Send Delilah away, you aren't going to risk doing more harm than good

Delilah arrives back at the room less than a minute after you'd sent her out with Clare. Clare looks from you to Edin then nods. "Delilah." She nodded her head out the door and Delilah gave you a look to see you nodding as well.

"I'll be at Ana's." Delilah said, they looked at Edin and you saw eyes soften for a moment before then closed the door.

"Hey Edin." Clare cooed gently kneeling next to you. You felt your aura shifting as she spoke to you through it. You shifted Edin pulling back a bit. Edin moved with you keeping himself buried in your chest. "Christopher do you give permission for Edin to hug me?"

"Yes." You say lifting Edin's head to look into his eyes. He blinked at you then pulled back and hugged Clare.

"Hey there Edin." Clare said softly stroking his back. "We're going to have a talk, and if you get scared or worried or caught up in your memories you are to count down from ten. Is that ok can you do that?" Edin nodded against her. "Christopher's going to step outside for a bit so you can completely open is that ok?" Edin's head was still for a few heartbeats before he nodded.

You looked at Clare and felt her talking to you. "I'll be right outside Edin." You say standing up and grabbing your discarded uniform. Clare'd made it clear that with you here Edin wouldn't be confronting anything, with you there all he could do was disassociate in an attempt to please.

You dressed quickly then left giving the two one last worried look as the door closed on them. You couldn't hear anything from the corridor, you'd never thought about it before but you hoped that was down to sound proofing rather than them being silent. If there was no sort of magical sound proofing your neighbours have been getting a very good idea of your activities.

You sit with your back against the door and try to not worry. You start fiddling with your clothes unable to last more than a minute of worried waiting. You check your feet, you'd grabbed your shoes when you left and looked at the destroyed soles. Maybe there is a cobbler in the city you can take these to over the weekend, replacing the shoes through the academy might cost money which you don't have.

Why are you still thinking like that? You are in a Hanun with a Princess and two would-be Duchesses, one of which is sponsoring you, you won't be paying for any replacement clothing. You could probably ask one or all of them for some spending money come to think of it.

Your fingers find something odd. You look at your waist as you feel around it. "Rope?" You ask untying it from behind your waist. "Oh right." Your hands had been tied together, when had you broken out of them? You remember using your hands in the duel so you'd broken free. You pulled the rope around to look at the end, they were both neatly cut. You definitely didn't cut it, it should be fray from tearing free. Someone had cut you free?

You replaced the fight in your mind to figure it out. The first thing you'd done was grab Stephanie's dagger out of the air but you don't remember pulling your hands free, maybe you hadn't noticed doing it but Stephanie didn't say anything about breaking the rope. The next thing that happened was Asune trying to stab you, something she shouldn't have been able to do with her hands tied up either. You'd been tied up before going on the field you are sure of that, so when had your hands been freed?

You run a finger over the cut edge of the rope. Cut edge ... "Huh," it was Asune, she must have cut the rope off you as you were walking out, when Stephanie didn't disqualify you she'd cut her own hands free, "clever." You say letting the rope rest in your lap.

Still no noise from your room. 'Be ok Edin.' It's the only thought you have and there is a temptation to open the door and say that but you know Clare wouldn't want you to, she's doing more for him than you can so just let her work. But why is it so quiet in there.

Mistakes in the duels. It was the only way you can think to distract yourself. Stephanie had said she'd ask you that at the end of the duels, which she hadn't done this afternoon. You aren't complaining, having more time with everyone is always good, but it is strange, she seemed very set in her behaviour when it comes to your training. Though if she had you might not have gotten Edin -

Mistake in the duels. You close your eyes and run through the duels in your mind. They weren't as interesting to remember and pick out mistakes than they had been to watch in person but you made progress. The lower ranks had a lot, poor positioning and capitalisation of openings, all summed up as being a bit too cautious, you put that down to fear of pain. You could still remember when Stephanie had made you duel with those enchanted pain swords, you can heal and dodge whatever any of the others throw at you but they can't. Vatarie's duel is hard to fault, she won even if she was a bit too enthusiastic about kicking her opponent, tomorrows duel between her and Delilah is something you should stop, Clare had suggested you not get involved but you don't want either to get hurt and you can't see that duel ending in something other than pain.

