Chapter (18) XIIX: The Ritual

What must've been hours later, I woke up in my bed.

The sun had set. There were candles lit all around. Gods, how long have I been out? My head was pounding. I sat up, still a little groggy. Shari and Emilia were in the room, playing Dragon Chess, just as she always seemed to be with Lady Carmella.

"You must really like that game," I murmured with a dry throat.

"It takes my mind off things," Shari replied simply, considering her next move. "Like when someone I care for is doing something stupid like challenging two murderers to a fight." She put her piece down more forcefully than I felt was necessary.

"I didn't challenge them; they challenged me," I responded, rolling my eyes. "Would you have preferred me to not defend myself? Seems a little counterproductive to keeping me around."

"I would've preferred you defend yourself competently," the Ipet-Mau muttered bitterly.

"Me too." I flexed the hand of the arm he'd broken. "The guy with the war maul was a lot to deal with." I lifted the blankets over me, finding my arm in one piece again. I ran a finger over the new skin, amazed. "Is Lady Tripand okay?"

"She's still recovering," Emilia responded, putting her own piece down. Shari grimaced. Even from over here, I could tell she wasn't doing well. "Lord Bizzbid is watching over her."

"That's weird," I remarked, shrugging. "He didn't have many nice things to say about the Tripand Family."

"He likes power," Emilia remarked, waiting for Shari to make her move. "She may have less of it than the queen or many lords, but he's just a knight. Barely a noble at all."

"Right..." I didn't particularly care for the man for that exact reason. "And her servants?" I asked, flexing my fingers.

"Have been arrested," Carmella announced, entering the room. She was in her more casual outfit, a tight dress that she could still move in. Notably, her sword was still strapped on her back, ready to be drawn. "You did well. Those weapons were enchanted." That piqued my interest. Wonder if I can get a look at them. I've never seen enchanted weapons before. At least not any that I knew were made that way.

Unfortunately, none of my studies had revealed much about magic itself. I still didn't really have a good grasp on how Emilia or Meryl did any of the things they did. I want to. I need to if I'm going to be with them. And I need to be with them. All of them. This brought me to my second realization. Which I vocalized, ignoring my stomach crawling at the thought. "I think we should probably have me fight against a wider variety of opponents."

"Johann," the First Knight gasped sarcastically. "That's actually a good idea. You're finally accepting your need to train and be proactive about it."

"Yeah," I agreed through gritted teeth. My shoulder rolled unconsciously. "I never want to see my bones sticking out of me again. And since that seems to be some people's goal, I should get better at denying them that opportunity. I've been cursed by the violence, after all."

"None of us want to see that," Meryl muttered exasperatedly, walking into the room after the First Knight. "I'm glad I missed it." She turned to face the Head Maid. "Emilia, how is our boy?"

"He's an idiot," she spat bitterly, placing another piece down and removing one of Shari's pieces. The cat glowered at her. "But he's physically fine. I am getting really tired of having to heal him, though."

"I'm glad you did," I said in a small voice. "Thank you, Emilia."

"You're welcome." She huffed without heat in it, stepping away from the game to check on me more closely. "Just... stop getting hurt."

"I'll try," I promised. I didn't believe it'd work out that way, but I would at least try.

"Shari, I wanted to thank you," my queen said. "Your insight was very worthwhile today." The Ipet-Mau smiled at her and nodded.

"Of course, your highness," she responded deferentially. I watched the two of them. Shari broke her gaze first, shivering. "What those men were doing was cruel. Giving her just enough to weaken her. To make it less obvious. Forcing her to suffer for months. I would not do that to anyone."

"They'll be punished. Killing anyone is a serious offense, but doing it like that... It's much worse." Meryl's back straightened, and her jaw was set. She softened when she looked at me, crossing the room to stroke Emilia's head. Carmella joined us.

"Is he well enough to do it tonight?" Lady Carmella asked, considering me.

"What am I doing tonight?" I asked.

"He should be," Emilia responded cryptically. She wore a devilish grin. They all did.

"What is happening?" I asked again, hoping one of them would take pity on me.

"You're getting up and coming with us," Carmella replied. I knew that was all the answer I'd get from her.

"Uh. That's vaguely threatening," I replied, pulling the blankets off me. I stood up, only to find that I was completely naked. I hadn't realized. My head was still a little foggy from blood loss. And it was how I usually slept. All four women stared at me. "Well, if we're going somewhere, I'll get dressed."

"No need," Meryl said, pulling out the dagger I'd made for it. It glowed with the purple energy I'd began to associate with her. She slashed through the air, and the air split apart, revealing a window to a different room. "You won't need clothes where you're going."

"Is this how you kept getting into my house and the room?" I walked up to the hole in reality and peered through it. I didn't recognize the room on the other side. I walked around the other side of it, only to find a gray mist trapped in less than a finger of... something. It was solid to the touch.

"Don't be ridiculous," Meryl replied, strolling through. "I have a key for the room," The doorway stayed open after she did. Emilia grabbed my arm and pulled me through. Carmella stayed behind for a moment.

"Shari, dinner will be delivered for you in a while," she said in a softer tone than she usually used with me. I wanted to be jealous, but a part of me was just happy they were getting along.

"I understand. It's your bonding time," Shari said. She sounded a little upset about it, but anyone speaking to Carmella knew better than to argue. I couldn't see the cat woman, but I saw the First Knight nod.

"You'll get your chance with him," she promised.

"Not if he has anything to say about it," Shari muttered just loudly enough for me to hear.

"He's always a little shy at first," Carmella replied with a grin. "But you've wormed your way into our good graces. You've always been more-or-less in his. He'll be yours. Soon."

