NOTE: Chapters 1 and 2 (of 5) of this story were posted under the reluctance category. Despite that, it's a true romance/love story between good people, just with a rocky start. Enjoy. :)

Chapter 3:...because you just might get it

* * *

Kalus finished removing Tornado's tack and gave the powerful warhorse a gentle pat on the neck. The horse gave him a reproachful look in response, as if he was doing him some great personal wrong by not riding him into battle at this very moment.

"Not all battles are fought with swords and armor." Kalus replied as he stroked the horse's mane.

He glanced back to where Katia and Lyra were similarly unsaddling their horses, though his new bride was already done. Despite her young age, she was probably similar in horsemanship skill to many of his knights. His wives had ridden closely together on the way back to the camp and far enough from him that he only caught hints of their conversation. He was glad they were getting along so well and he couldn't help but smile as he thought about how that alone would frustrate King Tyso.

He gazed at Katia, wondering if perhaps she would ever come around. He hoped she would, but she was his wife and so he would do right by her even if she didn't. Katia glanced at him, and she seemed startled that he was looking at her. He gave her a small smile, which she didn't return. Instead, she pointedly looked back at Lyra

He sighed.

They all walked to the door of his tent, where he stopped. "Lyra, please go inside and make yourself comfortable for a few minutes; I need to speak to Katia."

"Yes husband, but please don't be too long." She grinned, and that grin turned into a coy smile that -- if he didn't know better -- would've looked like she was anxious for her wedding night to start.

Hmm.

Curious.

Once she was inside, he spoke to Katia in a low voice so they wouldn't be overheard by his war council, which was sitting not far away.

"I want you to explain why you started to dislike me so much." He stated plainly. "I would understand if it had begun after we were forced to wed and what happened in that field. However, it began before that, specifically on that first morning you woke in my tent. Do you deny it?"

She shook her head.

"I had thought it began when I surprised you with the knife that first morning, but that isn't it, is it?"

She hesitated and then shook her head again.

"Then you need to tell me."

"I would prefer not to." She replied simply.

"That is your right and I won't make you speak." He admitted. "However, I am your husband and I think you know how much I've protected you from and continue to protect you from. Now, you can maintain this stony silence for the next several decades and I won't compel an answer from you, but is that really how you want to spend your entire married life?"

She frowned slightly and seemed to consider that.

"I would see my wife -- excuse me, my wives -- happy, and that includes you. I cannot correct what vexes you if I don't know what it is."

Katia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She made a thoughtful sound and gave him a piercing gaze for several long moments, which was followed by a thoughtful frown.

"You're the enemy." She finally replied in a tone that was cool, but not quite disrespectful. "You are forcing me to literally sleep with the enemy, with the man who is most responsible for my country's defeats in battle. You're forcing me to bear the enemy's child. You're forcing me to commit treason against my father and my country every day, and you don't understand why I hate you?"

"Ah." He nodded, the unfortunate truth dawning on him, especially as he remembered their conversation on that first night about how much she loved her country. "Alas, that is not something I can easily correct. I would've kept you a virgin and had our marriage annulled later had the king left me that option."

She stared at him, disbelief in her eyes.

"Katia, you have the most magnificent body of any woman I've ever bedded, plus a personality that -- when you don't hate someone -- is marvelous to be around. I absolutely would've had our marriage annulled, but then I would have asked your father for your hand properly after courting you."

Her mouth fell open slightly.

"Even after--" She started to say, but then apparently realized that she was speaking to him and closed her mouth.

"Yes, even after how you've treated me." He replied. "I remember the first night Katia, and I remember how pleasant you were once you realized I wasn't going to rape you. That is the vision of you that is fixed in my mind. I suspect it is more the real you than the cold woman in front of me. Am I wrong?"

She started to shake her head, then stopped.

"I'm glad to hear it."

She made a thoughtful sound, then glanced back at the tent. "Your new wife is waiting."

"And so she is." He nodded. He started forward but she touched his arm to stop him.

"I can't stand when we..." She closed her eyes as if remembering a painful memory and then shook her head. "...but she is looking forward to this. If you aren't good to her tonight I'll... I'll..." She seemed to cast about for an appropriate threat, and finally did land on one that had some force. "...I'll never forgive you."

"On my honor, I shall use all my skill; little and rusty though it is." He nodded, then cocked his head to one side. "You care so little for our coupling?"

"That would imply that I cared at all." She said coolly, then hastily added in a more respectful tone. "Sir."

He nodded heavily. "That is your right."

* * *

Shara nodded her head towards the inside of the tent, hoping that he would get the hint and go take care of Lyra.

He did.

The moment he was out of sight, she let herself feel all the emotions that she'd been bottling up the entire conversation. How could he possibly care about her like that? It didn't make sense. After how she'd treated him for the few days they'd known each other, she would've thought that he would be aching to get rid of her. But apparently he wasn't. If he was telling the truth -- and she didn't think he'd lie -- he actually wanted her to be married to him.

It didn't make any sense.

None at all.

Putting it out of her mind, she shook her head and went into the tent.

Kalus was standing in the middle of the tent with his back to her. She could see two slender feminine arms around his neck and two feminine legs wrapped around his waist with the ankles locked somewhere around his butt. The other woman wasn't touching the ground at all. They weren't being loud about it, but Lyra was kissing him for all she was worth... which was a lot. Apparently, she had literally jumped on him the moment he'd entered the tent and their lips probably hadn't parted since.

That reminded Shara of the first time that those two had kissed. And for some reason, that reminded her of the sensation she'd experienced for the first time while they had. She had never touched herself between the legs as Lyra had suggested, and the sensation had been delightful.

Lyra started speaking haltingly in between kissing him passionately. "I'm sorry--" Kiss "--If I'm--" Kiss "--being forward--" Kiss "--but--" Kiss "--I'm just-- " Kiss "So fu--" She paused. "--freakin' horny." She leaned back slightly. "I didn't get a chance to use my fingers yet today and I hope I'm not being, um..."

"You're going to be quite the handful, aren't you?" Kalus said, and Shara could almost hear the smile in his voice.

"Yes sir." She nodded. "And speaking of hands full..." She glanced down and said quietly with a sly grin. "Your king might be the most comprehensive and unmitigated ass I've ever met, but he wasn't wrong about one thing."

"Oh?" Kalus replied.

"I do have an excellent..." She wiggled her butt against him. "...seat. Could you help a girl out? I'm holding myself up here." There was an almost coy smile on her face as she said it, and it left Shara in no doubt that she was practically begging to have him fondle her butt.

He did.

Both his hands pressed up against her butt and he helped hold her while she kissed him again, this time tenderly.

"Hold a moment Lyra." Kalus said when their kiss broke.

"Yes husband." She nodded and she gracefully hopped down and smoothed out her dress. Anyone walking in would have no idea what had just been happening.

"I am certainly not opposed to such enthusiasm, but I must ask; how are you so free after knowing me barely an hour?"

"Pa'pa chose you to be my husband. He loves me dearly and would rather die than let me marry a man who wasn't exceptional." She replied with absolute confidence, and plenty of evidence given her father's behavior earlier.

He made a thoughtful sound.

"Besides..." She batted her eyes at him once or twice. "You bought me from my father, meaning you own me, and an owner should get proper 'use' out of what he buys..." She smiled coyly at him. "Don't you agree?"

"You are diving in rather faster than I would've expected." He said.

"If you had kept your war horse in a small pen his entire life with no outlet for his natural instincts, and then one day you opened the gate and let him run to his heart's content, would he do any less?"

Kalus made a thoughtful sound and nodded.

"I've been dreaming of this since..." She blushed slightly. "Well, not long after I discovered how good my fingers could make me feel. My father just opened the proverbial gate with our marriage. If you would permit me, I would really like to run to my heart's content."

The whole time she spoke, she was the picture of a high-spirited but demure and proper woman, flirtatious comments notwithstanding. Shara found that interesting. Lyra obviously had an incredible desire to couple, but was in control enough that she could rein it in when she needed to.

Kalus looked back at Shara. "It appears that I need to 'go riding'--" Lyra beamed at that before he continued. "--but I would not ask you to leave this tent so close to dark though." He said to Shara and then turned to Lyra.

"Oh, I have zero problem with Katia staying." The horsewoman instantly volunteered.

Kalus looked skeptical

Lyra got a bit pink in the cheeks. "Tyso suggested that you force us to 'pleasure each other'. Well, I won't need to be forced..." Lyra looked at Shara with a sensual challenge in her eye, as if both daring and inviting her to give it a go.

The princess felt her jaw drop and her eyes go wide.

Kalus looked at Lyra like he'd never seen anything quite like her before.

He probably hadn't.

Shara certainly hadn't.

"Husband, didn't you say it might be dangerous to wander around the camp after dark?" The girl asked.

"It could be without an escort." He nodded.

"Then Katia, could you um..." She looked nearly as nervous as she was excited. "Could you buckle the tent closed? I'm happy for you two to see me, but I would never want anyone else to."

Shara nodded mutely and did as the girl requested. She stood and turned around after finishing to discover that the horsewoman hadn't wasted any time. In the short time between her finishing the buckling and her standing and turning, Lyra's dress was already falling to the floor.

She was naked underneath.

Her entire body was lean, toned, and sun-kissed. She didn't appear to have an ounce of fat on her, or at least none that wasn't perfectly placed. She wasn't muscular, but had the tiny edges of definition in a few places and Shara had to admit that she looked sexy. Her wavy ash blonde hair fell to the tops of her small but shapely breasts and was just messy enough to look wild without looking like a rat's nest. Her breasts were small but impossibly perky and the nipples were hard. Her nose was small and cute and her dimples were adorable.

For the first time, Lyra started to look a little nervous and unsure.

She crossed her arms across her breasts and almost subconsciously moved her hand to cover her slit. Shara couldn't help but notice the wild patch of thin ash-blonde hair growing down there suited the girl's personality. It grew wildly but in an almost perfect triangle above her slit. It was wild, but a contained wildness.

"Beautiful." Kalus said as he looked at her.

Lyra gave him an embarrassed smiled, bit her lip, and shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she looked down. "You really think so?"

"Anyone with eyes would." He nodded.

The nervous girl shifted her gaze to Shara. "Um, I'm not fishing for compliments, but..." She bit her lip. "I mean..."

"Lyra, you are a beautiful woman." Shara agreed with Kalus, surprised by her own honesty.

