Chapter 115

Ainz emerged in the throne room which, in his absence, was empty except for Cixous. No sooner than he appeared, the maid gave a deep curtsey, holding her black and white maid outfit to the sides, crossing her feet at the ankles, and bending her knees with her head bowed. "Welcome back, My Lord." She said to him with a smile on her face.

"Thank you but… why are you alone here?" Ainz asked, and the maid spoke without raising her head.

"Lord Sebas ordered that the places my Lord visits most should always have a maid stationed ready for your service at any time. As this is the seat of power for My Lord, here I am at your service."

"Does that mean you are given no days off for rest or recreation at all?" Ainz asked, his lips pursed behind the mask.

The maid all but recoiled, "My Lord!" She covered her mouth with one hand and almost lost her posture, dropping one half of her dress' curtsey pose, she hastily picked it back up to resume her position. "Nobody would dare to think of time away from serving you!"

"Still, that amount of work is unhealthy… I will speak with Sebas about this when I return, but in the meantime, I have a guest, you can see to him as you would myself." Ainz stepped aside to reveal the gawking Zenberu.

'A realm of gods, a realm of gods, a realm of gods… this is a realm of gods… it has to be, there's nothing else… no mere mortals, no beings of this world could create something like this!' Zenberu's warrior heart never quailed in all his brave life, and yet in the company of one who mastered life and death, and seeing the realm which that being inhabited, his spirit had never felt smaller.

The towering high ceiling, the walls with intricate smoothness, and statues that could not have been made by mortal hands. Their perfect smoothness made the river stones he'd seen on his journey appear to be rougher than a craggy gorge by comparison. His eyes beheld the throne, at the peak of steps that fairly dared any fool to climb them, the throne radiated power and its promise, he could not even bear to look for long.

"Zenberu, this is Cixous, one of our maids, she will tend to you tonight while you rest. Return here after you have eaten, bathed, and slept until morning." Ainz gave the command and it was all Zenberu could do to bob his head up and down like a puppet on shaking strings.

Zenberu's entire body was atremble with reverence, awe, and fear, his heart throbbed and ached at the majesty about him, and the God who fed his people seemed all the more godlike.

"Demiurge, Zenberu, I will see you in the morning. I have things to do." Ainz made the cryptic statement, and the archdevil bowed his head.

"Of course, my Lord, of course." He said, and when Ainz was gone Demiurge looked down at the little lizardman.

"Lizardman, your attitude toward your Master is proper, but remember this, you are in his home, and we are all the creations of those he loved best. Disrespect towards any one of them, even one generously assigned to care for you, will be dealt with harshly. I trust we understand each other?" Demiurge stared through empty crystalline eyes, and at that the lizardman bobbed his head.

"I wouldn't even consider it… not in such… a sacred place." Zenberu said in a hushed whisper so full of awe that Demiurge wasn't even entirely sure the lizardman understood he was being threatened.

But it was a good answer either because of, or in spite of that. "Good. Cixous, represent your Master well." Demiurge said with far more kindness.

She politely inclined her head to the Guardian. "Naturally, Lord Demiurge." She said and reached out a hand to gently touch the still awestruck lizardman.

"If you'll come with me?" She asked, and like a lost child finding an adult and instinctively going where they led, he followed after her, his eyes looking at every piece of art as if it were a divine treasure, which to the denizens there, they were.

The maid said nothing to the lizardman as she led him on to the baths, when they arrived he said, "You make lakes of stone?"

It was an understandable mistake, given the sheer size of the baths, but it made Cixous laugh, "You're a funny one, my lord. No, these are not lakes. Just a place where the Supreme Beings and their creations bathe."

"Created… that word… strange way to say chosen." Zenberu remarked as he stepped toward the babbling flowing fountain.

"We were not chosen, we were created, the Supreme Beings designed us and brought us to life to serve their needs. I was created by Lord Whitebrim." The honey blonde haired maid straightened up and brushed her long blonde hair back. "He also designed our clothing," she ran a hand over the smooth fabric, "and our personalities. We were designed as you see us."

"There are others…?" Zenberu asked as the heat of the water engulfed his scales and the filth of his travels began to pull away from his body.

"There were." Cixous said, and at this her head hung. "They disappeared, the great ones, one by one, they went off to some other world where only gods can tread and we could not. The world we knew was going to end… and the one you know, he was The One Who Stayed with us, resolving that we shouldn't be left alone. Many of us believe he carried us to this world so that we wouldn't die with the world of Shi-ti-devs. Those vile beings that chose to destroy all things… and our master saved us."

Her eyes welled up with tears, "Forgive my prattling… but you should know the glory of the one you call your King… there is none more suitable to be our lord, or the lord of this world. We know many stories of many kings, even though we never left our home, and know that most Kings and Queens were very cruel. But our own is merciful and kind, devote yourself to his cause, and the world will be safe for all your children for as long as this world endures."

Zenberu internalized her every word.

"You are not the first our Master has saved. He rescued eight humans and granted them great power, even as we speak they go to work his will. Loyal service is rewarded with prosperity, power, and happiness, remember that, guest from the Lizardman tribes." She said.

The admonition to remember was unneeded, it was impossible to forget, so impossible that even the sumptuous meal he had afterward could not compare, and he only slept at all because it seemed his bed was enchanted to assist him in doing so.

'There is no future apart from service to The King…' It was his first thought when he awoke, and when Zenberu prostrated himself before Ainz Ooal Gown in the throne room again a mere quarter of an hour later, he did so with a deep reverence in his heart.