Chapter 16: Lauren

I just came from hiring a new boat captain, Marcus. Marcus was acquainted with Isiah and Thomas when they were in the military. Things got interesting for a while once Isiah heard his name. Bree told me Ariel saved him from suicide. After that, Ariel became heavily interested in what was happening to him. She devoted herself as his guardian and gave him one of her more potent blessings. It would explain why he found love so quickly.

Ariel’s blessing must have had lingering effects because Marcus’s roommate Kasumi became fixated on him too. If Ariel was his spiritual protector, then Kasumi dedicated herself as his online protector. I doubt Marcus is aware that Kasumi is a very accomplished hacker. His ex-girlfriend Courtney cheated mercilessly and verbally abused him. I didn’t need to do anything about his ex-girlfriend Courtney because Kasumi already took care of it. Kasumi and a circle of friends she called “gamer gurlz” harassed and tormented Courtney mercilessly online. Her online social media accounts, credit report, financial history were all hacked. She has no record of graduating high school or college either. Pictures and evidence of her transgressions were posted prolifically. She also wasn’t shy about posting pictures of Marcus and his new girlfriend Emily as a slap in the face. Emily was a huge step up, and Kasumi enjoyed rubbing it in Courtney’s face. Nothing Kasumi did to Courtney was permanent. Courtney could challenge most of the changes, nor will they have any lasting damage. I suspect if she wanted, Kasumi could have made things considerably more difficult. Kasumi isn’t someone to piss off.

Doubtful Marcus is aware is because he doesn’t have any social media presence I could find. I doubt he spends much time at a computer, preferring instead to be outside working out. However, it didn’t prevent Kasumi from touting the new couple and his new position as my yacht captain. She also posted plenty of pictures of the three of them on their Hawaiian vacation. Since Ariel is involved with Marcus, I can only assume Kasumi has a crush on them. None of the pictures posted seemed to indicate they were any more than friends, but her Courtney campaign’s ruthlessness suggested an emotional tie. Ariel, of course, won’t say.

Doing some research on Kasumi, I learned she has a very high net worth. She lives far below her means and even owns the building in which she resides. Her Japanese father is a prominent executive with Sony. A man with shady ties to yakuza. Kasumi never mentions him online, and I can only assume they’re estranged. I reached out to Kasumi to see if she would be interested in contract work for me, but as of now, she hasn’t responded.

I wanted to use a yacht for Maya and Isiah’s date, but I’m not sure we were ready to saturate him into our lives yet. Instead, I decided on a restaurant with very few people and outstanding service. When Isiah mentioned having a guy’s night out, Maya suggested they move their date. She could tell how excited he was to get together for an evening with the boys. Maya was spending all her free time studying and consulting with Emily, her new tutor. As expected, she threw herself into her responsibilities.

Isiah decided to keep his distance from meeting Marcus because he didn’t want to sway Emily. He already felt terrible for his unintentional involvement with Marcus’s ex-girlfriend. Lately, Isiah has become fixated on how to turn off his effect on the women around him. It nearly created a catastrophic situation, and the problem is, none of the angels can help him. This type of assistance comes from the demons, and since he kills everyone he meets, you see the problem.

I’m not immune to men’s attention. Isiah doesn’t realize the full scope of it. I’m stared at, approached, and propositioned several times a day. In business affairs, I have no tolerance. A few employees were shown the door before the rest became wise. It doesn’t prevent me from being harassed online or by strangers in the street. Forbes magazine ran an article, and ever since then, I’ve received a constant stream of criticism. I hear criticism about my appearance, qualifications, and business ethics, just for starters. To be fair, Isiah’s effect is supernatural, and some women don’t accept no for an answer. In some ways, Isiah needs a bodyguard until it’s sorted out, but I’m not sure who. You are probably asking if Isiah needs one. Think about his natural response to things like that and how ugly it can get. A good bodyguard can handle things without a mess. A woman is what comes to mind since it would prevent any accusations against a male bodyguard. Of course, having a female bodyguard comes with its own set of challenges, namely, the desire to fuck him senseless rather than protect him from overanxious women. A topic for another day.

