Castaway: Promise Keeper
Chapter 1

Copyright© 2017 by Feral Lady

Science Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 1 - Von Solon Saga's 4th story, which only makes sense if you have read the prior stories. This tale takes place in Juniper Hills the settlement that our hero established. Here he is creating a culture of creativity and social advancement. However, he has promises to keep and women to keep happy. It is a lot of work to balance work and wives. How is he going to do that?

Caution: This Science Fiction Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/ft   Mult   Fiction   Science Fiction   Space   Harem   Polygamy/Polyamory   Interracial   Body Modification  

“Why are you staring at me?” Kate asked from a half-sitting position.

“No words can adequately describe the beauty of our child sleeping on your bare chest,” I declared, walking over to the side of the bed with Kate’s breakfast tray.

She smiled from our king sized bed, dropping her head back on the oversized feather pillow. “I love this morning view.”

Our bedroom had a wall of glass that overlooked the sea from the top of the butte. We were well above the pine forest canopy so nothing obstructed the panoramic scene of waves crashing onto the beach below. Small fishing boats dotted the horizon with the golden sun rising out of the calm sea, casting an early morning glare. Fortunately, our windows had a slight tint to them, so we could enjoy the calm and peacefulness of Juniper Hills.

We had finished the second phase of our building project and moved into the stone residence a week ago. Phase II had been a rectangular stone manor, two stories high and rather long, with a roof pitched perfectly for the placement of its solar panels. The long part of the stone residence hugged the vertical edge of the butte. Julia, our only college trained engineer, had insisted on completing the tower and tunnel as Phase I. She argued that since the tower contained our workshop, our overall building plans for the butte would move faster if it were completed before our primary residence. Kate threw her weight behind Julia’s preference, something that was a regular occurrence. They had been lovers on the ESC Entous before I was “rescued.”

Our baby began to suckle on Kate. We looked at each other and smiled.

“She is a grazer, never stays on for too long,” Kate commented, tightening her hold of the chubby child.

“You can’t tell by her size, she is a big baby.”

“Julia’s baby is bigger and younger,” Kate defended.

I put up my hands and laughed. “Julia’s baby is always tapping someone for a meal. I swear that every wet-nurse that cares for that baby has him latched on. For a one-year old, he is the hungriest child around.”

“He takes after his father. You’re always latched on to someone, too.”

“What can I say, guilty as charged.”

“Thanks for bringing me breakfast. That was sweet of you. I thought you wanted to see Derwen’s dragon ship off?”

“It left at sun up. You slept through it.”

Kate hit me playfully. “I was up all night with this monster. She is going through a growth spurt and demands milk on the hour.”

“We have three wet nurses in residence to give you a rest.”

Kate cut off my protests. “You mean three Haven-born mothers of your children. They love their babies like I love mine. They may be trained warriors, but they are mothers that need their rest too. Yes, I know both Julie and Julia make good use of them. That is how Julie runs your staff and sword clinic, and how Julia gets all her engineering tasks done on time. I’m only needed to fly the shuttle and we don’t do it that often, so I am quite capable of raising my child.”

“Do you want more job responsibilities?”

“No, not really, my time is full enough,” Kate answered, covering a yawn. Our baby closed its eyes and stopped suckling.

It wasn’t the time to mention Kate spent most of her free time with Julia, even her sister Merritt had noticed. Of all my lovers, Julia was the least interested in being around me on a regular basis. Julia had the same hunger for my nanomites but she resisted any relief until the last possible moment. She was a sea-wife at heart, a lesbian that found more emotional comfort from women. In fact, Julia had been there emotionally for Kate during a hard period of her life. Kate always paid her debts and was Julia’s loyal friend and lover, even after our marriage aboard the starship.

The awkward silence stretched while she ate a bite of bread. Finally, Kate asked, “Derwen’s ship is carrying mineral water to Princess Wyrd?”

“Yes, her captain is under orders to deliver the water to the princess and load up on wine and return it to Derwen’s estate. Everyone wins. We open a new market for mineral water and Derwen is paid with premium white wine in trade. No Amarian port taxes and both of my wives gain access to popular products.”

“I hope the Amarian tax authority sees it the same way,” Kate commented, reaching for a piece of fruit. “Heraldsburg is going to bring us problems. From what Wyrd told me, she received a lot of heat from the king for marrying you. Hero or not, the king sees you as a commoner, and marrying a commoner isn’t a popular act among her family. We don’t want to aggravate the royal family over a few credits.”

“Wyrd agreed to the idea, besides at least half her family loves me.”

