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The OPMC 6 Chapter 1 (Sex Scene)
🕑 Added 2021-04-05 01:51:02 +0000 UTC“Yessss, husband,” Elissa moaned with delight as she leaned back and tossed her fiery hair over her shoulders. “Just like that… Fuck me like a god…”
“You feel so gooooddd…” I chanted as I thrust inside her even harder. I grabbed a fistful of her red mane and pulled her head back ever so slightly, which made her hips move in the perfect position for me to reach into her depths even further.
“Mmm…” My wife’s face contorted into an expression of pure bliss as an orgasm shook her entire body, and her nails dug deep into the flesh of my hips as she attempted to pull me even deeper inside her. “You’re the God of Sex!”
Not only was I Elissa’s sex god, but I was also the God of Time. I hadn’t always been a god, though, and while my old world grew more hazy and cloudy in my memory with each passing day, I still remembered the day I’d come to this land.
I was working a dead end tech support job at a call center when I’d laid my head down on my desk to take a quick power nap, but when my phone’s alarm chime rang, I’d woken up in a strange place while a Voldermort look alike named Rajin Thornheart monologued about stealing my power before he killed me a bunch of times. Each time I’d died, I’d heard my phone’s alarm chime again only to awaken in the same exact place as I had died in.
At first, I thought I was dreaming, but after a few hundred respawns I realized I was in this world for good.
And then I took advantage of the situation.
Now, I was the Great One of Legend who’d been summoned to Sorreyal to bring hope to the heart of the people, and, oh man, did it come with some fantastic perks.
Like the gorgeous tiny red-haired goddess I got to call mine.
My wife and I had been at it for hours already, but I was far from satisfied, and her words echoed in my ears as I continued to fuck her senseless. The sound of the king-sized headboard banging against the wall created a staccato soundtrack to our lovemaking, and I wondered if anyone in the palace could hear us.
We were still at King Frederick’s palace in Vallenwood, and I was taking full advantage of the lush apartments provided to me by his majesty. My bedroom was decorated with rich velvet curtains, thick rugs, and ornately carved furniture that looked hundreds of years old. His Majesty had given me the entire west wing to use, and it was large enough to fit my entire house back in Bastianville inside the living space. The rest of my entourage was also staying in the same wing as me, and all my followers got to reap the benefits of being in my company. They each had their own rooms, plus the ability to use the other parts of the palace like the stables and training grounds.
“Are you ready?” I asked as I continued to thrust deep inside my wife’s tight little tunnel. I had her bent over the edge of the bed doggystyle now, and she arched her back to push her hips even closer against me.
“R-R-Ready?” she stammered out as I slammed my cock in and out of her. “For w-w-what?”
“To take my seed,” I hissed as a shudder of pleasure shot up my spine. I was getting close, but I’d already lost count of how many times I’d unloaded my sperm inside my wife during this run through.
One of the perks to being the God of Time were the abilities granted to me when I was summoned to this magical fantasy world, and I used them to my advantage at every opportunity. Shortly after the first time I’d died, I realized my ability to respawn. Then I learned how to make a save point so I could choose when and where to reload my progress.
It was like I was in a real-life full immersion video game complete with hot babes and awesome weapons. Everything felt so real, though, like the way Elissa’s tight little pussy pulsated around my cock. There was no way this was just a video game or some kind of hallucination. It was way too damn real.
“Yess,” Elissa moaned, and she bounced her ass up and down my shaft at a steadily increasing pace. “I am ready for you! Fill me up!”
That was all I needed to hear before I released my control, and I buried my cock deep inside my wife’s womb as torrents of my seed filled her fertile body. Elissa shuddered and twitched around my cock, and the sensation caused even more white tendrils to spray inside her tunnel.
“Fucck,” I growled as I saw stars in my vision, but then we both collapsed against the mattress in an exhausted heap.
After I caught my breath, I pushed myself off my wife, crawled onto the bed, and pulled her up beside me.
“I love you, Bash.” Elissa snuggled her head beneath my chin and sighed contentedly. “I can’t wait until your seed blooms into a baby in my womb.”
“I love you, Lissy,” I murmured into her red locks. “You’re going to make a fantastic mother, I can already tell.”
“Do you really think so?” Her voice trembled with emotion, and she snuggled even closer against me.
