Chapter 78: The Lesser of Two Evils?

* * *

Candice leaned against the railing and watched two of the tournament contestants fight, keenly aware that Harrison was beside her and also watching them intently. These two combatants seemed more skilled than most of them, and Harrison always kept his eyes glued to the more skilled fighters. His focus was intense, and she could tell that he could see far more than she could. Honestly, she liked watching him almost as much as she liked watching the bouts.

She wasn't sure why.

There was just something about his focus and the way he carried himself that she'd never encountered before. She realized she had a small smile on her face, then turned back to watch the contestants.

"That was because of the shield thing, right?" She asked not long after when another point had been scored. "The one who got hit didn't protect his center line with his shield?"

"Yup." Harrison replied. He wasn't looking at her because his eyes were still glued to the fight, but he seemed to be paying attention to her anyway. Well, half paying attention; the fight clearly took precedence.

The bout ended barely a minute later and Harrison took a deep breath. "He's one to watch." He nodded his head toward the winner.

"Do you think you could beat him?" Candice asked.

"Sure." He replied. There wasn't an ounce of cockiness in his tone though, it was a calm, settled confidence. His tone was that way a lot.

"Fellow Ivernians!" Duke Farbrottan said from his boxed seat. "The matches will be suspended for one hour to give us all, especially the fighters, a break for lunch."

"Come on, let's get some grub." Harrison said, then turned and headed toward the contestant's dining hall.

It was incredible.

There was more food in that one room than she had seen in her entire life. They had every kind of meat you could imagine, vegetables cooked a thousand different ways, and enough bread to feed a small army. All of it was lying on large, flat stones with coals under them, so it was all hot too. She had been too nervous at breakfast to really appreciate all of this, but now she was definitely appreciating it.

Harrison grabbed a plate and put some food on it, mostly meat. Candice loaded hers up with a little bit of everything. It all looked so good and now that she wasn't fighting butterflies in her stomach, she wanted to eat as much as she could.

For the first time in her entire life, she would be able to eat until she wanted to stop. Not when there was no more food, when she wanted to stop. She had an hour to eat as much as she could, and she was going to. She sat down and set the tip of Harrison's sword scabbard on the floor between her feet and let the rest of it lean against her shoulder as she began to eat.

It was wonderful.

For the first time in her life, she felt like she could just eat because she was hungry. She didn't need to worry about leaving enough food for her younger siblings, or undereating to make sure there would be enough food for the winter, or even worry that she was eating more than her fair share. She could just eat because she was hungry, and eat as much as she wanted.

It felt wonderful.

Luxurious.

She felt like some kind of princess living in the lap of luxury.

"You know, there's no prize for who eats the most food at lunch." Harrison said five minutes later when she'd nearly cleared her plate.

She blushed.

She should've been eating more slowly because she'd been eating like a pig and he'd noticed. She glanced at him, and he seemed more amused than anything else. Thank Illuminar.

"Um, I'm hungry." She finally said, wishing she could come up with something more clever.

"I couldn't tell." Harrison replied with a chuckle. "Didn't they feed you over there?" He nodded his head toward where the other young ladies had been housed.

"They did, but they wouldn't let us eat too much so we didn't gain weight." Candice replied.

"Go, get some more." He said after a moment, then held out his hand. "I can babysit my sword for a few minutes."

She handed him his sword, then virtually raced back to the food line to get some more food. She had a huge smile on her face as she picked out a few things she hadn't had room for on her first trip and--

"Hey!" One of the guards barked. "Whores aren't allowed in here." He stepped forward menacingly and into her space. "Get out before I decide that--"

"She's with me." Harrison said as he appeared out of nowhere.

"She's still not allowed in--" The guard stopped as Harrison stepped forward into the guard's personal space, between him and Candice.

"I said, she's with me." Harrison's voice was calm, even, measured, and even conversational. It was still the scariest thing Candice had ever heard. Something around Harrison had changed. He looked the same, but there was suddenly an element of menace in his posture and body language that hadn't been there before.

"Okay." The guard said, then he beat a hasty retreat.

That's when Candice realized that everyone was watching.

"I thought she could use a decent meal." Harrison said to the room at large, again, his tone calm and utterly relaxed. "If you think the woman sharing your bed deserves the same, I doubt our host will object, given that there's enough food here to feed an army."

Everyone was still looking at them.

"Go on, fill your plate." Harrison said to her.

She hesitated, then put a few more things onto her plate, keenly aware of all the eyes on her. Finally, she went back up to Harrison, who led her back to where they had been sitting. Suddenly, she wasn't so hungry.

"Why did you do that?" She asked a minute later when the room had gone back to normal.

"It was the right thing to do." He shrugged, then took another bite.

She nodded, picking at her food.

A few minutes later, she noticed that there were a lot more women in the room. She looked around and realized that a bunch of the contestants had apparently gone and gotten their women. Even better, Candice noticed that a lot of the ladies seemed relatively happy. Not all, but most of them. Maybe they had passed the previous night with their virginity intact as she had? Hopefully?

Candice felt a tiny smile on her face as her appetite began to return. She glanced at Harrison often, but he seemed mostly lost in thought.

* * *

*That was a bad idea.* Alana thought to the group chat after Ethan had told them what had just happened with Candice at lunch. *I'm so glad you did it, and I'm proud to be your wife because of it, but I still think it might end up being a bad idea.*

*You're probably right.* He replied, sounding pensive. *I'm a terrible undercover agent.*

*It requires a certain moral... flexibility. * Kendra said. *Not everyone can do it.*

*Could you?* Selene asked. *I mean, if you had to now?*

Alana looked at Kendra, since all of Ethan's wives were in the dining room of their Nalatia suite eating lunch. The former Aldmiri looked pensive for a moment, and Alana couldn't help but contrast Kendra now with how she had been when they had all met her. Well, after she stopped trying to kill them. Until recently, she would never have emoted so freely.

*I would struggle with it.* Kendra replied after several moments. *I won't say that I couldn't, but I think I would struggle.*

*That's progress.* Taloni thought to everyone with a bright smile on her face.

*Maybe.* Kendra replied, not looking convinced.

"I think it is." Sarah said after a moment. Beth was relaying what was being said in the group chat today, since Alana had been doing it for a while now. They'd decided to take turns until Sarah was bonded to Ethan and could join the group chat properly. Alana thought that couldn't happen soon enough.

*What can we do to help the women?* Beth asked everyone.

*I'm not sure we can.* Kendra replied.

*Why not?* Beth asked.

*Collateral damage.* Kendra replied. *Almost anything he could do would probably end up making things worse in the long term.*

*Remember what happened to Talven and Salma.* Rachel pointed out. *Yes they needed help, but us helping them ended up nearly destroying their lives. Sometimes, trying to help can hurt.*

*But there must be something we can do.* The blonde insisted, her tone and expression clearly indicating that she wasn't ready to give up.

*Like what?* Kendra asked. *He could storm where they're being held, but what good would that do? Can he take care of all of them? Without the Ivernian military providing food, they would starve. They certainly won't have the skills to all survive on their own, and there's no way Ethan can transport them all somewhere else.*

*Not to mention that they are all far from home.* Rachel added. *Candice is from Baron Martel's barony, which is probably a week's journey without a horse. How many of them come from further away? How would they return to their families?*

*But we can't do nothing!* Beth exclaimed, standing up from the table with a huff. *There must be a way we can help them.*

*I would like to, but how?* Alana asked.

Thankfully, Taloni had taken over relaying the group chat messages to Sarah since Beth had clearly forgotten in her zeal.

No one said anything for several moments.

*Anyone?* Beth asked.

*We're trying to help right now.* Alana said after a moment. *The whole reason that Ethan is there is to contact Duke Farbrottan and see if he might make a good replacement for Lord Farbrottan. That will help all of Ivernia.*

*But that doesn't mean we can't help these women now.* Beth replied, her mental tone filled with frustration. *There must be something we can do!*

*Beth, a sad fact of life is that sometimes, trying to help someone can make things worse.* Kendra stated. *Almost no matter what Ethan does to try to help these women, ultimately, it will probably make things worse for them.*

*I hate to say this, but for their families too.* Selene pointed out, her jaw clenched. *It sounds like the deal was that their families' debts would be wiped out if the women did this, is that right Boss?*

*Yeah, seems like it.* He confirmed.

*So as terrible as it is, what can we do that won't make things worse for everyone involved?* Selene sighed and her shoulders slumped. *How could we help without creating more harm than help via collateral damage?*

*But we can't just leave them there!* Beth exclaimed. *I can't even imagine what they've been through and they need help!*

*They do.* Ethan confirmed, his mental tone world-weary. *But again, what can I do?*

No one answered.

*We could pray Master.* Taloni suggested after a moment.

*Yeah, yeah we could do that.* He replied, still sounding weary.

*Well, you should at least help Candice.* Beth said firmly after several moments.

*Yup, and I plan to, but I'll have to do it carefully. I think she's developing a little crush on me and I'd rather not feed that; I have too much female attention as it is.*

*Too much you say?* Selene said, an impish note in her tone.

*Yeah, this has been a really nice break, especially from my newest wife.* Ethan teased back, then his tone grew more somber. *I would really like to help everyone, I just don't know how to help.*

*I suspect you'll at least need to help Candice.* Rachel thought to everyone. *It will be obvious that she's attached to you, and that you care for her as a person, so if you're discovered, they might threaten her to get to you.*

*Damn.* Ethan replied, and Alana could almost hear the sigh he'd be making. *I can't watch her every minute, and I can't take more than two people if I need to escape. Candice, Duke Farbrottan, and the Duke's wife make three.*

*I'll try asking The King for help again; he was in an important meeting when I tried earlier.* Alana replied. *Maybe he can send a covert team?*

*Master, I feel like Beth should go with them.* Taloni added.

*Why?* Ethan asked.

Alana looked at the Fey teen, who had her lips pursed into a thoughtful frown. *I don't know Master, but I feel like it would be a good idea.*

*It would.* Kendra added. *She can watch Candice on the Astral Plane, and even poke out the eyes of anyone who attempts to harm her.*

*I'd be happy to help.* The blonde volunteered instantly. *Even helping one person is better than doing nothing.*

*Careful.* Kendra cautioned. *Sometimes, helping one person can end up hurting many others.*

*That doesn't mean we shouldn't help.* Beth countered.

*I didn't say we shouldn't, but I would advise caution.* Kendra explained.

*These things must be done delicately, or you'll hurt the spell.* Selene said in a high-pitched, almost cackling voice, probably quoting one of those 'movie' things again.

*Run Toto! Run!* Ethan thought back in a high-pitched, almost girlish tone.

Selene started laughing. "I'll explain in a minute."

*Beth, it's good that you want to help everyone.* Kendra said, bringing the conversation back on topic. *But as Selene just said, it must be done delicately or you can sometimes cause more harm than good.* She paused, then said under her breath. "And it helps to be able to walk."

Alana looked at Kendra pointedly. "Kendra, it isn't all on you. You're recovering, and it's fine if you can help a little less until you're fully recovered."

"Agree to disagree." The former Aldmiri replied.

Selene sighed. "Well, how about Rachel and I help you try to walk again after lunch? You're getting much steadier on your feet."

"Thank you." Kendra replied.

*Ethan, I'll make sure I talk to The King or The Queen right after we finish eating.* Alana thought to everyone.

*It should take less than a day for them to get there Master.* Taloni added.

*Good.* Ethan replied. *The final match won't be until evening the day after tomorrow, so if Beth can get here before then, that would be ideal.*

*I'll do my best Dominus.*

"Um, Beth?" Sarah spoke up. "How are your wings coming?"

"They're almost done." The blonde grinned. "I would've finished a while ago, but I got distracted after the ambush and haven't worked on them for a few days."

Sarah nodded. "Okay."

Alana hurriedly finished eating and then stood to go see The Queen, or The King if she could get an audience. As she was preparing to leave, Selene and Rachel went to either side of Kendra and helped her up out of her wheelchair. It was a mark of how well she was progressing that Kendra was actually able to help them get her up. She had been working on her legs almost non-stop since the ambush, and the progress showed.

* * *

"Candice?"

She was waiting with Harrison at the railing to the tournament arena when she heard the voice. She turned to see one of the contestants standing nearby.

"Do I know you?" She asked, knowing full well that she didn't.

"No, but we have a mutual acquaintance." He glanced pointedly in the direction of a woman, the same one who had told her of the 'use your mouth' trick to tire a man so they wouldn't have to give up their virginities. The man spoke with a subtle smile. "She asked me to tell you that she didn't end up needing that trick."

