#that smug smile on Saltarian's face | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ramblingoak · 1 year

Text

The Cardinal’s Bride, Chapter 3: Promises

~ A Romantic Adventure in the Old West: After being forced into a marriage with Mr. Saltarian by your father you are sent west to his estate in Nevada. Along the way you end up meeting one of the cowboys you have always fantasized about... ~

~~ Please visit The Outlaw Brides Masterpost to catch up and read more stories from this world ~~

As always, thank you to @tasty-ribz for the amazing wanted poster of The Cardinal! Another thank you to @meowsaidmissy (1 / 2). And thank you to @kissingghouls for holding my hand 💙

Cardinal Copia x Female Reader - After The Cardinal continues to be a smug bastard you both end up making promises to each other after having to confront the past.

Warnings: slow burn romance, adventure, violence, Copia in chaps, NSFW, MDNI, this chapter is 9,250 words

The Cardinal was far more gentle than you expected him to be.

You were both lying in a field of wildflowers, the sun warming your skin. He was leaning over you and looking into your eyes with such affection you almost had to look away. Goosebumps followed his fingertips as they traced invisible patterns on your skin. Your body shivered when he pressed featherlight kisses on you, his mustache tickling at the same time.

“So beautiful, my Principessa. So beautiful.” You blushed at his complement and slid a hand into his hair, watching as his eyes closed when you ran your nails along his scalp. He reminded you of a cat, especially the way he pushed against your hand. “Mmm Principessa…”

You smiled up at him and let your hand slip out of his hair to rest on his cheek. “Yes, my Cardinal?” His mismatched eyes opened and you felt frozen in place as he gazed at you.

“Principessa…” His voice whispered around you, like it was coming from everywhere all at once. “Principessa, Principessa…”

“Cardinal?” You felt your heart start beating faster as his words seemed to vibrate through your head. He continued to stare down at you, but his lips had stopped moving. It was like he was frozen in place and even when you tapped his cheek his eyes remained steady and unblinking.

“Principessa…”

“Cardinal!” You started to panic as the whispering got louder but now you couldn't move either. A scream was beginning to build in your throat but it stayed stuck there no matter how hard you willed it to come out.

“Principessa!” You finally managed to squeeze your eyes shut but a cold sensation on your face made your body jolt upright. Your face was wet, water dripping into your eyes and you brought your hands up to try to clear it away and look around. The field of flowers was no more. Instead you were back in the camp The Cardinal and his Ghouls had made last night amongst some trees.

Speaking of The Cardinal, he was standing over you holding his canteen with that stupid grin on his face. You had come to learn that when he was looking at you like that he was mocking you in some way. Clearly he was enjoying waking you up from your dream. You had been hoping that after meeting the bastard your dreams featuring him would’ve faded away. Your fantasies about him were clearly way off the mark.

No such luck.

It had been a week since they’d attacked your stagecoach and taken you. A week of being drug around the countryside and stuck on a horse behind one of his Ghouls. You were tired, filthy and desperate to get away from all of them. They had mentioned heading towards a place called The Ministry but otherwise they remained tight-lipped on their plans. You weren’t even really sure what The Ministry was and no one had answered your questions about it yet.

The Cardinal crouched down in front of you and you scowled at him. He was always getting into your space, teasing you about something. Typically it was a comment directed at you being a “city girl” or something about you choosing to marry Saltarian. As if you actually wanted to marry that man.

“Buongiorno, Principessa. Did you sleep well?”

“I’ve been sleeping on a dirty horse blanket on the ground. What do you think?”

“I think it sounded like you were having a nice dream. Not the first time I’ve thought that actually.”

“What I dream about is none of your business.”

“Si, si you’re probably right.” He clicked his tongue and cocked his head while he regarded you for a moment. Then he slowly began to lean in until his mouth was near your ear. You stayed frozen in place, not sure what he was getting at. “But…you have been whispering for me at night. So. It makes one curious, eh?”

Your mouth fell open but you had no idea what to say. He pulled back a little until his face was mere inches away from yours, that smirk on his lips. This was absolutely mortifying. He hadn’t mentioned the poster at all since the day of the attack. Honestly you’d been hoping he had forgotten about it. And here you were, despite how horribly he had treated you for a week, still dreaming about him like you used to do at home. He had to know at this point.

Oh this was not good.

“I think, Principessa, I know why you had my wanted poster.” You shook your head in denial but he started nodding his own, his smile getting wider. “I must say, I’m flattered. Really. There you were surrounded by clean, respectable city boys and you spent your nights dreaming of me. It warms my heart to know this. Also warms a few other things to be hon–ai!”

He was able to dodge the kick you aimed at his shin, laughing as you growled at him. You started to hear the others rustling around and getting up so you quickly glanced around to make sure none of them had heard The Cardinal. When you looked back up at him he winked at you and then held a finger to his lips when Aether walked by with his cooking supplies.

“Can whatever this is wait until after breakfast?” Aether didn’t seem to have much patience for his boss’s teasing of you and for that you were thankful. He gave you a small smile as he walked by and you smiled back before glaring up at The Cardinal again.

“Yes of course Aether, le mie scuse.” He reached out and slapped the Ghoul on the shoulder before walking off towards the horses. When he was a few feet away he turned and caught you staring, smirking at you again before turning back around. You heard him whistling a jovial tune into the morning air like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Bastard.

It had been a week of this. A week of being stuck on a smelly horse behind an equally smelly cowboy. For the most part you had stayed quiet, most of the Ghouls didn’t seem to want to talk to you anyway. The only one you had enjoyed riding with so far was Swiss. He had been friendly and talkative, telling you lots of stories of the gang’s exploits together. You had noticed The Cardinal shooting him increasingly annoyed looks and after watching him argue with Swiss that night you hadn’t ridden with the man since.

After that you were usually either behind Mountain or Aether. Both men were fairly quiet, but at least they were nice to you when they did speak. Rain was usually off scouting ahead so you hadn’t interacted with him very much. The other two, Dewdrop and Sunshine, had made little effort to hide their disdain for you. You understood why Dewdrop didn’t like you, he would probably never forget the bite. You weren’t sure of Sunshine’s reasoning, but she always seemed ready to follow along with the smaller man.

Why was everyone following The Cardinal anyway? He would switch from being in a dour mood, glaring at everyone and barking orders to being a smug bastard in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately you were the one he directed his smugness to the most. All he had done since the stagecoach attack is tease you mercilessly.

It was always ‘Principessa this’ and ‘Principessa that’, he was intolerable. There had to be something wrong with your mind to make you keep dreaming about the man. You shivered as your thoughts wandered back to last night’s dream. Well, you needed to just forget about it. Besides there was no way The Cardinal would act that sweet with you. Or anyone for that matter.

“Are you going to try and run away again today?” Aether’s voice startled you from your thoughts and you glanced at him. He had paused in his breakfast preparation and was looking over at you. Besides Swiss, Aether had definitely been the kindest one here. He seemed to be the voice of reason whenever any of the Ghouls got in an argument. Or anytime The Cardinal became angry.

“I haven’t decided yet.” Aether snorted and shook his head.

“Fair enough.” You both looked over to the horses when you heard Dewdrop shouting. He was gesticulating wildly in front of The Cardinal and he then pointed at you while shaking his head. Aether cursed under his breath and jumped up to head their way, he turned and pointed at the pot he had set up over the fire. “Hey, can you keep an eye on that?”

You nodded and crept over to the fire, watching as Dew continued to rant at his boss about something. The man had a worse temper than The Cardinal. Thankfully he hadn’t spoken a word to you since you had bitten him. You couldn’t help but smile thinking back on that. The whole lot of them seemed to have expected you to be some meek girl the whole time. In a way you were, you didn’t see any way to get out of being the main part of their plan.

Didn’t mean you were going to make it easy on them though.

The shouting had died down and you looked up from the pot to see Dewdrop stalking your way, The Cardinal hot on his heels. When he got by the fire he spun around and stabbed a finger in his boss’s direction.

“She’s not riding with me! Has everyone forgotten that she bit me? And you want her at my back all day?! She’d take a chunk out of my neck.” Dew looked over at you and you just sniffed and looked back down into the pot.

That wasn’t a terrible idea.

Aether walked up and got between the two men, “She can ride with me. It’s not a big deal.”

“No, I need you up ahead until Rain comes back.” The Cardinal had his arms crossed and turned to look at where Swiss and Sunshine were just rousing themselves from their bedrolls. They were the last two to wake up, Mountain and Rain had left a few days ago to head to the nearest town and get a message about the ransom sent to Saltarian.