"Husband, could you kiss me?" She asked trembling slightly, probably with both nervousness and anticipation.

Kalus lifted his right hand slightly until it made contact with Lyra's outer thigh.

She shuddered in pleasure.

He started slowly tracing his finger up her side to the curve of her hip, then her slender stomach, and up around her breasts. He almost touched them, but not quite. The girl adjusted her body so his finger would touch them, but he maintained a slight distance.

"Not yet." He said softly.

Shara couldn't believe the incredible way that her husband was treating Lyra. He was doing more than just taking her to bed; he was savoring her. He was savoring her body and he was enjoying exploring it. Shara found herself wondering what it would've been like if she hadn't been so standoffish with Kalus; would he have treated her the same way? Would he explore her body the same way?

Kalus's hand slid around her breasts and lightly traced Lyra's collarbone.

She sighed.

He brought his hand around and placed it firmly on the back of her neck, then drew the girl's face towards him. He was several inches taller than her and she bent her neck upwards to meet his lips. The moment their lips met, Shara thought back to the couple's first kiss and the sensation she'd felt while watching it. She suppressed a sigh as her hand absentmindedly made its way down and began to gently rub in between her legs.

Little jolts of pleasure coursed through her as she watched her husband tenderly kiss another woman.

Wait.

That wasn't right.

She shook her head, trying to shake the two feelings that had somehow become intermingled. She stopped gently massaging herself in an attempt to shake her confusion, but somehow things had become jumbled in her head. She watched them kiss, thinking she might've even seen a bit of tongue, and suddenly felt like she should be feeling those little jolts of pleasure.

She wiggled her fingers again and did.

"Husband, please..." Lyra whispered as Kalus's hands continued to explore her body.

"Please what?" He asked with a note of amusement.

"You're wearing too much." She moaned as he gently kissed her neck.

"My bride could remedy that." He pointed out, and Shara thought she saw a glimpse of his tongue flick against the blonde's neck.

Shara shuddered, imagining him doing that to her own body. She gently pressed her hand against her own mound, rubbing gently as she watched the horsewoman mold herself against their husband. Kalus's fingers began to knead her skin, making her moan and sigh in equal measure.

"Stop." He said quietly but firmly.

"Huh?" Lyra did, but seemed confused and a bit surprised.

"Clothes." He said with a wink, then raised his arms.

Lyra attacked Kalus's clothes like they were a mortal enemy, yet it didn't look like she would rip them. She clearly had no experience undressing a man, but she was a quick study and had him out of everything faster than Shara would've thought possible, finally leaving him in just his undershorts.

The blonde girl swallowed, then knelt down so her face was roughly level with the large bulge. "May I please, um, take this off?"

"I wish you would." He replied, and she could hear a playfulness in his tone that she'd never heard before.

She untied the strings at the front, pulled the front out, and then pulled it down. Her eyes went wide and she got a huge smile on her face when she saw it. Shara had seen it before of course, but it still looked like it shouldn't fit inside of her; inside either of them.

Lyra bit her lip, winked at Kalus, leaned out so her mouth was facing the tent flap, and then spoke rather louder than was necessary. "Dear Illuminar in heaven, it's so big!"

She then quietly giggled as she stood up and whispered into his ear. "That shouldn't hurt your reputation with the men."

Kalus laughed.

Shara had never heard him laugh like that. It was a true and deep 'from the belly' kind of laugh that not only made her smile, but also made her want to laugh along with him.

"Come here." Kalus said as he wrapped her in a full-body naked hug.

It looked wonderful.

He held her for several moments before she whispered into his ear. "Husband, you really should get more use out of your new wife..."

He gave her a playful smack on the butt, which made her shriek in delight before she hopped up and wrapped her legs around Kalus again. He caught her with his hands so she was partially supported by him. She was kissing his neck, shoulders, and face; she kissed anything within the reach of her lips.

Shara had never seen such a raw, sensual display of passion before. She had never known that sex could be so... so raw, so primal, and so...

Fun.

Could she have had this with Kalus all along? If she had been a bit more...

Or perhaps a bit less...

Lyra and Kalus looked like they were not only in the throes of passion, but also like they were having a very good time too. Her experiences with Kalus had been the most miserably wonderful ones of her life, but what if she stopped fighting him so much?

What if she was a bit more like Lyra?

What if she gave Kalus a chance?

The blonde woman started kissing him again and Shara shuddered slightly as she started gently rubbing herself in time with the blonde woman's kisses.

Lyra leaned back so she could look him in the eyes. "Please husband, could you..." She glanced down to where their hips met.

Shara could see Kalus's cock pointing skyward, in the direction of the other woman's slit which looked like someone had spread water or oil all over it. She couldn't possibly be that wet from this, could she? Could she be enjoying it this much?

"You'll have to guide me; I have my hands full." He replied, and she could hear that same playfulness in his tone that she'd never heard before.

It was good to hear from him.

Lyra gave him a sly smile, then reached down, grabbed his cock, and angled it so it was pointing directly at her slit. Shara could see her tighten her legs slightly and hook her other arm around his shoulder before speaking.

"Husband, may I please... um, control the... you know."

"It would be a lot easier if we laid down and..." He trailed off as Lyra shook her head.

"Please, could we do it just like this? I have always loved the idea of my husband holding me as he enters me for the first time."

He nodded and took his hands off her butt so she was supporting herself, and instead started tracing his fingers up her sides and back.

The blonde sighed, then moaned. "You're making it hard to..." She sighed. "...to concentrate." She mewled again, leaning her head against him.

"You're a woman; I'm sure you can learn to multitask." Kalus replied with a playful challenge in his voice.

Where had this side of him come from?

This playfulness, this fun side of him was something she'd never seen before. Had it been there the whole time? Was he really like this and she just made him all stiff and rigid? Was it perhaps the military? Or Tyso being his king that had done this?

Could he be like that with her?

Lyra nodded, panting slightly as her body subtly writhed under her husband's touch. She held herself up with one arm and her legs while using her other arm to align his cock with her slit, then rubbed it back and forth a bit across her slit.

She moaned.

"Dear Illuminar in heaven, is that what I've been missing?" The ash blonde breathed.

"And there's more." Kalus said, then winked. "A lot more."

"I've seen that." She said with a smile, though she was panting slightly too.

Shara couldn't help herself. She sat down on the ground so she was lower and would have a better view. Naturally this meant her legs spread a bit and she found that she had easier access to the little nub that was sending the most delightful sensations through her body.

Lyra looked down, made sure Kalus was lined up, then lowered herself a fraction of an inch.

She moaned.

Shara could see the bulbous head of Kalus's cock start to spread Lyra's lower lips as the girl moaned. She lowered herself a fraction more and the tip of his head started to disappear. The blonde adjusted the location of his cock and then the angle of her hips.

"I'm yours." She whispered in his ear.

Then she dropped.

She relaxed her legs and arm so Kalus became fully seated inside of her in one swift motion.

"Fuck!" She hissed quietly, and Shara could almost see her tense up, likely from pain as a single drop of blood appeared. Kalus's cock had just broken her hymen. Lyra had given herself to Kalus. Kalus groaned slightly, and the princess guessed that it was because if Lyra had tensed up, she might've clamped her inner walls around him.

"Are you okay?" He asked the ash blonde in his arms.

"Give me a moment." She nodded, clearly slightly uncomfortable, but also clearly determined. "I shouldn't have done it so fast." She finally winced.

He made to pull her up but she put a hand on his chest. "No, please don't. I like feeling..." She bit her lip. "I'm not a virgin anymore." She smiled.

"No, you most definitely aren't."

"May I ask you for a favor?" She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Name it." He nodded.

"Could you take me like this, even if it hurts?" She asked. Something about her tone spoke of deep longing, as if this was a desire she'd held for a long time and was only now able to voice it.

"Even if it hurts?" Kalus raised his eyebrow.

Lyra nodded. "I've always dreamed of my first time being like this. I would love to feel you moving me around you, filling me at your whim, a strong man holding me and completely in control of me. Could you do that for me, please? Yes, even if it hurts."

He eyed her. "I would have great trouble hurting you."

"I hope not." She grinned slyly. Her cheeks went beet red and then she leaned in and whispered something into his ear so quietly that Shara didn't catch it. However, Shara thought she heard the words 'spank' and 'riding crop' mentioned.

Her jaw dropped.

Kalus's jaw followed suit.

"Please, I don't care if it hurts it a bit. Please take me like this?"

He hesitated, then spoke. "I'll stop if you look like you're in real pain, but very well." He reached down and put his hands under her butt, supporting her in his strong arms.

She got a wide, contented smile on her face. "Thank you husband." She pulled her arms from around his neck, tucked them up against his chest, and leaned forward to rest her head there too. Then with her ankles still crossed behind his back, let her legs relax so her knees fell towards the ground with her ankles still crossed around his butt.

He was completely supporting her.

He lifted her up, eliciting a noise somewhere between a moan and hiss of suppressed pain as he moved in her for only the second time. He lifted her until only the head of his cock was in, then slowly lowered her again.

She moaned.

No hiss of pain.

He lifted her up again and then lowered her down again.

Another moan of pleasure.

Shara watched transfixed as her husband gently lifted and lowered her for several seconds, then switched to rocking his hips instead. He slowly rocked in and out of her as she lay against his chest, her ash-blonde hair partially concealing the rapturous look of joy on her face. She had her mouth slightly open and Shara could see her panting slightly, almost in time with Kalus's thrusts.

"Thank you." She whispered as she set her forehead against his chest, seemingly not quite able to keep her head up for what he was doing to her.

"Any time." He said as he continued slowly rocking in and out of her with strong, firm strokes.

"I'm half yours, make me fully yours." She moaned.

"Half?" Kalus raised his eyebrow.

"You haven't claimed my womb yet husband." She smiled as her head lolled to one side slightly. "Once you have put a child in me, there'll be no part of me that isn't..." She sighed. "...isn't owned by you."

"Your wish is my command." He said softly, then spend up just slightly in his thrusting.

Lyra moaned.

At one point, the bride opened her eyes slightly and looked at Shara with a sleepy, happy, contented look on her face. They made eye contact, and the ash blonde smiled at her and mouthed "Thank you." Moments later, her eyes fluttered closed again as her eyes rolled back into her head, and she arched her back.

Lyra whimpered slightly.

Then she moaned.