"Just go," the Ipet-Mau said in a bored tone. Carmella smiled and walked through the portal, and it faded away.

It was only now that I looked around the room. My room was huge, relatively speaking. It was about the size of both floors of my house back in the village, with much more space than I thought was necessary for any purpose. This room made it look cramped. It was an entire wing of a building to itself. It had large windows lining the back of it. On the opposite wall was a huge bed that wouldn't have easily fit in my room. It was lavishly decorated with deep purples and golds. I stepped forward, feeling incredibly out of place. The room seemed wider than it was too, because it was much darker here than in my room.

Meryl waved her hand, and candles all around the room lit up. They weren't bright, and the fires were very low, lining the back wall, the bed, and a circle in the middle of the room. Emilia and Carmella flanked me on either side. I glanced at them and didn't exactly fight back when they took my arms and led me to the middle of the circle.

Meryl took a few deep breaths and then stripped the dress off, tugging at each shoulder. She let it fall to her waist, then danced out of it entirely. She stood in front of me nude. The other two women beside me had also stripped down. I stared at all of them in turn, my breathing quickening. I asked, a little quicker than I meant to, "S-so. This is your room, my queen?"

"Yes, Johann," she answered, a characteristic coquettishness crawling into her tone. "Technically, my dear blacksmith, we have yet to share my bed."

"I-I think that since it's your castle, all of the beds are yours," I said, laughing nervously. Meryl grinned at me.

"Em, are we ready?" Carmella asked. The maid nodded and touched her own stomach, and a web of designs appeared, made of blood-red lines. They were shaped in two curving arches that met together in the shape of a heart just below the woman's navel. Other lines spread out, spiking down gently. The entire design pointed toward Emilia's gender. Within the heart, I noticed two dots on either lobe of the heart.

She stepped over to the First Knight and the Queen and pressed a ginger finger to both women in the same place, and similar blood-red designs appeared on their stomachs. Meryl's was much softer and less pointed. It curved out and overtook the tops of her thighs, framing her carefully. Carmella's was much spikier and more angular. It was smaller on her than the other two, more compact, but just as intricate, lines intersecting and all pointing down around the heart to her lust.

I didn't know what they were up to. The three women closed in on me. Carmella pressed in behind me, wrapping her hand around my neck. Emilia squeezed my hand tightly, pressing her chest into me. Meryl, somewhat hesitantly, stepped forward and pressed her body into me. My length pressed into her stomach, and she leaned into it. She whispered something against my lips, "Johann, there are a few more things we must reveal to you."

"Now!?" I demanded breathily. "I'll hear what you have to say, but I'm going to be honest; my concentration is a little strained."

My queen smiled and lifted her arm, and I noticed a bracelet she was wearing. She always wore it, and I had never thought anything of it. She slipped it off of her wrist, and she subtly changed. The shape of her eyes were still the same. All of her features were, really. Her skin didn't change. It was still pale and incredibly soft.

But her pupils had shifted. They were slitted, almost like Shari's but more jagged. The iris was still green but seemed to glow in the low light. The whites of her eyes had shifted to a black that matched her hair and pupil. She held up her hand and revealed long, pointed black nails. They weren't lacquered like Shari's. Her makeup had also darkened a lot. Her lips were as black as her hair and her fingernails. When she licked her lips, I saw that her teeth were sharper. More pointed. Something touched me, and I almost jumped, glancing down. A tail the same color as her flesh stroked my thigh lightly.

My mind was working faster than it ever had before. One thing made more sense now. There was always a smell underneath her sandalwood perfume, one that I couldn't place. But looking at her, I knew what it was. Brimstone. I didn't spend a lot of time around sulfur. Before it had always been a little concerning, but the scent had shifted in my mind entirely. I found it comforting. I managed to whisper, "Y-you're not human."

"I-I'm not." Her voice cracked, and she looked away. Even in the dim light, I could tell she was blushing. But she didn't seem embarrassed, more concerned. Self-conscious, I thought. It was a side of the queen that I never really knew what to do with, other than to try and reassure her. She started to close herself off to me.

I gripped her chin and pulled it to face me, pressing my lips to her black ones. She squeaked softly, and I pushed harder into her, wrapping my arms around her. After a minute or two, we broke the kiss, breathing heavily. I looked at the other two women, who had pressed into each other and were groping one another. They were watching us, expectantly. Meryl tugged on my arm. "I-is this okay? Y-you're not scared?"

"Meryl," I muttered, chuckling softly. "I've been terrified of all of you since I met you. You are all amazing and powerful, and capable. But this? You being what? A Tiefling, I think? It's nothing."

She looked doubtful and didn't stop me when I reached down and gripped her tail. She stiffened and tried to stifle a soft moan. I stroked it softly, and her breathing got shallow again. The tail was as soft and smooth as the rest of her, extending right off of her coccyx. I ran my hand over it and then clutched her ass for a moment. "I-I don't think you're taking this seriously. Don't you know what that means?"

"Yeah, I read about them," I answered absently, still tracing my finger down the unfamiliar appendage. "It explains why you have so many books on them. One of your ancestors slept with a demon or a devil."

"And you're just going to accept that?" She asked, incredulousness invading her tone.

"What's there to accept?" I asked, sobering up some. I grabbed her shoulders and faced her head-on. "What does this change? Do you think a tail and spooky black eyes would stop me from wanting to be with you? After all the time you spent preventing me from running, even I learned the lesson." I tugged on her tail a little, drawing her closer to me. "This must be. Not because of some stupid prophecy. I don't care about any of that. It's much simpler than that. I'm. Already. Yours."

