Chapter 15

"There are some things I need to tell you," Kristina said.

"Master, we also have something you need to hear!"

I looked around, and from the looks on their faces, knew this was as hard for them as I anticipated it would be for me. Now they had found him again. He'd thought the story about the wolf would have torn their hearts out.

Then again, perhaps they had no hearts.

Why did this seem like Déjà Vu? Ah, because it was! Damn, would I never 'have a life, ' anymore?

"We are all so sorry!" Max said.

Everyone was there now, even Tatiana.

"What am I supposed to do? You always find me, you ignore my pleas for you to let me be; and now, you don't even listen to my stories! What am I supposed to do with you?"

"But, Master, we did not know if your intentions were honourable or not. We could not leave the princess alone with you, for too long, could we?"

"Princess? What? Who? How?"

Kristina just looked down. Finally she spoke.

"Master, I ... eh, I mean, my father ... ahh, he is a sort of King. I guess that does make me a Princess."

I now knew where the blonde, blue-eyed beauties came from.

"Sooooo, you are a 'sort of' Princess, too? Just 'sort of', eh?"

"Yes, Master. I ... I do not even think about that. I love you!"

"As do the rest of us, Master! I guess you will just need a bigger Harem. There is plenty room in the Castle for the babies, too," Max looked at Maria and smiled.

"Tatiana may need to go first, though, she is pretty old," Maria grinned.

"No such luck. I think we are going to have twins soon; you greedy wenches, you." Kristina was beaming.

I just slapped my palm to my forehead. What was a guy to do?

When we returned, the Sultan just smiled. He held out his arms to Kristina. The girls hovered around her, asking if any names had been selected yet? Tatiana gave a forced frown and pout, then hugged Kristina. That was one thing about these girls, it was like they were one big family.

When we got back to the Castle, Gino and Paulie were there waiting.

"You SOB! How could you run away, again?" Gino said. "You don't think there was only that 'little incident' in Amsterdam, that needed handling, did you?"

Now this was news to me. A pall soon filled the room. The old Cossack, escorted by a very formal honour guard, came into the room. Tatiana and all the girls entered from the open Terrace. The guards closed the doors, and then the Old Man motioned us all to be seated.

"For all of you, here; I thank you on behalf of the Princess Sophia, and the Sultan. You all are now made a part of a very old, and very secret, organization. Some, like Gino and Paulie, have always helped us without really knowing all the details. I am only getting old, old mind you, not dead. Ryan has felt that his job was over, after that incident in Amsterdam. That was only the start! We have many enemies across the world. We also have many friends. These ladies are unique. Anything and everything asked of them, has been done. What they do not have, I am sorry to say, is that 'killer instinct.'"

He looked at each of the girls. They, in-turn, nodded.

He went on, "When one of us is hurt, injured, or attacked; they know what to do. They re-act well. This is not enough! We need to be pro-active! That is: we must make any act against us so costly to the enemy; that they risk being destroyed, should anything be attempted against us."