Locum Tenens 06

~~~ Chapter Notes ~~~

The hunt for the kidnappers begins... Continued from the previous chapter. Thank you for your patience. All chapters in this tale are complete and have been submitted. Hopefully, the kind, gracious, smartly-attired, and gorgeous admins will release a new episode every day or so.

~~~ The Streets ~~~

"Malik, can you track them?" the prince asked.

"As long as the blood trail holds out," a guard answered him, "I can easily follow. It appears to be lessening. We'll see."

Prince Kiro glanced at me as we (and the rest of the guards) followed Malik.

"Malik didn't quite make the cut to be conscripted for the army," the prince explained. "He's still better than most - and the best of the guards."

"You flatter me, my prince," the man said. "I don't have the gift like my father had. Kira's far better."

"Malik...," the prince growled.

I didn't know who Kira was - but it was obviously a sore subject with the prince. The only person I knew who was a decent tracker was the person we were hunting. If Malik got us close enough, I was sure I'd be able to sense her. If not, I'd actually have to try to figure out something that Willa hadn't taught me yet - tracking a person that I hadn't marked with my limited magic.

The blood trail got thinner and thinner. This was good news for the injured - which I expected to be the stonemason and my favorite sneak-thief. There was a chance that the one bleeding was a kidnapper - but the people who took Willa would undoubtedly take their fury out on her if she'd managed to stab one of their little gang members. I was certain that the blood was hers. My vision was already running red - and my blood pounding in my ears - as I fought to control my rage - needing to keep my senses about me - at least until there were people to be killed.

We lost the trail twice and had to spread out to find it again. Each time, I pushed for the magic that I had learned from Willa and was either the one to find the path again - or close by the one who did. We raced onward - not knowing how much of a lead the kidnappers had on us.

The hard-packed dirt was shit for telling us if anybody was struggling or being dragged against their will. If not for the droplets of blood, this would have been nearly impossible to accomplish. I was surprised that the morons hadn't noticed the blood and tried to bind the injury to conceal their trail. Either the group was rushing or the captives were struggling and keeping their attentions from focusing on that. If it was Willa, I was sure that she would realize that we needed this trail and would do everything she could to make sure she was leaving breadcrumbs for us to follow.

Nearly a half-hour passed before we came to a walled compound with a heavy wooden door blocking our entry. The last drop of blood was five feet away from that door. The trail ended here.

A structure half the size of the orphanage was built into the wall with the massive door. Over the six-foot tall wall, I could see a larger building at the back of the compound. The first building was a single story. The rear one was tall enough to hold two or three floors. The windows were spaced oddly and I couldn't really determine the layout - maybe it was some kind of split-level - or the upper floor had vaulted ceilings.

The prince pounded on the door and called out for those inside to open up and submit to search by the guards. Not surprisingly, no one answered.

I reached out with my senses and found a number of people inside the first building. Two of them were seated. One had two people standing over them. The other had a whole group around them.

"Anybody have lockpicking tools?" I asked.

They all shook their heads. I stepped into my store-room and started rifling through containers to see if I could find anything. In a box of nearly-random items, I found a set of lockpicks. I leapt back out.

The prince spotted what was in my fingers and laughed.

"Any good with those?" he asked.

"Only watched it done once...," I said.

The guards moved aside. My dagger was too big. One of the guards had a small knife and handed it forward.

I sent my senses into the lock and tried to figure out what Willa had done. The first two places I stuck the wire did nothing. Finally, I realized that the wire was used to hold up the catch and the knife was used to slide between the catch and the barrel. Once I had the blade in the right place, the handle turned. I eased it to the open position, returned my picks to the storeroom, handed the knife back to its owner, and told the guards to get ready to move.

With the latch already open, I shoved my shoulder against the heavy door, and it swung inward - opening onto a common room or sitting area. The group inside the room were just a little surprised when the guards and I suddenly spilled into their little gathering.

The seated individuals were Willa and the stonemason. Willa was on the left. She wasn't moving. She had two men guarding her - although their job was pretty easy. She was unconscious, gagged, blindfolded, bound, and tied to the chair. Her lip was swollen and bloodied. There was a gash in her right bicep. Her face, chest, arms - every bit of visible flesh - was either bruised, scraped, or sliced.

A rage-fueled roar rose from my chest and echoed through the room - even as I checked on the stonemason. He was surrounded. Men with knives were in his face, threatening him.

I was so filled with fury that I didn't even think to reach for my blade - or any of the pustules that covered my collarbone and chest - I simply reached for men that I intended to obliterate. My hands didn't even touch the first two men before violent injuries erupted from their bodies. Somehow, the bruises, gashes, and blunt-force trauma that I had pulled from the bodies of the Beasts victims flew from my extended hands and fingers and attacked the men in front of me.

I didn't focus, I didn't call for my magic, I didn't think - I just wanted to see every single one of these motherfuckers pulverized. They had attacked and stolen from me after I had embarrassed them in court. Though I hadn't yet laid my eyes on the two faces that were familiar, I knew these were the same men - or the same group. I intended to kill every single one of them.

My wishes became reality. As soon as my first two targets screamed and collapsed, I pointed my hands at the next two. Like dominoes, they fell before me. I had only to set my blood-tinged vision on them and direct my rage at them and their screams turned to the gurgling of crushed faces, torn larynxes, and chest cavities ripped open to reveal burst heart muscles.

I ran out of targets and turned in a circle - finding only friends remaining - two people sitting, the prince, and the guards. The guards all stepped back away from me - their faces filled with fear. Their eyes darting to the unmoving corpses at my feet.

A door at the back of the building opened and a man stepped inside. He took one look at the carnage, squeaked, turned, and sprinted off - leaving the door open behind him. He was heading for the larger building at the back of the compound.

I sprinted after the man. Behind me, I heard Prince Kiro giving orders.

"Guards!" the prince commanded. "Spread out around the compound and see that none escape. I'm going with the champion."

I heard footsteps behind me but I was already passing through the back of the first structure - racing after the fleeing man - my next target.

The runner reached the single door that led to the rear building and fumbled with the latch. He was shaking. I was still a dozen steps from him when he got it open. He stepped inside and began to close the door. I reached my right hand for him as he looked up at me.

I pushed. Magic flew from me. Though I couldn't see it pass through the air, I saw its immediate effect - his body was violently thrown into the room behind him. The door remained ajar. I raced for it.

