6 Chapter 5

<80 AGW, Salem's Castle>

'Thump!'

'Cling!'

A loud sound echoes through Salem's courtyard. The sound seems to have originated from a crate falling onto the ground. The crate was obviously heavy and it seems to contain some sort of products that may have been made from glass.

"Emerald!" a voice shouts angrily.

"Cinder, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to drop the crate!" another voice replied.

The voice that replied to Cinder's anger belongs to the person named Emerald. She has pale dark skin and green hair. Her eyes are red and she wears an outfit that barely hides her curves. Most would have thought of her as a seductress if not for her meek look.

"Dropping a crate full of Dust crystals is not a mistake that you should be making Emerald!" Cinder said angrily.

Cinder was checking the supplies when she suddenly heard the loud crate falling onto the ground. They were quite lucky that Dust crystals are more sturdy than powdered Dust, otherwise, they would all have been blown up to pieces.

"I know! I'm sorry!" Emerald said apologetically.

Cinder, seeing her subordinate trembling in fear, can't help but feel a certain feeling rising from inside of herself. She has been trying to cull this kind of desire from inside herself but a certain 'Princess' just keeps reminding her of the carnal pleasure that these feelings brings.

Cinder then moves closer towards Emerald and in one sweep, her hand lands on Emerald's buttocks. She squeezes her hands with force but as slow as she can be. She slowly watched her subordinate squirms from her grasps.

"Auh…" Emerald moaned slightly with a tone of worry in her voice.

"You know that you can't question anything that I say and yet you dare utter a frivolous apology to me?" Cinder moved closer to Emerald's ears and slowly whispered.

"No, I…" Emerald tried to defend herself when suddenly she felt a sharp pain on her behind.

'Slap!'

"Ah!" Emerald moaned and screamed at the same time.

"Do not talk back to me, do you understand?!" Cinder said with a low growl in her voice.

"Um…" Emerald nods quietly.

"I can't hear you, Emerald?" Cinder asked softly but with a threatening tone in her voice.

"Yes, mistress." Emerald said softly.

"Good girl! Now, you still need to receive your punishment for dropping the crate. Wait for me in your room tonight. Make sure to wear absolutely nothing, do you understand?" Cinder said with a dangerous tone in voice.

"Yes, mistress." Emerald said breathlessly.

"Now go and make sure that you don't drop any other crate!" Cinder orders Emerald after letting her go.

"Right away, Cinder!" Emerald immediately bolted out of there with a heavy blush, dying her cheeks.

Cinder watches as she sees Emerald frantically pick the crate that she has dropped and moved inside the Bullhead quickly. She can't help but stare at her subordinate's behind as it slowly moves out of her sight.

"You know, staring at your girlfriend's butt from behind is considered rude even if she is your girlfriend." a voice suddenly said, bringing Cinder out of her fantasies.

Cinder turns around and she finally sees the 'Princess' in her full glory. Her long and white hair coupled with her marble skin. Her striking blue eyes and the beautiful dress that shows her slim and dainty figure.

"She is not my girlfriend, Sage." Cinder retorts.

"Your pet then?" Sage said with a quizzical look on her face.

"She is my subordinate, that is all." Cinder said coldly.

"A subordinate that attends to your nightly 'needs', how useful!" Sage said with an implying tone in her voice.

"What do you want, Sage?" Cinder asked.

"It is a nice day, right before our departure to Vale. Can't I enjoy it with you, Sis?" Sage asked Cinder.

"What do you really want, Sage?" Cinder asked again.

"I too just want a cute girlfriend. Is that too much to ask?" Sage asked.

"Yes, considering you are the daughter of the most powerful entity in Remnant." Cinder said resolutely.

"Okay, Sis. Don't be grouchy just because I stopped you from stripping your girlfriend with your eyes." Sage said.

Cinder slowly rolled her eyes at Sage. Even after all this time, Sage still has a clear grasp on her emotion and it irks Cinder to her bones. Luckily, she didn't find Sage annoying since Sage is similar to her in some ways.

"Where are your bags, Sage?" Cinder asked as she no longer sees the point in continuing this conversation.

"Benny and the others have already put them in the Bullhead." Sage said.

Cinder watched Sage's face, filled with melancholy and a tinge of sadness. She also remembered that she was once like Sage. Afraid to leave her home, even though for Cinder, it is hell on Remnant.

"Are you sure about this? It has only been two months since your birthday and we would totally understand if you wanted to stay here instead." Cinder said as she looked towards Sage.

"No, I have made my decision! I need to join the Vytal Festival and Beacon is having their yearly intake now. It can only be now…" Sage said resolutely.

Sage needs to catch a special window of admission since she didn't exactly apply for the test to get into Beacon. Luckily for her, Lionheart sent a recommendation letter to Ozpin, encouraging Ozpin to accept her application.

'Now I just need to find myself a team of consorts and all will be well in the world.' Sage thought inwardly.

Two months ago, during the first feast of her second birthday, Sage explicitly mentions her desire to help Salem in conquering the world. Cinder and the others readily accept her requests but Salem, on the other hand, feels reluctant to let her precious daughter go.

After promising a bunch of stuff and coaxing her mother into letting her go, Salem finally lets Sage go with Cinder and her subordinates to Vale. Now, Sage is finally taking the first step in her plans for world domination.

"Hey, Sis…" Sage calls out to Cinder.

"Yes, Sage." Cinder answered, her eyes looking at the list of supplies in her hands.

"Do you really have to screen 'them', Sis?" Sage asked.

Cinder stopped looking at the list and turned her head towards Sage. She saw worries in Sage's eyes and she can't help but wonder how the Princess of Grimm knew about 'them' when she has never actually stepped even a single foot out of this castle.

