Noble Solutions

by Schinhofen, Daniel

  “Fel, we’re all ready,” Fiona said, her finger tracing random patterns on Sean’s chest.

  “Very well,” Felora exhaled as she gathered herself. When she spoke next, it was with all the power she could push into her words, “Dream. Sleep deep. Follow Sean as he leads us through the planes to his domain.”

  Sean felt the wave of power crash down over the room. He let it take him with it, hoping it worked for the others.

  ~*~*~

  Blinking as he found himself in the bedroom of the manor, Sean exhaled slowly. He was dressed this time, at least. When he went downstairs, he heard voices and wondered why he was consistently removed from the others whenever it was a large group.

  “All of you?” Marjorie was asking.

  “Tomorrow is going to be an important day,” Fiona replied, “a day for us to hold to our belief.”

  “Sean?” Chastity asked, seeing him appear at the top of the stairs.

  “I’m going to be killing Sharpeyes tomorrow,” Sean said, coming down. “His plots and plans will be aimed at me, but we’ll break them and provoke him into attacking me.”

  Lilly took a deep breath. “We?”

  “The association, our husband, and every noble in the city have been called to the party,” Felora told her.

  “The association and I have agreed that it’s time,” Sean said. “We all expect things to hurt us, and we’ve done our best to thwart them.”

  “But a Lord is untouchable by an Aspirant,” Marjorie said.

  “About that,” Sean said with a dark chuckle, “I’m not an Aspirant anymore.”

  “Oh, goodness,” Lilly whispered in fear.

  “No, no,” Felora said comfortingly, moving to Lilly’s side. “It’s okay.”

  “Before we continue explaining,” Fiona said, “we need to introduce our new wives. Chas, Lilly, you’ve met Helga. She is Sean’s wife now.”

  Chastity and Lilly greeted Helga with smiles— they knew that being able to see the others was because of her. They might have held grudges before, but they didn’t now. Helga bowed her head to both in return, her smile bright at being welcomed.

  “And one you hadn’t met yet,” Fiona went on after a minute. “Dame Hallie Bloodheart, the only daughter of the Bloodheart branch in the city. She married our husband, with our approval.”

  “Which makes him a Knight,” Hallie told the two women, who were staring at her in shock. “I am doing my best to protect our husband, as well.”

  “She does care for him,” Myna added. “Sean fixed her foot, which was malformed.”

  Aria bit back her comment about that starting them off on the right foot— she felt that the others wouldn’t appreciate the pun at the moment.

  “Hallie,” Chastity said, approaching the young noble, “you seem strangely fine with being married to our wives. I would have expected a Dame to be more aloof.”

  Hallie gave her a soft smile. “I was taught humility by family, and that humility was pounded into me with my foot being what it was. I never thought I would find a man who could love me for me and not just use me to raise his status. Our husband is unique, and he drew me to him as surely as a moth to a flame. I will gladly burn in that fire for him.”

  Chastity’s stern face broke into a wide smile and she grabbed Hallie. “We all feel that way. Good. We should talk.”

  “We will,” Fiona nodded. “Sean, go ahead and see to the bog. Then come back to us, please?”

  “Okay. Helga, you’re with me,” Sean said.

  “Sir?” Rumia asked with hopeful eyes.

  A smile grew on his face and he nodded. “And you, Rumia.”

  “Thank you, Sean,” Rumia smiled as she looked down.

  “Follow me,” Sean said, stepping out of the manor.

  Sean walked around to the back and found a small gate set beside the large double gates. Exhaling happily, he nodded. A sign next to it declared it as the way leading to the bog.

  “Here we go,” Sean said as he opened the gate, revealing a path that held heath and heather to the sides.

  They walked for a few minutes until they suddenly found themselves on the edge of the bog. Sean blinked, then looked around to see another path leading back behind him.

  “Thank you,” Rumia whispered with a sniffle of happiness. “I’ll never fail you, sir.”

  Sean rubbed at his neck, feeling a little uncomfortable. “It’s okay. I’m glad I could make it happen.” He paused, then looked at Rumia. “You can walk the peat for now.”

  Rumia was about to say something when a brief, black-white flame engulfed her. It was there and gone in an instant, but she blinked slowly, then swallowed hard. “Thank you, sir. May I see to the plants while you speak with those interred?”

  “Yes,” Sean told her. “Helga, with me. We’re going to reap the majority of souls.”

  “As you wish, Sean.”

  Sean led Helga to the first person in the bog, finding it to be a woman. He knelt beside her and saw the fear in her eyes. “Miss, you died because you stood against me and mine. I give you this chance to be released from this torment.”

  “I accept!” the woman blurted. “Please, anything but this!”

  “Helga,” Sean said.

  The woman vanished as if she’d never been, and Sean nodded. He went over to the next head and smiled darkly as he squatted down. “Father Mithrilarm, how do you enjoy your torment?”

