"What do you think, Betty?… do you still believe you can win?" Fate asks with mirth in his voice to Beatrice who looks very focused.
"Hmph! Don't underestimate Betty, in fact." She says moving the knight piece a few squares away.
"And… checkmate." He says with a grin looking at Beatrice who is seated before him, separated by the chess board on the table.
She pouts at that, Fate had taught her how to play chess some time ago but she has never held a victory over him. She at least wants to beat her contractor even once.
"Again! Betty will definitely win this time, in fact." She won't be defeated here, and besides she enjoys spending times like this with her Fate.
She is very happy and she would do anything to protect this newfound happiness.
"Very well Betty, although that was what you said the previous time, and the one before that, and the one—"
"Waaaah, Betty gets it already…" She whines swinging her hands even as he laughs.
"But you don't want Betty to accept defeat do you? Isn't that why you keep letting Betty try again and again?" She makes her observations known.
"As expected of my Betty. Not giving up on something, no matter how trivial is a beautiful trait that I adore..." He says turning over the pawn piece in his hand.
"And you Betty, have held onto a goal for a long time without giving up on it… you have a mesmerizing glow, I can't help getting charmed by it." He says to her with a wink, chin resting on his palm.
Beatrice looks at him with wide eyes, sporting a deep blush.
Even having been intimate with her contractor more than once, Beatrice still can't help the way her heart flutters when he says things like that.
"Then Betty shall do her best, in order to charm her Fate more." She proclaims as he chuckles.
"Alright then." He chuckles as he re-arranges the chess pieces.
They play a few more rounds with Beatrice losing every time until a voice interrupts them.
"Hmmm, Fate! What does this do? It has so many buttons~" Emilia walks into the dining area from the living room, presenting the TV remote with curiosity.
It has so many buttons and small words written on it that she has never seen before.
Most of the things in the house is like that to her. Things she has never seen before, it's amazing.
"Hmmm? That's a TV remote Lia, you can use it for— perhaps showing you how it's used would be better… Alright, let's watch something…" Fate says, standing up. "What about Pinky and Blue, are they still asleep?"
Ram had found the wine cellar last night and drank a lot due to the sweetness, everyone had a drink as well, and had gone to sleep holding onto Fate.
Emilia surprisingly woke up as usual and without an hangover either.
As the three walk towards the living area, Emilia asking Beatrice if she knows what the remote does, while Beatrice puffs her chest for knowing something that she don't, they spot Rem and Ram who are walking down the stairs looking weary with bed hair, Ram especially looks irritated.
They both walk over to him resting their heads on his chest.
"Good morning Sensei…"
"Good morning…"
They say respectively.
"If you still think it's morning, I guess you both slept well then." He replies as he brushes through their hair eliciting a humming sound from both of them as they lean into it.
"Hmmm, Sensei it's not morning?" Rem asks as they are all led into the living area.
"No, it's just a bit past midday… here you go, both of you." Fate replies as he gives them both a mug of sweetened coffee, they voice their thanks.
As they all sit on the couch huddled together, Fate decides on a show and the girls with the exception of Beatrice watch in curiosity and wonder, asking how people could fit into boxes like that.
◇◇◇
Ram walks back and forth in front of the door to Fate's room, a quandary on her mind.
After what Fate had done a few days ago, it would be surprising if Ram still had doubt about her feelings.
After getting her horn healed, she had been nervous that, that voice oh so alluring that used to whisper to her to reap lives, that used to always eat into her, would still be present but it was with a pleasant surprise that she noted the absence of the desires that came with her having her horn again.
Fate must have done something about that.
She finds herself smiling thinking about such things. Never had she or her sister ever had someone who seemingly cared about them unconditionally. Their village had seen her as a tool, the reincarnation of the existence known as the『Oni God』and her sister as a liability, even though Ram had only considered herself 『Rem's Sister』.
'Ram! Break out of the siege! It's fine as long as you alone stay alive!!'
She remembers the last words of the elder.
How worthless.
Lord Roswaal sees her as a tool as well…
Is it any wonder that she would fall for someone who genuinely has her best interests at heart and that of her sister's?
For all that Ram puts on a sardonic and sarcastic outlook, she is still undeniably a maiden at heart, she still longs for affections and a love unconditional apart from her sister's, so when she received such in the form of Fate. Is it any wonder that she would fall in love?
So having resolved herself, she pushed the door open, not bothering to knock.
She finds Fate sitting on the bed, staring at something on his hand.
Now that she notices, there are more furnitures here that do not belong to the manor.
Like those couch.
And the mirror in the corner.
And the table that has a cloth over it?
She breaths in and out.
His room has an homey feeling to it.
She walks over and sits on the bed beside him.
"What's that?" She asks looking at the item he holds.
"Hmmm, give me your hand, Pinky." He says opening his palm to her.
She puts her right hand on his as he fastens a bracelet on her wrist.
"This is…?"
She looks at the thin chain bracelet that has a four-leaf clover which glows softly.
"A good luck charm…" He puts a hand to his chin. "Although I made it on a whim, think of it as a present. You can go ahead and thank me."
A small smile crosses her lips.