A second face appeared in the door when I was three steps away. I thrust my hand at that man and he cried out - just before his face exploded.

A third man started closing the door. He was smart enough not to let me see him. I got my foot into the opening before he managed to close it. I reached my left hand around the heavy door, touched his neck, and sent the contents of a random goiter straight into his body. I could hear him drowning on the blood that poured from his throat. By now, that sound was familiar to me.

I pushed the door open and surveyed the room. Prince Kiro stepped up behind me with his sword in his hand.

"Hold here," I told him.

"As you command," he said.

I took two steps into the open space and greeted the burly men who raced at me from four different doorways. I raised my hands like the priest always did during mass. I gave them the blessing of my god - a quick and pain-filled death.

Those behind the first line continued to come without slowing. Somehow, each one was convinced that they would be the one who finally got through. They climbed or vaulted over the corpses of their brethren as if the men meant nothing. Their only desire was to see me cut down. Unfortunately for them, I still had plenty of violence stored up. I opened my arms to receive them. Freely, they came - and I welcomed every single one.

I finally ran out of pustules as one last man stepped into view through the rear doorway. He had to duck and turn sideways a little to gain entry. He was one big motherfucker. He was even bigger than the Beast. The short-sword in his hand looked like a dinner knife would in mine.

"Anybody upstairs?" I asked him.

"Nobody you need to worry about," he said, stepping over a body to approach me.

I needed to queue up some more injuries. Hopefully this Einstein would cooperate.

I remained where I was and simply waited for him to arrive. He watched me as he approached. No doubt, he was curious about why I wasn't preparing either to attack him or to at least defend myself. It didn't matter what he thought. I just needed him to stab me a few times so I was re-armed and could finish sweeping the compound of bad guys.

When he was two paces away (which was well within arm's reach for him) he stopped. I still hadn't moved. He finally gave a little shrug and thrust his knife through my eye into my brain. He held the blade there, waiting for me to react. When he pulled it out to study his work, I healed the injury and stored it in a new pustule.

"What the fuck?"

"You missed," I taunted.

He repeated the same move - stabbing me through the same eye - once again piercing my brain. He pulled it out more quickly this time. I healed myself almost at the same time that the blade was withdrawn. His head tilted sideways and he did it again. I couldn't believe I was this lucky.

The fourth time he stabbed my left eye, I left the damage there. He stood for a moment, watching me, waiting for me to collapse. As he plunged his knife into my right eye, I healed the left.

He pulled the blade from the right and stuck it back into the left. I healed the right.

I've got to tell you that a blade passing through your eye into your brain is a unique experience - at least the first few times it happens. After that, it's... well... dull, humdrum, monotonous, mundane... tiresome.

The giant had gotten so focused on trying to kill me that he never felt the poisoned blade in my left hand as it slid into his belly.

I pulled it out and stuck him again. He noticed that time. He glanced down, slack-jawed to find my hand gripping the pommel of a weapon whose blade was buried in his guts - to the hilt.

I had meant to do a little practicing with this blade. The poison was wicked. I struggled to heal the wound when I tried it on myself. With my dagger still stuck in the second spot, I started healing the first. It took several seconds but I finally accomplished it. The goiter was a nasty-looking infected-puss-colored thing.

I pulled the dagger out and stuck him again. I started working on healing the second wound. It went a bit quicker this time. I pulled the blade out and jabbed it into a different spot. The third wound went a little faster than the first two and I was now confident of my new ability.

I pulled it from his belly and stuck it into his throat. He blinked at me. I felt a little guilty - standing there with my hand on the poisoned dagger - holding it in the massive brute's freely-bleeding gullet when I couldn't seem to get a reaction from him.

I pulled it out and looked at it. He still hadn't moved. I wiped the blade on the front of his shirt and slid it back into its sheath.

He spoke one word before he died: "Fucker."

As the air passed up his esophagus to feed that short curse, blood sputtered from the open gash in his neck. As soon as he said the word, his eyes rolled up into his forehead and he toppled. I had to quickly step to the left to keep from being crushed.

I heard a bark of laughter behind me and turned to see the prince still guarding the door. He had a big grin on his face.

"Moving upstairs," I said. "You need me to wait until you can get some support?"

He shook his head.

"As long as they don't have several archers, I'll be fine," he said confidently. "My gift is speed with my sword. That was the only way I was able to take down the Beast."

I nodded.

"I had wondered..."

"I'm useless in a sprint," he told me, "but I can make my blade dance fast enough to sing."

"Good to know," I said with a smile.

I turned towards the door the giant had come from. It was likely that all four doors led to stairways but I was betting the rear-most one was a sure thing.

When I crested the top of the stairs, the regal-looking fucker in the big chair nearly gaped at me. He had two more giants standing beside him. There was also an accountant-looking dude standing by the back wall with a book in front of him.

I stood and faced the group.

"We've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty," I announced.

"Kill him," the man ordered with a snarl.

Just to throw them off a little, I pulled both of my daggers - the poisoned one on the left and the murderer's blade on the right.

The giants advanced and I saw the scrawny guy in the back studying my face as they got closer.

"This call may be recorded for quality and training purposes," I taunted.

These two had massive clubs instead of swords. I was almost tempted to take a couple hits - just to see how it felt. On the off-chance that the two of them could do enough damage to prevent me from focusing on healing myself, I sent the giant on the left three injuries - the left eye, the right eye, and the poisoned blade to the belly.

The giant on the right stopped when his buddy did. He turned and looked at his companion, wondering why he wasn't moving. When he saw the injuries, he turned to me with a look of rage in his eyes.

"Let's dance," I told him as he advanced on me.

He raised his club and brought it down with all of his strength. Against my better judgement, I took the hit. The top of my spine fused with my tailbone. I suddenly knew what an accordion felt like. It was a damned good thing that I didn't need to speak to use my magic - because there was not a bit of air left in my lungs.

As the monster pulled his club away, I unfolded. His jaw fell to his chin.

I was working on figuring out what to do with the big bastard when a prickly, bright-purple ball of pulsating briars flew from the hand on the accountant in the back of the room and struck me in the face. He was a mage. The giant on the left had fallen to the floor and that had given the sneaky shit a clear line of sight to hit me with his sparkly orb. It felt like someone had taken barbed-wire, dipped it into lava, and then plugged it into a light socket - before shoving it into my face.

