Dungeon Master 4

by Eric Vall

  “If you had stayed, do you think you would have married someone?” I inquired in her ear.

  “I do not think of those things because if I hadn’t been ordered out, I wouldn’t have met my Master,” the pale elf told me as she lifted her eyes to mine with a soft smile, and her words warmed my heart.

  “Are you satisfied with the life you are living, my love? Are you happy at my side?” I asked as I stroked her sleek, white hair.

  “I am happiest when I am at your side, Master,” Morrigan whispered in my ear. “You bring me pleasure I have never known, emotionally and physically. You own me, Master, I can never belong to another man.”

  Chills ran up and down my spine from her words.

  My elven lover and I watched the sun sink lower in the sky, and when she was distracted, I reached into my void pocket for the velvet bag. My fingers deftly opened the bag while still in my pocket and produced the ring. Then I held it tightly in my fist as I let go and turned to face her. Morrigan’s eyebrows shot up at the sudden movement, and before she could speak, I got down on one knee and offered her the ring that held the soul stone we created together. Her dark eyes widened in surprise, and her delicate hands came up to cover her mouth.

  “Morrigan, if you cannot stand to be away from my side, then please, make me the happiest god alive and become my wife,” I said sincerely as I offered the ring to her, and I could barely make out tears forming in her eyes as she stared down at the handcrafted ring I had made for her.

  “Ita,” the white-haired woman replied in her elven language, then repeated it in words I could understand. “Yes, Master. I will marry you.”

  Slowly, I slid the ring onto her thin finger, and it fit perfectly. The soul stone glimmered and glinted in the low light of the setting sun, and the moment couldn’t have been any more than perfect. Morrigan launched herself at me as she wrapped her arms around my neck and planted hot kisses to my lips. My usually cold and emotionless elf let out happy squeals of joy as she examined the intricate ring I had given her.

  We stayed up on the cliff face until it was dark and then made our way back to the path. My bride-to-be and I walked hand in hand into the city, and many of the citizens called out to us cheerfully. After mourning the loss of their goddess and rejoicing over the death of Akuno, they had come to accept me. I spied Shida in the crowd, and he waved excitedly to me as he ran over.

  “What is it?” I asked with a smile as I draped my arm around my bride-to-be's shoulder.

  “Yuri had the baby!” Shida shouted breathlessly as he wiped the sweat from his brow. “It is an honor to say one of your women helped deliver my newborn daughter!”

  Morrigan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and I tilted my head at him confused. “One of my women? Which one?”

  “Carmedy!” Shida smiled and nodded vigorously. “Yuri went into labor, and we called for our midwife, but she is in Eifersucht attending to another pregnant woman. We were in a panic, but your woman came downstairs and calmly told us she had prior experience as a midwife! I must thank you, Master, if it wasn’t for you or your women, my wife may have died in childbirth. Come! Come see my newest daughter!”

  We followed on Shida’s heels as the man weaved through the crowd quickly. Morrigan and I were barely able to keep up but arrived at the pension house right as Shida did. The tall man waved us inside, and he followed in after us.

  Yuri was seated in a rocking chair, and surprisingly, the room was clear of children except for Popī, who was fretting around her mother. Yuri smiled when we entered, and I saw my three minions gathered around the woman and child. The dark-haired woman held the babe close to her chest, and each of my minions fawned over her. I watched them from afar and wondered what it would be like in the future when my minions had children of their own. Would they love each other’s children as if they were their own?

  I didn’t even have to ask that question because I already knew they would. My women loved each other like sisters and would love their offspring just as much. I knew it was a long time before any of that happened, but I dreamed of the day my minions would carry my seed in swollen bellies and produce my heirs. I had many things to do before that day, but it was still something I liked to think about from time to time.

  “Master!” Carmedy cried happily as Yuri offered the feline the tightly wrapped bundle. “Come see the baby! She’s so beautiful!”

  I smiled and did as I was bidden. Yuri and Shida’s baby was a tiny thing, but when I reached down to stroke its soft cheek, a small hand reached up and curled around my forefinger. It was a strange moment for me, an all-powerful god who ravaged the earth and the smallest and most innocent of all creatures connected for a moment. The baby, who Yuri named Anna in honor of the High Queen, was the spitting image of Popī, and the teenager quickly whisked the baby away to coo over her.