“I know so.” I stroked her hair softly, and then I scooped her chin up to lift her lips to mine. The kiss was sweet and gentle, and my heart warmed with love for the tiny goddess in my arms.
We lay like that for a while until she fell into a light slumber, but my thoughts continued to wander. I’d come a long way since the day I’d first been summoned, and I’d travelled halfway across the kingdom of Sorreyal so far. I’d arrived in a maze-like catacomb, but when I’d emerged I’d found a small town not too far from the entrance to the tunnels.
The town was called Addington at the time, named after the leader, founder, and head miner, Elrin Addington, but the people were beset with a multitude of challenges when I arrived, so I felt the urge to help them out. After I’d killed kobolds, goblins, and fifty of the Loser Lord, Lucian Bullard’s, soldiers, the townsfolk renamed the town in my honor, so now it was called Bastianville. B-ville, as I affectionately referred to it in my thoughts, was now my base of operations, and where I’d met my first two lovers, Mahini and Elissa.
Then I’d travelled away from the small town to explore the rest of the kingdom bit by bit. I was determined to accomplish one hundred percent map completion, but I wanted to take my time and consolidate my power. I had plenty of titles to choose from, and too many avid cultish followers to count, but I had my eyes set on bigger goals.
I drifted off into sleep after a while, but I was content with Elissa in my arms, so I slept peacefully. I awoke bright eyed the next day, but the sun had already travelled far across the sky, so I started to get ready to perform my role as the Archduke for the official ceremony about to take place that evening. King Frederick had chosen his next appointment for the duchy of Arginold, and I would officiate the ritual. I’d also advised the king on the selection of a new court wizard for the holding, and I was eager to get to know the shapeshifting cat-man, Ako Gray, a little better.
I was glad I got to participate in the ceremony appointing the new duke and court wizard since I’d had a hand in the previous wizard and duke’s demise. When I’d found out the Duke of Arginold and his court wizard schemed against me, I’d travelled to their city and taught them a deadly lesson. Now, I had two fewer enemies to contend with, but they hadn’t been acting alone.
The Duke of Edinburg’s court wizard, Dumas, had also met a timely end because of his involvement in the plot against me and the king. The necromancer had sent assassins after me and my followers, but we’d foiled them every time. When I’d brought my concerns to the king, he’d demanded proof, so I’d set about making sure Dumas would never stand against me again. I’d killed the wizard myself, and in the process I had rid the land of another evil mage.
“Why are you up so early, husband?” Elissa murmured as I climbed out of the massive king sized bed. “Come back to bed…”
“I want to check in with everyone before the ceremony starts,” I explained with a loving smile. “We will be representing Bastianville, and I want us all looking our best.”
“With Bellona here with us,” Elissa replied with a bright smile, “that’s pretty much guaranteed!”
“That’s true,” I chuckled. “We are fortunate to have our very own seamstress in our entourage.”
“You’ve picked some good people as your followers,” Elissa observed. “I’ve really enjoyed our time spent in Vallenwood so far.”
“Me, too.” I grinned. “It’s not over yet, though.”
“Are we going home after the ceremony?” My wife pushed herself up on her elbows and tilted her head to the side with curiosity shining in her gem-like emerald eyes.
“Perhaps.” I tapped my chin as I thought it over. “It depends on what else the king needs from me. With the trial coming up, I need to make sure he is safe before I leave.”
“I love how much loyalty you show to Sorreyal,” Elissa sighed longingly. “When we first met, I didn’t know what kind of god you were, but it turns out you’re the best kind.”
I’d first met my wife when Bastianville was still named Addington, and the fiery red-head had pranced into my life like a torch of beauty, so I’d been determined to make her my own. I’d won her hand by clearing the goblins from the town’s copper mine, and I’d stolen her out from underneath the nose of the Loser Lord, Lucian Bullard.
Before I could respond to my wife, however, a knock sounded at the door, and I crossed the distance to the portal. Then I pulled it open to reveal Mahini, Eva, and to my surprise, Caelia, all standing in the corridor wearing fancy dresses.
Mahini’s obsidian locks cut across her shoulders like a blade’s edge, and the icy white dress she wore accentuated her piercing blue gaze and tan skin. Eva’s pale skin was paired nicely with a lush red velvet dress with a slit that ran up to her thigh on one side. A black choker necklace was strapped around her neck, and a simple gray stone hung into the hollow of her throat. Caelia wore a demure green number that covered her neck and arms, but her hair was arranged into hundreds of braids that rattled as they hung across her back.