"Well, not yet," Emilia put in, pressing her chest into my back. I leaned into her touch. She wrapped her arms around my waist and ran a finger down my cock. I shuddered. "But that's why we're here. To seal the deal. With all of us."

"There's one more reveal, though," Carmella said, walking around to meet my eye. She put an arm around Meryl's neck. "You've accepted Ryllie, as I knew you would. As is only right." She paused for a moment. "But you also have to accept me."

"Are you secretly a minotaur?" I asked, eyeing her with faux suspicion. "Because that would explain a lot, and I do."

"A minotaur?" She asked, laughing. "No. Nothing like that. But one of my ancestors also had a dalliance with an outsider."

"Am I supposed to guess?" I asked. "It might be a fun game, but there are too many for me to possibly ever get close.

"I think it might be more fun for you to find out during the ritual." She stood straight and dared me to challenge her. "But will you accept me for what I am?"

"You are the First Knight Lady Carmella, wife of my queen and Inya Nute to my Inya Nute. I love you." It was the first time I said it without hesitation. I looked at each of them in turn, repeating my words. "I love you, Meryl. And I love you, Emilia. I still think you could do better than me, but I'm not going to run from you anymore. Any of you."

Meryl gasped softly when she heard it. Carmella nodded, having already heard it before. I couldn't see Emilia, but I felt her press her head into my back. One of her arms clutched me tightly, pressing me into her further. Her other continued to lightly finger my length. From behind me, she spoke, "It's time to take your vows. And to consummate with each of us."

"I haven't prepared vows," I said, looking between the three of them. "I thought I'd have more time."

"We have them for you. These are special. And have to be honored. And you will be bound to us when you finish them," Meryl said. She had relaxed a lot since I had accepted her reveal. Her slitted pupils had even widened a little bit. And I suspected that the relative darkness of the room didn't have all that much to do with it.

Emilia stepped around and took my hand. She held it up to my queen, who leaned in and bit it. I winced but didn't pull away. She gently massaged it with her tongue for a moment, and I shifted as my lust stretched out. When Meryl released it from her mouth, a small bead of blood appeared. Emilia guided it down to the bottommost portion of the heart tattoo, just above where the two lines met at the downward point. She stained her stomach with my blood, then squeezed more up and repeated the action on both Meryl and Carmella. They readily accepted it.

Finally, she pressed the finger to my own stomach. The small hole in my finger felt like someone was stabbing it again, and I winced slightly. My own blood spread out over my stomach in a different heart pattern. Lines were pointing up, coming from the heart, which was upside down. The point where the two lobes met was gesturing up at my chest. I frowned at it but didn't ask anything. Afterward, my First Knight took my finger and kissed it, and a soft white light glowed gently, and what little pain there was faded. I stared at her, considering. She smiled down at me.

"Who should be the first to do the seal?" Meryl asked, whispering. I thought I could see her lick her lips, but it was hard to tell in this lighting.

"You both have had him fully. I have not," Emilia cut in. It was her turn to dare anyone to argue with her.

"Not for lack of trying. On either of our parts," I muttered. I couldn't resist that chance to rib her a little bit. My maid met my eye, raising a brow, smiling. Meryl shifted slightly, and I looked at her. "What's wrong, my queen?"

She shivered at my words but met my eyes. "I just want to have one of your firsts."

"You have taken several," I pointed out.

"No, I haven't," she replied, deflating.

"You have my first sword, my first dagger, and were the first person to ever break into not only my house but my bed, which is a thing that happens a lot, apparently," I said, grinning.

"Wait, you broke into his bed!?" Lady Carmella demanded, grabbing her by the shoulder and turning her. Meryl looked away. "You said that I took him for the first time."

"You did," I clarified quickly. "Meryl just appeared in my bed, properly clothed." I felt that might be an important detail. "Scared the hells out of me. She also made me breakfast once. That was a first."

"None of those are... as intimate," the queen responded with a pout.

"That's a matter of perspective," I countered. Emilia was watching us, considering. I could tell that she was debating letting Meryl have her way. The queen was watching me specifically, considering. Then she looked at Emilia.

"You are right, Johann. And I'm sure there are other firsts we could have. Take him, Millie," Meryl said, schooling her voice.

Emilia waited for a beat or two longer before she tackled me. The First Maid was almost a foot shorter than I was and couldn't have weighed half what I did, but I still fell over. She pinned my hands to the floor, and I gazed up at her. She reached between us and gripped my length, rubbing it against her bare crotch for a few moments.

Quickly, I felt the heat of her body rise. Some of her wetness leaked down onto me, and I groaned. The half-elf adjusted herself, so my head was barely resting against her opening. She straightened her back, puffing out her ample chest. Her hair was down and framing her face, and I could feel her gaze on me.

All of their gazes. Meryl and Carmella were running their hands against each other, watching us. Emilia spoke in a voice straining for normalcy, but I could hear the impatience in it, "Ryllie. You're our officiant."

"Ah, yes," Meryl said, having forgotten herself for a moment under Carmella's fingers. She bent down on her knees and rested next to us. "Johann, is it your wish to create a permanent bond between Emilia and you, something unbreakable even by death. A connection, a vow of loyalty, an acceptance of her inside of you forever?"

"I want nothing more," I managed to whisper. My mouth was dry. I was desperate for more. The First Maid reached down and intertwined our fingers, and squeezed tightly.

"Emilia, do you accept Johann for what he is, his loyalty, his bond, unbreakable even through death?" Our queen asked. Emilia nodded, mouthing something. "I need verbal confirmation, Millie."