Candice smiled. "I'm glad."

Harrison turned to look at the man, and Candice got the impression that he saw a lot more than she did. When he spoke, it was in a low tone that wasn't quite whispering, but was close. "Best not to mention that again, you wouldn't want to cause trouble."

The man nodded at Harrison. "I won't, I just wanted to say 'thank you' for what you said at lunch. We uh..." He got a small smile on his face. "...we got to talking last night and she's pretty incredible. It's been nice having her around me since lunch."

Harrison slowly nodded. "Glad to hear that."

"Anyway, thanks." The man smiled, then walked away toward the other woman, who smiled when he returned and they started talking. The man was clearly trying to pay attention to the fights in the arena, but he looked at her rather often.

It was cute to see.

It also put a thought in Candice's head. Suddenly, a few butterflies started fluttering around in her stomach and a nervous smile appeared on her face as her cheeks grew warm. She glanced at Harrison, wondering if it was possible.

* * *

"So, would The King be willing to send someone to help?" Alana asked The Queen, whom she'd found very quickly. They were currently in an unoccupied room in the palace which The Queen had pulled her into.

"My dear niece, what makes you think that he doesn't already have some on station?" The Queen asked with an amused smile.

"He does?"

The Queen merely smiled wider.

"Does he think of everything?" Alana asked after a moment, hardly believing it.

"Not everything." The Queen replied. "Just the important things."

Alana nodded.

"I will speak to him about transportation for Elizabeth to the area." The Queen added. "I am certain that he will approve, and she will likely depart within the hour. Though, he will assuredly require some of the Lightguard to accompany her, and will likely draft Mr. Serif as well, since Lord Borden wished him to protect Elizabeth."

"That's even better." Alana smiled.

The Queen's expression turned serious. "However, let this information not travel beyond your husband and fellow wives; it would not do for others to learn that our fair kingdom is interfering in Ivernian internal matters."

"Of course." Alana agreed.

"Excellent." The Queen smiled. "Then, there is but one thing more we should discuss, and a thing for which I had been planning to seek you out."

"Oh?"

"How would you like to visit my sister tomorrow?" The Queen asked with a wide smile.

Alana beamed.

* * *

"Oh, he lifted his shield too much, blocking his view." Candice said, realizing with a smile that she actually recognized something. She smiled even wider when she saw him nod with a proud smile.

"Yup." Harrison replied, his eyes still glued to the match.

Candice smiled; she had been paying even more attention and hanging on Harrison's every word, hoping he would appreciate her taking an interest in his profession. She wasn't sure what else to do. Normally, her father or brothers might broach the topic and be complimentary about her, but they weren't here. Of course, he would still need to ask her father, and that's assuming he was interested.

She felt her heart flutter and the butterflies in her stomach dance a little at that thought.

The match finished and Harrison looked at her. "You have something on your mind."

"Oh, is it that obvious?" She asked, then bit her lip.

"Probably not to most people, but let's just say that I have a lot of experience reading women lately." He chuckled.

She did too, though her chuckle was more nervous than anything else.

"Spit it out." He encouraged.

"Um..." She looked at the man who had talked to them at lunch, and he was smiling widely as he talked to the woman assigned to him. "They seem like they might be happy. Um, together." She bit her lip and then took a deep breath. "Um, I was thinking that... do... do you think that might happen for anyone else?"

Her heart was beating a mile a minute.

"Ah." Harrison nodded slowly. He looked pensive for several moments before speaking. "Candice, I'm in a rather unique situation. I'm actually already married, more than once, and because of my unique situation, I'm not able to have another wife; it can't happen."

"Oh." She nodded slowly, her face as calm and neutral as she could make it, even as her heart sank like a rock dropped into a pond.

"It's not an issue of interest, or your attractiveness, or anything else like that." Harrison added, and even though the next pair of contestants were beginning their bout, he hadn't looked at them. "In fact, it has nothing to do with you at all; my own situation makes it impossible." He looked her in the eye pointedly. "So don't take this as a rejection, okay?"

She nodded, but it took her a few moments to summon the courage to reply. " And um, your situation won't change?"

"No, it won't." He replied gently. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." She said so quietly that he probably didn't hear. She hoped he didn't hear.

He looked at the two contestants who had just started their bout, but he wasn't looking as intently as he usually did. After a moment, he spoke. "In lieu of that, is there anything that you would really like to do that I could help with? Some dream you have that I could maybe help you fulfill?"

Candice smiled weakly. "The most wonderful dream I could imagine would be marrying a good man who loves me, would protect me, and is wealthy enough that I would never need to worry about where my next meal would come from, or my children's next meal." She sighed slightly. "It might not be possible in Ivernia, but it would be wonderful."

"It should not only be possible, but expected." Harrison growled, though his displeasure clearly wasn't directed at her.

"Well, almost no one starves in Ivernia." Candice clarified. "Everyone takes care of each other, but occasionally skipping a meal happens."

Harrison nodded, though Candice noticed that his fist was clenched rather tightly.

They both watched the bout, but it wasn't a particularly interesting one. One fighter was clearly better than the other and toyed with him for a while before winning without taking a hit.

"Anything else?" Harrison asked. "I can't ensure you find a good and wealthy man in Ivernia, but maybe I could fulfill another dream."

"Um, I would love to see Nalatia, just once." Candice said, a smile coming unbidden to her face. "I've heard it's gorgeous, and the elves always make everything so beautiful." She looked at him. "Have you ever seen it?"

"I have, and it is beautiful." He replied, paused for several moments, then added. "I'm actually headed there after the tournament."

"Really?!" Candice asked, barely remembering to keep her voice at a normal volume.

"Yup." He nodded. "You could tag along if you want, though, it might be a long time until I could get you back to your family."

"Oh." Candice felt her heart simultaneously rise and sink. "I... I would love to go, but I would need to let my family know so they wouldn't worry. If I couldn't do that, then... then I couldn't go." She tried not to let her heart completely sink.

"Well, maybe we could make a short detour first." Harrison said with a smile. "Hell, if you're looking for a fellow who would protect you, I might know a guy. A really good one, though he's from Narlotten. He'll be traveling with me for a while soon and I could introduce you. You never know, you might end up liking each other."

"I love Ivernia, but I would rather raise a family in Narlotten." Candice replied with a sad sigh. "I would hate to leave my homeland, but I would hate for my children to worry about their next meal more."

"That's called being a good mother." He looked at her pointedly with a smile as the next two contestants entered the arena for their bout.

"Thank you." She smiled, but her heart didn't flutter. "Um, and thank you for being so kind, with what I said earlier. I really appreciate it."

He smiled again. "Kind should be the default. Too many people have had their hearts stomped on before they find real love; I don't want to add to that number."

She nodded. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome." He replied.

They watched the next bout in silence as she thought about what he had said, and how kind he had been. She would love to meet another man like him.

"Um, this man you know, the good one from Narlotten, is he serious about Illuminar?"

Harrison cocked his head to one side, paused for a moment, then spoke. "I think he is. My betrothed knows him a little and says he is. Why?"

"Well, before we met, I asked Illuminar that I wouldn't be picked so I could remain a virgin." She whispered. "He decided to do even better. I think maybe I should pay more attention to Illuminar, I'm just not sure how to."

Harrison smiled. "Don't worry, I know a few people who are as serious as a luminar, or even more so. I'll introduce you."

"Thank you." Candice smiled. For as terrible as the situation had seemed the previous morning, she was quite happy with how things were turning out.

* * *

Beth watched the palace slowly get smaller as the airship she was on rose into the skies above Nalatia. Below, all her fellow wives were there waving goodbye, and she waved back, her heart falling slightly that she wouldn't be able to sleep next to them for several nights. It was strange, but way back when she'd first married Ethan, she hated the idea of sharing him. Now, she wouldn't trade the sisterhood with his other wives for anything in the world.

She sighed as the airship's sails were deployed, caught the wind, and the ship's motion put some trees between her and her fellow wives. Her shoulders slumped a little and she sighed again.

"Trouble, Mrs. Ejder?" The captain of the Lightguard, Halasses Hamellion, said from nearby. Of course, on an airship this small, almost everything was nearby.

The airship was about twice the size of Kendra's canoe-sized airship and the only other person aboard besides herself and the Lightguard captain was Serif. Oddly, Beth noticed a certain similarity of mannerism between Serif and the Lightguard captain, and Kendra had a bit of the same mannerisms as well.

"I'm not used to being called that." She replied. "I've only been a 'Mrs. Ejder' for a few months and it still feels weird. I love having Ethan's last name, but it still sounds strange to me."

"Many newlywed women encounter the same." He replied. "It will pass with time. However, I do not believe that is what troubles you."

"It's being away from my family." She replied, her shoulders slumping more.

"It is a great blessing to have a family that you miss so greatly." He replied.

"Huh." Beth cocked her head to one side. "I never thought about it like that."

"For many things in life, though not all, there are both positives and negatives you could focus on." He said. "A constant focus on the negative can rob you of the joys of the positive. It would benefit you greatly to learn that lesson long before I did, for in not learning it, I robbed myself of much joy and inflicted much unneeded misery on myself."

"You sound like my dad." Beth chuckled. "Did your kids ignore that lesson from you the way I did from my dad?"

"I do not have any, for I never married." He replied, then smiled faintly. "Unless you consider my career; I have been a most devoted husband to that fickle bride."

Beth laughed. "Military?"

"Initially."

"Oh? What about after?" She asked.

"Similar profession, but with fewer rules." He replied.

"Huh?"

"I am on this mission because of my very particular set of skills, not because I am the captain of the Lightguard." He hinted.

Beth frowned, then considered how much his mannerisms resembled Serif and Kendra. "Oh, okay."

He nodded, then looked forward to the horizon.

Beth sighed again, then decided that since she had some time, she should really finish working on her wings. She thought she could finish them before they arrived, and decided that was probably the best use of her time.

* * *

Candice traded swords with Harrison as he prepared to enter the arena after the previous bout had finished. She clutched his sheathed sharp sword to herself as he hefted the blunt version.

"Be careful." Candice urged.

"I always am." He replied, then shrugged. "Well, mostly." He winked.

She chuckled, but more from nervousness than anything else. His previous two fights had been relatively easy against weak opponents, and even she could tell they were weak before the fighting started. His opponent for this bout didn't look weak. He was about Harrison's size, well-built, and had everything that he had said to watch out for in a good fighter.

The two fighters entered the arena and closed on each other. They were both using a sword and shield, though Harrison's sword was longer.

"Begin!" The referee said.

The other man charged. He closed the distance to Harrison faster than Candice would've thought possible, using his largish shield to hide behind. He got right up close and personal too, charging right into Harrison's space.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed movement in the nobles' boxes. Someone walked up to Duke Farbrottan and spoke into his ear, then pointed to various places around the area; perhaps where the women were? He then pointed to the two fighters in the arena, or maybe just one of them?

Hmm.

"Two points!" The referee called, then pointed to Harrison's opponent.

She had missed what happened, but apparently Harrison had taken a torso hit. Two more torso hits and he would be eliminated. She grimaced and lowered one hand to the silver coin in her pocket. If he lasted all three days, plus the large melee on the final day, she could have four whole silver coins; one for each day.

"Illuminar, if you're up there, please let him last until the final day." She whispered.

Harrison and his opponent stepped apart for the three seconds required by the rules, then readied their weapons and slowly closed again. Harrison seemed to adopt a different tactic, as he was holding his shield out further than normal.

As before, the other man charged in. He didn't seem reckless though. Candice didn't know a lot about fighting, but from what Harrison had described to her, he looked like he was very good. She bit her lip, hoping he wasn't better than Harrison.

They fought in close quarters for a moment before Harrison managed to land a leg strike, though it looked like a close thing.

"One point." The referee pointed to Harrison.

As they parted, she noticed movement up in the nobles' box. Duke Farbrottan was leaning forward in his seat and staring intently at the match. After a moment, he raised his hand and moved it in front of his face, like he was trying to brush something out of his vision. He was too far away for Candice to see his expression, but his posture changed significantly. He leaned back in his chair and brought his hands together; maybe steepling them? It was hard to see from this distance.

"One point!" The referee called loudly, then pointed to Harrison's opponent.

It was Harrison one, his opponent three.

Candice grimaced.

This match was turning out to be like his other match, the one where the crowd had had their eyes glued to the close contest. Looking around, it seemed like it would be the same this time too. Many of them had risen to their feet, which of course had caused many more to stand up so their vision wasn't obstructed.