“Just let her ride with Swiss!” You hoped The Cardinal would listen to Dewdrop. Riding on a horse all day was almost torture for you, but at least Swiss would make it somewhat bearable.

“Yeah boss, princess is always welcome to ride with me.” Swiss gave you a wink as he walked over and you couldn’t help the small smile you gave him. At least one of the cowboys had some charm.

“She’s not fucking riding with you Swiss.” The Cardinal was glaring at the man and you watched as Swiss rolled his eyes. Why did he have such a problem with you riding with Swiss? The Cardinal got in your line of vision and you let your eyes trail up his body to land on his face. “She’ll ride with Sunshine.”

“The fuck she will!” Sunshine leapt up from where she was still sitting and glared at her boss. You started shaking your head and looked back at The Cardinal.

“I’d rather walk!” You yelped when he leaned down and grasped your elbows, pulling you onto your feet.

“We’d be dragging you in minutes. Those pretty shoes of yours wouldn’t last very long.” His eyes raked down to your toes and then back up again.

“I had other shoes in my things, you should have let me bring them.”

“Oh yes of course, la Principessa needs all of her pretty things with her at all times.” He let you go and spit to the side, smiling when you scrunched your nose up in disgust. “You’ll ride with Sunshine and that’s final.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

For the first few hours, Sunshine was pretty quiet. She seemed a little annoyed after it took a bit to get your skirts arranged so it was comfortable for both of you, but otherwise neither one of you spoke. Sunshine tended to trail behind the others with Dew, but since you were with her Dew was riding up front to avoid being close to you.

It was starting to feel a little odd just riding in silence so you had been trying to rack your brain to think of something to talk about. Didn’t they belong to a church? Or they did at one point. You had overheard The Cardinal bring it up a few times with some of the others. Maybe this would be a way to fill the silence.

“So you all belonged to a church?” You felt Sunshine stiffen in front of you and you worried you should’ve just kept your mouth shut. She just sighed though and then when she started to talk you let out the breath you had been holding.

“Yeah, more or less. Although it’s pretty much been disbanded since what happened.” So they did have someplace to worship, why would Saltarian destroy a church of all places? “Now we’re just The Cardinal and his band of Ghouls. Although I prefer Ghoulette.”

“Ghouls?” What an odd thing to be called, it sounded like a creature not a job.

“It’s what our title was in the church. As Ghouls we helped with pretty much everything. Cleaning, building, assisting with rituals. Lots of stuff like that.”

“And The Cardinal?”

“Oh he was one of the upper clergy members. He’d basically grown up in the church, since it was first started in Italy. Him and his family immigrated to the states and were able to buy a nice plot of land to start over. His brothers were also members of the church, but they were called Papas.” You had guessed The Cardinal was Italian based on his accent, you had met a few Italians around St. Louis. But what were Papas? How many brothers did he have? You shook your head to try and refocus. You wanted to know what happened with their church.

“Sunshine, what about the church though? What happened to it?”

The Ghoulette grunted and was quiet for a moment before she continued. “A lot of folks were uncomfortable with our church. Not anyone in the surrounding town though, but plenty of people around the area.” Sunshine shook her head. “It’s ridiculous though, we’re more peaceful than any of the other religions you’ve probably been around.”

“What do you mean? And why were people uncomfortable?”

“We follow the Olde One. Lucifer.” Lucifer? Was she being serious?

“You mean the devil?”

Sunshine laughed and continued, “Yep! The Morningstar himself.”

“But…but how? I mean, he’s the devil. He’s evil!” Wasn’t he?

“Trust me kid, Lucifer is a kitten compared to whatever God you’ve been introduced to. In our church everyone is free to do what they want.” You felt her hum as you leaned against her back, still trying to wrap your head around what she was saying. “Well, as long as you’re not hurting anyone.”

“Well that’s not…wait, do you sacrifice animals? People?” Sunshine laughed again and you ducked behind her back when you saw Dewdrop turn to glare at her.

“Only if they’ve been very very bad.” Sunshine turned her head and winked and you couldn’t help but smile. This was one of the strangest conversations you’ve ever had. You’d never really heard of devil worshippers beyond just spooky stories or the occasional sermon at your church.

“So Mr. Saltarian kicked you all out and took over?”

“He didn’t take over, he destroyed it. He showed up in the middle of the night with a group of thugs and burned our church into the ground. They murdered anyone that got in their way.”

“That’s horrific! How did he get away with it?”

“Because no one gives a fuck about a bunch of evil Satanists. Which is hilarious because Saltarian is the evil one here. Him and all his cronies and business partners.” Sunshine had stiffened in front of you and you could almost feel the anger vibrating from her. “So congrats on choosing him as your husband, I’m sure you’ll be one big happy family. Well, briefly I guess. We’re definitely still killing him.”

You felt sick. This was the man you were being forced to marry? No wonder everyone here hated you, they thought you were willingly marrying this monster. “I didn’t choose him.”

“What, really? Then why the fuck are you even out here?”

“I didn’t have a choice. My father owes Saltarian money and he wasn’t paying it back quickly enough. They apparently worked out a deal that the debt would be forgiven as long as I married him.” You brushed some tears off your cheeks and rested your head against Sunshine’s back.

“See this is what I don’t get, you god fearing folk are supposed to be kind and loving to everyone. But here you are basically traded off by your own family without a second thought.” You couldn’t stop the tears now, the whole situation with Saltarian and being kidnapped…it was so overwhelming. None of this had been your choice, you hadn’t been able to make a choice for yourself in so long.

“I- I don’t know what to say. I’ve never really been given a choice in anything. No one really bothers to ask what I think, they just tell me what to do.”

“That’s bullshit. You should be able to marry whoever you want. If you belonged to our church you would be able to.” You looked off to the side and let your mind wander as you watched the scenery. It would be amazing to be able to marry anyone you wanted. To marry for love and live your life without stupid rules and limitations. You brought your head up again to look at the side of Sunshine’s face.

“Who would you choose? Since you can marry anyone?” Sunshine laughed at you again and you couldn’t help but laugh a little too. “The Cardinal?” The woman made a very unladylike sound and looked back at you.

“Cop–The Cardinal?!” She let out a huge belly laugh before answering. “There’s no fucking way, I’d kill him within the first week. None of these guys could handle me. Besides, The Cardinal has a type and I ain’t it.”

You couldn’t read the expression on her face as she looked back at you again with the last comment. Her eyebrow was quirked up and it seemed like she was teasing you. “Well, that’s still amazing. I’m happy you have that choice, that anyone does.”

“You can have a choice too, kid. And you won’t be married to that man for long, trust me.” So everyone kept reminding you. It was strange to hear people talk so casually about murder. Even if it seemed as if someone like your future husband deserved it.

“I suppose I won’t be, but I won’t be alone for long. My father will find someone else for me.” Killing Saltarian wouldn’t save you from a future with a man you didn’t love. Your father would just find someone else to sell you too and maybe someone even worse than Saltarian. In the end it would be whoever benefited your father the most.

You both quieted down then, the rest of the day spent mostly in silence. When everyone stopped to make camp that night you stood quietly off to the side and let them do their duties. The Cardinal had dismounted and was waiting a little further away from the campfire looking towards a ridge in the distance. The camp itself was set up against a small forested area. There was a stream you had passed over earlier in the woods that Swiss was currently at to refill the canteens.

Aether called your name and you jumped a bit before looking over at him. He pointed towards a blanket he had laid out near the fire and you gave him a quick smile before going over. Right when you sat down though you heard The Cardinal let out a shrill whistle and you froze at the sight of two riders cresting over the ridge and heading your direction.

Everyone exploded into action around you, grabbing their guns and readying themselves. Sunshine came over to your side and dropped something into your lap. It took you a moment to realize that it was a small knife. It wasn’t very long, the blade was encased in leather with a small strap keeping it inside. You looked back up at the Ghoulette and she gave you a quick smile.

“Just in case, ok? Keep it on you.” You nodded up at her but stayed seated, watching as the riders got closer. When The Cardinal let out a different whistle everyone instantly relaxed and you let out the breath you hadn't realized you were holding. You looked back up at Sunshine and she nodded towards the riders. “Rain and Mountain are back.”

It was easy to recognize them now. Mountain was a towering figure when standing, but mounted on his horse he looked like a giant. You watched as they stopped by The Cardinal and the other horses, dismounting and approaching the man. Rain handed something over, shaking his head as he did so. Maybe they weren’t able to send word to Saltarian?