“Von, I don’t think her half-brothers and half-sisters mean too much within the Amarian kingdom. It was the king that was unhappy, especially after finding out you already had a number of wives. Furthermore, the princess failed to mention you have three dozen concubines, not to mention your mistresses and temple playmates on the island of Convey. I’m waiting for that news item to come back to bite us.”

“You’re probably right, but I hate paying taxes and that boat has sailed. The rest is fate. I will not apologize for who I am or for the size of my family. However, I can see the king being put off by the rushed wedding, combined with the Black Prince’s friends claiming I was the reason the idiot lost his head.”

Kate sighed, adjusting her black breast. “Go play and let a mother have a few private moments while her child sleeps.”

I kissed her, and then quietly withdrew from the nearly empty room, turning the overhead light off and closing the door. The dismissal was certainly reasonable, Kate looked dead tired. Yet, I would have enjoyed a few more minutes with her.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Merritt moving about at the bottom of the stairs. Kate’s younger sister had been the one who had encouraged me to take the food tray upstairs. Merritt was a social butterfly who had a gift for knowing how to keep everyone in a good mood. She stood at the full-length mirror with her back to the stairs, wearing nothing but a large, brown bath towel. Her raven hair hung in wet clumps. Her almond-shaped eyes found me in the mirror. “It’s great having so many pretty wives,” I thought. “There isn’t an inch of baby fat on her.”

She grinned and dropped her towel in such a way as to show her bare back and bottom. Merritt’s shapely backside wiggled once, which got a laugh out of me. Her light-brown skin was shapely and smooth looking. I walked closer to Merritt while running my eyes over her body. She let go of her towel, which left her naked. It was clear my wife enjoyed my full attention. She lightly shook her head and splashes of water fell on her shoulders and the tops of her breasts. The mirror reflected her beauty, a welcoming smile, swollen breasts with hard nipples and a flat stomach; upon entering motherhood Merritt’s breasts had transformed into oversized honeydew melons with huge nipples. It took two hands to encompass a breast. Yet, her strong back muscles carried them well. She often thanked the medical nanomites in her body for that.

My hand touched her shoulder and my eyes met her gleaming eyes in the mirror. Unconsciously, Merritt’s right hand moved protectively over her flat stomach. “I keep telling you, you look gorgeous,” I reminded. Her normally innocent eyes were wantonly carnal. I knew my own hunger was visible to my lover. The bugle in my black, station pants was obvious.

“Surprised to see me?”

“Actually, I am.”

“Good,” Merritt responded. “I had a feeling Kate would be too tired for you, so a quick shower was in order.”

“The baby was sleeping on her chest and she didn’t sleep well last night.”

“My gain.” She turned around and pressed her chest into me, looking me in the eye.

A chuckle escaped my lips and I planted my hands on her hips. The mood was perfect for what we both wanted. I’d worked hard this morning, so my blood was flowing. My tongue plunged deep into her accepting mouth while I pressed my hardness against her. Merritt quickly responded. She seized my head with her hands to continue the kiss, confirming her earnest feelings.

Breaking from her hold, I said, “Good thing the shower room is so close to your bedroom.”

It was her turn to laugh. “Well, since I insisted we place it across from my room, I’m feeling pleased with my foresight.”

I pushed the palm of my hand upward from her hip, cupping a breast and then flicked her black nipple with my thumb. She clasped one of my shoulders with her hand and crushed me against her. Changing tactics I lifted her breast up and presented it to my lips, forcing her to let me suckle. Merritt’s nipples were her secret weakness.

“Not fair,” she moaned. “Your lips are like a vibrator. Wow, I love what your nanomites do to me. When you latch on, my core flares with heat and shatters my restraint. The longer you suck the wetter I get.”

She jammed a hand inside my pants to get even.

I kept sucking and biting her nipple, not caring that we were in the middle of a busy hallway. She didn’t care either. Mother’s milk was normally an acquired taste, but my lovers had thick, creamy milk that suited my palate. It was still amazing how Webster’s improved nanomites transformed a woman’s body with benefits that I could enjoy. Merritt’s nipples never got sore and were very sensitive. By the time I finished, she was still moaning and writhing through her first climax.

“You’re throbbing in my hand, should we go into my bedroom? A girl can’t have too many releases.” She looked at me hopefully.

I kissed her the way she liked it, intensely and full of promise. With that she jumped up and clamped her legs around my hips. For a moment Merritt was silent, until finding the right words. “Take me roughly, master.”

Someone coughed. Merritt and I turned to the noise. Both of my hands went around her lower back.

