The Monster Inside

What am I supposed to do in this situation? I knew Sam was volatile, but this... this just isn't anything I thought was possible.

It was naive of me to think this way. Just because I'm in love with her, I shouldn't let it cloud my judgment of her condition... but I did.

Gods...

She crossed the line, and it's not even her fault. Her condition is worse than I was led to believe. Royal Blood isn't doesn't just make her really angry sometimes... I... probably tried my hardest to forget that Sam's bloodline has produced some of the most evil tyrants in all the realms.

I was so sure Sam was different, and she IS different- I mean, I... I just... don't know what to do...

The battle against the Whiplasher Henchwomen is finished. Until Sam's episode, each fight went smoothly, and minimal resources were lost. Now, Zutiria needs a mana potion, Meri needs a whole stamina potion, and Sam needs half of one and a small swig from her health potion. Right Hoe didn't inflict significant damage, but Meri's Reflect did a good chunk to Sam's meter.

It only did so much damage because Sam's attack was so overwhelmingly powerful... in her anger, the Princess was really trying to kill her foe.

At this current moment, we've agreed on a short resting period. A half an hour, or whenever Zutiria wakes up. Whichever comes first.

Meri is taking care of Sam for the moment while I gather my thoughts.

Snow, Peri, and Cherry all huddled in to view the screens as soon as I started yelling to try to break through to Sam. The kitties were allowed to stop cleaning for now on account of what just happened.

Right now, I'm pacing around the office with my arms held behind my back. I rack my brain for answers, trying to figure out what to do next...

The main question on my mind is, can this quest be completed without Sam?

Much to my dismay... I highly doubt it, no.

Two Bronze-ranked adventurers like Meri and Zutiria could poke around in a dungeon, but trying to complete it all in one go would be nearly impossible. Not with the resources we have. Even if Meri took all of Sam's potions, her only backup is a Mage with a limited toolkit who becomes a vulnerability as soon as she casts more than a few spells. Only sending three adventurers was already pushing it in the first place...

My options are so limited in this situation that it hurts.

If I don't have Sam come home, there's a high chance she'll lose herself again and become a risk to herself and even potentially her teammates. I don't want to believe Sam is capable of hurting Meri or Zutiria, but... I need to force myself to prepare for the worst potential possibilities.

And it's not that Sam killing an opponent is the worst thing in the world, either. If her only option was killing the enemy, I would never criticize her no matter how much paperwork it would add to quest report. Killing enemies inevitably happens sometimes when you're an adventurer- killing isn't what matters. What matters is that Sam wasn't going to kill her enemy. She was going to cruelly slaughter her in cold blood...

The Princess was whole-heartedly enjoying the pain she put Rhaelyn through.

That fact isn't up for debate- it was clear as day. If Meri hadn't used a last-second Shield Bash into Reflect Combo, Sam very likely would have killed the Elf. I don't think a random hooker's Steel Soul would've been enough to stop a thrusting attack from Sam with all her rage behind it.

...Something needs to be done about Sam's problem. Whether she needs potions for mood stability, enchantments on her armor to minimize her anger when she wears it, or some sort of charm to keep her in check, I'll help her. There has to be a way. Plenty of Lundreame rulers suffered from her condition and lived completely normal lives, I mean, after all-

...Her family. Right. I suppose that would be the easiest answer, wouldn't it? Of course, that answer is for sure the one Sam would hate the most. That being said, someone in the Royal Family must know something about keeping the Royal Blood in check...

I don't know what to do, and I hate this feeling.

"Myaster..." Suddenly, my sleeve is pulled from behind, and I turn to face Peri. "It's already been fifteen minutes, you should talk to them, nyaa... Mistress Sam is so sad..."

"Have I really been pacing for that long...?"

"Yeah, Myaster. I know you wanted us to be quiet so you could think, but... we can't just sit here and watch you tear yourself up over it." Cherry approaches as well, a deep-set frown evident on her anxious face.

"Myaster," Snowball rises from her seat at my desk, where she was talking to the girls just moments before. The Catfolk maid walks over to the center of the wooden floor and bows before me. "Thank you for everything you've done... I mean that from the bottom of my heart. However, I believe you should withdraw Princess Samantha."

"...Princess?!" Peri gasps and covers her gaping mouth with her furry paws.

"What the shit?!" Cherry's eyes widen as she tilts her head.

"So, you really did know the truth." I sigh, slumping my shoulders in response.

"I've adopted many girls to the Royal Family, and I've met both the King and his brother, the Grand Vizier, several times in person. While I've never spoken to her, I've seen Samantha before in the Imperalis Court, nyaa. I'm not surprised she didn't recognize me, as she looked like she'd rather be anywhere else at the time. Thanks to my dealings with her kind, I'm well informed about the Royal Blood."

