The New World
Copyright© 2024 by Dark Apostle
Chapter 57: Proposal
Fan Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 57: Proposal - The story follows James Smith, a man who dies and finds himself in a surreal afterlife courtroom, where his life is judged as "zero sum"—neither good nor evil, just utterly average. Dissatisfied with being consigned to eternal mediocrity, he manipulates the cosmic bureaucracy into granting him a second chance in a new world, where he is reincarnated as a child with his memories intact and perks... - edited by my lovely Steven.
Caution: This Fan Fiction Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Ma/ft Mult Coercion NonConsensual Reluctant Slavery Lesbian BiSexual Heterosexual Fan Fiction Farming High Fantasy Rags To Riches Restart Alternate History DoOver Extra Sensory Perception Body Swap Furry Magic Incest Mother Sister Politics Royalty Violence
James was on a quest. He wanted to find Iona and propose to her today. Now that he’s talked to both of her parents, there is no reason to wait. He walked out of the room where he met Blythe, her mother and walked toward the closest guard.
“Do you know where Lady Iona is?” he asked.
“She is with the chamberlain, Sir Knight.”
James went to the chamberlain’s office and saw Iona and the chamberlain studying a document. They looked up when he entered, and a smile broke over her face. “James, what brings you here?” She asked.
“I came to talk to you. Can you give us a moment, Sir Chamberlain?”
“Certainly, we can review the contract later.”
After the chamberlain left, James closed the door and hugged Iona. He then stepped back and knelt on one knee.
“Iona, since I met you, my feelings for you have grown to the point where I could never conceive of life without you. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
Her eyes went wide and her hand flew to her mouth.
Iona just stared at him with tears rolling down her cheeks for what felt like an eternity. He was starting to worry that she was going to say “no” from the look on her face.
Then she pulled her hand away from her mouth and smiled as broadly as I’d ever seen her smile.
“Yes,” she said, breaking down in tears. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Oh my God.”
James stood and Iona hugged him as hard as she could. Since she was only a few inches shorter than he was, her body molded to his. He felt her tears wet his shirt. James was reduced to rubbing her back while he waited to calm down.
After what seemed like an hour but was only minutes, Iona released him and stepped back. “We need to tell my parents, they will be so surprised.”
“Perhaps not, I asked your father for permission before I came here.”
“That doesn’t count. They wouldn’t know that I would accept,” she protested. She grabbed James’s hand and dragged him out of the room. “Dad will be in the throne room right now. He will make time for us.”
“Slow down, we have the rest of our lives,” James protested.
She stopped and glared at him. “This is the highlight of a girl’s life. Don’t ruin it!”
“Lead on,” he laughed.
The couple burst into the throne room where Iona announced, “James asked me to marry him, and I agreed.”
“Congratulations. You need to talk to your mother about the wedding arrangements.”
“I will. I am so happy.”
Iona, never releasing his hand, pulled him out of the room in search of her mother.
James stifled his laughter and allowed himself to be carried along the castle’s halls beside an insistently effervescent Iona. When she reached the living quarters, she called out, “Mom, where are you?”
“Here, dear. What’s wrong?” Blythe said.
“James proposed to me. I am going to get married!”
“Wonderful. I am so happy for you. Do you have anything to say, James?”
“No, I am a silent groom. I will just show up when told.”
“We are going to talk about the wedding. Would you like to contribute?”
“No ma’am. I have other duties,” James lied.
Iona grabbed him in another hug and a kiss before waving him out.
‘I need to find out about a ring. Completely forgot about it.’ James thought.
He returned to the throne room and waited for Mallow to be free. Fortunately, he was.
“Lord Mallow, do you have time?” James asked.
“Call me Reinhold. We will soon be related.” Mallow said.
“I have some questions about my responsibilities. Where do I buy a ring? What am I expected to do during the engagement? And for that matter, how long is the engagement?”
Mallow stood and laughed, long and hard. “So much for strategic planning. Let me answer your questions. The only ring you need is a simple gold band, which is given during the ceremony. There is plenty of time to buy it since the engagement is three or four months.”
“So short of a time.” James noted, surprised.
“It will go fast. But Iona is headstrong and will not ask for your input in the ceremony. Her mother probably spent every waking moment since I told her planning.”
“She told me about the wedding night ritual. I couldn’t believe it.”
“Believe it, it is true. It was embarrassing when I was married. The amount of pressure is unreal. Perform or no marriage. And that doesn’t even take into account the embarrassment. Blythe complained about it for years.”
“I should not have any difficulty performing. I was worried about Iona.”
“Don’t be. It is part of the marriage ceremony so she accepts it. It is a rite of passage.”
“Here is what will happen. Iona and her mother will list the ones they wish to invite to the ceremony. I will add the ones who must be invited for political reasons. You will add the ones you want. Then the invitations will be sent. That will require most of a month. Then a month to receive the replies. Then, the third month is spent preparing the castle and planning for the wedding feast.”
