The clink of expensive cutlery against even more expensive plates. The tink of finely crafted crystal wine glasses at the call of a toast. The pleasant low hubbub of a room filled with friendly conversations, punctuated by the odd bark of joyful laughter from the group of old gentlemen gathered over near the fireplace. The sounds of a well executed dinner party starting to wind down as the moonlight streamed in through the open windows, along with the evening air.

It had been some time since Tanya had last spent an evening in such refined company, and while she couldn’t say she enjoyed it more than a night spent drinking the guild hall, the blonde Paladin had to admit that events like this had their charms. The food and drink were of much higher quality, most of the guests had in fact bathed in the last fortnight, and there weren’t any brawls breaking out every twenty minutes.

… Well, perhaps a brawl or two might have improved the atmosphere just a touch, but oh well. She was having a nice enough time, so long as she could avoid getting drawn into any conversations with the upper-class floozies who were always drawn to this kind of dinner party like moths were towards flames.

Fortunately, she had brought something to distract those kinds of people tonight.

“So then I said, Lady, I don’t know where you got that tiara from, but I’ve got the real crown of Trin Lae over here.” A familiar voice carried over the heads of a small group of noble ladies, all gathered in a crowd over at the far end of the room. “Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone go so pale. Especially when the mimic started moving…”

There were scandalised gasps, giggles, and coos of delight from the crowd. Tay just rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she returned her attention to the dinner table in front of her. “I’m sorry about my plus one. I did tell to behave herself.”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” the Lady of the manor, Lady Gwendoline Elcrest, smiled from the chair opposite. She was a young woman, though her confident bearing made her seem older, with long brown hair pooling around her shoulders in a styled cut that only a noble could afford to maintain. “The girls are clearly enjoying your friend’s company. She’ll be the talk of the houses for weeks.”

In many ways, that was what Tanya was dreading. Elora’s ego was going to block out the sun.

“Though we may need to reign her in soon,” Lord Bronson Elcrest, Gwen’s husband and Lord of the region, chuckled. “I can see a few of my Lords are looking annoyed at the absence of their wives…”

A slightly older gentleman with a thin, pointed beard, complimented by a trimmed moustache and a neat head of black hair, the Lord had a commanding presence of his own – though the Paladin had to admit, she found his wife the more respectable of the two. She couldn’t put her finger on why, exactly. It was just a gut feeling.

The blonde sighed, setting down her knife and fork to rise to her feet. “His Lordship is right – I’d better get her out of there. If I leave it up to her, she’s going to cause a scandal.”

“Ah, then I shall accompany you,” said the Lady, copying her opposite. “I’ll need to show you where you’ll be staying tonight.”

“O-oh, that’s really not necessary, my lady…” Tay hedged nervously. “I don’t want to be a bother…”

But the woman wouldn’t be denied. “Nonsense, Lady Tanya,” she said, stepping around the table and offering the Paladin her arm. “The two of you are our guests of honour. It will be my privilege to show you to your rooms.”

“Ah.” The blonde gave her a rueful smile, and then a nod as she took the woman’s arm in her own. “Well if you insist, my lady, then I’d never be so churlish as to deny you.”

The other woman grinned. “And they say your companion is the charming one.”

Tanya just blushed. “My Lady…”

“Now you be careful not to charm my wife too much, Lady Tanya,” the Lord laughed, waving a fork in the Paladin’s direction. “I’ll need her back after you’re done!”

“Of course, sir.” She gave the man a polite bow, before allowing herself to be guided away by the mistress of the house. Now, how could she get Elora away from here without starting an incident…?

-

“-Can’t believe you did that.” The redheaded elf stalked down the corridor with a burning glower on her face, furiously rubbing at one of her pointed ears.

Tanya, the target of said glower, just walked along beside her, giving only a casual shrug. “Well you should have come when I told you we were leaving.”

“You know how sensitive they are!” The Sorceress hissed. “You can’t just pull on them like that!”

“What I know is how much persuading you need in order to drag you away from a bunch of pretty ladies,” Tay sighed. “At least this way I didn’t need to go and fetch my sword.”

“I am going to curse you so bad. You’re not going to be able to find matching socks for weeks!”

Up ahead of them, Lady Gwendoline giggled. “Oh my, are the two of you always like this?”

El snorted. “Yeah, she’s definitely always a bit-”

“El!” The Paladin shushed her quickly. “Not in front of her Ladyship.”

“It’s quite alright.” The noble smiled at both as she turned around, drawing to a stop next to the door to one of the finer guest bedrooms in the manor. “I hear far worse from my husband when he gets in one of his moods. But here we are – this is where you’ll be sleeping for the duration of your stay. Please, treat the room as your own for as long as you’re here.”