"Yes. I accept his bond. I accept a part of his soul. I accept him fully!" She said impatiently, her lust pressing down hard against mine. I was so close to experiencing her. It took all of my restraint not to just thrust into her and take her.

"May your bond be forged, tying your affection and lust together," Meryl recited, then bit her lip as Lady Carmella ran a hand over her again.

Emilia leaned down and kissed me deeply. Her tongue immediately overtook my mouth, making my tongue hers. One of her hands unlinked from mine and wrapped around my neck, that hand clutching at my shoulder. She pressed into me, her chest crushed against mine. My lust extending itself to its full length, finally pierced her. It was incredibly tight inside of her. My foreskin was stretched a little painfully, but she rocked back and forth a few times, taking me deeper with each slight movement of her hips until my cock was pressed against each of her inner walls.

She gasped into the kiss as I slid into her. I leaned up into her, her thighs shifting against me. She let out a soft, musical moan. It was beautiful. She slowly shifted her hips up off mine, pulling me out until just my head was inside her, and she waited.

"Johann, we're not just sealing our bond as Nute here," my Inya whimpered, leaning back. Her hand grasped my throat. "This will tie us together as Cher'da and Cel'vin. And you want that, don't you, Cel'vin?"

"Yes," I whispered, trying to push up into her, but she lifted herself away from me, barely keeping me inside her.

"Yes, what?" She asked. Gripping her hand tightly, I groaned in frustration. But I met her eye.

"Yes, Cher'da," I managed breathlessly.

"Do you promise to obey my orders and respect my wishes?" She asked, shifting her hips slightly. I swallowed. The air was cold on my now soaked length.

"I promise to consider your orders and do what I can to make you happy," I said, moving my own hips against hers.

"You do not submit, Cel'vin?" She asked, raising a brow at me.

"When you're right or doing something I can get behind, I'm all yours." I whispered up at my Inya Nute, slamming my hips up into hers before going back down. She cried out in pleasure and surprise and glared down at me. "But I will not agree to blind obedience. I will not give up my desires entirely,"

"I'll make you submit to me, Johann," she muttered dangerously. I felt a cocky grin spread across my face.

"Then do it." She slammed down onto my length and ground her lust into me hard. A moan escaped both of our lips, and I pressed up into her, flexing inside her. Her grip around my throat tightened, and it started tingling. My entire body started buzzing. She rode me hard and fast, pounding her hips against me. She clamped down around my length, gasping. I reached up and grabbed her chest with my free hand, squeezing it. She let go of my throat to clutch at that hand, crushing it against her breast as she slammed down on top of me. Her hardening nipple pressed into my palm, and I ground against it. She started to shudder. I stole my hand that was intertwined with hers back and pulled her down by the neck. She resisted.

"What do you want, Cel'vin? Tell me so that your Cher'da may grant it." Her tone was final. She would not bend for me unless she wanted to.

"I want to play with your ears. Like I did that day." Even in the low light from the candles, I could tell that she was blushing. Still rocking her hips, she took my hand and slid the fingers gently against her ears. Her entire body stiffened against me, and I watched her muscles spasm. I leaned up and kissed her other earlobe, and she cried out.

As I continued to tease her, her scent stole my senses entirely. Jasmine and iron. The tingling sensation intensified. I licked and nibbled on her ear, fingering the other with one hand. She let go of my other hand and wrapped her arm around me, moaning loudly in my ear. I felt my stomach tighten and my lust arch inside of her. I was close. I had to make sure she was too. I traced each part of her ear as I slid as deeply inside of her as I could. She clutched at my hair, nails biting into my scalp.

"Come for me, Cel'vin. Come for your mistress." Her voice was rough and husky, and that was an absolute order. And that was that. I couldn't resist this order. I didn't want to. I exploded inside of her spasming walls. We both shuddered against each other, her chest pressed hard into mine.

The tingling I had experienced intensified and became a little painful. Something new washed over me. All of my senses were driven into overdrive. My vision got more precise, and I could feel the sweat on both of us, gluing us together. I could feel every fold of her flesh on me. The smell of her perfume. Of the candles. The sounds of the other two people breathing heavily and crying out in desire. I could feel warmth and affection radiating off of her.

Euphoria stronger than anything I'd ever felt poured into me, and even though I had just calmed down, my lust extended fully inside of her. She arched her back, crying out, and I knew what she was feeling. Surprise, pleasure, some pain. We both sat there for what felt like an eternity but somehow wasn't long enough, shuddering and breathing heavily. Eventually, she pulled herself off of me, moaning and lamenting my absence, even as she left me cold and needy. I looked up at her, shivering. She had tears in her eyes, and she smiled down at me.

I watched her dip her fingers inside of herself and take out some of our intermixed juices, spreading them out. A line of our lust for each other trailed between the two. She pressed her middle finger into a space in the heart on her stomach. The same place where she had placed my blood. The entire tattoo glowed for a moment. She reached down and did the same to me. The bloody design on my lower stomach glowed for a moment before darkening again. I ran my fingers over it. It hadn't smeared in all of the movement somehow. With her other hand, she bit into her finger, drawing a little blood, and dabbed us both in the same spot before her small wound closed almost immediately. I smiled up at my Inya Nute, my Cher'da.

I could feel her inside of me. When I closed my eyes, I knew where she was still. I knew what she was feeling. I knew what she wanted. Right now, she wanted to continue the ritual. Well, mostly. Some part of her wanted to take her new toy and ride me until I broke. I grinned. I can't wait for her to try. I didn't expect to submit fully. But she would get what she wanted. It'll be a lot of fun.