  When I turned and met the eyes of my minions, they were misted with tears. This journey had been the most emotional for them, and I knew this one joyous moment brought it all together. Annalise gave me a small smile and raised her eyebrows as if expecting something, and I knew I must oblige.

  “I have news,” I announced to all of them as I held tightly to Morrigan’s hand, and each face turned to me with interest. I raised the hand that held my elven lover’s and showed them the ring firmly on her ring finger.

  Yuri’s eyes widened, and she shot out of the chair and grabbed onto the pale-woman excitedly. “My dear,” Yuri spouted as she stroked Morrigan’s hair. “This is so exciting! I’m so happy for you!”

  “Dear, you’re not supposed to be up and moving for another three days,” Shida chided, and the dark-haired woman shot him a warning look over her shoulder.

  “I can’t rest when there’s a wedding to plan!” Yuri giggled happily as she took my pale lover by the arm and hobbled away with her into one of the back rooms.

  “Gods almighty, give me the strength to deal with that woman,” Shida said as he rolled his eyes up to the ceiling.

  “I want to help with the wedding, too!” Carmedy shouted as she took off after the two women.

  Rana rolled her eyes like Shida did, but the smile on her lips told me she was just as excited as the others. Annalise came around and hugged me tightly before following after her sisters to aid in the wedding’s planning.

  Shida turned to me with an exasperated look and said, “How about us men go get a drink to celebrate?”

  Our wedding took four days to plan, and I barely caught glimpses of any of my minions during those days. My companions rushed in and out of the pension house during all hours of the day, and the only time I was allowed to see them was at the end of the day before bed. Any time I asked for details, they clamped their mouths shut and told me it was a surprise.

  It was maddening, but I allowed them this small amount of pleasure after our harrowing experience with the goddess. The morning of the wedding broke early, and the afternoon flew by. Shida and a group of other men came to me and brought me my armor that one of my minions had given to them without my knowing. During the night, Shida took my armor and polished it so the surface of the metal shone brighter than ever before. I dressed myself and stared at my avatar in the mirror. I was a handsome man, and the armor only made it more clear.

  A soft knock came at the door, and I turned to answer it. When I swung it open, Yuri, dressed in a delicate gown of bright blues, was waiting outside for me. The dark-haired woman gave me a bright smile as she gestured for me to follow after her.

  Popī, Annalise, Rana, and Carmedy were waiting for me downstairs, and for a moment, I had to stop and admire how breathtakingly beautiful my women all were. Each woman wore the same dress, but each had been altered to fit them perfectly. They were all dressed in black gowns, and I wasn’t surprised since it was Morrigan who had done all of the planning. Each dress was low cut and exposed a good bit of the women’s bare backs. The sleek black fabric hugged their hips and exposed every one of their voluptuous curves. Any man would have been lucky to ha
ve them, and it was by mere chance all of them belonged to me.

  “You look so handsome,” my petite alchemist breathed as she came forward and took in my features.

  “And you look stunning,” I told her through a broad smile then lifted my face to my other minions. “All of you do.”

  “Shall we go? We don’t want to be late,” Rana interjected, but from the way her red tail swished behind her back, I could tell she too liked the way I looked.

  Popī and Yuri led my companions and me out of the pension house, and it was only then that I took in the decorations strewn about the city. I had been so busy I hadn’t noticed before. Like before with the festival, lanterns and ribbons hung from each house and out over the street, but this time they were white instead of red and yellow. I admired them as I was tugged along by my impatient women.

  I had thought Morrigan would have wanted to be married in one of the temples on the island, but to my surprise, Popī and Yuri led us up the mountainside. My three minions were visibly jittery and excited as we came upon the exact spot where I proposed to Morrigan.

  A beautiful arch of woven branches and flowers now stood at the cliff face. Shida, our officiator, waited with a broad smile as I found my place at the front. Morrigan was a very private person, and very few of the townspeople were allowed attendance to our wedding. I knew some of the citizens were upset that they would not witness the marriage of their new lord, but if it was what my elven lover wanted, then I would give it to her. Morrigan only wanted her sisters to be there and for Shida and his family to serve as our witnesses.

