Barnyard Blast v2 Wip 4

Look at that! Starting to get to the goooood stuff! 

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“Oh I see… Is that normal? I’ve… I’ve never done a contract like this before. Truthfully I just wanted assistance. Dairfall has no security, and I thought the people of Belise would be wonderful guards… Of course you could live here normally! I mean, I just wanted to protect my people! I still have plenty of funds left from Father without raising taxes…I…” The young lord seemed crestfallen as Ophelia stared at him, her curiosity again fighting with her anger as she stared at the walls. (He is quite young and foolish, but I suppose that is good. He cannot lie to me and irritate me even more like those last few nobles. Just because I have the lower body of a horse, those morons act as if I am as gullible as one. I should have stomped that man’s door down after how he treated Rahan! To dare disrespect one of my attendants in my presence!) Ophelia huffed to herself as she thought of an unpleasant encounter recently, before taking in more views of the room. There were dozens of portraits of the former lord and his son, slowly growing up together. Then at the end of the room’s portrait timeline, there was a photo of a child again. Ophelia’s ears cocked in curiosity.

 “Yes yes, pray tell. Who is the child on the far portrait?” Ophelia said, her voice polite though her manners definitely lacking compared to before. Lord Yerren looked surprised before he turned around, a small smile forming on his face.

 “That was me. My first and only portrait.” Lord Yerren said solemnly. Ophelia’s eyes widened a bit.

“Then the other boy next to the Former Lord?”

 “My older brother. He… he passed away a few years after that portrait. Father and I… I couldn’t replace my older brother, he was gifted at everything he did…” Lord Yerren’s eyes looked hot, fighting back bitter memories. Ophelia may have been irritated by his foolishness, but her heart understood his pain clearly.

“I see. You are a spare.” She said gently. Lord Yerren’s head whipped up, fury and sadness on his face before he saw the gentleness in Ophelia’s own. She looked as beautiful as any statue of the gods he’d ever seen. (She… understands…)

 “I will not prattle on like that ear-wing Mindy. But I know what it means to be a Spare. I am the third of four children, yet only my Eldest Brother and I are named Heirs. I know that look of jealousy and want, and know what it is to not receive it. Of course, not from my Father! He is stern but a wonderful man, were it not for his genius the Belise Company would never have existed!” Ophelia gave a small smile full of pride to the young lord. And while Devon did not quite get what she meant, he could tell what she had said was genuine. Rather than ask personal questions and sour the mood once more, he looked at the contract and grabbed an inkjet, an enchanted pen that held a great deal of the black liquid inside its tiny frame.

“Wait. Give me back the contract.” Ophelia commanded. Lord Yerren nodded and hastily passed it back over, had he done something wrong? “Father very rarely gives out special contracts… unless he adores you or despises you. As we thought you were your Father, I see… Goodness Father! And you say I have a temper! Ohohoho!” Ophelia grinned at the contract in her hands, before ripping it in two, then four.

 “Ah wait! What are you-“ Lord Yerren panicked seeing the person he’d reached out to tear his future hopes into pieces.

“Oh, calm yourself. That contract was poison meant to be redlined until it bled.” Ophelia declared with a broad grin. The trashed contract’s remains resting on the table as the young lord was now quite confused.

“Redlined?”

 “Haaa… Do you seriously not know that? Very well, because I have taken pity on you and you have shown a general bit of honesty. I will explain-“

 “Here dears! Don’t worry Miss Belise, there is plenty still cooking. I just whipped this up in a second!” Miss G. set down a large plate of salad on the table, strategically far closer to Ophelia than her own Master. A crip aroma rose from it as Ophelia’s two stomachs growled once more, loud enough for everyone to hear as her face turned ruby red for a moment before she forced a fake cough to save face.

 “Thank you Miss G. However I do not-“

 “Please Miss Belise, eat it all. I’ll make more for Devon in a second.” Miss G. said. Of course, this was a lie, she had a small sandwich already ready for the young man, instead every pot and pan stuffed with food cooking in the kitchen was being prepped for Ophelia. She handed down a fork, knife, and spoon, as well as a bottle of local dressing. Ophelia looked at it as her tail began to thump against the floor. The Princess’ appetite getting the better of her manners. Lord Yerren gave her a nod and a small smile as she looked at the large bowl, at least a few pounds of Salad and it would soon be gone in an instant.

