by A. R. Rend
In the month since they’d met with guild mistress Fend, very little had changed.
Phillip had been mostly left to his own devices as Lenore, Alice, and her sisters, had all gone to see their father with their mother.
Apparently he was sequestered with his own mother and tending to her care. Along with their youngest children.
Everyone left in the house were cousins to Alice and Lenore as well as their aunts, Matilda’s sisters. The Rias home was where the main family lived, but also where some of the more connected branch members could live as well.
It wasn’t a concept Phillip was overly familiar with since his own home had just been his parents and his siblings. Everyone else had their own holdings.
Phillip had been asked if he’d like to go by Alice but he’d politely declined. He argued that he could remain here and tend to Alice’s business needs as well as Lenore’s while they were gone. Just as Matilda was relying on her sisters in a similar capacity.
Alice and Lenore had both agreed immediately and provided him with a list of all their investments and deals they’d appreciate him keeping an eye on.
Mim had kept him company with Mildred for a week before she was dragged off on a trade deal she wanted to pursue in a city several days distance.
One that he had inadvertently set her on when he helped her with her finances.
There was a surplus of iron ore that only needed refining, which the army would be more than happy to handle, that seemed to be stuck with a duty tax unpaid after being imported.
Mim had ended up purchasing the goods and only needed to pay the tax in person and retrieve the product.
Unfortunately that spiraled into a number of other deals that kept her distant.
Or so the daily letters he received from her had told him.
From the daily letters sent by Alice and Lenore he’d been made aware of the fact that it was unlikely they’d be departing relatively soon. It seemed their grandmother was due to pass and more of the family was coming out to say their goodbyes.
Which was evidenced when the cousins and aunts all started to depart. Leaving more and more of the home under his care, though not their business deals, thankfully.
He was doing more than enough work for himself, Alice, and Lenore that he felt drained at the end of the day.
Groaning, Phillip leaned forward over Alice’s desk in the Rias office.
“Want me to take some of that stress off?” Vinnie asked. “I could just… duck under that desk and show you what a real woman can do.”
Chuckling in response, Phillip put his face in his hands and closed his eyes.
“Sure. You and Frankie can take turns,” Phillip replied, rubbing at his eyes with his palms.
“Oh, I’ll go first then,” Frankie said quickly. “But I’m only going to get you about halfway, Phil. You gotta pop it in me and load me up. I’ll just lay out on the desk.”
“Uh-huh. Got it,” Phillip said off-handedly. “Lots of tongue and lips then while you work. No teeth at all, please.”
“Got it, I can do that,” Frankie promised.
He enjoyed the flirty banter with his soldiers. Had always enjoyed it.
It reminded him of home and overheard conversations between his sisters and their friends. Of the awful and vulgar things they’d joke and kid about.
“As if you could do anything but be bitey,” Tonie commented, followed by the sound of a card hitting a pile. “Ha, got it. Die, you bitch, ha.”
“You cheated didn’t you, nasty goat-fucker,” complained Bobbie. “And who are you kidding. If anyone was allowed to suck him off it’d be Dread. He’d let her in a flash. Him and his precious Milly. I bet I could be just as precious.”
“I very much would let my precious Milly do that,” Phillip agreed, still staring at the darkness behind his eyelids.
He’d never imagined Alice had so many deals that were whirring and burning away.
She had more going on by herself than his entire family did. It was no wonder Alice had a reputation.
“Hear that, Dread? Crawl under there and show him your pretty mouth,” crowed Frankie. “Since he’d welcome your precious ass to do it.”
That got Phillip’s attention.
Pulling his head up, he looked to the door.
Mildred was standing there with the doorknob in hand, staring at him. She’d entered so quietly he hadn’t even heard it.
“Hmph,” Mildred said then shook her head. “I got a report from the mercenaries. Time for you four to go get lunch as well. Do a patrol of the building, then two of you stay here on each door, the other two go get food. Swap after you finish eating.”