The look on The Cardinal’s face as he turned and started walking towards you told you something different though. He was smirking and you took a deep breath trying to prepare yourself for whatever was up his sleeve. When he stopped in front of you he put his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels as he looked down into your face.

“Principessa, I wanted to apologize for how we first met. That was rude of me, si?” You stayed frozen for a moment before giving him a slight nod. If he was being sincere this would be a first during your time together. After staying quiet for a moment he pulled his hands out from behind his back and held out a worn piece of paper that was folded in half. You slowly reached out and took it from him, opening it with shaking hands. You felt all the color draining from your face as soon as you saw what was on it.

It was his wanted poster.

“I felt bad for ruining the one you had brought with you. Clearly it meant a lot to you, so I wanted to replace it.” You finally looked up from the smug look he was wearing on the poster to the smug look he was wearing now. The bastard was laughing at you, like he had been almost every day now. His eyes were on yours and you glared up at him. The black surrounding his mismatched gaze was smudged and faded, but it still made his eyes pop.

You wanted to scratch them out of his head.

“So Principessa, no hard feelings, eh?”

A growl built up in your chest and you launched yourself at him, not even really sure what you planned on doing but as long as it caused him pain you’d be happy. You aimed your hands at his face but he managed to grab you around the waist and avoid your nails. Instead you started beating on his back with your fists and kicking as much as you could in your dress.

The bastard was laughing, right in your ear. He easily turned your body so your back was against his chest and you felt his laughter rumble into your back. There was more laughter around you and you looked around as his Ghouls took in the scene. Even Aether was laughing! You tried to dig your nails into The Cardinal’s arms but his leather jacket was too thick.

“Alright, alright Principessa. Let’s relax for a moment, si?” You took a deep breath and let yourself droop a little in his arms. He leaned down and made some shushing noises into your ear, then patted you gently on your head like you were his goddamn horse. You leaned forward a bit and hung your head, letting your body go limp and he grunted softly as he was pulled forward. You took a deep breath before gripping your skirts and bringing your foot up, waiting for the right moment to strike. He muttered something in Italian and you slowly let your breath out.

“Principessa?” You’d barely let him finish before lifting your skirts up and slamming your foot back into his crotch as hard as you could. The Cardinal shouted out and immediately let go of you. “Merda!”

You stumbled forward as he fell down behind you, groaning as he clutched himself. The Ghouls were still laughing but now it was at the sight of their fearless leader on his knees in pain. With everyone distracted you decided now was as good a time as any. You lifted your skirts once more and took off towards the trees. You heard The Cardinal shout behind you but you didn’t stop, you couldn’t stop this time. Maybe you could follow the stream to a town, maybe you could try to go the direction Mountain and Rain had come from, it didn’t matter. You needed to get away from these people, away from him.

“Aw fuck, not again.” Dewdrop’s voice followed you as you passed him, finally making your way into the woods. You stumbled a few times but you didn’t let yourself slow down. The sound of boots stomping through the underbrush came from behind you and you pushed yourself to go faster.

“Principessa! Get back here right now!”

“Fuck off!” You almost laughed, if only your parents could see you now. Racing through the woods, dirty beyond belief and cursing at probably one of the most wanted men in the country. The cursing alone would have made your mother faint. The Cardinal’s angry muttering continued to get closer despite you running as fast as you could. Up ahead you could see the trees thinning and figured you were getting close to the creek, maybe you could lose him after getting past it.

As you pushed through the edge of the woods you stopped briefly, your eyes widening at the sight of the creek. It was a lot wider than you had expected. You couldn’t let it stop you though, it couldn’t be that deep. Your shoes started sinking into the mud along the edge immediately and you struggled to pick them up and move forward, nearly shrieking when the cold water started seeping into your dress and weighing you down. When you were ankle deep your shoe sunk down too far into the mud and became stuck. You started to struggle to lift your shoe back up, hearing The Cardinal getting closer to you.

Right as he burst through the trees you yanked your foot up but your shoe stayed stuck in the mud. The momentum caused you to lose your balance and you fell forward into the creek onto your front. The scream that left you was probably heard across the valley. You pushed yourself onto your knees and tried to get up but your feet caught on your dress and you fell back down again. You turned and sat in the water, pulling your knees up to your chest. When your eyes met The Cardinal’s you groaned and dropped your head down onto your knees.

Of course he was laughing at you.

“Aww Principessa, did you need a bath?” You took a deep breath and looked up again. He had crept closer, his boots right at the edge of the water. You watched as he reached down and pulled your shoe out of the mud before tossing it behind him. His hand reached out towards you but you ignored it and glared at him. “Come on, fun’s over. Let’s go back to camp.”

“No! I’m tired of you dragging me around. Of you ordering me around!” You couldn’t remember the last time you’d been this angry. It was like a living thing clawing its way out of your chest. He narrowed his eyes at you, but continued to hold his hand out. You threw one of your down into the water and sent a splash in his direction.

“Principessa, take my hand. Now.” The tears began to well in your eyes and you didn’t bother trying to wipe them away. What did it matter trying to hide anything from him, his opinion of you was already so low. You didn’t want to be here anymore, you didn’t even care where you went. As long as it was away from all the men trying to push you into something you didn’t want you’d be fine.

“Please let me go. Please.”

“You have a role to play in this. I’m not letting you go until I have that ransom money.” He had pulled his hand back but he stayed crouched down in front of you.

“Isn’t there another way? I’m begging you, just let me go. Take me to the nearest city! I won’t tell anyone what happened, I’ll pretend I’m someone else!”

“And do what, Principessa? Live in some dirty town out here for the rest of your life? A city girl like you wouldn’t be happy with that.” You growled and sent another splash his way.

“You don’t know anything about me!”

He cocked his head as he watched you rant at him. “Oh I know all about girls like you. You’re all the same. Unable to take care of yourself in the real world. Just changing from pretty dress to pretty dress waiting for some rich husband to throw money at you the rest of your life.” He clicked his tongue at you. “It’s too bad I have to kill Saltarian, he certainly has enough money to keep you entertained.”

“I don’t want to marry Mr. fucking Saltarian!” Your outburst surprised even you, but The Cardinal seemed extremely surprised at your words. He rocked back briefly on his heels before letting out a confused laugh.

“You don’t? Then why the fuck did you come out here?” His question echoed Sunshine’s from earlier in the day and you didn’t want to have to explain yourself again.

“Because I didn’t have a choice!” The water splashed around you both as you slammed your fists down at your side. “My father owes Saltarian money. A lot of money. Apparently he got tired of waiting for it so he is making my father pay him in another way. I’m the bargaining chip.”

The Cardinal had a look on his face that you couldn’t read. He looked almost confused at what you were telling him. “Everyone always has a choice, Principessa.”

A delirious laugh left you, apparently cowboys could be just as stubborn as the men you were used to in St. Louis. Men like your father. Men that didn’t listen to you, that didn’t respect you and men that were stubborn in their beliefs. You shook your head and laughed again.

“I don’t. Have. A choice. I never have! I’ve been told my whole life what to wear, what to say, what to do…I’m a doll. The only thing I’m meant for is to sit quietly and look pretty. That’s all I’ll be to Saltarian.”

The Cardinal stood up then and threw his hands up at his sides, “Then you should be happy I’m going to kill him! You’ll be free to go back home.”

“Yes! I’ll go back home and wait around for my father to find someone else to basically sell me to!” You were soaking wet now, your teeth starting to chatter, but you kept going. “I’m not free to do anything else.”

“Who says you have to go back to Missouri?”

You looked at him like he was an idiot. “What else am I supposed to do? I have no money, no other family, no friends…I have no skills! Am I supposed to just tag along with you idiots for the rest of my life?”

That smirk of his appeared on his face and he crouched back down. He held his hand out again and waggled his fingers. “Well, it might not be so bad having something pretty to look at.” Your mouth fell open in surprise and despite the cold you could feel your cheeks heat up. “Well maybe not so much right now, you look like a drowned rat.”

He just couldn’t help himself, but what else could you expect from him? You sighed and slipped your hand into his, the leather of his glove felt so warm against your cold hands. He easily pulled you up out of the water and mud and helped you hop on your one shoe back onto the bank. Your poor dress had already been in horrible shape before the creek, now it was definitely ruined beyond repair.

