“Thank you.” Cynthia accepts the glass offered by Earl, grimacing as she sniffs it. “This is a bit…strong.”

“It’ll wake you up,” I offer.

“What’s in it?”

I shrug. “Don’t know, but I know it works.”

“I suppose I’ve entrusted you with my body once.” She winks as she takes a sip of her glass. “Oh. That’s not bad. And saints, it works.”

“Oi,” Way says as she leans across the table. My eyes unconsciously go to her chest. She’s got a moderate bust, but her leather vest does a poor job covering it. Or maybe a great job showing it off. “Did violet over here really fuck you unconscious?”

Cynthia almost spits up her drink, setting down her glass while she daintily wipes away a few stray drops from the corner of her mouth. Thankfully, the alchemist is more amused than embarrassed, smiling as she locks gazes with the younger woman. “A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“Please. Don’t act like you’ve got anything to hide. You reek, you know?”

“I think I smell rather good.”

“Yeah, you do. Which is fucking weird. It’s like sex and perfume, but mixed well. Which I thought was impossible. Trust me, I’ve smelled enough clamhouses to know you can’t cover up the smell of spunk and sweaty bodies with a few sprays of perfume. But, lo and behold.”

“Lou is full of surprises.”

“Is it true she’s got a cock? Shrimp says she’s got a seal between her legs, but I don’t buy it.”

“Shrimp?”

She jerks her head in Arthur’s direction. “He’s big and tough now but used to be the shrimpiest punk on the dock and we’ll never let him forget it.”

“I’m right here, you overgrown brat,” Arthur grumbles behind a glass of wine.

“So am I,” I add. “Could just ask me.”

Way continues to eye-fuck me. “Yeah? This is me asking.”

I drain a glass of wine and stand up. “As much as I like where this conversation is going, I’ve been looking forward to Talia’s performance. She should be ready soon. Your…questions can wait until then.”

“Sounds like you’re dodging the subject.”

“Postponing. It’s bound to be a long conversation.”

I stand up as she laughs, stepping around Alana to lean down next to Cynthia. The alchemist hums as my lips brush her ear, then turns to steal my lips. “You weren’t kidding when you said you were magical,” she mutters. “My body is still on fire. I can still taste you.”

She tries to steal another kiss, but I turn so her lips brush my cheek instead. She isn’t stymied, shifting her attention to my neck. “Can you walk?” I whisper.

“If I say no, will you carry me again? I think I’d like that.”

“Greedy woman. What will my wives think if you hog me for the rest of the night?”

“Isn’t it a bit late for them to be jealous? I’ve already had all of you.”

“Not all of me.” She doesn’t have the right parts to experience all my prime form has to offer, heh.

“Oh? Then I’ll have to take a closer look.”

I look over my shoulder at Alana as the alchemist’s hands brush along my sides. Mm, she’s definitely still feeling the effects of my fluids. Really hope she’s as self-assured as she comes off or things are going to be very awkward in the morning.

“You got yourself into this,” Alana says, turning her head without mercy.

“That’s not very nice, sweetie.” I chuckle as her ears flush, but she refuses to look at me. But the sound is cut off by a yelp as a firm hand fondles my gift. Cynthia pouts as I hastily step out of her grasp. “We should get inside before my clothes are torn off me.”

“I don’t know.” Way licks her lips. “I think this is a better show than some lady singing.” Clearly, she hasn’t heard Talia sing.

“If you can hold off on fucking your guests for a moment, captain, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Grown women pouting should be illegal. There is something irresistible about a mature beauty doing childish gestures that makes my stomach flutter. Since Arthur wants to have a word with me, I give in to Cynthia’s silent begging and step back into her eager hands. What’s a few minutes of being groped without being able to act on the growing heat between my thighs? If I wasn’t fond of pleasant hardships, I wouldn’t have married my wife. “What is it?”

“I told you that my father wanted me to head east to deal with—"

“Oi, Shrimp, you can’t go talking about contracts!”