She pushed open the door and stepped inside, waving for the pair to follow.

El groaned. “We’re sharing a room? I was kind of hoping for a little privacy – especially Tay’s little stunt there.” She rubbed her ear again.

Tanya just rolled her eyes. She knew exactly why her friend wanted a private room, and was more than willing to share if it meant stopping her from stealing some noble’s wife.

“I’m afraid we have a lot of guests tonight, and rooms are quite limited, yes,” Gwendoline said with an apologetic nod as she pushed the door shut behind them. “Besides, I wanted the opportunity to speak to you both where we couldn’t be overheard.”

The adventurers blinked. The noble seemed to have gone through a complete change in attitude the moment that the door latch clicked. She’d straightened up, her expression shifting from gracefully welcoming to utterly serious.

“I apologise for the circuitous methods I used to arrange this meeting,” she continued with a sigh. “I admit, cloak and dagger style actions are far from my normal style. I prefer to be direct, but the situation warrants a defter touch. I simply do not know how many people in the household are more loyal to my husband than they are to me, and this conversation cannot get back to him at any cost.”

Tanya and Elora exchanged a glance. “I think you’re better at it than you might think, my Lady,” the blonde finally answered, tilting her head as El folded her arms. “Neither of us suspected a thing about your intentions. But forgive me, I can’t imagine what would compel you to go to such lengths to talk with us…”

The brunette chuckled. “Well thank you, I think. But yes, I’m afraid the matter is serious. And since I do not know how long we have, I will be blunt. I suspect my husband of being an agent for one of the Dark Lords.”

The room fell completely silent. Elora’s eyes had gone wide, while Tay’s brow had furrowed. “The Dark Lords? That’s a serious accusation…”

Serious didn’t really cover it. The woman was basically accusing her husband of the highest form of treason, and branding him an enemy of all who walked in the light. The title of Dark Lord was granted only to creatures who had proven themselves threats to the entire world.

And Lady Gwendoline seemed well aware of this face. “It is, and if you repeat my words to anyone outside this room, I shall deny them with prejudice.” One of her hands lifted to clasp her shoulder as she looked away, face pained. “I never thought him capable of such things during our courtship, but I’ve learned a great deal about Bron since our wedding night that I wish I had known before the ceremony…”

The adventurers exchanged another glance. Lady Gwendoline was the daughter of the former Lord of the land, and it was through her that Lord Bronson claimed his authority. The kingdom was, alas, still rather mired in old patriarchal tradition like that, especially the nobility. Such was simply the way of things.

But that did make this complicated. If she spoke out against her husband, in the best-case scenario there would be those who sided with her, and an almost equal amount who sided with him. In the worst, she’d simply be dismissed outright.

“I’ve seen him conducting rituals in the courtyard… Heard him conversing with hidden figures when he doesn’t know I’m present… Witnessed him swaying his fealty to the darkness…” The noble shook her head, lips pressed thin. “My doubts have long been dispelled. All I can wonder is how I was fool enough to be tricked by him in the first place.”

She closed her eyes in self-recrimination – and as she did, El leaned over to her companion. “Think she’s legit?”

Tanya nodded slowly. “Yeah. Unfortunately, I do.” Then, she spoke up louder. “In that case, my Lady… What would you have us do?”

Gwendoline nodded, her hands folding behind her back as she started to pace. “I know what he’s doing, and I know his intentions. What I do not have is proof. That is what I need you to secure for me. I know my husband – for better or worse – and I know how his mind works. He has a room here, somewhere in the manor, where he keeps the tools of his dark magics, that’s always how he organizes himself. I’ve looked as hard as I am able, and but I’ve had no success finding it. You two, however – a Paladin of the holy Light, and a Sorceress of such renown…”

El preened, suddenly seeming much less put out by having her fun evening ruined.

“… You know what to look for, and you will be believed when you reveal it to the world.” The noble woman took a breath as she turned to face the pair. “I can at least hope you’ll have better luck than I. Will you do it?”

Tanya paused, still frowning. This was tricky. It was definitely an important request, but there was a lot of risk involved too. She glanced to Elora to gauge her feelings. “Well-?”

“Do I want to spend another evening in the lap of luxury while getting to snoop around some rich dude’s house and maybe getting paid for it?” The elf looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. “I mean, sure, I could maybe be convinced.”

“… Fair enough.” She didn’t know what she’d expected. “Alright, Lady Elcrest, I think we might be your women.”

“Excellent.” The noble clapped her hands, looking relieved. “Then I shall distract my husband tomorrow, and grant you two full run of the manor. Search far and wide, and should you find proof, head for the authorities immediately. The servants shouldn’t bother you if they know you’ve my permission to make yourselves at home.”

