Thankfully, no one else ambushes us as Alana guides me to her room. With her treatment so far, I half-expected her to show me to a closet next to the servant quarters. It seems that would be too much as she has a proper room. Nothing as grand as the manor given to my wife but it’s nice, if a bit cluttered. I would say it’s a bit small but that could simply be because of the general lack of space. If this were any other duke, the whole of Fort Victory would be their estate, filled with statues, gardens, and other testaments of their wealth. The James manor takes up only a corner of the fort, which makes space a limited commodity.

A decent sized bed with dark blue coverings is pushed into one corner of the room, tucked away as to give the appearance of more space. At its foot is a wooden dresser with a small mirror atop it, a thin rectangular slit above letting in a decent amount of light. Beside it is the same banner that hung in the training building, a full moon held in the jaws of a shadowy beast.

The rest of the space seems to be a training area. A wooden dummy stands in the center of the room. Around it, the floors are scuffed, evidence of the effort Alana has put in over the years. Two wooden swords are leaned against the side wall, a real blade mounted on the wall above them.

“This is…” Alana clears her throat. Huh. Is she embarrassed? “This is my room.” A hand idly scratches the back of her neck. “It isn’t much. My father doesn’t believe in frivolous things like decorations and I was too preoccupied with training to think about it. It wasn’t like I had many visitors.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it.” I take a seat on the bed. Harder than I’m used to but not uncomfortable. I flop down and pat the spot beside me.

She obliges, kicking off her shoes and lying on the bed. After a moment’s hesitation, she moves closer, tucking herself against my side and laying her head on my chest. I grin and pretend I don’t hear the deep sniff she takes of me. It isn’t that strange. I smell good, even after several days on the road. “The room you’re supposed to be in is just down the hall,” she mumbles.

“Mm.” I turn toward her, putting my chin on her hair. “So, when you said you want me to embarrass them, how far do you want me to go?” Am I rattling the James house or bringing it all crashing down? “And if there’s any boundaries I should be wary of, now’s the time to tell me.”

She hums in thought. “My father…I still hold a grudge but one day, I’m going to settle it with my own hands. As long as I’m good for the family, he won’t get in the way. If I show I’m a contender for inheritance, he may even support me. Truly, not just on the face of it.”

So, don’t lay a hand on the duke.

“Khan isn’t interested in inheriting. Really, he isn’t interested in anything but his maps. I actually like him, though we’ve barely shared two words. His mother is the same. All she cares about is fighting and…making more children.”

My wife really doesn’t need to meet this woman. Either they’ll fight to the death or get into all kinds of trouble.

“Yulianna…” I rub her back to calm her mounting anger. It works, her tense shoulders quickly relaxing. “I dislike her but, ugh.” She sighs. “She doesn’t deserve…you.” Oi. “It’d be like kicking an annoying puppy.”

Gentle rebukes for the beauty. That’s good. I don’t know if I could be truly cruel to someone who looks like that, especially if she really is another saint.

“The only real problem is Zach and his mother, Eleanor. She’s the daughter of Jorun the Behemoth. Famous knight of the Bleak Moons. Traditionalist to the core. Thinks Victory should be closed off to outsiders and more resources should be funneled into the campaigns. Worse, she’s part of the group that thinks that Victory isn’t beholden to the king. They don’t shout it from the top of the walls but they believe that once the Peaks are conquered, Victory will form another kingdom with the James family as the new royals.”

“And she wants that royalty to be her descendants, I’m guessing.”

I feel her nod. “She used to cater to Eren but once he died, she shifted her focus to Zach and is determined to see him inherit. She spearheaded the rumors about Khan and is the reason I…well, she didn’t make life here easy.”

I see. One target identified. No mercy for the mother.

“Zach isn’t as bad as his mother. He’s an arrogant bastard but he has Victory’s best interests at heart. I always thought he’d make a great duke.”

“But you’d make a better duchess.”