Then she started trembling all over. Her breaths became ragged gasps that were as soft as her skin and sensual as the slight vibrating that her entire body was undergoing. She had relaxed completely against Kalus, trusting him to support her completely. Her bare breasts were pressed against his chest. She opened her mouth in a silent moan that never quite made it out as her body seemed to almost vibrate against him.

Kalus groaned.

Shara saw his cock start to pulse slightly as he buried himself deep inside his new bride; the nubile, probably fertile teen who only two weeks earlier would've been too young to marry. She could see the power behind their husband's final thrust; see how the impact caused Lyra's butt to wiggle just slightly, firm though it was. Kalus's cock pulsed several more times as he grunted slightly. Lyra's trembling slowly faded to stillness as her husband held her in his arms.

Then all was still.

Peaceful.

Serene.

Kalus and Lyra both panted slightly, her into his chest, he with his head resting on top of hers. She made a cute little mewling sound and rubbed her cheek against his chest. He released a small groan of satisfaction and rubbed his cheek lightly against her hair.

They both sighed.

Several seconds passed in comfortable silence.

Lyra inhaled slowly and then exhaled, though it almost came out as a sigh. "Wow." She whispered.

"Agreed." He whispered back.

"I never thought..." She snuggled into his chest. "Thank you."

"No, thank you." He replied softly.

She raised her head and looked into his eyes as if searching for something. He looked back into hers as if he'd just found something. A smile slowly slid onto his face and she mirrored him slightly.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." He shook his head slightly, smile still growing. "Just looking."

"Mmm." She sighed and leaned her head back on his chest.

Shara sat there transfixed.

She had no idea that sex could be like that.

None.

The passion, the intimacy, the sensuality and closeness; all of it. She couldn't believe what she'd just witnessed. It was like something out of a storybook or a legend of true love. She couldn't believe the connection that she'd just seen forged. She realized that her mouth had been hanging open for the last several seconds, or possibly minutes, and closed it.

Wow.

Just wow.

At the back of her mind, she found herself starting to wonder again: could she have had that with Kalus? Had she ruined a wonderful thing by being so standoffish and cold to him? He clearly was a good man who was capable of not only great passion, but also great feeling. No one could've doubted the intensity of what she'd just witnessed, and she could've been...

She could've had...

She swallowed hard.

Had she missed out on something incredible?

"Lyra." Kalus said, still holding her almost a minute after the last word between them was spoken.

"Mmm, yes husband." The blonde replied dreamily.

"You're getting heavy." He said with an apologetic grin.

"Oh, sorry." She looked down, then hooked her arms around his neck, pulled herself up and off of him, and dropped to the ground. The moment he'd slid out of her, a gob of viscous white liquid started rolling down his cock.

She looked at it for a moment before saying, almost to herself. "I've always wondered..." She knelt down, stuck out her tongue, and caught the white fluid just before it would've dribbled off of his hairless shaft and into the hairy region below it.

Kalus and Shara stared.

Lyra licked her lips and moved her tongue as someone often does when trying something new and utterly foreign to them.

Shara's mouth fell open.

"It's salty; I never would've guessed that." After a moment she shrugged and looked at his cock.

"I seem to have made a mess." She said, eyeing the mingled juices that were still coating his shaft, then making eye contact with him. "Would you please allow me to clean it up?"

He nodded mutely.

Lyra went to work, using her lips and tongue to gently and lovingly clean every inch of his cock while Kalus and Shara just stared. It took the princess several seconds to realize that Lyra was doubtless licking up her own wetness too, and she didn't seem to mind that one bit. In fact, she seemed to be turning herself on as she cleaned him. She'd started slowly and efficiently, but now was moaning slightly and the princess noticed that the hand that wasn't manipulating his cock had slipped between her legs.

Finally, she slipped the tip into her mouth, then pulled it out with a loud 'pop'.

"Thank you for letting me do that." She smiled. "I was worried you might think it was gross or something, but I've always wanted to try..."

She blushed.

"Believe me, I didn't mind at all. You can do that as often as you like." He replied vehemently.

"Ooo, can I have your word on that?"

"You may clean me up after sex as often as you'd like." He clarified.

"Good..." She got a sly smile on her face. "Because I assume you'll also need cleaning after bedding Katia too."

Kalus and Shara gaped at her.

* * *

Kalus had an incredibly wide grin plastered on his face as he stepped outside the tent after his coupling with Lyra. The horsewoman gave him a tender peck on the cheek and then she followed his herald to the horse pens to take care of her horse, Stormy. He knew that no one would bother her as long as Kyselius was with her and the man was absolutely trustworthy.

This day certainly hadn't gone the way he'd expected, but he didn't feel he had room to complain; not that he wanted to anyway. Lyra was a delightful girl and he knew that she'd made an excellent wife.

Katia on the other hand...

He slowly shook his head. He had a feeling that she could be no less delightful -- though more reserved -- if she would simply stop hating him. Their first evening together had been delightful, though in a very different way than this first evening with Lyra had been. Katia was more reserved while Lyra was more carefree, perhaps even slightly flighty. He thought they could be good for each other and rub off on one another.

"Kalus?"

He turned to see Katia standing there looking somewhat... Hmm. She wasn't quite meeting his eyes, which meant he wasn't being greeted by a look of cold defiance. That was unusual for her. Her shoulders were slightly hunched as well and she was clasping her hands in front of her in such a way that it made her look almost small.

"Yes?" He asked, turning to face her.

She was still inside the tent, though the flap was open. "I um... I wanted to say... um..."

"Take your time." He had to restrain himself from smiling; she was voluntarily starting a conversation with him for the first time since their wedding.

She took a deep breath. "I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of Lyra." She finally said. "She truly deserved it and I'm glad you did."

"You're welcome." He nodded, then after a moment's consideration added. "Should you wish it, I could take just as much care with you, and I don't mean only in bed."

She bit her lip and she seemed to avoid his eye even more if that was possible. She shifted her weight onto one leg and seemed to consider for a moment.

"Nothing has changed." She finally said. "Imagine for a moment that you were in my place, or a place similar to it. Imagine that King Tyso had placed a will-breaker ring on you and you were being forced to make war against your own countrymen. Wouldn't you hate him for doing so?"

"I do see your point." He nodded in concession. "Katia, you obviously have a clever mind and some skill in speechcraft. I had not thought about it from that perspective and you aren't wrong. Though if I may, perhaps I could alter your analogy to be more accurate to the current situation?"

She shrugged.

"Imagine that you are a soldier who greatly cares for a young woman, and yet under pain of death -- both hers and yours -- King Tyso required you to bed her every day against her desires. Imagine seeing someone you care deeply about look at you with hate for what you are doing to keep her safe from a gruesome death, distasteful as it is. Could you summon some modicum of compassion for such a man?"

Katia slowly cocked her head to one side, then the other. She pursed her lips and then drew them into a thin line before waggling her head back and forth in a pensive way. She made a thoughtful sound and then frowned.

"I hadn't thought about it from... Hmm." She pursed her lips slightly and cocked her head to one side, obviously thinking for several moments before replying. "I suppose that for such a man, I might... Hmm."

She glanced at him, into his eyes as if searching for something. It was brief, but her eyes were significantly less intense for a moment.

She made a thoughtful sound. "I might be able to feel... perhaps not compassion, but... If I saw some evidence that he was indeed kind and gentle..." She glanced back into the tent where he and Lyra had coupled not long before. "...I suppose I could see how he might not be quite deserving of the... the animosity which the young woman directed his way."

Kalus gave her a half-smile. "Perhaps such a man and such a young woman could come to some sort of agreement?"

"Oh?"

"Perhaps he could be more aware that her loyalty to her country is indeed an admirable trait worthy of great respect, and thus be more sensitive to how she must feel in her situation. In return, perhaps such a young woman could think of such a man as... perhaps not an ally, but maybe a reluctant enemy who would wish to be an ally."

She inclined her head slightly in concession. "Perhaps not all foes are equally adversarial, and perhaps... perhaps if I ever meet such a woman I might counsel her to be a bit more understanding."

"I'm sure that such a man would appreciate it." Kalus replied, the corners of his mouth curving upwards slightly as his heart lightened. "It might also help to remind such a woman that she's helping her countrymen by eating the enemy's food, occasionally disrupting meetings between senior soldiers, and causing at least one enemy commander to lose sleep out of concern for her."

She had been smiling slightly at the first two items, but her mouth opened slightly at the last one. "I am? I mean, she is?"

He nodded. "Few things can trouble a man's sleep like a concern for a woman he cares about."

"Oh." Her eyes went slightly wider than normal for a moment before returning to normal. She ran her hands through her amber hair. "I suppose that was a bit inconsiderate of her."

"It's okay, I don't think he will hold it against her."

"That's good." She nodded her head slowly.

Katia moved so that she was on the other side of the doorway and looked out into the camp. He also turned and they both looked out across the camp. It was nearly twilight and fires were starting to pop up everywhere and, as usual, everyone was going hither and thither on errands or camp business.

Kalus and Katia looked out, and he felt like it was quite significant that she was doing this beside him for some reason. He certainly couldn't have imagined her doing this just hours earlier. He briefly wondered what had changed, but it seemed like a large part of it had been Katia watching him couple with Lyra. She had talked about seeing evidence that he was kind and gentle.

Hmm.

Perhaps she needed to see a bit more tenderness from him? Perhaps what she needed wasn't always the stern military commander, but a gentler sort of man around whom she could relax? He wasn't sure how to be such a man, but he thought for Katia he could try.

* * *

Lyra gently ran the brush through Stormy's hair, enjoying the simple act of taking care of her horse. She smiled: her horse. Her father had always let her ride virtually any horse she wanted, but this was the first horse that she'd truly owned; that was truly hers.

"Good girl." She said as she patted the mare. "That's a good girl."

Stormy nickered in response.

Lyra took a step sideways, moving a bit gingerly because she hadn't fully recovered from her wedding night. Or 'wedding late afternoon' as it had turned out to be. She was still a bit sore and trying to adjust to the idea that she was actually married. Married! She would've never guessed that would happen when she'd woken up that morning.

She sighed.

"He was amazing Stormy." She said as she switched to a different brush for the mare's coat. "He was so powerful and loving; it was everything I ever wanted and more."

Stormy nickered again and brushed her head up against the blonde's arm.

"Yes, I know you want a stallion too; we'll work on that." She chuckled.

"Tornado might be willing." A feminine voice said from behind her.

