Acquiring the Duchy (Day 1)

I felt tired, so tired. As I sipped a cup of hot chocolate in the cafe, I reminisced about a time before everyone I loved died, before everything I owned disappeared, before everything I was changed. A weary hand roughly rubbed against eyes much too worldly. Then, I sighed. No wonder I felt so damn tired.

A middle-aged man at a table behind me cursed fluently, voice echoing an southern, American accent. "God dammit, mother-fu..." he bellowed during his rant. I snorted mirthfully, while silently adding, "No need to ask, my dear man; He'll do it no matter." I closed my amber eyes and admired the blessedly cool breeze that caressed my flushed cheeks.

"You are going to die soon, you know," a deep baritone murmured, surprisingly close.

My heart skipped a beat. No one sneaks up on me. Slowly, I opened my eyes and raised my head to peer at the comment's source. He sat at my table, right in front of me. "Oh?" I murmured, non-committal.

He grinned. His teeth were a startling alabaster contrast to the olive skin obviously accustomed to long hours spent under the harsh, sun's rays. "You either don't believe me, or you aren't at all surprised."

I leaned back in the uncomfortable chair, raising my eyebrows slightly at his analysis. "Or, maybe I just don't care."

His broad shoulders rose under a tight fitting black sweater in an utterly Gallic shrug. "Could be." Another grin appeared. "But don't you want to know the source of my information?"

I sipped more of the warm chocolate mixture. "Not particularly. I just hope the source is fairly reliable."

He looked at me, as if gauging the truth of my statement. While he watched me, I studied him. Raven-colored hair and midnight eyes gave him the appearance of one of those guys that mothers warn their daughters to avoid. His sweater fit perfectly to reveal shoulders most men would kill for and a flat stomach any woman would envy. I knew his pants would be neatly pressed, black, and undoubtedly expensive without peeking under the table to check. On his left, middle finger, a silver ring stood out against the tanned skin. Celtic knots wrapped around the band. "Meet your approval?"

I met the dark, onyx eyes and noted the subtle silver-gray flecks. Obsidian, I corrected myself. Gorgeous eyes. "Who am I to approve or disapprove?"

"And when has Tiernia Astor ever let that stop her?" he replied evenly.

He knew me? My jaw clenched for a moment before releasing to allow me to speak. "Since a stranger sat at her table and told her she is going to die before the day is through."

I saw a twinkle enter his eyes, but the image was so fleeting that I wondered whether I had been hallucinating. "I doubt that, Tiernia. You believe it is just another challenge, another prophecy to prove wrong." At my shrug, he continued. "This time, you can't outwit fate. I have this on the highest authority." I smiled a mocking smile and shrugged again. "Damn, girl! Do you even care?"

I quietly sipped the last of the tepid drink before setting the cup on the table and rising to my feet. "I think I've already answered that question." Pulling out payment for my bill, I tossed it on the table. As an after thought, I placed the cup on the bills to keep them in place.

In twenty minutes, the square would fill with people seeking sustenance. I turned to walk the path that I followed every day. "You won't get to heaven." My heart jumped again. The man walked directly behind me, and I hadn't even felt his presence. The observation upset my equilibrium.

"I know," I answered the unspoken question. "I doubt I'll get to hell either, though."

I heard his faint chuckle. "No, you won't. So, where does that leave you? Purgatory?"

"No."

I instinctively knew he'd raised his perfectly shaped eyebrows, but I didn't deem it direct enough to consider a question. "Why not?"

I smiled grimly. I hadn't thought he could resist. "I'm not going to heaven, because Father dear and I aren't on speaking terms. A minor disagreement, I'm sure you understand. I haven't committed a mortal sin, so I simply can't be accepted into hell. On the other hand, I'm no fit influence for the fools in purgatory. That's why I'm still alive. God can't figure out where to send his beloved daughter," I sneered.

"Well, apparently he's figured it out." The stranger sounded lost in thought, as though he were pondering my revelations.

"Good." I watched the bus pass and glanced at my watch. Right on time. I immediately turned left into the alley, but a strong hand gripped my arm. My jaw clenched; my eyes narrowed, but I only looked at the restraining hand and waited tensely.

"Not yet, if you will," he whispered. "I have an offer to make you."

I didn't glance up from the hand still resting on my arm. Every second caused muscles to tense more. "I'm not interested."

The smile lightened his voice when he spoke. "If you weren't the least bit interested, you would have tried to grab for the knife in your shoe. Now, come along."