Like a crow spying a shiny button, I had found a new glittering bauble and I wanted it for my own. I pointed my hand at the remaining giant and turned him into a giant squeeze-box. As his body compressed, his eyes got larger and larger until I thought they might pop.

I turned my head towards the wizard to see him queuing up another razor-wire facial. I extended my magical senses and studied what he was doing. This magic had an orangish-red color to it.

As the sparkly orb struck my face, I felt my right eye explode. I suddenly realized that I still hadn't healed the damage from the first attack when the second one came. I healed myself and formed a new pustule. I wondered if I could somehow hold the thing in my hand and help give myself a greater understanding...

I shifted my focus to the mage. He was working on #3 and I was about to miss it. I studied the formulation, the color, and the shape. When the thing hit me, it was like time went into slow-motion. The powerful burst soaked into my face inch by inch. I analyzed the structure of the thing, even as it crisped my skin and burned off my eyebrows. I healed the damage, creating a new goiter, and raised my hand.

I pointed it at the mage first - and then decided to switch targets. I focused on recreating what the mage had done - even as he prepared the next strike. I split my eyes between the two. I used my senses to map his work. At the same time the magic built up within him, I duplicated it.

His attack launched at me at the same time that mine launched at the man in the fancy chair. The seated man rushed to dive to the right - out of his seat - to keep from being hit. I took the mage's attack straight to the face again.

Since I had successfully recreated his little trick - and I didn't need him anymore - I sent a poisoned belly wound the mage's way. He gasped in alarm and then screamed as the poison began coursing through his body - accelerated on its way by the excited pounding of his heart.

"Prince Kiro?" I called down the stairs. "If you have a moment, could you bring a couple friends and join us?"

The sole survivor was now crouching behind the massive chair. He raised a wand of some kind and fired a magical burst at me. I raised my hand, took the damage, and healed it. We continued to play this game while I waited for the prince to arrive. The big man fired four more bursts at me. I took each one and healed the damage away.

When the man saw the prince coming, he turned the wand towards the young man. I quickly used my normal blade and stabbed myself in both arms and thighs. I healed myself and sent the injuries at the man. His hand jerked just as the spell left the wand and it missed the prince and hit the wall behind him.

"Sorry about that," I told the prince. "He's not fully contained. I didn't know if you wanted to interrogate him."

The prince ordered the guards forward. They pulled handcuff-looking things from their belts. I quickly rushed the man, took a blast from the wand, and then took his weapon from him. The guards came along behind me and soon had him subdued.

I suddenly realize that I had never freed Willa. I took off around the guards, then the prince. I vaulted down the stairs and raced from the larger structure, across the courtyard, to the smaller one.

"Bring him!" I heard the prince call to the guards.

I could hear the young monarch racing along behind me - no doubt curious about where I was headed. I was halfway back to the first building when he came out of the larger one.

I raced into the room where Willa was still tied to the chair. The stonemason was standing. I ignored him and moved to my lover's side.

"We didn't want to risk touching her," the guard explained as I knelt. "She's breathing but we had no clue what damage they've done."

"You did the right thing," I said. "I just realized - now that the fighting is done - that she was still..."

"Who is she?" the prince asked.

"My lover," I said.

I placed my hands on her and - for the first time since I got this gift - used my magical senses to study everything that needed to be fixed. I wanted to make damned sure I got it all.

"She's the one who shoved me towards your palanquin and called out that I was a healer. I was too stunned by the severity of your wounds to think or speak."

I sent my healing into Willa's frame, taking the bruises, cuts, lacerations, and trauma from her body. I didn't form it into a goiter. I took it upon myself. I was ashamed that I had forgotten her. She hated being caged. Here she sat, bound, gagged, and blindfolded. The only thing that kept her from going insane was the fact that she was unconscious.

The prince gasped as bruises, cuts, and scrapes appeared on my body. The pain was my penance. Unfortunately for me, I had become so inured to pain that I felt almost nothing. I deserved to be punished much more severely for leaving Willa like this. I should have healed her first - but I had been so filled with rage that I had simply attacked instead.

I focused my magic on her mind. First, I healed the damage. I removed the gag. I untied her from the chair. I cut her bonds from her arms and wrists. She slumped and I caught her. I reached for her blindfold and touched her mind again - this time taking the trauma that was preventing her from waking.

I breathed a massive sigh of relief as her eyes fluttered and finally opened. The prince gasped. Willa looked at him - and then at me.

"What have you done?" she asked, the air going out of her like a balloon.

"What?" I asked her.

"Calm down," the prince told her. "Don't do anything hasty."

"Aw, shit!" I gasped in alarm.

I had completely forgotten that Willa had told me that she had pissed off the prince and the king. We were surrounded by the very guards that she had worked so hard to avoid. She was trapped. I had unwittingly trapped her.

Willa looked around her. The floor was still littered with the bodies of the dead. Two of these corpses were the men who had stood in the receiving hall.

"Did you get them all?" she asked me, she was looking at the two that she had met before.

The prince was witness to their deaths. I regretted nothing.

I nodded and said, "The guards have the last one. I'm assuming he's the man in charge. The rest are dead."

"Good," she said, looking into my eyes. She glanced at the man behind me. "Can't you just let me go?" she asked him. "Don't make me..."

"Father will have to be the one to decide," he told her. "If it was just me, I would turn my head and let you escape. There are too many witnesses for that. You'll have to face him."

"He won't hold me...," she vowed. "I'll just escape again."

The prince placed his hand on my shoulder. I turned to my right a bit so that I could see both of them.

"You still have a portal to the courtyard?"

"Yes."

I turned to Willa.

"Do you feel well enough...?"

"Yes," she said. "I'd rather not walk."

The prince gave orders for the guards to escort the stonemason home. I grabbed the craftsman's hand and healed him, taking his wounds into my body. I deserved to bear his pain as well. The injuries that I took from him immediately began to heal. The ones that I had taken from Willa were already gone.

Once the mason was on his way, the prince instructed the guards to comb through the place, building a list of dead, writing a description of the events, and then inventorying the entire contents of the compound.

As he finished with those instructions, the two guards with the prisoner stepped into the room. The prince told them that we were portalling to the palace. He instructed them to bring the man along. Once we arrived, they were to get reinforcements from the gate guards and escort the man to the dungeons and secure him there until he could be interrogated.