Lyra turned to see that Katia had just walked up and leaned against the horse pen's fence. "Hi."

"Hi." The amber-haired girl replied. "Can I join you?"

"Sure." Lyra beamed. "Come on in."

Katia did and the blonde was pleased to see that Misty -- Katia's horse -- had started to wander over when she'd heard the newcomer's voice.

"Hey Misty." The former handmaiden said as she gently patted her horse.

"Horses like it when you gently blow towards their nostrils to greet them." Lyra volunteered.

The other woman did so, earning her a small nicker from her horse.

"She liked that." Katia said with a smile.

Lyra nodded. "She'll like it even more if you take this brush and start brushing her mane."

The other girl did and Misty leaned into it, nickering softly and appreciatively. Lyra focused on her own horse for a minute, letting Katia have her moment with her horse. The horsewoman had been a bit surprised at how comfortable she'd been having Katia in the tent for her wedding night. It didn't bother her, and that seemed like a good thing.

Lyra wasn't exactly sure why, but her husband and new fellow wife seemed greatly at odds with each other. It was a shame; Kalus was so incredible in bed. He'd been so amazing that the near-constant itch in her loins and raging fire in her chest was sated for now. Well, mostly sated. She had been fully satisfied when they'd finished, but now she was feeling the itch come back, sore loins notwithstanding.

She glanced at her fellow wife, who seemed to be a bit more at peace now that she was grooming her horse. She was softly humming too, and -- though Lyra wasn't a good judge -- it seemed like she had a beautiful voice.

"What's that you're humming?" The horsewoman asked.

Katia smiled at her. "And old lullaby that my mother used to sing to me when I was little." She sighed. "I miss her."

"I'm sorry." The blonde's face fell. "I lost my mother when I was young. It got easier with time, but I don't think I'll ever stop missing her." She didn't say this, but she'd lost count of the number of times that she'd wished her mother was around, or that she had a motherly figure in her life.

She really wanted that.

"I'm sorry." The amber-haired girl's face fell. "My mother is still alive, thank Illuminar, but I haven't seen her in many months because of the war."

"Ah." Lyra nodded. "Still, it should be over soon and I'm sure our husband will let you visit her here in Timarou before we go to his home, wherever that is in Har'peton."

"I doubt that." She replied with a sullen tone as she began to brush Misty's mane with a bit less enthusiasm.

The blonde frowned. "He's so incredibly fond of you, so why wouldn't he?"

Katia turned and stared at her. "What?"

"I'm sorry if I wasn't clear." Lyra hesitated, not sure how to rephrase it so she was clearer.

"No, I understood everything you said, that's why I'm confused." Katia cocked her head to one side. "You really think he's fond of me?"

"Yes." Lyra nodded her head, having a hard time believing that the other girl didn't know that. She thought it was incredibly obvious, which must've shown on her face.

"Well, I suppose he did just say..." She made a thoughtful frown and then turned back to her horse.

"So, can I ask why there's so much tension between you two?" Lyra said. "You seem like a very good match and I don't see why."

"It's a rather depressing story, are you sure you want to hear it? You did just get married a few hours ago."

"There's enough light left yet." Lyra pointed to the sky, which while darker wasn't dark yet. "You said they eat late after training, yes?"

Katia nodded, then told her the story.

When she reached the part in the field of flowers and repeated what Kalus had said would happen if she wasn't with child, Lyra felt her heart begin to hurt. She stepped forward and wrapped the other girl in a hug, which apparently surprised her.

"Thank you." The former handmaiden whispered.

Lyra squeezed her tightly for several seconds before loosening her hug, but not stopping. "He didn't force you, did he? I know I've only known him a few hours, but he doesn't seem the type."

"No." Katia shook her head as she let go of the hug, taking a small step back and wiping her eyes a bit. "He was actually..." She cocked her head to one side.

"What?" Lyra asked.

"Well, I had a short talk with him a few minutes ago and he said something about seeing things from his perspective." The amber-haired girl pursed her lips and frowned, though she didn't look unhappy, merely pensive.

"Oh?"

"I think..." Katia finally said after several seconds. "I think he might've tried very hard to make it as easy on me as he could." She hesitated for several more seconds. "I'm not sure what to think of that."

"He seems like a good man that way."

"Yes, but that's not all he's done." Katia said darkly, and then she related how she'd been spanked by Kalus and what had led up to that. Tellingly, Lyra noticed that the other woman's cheeks got slightly pink as she mentioned the actual event. She also adjusted her legs slightly in a way that the ash blonde was very familiar with.

Hmm.

Maybe Katia did have a bit of a freak in her.

When the amber-haired woman was done with her story, Lyra nodded slowly. "So, what you're saying is that instead of the normal punishment in public, you got something that's much lighter in private?"

"Yeah." Katia conceded.

"And, Kalus was as kind to you as possible before, during, and after? And he seemed to hate doing it as much as you hated receiving it?"

The other girl's shoulders slumped as she grimaced and suddenly seemed very intent on looking at the ground.

"And you enjoyed it a bit?" Lyra pressed, her tone like they were merely discussing the weather.

Katia started to nod before she stopped herself, and then blushed scarlet.

"So, you're primarily mad at him for two things." Lyra said. "First, him marrying you, which was actually King Tyso's fault and he tried to shield you from it as much as possible, even sacrificing the favor of his king to do so. And second, for the spanking, which was required, and he shielded you from that as much as possible too. Do I have that right?"

Katia shifted her feet. The two women were about the same size, but Lyra had never seen a woman of her size look so small before. The former handmaiden was holding her hands together with her shoulders hunched as she bit her lip and examined the ground intently.

Finally, Katia nodded slowly. "I realize I haven't been..." She hesitated. "I just feel like I'm being forced to betray my country, and even though he's been so nice..." She trailed off, then cocked her head to one side and slowly repeated herself as if she had just realized something. "He's been so nice."

Lyra gave Stormy a gentle pat before speaking again. "Look, I understand being loyal to Timarou since our country is wonderful, but let's face it; our current king is a terrible ruler."

Katia's head snapped up, shock written all over her face.

"Everyone thinks he's a good guy, but sometimes good men make horrible rulers." Lyra moderated her statement a bit, then frowned. "You didn't know that?"

The other girl shook her head, looking like someone had just slapped her.

"I guess you might not have heard that living in the palace, but it's true. Most of the regular people don't like him much. Well, maybe as a person, but not as a king"

Katia started at her, mouth agape. "Why?" She finally got out.

"Pa'pa says that he's too soft when he should be hard, and too hard when he should be soft." She replied, trying to remember her father's many conversations with various men. "He lets the troublemakers have too much leniency and won't give the men who want to help enough freedom. Why do you think so many cities weren't upset when our husband installed new governance?"

Katie folded her arms and took a slight step back, then said somewhat defensively. "Well, I think our king is a good man."

Lyra took a moment to remember that Katia was a former handmaiden and thus she had probably spent her entire life around people who approved of the king. That was the only reason the horsewoman could think of that she was so upset about learning the king wasn't a good ruler.

"No one said he wasn't a good man." She replied evenly. "But just because you're a good man doesn't mean you'll be a good ruler.

Katia didn't reply, but she seemed slightly mollified as she spoke. "I'm just saying, I spent a lot of time in the palace and I think King Bracken is a good king."

"Well, until recently you seemed to think our husband wasn't that good of a man, and you were wrong about that." Lyra pointed out.

"You seem so sure of that, even after only knowing him for a few hours." Katia shot back.

Lyra grinned as she realized something, something that the other woman probably didn't know. "Katia, you don't know what our husband said to my father that convinced him to give my hand in marriage, do you?"

She shook her head.

"Well, let me tell you."

* * *

Kalus finished the drills with his men and then allowed them to go back to their campsites to eat dinner. He knew they hated drilling after marching all day, but it made a difference. The casualties from the men under his command were far less than what his fellow commanders saw. Despite starting this campaign only in charge of one-fifth of the army, he'd lost so few and the others so many that he now commanded almost a third of the men. That was despite his men sometimes being sent into the fiercest fighting grounds.

The men stopped being mutinous when they realized this, but they still didn't like it.

They were alive because of it though.

He made his way back to his tent and made sure all of his advisors had their meals before he tucked into dinner himself. It was starting to get dark and he would've been worried about his wife-- no, his two wives being absent except that he'd assigned his herald to watch them. He doubted anyone would harm Katia -- she'd been in the camp long enough that most everyone should know her as his wife by now -- but Lyra was a new face; blonde, pretty, and just the sort of woman that men under other commanders might be tempted to take advantage of.

He had half finished his meal when his wives arrived. Lyra looked cheerful as ever, but Katia...

She wouldn't look at him.

He didn't get the sense that she was angry though; far from it. Her shoulders were hunched and her body language was small. She seemed to be trying to disappear into the log she was sitting on, not that she had much luck. She poked at her food, barely eating anything despite the day's excitement.

Lyra had sat next to him, scooting close so they brushed one another regularly. She would occasionally give him a sly, satisfied smile, though her cheeks would often get a touch red as she did so. Katia sat on Lyra's other side, apparently trying to hide behind the ash blonde so she wouldn't be seen by him. Again though, she didn't seem angry or upset, more...

Ashamed?

Perhaps guilty?

Hmm.

Katia had leaned her head forward so her hair was creating a bit of a veil so her face couldn't be seen. She didn't say anything during dinner. That wasn't unusual, but her silence was usually of the standoffish kind. This seemed different.

He waited until dinner was over, then caught Lyra's eye and gave her a subtle nod to indicate she should go into the tent. She nodded, smiling as she did so. He stood and Katia rose as well.

"Katia, one moment please." He said before she'd taken more than a step.

She stopped, but didn't answer.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a low enough voice that no one else would hear, trying to remember that she probably needed a softer touch than his men did.

She hesitated for several seconds before slowly shaking her head.

"Are you willing to talk about it?"

She opened her mouth but didn't seem to be able to get the words out. It looked like she was trying, but couldn't bring herself to. He again reminded himself that she probably needed a gentler touch, and gently put his hand on her shoulder.

She didn't flinch away.

He spoke softly. "Katia, I would love to hear what's bothering you, but I won't push. Let me know when you're ready to talk and I promise I'll be there to listen."

She nodded, but didn't say anything.

In his book, this was all progress.

He went into the tent and Katia followed him. Lyra was already inside, brushing her long hair.