Before I could blink, we were three blocks from the alley. I started when I saw the door to my apartment in front of me. He reached out and opened the door, the door I had locked an hour before. I didn't comment, even when he poured a cup of coffee from a coffee pot I had never even plugged into a socket.

"Now. Tiernia, people who know me well call me Damien. Of course, I have any number of nicknames: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Satan. I'm sure you find one of those names familiar." I must have looked disbelieving, because he gave me a chilling smile. "Anyway, God and I have been arguing over this small parcel of land. I can't seem to convince him into my frame of mind, so I gave in. Can't go against his wishes, after all." I attempted to appear less skeptical than I felt, but I apparently failed. "Yes?"

"If you really are Satan," I snorted to show him what I thought of that idea, "and you have to concede to God's wishes, why are you given free rein to lead people to sin?"

The man sighed. "He was bored. You don't believe me? If you could create anything you wanted in a perfect manner, wouldn't you lose yourself in ennui occasionally? Anyway, He was bored. So, He realized that everything was too perfect. Everyone adored Him. Then, He decided to give humans free will, but humans had adored Him for so long that they didn't know how not to adore Him. That's when He recruited me.

"I'll admit that I was a bit mischievous for an angel, but I'm not evil." He sighed, again. "Well, my job was to show humans they could chose good or bad. I did my job well, so He put me in position as caretaker of the place those who chose bad would go. Personally, I think He was just a bit angry that humans quit adoring Him so wholeheartedly. Why else would He put me in charge of a place as forsaken as hell?" My shrug earned me an annoyed glare from my uninvited guest. "If you don't stop doing that...!"

"You'll send me to Hell?" I retorted.

At my query, a smile broke across his face. "No mistaking it, you'd be a worthy adversary. But, it would ruin His plans. Where was I? Oh. God and I couldn't agree.

"There is a little parcel of land which lies directly south of hell. It is rather lush." He waved a hand airily. "Forests, lakes, flowers, animals, you name it. God has decided He wants to move the--,” he paused, searching, “you'd call them 'mythical', I think,-- creatures there: Unicorns, dragons, demons, whatever. Only there's a problem. These creatures have souls and sentient brains. They aren't accepted into heaven and don't deserve hell, for the most part. They need a ruler. God volunteered you."

I had looked him in the eyes the entire time; he BELIEVED what he was saying. Laughter welled up. "Oh!" I couldn't stop laughing. "I'd be a queen!"

He observed my laughter with an accepting tolerance. "A duchess, actually." Tears were running down my face, and my sides cramped.

"A duchess?" The laughter momentarily came under my control. "Okay, Satan. Do you need me to sign over my soul? I don't have one, so I'm sorry to disappoint."

"My aren't you a small package full of cynicism! But, I must disappoint you. Not only do you have a soul, I can't accept it. All you have to do is sign a contract saying you will rule fairly and set up some laws. You also have to go with me now, before your house ... well, before you die tonight," he corrected himself.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to be serious. If the dark-haired stranger told the truth, I'd gain a place far away from humans. If he lied, I'd find my throat slit in a dark alley. Sounded good either way. "Sure. What's there to lose?"

He nodded toward the table in front of me. A contract rested there. A single sheet, it simply said I agreed to rule fairly and without bias. It also stated that Damien Diabhal must furnish me with anything I needed. A slow, dawning smile lit my face. Suddenly, I found a black ink pen in my hand. "What? I don't have to sign in blood?"

He silently motioned me to write, so I scrawled my name after the "x". The contract and pen disappeared as he stood. While I waited for his next move, heart pounding, he surveyed the room. I barely contained my scream when he spoke from behind me. "Anything you want me to deliver to your new domain?"

I cleared my throat, trying to dislodge my heart. "Yeah," I croaked. Again, I coughed. "Yes, actually. All my books, the sketches under my bed, and the few baubles displayed need to go with me, if it is possible. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. OH! All the pictures, especially of my family."

He nodded agreement and held out a callused palm to me. After a steadying breath, I closed my eyes and accepted the hand. When I opened my golden eyes, I spoke to God for the first time since I turned ten, fifteen years before. "Oh, God." Then, I began to hyperventilate.

The ground before me was covered in grass so green it seemed blue, and the land was so flat that I could see hundreds of miles in each direction, until the horizon met with a forest, a mountain, or with the enormous, black castle that stood vigilantly in the distance. "Black marble?" I croaked.

Damien raised his eyebrows. "Of course. The staircase and mantle obviously will be gray marble for a delicious contrast, but that is of little or no consequence. You should know, the castle matches your blueprints."

I stared at the beautiful palace before me, not comprehending. "My blueprints?"