  The eldest Mithrilarm swallowed. “You’re a monster... an abomination…!” The words were a bare whisper.

  “Only to my enemies,” Sean replied. “My friends thrive as no others can. Toivo killed you with a blade that I forged for his wife. Your sons all died because you or they chose badly. Do you regret standing against me?”

  Mithrilarm spat at him. “No. I only wish I had sent the Queens a message before I faced you.”

  “Let’s see how you feel after some time in the peat,” Sean said darkly.

  The older man started to reply when the vines wrapped his head and pulled him into the dark soil.

  “A fool,” Helga snorted. “You give him a chance for leniency and he spat at your offer.”

  “Yes. His sons still have a chance, though,” Sean said, standing back up.

  Every person in the bog who could see Sean waited with fearful expressions, but a few also had hope in their eyes.

  ~*~*~

  Sean exhaled when he stepped back onto the solid ground that surrounded the bog. “Only ten of them had any sense...”

  “The others will agree next time,” Helga said as she looked at the headless bog. “I do not want to know what being trapped under that feels like. It might be worse than the death chill of Hel.”

  “How many do you have right now?” Sean asked her.

  “Fifteen, if we count the ones from before,” Helga said. “I feel… full. I could get another few maybe, but more than that…? Maybe not.”

  “You can shunt them back to the bog if needed?”

  “Not these,” Helga said slowly, looking into blank space with a quizzical expression. “They can only be used or lost.”

  “Learning?”

  “Yes. The knowledge just showed up in my head.”

  “Keep the space and shunt any new ones right to the bog if they’re a bad guy. If— and I hope it’s not necessary— if any of our friends or loved ones need to be caught, drop some of those souls.”

  “Of course, My Lord.”

  “Sir,” Rumia said, moving to them, her feet walking across the peat with firm steps. “Is it time already?”

  “It is,” Sean said. “You’ll be back here eventually, Rumia. I did see you tending to the plants. Your smile was bright, but what was that song you were humming?”

  “It’s not a song... just a melody that came to me while I worked,” Rumia blushed, looking down.

  “I liked it,” Sean said. “Come on. I want to see my wives before we go back to bed.”

  “I will follow you, sir,” Rumia said.

  As
they headed toward the path, Rumia looked behind her with sad, hopeful eyes. When she looked back at Sean, her heart soared. My faith in him is true, and he will reward me with all my heart’s desires if I stay true to him. With that thought, Rumia was able to keep moving away from the bog.

  Chapter Forty

  The day went by slowly, but it also seemed to fly by. Andrea had the gates to the manor shut with a sign declaring them closed for the day, and Sean spent the whole day with his wives. They didn’t work— they just cuddled, mostly in bed, but they also sat in the front room and in the library. Whether he was with all of them or just a few at a time, he soaked in their love and tried to relax.

  Myna read to the Fairy children, making Sean smile as he listened and rubbed her back. Andrea stepped into the kitchen with the cooks and created a light lunch for them all to enjoy. Felora massaged Sean’s back on and off, behaving and not pressing him for more. Aria brought Caleb and Ursa into the manor for a bit— Sean grinned, as he loved the two cuons.

  The staff were also omnipresent in small ways. The maids always had tea on hand. Rumia and Rosa brought in fresh-cut flowers. The cooks created a few pastries for them to try. Even Quilla, Quinna, and Arliat spent some time just resting in the same room with Sean and his wives.

  Life felt good, but the tension slowly climbed with each hour that slipped by. When it came time to bathe, everyone was there, even the cooks. Sean laughed when all of his wives washed his back, then laughed even more when the staff all did, too. That bled the tension off for him and had him smiling broadly. That smile stayed as he went up and down the line of showers, washing each of their backs in return.

  Dinner was early and Glorina smiled, glad that the chicken soup was okay after being left simmering while they’d bathed. The noodles were a touch too soft, but the vegetables still had a good firmness to them.

  When the meal ended, Sean looked down the table, feeling the love and belief in him from everyone there. “Thank you for the wonderful day. All of you,” he added, making sure the staff knew he meant them, too.

  “Be as safe as you can, please,” Fiona told him. “We know you’ll come back to us.”

  “I will,” Sean replied.

  A Messenger Fairy landed on the table, addressing Sean, “Sir, the association members are on their way.”

  “I’ll get the gate,” Quinna said, standing.

  “I’ll make sure feed and water are on hand for their horses,” Quilla added, leaving with her sister.

  The group went about their tasks, leaving Sean and his wives ready to greet their guests. They arrived in short order, and Sean welcomed them all into his home. Clara and Eva were the only two who were staying behind with his wives.

  Goodbyes were said as those going to the party filed onto the bus, which Arliat had brought around to the front. It took a few minutes longer for them to leave, as Sean’s wives all kissed him before they let him go.

