Chapter 10

“Well look who is here. Do you have a death wish or do you just love the sound of my voice?” a high pitched voice called out to me. I opened my eyes and everything was white. “Why am I here?” I asked and slowly my heavenly buddy was looking at me. “Well apparently you literally poured your heart out. If it wasn’t for the fact that a very selfless woman happened to be sitting in your lap and caught you doing it this would be a lot more than a quick visit.” My head was nothing but a strange fog.

“Really Mike I love that you are such a passionate man, but you need to get a grip. These rages you keep going into are going to kill you, the people that love you, or both. Your last little outburst shattered every glow stone in town from the strength of your rage, and the whole town shifted half an inch up and then back down.” I was blank faced. “I moved the whole town?” He shook his head. “No the Earth itself shifted. Your rage coursed through the stone and caused an earthquake of sorts. To have magic in this world there is an energy field kind of like the “force”. When you poured that powerful rage into the local ecosystem the field became unstable. It was a feedback loop of negative energy that caused a world reaction.” He sighed. “Thankfully you did get a grip and realized you had to kill that loop. It was making the kids go crazy.” I felt my gut turn.” “Then when you fed so much love into the stone it created a positive energy loop and right now all the kiddoes and even the people of the town will be having the sweetest, and most loving dreams of their lives.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “So I skirted death and got to see you? I am so sorry to keep bugging you like this.” Then it hit me. “Say have you heard from the manager if I am doing good down there? I really am trying to make the world a better place, but I am afraid I am pushing things. I mean I am doing my best to not overturn the apple cart but the damn thing is rickety to say the least right now.” He nodded again.

“Oh you are doing fine. I mean that meteor we crashed by your town was kind of meant to give you a great start and you have barely touched it. With that much gold and iron you could have bought the kingdom, or torn it down and paid to have it rebuilt.” I chuckled. “Yeah I thought it was odd to have that level of resources so close to me. Tell them thanks for the help and I will make sure not to burn through it, or anything else they are entrusting to me.” A smile broke out on his face as I felt sleepy again. “Oh I will, and please don’t be such a brute to that Bethany. She thought she was protecting you, not hurting you, and right now she thinks she pushed you almost to your death.” Were the last words I heard as I woke up.

I woke up and felt so damn hungry. Knowing I had two very naked women wrapped around me told I lost it again. My heavenly buddy was right, I need to really keep control now that I had the kind of power magic gives a person. Mary was pressed against me on one side, and ... a woman I have no clue about was on my other. I laid there thinking about everything going on around me. I was afraid to seal myself off enough so this kind of shit didn’t happen. If I did then would I be able to feel enough to keep things going on from here? Could I afford to keep feeling like this? Could the people around me afford if I let this shit get to me again? This was a fairly savage world and I had to start building some walls if I was to survive it.

I slowly got up and felt a little weak. “Husband, lay down and I will get you food. You have been down for two days after all.” I pushed myself up and got my balance. “No I can do this. I’m sorry you had to do this again, it will be the last time.” Then I headed for the bathroom. The bed was empty as I came back and so I pulled on some clothes and made my way to the kitchen. Jessa hustled over to me and tried to take my arm. “I’ll be ok, could you just get a bowl of something for me to eat?” She looked at me and I smiled at her the best I could as she nodded and moved away.

I sat down and she slid a bowl of stew and some bread before going for some tea for me. As I ate Jessa sat across from me and smiled at me gently. “Are you alright my husband?” I nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry for losing my control like that. I had to calm the stones down, and then I got a little lost in the stone. As I slept both the stones and I kind of grew together in a new way. I hadn’t realized how my arts had grown in such a way that it felt me as much as I felt it. Its song is a part of me and when there is disharmony in me it can cause disharmony in the stones around me. When I get out of control, it can cause the stones to do the same.” I finished my food and took a deep breath and felt the calmness of the stone under my feet.

