“Slow and gentle it is.”
As her youngest husband slipped inside her and began thrusting his hips, she wrapped her legs around him and kissed him passionately, uncaring that saliva was dripping down her cheeks as she rode out the sensations inundating her body. She let herself be swept away by passion and pleasure.
Hilda opened her eyes as the morning sun peeked in through the window. Sitting up in bed, she stretched her arms above her head, working out the kinks in her muscles. As she brought her hands back down, she looked at her three husbands. They were still sleeping soundly. Valence was resting on his back, Rainer was sleeping on his stomach, and Dante had his arms wrapped around her waist as he rested his head on her lap.
She smiled, leaned back against her pillows, and stroked Dante’s silver hair.
Being empress was sometimes a thankless job, but her husbands made every hardship worth it.
Chapter 9
Learning With Lin
“Sniff sniff. Sniff sniff sniff.”
Lin awoke to the delectable scent of sizzling meat. It was such a delicious smell that she rose out of bed—Darling’s bed—and slithered her way half-asleep into the kitchen.
All Lamia had a special organ on the roof of their mouth that dealt with their sense of smell. Of course, they also had their nose, which acted and worked much like a human’s nose, but it was not nearly as strong as the organ in their mouth, which was why she extended her tongue to taste the scent. It smelled like… beef. It was definitely some kind of bovine creature that was being cooked.
What an amazing scent.
Her mouth was watering just by smelling it.
She found Darling standing in front of the stove upon entering the kitchen, all his attention seemingly focused on cooking the meat over the stove-top. A large stack of meat already sat on a massive plate. It looked like he was cooking a lot this morning—and she knew it was all for her since Darling did not eat meat in the morning.
Lin found herself salivating at the glorious sight.
“Morning, Lin,” he said without looking away from his work. “Breakfast will be ready in just a bit, so why don’t you sit down at the table?”
“Mmm. This princess will sit down, but first… she wants a good morning kiss,” Lin said without shame.
She leaned in and puckered her lips, not knowing whether he would indulge her. He had been a lot more affectionate since their return from the Demon Beast Mountain Range. Even so, she thought she always sensed some reluctance in his actions, like he wanted to be affectionate but wasn’t sure if it was appropriate.
That was why Lin acted more forward.
She wanted to push his boundaries.
She wanted to know just where she stood.
Perhaps that explained why she was so surprised when Darling turned his head and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Her body jolted and her eyes went wide. She pulled back in surprise, staring at Darling like she’d been slapped in the face.
“Is something wrong?” Darling asked, tilting his head like he was confused. Gosh, he was adorable. And this man wondered why she’d chosen him to be her husband.
“Wha—no. Nothing is wrong. Ah ha ha ha! Why would anything be wrong?! A-anyway, this princess is going to sit down now!”
Lin tried to laugh off what just happened, but she could not still her racing heart, even as she beat a hasty retreat into the living room, where she sat down at the table. She pressed a hand to her chest. It felt like her heart was trying to smash its way out of her ribcage. At the same time, her cheeks felt very warm—hot even. Lamia were cold-blooded, so the fact that she was blushing was significant in and of itself.
Darling came into the living room several minutes later and placed a large plate of stacked meat on the table before her. Lin forgot all about her embarrassment as she stared at her meal. It was a sumptuous feast for her eyes, and the smell really did make her mouth water. Her belly rumbled just looking at it. She wanted to eat.
However, there was one thing she needed before she could eat.
She looked at Darling. He smiled at her and gestured toward the food.
“Go ahead and eat. There’s no need to stand on ceremony.”
“Thank you, Darling!”
Lin didn’t hesitate after that, grabbing a large slice of the meat, cooked just enough that it wasn’t raw but still bleeding, and shoving it into her mouth. She almost forgot to chew as she swallowed the food. Darling gave her an indulgent smile as he ate his food—oatmeal with berries—at a much slower pace.
“What are your plans today? You’re still studying at the library, right? How far have you gotten with our language?” asked Eryk.
Because her mouth was stuffed full of meat, she couldn’t speak right away. Darling always complained about how she should not speak with her mouth full. She chewed, swallowed, and answered only after she was sure she wouldn’t choke.
“This princess has memorized most of the syllables. Right now she is learning about the I- and T-forms of your written language,” Lin said.
“That’s great! You’re learning our language really quickly. I’m very impressed.”
“Teeheehee.”
Lin felt pride swell within her chest as Darling complimented her. She didn’t know why compliments from him made her feel so good. She’d received plenty of compliments from Mama and various Lamia when she lived in the Endless Desert, but there was something about Darling complimenting her that made her feel really good. She wanted him to compliment her even more.
“This princess is sure she will finish learning the I- and T-forms soon!”
“I’ll be looking forward to it. Would you like me to quiz you when we get home?”
“Yes, please!”
Breakfast was soon finished, Lin helped Darling clean up, and then the two of them were leaving their love nest.
It was a beautiful day outside. The clear sky was a vibrant blue, the air was nice and mild, and the traffic was bustling, but not congested.