  To one side of the arch, three people I met a few times stood with musical instruments. One woman held a wooden flute, one man held a Machstein version of a lute, and the third woman held a small harp. They began to play a song I had never heard before, but from the sharp notes, I could tell it was elven in origin. My three minions made their way toward me, and then I spied her.

  My elven lover held a bouquet of soft pinks and purples close to her chest as she moved forward. Her dress was almost as white as her hair but seemed dull in comparison. The neckline swooped down to expose her ample cleavage, and the waistline curved in to reveal her shapely hips that were usually hidden by her dark loose robes.

  I was so overcome with her beauty that I had to remind my body to breathe a few times.

  My pale woman walked surefooted and with her head held high as the music slowed and played in the background. Her dark eyes met mine, and her colorless cheeks dusted a rosy pink, but she didn’t hide her face from me like she usually did. When she reached me, she handed off her bouquet to Annalise and turned to face me. We held out our hands and intertwined our fingers as Shida began the ceremony.

  “We are here today to celebrate and be witnesses and supporters in the union of the Lord Of Machstein and Lady Morrigan,” Shida started, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yuri swipe at her eye with a handkerchief. “Love is the reason we are here today, love is the reason for all things, and it has brought these two people together and melded them as one. Love is the strongest of all emotions, I’ve heard it often described as something delicate and easily broken, but that is untrue. Love is everlasting, stronger than steel and, when bent, will not break but instead shape into the form we want it. Love can be tramped on, hammered, and beaten but it will remain forever. That is what we are here to celebrate. The love shared between these two people.” He gestured towards Carmedy. “The rings?”

  Instead of bringing them herself as I expected, Carmedy brought her paws up to her lips and let out a shrill whistle. I turned my head and watched as both Fea and Macha flew together and landed on Morrigan’s shoulder. Tied to their scaly feet with white ribbons were the rings. I chuckled softly and retrieved my ring from Fea. Morrigan reached up and untied hers from Macha then petted the bird’s sleek feathers.

  “My Lord?” Shida said as he gestured for me to speak. I held the wedding band between my forefinger and thumb and smiled at my bride.

  “I give you this ring as a symbol of our love,” I stated as I stared deeply into Morrigan’s dark eyes. “For today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know my love is present even when I am not.”

  I slid the ring up to Morrigan’s knuckle in one fluid motion, and my elven bride stared down at it with teary eyes.

  “Lady Morrigan?” Shida uttered as he gestured to her, and she took my wedding band in her fingers and held it out in front of my hand.

  “I give you this ring as a symbol of our love. For today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come,” the pale woman said proudly as she looked into my eyes. “Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know my love is present even when I am not.”

  Her thin fingers moved gently as she slid the ring on my finger, and she squeezed my hand softly when she finished.

  Shida smiled widely as he turned towards my pale minion and said, “Do you take your Master to be your husband, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do.” Morrigan smiled widely.

  “My Lord,” Shida said as he turned back to me. “Do you take Lady Morrigan to be your wife, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health?”

  “I do.” I nodded as I reached out and took my elven bride’s hands in mine tenderly.

  “By the power vested in me by Master, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.” Shida clapped, and the small crowd watching erupted into applause as I grabbed my second wife and pulled her to me.

  Morrigan’s lips met mine, and she feverishly wrapped her arms around me. The kiss lasted a few seconds while all those watching hooted and called to us joyously. I pulled away from my white-haired woman, and she stared up at me adoringly. Then I stroked her pale cheek with the back of my hand, and she sighed against me. When we turned to the crowd, all faces watching were bright with elation. My other three minions were practically falling over each other with excitement, but my demure bride beside me only smiled and held my hand tightly.

  When most of the crowd had cleared, Morrigan turned to me and outstretched her hand. I took it and pressed tender kisses to the back of it then overturned it, and pressed one kiss into her palm. I loved her, more than anything, just like I did with my other minions. I would do anything they wanted, tear worlds apart with my bare hands if they wished it. When I looked into their faces, I saw my real purpose in this world.

  I was more than a god to them, I was their lover and husband.

  “What will we do now, Master?” Morrigan questioned in a soft whisper, and I gripped her hand and roughly pulled her to my chest.

  “Anything we damn well please, my love.”

  “To bring Tintagal to its knees and destroy its leader,” the pale elf said as she looked out over the water into the setting sun.

  “Then it shall be done.”

  End of book 4

  End Notes

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2019 by Eric Vall