Arthur lowers the glass he’d been sipping from to glare at Way. “You’re practically licking her with your eyes, but we can’t talk business?”

“This and that are different things,” the aspiring alchemist, or drug cook, says defensively, flashing me a quick smile. Flashing that gold tooth again. Something about it is kind of cute. Or I’m still horny. Probably a mixture of both.

“I don’t call Lou captain for nothing.”

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“Fine. It’s your ass when your old man finds out.”

Arthur snorts, showing just how little he cares about that threat. “Like I was saying, captain. Someone from the capital contacted some of our people here at the Hall to help with the force that invaded through the southeast. Goblins of all things.”

Cynthia’s hands finally pause, her attention turning from getting more of me for a moment. “I heard about that. My sources said that the crown wasn’t worried.”

The pirate son waves off the concern in her voice. “The invasion has been handled. Just some strange circumstances around it. Our people sent back word that the green shits were handled…but their contracts have been extended.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” I mutter. Beside me, Alana looks over, the conversation having garnered her attention.

“No, it doesn’t. Something’s going on over there and whatever it is, our people aren’t being allowed to talk about it.”

“And?”

“And, what?” Arthur shrugs. “Just thought you’d be interested to know.”

“And…maybe you thought that because I have people out there, I could look into it.”

He smiles but quickly hides it behind his glass. Saints, this bastard has changed. To think the day would come when the dog disguised as a human would learn subtlety.

“Alright.” It’s not a bother. All I have to do is tell Geneva to get a message to the succubi and they’ll investigate. Saints, they might already have all the details. “I’ll look into it, but what do you expect to get from meddling in Harvest’s first war? I can tell you right now, I’m not fighting it.” I already have to deal with a possible dragon in the north. No way I’m getting involved in a war against another race.

Well, not unless Harvest gets its ass kicked. I’m not so callous I’d watch my home burn, but things would have to get pretty bad for me to intervene.

“So, you’ll only fight the north’s war?” Cynthia asks.

“I’ve got a personal stake in that.” I smile at Alana who hides behind her glass.

“Wait. You and her?” Way asks, a finger pointing between me and my future knight. “By the deep, how many women do you have?”

“Not that many,” Arthur says, unimpressed.

“I mean, she doesn’t have a whole ship full of jewels but those are jewels.” She speaks the word with clear disdain. Jewels, jewels…wait a minute. I think that’s a Graywatch term for prostitutes.

Geneva saw something about that in Arthur’s memories. They’re called that because they usually belong to a crew, no different from the jewels in a captain’s chest. It doesn’t sound like a spectacular lifestyle and Way clearly has no respect for said women. “She’s got women throwing themselves at her. I mean, she’s married to an elf princess—"

“Why does everyone keep calling her a princess?” I grumble but, as always when it comes to this particular topic, I’m ignored.

“—and then there’s you.” The cook waves a hand at Cynthia, who is completely unbothered being called out. “And you.” She waves in Alana’s direction. “And Shrimp tells me she’s got two, er, what were they called?”

“Shapeshifting, mind-gurgling, devious, evil, abyss spawn,” the pirate son growls, throwing back the rest of his drink.

“Or succubi for short.”

“They can change shape? I bet you have a lot of fun with that.”

“Oh, you can’t imagine.”

“Damn. Whatever’s in your pants must be something else.”

“It’s because she’s so generous,” Arthur says. “Fought in the campaigns for blondie over there.”

“A little more respect, Arthur.” That’s my future wife.

“My bad, captain. For Lady James.”

Alana scoffs. “It sounds like an insult when you don’t mean it. Just call me by my name, idiot.”

Cynthia hums thoughtfully. “I see. If you fought Victory’s war to marry a James daughter, does that mean you’ll fight the crown’s war to marry a princess?”

A full shiver goes down my spine, a dreadful feeling making something in my gut twist. “Don’t joke about that. Please.” The thought makes me want to drive a nail through my eye. Imagine being related to the royal family through marriage. Or being in the line of succession. Saints save me, the horror of it.