I hugged Willa and put my hand on the prince's shoulder. He put his on the shoulder of one of the guards. I called the portal stone from my storage-bracelet into my fingers - and the six of us were magically relocated from the corpse-strewn room to the grassy courtyard.

~~~ Palace Courtyard ~~~

I looked at Willa as the guards peeled off to follow the prince's instructions. She looked defeated.

"Sorry," I said.

"I'll live," she replied. "Probably."

As we followed the prince towards the receiving hall. She pulled a maroon scarf from her storage-item and wrapped it around her head and face - leaving only her eyes visible. She didn't offer an explanation so I didn't ask.

We stepped into the hall and the prince approached the seneschal and whispered a few words to him. The court's manager stepped onto his small, raised platform and called for the attention of the king. Once the room quieted and the king had recognized him, the man told the king that he suggested that a private meeting was in order.

The king looked from his son to Willa to me and nodded. The captain of the king's guard motioned to one of the guards and they moved to the door of the room that we had been in before the Beast had attacked. I hoped we weren't in for another exciting exchange.

The prince strode confidently across the floor of the massive room and we followed. The king preceded us into the private chambers and two guards followed him. Two others had already entered. Once we passed within, two more guards took up positions on either side of the exit. There was no way in fuck that Willa was going to be able to escape - even if she turned invisible. I sighed, knowing that all of this was my fault. She squeezed my fingers.

The king looked at the prince - then at me - and then Willa. He turned back to his son.

"What's this all about?" he asked.

Prince Kiro motioned with his hand to the woman on my left. She unwound the scarf from around her face.

"Kira?!" the king gasped.

"Who's Kira?" I asked.

"She's my daughter," the king said.

I spun to look at Willa. She was looking straight into the eyes of the king. Nobody moved - or spoke. The silence stretched until it felt like hours had passed.

"Hello, Father," she said, finally.

"Can I have a hug?" he asked.

I couldn't resist.

"I suppose, my liege," I said, "but I don't think I really know you all that well yet."

The king looked at me - his face unreadable - for a half-second - and then he roared with laughter.

Willa - or, rather, Kira - and the prince - were laughing as well.

She took my hand into hers and then kissed my cheek.

Her father stopped laughing and studied the two of us for a long moment.

"Sit," he said, finally. "Tell me everything."

"Everything?" Willa/Kira asked.

"Everything since you disappeared," he answered.

He turned to the guards at the door.

"Bring refreshments," he ordered.

He turned back to his daughter. He held his hand out to her. She took it. He squeezed her fingers. She squeezed them back and then pulled her hand back. She snuggled against my side.

For the next several minutes - possibly up to an hour - the sneak-thief that I knew as Willa told her father all of her adventures. We were all given goblets and offered some sweets. I was starving. I tried to make sure I didn't take more than Prince Kiro did. He winked at me.

When we got to the parts of the story that I could help with, Willa/Kira had me help tell the tale. When we got to her kidnapping, the prince and I filled in the details after she got to where she had lost consciousness. The king watched me react to hearing how his daughter had been mishandled. He nodded to me that he was unhappy as well. The prince assured him that I had withheld nothing when I had punished those who had hurt her.

When the tale finally ended, the king let out a massive sigh. He looked back and forth between the three of us and then addressed his question to his daughter.

"I know you hate it here," he said, "but I hate worrying. What would I have to promise you in order to get you to stay?"

Willa/Kira turned to me.

"What condition did they leave the orphanage in?" she asked.

"Nearly everything was either stolen, ruined, or destroyed," I told her. "I'm sure the girls are working on trying to restore things right now."

She turned back to look at the king.

It suddenly dawned on me why she had reacted funny when I had called her "princess".

I had to snap myself out of my thoughts to hear what she was saying.

"I want the orphans and the house-mothers moved here," she said, "and Monika if she wants - though I think she'll probably just visit fairly often."

She glanced at me and smiled. I knew she was thinking about our threesome. I was having threesomes with a princess!

"I want the orphans to be taught their letters," she went on. "When they're old enough to take positions, I want them to join the palace staff. We'll find a building to serve as the orphanage. Loki and I will live nearby."

The king didn't say anything, he merely listened.

"I will marry Loki. We will live near the orphanage so that we can continue to help care for the girls. We must be permitted to come and go from the grounds as we see fit - without restriction. Do these things and I will agree to remain within the royal holdings."

The king steepled his fingers together and looked at his daughter's face as his mind churned through her demands.

"Public or private ceremony?" he asked after a bit.

Kira/Willa glanced at me and then looked back at him.

"Either," she said. "You should know, however, that we frequently include others in our lovemaking."

He waved away the last comment. I marveled at this world's strange customs. I realized, however, that she had made a point of mentioning it - so maybe it wasn't as widely-practiced as I had thought. My pants began to tighten as I thought about all of the women that we had shared our bed with. As if reading my mind, the princess unobtrusively reached over and tweaked the head of my dick under the table.

"My quarters are too grand, now that I no longer share them with your mother," the king said. "I will move to your old quarters. You and Loki will marry in a public ceremony and take my old rooms. There should be plenty of space there for you and the residents of the orphanage."

Kira/Willa frowned but remained silent. After a moment, she nodded.

"Their schooling?" she asked.

He waved his hand again.

"As ever, the palace staff remains at your command," he said. "Do as you think best. The orphans were well-behaved during the hearing. I will, of course, expect that proper forms be adhered to but - other than those restrictions - you may do as you wish."

Kira/Willa nodded.

"In regard to your demand that you be allowed to come and go as you wish...," he continued.

I felt her tense.

"You've already proven that I cannot seal you away and protect you from those who seek your harm."

She relaxed a bit.

"You've also proven - or at least your chosen has - that you can overcome overwhelming force. You were kidnapped because you weren't with Loki. My sole demand is this: when you are outside of the walls - you remain in his company at all times. I'm going to assume that this is satisfactory?"

He glanced at her. She nodded - and smiled broadly.

"As I have already told your intended, I find his honesty to be most refreshing. I have watched him with the palace staff and I've heard the stories of your work among the needy of our city. Rumors circulate even now that there is a vengeful spirit working within the kingdom and that those who prey on the helpless should keep a watchful eye on the shadows. Not only is Loki the champion of a god - but he is a champion of the people. I can think of nothing but good coming from such things."

"I intend to continue our work," Kira/Willa said, nodding. "Having traveled with the man, I have found that it is almost impossible for him not to find the downtrodden and hopeless. He is a man of action. The good flock to him. To the heartless, he shows no mercy."

The king nodded to each of us.

"Can we work on the hot showers?" I whispered to her.

"Loki has some interesting ideas that come from his old world," she told her father. "With your permission, I will hire craftsman to turn his ideas into reality. If we are allowed to keep what we loot from the dead, I will attempt to fund most of those projects..."

Her father waved his hand again.

"Keep the coins," he said. "Bring the rest to be placed in the storerooms or sold. Use your looted coins for traveling expenses. You can fund his projects from the treasury. If something requires my approval, give me a written summary of what you're doing and what the costs entail."

"Thank you, Father," she said.

He glanced at me before answering her.

"I have a feeling that his projects will ultimately benefit every resident of our city. I would be a fool to discourage such..."

She leaned over and kissed my cheek before turning back to the king.

"If there's nothing else," she said, "I'd like to go see if the girls are going to be able to stay at the orphanage tonight or if we need to get them moved here before bedtime."

"Go," he said, waving us away. "I'll start moving my things but the rooms won't be cleared until sometime tomorrow, in all likelihood."

Kira/Willa jumped up and hurried around the table. The king stood just in time for her to wrap him in a hug. She kissed his cheek and squeezed him tightly. He looked over her shoulder at me and smiled.

She released him and came back to hug me and then take my hand.

"By your leave...," I said.

He nodded.

The guard opened the door and the two of us slipped from the room, crossed through the massive hall, and headed back out to the grassy courtyard.

I called the portal stone to my fingers and returned us to our home location. When we arrived at the orphanage, I wondered how much longer this would be our home.