"Fate…" She calls out and as he turns to look at her, she captures his lips with her own.
She pushes him onto the bed, lips still locked together as she straddles him.
"I know I said thank me, but this isn't what I was expecting." He says.
She shakes her head in denial. "Ram always wanted to do that."
Seeing the small smile on his glistening lips, she leans down kisses him deeply again, savoring his taste in its entirety, his hand come to rest on her head, making her hum into his mouth as he brushes her hair.
Her tongue finds his, splattering against each other as if being pulled by a magnetic force.
She had never kissed anyone before, but after feeling all Rem has done, she has a good idea of what to do. Although they do not share everything through their link, heightened emotional response gets through and her sister is quite emotional.
She separates the kiss as she pants for air, a part of her a bit surprised that Fate is not panting as she is. A larger part of her shuddering from the way his hands rub against her hair and her neck.
She doesn't say anything.
They don't need words.
He understands as well.
She grinds against his already hardened rod, feeling her panties damp from the sensation as they graze against each other. Looking at him, she sees the familiar golden eyes looking at her, drinking her appearance as his hands roam around her body.
She lets him take off her outfit, leaving her in her white bra and panties, a pink bow in front of them.
She rubs her hands against his chest as he undos her bra, the cold air making her nipples harden further.
He cups on both her breasts, gently massaging them, eliciting sensual moans from her, she doesn't stop grinding against him through all this and her panties are now completely soaked, feeling her sticky liquid on her thighs.
She reaches her hand to pull off his trousers but watches in surprise as they disappear, along with his underpants and shirt. She looks at him smirking at her, she smirks back as well.
Show off.
Grabbing hold of his member, she recalls the sensation of it inside of her, the sticky and full sensation she had felt, now she is in front of the real deal, and her sister's tryst has only made her anticipation grow.
She moans as Fate pinches of her nipples, sending waves of pleasure through every cell of her body, she relishes the feeling even as she bites on her fingers.
Not bothering to take off her panties, she shifts it to the side as she lines Fate against herself and in one move, she slams down her already wet nether regions down, wrapping tightly around his hard rod. She doesn't bother muffling her moans, and the grip on her behind makes it all the more pleasurable for her.
She starts with easy strides as Fate sits up, wrapping his arms around her, she leans in, kissing him, his embrace making her feel safe as her brings her up and down against himself.
She feels ecstatic as his rod grind against her walls and fill out every part of her insides.
With her arms wrapped around his necks, she speeds up her movements. The sound of flesh against flesh ringing out in the room along with sensual moans and grunts.
She shudders as she feels his tongue and teeth on her neck as she climaxes again, her core once more tightening around him, he doesn't let that stop his thrusts, nor his mouth from finding her nipples and sucking on them.
At some point, Ram's glazed eyes could not make sense of what was happening anymore, only the sense of pleasure permeating through her very being the only thing present in her mind, the twitch of his rod inside of her brings her back to lucidity as she arches her back cumming and feeling his hot seed flood into her, she tightens around it, wanting to feel all of it inside of her.
She feels him pull out of her, as she grumble from the loss of being full. She is laid back first on the bed with Fate looming over her.
He reaches a hand and brushes her hair to the side and leans down kissing her in a way that makes her entrusts her whole self to him.
Separating she look up at him with eyes that she hopes conveys her love and her want.
He smiles.
He understands her.
Then he made her scream.
◇◇◇
Fate opens his eyes to darkness in every direction, darkness that seemed to have no end nor beginning. There was no up, nor was there a down, no right, no left. It was a pitch darkness that just was.
He hears an echo. Sobbing. The sound of someone crying. He walks towards it with no hesitation, in this place where existence and nonexistence were present, they could not touch the『Being』of Fate. He would not allow it.
Seeing the form of the girl crouching and crying, he walks to her front and crouches as well. In one move, he tilts her head and shoved something into her mouth.
"——!!"
He holds her face like that for a bit even as she stares at him with wide eyes full with tears.
"How's that? Is it sweet?" She stares some more then nods.
"Good." He replies simply as he stands back up observing every direction.
"Y-you're Fate…" she states, surprise visible on her expression.
He looks at her who now has the cake rolls on her hands "And you are Satella."
"H-how? You shouldn't be able to get here… and…" She now looks at the snack on her hand "…How am I eating this?"
"I am here because I decided to come here, and you are able to eat that because I said so."
She looks at him even as he makes two chairs and a table appear in this place where it should not be possible.
"Sit down, Tella." Saying so he takes a seat.
Holding onto her snack, she takes a seat as a cup of tea appears in the table before her.
"Ummm, are you the one holding back…" She asks noticing something, or the lack of something rather.
"The one that is you but not? Yes. She's… annoying."
Annoying? The sin that has plagued her for centuries, and it's a mere annoyance to him?
"I see…" She drops the snack on the empty plate on the table as she looks at her hands "I don't remember the last time I had such a clear mind… It feels nice." She says as tears start streaking her face.
She hears movement and then felt a hand tilt her head upward as she stares into golden eyes, Fatewho is now sitting on the table before her, dries her tears with a handkerchief.
"Hmmm, you are a crybaby aren't you?"