“Oh, I see how it is,” Tonie grumbled. “You just want to suck him in peace. Eat your own lunch. I get it, I get it.”
“I mean, I would, wouldn’t you?” Vinnie asked, getting to her feet. “I don’t want anyone interrupting me when I get to eat him finally. And I’d let you finish in my mouth and swallow you down, Phil, no need to get on top of me. Just food for thought.”
“Nasty pig,” Bobbie said, shoving Vinnie to one side as they started to troop out the door. “You trying to steal from Dread?”
“No, just trying to get the second round,” said Vinnie with a laugh, echoed by the other three.
Mildred closed the door after they left and let out a sigh.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Phillip said with a chuckle. “And as I’ve said before. I find it fun. It doesn’t hurt anyone.”
“Fun for you, they mean it though, Phil,” Mildred said in a grave tone. “You take it as humor, but they would do exactly what they claim.”
“I know it isn’t humor,” said Phillip with a shrug of his shoulders. “But they also know I am taking it as humor at the same time. So they can say those things without rejection. And I can accept the statements without rejecting them.”
“Oh, is that how it is?” Mildred asked archly, taking a seat across from him. “Is that why you told me to crawl under your desk just now?”
“No, that was completely sincere, Milly,” said Phillip, meeting her eyes head on. “And you’ll only ever find out if you decide to break your honor and duty while I break mine.”
Of everyone, Phillip knew he would actually be willing to toss everything away for Mildred. She’d have to do the same to be with him.
For one another, they’d have to quite literally end what their lives were.
In a strange way, it begged the ultimate romantic question.
Could you toss it all away for someone?
And Phillip desperately wanted to do it, if only for the idea of it.
The romance of it.
Blinking slowly, Mildred stared back at him, then clicked her tongue and broke eye contact.
“You know I love you. Have since I met you at your mother’s camp when you were helping me around while I was convalescing. I’m here because I want to be. Because… because I hope you’ll choose me. No need to tease me sexually,” complained the soldier, reaching out with a piece of paper in her hand. “I’m just a line soldier… you’re the grandson of a duchess. The chance alone is so unlikely.”
“I do believe I said we’d be breaking our honor and duty together, Milly my dear. And yes, I remember our meeting just as succinctly as you do, thank you,” Phillip said, taking the paper from her. “Hard not to be somewhat impressed meeting the Dread Maiden herself. And besides, you know how I feel about you. I’m a hypocritical, lecherous, cad with four women dangling on lines and you’re one of them. You’re on perfectly equal footing with the others and we still have four or five months to go before I hit my promise to Alice.”
“I wouldn’t say you’re being very lecherous or hypocritical when everyone involved is involved willingly. Even Alice, who you yourself said knows what you’re doing,” countered Mildred, though her tone sounded defensive. “Not to mention the only person visiting your bed is your lawful wife.”
Reading the report quickly, Phillip had to wonder
about the wording.
“They… feel like an attack is imminent, but have no proof, nor has there been an attack,” Phillip said, setting the paper down. “Am I reading that right?”
“You are,” Mildred said, staring at him.
“Okay. Well. You wouldn’t bring it to me if you didn’t think something was going on,” muttered Phillip and handed it back to her. “Do what you need to do. Whatever that may be.”
Shaking her head partially, Mildred didn’t seem like she could process what’d just been said.
“I… I’m sorry?” she asked.
“Do what you need to do,” Phillip said with a small shrug of his shoulders and a smile. “I’m not my mother. I’m not a tactician. Nor a leader or a strategist. Certainly not compared to you or your people.
“Do what you feel is best. That’s my request. Because any order I give you wouldn’t really match up to what you would likely feel is our correct course of action. I know my strengths, this is not one of them.
“Talking to people, understanding them, figuring out a good deal, that sort of thing I’m great at. This? Not so much.”
And apparently seducing women. I’m not bad at that.