“Why aren’t you dressed?” The desert goddess’s light blue eyes scanned over my person with a scrutinizing look. “Everyone else is almost ready.”
“I was just about to come check on everyone,” I admitted.
“You should get dressed first,” Eva suggested. “Did Bellona send over the outfit she made for the occasion?”
“Yes,” I replied, and I gestured for the girls to enter my bed chamber. “It won’t take me long to get dressed. You three are welcome to wait with Elissa.”
“I can come back…” Caelia blushed as her chocolate eyes swept to the bed where my naked wife lay upon the fluffy pillows.
“Does it make you uncomfortable to see a woman naked?” I asked in a playful tone.
“I’m not embarrassed,” my wife said with a cheeky grin. “You’re basically one of us at this point, Caels.”
“That’s very kind of you,” the shy shopkeeper replied, and the blush upon her cheeks darkened even further.
“Hurry up and get ready,” Eva urged as she shooed me toward the bathroom.
“Got somewhere to be?” I countered with an arched eyebrow.
“Nowhere but with you,” the duke’s daughter answered, but she pressed her fingers into my lower back and pushed me toward the bathroom nonetheless. “I’m just eager to get you out of this bedroom, we’ve been waiting for you two to wake up for hours.”
“It has not been hours,” Mahini informed me in a dry voice. “She’s just being dramatic.”
“It felt like hours,” Eva argued as she stuck out her tongue at the desert goddess. “I’m not usually the first one awake, it was an odd sensation.”
“What made you so excited?” I laughed.
“I don’t know.” Eva shrugged. “Ever since you proposed to me, I can hardly sit still, let alone sleep.”
My fiancée had been on cloud nine ever since the day I got down on one knee, but I had to admit I was feeling pretty excited about the idea of marrying the duke’s daughter myself. I’d first met her after fighting off a crimson dragon named Smiguel, and the determined young woman had disguised herself as a guard in order to follow me. I admired her tenacity and bravery, the other women enjoyed her company, and she had more than proven herself useful. In addition to all of that, I was madly in love with her, and I couldn’t imagine living a life without her in it.
I shook my head in awe at my own amazing life as I made my way into the bathroom to bathe and change into my ceremonial outfit. I had a town full of followers, the ear of the king, and three wonderful women to call my own.
Life was fucking awesome.
After I scrubbed the sweet smell of sex from my body, I pulled on the fancy clothes Bellona the seamstress had made for me. There were perfectly tailored black leather pants that reminded me of the outfits out of the Matrix, a matching vest which made my torso look slim and toned, and of course, a billowy white shirt. I looked like a combination of pirate and classical music composer, but I enjoyed the overall image.
Plus, it was comfortable enough to fight in if I needed to.
When I emerged from the bathroom, the women were discussing wedding plans, and my ears perked up at the mention of my upcoming nuptials.
“We’ll have a big feast, of course,” Elissa insisted with an emphatic nod. “Everyone in town will contribute.”
“That sounds like a lot of work.” Eva frowned. “Do you really think people will go through so much effort for me?”
“Bastianville loves you,” Mahini pointed out in a gentle voice. “I think you’d have a hard time preventing them from giving their all to a party celebrating you and Bash.”
“There are some amazing people in Bastianville,” my fiancée replied, and she bit her luscious bottom lip. “Do you really think so?”
“I know so.” Mahini nodded curtly as though this officially settled the matter. “Just trust me on this.”
“She’s right,” Elissa added, and she flashed my fiancée a wink. “You’re one of us, now.”
“I just don’t have much interest in party planning.” Eva shrugged. “When I was growing up, the servants and stewards planned all of my parties. I just showed up. I had hoped my wedding would be similar…”
“If that’s what you want,” I said with a broad smile, “then you can leave the wedding plans up to the people of Bastianville. They know how to throw a party, and it will give the entire town a reason to celebrate. You and I will focus on our adventures, and planning our honeymoon, of course.”
“I think that is what I want.” Eva nodded slowly, and her smoky gray eyes showed her relief. Then her gaze swept up and down my body, and the expression in her eyes turned to one of appreciation and desire. “You look dashing, my future husband.”
“Thank you.” I grinned even wider. “I have to keep up with you ladies. You look hot as hell.”
“The dress is quite cool,” Eva reassured me.
