. Not like we're going to be in a relationship, just- I mean, not that we're not- shit, all I'm saying is that we're both in a difficult position here and it'd be nice to have someone to fucking talk to about it!” Victoria groaned.

"That- that sounds nice." Beatrice agreed, flushing slightly.

Victoria let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, good. For now though… It is late, and I have had a long night. I'll see you in the morning." Beatrice nodded, quickly getting to her feet and heading to her own room. Victoria watched her go, before collapsing onto her bed with a frustrated groan. What the hell was she doing?!? Her emotions were a freaking mess right now and she had no idea what she wanted to do! Images of Jessica kept flashing through her mind, putting a deep pit in her stomach that she struggled to ignore, along with images of Beatrice, some of her looking up at her with that adorable, hopeful look that Victoria just knew was trouble, others of her naked body that caused an aching in Victoria's lower regions that she also knew was trouble, and finally images of her under AJ that caused a burning sensation in Victoria's chest that was absolutely trouble. “I'm so, so fucked.” Victoria groaned.

*

Victoria woke up the next morning with a weary yawn, blinking at the invading sunlight as if it had personally offended her. Weird thoughts had kept running through her mind last night, causing her to twist and turn restlessly. Dreams of Beatrice or Jessica creeping into her bed suddenly turning into Duke Duhallis pressing himself on top of her, jolting her awake. Victoria connected to Ursa. *Enjoying your new toy?* She growled spitefully.

*Toy?* Ursa replied, confused. *I- I suppose? Though I wish you'd told me earlier that using it to heal myself would also remove my need for sleep.*

Victoria frowned. *Huh? No, I mean-* Victoria froze, her eyes widening. "Motherfucker!!!" She cursed loudly, planting her face in her hands. How the fuck did she forget that?!? She's been wasting eight fucking hours every night! Fuck!

*Hello? Are you still there?* Ursa interrupted Victoria as she beat herself up over her own stupidity.

*Fuck, yes, shit, cocksucking, asshole!* Victoria sent back, mixing her reply with her own internal monologue.

*Excuse me?!?* Ursa sent back incredulously, not sure what to make of what he was hearing.

*Stupid, huh? Sorry, dumbass, I forgot I could do that. I've been wasting all this, retard, time sleeping!* Victoria replied.

Ursa frowned. *I am not stupid.*

Victoria paused. *Okay? Didn't say you were?*

*You just did!* Ursa retorted.

*No I didn't!* Victoria countered. *I called myself stupid, but… oh, shit, you hear my internal monologue when I use this thing, don't you? Ah, fucking… sorry, all that crap was directed at me. I feel so fucking… gah! I'm an idiot!* Victoria groaned, before pausing. *Wait, why were you healing yourself? Doesn't your Qi already do that for you? Wait… how did you even get injured?!?*

Ursa coughed awkwardly. *There was some… biting involved in last night's activities. After we finished, I thought to test out your healing, to see how it compares to my own.*

Victoria's eyebrows shot up. *Oh… so, things are going well with Foratuna then?*

Ursa hesitated for a moment. *She is very… intense. So much passion, an almost… desperate need. Then, the moment it was over, she turned… shy? It was as if she couldn't believe what she'd just done.*

Victoria grinned. *Perfect. Keep up the good work.* She commented, before shutting down the connection. She paused for a moment, before sighing and opening up her system, hitting the heal button, instantly feeling refreshed. "Still a fucking idiot." She grumbled, before getting up and starting the day.

The day progressed normally for the most part. Victoria headed to her training courtyard to do her tasks, before finding someone to spar with in between meditating on her Bladework Rune. Then, after a thoroughly examined lunch accompanied by a few awkward interactions with Beatrice, she continued to meditate on the Bladework Rune until it was time for her lessons with Maurice. It was nice to feel things getting back to normal after the chaos of last night, at least until it was time for dinner. The moment she arrived, she couldn't help but glare at AJ, who flinched the moment he caught sight of her, his face going pale as he quickly looked down at the table, avoiding Victoria's glare.

