by Randi Darren
“Oh, don’t be so upset,” Katherine said, grabbing Alex’s rear end. “I did tell you that you were making a mistake by letting me go.
“Should have turned me into a cock-sheath. Or your cock moistener for when you’re at court. Now you have to use me very gently or Anna will be sad.
“I’m going to end up your wife and have some power of you. Don’t worry, though. I’ll just… turn you into my breast warmer. Maybe make you sleep behind me to keep me warm and comfortable.”
Alex raised his eyebrows in shock. He’d never expected those words out of her. The dirty talk was a pleasant surprise.
“Or maybe… maybe I’ll talk Anna into having you service us all in order of marriage with your tongue,” Katherine said. Then she smiled and patted him twice on the rear end. “Be a good boy and I’ll make sure you get all you want. Be a bad boy and I’ll put bad ideas in Anna’s head even as I kiss, hug, and fondle her to death in return.”
Aren’t you glad you listened to me? That you were nice to her? Anna likes her.
A lot.
She started bending Alanna, Regina, and Mary further to Anna’s will. She is Anna’s Valeria or Riley.
Though she overestimates her power.
If you told Anna to do something… she’d do it.
Even if it were to carve Katherine’s guts out with a teaspoon. She’d do it with a smile.
So I guess you don’t have to be that nice if you really don’t want to. Could always turn her into that cock-sheath.
Did I mention I really like Anna?
Fuck.
Chapter 7
Alex rode out of Fis’Er with a portion of the light cavalry, mounted infantry, engineers, crossbow-women, and almost the entirety of the unlisted corps. Quinn had sent six thousand of her own cavalry in addition, and every soldier with Alex had been given a Xer mount. Whether they were “mounted” or not. That had been two days hence.
Eleanor and Nannie were with Alex, though none of his other Numbered were.
This was a reconnaissance mission that had the potential to become an actual fight.
General Tael, formerly of Terk, was riding with him as the head of the force.
The man had survived the fall of the city and shown up with several other officers at Brit. All looking for work.
Alex had happily hired them and turned Tael over to Dave immediately.
They’d come up from the western approach of the city. Trying to be as inconspicuous as they could be.
“Scouts just came in,” Tael said, walking up to Alex. “No soldiers that they can see. Not even a local garrison. It’s unguarded.”
Alex frowned, scratching at his arm. “That’s odd, isn’t it?”
“I would think so personally sir, but these aren’t our lands,” Tael said. “I spoke with my Xer counterpart. She was genuinely surprised that you wanted to attack the city directly. To her, that simply isn’t done.”
Alex shook his head.
“They’re too kind to one another in these conflicts,” Alex said. “They’re quick to kill one another, but the only thing they lose is life. There’s apparently no real consequence of losing. No lasting ruin.
“Well, we’re going to teach them that you can’t just attack someone and not expect to get bloodied. Order the march. We’re taking the city.”
“Sir,” Tael said with a salute, then turned and left quickly.
“Gonna fuck ’em all, Alex?” Nannie asked. She was standing above him, with Eleanor on the other side.
“Course I am,” Alex said. “Going to loot the whole city, strip it clean of anything I want, then burn it to the ground. Then we’re going to hit the next one, and the next. We’re going to hit as many as we can, while giving our foes the maximum number of refugees to tend for.”
“A wise course of action, my lor… Alex,” Eleanor said, his name sounding weird from her mouth. “No, Master. Yes. Master. Master Alex?”
Peering up at the knight, Alex wondered what the hell was going on.
“We figured out we can call you whatever, so long as it means the same thing as Master,” Nannie explained. “As you can see, Six is, uh… not so good at it.”
“Oh. That explains quite a bit then,” Alex said. “Hm. What do you want to call me Six? Tell me truthfully.”
“My Masterful Lord Husband Alex,” Eleanor said immediately in a rush.
“Uh… that’s… huh,” Alex said.
Nannie started laughing at that, and she laid one of her hands on the top of Alex’s head. “I think she’s as bad as One.”