“I just mean, you’re beautiful,” I corrected myself, and I turned to include the others in my gaze with a smirk. “All of you are.”
“Thank you,” Elissa giggled as she did a little spin to show off her dress. It was a bright gold colored slip of fabric that clung to her curves with a scooped out neckline. She’d paired the ensemble with long white gloves and stockings, and her fiery red locks were pulled back into a crown of braids.
Another knock sounded at the door, and Elissa bounced over to pull it open. The rest of my entourage stood beyond the portal, and despite Jax’s large frame taking up the majority of the doorway, I could clearly see everyone was ready for the ceremony. They wore the black uniforms with my recently designed crest embroidered upon the chest, which was a crimson dragon and a golden griffon rearing as though fighting each other.
Jax was wearing a similar looking uniform as the others, and I sighed with disappointment. During the last party we’d attended as a group, the burly blacksmith had worn an outfit specially designed just for him. It had been pink, frilly, and highly entertaining, but I supposed this ceremony was more formal than the banquet during the summit of nobility.
“You guys look great.” I grinned. “I take it we’re ready to help appoint a new duke?”
“We are ready to represent Bastianville as a duchy,” Riondale explained.
Behind the young lieutenant, the woodsman named Jeron held my flag up on a long stick. It was black with the same crest stitched upon its face, and my entourage eyed it proudly before their faces turned back to me. Bellona flourished her skirt as she dropped into a curtsey, Sarah clasped her husband Bron’s elbow affectionately, Adelina and Celeste clutched their hands in front of their waists, and the rest of the men had their arms crossed over their chest.
During our time in Vallenwood, Niconor, Kylor, Corvis, and Jeron had been training with the new recruits to my army we’d gathered while in the capital city. While Kylor and Corvis had been trained as guards in Castle Bullard, Niconor and Jeron were far from soldiers, so I’d been pleased to learn the more experienced men were taking the newbies under their wings.
The people in my entourage looked out for each other, and they were some of the best damned followers a man, or god, could ask for. I’d selected them through a careful process of elimination by holding a tournament back in Bastianville, and the various races had brought out the strengths of the victors. I was sure there would be many more similar events taking place in the future, and I was looking forward to seeing how the games evolved over time.
“Very good.” I nodded in satisfaction after my inspection of my entourage, and I turned to the women behind me with a grin. “Let’s roll out.”
My entourage and I fell into a formation as we marched toward the audience chamber, and the servants of the king pulled open the double doors to our wing of the palace to allow us to walk past. I nodded to the servants with a friendly smile, and they blinked back at me in surprise.
I suppose they weren’t used to the Archduke of Sorreyal acknowledging them in a friendly manner, but I sought to change the way the nobles treated their peasants. A new god was in town, and I was going to be a nice guy.
We traversed the corridors with our heads held high, and I kept my shoulders back at a proud angle. I felt the eyes of the guards, courtiers who wandered the halls, and various servants on us, and I enjoyed the attention. We were a good looking bunch, and we struck an imposing figure as we passed by.
Trumpets blared as the herald announced our arrival, and I led my people into the throne room as I made a new save point just in case. I was supposed to hold an official role in the ceremony, so I didn’t want to mess up any of the formal rituals.
The good thing about being the god of time, though, was I never had to settle for failure.
“Your Majesty,” I greeted with a low bow to King Frederick, and then I turned to repeat the gesture to the royal mage. “Master Viceroy.”
“Your Grace,” the king replied as he inclined his head.
I took a place at the king’s side while my entourage and women created a line behind me, and King Frederick nodded his approval. Then I stole a glance around the rest of the throne room, and I took a head count of all the nobles present.
There were a variety of other nobles, courtiers, lords, and ladies present, and I recognized all of them from the summit of nobility banquet. Among them was Evangeline’s father, the Duke of Bullard, and his court wizard, Kane.
I waved to my fiancée’s father, and the duke returned a friendly smile in my direction. It was comforting to have an ally among the treacherous nobles currently in Vallenwood, and I was relieved the nobles behind the plot to overthrow the king were safely behind bars.
A few more nobles filed into the room, and they all came forward to the throne to bow to the highest ranking people in the kingdom, but I noticed I got slightly more attention than the king did. When the Lady Jaketta curtsied to his majesty, her eyes were locked on me, and I felt my neck flush.