“The eldest princess is already married but there is still the second daughter. She’s a bit young though…"

“What’s a bit young?” I ask, my mouth betraying my apprehension for my curiosity.

“I believe she turned fourteen this year.”

I gape at the alchemist, appalled.

Alana beats me to commenting. “Lou isn’t a beast that preys on young girls!”

“Exactly!”

“Besides, she prefers older women.”

“Exact—wait.” Blue eyes narrow, daring me to contradict her. I swallow and retreat from the unwinnable battle.

“You wouldn’t have to consummate the marriage immediately. Many grooms like the idea of taking a young bride that will grow up accustomed to their temperament and habits. Are you not interested in the perfect wife?”

Saints. For some reason, I feel like I need a bath. “There is something so wrong with what you said, I can’t even begin to pick it apart. Let’s just say the idea disgusts me and leave it at that. And I already have a perfect wife. Two, actually.”

Alana huffs but doesn’t contradict me. She never does these days. I should get her a ring, make things official. I wonder what she’d like. Nothing with a large rock on it. She’d like something functional on her finger. Ah, no, she’d love a big rock on her finger too, wouldn’t she? She wouldn’t wear it all the time but putting on for special occasions and showing it off…yeah, I can see that.

Especially if it’s better than her sister’s. Mm-hm. Two rings then.

“My lady.” Earl bows as he appears beside the table again. “Mistress Talia is ready for her performance.”

Great. Any excuse to get away from this talk of marrying princesses and warring goblins. “My songbird is ready to dazzle us so I’m heading back inside.”

“Hold on, violet.” Way practically leaps out of her seat to grab my arm, beating Cynthia to it. But that doesn’t stymie the alchemist for a moment, who grabs my other arm and holds it to her chest. The cook pokes the older woman in closest breast. “Hey, old woman. You already got to tangle with the sea serpent. Let another girl swim in the waters.”

“Way, was it? Don’t worry, she’s got plenty to go around.”

I look away from the women clinging to me to look at Alana, gauging her reaction. She’s watching of course, from the corner of her eyes. I can smell her arousal. Her body is tense but not in an aggressive way. Her tight muscles and twitching fingers speak to excitement and barely controlled action. She likes what she sees but she doesn’t want to wait another round.

The performance will be the perfect time to slip away.

“Tell me more about this princess,” I ask Cynthia as I lead them back to the house.

“Oh? Interested after all?”

“Not like that. I just don’t know much about the royal family. Given my recent problems with the king and his laws, I figure that’s a disadvantage.”

“Ah, harmless inquiry. You know, that’s how all the best romances start.”

“You got a hard-on for violet and that princess?” Way asks from my other side, mirroring my thoughts but expressing them far more crudely.

“Hm. I’ve had occasion to meet the king. I’d enjoy watching him deal with the fallout of Lou seducing one of his daughters and having orgies in the palace.” The alchemist chuckles. “The man is far too self-important and has a broom handle firmly rammed up his backside. But, I digress. You wish to know about the princess and the rest of the royal family, yes? Then we best start with the best of the lot, the queen. Lovely woman when there isn’t an audience looking on. Not at all cut out for the life of royalty. In fact, she would love a party like this.”

“Yeah? Even the part where one of the guests gets fucked by the hostess in the garden?”

“Well, I don’t know about that. She’d probably be amused. Loves wild and unusual tales. You might want to write her a letter. She has more power than most people think and she’d be a powerful ally. Perhaps she could straighten out this whole mess about you being wanted without the city being razed.”

Hm. Something to think about…but not tonight. “Ah-ah. You’re breaking the rules, Thia. No talking about being arrested. Think happy thoughts.”

The alchemist chuckles. “Of course. How careless of me. You’re not looking for actionable information. Hm. I suppose salacious rumors and vicious gossip are more suited for the atmosphere?”

“Now you’re talking!”