Do not make me

Y/N POV

I peered through my eyes, my head resisting to my will with aching palpitations. I attempted to get up, yet found myself pinned to Valdemar's vivisection table. I looked up and met a pair of glowing red eyes that looked at me ravenously."What happened?" I muttered."Oh little rabbit..." They screeched between their teeth. "Please be so kind and tell me what you are doing here... I might ease your suffering". They pressed a bone saw to my heart.Their ice cold fingers caressed my chin with devotion. As if in a sort of bizarre admiration. Their hand went over my neck and all the way down to my hips, where they rested it."So soft...", Valdemar whispered. "Smooth skin you have", they observed.The Quaestor stayed staring at me for a while. I felt the heat crawling through my cheeks and I could tell by their awed expression I was blushing like hell."I will be back in an hour. And I am willing to hear your answer", they stated. "Come on... do not make me", they uttered to themselves as they left, probably not expecting to be heard.

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After I got quickly dressed in one of my most fancy outfits, Lucio escorted me to the assembly room. There, four people were waiting.

"May I introduce you to Y/N, she will be working with us from now onwards", Lucio proclaimed offering me a hand."Y/N, this is Procurator Volta", he said while showing me a tiny one-eyed woman dressed in black huge clothes with plenty of food in her hands."Good morning, Procurator", I greeted her."H-hi! I-I... you have a cute name! Very cute, indeed!" She stuttered due to the astonishment throwing the food to the floor. "Silly Volta", she said to herself.I stared bemused at the procurator who picked the pastries fallen to the floor like a desperate hungry beast. From what I saw, Volta would be no problem to deal with in further meetings, food seemed to be all she cares about."Y/N, allow me to introduce you to Preator Vlastomil", Lucio's voice brought me back to reality."Preator", I extended my hand with a slight bow of my head."Y/N! Oh my worm! I mean, word, Lucio would not shut his mouth speaking about you. We finally meet! Delightful!". The preator chuckles a bit nervous. Lucio laughs sarcastically, and I take my time to examine him. Something about him gives me the creeps, his skin looks slimy? No, that cannot be, it must be a trick of the lights. Still, he looks like a guy you can talk to, despite him definitely not being good at keeping secrets. By the way, Lucio talks about me? How much? What does he know? How much does he know?"Y/N", shouted a thunderous voice. I freezed. "ARE YOU SERIOUSLY GOING TO WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THOSE BASTARDS? I am the one you need on your side! Now we are six here and you wouldn't enjoy losing a proposal for having me on the other side, huh?" Kept the voice. I turned around, trying to look as still as possible.An energetic red faced being gave me a harsh punch in the arm. "I LIKE YOU! You may sit by my side", they shouted and went back to their seats. I blinked in astonishment trying to process everything that has just happened and to recover from the gauntleted jab. That was someone I really wanted on my side. They didn't look as naive as the rest of the courtiers I had met. But the name escaped me."Vulgora!", spoke Lucio, "you are freaking her out"."That's fine", I smiled. For the first time in the palace I was genuinely smiling in this strange menagerie."She is not even a noble", claimed a tall man who, unlike the other effusive members, had not even got up from his chair to greet me."Oh, I am", I replied peacefully. "I am the Countess' former lady in waiting. Who might you be?"Everyone stared at me as if I had cursed. The man's expression was one of disgust as he pressed his wine glass so tightly I thought it would break. Still, I prevailed without apologizing."No wonder why she never took you as such. A princess like her could never bare to be with a scum like you. A pauper stays a pauper. Just for your information, I voted against the expansion of the court. Much less with rats like you"."Great sir, my condolences, I guess. Yet, I find it most disrespectful from your part to not have replied to my query. Who might you be? Or is your name so sacrosanct that a plebeian cannot hear it?"."Consul Valerius", the man spoke in a sombre tone."Thank you, my pleasure, Consul", I answered grinning.Valerius seemed a tough one, for a moment I figured I could do nothing to ever turn him to my side, as he said, "a pauper stays a pauper".

"Now", Lucio stated, clearing his throat. "Now that you all know each other, do you mind beginning the meeting?""As you order, commander", roared Vulgora."We need to plan the next masquerade... it is in fifteen day's time".Valerius' eyes smirked, he loved luxury. The lust in his eyes had just revealed me his weakness.

"My, my, What do we have in here?" A soft, chilly voice inquired, making the hair on my nape stand on end. "How curious, do we now allow subjects into meetings? Pity I did not keep the last ones". They approached me to observe me with curious crimson eyes.I returned the stare, not quite understanding the situation. Their ivory doctor's attire somehow disturbed me, made me crave for knowledge. Of medicine, of them. Suddenly, they put a hand on my shoulder, leaning their face forward to examine me better."Quaestor... that's Y/N, Nadia's former lady in waiting. She is now part of our court. I beg you to stop doing... whatever you are doing", Lucio informed."Such an interesting subject... human, right?", they said with a hungry sparkle in their eyes. I nodded. "Interesting", they replied. I could tell that under their white face masks they were smiling. I made the gesture back, trying not to look too scared."Good. Ah, how rude of me. I am Quaestor Valdemar", they introduced themselves bowing slightly.They caught my attention; except for the grumpy consul, I have been received as if I were a sort of Messiah everyone expected, yet, this being was welcoming me as a sort of pet or..., according to them, a subject of experiment. I could not tell whether they liked me or not. I sighed; I knew the first three did, I knew the consul crearly did not and yet... their calm expression was impossible to read, and that made them fascinating.