~~~ Orphanage ~~~

Willa and I came in from the yard to find everyone seated at the table. Our places were waiting for us. We dropped into our chairs. Monika kissed my cheek. I looked down at Dora and Nella, sitting side by side. We all clasped hands and everybody looked at me.

"All-knowing Father," I said. "Thank you for showing us what is truly important - family and friends. Please always give us strength to defend our family and friends from any that would come against us. Thank you for your guidance and provision."

"Does provision mean food?" Alia asked.

"Yes," Willa/Kira said, patting her head and laughing.

Willa and I both had seconds. Her body needed the extra strength after all of the healing that I had poured into her.

After the meal, we all went to the backyard and did our exercises. Zima and Hanna led the group. At the end, they made me take a turn. I taught them all how to do the Chicken Dance. The adults shook their heads at me, laughing, but joined in on the fun just the same.

All of the beds (and bedding) that could be salvaged were dragged into the common room. We all slept together. I was a little disappointed that we weren't sneaking up to the roof to have an orgy but Kira/Willa tweaked my dick and told me to close my eyes and go to sleep.

~~~

After breakfast, we sent the girls out to play. The adults gathered around the head of the table for a parent-meeting of sorts. To start things off, Willa revealed that she was actually Princess Kira. She told the women that the reason for the meeting was to plan out moving everyone to the royal holdings.

The meeting was temporarily put on hold while the women reacted to that news. A few questions were raised - most of which were answered by reminding the group that Willa/Kira had made a point of not going with us to the hearing because she didn't want her father and brother to recognize her and make her come back.

After that, there were lots of questions about the kidnapping - which led to a conversation about me accidentally revealing the princess to her brother. At that point, of course, they wanted to know how the reunion with her father had gone. They laughed when she told them about her giving him a list of demands in order for her to allow him to "cage" her.

After lots of hugs and kisses - and enough groping of my person to leave me with a raging hard-on - we were ready to actually start planning out the move.

We informed the group that we would be packing up whatever everyone wanted to take with us. We would start working on that after lunch and plan to be out of the orphanage - if not by dinnertime - then definitely by bedtime. Kira asked that we leave one bed (and some basic kitchen supplies) at the current location - so that she and I could use the building and property as a base of operations when we were doing our humanitarian aid work.

Once they were fully convinced that we were about to uproot them and move them to the palace, the questions began about where we would stay and what would be happening going forward. Dora began crying when Kira/Willa explained that she would be bringing in female tutors to start teaching the girls their letters. Nella held her as her body shuddered from the joyful sobs.

After more hugs and kisses, Kira went on to explain how she had strong-armed her father into agreeing to give each girl (and woman) whatever positions they felt they would be useful in - in and around the palace. Monika smiled sweetly as Dora and Nella sat stunned, trying to absorb the enormity of what Kira was giving them and the girls.

I took that opportunity to pull the water-caller onto my lap and ask her about her plans. She countered by asking about what Kira and I planned to do once we had moved. I started describing some of my ideas for clearing out the wolves and bringing some aid to the lambs. Monika said (as I had predicted) that she would continue to live at her place. She did specifically ask if she'd be able to come to the palace to visit. She laughed when I asked if she was talking about sex. She pulled my face to hers, kissed me hard, and said, "yes". Kira and I assured her that we wanted to continue sharing our bed with the rest of them - with the occasional orgy - but mostly just threesomes.

The meeting derailed temporarily and - by the time we got back on track again - my waist covering was going to need to be washed due to their insistent fingers causing my aching prick to leak loads of pre-cum as they teased and tormented me relentlessly.

I finally told Kira to finish the meeting without me. Monika squeaked as I picked her up, threw her over my shoulder, and carried her off to Dora's bedroom to get some relief. We had moved her bed to the common room so I stripped her clothes off, laid them on the floor with mine, and then crawled between her thighs to taste her.

Monika insisted on reciprocating and we ended up 69'ing. I warned her that I was on a hair-trigger but she assured me that she could handle it. She barely got me all of the way into her mouth before I exploded. I came so hard that I left bruises on her ass-cheeks from gripping her body as the jism erupted from my cock in massive jets. The water-caller struggled a bit with the sheer volume of it but managed to suck it all down without drowning.

My head (the larger one) was much clearer after that and I delved into her goodies with gusto. I lapped at her vulva and slit until she was moaning. I slid one finger in and out of her cunny while teasing another along the crack of her ass while also sucking on her distended clitoris. She shrieked loudly enough to gain us an audience. She erupted as I suckled her tender nub and I lapped at her nectar covered coochie - trying to help clean up the huge mess.

She came a second time while I did that and then ordered me to get my cock inside of her. By that point, I was locked and loaded for round two. I folded her in half and pounded into her like a piston on a combustion engine. We both came quickly and collapsed - exhausted.

My pretty princess came in, swatted me on the ass, rolled me off of my lover and then called for Dora and Nella to help clean us up. Monika and I made out while the other three put their hungry mouths to work.

I had given each of them at least one orgasm by the time Zima hollered through the house to see if we were ever coming outside to play. She informed us that the littles were growing more and more curious about what the hold-up was.

We cleaned up as best we could, got dressed, and headed to the backyard to play Tag. I ended up with seven or eight girls in my small group and I taught them to play Duck, Duck, Goose. Once the others saw what we were doing, I split my group up and sent them to the others so that they could teach them the game.

As the girls played, the adults reconvened. Zima and Hanna came over to join us. We quickly caught them up on what the rest of the day would entail. They threw their arms around Kira/Willa and gave her kisses with happy tears in their eyes.