“You can call me Master, Alex, or Lord, Six. So long as they all have the same respect for me,” Alex said, looking back out to his forces in front of him. Nannie’s hand on him troubled him not at all. She had begun to touch him often.
Case in point, she was now idly running her fingers through his hair.
“You can’t laugh at me for being sentimental, Five,” Eleanor grumbled. “You’d be a better house-wife now than a berserker.”
“Probably,” Nannie admitted with a sigh. “I just can’t… work up the same rage I used to have.”
“Good thing you’re a bodyguard first, berserker last,” Alex said. “Maybe you should let Six start teaching you the art of the knight. Might be more up your alley now.”
“I’ll show you what’s up my alley tonight,” Nannie said, her fingers sliding down Alex’s head and to his neck.
“My turn tonight, you had him last night. Unless you’d like to join us,” Eleanor immediately said. “And you should let me train you. You would do well with a two-handed sword. Very well.”
“Ugh, no to both,” Nannie said. “You’re pretty and all, but I really don’t go that way. Y’all need to stop.”
Alex couldn’t blame all his Numbered who were equally interested in women. Nannie was rapidly becoming prettier and prettier as her hair grew out. Not to mention she smiled far more frequently.
Getting to his feet, Alex walked over to his horse. It was time for them to get ready. They’d be riding hard for the city shortly.
Eleanor stopped him dead before he could get up in the horse and spun him around.
“Time for you to put on your armor. Remain still and I’ll attend you,” said the knight. She was wearing her full set of plate mail. Her helmet was attached to a strap at her hip. She was an imposing figure in full regalia of her function. “No comment from you, Five.”
Nannie chuckled at that, standing nearby. She’d somewhere recently developed the habit of making comments about what Alex could do to her, or her to him.
“She’s just nervous, Six,” Alex said. “Five is one of the most tender hearted amongst you all. More so than One, as you pointed out.
“She’s also a very loving and kind woman when I lie with her. She says all those things because she actually means them, but she doesn’t know how to express them. Isn’t that right, my Five?”
Nannie was looking down and away, a frown on her face. Her arms were tight to her chest. He’d clearly hit the mark, and dead on.
“Hm,” Eleanor said, glancing over at Nannie. “Well then… I could show you what’s up my alley as well… Alex.
“Now, hold still. Five, come over here and hold on to him for me while I get him set up. Feel free to fondle him as much as you can. I know I will.”
Alex sighed, but he didn’t argue. The better his Numbered worked together, the better off he’d be.
An hour later of Nannie and Eleanor fondling him and he was dressed up in very similar armor to a knight’s. It wasn’t as thick or all-encompassing as hers, but it felt close. At least to Alex.
Eleanor had it made specifically for him with Anna’s permission. Apparently, no one liked the idea of Alex running around without some serious protection.
Alex saw the city out ahead of them, cresting over a small rise.
It looked similar to Fis’Er and Shishish.
Their culture seems to revere tradition and fight any type of change at all.
Loved by the north, hated by the south.
“Tael, it’s time. No harm to the civilians,” Alex said as his command group came to a stop. His soldiers were arranged behind him, waiting for orders. “Have the city looted. Make sure we take every single horse. Do not leave a single one behind.
“Soldiers can keep any coins, rings, precious metals no larger than a hand, or jewelry they find. They’ll be required to turn over one in ten of whatever they take as a tax donation to me, or Queen Quinn, if it’s a soldier of Xer.
“If I find out they hurt, raped, beat, or murdered anyone, I’ll have them executed on the spot. Questions?”
“No, sire,” Tael said.
“Go. I’m going to make a beeline for the fort. See if there’s a treasury I can claim,” Alex said. “I’ll take my personal guard with me. You’re in charge of the city.”
“Yes, sire.” Tael spun his mount around and headed back to his soldiers.
“Normally I’d be excited about this part,” Nannie said. “Now I just feel tired. Willing, ready, but tired.”