The blonde turned and smiled when she saw Katia. "Here, I have something for you." She reached into the small bag she'd brought from her father's house and offered another brush to Katia.

"Thank you." The former handmaiden smiled, and her eyes looked a bit watery.

She took the brush and started brushing her own hair, and that's when Kalus realized that he hadn't considered the additional grooming products that women usually use. Thankfully, Lyra appeared to be willing to share what she hadn't brought extras of.

He'd only met the horsewoman perhaps four or five hours ago, but she was a delightful girl and he could see a happy future for them. He hoped that Katia would fit into that future too, though she seemed much more apprehensive about that. Sadly, her biggest issue seemed to be him working for the army that was conquering her country.

Unfortunately, there was no easy solution for that.

* * *

Shara was getting used to being called 'Katia' by now, and even starting to enjoy it slightly. By contrast, she hadn't enjoyed the one part of the conversation with Lyra earlier about her father not being a good king. She found it almost impossible to believe that anyone thought he was anything less than wonderful.

Apparently, that wasn't the case.

She didn't know what to make of that.

She really didn't.

She'd thought about it a bit since then and realized that as far as her father was concerned, she had 'gotten away with murder' as her mother liked to say. What if he was that way with others? What if he didn't stand up to members of the court and got pushed into bad decisions which made the people unhappy? She had certainly been able to get him to do things growing up.

She didn't want to think about that, but it was better than thinking about the other thing that was bothering her. Her cheeks got warm as she thought about Kalus. It had taken Lyra's presence to see it, but he was a good man who'd treated her as best as he could under the circumstances. He had probably treated her better than most men would.

She could barely look at him without wanting to turn away in shame at her behavior. Even thinking about it now her stomach clenched and her cheeks felt warm; almost hot. She needed to apologize, and badly, but her brain seemed to freeze up every time she tried. She just felt sick when she thought about how she'd behaved.

Kalus laid down in the bedroll and Lyra wasted no time climbing into it next to him on his right side, which left the problem of space.

That bed was never intended for three.

It was wide enough for Kalus and Katia to share it shoulder-to-shoulder without touching, but there wasn't much extra space.

Now...

Fortunately, Lyra didn't seem to want any space to herself. She was lying on her side against Kalus, leaning up against him with her arm on his chest while she used his upper chest and shoulder for a pillow. She seemed to enjoy it too, judging from the contented sigh she released.

Kalus looked up at her, raised his eyebrow, and patted the open space beside him. It was nearly as large as the space that he and Lyra were taking up. She sighed and slipped into the bed too, making sure to stay as far from him as she reasonably could. This time though, it was more out of habit than anything else.

Despite how good Kalus had been to her, she still couldn't make peace in her mind because he was quite literally the enemy. He was literally making war against her father and country. He might be a good man, but she couldn't reconcile that with her loyalty to her father and country.

She wondered if she would ever be able to do so.

* * *

"Shh, don't wake her up." The princess heard her husband whisper.

Shara was awake, but barely. She had somehow ended up a mirror image of how Lyra had been lying against Kalus when they went to bed, though her legs weren't over his and were on the bed mat instead.

"Sorry." Lyra whispered so silently that Shara almost didn't hear. She could feel movement though, and it felt like the blond was rocking her hips against...

She peeked.

Sure enough, she could see in the extremely dim light that Lyra was laying on top of Kalus, though off to one side just a bit so her leg didn't touch the princess's leg. The other girl was rocking her hips slightly, and there was no doubt that Kalus was firmly encased inside the ash blonde. Moments later, he stiffened slightly and then quietly made a sound somewhere between a groan and an exhale, clearly trying to keep his volume down.

Lyra sighed, then laid her head down and laid still against him. Shara quickly closed her eyes to a mere slit so the other two didn't see that she was awake.

That would be awkward.

"You didn't finish." Kalus said very quietly.

Lyra sighed. "I just wanted to feel you."

"I could take care of you."

She shook her head slowly. "That would wake Katia and she's been through enough."

"She has." Kalus whispered, then sighed heavily. "I wish I could help her though; something is bothering her and it's not her dislike of me this time."

There was a pause and Shara couldn't see well enough to figure out what was going on.

Moments later, Kalus whispered again, and again he was so quiet that he never would've woken her up. "You know what's bothering her?"

"I think I do." Lyra replied just as quietly. "But I'd rather not say if that's okay; I think she needs to talk to you about it herself."

"Okay." He replied softly, then Shara heard a kiss. It sounded like a tender one too.

She wasn't jealous.

No, she definitely wasn't jealous of the tender affection that Lyra was getting from Kalus. That would just be silly, and the fact that she'd been spurning it -- and him -- for some time didn't factor in either. No... not at all. She definitely, positively wasn't jealous.

Not at all...

That was her last thought as she drifted back off to sleep.

* * *

Kalus had enough self-control not to startle awake anymore when he woke up in bed with a woman next to him. But today there were two of them and it took a little extra mindfulness. He didn't react this morning either, but he nearly did. Once the initial 'fight or flight' reflex had died down, he looked down at his two wives.

There was a messy tangle of ash-blonde hair splayed across his right chest and a chaotic spread of amber hair on his left. Both women were snuggled up to him, leaning on his chest, and their faces were quite close to each other as a result. They were both sleeping peacefully, like they hadn't a care in the world.

He smiled.

He closed his eye and luxuriated in the sensation.

Lyra was a lovely girl of whom he had already become quite fond. It wasn't even because the horsewoman had offered her virginity so willingly, nor that she'd woken him up in the middle of the night for an encore. Neither hurt, but they weren't the reason. No, it was something about the girl herself; her spirit. She was alive in every sense of the word and simply delightful to be around.

Katia was just as lovely despite the metaphorical thorns. Yet despite how 'thorny' she'd been, he still really liked her. He couldn't forget their first night together and how pleasant she'd been. She also struck him as very perceptive, which would be incredibly useful in life for both of them, especially once she was older and knew what to look for.

Separately, each woman was wonderful.

Together...

Together they could be extraordinary if Katia could learn to live with him. The previous day's conversation had given him hope of that, which must suffice for now. He closed his eyes and said his morning prayers to Illuminar, making sure to pray for both his wives and the marriage as well.

Katia started stirring not long after he'd finished. She made a sleepy yawn, let slip a tiny sigh, and then snuggled her head into him more.

He smiled.

It was another few seconds before she seemed to realize where she was and who she was snuggling with, and then she pulled back. She didn't jerk away as she did many previous mornings though; that was something.

"Good morning." He whispered, so as not to wake Lyra.

She rolled off the bed mat and stood up, clutching her arms around herself in the cold semi-darkness. "Morning." She mumbled, not meeting his eye. Again, this was all progress since before she had barely acknowledged his morning greeting.

"There should be a cloak in my bag there." He pointed to his luggage, having noticed her slight shiver.

She bit her lip, then nodded, found it, and wrapped it around herself. "Thank you." She said so quietly that he almost didn't hear it.

She still didn't meet his eye.

"You're welcome." He replied with a smile and she seemed to avoid his gaze even more.

The goings-on apparently had woken Lyra, who also started stirring.

"Good morning." He said.

She looked up bleary-eyed and smiled. "Goo' m'rnin'." She blinked several times and then leaned up a bit and kissed him gently, then moved up slightly and wiggled her head back and forth slightly so the tip of her nose brushed the tip of his nose several times.

He liked that.

* * *

Shara watched the simple display of affection between Lyra and Kalus and couldn't help but imagine that she was doing that with him. She frankly couldn't believe how much she'd misjudged him or how tender and loving he could be.

She could've had that.

She turned away, not because she didn't want to look but because she wanted to. It was amazing how much her opinion of her husband had changed in the last twenty-four hours. With Lyra, she'd seen a side of him that she hadn't seen before, or perhaps hadn't wanted to see. She liked this new side though and didn't want to miss out on it.

Yet at the same time, he was still the enemy. He was still leading an army through her father's kingdom and marching on her father's castle. From what little she understood of the overall state of the war, it was the last castle left. Her father would surely be there, for he had no other place to run to; no other place to escape to. Her father's army was in tatters and no match for the disciplined troops under Kalus's command, let alone the rest of King Tyso's army.

She scowled.

King Tyso was a comprehensive and unmitigated ass.

Yet Kalus was the opposite...

She was lost in thought for much of the rest of the morning as Kalus and Lyra got up, dressed, and ate. She did too, but barely said a word. Breakfast was a hurried affair with little time for conversation since the camp was beginning to break around them. Lyra insisted on making her horse ready herself and Shara tagged along rather than stay with Kalus.

"It's important that you ready your horse yourself and take care of her too." The horsewoman explained as they walked. "It helps you bond and I promise you won't be sorry."

"Okay, I can try." Shara grimaced.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine." She assured her.

She did do okay. Lyra was fast enough at saddling her horse that she also had time to help Shara get her own horse saddled by the time camp was ready to break.

The sun hadn't fully risen yet before they were following their husband onto the wide trail through the forest. It was a large main trade road and so wide enough to accommodate the thousands of troops that comprised King Tyso's army if they marched in thinner lines.

Kalus was insistent that his wives ride near him. The blonde seemed unbothered, but Shara herself didn't like the necessity. She thought his men might be trustworthy, but was pretty sure the rest of the army wasn't. She rode a full horse length behind Kalus and Lyra, not wanting to talk to him.

Not yet.

She could feel her cheeks burn every time she thought about how she'd treated him, despite him being the enemy. He was too good to truly hate and right now she wanted to find a deep and dark hole to crawl into whenever she thought about talking to him. Like, a really deep hole.

At least the view was nice.

They were passing through the large forest that she'd traveled through many times before when traveling between castles. It was a large, mature forest filled with large trees and a not-inconsiderable amount of underbrush. She knew it would take more than a day to pass through it at the rate they were traveling, and that her father's castle wasn't too far beyond it. She hoped he would be okay when the army arrived.

Ahead of her, Lyra and Kalus were talking like old friends, or perhaps new lovers. The conversation seemed to flow easily between them and she saw him smile more often that morning than she ever had before by several orders of magnitude. He had a good smile; it was kind and he looked like he could be a pleasant person to have a conversation with.

She frowned to herself as she realized that by now, Lyra had probably learned far more about him than she had. She didn't like that. Not that she cared that Lyra was getting to know him, but she was a little bothered that she hadn't.