This, of course, caused the littles to want to know what was going on. I told them that there would be an announcement after lunch and to finish playing until it was time to go into the house to prepare the meal.

Alia and Lia (the little girl that she seemed to be at odds with so often) both pestered me to try to find out the secret before everyone else. I rolled to the grass, pulling them with me, and tickled them both mercilessly until they were too exhausted to persist in their interrogation. After that, I gave a few horsey-rides until Dora and Nella started calling everyone inside to get lunch ready.

There was a knock at the door and I went to see who it was. I found the smith and the potter standing there - talking about the projects that I'd tasked them with. I stepped outside and closed the door. Kira came out and joined us.

I looked over what they had made. I was pretty damned happy with how the stuff looked. I warned them that I'd need a couple days to get things working and then I would be bugging them with more work. I also informed them that they would have trouble finding us at the orphanage because we were moving to the royal compound. I told them that - if they needed to get a hold of me - to just check in with the gate guards and they would either come get me or take a message. They were, of course, more excited to hear about our move than they were about how I was going to use the test items that they had made for me.

That changed when I told them both that I would not be using their items at this location but would be setting up the test at the palace - and that (in all likelihood) the king would see their work and witness how my plans worked out. I assured them that I would be bringing them more work and that - if the king decided to ramp up production - we might need to bring more crafters in on the deal.

This news had the two of them bouncing on their toes with excitement. They wanted the opportunity to see my test setup. I suspected that they wanted a chance to hang out with the king as much as anything but I was sure I could navigate those treacherous waters. I simply told them that I'd see what I could arrange.

I shook hands with the pair and thanked them for their work, promising to get back to them as soon as possible - but again warning them that it might be a few days. They both left with huge smiles on their faces.

"You're dangerous," the gorgeous princess said, kissing my cheek.

"Who, me?" I asked with a smirk.

She wrapped me in a hug and gave me a hard kiss. I quickly stored all of the items in my hands in my storeroom and wrapped my arms around her waist so that I could get my hands on that perfect ass of hers.

Zima opened the door and caught us making out. She informed us that lunch was ready. She laughed when I complained. We followed her inside.

"How come Willa gets so many kisses?" Alia asked as we sat down.

We started passing bowls around the table so that Dora and Nella could get them loaded up with stew and a piece of fresh bread.

"Because," I said, "I know a secret."

"What secret?" she asked.

Every eye in the room was on me.

"Willa has been hiding who she really is because she didn't want to be couped up in the palace all of the time."

"The palace?!"

I put my hand beside my mouth and pretended to be telling a secret. I stage-whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear - which wasn't difficult because everyone in the room had frozen and it was quiet enough that you could hear a pin hit the packed-dirt floor.

"Willa is actually Princess Kira - the king's little girl," I told them.

Stunned silence. Dora, Nella, and Monika's eyes roved over the little faces, grinning at the way their little jaws hung open.

"Princess Kira has made a royal proclamation," I went on. "We are all moving to the palace to live with her."

I don't know what reaction I expected but it was not for little Alia to push her chair back from the table, drop to her knees on the dirt floor, fold her hands, bow her head, and start offering a prayer of thanks to the All-Father. I quickly rubbed at my eyes before I started straight-up bawling.

The ornery little cherub got back into her seat and - once we all had our bowls in front of us - we clasped hands with our neighbors.

"I think Alia should offer the grace," I announced.

Everyone turned to her.

"All-Father," she prayed, "thank you for good food. Thank you for our house-mothers. Thank you for the hot baths that Monika and Loki give us. I know I doubted you sometimes but you answered my prayers by bringing Princess Kira to us. I'm sorry I doubted you."

Lia looked down the table and said, "That was a good one, Alia."

"Thanks," the little blonde replied.

With that, we dug in.

~~~ Palace ~~~

After the meal, Kira and I portaled to the palace courtyard and started nailing down the logistics for the move. The king's things had been moved out of his old rooms and the servants were in the process of bringing Kira's furniture, clothes, and other possessions into the larger quarters. I left her to manage those tasks and portaled directly from the big common room back to the orphanage.

The girls were standing in organized rows in the back yard, holding the few things that they would be taking with them. I almost started crying again, seeing how little they had. I had never felt so humbled. When I was a kid, I had more shit than I knew what to do with. These girls were lucky to have a ragdoll to call their own. Some held pillows; some had blankets. None of them had both. They were back to sharing blankets again because the kidnappers had destroyed half of what we had before they dragged the stonemason and the princess away. I had killed those fuckers too quickly. I wished I could resurrect them and kill them again - slower this time.

I left the girls where they were and hustled into the house to move the serviceable beds into my storage room. I left the furniture in the common room. I didn't take anything from the kitchen. I left Dora's old bed but moved it back to her bedroom - which was now empty. The place looked so vacant.

I returned to the back yard and took my place in front of the girls. I explained that I would take Dora and Zima first. Nella and Monika would remain here to keep an eye on things for the moment. Once Dora and Zima were ready, I would transfer two girls at a time. I would hand them off to the house-mother and her assistant - so that they could coordinate with the princess to get everybody situated. As soon as the landing-zone was clear, I would return for the next pair of girls.

Two dozen little faces nodded and smiled. I held my hands out for Dora and Zima and we zipped away. We stood and waited for Kira to finish giving instructions to the servants that she was dealing with. I kissed Dora on the mouth and Zima on the temple. I told them both that I loved them. Zima hugged me fiercely.

"I never hoped to dream that we would have so much!" she said.

"The princess is bringing in tutors," I told her. "You'll learn your letters and then we'll find you a job in the palace doing something that you enjoy."

I kissed her temple again as tears streamed down her face. I looked up to see my princess watching us.