Meryl and Carmella were also slicked with sweat. They had been playing with each other aggressively if the puddles of wetness between their legs were any indication. I stood next to Emilia, who put her hands on her hips. "That was a dirty trick!"

"What was?" Meryl asked innocently, black and green eyes wide.

"Working yourselves up like that," Emilia retorted, rolling her eyes. "Edging yourselves until you knew I was close and setting me over three times."

"We're only responsible for two. The blacksmith was responsible for the third," Carmella said, grinning as she stood up. Her nipples were hard and pointing hard into the sky. She didn't have half the chest of Meryl, but it was enough to grab onto. I wanted to. I needed to suckle those. Meryl stood as well, legs shaking. "Blacksmith. Do you have two more rounds in you?"

"Of course. I'm not going to wait longer, First Knight. I want to taste you. To be yours. For you to be mine." She smirked down at me.

"Is that how you think it works?" Carmella asked, brow raised. I grinned at her.

"I'll make it work that way. But I think someone wants me more than you do." I reached out and pulled Meryl to me. She squeaked and stared up into my eyes. "Queen Meryl, my queen. I want you to be mine. I want to lay claim to you."

She licked her lips unconsciously at my words, and I pulled her closer and stole her lips. She kissed me back hard. The weird sense of Emilia in my head shifted as she came to stand next to Carmella. I tried to ignore it, but it was difficult. It became a little easier when Meryl pressed her nude body entirely against me. My length slid over her stomach, and she broke the kiss, breathing heavily. She lost her fingers in my hair and turned to Carmella, "L-Lady Carmella, Emilia. I declare both of you my officiants." She moaned as I kissed down her neck, searching for a nice place to sink my teeth into. "Gods, hurry."

Our maid and knight flanked us, wrapping their arms in a tight hug. I closed my eyes, enjoying their warm presence. The smell of the three women wafted into my nostrils. They all smelled of sex and sweat. But intermixed in that were three different perfumes. I could identify each of them by their choice. My senses still felt sharper somehow. Emilia smelled like jasmine and iron. Meryl reeked of sandalwood, and a little sulfur, which I now realized had always been a part of her. Carmella had a faint taste of leather and cedarwood coming off of her. She was the one that spoke first. "Johann, are you prepared to create a permanent bond between yourself and your queen, to honor and serve her to the best of your ability?"

"Yes. Of course." There was no hesitation in my voice. No room for doubt or second-guessing. I'll make myself worthy of her. Somehow.

"Will you tie your fate and being to her for the rest of your existence?" Emilia asked from our other side.

"Yes," I whispered, meeting Meryl's eyes. The black seas surrounding her irises were leaking tears down her cheeks. I reached up and wiped them away. She leaned into my hand.

"Meryl, do you accept Johann for all he is?" Emilia asked breathily. "Will you accept him inside of you, bound to your heart for the remainder of your lives?"

"I do," Meryl choked out. Her voice was tight and strained.

"Do you accept his multitude of flaws and idiocies, realizing you'll never be able to escape them, and they'll all be in your head and heart?" Carmella added, smirking at me. I rolled my eyes, unable to not smile at her half-hearted jab.

"I do," the queen said, laughing. I pulled her face to mine, and our lips met. It was soft at first, but I quickly grew more insistent. I pushed into her, and she almost stumbled, but I wrapped my arms around her.

The other two took a few steps back, but I quickly dismissed them from my mind. She threw her arms around my neck, and I pushed her to the ground. She didn't resist at all, spreading her legs to create a space for me instinctively. I slotted myself between them, lust extended tall, pointing directly at her chest. I took one of her hands and guided it down to her desire, pressing it into her lips. She gasped softly and started stroking herself. I watched her for a moment before pressing my length against her. She wrapped her hand around me and rubbed my head against her, whimpering softly.

"What do you want?" I whispered into her ear before nibbling on her neck..

"I want you," she whispered back, her voice a little hoarse.

"Say it so that the room can hear you, my queen," I breathed into her ear, causing her to shudder. "So that your subjects, your lovers, know that you need me," She whined and tried to urge me into her. I pulled back, and she growled in frustration.

"I've waited so long," she muttered impatiently. "While you were off taking these two on dates and playing with your new cat, I waited to have you again." My heart skipped at her words and I almost gave in to her right then and there. She continued, allowing me to build up my resistance again. "I am a queen! I should wait for no one! No men and no women!"

"And yet, you won't have me until you say it," I teased, kissing butterflies down her chest and over her nipple.

"Ugh!" She groaned, deflating. Then she called out, her voice reverberating against the walls. I'd only seen this happen once before. "I want you! I want my blacksmith inside of me. I want you to take me. Make me yours. Make me forget about the kingdom and responsibility. Make me feel like a normal person!"

That gave me pause. I considered it for a moment. Meryl doesn't want to be treated as a queen. Not really. She just wants to be treated as a lover. I pressed myself into her, and my length slid inside of her easily. She was already soaked, given her dalliance with Lady Carmella a minute ago. She gasped and clutched at my back, sharp, black nails biting into my flesh. Our hips met entirely, and I spent a moment adjusting to the overwhelming sensation of being inside her. Distantly, I could feel Emilia's lust and desire building. I could hear those two doing something, but I didn't dare look away from Meryl.

I eased back out of her and slid back in quickly. She wasn't as tight as Emilia had started out as. Her walls were clenching at me still. And as I picked up my pace, her grip grew stronger, trying to keep me trapped inside her. I kissed down her neck, nibbling occasionally. Sometimes, I'd bite her throat fully and suckle on her taut flesh. She moaned loudly, arching her hips into mine.