“Julie Gundlach Solon, how long have you been watching?” Merritt asked, without any tone of rebuke.

Julie’s smirk was all the answer we needed; it had been for some time. Her muscular and oversized frame filled the hallway. Our six-foot tall co-wife was dirty and carrying a towel over her silver, prosthetic arm, not bothering with any clothes. Her room was next to Merritt’s, which explained why we missed her stepping into the hall. Her door must have been open. Not much of her white skin lacked grime and dust. Julie had given birth to my child too, but you could only tell when her breasts were engorged or if milk leaked from a nipple.

“Don’t tell me. You didn’t want to break our mood,” I stated.

“Live action shows are the best,” she quipped, walking over to us and slapping one of Merritt’s exposed ass cheeks. With that our combat marine strolled into the shower room.

Merritt and I laughed. We were still wrapped up in desire, so I carried my lover into her room and kicked the door closed. We spent half an hour working out our needs. She fell asleep after that, so I dressed quietly and covered her with a sheet.

Her bedroom was a simple affair, comfortable for people to visit, with a very large bed and a couple of couches that were often used to take in the beauty of her seaside view. Merritt’s room had the same view as my master bedroom, so she liked to entertain in it. Four or five people could move about the room without feeling crowded by the side-tables, wooden dressers or mirrored desk vanity. As a prepared hostess, she had an empty clothes rack for the visitors to use. It was filled with dresses on those occasions when meetings went beyond just gossip and I was involved in their pleasure. Indeed, Merritt’s warm heart and social attitude had endeared her to my Haven born lovers, more so than anyone else from the starship. Not surprisingly, of all the women living on the butte, I was closest to Merritt.

Often, Merritt sought out the wild flowers and aromatic scents of the forest with her companions and her bundle of joy. In the late afternoon, she favored the green recesses found outside the town’s western walls. Only recently had I found out that it was on these walks that she interviewed prospective teens to be additions to our growing staff and broodmares for a certain lord of the manor. The picture of her carrying and nursing my child while in the company of eager teens, sauntering among the woods, flashed in the back of my mind. It was easy to picture my wife feeding their naughty fantasies as their bodies hummed with growing excitement. Those added to our staff this way had congenial dispositions and provided unremitting effort in servicing their lady. In short, Merritt was just as bad as Swarta in respect to believing more loving, more babies and a large pool of healthy women full of nanomites was a legacy worth building. They equally nagged me if I missed taking at least one meal at the Women’s Center; in truth, I had rarely failed in that duty over the past year. If I had a throne anywhere it was there, an old wooden chair.

“Moon Mother, I am so lucky. May the sex provided by my lovers never end,” I thought while taking a last look at my sleeping beauty. Merritt had a satisfied smile. I closed the door behind me.

The hallway was well-lit with solar powered overhead lights. Julia had impressed me with her resourcefulness. It was amazing what she could make with our meager resources and a 3D printer. However, at this point the solar panels only powered the shower’s water heater and the hallway lights. We used fusion batteries to power the lights in the other rooms. It was a pain in the butt to drag the batteries out to the shuttle for a recharge once a quarter. While the shuttle’s power was tied to the tower and its workshop, we decide against linking in the manor. This forced us to constrain the level of comforts we enjoyed, so we wouldn’t drift too far from the realities of living on a world with medieval technology. Also, when the shuttle was away the butte lost its main power source.

At the end of the hallway I turned into an antechamber that led to a side exit. One or two household servants were always in it. The room had soft lighting and a comfortable feel with chairs facing each other in a circle. At night it was common to see the chairs filled with town’s women embroidering. The overhead lighting was a real novelty. In fact, items made under the “moonlight” were greatly valued in town, which added to the prestige of those with a security pass for the butte.

A caramel-skinned woman, past her prime, was washing the floor. She turned her thick eyebrows and tight jaw towards me, wiping away the sweat on her brow. There was a broadness about her shoulders and waist. She had curly-tight hair that fell about her face. The abundant brown hair hid her black eyes for a moment.

Realizing who I was, she popped up to her feet with ease. “My Lord Solon, please forgive the mess. The floor has picked up some dirt after the most recent rainstorm. This is my morning to work here.”

“A royal huntsman’s wife doesn’t need to make a fuss over me. Yes, I am surprised to see you here.”

She patted down her wet dress and bent her head in respect. “Lady Merritt and Lady Swarta have favored me with this new job. It’s an honor to aid your family and serve in the Tower of Light. My husband is ever so proud that I was one of the six married women chosen. I’m the envy of all my friends, few will ever be able to claim they have been in this enchanted place.”