"Handing these two off," I told her. "I'll bring the littles two at a time. Once you've got them directed to where you want them, I'll bring the next two."

She walked over, hugged Zima and kissed her other temple. She then hugged and kissed me. She wrapped her arms around Dora and told me to go grab the first two girls. I portaled back to the orphanage.

I laughed when I appeared. Alia and Lia had somehow weaseled their way to the front of the line. I quickly looked at the girls behind them to ask if they had all agreed to this. They assured me that they were tired of listening to the pair complain and wanted them gone as quickly as possible. Monika was covering a grin with her hand.

I bent down and told the pair that they needed to straighten their shit up or they were going to end up with extra lessons when the others were having free time. The smiles disappeared from their tiny faces and I quietly prayed that they would actually snap into line without too much more coaxing. They were both precious, but they were also quick to take advantage of any edge they could get.

I stood back up, took their hands, and called for the portal stone to take us to the palace. As soon as they landed, the pair shrieked like they had been mortally wounded and I quickly looked down to make sure that I hadn't somehow harmed them during the transfer. The sometimes-competitors threw their arms around one another and danced around in a circle, giggling and emitting more ear-splitting shrieks. Dora walked over to take control of the two as I just shook my head at them and headed back to the orphanage again, wondering if this was as good of an idea as I'd once thought.

Over the next half-hour, I got the rest of the girls transferred over. When it was just Nella, Monika, and me, the pair gave me lusty grins as they hugged their curvy bodies against mine.

"Can we stop by my house first?" Monika asked with a wink.

I laughed and Nella giggled. Unfortunately, I had to inform her that my portal stone had two locations locked in and a detour would mess things up. I assured both of them that I would have loved to have spent a few more minutes messing up the water-caller's bed before we rejoined the rest of our group. The two lusty wenches were still gripping my aching cock when we arrived back at the palace. Kira gave a bark of laughter that brought Dora and Zima's eyes to us. The teenager blushed and immediately headed off to another room.

Kira and Dora joined our little scrum and we shared kisses back and forth between the group. After that, the normally-serious sneak-thief grabbed the women's hands and dragged them off to see their new rooms and get the full tour.

Kira and I would share the king's former bedroom. Dora and Nella each had bedrooms of their own. There was also a guest bedroom that would pretty much be Monika's home away from home whenever she was staying with us. She giggled and said that - if she wasn't sleeping in her own bed back home - that she hoped she'd be rolling around under the sheets with Kira and me. The princess pinched her on the butt and gave her a peck on the lips.

Zima, Hanna, and the other older girls would occupy rooms that normally would be assigned to attendants or servants. The younger girls would share rooms - based on their ages - at least to start with. We discussed possibly sticking one of the older girls in each room to serve as "room mother", but (to start with) we hoped to give them their own spaces. Dora was sure that - now that she had more help - it wouldn't be a big deal to keep an eye on the rooms to make sure that fights weren't breaking out.

There was a knock at the main entrance and we headed over to see who was stopping by. It was Mila and Nala. Nala came over to give me a hug and Kira quickly figured out that I already knew her cousin. We got sidetracked for a bit while Nala told Kira about me healing her mother from the attack by the Beast and then Mila told the princess about me and the prince visiting and how I'd healed Nala.

Kira caught Mila eyeing me and sent Nala off to find Alia - whom she had already asked about. Once the youngster was gone, Kira wrapped an arm around her cousin and began relentlessly teasing her, blatantly asking if she was fucking anybody while the cook blushed furiously and avoided looking at me. Kira squeezed one of the woman's tits and whispered that she was planning to figure out a way to get the curvy cook into our bed. When Kira caught a glimpse of my pants tenting, she grabbed her cousin's hand and rubbed it over the head of my prick, whispering wicked things into her ear as the woman whimpered and moaned.

Dora and Nella finally intervened, pulling Kira away and hugging themselves around Mila to protect her from her cousin. Once Mila was fairly composed once again, she shared the reason for her visit. We had been assigned one of the private dining rooms for our group to have our meals. When Dora and Nella lamented not being involved in the preparation of the food any longer, Mila assured them that they were welcome to come to the kitchens and participate. Dora asked about the older girls helping and having a chance to learn from the cooks and Mila was most receptive to those suggestions as well.

Nala returned - with Alia and Lia in-tow. Mila told her that they needed to get back to the kitchens to finish getting the food ready. The two littles asked to tag along. Mila looked slightly overwhelmed. Nella said that she would go along and help keep the pair out of trouble. Mila laughed and said that Nala was more likely the bigger concern.

Kira hugged her cousin one last time before they left and she was blushing once again as the group slipped out of the door. Mila hollered back that the food would be ready in about an hour.

We went around to each of the rooms to check on how the girls were getting settled. A few were still just sitting there, stunned to suddenly have a bed, pillow, and blanket of their own. Most (especially the younger ones) were already cavorting around like this was just another day.

I plopped down on Hanna's bed beside her, stuck an arm around her, and kissed her on the temple.

"What do you think, princess?" I asked her as the others looked on.

"It's... It's too much," she said.

I laughed and told her, "It can be a bit overwhelming..."

"I... I shouldn't complain...," she replied.

"I can't fix it, if you don't tell me what's bothering you," I told her.

"The floors... the stone is colder than the dirt floor back home."

"First," I said. "This is home now. A beautiful, helpful, and kind girl like you deserves a nice place to live. Second, I'm sure the princess can find someone to make you some slippers that will help with the cold."

Kira plopped down on the other side of the girl and held out a pair of woolen socks.

"Try these on...," she told her.

"Socks! You have socks!" I gasped.

"Do you not?" Kira asked, laughing at me.

"I've been wearing those boots with no socks," I complained. "My feet smell like the dead guy that I took those boots from."

"Ew...," Hanna said as Kira laughed.

"I'll get you some socks, husband," Kira said.

"Husband?" Hanna asked.

Kira leaned her head against the girl's and said, "I made my father promise to let me marry Loki."

I leaned in from my side and whispered, "She never bothered to ask me..."

Hanna gave a bark of laughter and said, "I've seen how you look at her bu... uh... I've seen how you look at her."

The adults all laughed loudly as I shook my head, admitting to my quick and violent defeat. I kissed the 10-year-old on the temple again and stood to my feet.

"If you see anything else that needs fixed," I said, "let one of the adults know."

