A Dragon's Tale
Copyright© 2022 by Antiproton
Chapter 79: Collateral Damage
Fantasy Sex Story: Chapter 79: Collateral Damage - An accident + Magic = A man's mind in a dragon's body. After being pulled into a high-fantasy world of elves, magic, and airships, our hero finds himself chased by lords, hunted by mages, and fighting to protect and nurture those he loves while also fighting his new dragon instincts. I promise a happy ending to this character-driven saga, but don't forget: "the course of true love never did run smooth".
Caution: This Fantasy Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Fa/Fa Mult Consensual Mind Control Reluctant Romantic Lesbian BiSexual Heterosexual High Fantasy Restart Magic non-anthro MaleDom Light Bond Group Sex Harem Polygamy/Polyamory Cream Pie First Oral Sex Pregnancy Slow
Sarah took a deep breath as she watched Timarou’s flagship settle into its berth at the Nalatia docks. She smoothed her dress out for the dozenth time, even though its self-repair properties meant that it couldn’t truly wrinkle. She let the breath out slowly, trying to keep her face calm and relaxed.
It wasn’t as easy as she would’ve liked.
Timarou’s flagship was immense, far larger than the Argo. It was nearly twice as long and had at least one more deck, maybe two. It was bedecked in Timarou’s royal colors of blue and white, and an immense flag large enough to be a small sail depicted a rearing horse in those colors; the horse was white and the background blue. It was at once impressive and beautiful, but being this close also made her want to hyperventilate.
“Trust me, there’s no need to be nervous.” Alana said from beside her, and all of Ethan’s other wives agreed, except Beth, who was with Ethan at the tournament. Normally, such a greeting would’ve been handled by high-ranking diplomats or even someone like Thea, but Ethan’s wives had volunteered to be the greeting party instead, and The King had agreed.
“Shara and Lyra are great people, and so is Lucien.” Selene said.
Beside them, Kendra nodded. She was standing on her own two feet, finally, though she wasn’t as sure on them as she had been before the ambush. Taloni had said it would be another day or two before she was fully recovered, though Sarah was just glad that she would fully recover. She was also glad for Kendra’s sake that she didn’t need the wheelchair anymore; she knew that Kendra hated it.
The Timarou flagship’s crew lowered the gangplank, and a small family had gathered on the other side of it. The patriarch of the family stood somewhat rigidly, though he didn’t seem unpleasant. He had a short, full beard and wore a small crown on his head. It was small enough that it almost blended into his thick hair, but not quite.
Next to him were two women, both beautiful and both smiling. One had amber-colored hair and the other was an ash blonde. The amber-haired woman was standing prim and proper, though her smile was genuine and reached into her eyes. The ash blonde was grinning ear-to-ear, and Sarah got the distinct impression that she wore her heart on her sleeve. Next to them were a bunch of children, all of whom clearly belonged to the family.
“My favorite prophet’s wives!” The ash blonde exclaimed when the gangplank was firmly in place.
Most of Ethan’s other wives laughed; Sarah was too busy trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach.
The Timarou royal family came across the gangplank and exchanged many warm greetings and tight hugs with Ethan’s other wives. Sarah hung back, not sure how to behave.
“Ah, this must be the legendary Sarah.” The ash blonde said as she separated herself from the happy group.
“Um, legendary?” Sarah asked.
“Yup, I’m Lyra.” The ash blonde said as she swooped in for a tight hug. “Also, we don’t bite.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Mostly.”
Sarah tried to chuckle as she hugged back awkwardly.
“Seriously, you captured the heart of a dragon prophet; you shouldn’t be nervous about meeting a rancher’s daughter.” Lyra said with a comforting smile as their hug broke.
“Um, okay?” Sarah replied hesitantly.
“Sarah my dear.” The amber-haired woman said next as she virtually floated toward her. “You need not be troubled. Neither I, nor Lyra, nor my husband have anything but high regard for you.” She then curtsied.
“Um, thank you.” It took Sarah a moment to remember that she should curtsy back. That made the butterflies in her stomach dance a little more.
“Would it help to know that Shar snores?” Lyra asked.
Sarah actually did manage a chuckle at that.