Harrison and his opponent closed, but this time the other fellow didn't rush in. They circled each other for several long seconds, occasionally testing with a jab or a quick cut, but nothing serious or committed.

Finally, Harrison made his move. He stepped in with a wide downwards cut that had been telegraphed from a mile away. His opponent parried it with a hanging block to deflect the blade, and it worked; Harrison's blade was knocked very far off the center line.

She grimaced.

His opponent counterattacked with a downward strike of his own, which Harrison blocked with his shield as he spun his wrist. Harrison was still recovering from the parry, but because his blade was so long, and because he had rotated his wrist to whip the tip around, the tip of his blade was in position to attack. It was almost like how a scorpion's stinger looked like it was attacking from behind.

Harrison had angled his shield block so that his opponent's arm was exposed, and his 'scorpion strike' landed on his opponent's forearm.

"One point." The referee pointed to Harrison.

The crowd went wild.

There were cheers, hollering, and whooping. Candice released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Still, it was Harrison two, his opponent three.

The fighters closed again, Harrison's opponent seeming more wary now than before. After about ten seconds, the opponent charged again, putting Harrison on the defensive. They exchanged a flurry of back-and-forth blows that Candice couldn't make sense of until finally, they parted.

"One point." The referee pointed to Harrison's opponent.

The crowd seemed to groan as one, and a bunch of the people booed.

"It was a double hit!" One of the men in the stands shouted, and he was joined by several others shouting similar things.

The two fighters separated as the other three referees all came up to the head referee, the one who announced the strikes. They talked amongst themselves for ten or fifteen seconds, then the other three went back to their positions, spaced around the fighters so the fight could be seen from multiple angles.

"After review, the call stands; one point." The referee pointed to Harrison's opponent, making the score Harrison two, his opponent four.

The crowd booed loudly.

Several of the men in the stands shouted insults at the referee, who completely ignored them. Candice couldn't help but smile, even though it had cost Harrison a point; some things never change, like spectators never being happy with the referees' calls.

Harrison shrugged, raised his weapon and shield, then closed on his opponent, who had done the same. They circled each other for several seconds before Harrison attacked. He punched out with his shield, knocking the other man's shield slightly off the centerline and then followed that with a quick thrust. His opponent barely parried it. Then Harrison dropped his shield and grabbed the other man's shield, twisting it out of the way and using his superior leverage to force an opening.

"Two points." The referee called, then pointed to Harrison, making the score tied at four each.

The crowd cheered.

Listening to the murmuring around her, it seemed like what Harrison had done was an incredibly risky move. It had looked like it to her, but she wasn't sure and decided to ask him after the match was over. He reached down to scoop up his shield, then stepped back until the requisite three seconds had passed. His opponent gave him a nod of respect, then raised his own sword and shield for the next round.

She glanced at the box with the nobles and saw that only one of them was truly paying attention: Duke Farbrottan. He was leaning forward and it looked like he was watching the match intently, but he was far enough away that she wasn't sure.

"One point." The referee called, then pointed to Harrison, making the score Harrison five, his opponent four.

Again, the crowd cheered.

Dang, she had missed it. That must've been fast.

She clutched Harrison's sheathed sword tighter to her chest and whispered a prayer under her breath that Harrison would win.

The two fighters closed again, and again, Candice noticed that Harrison was coming dangerously close to crossing his legs, which he had said you should never do in a fight. She frowned slightly; was he doing that on purpose? It seemed like he was doing that on purpose, but why?

Surprisingly, even with his less-than-ideal footwork, he didn't take a hit during the next few exchanges. He and his opponent went back and forth using their shields extensively and swords cautiously. Finally, after a long flurry of blows, both stepped back.

"No points." The referee called.

The crowd collectively groaned.

Candice looked around to see that almost everyone was invested in this fight, far more than any of the other fights. It didn't even seem like that was because of Harrison's prior close match, though that probably had something to do with it. No, it seemed like more than that. Likewise, at least Duke Farbrottan seemed very interested. It seemed like there was just something about Harrison that had caught the crowd's attention. She wasn't sure what or why.

The next exchange was over so fast that Candice didn't see what had happened. They had closed and their swords had crossed once, but then Harrison's opponent had blocked her view so she didn't see what had happened.

"Two points." The referee pointed to Harrison, who had just won the match.

The crowd cheered.

Harrison nodded respectfully to his opponent, who did the same, and then he waved once at the crowd, and the cheers seemed to get louder. They persisted until he had left the arena, at which point the crowd's loud cheering morphed into the dull roar of a large crowd talking all at the same time. She wasn't sure, but she guessed it was about Harrison and the match.

"That was close." She said when he had returned to the spot from which they had been watching the whole time.

He shrugged. "He was good."

"I hope the rest of your matches aren't so close." She said, thinking about the silver in her pocket.

"Eh, what fun would that be?" He replied, and she couldn't tell if he was teasing or not.

* * *

"Alana darling."

The wood elf turned to see The Queen arriving at one of the gazeboes scattered around the palace grounds. Alana, her fellow wives, and Thea were all waiting for her so they could have afternoon tea. Of course The Queen had several handmaidens with her, and Alana couldn't help but smile because her aunt had addressed her by name. It really was wonderful.

She stood to hug The Queen and then sat back down at the table.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to afternoon tea my dears." The Queen said as she sat down. She was incredibly graceful, refined, and elegant in everything she did, not to mention beautiful. With the possible exception of the '6th day of the 6th month' club, she was one of the most beautiful women Alana had ever seen. That was considered only proper in the wood elven culture, as The King was supposed to have the best wife possible for the good of the realm.

"Thank you for inviting us." Rachel replied, beating Alana to the punch.

"It was my pleasure." The Queen replied, then looked at Sarah. "Sarah dear, as you asked, I have dispatched emissaries so your artistic friend, Amy, might join you for the wedding." The Queen said as the servers arrived with light snacks.

"Oh, thank you." Sarah beamed. "I would hate for Amy to miss my wedding."

"She shan't my dear." The Queen promised. "And I also sent an elven blacksmith to ensure her husband shan't lose work, reputation, or coin for the trip."

"You really do think of everything, don't you?" Selene said, then bit into one of the tiny toasted sourdough bread pieces laden with garden vegetables and spices. Almost instantly, her face lit up. *Holy shit, this is good!* She thought to everyone.

*Language.* Rachel chided gently, took a bite, then thought to the group chat. *No, Selene's language was called for.*

Alana chuckled as she took a bite, and a dozen different perfectly blended flavors popped against her tongue. She nearly sighed in delight, and spoke when she had finished chewing. "This is truly wonderful."

All her fellow wives and Thea nodded in agreement.

"Um, could I visit the royal kitchens once?" Sarah asked The Queen, then added hastily. "I promise I won't get in the way."

"My dear, you're the wife of the prophet and sharing a wedding with my daughter." The Queen paused. "Okay, technically I suppose that I should say 'ward', but really, my daughter."

Thea beamed.

"If you like, you may spend the whole day tomorrow with the chef as he prepares the food." The Queen finished.

"Really?!" Sarah nearly jumped out of her chair, which drew amused looks and a few chuckles from those around the table.

"Of course." The Queen replied. "If you like, I can even instruct him to teach you as much as he can while you are in our fair city."

"I would love that!" Sarah's eyes went wide as her mouth fell open. "Thank you so much!"

"You are welcome." The Queen seemed both pleased with herself and highly amused. "I do love to dote on my nieces."

Alana smiled. Since the wood elves held family in such high importance, even nieces by marriage -- like Alana's fellow wives -- could be called nieces and that was normal here.

She liked that.

She liked it a lot.

"Now, Alana darling." The Queen turned to her. "I have negotiated with your grandparents and obtained permission for us to visit my sister tomorrow at high tea, if you still wish to."

"I would love to." Alana replied, not even trying to keep the longing out of her voice. She had only met her mother once and could hardly wait to see her again.

"I thought as much." The Queen smiled. "I also called in a personal favor from both of them and, if you wish, you might bring one other with you."

"I can?" Alana's mouth fell open.

"You can." The Queen confirmed. "Now, I suppose you must do the difficult work of deciding." She looked at Rachel. "Whomever will you bring?"

Alana's cheeks got slightly warm, and a tiny tinge of pink appeared on the redhead's fair cheeks as well.

"That's what I thought." The Queen smiled, and suddenly, Alana got an idea of what she looked like when she so often gave Ethan an impish grin.

* * *

Candice had a smile on her face after dinner as she followed Harrison back to their little room. He had done well all day and hadn't been eliminated, which meant there was another silver coin coming to her tomorrow. She couldn't stop smiling about that. He had won the rest of his matches pretty easily, though he had gone easy on his weaker opponents, which the crowd seemed to appreciate. Candice did too. He seemed like a genuinely kind man, which seemed odd given that he was a mercenary of some kind.

Dinner had been nice as well.

There had been a slight shortage of seats because many of the fighters had brought their women with them for dinner. Upon seeing this, Harrison had eaten standing up to make room for the ladies. Candice really appreciated that too.

"That's quite the smile." He said as they approached their little room.

"It was quite the day." She replied, remembering to keep the flirtatious tone out of her voice. She would've liked to flirt and hopefully even hear him reciprocate, but he didn't seem interested and had already said that he wasn't available.

"Yeah, it was." He opened the door to their little room as she looked down, thinking that--

"Oof!" Harrison's arm shot out protectively in front of her and she walked into it.

It hurt.

A lot.

She wheezed slightly, then looked up to see that there was a man in their little room. The man wasn't very tall, but he was wearing a traveler's cloak with the hood up.

"I mean you no harm, I merely wish to talk." The man said, raising both his hands, palms open and facing them. "Draw your sword for your peace of mind if you wish, but please enter quickly so you don't attract attention and its concordant suspicion."

Harrison looked at the man for a moment, then put his hand on his sword hilt and stepped into the small room. Candice slipped in behind him and closed the door behind her. If Harrison thought it was safe enough to enter, she trusted him on that.

"Thank you..." The man looked at Harrison pointedly. "...Ethan."

Harrison drew his sword faster than Candice would've thought possible. He had looked practiced when he'd been in the arena, but not like this. He moved with a feline grace and speed that was downright frightening.

She gasped.

"Stay behind me." Harrison said, looking at the man but obviously talking to her.

"Okay." She managed to get out.

"How do you know my name?" Harrison asked the hooded man.

The man reached up and lowered his hood, moving slowly, carefully, and deliberately with no sudden movements. "When I was fourteen, I had a long conversation with a woman who traveled about the barony selling soap."

"Soap?" Harrison asked, his tone skeptical.

The other man nodded. "We talked about two things, the other of which I expect we will discuss shortly, but the important one for now was that she suggested that since Ivernian politics were so cutthroat, that I spend significant time learning to see through disguise enchantments. Yours is of higher quality than any I have yet seen, but of course, none is perfect."

Candice looked at Harrison. He couldn't be using a... could he?

"I see you haven't learned that skill." The other man said. "I would advise that you invest significant effort into learning; it has been invaluable for me."

"So you're using one?" Harrison asked. It was incredible how his sword barely wavered, even at the tip.

"I shall deactivate it, but I ask that you let me explain before you decide whether to run me through or not." The man said.

"Fair enough." Harrison nodded.

"Then I shall deactivate it." The man said. A moment later, his face suddenly changed shape and his new face was--

Candice gasped.

Her mouth fell open.

"Duke Farbrottan." Harrison said with a tone that was both thoughtful and... and something else she couldn't quite place. He looked at the duke for a moment and then lowered his sword without returning it to its scabbard.

She realized that her mouth was hanging open and closed it, then she just stared. How was Duke Farbrottan here? Why was he here, especially talking to a mercenary? Unless...

She looked at Harrison.

Was he really using a magical disguise too?

"You might wish to shed your disguise, or else send the girl away, for we will not be able to talk plainly until one or the other happens." Duke Farbrottan suggested.

Candice moved closer to Harrison and partially hid behind him before she'd realized she'd done it.

"I would not suggest sending her away, provided you can trust her." The duke added after she had moved. "Can you?"

"Well enough." Harrison shrugged.

"Young lady, please do not scream when he reveals himself; fainting would be preferable." The duke said, though his tone was... odd. What he said was even more odd.

Faint?

Why would she faint?

"Candice, I'm wearing a disguise gem." Harrison said after a moment. "My real name is Ethan Ejder, and I'm not human."

She stared.