When you were out of the water and steady on your feet he let your hand go and leaned down to pick up your shoe. You expected him to hand it over but instead he crouched down again and lifted up the bottom of your dress.

“Hey!” You kicked at his hand as he reached under the layers of fabric but he just grabbed your foot and held it still. One of your hands reached out to grip his shoulder so you could stay steady as he lifted your foot up to the shoe. A tiny gasp left your mouth and he slid his hand from the arch of your foot up to your ankle and delicately helped you slide your foot back inside.

He let go of your foot and then smoothed your skirts down before standing up to look into your eyes.

“No more running away Principessa.” His eyes were intense as they looked into yours. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but you hoped he no longer thought as ill of you as he did before. You nodded your head and looked down but he clicked his tongue and placed a finger under your chin to tilt your face back up. “Promise me.”

You took a deep breath and gazed into his eyes for a moment before answering. “I won’t. I promise.” He gave you a brief smile and dropped his hand.

“Okie dokie, let’s get back to camp.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

After rejoining the Ghouls you went straight for the fire and got as close as you safely could. Everyone was pretty quiet as Aether handed dinner out, just a few low conversations as they ate. You finished yours quickly and then immediately wrapped yourself in your bedroll. The nights hadn’t been too bad but with the wet fabric of your dress barely having dried you felt like an icicle. Still, you were so exhausted from everything that had happened today that you felt sleep creeping up on you. With the blanket wrapped as tightly around you as you could get it you finally let sleep claim you.

Sometime later you found yourself blinking awake. At first you weren’t sure what had woken you up, but you froze when you heard singing from right next to you. As you woke up a little more you realized that you no longer felt cold and you looked down to see a red blanket had been draped over you. You blinked a few times before it dawned on you that it wasn’t a blanket, but The Cardinal’s red duster.

Your eyes drifted back closed briefly while you snuggled yourself into the heavy fabric. It was a lot warmer than you thought. You took a deep breath and let yourself think about The Cardinal of your dreams for a moment. The duster smelled like how you thought it might. A mixture of the outdoors, smoke and a hint of something metallic.

In reality it also smelled like a man that hadn’t seen a bath for a few weeks.

“They didn’t spare anyone.” You jumped at the sound of the man’s voice. A hand entered your line of sight and you watched as he pulled his coat a little further up to cover your neck before resting it on your shoulder. “Women and children, to them it didn’t matter. We were all evil devil worshippers.”

You wanted to move, to either sit up so you could watch him or just to get a little closer to him but you stayed still and let his words fall over you. It felt like this was a story he didn’t tell very often. If at all.

“The screaming was the worst. Not the fire or the pain, it was the screaming. So much of it that I couldn’t tell who it was coming from.” The Cardinal was silent for a moment before continuing. “I remember running through the chapel, trying to get to the dorms that were next door, but the ceiling collapsed and I barely got out of the way in time.”

His hand left your shoulder and rested on the ground near you, he wasn’t wearing his gloves and you found yourself fascinated by the sight of his bare hand. Your own hands twitched a little wanting to reach out and touch him, to try to soothe him in some way, but you didn’t want to interrupt his train of thought.

“When I made it outside, everything was in flames. The dorms…the building we held classes in…the gardens. It didn’t even matter if it was affiliated with the church or not, the whole town was on fire.” He let out a sound then, it was like a cross between a sob and a laugh and it made your heart ache. “I couldn’t hear the screams anymore but somehow that was worse.”

You couldn’t help yourself then and you slipped an arm out from under his duster and let your hand grasp his. His skin jumped under yours but when you squeezed his hand he gave it a little squeeze back and didn’t let go.

“I remember Aether and Swiss running up and grabbing me. I can remember the others too, trying to get whoever they could to safety. They were taking them into the woods nearby, taking them as far away from the fire as they could.” You heard the sound of rustling fabric and he shifted a little closer to you. “I couldn’t see my mother, Imperator, anywhere. I tried to get away from the Ghouls, screaming that I needed to find her. And not just her! My brothers too, I hadn’t seen any of them.”

He squeezed your hand again and then turned it so he could swipe his thumb back and forth across the back of yours. The calluses on his fingers felt strange against your skin.

“But when I saw him everything stopped. I couldn’t feel the heat from the fire anymore. I couldn’t feel the pain or the overwhelming sense of loss that had begun to seep in. All I felt was rage.”

You turned your head to look up at him, watching the firelight dance across his face. “Who did you see?” It seemed like a silly question though, you knew deep down who it was.

“Your future husband, Saltarian. Him and his associates and however many mercenaries he was able to hire to help his cause.” The Cardinal glanced down and looked into your eyes. “I could feel it then, the wrath taking hold of my heart. All I wanted to do was march into that field and pump his body full of bullets, but Aether and Swiss wouldn’t let me go. They practically dragged me into the forest. I only stopped screaming at them to let me go when my brothers took over for them.”

“You have brothers?” Copia snorted and looked back towards the fire.

“Yes, three of them and all of them are assholes.” He smirked and gave you a sideways glance. “Like me.”

A very inelegant snort burst out of you and you jerked your hand away from his to slap it over your mouth. Well, at least he could admit it.

“After a few days of running my brothers decided to head south, if anything just to lay low and regroup. Think about rebuilding.” He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. “But I couldn’t let it go. I let what happened build and fester within me. Aether and the others, they stayed with me. We’d known each other for so long I think they felt obligated to stick around.”

“I’m glad you had them at least.” The Cardinal hummed before continuing.

“We gathered as much information as we could. Looking for names of who was there with him, anything that we could exploit. I want him to suffer exactly like I had suffered. Like we had suffered. But we needed to wait for the perfect opportunity. A time where Saltarian and everyone on his payroll would be in one place.” You felt a shadow hover over your head and then the briefest touch over your hair. “And then we saw the engagement announcement in a local newspaper.”

You did feel his hand then, he tucked a few strands of hair behind your ear. Goosebumps broke out on your skin where his fingers lightly brushed against you.

“There was actually a picture of you. Well, a sketch.” You could hear the smile in his voice and you wondered what he was thinking. “I knew a man as vain as Saltarian would want to invite everyone he could to show off his pretty new bride.”

Did he…did he like your picture? You pushed the thought out of your mind, it was absurd to think that a silly sketch of you would have any effect on a man like him. Your father had insisted you sit to have your portrait drawn, something to add to the engagement announcement in any newspaper that would run it. Anything for attention.

“So that’s how my plan formed. We found out when the stagecoach was going to pick you up and waited along the trail for it to come back with you. The rest you mostly know.” The Cardinal’s voice darkened a bit when he spoke again. “We’ll let you say your I do’s and then we’ll rain unholy fire onto every single evil bastard there.”

You took a few shuddering breaths at the thought of being caught in the middle of that. Saltarian was evil, you knew that now. Far more evil than any of the actual devil worshippers that you had spent the last week with. He deserved what was coming to him and The Cardinal and his family deserved to live their lives in peace.

But what would happen to you? How would you stay safe during The Cardinal’s onslaught? You could feel yourself beginning to tremble at the thought of being caught in the middle of a shootout, in the middle of anything! You only started to calm down when you felt his hand rest on your shoulder and give it a brief squeeze.

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Principessa.” You looked back up at him and froze when his mismatched eyes were already gazing at you. “I promise.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

After The Cardinal made his promise you had fallen back asleep, waking up when the Ghouls started rustling around camp. You still had the duster draped over you and you let yourself have one last moment enjoying being tucked inside its warmth before you got up. When you looked around your eyes ending up landing on The Cardinal almost immediately and you blushed when you saw he was already looking at you.

He was standing next to his horse, a big white beast that you had tried to stay away from. You really weren’t fond of any of the horses but this one seemed to have the same attitude as his rider. The Cardinal held up a hand and waved you over. What could he possibly want?

You stood up and let his duster fall down onto the ground. Thankfully your dress seemed mostly dry, but it was filthy. At least it helped you fit in more with the Ghouls, none of their clothes were in the best of shape. The Cardinal watched you as you made your way over to him, he was smiling but thankfully it wasn’t his usual smug one.

“Principessa, I want you to meet someone.” You looked around but didn’t see anyone close besides you and him. He reached out and patted his horse's shoulder and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

“It’s a horse, how are you going to introduce me to him?” He held his hand out and you placed yours in his after a moment. After a gentle tug you moved closer to the horse, standing just a few steps away from The Cardinal. He placed your hand where he had just patted it and slowly moved it back and forth. The muscle underneath your hand jumped and you yelped and jerked away muttering a ‘very funny’ when the man started laughing at you.