"Yes, the ones you kept in a picture frame under you bed. I attempted to match the descriptions of the rooms’ furnishings as accurately as possible. When you go through, you can make note of any incorrect dimensions or unsatisfactory furnishings. I'll happily remedy any errors. Oh. There are a few less than 700,000 acres to your duchy. A dome covers all the acreage to prevent unwanted visitors. You must personally invite them or they must be messengers from God or myself to get through."

I nodded understanding, though I felt like my brain was little more than liquid mush. "The knolls behind you will belong to the Tuatha de Danaan; the mountains belong to the trolls and other such creatures who wish to avoid sunlight; the dragons command the cave systems to the west; the unicorns habit the eastern valleys; the gryphons will use the valleys beneath the caves. No creature may enter the other's territory without explicit permission from the dominant male or female of both races. That is the only set law. Understand?"

Again, I agreed. "Makes sense."

"Good. The species of demons all have a special talent, which they can use to assist you. All the creatures speak mind-to-mind, but demons can speak vocally as well. The dragons can transport you, while the gryphons can carry messages. The fey will stay to themselves, likely, but are wonderful peacemakers. Oh. You'll figure it out. You do have eternity to correct the nuances."

The sky faded slowly to a deep purple and two moons rose in the distance as we walked toward the lowered drawbridge. "Are those stars?" I whispered in awe.

He glanced up at the specks of blue light that shined though the blackness without emitting the light. "No. They are simply another beautiful feature of this land. Since you were first to see them, I guess you may name them whatever you desire. Now, on to more important business. The ecosystem here is much like Earth's, except yet untouched by human hands. Cougars roam the mountains and sharks like in the salt-water bodies that lie farther south. The dragons probably prefer the bovine, so keep the herds near the caves. I'm sure the Ca'y'main species of demon will herd. The unicorns aren't carnivorous, so keep a Taf'a'marr demon near the valley to keep the flora nourished. Like I said, you are intelligent, and you need something to keep you busy for a while."

As we entered the great hall and sat at the gigantic table, I cleared my throat. "I can make demands?" At his brusque nod, I began. "In my home, I don’t want any mosquitoes, cockroaches, poisonous ANYTHINGs, flies..." The more I recited, the brighter the gleam in his eye grew.

Home, I thought as I glanced about the Hall.


				*Duchess's Domain* *Acquiring the Duchy (Day 1)*



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								Acquiring the Duchy, (Day 1)