Albert noticed the strange behavior of the two, frowning as he looked between them, before focusing on AJ. "AJ, are you feeling well?"

"He's fine." Victoria growled before AJ could answer, taking her seat aggressively.

Albert's frown deepened as he glanced at Victoria. "I would prefer it if AJ answered, Victoria. I did ask him the question." He commented, before turning back to AJ. "Well?"

AJ glanced nervously at Victoria, before looking back down at the table. "I- I'm fine."

Albert looked between the two of them again, his frown turned into a scowl. "Alright, enough! What happened between you two?!? And don't lie to me!" He yelled angrily, pounding the table.

Victoria snorted. "Ask AJ."

AJ's eyes widened in panic, darting around. "I- I- it- she- she… she caught me… uh, sleeping with her maid. I- I had coerced her maid into bed and she- she walked in on us mid act."

Albert turned back to Victoria, raising an eyebrow. "Is this true?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Victoria grumbled, somewhat admiring AJ's evasion, even if she did wish he would go die in a ditch.

Albert sighed, shaking his head. "AJ, if you need a maid to vent your frustrations, there are plenty you can choose from throughout the castle. Going after your sister's maidservant is completely unacceptable." He chastised AJ mildly, before turning to Victoria. "Should I have the girl replaced?"

Victoria frowned at him, an incredulous look on her face. "Are you serious? AJ forces Beatrice to sleep with him, and you want to punish her?!? Like it's her fault AJ can't keep it in his pants!?!" Victoria shook her head in disbelief. "What kind of fucked up-" She began, before cutting herself off, growling in frustration, slamming the table as she got to her feet. "Fuck! He's a monster! You enable it! I am done with it!" She growled, pointing angrily at AJ and Albert as she did, before stomping out, heading back to her room. She was done with this backwards fucking world.

Albert watched her go, a completely baffled expression on his face, wondering what in the world he could have done wrong. He'd addressed the issue, hadn't he? What was he going to do, beat his heir because he got a little rough with a maid? He'd turn AJ into a laughing stock! He turned to Maurice with a questioning look. "What was that all about?" He asked incredulously.

Maurice sighed, shaking his head. "My Lord, you have to understand, she has an entirely different culture in her head, one much different than our own. Things we consider normal could be completely unthinkable to her. I fear you may have stumbled upon one of these contradictions." He paused, considering it for a moment. "It is likely due to your attitude towards the maid. I believe the culture she received knowledge of had a much different ideology towards social class. The idea that someone could simply be replaced could be the contentious point."

Albert pinched the bridge of his nose with a frustrated sigh. "But she's a maid! A servant! If they're no longer fit for service, you replace them!"

"I believe Victoria does not see it that way." Maurice sighed again.

"Maybe she has a point." Melissa commented quietly.

Albert pounded the table. "We are not going through this again!" He growled, glaring at Melissa. "I am the Lord of the castle and I will not be questioned in my own domain!"

Melissa stared back at him blandly. "Indeed, my Lord." She replied, standing to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I feel a bit under the weather. I fear this dinner will no longer agree with me. I shall make an early retirement to my rooms." She added, turning crisply and exiting the dining room.

The room fell into silence as Albert watched Melissa leave, before letting out a groan and planting his face in his hands. AJ fidgeted nervously for a moment. "Father, I-"

"Shut up, AJ!" Albert roared, raising his head to glare at the boy. "None of this would be happening if you would stop being so godsdamned stupid! You are going to be a lord! You will have responsibilities! You cannot keep doing things without thinking of the consequences!"

AJ gulped, nodding profusely. "I- I understand, Father."

Albert glared at him for a moment, before snorting and shaking his head. He stood to his feet, heading for the door. "Dinner is canceled." He growled, stalking into the halls, not even sure where he was going.