He couldn't be...

No.

No, that wasn't...

But then, he had been so nice to her... and he had been so intimidating, and he fought so well, and he was so good, and... and...

She gasped.

For a second time, her mouth fell open.

"Don't scream, I'm going to turn off my disguise gem." Harrison said. Over the next second, the man she'd spent the last 24 hours with faded away into a steel gray dragon wearing white dragon-leather armor.

She froze.

She was very nearly hiding behind a dragon. And not just a dragon; it was the dragon, the prophet of Illuminar. She had spent the entire day with the Prophet of Illuminar? How was that even possible? How could...? Why would Illuminar send him to her? Her of all people, who really didn't even follow Illuminar at all.

"Do not forget to breathe." Duke Farbrottan said.

It took Candice a moment to realize that he was talking to her, and that she was starting to feel lightheaded. A moment later, Harrison-- No, the Prophet wrapped one of his wings around her to steady her on her feet since he was still holding his sword.

"Deep breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth." Harrison-- the Prophet said.

She listened and a few breaths later, the room stopped spinning so much.

"While she recovers, I guess that you have undertaken this charade to either assassinate my brother, or else to meet me." Duke Farbrottan said. Again, his tone sounded... odd. "Since he is still alive, I will assume the latter. I have suspicions, but please, do tell."

"Why do you think I'm here?" The dragon -- the dragon! -- asked.

"The rumor is that you have developed a fondness for Ivernia." Duke Farbrottan replied. "If you would make it your home and remove the bounty from your head, and the heads of your wives, you would need to kill my brother and his sons. If you wish to do that without throwing Ivernia into chaos and without involving the Emperor, you will need a legitimate successor to the throne."

The Duke's tone was... odd.

Very odd.

Something about his tone was definitely lacking something. 'Cold' wasn't the right word though, nor was warm, his voice just was. It didn't lack emotion, but it was dispassionate. It didn't sound like he harbored any malice against his brother or nephews, but neither also did the idea of them dying seem to affect him much, if at all.

The Prophet -- the Prophet! -- frowned. "Yeah... not quite. You're not completely wrong, but you definitely aren't right either."

The Duke shrugged, seeming completely unbothered. "Then do please explain."

* * *

Ethan scrutinized Duke Farbrottan, keenly aware that Candice was behind him. He didn't think she was in any danger, or at least, not from the Duke. The man had seen through his disguise gem, so he could've brought every Ivernian soldier in the area if he had wanted to. If he had told his brother, Lord Farbrottan would've insisted on it. Thus, it seemed unlikely that he was here to hurt him.

His tone though...

Ethan frowned.

It wasn't just the man's tone, it was everything about him. The way he stood was a little too stiff, and yet he seemed perfectly at ease. Something about him just seemed off. Not necessarily bad, just off. Perhaps 'strange' was a better word.

"Your brother is oppressing the people of Ivernia something terrible." Ethan explained after a moment. "That's most of the reason. Yes, I'd like to get the bounty off of myself and especially my wives, so that's a small part, but my desire to live in Ivernia has nothing to do with me wanting to deal with him."

"Ah, true altruism." Duke Farbrottan replied. Ethan would've expected a normal person to nod, or make some kind of expression, or react in almost any way. The Duke didn't. "I have never understood altruism, and thus have the hardest time predicting when that is someone's motive. Thankfully for my predictive ability, true altruism is rather rare."

Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly. "You've never once done something altruistically?"

"No." The Duke replied. "I brought my mother flowers once in my youth, but that was because I wanted to see her smile. I was trying to understand why she smiled."

Ethan raised his eyebrow and repeated the duke's words slowly. "Trying to understand why she smiled?"

"Her, or anyone really." Duke Farbrottan replied. "It took many years for me to realize that I am different than others, though I have become quite adept at appearing like others. I believe that even on the best day of my life in the midst of my greatest triumph, I have never experienced as much joy as my mother felt from getting those flowers."

Ethan frowned.

That sounded rather a lot like psychopathy, but maybe not full psychopathy. Not sociopathy, since sociopaths tend to be erratic, chaotic, and reckless. By contrast, true psychopaths feel no genuine emotion at all and tend to be cold and calculating in their motivations, even if they become adept at mimicking emotions to blend in. He didn't seem fully emotionless, but was at least partially there.

"So you feel some emotion, but not much." Ethan mused.

"That is a reasonable summary." Duke Farbrottan confirmed. "I have likely felt every emotion everyone else has, but they are muted in force."

Ethan arranged a thoughtful expression on his face to buy time to talk to his wives. *Selene, you took a little psychology, right?*

*Yup, what's up Boss?*

*Can psychopathy exist on a spectrum?* He asked.

*Yup.* She replied. *If I recall correctly, a lot of the most successful surgeons actually have slightly psychopathic traits because they focus better in high-pressure, high-stress situations, meaning they're more successful. They tend to be attracted to power no matter where on the spectrum they sit though.* She paused. *Why?*

*Because Duke Farbrottan just told me that he feels emotions much less strongly than other people.* Ethan replied. *But I should get back to the conversation.*

*He's a psychopath? Holy shit!* Selene replied. *Okay, I'll be quiet while I explain what a psychopath is to everyone.*

Ethan made a thoughtful sound.

He glanced behind him to see a slightly stunned-looking Candice. "You okay?"

She nodded mutely.

He looked back at Duke Farbrottan, trying to remember what Falkaan had told everyone during the briefing the day after Selene's wedding. Apparently, Duke Farbrottan wanted the throne quite badly, which fit with what little Ethan knew about psychopaths; they always seemed to seek power. But Falkaan had also said that Duke Farbrottan felt that a happy populace was the best way to secure power.

Further, he was committed enough to power that he was resistant to bribes that went against the people's best interest. If Duke Farbrottan was indeed on the spectrum of psychopathy -- even if he wasn't a full one -- then Ivernia seemed like it got a pretty raw deal, no matter who would rule it.

"So, here's an obvious question: how could I trust that you'll do the right thing for Ivernia?" Ethan asked after a moment.

"I doubt anything I could say would convince you." Duke Farbrottan replied, his tone emotionless but not flat or monotone. "However, again, I had a very interesting conversation in my youth with that young woman who sold soap."

"Soap?" Ethan asked to confirm that he'd heard correctly. Sarah had been told by a monk near her father's inn that Gabriella had sold soap, but they hadn't included that detail when they had recounted their story to Prince George.

"Yes, soap." Duke Farbrottan nodded. "She broached the topic of good rulership and pointed something out that I have never forgotten these long decades later: a man who rules with the approval of the people is far more powerful than a man who rules with the resentment of the people. The former is secure against all rebellion, the latter must always fear rebellion."

"Fair enough." Ethan inclined his head in concession.

"Until that conversation, I had planned to stage my brother's 'accidental' death and rule that way." The Duke said with no more emotion than a man might have when talking about going outside to collect the paper. "However, this woman selling soap gave me a different perspective. She argued that if Illuminar did indeed exist, then one day, I would be held responsible for all of my actions. If they were wicked, grave punishment awaited; but if they were righteous, great reward awaited."

"Right." Ethan nodded, guessing where he was going with this.

"I do not care for the people of Ivernia; I care about power." Duke Farbrottan continued. "However, I am convinced that the best way to gain and maintain power is through doing what is best for the people. Likewise, I care not about morality, but I do care to avoid the punishment that Illuminar might inflict, and to attain the reward He might give."

"That's an interesting thing to admit." Ethan pointed out. "Why are you being so forthcoming?"

"Because you are reputed to be a prophet of Illuminar." The Duke replied. "It is unwise to attempt to deceive someone whose immediate superior is all-knowing." From anyone else, it probably would've been said tongue-in-cheek, but the Duke appeared to have no feelings on the matter at all. And unlike Kendra, Lord Delmar, and Tabitha, it seemed like he actually didn't have any feelings on the matter, not that he had them and was concealing them.

"Fair." Ethan chuckled, then mused after a moment. "You're an odd duck."

"I am." He replied, then all of a sudden, his body language changed and he seemed entirely normal. He had a smile on his face that Ethan would never have been able to tell wasn't genuine. "I can blend in if I wish, but this is merely a disguise like a disguise gem. Though, it is far more effective because it does not rely on magic."

Candice gasped.

"I have a wife who can do that." Ethan said to Duke Farbrottan with a shrug. Though, even Kendra wasn't that good.

Ethan looked at Candice, who was half-standing, half-leaning against the wall next to the door right behind him, staring wide-eyed at Duke Farbrottan.

"Candice, I believe?" The Duke said, dropping the 'normal' act.

She nodded mutely.

He looked at Ethan. "This is how I prefer to solve problems." He looked at Candice. "If you will promise to keep silent concerning what you have seen and heard here this night, then I will personally ensure that your family's debt is entirely paid off, and that they are provided with a tract of land here in my duchy that is double the size of whatever tract they previously farmed."

Candice's eyes went wide. "R-really?"

The Duke nodded. "If you will not remain silent, I'm afraid that I will have to take..." He paused, probably for effect. "...other actions that neither you nor your family will enjoy. So please, choose the pleasant path and do not reveal what you have heard here tonight.

Candice nodded vigorously. "I promise I won't say anything."

Duke Farbrottan looked at Ethan. "That is my preferred method of handling such things; the promise of rewards for good behavior, and consequences for ill behavior."

"I think the threats were uncalled for." Ethan replied coolly.

"Perhaps." Duke Farbrottan replied, again, his tone completely devoid of emotion, empathy, or feeling. "But I have found that the most effective strategy is to combine both elements."

"And threatening an innocent woman doesn't bother you?" Ethan asked a moment later.

"No." Duke Farbrottan replied.

"And you think I should trust you with the leadership of Ivernia when you can't feel guilt?"

"The ability to feel guilt is no indicator that a man will rule well." Duke Farbrottan replied. "My brother feels guilt like any other man, which should suffice to prove the point, but many other rulers across history have been able to feel guilt and yet became tyrants."

Ethan frowned, but inclined his head in concession anyway.

"Further, I am not deficient because of my muted emotions, I am superior." The Duke added. "I cannot be swayed by emotional appeals, lose control of a temper I do not possess, nor fall prey to the wiles of seductive women. I cannot fall prey to visions of glory in battle or grand schemes with no hope of success. I look at everything dispassionately. I make decisions dispassionately. And I will not allow emotions to sway me from choosing what is best for Ivernian citizens. That is what qualifies me to lead Ivernia."

The thing that stuck out to Ethan most about that speech was the second-to-last word. He had said 'lead Ivernia', not 'rule Ivernia'.

"If that does not convince you, you need merely examine my record." Duke Farbrottan added dispassionately. "The citizens of my duchy are the happiest in Ivernia, without exception."

Ethan nodded his head in concession; he'd heard that from several people he trusted.

"I have made my case." The Duke said after a moment. "I will await your decision, but do not approach me, lest my brother should hear of it and send us both to warm the earth."

Ethan assumed that 'warm the earth' was an idiom that meant kill and bury... or maybe bury alive? "Do you have an escape plan if that happens?" He asked.

"I do."

"How about your wife?"

"She is loyal to my brother; she can be left behind." The Duke replied.

Ethan raised his eyebrow.

"The marriage was not my choice, but the result of clever political pressure from my father before he died, and my older brother. She has no more affection for me than I for her."

"That's quite the statement, given what you just told me." Ethan pointed out.

"It is." The Duke agreed, again dispassionately. It was honestly a little unnerving. "She will likely pose a security risk and attempt to inform my brother of my whereabouts. She might even attempt to eliminate me, and could even pose a danger to those I travel with."

"Oof." Ethan winced in both sympathy and concern for his own wives. "Okay, she stays."

"I will, of course, take another wife should I become the lord in order to produce an heir. It would need to be a young woman of childbearing age who knew of my uniqueness, because I do not believe that even I could keep that a secret indefinitely with a good wife." He looked at Candice. "Perhaps you would be willing?"

Candice blanched, then shook her head vigorously.

Ethan had to resist the urge to laugh.

"Very well." Duke Farbrottan said, seemingly no more affected by Candice's vehement rejection than an airship would be if a sailor blew at the sails. He looked at Ethan. "I shall call again when it is prudent to do so."

Ethan moved away from the door, his sword still in his hand. There wasn't a lot of space in the small room, but there was enough that he could keep himself between the Duke and Candice, since the latter seemed still half-frozen in shock. The Duke left, closing the door behind him.

Only then did Ethan sheath his sword.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Wow.

He looked at Candice. "Are you okay?"