I looked at Jessa and she seemed happy but a little confused. “How is everyone doing? The last I remember I heard the children crying, did they recover?” She nodded. “As we got to the children they all seemed bewildered but then they all started cooing happily.” I nodded. “I was feeding my love into the stones, and they felt that love pouring into them through the stones song.” I took a long drink of tea.

“Has Catlin come back yet?” She shook her head sat straighter. “Not yet, but that is to be expected if you trusted her to do what you usually do in the capital.” I nodded. “Have the crews made it back from the villages yet?” She nodded “As a matter of fact they just came back. Mary is outside dealing with them.” I nodded. “Good, I will ask them how things went and if any of them want to go back out. I arranged to have groups of knights in at least one village per area. As part of that agreement I need to have arrangements for them to live there and barns for their animals. I need to speak to them to find out where best to put the troops to do the most good.”

Jessa seemed concerned and I was about to ask her what it was when a young girl came in. “Father, the baroness is asking for you if you are able.” I nodded and smiled at them both. “If you will excuse me.” I then left and walked out. I could feel my health and energy coming back to me. I walked to the door and stopped to knock. The door opened and Ethel stood there looking daggers at me. “The baroness called for me.” She stepped out of the way and I walked in. She guided me to the sitting room and saw Genevieve holding a tiny child. She had a very regal air about her so I knew this was me talking to the baroness and not Genny.

“Please sit with me Mikael” I nodded and sat down. “Mikael I would like it if you would please stop causing pain to my dear Bethany. She hasn’t betrayed your trust in the least and does not...” I lifted my hand. “Your grace please stop there. I have respected the relationship you and your maid have with my wife up until now.” I looked at them both and they blushed. “So please respect my relationship with my wife.”

Genevieve looked at me with a hard look. “Lord Mikael, do not interrupt me when I am trying to explain...” I stood up. “Forgive me baroness but the power of nobility does not extend to the relationship between a legal husband and wife. If I, for a moment thought I was invited here as your friend Mikael I would have listened, but the moment you tried to use nobility to force me into compliance you ended the conversation. I have remained here out of a sense of politeness, so unless you order me by your noble powers I will excuse myself.” I turned and walked out. She made a very good decision to not force the conversation.

I was walking home just taking in the wind and pleasant sound when Bethany came running up to me. “Did Genny try and talk to you?” I shook my head. “No, baroness Genevieve sent for me and tried to meddle though.” I sighed. “I was hoping Genny had called on me to come meet the baby, he looks like a real cutie. I would have liked to see how good his grip is.” I smiled and Bethany seemed very confused. “I wasn’t asked to talk to my friend. I was called on by a noble as a noble. You should know that there is protocol to such a meeting.” Bethany seemed to collapse and I caught her in my arms. “My love you are worn out.” I lifted her in my arms and she didn’t resist. I looked around and decided to do something a little different.

I felt the stone beneath me and felt a room with benches were there. I let the stone swallow us and then we were standing in a dim room. I lit the room up a little more and sat with my love. “I figure we can actually have a little privacy from the outside world for a little while at least.” She looked at me and nodded. I took her hands in mine and sighed. “We have gone through some real trials together and came out stronger in the last few years. I think first off I have to ask you to forgive me for doubting you. Since the day I woke up in this world you have been my best friend and my strongest supporter. You have kept me from acting like a fool and helped me to understand things.”

I felt her hands were cool in mine. “I thought what we have is so strong that nothing could cause me to doubt you.” I felt her finger press against mine. “You already apologized to me my love. I don’t think the town could survive another.” I chuckled. “Well let’s say that I and the stone have come to a new understanding. I can’t allow myself to slip into that kind of emotional instability any longer. My passions are to be rigidly controlled as the stone is too easily thrown out of harmony if I don’t.” She seemed a little confused at the way I said that. “What does that mean?”

I knew this would work well with a stone mage, I wonder if it would for others. I took a stone from the floor and held it in my hand. I took her hand in mine and drew her head to mine. “You will feel the stone moving in your hand.” I warned her and she jumped a little when it softened and seemed to roll around in our palms. “Can you feel it?” she nodded a little.

