OH ... SHIT ... WALKING NUKE

You stand and take Eve's hand. Her fingers curl around yours vut she doesnt seem aware of the action, her eye fixated on Aurora as she awaits an amswer. "Eve." You whisper hopeing for a reaction but none comes. You feel your toga begin to singe where it touches hers as you press you lips to ear. "Delilah I need you." It a loose hope that will work but you are in a closed room with a rapidly growing heat source and tqo people who arent as durable as you are, its this or trying to take Eve out of the room.

"Christopher?" Delilah asks looking at you with unsplintered eyes. "Eve says those are evil." She looks at the contract still in Aurora's hand. "As are those who use them." Eve says as their eyes splinter again.

"Anastasia didn't know what she was doing, she barely understands it now." Aurora said letting go of the contract but sounding unperturbed by the sight before her. "If tou intend to punish someone the person who created it should be you target not my daughter. And we would be happy to provide any assistance you need in that aspect."

"Yet I only see her name, Christopher and Edin's, no one else's." Eve stated as the heat in the room begins to grow once more after Delilah's brief respite.

"Then you woulf also see the terms." Lady Demise said walking towards Aurora and coming to a stop betwewn Eve and the Queen. "The only punishment is a loss of title, something Christopher does not seem tl llace much importance in." That doesn't cool Eve in the least and with how intent she is trying to take her away from here isn't going to be easy.

Time to change tactics. "Also I broke it a minute after Anastasia showed it to me. It's just been a piece of paper with sognatures on it for two years, only way it would make me renounce my title would be it was a legally recognised contract by the Queen." Everyonr looks at you including Eve which is progress.

"You know how it functions?" Lady Demise asks with curiousity. The hem of her dress catches fire for a moment when Eve looks at her.

Despite that, Eve is still focused on you so you activate you dead zone, using your magic to still the air in the room asside from a bubble around you and Eve. "No but I know a latcher spell when I see one. I just destoryed that before I signed it. The orignial reason I've been helping Anastasia was so she didnt realise I had neutralised the contract. I figured it wouldn't be smart to let her know the thing she felt safe holding wasn't doing anything, I had no odea when Edin or I stood without the contract so why risk ire. But that hasn't been the case for a week or so now. I'm helping her now becasue I'm in love with her." You are really gald you learned dead zone as both Aurora and Lady Demise have relaxed since there don't feeling like they are standing inside a fire place. "To sum up that is a piece of paper. The magical weirdness in the lettering is just for show, the latcher spell was just a mild compulsion and belief that contract was something more than that is what gave it power. Even if I hadnt destroyed the spell it would have much of an effect."

"How do you know it doesnt work? You have supported Anastasia and have acted in her interests -" Lady Demise start before bing cut off by your laughter.

"N-no I really havent." You smilr and feel yourself relax, the thought had occured to you more than once but having someone say it out loud made its silliness a lot easier to see. "I have royally pissed Anastasia off more than once and ruined her plans." You laugh again at your unintended pun.

You joviality isn't just because you are feeling less tense than you were. It is very hard to stay angry when someone you love isn't and is huging your waist. Eve's toga stopped sparkijg fires and you saw her breathing regularly not just sucking in a breath to talk.

Lady Demise picked uo the contract to examine it. "If this is worthless why not say something to Anastasia since you are in lover with her?"

"If I told her she would second guess the last two years of our getting to know each other wondering why I had spent so long lying to her. I had hoped she would become confident enough to destory it and would be quickly proven correct to do so." You raise an eyebrow at Lady Demise holding the contract. It was exactly the reason they had taken the contract from Anastasia. "It doesnt matter either way to me but i want her feel safe enough to trust me with her love." You look at Eve. "You ok?"

"I am, content, that Anastasia's actions have not caused harm however she chose to use a **** Contract in the first place." Eve said as she cooled off her their eyes unsplintered.

"Exactly the reason I do not want her to be Queen she is too short sighted in her goals." Aurora said standing up and taking the contract from Lady Demise. "Mary may be older than you but she is a far better match. Let Anastasia continue involving you in her schemes and she'll lead you both to ruin. Safer for her to not spend her life in the royal court, I am unsure if she will ever mature into a long term planner." Aurira rolled up the contract and handed it to you. "I will have Mary return to the capital shortly and will throw a ball for the two of you."

"I haven't accepted your offer yet." You said taking the contract under Eve's watchful gaze.

"Anastasia's engagement has already been announced, I wanted you here to prevent her from using you to subvert it. Delialh is right I want your blood in my family line, but Anastasia will make a poor Queen and if she married you it would be difficult for Elizabeth or Isabelle to overcome your raw power with enough political power to ensure the throne wont go to her." Aurora waved a hand and the door opened. "If Anastasia becomes pregnant I will send her to her betrothed to fuck enough for the child to be convincingly theirs. Thank you for you time Master Christopher I look forward to see you and Mary bear me grand children." She sat back down and took up her tea drinking it wil Lady Demise who was paying close attention to you.

You left the room and looked at Delilah. "Wait waht just happened?"

"I'm not sure." Delilah said looking as confused as you felt. "You two haven't spent nearly enough time around royality." Eve said giving you a patronising smile.

You decide to not ask for clarification and walked back the way you had come?

******

Will be taking a few days off to move let me know if you think the queen iffer should be accepted.