Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith - C.100: The Inauguration

Preparations were immediately underway for Yvette's Reagency and directed by Evian, she made sure to play to the gallery;

-The reddish hue in her eyes to give the image of pain.

-The refusal to show herself to the public due to her 'grief' and of course,

-The reluctance to take over after her husband... This was the biggest deal.

Yvette had to make sure it was known that she was only taking the role of Reagency as a matter of urgency and with the visible backing of Lordess Frida Renan who insisted only she should rule the Territory next, the Larnak relatives had to put aside all their opinions about Yvette readiness and 'convince' her to step in.

The inauguration was an 'essential' ceremony. it was held in the very hall where the decision of Yvette's take-over had been made single-handedly by the Renan Lordess.

The hole in the wall was mended and the hall was completely refurbished in an attempt to regain a bit of the lost Larnak glory. Decorative banners hung off the wall with a majority sporting the Larnak Family seal and seeing it from the very end of the hall, Yvette frowned.

In the past few days, she had been coached and readied for the role she was about to take and one of her developed goals was a complete rewrite of the Territory. The fact that she had to look upon their seals and rule beneath them gave her a strange ick. She desired a true and total take-over but of course, that was a process.

"All on due time," Evian told her when she had let him know and he stroked her cheek reassuringly, "It will all be yours. Believe me."

"I do," Yvette had said with an affirming nod and with that memory at the back of her mind, she took her steps forward to a fairly extensive fanfare.

"The Lady Yvette!" Called the announcer and all eyes turned to watch Yvette's walk.

She was dressed in lavish robes that emphasized her beauty but still possessed enough of an official look to showcase the importance of the ongoing event.

Everyone in the hall was on their feet to welcome her arrival- Everyone except Lordess Renan who was present to oversee a smooth transition of power. She sat about five feet away from the grand seat Herbert used to occupy as Lord.

When Yvette arrived in front of the Grand seat, she acknowledged Frida's presence and the subsidization of her rule with a little bow that the Renan Lordess acknowledged with a graceful but authoritative smile.

Vows were recited and as she responded to them all, Yvette noted that every sentence was only about authority over the Territory and not over the Larnak Family. They were excluding her from the role of head of the Larnak family that rightfully should accompany her position of Reagent. She wasn't the only one who noticed- Frida did as well but she said nothing. Neither did Yvette.

This was expected.

In fact, it worked for the better.

The bulk, if not all, of the Martial forces that served the Larnak Territory, were only to answer to her as Reagent. It was very clearly stated in the Vows and the Captains and all representative Elite Guards all attested to their part of the vows so why should she care about a Family she was planning to edge out anyway?

The only Larnaks she currently cared for were her Children and even they would have to fall in line.

'Yes,' she thought with a smile, 'This is my time.' freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"Take your seat, Reagent." said the announcing Larnak man without even as much as an attempt to smile and show he was happy with the ongoing process.

Yvette paid him no heed as she settled confidently into the Grand seat, and clenched the armrests.

Amira took a step forward and with a fist raised and pumping, she led the celebratory chants,

"Long live the Reagent!"

"May your Reign be long!"

"Long live the Reagent!"

"May Your Reign be True!"

'Yes,' Frida thought with multiple affirming nods in the face of the multitude chants of support- surface level or genuine, 'For now, Reagent, but soon, Lordess. I am never leaving this seat!' she said in a personal vow.

When the chants finally died down, the doors into the hall swung open, and in walked Evian, dressed as nobly and elegant as ever. His handsome face was an ever-green epitome of manly beauty.

Ladies in the hall, a vast majority of whom were members of the Larnak Martial Force and had lost multiple colleagues to his antics, were unable to truly hate him. They certainly tried, but their urge to swoon was greater.

Evian soaked in the change in the atmosphere, and the effects he had on these ladies but he kept his sight trained forward towards Yvette in her Grand seat. In his hands was a Chest ornately carved with a strong, yet elegant metal and had symbols etched all around it.