“Now really try and feel the way it moves. Feel it slide around and see if you feel the dance pattern.” She gasped. “I can, it’s actually dancing. Are you causing to do that?” “Yes and no. I am letting it be fluid and in that state it is dancing to the tune of the stones around us. Now listen very carefully, strain your inner ear, to see if you can feel the song that makes it move like that.” I felt her hand warming in mine.

“Is it a kind of throbbing deep sound? Like a great drum rumbling in and out?” I smiled at this. “Yes my love that is the current song of the stone. That is what my children hear all the time when they are quiet and still. It’s the heartbeat of the world. That is why I have to keep my emotions under control, especially when my children are around. They are too young and don’t have a fraction of a fraction of the power needed cause a change in the song right now, but it can change them.” She sighed and looked at me. “Then can we talk about this without causing a problem?” I nodded. “The best way is for you to tell me everything. Every thought, every emotion, every worry and not hold back a single thing from me.” She looked at me.

I held out my arms. “This is a good place to do it. I can focus on the heartbeat while you tell me. Maybe I will hear your heartbeat in tune with it.” She seemed to come to an inner agreement. Then she gave it to me with both barrels. At times she was crying out of sadness, sometimes out of rage, and sometimes just to get it out. At one point she slid to the floor and I wrapped myself around her and we held onto each other as we rode her emotions out. She told me the real story of why she left the capital, things I only had a tiny grasp on, even with Will’s letter still fresh in my head. Like me she hated nobility and what it did and forced others to do. She hated it because too many used it as a shield for their immorality and their amorality.

We talked about our life and how she didn’t want me to leave home, or her, or Allan but she also knew I wasn’t here just for them. She knew I was a blessed from early on and to hold me too tight was keeping the world in the darkness it had been in. She became my friend to learn if I was a blessed or a cursed and knew which early on. Then she fell in love with me and had never stopped falling. “Every time I feed Allan I look at him and keep falling.” She said one time and the tears she was shedding was pure joy.

Eventually it all came out, she had emptied her heart in front of me and looked at me as if ready to get whatever judgement I had in me. I held her tight and began crying my eyes out. I sobbed all the pain I still had in me, all the rage that had been swallowed and beaten down inside of me. She held me to her breasts and I could hear her heartbeat and it was in time with the stones. I blubbered apologies for doubting her, for being so stupid to ever doubt my best friend. We kissed and more that day deep in the earth. We had allowed ourselves to be separated by the upper world, but here below it was only us and we became one again.

When we got to the surface she gave me a quick kiss and went to talk to Genny. I turned and headed to the hold to talk to Jessa to let her know the situation. We took our two children to the bedroom and laid with them on the bed and talked with each other. I knew if she could feel me now, it would quickly flow through the whole family. While Bethany was the mind and hand of the family, Jessa was the heart and set the beat.

We talked and talked and eventually there was a knock on the door and when I opened it I saw Genevieve standing there with her baby. “Big brother, would you like to meet my son” Tears came down and I held my godson Daniel. Genny came in and actually crawled into bed and gave Jessa a long hug. I sat on the edge and looked at them both. I looked at the baby gripping my finger and smiled at his mother. “He’s strong, but I hope he will grow to be nearly as strong as his mother has shown me to be.” Tears were flowing down her face and took her baby back. Genny took a long shuddering breath.

“Mikael, I need to let you know why this hurt me so much.” I took a breath and nodded. “It hurt so much because I really do love you too. Bethany is like a mother to me, she supported me in many ways and you are not wrong in saying she was intimate with me. As a teen I seduced her and she didn’t have the heart to turn me away. The same is true with Ethel.” I nodded and she looked at me in a way I shouldn’t let her.

“When I met you something in me seemed to find a harmony. I came close, more than once, to reaching out to you too, but you kept a distance from me for which I am thankful for because now I feel like you are an older and very protective brother. When you called me Genevieve in the capital it physically hurt because it separated me from you. I want to always be your little Genny.” She said with so much love I felt it. “With all the confusion of the last few days I was so torn up inside. I wanted to come to you as a woman and not the little girl I want to be with you. The only way I could do that was to be a noble and you called me out so politely that my face burned in shame.”