“Alright. I think we can work with that.” Tanya nodded thoughtfully. “Is there anything more you can tell us? Anything that will help us narrow our search?”

Gwen shook her head ruefully. “I wish there was some help I could give you there, but wherever Bron is hiding his sins, he’s kept it well out of my sight. Just search as best you can.  If you don’t find anything, we can discuss our next steps tomorrow after dinner.”

Mmm. Not much to work with, but it would have to do. “Very well. We’ll do our best not to let you down, my Lady.”

“I have complete faith,” the brunette giggled, before sliding out of the door and raising her voice once more. “I think that should explain everything! Do let the staff know if there’s anything you require.”

“Of course. Fair evening, Lady Elcrest!” Tanya waved her out, before closing the door gently, and looking to her companion.

El was already hopping into the seat in front of one room’s dressing tables, snatching up a hairbrush and furiously working it through her red locks as she squinted at her reflection in the mirror. “You said this was just going to be a party,” she muttered, without looking around. Of course, that just meant Tay could see her pout in the mirror.

“It was supposed to be!” The Paladin protested. “It’s not my fault that people keep seeking me out for quests like this…”

The elf stuck her pointer finger up. “Okay, first off it absolutely is your fault, miss knight in shining armour. And second off, I should have seen this coming. No one invites you to parties for fun.” She sighed, starting to cleanse off her makeup – a sure sign that she’d accepted that she wouldn’t be getting any further company this evening.

“Heeeey, that’s not…” The blonde paused, struggling to find a response. “… Always true? I can be fun at parties!” She saw Elora’s disbelieving look in the mirror. “… Some parties. Sometimes.”

“Hmph. You, Tay, are entirely too practical. No sense of fun. So the only times we get called to events are times like this, when the lady of the house is having a paranoia fit over her husband cheating on her or something.” The elf leaned back over the top of her chair and looked at her companion at last. “Because that’s totally what this is, you know.”

Tanya shifted uncomfortably. “I mean, even if that’s all it is, that’s still a scandal. But she seemed pretty convinced…” More convinced than she was, at least.

El just snorted. “Well duh. Of course she believes it. Desperate and vengeful people can talk themselves into believing anything. And no one’s more desperate than a rich lady who can tell her husband’s eye is wandering. I mean he was checking you out all night…”

“What?!?” The Paladin turned as red as El’s hair. “He was not! … H-he wasn’t, was he?”

“Aaaabsolutely was.” The Sorceress turned back to the mirror, rolling her eyes. “And you might have been oblivious to it, but Lady Elcrest wasn’t. So this whole ‘quest’ she gave us? Probably just her in denial. The only ‘proof’ we’re going to find is lipstick marks and rumpled bedsheets. I mean I’ll still do it, it’s the perfect excuse to nose around and find some gossip to share at the tavern – but take my word for it, that’s all we’re going to get from this trip.”

Behind her, the Paladin couldn’t help but nod along half-heartedly. She’d seen this kind of thing before, just as she knew El had, and while this was certainly a high-profile case, there was nothing new about scorned women accusing their husbands of consorting with the darkness. It was almost as common as the other way around…

“We’ll see what we find in the morning,” she said, finally nodding. “Do a little digging, maybe interview some of the staff discretely, see what turns up. Just be open minded – who knows, she might have actually found a dark cult.”

“Sure. Or she’s found his Lordship’s drinking buddies. Honestly, I’ve seen how you humans get when you start drinking, it’s an easy mistake to make.”

“Har har.” Tanya shook her head, turning to head to the adjoining bathroom, already reaching up to start unbuttoning her dress shirt. “I’m not even dignifying that with a response, I’m just calling claim on the left side of the bed tonight.”

That got Elora’s attention. “Wha- No, that’s got the best pillows! I thought you’d want to sleep on the floor, you Paladins like suffering or hardship or whatever!”

“This Paladin likes getting a good night’s sleep, thank you,” the blonde snorted. “In fact, maybe I could take all of the bed. You’re always going on about your elven grace, I bet spending the night on the floor would be like snoozing in a bed of flowers for you…”

“Woah, hey, that is racist, and I- Hey! Tay! Come back here! Tay!”

Of course, Tanya was already gone, stepping out into the bathroom – pursued, a moment later, by a redheaded elf who was absolutely not letting her friend get the last word in on this one…

And as they went, the pair missed a faint green glimmer shine around the edge of the mirror…

-

By the next morning, the manor house was much quieter – but also, much busier. Most of the guests had departed, either last night or early in the morning, but now the servants were in full view, cleaning, tidying, and sorting out the house after the party. Rooms were being scrubbed, furniture repaired, and candles replaced. The staff ran an efficient operation.