“Tassim is a fine father to Sparrow and he often comments how lucky he is to have married you,” I replied.

She straightened her back with renewed pride. “My Lord is too kind. Tassim is a wonderful protector and his son feels like my own. Were you needing anything?”

I waved her concerns away. “No, I am on my way back to town.”

Like her husband, there wasn’t anything ornate about her appearance nor her attitude. Tassim’s wife looked over my outfit, letting her eyes slide over the PDA attached to my belt, red flare gun in its holster, and finally my Nano-knife. I felt like my mother was making sure I was dressed correctly before going out to play. She gave me a satisfied smile.

Most of the people in Juniper Hills hadn’t seen the laser pistol I had used in my latest battle, so I kept it locked away in my bedroom. Instead, I wore an emergency flare gun that was more familiar to the marshland residents. Also, I had enough tricks hidden in my belt and cargo pants that I felt secure. Our staff was loyal and they respected me, but since the female assassin’s attack on me they preferred me to walk around armed. Satisfied, she waited a few heartbeats before dropping down to her task, now certain nothing was required of her.

Making my way outside, I passed a laundress that was working a large contraption that wound laundry around rollers then through a box that sonically cleaned and dried the clothes. The machine was both mechanical and high-tech flash drying, so it required both muscle power and a fusion battery to power the drying unit. I designed the project with Webster’s help to deal with cloth diapers. We didn’t have another fusion battery to spare for an additional unit, so the device was used constantly throughout the day for all types of clothes. The laundress turned around to see who had exited the building. I waved and continued on.

Off the laundry area was a well-worn path that cut between various pipes and water barrels to an open area beyond. Our rainwater collection system directed water through gutters and downspouts into the barrels. I took the path, it skirted around the horseshoe-shaped tower towards the access tunnel that was carved into the butte. The short tower’s design was a compromise between a square tower and a round tower, some like to call it a D-shaped structure. The rectangular side at the back faced the sea, while the semicircular portion faced the tunnel that led to Juniper Hills. The path wasn’t the shortest distance to the tunnel but it provided a majestic overlook from the edge of the cliff. In fair weather day, I enjoyed a stroll with the breeze on my face and the warm fresh-air filling my lungs. If I faced rain, I would opt for the manor’s front entrance and spare myself the extra distance.

The only distasteful thing about taking the walking path was passing by the spider’s lair, a recharging station for the multi-legged repair robot that came with us from the ESC Entous. With its construction-grade laser beam, the robot had been crucial to boring the tunnel to town; additionally, we used it to cut stone blocks. However, every time I saw the creature it triggered dark memories of what it was capable of doing to a man’s body. A swarm of them had secretly slaughtered an enemy boarding party on our spaceship, and I was one of the few people to see it happen. We were glad for them at the time, but the ambush had been more than gruesome. It wasn’t that I was afraid of the giant spider; it was the memories of the slaughter that occasionally touched my dreams. Understandably, we never used a spider for tasks in town; it looked too fearsome, unlike the cargo hauling robots we called golems.

The repair robot wasn’t in its recharging station, which helped my cheerful mood. Fortunately, thoughts about how I’d left Merritt sleeping with a smile on her face crowded out other mundane burdens.

A large portcullis gate was one of our physical barriers between Juniper Hills and the buildings on the butte. It consisting of a latticed grille made of wood and metal, which slid down grooves inset within each jamb of the gateway. With the flick of a finger the counterweights opened the gate at sunrise and closed it at sunset.

Two busty, female guards sitting on wooden stools by the portcullis stood at my approach. The twenty-something-year-olds quickly reached for their stun staffs and stood at attention. I didn’t care for the formality but Julie had trained them and I wasn’t dumb enough to interfere with their discipline. The black, Haven-born women towered over me. They saluted with a fist to their chest, a traditional warrior greeting.

In unison, they both said, “Lord Wolf.”

“Sisters,” I replied, as courtesy demanded and Julie insisted. It was a term Julie wanted me to use with her people.

Each guard wore a new black leather outfit that hugged her curves, accenting everything important to a man. In some ways the uniform looked like a traditional temple guard’s outfit. The sleeveless, bustier-bodice design was form fitting, accentuating the waist and pushing up their breasts. A silver lightning bolt emblem was stitched to the edge of their right breast. Julie had selected fourteen women to work communications and act as portcullis guards. This was in addition to the three female Wolves that had fought at Bloody Sands, who were near the end of their pregnancy; mating with me had been promised to them for breaking their mercenary contract and following us back to Juniper Hills. Unlike the lightning guards the Wolves lived in a room that adjoined Julie’s. The four of them had gotten really close since the battle.