Shara closed her eyes, slowly shook her head, and then let out a slightly long-suffering sigh. “Lyra, that--”
“--that is undignified to reveal.” Lyra finished. “But aren’t you always saying how a hostess should strive to make everyone comfortable? Well, she chuckled, therefore she’s comfortable.” She paused. “Well, more comfortable.” She put her arm around Sarah and spoke to her fellow wife in a mock-disappointed tone. “Really Shar, you should work at being more refined.”
Everyone laughed.
Even Shara smiled.
“I do believe that fire and ice have more in common than my wives.” Lord Kalus said with an amused smile. “But different though they are, they make a nearly perfect pair.”
Both Shara and Lyra looked at him, and their expressions said it all. Shara was more refined and proper about it, but they looked at him in much the same way that Ethan’s wives looked at Ethan. Sarah really liked that.
“We have not travelled alone.” Shara said after a moment, and indicated the gangplank, down which four people were walking.
Sarah stared at the last one.
It was an orc.
She froze.
Her heart seemed to freeze in her chest as her eyes went wide and her feet seemed rooted to the spot. Everything she’d ever heard about orcs came flooding back to her in an instant.
“Sarah!” Selene stepped between her and the orc and looked her in the eye. “That’s Grobozlesh, and he’s a friend.”
“Friend?” Sarah said, still rooted to the spot.
“Yes, a friend.” Alana confirmed. “He’s our friend and not a threat.”
“He’s also delightfully blunt.” Lyra chimed in with a wide smile.
“He is my guest.” Lord Kalus told her. “Please, do not let your darker side prevail.”
Sarah nodded slowly as her breathing returned to normal and her heart began to calm down.
“I is Grobozlesh.” The orc said as he thumped his chest. Sarah would’ve been intimidated even if he hadn’t been an orc because he towered over her and everyone else. “I not harm E-tan’s wifes. You not need to be afraid.”
“Um.” Sarah swallowed. “N-nice to, to meet you.”
The orc grunted.
“And this is Matthew and Yalia.” Alana indicated the young couple that Sarah hadn’t noticed because the orc had captured all of her attention.
They were both clearly young, with him probably being in his mid-twenties and her probably in her early twenties at the oldest. He was about Ethan’s height, but rail-thin even though he didn’t look unhealthy. His facial hair was somewhat sparse and his brown hair somewhat messy, but he had a wide smile on his face. Yalia was about Sarah’s height with dainty features, kind eyes, and a pleasant smile. They both looked like what Selene had once described as a ‘nerd’, and were adorable together.
The young couple greeted everyone with warm smiles and tight hugs as well, though Sarah held back again. Or at least she did until Lyra slipped behind her and none-too-gently ‘nudged’ her forward.
“It’s wonderful to finally meet you.” Yalia said, then gave her a hug just as warm and tight as she had given the others.
“It’s a pleasure.” Matthew said with a smile.
“Um, likewise.” Sarah replied.
“And you’ve already met Victoria’s future husband.” Alana said to Sarah with an impish grin as she indicated the fourth person who had come down the gangplank.
It was Colonel Reginald Forsythe.
He was slightly taller than Ethan and was wearing the standard Ivernian military uniform, which consisted of a green surcoat with a white mountain in the center over chainmail. He looked a lot like Lord Farbrottan from how Ethan had described him, which wasn’t surprising because he was the lord’s nephew. He was thin and wiry, and his hair was an unremarkable brown color. He had a beard, but it was quite short, rather like how Lord Kalus wore his. It amused Sarah to see that he had the exact same eye color as Victoria.
“I believe Mrs. Ejder--” The Colonel indicated Alana. “--is misinformed; Victoria and I are neither betrothed nor engaged.”
“Not yet...” Taloni said in a teasing, sing-song tone.
The man ignored her and bowed slightly to Sarah. “Good morning.”
“Hello again.” Sarah replied while trying not to laugh at Tee’s antics.
A few more pleasantries were exchanged, then they began to walk toward the palace. Somehow, Shara ended up next to Sarah with enough space between the rest of the group and the two of them for a semi-private conversation. Sarah had no idea how the lady had done it though.
“Sarah, are you aware that I am, perhaps, most strict about my children’s posture?” Shara asked.
“Um, I think Alana mentioned that, why?”
“Because there is a curious trick the mind plays on itself.” Shara replied. “When one stands as if one is confident, one feels more confident.”
Sarah got a thoughtful frown on her face for a moment. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” Shara replied seriously, though kindly. “I have observed that if someone is feeling out of sorts, a simple way to rectify the feeling -- at least in part -- is to assume a fully erect posture with the shoulders back.”