Which made it all the easier for the two adventurers to take a look around. Just as Lady Elcrest had promised, the pair had been granted full access to the house and the grounds, to explore as they liked. And explore they did, wandering the halls and rooms as subtly as they could manage – with Tanya occasionally having to steer her friend away from a third visit to the kitchens…

“Why can’t I take some snacks, huh? They’re just going to throw it out anyway!”

But to the Paladin’s growing sense of disappointment, and Elora’s growing sense of smugness, neither woman found any sign of the arcane, foul or no. The manor was just as it seemed to be – an ordinary noble’s house.

“This guy must be pretty vain though, right?”

Tanya blinked, looking around at El. “Why do you say that?”

The elf shot her a patronising look. “C’mon. There’s mirrors in every room, Tay. That takes ego.”

“… I’m sorry, did you call someone a narcissist? You?”

“Well yeah, I mean- Hey. Hey, wait a second, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing!”

“Tay? Tay, come back here!”

In the end, the two found themselves drawn to the library, one of the central rooms of the house – and, to be honest, a room just as ordinary as the dozens of others that they had toured that morning.

Well, there was one difference. Right now the library was being tidied up by a single maid – a woman with long blonde hair who filled out her maid uniform nicely. Which is to say, at least here Elora was distracted, and Tay could concentrate on the search in peace.

“So what do you do for fun around here?” she was asking. “I mean, I know dusting has its charms, but it can’t be all sweeping all the time, right?”

“Well, Miztrez Elora, it is, how you zay, a living, yez?” The blonde giggled as she looked up from her duties – which currently included dusting the top shelves with the aide of a ladder, which an eager elf was currently holding.

“Have I mentioned how delightful your accent is…?” El was very much enjoying the view.

Tay rolled her eyes. Okay, mostly concentrate on the search in peace. She just needed to ignore El’s blatant flirting in the background. And it might be worthwhile to do so this time, because she had a strange feeling about this room. Something was tickling at her instincts in here. She wasn’t sure what, though. Something about the way the books were organized on the shelves, or maybe the way the lighting was designed… She couldn’t put her finger on it.

She could only half blame Elora for that, though, even if the Sorceress was supposed to be helping her. Even she was feeling distracted this morning. Maybe it was the wine last night, or maybe she’d slept badly (El had absolutely hogged the covers), but focusing just felt difficult today. She kept finding her attention slipping, her gaze wandering around the room, refusing to home in on whatever was bothering her. Bouncing from book spines to table decorations to the mirror over on the far wall…

“Huh.” Tanya paused, blinking. Wait, hadn’t she just seen…?

Distracted as she was, El still didn’t miss her friend’s surprise. She looked around, annoyance clear on her face. “What?”

The Paladin was crossing the room, staring at the far wall with a curious expression on her face. “I thought I saw this mirror glowing…” She muttered, though there was no sign of any glow now. “Could you check it out for magic?”

The elf raised a slender eyebrow. “I mean I can already tell you just by looking at it that that’s a normal mirror,” she said, giving it another glance. “No magic involved.”

Tay frowned, now close enough to properly consider her reflection in some detail. Yeah, she definitely looked pretty spacey this morning. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah, I’ve already scanned it.” El shrugged, her eyes flashing with a blue glow around her irises for a second. “And I scanned it again just for you. Ordinary, non-magical mirror.”

“…” The blonde still didn’t look convinced, but whatever glow she thought she’d seen was nowhere in evidence now. It was just her reflection looking back at her, and Elora’s helping the maid’s down off the ladder.

“Anyway, you can keep trying to win that staring contest you’ve got going with yourself,” said elf called. “I’m going to go and help Yevette here with some of her chores. It may take a while to clean up the bedrooms, so don’t wait up for me~”

Tanya turned to shoot her friend a flat glare at being abandoned for the first cute floozy that crossed their path… But the look just bounced off Elora as she practically skipped out of the room with the maid. Alas, the Sorceress was completely immune to Paladin disapproval by now.

“Well at least it’s not someone else’s wife this time,” The blonde sighed muttered, turning her attention back to the mirror. “And maybe without her distracting me I can make some progress. Now what am I missing here…?”

There was something funny going on here. She was getting more sure of it by the moment. Something odd about the way the image in front of her twisted, the way it seemed to flicker around the edges. She felt like she was looking at two images in one, and that if she just kept staring, soon she’d be able to make out the truth.