“Your soul and heart are weary,” Eleanor said. “Do not fret, it’s the right thing to feel in this case. You should always relish completing your duty, but never the acts committed in doing so.”
“Huh… yeah,” Nannie said. “Maybe we can talk more about this knight stuff later?”
“It would be my pleasure, Five. As I said, I think you’d be a terror in a suit of armor with a two-handed weapon,” Eleanor said.
“I’ll pay for it,” Alex said, interrupting them. “Her suit of armor and weapon, that is.”
“Really?” Nannie asked.
“Of course. It’d give you better protection and odds of survival,” Alex said. “You’re my bodyguard, but you’re also my Five. Alright. Looks like we’re going. Call the guard, Six. Give them their orders.”
In the span of half an hour, Alex found himself marching up the steps of the local fort.
The house guard of Brit was pulled up around him. Nannie and Eleanor stood on either side of him.
There’d been a brief skirmish at the foot of the fort. The local ruling family attempting to defend their home with whatever troops they had.
Using just his house guard, Alex had destroyed the enemy completely, and only one of his men had been wounded.
“Someone find the treasury,” Alex said. “I’m going straight for their bedroom. If it’s anything like Fis’Er, I know where Quinn would be sleeping.”
“Of course you do,” Nannie said. “You’ve only been packin’ more into her than a sausage maker.”
All around him, he heard guffaws and the general laughter of his soldiers. His house guard were all well aware of the Numbered and how close they were to their count.
They also knew Alex didn’t mind this type of humor.
“To be fair, Quinn is rather pretty,” Eleanor said.
“Yea, yea, we know, you’d share Alex with her. I’m starting to think you’d share Alex with anyone he’s already bedding,” Nannie said.
“Probably,” Eleanor said. “Mostly because Master favors them.”
Now the house guard was outright laughing. Sometimes Alex wondered if they were laughing at or with him. In either case, he appreciated their good will. Protecting someone you liked went much further than protecting someone you didn’t.
Several of his guard broke away as they entered the fort, off to look for said treasury.
When he marched into the family rooms, Alex found the vast majority of them empty.
One by one they cleared them, looting anything of value that could be easily carried.
Finally they came to a room at the end of the family wing. It had been laid out in exactly the same way Quinn’s had been.
Testing the door, Nannie found it was locked. Which meant they’d finally found what they were looking for.
“Step away from the door,” Nannie yelled. “Cause I’m gonna fuckin’ boot this thing down, and if you horse fuckers are in the way, it’s gonna hurt.”
After waiting a single second, Nannie stepped back and then forward, her big booted foot slamming into the spot next to the door handle.
With a crack, the door splintered off its hinges and clattered inward.
Shrieks and screams could be heard from within.
Alex’s guard rushed in, Nannie and Eleanor waiting beside him.
“Clear,” called a guard from within.
Alex marched into the room and looked around. He found it was almost identical to Quinn’s.
The occupants of the room were an older man and clearly his son. They both had short brown hair and brown eyes. But that couldn’t be all of them. He’d seen at least two other bedrooms that clearly had people living in them.
“I’m Count Inferno,” Alex said, deciding to embrace his name for the effect it had on others. “Tell anyone who’s hiding to come out now. I’m going to tell my soldiers to search the room, and if they find anyone, I’m going to kill them. Do you understand?”
The older man swallowed but said nothing.
“Fine. Search the room. Loot it bare. Kill anyone you find. No mercy,” Alex said, then left. “Be thorough, then set the fort on fire. Let no one escape after the flames start.”
“Wait! Wait, ah… please, everyone, come out. Please,” said the man. “Please forgive them for hiding, I told them to do it.”
Pausing at the door, Alex looked into the room and waited.
A rug started to move nearby, then slowly slid to one side. Revealing a trap door. Coming out of it were several women Alex’s age or younger, and one older woman.
“Fine. Take them all into custody. I’ll give them to Quinn,” Alex muttered.
“No deals today?” Nannie asked, matching his pace.