Our mission to find more seraph has hit a wall. Mostly this is because all our volunteer angels have been assigned to people we already know. We need a method to track seraph down but have yet to produce an idea.

Isiah, bless his heart, is oblivious to most of the work I do behind the scenes. At any time, I feel I’m juggling a dozen balls, and any slip-up will cause it all to come crashing down. Company politics, global politics, media, financial issues, and personal issues, just to list a few. My assistants are worth their weight in gold. Isiah pointed out one day, I was using my divinity subtly when managing my affairs. I’m not sure how because it wasn’t something I did consciously. However, lately, it has been getting easier to stay on top of things. I knew the subject of a phone call before I answered. My mind will race with possibilities when negotiating with someone and will lock into a perfect solution. I knew what effect an oil spill across the planet would have on my company days before anyone else. Nothing I do is illegal or immoral either. Simply good business sense. My financial people tell me our current growth will make me a billionaire in just a few years, not that I care. This is just for starters. I have yet to do anything that entirely pushes my divinity in any way.

Speaking of media. They got word I have a new boyfriend, and the internet is buzzing about who he is. I’ve been avoiding saying anything publicly. His life will become much more public, and our lifestyle to include several female lovers, will not be seen in a particularly good light. I needed to find a way to make Maya and Isiah’s data private. I was also thinking about Rachel and if Isiah would be adding her to our growing family when a distant memory came flooding into me.

490 BC Sparta Greece continued,

Princess Gorgo became very fond of Pallas. Pallas’s position in the Krypteia played no small part. The Krypteia were secret police organized by the ruling class of Sparta. They were sent to patrol the Laconian countryside with the expressed purpose of terrorizing the helots and keeping them docile. Helots were a class between slave and citizen and could be compared to a serf. Young spartan boys trained in the agoge, learning combat and warfare from a young age. The boys who showed promise to become leaders and eventually full citizens were selected to become Krypteia. Pallas stood out among the group and became well known for his fighting efficiency and ruthless methods employed against the helots. Anyone who was a helot or slave had every reason to fear the Krypteia.

He wasn’t Krypteia for long. After Pallas’s martial demonstration defending the Princess, he was assigned to Hippeus. The Hippeus was a royal guard of honor and number exactly, (take a guess) three hundred.

Despite an obvious attraction on Gorgo’s part, she never crossed the line sexually with Pallas. Being privy to her inner circle, I learned this was not a small feat on her part. She desperately wanted him. Women that didn’t fear him practically swooned in his presence, and his position was made more prominent because of her favor. Whenever he was around, she always sent me away or made sure I stayed hidden.

Eventually, Princess Gorgo married her half-uncle Leonidas and, within the year, became Queen when Leonidas assumed the throne as co-king of Sparta. (Sparta had two Kings) The movies representing King Leonidas typically portray him as somewhat youthful, but in reality, he was in his fifties by the time he married Princess Gorgo.

His age presented an obvious problem when trying to secure an heir to his throne. Leonidas claimed to be descended from the demigod lineage of Heracles. The unfortunate truth was he suffered from the same fate many older men do, impotence.

I wasn’t present for many conversations about it, but Queen Gorgo presented a solution to her King. Discreetly, the Queen suggested a surrogate. King Leonidas approached Pallas about his problem. The reason he was chosen was due to his strength, appearance, and utter loyalty. King Leonidas trusted him implicitly. When an heir was finally produced, it would be believable since the King was also a huge man. Before you get offended about the idea of cuckold, then consider it wasn’t uncommon for surrogates to be presented if a woman wasn’t providing a strong heir to Sparta. To say the average Spartan citizen was a devout patriot is a gross understatement.

The whole situation irritated me to no end. Who did the Queen think she is? She would ask him to father a child with her then let another man take care of it. For all of his devotion, I felt he deserved much better than what Gorgo was presenting. Since he met Gorgo, I hear nothing about him bedding any other women.

On the contrary, he seemed to be secretly pining away for her in return. Queen Gorgo, on multiple occasions, presented him with the suggestion to take a lady of hers as a wife. He always refused.

Pallas was uncomfortable with surrogacy for apparent reasons, but when King Leonidas asked it as a personal favor and a service to Greece, he agreed. King Leonidas decided he wouldn’t be present for the affair. No one would be present but Gorgo and Pallas. It’s my understanding they met several times secretly before she was declared pregnant with a child.