Both maids are now struck by a sudden feeling of confusion and inadequacy.

"No way... A P-P-Princess has been eating my cooking, nyaa?! And no one told me?!" Peri blushes as she becomes overwhelmed with self-consciousness.

"I thought you called Sam 'Princess' just because it was her kink or something... like how she calls you Daddy. Damn, if I knew that, I woulda tried harder or something..." Cherry shakes her head in shock as she tries to process this revelation.

"Surprise," Shrugging with indifference, I meet Snow's gaze with my own. "You know I can't just withdraw her from the Quest, Snow. We won't be able to clear it."

"That's fine. You all did your absolute best. I'll have to send word to Dawnstead for reinforcements and hire a Mage who can cast something to protect us from Beastvine..."

"Snow... you said that would take days."

"Yes, it would."

"We don't have days."

"...No, we don't." Snow hangs her head, doing her best to conceal her sadness and remorse but failing.

"First of all, let me go and talk to her before I decide anything," I sigh again while summoning up the courage to face Sam.

Snow isn't happy about my decision, but the fate of her tribe sisters is on the line. Arguing is the last thing on her mind if I intend to still potentially press forward on the quest.

I try to lighten the mood a little bit on my way over to the desk by wrapping my arms around both Peri and Cherry's heads and pulling them in for a hug. They both affectionately nuzzle into both sides of my neck, even Cherry. The maids purr cutely in unison, pulling away from me and kissing my cheeks in tandem without not saying a word. Snow looks on at this display, perhaps wanting to be a part of it.

Perhaps that's just my wishful thinking brought about by stress, but I digress...

"I'll bring you some fresh tea," She says while excusing herself and taking the other maids by the paw to follow her. That just leaves me alone with the three Taskmaster screens.

Sam is currently sitting on a large pile of mattresses they pulled from the warehouse shelves, watching over Zutiria as she naps. Her head is hung low and without a hint of light in her eyes. Meri sits by her side, keeping a watch over the two captive Whiplashers.

Shortly after the Shield Maiden saved her, Meri voluntarily gave Rhaelyn a tiny sip of one of her untouched healing potions. Obviously, a measly sip isn't enough to provide the enemy strength to keep fighting, but it's just enough to make the pain in Rhaelyn's shoulder bearable.

After apologizing profusely, Meri knocked the Elf out anyway.

The timid girl took the chance to tie both of the pimp's women using bondage poles from a nearby shelf. These poles, judging by the packaging, are clearly designed for Orcs. Even if they wake up any time soon, neither woman will be escaping. Especially not Rhaelyn.

I take a deep breath. This isn't easy, but I need to talk to Sam... No, that's not right...

I need to be with her.

Clearing my throat and wiping out my eyes from wetness, I begin. "Sam? I want to talk. Do you want to go somewhere else, or do you mind if Meri listens too?"

"...However you wanna do it, Boss." She says with all the apathy I was expecting- and more.

"I'm not mad at you."

"No, you're disappointed. That's a lot fucking worse than being mad, honestly..."

"The reason I'm disappointed is over something you have absolutely no control over, and you know that."

"Are you sure about that, though? I've been reading that book I bought- the one about my family history and... the more I read, the more it just sounds... inevitable." That word hangs in the air, pulsing with venom as it leaves her lips.

"Thought I was doing really good lately, too. It felt like the meditation and reading were both helping... Fuck, I didn't even lose it when I was staring down the asshole responsible for all this...! But... whenever I start thinking about it... no matter how I try and be better, or what I do to keep myself grounded... I can't. It's a part of me, and it'll just keep getting worse as I get older..." Sam airs her heart out for Meri and me to see, every word more desperate and pained than the last.

"I won't let it get worse. We'll find a way, Sam. There's got to be-"

"You can't stop it, Boss! Don't you think if my family had some easy way to turn this Royal Blood shit off and on, we'd have used it throughout history? I'm fucked, everyone in my family is fucked, and YOU can't do shit about it! You're just-"

"Sam, you're not letting him talk..." Meri frowns, attempting to take the Princess's hand in her own to comfort her. Sam rejects this offer and jerks away from Meri, gritting her teeth and looking away in pained shame.

"Don't. Who the fuck knows? I might try and kill you, too..." Sam grumbles as Meri holds back a flood of tears.

"You would never do that...!" Meri sniffles, wanting so badly to hug her friend but knowing Sam won't let her.

"That's correct, Meri. You're not a monster, Sam," I slam my hand on the desk, trying to put some seriousness behind my words. "And I can prove it if you let me."

I observe the Taskmaster screen as the sullen, emerald eyes of this tortured Princess spark bright with the dim fire of hope for only an instant.

I'll do whatever it takes to fan that spark into a flame.