She was also painfully aware that it was her fault.

The 'high' point of the morning was about an hour before they stopped for lunch. Lyra had been getting a bit more affectionate with Kalus while remaining appropriate in public; barely appropriate, but appropriate. At one point, Shara was pretty sure that he'd told her to tone it down because she'd suddenly become much more appropriate.

Barely a minute later, the horsewoman stood up in her stirrups so she could whisper into his ear since both Kalus and Tornado were significantly taller than Lyra and Stormy. After whispering for a moment, she nodded her head towards a free-standing crescent-shaped rock formation along the road. It was a dozen yards into the forest and looked like there might be an area behind it that was completely out of sight of the marching army.

He looked at her and raised his eyebrow.

She gave him a sly grin with slightly hooded eyes, then bit her lip and raised her eyebrows, as if asking a question.

Kalus glanced back at Shara and made a thoughtful frown for several moments before speaking. "Kyselius." He called loudly.

His herald rode up moments later. "Yes commander."

"Make sure nothing happens to Katia; Lyra and I will be back soon."

Lyra looked back at her and grinned, then the two of them rode off towards the crescent-shaped rock formation. They disappeared behind it for several minutes as the army marched past. It took her a minute to realize what they were probably doing...

She frowned.

They couldn't be...

...could they?

After a few minutes, they rode out from behind the rock formation and caught up to her. Shara couldn't help but notice that both of their clothes were slightly rumpled and Lyra's hair was certainly mussed up. The horsewoman also looked a lot calmer and less flirtatious, and she was also looking at their husband adoringly. She also seemed to be adjusting herself in the saddle a bit more.

Shara bit her lip.

Wow.

She well remembered that feeling that kept rising in her when Kalus was doing... 'that' to her. She had felt like it was building to something and she wondered if the end result could produce the same calm, almost serene demeanor that was displayed on her fellow wife's face.

She guessed that Kalus would give her the same treatment if she asked. However, that would mean she'd have to talk to him. Her cheeks suddenly felt warm. She knew she would have to apologize to him eventually, but certainly wasn't looking forward to it.

Kalus and Lyra resumed their place in line, which was about a horse's length in front of Shara. The ash blonde leaned over and leaned on him affectionately for several moments.

That didn't improve Shara's mood.

* * *

Kalus dug into his lunch with Lyra sitting beside him doing the same. He had long maintained a stern demeanor among his men to prevent them from becoming too relaxed around him. However, he found it hard to maintain it today.

The horsewoman was leaning up against him with a dopy grin on her face. She would occasionally sigh, give him a grin, or smile to herself. Despite himself, he found a small grin forming on his face whenever he wasn't paying enough attention to keep his face neutral.

Katia was sitting on his other side, not looking at them, nor meeting anyone's gaze, nor speaking to anyone either. However, it was a different kind of silence than usual. It wasn't a defiant, standoffish kind of silence; it seemed more like shame or embarrassment but he wasn't sure.

"Katia, are you okay?" He asked after he had finished wolfing down his lunch.

She glanced at him, their eyes meeting for just the briefest moment. He saw a not-insignificant amount of vulnerability that wasn't usually present before she averted her eyes.

She hesitated a moment, bit her lip, then slowly shook her head.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently.

She looked around, and everyone else was either occupied talking to someone else or had already finished and left. Finally, after several seconds she said something so quietly that he couldn't make it out.

"What?" He asked.

She swallowed and suddenly seemed very interested in examining her shoes.

"I'm going to go check on Stormy and Misty." Lyra said, getting up, pecking him on the cheek, and then walking towards the two ladies' horses. It was very tactful of her and he appreciated it.

"What is it?" He asked again, making sure to keep his voice gentle.

Katia opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She even worked it slightly, but still nothing.

Kalus put a hand on her shoulder, hoping she took it as a comforting gesture. "Katia, it's okay. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, just know I'll be here when you're ready to talk."

"Stop." She whispered, but it was more a request -- almost a plea -- rather than a command. She sniffled slightly and moved her head so her amber hair covered her face and he couldn't see it well anymore.

"Stop what?" He asked.

"Being so nice to me." She whispered back, her voice cracking slightly. "I... I can't take it."

Kalus opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't think of a single thing to say.

Stop being nice?

Was that even what she wanted? He somehow doubted that it was. As he tried to figure out what to say, the horn was blown to indicate the army was about to resume its march. Katia got up and nearly fled towards her horse, leaving her speechless husband behind.

He frowned and stood up, slowly shaking his head.

Women.

He started walking to his own horse which wasn't far from his wives' horses, though his horse had wandered a bit. He mounted Tornado as his herald rode up.

"Kyselius, I don't understand women." He stated.

The herald smiled. "Amen to that Commander. I do believe every man in this army would testify to the same."

He shook his head and sighed as he watched his wives mount their horses, Katia taking longer and apparently trying to hide her face as she did so.

* * *

Lyra had spent much of the morning getting to know her new husband and now figured she would try to spend the afternoon getting to know her fellow wife. However, Katia was in no mood to talk. The horsewoman had been pretty sure what was bothering the amber-haired girl when she excused herself at lunch and had been proven right.

"Listen, I realize that I wasn't there for most of it so I don't know what happened, but I'm sure he'll forgive you." She said to the former handmaiden.

"He probably will." She replied after several long moments. Oddly, that didn't seem to improve her mood.

"Would it help if I was there with you, or would you rather do it alone?"

At the word 'alone', Katia looked at her in alarm.

"Okay, together then." Lyra said.

"Thank you." Katia replied quietly as they both crouched slightly in the saddle to avoid a low-hanging branch.

This forest was lovely and Lyra had always thought so. She had rarely traveled the forest path since most men came to their ranch to buy horses, but she'd played in the forest's outskirts many times as a girl. She readjusted in the saddle, thankfully not having to worry about her husband's seed leaking out of her.

Like most girls when they hit the age to bleed, she had been given a piece of underwear that was enchanted to be self-cleaning. It was expensive of course, but dear Illuminar in heaven she had no idea what she would've done without it. While most girls only wore it around their period, she worked so often that she wore it all the time to keep that part of her clean. Thankfully, she was wearing it now and wouldn't have to worry about his seed leaking out of her.

She smiled.

That was a good problem to have.

She was a little disappointed that some of it would go to waste, but now that she was married -- married! -- she had a good man who would be happy to provide her with more. She wasn't sure why, but she liked feeling it inside of her. She adjusted slightly in her saddle as her nether regions began to itch in desire slightly. She forced herself to return to the conversation.

"There's no time like the present." Lyra offered to her fellow wife

Katia nodded, though she also grimaced and seemed to shrink into the saddle a bit.

"Come on, you'll feel better once we're done." Lyra gave the amber-haired girl what she hoped was a comforting smile.

Katia nodded again, but she didn't look reassured.

Lyra guided her horse a bit closer and took the other girl's hand. She gave it a comforting squeeze, then gently nudged her horse forward while still holding Katia's hand, leading her and her horse as well. It didn't take long to draw level with Kalus on his massive warhorse Tornado. Like most warhorses, he was high-strung and had a boundless amount of energy. However, he was also a male and seemed to enjoy the company of Stormy and Misty, his owner's wives' horses.

Plus, Kalus could control such a magnificent and powerful war horse; Lyra would've been lying if she said that didn't make her nether regions itch.

"Afternoon husband." Lyra said with a smile.

"Lyra." He smiled back, then she saw his eyes shift to his other wife on Lyra's other side. "Katia." His smile hadn't disappeared, though it seemed to become more cautious.

The amber-haired girl mumbled something, but only Illuminar knew what. It didn't sound unpleasant though.

"Switch." Lyra said, slowing her horse and then moving so she was on Katia's other side so the former handmaiden was in between herself and Kalus.

He looked at the amber-haired girl and she glanced back, but she didn't meet his gaze for more than a moment before looking at the road ahead again. They rode that way in silence for several minutes before Lyra gently nudged Katia.

The former handmaiden took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then almost whispered. "I'm sorry."

Kalus apparently didn't hear her, as his attention seemed to be focused on a couple of soldiers just ahead of them.

"Excuse me." He said, then nudged Tornado forward.

Lyra gave Katia an apologetic look, but couldn't keep a note of amusement off her face. "It's Malfo's Law."

"If something can go wrong, it will go wrong at the worst possible moment." Katia recited. "I'm starting to think he was secretly a necromancer." She paused for a moment. "I hope he forgives me"

Lyra chuckled. "I haven't known him long, but our husband doesn't seem the type to hold a grudge."

"I know, but that makes it worse." She replied quietly.

"Does it really?"

Katia hesitated and then shook her head. "No, I guess not."

Kalus returned a minute later, having dealt with a few soldiers who were breaking formation. He hadn't even needed to say anything. He simply rode up beside them. The moment they saw him, they looked guilty and formed up correctly, smart and crisp. He had remained there for a minute or two, not saying anything and riding casually before he returned to his wives.

"Wives are a bit like soldiers." Katia said quietly, though loud enough that both her fellow wife and husband could hear her.

"Oh?" He replied.

"Your men love you; really love you." The former handmaiden continued, still looking at the ground. "I mean, you drill them so hard and make them behave as soldiers should, and they love you for that. I mean, they probably didn't love you when you were disciplining them, but maybe afterward. Okay, not 'love' perhaps. I don't think they love you, but they might... um, they might understand and appreciate how... uh, how much you do for them."

Kalus made a thoughtful sound, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "I'm glad that 'my men' see it that way. Their well-being is very important to me."

"Some of them might be sorry if they weren't... or if they have been..." Katia bit her lip and hung her head slightly. "What I'm trying to say is... is that I'm... I'm s..." She swallowed.

Lyra couldn't help but feel for her, but remained silent; this was something between them and didn't directly involve her. Still, she said a silent prayer to Illuminar that it would go well. Her mother had always told her not to interfere in another person's private affairs. Her heart ached for a moment as she thought about her mom. She knew nothing could bring her mother back, but she wished she had a motherly figure in her life.

"I forgive you Katia." Kalus said gently.

"You do?" The former handmaiden glanced up at him, then hid behind her amber hair again. "But I haven't even finished apologizing, nor said what I was apologizing for."

"I know." He replied, and again his tone was gentle. "You are clearly sorry, and I will always forgive you no matter the offense as long as you keep Illuminar's greatest commandment to wives."

"I will never lay with a man who isn't my husband." She said firmly.