A long brown braid hung down over one of the lady’s shoulders, and she looked to be a little older than me, but she was far from being an old woman despite a few gray strands in her plaits. She wore a yellow dress with a long train running behind her, and two small boys carried the end of the fabric which added a regal air. She wasn’t unattractive, but she wasn’t the type of woman I usually went for.
“Lady Jaketta,” the king greeted with the same incline of his head he gave everyone. “Please join me on the dais.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The lady fluttered her eyelashes before she lifted her chin and climbed the steps of the dais. She stood on the other side of the king from me, and she flashed me a wink over Frederick’s head. “Hello, Your Grace.”
“I take it you’re about to be our new duchess?” I raised one eyebrow, and I rose up on my toes a little.
“She is, indeed,” King Frederick answered for her in a proud tone.
The next person to enter the throne room was also familiar to me, but he didn’t remember as much of our interactions as I did. The shapeshifting cat-man, Ako Gray, strode into the room with two ghost blades summoned, and he twirled them around his wrists like he was juggling a baton before they vanished in a poof. The room erupted in applause, and several chanted his name as the cat wizard waved to the audience and made his way to the throne dais.
“Your Royal Majesty,” the cat-man said in a sincere tone as he bowed so low his nose nearly scraped the ground. His tail twitched playfully behind him, and he nodded at me as he rose back up. “Your Grace. It is an honor to be here.”
“We’re pleased you’re here as well,” the king replied, and he flicked his hand to gesture to the spot beside Lady Jaketta. “Please, join us on the dais. The ceremony will commence shortly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Ako said, and he saluted before he strode up the steps to take his place beside the future Duchess of Arginold.
Once everyone had settled into their seats, an anxious hush swept across the crowd, and the king rose from the throne and cleared his throat.
“Thank you for gathering here to bear witness to today’s events.” The king paused and glanced slowly around the room, and he made sure all eyes were on him before he continued. “Sorreyal has long faced hardships from the outside. While we are blessed to have many allies and friends in this world, forces continue to work against our aims. Sometimes these forces come from inside the kingdom, and such was the case with the Duke of Arginold. Henry was ambitious, cunning, and sharp tongued, but in the end his own weaknesses overpowered him.”
A sad murmur swept through the crowd, and I frowned. I wondered how many people were sympathetic to the tale of the duke’s death, or if they knew how evil the man truly was. He had planned to overthrow the king, after all, so I was glad I’d gotten rid of him, but I was even more grateful than ever before that no one knew of my involvement in his death.
“Now, we celebrate a new future for the kingdom,” the king continued in a loud voice. “We move onward into a bright new day by placing our hopes onto new shoulders. Lady Jaketta, please step forward.”
The lady flicked her long brown braid over her shoulder and strode forward with a pleased expression upon her face. She curtsied to the king again before she smiled to the crowd, and she did the little princess hand wave thing I’d seen in movies.
“Are you ready to swear your oath of office?” The king gave the lady a stern look up and down until she nodded. Satisfied, the king gestured to Viceroy, and the royal mage stepped forward.
The royal mage led Lady Jaketta through a series of oaths of allegiance to the crown and King Frederick specifically, and judging from the curious murmurs of the audience, the oath was different than it had been in the past. Lady Jaketta repeated all the words perfectly, and when she was finished, she flashed the audience another broad smile. The new duchess seemed friendly enough, at least, and I felt good about my pick for her court wizard.
Ako Gray gave his pledges after the duchess, and then the two were presented to the audience with their new titles.
“People of Sorreyal,” King Frederick announced in a loud voice, “I give you Her Grace, Jaketta, the Duchess of Arginold, and her court wizard, Master Gray.”
The pair clasped hands and lifted their fists into the air to a chorus of applause, but I made sure I clapped louder than anyone.
A short while later, the room had been transformed into a grand dining hall, and everyone took turns congratulating the new duchess and court wizard on their appointments. Plenty of people used the opportunity to pay their respects to me as well, and I basked in the attention of all the nobles. I was a god among mortals, and I could see the awe in their eyes.
During the socialization portion of the banquet, I made a point to introduce Jeron to the new duchess since I knew the young woodsman had his eye on the Lady Jaketta during the previous fancy dinner.
“This is one of my champions,” I said as I gestured to the woodsman with a proud grin. “Jeron of Bastianville.”
“I am honored to meet someone so highly favored by the Great One,” the duchess said, and she fluttered her eyelashes at the woodsman. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Jeron of Bastianville.”