She just had to… Just had to…

Relax… Relax and stare… Why be so stressed…? It’s not that important…

The thought popped into Tanya’s head out of nowhere, and her stare folded into a scowl. She shook her head, turning away from the mirror to go back to checking through the books. “I’m hanging out with El too much. Her laziness is rubbing off on me…”

Behind her, light flickered around the edge of the mirror again, briefly. If anyone had seen it, they might have thought the light seemed… annoyed?

-

The linen closet was as spacious as you’d imagine it would be for a manor of this scale, perhaps half the size of a normal room, and maybe one of the most private places in the entire estate. There were only two pairs of eyes watching them in here.

“They really put mirrors in every room, huh?”

“It iz ze rule of ze houze, oui~ A mirror in every room to keep ze eye on thingz.”

“So where are you from, anyway?”

Elora was true to her word, helping Yevette clean up. She was just also encouraging her to make a mess first. Unlike certain Paladins she knew, this lady knew how to treat an elf’s ears! The two had barely closed the door behind them before the blonde proved that little fact, reaching up to cup the Sorceress’ cheeks and slowly lifting her thumbs up through her hair, gently stroking those sensitive tips and making El’s knees quiver.

So after that, of course, she couldn’t not kiss her.

The pair quickly fell into the pile of linens, hungry hands exploring one another’s bodies with eager glee. This time there was no living chastity belt around to drag the elf away from this clearly-into-her party, and she was going to enjoy every second of the occasion. She had a need between her legs, and by the feel of those fingers sliding under her dress, Yevette was happy to help her with it. It’d be the least she could do to return the favour.

First she wanted in on those curves, though. Legs entangled, the pair rolled in the linens with a steamy smattering of giggles, paced between hungry kisses and muted squeals. The blonde really enjoyed having her ass squeezed, apparently, which was delightful because El found her cheeks were wonderfully squeezable…

It was hard to say when their clothes vanished. The redhead definitely remembered fumbling with the maid uniform’s bodice strings, and maybe unclipping the woman’s bra with her teeth, but everything else was a blur of horny pleasure that didn’t really need mentioning. The important thing was finding herself sat up, her hot and sweat-slicked back pressed against the closet wall as a grinning blonde got down on her knees and spread the elf’s thighs. Then the maid leaned forward, and…

El gasped, eyes rolling just a touch as she bit her lip to keep herself from crying out. That tongue was electric – she’d known dryads who couldn’t wet their whistle down there so well, and those girls spent all day sampling the honey wells! The Sorcress couldn’t help but moan, her back squirming against the wooden wall behind her, one hand clenching around the linen beneath her, the other stroking the maid’s hair and encouraging her to delve deeper.

“Yuh-You’re good at this,” she managed, her legs crossing around Yevette’s back to make sure she wasn’t going anywhere.

“But of course,” the maid purred, taking another lick. “Thiz iz but another part of ze maidz dutiez, yez?”

“O-only in the really fun manors…” Elora moaned, swallowing and panting for breath. “And wow, this might be the funnest… H-huh…?”

More focused on physical sensations than any of her other senses right now, the Sorceress’s eyes were wandering the room rather freely. And naturally, they landed on the thing straight across the room from her.

The mirror.

Was it just her, or was it glow-

Lick.

Ooooh~ El bucked, her legs curling firmly around Yevette’s back as the maid’s tongue sent another spike of pleasure directly through whatever silly thing she’d just been thinking. It couldn’t have been anything important – what could possibly distract her from this?

Relax.

The elf sighed, a dizzy smile on her lips as she relaxed, the green light from the mirror glistening on her sweat-soaked skin. Forces, she’d needed this. It’d been far too long since she’d last had some fun. Though she still had to be careful, or Tay might burst in any second and-

Lick. Don’t worry.

Ahmn~ El’s mind spun as another wave of pleasure crested through her. Oooh, what had she just been thinking about that time? Hah, she couldn’t remember. Probably something silly… Nothing to worry about.

Giggling, eyes locked on the mirror, the elf leaned forward and stroked the maid’s hair again. She didn’t want to be a selfish lover! “Mmn, you’re really good at that, but don’t you think that-?”

Lick. Don’t think.

“Tha- That- That I… Oooohh…” She slumped back against the wall, her legs spreading even further as her jaw dropped open, a hazy cloud flooding through her thoughts. All of a sudden it had become so very difficult to think… “Buh… But I…”

Lick! Just enjoy yourself.

“Ahmn!” Elora let out an actual squeal as the pleasure hit her brain that time, eyes rolling up in her head completely as she melted under Yevette’s ministrations. She couldn’t help it. She was enjoying herself too much…

Just cum and go Blank, little elf.

Cum and go…?

Lick!