***
Trudging into the Rias household, Phillip was drained.
Spending all day working to keep Lenore’s and Alice’s ventures moving in the right direction while they were out, was becoming more and more difficult.
It seemed that as soon as people realized the two ladies were out of town, things just kept happening. Excuses, changes, requests for more money, all number of things were being dropped on Phillip.
He didn’t doubt for an instant that it was all planned. Planned and being executed simply because he was here, and they weren’t.
Fortunately, it wasn’t the same people causing problems repeatedly. Once he’d attended to a situation it tended to remain fixed.
He wasn’t sure if it was because he was solving the situations correctly, or because he had a habit of taking down notes when he met with people. Writing down the majority of what they said, were claiming, or wanted.
That Lenore and Alice would both receive said notes was also made quite clear to everyone who saw him on their behalf.
There was also a group of individuals who didn’t want to meet with him at all once they found out who was handling the Rias women’s deals.
Those he also made a note of, just in case something happened.
“You… you alright, hon?” asked Tonie from his left.
“I’m just really tired, Tonie. Really, really tired,” Phillip admitted. “It isn’t a physical exhaustion but a mental one. I think my mother once called it decision fatigue. That if she made too many she started making bad choices.”
“Oh, okay,” Tonie said, nodding her head.
“Uhm, can I help?” Bobbie asked from his right. “I mean, if it’s anything I can go get or make for you, I can do it. Is there something I could go get for you?”
“That’s sweet of you, Bobbie,” Phillip said, reaching out with his left hand to put it behind Bobbie’s shoulder blades and patted her firmly. “I really appreciate that. There’s nothing I need though. Thank you.”
“Uh, I could… uh… I could help you out,” Vinnie offered from behind him. “I could use my mouth ya know. Ma always said it helped with Pa and kept him in line. Just pop you off real fast.”
“You know what? I’m going to say yes, to that, Vinnie. I’d love it if you did that. But I’ll take it another day and time. Is that okay?” Phillip said. “Next time I’m feeling like this, you can help me out.”
He didn’t want to reject her outright because she actually sounded completely sincere. But he couldn’t actually say yes either.
“Just… saying that I’m willing, too,” Bobbie added, which was quickly chorused by the other guards.
“I understand. I’m officially saying yes to each one of you. Just not right now. Later. Come on. Let’s… just all get in my room and have a sit-down. I just want to not think for a bit. You can all keep me company,” Phillip said, not wanting to reject any of them. There had been no sexual overtone to their offers.
Just strangely misplaced care. Made by soldiers turned guards who knew only violence, blood, and death.
Tramping into the house, the six of them made it to his room and inside.
“Lock the door please,” Phillip said and started to strip out of his clothes. He planned on sitting around in his room in a simple shirt and underwear. “Get the door to Alice’s room, too.”
He didn’t give a damn if his guards admired the view either.
“Oh, uh, sure,” Frankie replied and then dropped the locking bar in place. Then she also threw the lock as well.
From the other side of the room he could hear someone else locking that door, as well.
“Great. Now you all can relax, too. Get comfy. We’re not going anywhere else tonight,” Phillip grumbled as he dropped into a recliner after undressing. “Rest of your shift is in here with me.”
“We… we shouldn’t be in here, Phil,” Bobbie said, standing near the sofa.
“And yet here is where you’ll be. So… shut up and get comfortable,” Phillip muttered and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the padding.
There was the quiet click and clack of gear as the women stood at attention. Likely all looking at one another.
“Fine,” Mildred said with finality. “I’m going to go work out the next shift change. Lock the door behind me, Vinnie. I’m going to turn in after I finish that. You’re lead.”
Phillip heard the door unlock, open, close, and relock itself.
After that, there was a whisper of leather sliding for a few seconds, followed by a thump as something hit the ground. Followed by other noises that sounded like people ditching equipment.
There was a sigh of contentment and something like a sofa squeaking.