"I will. Thank you, master Loki," she replied.

"No problem, little sister," I shot back.

The girl's eyes got misty. Kira hugged her and kissed her temple again and then stood to her feet.

"Dinner will be ready in a bit," she told her. "We'll have our very own dining room here in the palace. I think you've met my cousin - the cook who makes the wonderful bread. I think she and her daughter might join us."

"I would love to learn to bake bread like that," Hanna said.

"Be diligent about your studies - which I'm sure you will - and I'll talk to Mila about having you help in the kitchens."

"Thank you, Princess Kira," Hanna said.

"It's just Kira... or Willa," she said, giving the girl a wink.

Hanna grinned up at her and nodded.

"I can't believe you ran away from this place," Hanna said.

"A gilded cage is still a cage," Kira replied.

"Gilded...?" the girl asked.

"Gold," Kira answered. "Even if you made a cage entirely out of gold, the one locked inside wouldn't care what it was made out of."

"That's true...," Hanna said, nodding. "You don't feel caged now?" she asked the princess.

"The king knows that I can escape whenever I choose," Kira told her. "He DID make me promise to stay with master Loki whenever I'm not locked up safely within the walls."

Hanna shuddered a little at those words.

"Loki will keep you safe," Hanna said, looking from me to my lover, nodding.

~~~

After dinner - at which we all ate way more than we should have - and finally told Mila to quit bringing in more bread - we went on a tour of the palace.

The girls had already seen the kitchens, so we skipped that. We also avoided the dungeons. The girls loved the garden - which was more of a park than a garden. This prompted Dora to ask about her plants. Kira told her that we could transport the stuff here and add her growing-boxes to what the gardeners already had.

From the gardens, we made a quick pass through where Dora's vegetables would be rehoused and then we came to the stables. The place was mostly empty but there were a few messenger steeds as well as horses that belonged to the king, the prince, and Kira. The girls each got a chance to sit on Kira's horse and they were still chattering about it when they went to bed that night.

From the stables, we went through some of the less exciting areas. We finished up by passing by the entrance to Prince Kiro's quarters - and then Kira's old rooms - which were now being occupied by her father. He stuck his head out for a moment and asked the girls how they were getting on with their new rooms. They all thanked him for letting them move into the palace. He smiled and nodded. They giggled when he caught Kira by the waist, pulled her into a hug, and then messed up his crown by kissing her temple as she laughed and playfully fought him. She finally escaped, fixed his crown, and then kissed him on the nose.

Alia started bawling and we gathered around to ask what the matter was. She was distraught that she didn't have a daddy to kiss on the nose. The king knelt down and told her that she could pretend that he was her dad and give him a kiss. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard enough to make him worry that she might harm him. Then she released him, cupped his cheeks in her tiny hands, and kissed him on the nose.

After that, the rest of the littles insisted on having a turn as well. Kira laughed as her father stood on his knees on the stone floor as orphan after orphan came up, hugged his neck, and then kissed his nose. Zima, Hanna, and the older girls didn't kiss his nose but they did give him a hug - thanking him for their rooms and the food.

Once the king was back on his feet again, we bade him farewell and traveled down the hall and around the corner - back to our rooms.

We gathered in the big common room and Dora told the girls that they needed to start getting ready for bed. Alia and Lia begged me to tell them a story.

They had me sit towards the center of the group and I tried to think of a story to tell them. I briefly thought about giving them a summarized version of "The Prince and the Pauper" but decided that the story was too gloomy - even if fitting. I decided, instead, on "Goldilocks". I called Alia over to stand in front of me as I related the story. With her blonde hair freshly washed, the little imp reminded me of the girl in the story. The others giggled as I playfully relayed the character's antics and adventures.

As usually happened, about half of the younger girls fell asleep while I was telling the story. Alia ended up lying across my legs, snoring softly. I picked her up and carried her to her bed. I tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. The rest of the adults and older girls were helping do the same.

Once the littles were in bed, we sent the older ones to their rooms and then the rest of us headed for mine and Kira's bed. My cock was aching with need before I could even get the door closed behind us.

I turned to find Dora, Nella, Monika, and Kira all in various stages of undress. Tits and asses greeted my eyes and I hurried to get naked.

I crawled between Dora's thighs and started eating her out. Even though she'd gotten fucked earlier in the day, Monika was impatient to have my cock inside of her. She rolled to her back, got her cunny positioned under my dangling penis, and then somehow wrapped her legs around my thighs and ass to pull me inside of her.

I licked, nibbled, and sucked Dora as Monika ground her vagina around and around (and up and down) until I exploded inside of her. Dora was just cumming the first time when Nella slid under my crotch to suck and lick me clean. Monika helped her get turned around and then shoved my butt down - spearing my cock (which was now hard again) into the woman. Dora climaxed a second time and then told Kira to take her place while she waited on her turn at my cock.

I pleasured my wife-to-be with my mouth as Monika and Nella worked my ass up and down - pistoning me in and out of Nella's gripping twat as she worked her pussy-muscles along the length of my shaft. When I gave her the load of cream that she wanted, Dora lay beneath me to clean me up and get me hard again.

Kira had cum twice. She slid farther under my body and made out with me as Dora sucked me back to hardness. When I was stiff again, Dora kissed Kira's pussy and then shoved my cock inside. Kira complained that she wanted to go last but Dora just swatted me on the ass and told me to get busy.

I fucked my fiancée until she came - which caused my balls to empty again. Kira rolled us over and then pulled off of my cock so that the other three could suck me clean and get me hard enough to fuck Dora. Dora rolled the princess onto her back and began sucking my cream from her cunny. Kira's eyes widened and she wrapped her fingers around the woman's head, pulling her tightly against her quim. The princess was soon shuddering through another orgasm.

Kira pushed Dora away at about the same time as the other two had me hard enough to fuck. Dora climbed on top of me and took my cock into her in one go - praising me for my stamina. I told her to thank the All-Father.

She rode me like a cowgirl competing for first prize in the rodeo. I sucked her nipples and squeezed her ass and pulled her down onto my aching cock. When I finally came again, I groaned, exhausted. Someone blew out the lantern and the room went completely dark. Bodies snuggled against me and Dora (who was still mounted on my penis) and I passed out.

~~~ End of Chapter 6 ~~~

There are 18 chapters in this story series.

Favorites and comments send more Literotica-readers my way - which is a great way to express your appreciation for my work. It also encourages me to write more.