“Ngh!” The Sorceress gasped as the maid found her sweet spot – and then it was too late to do anything else. She came, juices flooding Yevette’s thirsty mouth like sweet waters from a broken dam, and everything else in her head poured out with them. Still, empty, blankness settled over the elf’s mind, her eyelids fluttering once before going still as her body went limp.

A blank smile settled on her lips, a trickle of drool making its way down her chin from the side of her mouth, as her eyes glazed over and became completely vapid. Even as the maid rose to her feet and stepped back, standing off to the side with her arms folded in front of her and a smug grin on her face, all she could do was sit in place, legs limply splayed open, staring mindlessly into the swirling light of the mirror.

Yes… That’s more like it…

To El’s hazy and unfocused eyes, it almost looked like there was another figure in the reflection. A shimmering woman made of green light, standing next to the pair with a smug smirk on her face.

So much easier to handle when you’re properly distracted…

The figure reached down to pay Elora’s reflection on the head. The elf giggled airily, feeling soft fingers stroke through her hair.

Your friend is being difficult. Resistant. But you will help her soften up.

An invisible hand reached down to grasp the elf’s unresisting chin.

After all, it is every maid’s duty to serve the will of the Lord~

And El just giggled vapidly as her breasts began to swell, her ass plumping up underneath her…

-

Nothing. Tanya had searched all day, and she’d found nothing. She’d even managed to lose Elora, which under normal circumstances might be worrying, but given the eyes her elven friend had been giving the maid staff here, it was just annoying this time. She’d probably show up with a rumpled dress and say that she’d gotten lost or something – if she even bothered to come up with an excuse.

Overall, this had been a massive disappointment, even though it was an entirely expected one. Beyond not finding any signs of sinister magics or evil practices, they hadn’t even found any traces of adultery. Everything at this manor seemed completely above board – which meant that their time was completely wasted. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, of course, not finding an evil cult in charge of the local area… But it was still frustrating, and it meant that El would be in ‘I told you so’ mode all week.

So the Paladin was actually rather surprised when she returned to the room she was sharing with the elf to find that her friend had left her a present. There, on the bed, was a box – and attached to it, a note in Elora’s handwriting.

‘Found this and thought it looked suspicious. Take a real close look, you’ll see why!’

The blonde raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t like El to play coy about stuff like this. Not unless… Ah.

“Oh, very funny,” she muttered, opening the box pulling out the contents – a large hand mirror, one with a handle that filled her hand, surrounded by a gold and silver frame. It looked ludicrously valuable. “She better not have stolen this from her Ladyship’s bedroom…”

The image of what El might have been doing in a noble’s bedroom was enough to make her drop the line of thought immediately. Instead, she focused on her friend’s ‘gift’, squinting at the glass to try to work out if there was anything more to this than a simple taunt from the Sorceress. She’d said to take a real close look, hadn’t she?

Hmm… No, just her reflection. There was nothing-Wait. Hold on… Yes, no, there was that feeling again. That odd sensation, like she was staring right at the answers she was looking for, and just not seeing them.

Keep staring…

Again, the blonde’s brow furrowed. Something wasn’t right here. Frowning, she closed her eyes, shaking her head as she lowered the mirror. Why was this making her so dizzy? Maybe she was more tired than she thought…

“Do you zee it yet?”

A familiar voice spoke up from behind her, making her jump. When had Elora gotten back? She lifted her head to turn around, but a familiar finger pressed against her cheek and turned her back towards the mirror. “Non, non, keep looking. You need to zee.”

“Ah…” Off balance and hazy, the tired Paladin found herself struggling to resist her friend’s encouragement. Her eyes focused back in on the mirror, and again she found that unsteady feeling spreading through her head. There was something here… Something she could almost see. She just had to…

Keep staring…

Keep staring… Her eyes narrowed as she tried to focus. Just keep looking, keep staring, almost there, she almost had it. If she just kept staring, just concentrated on the mirror, then she could… She could…

… Was someone giggling?

“Hm?”

“Oh, nothing~” There was something odd about Elora’s voice. “You juzt look cute, iz all.” Something she couldn’t quite place. It was something she could work out later though. At the moment, she had to work this mirror out…

Keep staring…

But maybe she needed to clear her head. She felt so tense all of a sudden, as if she was responding to a threat. Why was her heart pounding like this? Ngh, her head was so hazy. She needed to stop…

Keep staring…

Needed to keep… No, she had to…

Keep staring!

The mirror began to drop…

And then hands settled around her shoulders, massaging her muscles gently.