You stand up and walk up and down to corridor. Even while you had been replaying the fight little thoughts of Edin had been leaking in. This time about how everyone had said to not ask when had been done to Lady Ketersen. You believed Blue had done something unpleasant but very were finding it hard to accept not doing anything yourself, you were also keenly aware that, while not explicitly stated by Anastasia or anyone else, there must be some level of leniency involved with being a noble, that is just part of having a ruling class in any world.

You can to a stop in front of your room. You could try and talk to Clare through your aura again. You still don't know how, nor do think interrupting her is actually a good idea but your worry is making it seem like a very good idea. You look down at Vatarie's door wondering if she is there. You could do with company rather than just wondering around alone out here. On the other hand while she would probably understand it doesn't feel right to go to her, it feels like you're not giving Edin the attention he deserves.

When the door cracks opens you are at the other end of the corridor. Your magic threads your legs and you are standing before it before it before it clears the frame. "He's ok for now." Clare says before you can see her. She steps out then closes the door behind her. "This isn't going to be to quick and frankly I didn't think this was going to needed." Clare siting on the ground resting her head on the closed door.

You sit down next to her. "Why?"

"Blue conditioned him to associate you with safety and protection. You're the one who got him out of Lady Ketersen's hands and to the capital so it wouldn't have been hard. If things had stayed like it was assumed they would for nobles, Edin rarely if ever interacting with non-nobles, it wouldn't have been much of a problem but," she shrugs, "best laid plays go up in smoke when you come into the show." She chuckled and rest her head on your shoulder. "I won't tell you what he's been through but I'm sure you can imagine close to what it was."

You don't say anything and chew your lip. Edin is aggressive to lower class women he thinks or knows you are intimate with and had an episode when Delilah. "Lady Ketersen had her staff -"

"Christopher, don't." Clare said grabbing your hand. "And I know you wouldn't act on those thoughts of hurting Lady Ketersen because that isn't you but," she takes a breath, "you are powerful enough to do horrible things but don't have the mind to do them, Blue isn't powerful but is creative and more than willing, you won't be able to anything close to what Blue's doing to her."

"Doing?"

"Lady Ketersen is alive and will be for a long time, if Eve finds out the details she might kill Blue."

"She's making -"

"Not a wraith." Clare cuts you off entwining her fingers with yours. "You know this was supposed to be a mad romp with lots of men and women romping me until we get to romp my sister," she lets out a soft laugh, "should have known you'd get me all connected to my rompers." She leans her head up and your lips meet gently. "Edin's going to be alone for tonight, you've got plenty of place to sleep otherwise," she gestured down the corridor but not solely at Vatarie's room. You give her a raise eyebrow. "There is that smut reader downstairs as well, but we could find at least one book in her pile about having a handsome man and his gorgeous Goddess knock on a virgins door."

You let out a snorted laugh. "Probably, oh wait, do you know if this world was close to a printing press before myself and the other champions arrived?"

"I dunno." Clare answered with a shrug. "I'm more interested in a worlds magic than it's tech."

"Oh so you aren't interested in something that lets you mass produce porn."

Clare doesn't answer for a moment, "Hadn't thought of it that way before. Well I know what I'm going to be doing while I'm not having sex. I can see it now Clare the world famous porn writer. And I know my first book, a story about a chaste Goddess going on an adventure and getting fucked by everyone she meets. I'm think of call it 'The Busty Bimbo's Blissful Adventure's, book one A Well Fitting Role." She had a massive grin on her face and you figured she was referencing something.

"True stories I take it."

"Well mostly true but I'm sure I can make my sister living out any exaggeration after we win to make it more authentic. Though I'm not sure how easy it will be to get a dragon of this world to mount her." She muses for a moment. "I'll have a think about, maybe Eve has some ideas, someone in this world's history must have been kinky enough to try it, or have designed something to make it possible."

"Has anyone ever told you have a real sister complex." You say kissing her cheek happily. "Thanks for distracting me."

"Hey you're the love of my current life," she pats your leg happily and smiles at you, "plus I could tell you weren't in the mood for a quickie in the hallway after you turned down my threesome suggestion."