Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard

Auriel returned to her chambers after the outing with Amara, but the entire experience left her deeply unsettled. Amara's strange behavior lingered in her mind, and the duchess's unsettling blend of shyness and boldness sent shivers down her spine. She sank into a plush chair by the window, staring blankly at the garden below as she replayed the events of the day.

"Something about her just doesn't add up," Auriel muttered to herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Before she could respond, Lilith entered the room with her usual serene smile.

"Welcome back, Your Grace," Lilith said, bowing slightly. "I trust you had a pleasant outing with Lady Amara?"

Auriel hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Pleasant might be… a stretch," she finally admitted. "I think I'll be staying inside for the foreseeable future."

Lilith chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, Goddess Auriel, your humor is delightful. Unfortunately, staying inside isn't an option. Your next appointment has already been arranged."

Auriel groaned, dragging her hands down her face. "Please tell me it can be postponed indefinitely."

"I'm afraid not," Lilith replied, her tone apologetic but firm. "The next candidate, Sophia, the Master of the Mage Tower, is already here and eagerly awaiting your audience."

Auriel perked up slightly at the mention of the Mage Tower. Though meeting another candidate filled her with dread, the possibility of someone there helping her break the seal on her powers was too tempting to ignore. If anyone could understand the intricacies of divine magic, surely it would be Sophia.

"Fine," Auriel said with a resigned sigh. "Let's get this over with."

Lilith led her through the temple's winding hallways to a private study, where Sophia awaited them. The moment Auriel stepped into the room, she knew she'd made a mistake.

Sophia was perched on the edge of a desk, her fiery red hair cascading over her shoulders in waves. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with an intensity that bordered on manic, and her hands twitched as if itching to grab something—or someone.

The moment Sophia saw Auriel, she bounded to her feet and practically teleported across the room to stand uncomfortably close. "Goddess Auriel!" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement. "Oh, this is beyond thrilling! Do you have any idea how much I've been dying to meet you?"

Auriel took a step back, her unease growing. "I… appreciate your enthusiasm, Sophia," she said carefully.

Sophia didn't seem to hear her. "Oh, the possibilities are endless!" she continued, pacing the room in a frenzy. "A goddess in the flesh! Imagine the experiments we could conduct, the data we could gather! Would you mind if I took a small sample of your divine essence? Just a tiny piece—nothing invasive! Or perhaps we could start with an aura analysis?"

Auriel blinked, struggling to process the flood of words coming from the mage. "Experiments?" she echoed, horrified.

"Yes, yes! To further our understanding of divine energy!" Sophia said, clapping her hands together. "Oh, and do tell me—can you manipulate time? Reverse causality? Create life from nothing? The potential applications are staggering!"

Auriel looked helplessly at Lilith, who stood by the door with an expression that was alarmingly neutral. Clearly, the priestess had no intention of intervening.

"Um… I don't think that's—" Auriel began, but Sophia cut her off.

"Or perhaps we could test your durability! How resistant are you to magical force? I've been dying to try out a new spell, and you'd be the perfect subject!"

"I think I've heard enough," Auriel said, her voice firm as she raised a hand to stop Sophia's rambling. "I'm afraid I don't have time for… experiments. I'm very busy with divine duties."

Sophia frowned, her excitement dimming but not disappearing entirely. "Oh, but surely you can spare a moment! It's for the greater good of magical knowledge, after all."

"I really must decline," Auriel said, stepping back toward the door. She glanced at Lilith again, her expression pleading.

Lilith finally took a step forward, her serene smile never wavering. "Sophia, I'm afraid the Goddess has a very tight schedule today. Perhaps we can revisit your proposals another time."

Sophia pouted but didn't argue. "Very well," she said with a dramatic sigh. "But promise me you'll at least consider it, Your Grace. The world could benefit so much from your cooperation!"

Auriel forced a polite smile. "I'll think about it."

She turned and hurried out of the room, Lilith following closely behind. Once they were safely back in the hallway, Auriel let out a long sigh of relief.

"That was… an experience," she muttered.