The first night they met, I received a severe beating. I was irrationally upset, and the Queen had me punished for my impertinence. By the time she returned, she had held a dreamy look on her face, and it was evident she had a good time. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but I would swear her eyes glowed red before suddenly winking out. I overheard a private conversation with Cassia, her most trusted lady.

“It was amazing!” Gorgo breathed heavily. “It didn’t know it could be like that”

“Are you planning to tell me, or is it going to stay a secret? How was it?

Is he big?” Cassia questioned eagerly.

“Is he big? No, he’s massive! I felt like a child against him. He is a real Greek man too, nothing weak about him anywhere. He wanted me, and he took me. All our barriers were finally out of the way. We achieved climax quickly, and it just kept going. I always thought a man could do it once, but clearly, that’s not the case. He must have achieved his own at least four times, and that’s not even counting mine. I’m sure he could have kept going. He didn’t want to quit. The rumors of his stamina are not exaggerated. My King claims to be descended from Heracles, but it appears Pallas might be as well. It would certainly explain the size of his manhood. I’ve never seen any compare.”

“Did you take him with your mouth?” Cassia asked, clearly excited too.

Gorgo’s eyes widened in excitement. “Oh yes! With my mouth, my hands, my breasts, feet, my ass, all of it. He wanted all of me, and I gave it to him, every last bit.”

The Queen smirked. “That isn’t to say I didn’t make him work for it.”

“That sounds divine,” Cassia commented dreamily.

“It was!” Gorgo agreed with the same dreamy expression. A sad look crossed her face. “It’s a shame if I get pregnant right away. I would love to do that every night.”

“Me too!” Cassia agreed

A thoughtful look crossed the Queen’s face. “Perhaps you can.”

“Don’t tease me so, my Queen.” Admonished Cassia

“Once I’m pregnant, I can’t be with him anymore, but that doesn’t prevent him from being with others. Nor will the King care if I watch him in the throes with someone else. Provided I don’t participate.”

I was watching this from a secret location and found myself incredibly turned on by the idea. Cassia was a bitch, and if he were going to be doing something like that, then surely Queen Gorgo could pick someone much more worthy. Cassia was barely considered attractive and spent almost no time keeping herself fit like the rest of the Spartan women. She got by through her connection with the Queen.

“Are you serious?” Cassia asked in shock. “You want to watch him take me as he did you?”

Gorgo’s eyes flashed at Cassia, who rounded on her. Unfortunately, Cassia was no warrior, and she was abruptly spun around and slammed face-first onto the Queen’s bed. “You want to know how big he is?” Cassie pulled up her dress, exposing her bare ass. Gorgo held down Cassie’s head as she suddenly thrust a finger into pussy from behind.

“Do you like it from behind? That’s how he likes it, to hold you down and press his massive cock into you.” The Queen slid another finger into Cassie.

“This is probably as big as every other man you’ve been with. You’re still pretty tight, except he is, by far, larger than this. If you want him, you will be laying with the largest and best of Greek men.”

A third finger slid into her, and it was clear Cassie was having a hard time. Finally, she cried out, and the Queen only pumped her hand forcefully. Her hand was visibly soaked then she lined up the fourth finger.

“This is closer to his girth. He will go deep and very hard. His balls will slap against you with great force.” By the time the fourth finger started to penetrate, Cassie had begun to scream in pain. Queen Gorgo pulled back on Cassie’s hair roughly. “You will not have an orgasm in my presence without my permission. Am I clear?” Cassie only muttered something I couldn’t quite make out, and the Queen pulled out of her abruptly. She then flipped her over and held her down by the neck.

“On second thought, there is no fight in you. He will get bored of your subservience quickly. If he impregnates you, then you will have a weak child. Weakness is a scourge Sparta must avoid at all costs. Worse, what if you infect Pallas with your weakness.” She stood up. Cassia held her throat and didn’t look at all pleased. The Queen didn’t notice or, if she did, didn’t care.

“You can go,” she dismissed callously, wiping her hand.

Cassia limped out of the room, and the Queen turned to me.