I reached out and stroked her leg as that was the closest part of her. She gave a little shiver and looked at me with a deeper blush. Jessa saw this and giggled. “Husband, you know how much stress this poor girl is in, why don’t you give her one of your wonderful foot rubs.” I didn’t think anything of it but Genny turned bright red and looked at Jessa. “Just sit back and relax Genny, you will love this.” The girl nodded and did as asked. ‘Oh and let me feed poor Danny here.” She then eased her gown open and Daniel went to it like I kind of wanted to as well.

I scooted down and slid Genny’s shoe off and began to give a foot rub that caused her to arch her back with until soon she was just a lump of flesh that was moaning. I worked out knots, heard bones pop, and even cracked her toes. The door opened and Bethany came in with both Allan and Ethel. “So this is what happens when I leave you alone with Genny? How shameless you are my husband.” She said in a mocking tone. Genny just gave her a weak wave. “Sir you know it’s not proper for a man to rub another man’s wife’s feet don’t you? As a punishment I demand you do the same for Ethel and me.”

Well an hour later I had three inert women just laying there either sleeping or nearly sleeping. Ethel tapped on Bethany’s arm. “Is that how he seduced you?” she asked and Bethany just giggled. “Seriously Beth, he could pound me into the floor if he kept rubbing my feet like that.” Genny slapped at her. “Don’t say that damn it, my panties are already soaked imagining that from before.” I shook my head and slid out of the room now that the conversation headed in that direction. The last thing I needed was another lover, or two. I did make a mental note though to teach William all about the art of foot rubs.

As my last bit of mercy I wrote a long letter to William letting him know that I came home and resolved all the hurt feelings in our homes and that I thought his son was such a strong and vibrant little man. I also apologized for the misunderstanding I had been operating under. I had a fast rider sent off telling him to deliver it to the baron and no one else.

I was sitting in the kitchen when a girl about five came up and pulled at my pant leg. “Can I have some tea?” she asked and I smiled at her and told her yes. I got a small wooden cup and she stood there and sipped at the warm tea. She looked at me and smiled “You are the nice man who brought me and my momma here aren’t you.” I nodded and squatted down so she didn’t have to look up so hard. “Can you talk to my momma again? She is kind of sad a lot and I haven’t been able to make her laugh again.” She smiled up at me. “Momma always laughs when I make funny faces, but they don’t work anymore.”

I followed her into the hold and she pointed to a bed where a woman was laying on her side. I walked over and sat on the stool next to the bed. I leaned over and tapped her on the arm. “Baby, go outside and play, mommy is kind of tired today.” She said in a very weary voice. “Well I have to say I’m not very used to being called baby by someone who I’m not married to.” The woman sprang up and slapped a fake smile on her face. “Lord Kelton, forgive me for...” I looked at her and made a goofy face. “She’s right, no laugh. That should have had you rolling on the floor.” She blinked at be for a minute.

“Your sweet, and very loving little girl, thinks someone stole your smile. I was just investigating and hoping maybe I could help you make a new one.” I looked at her with an appraising eye. “Maybe I can also find a good laugh somewhere too.” The fake face started to quiver. I reached out and took her hands. “What is your name?” She sighed. “My name is Freta. My daughter’s name is Karla.” I nodded. “I understand your grief at what happened, but I was hoping you might be able to find a new life here. Is there any way I can help?” She shook her head and started with the usual “I’m not worthy” speech but I stopped her.

“Freta you are worthy in my eyes. If you want to take the “formal” rout you and your family’s safety was my responsibility. I am correcting that now as a detachment of knights will be leaving the capital soon to begin a ten year detachment to the territory. That won’t heal the pain my negligence caused, but I hope to correct that all the same.” She looked at me and shook her head. “You were only just given our lands, I can’t blame you. It’s the slavers who are at fault.” I nodded and smiled at her.