Lilith tilted her head, her serene expression tinged with amusement. "Master Sophia is certainly… passionate about her work."

"Passionate is one word for it," Auriel said. "I don't think I've ever met anyone so… overwhelming."

Lilith chuckled softly. "Perhaps it's a good thing you've decided to take your time with this decision. Rushing into it might lead to… complications."

Auriel shot her a look but didn't argue. She had to admit, Lilith had a point. Meeting the candidates was proving to be far more challenging than she'd anticipated.

Auriel shot Lilith a look of exasperation but didn't argue. She had to admit, the priestess had a point—meeting the candidates was proving to be far more challenging than she'd anticipated.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Lilith said with her usual serene tone, "I have some pressing matters to attend to at the temple. Please, enjoy your time with Master Sophia."

"Wait, what?" Auriel blinked, a sinking feeling settling in her chest.

Before she could protest, Lilith offered a small bow and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Auriel alone with Sophia, whose blue eyes sparkled with unrestrained excitement.

"This is wonderful!" Sophia clapped her hands, practically bouncing on her heels. "Now we can spend some quality time together without any interruptions!"

Auriel forced a tight smile. "Right… Quality time."

"I've prepared an itinerary," Sophia said, producing a long scroll from seemingly nowhere. "We'll start with some of my favorite places, places I'm sure a goddess like you will find fascinating."

Auriel felt a prickle of unease. Something about Sophia's enthusiasm felt… ominous. But she had no reasonable excuse to decline without seeming suspicious. Besides, her divine pride wouldn't let her admit she was worried about what Sophia might have in store.

"Lead the way," Auriel said reluctantly.

Sophia beamed and grabbed Auriel's hand, dragging her along. "You're going to love this!"

The first destination was a dungeon. Not just any dungeon—a deep, dark labyrinth with walls that seemed to pulse with an unnatural energy. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed in the distance.

"This dungeon is one of the most dangerous in the kingdom!" Sophia announced proudly. "It's said to be cursed, but don't worry—I've already prepared countermeasures."

Auriel's stomach dropped. "Cursed?!"

"Oh, don't look so worried," Sophia said, patting her arm. "You're a goddess, and I'm the greatest mage in the land. Together, we're unstoppable!"

Auriel wasn't so sure. She followed Sophia into the dungeon, her every instinct screaming at her to turn back. The walls seemed to close in around them as they ventured deeper, and Auriel had to remind herself repeatedly not to react. A goddess couldn't show fear, after all.

They encountered traps that would have skewered a lesser being, pitfalls that seemed bottomless, and strange shadowy creatures that hissed and clawed at them from the darkness. Sophia dispatched the creatures with a flick of her wrist, laughing gleefully as if she were enjoying a simple stroll.

"Isn't this exhilarating?" Sophia exclaimed, dodging a spiked chain that swung from the ceiling.

Auriel forced a laugh, though it came out more like a strangled sound. "Exhilarating is one word for it."

She narrowly avoided a pressure plate that would have triggered another trap and clenched her fists to stop her hands from trembling. Stay calm, she told herself. You're a goddess. You can handle this.

By the time they emerged from the dungeon, Auriel was mentally and physically exhausted. Her divine nature had kept her safe, but that didn't make the experience any less harrowing.

"Wasn't that fun?" Sophia said, her face flushed with excitement.

"Thrilling," Auriel said weakly.

"Oh, but we're not done yet!" Sophia said, pulling her along again.

The next stop was an ancient ruin said to be the site of a forgotten battle between gods and mortals. The ruins were stunning, with towering columns and intricate carvings, but the air was thick with residual magic that made Auriel's skin crawl.

Sophia wandered around excitedly, poking at artifacts and muttering to herself about magical signatures and energy readings.

Auriel tried to feign interest, but all she could think about was how much she wanted to go back to her room and hide under a blanket.

"This place is incredible," Sophia said, holding up a glowing crystal. "The magical energy here is off the charts! I bet if we stayed here long enough, we could uncover secrets about the gods themselves!"