"Reagent," he gave Yvette a courtesy bow before he presented the Chest forward, "in honor of your inauguration, here is your first Subsidy Chest."

Yvette held out her hands and Evian placed the Chest gently atop her delicate-looking hands,

"Received." Yvette said in a serious tone, her lips pressed together in stark stoicism.

It took every strength she had not to reciprocate Evian's smile but they had discussed this and agreed that it would undoubtedly look weird for her to smile and look lustfully at the man responsible -directly or indirectly- for her husband's death. For now, appearances mattered.

Evian let go of the Chest and started a backward walk away from the Grand seat when a Larnak Man voiced out a quickly brewing concern,

"Hold on," he said, "How do we know this is not just a rouse? Just how much gold is in that chest."

"Enough," Evian answered simply.

The Larnak man turned his eyes over to Yvette,

"Reagent, Please open the chest," he said, "Let us observe if what this- boy speaks is indeed truth."

Yvette rolled her eyes at what she felt was an unnecessary interruption to an otherwise smooth ceremony and she opened up the Chest to reveal it filled with just enough gold coins to not spill over.

"That's it?" the Larnak man asked and rounded on Evian.

Evian's brows furrowed,

"How much more were you expecting?" he asked, "It's an Enchanted Chest. Obviously, it holds more than it appears to."

"But we have no measure of the internal enhancements or if the Enchantments are even real!" The Larnak Man said.

"Indeed," agreed another, "We can't trust this bastard after what he has cost us."

"Yeah, Reagent, please pour out the contents, let us see if the contents will be enough for even one month of upkeep."

"No," Yvette answered simply.

"No?" the Larnak man repeated as though he couldn't believe his ears and then his eyes brightened in 'understanding', "Oh I see. Of course. How could I ask the esteemed Reagent to perform such a menial task? Here, I'll do it!"

*Tah*

With a sharp sound, Yvette shut the Chest's lid right before the Larnak Man could touch it.

"I said No because it doesn't need to be done."

"You- You trust this Thief? You trust him to return to us what he stole?"

"No I don't," Yvette said with a shake of her head and her expression resolute, "You can clearly see the Thieving look in his eyes so no, I don't trust him. But my inauguration will not be an avenue for you or anyone else to air out your distrust and grievances."

"Thieving look?" Evan mumbled with a smile, "That's harsh, Reagent. Very harsh indeed."

"But, Reagent, this is for your own sake," the Larnak man insisted, "What if it's not enough? The deficit of the Estate upkeep will fall heavily on your shoulders."

"It's MY decision to make and I say Shut it!" Yvette told him sharply with such authority that he and everyone else who agreed with him felt smacked in the face.

"As you wish, Reagent!" they all said with deep bows.

Evian watched them with twitching lips before glancing at a stoic Yvette who promptly sent the Chest into her Spatial Ring.

As the Larnak Relatives feared, the Chest was indeed a fake. The gold in it was only about two handfuls scattered atop a false platform to give an allusion to being full.

There was never a need for subsidization.

Everything Yvette needed to keep the Territory running smoothly, she already had.

After his theft of the Vault, Evian had given the Larnak Family's gold to Yvette as well as many other items for this very reason and this very role he wanted her to play but to give an appearance of weakness to not only the Larnaks but also his Father and the rest of the Stygian family, he came up with the idea of Subsidization.

The Chest could have been real and filled completely with all the Gold Yvette had only for her to send it right back into her Spatial ring, but what fun would that be?

How would they laugh together when they were alone about successfully fooling everyone right to their faces?

And should a dissonance arise -like it just did-, Yvette was to put into action all authoritative tips she had gotten from Frida so far during their Communication-Bracelet Conferences and she just did so perfectly.

'Well done,' Evian thought with a smile, 'You'll do nicely."

He made sure to remember to reward her well during their private celebrations to come...

... She certainly deserved it.

---