She nodded mutely, her eyes still wide and her face a little pale.

"Are you sure?" He asked, resisting the urge to chuckle. He supposed that not everyone was used to this kind of thing the way he and his wives were.

She nodded slowly, then put her hand over her heart; she was breathing rather heavily. "I... I was just proposed to."

He did laugh at that. "That's what sticks out?"

"When a duke proposes..." She covered her mouth. "I said no." She grimaced. "I mean, he could ask my father for my hand, but I doubt my father would..." Her eyes went wide. "I turned down a duke. I shouldn't have done that. He could've made sure my family was safe, and secure, and they would've never needed to worry about food again." Her face was falling faster than a rock.

"Candice, you don't need to marry someone whose proposal made you react like that." Ethan said gently. "I'm sure there's a wonderful man out there for you that won't make you blanche when he asks."

"You think so?" She asked, and the amount of disbelieving hope on her face caught him off guard.

"Why wouldn't it be possible?" He asked.

"Well, I'm still a virgin, but there's no evidence of that, so..." She trailed off.

"I was there when you broke it." Ethan said. "And while not everyone will believe me, a lot of people will."

She nodded slowly. "Thank you... Mr. Prophet."

"Ethan is fine." He frowned. "Actually, please keep calling me 'Harrison', just to make it less likely that you'll slip up later."

"Okay." She nodded. She seemed to have calmed down a little and she was looking intently at him.

"What?"

"I asked Illuminar for help and He sent me His prophet." She said quietly, almost reverently.

"Yeah, well, He's a pretty good fellow from what I gather." He replied for want of something else to say.

She was still staring at him with something like awe.

"Really, Candice, I'm just a normal guy." He told her. "Well, a dragon, but you know what I mean. I didn't even believe that God existed six months ago. I'm just as messy as anyone else, maybe more so."

"But, but you're the Prophet." Candice replied.

"Yeah, and Illuminar straight up told me that He didn't pick me because I was special." Ethan replied. "He told me that there were thousands of other men who could've come here and done what I'm doing."

"Oh." Candice stared at him. She opened her mouth, closed it, then looked like she was going to say something, then stopped. She blinked a few times and then got a thoughtful frown on her face. "If He helps normal people, then..." She hesitated another few moments. "Um, do you think that if I was really good and served Him as best as I could, that He would take care of my family?"

Ethan resisted the urge to sigh.

Shit.

Taloni was better suited to answering this kind of question.

"Um, I don't think it works that way, bargaining with God I mean." He finally replied.

"Oh." Candice nodded slowly, her expression falling slightly as she looked at the floor. "That makes sense; I don't have anything He needs that I could bargain with."

"I will say this, kids don't have anything to bargain with when they ask their dad for something either." Ethan pointed out. "It doesn't hurt to ask."

"Okay." Candice nodded slowly, still looking down.

Ethan took a few moments to think, then added. "I'm pretty sure I need to take you with me when I leave."

"What?" Candice snapped her head toward him.

"Consider what you know, and what Lord Farbrottan might do to extract that knowledge if I left you behind."

She grimaced. "That makes sense."

"Well, the good news is I'm heading to Nalatia next." He said, remembering that she had wanted to visit an elven city.

Her expression was priceless.

* * *

*He's an actual psychopath though, even if only a partial one.* Selene thought to everyone after Ethan had summarized his conversation with Duke Farbrottan. *Maybe the fact that he's only a partial psychopath will help, and it seems like Illuminar did some prep work to ensure that he would be a good ruler, but still...*

There was a general nodding of agreement among her fellow wives, who were all with her in their suite in Nalatia, then Sarah spoke up. "Um, it seems like a bad thing if he can't feel guilt. It seems like he'd be more likely to do bad things if he doesn't feel guilty about them."

Alana relayed the message to Ethan.

*I've met many monsters who could feel guilt.* Kendra replied. *In fact, most of them could... but they were still monsters. Some of the worst were driven by their passions, and at least Duke Farbrottan won't have that problem. He might be a great ruler, he might be a terrible one, but feeling guilt is no guarantee that someone will be moral.*

*Master, if Illuminar sent Gabriella to give him a reason to be moral, I think he would be a good choice.* Tee thought to everyone, though her wings flicked occasionally.

*Honestly, I agree with all of you.* Ethan replied, and Selene could hear the weariness in his mental tone. *I think we should all think about this for a while because while it seems like he might be okay, the partial psychopath thing makes me hesitant.*

Selene nodded. *Again, I know that psychopathic traits don't always mean criminality, and yes it seems like he isn't a full one because he said he could feel muted emotions, and yes it seems like Illuminar sent Gabriella to straighten him out years in advance, and yes he has a long track record of ruling well, but I'm still uncomfortable with it."

*That's an awful lot of caveats and addendums there miss, we're naught but humble pirates.* Ethan quipped back, and Selene laughed at the movie allusion, though it wasn't a direct quote.

*Ethan is right; it is a lot of 'caveats and addendums', and together they paint a useful portrait.* Rachel pointed out. *While I agree that his lack of emotions is troubling, as Kendra pointed out, his brother has all the emotions we do and look how he rules.*

*I think we should try.* Beth added. *I know he doesn't feel guilt, but it seems like he is concerned about what Illuminar wants.*

*That's just it though, he doesn't feel concern; he calculates.* Selene replied. *That's what psychopaths do.*

*I think he could still be a good ruler.* Beth countered. *He has a good track record, and why would he change that just because he becomes lord?*

*Beth, people change when they get power sometimes.* Selene replied, then added with a chuckle. *And if you disagree, I have some oceanfront property in Nevada that you would just love.*

*Huh?*

Ethan spared Selene from replying by explaining himself.

*Selene!* Beth exclaimed, though she didn't sound upset.

*We don't need to decide anything tonight.* Alana pointed out. *It would probably be better for everyone, especially the one fighting in a tournament tomorrow, to get some sleep.*

*Good idea.* Ethan agreed.

Everyone said goodnight to Ethan, then Selene yawned. She was looking forward to sleeping in, unlike Sarah. The gifted cook was planning to get up super early to visit the kitchens to learn more about cooking. Selene loved eating her food, but didn't understand how she could get up so early all the time and still be cheerful without coffee.

* * *

Sarah yawned as she slid off the bed that Ethan's other wives were sleeping on. She almost hated to leave her future co-wives this early, but she wasn't going to miss the opportunity that The Queen had given her. She stood up, yawned again, and then half walked, half felt her way to the door because the moon had set and the sun wasn't up yet.

She managed to make it across the bedroom and out into the living area, where there was a small lamp burning dimly. On one of the couches, Thea was curled up asleep with a blanket, and there was a note facing the bedroom door on the end table next to the couch.

Sarah walked up to the note, took a breath, and then tried to read it. Thankfully, it wasn't too long and didn't use many long words. Having recently learned to read, long words still tripped her up sometimes.

"Sarah, please wake me up before you leave for the kitchens. --Thea." She read softly.

Sarah hesitated a moment, then reached down and gently shook Thea's arm. "Thea?"

The gorgeous elven woman mumbled something in her sleep.

"Thea." Sarah shook her gently again.

"S' 'oo e'rly." The elf mumbled.

"Thea." Sarah said in something of a sing-song voice as she gave her a slightly stronger shake. "Come on, you asked me to wake you up."

Finally, the elf blinked a few times, yawned, and stretched. She blinked a few more times, then looked at Sarah. "Oh, good, you got my... my..." She yawned. "My note. Can I come with you to the kitchens?"

"Of course, but why?"

"Because I just realized last night that it's only going to be Ahjah and me on the Nomad's Pride, and I don't know how to cook." The gorgeous elf grimaced. "I um, kind of always assumed I'd be married off to a wealthy noble who would have servants and cooks, so... yeah." She looked at Sarah. "So I wanted to follow you, and maybe ask questions afterward, and um..." Thea bit her lip. "...maybe ask you to teach me how to cook?"

"I would love to!" Sarah beamed, glad to have a way to repay her friend's kindness.

"Oh good." Thea sighed in relief, then yawned again. "I suppose I should go learn how to boil water." She winked.

Sarah laughed.

* * *

Candice lay awake in the pre-dawn hours thinking about what she had learned the previous night. Harrison wasn't Harrison, he was Ethan Ejder, the Prophet of Illuminar, and he was sleeping next to her in the bed. Like the previous night, the sheet was between them and she wouldn't dream of trying to seduce him at this point. How could she possibly compare to the wives he already had?

On the other hand, she couldn't deny that Illuminar existed, and she really wanted Him to help her and her family. The Prophet was probably right that the God of Light didn't work by handing out favors to those who behaved well, but she didn't think it could hurt, could it? Illuminar might look with favor on His well-behaved children, right?

"Illuminar, if you're listening, um..." She whispered as quietly as she could. "Um, if I promise to be as good as I can be, can you take care of my family? I know Duke Farbrottan mentioned paying off their debt, but there's so much that could happen, and Lord Farbrottan might go after them because of me, and I really don't want that to happen. So please, if I'm very, very good, can you keep them safe? I'll help the Prophet as much as I can, I promise."

Speaking of, he mumbled something in his sleep that she didn't catch.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, hoping that Illuminar would agree.

* * *

"I'm getting a headache."

Selene looked over at Alana from the periphery of the room, where she was helping Kendra walk around the living room of their suite. And Kendra was nearly walking. She needed help since her legs were still a little weak, but Selene was pretty sure she'd be walking normally by the end of the day, and definitely the next day if not today.

Nearby, Thor was napping on a couch after meowing much of the morning. She was pretty sure that he didn't like not being on the Argo, and Selene agreed. She appreciated The King's generosity and how safe they were, but it wasn't home; it wasn't the Argo.

"Why a headache?" Kendra asked, uncharacteristically grimacing as she almost took a bad step and Selene had to catch her.

The wood elf sighed as she looked at the piece of leather with a warding enchantment. "It's just so complicated. It's not even like we--" She indicated herself and Rachel, who was next to her. "--can't figure it out, it's just so complicated that it's taking a long time."

Kendra nodded, then almost winced as she took her second bad step and Selene had to catch her.

"Kendra, you need to stop." Taloni said. She had been reading her copy of the Book of Light at a table in the room. Beth was gone of course, and Sarah hadn't returned from the kitchens yet.

"I'll stop when I can walk." The former Aldmiri replied.

Taloni sighed, then her wings became a blur as she leisurely flew over the couch in between her and Kendra and then landed right in front of her, blocking her path. "Kendra, you need to stop."

"I'm fine." She replied.

"You aren't fine." The Fey girl said firmly, then looked at Selene. "She needs to stop before she hurts herself."

"I'm fine." Kendra told Selene.

Selene hesitated. She would really love to see Kendra get better, but Taloni had a lot of experience healing. Selene thought about it for another moment before looking at Kendra. "Sorry, doctor's orders."

Kendra scowled, but nodded.

Selene and Taloni helped her back into her wheelchair. The frustration coming off of her was nearly palpable, but at least it didn't seem directed at them.

She was still brooding when one of the Lightguard knocked on the door from the outside. "Imperial Guardsmen Ellis Trelane and Tabitha Ellentil to see the wives of the Prophet."

Everyone looked at one another, though they all ended by looking at Alana.

"Send them in." The wood elf replied.

The door opened and Ellis entered with Tabitha right behind him.

As usual, Tabitha's face was a mask like Kendra's often was when anyone other than her family was around. Her skin was significantly darker than many Ten Kingdom's residents, roughly on par with someone from Central America, leading Selene to guess that she came from further south where the sun was much stronger. Tabitha slipped inside and stood by the door, neither moving nor speaking, but merely observing.

By contrast, Ellis smiled and bowed slightly, then addressed Alana. "Hello, Mrs. Ejder." He wasn't a particularly tall man, but he did have broad shoulders and looked fit. He had sandy blonde hair, a short beard that was slightly darker than his hair, and bright blue eyes.

"Hello, what brings you here?" Alana replied.

"A question, possibly followed by a suggestion, depending on how you answer."

"Oh?"

He nodded. "According to your story, the design of your husband's war-hammer head comes from a heavenly source; what about the handle? Do you claim that it comes from a similar source?"

"No." Rachel replied. "The handle is one of Alana's staves, cut down short enough to be the proper length." She paused. "Why do you ask?"

"Because on the rare occasion that I am not training with the Imperial Guard to improve my combat proficiency, I have been studying the types of combatants we might encounter in the Wilding Lands. Many of them are large and difficult to harm with conventional weapons."