“Meet Brizio, he’s a good friend of mine.” He grabbed your hand again and pulled you back towards the horse. You sighed and let him place your hand back on the animal. “I think it’s time you learned how to ride one. You can use one of the horses we took from the stagecoach.”

“No, absolutely not. I’d rather wa–”

“Si, si. You’d rather walk, I know this. What do you have against horses, Principessa?”

“Nothing in particular, these ones are just…big. Also I’ve never ridden one before this week! I have no idea what to do.” You tried to pull your hand away again but he kept it in his grasp and pulled it up to rest on the front of the saddle where he had the reins resting.

“This is the horn, I want you to keep your hand here.” You nodded and gripped your fingers around the top of it. He crouched down in front of you and started reaching under your skirts like he did yesterday. When you tried to nudge his hand away with your foot he just grabbed it and you had to grip the saddle harder to not fall over. “Alright I’m going to give you a little boost and then you’ll swing your leg over.”

“I’m not getting up there by myself.”

“Principessa, I’ll be right here the whole time, nothing is going to happen. You’ve been riding one all week!” You shook your head and pulled away from him.

“Yes I’ve been riding with someone all week. Not by myself. Just let me ride with Swiss again! He didn't seem to mind me sitting behind him.” The Cardinal growled and muttered something in Italian before he reached out and pulled you back to him again. You groaned when he placed your hand back on the saddle. When he got your foot in his palm again he lifted you up and you reluctantly swung your leg over. You gripped the horn tightly as you tried to rearrange your skirts so it was more comfortable.

Well, as comfortable as you could get on this thing.

“Bene, are you comfortable?” You glared down at his smiling face.

“No.” The Cardinal growled again and you yelped when he was up and behind you in a few seconds. “What are you doing?!”

“Just trying to show you a good time, Principessa.” You yelped again when he reached down to pull your feet out of the stirrups and replace them with his own. His arms slid along either side of you and he unwrapped the reins from the horn. “Okie dokie, are you ready?”

“Ready for wha–, Cardinal no!” You gasped as Brizio started forward, just above a walk but it was still faster than anything you had experienced in the last week. The Cardinal urged him forward towards where the trail entered a small group of trees. When you made your way under the canopy he snapped the reins again and Brizio started moving a little faster. “Can’t we slow down? This is too fast!”

“Faster, eh? Good idea, Principessa!” He snapped the reins and the horse somehow sped up. A scream erupted out of you as you burst out of the trees and into an open field. You dug your nails into the arm around your waist and couldn’t help but turn your head into his neck. You hated being so vulnerable around him, but maybe after yesterday things would be different between you. It certainly felt that way already. The Cardinal was definitely treating you differently today and it wasn’t so bad being this close to him.

Not that you’d ever tell him that.

“Open your eyes, look around! We’ve got the whole prairie to ourselves!” His lips on your ear sent a shiver running through you. When the hand on your waist gave you a quick squeeze you finally opened your eyes to look around and the sight around you made you gasp.

It was beautiful. The sun was casting a golden light along the waving grasses as Brizio raced over the plain. There was a thick forest further in the distance, the trees covered in deep green leaves. You found yourself settling against The Cardinal and your grip on his arm got a little less tight.

“Hang on, got a little jump up ahead.” His arm tightened again and pulled you more firmly against him, making you gasp.

“Wait, a jump?!” The only response you got was a deep laugh that reverberated from his chest into your back. You couldn’t help but gasp again when his fingers spread out where they pressed into you to get a firmer grip. Up ahead you could see a break in the grass and a small stream and you squealed as Brizio leapt over it at the last minute.

The Cardinal was laughing again, but it wasn’t the cruel laugh you had heard during the last week. His laughter was genuine, he was having fun with you, not at your expense. You hated to admit it after the big deal you had made over it, but you were having fun too.

You couldn’t remember the last time you had felt so free. The wind was whipping against your face and your cheeks were starting to ache from how hard you were smiling. The Cardinal brought the reins in closer then and peeled one of your hands off his arm.

“Your turn, Principessa. Steer him to those trees over there.” You looked where he was pointing and snapped the reins like he had done before. The Cardinal’s thighs pressed against the back of yours and you froze in the saddle. You knew he was using his legs to help encourage Brizio to turn where he had pointed, but it felt so strange having a man this close behind you. Now that you had relaxed a bit you were becoming more and more aware of the man that was holding you so close.

This was not going to make those dreams go away.

His one arm remained snug around your waist but his other rested lower on your hip and it felt like a hot brand, even through the layers of your dress and his glove. You took a deep breath to try and steady your breathing but it was like he knew what you were thinking. His hand squeezed you there very gently but it was enough to make you jump and drop the reins in your hand.

The laughter from behind told you that he knew exactly what he was doing. You huffed and refused to snap back at him. You knew by now that he enjoyed getting you riled up way too much. The hand on your hip reached forward and snagged the reins where they laid across the saddle and you watched as he pulled back on them gently as the trees got closer.

“There now, that wasn’t so bad was it?” His mouth was right by your ear again but you didn’t try to move away. You didn’t want to despite how much it burned you to admit it. He had been so honest with you when he didn’t have to be, maybe you should do the same for him. You had no idea how much longer he was going to keep you so there couldn’t be any harm in enjoying yourself, could there?

You didn’t try to hide your smile at any rate and let yourself lean back against him slightly. “No, that wasn’t bad at all.” His answering hum felt good against you and you found yourself closing your eyes at the feeling. He was steering Brizio into the woods now, weaving between the trees slowly. “Thank you, Cardinal.”

One of his hands gently gripped your chin and you opened your eyes as he turned your face up to his own. His cheeks were red as well, a soft smile on his face. “Thank me for what?”

“I haven’t had this much fun in a long time. So. Thank you.” You tried to look down, a little embarrassed at your admission but he kept your chin in his grip. His smile grew a little as his eyes glanced over your face.

“In that case, Principessa, I’m sure we can think of more things to do together.” His eyes had landed on your lips and you held your breath. It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion and you found yourself leaning close to him. Despite what had happened in the last week, despite what he had done and what he still planned to do, you couldn’t stop yourself from wanting this.

From wanting a kiss from The Cardinal.

At the moment your lips were about to touch a voice rang out from nearby and The Cardinal burst into action. He gripped both reins in his left hand and tugged Brizio around so he was blocking you from harm. His right hand had brought out his revolver in just a few seconds and it was pointed directly at whoever had spoken.

“Howdy Cardinal!”

You snuck your head to look around his body and took in the man that had surprised you both. They were leaning against a tree, a horse nearby munching on some grass. They were dressed entirely in black, gloved hands hooked into their gun belt as they looked over at you. You could see a few revolvers at their waist and a rifle in a holster on the horse’s saddle. Despite the weaponry they seemed friendly and were wearing a bright smile on their face.

The Cardinal muttered something in Italian and spun his gun back into its holster. He pulled on the reins again and brought Brizio around so you were able to get a better look at the man. The Cardinal didn’t exactly seem happy to see him but at least they weren’t about to shoot at each other. His hand left the gun handle and snuck back around your waist. You watched as the other man tracked the movement and somehow their grin grew even wider.

“You gonna introduce me to the wife?” The Cardinal snorted behind you but you felt it was more in annoyance than humor.

“Principessa, meet Mary Goore.”

Go to Chapter 4: There's Something About Mary

If you'd like to be added/removed from the tag list (or if I accidentally left your name off) of this fic or any of my others please leave a comment or send me a dm! Thank you 💙

My Masterlist ~ My Archive of our Own ~ My Ko-Fi Tip Jar

#my fics #my writing #the cardinal's bride #cowboy copia #cardinal copia x female reader #copia x female reader #cardinal copia fanfiction #copia fanfiction #the band ghost fanfiction #ghost fanfiction #the band ghost #ghost #cardinal copia #copia

292 notes · View notes

i-fondued · 1 year

Text

Ghost | Sinners in Secret | Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen - The Confessional Ritual Incident Pairing: Cardinal Copia x Reader/Sister of Sin x Papa “Terzo” Emeritus III Rating: Explicit Warnings: Plot, smut, etc. See AO3 for full list of tags! A/N: I'm just gonna hide from y'all when you get to the end ehehe >D

As always, this chapter is has been reviewed by my beta, @lurancyvenom whom I love!

Full Chapter List - HERE AO3 Link - HERE

“Amore, you must eat something.”

“I’m fine, Copia.”