Sarah thought about that for a moment, then stood up a little straighter and pulled her shoulders back. “It feels strange.” She said after a moment.
“I surmised that it would, but do you not feel better?” Shara replied.
“I...” Sarah felt her lips pull into a small smile. “I think I do.”
“You are the betrothed of the prophet, chosen to be his wife by Illuminar Himself.” Shara added. “You need not feel inferior in anyone’s company.”
Sarah smiled wider at that.
“Come, let us become better acquainted.” Shara said with a kind smile. “I have heard that you greatly enjoy singing, dancing, and art.”
Sarah smiled wider.
Ethan double-checked that his dragon-leather armor was properly in place as he prepared to fight his first match of the morning. It was down to the quarter-final matches, and the top eight were indeed very good. Shockingly good. Without his dragon reflexes and armor enchantments, he wasn’t sure he could beat some of them. Of course, he wasn’t worried about fighting them with those advantages on his side.
Nearby, Beth was yawning on the Astral Plane. He could tell that she was bored, and probably wanting a book to read, but she was stubbornly sticking with him. That dedication had made him smile many times.
“Who do you think will win?” Candice asked from beside him.
“Scarface.” Ethan nodded toward one of the contestants, who had a large scar on his face. It wasn’t the man’s name, but Ethan wasn’t going to bother learning the names of people he’d never see again.
Candice nodded slowly, then lowered her voice so no one nearby could hear. “And you won’t win?”
“Nope.” He shook his head. He wanted to remind her that his disguise gem probably wouldn’t survive intense scrutiny from Lord Farbrottan’s security, and that the winner met Lord Farbrottan personally, but didn’t want to be overheard.
“And, you’ll be okay?” She asked at normal volume.
“Yup.” He nodded. “These fights aren’t even dangerous, and not even close to the most dangerous ones I’ve been in.”
“What’s the most dangerous ones you’ve been in?”
He looked down at his left hand and flexed it for a moment, then spoke quietly again. “Well, I discovered firsthand that dragons can regrow limbs after one battle, so...”
Candice’s eyes went wide. “Really?” She looked at his hand.
“Yeah, that was painful.” He replied. “Worth it, but painful.”
“What made it worth it?” She asked.
He smiled faintly as he thought about the women he was currently missing. It was only about ... maybe a day and a half or so until he saw them again. “I was able to save my wives.”
“You’re up.” The Ivernian soldier by the gate entrance said.
“Right, let’s do this.” Ethan said, then headed into the arena.
“I normally wouldn’t say ‘I told you so’, but this is a special occasion.” Alana said to an almost beaming Sarah. The walk to the palace surrounded by the Lightguard, the wood elven royal guard, and Timarou’s royal guard, had been thankfully uneventful. Though, she was pretty sure that all the protectors plus all the protectees could probably have stormed a good-sized airship and won in a straight-up battle. They probably could’ve taken a large airship if Kendra was at one hundred percent.
“She’s so nice!” Sarah gushed quietly as they found their seats in one of the dining rooms in one of the buildings right off the palace. Alana was certain that The King or The Queen had done that so Sarah could attend. It was incredibly thoughtful.
“Shara and Lyra both are.” Alana agreed as they sat down.
The table was full of friends, including The King and The Queen, Ahjah and Thea, the rest of Ethan’s wives except for Beth of course, the Timarou royal family, and their guests as well. Though, their guests were mostly listening and rarely spoke. The food was incredible, with the notable exception of the soup that Thea had helped make. It wasn’t actually bad, but she doubted that anyone would order it from a restaurant.
“Thea, my dear, you have many wonderful qualities, giftings, and skills.” Ahjah said to her after tasting the soup. “I also greatly admire how you always strive to improve yourself; it is a most admirable quality, especially in a wife.”
Thea gave him a look, but was also clearly having trouble not smiling at him too.
Ahjah raised his glass and spoke again. “To Thea.”
“To Thea.” Everyone echoed the toast and took a sip of their drinks, most of them with suppressed smiles.
Alana couldn’t help but admire how beautifully he had balanced complimenting his betrothed with teasing her, and also helping her save face in front of the other diners.
“Ah, young love.” The King said with a smile. “It is one of the greatest joys that Illuminar -- blessed be He -- has gifted to mortals.