“Zoe, what do you think? Who should I pick?”

I thought about it. My first impulse was to tell the truth, that I wanted him and deserves far better. “To what end, my Queen? His pleasure or yours? Or perhaps to provide strong children for Sparta, each would likely require a different woman.”

The Queen narrowed her eyes for a minute before they went wide with excitement. “Yes! That’s it precisely! I will provide one of each, brilliant.”

Opening my mouth to say, “That isn’t quite what I meant,” then shut it.

Queen Gorgo continued to ask my input, and the more we spoke, the more I felt involved in contributing to Pallas’s happiness in some small way. The problem is, I suspected, the woman that would make him happy is the Queen herself, and that wasn’t possible. But, on the other hand, maybe I could distract him with several women who could challenge him the same way. My mind spun with possibilities.

In the days that followed, Cassia realized Queen Gorgo was consulting me instead of her. She became vindictive. Beatings became more common, and Gorgo wasn’t the type to care.

What Gorgo did care about was Pallas. She kept Cassia from doing anything severe to me because she wanted my input. Once I lost value, then I suspected Cassia would make an example of me. So my survival depended on my ability to do this.

Queen Gorgo loved to talk about the different ladies she came across. Mostly it devolved into the latest gossip, but occasionally we did come across something good. For instance, Rhea was an athlete and sometimes a sparring partner for the Queen. Rhea was equally infatuated with Pallas. It isn’t uncommon to see partially dressed Greek women exercising around the men at the same time they were. However, Rhea took it a step further. She made sure her clothing would slip if she wore it at all and never hesitated to make eye contact in doing so. Rhea was overtly suggestive and not at all shy, expressing her desire to bed Pallas. Never dissuaded by his repeated rejections, she was relentless. She was attractive, fit, a natural-born Spartan, a strong woman, and from a good family.

Rhea neatly checked many of our boxes except for one crucial detail. She wanted him for her husband. Queen Gorgo decided she would need to clear this up before she placed her in front of Pallas. It wasn’t out of the question as far as the Queen was concerned, but it wasn’t an immediate priority. I hated Rhea. I tried to, at any rate. Rhea possessed a charm I found myself instinctively liking. Considering her position, she was unusually polite to me. The only real reason I didn’t like her is apparent.

By the time Rhea was in the picture, I already knew more than I should about Pallas. I knew his personality and what he liked and didn’t like.

The Queen continued to coach Cassia, but Gorgo wasn’t satisfied with the progress. Meanwhile, I approached Rhea on a training field one day after the men left.

I greeted Rhea appropriately, befitting my station, and set about my plan. “Rhea, are you interested in Pallas?” I asked bluntly.

Rhea laughed mockingly. “You aren’t the smartest of slaves, are you.”

Ignoring her insult. “I can make it happen.”

“How? He ignores me. It’s clear he finds me unattractive.”

“If I tell you, do you promise to be discreet?” and Rhea nodded after a moment of staring at me with scrutiny.

“You are most certainly attractive, don’t think that is the reason. The Queen cares for him and wishes him well. However, Pallas is the very definition of loyal to King and Queen. If you want Pallas to pay attention to you, then you need to do several things.”

“I’m listening,” Rhea said with scrutiny still written on her features.

“First, the Queen needs to like you. I know you want him to be your husband, but if you are willing to forgo that for a while, then you might get what you want. Provided you agree to other things.”

“Like what?” she said suspiciously.

“As you know, the Queen is pregnant right now. However, her carnal desires haven’t abated. The Queen wants to watch Pallas and another woman together. She wants to see him take several women.”

Rhea’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and burst out in a loud laugh. “You’re kidding me? Do you take me for a fool?”

“Do you want him enough to let him take you in front of her?” I challenged.

That made her stop laughing. “Are you serious with all of this?”

“Yes, I am,” I said without smiling.

She chuckled mirthlessly. “If Pallas were interested in me, I wouldn’t just let her watch. I would invite all of Sparta if they desired.”

“If he were interested in you, would you share him with others?”

That brought her up short. She didn’t think about it for long. “Yes, I certainly would. That still gets things out of order. He isn’t interested in me.”