								I felt tired, so tired. As I sipped a cup of hot chocolate in the cafe, I reminisced about a time before everyone I loved died, before everything I owned disappeared, before everything I was changed. A weary hand roughly rubbed against eyes much too worldly. Then, I sighed. No wonder I felt so damn tired. A middle-aged man at a table behind me cursed fluently, voice echoing an southern, American accent. "God dammit, mother-fu..." he bellowed during his rant. I snorted mirthfully, while silently adding, "No need to ask, my dear man; He'll do it no matter." I closed my amber eyes and admired the blessedly cool breeze that caressed my flushed cheeks. "You are going to die soon, you know," a deep baritone murmured, surprisingly close. My heart skipped a beat. No one sneaks up on me. Slowly, I opened my eyes and raised my head to peer at the comment's source. He sat at my table, right in front of me. "Oh?" I murmured, non-committal. He grinned. His teeth were a startling alabaster contrast to the olive skin obviously accustomed to long hours spent under the harsh, sun's rays. "You either don't believe me, or you aren't at all surprised." I leaned back in the uncomfortable chair, raising my eyebrows slightly at his analysis. "Or, maybe I just don't care." His broad shoulders rose under a tight fitting black sweater in an utterly Gallic shrug. "Could be." Another grin appeared. "But don't you want to know the source of my information?" I sipped more of the warm chocolate mixture. "Not particularly. I just hope the source is fairly reliable." He looked at me, as if gauging the truth of my statement. While he watched me, I studied him. Raven-colored hair and midnight eyes gave him the appearance of one of those guys that mothers warn their daughters to avoid. His sweater fit perfectly to reveal shoulders most men would kill for and a flat stomach any woman would envy. I knew his pants would be neatly pressed, black, and undoubtedly expensive without peeking under the table to check. On his left, middle finger, a silver ring stood out against the tanned skin. Celtic knots wrapped around the band. "Meet your approval?" I met the dark, onyx eyes and noted the subtle silver-gray flecks. Obsidian, I corrected myself. Gorgeous eyes. "Who am I to approve or disapprove?" "And when has Tiernia Astor ever let that stop her?" he replied evenly. He knew me? My jaw clenched for a moment before releasing to allow me to speak. "Since a stranger sat at her table and told her she is going to die before the day is through." I saw a twinkle enter his eyes, but the image was so fleeting that I wondered whether I had been hallucinating. "I doubt that, Tiernia. You believe it is just another challenge, another prophecy to prove wrong." At my shrug, he continued. "This time, you can't outwit fate. I have this on the highest authority." I smiled a mocking smile and shrugged again. "Damn, girl! Do you even care?" I quietly sipped the last of the tepid drink before setting the cup on the table and rising to my feet. "I think I've already answered that question." Pulling out payment for my bill, I tossed it on the table. As an after thought, I placed the cup on the bills to keep them in place. In twenty minutes, the square would fill with people seeking sustenance. I turned to walk the path that I followed every day. "You won't get to heaven." My heart jumped again. The man walked directly behind me, and I hadn't even felt his presence. The observation upset my equilibrium. "I know," I answered the unspoken question. "I doubt I'll get to hell either, though." I heard his faint chuckle. "No, you won't. So, where does that leave you? Purgatory?" "No." I instinctively knew he'd raised his perfectly shaped eyebrows, but I didn't deem it direct enough to consider a question. "Why not?" I smiled grimly. I hadn't thought he could resist. "I'm not going to heaven, because Father dear and I aren't on speaking terms. A minor disagreement, I'm sure you understand. I haven't committed a mortal sin, so I simply can't be accepted into hell. On the other hand, I'm no fit influence for the fools in purgatory. That's why I'm still alive. God can't figure out where to send his beloved daughter," I sneered. "Well, apparently he's figured it out." The stranger sounded lost in thought, as though he were pondering my revelations. "Good." I watched the bus pass and glanced at my watch. Right on time. I immediately turned left into the alley, but a strong hand gripped my arm. My jaw clenched; my eyes narrowed, but I only looked at the restraining hand and waited tensely. "Not yet, if you will," he whispered. "I have an offer to make you." I didn't glance up from the hand still resting on my arm. Every second caused muscles to tense more. "I'm not interested." The smile lightened his voice when he spoke. "If you weren't the least bit interested, you would have tried to grab for the knife in your shoe. Now, come along." Before I could blink, we were three blocks from the alley. I started when I saw the door to my apartment in front of me. He reached out and opened the door, the door I had locked an hour before. I didn't comment, even when he poured a cup of coffee from a coffee pot I had never even plugged into a socket. "Now. Tiernia, people who know me well call me Damien. Of course, I have any number of nicknames: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Satan. I'm sure you find one of those names familiar." I must have looked disbelieving, because he gave me a chilling smile. "Anyway, God and I have been arguing over this small parcel of land. I can't seem to convince him into my frame of mind, so I gave in. Can't go against his wishes, after all." I attempted to appear less skeptical than I felt, but I apparently failed. "Yes?" "If you really are Satan," I snorted to show him what I thought of that idea, "and you have to concede to God's wishes, why are you given free rein to lead people to sin?" The man sighed. "He was bored. You don't believe me? If you could create anything you wanted in a perfect manner, wouldn't you lose yourself in ennui occasionally? Anyway, He was bored. So, He realized that everything was too perfect. Everyone adored Him. Then, He decided to give humans free will, but humans had adored Him for so long that they didn't know how not to adore Him. That's when He recruited me. "I'll admit that I was a bit mischievous for an angel, but I'm not evil." He sighed, again. "Well, my job was to show humans they could chose good or bad. I did my job