I picked up my pace some more, and the sound of our skin slapping together drowned out everything except my breathing and her moans and groans. I flexed inside her, and she cried out louder when I did, especially when my head pressed into her innermost wall. Sometimes, I'd push into there, and she'd whimper and whine, waiting for me to continue, rocking her hips back and forth impotently. But I set the pace for this. Occasionally, while I took this little break, I'd lean down to suckle at her breast, gripping the other in my hand and massaging them.

Then when she was least expecting it, I started again. I would go slow, building up my speed and the power behind my thrusts. I found a rhythm she liked, thrusting quickly and causing her entire body to jolt slightly. She pulled herself somewhat off the carpet, hanging off of me, giving me more leverage to move into her. She wrapped her legs tightly around my hips, locking me against her. I slid her hand against her gender again and commanded her. "Rub yourself. Pleasure yourself."

She did. I could feel her fingers slip against me as she found herself in between my thrusts. Her moans became louder and more erratic. Her fingers flew against both of us violently. I pulled her into another kiss as we were going at it. It was hard to get right, almost missing each other, but our lips met. Her hot breath poured out of her as her entire body undulated against me.

Lightning shot through my body too. I was close. I didn't want this to end. I tried to delay. But I didn't want to slow down either. I knew, somehow, she was close. The same tingling I'd experienced with Emilia overtook my body. I understand it now. It's a sign that the bond is being cemented. Her pleasure was pouring into me. And I could also feel Emilia getting close. She and Carmella were building up too. The maid was working on getting revenge on Meryl. Who brought me into a desperate kiss. Her tongue claimed mine and we pressed deeply into one another. My mind went entirely blank. My body jolted inside of her, and I couldn't do anything to stop my seed from pouring into her.

I had wanted it to last forever, but now that it had started, all I could do was ride the wave. My queen, feeling my cock arch into her pussy, came with me violently. She clamped down hard on my cock and screamed loudly, arching her entire body into mine. Wetness sprayed out over my legs and the floor. Another wave of pleasure washed over me, and my vision went white. When I finally came to my senses, I was pressed into Meryl, who had her arms wrapped tightly against me. We were both shuddering violently. I raised my head slightly to meet her gaze. She smiled softly at me and clutched me tighter, whispering, "Mine."

"Your husband," I whispered. She giggled giddily at that. I found myself grinning like an idiot as I gazed down at her.

"My husband." The words seemed powerful somehow. Real. More so than any of the rest of what we'd done.

"And what does that make you?" I asked against her lips.

"Your queen," she said in her best serious voice. It might have been more convincing if she wasn't still breathless and sensitive as I shifted inside of her.

"My queen? Is that all?" I asked, beginning to pull myself away and out of her. "Well, I won't defile my queen anymore."

"Your queen!" She insisted and tightened her legs around me before whispering in my ear, "And your wife."

"My wife," I whispered, kissing her as I sank back in. I broke the kiss and muttered against my wife's lips. "And my queen."

We laid like that for a little while longer, enjoying the other's presence. My body was still tingling all over. And I got the sense of Meryl's emotions. It was close to where Emilia now resided inside my being but different. Her affection filled my mind, almost overwhelming. Satisfaction was there too. There were other complex emotions, but I couldn't sift through them.

I watched her, trying to understand my queen. It wasn't until now that I realized that I'd never understood how deeply she felt everything. I also felt the vast difference in us now. I hadn't really been cognizant of it. How different she was from Meryl. I'd felt Emilia tap into something distant to heal herself. Something I didn't quite understand. But that was a trickle, a minor effort.

With Meryl taking up space inside, I felt the vast well of her existence, the full extent of her power, broiling just below the surface, just barely tamed. She could level mountains. Shift reality. Change everything. Awe and pride spread out in my chest as I pressed into her again. She manages to control all of this all of the time, I thought. I had seen her do magic, but I didn't understand it. I didn't have magic; I wasn't born with the talent.

And underneath me, in this woman, half a step shorter than me and half my weight, resided enough power to save a city. And all she wanted was to be whisked away, kissed in the moonlight, like any other lady, and told that someone loved her for being her.

Not for her power. Not for her title. For being her. And the problem was that I loved her for all of her. Her title. Her power. And most of all, for being her. Someone untainted by the other two things. Someone who used both but didn't let either define her. I leaned down and kissed her. She kissed me back, arching into me. Her chest pressed into mine. She had calmed down. At least until then. But kissing me caused her heart to race and her affection to flash in my mind. After another moment, we broke it, breathless. I stared down at her. "I love you, Meryl."

"And I love you, Johann." She loosened the vice grip her thighs had on my hips, and I slowly pulled out of her. Our combined juices spilled out, staining the carpet. She dipped a finger into the pool and pressed a different one to one of her sharp canines, drawing a little blood. My queen pressed the two fingers together and then touched my stomach with one and herself with the other. The tingling snapped into place, and both of our tattoos glowed for a moment before dying out, leaving us in the soft light of the candles. She sat there before me, on her knees, naked, my seed leaking out of her. I ran my fingers through her hair, and she pressed herself into my hand. I tried not to think of Shari at that moment, but it wasn't easy. But Meryl stole my attention back quickly, leaning into me. Her hand gripped my cock, which was now soaked in my juices, as well as hers and Emilia's. "This won't do at all."

"What won't?" I asked, breathlessly.

"I can't just let my husband wander around with such a messy member." she chided, meeting my eyes. "I'll help you clean it."