“Will you tell me what is keeping you in here? What is so heavy on your heart that your daughter can’t bring you a smile?” She began to break, as I hoped, and I shifted to sitting next to her so she could collapse. She sobbed out that being a widow with a child would be hard, and after the repeated rape no man would ever want her. She was hopeless and had no way to reclaim herself. “Freta, do you think you are the only woman in this town that has seen what you have seen, or been through all of that?” She looked at me and was a bit confused.

“If you left the hold and walked through town you would see that nearly the entire town is made up of women. Easily half were in your place a little over a year ago.” She looked at me and I nodded. “Many of the refugees from the north came to the capital. The baron asked me to take them in because they were being used, raped, and even stolen into slavery while living in the slums.” She covered her mouth. “Many had children, many children were left as orphans. I happily took them in and they became the majority of my town. Now they have their own homes, their children are my children, and they do what makes them happiest.” She looked at me and still couldn’t believe it.

“Will you come with me and look around for yourself?” As we walked around she was astounded at how many children ran over and gave me a hug calling me father. I took her to the glass works and she stared in wonder at the beautiful works of art. Jin came over and smiled at me. “Son in law, what can I do for you today?” I clapped hands with him. “I was wondering if any of my ladies were working today and could come visit with me for a bit?” He nodded and called out. Three ladies in very little really came running over with smiles on their faces. “My lord, how can we help?” they all asked. I asked if we could go out back and they led the way.

“My sweets, Freta here just came in the other day.” They all smiled and nodded to her. “She and her daughter were in the hands of slavers for too long.” They all looked at her and took her hands in theirs. “Was your daughter harmed too?” one asked and Freta shook her head. “Thank the gods. My daughter wasn’t so lucky. Even at five or six some men have such tastes.” Freta suddenly realized that all of these women had also been in her situation or worse. “How do you do it? How did you move on?” They all looked at me and the love poured out of their eyes.

Freta looked at me and then back at them. “Our lord is a great man. He let us cry our hearts out, and also helped us heal in very deep ways with his love.” They each took off their gloves and showed their right hands. “In our town those women with a ring on their left hands are our lord’s wives. Those with a ring on their right hand are his concubines.” She realized what they were saying, thinking I was offering something for sex.

“I can see what you are thinking and you are very wrong. This ring shows he values us, even if we didn’t. This makes us a part of his immediate family. We are free to meet others, fall in love, and give him back the ring at any time.” Then two of them took each other’s hands and smiled at each other meaningfully. “Also as concubines we are allowed to find love in the arms of those who know and love us best.” That got them some very serious eye blinks till she really understood.

“Freta, I think what my loving lord brought you here to understand is that you are not alone. You are not alone in your pain, and you don’t have to be alone in any way if you don’t want to be. You face the nightmare of the past and you are denying the paradise and redemption being offered to you with loving hands.” She came over to me and hugged me from the side. “Since I have been here I have slept in the bed of this man five times and loved each and every time. His arms gave my soul shelter that I desperately needed. Not once has he ever touched me other than to hold me and let me know I am not alone. I also know that if I offered myself to him he would take me to places few women can imagine, his sweet and loving heart.”

I leaned down and kissed her gently. “Karisa, you little minx, don’t go building me up more than reality.” She laughed and shook her head. “I’ve seen firsthand what you can do with just your hand my love. Others have told me even more.” She teased and I shook my head. “You are going to make me a monster in her eyes if you keep going on like that.” I teased back and she relented.

“What we are saying to you Freta is that a new and better life is waiting for you outside your head. We all lived where you are and thanks to accepting our lord’s offer we have found a better and brighter future.” Freta sighed and a thought hit her. “How many concubines do you have sir?” I shrugged. “I don’t keep count. A few have married away to the soldiers I have been told.” Karisa giggled. “Well we do keep count. As of last month there are three hundred and twelve wives and concubines.” One of the other ladies laughed. “And you have over one hundred and eighty children too.” The third in my humiliation group chimed in. “And six that count as both.”