“You zhould really relax,” Elora purred, her thumbs rubbing small, firm circles through Tay’s dress shirt. “Zo tense! You will never work out the anzwer if you keep forzing it~”

Oh. Oh. Was that the… Mn… Was that the problem? Wow, she hadn’t known El was so good at massages. Maybe all that money she spent lazing about on spa days was actually good for something… Nnm, oh, that felt good…

The mirror wavered for a moment, then rose back up into Tanya’s eyeline, helped a little by Elora’s guiding hand. “Let me help you. Juzt keep ztaring…”

Keep staring…

Keep staring… Mm… Maybe a little longer. Ooooh, yeah, those hands felt so good…

Ordinarily, she might have been worried about someone behind her with hands on her neck. As a Paladin she had very, very highly trained instincts. Quite frankly, she might not have been able to stop herself from taking a swim at whoever tried it.

But this was Elora. Her best friend, despite whatever differences, arguments, or outright screaming matches the two might have had. Tanya trusted her more than anything. So she could leave everything to her, just for a little bit, and keep staring…

Keep staring…

Keep…

Keep staring…!

Keep…

Yes, that’s it!

Oooooohhh…

The mirror dipped a little, but this time it wasn’t being lowered. Instead, the wobble was because of the sudden limpness in Tanya’s arm – the blonde only barely keeping the thing lifted at Elora’s insistence. Everything else about the Paladin seemed to go slack – her weight falling backwards to rest in Elora’s arms, her legs buckling, her jaw dropping. Even her eyelids fell to half-mast, the eyes behind them glazing as they continued to stare into the swirling green light that now poured from the glass in her hand.

Behind her, a certain redheaded maid giggled, stroking Tay’s head fondly. “There we go~

She’s still so resistant. Tch. The voice came from the glowing mirror. Maid, keep her distracted like I told you. We’re going to work on her all night.

“Very well,” the elf sighed, already unbuttoning the blonde’s shirt and pulling it away as she helped guide her towards the bed. “If I must. But zhe is zo very much not my type…”

-

Tanya woke up naked and sticky. Not in the literal sense, of course, her body was fine, if a little damp, but her mind… Her mind was…

… What had she just been thinking?

Ugh. Her head felt like was full of fog. Groaning, she slid out of bed, ignoring the snoring elf snuggled up beside her (who had once again stolen all of the covers), and stumbled over to the dressing table, sitting down heavily in front of the mirror.

Now… Why had she come over here…? Uh…

Because you want to look pretty~ Light shone from the glass.

Because she wanted to look pretty! Of course. Duh, how could she have forgotten that?

Giggling to herself, Tanya picked up a hairbrush and began daintily stroking it through her hair. She had more of it than she remembered, actually. She’d never kept it short, exactly, but it was rarely long enough to go below her shoulders. Except now it drew all the way down to the small of her back…

Don’t worry about it.

Well, nothing to worry about. Sometimes hair just grew like that. And it didn’t look bad, even if it would take more time to take care of.

Actually, speaking of things that just grew overnight, was it just her, or was her bust looking a bit more, uh, busty today? Her girls looked to be nearly twice the size she remembered them as. And come to think of it, her ass was feeling awfully plush underneath her…

I said don’t worry about it!

Ooohh… Mn, what was she just-? Ah, right, like she said, nothing to worry about. What she needed to worry about was looking pretty! And oh, that was going to take a lot of work with all of this hair to style…

But salvation came swiftly. Just as she was starting to frown, a woman stepped up behind her, taking her long locks in hand and beginning to brush them straight, styling them with skilled fingers. A woman with red hair and pointed elven ears… El-?

Just a maid. Light flashed from the mirror, dazzling the blonde.

Oh, yes. Just a maid. Tay sighed, tilting her head back to let the servant take care of her. It wasn’t long before her hair was styled into brilliant golden ringlets that framed her face. She couldn’t help but bite her lip as she looked at her reflection. Didn’t this seem a bit much…?

Perfect for a noble woman like you.

Ah, but it was perfect for a noble woman like her. The Paladin-

Noble.

- The noble sighed and relaxed, allowing her maid to help her dress. Shining rings slid onto her fingers. Glittering necklaces lowered over her head. The most ostentatious dress she had ever seen was squeezed around her curvy frame, highlighting her bust and fitting snugly around her ass. She blinked as she watched the maid’s reflection in the mirror, seeing her lacing up her corset. The image felt so strange. The woman felt so important, and yet seemed so wrong. Had she always worn that maid uniform? Had she always been so busty? Didn’t she know them from somewhere? Wasn’t she-

Just a Maid, the mirror flashed.

- just a maid, Tanya decided, shaking her head to throw off that strange, sticky feeling of familiarity. No one she knew, save as a servant. No one important. No one she needed to think on any further.

With a sigh, she let herself settle at the dressed, allowing the forgettable servant to help her finish getting ready. And as she stared at the woman in the mirror, at the blonde decked out in expensive jewellery and an aristocratic dress, she realised that she couldn’t for the life of her work out who she was looking at.