“I see… Well then, thank you very much. If you’ll excuse me.” Ophelia reached behind herself and grabbed her right satchel, pulling out a much larger and far fancier scroll. Unlike the previous one, the bindings of the scroll were embroidered in a golden color, with a clear white paper look, the scroll had the symbol of Belise on each end of the tubing, as well as the back as Ophelia unfurled it. A large lance pointed down with wings on both sides, surrounded by the Belise Company motto. Lord Yerren’s eyes widened at the second contract.

“So. First, by my power as Heiress of the Belise Merchanary Company, Third Daughter of Antelus Belise. I hereby void the prior contract given to Lord Devon Yerren of Dairfall.” Ophelia read the words with practiced perfection as Miss G. hastily returned back to the kitchen, Lord Yerren sat in awe, though he couldn’t help but smile as he saw Ophelia’s eyes kept darting to the salad.

“I do not know whether my father made that contract as a prank to yours, or if he despised your father and that was an ultimatum. However, in my eyes. The crimes of the Father do not befall his children,” Ophelia stated. Lord Yerren looking on with rapt attention, he did not know either, and he hoped he hadn’t accidentally soured things. But then if he had, why would the Princess be doing this for him? (She must be extremely kind…) Devon thought. “Now, I suppose this will take a while… But very well. As you are uneducated, just this once I will explain to you the details of our family contract.” Ophelia said proudly. Devon knew she’d mildly insulted him, but he couldn’t care. This was a golden opportunity and even an idiot like him knew it.

“Yes Miss. Belise! Thank you very much!” He said clearly and loudly, fighting his nerves back. Ophelia pushed the torn up prior contract aside and set the contract down on the table, the large thing just seemed to keep unfurling! Ophelia sat her salad atop it to stop it. Devon had no idea if that was etiquette or not, though he assumed it must not have been. One look at Ophelia made it obvious though, she was too hungry to delay herself anymore. Squeezing the dressing gently onto her spoon, she tasted the dressing with caution, before her ears twitched up and down as her tail swished.

 (Mhm! This is delicious! Whether because I am starved or it is actually good, I don’t care anymore. Time to dig in!) Ophelia grinned broadly as she poured the dressing over the entire salad, and began stabbing forkfuls of fresh vegetables down instantly. After finishing nearly half the large salad in less than thirty seconds, yet still looking quite dignified. Ophelia finally paused and looked back at the contract.

“Pay attention Lord Yerren, I will only do this once.”

 “Ah- Yes!”

 “Mhhm~ Ah forgive me. Ahem,” Ophelia cleared her throat and mouth of salad as she read the contract loudly. “This following Land Purchase and Sales Contract, an agreement, as well as Mercenary Services both offensive and defensive rendered therein, made between the Belise Merchanary Company and the Town of Dairfall, rendered in the year 900 SA will now proceed between the buyer, the Town of Dairfall, and the Seller, The Belise Merchanary Company. The contract will be signed under the agreement of both parties’ representatives, The Belise Family representative Ophelia Belise, and the representative Lord of Dairfall, Devon Yerren. Do you accept the initiation of the contract?” Ophelia finished her statement and hastily began eating the Salad once more. She quickly finished it as Lord Yerren continued staring at her, dumbfounded.

“Hello? Do you accept Lord Yerren?”

 “I! Um! What is this?” Lord Yerren’s nerves were back in full. Despite what he’d just thought about doing his best, he was already a bit lost and that was just the introduction??

Ophelia bit back a mildly snide remark, her mood significantly improved by fresh food in her belly, though she was very far from satisfied still. “Do you, as the Representative of this town, agree to begin negotiations and signing of the Belise Company Contract with me, the representative for this contract.”

 “Oh! Um. Yes! I mean- Yes. I do agree. Please continue.” Lord Yerren straightened his back in the chair and did his very best to pay attention. Luckily to his rescue, Miss G. came back in with another large plate of food.