well, so He put me in position as caretaker of the place those who chose bad would go. Personally, I think He was just a bit angry that humans quit adoring Him so wholeheartedly. Why else would He put me in charge of a place as forsaken as hell?" My shrug earned me an annoyed glare from my uninvited guest. "If you don't stop doing that...!" "You'll send me to Hell?" I retorted. At my query, a smile broke across his face. "No mistaking it, you'd be a worthy adversary. But, it would ruin His plans. Where was I? Oh. God and I couldn't agree. "There is a little parcel of land which lies directly south of hell. It is rather lush." He waved a hand airily. "Forests, lakes, flowers, animals, you name it. God has decided He wants to move the--,” he paused, searching, “you'd call them 'mythical', I think,-- creatures there: Unicorns, dragons, demons, whatever. Only there's a problem. These creatures have souls and sentient brains. They aren't accepted into heaven and don't deserve hell, for the most part. They need a ruler. God volunteered you." I had looked him in the eyes the entire time; he BELIEVED what he was saying. Laughter welled up. "Oh!" I couldn't stop laughing. "I'd be a queen!" He observed my laughter with an accepting tolerance. "A duchess, actually." Tears were running down my face, and my sides cramped. "A duchess?" The laughter momentarily came under my control. "Okay, Satan. Do you need me to sign over my soul? I don't have one, so I'm sorry to disappoint." "My aren't you a small package full of cynicism! But, I must disappoint you. Not only do you have a soul, I can't accept it. All you have to do is sign a contract saying you will rule fairly and set up some laws. You also have to go with me now, before your house ... well, before you die tonight," he corrected himself. I closed my eyes and forced myself to be serious. If the dark-haired stranger told the truth, I'd gain a place far away from humans. If he lied, I'd find my throat slit in a dark alley. Sounded good either way. "Sure. What's there to lose?" He nodded toward the table in front of me. A contract rested there. A single sheet, it simply said I agreed to rule fairly and without bias. It also stated that Damien Diabhal must furnish me with anything I needed. A slow, dawning smile lit my face. Suddenly, I found a black ink pen in my hand. "What? I don't have to sign in blood?" He silently motioned me to write, so I scrawled my name after the "x". The contract and pen disappeared as he stood. While I waited for his next move, heart pounding, he surveyed the room. I barely contained my scream when he spoke from behind me. "Anything you want me to deliver to your new domain?" I cleared my throat, trying to dislodge my heart. "Yeah," I croaked. Again, I coughed. "Yes, actually. All my books, the sketches under my bed, and the few baubles displayed need to go with me, if it is possible. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. OH! All the pictures, especially of my family." He nodded agreement and held out a callused palm to me. After a steadying breath, I closed my eyes and accepted the hand. When I opened my golden eyes, I spoke to God for the first time since I turned ten, fifteen years before. "Oh, God." Then, I began to hyperventilate. The ground before me was covered in grass so green it seemed blue, and the land was so flat that I could see hundreds of miles in each direction, until the horizon met with a forest, a mountain, or with the enormous, black castle that stood vigilantly in the distance. "Black marble?" I croaked. Damien raised his eyebrows. "Of course. The staircase and mantle obviously will be gray marble for a delicious contrast, but that is of little or no consequence. You should know, the castle matches your blueprints." I stared at the beautiful palace before me, not comprehending. "My blueprints?" "Yes, the ones you kept in a picture frame under you bed. I attempted to match the descriptions of the rooms’ furnishings as accurately as possible. When you go through, you can make note of any incorrect dimensions or unsatisfactory furnishings. I'll happily remedy any errors. Oh. There are a few less than 700,000 acres to your duchy. A dome covers all the acreage to prevent unwanted visitors. You must personally invite them or they must be messengers from God or myself to get through." I nodded understanding, though I felt like my brain was little more than liquid mush. "The knolls behind you will belong to the Tuatha de Danaan; the mountains belong to the trolls and other such creatures who wish to avoid sunlight; the dragons command the cave systems to the west; the unicorns habit the eastern valleys; the gryphons will use the valleys beneath the caves. No creature may enter the other's territory without explicit permission from the dominant male or female of both races. That is the only set law. Understand?" Again, I agreed. "Makes sense." "Good. The species of demons all have a special talent, which they can use to assist you. All the creatures speak mind-to-mind, but demons can speak vocally as well. The dragons can transport you, while the gryphons can carry messages. The fey will stay to themselves, likely, but are wonderful peacemakers. Oh. You'll figure it out. You do have eternity to correct the nuances." The sky faded slowly to a deep purple and two moons rose in the distance as we walked toward the lowered drawbridge. "Are those stars?" I whispered in awe. He glanced up at the specks of blue light that shined though the blackness without emitting the light. "No. They are simply another beautiful feature of this land. Since you were first to see them, I guess you may name them whatever you desire. Now, on to more important business. The ecosystem here is much like Earth's, except yet untouched by human hands. Cougars roam the mountains and sharks like in the salt-water bodies that lie farther south. The dragons probably prefer the bovine, so keep the herds near the caves. I'm sure the Ca'y'main species of demon will herd. The unicorns aren't carnivorous, so keep a Taf'a'marr demon near the valley to keep the flora nourished. Like I said, you are intelligent, and you need something to keep you busy for a while." As we entered the great hall and sat at the gigantic table, I cleared my throat. "I can make demands?" At his brusque nod, I began. "In my home, I don’t want any mosquitoes, cockroaches, poisonous ANYTHINGs, flies..." The more I recited, the brighter the gleam in his eye grew. Home, I thought as I glanced about the Hall.