Chapter 13

Imperial (formerly Apostolic) Palace,
Rome, Italy, Prefecture of Europa
2 November, Year I of the Beast

“Oh, that was brutal! Did that fool really try to convince his wife, son, and daughter to die with him on the guillotine? Them having a threesome in front of him after taking the Mark must have been a real shock to him, just before the authorities took his head! He shouldn’t have been such a damn prick, should he? They were all old enough to make their own choices, after all,” I chuckled as I observed the video of one of many executions that I observed.

While there was some variety, some of the most common idiots to opt for the blade were either very priggish husbands or wives. Many of these were emphatically not joined by their spouses, more than a few of them eager to be rid of their prudish, judgmental partners without the red tape of divorce. One sure way to escape the bonds of marriage was to take the Mark when your husband or wife was determined to die on the razor. The law naturally awarded the innocent spouse all of the property of the marriage, too.

“I must admit that your law permitting public sexual acts definitely made that more possible, all in all. Besides, that guy was the local imam and very preachy and sanctimonious. If he can’t see by now that Allah doesn’t exist and isn’t worth dying for, I’m not sure what to say. Clearly, his wife, son, and daughter are ready to get with the new program, if nothing else. They might miss and mourn him a little, but evidently not as much as he might hope,” Tabitha reassured me while I plowed Heather doggy-style and she rode the hell out of Blair.

I had to admit that I also enjoyed the way that a local Italian woman, Bruna Silviano, impatiently awaited her turn with the Beast. She stood, naked and hungry, in my presence, having just stormed into it and disrobed in front of me. That was just the right amount of sass without being too much, since she didn’t try to pry Heather and me apart. I already told myself that, barring some sort of crazy disqualifier, Bruna would be added to my harem as well.

By all accounts, roughly two to three thousand people had already been beheaded for refusal to take my Mark in the past three days. I honestly hoped that this rate would not continue, as it would quickly get very bloody if it did. It amounted to a thousand slain per day. I didn’t see how that would be sustainable, but either way, we’d be rid of the disloyal, no doubt of that. The next generation of humanity would be all mine.

I already knew that Heather carried my child inside her womb, and she was far from alone. The former FLOTUS also did, among many others. Danielle, Eva, Zoe, Tabitha, Sabrina, Mary, Puneet, and a few dozen ladies all had my buns in their respective ovens, though many of them also had unborn babies by other men. I had used my powers to ensure superfecundity, as some would call it, with fraternal twins sired by different fathers. It was a lot more common these days, at least whenever I wished to breed a woman without denying that same privilege to other men.