"What are you tal-" I was cut off as she took the head of my cock into her mouth, her breath enveloping it. It was all I could do to remain standing. Her tongue glided over the whole thing; she even pulled back on the foreskin, revealing more sensitive flesh to her hot breath and curious mouth. I let out a low, desperate moan as she took me deeper into her mouth. My hand was still on the back of her head, and more out of instinct than conscious action, I gripped her head, pressing down on the little horn nubs, and arched into her throat. She gagged for a moment before adjusting herself.

She began to bob quickly back and forth on my length. Her tongue continued to circle me. Occasionally, she'd tease me by drawing me out of her mouth, her saliva creating a bridge between her mouth and my lust. She'd blow on the soaked rod. She'd also lick at it, focusing on the head. It was entirely overwhelming. And just when I thought I had gotten used to it, she cupped my balls and started massaging them, continuing her bobbing assault on me. My legs shook underneath me, and I felt the familiar buildup in my stomach and length. After a few desperate moments, I cried out, "Meryl! I'm about to-"

My warning was too late. I exploded in the Queen of Bayfield's mouth, and she sank down further on me, pressing me to the back of the throat as I painted her mouth. After a few deep swallows, she drew my dick from her lips and started rubbing her hand over the length of it, and I kept squirting. Some got on her face and her chest, and she opened her mouth, aiming more at her tongue. She kept teasing me until I was finally spent.

I leaned back, my lust still somewhat at attention. Strong arms wrapped around me from behind, and I felt Carmella's bare chest pressed into my back. I clutched at her muscular forearms, nuzzling into her. She leaned down and whispered softly into my ear. "You'd better have more to give, blacksmith. I'll never forgive you if you don't satisfy me entirely."

I turned in her arms and gripped her as tightly as I could. My length pressed into her stomach, already stretching back to its full length. I should've been surprised, but it felt right. I have a duty to fulfill and I will not disappoint.. In the low light, her eyes seemed to almost glow. "I'll do my best."

"I know you will." Lady Carmella sounded perfectly confident in my ability. She doesn't really do doubt. I could feel both Emilia and Meryl somewhere in my soul, watching us. They were tired and full of joy. The two women closed in on each other and started their own ritual together. Lady Carmella brought me back to her, reaching down and gripping my length. "And I know you handle this better than a sword already. But that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you, Johann."

"Because you love me," I said mockingly. It wasn't quite as biting as I wanted it to be as I shivered, sensitive under her masterful touch.

"Because I love you," she said somberly. My eyes froze on her face, searching for the lie in that statement, suddenly very unsure of myself. She gave me a soft, sad smile. "You doubted that? Gods, you really are thick, aren't you?"

"It's hard to believe," I admitted, my voice having shrunk to less than a whisper. "I can see the love you share with Meryl and Emilia. But you always seem so... far from me."

"You can be more than you are now. I see what you can be, and I want you to be that," the First Knight pulled me closer to her, destroying any space between us. She kissed me softly, briefly. "So I'm hard on you. But that is how I express my affection for you. I won't let you be less than you can be."

"Yeah," I muttered, looking away from her. She pulled my chin back up to hers.

"There are benefits to it, blacksmith. My blacksmith." I could hear the pride in her claim and it sent my stomach fluttering. "The man who gave me back my sword. The man who gifted me a replacement."

"Right," I replied, trying to deflect the whirlpool opening in my stomach. "And what are these benefits?"

"You're the only man I'll listen to," she confided. "That I take seriously. Even though you're as big a fool as any other." My gaze started to fall and she put a finger under my chin and raised it, kissing me again. It was small, but tremendous. As though she managed to pour every intention into a few fleeting heartbeats. "You are the only one I can trust. The one I trust to protect these two. The one that I trust to have my back."

"And do you promise to let him be that man for the rest of your lives?" Emilia asked, having sidled up next to us. Meryl had her arms wrapped around the maid's neck.

"Yes," she replied with a certainty I could only ever dream of.

"And do you consent to let him inside of you?" Emilia continued. Meryl giggled in her ear and our cleric just squeezed her hand. "Letting him know how you really feel? To know him more deeply than any other man? More than anyone except for Meryl and I?"

"Y-yes," she said a little hesitantly. It was the first time I'd seen any doubt creep up in her. And I grinned. So, she's mortal after all.

"Johann, do you promise to share yourself entirely with her?" Emilia turned to me. "To open up to all she is and display all you are."

"I do. I-if she'll have me." It still felt a little strange, but I pushed down every doubt I could.

"She will," Meryl responded from over the woman's shoulder. "You have no idea what you're about to experience, husband."

"He'll find out soon enough. What we've known for so long," Emilia added in. I looked between the two. Then up at the First Knight. She was blushing. I'd only seen her blush a handful of times. It was still a sight to see. A rare, beautiful thing, almost unparalleled. I reached up and cupped her cheek. She frowned at me but didn't remove my hand. "Johann, do you accept First Knight Lady Carmella as your protector and keeper?"

"Of course," I whispered, never more certain of anything.

"You may consummate your bond," Meryl replied, matching my whisper. Carmella shoved me, and I fell down. She towered over me. Her body glistened with sweat, and the candlelight caught all her muscle.

Out of all the women I loved, she was the most different. She was strong. Powerful. Demanding. But she was glorious. And she seemed to glow. Literally. She stretched out her arms, and light surrounded her entire body, casting the rest of the room in even starker shadows. Luminous wings exploded out of her back. A warrior angel stood above me, and my breath caught. Her green irises had disappeared behind the light, and she leaned down.

"Valkyrie," I muttered, reaching out. My hand was shaking. She was so beautiful it hurt. She grabbed my hand and kissed it.