“Il Cardinale is right, Tesoro,” Terzo signed, sitting down next to me and leaning back in his chair to try and crack his back. “You have not eaten anything yet tonight, and you have a long night ahead of you, si?”

“I know, I know. I will, I swear.” I yawned before blushing at the soft look on both men’s faces. “Sorry…I’m just tired. It's been a long few days.”

Copia knelt down next to me again, putting his hand on my thigh on top of my skirts with a gentle smile. I placed mine on top of his while Terzo placed his on top of both of ours.

“Not long now, Amore,” Copia teased.

Sister Imperator came to our table, clearing her through with a tense smile.

“Ah, Sister. I was just looking for you,” she said cheerily, the look on her face instantly setting me on edge. “You’ve forgotten a member of the clergy to dance with…”

“I don’t think I did…” I paused, thinking back over the last several hours.

After my dance with Primo, I danced with Papa Nihil which was more like me supporting him, as good natured as he was. Then I danced with Saltarian, a few other Cardinals, and finally I’d been able to sit down now.

“You missed me, Sorella.”

I looked to the source of the voice and my eyes narrowed. Cardinal Veritas was dressed in the same red formal suit that he had worn the last formal event, form fitting and well tailored to his narrow but long frame. His hair was pulled back and away from his face into a black ribbon, the long silvery blond locks curling around and over his shoulder.

“I don’t believe I owe you a dance, Cardinal.” I couldn’t help but sneer at him, Imperator looking slightly taken aback by my change in attitude suddenly.

“Sister!” Imperator hissed at me, her eyes hard. “You will do as is your duty, and dance with Cardinal Veritas.”

“But Sister…” I started to come up with any and all excuses, but her hand held up and I knew better than to argue with her.

I glared daggers at the smug look on his face as he took my begrudgingly outstretched arm to escort me to the dance floor. My skirts swished against my legs as we walked, a slow but slightly sultry song striking up as he twirled me away from him before pulling me back in.

“How have you been, Sister?” Veritas’ voice was clipped but there was a look behind his eyes that made my heart pound and my spine tingle. “Enjoying your last few days before you ascend?”

“What are you playing at Veritas?” I hissed, glaring at him as he stepped closer in our embrace. I could see Copia and Terzo to the side of us, both staring so sharply at Veritas I was surprised he didn’t catch fire. “You haven’t said a thing to me in weeks, suddenly we are buddy buddy and you want to dance?”

“Can a man not pay his respects to the woman who will be at the highest level of our organization without motive?”

“Not considering you tried to kiss said woman the last time we were this close.”

“Ah, for that I apologize. Too much wine that night.” He smiled, a slithering and predatory kind, and I fought to keep my face neutral. “Though can you blame a man for trying?”

“Yes. Yes I can; I’m not interested Veritas, I think I’ve made myself clear enough.”

“Someone as enchanting as yourself should not have to stoop so low to end up with a mousy Cardinal and a Papa who sees himself above the Dark One himself,” Veritas chided, his eyes slightly hooded as he looked down at me. I shuddered, rage blossoming in my chest as he spoke.

I couldn’t help myself as I stepped closer to him, even he looked slightly taken aback at our bodies almost pressed against each other. Each breath caused my breasts to ghost against his chest and he looked smug before I spoke.

“Those two men over there are some of the kindest, most genuine, earnest souls I’ve ever met. If there is anything I’ve learned about you, Veritas; it is that you are neither kind, genuine, or earnest,” I purred, my voice ghosting over his ear causing the man to shiver. “I would rather throw myself from the highest tower than forsake my vows and leave either of them for anyone even remotely like you.”

“That could be arranged, Sister,” he chuckled after taking a moment to recover. “I’m sure my sister, Caterina, would appreciate the chance to rekindle her romance with Terzo after all these years…”

“How dare you…” I hissed, rage filling my chest again as I fought the urge to slap him.

“Ah, how does the saying go? All is fair in love and war?” he purred, dipping me into a low bow as the song started to come to a close. “Well, Sister. I’d say this counts as love and war, no?”

Before I could even formulate a response, the song came to a close. He bowed to me and kissed my knuckles before winking at me and sauntering away, leaving me gaping like a fish out of water on the dance floor.

…

“Incredible isn’t it?”

I turned to look to my left and saw Saltarian had come to stand next to me as I took in the massive tapestry on the back wall, the party behind me in full swing. I’d come over to the tapestry to see my own name embroidered in, my fingers brushing against the gold thread.

“It is very impressive,” I said softly, somewhat emotional thinking about the generations of women before me going through exactly what I was. “I can’t believe that it’s been kept up to date…”

“Painstakingly, and repaired over the years too, when we needed to make way for new bloodlines and off-shoots,” Saltarian chuckled, pointing to where my name had been added next to Terzo’s and another little line had been added for Copia to join us as well. They’d already added a little path for any children we had, and I blushed knowing they had prepared that ahead of my Prime Mover ceremony. “Several centuries of families are on here.”

My fingertips skimmed the line backwards, following from where my name was, passing over where Secondo and his empty slot for his Prime Mover sat, and stopped momentarily on the spot where Primo and his Prime Mover’s name had been stitched in years before me:

Prime Mover Francesca Emeritus Born 1945 - Died 1973

Beside her name was another small line, and stitched in a thin gold thread was another heartbreaking image:

Heir Emeritus {Baby Girl} Born 1973 - Died 1973

A single branch of a family was cut out too soon, my heart clenched even reading it. Their baby had passed before they had even gotten to name her. I had to move on before the tears that welled in my eyes for Primo’s lost love and child fell; my fingers passed over Papa Nihil who, despite having three sons, did not have a Prime Mover. Further and further back I went, until I found the last Prime Mover to take two lovers, the one responsible for the birth of the Emeritus line. I smiled faintly, feeling a kinship with a woman who lived and died centuries before I was even born.

I followed the clergy line, like I had all those weeks ago at my council meeting, watching the family grow and grow. Last names changed as I went on and I closed in on the more recent names. That was when I saw two names and my gasp caught the attention of Saltarian.

Cardinal Maximilliano Veritas Born 1972 - ~*~ Sister Caterina Veritas Born 1973 -

“Is something wrong, Sister?” Saltarian asked, and I shook my head, fearful my voice wouldn’t come out. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Y-Yes Sir,” I stammered, thinking back to the last conversation I’d had with Veritas prior to the one tonight. “If you don’t mind me asking, Sir. What is the rite of inheritance?”

“Where did you ever learn about that, Sister?” he laughed, but apparently something in my face made it clear I wasn’t joking. “Well it's a very, very old tradition. It involves calling into question the line of succession, or in some cases the line of inheritance when there is a place, thing, or even sometimes a bride. Calling for a rite of inheritance was all the rage after the middle ages since so many had died in the various church familial lines, nobody could make heads or tales of what belonged to whom after whole branches of families were wiped out.”

I’d stopped listening to him as he chatted about Medieval history, mentally wrapped up in the last few weeks and what Vertas had said. My heart was pounding in my chest as panic bloomed.

“P-Please excuse me, Saltarian. I need to speak with Papa,” I blurted, bowing my head in apology before starting back to my own table.

Swiss caught my arm before I could get more than a foot closer, tugging me to the side and stepped close to speak with me, his eyes filled with concern behind the silver of his mask.

“Hey Sunshine, what's going on? I felt you panic from the other side of the room.” Swiss kept his voice low as he looked around, as if someone was going to pop out and steal me away.

“It’s Veritas,” I blurted, my eyes darting around to see if I could see him in the room still. I couldn’t find him, and if anything it heightened my anxiety. “I…I don’t know how to explain it but I know that he’s up to something Swiss.”

The clock in the room chimed several times, it was 3 in the morning. Sister Imperator came over with a soft but sleepy smile, hand resting on my shoulder before she spoke.

“Come, Sister. We need to get you ready for your ritual, Secondo already left and you were supposed to be there for 3am.” Imperator turned to Swiss with a cocked eyebrow. “Will you please escort Sister to the chapel, Swiss ghoul?”

“Yes, Imperator Ma’am.” He bowed before taking my arm gently and leading us away. “You should have told her you know.”

“I know, I know. You know it's not exactly like she gave me much of a chance to speak,” I sighed as we walked down the long halls and headed in the direction of the chapel. “Let’s just get this over with....”

When we got to the chapel I smiled when I noticed the ghouls had already started setting up decorations and ceremony elements. There was a slight haze in the air of the room from the heavily fragrant incense they were burning, smoke swirling around in the super low light of the few candles that had been left lit.