After some more good natured talk the women went back to work after giving Freta hugs and kisses. We headed back to the hold and Freta was lost in thought. She stopped us before going back in. “Sir, could you really lay with a woman after what has happened to me?” I looked at her like I didn’t know how to answer. “If you wanted to be with me is the better question. If you found that you did want to be with me then you would have to talk to Jessa and Bethany, my first and second wives. If they felt it was good for the both of us I would then welcome you with open arms, and an open heart.”

She looked a little sad even with that. “Also don’t think I would do it out of pity like you are thinking. I don’t do that with my heart. When I lay with a woman, they all know that it is from my heart. I am opening myself to you as you are opening yourself to me. Whether it is intimate or just for cuddles I do that from my heart and I don’t do it easily or without love and thought. If I did anything out of pity with even one of my ladies, then it would cheapen the love I have for each and every one of them, including my legal wives.”

She got the point and looked at me. “So I could talk to Bethany or Jessa?” I nodded and we went in to find them both in the living room while Freta’s daughter was making them all laugh with her cute antics. The little girl saw her mother and ran over for a hug. When the child blew against her mother’s neck the woman screamed out and laughed. As she did the little girl looked up at me and had tears of joy in her eyes. “Thank you sir.” The little girl said. I knelt down and kissed her forehead.

“Most kids around here just call him father, after all he is the dad to almost all the children here.” Jessa said to her. She looked at me. “Can I call you father?” I nodded. “Well if Jessa says so then it must be true.” The little girl jumped for joy them jumped into my arms. “Thank you for finding momma’s smile papa.” I hugged her tight. “It was my responsibility to make sure my little one could have all the momma smiles she needs little love.”

I cuddled and listened to Karla tell tales and noticed Freta talking to both Jessa and Bethany. Let me tell you that little girl was seriously ticklish and her laugh was infectious. “Husband, will you get a ring for me please? Jessa asked and I left them to it as bid. When I came back I held the ring in my fingers and she looked at it. “Simply place the finger you want it on in the ring.” She took her right hand and I started to put it on, then she pulled her hand back and gave me her left one. Once it was on I took her hand and kissed the ring. “I promise to care for you for as long as you wish for me to. As of this moment you’re blood of my blood, and heart of my heart.” Her eyes grew at my words and she knew I meant them as there was a tingle in my finger as well as hers.

I barely had time to catch her as she fainted on the spot. “Husband, take her to the bedroom and stay with her. I think the realization was a little much for the poor woman.” Genny looked at Bethany. “What do you mean Jessa?” Jessa looked at her and shrugged. “Being that I was a virgin when we met I don’t know if it’s the same for other women, but when Mikael speaks that oath a tingle happens in the ring and expands through your whole body. When he spoke it to me it felt like my heart knew everything about him that I needed to and that I would always be a part of his soul.”

She looked at Bethany who nodded. “It’s like nothing I have ever experienced. There is a depth of love that you feel that is impossible to think of as false or deceptive. A connection that gives you a deep understanding and one reason all of the past hurt so much. The thought I would lose that love because of my negligence...” The two of them held her and I looked in her eyes. “We both know it was both our faults for not trusting each other the way we always have. It was as much my fault as it was yours so let the dead rest please?” She nodded and smiled at me.

I laid down in my bed with Freta in my arms. I felt it would be a while as this was probably be the first real sleep she had had since the slavers hit her village. There were no whimpers of evil dreams, no shivers of fear, only the soft sleep brought on by my love and I could see she held a great beauty behind all those problems she once had. Listening to her soft breathing lulled me into my own nap.

I woke up to soft kisses and I opened my eyes to see Freta’s. “Those women at the glass works weren’t kidding. Accepting your love really does heal the soul.” She looked at my ring on her finger and shook her head. “You made a pledge to me my husband, not just a simple promise. Normally a marriage is two people promising to love each other, but you made a deep pledge to me. I can feel my heart filled with love as strong as it felt when it was filled with pain. I didn’t think there was such a love in this world.” I looked into her eyes. “Welcome to my heart.” Was all I really could say in response.