“No. We’re on a time crunch. That and I don’t… well… honestly? I don’t want any more Numbered,” Alex said. “I have all I want or need. And I don’t really need any more deals. Anna has more women lined up for me to bed than I can reasonably accommodate for two years.
“That’s not even including the expanded dungeon, or the criminals she’s bringing in from other lands. I have… more than enough to handle.”
“I’m suddenly very grateful I met you in the way I did,” Eleanor said. “I’d hate to show up now. Wouldn’t even look at me probably.”
“Me too,” Nannie said.
Mm. That’s a good point.
“Fine. If you find someone you think worthy of a Number, or at least a deal, point them out. I’ll consider it. I trust you both,” Alex said.
After marching to the throne room, Alex stopped and decided to wait there. He was hoping for good news about the treasury.
With any luck, he could add to his campaign fund without having to work too hard.
He didn’t have to wait long. One of his guard came back with a huge shit-eating grin. Pulling off his helmet, he addressed Alex properly. He had short red-brown hair and hazel eyes. He looked familiar, but Alex couldn’t place it.
“Task complete, Count, and already packed it up,” said the man. “We hired a bunch of civilians running around. Told them they could each take a handful of gold if they got it all into the chests we found in the store rooms.”
Alex grinned at that, pointing at the guard. “Oooh, you’ve been paying attention. I’m going to remember you. Good adaptation and initiative. Looks like I’ll be giving you all a bonus for this raid. Have you already transferred it back to camp?”
“I grabbed a squad of the mounted infantry, sire, and gave them all the horses we loaded it on. I gave them the official receipt I made for the gold and told them to take it back to Fis’Er on your orders,” said the man. “I also took down their unit number and told them I’d be sending a dispatch ahead of them back to Brit.”
In other words, their families will end up being held hostage to the gold.
“Brilliant,” Alex said. “Large bonus f
or all of you.”
“I did make sure to tell the unit they’d be rewarded for arriving swiftly. I included that in my written receipt for General Herel,” the man finished. “Given your track record for rewards and punishments, I have no doubt the gold will arrive intact.”
“Shit,” Nannie said. “Bonus nothing, promote ’im.”
Alex nodded at that. “You’re right. You’re promoted, guardsman…?”
“Guardsman Greg Marsh, sire,” said the man. “I’m… related to Valeria Marsh. Uh, Three. You brought my family over to Brit. Everyone in our family. Even the real distant ones. We all know it’s because of Three.”
“Huh, good work then. Continue on,” Alex said.
Greg pulled his helmet back down and marched back the way he’d come.
“We’re done here,” Alex said, moving toward the exit. He was annoyed at the mention of Valeria. His failure. He wanted her at his side, and that wasn’t possible because of him.
It made him angry at himself.
“She’s ok,” Nannie said softly. “She’s sad, but she’s ok. And she has us to keep her company till ya fix it.”
“I failed,” Alex said bitterly.
“No, you didn’t,” Eleanor said, bracketing his left side. “No one thinks you did. Least of all, Three.”
Alex shook his head in disagreement.
Falling into a funk, he kept to himself the entire way out of the city. It wasn’t until he found himself atop his horse, staring down at a collective group of citizens from the city who were all staring back at him, that his mind seemed to turn back on.
“Citizens,” Alex said, projecting his voice as best he could. “Your leaders have declared war upon Queen Quinn of the Xer, and upon myself, Count Inferno of Brit.
“As her legal husband and ally, I’ve taken it upon myself to demonstrate the foolish idea of taking up arms against your neighbor, and that you should all wish that this were only a dream.”
Alex turned his head and looked at Tael.
“We’re the preparations made?”
“Yes, sire. The unlisted and engineers completed their task,” Tael said.
“Grand. Give the order,” Alex said, and Tael barked an order. Then Alex turned back to the crowd and cleared his throat. “As I’m an honorable man, I’m giving you back all your lives. Though I must commit to ending your ability to support your compatriots in this most foul action against the Xer.”