by D. R. Rosier
Chapter Eighteen
Desirae and Sianna seemed to dominate the conversation at lunch, which was fine for me since it was nice seeing them both having so much fun. They were more like sisters discussing plans to go out for a night on the town, rather than discussing a trade treaty. Sianna also mentioned the idea of a mutual defense treaty.
Desirae seemed amenable to the latter idea, but only against outside attackers, in other words goblins from the mountains, or people from another continent or island. She wouldn’t involve the elven people in an internal revolt. It seemed a wise idea, Gritor was really damned big, and empires didn’t last forever. I was sure Sera could hold it together, and possibly her eldest daughter, and maybe even a few more generations, but inevitably every empire fell. It was human nature.
Since Desirae and all our mates would live at least another seven to eight hundred years, it seemed prudent and quite likely we’d live to see its end.
I was also taking the time to create a ring that would purge the magical flower spores from someone who accidentally inhaled them while harvesting magical ingredients. It would make the harvesting itself quite safe, even if the forest offered other deadly obstacles. She’d brought nineteen samples, but three of them were harmful enough they’d have been purged with just a general poison detection. That still left me setting up sixteen genetic definitions to be purged if a person had those things in their body.
When I was done, I had a ring I could copy and sell, and put my copy in a safe place. It was one of the ones only a flesh sculptor could copy through regrowth, and I’d have to set it so that it would bond to the first person that touched it.
Once I had it all set up, it was quite easy to copy it to all my mate’s armor and protections, including my own. Then I waited for the two women to take a breath, so I could break in.
“Desirae, do you want the ring, or should I just add it to the healing necklace I already made you?”
She smiled cutely, “Both? I can’t advertise it if mine is different, and I’ll be able to sell it later when word spreads, and then I’ll give you the profits next time I see you.”
Did she just flirt with me? Damn Saria for putting that in my head. That just wasn’t going to happen. No matter how much I admired her strength, grace, and resiliency in the face of unspeakable abuse. It was a foregone conclusion I thought she was beautiful, she looked like Saria after all. Plus, there was the whole sister’s thing, which… didn’t actually matter. No one would let the crown princess marry a human. Still, I could have done with never having to have this conversation in my head.
“That’s more than fair,” I said, “but you can’t sell it, at least not without a sculptor around to reset the bonding mechanism. It won’t work for anyone but you, just like your necklace.”
She shrugged, “I’ll see you four times a year, plus whenever you visit, I’ll just wait for one of those times. It might even be more often than that, something tells me my brothers aren’t going to want to visit.”
I nodded, and then made a copy of the ring as I updated her necklace. Then I passed over the ring and samples, and she gave me ten gold. It felt a little weird taking it, but I couldn’t keep making things for free. For my mates maybe, but everyone else? Still, she was my sister now, which made it weird. If she hadn’t suggested paying for it, I probably would have done it for her for free and not thought twice about it.
Saria asked, “I’m taking him and the others on a tour of the city, want to come?”
Desirae smiled at her sister, “I’d love to. But I can’t. I have duties, even if I would like to dump them all while you’re here. I’ll see you tonight though, at the family dinner.”
Saria nodded, and lunch broke up.
Desirae looked at me before she left, “This might sound condescending, but I don’t mean it that way. Your speech was brilliant this morning, and you handled it perfectly. I’m proud of you. You won over a lot of the opposition, but at the same time you greatly angered those few left who are against you. Angry people, elves and humans, do stupid things. Please be careful in the city, all of you.”
I said, “Thanks, and we will.”
I was thoughtful as the door closed, and then we got up to go. The tour would take the rest of the day, then dinner, and then I could finally makeup with Karana. We weren’t that bad, she’d sat on my lap at breakfast, and was hardly ignoring me and was her flirty self, mostly, but there was still an awkwardness there between us that I wanted gone.
Soon enough, I hoped it would be.
The city was impressive, with houses that seemed to organically meld with the trees, bushes, and other flora around it. There was a magical feel to it, and the first thing we did was go up into the tree paths. At first, I wasn’t sure where we were going, as the ground got further and further away. Most of the structures in the trees were smaller structures, for obvious reasons, even the monstrously wide branches of the overgrown trees could only hold so much weight.
I was happily surrounded by my mates as we kept going up higher in the boughs. Karana had my left arm, and Saria was on my right. It was rare when those two claimed my arms, usually leaving them to Regina who didn’t like leaving my side, and lately Sianna who always liked to be touching me, but not for our tour. Another thing that made it strange was we were in public, and although I thought Saria was doing it because she was enjoying it, I also thought it might be a statement to her people.
Something like, mine, stay the fuck away. Or maybe they just wanted to be close to protect me, they were the two most powerful and deadly of my mates in that moment. Regardless, I wasn’t really giving it that much thought, and just enjoying their unusual closeness.
They say ignorance is bliss, so I was pretty happy.
The trails through the boughs came to an end very high up, at a large platform that was suspended between four of the largest trees I’d ever seen. I was sure almost immediately this is what we were here to see, a park in the sky.