“I had envisioned it talking longer.”
“Why? I own the castle, so the venue is here. Spiro will prepare the meal and is used to serving crowds. Blythe already has the guest list; she updated it last night ... This is no different than preparing for a campaign.” Mallow pointed out.
“I will prepare my list. In the meantime, I will meet with the sheriff and determine how to work with him.”
“Good luck with that. He is stubborn and frustrating to work with.”
James left the castle and returned to The Fenrir. He sought out Christine, who was in the basement counting the spices.
“We are going to need to order more. Should I contact the traders?” She asked.
“Please, I will be involved in my new duties and planning for the marriage. Iona accepted my proposal.”
Christine hugged James, “Wonderful. This is for the best. Is there anything I need to do?”
“Just help with the guest list for our side. Blythe has their side already under control,” James said.
“Can I tell everyone?”
“Yes please. I need to meet with the sheriff.”
James went to the sheriff’s office. When he walked in, he was immediately challenged by one of the deputies. “I need a meeting with the sheriff,” he said.
“Sheriff Teasle is very busy. Who are you?”
“I am James, the new Royal Knight. He will see me, now!”
“Stay here, let me ask.”
In a couple minutes, a burly man came out of the backroom. “I am Will Teasle, the province’s sheriff.”
“I am James. King Destinea has appointed me as a Royal Knight for Castletown and this province’s protector. That means we must work together.”
“I am a loyal subject. But I don’t need help from an unskilled, puffed-up flunky,” Teasle said.
“You would be wise to watch your mouth. Even if I were only a puffed-up flunky, your words are unwise. I was selected due to my skills and knowledge of the area.”
“What skills do you have that would be of use to me?”
I am the only battlemage within a week’s ride,” James said menacingly.
“A Royal Knight who is a battlemage. That is a different thing entirely. We can certainly use your skills. However, since my men and I are familiar with the territory, you will take directions from me.”
“Like hell! I outrank you and outpower you. If you expect to remain as sheriff, you will change your attitude immediately, or I will have you replaced.”
“You do not have the power to remove me. Only the king does.”
“Trust me, if I make the request, there will be a royal decree delivered to you within the next two weeks, firing you. Now, let us take this conversation to your office and stop entertaining your men.”
Once in the office, Teasle attempted to mend bridges. “I am sorry we got off on the wrong foot. In the past, the crown has sent popinjays who were all talk and expected my men to hang on their every word. But they were useless when a problem arose. We have been burned several times and the scars are still there.”
“I was in the battle with the eastern army a few weeks ago and was knighted immediately afterward. That you’re lumping me in with others without the slightest attempt at finding the facts reflects poorly on you. Now, as I told Captain Kenneth, I am not showing up to get cats out of a tree. If there is a problem, I will look at the information, and if I, and only I, decide it is worth my effort, then I will bring my full capabilities to bear.
“That is reasonable. I can agree to those conditions.”
“Teasle, you do not have a choice. If there is a threat that challenges me, your men would be overwhelmed. Speaking of which, over the next week, I want to meet each of your men so they will recognize me and take my orders.”
“We have a roll call every morning. If you can attend a few of them, you will be able to meet all of my men.”
“How many men do you have?” James asked.
“A total of thirty men. I would like more, but the province is not rich and can’t afford to hire more men.”
“I am here and my magic can help make up the shortfall.”
“The majority of our tasks are mainly mundane, wild animals, occasional bandits, and natural disasters. These are not worthy of a battlemage.” Teasle noted.
“I should be able to help with wild animals and natural disasters. I was attacked by three highwaymen on the return trip to Castletown. They proved to be a minor irritation. I turned them over to the local sheriff. I do not expect to be aloof, but will help when I can.”
“I will see you tomorrow at roll call,” Teasle said.
“Until tomorrow.”
After James left, he stared at the sky. ‘When I combine Kenneth’s men and Teasle’s, I foresee a huge cultural clash. But it must be done.’
James returned to the castle and sought out Kenneth. When he found the captain, he waited until he was free. “James, how can I help you?” Kenneth asked.
“I met with Sheriff Teasle. It was quite interesting. But in the end, we reached an agreement, and he will work with me on my terms.”
“You are serious. How did you convince him to be reasonable? I have tried for five years and just beat my head against the wall.”
“You do not have the ear of King Destinea. The threat of his dismissal worked wonders.”
“How will you use his forces?” Kenneth asked.
“I intend to cross-train his men with yours and reorganize the men into a more flexible force. We do not have enough men to have two separate organizations.”
“Are you going to combine the forces?”
“No, the two organizations have different charters and responsibilities. But they should both have well-trained men. If there is a need for more men, the simplest thing is to call on the other organization. Right now, getting extra men can take months.”
“Are you going to ask for more men?”
“There is no budget for more men. Until there is a threat that justifies more men, we will have to live with the number we have. I have several ideas for the future, but I want to focus on the existing resources first.”
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