Julie had told me upon returning from my marriage to Princess Wyrd that if I could have fun training “Wolves” she got to train a “Lightning Guard.” I thought it was a joke at the time. Instead, she trained and formed an all-female unit armed with crossbows and stun staffs that caused temporary paralysis. Julie knew about my early success with the stun staff and the magical mythos that had grown up around it. She used the electrical weapon to her advantage as a recruiting tool. Now Julie’s cadre of unmarried, loyal followers were assigned to the butte and lived in the stone tower.

The guards laughed when they realized I was eyeing their attire for longer than I should have. The uniform was a new style with better cuts that allowed them a bigger range of motion.

“Lady Merritt’s and Lady Julie’s work, summer gear,” the closest guard explained. She turned slowly to give me the full view. The guard had athletic looking legs and a small butt. Pleased with my inspection the other guard copied her companion. Julie encouraged her guards to flirt with me, ‘good for morale’ was her explanation.

“I think you approve, Lord Wolf,” the closest guard stated, looking pleased. “You should test the workmanship.”

She made me laugh, so I tested her by pulling at leather strings on the front of the bustier making her chest bounce. The test ended with both my hands gripping her waist to see how the material bent.

“Certainly, you want to feel the thickness of the material too,” the other Lightning Guard asserted.

They had me going. It was playful fun. In fact, I walked over to the other guard, slipping two fingers inside of the bodice by her nipple and tugged at the leather. My fingers bracketed her nipple as I manipulated the flexible leather, while looking at her partner. “A good quality. I have to say I like the feel of it.”

My tugging continued, which harden the poor woman’s nipple. Finally, relenting I took my hand out. The guard blushed.

“Perhaps you should test the quality of my product too,” the other guard commented with a deadpan serious expression.

“Another time,” I offered, saluting fist to my chest, and walked down the tunnel.

When they thought I was out of ear shout, they squealed at each other like school girls. The guard with the tweaked nipple said, “That was totally worth all those bruises from training.”

“Test the thickness! What sister is going to believe that line got him inside your shirt?”

“I’d like to test him,” her partner responded.

My cheery mood continued as they debated other gimmicks to get my attention in the future. There was no doubt in my mind what they really wanted from me.

As access tunnels go, this one was broad and tall with smooth walls and sparse lighting. The tunnel curved down like a snake with plenty of twists and turns. Even after fifteen minutes I couldn’t see the exit until I was a dozen strides from the grassy green. The tunnel’s existence was all due to preparation and the right tools from the ESC Entous. On the starship, we had weeks and weeks to plan where to set up a base camp. I wanted it near Juniper Hills with an adequate amount of privacy to work with our technology and keep it secure. The inaccessible Butte above the town was ideal; by building a sanctuary on top of the cliff we controlled who could visit. After that decision, it only required the right tools and the shuttle’s power source to create our vision.

When I exited the tunnel four armed guards hopped to attention with their spears. They were older eunuchs that had good judgement with modest muscles from their hard life of physical labor. All of them were original members of the clan. Unlike when we were only a small village, they had meat on their bones and looked healthy. Until recently, they had been fishermen. I had elevated them to armsmen, responsible for judging who had the right to go to the butte. They had specific instructions not to allow men to use the tunnel. The men knew everyone in the upper-town and each had the maturity to challenge all comers.

None of them were skilled fighters; however, they had served in the militia and knew the importance of security. Together we had lived in the untamed wilderness and faced our fair share of worries. They were serious men, yet I didn’t really need their skills. The real deterrents to accessing the top of the butte were controlled by Webster. The tunnel had a number of sensors and military grade toys.

Each man wore a wolf head cape as a badge of honor and a display of their importance. Now in the beginning of their twilight years with hard daily toil behind them, they could stand proudly in their simple leather armor and sandals. Men didn’t retire in the Great Marsh; the environment wasn’t that forgiving or easy. While we couldn’t change the nature of the fight for survival in the wetlands, now that Juniper Hills was firmly grounded we could offer an easier struggle for the older residents. Fortunately, opening the tunnel gave me the opportunity to create new jobs to reward service. I believed the subject of preserving an old man’s dignity remained vital to our culture.

“Men,” I hailed, not breaking my stride. “Keep up the good work. I have an appointment with Swarta, if anyone needs me.”

They nodded their heads, unable to hide their appreciative grins. The easy job provided their families with food and shelter, and just as important, respect.