“Wise words.” Lord Kalus replied, then raised his glass. “To the many gifts that the God of Light has blessed us with.”
Again, everyone toasted.
The conversation moved on and it flowed easily between everyone, which brought a smile to Alana’s face. Eventually, the topic of the ambush in Nalatia came up, which led to a recounting of it for those who weren’t there.
“Thank you so, so much for that double-enchantable cloth.” Alana said to Shara, Lyra, and Lord Kalus when the tale was finished. “We would all be dead without it.”
“It was our pleasure.” Lord Kalus replied.
“Indeed, we were grateful for the opportunity to help.” Shara added.
“We were.” Lyra grinned. “Like I said, what’s the point of being filthy rich if you can’t help people once in a while?” She paused. “Well, not exactly filthy rich, but you know what I mean.”
Alana resisted the urge to frown.
“What do you mean?” Taloni asked.
“She is referring to the rather extreme amount of debt my father accrued during the war that put my husband on Timarou’s throne.” Shara explained. “As a matter of technicality, the royal family has a negative net worth until the many, many loans are repaid.”
“Indeed.” Lord Kalus said. “We would not wish for Timarou to suffer the fate of Koilas.”
“Um, what’s Koilas and what was its fate?” Selene asked.
“Koilas is the territory of Lord Borden, Beth’s father.” Alana replied.
“It is a matter of public record, though it has become a cautionary tale.” Lord Kalus replied. “The previous lord of Koilas accrued enormous amounts of debt on public works projects and to quell internal struggles. The holder of that debt was, of course, Lord Borden before he became lord. Additionally, and unbeknownst to the public at that time, many of the Koilas’s nobles were deeply indebted to his bank as well.”
“Koilas was in a tenuous position.” Shara continued. “And then, their yearly payment to Lord Borden’s bank went missing, pilfered by bandits en-route.”
“More like pilfered by Lord Borden.” Lyra shook her head.
“That theory has no supporting evidence.” Lord Kalus said delicately.
“Lucien, I love you, but really?” Lyra sighed. “The normal caravan guards were replaced by rank amateurs by a noble who was in debt to Lord Borden up to his eyeballs, and he conveniently ‘found’ the missing shipment -- completely intact -- a couple months after Lord Borden became lord of Koilas.” She paused. “Oh, and that guy’s debt to Lord Borden somehow magically disappeared.”
“As I said, there is no direct evidence that would warrant public speculation of such things.” Lord Kalus replied with a pointed look at Lyra.
“So, he took over Koilas through debt?” Selene asked.
“Indeed.” Lord Kalus replied. “When the shipment went missing, the previous lord and much of his court were indebted enough and far enough behind that Lord Borden was within his rights to throw them into debtor’s prison, and such rights are imperial, not local to Koilas.”
“So basically, Lord Borden ‘graciously’ cut a deal to wipe out all of Koilas’s debt, the previous lord’s debt, and all the nobles’ debt if the previous lord would abdicate the throne and name Lord Borden as his successor. The alternative was being thrown into an imperial debtor’s prison.” Lyra summarized, then scowled. “Filthy bankers.”
“Don’t sugar coat it Lyra, tell us how you really feel.” Selene chuckled.
Lyra opened her mouth to speak, but Shara put a hand on her arm and subtly shook her head. Lyra frowned, but nodded.
“I was kidding.” Selene said. “That bad huh?”
Lyra’s scowled deepened. “Small local bankers are fine, but the large ones that operate in multiple lorddoms...” She shook her head. “I didn’t realize how bad they were until after Lucien became lord of Timarou. Did you know that Lord Borden financed both sides during the war?”
“He did?” Alana asked.
“Yup, and made a ton of gold doing it.” Lyra’s tone was forcedly calm, and Alana could almost hear the tirade that she would probably release if they were in a less public venue.
“Debt is much like fire; a fearful servant and a terrible master.” The King spoke up. “It has its place, but we should never forget the God of Light’s caution concerning it: the borrower is slave to the lender. Koilas discovered that to the ruin of the former lord’s family.”
“That is the reason our fair kingdom never contracts debt except in the most dire of circumstances.” The Queen said. “We do, perhaps, grow more slowly without it, but we are slaves to no bank because of it.”
“A worthwhile goal.” Lord Kalus said. “Timarou is mere years from completely discharging its debt, and then it shall not accrue more. The citizenry will appreciate the tax reduction after it is fully discharged as well.”