I went off into a side suite where there was a simple set of junior sibling robes waiting for me. I wore a white linen dress that had a stiff high collar with long form fitting sleeves; over that I wore a black pinafore dress made in a heavy muslin. I exchanged my formal heels for black leather flats and black thigh high knit stockings, and quickly worked to pull my hair back into a braid before coming out of the suite. Swiss was still waiting for me, and he shook his head wryly and pointed at the ornately carved confessional booth behind him.

“Secondo is already in there, I heard him murmuring a little when you were getting dressed. You go, I’ll stand guard.”

“Thank you, Swiss. You’ve been my rock this whole week,” I smiled, reaching to squeeze his shoulder gently. He looked sheepish as he took my hand and gave it a gentle press of his lips to my knuckle.

“Anything for you, Master,” he teased before scampering away from me, I scoffed, but smiled as I slipped into the empty side of the booth.

“Good Evening, Papa,” I started as I knelt on the floor of the confessional. “It has been…well it's been several weeks since my last confession.”

I hear him make some sort of snort, my cheeks flushing as I remembered who my last confession was with and the conversation with Primo earlier that night.

“I have come before you to share my sins, to feel the sweet release of absolving myself of the contradictory notion of sin. As everything we do is because of the gift of free will from the ancient one.” I spoke clearly, trying to follow exactly what Secondo and I had gone over the last few weeks. “T-There is something weighing on me very heavily that I would like to discuss first.”

“Oh?” His voice was thick and pitched low, but I remembered how much wine he’d drunk earlier tonight, and I had a feeling he’d drank too much.

“I…I am concerned about Cardinal Veritas, Papa,” I blurted, feeling my heart racing as I settled back on my calves. The hazy smoke from the chapel swirling around in the booth, the thick cloying scent making me almost want to gag. I felt it settle deep in my lungs and it made me light headed, swaying slightly on my knees. “H-H-He mentioned the rite of inheritance in passing before. I’m worried he's going to try and hurt Terzo or Copia…or even me.”

I felt like I’d been slurring my words a little, taking a minute to mentally tally the drinks I’d had at dinner. My vision was going a little spotty as I tried to focus and look through the partition between Papa and I; eyes not quite strong enough to zero in on the vague shape of a man on the other side.

“Se-Secondo?” I stuttered as he stood on the other side coming closer to the grate, a sickening feeling deep in my gut as the shape on the other side became more defined and the colors they were wearing even more obvious.

“Unfortunately for you, Little Bird, I am not the Emeritus brother,” the man teased, coming to step out of his side and snatching my wrist to drag me to my feet.

“Le-let me go, Veritas!” I slurred, stumbling on my feet as I tried to get away. My panic thrummed through my veins as I gripped the edge of the wood to try and prevent him from pulling me anywhere. “P-Please let me go!”

“Ah, Sister. It’s too late to beg unfortunately. Things are in motion, you see,” he chuckled darkly, his light eyes flashing dangerously.

He pulled me up roughly, my arm socket aching sharply, and I cried out. Veritas’ grip loosened as I wobbled again, vision swirling as I looked around for someone, anyone, to come help. I managed to get my wrist out of his hands and yanked away from him, but I felt like I was moving through mud, legs growing weaker as I stumbled away. I tripped over my own feet and fell hard to my hands and knees, gasping for clean air but finding more of the cloying scent of the incense.

“S-Sunshine?” Swiss called out as I finally locked eyes with him. I reached out towards him, our fingertips brushing as he rushed forward to me but as quickly as he came to me he begun to fall down to the floor with me.

“Swiss..?” I mumbled, my vision fading fast. I looked behind him and watched Caterina as she walked towards us, a syringe in her hands and a vicious look on her face.

It was the last thing I saw before I too slipped under the effects of the sickly scent of the incense.

…

Tucked deep in the sleepy New England forest, hours away from any real city, was the massive and sprawling grounds of the home of the Satanic Church known as The Clergy. I’d been taken aback at the structure, a massive gothic church down a long sprawling road. I couldn’t see over the fairly high, slightly crumbling stone walls, but I could see there were several roofs of other buildings including a large Victorian style glass greenhouse. When I pulled up in my car, the gates had been left open and I felt the caress of something deep inside me. Calling me, coaxing me from my car to the front steps and I couldn’t stop myself from hesitantly tugging on the doorbell.

I heard the gong of the bells going off on the other side of the door and my heart had felt like it was going to explode as I waited for someone to answer. The door opened, and an older woman stepped out slightly, a closed look on her face.

“Yes? How can we help you?” Her voice was clipped, face leaving no room for any curiosity as I tried and failed to peek around her to see inside to see what had been calling out for me.

“I-I’m sorry to bother you, I…I just was passing by,” I stuttered, cheeks flushing as I spoke. “I was so impressed with the building all the way out here, I just…well I was curious to know what it was.”

That was probably the lamest excuse I could have come up with, and if the woman’s face was anything to go off of, she didn’t believe a word of it. She and I both knew there was no passing by, considering the Abbey was twenty minutes off the main road and down a long and winding unmarked road.

“We are a…religious organization,” she said stiffly. My eyes drifted to her collar where a rosary was draped around her neck. However instead of a crucifix, it was an upside down cross with a G in the middle, at least that's what I thought it looked like.

“Oh, is it…Catholic?” I asked, slightly confused at her hesitancy.

“We are assuredly not Catholic,” she chuckled, stepping back slightly and gesturing for me to come inside. “Would you like a tour?”

“Y-Yes! I’d love that, thank you so much!” I smiled brightly, stepping into the entryway and following her into the hall.

The foyer of the Abbey was made entirely of a light cream colored stone with a massive fireplace to the side; above which was an enormous painting of a strange looking man and I paused, eyes locked on the painting.

The man was dressed in robes similar to the priest I would see at the church I grew up attending, but they were all black, with green accents. Down the center, on top of a strip of what looked like lace, was a row of the upside down crosses from the woman’s rosary embroidered. He wore a miter on his head, again adorned with the upside down crosses, but his face perplexed me the most. It was painted to look like a skull, complete with what looked like teeth over his lips. What caught my eye was his mismatched gaze that seemed to be able to pierce right through me, a small shiver running down my spine.

Under this enormous painting was a plaque, I leaned closer to read what it said.

Papa Emeritus the Second Long May he Shepherd the Flock

“Miss, are you coming?”

The woman’s voice made me jump and I turned to her with a small guilty smile. “Ah, the painting caught your eye?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. I’ve never seen anything quite like this…well at least not for a religion.” I took a few steps towards her before she gestured up at the painting.

“That is Papa Emeritus the Second, though most of us here call him Secondo.” She laughed before continuing. “He’s the leader of the Church, somewhat like the Pope is for Catholics if you will. I'd like to introduce you, but unfortunately he’s not here right now, he's touring with the Ghost Project.”

“Ghost Project?” I paused, eyebrow knitting together. I’d heard that before, where had I heard that before? “Isn’t that a band?”

“Yes, it is. Have you heard of them before?”

“Ah, no not really. I’d just seen something in the news, I think?” I couldn’t place where I’d heard about them before but I didn’t let myself get caught up in it and neither did the woman, who nodded sagely as she started to give me a real tour.

Sister Imperator, as she had introduced herself, was nothing but a wonderful tour guide as we wandered the halls of the Abbey. It was quiet today as the night before had been a Black Mass night, and many were still sleeping in since there was no class today. We passed many works of art and tapestries on the wall, all having a similar motif of the fall of Lucifer and the serpent tempting Eve with the apple. It didn’t dawn on me to ask a question about what exact religion they were until we entered the chapel and I saw the statue of Baphomet in the rectory.

“Uh…Sister?” I started awkwardly, a blush on my cheeks before she turned to see what I was looking at. “W-What religion did you say you were again...?”

“Ah, I think I may have glossed over that part, Dear,” she chuckled before her fingers curled around her rosary. “We're part of the Satanic Church.”

“Oh.”

“I hope you aren’t worried we are going to sacrifice you or kill a baby to steal your soul.” She crossed her arms and seemed to be evaluating me as I squirmed.

“N-No! I wouldn’t think that at all,” I blurted, turning back to the statue and looking at it again. “You’ve been nothing but lovely.”

Suddenly that pull, the insistent tugging behind my sternum was back and I felt my fingertips twitch. I gasped under my breath, eyes defocusing for a second as I let my vision drift slightly.