The tunnel came out in the heart of town by the mineral stream, the communal cooking center, concubine barracks, my family’s residential towers, and not far from the western palisade gate. The wall extended from the cliff face down to the beach. We built it to stop any surprise attacks from the slavers and to keep wild animals out. At one time, the slavers operated a coal mine west of our settlement. We couldn’t bear its proximity so we took it over, freeing the slaves there. Many of the captives had lived their entire life in slavery and were vulnerable; others were emotionally broken and needed a protector. My wives convinced me to offer the slave women my personal protection. In fact, we built a barracks for those that wanted to stay. These days that building is over flowing with pregnant women and children under the age of two. The cooperative lifestyle had little privacy, but the women were in sync with their mutual goals of building a successful community.

Polite greetings and attempts at conversations peppered me all the way towards the main family-residential tower that Swarta and Palus lived in. Both women had the most generous hearts that I’d ever known. They had provided me an anchorage of sanity when I first arrived on the planet. Swarta in particular was the main reason I fought so hard to return to Haven.

I felt a tug on my arm and turned as Little Bit asked, “Any announcements for the Town?”

The young girl beamed with pride. She was an assistant town crier, and Mistress Aberdeen’s youngest daughter. She had a way about her, a kind of confidence that was not often seen in little girls. Little Bit was dressed well with green cotton pants and a matching green blouse. She held a short staff with a wolf head on it, a badge of her office.

“No, but the day is young. Where is your sister?”

“Your Wife, Lady Palus, was giving a healing class to some merchant wives that have an interest in hygiene. They are new to Juniper Hills and need the class to gain their permanent residency in the lower town.”

“That is a mouthful,” I commented. She looked puzzled, and then smiled when I messed up her hair playfully. She enjoyed the affection but it wouldn’t be too long before touching her hair would cause a scowl instead.

“She is growing up so fast,” I thought, before asking, “Actually, I was wondering about your other sister. You two normally run around with Sparrow.”

“Oh, I was waiting for her to get out of the women’s council meeting that just finished up. We will find Sparrow after that, and then together we will share any news with the town. We promised Mayor Coven that we would visit him after each upper-council meeting.”

For a fishing woman and mother, Swarta has surrounded herself with good partners to deal with everyday issues that Coven doesn’t handle.

“Since you are going to see Coven, tell him I’ve decided to extend the lower town’s gravel road to the western gate. The golems have crushed enough rock on the plateau to cover the rest of the road to that gate. For now, that should solve the ruts in the road problem.”

The announcement reanimated her cheerfulness; Little Bit curled her finger a few times to get me to bend down to her size. I bent over and she kissed me on the cheek like a favorite uncle. “Thank you for telling me first. Now, I have something important to announce today. And, I get to see the metal creatures work again!”

Before I could respond she ran off. I followed her with my eyes and saw her other young sister leaving the residential tower. The cargo haulers from the ESC Entous were enchanted metal creatures as far as town was concerned. Those that lived in the walled part of the town had seen the cargo haulers working enough that most of the residents accepted them. At least, their overt fear of them was gone. The guest workers living in the lower part of town still closed their windows and doors on the rare occasion a golem had a task down there. While I didn’t want to overwhelm Haven with high-tech, some exposure to useful tools and products couldn’t be helped. Powerful, load-bearing beasts of burden that upgraded our infrastructure were essential to our plans.

My eyes also caught a foreman with unkempt brown hair moving directly towards me. I took his determined appearance in stride and waited for him. The workshop men didn’t hunt me down unless they thought it was important. Our production of lateen sailboats had increased over the year to accommodate the need for them. Derwen’s fishing village had converted to using our fishing boats and now Derwen’s neighbors were purchasing them too. After a polite hello, the foreman jabbered on and on about a shortage of nails. I let him vent until he abruptly stopped and regained his composure. He was a driven man but his social graces were limited. Nevertheless, he noted my patience was running thin.

“Sir, can I approach a keeper of the magic mirror to make an order for more nails from your factory on Convey?”

“Yes. You are the foreman of your workshop, so you don’t need my permission.”

He bowed his head. “It’s just ... I’ve never had to make a special order before. I didn’t want to take your authority for granted when using your magic. I still remember how tired you were after calling down molten rocks from the sky. You fell from your bedroom window from exhaustion. They say it took Lady Swarta and your other ladies all night to transfer their energy to you. Your rage was so terribly frightful that night I fouled my pants. With you powering all these magical devices I didn’t want to be the one to drain you.”