"Then I will always forgive you." He said just as firmly.

"Oh." Katia said, then fell silent.

They rode on for almost a minute before she spoke again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said, then reached down -- since both he and his horse were much taller than her and her horse -- and gently touched her shoulder for a moment.

She seemed startled, but gave him a small smile.

Lyra smiled.

"Um." Katia said after another minute. "Uh, would you..." She bit her lip as she glanced at him. "Would you perhaps want to play Pente this evening before bed?"

Kalus actually smiled at that. "I would love to."

* * *

Shara felt her heart get much lighter after apologizing, even though she hadn't gotten the apology out before he'd forgiven her. She was also getting very used to being called 'Katia' and the name was starting to grow on her.

The rest of the afternoon passed mostly in silence, but it was a comfortable kind of silence. She rode next to Kalus, and Lyra rode next to her for about a half hour before the ash blonde moved to ride on Kalus's other side. No one said much, but that seemed okay to her since she needed to think.

Kalus was a good man.

He was also the enemy.

She desperately wished that at least one of those statements wasn't true -- especially the second one -- but unfortunately they were both true. She wasn't sure what to do with that. Kalus had said several times before that he wished they had met under different circumstances so he could court her properly. That didn't sound nearly as bad as it once had.

They broke the march for camp just as the sun was starting to set, and when they did Kalus called for his herald.

"Spread the word." He said Kyselius. "The men are to sleep in their armor with weapons at hand tonight. I want one man from every squad awake and alert at his squad's tent for every watch of the night. Torches or a fire are required; I want anyone who reconnoiters our portion of the army to think half of us are awake and ready for a fight. Also, no drilling or alcohol tonight; I want the men as rested as possible and ready for action."

Kyselius gave Kalus a sharp salute, then rode off to perform his heralding duties.

"Why so cautious husband?" Lyra asked, and Shara was glad that she did because she was curious as well.

"The enemy..." He trailed off and looked at the princess, though obviously he didn't know that she was a princess. "Well, it's entirely possible that we might be ambushed during the night."

"Oh." Shara said, thinking about how odd it was to consider being attacked by her own people.

With Kalus and his men skipping their customary drilling to keep the men rested, Shara found herself sitting down to eat dinner much earlier than usual. As usual, Kalus made sure virtually everyone in his portion of the army had been fed before he sat down to eat with the grizzled veterans that formed the core of his command staff and war council.

She noticed Titus, the old man who had been instrumental in sparing her from the lash, and gave him a grateful nod of respect, which he returned.

"The men will sleep in armor tonight." Kalus announced once they were all served, himself last of all.

"Prudent." Titus nodded. "The few thousand enemy soldiers left could hardly challenge us in the field, but ambushes are another matter entirely."

From nearby, Shara heard the sounds of raucous laughter, some of which sounded quite drunk.

" Commander Marcellus clearly doesn't share your concern." Titus scowled as he looked in the direction of the raucous laughter.

"At least he's not the rear-guard." Kalus replied. "I'll be glad to be rid of this forest, when do the scouts say we shall pass through at our current pace?"

"Tomorrow at around noon." One of the other men replied. He looked thin, sinewy, and tough as nails. He had the look of a scout about him.

"Thank you Scoutmaster." Kalus said, then frowned. "Were it up to me, I would've double-timed it through the forest and then taken a day of rest once we'd seen the back of it."

Titus frowned. "There are some in our army that couldn't keep that pace."

The others chuckled, and Shara got the distinct impression that they were referring to their slightly overweight king. This was seemingly confirmed by the significant looks and chuckles the men shared.

"Commander." The scoutmaster said. "Might I suggest pulling several squads near the command tent as extra protection?"

"For what purpose?" Kalus asked. "We have enough sentries to alert of any possible attack."

"To prevent a determined charge from cutting off the head." The wiry scoutmaster replied. Kalus started shaking his head, but the other man plowed on. "Before you reject the request, please realize it is only partially for you." He glanced at Shara and Lyra. "Women have no place in a battle and I would prefer to ensure their safety."

Kalus hesitated a moment. "I would not feel right ordering my men to do so."

"You don't need to." The scoutmaster replied, then raised his voice. "Octavian, Pernilus, Asikan; approach."

From some distance away, three men wearing the helmet of a centurion approached, saluted respectfully, and then stood at attention.

"At ease." Titus said, then took another bite of his meal as the centurions relaxed a bit.

"These men have volunteered their centuries to guard the nucleus of the camp, including your wives." The scoutmaster continued. "Is anyone opposed?"

Not a single one of Kalus's council objected.

"Commander, my men jumped at the chance to guard you and your wives sir." One of the centurions said proudly. "They threatened to mutiny if I didn't make the offer."

There were chuckles around the campfire, and Shara got the feeling that she was missing something. It took her a moment to realize how harshly mutiny would be punished; surely the man was exaggerating.

Kalus set his plate down, stood up, and shook the man's hand. "Thank you Octavian." He then turned to the others and shook their hands as well.

"I'm happy to do it; I'd be dead twice if it wasn't for you sir." One of the other centurions said.

"At least then we'd be spared the sight of your ugly mug." The last centurion said with a grin.

Everyone laughed.

Titus stood up. "I charge you centurions: under no circumstances shall you leave these women unprotected tonight, save the order of Kalus or the king himself."

"Yes sir!" The centurions said in union, then gave a sharp salute as one.

"Dismissed." Titus said, then sat back down. The men gave a respectful nod towards the ladies and then turned smartly and left.

Kalus sat down, and he had a proud smile on his face. "They volunteered?"

The scoutmaster nodded. "As soon as Kyselius spread the orders for the evening, which they assumed were to protect against ambush."

Kalus looked at Shara and Lyra, a proud smile on his face. "Those are my men."

Shara almost couldn't believe it.

She could, but...

Wow.

They really loved him. She'd heard hints of that before, but there was no denying it now. In the background, she saw a few hundred men breaking camp to move closer; probably three hundred men since a centurion was the captain of 100 men. They were moving closer to guard him, plus her and Lyra for no other reason than they were his wives.

Wow.

"Thank you." Shara said to Kalus, and she meant it.

Lyra got a sly grin on her face. She set her empty plate down and walked -- no slinked -- towards him. She sat down sideways across his lap, and scooted closer until her hip was definitely touching his groin.

"Thank you husband." She purred, then kissed him in a manner that Shara would've never considered doing in public. She wasn't actually being inappropriate, but she was definitely on the edge of decorum.

"And I'll thank you properly later tonight." She 'whispered' loud enough for everyone else to hear.

Shara bristled slightly; that was over the line.

Way over the line.

Kalus clearly could tell too. His response wasn't exactly loud, but it wasn't whispered. "Not tonight Lyra; it's Katia's turn."

Lyra had the good sense to look a bit embarrassed.

They finished eating, though the conversation was mostly between the military men and concerned the affairs of the army. Lyra ate while sitting in his lap, though she refrained from doing anything scandalous and mostly just looked like a new bride enjoying closeness with her husband.

"We should retire soon." Kalus said to his wives after he had finished eating.

Shara nodded and downed her last bite, then stood up. Lyra hopped off his lap with slightly pink cheeks and didn't meet anyone's eye.

He led them into his tent and closed the flap behind them, then turned to Lyra and spoke softly, but firmly. "I appreciate how affectionate you are and wouldn't want you to change that, but that was too much in public."

"Yes husband." She nodded her head. "I'm sorry."

"Good, because I would hate to turn you down in the future." He replied kindly.

"Really?"

"Did our detour from the path earlier not make that clear?"

She smiled.

He turned to Katia. "I know that you aren't interested in coupling, but there's still King Tyso's threat to contend with."

"That Saidow Spawn!" Lyra hissed quietly enough that no one outside the tent could hear.

"My thoughts exactly." The princess-in-disguise nodded.

"Language." Kalus said with a significant looked at Lyra.

"Yes husband." She nodded. "I'll have to get used to that; Pa'pa never cared if I was a bit... coarse with my tongue."

"You have a wonderfully smooth tongue." Kalus replied evenly, though the corners of his mouth twitched up. "I'd prefer it stayed smooth and not coarse." His eyes twinkled slightly.

Lyra blushed. "Yes husband, I'll try."

"Now, I will be sleeping in my armor. You two will sleep in your dresses with your shoes on, and with a shawl, coat, or wrap near-to-hand in case we are ambushed."

They both nodded.

"However, right now..." He looked at Shara. "We have something we need to do."

Shara looked down, swallowed hard, and nodded slowly. "I..."

"I know." Kalus said softly. "The moment I can be sure you are with child, I shall trouble you no longer. But until then..."

Shara sniffed slightly, then nodded.

"Um." Lyra raised her hand. "Katia, when did you last bleed?"

"Perhaps two weeks ago? Somewhere around there; I have lost count."

"Pa'pa taught me to sense the mana in a horse and how to tell the difference between a mare and foal so I could tell when a mare is pregnant." The horsewoman continued. "I'm rubbish at any other magic, but I can do that if you both don't mind."

Kalus looked at Shara and raised his eyebrow.

She nodded.

He nodded at Lyra.

"May I touch your stomach?" The ash blonde asked the amber-haired girl, who nodded.

Lyra put her hand on Shara's stomach, closed her eyes, and concentrated for around thirty seconds. Then, a small smile began to spread across her face. She adjusted her hand and put the other hand over Shara's womb. Her smile grew much wider about a minute later.

The horsewoman stood up and beamed at the two of them. "Congratulations."

Shara held her breath as she looked at Kalus.

His face was impassive for several seconds, then a smile broke out that slowly became the widest she'd ever seen on him. He looked at her, she looked back at him. He reached out a hand and placed it gently over her womb as if he couldn't believe it.

Shara reached down and placed a hand over her womb also, right beside his and both of Lyra's.

She was pregnant?

Already?

She supposed the timing was right for it to be possible. Her mother's family was famous for having many children, plus she was young so quite fertile, but still... She was carrying a child? She was going to be a mother? Almost on reflex and without her conscious thought, the corners of her mouth started to pull upwards. However, the happy expression had just barely started to form on her face when it faltered.

It was also his child.

He was a good man, but also the enemy. She was literally carrying a baby from a commander of the army that was invading her land. A good commander -- and a good man -- but still... She slowly shook her head, but couldn't keep the smile entirely off her face either.

She would be a mother.

If only he wasn't the enemy.