"Minotaurs, giants, trolls, etcetera." Kendra nodded. "Their tough skin and large size does indeed make them difficult to kill, and at least the minotaurs will have thick shields that make arrows a suboptimal choice."

"Exactly ma'am." Ellis replied. "Thus, I thought it prudent to consider bringing a weapon capable of fighting them, and the primary weapon that seems effective is a war pick."

"What's a war pick?" Taloni asked.

"It is, essentially, a war hammer with a long shaft, making it into a pole arm." Ellis replied. "It often has a much longer spike as well so it can penetrate deeply. The long shaft and point allow a man to concentrate enough force to easily punch through the hide, and even the skull, of creatures like minotaurs, trolls, and the like. Alternatively, the hammer end allows significant damage through such a hide without concern that the weapon will become lodged in the target, as the spike can. Though, a frictionless enchantment on the spike mostly prevents that. Mostly. "

"Oh." Rachel cocked her head to one side. "That's a good idea, or would be if..." She trailed off, then looked at Alana.

"A dragon leather shaft." Alana mused. "Enchanted to have two lengths, one the same as Ethan has now, and one that makes it into a pole weapon."

"That was my thought ma'am." Ellis nodded. "While I am not convinced either way about Mr. Ejder, such a weapon would be no more effective against men than what he currently wields, and thus it poses no additional danger to anyone except the large creatures we might encounter. Against them, it has virtually no equal. Thus, since I suspect that combat with minotaurs and giants is a forgone conclusion, I wish to stack the odds of survival as far in our favor as possible."

"Smart." Kendra nodded. "I assume you and Tabitha will acquire such weapons as well?"

"Prince George asked The King, and The King's blacksmith will forge such weapons for Tabitha and myself." Ellis nodded, then looked at Selene and Kendra. "The King also asked that you both, at your earliest convenience, visit The King's forgemaster so he might forge such a weapon for each of you, fitted exactly to your measurements."

Selene stared for a moment. "Are you serious?"

"Yes ma'am." Ellis replied. "If you are agreeable, The King will send one of the Lightguard to collect you later this morning."

"We are." Kendra said. "That's an incredibly generous offer."

"It is, we'll have to thank The King profusely." Selene said after a moment.

"I agree that would be wise ma'am." Ellis nodded. "I will take my leave then." He head bowed. "May Illuminar guide you on the path of light as you travel."

"And you as well." Alana replied.

Ellis and Tabitha left, the latter not having said a single word. After the door closed, everyone looked at each other.

"Well, I don't think we'll ever be able to repay The King at this point." Selene said after several seconds of silence.

"I agree." Alana replied.

"The proper way to 'repay' him is not to match value, but to match gratitude." Rachel said. "Remember, Narlotten borders the wood elven kingdom and so I was trained how to interact with them. Simply be incredibly grateful, and that will be considered the proper response."

"We will be." Selene nodded vehemently. "Speaking of things to be grateful for, are you both set for your and Alana's visit with Kalaya?"

Rachel nodded

Alana beamed. "I can't wait to see my mother again."

* * *

"I think I'm done." Beth said aloud, not that anyone could hear her on the Astral Plane. She wasn't sure why, but they just felt done. She flexed her wings forward and was again struck by how beautiful they were. They almost glowed because they were so white, rather like Gabriella did. The rest of her was the same color purple as the rest of the Astral Plane, but the brilliant, almost glowing white of her wings made her smile.

And they were her wings.

It was strange, but they felt just as much a part of her as her arms and legs. It had taken a little time to get used to them, but once she had, she felt like moving them was as natural as breathing.

They were large, almost as large as Ethan's wings, but not quite. However, hers were distinctly more feminine, and they looked like a stork's wings. She wasn't sure why, but she had always thought that storks had pretty wings and so was glad hers resembled them.

She grinned.

She took a few minutes to move them around, enjoying the sensation.

She had wings!

Wings!!!

"Mrs. Ejder." Halasses Hamellion, the captain of the Lightguard, said from nearby on the small airship.

Beth touched her sleeping body and felt the usual disorientation as she returned to it. After taking a few moments to reorient herself, she opened her eyes and sat up. "Yes?"

"We have arrived." The Lightguard captain told her.

Beth looked around, since she hadn't been paying a lot of attention to their surroundings because she had been working on her wings. The small airship was nestled in a tiny clearing of a forest near a small stream. The sails had been struck and folded away, and it was currently under the overhang of an immense oak tree. That would protect it from the eyes of any airships passing overhead, which made sense.

"The tournament is taking place approximately one half of a mile in that direction." The Lightguard captain pointed.

"Okay, I'll go take a look then." Beth replied, hesitated a moment, then laid back down and closed her eyes. It took a few moments of concentration, then she sat up on the Astral Plane, leaving her body behind. She hopped out of the airship and began to walk. However, after only a few seconds, she realized that this was the perfect time to experiment with her wings.

* * *

Rachel nudged Alana as they followed The Queen through the streets of Nalatia, the Royal Guard and the Lightguard surrounding them. They were walking to the docks, where the flagship of House Kalon would be waiting with Kalaya.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked quietly.

"Just a little nervous." Alana replied. "I've only met her once before."

"You needn't worry." The Queen said from just in front of them. "I'm reliably informed that she's talked of little else except you since your first visit.

Alana got a wide and slightly sheepish grin on her face.

A few minutes later, they walked onto the docks and passed by the Argo. It was surrounded by at least a dozen guards that she could see, and she suspected there were more. On the next berth over, the Midnight Sun was similarly protected.

Rachel felt a slight pang in her heart when she saw it.

"I know." Alana agreed. "I miss it, and our bed, and eating by the fire, and... well, everything."

Rachel nodded. "It'll be our home again when we leave, but until then..." She trailed off as she looked at the airship that had felt more like home than anything else ever had. She had gotten married on the quarterdeck, fought on the weather deck countless times, had many deep conversations, and even had her wedding night there.

She missed it.

She missed it rather a lot.

"It almost feels like a member of our family is missing." Alana said as she looked at the Argo.

"Yeah..." Rachel let out a small sigh. "I'm glad we're safe in our suite, but as wonderful as the suite is, it isn't home."

"Nothing except for home will ever feel like home." The Queen said from just ahead of them, and her tone was both understanding and consoling. "But take heart, you'll return home again."

Alana and Rachel both nodded.

Only a few minutes later, they arrived at the flagship for House Kalon. It had at least three decks, and was significantly wider than the Argo and probably twice as long too. It was rather typical for an elven design, being covered with subtle, elegant touches and displaying the mastercraft of the realm's best shipwrights.

It wasn't the Argo though.

On the deck, clearly waiting for them was Railen Kalon, an elderly elf who looked very much like Alana, only she had blond hair and bright blue eyes. Her demeanor reminded Rachel of Anthiel a little, or maybe Ethan's mother, Ruth. There was something about her that spoke of the hard-won wisdom of age, even despite her youthful demeanor.

"Welcome." The woman beamed, then embraced first The Queen and then Alana. Afterward, she turned to Rachel. "Well met again, Rachel Ejder; we are honored that you have chosen to visit us."

"I am honored to be welcomed with such generosity and warmth." Rachel curtsied.

"Come, my daughter is anxiously awaiting your arrival." Railen said with a wide smile.

The Queen, Alana, and Rachel followed Railen onto the magnificent airship, down the stairs to the lower deck, and then to the entrance of a room that was directly below the captain's cabin, which was right below the quarterdeck.

"Mother, is that you!" An undeniably excited voice called from within the room.

Railen smiled, then opened the door.

A golden-haired streak emerged the moment the door opened, and an elf barely taller than Alana almost crashed into her in her zeal to embrace her.

"Oof." Alana said as she hugged her mother back, her smile as wide as Rachel had ever seen it.

* * *

It had taken Beth a little time to get the hang of using her wings. She couldn't fly with them yet, but she was making large, wing-assisted jumps and then gliding for a ways before landing and doing it again. Every time she tried to flap her wings to stay aloft, she ended up pushing herself down and hitting the ground again, but that was okay. She figured that Ethan could teach her the next time he was on the Astral Plane.

Using her new half-jump, half-glide method of 'flying', she was able to cross the half mile to the tournament grounds surprisingly fast. The tournament grounds were very large and had a palisade wall at least ten feet high around them. Of course that was no obstacle for her since she was on the Astral Plane, and so she simply walked right through it.

Overall, it seemed like the tournament grounds had been split into two sections. One was clearly older and looked like it had been maintained well until recently. The other looked much newer, flashier, and oddly, less nice. There was something about it that just didn't look quite right to the blonde, like it had been designed to be flashy but had very little artistry about it.

She racked her brain, trying to think of why. She was pretty sure that Duke Farbrottan had built the older section long ago to host tournaments. Maybe the nobles hadn't wanted to share a field with commoners when he'd created the 'open division', and so someone -- probably Lord Farbrottan -- had built the flashier section? That made sense, partially because there was a wall with a gate between the two sections.

The flashy part was closer, so she jogged toward it to take a look.

It appeared to be the nobles' part of the tournament because there were two knights wearing breastplates and chainmail armor on a jousting field. The area around it was crowded with raised seating and filled with nobles wearing their finery. Every one of them had their noses in the air and looked down on the servants serving them.

Beth well remembered when her father had hosted nobles from Ivernia before, and the ones she saw here seemed exactly like she remembered: utterly insufferable. She frowned, but decided to stay long enough to watch the joust.

It was honestly a little disappointing.

While of course a good joust could be exciting, these particular nobles seemed to just be going through the motions. She had spent months watching people spar on the Argo, and knew what it looked like when someone was trying his best. This wasn't that. They were obviously skilled, but this joust lacked the fire, passion, and excitement of the tournaments that her father had hosted.

Perfunctory.

Yes, that was the word.

She shook her head and turned to head toward the other side of the tournament complex.

The contrast was massive.

There was something about the other side that just seemed like it had been built better. Not in terms of finery, but in terms of sheer skill in building. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she would've bet that this side would stand the test of time with very little maintenance, while she had a hard time imagining the other side would still be here in a few decades.

The other side, the poorer side, just seemed more real as well. The people on this side weren't dressed well at all. In fact, many of them appeared to need new clothes since they were clearly getting thin in places. But there was a general air of joviality and camaraderie in the air that was completely lacking on the nobles' side.

Unlike the jousting field on the noble's side, this side was dominated by a large fenced-in arena for dismounted combat. There were currently two fighters in the ring dueling with blunt weapons, both using a sword and shield. Unlike the nobles, these men were clearly trying their very best; that was obvious from every movement, attack, and defense. They weren't as skilled, but it was much more exciting to watch anyway.

After the match was over, she scanned the area for Ethan, and eventually saw him. He was standing next to a very pretty woman in a red dress, who Beth assumed was Candice. Candice had dark hair with a hint of red, a heart-shaped face, slender neck, and incredible figure. She was no Selene, but she was beautiful.

Beth sighed as she saw that Candice had been blessed with decent-sized, shapely breasts; Beth had always wished her own were larger, though Ethan seemed to love them despite their relatively small size, so it didn't bother her as much anymore. Well, it bothered her less.

Oh well.

*Hey angel.* Ethan thought to her from across the field.

Beth flashed him a dazzling smile, then spread her wings so he could see them, since they had been folded up against her back.

His smile widened. *Damn! You look hot!"

Beth smiled at that. She might not have the boobs, but she had other things. *Thank you!* She hurried over to him and ended up standing just inside the ring, leaning on the railing so she didn't pass through anyone. When she walked through someone while on the Astral Plane, they tended to notice something. Not everyone, and they clearly couldn't tell what had happened, but many people did react.

"Harrison?" Candice said from beside him.

"Just a little distracted." He said, then thought to Beth. *Or maybe a lot.*

Beth grinned

* * *

"Why now?" Selene mused as she walked beside Kendra in her wheelchair as they headed to the palace blacksmith's workshop. "We've been here for over a week now and The King has known that we were planning to go to the Wilding Lands for most of that time. He seems to think of everything, so why now?"

"Good question." Kendra replied. "However, I wouldn't ask."

"Oh, I won't, I was just wondering." She replied.

One of the Lightguard was leading them, and he led them across the palace grounds to a 'building' -- of course made from trees grown together -- that was close to the palace armory. The inside of the forge had a floor made from what looked like elven steel in many places, and brick near the forge itself. It was a very large room with many tables set up for different things, like crafting the wooden cores of sword grips, shaping crossguards, pommels, etc.