We were about three quarters the way up the boughs, so there was a clear and high view of the forest in all four directions, but still partially blocked on the four corners. The bird’s eye view of the forest was stunning, and it also gave me a unique view of the top of the palace, as well as other smaller glades farther out that had more strangely colored magical plant life. The forest was full of them, and I knew the elves had avoided all of them on the way in.
The platform itself was wooden, much like a deck, but with no rails. We walked up to the northern edge, and Saria and Karana snuggled into my sides, both a perfect fit as their supple and soft bodies molded to mine. Sianna and Regina got into the group cuddle from behind. Just alone, the view was breathtaking, surrounded by love and my mates? It was a peaceful and wonderful moment in my life.
I scanned the skies and nodded my head at what looked like very large flying predators, and Karana looked up at me.
“They can’t see us, hear us, or smell us, and even if they could the whole platform is warded, they can’t get to us. It’s also impossible to fall off.”
I tilted my head at that last comment.
Karana giggled, “It was obvious, you stopped us five feet from the edge. There’s a protective spell around it to prevent anyone falling off, you couldn’t even jump off if you tried.”
I stole a quick kiss, and then got back to enjoying the view.
Saria started to point out various landmarks, including several places we needed to avoid when we left for Amathyr. We spent at least an hour up there, alone. I wasn’t sure if they were avoiding me, or simply giving the princess the respect of privacy with her mate and sister-wives. I didn’t ask either, I didn’t want to break the spell we all seemed to be under with politics and talk of dangers.
Then I was passed around like a toy for soft kisses with all my mates, and once again the elves took my arms and led me on the next trek of the tour which was all the way back down on the ground. We went through several twisty trails which had me quite lost, by the time
we arrived at our next destination.
The wood started to get a bit hillier, but the trouble of the climb up and down a few ridges was worth it, as we entered a small glade, with a very decent sized waterfall and pool beneath it. There were already a few elves in it, naked, but that didn’t seem to faze my mates, so I wasn’t going to worry about it. Apparently, under the right circumstances at least, nudity wasn’t a taboo in elven culture.
It helped to think of it as a nude beach as we walked through it, even if I’d never been to one back on my world. Just a couple of hundred feet past the waterfall we entered a small glade against a steep rock wall, and there were some shallow pools in the ground, that were steaming.
“Hot springs?”
Saria nodded.
Well… cool, but it also made me wonder if the great forest wasn’t sitting on a huge ass volcano.
Karana nipped my ear, and said breathily, “Want to take a dip in something… hot, and wet?”
“Yes, I do, or we could go in the springs.”
I’d tried to play it off nonchalantly, but Karana grinned wickedly as her eyes flickered down to my obvious and very new and large bulge. What can I say? My mate got me going with dirty talk.
I added, “Although water that hot is bad for pregnancy.”
She kissed me rather teasingly, which made me groan into her mouth, and then stripped off her robes as she backed slowly away from me.
Damn, my silver raven haired beauty was so damned hot.
She said, “I’ll put a protection spell on them, so it will only feel toasty, instead of hot.”
I nodded, and started to strip myself. I noticed Saria staring into the forest, like she did when talking to her scouts, and decided that made sense. There was no way she’d strip down naked if there was a chance we’d be attacked. At the very least, the guards would give her long enough to get out, and have her armor crawl up her body while she grabbed her weapons.
After Karana cast her spell on my pregnant mates, the five of us slipped into the steaming water. It was damned hot, but it felt good instead of burning after just a few seconds. Karana pressed herself against my back, and then kissed the back of my neck.
“I love you, James. Tonight… I’m sorry I can’t seem to keep my hands off you, but it’s impolite to fuck in public. Plus, I want intimacy with you, and a private time.”
Her hand reached around me, and stroked me twice, before she let me go. Well, not me, she was still pressing her heart shaped C cups into my back, with her hot sex against my ass, but she wasn’t jerking me.
“Tease,” I whispered playfully.
She chuckled sultrily, and nipped my shoulder, “A promise…”
I wasn’t sure what had gotten into her, but she’d passed right by flirting by a large margin. It was fun, if a little frustrating.
The rest of the day went similarly. We went to a few stores next, and Sianna wound up buying one of the silk mage robes. That’s when I found out she couldn’t wear them yet, not until she’d made it to mage level casting in at least one of the six spheres, which I thought of as intermediate. She did try it on though, and it looked sinfully sexy when she’d put an illusion of dark blue on it. It hugged her gorgeous hourglass body, and it showed a tasteful amount of her mostly rounded and pert C cup cleavage. What made it even more sexy was the stark innocent and fragile beauty of her teen face. It made the conflicting needs of my desire to protect her, and a desire to ravish her, rise up in me at the same time.
I couldn’t wait for her to advance, so I could see it on her again, and most likely take it off as fast as I could. No, it wasn’t all I thought about, but Karana had my libido going so crazy with all her seductive flirting that afternoon, that I’d felt like I was going to explode.