That makes her cry some more.
"D-do you not fear me?"
"A lonely girl in a dark room, that cries all the time. My, you sure are scary." His sarcastic tone makes her chuckles as she wipes her eyes.
"Thank you." She says holding onto the handkerchief.
"Think nothing of it…" He goes back to sit as he says so. "So you must have been watching me to have known about myself… hmmm, I see. You had wanted my help. Ah, Subaru huh?" Fate easily infers why she would have known him.
She nods, as she looks down, not surprised, she knows he is powerful. "I want… to get him home. At first, I wanted to protect him, but now… he misses his family, I feel terrible for making him bear such a burden."
"I see." He replies simply as he drinks his tea.
"Well, I will let him make that decision when I see him again."
"Unn. Thank you, that's enough."
Fate looks at her with a hand to his chin as she eats the cake roll with closed eyes, seemingly enjoying the taste of something after centuries.
"I do not like your pain. It offends me. Especially when you have a face like that." Fate says, seeing the anguish radiating off her feels like he is being mocked, perhaps it might be because she looks so similar to Emilia who he would not let have such feelings of sadness.
She looks down at the ground.
"Ow!"
Fate reaches over from the table and flicks her forehead.
"I don't like that hopeless look on your face either, stop it…" She holds her head with a pout.
"You are treating me the way you do Emilia." She says.
"Of course, in a way you are both similar, and I only noticed the existence of this place because you are somehow connected to her."
"Is that so?" She asks, brushing the rim of the teacup and after a while she adds. "Are you not going to ask? Our connection?"
"I don't need to, or more like, it doesn't matter. You are not Lia and Lia is not you either."
"You are very odd, Fate." She says giving him a weird look.
"Odd? Hmmm, it's not the first time I've been referred as such. I just see things the way they are. A lot of people lack perspective, they choose to because seeing too much in front of them means they would have to see the awful parts about themselves as well, their flaws and their defects, so they choose to narrow their vision, blinding themselves to things they do not want to see." He says stirring his cup with a teaspoon. "Me? I have no such thing, my vision is broad enough to encompass even those before me, I hold no flaws, so I see things as they are, even the ones others refuse to see." He drinks his tea as Satella looks at him.
"So, tell me Tella. What do you see in front of you?"
She feels as if cold water was splashed onto her face with that question, she understood the meaning after all.
"I…" She hesitates.
"You do not see anything do you? You cannot see anything. It's all dark, it's too dark."
She looks down again as Fate rests his back against the chair with his fist to his chin.
"So, why do you choose to remain here?" He asks a question he knows the answer to, but sometimes you need to let someone say it in order to understand it.
She looks at him wide-eyed, shaking her head. "No, I can't leave. I need to stay here. This is my punishment. My atonement… my sin." She says ending the last part in a whisper.
Fate looks at her for a while before he responds. "I'll tell you a little story, Tella. Listen well." She is surprised by the change of topic but nods anyways.
"Once upon a time, a child was born just like any other, it was the most smoothest delivery as well as the most healthiest child upon birth the doctor had ever seen, but this child was born under a total solar eclipse, and to his superstitious parents, this was the most terrible of omens…" As Fate rests an elbow to the table, he continued to speak, the image seemed to visualize itself with glowing stick-like figures.
"So they put the boy under his own roof, they abandoned the boy, leaving the maids to take care of him. He was a child, but he was not theirs. The boy held no grudge, they had played their role after all. Is there a greater honor than siring greatness?"
"When the boy turned three, he climbed onto the roof of his abode with a smile, then with arms spread wide, he gave himself his name, as he grasped onto his own fate. The stars, his witness."
"By age seven, he had Nobel prizes and others to his name, the world praised him, called him a genius, a prodigy. But he had achieved the results of those prizes on a slow day. He was no prodigy, he was more, something far greater."
"He went on to do various things on a whim, and got more titles for his efforts. He would laugh at that, there was no 'effort' when it came to him, it was a predetermined outcome."
"Of course, he had shady people after him as well, some hoping to claim him as a prize, some wanting his life, and some wanting to dissect him, to see why the world seemed to love him so. But they were not his enemies, they couldn't be. They weren't worthy. So they fell… like everyone else before them."
"At 20, he was loved by a lot, hated by few, envied by most, yet wanted by all. Everyone now saw him as 'different' and he saw everyone as the 'same'. But did you know? Even 'same' has a certain beauty to it. And he liked that persistent beauty."
The glowing magical figures then die out as he looks back to Satella who has been listening and watching attentively.
"So what was the moral of that story, Tella."
She furrows her brow in thought as she looks at him.
Fate reaches over and flicks her forehead again.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Do not think too hard about it, that story holds no moral. I told you the story because I could. Because I wanted to." Saying so, he stands from his chair and walks a fair bit in the place with no direction.
Looking over his shoulder at the still seated Satella, he speaks again.
"I will pose you a question as I leave." He says as his body starts fading into balls of light.
"What do you want, Tella?"
His voice echos as he disappears.
Looking towards the table, she picks the note that was not there before.
It reads: "It was me, I was the boy."
She chuckles dryly.
That was already obvious, Fate.