“And my husband is smart.” Lyra added. “He transports Timarou’s payments to Koilas on the royal airship with the entire royal guard, and entrusts no one else to the task.”
“Smart.” Alana said, thinking about that lost shipment.
“Um, pardon me for asking, but why would Lord Borden finance both sides of a war?” Sarah asked.
“Because most wars do not end with significant territorial changes.” Lord Kalus replied.
“It is only because of my husband’s tactical skill that Timarou found itself in peril.” Shara added. “Wars are prohibitively expensive, and thus warring states often seek out financing to gain an upper hand, or to survive the conflict. In most cases, neither territory accomplishes much, except a large balance owed to the bankers who financed the war.”
“And don’t even get me started on how they get nobles to persuade kings and lords to start--” Lyra began, but again, Shara put a hand on her arm and subtly shook her head. Lyra scowled, though not at Shara, nodded subtly, and didn’t finish her sentence.
“Does that include Lord Borden?” Selene asked Lyra. “Does he do that too?”
“This food is delicious.” Lyra replied pointedly, then took another bite. Alana almost couldn’t believe that Lyra of all people wasn’t finishing her thought.
∗That sounded like a ‘yes’ to me.∗ Selene thought to everyone.
No one replied, but Alana agreed. She couldn’t be sure of course, but it did sound like that.
“My father got Narlotten out of debt and has refused to borrow since.” Rachel said aloud after a moment. “I remember the party at the castle the day it was paid off. If I recall correctly, Lady Ekthros was the driving force behind the effort to eliminate Narlotten’s debt.”
“She was indeed.” The King said. “It is an honorable endeavor to owe nothing to anyone except the consideration that Illuminar -- blessed be He -- requires.”
“How is Ivernia’s debt situation?” Selene asked.
“According to our intelligence, better than some lorddoms, worse than others.” Lord Kalus replied. “They are somewhat reliant on debt, but not entirely.”
“Our fair kingdom and Narlotten are unique as the only ones without debt.” The King said, then nodded toward Lord Kalus. “With Timarou soon to join those noble ranks.”
Lord Kalus inclined his head respectfully to The King.
∗Kendra, I bet you’ve seen some serious shit when it comes to this kind of thing.∗ Selene thought to everyone. ∗Care to add anything?∗
∗No.∗ She replied simply as the audible conversation turned to other topics.
∗Nothing?∗ Selene asked.
∗Nothing.∗ Kendra confirmed.
∗Not even a little?∗ Selene pressed.
∗It is a poor idea to run afoul of bankers, especially for any large organization.∗ Kendra said after a moment. ∗Even the emperor is not immune to such considerations.∗
∗Wait, Bankers?∗ Beth asked. ∗What considerations? What did I miss?∗
∗We’ll tell you when Ethan is ready to listen.∗ Alana replied after a moment, not looking forward to telling her what they had just learned; no one would want to hear something like that about her father.
∗Beth, are you okay?∗ Ethan thought to her.
It was currently between bouts, and for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final, they allowed an hour’s rest minimum before a contestant had another bout. He had won his previous bout of course, but his opponent had been very good. Not good enough that he was worried about losing, but good enough that he’d had to pay attention.
He was currently standing at the edge of the arena leaning on the fence, while Beth was sitting down just inside the fence leaning up against one of the fenceposts. Her Astral form was visible to him as a blue outline, and she had pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She was slowly and subtly rocking back and forth in that position, and her chin was resting on her arms and knees.
∗Beth?∗ He thought to her again, a little more gently.
∗I feel like my entire childhood was a lie.∗ She replied after a moment. ∗I always thought that he was strict but fair, and a wonderful father. Now... ∗
∗Nothing of what we learned changes that.∗ He replied. ∗He could’ve been doing dastardly deeds as a banker and still be a wonderful father; that’s possible.∗
Beth nodded, but her head was still resting on her knees. ∗You know what I hate most about growing up?∗
∗What?∗
∗I miss how simple being a kid was.∗ Beth sighed. ∗If you followed the rules, you never got in trouble. Daddy was the perfect man, mommy was the perfect woman, and the biggest problem I had to worry about was not losing track of time reading at the library.∗ She sighed. ∗I miss that. I would never want to go back, but I miss it. I miss the world being simple, and it being obvious who the good guys and bad guys are.∗
∗Yeah... ∗ Ethan also sighed. ∗Yeah, I understand completely.∗
They both said nothing for a minute or two, instead opting to watch the current bout. Ethan himself wasn’t really watching, more like staring into space in the direction of the bout while his mind wandered. All things considered, Beth was taking this pretty well.