“Ah, Archbishop, what a nice surprise! I thought you’d be locked away in your rooms today.” Imperator seemed cheery to see the Archbishop. I turned to look at the newcomer, trying to not look like I was currently having heart palpitations. “This lovely lady here was just passing by, I thought I’d offer her a tour.”

The man was standing behind us looking just as shocked at seeing me as I was seeing him. He wore a black cassock with purplish pink buttons and matching piping around the edge of the cape, button placard, and cuffs. He also wore a matching colored skull cap on his head and a belt with tassels. On his hands he had leather gloves with rings, a metal cross on the backs of his hands. The Archbishop wore face paint, his top lip painted black and racoon-like black around his eyes. His hair was dark and pushed back from his face with matching sideburns. He also had a pencil mustache, making him look distinguished. His posture however made me think more of a rat than a man, slightly shy and hunched over. His eyes, like mine, seemed wild and didn’t quite want to focus on me. The Archbishop in fact seemed to refuse to look at my face, a small barely visible blush on his cheeks.

“Welcome, cara mia, to the Abbey.” He bowed his head in my direction and fidgeted with his hands. “I am Archbishop Copia.”

My heart felt like it was attempting to rip its way out of my chest as I introduced myself to him. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Archbishop,” I said with a small, shy smile.

“If you will excuse me ladies, I am needed to help Cardinal Emeritus with his sermons.” He gestured to the doors behind us that must lead to the chapel.

“Actually, I was just looking for him as well. I wanted to introduce him to our visitor as well.” Imperator smiled like a cat who’d just caught a mouse, and I watched the Archbishop swallow deeply.

He nodded and gestured for us to lead the way, and I couldn’t help the shiver that ran down my spine as I passed him. My eyes lingered on him and I managed to catch his eye, his mismatched gaze filled with swirling emotion that took my breath away. Our eyes locked and I felt the whole room evaporate for a moment. I went to speak to him, to break the tension between us, and instead nothing came out. A voice floated around my skull as I tried to speak.

Wake Up, Little Lamb…

…

I jumped slightly, eyes flying open and gasping for breath, and struggled against something holding my hands above my head. While I tried to shake off the fog, focusing on my surroundings I noticed the ropes binding my wrists above my head and my feet down on the stone altar under my body. I felt the panic bubbling up in my chest, a fluttering through my veins, as I looked around with wild, bleary eyes trying to focus. The room was too dark to see much of anything beyond where I was, however I gasped when I noticed a prone form strapped to a wooden X to my left.

“S-Swiss?!” I croaked, voice crackling as my throat was painfully dry. He didn’t move and my heart was thrumming wildly in my chest. “Swiss? Ca-Can you hear me?”

As my eyes got more used to the lack of light, I saw he was cuffed to the wood with metal cuffs around his wrists and one around his neck. I struggled against the rope around my wrists, the fibers cutting into my sink and leaving marks.

“I wouldn’t struggle too much, Sorella. I prefer my property to be unmarked.”

My head whipped to look down at my feet, eyes locking with Cardinal Veritas as he stepped from the shadows. My heartbeat was pounding in my temples as I fruitlessly struggled against my binds again, the blond man rolling his eyes with a dark chuckle. Twirling between his gloved fingertips was a knife, I let out a little gasp of fear and his face twinkled with a foreboding look. He came up to me, one hand letting go of the knife and dragging a fingertip against my side as he tsked under his breath.

“Such a shame,” He sighed, face full of mock regret. “I’m sure you would have looked radiant in your ritual. Alas I have bigger plans for you, Sister.”

“You don’t think they’ll notice I’m gone, Veritas?” I snapped, flinching away from his touch. “You don’t think everyone in the Monastery will be looking for me, hell for Swiss and I, when they realize we aren’t in the confessional or even in our room?”

“By the time they even put together you two are missing, I’ll be long gone from here.”

“And what? You think that Terzo and Copia will just let you leave after you do whatever it is you plan to do to me?” I laughed, a crazed sort of chuckle. “Whatever they would do to you would be a vacation in comparison to what Swiss will do when he wakes up.”

“What gave you the impression you’d still be around to see it my dear?” He purred, the tip of his knife grazing against my collarbones. “I’d rather not have to waste such a supple form but alas… if you won’t cooperate.”

“What do you want with me, Veritas?” My voice was strong even with the panic bubbling up in my throat. “What is all this about?”

“Come, Sister, you cannot be so naive surely?” He laughed, a pitying look on his face. “This is about revenge, this is about taking what is supposed to be mine by birth. This is about taking the one thing that they care about away from them.”

“But why? Why does it matter to you even now?”

“BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN MINE.” Veritas roared, fist slamming on the altar below me and making me jump. “The visions I had as an archbishop, I was to wed the prime mover. I was the one to ascend, I was to be Papa.”

“B-but you aren’t an Emerit-” I started before he cut me off, eyes blazing in fury as he came close to my face.

“You go far enough back in any of the clerical families and we all can trace back to the Emeritus family.” Veritas sneered, catching my jaws and forcing me to look in his eyes. “Some of us more directly than others.”

“What the hell does that have to do with me?”

“Because, dear Sister, you’re the first woman that has been able to enchant dear Alessandro for more than a month. He’s been a skirt chaser since I’ve met him and even my own sister couldn’t bring him to heel. I’d had hoped they would have been bound and she could have brought his downfall. Instead it was an upstart outsider who managed to cuff him.”

He sighed, straightening his cassock and walking towards Swiss. I struggled against the ropes again as he used the knife to slice at Swiss’ shirt buttons and opened the fabric to expose his smooth skin.

“You ask what this has to do with you, I fear you haven’t been paying enough attention my dear. This is entirely about you.” He chuckled as Swiss began to stir slightly. “You were meant to be mine, you were meant to rebind the houses of Veritas and Emeritus together again. All they talk about is how you were sent by Lucifer himself, to bring a new age of the Satanic Church, to bring together the Papal and Clergy seats and make them stronger. What they all seem to forget is dear Papa played favorites, he promoted that fucking rat bastard. He is the usurper, not I. No it should have been me, little bird, that you’d be bound too. Not Copia.”

My eyes were wide with fear as he ranted, waving the knife around before he turned back to Swiss.

“Veritas p-please! Leave him alone.” I begged, tears welling in my eyes as I panicked.

“Oh how lovely Sister, unfortunately for him I’m not willing to mar that beautiful skin of yours…” He cooed, eyes flashing dangerously as he adjusted his grip on the knife. “However after a little research on the bindings between ghouls and their masters I found a very interesting piece of knowledge. Not only are good feelings like pleasure and joy shared, but also anguish and pain…”

His smile took on a wild, feral sort of quality as he slowly dragged the knife from Swiss’ chest outwards towards his ribs. Swiss growling and groaning as he began to wake as the pain seeped into his subconscious.

“What are you ta-?” I started before crying out and arching off the altar.

I could feel every inch of the blade as he sliced a small cut into my ghoul’s flesh. I gasped, tears flowing freely now, and dug my nails into the palms of my hands to distract myself.

“Remarkable…” he muttered, coming over and cutting away at my habit dress as I tried to squirm away from him. He only stopped when he was able to see I was unmarked. “Your punishment, Little Bird, is your penance for all the trouble you have caused me since arriving.”

“Pl-please Veritas, just let me go.” I begged, wet eyes locking with his unfeeling ones.

“It's too late to beg your way out of this one, darling.” He laughed darkly, walking back over to Swiss who was actively trying to lash out at Veritas.

“I’m going to fucking rip you to shreds you bastard, absolutely fucking eviscerate you.” Swiss roared, hissing and flinching against the cuffs around his limbs and neck.

“Unfortunately for you, mongrel, those are made of iron and I doubt a ghoul as young as you has the strength to shatter them.” Veritas waved him off, looking back at me again with a wild look in his eye. “Come, Sister, show me how you’d scream for me, hm?”

Before I could even formulate a retort, a scream ripped past my lips as I felt like my ribs were on fire. I watched as he dipped the tip of the knife slightly deeper between each of Swiss’ ribs. I thrashed against the ropes, pleading with him to stop and let us go; but all my begging and pleading fell on deaf ears.

#ghost #the band ghost #ghost fanfiction #the band ghost fanfiction #cardinal copia x reader #papa emeritus x reader #papa emeritus iii x reader #terzo x reader #copia x reader x terzo #cardinal copia #terzo emeritus #papa terzo #my writing #sinners in secret chapters

73 notes · View notes