“That’s the easy part. All you need to do is challenge him but not challenge his ego. He likes to spar, try that, be creative. Essentially, stop being so easy and available to him. Make him work for your affections, and he will value them. Most importantly, the Queen needs to say something to him on your behalf.”

“How will I manage that?” Rhea asked

“You won’t. I will.” I supplied helpfully.

“What’s in all of it for you?” She asked skeptically.

I sighed and looked down. “Because the Queen is content to saddle him up with women like Cassia.”

“You’re kidding,” Rhea said with evident scorn in her voice.

“This way, Pallas will be happy and be able to serve Sparta at the same time.”

There was a long pause while Rhea just looked at me.

“You love him, don’t you.” She finally said as a statement.

I glanced sharply up at her and down at the ground. “I’m a slave. My opinions and desires don’t matter.”

Rhea was slightly shorter than me. Nonetheless, she placed her hand on my shoulder and looked at me with sympathy.

“Will you be one of the other women?” Rhea asked.

I was shaking my head. “No, the Queen was clear. She thinks I’m too weak, and I would only make him weaker. She says only a Spartan woman will give birth to real men. It’s a stretch for her to include Cassia. Even so, Pallas doesn’t know I exist.”

If your plan works and he takes a serious interest in me, I could talk to the Queen. I’ll have her make you my slave, and at that point, we can both get what we want.

For the first time since being in Sparta, I discovered a little hope of happiness. Enthusiastically, I agreed.

We hashed out a few more details to sway his opinion of her before I approached the Queen. Finally, I convinced Gorgo that Rhea changed her mind, and she was immediately added to the Queen’s shortlist of potentials.

Rhea’s change in approach worked wonders. She stopped fawning over him and instead started to challenge him playfully. She eventually convinced him to spar, and what began as a lazy sparring session turned into something more serious. Finally, Rhea was skilled enough to force a real defense from him. In the end, she flashed her ass and walked away without any of the usual flirting and suggestions. He watched her as she walked away, and unless I missed my guess, he was beginning to enjoy her company. A few more sessions with Rhea, and I will be convinced he will secretly want her in return. My plan was working.

It was interesting to see his personality when he wasn’t around the Queen. He seemed vastly different. She brought out the worst in his personality traits. She did it all in the name of “Sparta” and being strong.

When the Queen was convinced Cassia could behave as told, the Queen summoned Pallas privately to her private chambers. I was hiding out of sight when the Queen spoke to Pallas. By this time, the Queen was well into her pregnancy and showing quite well.

Pallas arrived and saluted. Pallas was left wearing a chiton after getting rid of his cloak. A chiton is a type of tunic that fastens at the shoulder and hangs down past his hips. His long black hair hung loosely on his shoulders. When Spartan boys are young, their hair is cut short. It isn’t until they grow older, they let their hair grow long. As such, it became a source of pride for many hoplites.

The Queen spoke softly, but I was still able to hear.

“My love, it’s good to see you.” She said, brushing his hair off his shoulders.

“My Queen, seeing you always brings me great joy,” he said

“It pains me more than you know to be separated from you. If I had my way, you would be my King. But, unfortunately, our time was cut short far too quickly.”

I was beyond shocked the Queen would say something like that.

“We can’t speak these things. It’s treasonous. We have an agreement. Despite my feelings for you, I will remain faithful to my word.

I believe you are the best thing to ever happen to Greece. No doubt will your name be spoken with reverence for many generations.”

Gorgo sighed despondently. “I love you so much. Your honey words soothe my spirit far more than you know. Unfortunately, however, Greece doesn’t respect women the same way they do men.”

“Then force them to respect you. Women have more rights here than they do anywhere else in Greece. Take advantage of it and show them what a strong and well-motivated Spartan can do.” Pallas advised. “Men aren’t the only Spartans worthy of respect.”

The Queen looked at Pallas with fiery intensity. Reaching up, she gripped his hair tightly and pulled him into a kiss. Pulling away slightly. “I know you are a man of your word. You will remain faithful to your King. Hear me this. If you ever decide otherwise, I will join you anywhere and anytime. We can turn all of the realms’ upsides down and repopulate a new nation with our strong heirs. No matter what happens, my heart will go with you.”