An arm wraps around my waist. “That’s…I’m not sure if I want that title. But I will make everyone beg me to take it. If Zach does become the next duke of Victory, I want everyone to know if was only because I allowedit.”

Hm. This isn’t about putting my boot on her family’s neck. That what she wants for herself. This is about peacocking in front of them. I’m sure beating people will be a part of it, this is Victory after all, but that’s not the goal. I need less violence and more…magnificence. With a direction chosen, many ideas come to mind. Yes, this can work.

And first off…

“Zach is a musclehead but unfortunately, so is all of Victory. I won’t be getting anything into his thick skull unless I beat it in. It’s only a matter of time but it won’t be easy to surpass him. He’s—"

A yelp of surprise interrupts her words as I push her on her back and roll on top of her. Her wide eyes quickly narrow. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you relax,” I whisper, channeling Kierra’s sexy purr.

“I guarantee there are at least half a dozen servants actively spying on everyone in the house for at least one of my siblings. Double for Eleanor. All of them for my father. The door isn’t even closed!”

I look over my shoulder at the open door before turning back to her. What was it Kierra once told me? Oh, yes. “It isn’t my first time working in front of an audience.”

“Lou!” she hisses.

“It’s all a part of the plan.” I lean down and whisper into a red ear. “Just imagine how it’ll look. Everyone is tense and worried about this campaign while you’re indulging in me.”

“It’ll look sloppy and stupid,” she grumbles, doing a poor job of hiding her interest.

“It’ll make you look confident,” I return. “Besides, I know you want to.”

“Didn’t you have enough on the way here?”

Both of my brows go up. “Did you?”

She doesn’t answer but one of her hands touches my lower back. Grinning, I follow the weak pull of her arm, bringing our lips together.

[My summoner, forgive the interruption, but you and Alana should come to the stables. A few knights are attempting to cause trouble.]

I really don’t want to move. From the way she’s softening under me, I doubt Alana does either. Hm. Geneva, ask Kierra to handle it. If she doesn’t want to, I leave it to you. Dazzle and intimidate but don’t hurt anyone unless you are defending yourself, Cloud, or my things.

[Of course~]

Alana wants the people of Victory to feel small. A succubus is certainly the creature for the job. They poor knights better hope Kierra feels like taking a walk or they are going to have a very bad day.

A familiar laugh comes from the doorway. I look over my shoulder to see my favorite elf leaning in the doorway, watching us with clear amusement. “Sending me to handle the annoyances so you can play?”

“Can you blame me?”

“Hm. Yes.”

My eyes widen as she steps into the room, closing the door behind her. She stalks forward, stripping her clothes as she goes. “You are so confident lately, my little conqueror. Shall we put it to the test? I do believe it is my turn.”

Oh, no. “Hold on, Kii! We’re in hostile territory. You shouldn’t be using too much power.”

She puts a knee on the bed. “You are right, dedia. Which is why you will not struggle, hm? Be a good girl for me.”

I swallow thickly as she reaches for me. Ah, saints damn it. It is her turn.

She puts a hand on my chin and I obediently let her turn my head so I’m facing Alana and her wide, excited eyes. She really does like watching, huh. Well, she’s about to get quite the show. My wife has less concerns about being watched than I do. There is no hesitation in the strong hands that position me over Alana, spreading my legs and tracing my lower lips.

“Or should we let the star have a turn?”

Eh?

In a blink, my position is swapped with Alana. She’s equally stunned, squeaking in surprise as Kierra cups her breasts and pulls her close. “How about it? Do you want to feel the pleasure of breeding a woman? Our Lou is quite special in that regard as well.” In her typical fashion, the savage elf runs her tongue over Alana throat, laying a gentle kiss on a rapidly pounding vein. “I can help you.”

“I…I…”

Alana looks down at me. I can easily read her need for reassurance. This is kind of going out of order but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. “Go on, Lady James. This is your bed. Do what you want.”

She lets out an explosive breath. Her lips tremble as she struggles to say the words. In the end, she simply nods.