The forge was large, but she had thought that it would be larger for some reason. It was maybe only twice the size of Rindrin's forge, despite the fact that Rindrin lived in a small outpost near Sarah's father's inn. She supposed that if it got too large, it would be hard to keep hot enough.

"Welcome, welcome." The oldest elf in the room said with a bow. He had a leather apron on and was powerfully built. He also had an easygoing confidence about his posture and tone that suggested he was in charge of the forge.

"Thank you for having us." Selene replied.

"Yes, thank you." Kendra agreed.

The introductions were made, and Selene appreciated that the forgemaster introduced every single one of his workers by their full name, title, and complimented all of them for their work. Even better, his compliments were clearly unique to each person and not generic.

She liked that.

"You shall be measured for your weapons in a moment." The forgemaster said. "However, I do have a question first: for the sole purpose of keeping a gift a secret, are you willing to keep a secret from your husband and fellow wives?"

Selene and Kendra looked at each other.

"To clarify, The King has prepared more gifts for your husband and fellow wives, one for each, but does not wish the surprise to be spoiled." The forgemaster added. "Except as it relates to those gifts alone, we would, of course, never ask a woman to keep secrets from her husband."

"I think we could do that." Selene agreed after a moment.

"As long as it truly and only relates to gifts, I agree." Kendra said.

"Excellent." The forgemaster said, then turned and nodded to one of his assistants, who nodded and then hurried from the room. "Now then, for the two of you, The King wishes to provide more than simple war picks. He has commissioned me to craft unique weapons for each of you from dragon steel, made to the highest specifications and your own personal preferences."

A door opened and the assistant returned with two people behind him. The first was the elven swordmaster that Selene had spent so much time learning from, mostly by losing to. The second person was a dwarf, and though Selene had never met him, just based on her husband and fellow wives' descriptions, she guessed it was Graflex, the dwarf who had made all of Ethan's weapons, the travel arrowheads for Alana's travel bow, and a few other things as well.

He was a grizzled Dwarf with salt and pepper hair, and an even grayer beard. He was about four feet tall and powerfully built. Seriously, Selene thought that he could probably out-wrestle an ox. He harrumphed when he saw them, but oddly, despite his surly disposition, he didn't seem unhappy.

"Upon learning that the Prophet and his wives would venture into the Wilding Lands, The King immediately portalled a letter to Arcanum to bring the Prophet's armorer here to forge master weapons worthy of the tasks set by the God of Light." The forgemaster said. "He arrived just yesterday and has agreed to forge whatever weapon that the swordmaster and myself design with your input, forged from dragon steel and dragon leather of course."

Selene wasn't usually one to get choked up, but she was a little bit right now. "That's... that's really generous. It's like, too generous. Is The King sure?"

The forgemaster gave her an indulgent smile, the kind that a loving and wise parent might give his child when the child was concerned that there was a monster under the bed or in the closet. "Mrs. Ejder, I do believe that you are looking at this from the wrong tree. Every wood elf dreams of being in a position to assist the God of Light in this world. Assisting His prophet is the closest that most non-luminars will ever come. I myself would have paid vast sums of gold -- everything that I did not require for the sustenance of my family and myself -- to be given this opportunity."

Selene stared.

The forgemaster continued. "It is not you who should be thanking us, it is us who should be thanking you for this opportunity."

Even more shocking than the sincerity of the forgemaster's words was the reaction of those around him. Everyone except Graflex was nodding along in agreement.

"I don't know what to say." Selene finally said after a moment. "Thank you, obviously; I... yeah, thank you."

"Yes, thank you." Kendra agreed.

"No, thank you." The forgemaster said with a significant look.

* * *

Rachel was a little stunned by the strength and intensity of the hug that Kalaya had given her after hugging Alana. It had been a wonderful surprise of course, but it was definitely a surprise. After all the introductions had been made, they went back into the room and had tea, all while Kalaya insisted on hearing everything that had happened with Alana since they had last seen each other.

Rachel had a wide smile on her face as she watched. Kalaya's obvious love and affection for her daughter was both soothing Rachel's heart and making it ache for her own mother. She didn't remember her, not really. She had only been two when Helene had died, but she liked to think that her mother would've been like Kalaya. From what everyone had told her about Helene, she probably would have.

"I know that look." Kalaya said to Rachel, shaking the redhead out of her reverie. "What troubles you?"

"I would say that I miss my mother, but the truth is, I don't remember her well enough to miss her." Rachel replied after a moment.

"I met your mother once." Kalaya replied with a smile. "I was quite young at the time and House Kalon had some business with Narlotten, and she and I spent an afternoon together. There was such softness and tenderness in her voice when she talked about having children. I am sure she would have doted on you, and likely spoiled you rotten." Kalaya finished with a wink, but her smile was warm, and her eyes caring and kind.

"Thank you." Rachel felt her eyes get slightly watery.

"No one can ever replace your own mother." Kalaya continued. "But, as you're married to my daughter's husband, few in our culture would object if you treated me like a surrogate mother. I have very little practice at such a role, but I would be greatly honored to assist however I can in easing the ache in your heart."

Rachel tried to subtly wipe her eyes at the tender sincerity in Kalaya's voice. Now she knew where Alana had gotten her caring nature from.

"I know a little something about heartache, and it helps when shared." Kalaya added.

"Navaro?" Rachel asked.

She nodded, and the longing on her face was undeniable. "It has been over twenty-four years since I've seen him. It helps that Sarisa still writes though." Kalaya's face became slightly softer when she said Sarisa's name, rather like Alana's own face did when she said Rachel's name.

"What can we do to help?" Alana asked. "I mean, besides removing your shame."

"You would need to convince Nakhim Nalfigar, Navaro's father, to allow him to marry me." Kalaya replied, pronouncing the 'i' in 'Nakhim' like 'ee' in tree, and the 'kh' sound was a little guttural. "If I hadn't had that dream with Gabriella all those years ago, I wouldn't think it possible."

Rachel nodded, remembering that she had told Ethan and Alana about that when they had met her the first time.

"Do you have any ideas?" Alana asked.

"I don't." Kalaya replied. "I have had your entire life to think about it, and I think he truly objects to me marrying Navaro because he is concerned that I will sway him into making choices for House Nalfigar that are in House Kalon's best interest, not House Nalfigar's best interest."

"Nakhim sees Navaro's affection for my sister as a weakness." The Queen spoke up. "He believes that Navaro's affection for my sister will blind him to her influence over him, and in turn weaken House Nalfigar."

"Ironically, if Navaro were not so enamored of my daughter, Nakhim would likely approve the match." Railen said, and Rachel couldn't help but notice how similar she was to her daughters in both look and manner, and her granddaughter too. Save for Alana's chocolate brown hair and hazel eyes, Rachel had a pretty good idea of what Alana would look like at that age.

"There must be something that we can use to persuade him." Alana said.

"Alas, I cannot think of a single thing." The Queen replied. "I have made discreet inquiries through back channels and he seems as firmly opposed as ever, even if my sister were not shamed. He sees it as purely a liability for House Nalfigar, with no commensurate benefit."

"What might he accept?" Rachel asked. "Even if it's not possible, knowing the kinds of things he would accept might help us form a plan."

"He is still somewhat aggrieved that his own daughter was not chosen to be queen." The Queen said. "She is as beautiful as I, but she inherited some of her father's traits, which did not make a good impression on my husband."

Rachel smiled at the thinly veiled criticism of Nakhim and his daughter, and couldn't help but think that if Selene was here, she would say: 'Translation: she was a total bitch.'

Alana frowned. "Well, we'll have to come up with something."

"I'm sure you will." Kalaya smiled at her daughter, that 'proud mother' look all over her face. "For now, I just can't believe how fast you've made progress."

"And we're not done." Alana promised. "We'll get your shame removed Mom, I promise."

"I believe you will." Kalaya said, the proud expression on her face intensifying. "If I might ask a small favor, please invite Sarisa to be present when my shame is removed." Kalaya's smile took on an additional note of softness. "It has been so long since I have seen her, she remains my best friend to this day, and I do so long to see her again."

"Okay, we will." Alana promised.

Rachel didn't think that Alana had noticed how much Kalaya's expression had changed when she had mentioned Sarisa. The change had been subtle, but it was also both undeniable and profound.

* * *

Selene looked at Kendra. "Well, what do you want?"

"I don't know." She replied. "I do have one request; could my dragon steel bastard sword be made into another weapon?"

"Provided it was well-made in the first place, of course." The forgemaster replied.

"Elves and dragon steel." Graflex harrumphed and then shook his head. "Even well-made doesn't guarantee shit. I'd have to see it."

Kendra reached behind her and pulled the sheathed sword from its place, which was wedged between the chair's back and her shoulder. It seemed like the wheelchair was designed to accommodate such things, which made sense since injured warriors were the ones most likely to need one. Kendra had simply refused to leave the suite without a weapon.

"Hmm." Graflex frowned as he took it. "This work is shit." He drew the sword and moved it around a little. "Total shit. Balance is all wrong, the center of percussion is all out of place, and the pommel feels like the forger just picked up a hammer the day before he made this."

Kendra raised her eyebrow.

"The dragon steel is workable though." He harrumphed. "At least the smelter wasn't shit at his job." He put his hands on the blade and flexed it slightly. "Temper could be better too."

"May I?" The elven swordmaster asked. Graflex handed the blade over and the swordmaster moved it experimentally for a few seconds. "I would call this an excellent blade, though it is indeed imperfect. Your standards must be truly high if you call this a poor blade."

"I said it's a shit blade." Graflex corrected him, then looked at Kendra. "The blade vibrates slightly in your hand on a strike, and it sometimes wants to roll in your hand when you cut."

Kendra nodded her head in concession. "You're not wrong."

"Of course I'm not wrong." Graflex grumbled. "Waste of good dragon steel that sword; they should've made it out of tin."

Selene laughed. Kendra didn't react much at all.

"And for the other Mrs. Ejder?" The forgemaster looked at Selene.

She cocked her head to one side; what kind of weapon did she want?

The answer came to her instantly.

A rapier.

It just popped into her head and it felt right.

But not just any rapier, she was in the Ten Kingdoms. They have magic here, so why settle for an ordinary rapier? Her father had been an engineer before he'd started doing martial arts full-time, so she knew a little about design. There were limits to the stiffness of rapiers on Earth because of the limits of steel. Dragon steel apparently had similar limits, but not once it was enchanted.

"I think I want a rapier." Selene said after a moment, explained what it was, and then added. "But I think it could be better than it was on Earth because we don't have enchantments on Earth."

Graflex frowned. "This 'rapier' would be a shite weapon in war. One thrust and your blade is stuck, leaving you open to counterattack. A thicker blade like that wouldn't cut worth a damn, and without an edge, someone could grab the blade."

"Perhaps some fusion of this 'rapier' with a more traditional longsword." The elven swordmaster suggested.

"I think that's called a 'sidesword'." Selene replied. "I'm not all that strong, which my strength-enhancing vambraces help with, but sooner or later I'm going to encounter someone who's also using them and just be overpowered. I want to be able to skewer him before he gets too close."

"I can do that." Graflex harrumphed. "It's not so different from what I did with that dragon's war sword, only slimmer. It won't stop poleaxes as well, but the tip will be more nimble than a wood elf dodging dishonor."

Selene wasn't sure if that was offensive to the wood elves or not. If it was, it didn't show on their faces.

"Now, come, show us this 'complex hilt'." The forgemaster said.

He led her over to a bench and gave her an unfinished sword hilt and some odd-looking clay. The clay was very strange in that it felt heavy, but it didn't like to bend under its own weight. She could shape it, but it stayed in that shape even when normal clay wouldn't. It took her rather longer than she would've liked to shape it around the unfinished sword hilt, but she eventually ended up with something that looked like the complex hilt of a rapier, though her lack of clay-shaping skills made it look crude. It ended up looking a lot like the hilts on the famous Munich Town Guard swords.

When she was done, she stepped back and the elven swordmaster picked it up. "This has more hand protection than any design I have ever seen."

"Yeah, that's the point." Selene replied. "They were mostly used by non-military men for personal defense or duels, though some in the military used them.

The sword master handed it to the forgemaster, who touched the clay and Selene thought she felt a tiny bit of magic use, then he rapped his fingers against the clay and it didn't move. It probably had an activatable hardening enchantment on it, which she could see being amazing for modeling work.

"The hand protection could be made from dragon leather to reduce weight." He said after a moment. "Either a single thick strand, or else a few twisted smaller ones. With some work, that would also allow it to collapse flat so that it would be more comfortable to wear."