“Please, just Jeron,” the woodsman requested with a shy smile. “Thank you, Your Grace. It is a pleasure to meet you, too.”
“Such a lovely young man,” the Duchess of Arginold giggled.
“I’ll let you two get to know each other,” I said, and I clapped Jeron on the shoulder before I nodded to the duchess. “Enjoy the rest of the party, Your Grace.”
“Thank you, Great One.” The duchess grinned.
I enjoyed how she managed to refer to me as a god more so than as a noble even at her celebration dinner, and I had a good feeling about our future interactions. Maybe I’d found myself another ally within Sorreyal?
As I made my way back to my table, I was stopped by the Duke of Bullard, and the rotund man clasped my hand firmly in a shake.
“Ah, Great One,” the duke greeted with a broad smile. “How are you this evening?”
“Oh, Your Grace,” I said as I suddenly remembered a very important question I needed to ask my fiancée’s father. “Just the man I needed to see.”
“You were looking for me?” The duke’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Yeah, of course.” I grinned. “I have to ask you something.”
“Anything, Your Grace,” the duke replied instantly. “Your wish is my command.”
“Can I marry your daughter?” I chuckled as I ran a self-conscious hand through my hair. “I love her like crazy, and I’d like to officially make her an archduchess.”
“T-That would be such a high honor, Your Grace.” The duke’s jaw fell open, and his chins wobbled. “I-I-I don’t know what to say!”
“Say yes,” I laughed.
“Yes, yes, of course,” the duke rushed out, and he shook his head in amazement. “I would have married her off to a lesser lord, and look. Now she will be an Archduchess of Sorreyal.”
“So, I take it you’ll come to the wedding?” I clapped my future father-in-law on the shoulder. “We’d love to have you come to Bastianville to witness the nuptials.”
“It would be a pleasure,” the duke agreed with an emphatic nod. “Nothing would keep me away.”
“That’s good to hear,” I laughed. “It’s always nerve racking to ask a father for his daughter’s hand in marriage.”
“I wish you and my daughter many happy years to come,” the duke said, and moisture sprang into his eyes. “And hopefully you will return the blessing with some grandchildren.”
“I couldn’t help but overhear.” Eva appeared by my side as if by magic, and she quickly hugged her father before she took my arm with a serene smile. “I’m so glad you’ll come to the wedding, Father.”
“We have much to celebrate this evening, it seems,” the king said as he also joined in on the conversation.
“Was I being that obvious?” I grinned sheepishly. “Sorry if I stole the limelight with my wedding talk.”
“Not at all, Your Grace,” King Frederick responded, and he turned a kind smile to Eva. “Congratulations, Lady Bullard.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” my fiancée said with a small curtsey.
“I imagine you already have a grand event planned for your joining?” the king pressed as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. “I hear it will take place in Bastianville.”
“Yes, thank you, Your Majesty, for the kind offer of your palace,” Eva said in a voice as smooth as butter. “I just feel as though Bash’s followers would appreciate being present for the ceremony.”
“It is entirely appropriate,” the king assured her with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I am excited to see the Archduke’s famous Bastianville.”
“You’re coming to Bastianville?” I frowned.
My little town was in for a wild time if the king himself planned on attending my wedding. I knew my people could pull it off without a hitch, and besides, I could always make sure it went perfectly with my ability to reset time.
“Of course!” the king laughed. “I am invited, am I not?”
“Absolutely,” I quickly answered. “I think it’s a good idea for you to get out and see some of the kingdom for yourself.”
“You’ve said that since the day we met,” the king chuckled, clapped me on the shoulder, and then nodded to my fiancée and her father before he disappeared into the crowd once more.
“Enjoy the rest of your evening, my dear,” the Duke of Bullard told his daughter in a warm tone. “We will have plenty of time to catch up when I visit Bastianville. It sounds like His Grace will be busy entertaining the king, after all.”
The duke was laughing to himself as he turned to socialize with someone else, but I was happy to be left alone with my fiancée for the moment. I clasped her to me in a tight embrace, and she giggled as I set her back down on her feet.
“My father and the king both in Bastianville, can you imagine?” Her gray eyes were alight with joy. “That’s one way to put a town on the map.”
“We’ll throw the best damn party Sorreyal has ever seen,” I assured her.