“I had to fall out of that window and hang from my feet in front of a crowd that night,” I thought, remembering the night sky lit with kinetic strikes from Webster’s weapon’s platform. The ship’s A.I. lost control with grief due to the marsh monsters that killed one of my pregnant concubines. Webster was the most temperamental A.I. in existence and wholly unpredictable. The whole fiasco fueled more rumors about my lovers renewing my magical strength with their bodies. I had started the original rumor as a joke. Now it was an accepted fact that strengthened the town’s desire for my growing harem. Many of the marsh people equated their feelings of safety with the stories of my sexual prowess.

The middle-aged foreman gave me a sympathetic look. “I have two women to protect. However, my wives want a young widow from Convey to join us. The women believe we are prosperous enough for a third mate. Milord, I don’t know how you do it.”

“We have enough Moon Mother power to run the magic mirrors,” I answered, neutrally, ignoring his commentary. He bowed his head again and strode away.

As much as I detest most aristocrats and their pompous ways, I understood the need for some of their behaviors that projected power and hid secrets to keep control. My people looked to me to solve problems, and it was only human for them to place me on a pedestal. It all fell back onto my origin; I couldn’t be totally truthful about our technology. There was no way for me to explain concepts like genetic engineering and nanotechnology.

No one else delayed me from reaching Swarta’s door. A group of women leaving the wooden tower nodded their head and smiled at me. They remained involved in their conversations and continued to stroll towards the Women’s Center. Each of them was dressed in a dark green, backless halter dress that didn’t cover their knees. It was a fashion that Merritt had introduced and it transferred to my other wives and lovers. The late summer warmth favored light, airy clothes and sleeveless tops, if any shirts were worn at all. Once my lovers saw Merritt and Swarta in similar baby doll dresses more of the style had popped up almost overnight. Now it seemed every woman in my household owned some variation of the outfit with a low-cut V front. The dress was easy for nursing mothers and useful to attract my eye to their prominent features. The dresses certainly weren’t practical for working or cleaning. It was worn for important events like the council meeting. Perhaps more importantly to me, recently a pair of concubines wore a sheer material version when they had a night with me. Because of our warm climate, sheer shirts weren’t that uncommon but they wore their variation with sexy style.

The harried-looking male guard at the door seemed happy to see me. “It’s been like this all morning. They are worked up for some reason.”

His female partner just smirked with a clear “I know what is going on look.” They put their fists to their chests as I walked inside. His comment got me wondering why Palus really missed the council meeting if something important was going on. I realized Merritt normally attended such meetings too.

“Von, you’re daydreaming again,” Swarta said, as I walked by her and Laudus.

They were standing off to the side, just beyond the door; a ray of sun light reflected off their silver necklaces when I looked over at them. I tilted my head back to get a better look. They both looked regal in their green dresses. Laudus had her hair up, which framed her square and lean face; she tightened her thin lips at Swarta’s comment and her long, thin nose flared. I was sure Laudus shivered when she saw me, a common occurrence among my lovers that hadn’t seen me for a few days. Her nanomites flared up at my presence.

“I can never get enough of his grey-blue wolf eyes,” Laudus interjected, softening Swarta’s rebuke. “I asked Lord Webster about it this morning. He said Von has an extra tissue layer in the back of his eyes that reflect light.”

“Back through the retina, increasing the amount of light,” I completed for her. “My father’s genetic tinkering, but I’m not sure I like Webster teaching you about genetics.”

“Merritt has encouraged us to ask questions of Webster. She said it would help keep him out of trouble,” Swarta responded, putting her hands on her wide hips.

“I doubt that,” I grumbled. A scent of lilacs filled my nose as Laudus stepped to me.

“Your secrets are safe with us,” Laudus said, smoothing things over. “Besides, Lord Webster didn’t tell us this word ‘genetics.’ Is it a wizard’s secret?”

“Me and my big mouth,” I thought, and then said, “Yes, that word should be forgotten for now.”

I kissed Laudus and moved over to my wife. “Swarta, what has you in a mood?”

The handmaidens in the room stopped cleaning and looked at us. Laudus noticed too and said, “Let’s finish cleaning up. I’ll take the tea pot and service.” The women had taken an interest in our exchange.

The half-dozen women, all in black shirts and pants, immediately went back to clearing tea cups and snack trays. Laudus turned on her heel and went straight to the long table to assist; she ran the housekeeping in the family towers.

I kissed Swarta. “Good morning, my love. Do we need to go upstairs and chat?”

“No, Von, we have guests upstairs. Close the front door. The rest of these women will disappear in a few minutes; let us find a seat.”

