Chapter 1098: Ladies’ Decision

"Even someone who comes here sincerely could change," Nyx agreed. "Give enough people enough time, and eventually we’ll have someone willing to try."

After Yunohana returned the paper to the table, Bastet leaned back beside Calypso. She crossed one leg over the other, her tail coming to rest along the cushion.

"Then we should be more careful about who receives an invitation."

"Much more careful," Yunohana said. "Those responsible must investigate their backgrounds. We cannot judge applicants solely by how unhappy their lives have become."

"I’ll speak with the people reviewing them," Alexandra offered. "We can ask for more than their current circumstances."

"Their affiliations as well. Who funds them, who follows them, what they were doing before they lost their homes."

Yunohana rested both forearms along her chair’s arms. The courtesy remained in her voice, but Aria could hear the finality beneath it.

"Political agitators seeking a new following, people with a history of violent power grabs, anyone concealing ties to a hostile organization. We should refuse them before their presence becomes our problem."

"And the ones who think money buys them a say in how he runs the place," Luna added. "They can keep their fucking money."

"People who bring dependents they expect to keep controlling," Calypso said. "Darling offers them a fresh start, and they arrive with somebody else’s leash still in their hands."

Alexandra’s gaze sharpened at that.

"I’ll make certain everyone can speak to our staff privately. We shouldn’t accept one person’s account of what an entire family wants."

Aria drew the research paper toward herself as Yunohana nodded to the maid.

"The dungeon deciding they can leave Earth won’t answer all of that. Someone could want this place very badly and still believe Kai shouldn’t be the one ruling it."

"Precisely. Admission is where we have the greatest freedom to refuse them," Yunohana replied. "Once they belong to his domain, his promise protects them."

Nyx lowered her hand from her temple.

"And however carefully we choose, somebody will get through."

"Yes. We will need people among the newcomers who are loyal to us. People who can tell us when a conversation becomes an attempt to organize against him."

Yunohana looked around the table, meeting each woman’s gaze.

"Taigi’s people would be a good beginning. They already live there, work there, and understand what Kaiden has given them. We could ask for volunteers we trust to observe and report to us."

"We need some of the fangirls too," Luna said. "The truly, unhingedly devoted ones. Women who already think the sun shines out of his ass. If they’re eligible, we bring them in, get to know them, and find out which ones can keep their mouths shut."

Luna leaned farther back, studying the others with an uncharacteristically hard expression.

"Anyone planning shit will know Taigi and her people worship him. They’ll wait until those people leave before they start talking. But some random chick working beside them? Eating at the next table?"

Her mouth curved.

"Let them wonder how many of those bitches get their panties wet at the mention of his name. How do you build a conspiracy when every woman you approach might love him more than her own life?"

Yunohana considered her.

"We would need to teach them discretion. Enthusiasm is easy to notice."

"Then we teach them."

"I can help with that," Nyx said. "And we can make certain they know how to reach us privately, without walking up to us in the open or knocking on the doors."

Aria looked down at the paper beneath her fingers. She could still hear Kaiden laughing at Yunohana’s loss, feel how readily he had left the sofa when Alice wanted him.

He deserved to keep that happiness. The certainty of it made choosing what came next very easy.

"I want us to hear about a threat while it’s still something we can stop. Before anyone puts him in a position where he has to choose between us and his own promise."

"May I say something about that promise?"

Alexandra’s voice drew every eye to her.

With her sewing put away, she sat between Calypso and the sofa’s arm, her hands folded over one knee. She looked apologetic about interrupting, and Aria waited for the concern she was trying to voice.

"Kai bound himself," the maid said. "He promised what he would do. What he would never order done."

Nyx watched her closely.

"Yes, Lexi."

"But we never made that promise."

Alexandra met Aria’s gaze. There was a terrible willingness in her expression, and when she continued, she spoke as gently as she had while discussing dinner.

"He couldn’t ask us to hurt someone for him. He wouldn’t, even if he could. But if we learned that people were preparing to force him out, before they could put him in that position, we could..."

She left the sentence unfinished.

Aria stared at her, then a cold smile spread across her face.

Across the table, Nyx’s lips curved too.

"He would have no part in it," the space mage said. "We would act without his instructions or permission. He wouldn’t even know we’d done it, if we do a good job."

"Of course," Alexandra murmured. "It would be our decision."

"I don’t like hiding things from Darling," Calypso murmured.

"None of us do. We’ll tell him, of course," Aria replied. "But when the time is right, after we’ve dealt with the threat. On an evening like this, surrounded by the people he loves, away from duty and stress. He doesn’t need to know instantly. We’ll hug him tight and ensure he doesn’t enter rage."

"Poor dude is getting the fuck manipulated out of him," Luna grinned. "First the little sis, and now this..."

"Manipulation is an ugly word." Aria shook her head. Then she smiled. "We protect him, out of love, against himself."

"That’s one way to put it," Luna laughed.

Aria looked around the seated women, her smile cooling as she met their eyes.

"Then we handle threats to his position ourselves, and tell him afterward, when the time is right. All in favor?"

She raised her hand to the group, remaining comfortably reclined.

Six hands rose in answer. Beside Calypso, Alexandra held hers up without a trace of the uncertainty she had shown when asking to speak. The maid met Aria’s gaze, entirely willing to share responsibility for what they had proposed.

"We’re agreed, then."

Aria lowered her hand to the armrest. Around the table, the women settled back into their seats with matching smiles, Calypso stretching an arm along the sofa behind Alexandra. Their expressions held a cruelty they had kept entirely out of his evening.

She welcomed it. She loved the man who wanted frightened children to be safe from his own power, and she was quite willing to be merciless with anyone who tried to take his domain from him.

Luna’s grin widened. On the sofa, Bastet rested her hands on her knee, looking perfectly at ease with what they had agreed.

"Then we’ll eliminate the threats before Master is troubled by them, no matter the method required."

"Even if we do kill them, they’ll just respawn like the good little traitorous minions they are," Calypso purred. "So we’ll need to get creative."

"I might be new to the group, but I believe I have spent enough time to know one thing for certain," Yunohana’s smile was the same she always wore, so sweet, so gentle.

Yet underneath it all, the ruthless gaze of a true predator went from woman to woman before she decreed, "We, ladies, do not lack in the aspect of creativity."

"Amen," Luna grinned.