Then another thought occurred to her. Shara was her father's only daughter and he had no sons. If her child was a boy, then she was carrying the heir to the throne; the heir to her country's throne. Even more strangely, the heir to her country's throne had been fathered by the man who was conquering it.

* * *

Kalus had seldom found himself speechless, but this was one of those rare times. He was going to be a father? Despite himself, he could feel a wide smile growing on his face.

He was going to be a father.

He looked at his baby's mother and saw a conflicted smile there. It looked happy yet pained, and she somehow had her lips pursed as she made a pained half-smile.

"I clearly missed a lot." Lyra said, looking between the two of them.

"I'm happy, I really am." Katia said, then sniffled and her eyes looked a bit watery. However, Kalus couldn't tell if happy tears or sad tears were forming. They didn't look like either; perhaps both?

"My only regret is that you aren't as happy to be the mother of my firstborn as I am to have you be the mother." Kalus said softly.

She glanced up at him, swallowed hard, and blinked a few times. "Really?"

"Really." He nodded.

Katia opened her mouth to reply, then closed it.

"Please, speak your mind." He said.

"I would rather not." She bit her lip, but her words weren't defiant. Oddly she didn't seem to be pushing him away.

"May I ask why?"

"I don't want to be..." She bit her lip again. "That is, I don't wish to be mean."

He took a deep breath, guessing at what she was thinking. "I would know your opinion, even if it stings."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"I'm... I..." She took a deep breath and wouldn't meet his eyes. "My baby's father is the enemy."

Ouch.

Years of military service and leading men had trained him to not react when he wanted to avoid it, and he drew on that to keep his face as it was. But he could feel some of the joy leaving. She still didn't want to be married to him. The conversation the previous day and her apology earlier had given him some hope, but it appeared she was as resolute as ever.

The former handmaiden hadn't lied on their first night together. She truly was a patriot. That was honorable and commendable and he wished he could say the same. His home country of Har'peton hadn't been kind to him and he held little love for it. He admired how much she loved her country, even if it led to her hating him because of it.

"That is your right." He finally said, though he wasn't entirely successful in keeping a note of sadness out of his voice. "I do hope that--"

"Commander Kalus!" His herald called from outside the tent. "King Tyso summons you."

The commander took a deep breath, then looked at his first wife. "I shall return soon. Since you are with child, we shall not couple tonight unless you wish it."

She bit her lip, then slowly shook her head.

"Very well, I shall return soon."

"Might I have a kiss before you leave husband?" Lyra asked stepping forward.

He gave her a quick kiss and then departed the tent, inwardly cursing the king for this interruption among many, many other things.

"He summoned you after the others Commander, likely to make you late." His herald whispered urgently as soon as he had exited the tent.

"Thank you Kyselius." He patted the man on the shoulder, then double-timed it to the king's tent.

The commanders were usually encamped around the king to give him greater protection, but the forest road didn't allow for that. Instead, two commanders were in front of him and two -- Kalus included -- were behind, though Kalus's legion wasn't the rearguard. The king's tent was pitched in the middle of Marcelus's legion, which was in the center of the five legions

"You called my king?" Kalus said after he'd entered the tent.

The other four commanders of the army were already there, and it looked like they had been there for some time.

"Glad you finally decided to join us." King Tyso said with an edge in his voice.

Kalus gave a respectful head bow, but otherwise didn't reply.

King Tyso eyed him. "There's a lot of commotion coming from your camp Kalus; what's going on?"

"My king?"

"No drilling and half your men standing watch." The king replied impatiently. "What are you up to?"

"I have concerns about ambushes my king." Kalus replied. "I have one man from each squad on watch, and the rest sleeping in their armor. I was just about to don my own when you summoned me."

"Ambushes?" The king laughed. "We are eighteen thousand strong to their, what? Two thousand?"

"My scoutmaster reports at least four thousand, likely more and they were last seen near this forest." Kalus replied.

"Two thousand Kalus." King Tyso corrected. "There's two thousand enemy troops and we're ten times their size; there's no way they would dare to attack us. And if they had a death wish and decided to attack, good; we'll slaughter them wholesale."

"Yes my king." He acquiesced, making sure not to let his displeasure at the idiocy of the idea show. History was replete with records of smaller forces destroying much larger forces by catching them unawares.

The king looked at him sternly. "You will tell your men that they can get some sleep and don't need to sleep in their armor. There's also no need to set more than the standard watch."

"Yes my king." Kalus gave a head bow, noting the specific wording.

Tyso hadn't actually ordered him to tell his men to take their armor off or remove the watches, just that they didn't need them. He knew his men well enough to know that if they were given the option, they would follow his lead instead of the king's in matters of combat. He might face the king's wrath in the morning if they weren't attacked, but that was better than having hundreds or thousands of dead men in the morning if they were ambushed.

"Oh and Kalus." The king added. "One more thing."

* * *

"You're not happy?" Lyra asked Katia after Kalus had left, not fully understanding her fellow wife's position on the matter.

"I don't know what I am." The former handmaiden sighed, flopping down on the bed.

Lyra sat down next to her. "Well, I saw a smile. Let's start there; what makes you happy about this?"

The amber-haired girl looked at her as the smile returned. "I'm carrying a child; I'm going to be a mother."

"Then what makes you sad?"

Katia looked down, pulled her knees up, and wrapped her arms around them. "Kalus is my husband, but he's also the enemy. He's leading -- well, helping to lead -- the army that's invading my country. And my baby will be--" She stopped short.

"...will be?" Lyra prompted.

"I... I can't say." The former handmaiden finished.

"Why?"

"Because... um, I just can't." She rocked back and forth a bit. She clearly very bothered by something, though Lyra had no idea what.

"Okay, well I won't push then." The horsewoman said gently. "But if you ever do want to talk, I'm always here for you."

"Thank you." Katia gave her a pained half-smile.

Kalus returned to the tent not long afterwards. His fist was clenched and his jaw was set. He looked like a coiled spring and his breathing was much heavier than normal.

Katia shrunk back a bit when he entered.

At this, he took several deep breaths and slowly unclenched his fist. "I am sorry Katia, Lyra." He looked at each in turn. "I am not angry with you, but with..." He glanced in the direction of the king's tent. "...with someone else. I apologize if you bore the brunt of my frustrations.

"Don't worry husband." Lyra said standing to greet him with a kiss.

"Katia?" He said, and while his tone was still clearly frustrated, it also had a softness to it.

She looked up at him.

"I am sorry if I startled or frightened you."

The girl nodded and tried to smile, but didn't seem able to.

"What has you so tense husband?" The horsewoman asked, partially to diffuse the tension.

"The king in his infinite wisdom has decided that the camp is so completely secure that he 'suggested' I take my wives out for a romantic stroll in the moonlight." He set his jaw. "Outside the camp."

Katia sucked in her breath.

Lyra's jaw dropped.

"Don't worry, we won't." Kalus said. "My duty to Illuminar to protect my wives trumps my king's asinine 'suggestion'. However, know that we will likely suffer greatly in the morning for disobeying him if our army isn't attacked tonight."

Katia's lip drew into a thin line. She was still sitting on the bed; she glanced down at her stomach and bit her lip.

Lyra wasn't sure what to think. Obviously Kalus was right in his decision, but she worried about what it meant for her new family. The wrong side of a king's pleasure was never a good place to be. Ever. She almost hoped that her country-- Hmm, was it her country anymore with her being married to Kalus? Anyway, she almost hoped they would lose soon so that her husband could be separated from King Tyso before the king did any real damage.

"I expect an attack tonight." Kalus said after a moment. "Thus, I need to get my armor on and prepare. Should anything happen -- anything at all -- you two will stay in this tent no matter what happens."

"Yes husband." Lyra replied.

Katia just nodded.

"Good. Hopefully they will think you are prisoners and will treat you well should we be overrun."

"She's a handmaiden to the princess." The horsewoman indicated her fellow wife. "That should help."

"True." He nodded. "Now, would one of you be willing to assist me with my armor?"

Lyra beamed.

* * *

Kalus stood outside his tent dressed in his chainmail, but he hadn't put his surcoat over it. Instead, he'd opted for a thicker cloak that was full enough to hide the chainmail if he pulled it closed. He didn't want anyone to report to the king that he was wearing armor, but he definitely didn't want to risk being caught without his armor if the enemy ambushed them. He was virtually certain sure they would.

He would if he was in their position, especially against an unwary enemy.

King Tyso's army had camped at a slight bulge in the road that looked like it was often used as a mid-forest campsite by merchants, travelers, and the like. While it was better than actually camping on the road, the army was still stretched pretty thin, making them vulnerable to attack in many places from both sides.

As he looked around, he was glad to see that every squad camp from his legion had at least one man outside the tent standing guard. They were wearing thicker cloaks like him and also had them closed like him.

He smiled.

He spent a little time walking through the camp and checking on the various parts of his army. He felt safe leaving his wives behind because of the three centurions who had volunteered to guard them. He strode among his own men, knowing they were the best in the camp because of how hard and how often he drilled them. He wasn't disappointed to discover that every one of them remained in armor with their weapons within easy reach.

He popped his head into his tent to check on his wives and saw them both asleep under the covers. They weren't exactly snuggled together, but they were close and seemed comfortable with each other. That was good; he would've hated it if his wives didn't get along.

An hour passed with no activity.

Then two.

Kyselius wandered over to him, a large-ish item wrapped in cloth under his arm.

"Your horn?" Kalus asked quietly.

"I wouldn't wish to be parted from it with an ambush imminent." His herald nodded.

"I pray to Illuminar that you won't need to use it, but I suspect you will."

"Aye." Kyselius said with a dark expression.

Twenty minutes later, Kalus felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He looked around and suddenly everything about the conditions seemed right for an ambush. This feeling persisted for some time, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening out in the darkness that he couldn't see. Oh to have a wood elf's eyes.

He had this feeling for what felt like hours, but it was certainly far less time.

Hmm.

He looked towards the sentries and noticed that one pair was missing.

"Kyselius, I think--" He began, but then they both heard it.

They heard the clash of steel on steel as someone shouted. "AMBUSH!!!"

Before a whole second had passed, Kyselius had the horn to his lips and was blowing it loudly.

The ambush had begun.

TO BE CONTINUED...

STORY TAGS (For the whole series): blonde, teen, virgin, medieval, romantic, spanking, princess, threesome, impregnation, breeding