We linked arms and walked a few feet to the couch. The leather furniture squeaked as we deposited ourselves on it. I was eager to work out why she looked tense but we chatted about our children until the room was cleared.

“Tharin marched a work crew of new immigrants west to the coal mines this morning,” Swarta explained with a smile that promised there was more to come.

“Okay, what is my friend going to build this time? It’s not like he doesn’t lead work details all the time.”

“The point is he will be gone two weeks. Grimm has gone with him to check on Fort Revenge, too. She has taken a few women from our household with her who want to see the settlement there. Not too many of us have seen the western edge of the Rinsky Marsh. She is also escorting the new glassblowers to join the mirror factory. However, Grimm’s trip is more about keeping Tharin busy while you’re busy with Mistress Aberdeen and one of her maids. You know Grimm loves him like a brother.”

“Oh. The guests upstairs?” I asked, still remembering Tharin and Grimm were once lovers.

Swarta gripped my arm and patted it. “Yes, you can’t put this off any longer. First, you said you needed time to get over the battle. After that you said you had to visit your holdings in Convey. Finally, you had to focus on completing the stone manor and deal with Princess Wyrd’s birth of your child. Those things are settled. You promised Tharin heirs, and he has proven his infertility. Neither of his wives are pregnant and they deserve babies to raise as his. We are well aware of your reservations about this. However, you called Tharin your brother and made a promise to him. This way everything will be settled by the time he returns.”

“Swarta, I don’t think spreading my seed with these two has you on edge. What is going on?”

The silence between us might as well have been a clanging gong. Muffled but distant voices approached us from the stairway. I smiled sweetly at my wife.

Swarta sat forward, her expression flat. “We promised not to entangle you with a new woman until Laudus and her sisters were pregnant again. However, I feel you must deal with a woman Palus has nurtured. This is poor timing because of our guests and it’s complicated. Here we are, holding you to a promise and are breaking one at the same time.”

“Does this have to do with Palus missing your meeting?”

“Yes.” She pulled a face.

“And Merritt too?”

“Yes,” she echoed, with a tight voice. Her body moved restlessly on the couch.

I snorted. “That is precisely what I suspected.”

Swarta arched a brow. “Merritt is only indirectly involved. She has been teaching Palus the scientific method as applied to her healing duties. When herbs don’t work with a patient Palus experimented with ... liquids. She works in the healing station in the lower town twice a week. Our wife found that her natural remedy worked well with children that have nausea and fever. So much so, mothers are bringing their children to Palus rather than the other healer on duty. The babies responded well and symptoms of the illness cleared up. Merritt called it a virus, something that can be hard to heal. Palus tested the treatment on a merchant woman from Heraldsburg to confirm the remedy would work in an adult too.”

“And in the course of this treatment Palus has added this woman to our household? A new companion for the house? Yet, all of you promised no new housemaids expecting the benefits of my company.” I sighed. “We talked about that in your last council meeting.”

“If it were only that simple,” she answered with mirth, waving an airy hand. “Palus has addicted the woman to this treatment, even after curing her sickness. Indeed, she has been unable to wean the merchant off the liquid. Merritt talked to Lord Webster about it and he believes your body magic is the only true solution.”

“Now Webster is a pharmacist and doctor,” I lamented.

“This is a bigger problem than one new woman in your harem,” she elaborated. “The women that live just outside our walls are aware your body magic heals bodies. For Mother Moon’s sake, we have two women under this roof that were once blind. They are a ready reminder of your magic to people in Juniper Hills. Now we have to worry about other women getting exposed to this treatment. I had to forcibly limit this news to those under our roof and my council.”

“If Palus has found something to cure a sickness, then it won’t stay a secret for long,” I murmured.

“Which is what Laudus and Merritt said to us,” Swarta said. “In any event, Palus is bringing this woman here to meet you and for some reason the woman is reluctant to come.”

“Not surprising,” Laudus announced from the stairway. “While upstairs I’ve been told she is the merchant who has been asking too many odd questions. Whoever she is, her questions are beyond curiosity. She has used her purse strings to find out information on Fort Revenge.”

“It’s not like strangers can’t get there,” Swarta responded.

“Sure, on a work gang. But we don’t use immigrant women for that type of physical labor,” I corrected. “Has this woman established a place of business here?”

“No,” Laudus said, “she is brokering purchases and sales for someone in Amaria.”

“New products that are only made here?” Swarta asked.

Laudus shrugged her shoulders. “Something isn’t right about her.”

I stood up. “Could she be another assassin? Palus could be in danger!”

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