“Well, then take some notes,” she chuckled, and her smoky gray gaze swept around the room. “The king can throw a pretty decent party himself. You’ve got your work cut out for you, my love.”
“I can handle anything.” I grinned. “As long as it means I’m married to you at the end of the day.”
“Patience.” Eva smiled, but then her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Unless we need to sneak away right now…?”
Tempted as I was to sweep her off her feet and go make love to her in some shadowy nook of the throne room, I didn’t want to do anything to dishonor her before our wedding. She’d already caught some harsh statements from some of the other nobility for being unwed, and I didn’t want anyone else to say something hurtful about my bride-to-be.
“We will have all the time in the world,” I informed her with a wry smirk. “Later.”
“I can be patient if you can.” Evangeline flashed me a wink, and then I was pulled away by another courtier.
We partied with the nobles for several hours until the crowd began to disperse, but that’s when I spotted Ako Gray talking to Riondale and Jaxtom. I quickly crossed the distance to the three men, and I greeted the shapeshifter with a friendly smile.
“Congratulations on your new job,” I said as I shook his fuzzy hand.
“I hear you have something to do with that,” Ako replied with an arched eyebrow. “Thank you for putting in a good word for me. I feel like we haven’t had any time to really get to know each other yet, so I’m a little confused as to why you considered me the best man for the job, but I am grateful in any case.”
“Chalk it up to my godly instincts,” I chuckled. “I just had a really good feeling about you.”
“I was just telling your men that this party is kind of drab compared to what I’m accustomed to,” the cat-man informed me with a wry grin. “They said there’s a tavern in the city they’re fond of. Sound like something your godly instincts would be interested in, Sir Bash?”
“An after party, you say?” I stroked my stubble beard. “I’m down.”
Ako looked at the ground and back up with a confused expression on his face, but then he shrugged. “I take it you mean you are willing to participate in some late night shenanigans.”
“Sounds like he knows you well,” Riondale interjected in an amused tone.
“I’ve never drank a god under the table before,” Ako pointed out.
“Now, that sounded like a challenge.” I grinned. “And I’m always ready for a challenge.”
“Oh, man, do ye have a thing to learn about Bash here.” Jax tossed back his head and let out one of his big belly laughs. “I’ve got ta see this.”
“Let’s all go,” I suggested. “Give me a minute to grab the girls, and then we’ll have the servants bring a carriage around to the courtyard for us.”
“It’s not too far,” Riondale said. “We could walk.”
“Why walk when you can ride in style?” I waggled my eyebrows at the young lieutenant. “All part of being in the company of the Archduke, Ri-guy.”
I found my three women with some of the other members of our entourage, and I quickly explained what was going on. A short while later, my twelve followers, three women, Ako Gray, and I were all riding in carriages through the city of Vallenwood in search of the tavern Jaxtom had grown fond of during our time here.
When we pulled up in front of the Wicked Wench, I laughed out loud, since it looked more like a brothel than a bar. It was a bit of a surprise that this was the place my blacksmith wanted to bring our new friend for our first night of drinking shenanigans, but I would go along with it.
“Why, Jax, what kind of bar is this?” Mahini asked as she stepped from the carriage and gave the establishment an appraising glance.
Jaxtom merely tossed back his head and let out another one of his big belly laughs, but then Riondale emerged from the carriage, and the young lieutenant's face turned bright red, which made the blacksmith cackle even harder.
“This is the best day of my life,” Jax chuckled as he clapped the shorter man on the back.
“You’re an evil genius, my friend,” Ako observed as he came to stand beside Riondale. The cat-man shot my red faced lieutenant an amused glance, and then he turned his gaze back to the entrance of the brothel. “I thought I’d already seen all the beauty Sorreyal had to offer, and then you brought me to a garden of bliss. Thank you, Master Smith.”
“It’s the least I could do,” Jax replied
“Oh, my,” Caelia breathed, and her face turned an impossibly red shade.
“Oh, you’ll be fine,” Elissa giggled, and she hooked her arm through the timid shop keeper’s elbow. “This is going to be fun, I promise you.”
“She doesn’t lie,” Eva said as she stepped forward to take Caelia’s other elbow.
Then the two girls practically dragged the shy woman toward the front door of the Wicked Wench, and I followed a few paces behind while Jaxtom grabbed Riondale around the shoulders to urge him forward. A few moments later, my entourage, Ako, and I were all enjoying drinks in a private room, and the space was filled with the sound of laughter.