"More comfort is good." Selene smiled.

"Selene, would it bother you if I said I basically wanted the same thing?" Kendra asked. "I don't have a preference and that sounds very effective."

Selene's smile got wider. "You mean, sister swords?"

"Something like that." Kendra replied, a hint of a smile on her face too.

"Perhaps it would be better to produce a custom design suited for you." The elven swordmaster said. "Perhaps we could spar in a few days when you are able to walk again. That would allow me to properly gauge your style of combat and make a recommendation. If none comes to me, then you and the other Mrs. Ejder could indeed have sister swords."

"That's fine." Kendra replied.

"I need her measurements, then I'll get started." Graflex grumped, then walked over to the forge.

"He hasn't changed." Kendra commented.

"Some things never do." Selene agreed.

* * *

Taloni took a deep breath, then spun up her sling and slung the next stone at her target.

Clang!

The steel gong rang with a satisfying sound.

"Excellent; you are improving rapidly." The elf who was instructing her said. He was the chief instructor for the society that preserved the ancient ancestral art of elven slinging, and it showed. She had learned so much, even compared to the Inohuttan Tribe who had first taught her to sling.

"Thank you." She smiled, then picked up another stone. Kendra had once told her that amateurs practice until they can get it right, but professionals practice until they can't get it wrong. And since all of her fellow wives were occupied right now, she wanted to reach a professional level in her slinging.

She loaded another projectile into her sling and began again.

* * *

Sarah resisted the urge to laugh at Thea as the pair of them returned from the kitchens after having spent most of the day there.

"I still don't know what happened!" The gorgeous elf moaned. "It's a cliché to burn water; I didn't realize it was actually possible."

"Well, there was a little more than just water in the pot." Sarah said, trying to put a positive spin on it.

"Not much more." Thea grumbled. "I have no idea how I could've ruined it so badly."

"Well, at least it wasn't mixing cookie dough." Sarah couldn't keep a teasing smile off her face.

"Ugh! Don't remind me." Thea groaned. "I'll get better at this. If it takes a year of daily practice, I'll get better at it. Ahjah deserves a wife who can cook."

They both smiled at and thanked the Lightguard at the door of the building containing the suites, since they opened the doors for them.

"Thea." Sarah looked at her pointedly after they'd entered. "It's not about 'deserving'."

"I know, but I want to be a good cook for him." Thea explained. "He's done so much for me, and what he said right before our betrothal kiss..." Her whole face softened and she got a dreamy expression.

"What did he say?" Sarah asked, since Ahjah had spoken too quietly for anyone except Thea to hear.

"Um, I probably shouldn't repeat it." Thea grinned and got a tiny tinge of pink in her cheeks. "But it was really sweet and I want to be the best possible wife for him. Besides, we'll be on the Nomad's Pride and someone has to cook. I don't want to hate my own food."

Sarah chuckled. "That makes sense. Well, I'll be happy to help you until we set sail..." She trailed off as something occurred to her. "And I'm sure Ethan would be willing to fly me over to the Nomad's Pride so I could help more. Maybe not every day, but often."

"But you'll be a newlywed, and I wouldn't want to take you from your husband." Thea replied.

"He does have six other wives." Sarah said as they reached Ethan's suite. "I'm sure he won't mind."

Again, they greeted the Lightguard at the door to Ethan's suite and thanked them for opening the doors, then entered. All of Ethan's wives were there, except for Beth of course.

"How did cooking class go?" Rachel asked, looking at Thea.

"How did you know?" The gorgeous elf asked.

"The note." Rachel nodded at it, since it was still on the end table. "It wasn't hard to guess from there."

"How did it go?" Alana asked. The pair was working on the little piece of leather with the warding enchantment again, like they usually did these days when there wasn't something else to do.

"Terrible." Thea moaned.

"She needs practice." Sarah said.

Thea gave her a look.

"Okay, maybe a lot of practice." Sarah chuckled.

"You can practice on us." Kendra said, and that's when Sarah realized that she was moving around the room under her own power, without assistance from anyone. She had a cane in each hand and Selene was right next to her, probably in case she fell, but she was walking.

"You're walking!" Sarah gushed.

"Almost." Kendra corrected. "I'll get there though."

"Good." Sarah said, then looked at Alana "How did your visit with your mother go?"

Alana got a wide smile on her face and was happy to give as many details as Sarah asked for, which was a lot.

* * *

*I couldn't tell that you were pretending to be weaker during your fights.*

*Oh?* Ethan looked at Beth as he, she, and Candice walked away from the dinner hall and toward the contestants' rooms. He had greatly enjoyed having her around for much of the afternoon, though not all of it because she had needed to return to her body occasionally to eat, drink, and relieve herself.

She nodded. *You're really good at that.*

*Thank you.* He smiled. *I figure that while I'm here, I should at least make sure the audience enjoys it.*

"You seem more distracted today." Candice said as they reached the door to the small room.

"I am." He replied as he opened it for her. Beth just walked right through it, meaning he had to stifle a laugh.

"Why?" Candice asked, giving him a strange look after he had laughed, probably because there was no apparent reason for it.

"Honestly..." He closed the door and looked intently at her. If things went the way they always went, something would go wrong and he might need her to know about Beth. "Can you keep a secret?"

Candice nodded.

"One of my wives has a pretty rare ability..." He then explained about Beth being able to Astral Project.

"So, she's here now?" Candice asked.

"Beth, give her a little poke in the shoulder." Ethan said.

She did.

Candice jumped and clapped her hand to her shoulder. After a moment, she seemed to calm down slightly. "That's... that's amazing."

"Agreed." Ethan replied. "However, there's something I need to help her with, and I need to go to sleep to do it." He figured that was the easiest way to explain it even though he wouldn't actually be asleep.

Candice nodded.

"I'll be nearby and I'll be able to hear you." Ethan said as he flopped down on the bed. "Just say my name and I'll come if I hear, and if things go really wrong, just shout or scream."

"Okay." Candice nodded slowly.

He almost laughed at the expression on her face. Apparently, she'd received one too many shocks lately. He closed his eyes and focused on sitting up with his body remaining behind. After a short delay, he managed to enter the Astral Plane again.

"The purple really throws me." He said as he looked around. "And why purple?"

"I have no idea." Beth shrugged. "I'll have to ask Gabriella next time we see her."

He nodded, then smiled at her. "So, still want to learn to fly?"

"Yes!" She beamed.

Thus began the lesson.

It turned out that she'd had the same problem he'd had when he first started trying to fly. He had tried to just flap his wings vertically instead of the more complicated motion that birds use. It was interesting to discover that his bat-like wings used a slightly different motion than her bird-like ones needed. However, once she understood how his wings worked, she set about figuring out how to make her own wings work with enthusiastic gusto.

It brought a smile to his face.

He couldn't stop smiling as he watched her struggle with the motion, but she kept going and didn't lose heart anyway. She was so full of life and so enthusiastic about everything, and he loved that about her. It was a balm to him when life was dark, and it had been a lot lately. There were plenty of bright spots too, but undeniably some darkness.

"Dominus, what are you thinking?" She asked as she landed next to him a while later.

"Just thinking." He smiled as he looked at her, then pulled her closer and into a tender kiss.

She sighed softly as she kissed him back. *I like when you think.*

He chuckled as the kiss broke, then looked into her eyes. "You know, I thought you were slightly annoying when we first met."

"Hey!" Beth playfully slapped his arm.

"It's true." He replied, making a good attempt at a serious face. "You asked an incessant number of questions and I thought you'd drive Alana and me crazy. You did a little, but I've grown to love that about you." He smiled.

"Good." She grinned back, then hesitated.

"You have yet more questions." He observed with a chuckle.

She nodded. "Duke Farbrottan. Is what Selene said true, about those 'spychopath' people?"

"Psychopath." He corrected with another chuckle. "And yes, ish. They do exist on a spectrum, and he does have a long track record of doing well, but--" He paused. "You know, let's loop everyone in on this conversation.*

"Okay." Beth smiled.

He did, then continued from where he'd left off. *Duke Farbrottan does have a long track record of ruling well, and past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. Plus, there's the fact that Gabriella clearly visited him decades ago. That seems like Illuminar setting things up for him to rule Ivernia. He also could've lied or bullshitted his way through our conversation, but I think he was pretty honest. His stated reason for being honest was because my 'boss' is all-knowing, and he made a good point, even if Illuminar doesn't actually talk to me like that.*

*Master, I think that if Gabriella visited him, he would be a good lord.*

*Alana and I talked about it on-and-off in the afternoon.* Rachel added. *We mostly agree with you.*

*Mostly?* Ethan asked.

*Yes, mostly.* Rachel replied. *Selene pointed out that there's nothing stopping him from pretending to be our ally until he's on the throne, then betraying us. As of right now, he needs us; what about when he doesn't?*

*I don't think that will happen.* Kendra replied, much to Ethan's surprise. *His current ruling style, his stated preference to rule with the approval of the people, and his track record all suggest that he's more likely to try to convince Ethan to publicly support him. Unlike his brother, I don't think he has a record of intentionally alienating people that he doesn't need to.*

*Hang on a minute, let me ask Myla so she can ask Falkaan.* Selene said. About a minute later, she spoke again. *According to Falkaan, he's actually pretty careful not to alienate allies. He has, but only when there wasn't another option.*

*Master, Gabriella visited him.* Taloni pointed out again. *She convinced him to rule well. I think that's important.*

Ethan took a deep breath and let it out slowly, causing Beth to chuckle. It took him a moment to remember that one didn't need to breathe on the Astral Plane and he was doing it mostly out of habit, which made him chuckle as well.

*Tee makes a good point.* Alana conceded after a few moments.

*She does.* Beth added a moment later.

*Prince George made it clear that he can't realistically intervene in Ivernia.* Rachel pointed out. *Probably because of that, he effectively told us that he would look the other way while we dealt with the situation. Literally the only person -- besides Lord Farbrottan's sons, who are apparently worse than he is -- who could become Ivernia's lord without involving the emperor is Duke Farbrottan. From a purely practical perspective, he's the only option.*

*Rachel makes a good point.* Kendra replied.

*I really don't like it, but I agree.* Selene added.

After a pause, Alana spoke up. *Sarah says she's only ever heard good things about him ruling. She also says that maybe Illuminar made it so that Duke Farbrottan was our only option, just to make things clear to us.*

*Somebody hug her tightly for me and tell her that I'm proud of her; that's a pretty good insight.* Ethan grinned.

*She's blushing scarlet and beaming like a spotlight.* Selene thought to everyone a moment later.

*So, since it seems like Illuminar left us with exactly one possible choice, we're going to put a partial psychopath on Ivernia's throne.* Ethan thought to everyone after a moment. *Damn, I didn't see that coming.*

*Master, Illuminar often uses the least likely people.* Tee replied.

*Like an atheist becoming a prophet.* Selene observed with a chuckle in her mental tone.

*Yeah, like that.* Ethan sighed. *Okay, well, that's still one hell of a curveball.*

*Don't worry ladies, I'll explain what a curveball is later.* Selene replied with laughter in her mental tone.

Ethan took another deep breath and let it out slowly. Never let it be said that life in the Ten Kingdoms was boring. He supposed that it wasn't the craziest thing he'd ever heard of though. At least it seemed pretty clear because Sarah was right; Duke Farbrottan was literally the only choice that didn't require the emperor's involvement.

Despite having ample evidence that Illuminar knew what He was doing, Ethan frowned. Duke Farbrottan was the obvious and only choice, but something about that didn't sit quite right with him. Putting a psychopath on Ivernia's throne -- even a partial one -- just bothered him, even if it did seem like Illuminar's plan. The God of Light had certainly done a brilliant job picking his wives, so Ethan figured that he should probably just get over it and trust that Illuminar knew what He was doing. Still, something about the whole thing didn't seem quite right to him.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Note: This chapter began on day 140 of Ethan's life in the Ten Kingdoms and ended on day 141. I submit new chapters on the last Wednesday of every month, and they usually drop after the 2-3 day review process. Thus I'll submit the next chapter on March 25th, and it'll probably drop on March 27th or 28th.

I'd like to extend a very special thanks to my editors, and also several of my patrons, two of whom didn't want to be credited by name. So, to both Anonymous patrons, Joseph, Waniel, and "Veron De La Morte": thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it.

STORY TAGS: dragon, magic, elf, teen, romance, virgin, harem, blonde, brunette, redhead