I underestimated her affection for him. What he said must have struck a chord inside her. I never expected her to make such a profound declaration.

“Will you still do things for me?” she asked.

“You know I will.”

“What I’m asking is something you have a right to refuse.” The Queen looked uncharacteristically unsure of herself. As if she were nervous asking the next part.

“I want to watch you take a woman as you did with me. I want to see you do it with several different women. I can’t be with you like I want, but this is the next best thing for me. This way, we can remain true to our word.”

Pallas looked stunned but said nothing for a long time. Eventually, he sighed but reached out and held her cheek tenderly. “For you, of course, I will.”

The pregnant Queen closed her eyes, reveling in his touch for a moment before he pulled his hand back. “I’m sorry, my Queen, I have no right to touch you like this any longer. I need to remember before it gets us both in trouble. My resistance to you is shaky at best.” She took a step back and lifted her chin.

“What do you have in mind?” Pallas asked.

She smirked and went over to the door and spoke to a guard outside. It wasn’t long before Cassia entered, doing her level best to look sultry. Halfway, she stopped and slowly removed her clothing.

I heard a growl from the Queen because only a few steps in the door and Cassia was already off-script. The Queen felt her clothing was better removed as they went along, not all at once. The Queen also didn’t like that Cassia looked out of shape and thought better to hide it.

In truth, Cassia didn’t look that bad, but the Queen was very critical. Cassia was young, perhaps twenty years. She had very curvy hips, which made her relatively modest breasts look small. Despite her personality flaws, I did like her hair. It was long, silky, and black like the Queen. Her hair was tied back out of her face.

Cassia slowly walked across the room, swinging her hips until she was standing directly in front of him. She placed her forearms on his shoulders and leaned in for a kiss.

“Stop!” The Queen barked suddenly.

She stood and walked over to the pair and looked at Cassia with simmering rage.

“You stupid cow, I said you had one chance.” Queen Gorgo was incensed.

“I was hoping just to be an observer, but you have gone and screwed that up.”

Pallas looked a little troubled. I couldn’t tell if it was due to the Queen’s behavior or Cassia’s. I didn’t see anything wrong with what she did, but the Queen had other ideas.

“Get down on your knees,” she ordered and pushed down on Cassia’s shoulders.

When her face was directly in front of his hips, she ordered, “Remove his belt and take out his cock.”

Cassia removed his clothes, and when Pallas’s cock was freed, she gasped. It was the first time I saw it, and it was larger than I imagined. It was freakishly large. Cassia was a little hesitant to proceed once she got him this far. Hearing about it and witnessing it were two very different things.

The Queen rolled her eyes. “Hade’s fucking sake Cassia. Take it in your hands and suck it.” She held her head and looked up at Pallas. The two just stared at each other while Cassia tried to service him.

Gorgo didn’t look down but looked at Pallas as she spoke. “Take it in both hands, slide it up and down. Open your mouth and take it in. Do you like the taste of him? You almost have him fully hard. Pump that magnificent cock of his!”

A gagging sound was heard, and irritation spread across Gorgo’s face. “Stop being so weak. Get your hands moving! Faster!”

Pallas tilted his head back, enjoying the sensation of Cassia’s attention. I was fixated watching her; I wanted to be in her place, milking his massive cock and trying to get my mouth around it. I wanted to be in the Queen’s place too. She was doing it all wrong; I wish she would stop yelling at her and let it all just play out naturally.

More gagging as Cassia tried pushing beyond her limits. Pallas looked like he was on the edge of an orgasm before she stopped.

Queen Gorgo pulled her away from his cock. “Pallas, I’m sorry. I truly expected more from her. Will you just fuck her and be done with it? I’ll find you someone more suitable next time.”

The Queen leaned into him and whispered into his ear. From where I sat, I couldn’t hear. Pallas only turned to look at her a moment before he just nodded in confirmation of what she just said.

Pallas reached down to Cassia and tilted her head to look up at him. “Cassia, are you here voluntarily?” she nodded but said nothing. “You understand being with me for the first time can be uncomfortable.” She looked terrified but nodded.

The Queen chuckled next to him, and I heard her quietly repeat, “Uncomfortable.”