'She suddenly asked me to find some info on some random people and now they are her consorts. Well played, Princess.' Salem thought inwardly.

Cinder and all of Salem's other subordinates have been briefed by Salem about Sage's weird views on companionship. As such, Salem has exerted some of her power on them, reminding them regularly about the rules that she has set in place for Sage.

"Of course I have to screen them, Sage! Your mother puts an extreme emphasis on screening your future consorts. You know how protective she is of you!" Cinder said.

"Yeah, but they are supposed to be my consorts, right? Can't I choose them for myself?" Sage asked.

"You can certainly try, Sage." a voice said slowly, startling both Sage and Cinder.

Salem emerged from her castle's door, walking slowly and smoothly, with a touch of regality thrown in to make sure that her image is preserved. She looks perfect and Sage can't help but envy her mother's looks.

"Mom!" Sage said.

"Master!" Cinder said as she bowed her head.

Salem opened both of her hands and gestured towards Sage. Understanding her mother's intention, Sage moves towards Salem and embraces Salem. Salem then starts stroking her daughter's head slowly.

"You can go now, Cinder." Salem said.

"Of course, Master." Cinder said humbly as she moved into the Bullhead.

'That girl has calmed down considerably…' Salem thought inwardly as she looked towards Cinder's receding figure.

"Do you have to screen them?" Sage asked Salem.

"You wanted 9 future consorts all for yourself, Sage. I have to make sure that all of them fit the proper standards!" Salem said slowly as she caressed Sage's cheeks.

"Your standards are too high!" Sage said as she removed her head from her mother's embrace.

"Your standards should be higher! You are my daughter and the Princess of the Grimm. I will not allow some random person to become your consort." Salem said as a matter of fact.

"But they are not random people! They are the Humans and Faunus that I personally choose!" Sage retorts.

"And how do you know about these people? Have you actually met them?" Salem asked.

"..." Sage was silenced.

'I can't tell her that I know them from the web series!' Sage thought inwardly.

Sage, of course, knew all of the people in the list but in order to fool Salem's watchful eyes, Sage has asked Cinder to collect some information about her future consorts. She also changed some of their information in order to ensure their usefulness to Salem.

"But, all of them are good candidates!" Sage said, trying to reason with Salem.

"All of them are either thugs, law enforcements and rebels! Have you misunderstood what 'good' candidates means?" Salem asked.

Salem looks towards Sage and Sage can see the worries in her mother's eyes. Salem clearly didn't understand the reason as to why Sage is choosing them as her future consorts since most of the people that she has chosen didn't really stand out.

'They don't have much value now, but later…' Sage thought inwardly.

Most of the candidates for her future consorts are people that don't play too much role in the web series. Sage purposely chooses them in order to lessen her impact on the story and to avoid changing the events of the web series too much.

Furthermore, some of her future consort candidates are soon-to-be dead characters that Sage personally has some feelings for. Sage personally didn't like some of these character's fate in the web series and she felt that it was better for her to save them herself.

"They will be useful, Mom! You don't have to worry!" Sage said resolutely.

Salem can't help but sigh at her daughter's statement. She truly didn't understand her daughter's confidence in these people. From the file that she read, Salem can clearly guess that these people have simply intrigued her daughter's interest.

It is not entirely wrong for her daughter to be interested in these kinds of people but Salem can't help but worry for Sage. They don't know Sage and Sage doesn't actually know them. Not to mention, most of them are humans.

"What will you do if they run after seeing your face?" Salem asked after a while.

"I'll capture them and imprison them for life!" Sage answered.

"If they cheat and betray you?" Salem asked again.

"I'll kill them!" Sage answered again.

"If they did accept you as their partner, what would you do?" Salem asked her third question.

"I will shower them with riches and love!" Sage answered quickly.

"You have to take this seriously, Sage…" Salem said slowly.

"I am, Mom. These people are going to be my future consorts and I have the right to choose them for myself. Please, believe me!" Sage said.

Sage then took Salem's hand and she slowly kissed her knuckles. She then looks towards Salem's eyes and she finally sees the thing that has been missing from Salem's eyes recently. The eternal love that Salem has for her.

"I will be okay." Sage said again, to reassure Salem.

"Very well, I will allow you to court them, Sage. But I will still screen them personally and you will not stop me." Salem said, delivering an ultimatum.

"I can deal with that!" Sage said happily.

'Foom!'

The engine on the Bullhead suddenly turns on and it loudly roars towards both Salem and Sage. It reminded both of them that Sage is departing to Vale shortly. Both of them turned towards each other and they embraced each other in a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you, Mom! Next time you see, I might be bringing home a few consorts." Sage said slowly.

"I hope not." Salem retorts.

Salem then grabbed Sage's face and kissed her forehead lovingly. She caressed Sage's cheeks slowly and she can't help but shed a single black tear. Her daughter, who is only two years old, is now leaving her to go on a journey.

"I'll see you later, Mom." Sage said softly.

"Indeed." Salem replied softly.

Sage then slowly moves towards the Bullhead and boards the flying vehicle. She turns around towards Salem and waves her hands slowly. A tinge of sadness ever so present in her eyes as the Bullhead slowly pulls up into the air.

"Mom!" Sage suddenly calls out to Salem.

"Yes, dear?" Salem said loudly.

"I wish you goodluck for Atlas. Make sure you get her, Mom!" Sage said happily.

"I'll try…" Salem said softly as she watched the Bullhead leave her courtyard.

When all is said and done, a Griffon suddenly landed right beside Salem and it roared its head off. Salem smiled as she slowly caressed the wings of the Griffon. She can't help but remember the first time that Sage has ever seen a Griffon.

"Take me to Atlas. I'm bringing home my future wife for my child." Salem said slowly as she mounts the Griffon.