After the stores, we took a quiet tour of our starting point, the palace. There was a lot of organic art, but the rounded hallways and rooms got a little confusing, I doubted I could find anything in the place. It made me feel dumb, but I did better with squares, the palace was all curves and circles.
By the time we got back to the suite, we only had time to take a quick bath before we were due for dinner at the royal family’s private dining room. The bath was interesting, as my mates cleaned me, but no one offered to take the edge off, which was strange in itself. I had the feeling they were all conspiring to make sure I was on the edge of crazy and wild when it came time for my private time with Karana that night.
I just wished I knew why, but I trusted them all completely, so why ruin their game. I was almost sure to enjoy it.
Still, it was only a little frustrating, and kind of fun as well being teased so hard, so I went with it. I’d waited four hours already, what was a couple of more? Especially since I’d already slept with my other three mates earlier that day…
Chapter Nineteen
The five of us entered a large dining room, there were elven scouts, or possibly the elf version of royal guards? There were six of them in the room, and at first, I was a little offended, were they worried I’d attack? Then I almost started laughing, when Saria nodded subtly toward her brothers in explanation, she must’ve read that question on my face. The guards were their watch dogs, and only about me in that they were protecting me from them.
The queen had a relaxed smile on her face, startlingly like the light smile on Desirae’s face while we sat down. I don’t know if it was their custom, or if they knew it was human custom, but they sat me at the foot of the table as the guest of honor, with Saria on my right, and Karana on my left, past Karana is where Regina sat, while Sianna sat next on the other side of Saria.
Directly across the length of the table was Orum, with Kaylessa on his immediate right, and Desirae to his left, past the two ladies sat Arun and Sudryl across from each other. In the seats past them, and right next to Regina and Sianna was a couple of more guests I hadn’t been expecting. I didn’t mind, I didn’t want my mates sitting anywhere near those two twin assholes, so they were kind of a buffer.
One was Baron Galen, the one that had led the opposition that morning that I’d shut down with the facts. I didn’t know if he liked me, but his nod of greeting was at least respectful. Across from him was another elven woman I didn’t recognize at all.
Kaylessa said, “Welcome to our table. Did you enjoy the tour of the city?”
I replied, “Your city is beautiful, and I did enjoy it very much.”
The queen gestured, and servants entered the room, and started to lay down dishes in front of all of us.
The queen asked, “What did you like best?”
I tilted my head, “Not sure, the view was wonderful from the platform, but I enjoyed the hot springs a great deal as well.”
The king had a kinder look on his face this time, and I wondered if that stern visage this morning hadn’t been more about keeping his nobles in line. Either that, or I’d impressed him and improved his opinion of me since then.
“Your gift has already revealed more than a score of new mages, including my son Arun.”
Based on the sour look on Sudryl’s face, he turned out to be the one true non-mage in the family, which I heard was typical enough. Arun looked smug.
“That’s good news,” I even managed to say it like I meant it.
Orum nodded, “We’ve only checked the known mage families so far, we’ll be doing the rest of the city, and probably sending some of those to Karana’s new mage school, which is an interesting concept.”
Karana said, “I’ll be keeping an eye on all of them, but I found two human mages to help so far. They’ll help with the basics in the five spheres allowed at the school. They’ve already given their oath on their magic, that they won’t teach, and have no knowledge themselves, of the forbidden sphere. In return, I’ve agreed to give them advanced teaching once a week as payment.”
Desirae smiled, “That’s good to hear. It will lessen some concerns about the idea.”
“Concerns?” I asked curiously.
Desirae looked at me,
“Some humans dabble and even master necromancy, a guarantee that our citizens won’t be exposed to it is a good thing.”
Sianna fidgeted uncomfortably, I don’t think the elves noticed, except for mine, who were familiar with human expressions. She agreed of course, that she wouldn’t pursue it, and believed as I did it’s why her mother was so cold and doesn’t want to be like that herself. At the same time, it couldn’t be easy for her to hear her mother’s actions being damned like that.
Kaylessa asked, “Do you know what your schedule is? How long you’ll be staying?”
“I don’t. Returning the elves from Malburn and speaking to you about someone attending the flesh sculptor school was really all I came to accomplish. We do have responsibilities to get back to, and need to visit Amathyr before that, but we have quite some time before that becomes an issue. So, I suppose it’s up to Desirae and Sianna, and the negotiations they’re involved in. I’m content to visit for as long as that takes, within reason. My life’s been a little too exciting the last few months, I could use a vacation.”
Desirae snickered, as did Karana and Regina.
Karana said, “A few days would give you time to focus on catching up in apprentice level concepts.”
I nodded in agreement.
Baron Galen narrowed his eyes in confusion, “You’re teaching him mage concepts?”
Karana nodded, and went on to explain my limited abilities to cast magic through biological spells, then went on to say, “He’ll never be a true mage of course, and he can’t see magic flows. I also believe most concepts past the apprentice level are too complicated for him to put into one spell, which will limit him.”