∗Ethan?∗ She thought to him after a minute.
∗Yeah?∗
∗I don’t have to be like my father, right?∗
∗No, no you don’t.∗ He replied. ∗Our parents obviously influence who we are, but we aren’t copies of them. We can choose to be something else, something better, or even something worse if we aren’t careful.∗
Beth nodded slowly. ∗I want to be something better. I don’t want to help people start wars, I want to help end them, or even prevent them if we can.∗ She looked at him. ∗Do you think I could do that?∗
∗You already have.∗ He smiled at her. ∗Have you forgotten that we ended the attacks on the miners near Dotmier and ended the ‘war’ between two orc clans?∗
Beth got a half smile on her face, then bit her lip. ∗I know it happened, but it doesn’t feel real.∗
∗Yeah, big things like that sometimes take a while to sink in.∗ He replied.
After another moment, Beth stood up and looked at him. ∗I’m not going to be like my father; I’m going to be a good person who helps people.∗ Her tone was firm, though her expression was conflicted.
∗Good.∗ He smiled, then got a lopsided grin. ∗But I think you mean that you’ll be a person who helps more people; you’ve already helped a lot of them.∗
Beth nodded, and it looked like she was trying to smile. ∗Good.∗
“This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!”
Selene smiled at Yalia gushing over the Hall of Meeting, through which the tour of the castle grounds was currently progressing. The young nymph was spinning slowly on the spot, gazing wide-eyed at the intricately carved vaulted ceiling above.
Matthew leaned slightly closer to Selene and spoke with his eyes fixed on his wife. “It’s the second most beautiful thing I’ve seen...”
Selene chuckled.
After the meal, Ahjah and Thea had ended up volunteering to give Matthew and Yalia, Colonel Forsythe, and Grobozlesh a tour of the palace grounds. Ethan wives -- minus Beth of course -- were tagging along since they hadn’t gotten one yet, and The Queen had insisted.
∗There’s more than one way to wage a war.∗ Kendra thought to everyone as they proceeded through the Hall of Meeting. As had been normal during the tournament, Ethan had temporarily closed his connection to the group chat so they could use it without interrupting his bouts. Selene guessed that Beth had as well, and only partially for the same reason.
∗I was thinking the same thing; finance.∗ Rachel replied.
∗How would we do that?∗ Taloni asked.
∗Ivernia is bordered by five different lorddoms.∗ Kendra replied. ∗Timarou, Har’Peton, Koilas, Narlotten, and the wood elves. They might seek a loan from any of them, especially Koilas, and could use those funds to help hunt us once we begin to fight Lord Farbrottan in earnest. Further away lorddoms are possible, but unlikely because of the time it takes and the diplomatic issues with moving large amounts of gold through another lorddom without sky piracy or taxes becoming an issue.∗
∗I doubt Beth’s dad feels like loaning them money, so Koilas is out.∗ Alana replied. ∗It’s almost certainly the same story with Timarou and the wood elves, though we should ask them.∗
∗That just leaves Narlotten and Har’Peton.∗ Rachel added. ∗Har’Peton has a small border with Ivernia, but they aren’t exactly known for keeping their word.
∗Timarou and Har’Peton have been rivals for centuries.∗ Kendra pointed out. ∗Lord Kalus will know how to deal with them.∗
∗That just leaves Narlotten.∗ Alana glanced at Rachel. ∗But they do have some kind of alliance going right now, so that might be harder to deal with.∗
∗I can ask Myla to ask Falkaan what kind of alliance it is.∗ Selene suggested. ∗I’ll bet he knows; he’s ridiculously well-connected.∗
∗Please do.∗ Alana replied.
“And this is the royal garden, tended by The Queen herself.” Thea said as they rounded a corner and saw a small flower garden that was one of the most intricate and delightfully surprising combinations of chaos and order that she’d ever seen. It clearly had an underlying order, but it was impossible to discern exactly what that order was and the combination was exquisite.
∗Myla.∗ Selene thought to the second group chat. ∗Can you ask Falkaan about Ivernia’s alliance with Narlotten? Specifically, how likely is Narlotten to lend money to Ivernia?∗