Then the mirror flashed, and a dim smile spread on her lips as she finally realised…

That was her.

Lady Tanya Elcrest.

Who else could it possibly be?

-

Her head was feeling clearer, if still a little sticky, when she strode into the parlor and found Lord Bronson Elcrest waiting for her.

“Ah, there you are!” The dark haired noble greeted her with a grin, turning away from the mirror he’d been considering. “And how is my beautiful wife this fine morning?”

“… Wife?” The word still felt wrong in her mouth, and yet so right at the same time. She was his wife?

The mirror that the Lord had been studying flashed.

She was his wife. Of course. How could she forget something like that? She really was so very silly. “I’m fine, dear husband,” she said, only stumbling a little on the H word. “Just… feeling a little slow this morning.”

He chuckled. “Well, I suppose that’s no surprise, is it? You’re not the brightest bulb, dear.”

A frown began to darken her face. What was he saying…?

Flash.

Oh. The truth. Of course. Yes, she was rather dim, wasn’t she?

“Who cares about that, though?” The Lord stepped up, sliding a hand around the blonde’s back, squeezing her plump rear. “No one cares what the prettiest flower in the garden is thinking!”

Tanya giggled and preened under his attention. “Oh, darling, you’re so sweet~”

Bronson’s grin grew wider, and he began to walk, steering his ‘wife’ over towards the mirror with his hand on her ass. “I must say, Ianai, you do fantastic work.”

The blonde blinked. “Ianai?” That wasn’t her name… Right? She’d know if that was her name – well, she hoped she would.

But the Lord explained. “Yes, Ianai - a mirror spirit I befriended some years ago. She’s my most trusted companion. In fact, I owe a great deal to having her watch over me. And were she able to take a physical form herself, I dare say I wouldn’t need to go through so much matrimonial trouble!”

“Huh…” Tanya still didn’t understand, her plump lips squeezed into a confused pout. But in front of her, as her husband guided her to stand before the mirror, something was happening. Behind the glass, light was swirling – and now, resolving into the form of a woman made of green light, smiling smugly as she looked out from in front of the blonde’s reflection.

Such a charmer, Bron~

The voice seemed to echo in Tanya’s ears without any actual sound. But she couldn’t help but agree all the same – Bron was a total charmer~

And he was currently smiling at the woman in the mirror, not her. Hmph! “I do my best, dear. Of course,” he said, finally turning to the blonde. “As a spirit, she does have needs, nourishments that the Light isn’t keen on supplying… But fortunately I’ve found other much more agreeable sources of such things.”

Another blink, and another, “Huh?”

The Lord laughed, giving her ass another squeeze and drawing a pleased coo from her lips. “Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head over, dear. My last wife was far too thinky for her own good. I tried to tolerate it, but in the end something had to be done when Ianai overheard her trying to call adventurers in…”

“Your last wife…?” That was funny. Wasn’t she supposed to be his wife? Oooh, her head felt so funny…

Bronson didn’t seem to care, turning back to the mirror. “Yes, whatever did you do with her in the end, Ianai?”

The spirit smirked. I put her to work on the seediest street corner in town. She’s already proven very popular with the locals~ She goes by Goldy now – helps her remember what she’s supposed to charge.

“Perfect!” The dark-haired man clapped, clearly delighted by the spirit’s cruelty. “And fortunately she was always a bit of a recluse, so few commoners will know what she looks like. Ianai’s already made sure everyone else who knew her has had their memories adjusted. Instead of a shrewd brunette, they’ll remember my wife has always been an empty-headed blonde.”

Tay frowned. This was all going well over her head, but it still sounded kind of… evil…

“Um. Darling, this doesn’t sound… good? Like…” She bit her lip, twirling a golden ringlet around her finger. “Isn’t this kind of mean?”

Bronson looked at her for a long moment, before turning back to the mirror and raising an eyebrow.

Yeah, yeah. I’ll do a few more adjustments. She’s been stubborn, but I think she’s just about done. Did it really have to be this one, Bron? I could have turned the whole lot of them into whores and been done with it, the mirror sighed as it began to shine with swirling green light.

“I’ve always had a thing for blondes,” the Lord said with a shrug. “And speaking of, if you could make these tits a little bigger?”

Such a glutton. It’s what I love about you~ I’ll see what I can do.

Tanya had nothing to say to that. She’d been far too busy drooling on her nice dress since the pretty light had begun to swirl again. Her mind was empty, her jaw slack, and her dress was starting to get a little tight around the chest…

She just smiled vapidly as her head filled with swirling green light, and taught her all about what the airhead in the mirror was really like~