Lin traveled hand in hand with Darling, staring at all the people they passed. Many people were still wary of her. They looked at her like she might eat them when they walked by, giving her a wide berth, but there were just as many who didn’t look frightened anymore. Men, in particular, stared at her more often these days. She didn’t know what that was about, but she was happy so long as people stopped fearing her.
She didn’t like those looks of fear directed her way.
Darling walked with her to the Nadine Library, held the door open for her, and even grabbed her writing utensils and leather-bound book as she found a seat near the back. He came back and set everything up for her. She loved how thoughtful he was, how he did things for her without even being asked.
“I’ll be back when I’m done with my work today,” Darling said as he leaned in and kissed her for the second time that day. His lips were soft, warm, and slightly wet. She loved the feel of them and wished to hold the kiss for a little longer, though she did not complain when he retreated.
Lin watched him leave in a slight daze. Darling was being a lot more affectionate now than he had been before. She felt gratitude toward Big Sister; she was certain he acted this way now because of her. Big Sister was the person who Darling listened to the most. She didn’t know why this was, but Lin had never been one to sweat the small stuff.
Once Darling was gone, Lin opened her jar of ink, opened her book, and began flipping through the pages. This notebook contained all the notes she had so far on lessons involving word forms. Most of it dealt with conjugating verbs and the use of particles.
Humanity’s written language had two forms of writing: I-form and T-form. I-form presented all writing in present tense, while T-form wrote everything in past tense. Depending on what form she was writing in would depend on how she wrote a sentence. A good example was the sentence “Lin wants to eat” which was written in present tense and therefore used the I-form versus “Lin wanted to eat” which was past tense and was written usi
ng T-form.
Lin did not know why this writing had two different forms, which seemed useless and overly complicated, but she understood that complaining about it would avail her nothing. She was determined to master this language and impress Darling. Then he would compliment her on a job well done, she would demand a reward, and they would make babies.
“Eh heheheh...”
Lin giggled to herself as she quickly went to work, absently wiping away the drool at the corner of her lip as she dispelled thoughts of baby-making.
More people streamed into the library as she continued to work. Lin ignored the chatter as she focused all her effort on learning how to write.
“Good afternoon, Lin.”
Well, she did until he came along.
His name was Marko Kriger, a member of the Kriger Family, which Big Sister informed her was a very big family. They were considered one of the Three Heavenly Families. According to Big Sister, the Kriger Family was the most martial oriented, meaning they were a family of incredibly powerful Spiritualists.
In other words, he wasn’t someone she could afford to offend.
But she really wanted to.
“Good afternoon,” Lin mumbled with a strained smile, not that he seemed to notice.
Marko gave her a blindingly brilliant smile. “I hope you slept well last night. How are your studies going? Would you like my help?”
Lin almost sighed as Marko offered to help her study for the nth time. She’d actually lost track of how many times he had done this, but she had rejected him every time he asked her this question. She wondered why he continued to bother when her answer would be the same every time.
“Thank you, but no. This princess would like to learn on her own.”
This was not completely true, as she would gladly receive help if Big Sister or Fay offered, but she did not want this man helping her. She already understood his intentions were not pure. She was a little shocked that there was someone out there aside from Darling who found her attractive despite having the lower body of a snake, but that was what made it so hard to deal with him. Even if she didn’t want his affection or attention, it was hard to deny that being desired instead of scorned and feared felt pleasant.
“I understand.” Marko sat down beside her, mindful of the distance between them, and continued to chatter. “You strike me as a very determined and independent woman. I can appreciate that. But, you know, I don’t believe you should reject someone’s help when they offer it. The written word is an art form, after all. Wouldn’t it be faster and more efficient if you had the help of someone who has already mastered writing?”
“Maybe, but this princess would still like to do it herself,” Lin said, trying to be polite.
It didn’t work.
Marko continued to talk.
The odd thing about Marko was that no matter how many times she rejected him, he just kept coming back—no, it was more like he didn’t even realize he’d been rejected. He continued to talk heedless of how many times she told him she wasn’t interested. Even now, he was lecturing her on the written language like she hadn’t just told him “no” to his face.
On that note, he was speaking of syllables, which she was already close to mastering anyway.
He didn’t always ask if she wanted help. Sometimes he would talk about his training. Other times he would talk about his journeys into the Demon Beast Mountain Range. Marko never seemed to run out of topics to discuss with her. Lin never spoke when he talked and just let him continue jabbering. She wished he would stop, but it was better to let him talk about whatever he wanted than ask her questions she couldn’t or wouldn’t answer.
Time passed like that until Darling returned to the library. He shouldered his way past the crowd of people, arrived at her table, and greeted her with another kiss—her third that day.
“Hey, Lin. Ready to head home?” he asked.
“This princess is ready.”
Lin quickly closed her book, recapped her ink jar, and cleaned off her quill. Darling helped her by putting the book on language away and stashing her leather-bound book behind the counter. While there, he spoke with the manager lady, Ms. Nadine. Judging by the sharp look on her face, she was saying something sarcastic, but he was grinning at her as he replied before he came back to Lin.