"Be not afraid," she said, humor evident, despite herself. Her voice resonated like a beautiful song throughout the room as she surrounded me with her thick, muscular thighs. Her firm, calloused hand gripped my dick, grinding it softly. Every movement she made was elegant and graceful. The light surrounding her displayed every perfect curve, every subtle movement of tendon and ligament. She was a living sculpture carved perfectly by master artisans. Vigorous and mighty, sensual and feminine. Two seeming contradictions perfectly blended. And she was on top of me.

She met my lips, and her power buzzed through me violently. It was different from the tingling that had overtaken me. Having already orgasmed twice, she wasted no time preparing herself or me. She lined herself up and slammed down on me, instantly sinking every inch and sheathing me entirely inside her. We both cried out, and I leaned up into her. My knight, my valkyrie, wrapped her arms around me as she proceeded to lift herself up and slam back down, crying out. I met her walls, thrusting up inside of her. Her wings began to beat in the room, extinguishing all of the candles. The only source of light left was her. And she encompassed my everything. We hovered in the air as she ground her hips hard against me, my cock straining against her walls. "Blacksmith, give me your all."

I didn't have much in the way of leverage, but that didn't stop me. My knight had given me an order, and I needed to obey her. I pounded up into her, her thighs gripping me tightly. She crushed me to her chest and rode me. And just as desperately, I squeezed her back, all of my years in the smithy allowing me to return the reassurance of her strength.

We worked together, arching away simultaneously, meeting each other. I wrapped my arms around her and leaned up, kissing her neck, tracing up to her chin until I found her mouth again. She kissed me deeply. Our tongues intermingled, dancing in time with the rest of us. The beating of her wings. Our thrusts.

I had come three times already and wasn't close at all. So I felt confident I'd find a way to get her everything she needed. I slid one hand between us and rubbed her pussy, spreading her lips and searching the soaked flesh. She cried out into my lips, and we landed, and I slipped out of her painfully. She laid back on a bed of her wings, knocking over candles. I didn't care. I narrowed my senses to just her. I put myself between her legs, and she spread her lips with her hand. I slid inside of her. I didn't wait to build up at all. I just met her hips quick and hard. I slammed into her again and again, and she cried out, "More, more! Harder!"

I quickened my pace, consumed by my need to satisfy her. I reached down and clamped my hand on her breast, pinching her nipple between two fingers. She gripped that hand, squeezing tightly. My First Knight moaned, violently bucking her hips against mine. I flexed inside her, and she clenched down on me as I did so. Like the rest of her, she had perfect control of the muscles inside of her.

The tingling grew around me, and I got the sense of her. I had sensed the affection from both Emilia and Meryl. Those two individually were a lot to deal with. But beneath Carmella's protective shield was an everflowing flood of desire.

I collapsed on top of her, continuing to thrust and arch as deeply into her as I could. She wrapped her arms around me, holding me. She had been guarding herself against me for a while. But now she was bare in every sense. Her feelings for the three of us were extreme. Pure determination. Affection. Need. A need for safety, for assurance, for protection. She needed us. More than I would've ever thought.

She had made herself the most capable tool. Someone more hearty and faster than anyone else. But there was this burning need beneath it all. It almost hurt how much she needed us to be safe. To be there for her when she came back. To smile at her. To play with her. To make jokes. She needed me. Not because of some prophecy. Not because of some twisted game Meryl had thrust upon her. But just because I was someone who let her be herself.

Slicked in sweat, I pushed deeper inside her, and she arched up into me. I shuddered and jolted before collapsing onto her chest as my cock emptied inside her. She cried out as my hot seed washed over her walls. She held me tightly. And I clutched her back and pressed her firm body into me fully. Her own form twitched and convulsed around me. Her glowing had faded away, and she was Carmella again. Not the warrior angel. Just the warrior who devoted everything she could to us. Not to a kingdom. But to her queen. To her maid. To her blacksmith. I leaned up and kissed her again. She kissed me back, refusing to lessen her grip whatsoever. I returned the sensation as best I could..

"Not bad, blacksmith," she said. Her adoration, her love for me, burned brightly through my mind. I knew she had come, just as I had. I had managed to satisfy her enough. I wanted to do more, but at this point, I was exhausted. She lifted me up, and I slid out of her. She ran a finger down my finally softening length and rubbed the combination of fluids between her thumb and forefinger, then she licked it. She collected more from me, and I shuddered under her touch.

The First Knight grinned at me, pressing her finger into the heart of my tattoo and then into her own. They glowed in the pitch blackness of the room for a moment. She held out her hand, and a ball of light formed and leaned down, collecting a dagger. She poked it with her forefinger, and a bead of blood formed on the tip. She pressed it into me and then to herself. I kissed the bleeding finger, and she smiled at me. Her presence solidified in my mind.

Three new presences. One was a huge, roiling well, kept back by the woman's desire to be normal. To experience any level of average. Another one was a will tightly controlled; something that found agency in control and domination. And finally, desire and need. Burning hotter than even the roiling well of energy. Determination. It was a lot. But it felt right. I felt more complete somehow.

I was now aware of how empty I had felt before. And that emptiness was almost completely gone. I'm sure by tomorrow, everything will feel normal. Perfect. We collected our two other lovers, who were sprawled across each other, panting, and dragged them to the enormous bed. The four of us cuddled together, somehow managing to be in contact with each other. At least a little. And I felt comfortable. In a strange bed. I had them. And we were all so tired. I fell asleep almost immediately for the first time in what felt like forever. Three warm bodies surrounding me.