  “Okay, Arliat, to the Lord’s manor,” Sean said after he’d closed the door.

  “Yes, sir,” Arliat replied.

  Taking a seat, Sean looked at Ven seated above him on the handrail. “How many?”

  “About a third of the clan is on the bus, sir. You’ll have help if needed. We are armed and ready.”

  “Make sure they stay as safe as they can,” Sean said.

  “Of course, Sean,” Ven nodded.

  “That is a different dress,” Flamehair said to Helga. “It has pants with it?”

  “Yes, I am wearing pants underneath,” Helga replied. “I can Shape the skirt off and summon my armor in seconds if a fight breaks out.”

  “Mine is the same, but I am wearing shorter pants so they aren’t visible,” Hallie said. “The armor conforms to the clothing being worn when summoned, and a dress isn’t the best for armor.”

  “Forward thinking is good,” Giralt nodded. “I have a few trinkets on me if things get… messy. None of them are weapons in the conventional sense, but they will buy time and distance if needed.”

  “Wish we had the time to get weapons and armor from you, Sean,” Ryan Watercaller said. He paused, finally noticing that Sean didn’t have Dark Cutter on his waist. “You aren’t bringing your sword? Are you leaving it on the bus like we are?”

  Sean held up his hand to show them the adamantine band. “Dark Cutter allowed me to modify him a little. It’ll act just like Helga and Hallie’s weapons. I’m not going in there unarmed.”

  Fredrick cleared his throat. “Can you do that to ours? I’d feel better knowing that I have my sword on me.”

  Sean looked at everyone who had weapons on them, then exhaled. “Helga, I’ll need a soul after this.”

  “They are yours to take, My Lord.”

  “Okay,” Sean exhaled. “Arliat, take us on a longer route.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “One at a time,” Sean said. “Use the handholds to bring you and your weapon to me. This will take your energy, as I’m going to bind the weapon to each of you.”

  ~*~*~

  “You just keep amazing me, Sean,” Julian Bloodheart said as he looked down at the ring on his hand. “To freely give out something like this…?”

  “Family and friends only, and you are the only one who can use it. It’s just a ring to anyone else.”

  “Still,” Helen said, glancing down at her own new ring, “this means we’ll always have the chance to defend ourselves. My daughter’s impulsive urge is just proving that she saw more than we did to start with.”

  “I thought I was going to hate him,” Hallie said softly, placing her hand on Sean’s knee. “The hope of being healed was almost too much. If he had failed, I was going to hurt him, even if it hurt the family. When he showed me the wonders that he was capable of… my heart melted.”

  “He consistently does new and more amazing things,” Fredrick chuckled. “We had no idea what would happen that first time we spoke to him.”

  “Indeed,” Mageeyes smiled. “I had thought him a novelty, but goodness, was that wrong.”

  “Wrong is an understatement,” Italice snorted. “Look at where we are now— Ryan and I are married and in charge of our families; Charie is going to be a Lady and is going off to Accord to run her family branch there; Amedee smiles now and has accepted Toivo; the Ice Queen... pardon me for using her old nickname, Fredrick,” she added, seeing Fredrick frown, “has thawed and accepted love; Winston has inserted himself into trouble and is happy about it; and Augustus is willing to push at his entrenched family to make things better.”

  Sean shrugged uncomfortably. “You all did that. I just opened the doors.”

  Everyone chuckled.

  “Sir, are we good now?” Arliat asked.

  “Yeah. Take us in, Arliat,” Sean called back. “Is everyone ready for this?”

  “As ready as we can be,” Ryan said. “I have a feeling it’ll be messier than we think.”

  “As long as we’re all alive and he’s dead, I’m fine with messy,” Sean said.

  Arliat slowed the bus at the gates to the Lord’s Manor. She opened her window to speak with the guard there, announcing them all, then moved on when he waved her through the open gates.

  “I wonder if the same attendant is on the door,” MacLenn chuckled.

  “The one Saret spoke with?” Mageeyes asked, getting a nod back. “No, he was punished for his rudeness to guests. He spoke badly to a few of the other older families, who lodged a formal complaint afterward.”

  “Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving asshole,” Sean muttered.

  Arliat parked the bus near the carriages, smirking when she saw the shocked expressions on the other drivers’ faces. “We’re here, sir. I’ll be ready to get us moving, if needed.”

  “Thanks, Arliat. Just keep it all locked and stay safe.”

  “Yes, sir,” Arliat said as she touched the wooden band on her finger. “I’ll be ready to help if you come running.”

  He gave her a smile, then opened the side door. “Okay, let
’s go see what he has planned.”

  A majority of those waiting in line watched them exiting the bus with wide eyes. The group moved to get in line, and Sean heard some snippets from the other guests.

  “Forged Bonds? The Lord hates them... maybe I should speak with them after tonight.”