“Thank you for keeping her company, Marko.” Darling gave Marko an insincere smile as he possessively grabbed Lin’s hand. “Let’s go, Lin.”
“Yes, Darling.”
Lin felt a thrill rush through her body as Darling led her out of the library. This possessiveness was exactly what she wanted from him. She wanted him to declare to everyone that Lin was his and nobody else could lay a hand on her. It made her feel wanted, desired.
She wanted him so bad.
If it wasn’t for the promise she’d made with Big Sister, Lin would have already tried to mate with him, but it was too bad she had promised Big Sister that she wouldn’t mate with Darling until Big Sister did first. There was apparently a rule for these things. A hierarchy. Big Sister was at the top, while she and Fay were directly beneath her. Lin didn’t really understand, but she knew it meant Big Sister made the rules and they—she and Fay—needed to follow them.
Darling bought some more meat from a market vendor. It was already cooked and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. They took the food home, ate a sumptuous meal, and then got ready for bed.
Darling had a daily ritual that he performed every night before bed, which included washing his face and body with a wet cloth, and then cleaning his teeth. Lin had begun to mimic him. She was just growing accustomed to doing things that humans did, or at least things that Darling did.
“You coming, Lin?” Darling asked after he finished brushing his teeth.
Humans brushed their teeth using brushes with rough bristles made from very fine Demon Beast hair. They used a paste made from ground sage and salt crystals, which they applied to the bristles. It apparently cleaned a person’s mouth and made their breath smell good. She didn’t know how well it cleaned a mouth, but she certainly couldn’t deny that Darling’s breath smelled fresher after he brushed his teeth.
His kisses tasted fresher in the morning and at night.
“Wud?” asked Lin, her toothbrush stuck in her mouth. She didn’t really think she needed to brush her teeth, but she was trying to adapt to human society in every way possible.
“To bed. You coming?” Darling asked.
“Ah? You mean… this princess can sleep with you?” asked Lin after taking the toothbrush out of her mouth.
“Do you not want to?”
“Of course, this princess wants to! H-hold on! Let this princess finish brushing her teeth first!”
Lin quickly brushed her teeth, gurgled some water like she had seen Darling do, spat it out, then hurried after him. Darling pulled back the covers of his bed. It was the big bed that he had originally bought for her. Lin guessed he had decided to sleep there now because Lin never used it. She always slept with him anyway.
However, this was the first time he had offered to let her sleep in his bed without a fight.
As Darling lay down, Lin slithered into bed with him. She cuddled up to his warm body, snuggling close, burying her nose in his chest, and breathing in his scent. This was perfect. Without even meaning to, Lin curled her tail around his legs and waist. She wanted to capture more of his warmth.
“Good night, Lin,” Darling said.
“Good night, Darling.”
Like that, Lin drifted off to sleep, completely at peace with everything around her.
Chapter 10
Catalyna Kriger’s Quest
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed before we were summoned again, but I believed a few days had gone by. While the damage done to this underground city was minimal, there had still been a need for repairs, especially on the entrance door. What’s more, there were quite a few who had died and needed to be given a ceremonial send-off.
These Dweorg
seemed to have a custom of creating metal caskets for the deceased and dropping them into the boiling lava of the lake below. Since we had taken part in the battle, Hreidmar had invited us to witness the ceremony. Samraek had been one of the deceased, which we found out after the battle, so Kari and I felt obligated to witness it.
The ceremony took place on a platform on the highest floor of Jordiskger, the city within the mountain we found ourselves in. Several caskets were lined up near the edge of the walkway. They stood upright as opposed to lying lengthwise. Dressed in ceremonial golden armor, Hreidmar stood before the caskets, a large warhammer even bigger than his body gripped in one hand and a mug in the other.
“These be the brave warriors who risked their lives te fighting te good fight,” Hreidmar exclaimed to those gathered. There was quite a crowd. Myself, Kari, Tungsten, and Erica were in the back of what appeared to be several thousand Dweorgs. As I watched the group, Hreidmar continued. “Be not sad that these brave souls have disappeared from our realm. Be glad that they are now with their forefathers. They lived as warriors and died as warriors should.”
“AYE!” a massive rumbling shook the floor as all the Dweorgs present shouted in unison.
“Now! We drink te the fallen!”
Hreidmar raised the mug in his hand and guzzled down the sloshing liquid inside. The other Dweorgs also raised their mugs and began drinking. Kari and I looked at each other, down at the mugs, and then, with a shrug, we also imbibed the frothing alcohol. The pleasant burn of the liquid running down my throat and settling into my stomach was nice, but I wondered if it was okay to drink like this when performing a ceremony to honor the dead.
It seemed the Dweorg had different ideas when it came to burials and how to honor their deceased.
After everyone had finished drinking, Hreidmar shattered the mug in his hand and raised his warhammer high over his head. Then, one by one, he slammed the hammer into the caskets, which were launched clear into the air before descending deep into the lake of bubbling lava below.
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