“Here Miss Belise. I know you said it was okay, but just as a warning this dish is mostly meat.” Miss G. said a bit nervously. Ophelia looked at her, not as if she were an idiot, but as if she were more the lord here than Devon!

 “Oh that is perfectly fine, thank you most kindly. The Salad was excellent. When this Contract is done, I will tell my assistant Kallani to purchase several boxes of the dressing if possible Miss G.” Ophelia gently grabbed the plate as both Lord Yerren and Miss G. were startled by the sudden girlish happiness, before Ophelia put the plate down and began cutting away into the freshly seared and spiced strips. Ophelia’s eyes lit up as she chewed what she now knew was a steak of some kind. Salty and savory, it melted in her mouth, yet she could tell it wasn’t from the fattiness, but rather the thinness of the cut and the sauces it had been fried in.

 “Mhm! Delicious!” Ophelia said proudly as Miss G. smiled fully before heading back to the kitchen.

“We call it Mini-steaks! There’re a dozen ways to make them and I’ve got plenty more on the stove!” Miss G. called out as Ophelia had already finished two of the thin strips with two left to go. After finishing all four she set aside the plate and looked at the contract again.

“Excuse me. Now then. This Contract will entail the permissions and benefits given to the Belise Merchanary Company in exchange for discounted prices on services rendered. To begin with, The Belise Company will purchase a section of Dairfall for the price of 100 Platinum coins or the direct value of the land is reached, whichever comes first. The Belise Company desires exemptions to local tariffs and taxes, save service taxes declared by the Lord of the Land and the Ruling Country. In exchange the Belise Company will -----” Ophelia trailed on, as they fell into a cycle, Lord Yerren getting increasingly confused as Ophelia went on, asking what she meant, Ophelia re-explaining, Glenda coming in with another hefty dish and saving her young Master as Ophelia happily ate it all before continuing.

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On and on it went until most of the kitchen was emptied, Devon looked ready to pass out from mental exhaustion, and Ophelia’s horse half looked… a fair bit larger than before. By the end of the lengthy contract, Miss G. could see Ophelia’s horse stomach rising into the air from her side, as well as nearly hitting the table.

(Goodness! I didn’t even realize how much I made for the girl, and she ate it all! She emptied the whole house! By the Gods I stuffed her with a foal or two!) Miss G. had a bit of panic looking at Ophelia, her horse half contently gurgling now, a bit over-satisfied as Ophelia had eaten a bit too much, more than a bit.  Her horse stomach nearly three feet larger in all directions.

 (Ohhh so delicious! Mmff… Ugh this corset is so tight! But that’s good. I dread to think how large my first stomach would be. Ohh I need to burp. Why did that damned woman keep feeding me!?) Ophelia groaned in her head. Though she knew it was completely her own fault for eating so much.

“Finally… we both sign here…” Ophelia said, focusing on ignoring just how stuffed with food her second stomach was, and the large amount of gas already building within it. Lord Yerren struggled to not look at the rising horse belly in front of him, gulping nervously as he wondered if she was having some sort of reaction to the food they gave her. He hadn’t paid much attention to how much she ate, but surely the Heiress hadn’t eaten that much food!

*GGGRRRGGGLEE*

Ophelia’s ears twitched as a different kind of grumble came from her belly than before. One she fully dreaded. Her affliction was flaring up. (No no no! Damn you! Not now! I just ate so much! Ohhh hurry up hurry up!)

 “Lord Yerren, do you disagree with anything?” She said hastily to get the young Lord’s mind on track. Devon came back to his senses as he shook his head.
 
 “My apologies! No I am fine. Thank you very much for all the detailed explanations! I have no problem signing this contract, and I will be sure to talk to the farmers and citizens to see what land is available for purchase by the Belise Company!” Lord Yerren said, grabbing the Inkjet again, he signed his name on the second line shown to him. His hands seemed to move in slow motion for Ophelia as he signed and handed over the pen. Time was of the essence now. 

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END WIP 4