Cracking open an eye, he found Frankie and Tonie across from him. They were wearing nothing but their small clothes. Piles of equipment, weapons, and armor nearby.
Phillip couldn’t deny he liked the look of both women. He had a thing for the tall, athletic, and muscular types.
Probably because that’s all I knew growing up.
Closing his eyes, Phillip felt better.
“You both look great in almost nothing,” Phillip said with some amusement. “Thanks for the show.”
Frankie chortled at that and Tonie huffed.
“See? He just wanted to get a look. No need to be so uptight,” Frankie said. “Not like we don’t look at him.”
“Exactly,” Phillip agreed. “And if you don’t mind-”
“I’d be happy to. Want me to do it right now while you sit there?” Vinnie said and interrupting him.
“Later, Vinnie. I promise. Not right now. But if you don’t mind, can I ask you some questions? All of you?” Phillip asked.
He wanted to get their opinions on the matter. They’d been watching over him from the start. Had seen or heard everything that’d happened.
If they couldn’t weigh in on what was going on, who could?
“Sure, what’s up?” Bobbie asked from his side.
Opening his eyes, he tilted his head to look over.
Bobbie was nude and sprawled out in the recliner, looking very comfortable. Vinnie was in another on the other side, though she was wearing shorts. That was the extent of what she was wearing.
Didn’t expect them to go nude but… whatever.
“Wasn’t wearing any small-clothes. They chafe,” Bobbie said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I’m not ashamed.”
“Nothing ever up top for me, makes my nipples get a rash,” Vinnie said.
“If the four of you were in Mildred’s position, or Alice, Lenore, or Mim, would you stay in it?” Phillip asked, getting straight to the heart of the matter. “I can’t decide if I’m leading them on or not.”
Tonie looked annoyed, reaching up to scratch at her side.
“You’re not fucking any of ‘em but Alice, right?” she asked.
“Just Alice,” he agreed.
“And you’re not trying to fuck any of ‘em?” Bobbie asked.
“No. I’m not.”
“Or doing other kinds of sex stuff?” Vinnie asked. “Like how I want to use my mouth on you till you go in it? They’re not doing that either?”
“No. None of that either.”
“Uh… are you doin’ anything at all with’em?” Frankie asked, sounding confused.
“A kiss here or there. Mim… ah… pleasured herself in front of me. I didn’t touch her,” Phillip said, feeling rather guilty.
Looking around at the four guards, Phillip saw looks of surprise, incredulity, and annoyance.
Tonie clicked her tongue and then shook her head.
“In other words, you’re just courting all four of ‘em,” she summarized.
“Sounds like it,” Bobbie agreed. “I thought he was dippin’ in all of ‘em.”
“Me, too,” Tonie grumbled. “Hell, maybe I do have a shot at you, Phil. I’m a bit more rough than Milly but I think you’re amazing. I’d be a shit wife though but I’d keep you happy and sexed. I’d be loyal. A hard worker. I’d give everything I had and was up in a heartbeat and run away with you. I could work as a guard or a soldier somewhere for us.”
Really?
Huh.
“Stop trying to sell yourself, he’s asking for help,” Bobbie threw out. “And… yeah, if you were just courting me and the others here, I’d stay in. I’m not losing anything for it. I’m getting to learn more about you and… if we fit? Yeah. If we fit. That’s what I’d call it. If we fit.
“And courting doesn’t hurt no one. Especially when everyone knows the game and there’s no sex goin’ on. And as far as I can tell, they all do know the game.”
“Yes, they all know what’s going on,” Phillip agreed.
“Yeah, I’d stay then,” Frankie agreed. “I’d probably be more like Mim though. You’re too damn handsome, I swear.”
“I’d stay,” Bobbie agreed.
“Me, too,” Vinnie said. “I’d be more like Mim, too. I’d probably go down on you every time I got you alone. Make you want it all the time.”