“Tell us a story, Sir Bash!” Ako requested loudly from across the room as two dancers giggled in his arms. “I hear you’ve been on some crazy adventures.”
“That I have,” I laughed, and I lifted my mug in the air to acknowledge his words. “But I want to hear some tales of your travels first, if you don’t mind.”
“How about the story of when I drank an old hag to sleep?” Ako cackled with drunken bliss, but he seemed to be able to hold his booze enough to maintain his composure despite being several drinks in. “She lost the bet, thank the gods.”
“And what bet was that?” I pressed.
“First to pass out had to pleasure the other the next day.” Ako shrugged while the room burst into laughter.
“How many drinks did it take?” Riondale asked in an amused tone.
The cat-man paused for a long silent moment before he responded. “Fifty.”
“Impossible.” I shook my head in disbelief. “That would kill a man.”
“You forget,” Ako chuckled. “I am no mere man, and I was drinking with a woman. We both lived to tell the tale… but one of us left a little happier than the other.”
“You seriously made her go through with the bet?” Jax cackled.
“A woman is only as good as her word, no?” Ako arched one eyebrow as he lifted his mug to his lips once more. “Plus, after the teeth are gone…”
“No, my friend, no… Please stop talking now…” Riondale begged as his face turned a pale shade of green.
“Gross.” Eva wrinkled her nose.
“I think it’s sweet,” Elissa giggled. “Everyone gets old. At least she didn’t lose her spark.”
Mahini shook her head with a wry smirk, but she didn’t comment.
While the story was hilarious, I wasn’t entirely sure it was factual. Ako seemed like a stand-up guy, but I had a feeling he was embellishing the details a little to make the story more interesting. The tale was fun, to say the least, so I couldn’t fault him for it.
We continued to party for several hours, and Ako and I grew closer and closer with each round of alcohol. We took turns paying for it, but I lost track of whose turn it was after a while. By the time several members of my entourage were beginning to yawn, the cat-man and I had laughed, sang, and told stories until our eyes turned red.
Ako was especially charming to the dancers who worked at the establishment, and they didn’t seem opposed to his advances in the slightest. I expected my women to show some signs of jealousy when I flirted with the working girls, but instead they all encouraged me to appreciate the views. While the dancers were attractive for the most part, none of them could hold a candle to any of my lovers, so I knew I’d managed to snag the most beautiful women in all the realm just for myself.
Being a god was fucking awesome.
The shapeshifter taught me some songs from all over the world while we drank and enjoyed the rest of the night, but soon my entourage was urging me to return to the palace. Riondale had managed to maintain enough sobriety to think ahead and had summoned our carriages once more, and I was grateful for the ride since I didn’t think the majority of my companions were in any state to walk back.
I barely remembered the ride back to the palace, and I was soon passed out in a tangle of limbs and hair as my ladies and I spread out across the king sized bed. I slept deep, and it took me a moment to realize what had woken me up.
Then I heard the knock upon my chamber door again, and I squinted into the late morning sunlight streaming in through the window. We’d all been out on the town until the wee hours of dawn, so I hadn’t expected anyone to be up early the next day. My lovers were all still fast asleep in the bed beside me, and the knock hadn’t stirred any of them from their slumber, so I carefully extracted myself before I crossed the room to the portal.
Beyond the barrier stood a servant in the king’s uniform, and his eyes were wide with fear when I met his gaze.
“Forgive me for the intrusion, Your Grace,” the servant pleaded in a cautious tone. “But I was sent to bring you to the king.”
“What happened?” I frowned. “Is the king okay?”
“I am merely a messenger, Your Grace.” The servant shook his head. “All I know is you must come to the king’s private chambers immediately.”
“Alright,” I sighed. “Give me a minute, and we’ll head that way.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” The servant bowed, took a couple of paces back, and folded his hands together against his lower back. “Take your time, Your Grace.”
I dressed quickly in the same clothes I’d worn the night before, and I raked a hand through my hair to get the worst of the tangles out. Then I followed the king’s messenger through the corridors of the palace to an area I hadn’t been to before. There were guards around every junction, and servants dashed to and fro down every hallway.
The messenger led me to a ornately carved door painted in a landscape scene, and he knocked gently upon the doorframe. “Your Majesty, I have brought the Archduke.”
“Send him in,” the king’s voice called through the barrier.
“Thanks.” I nodded to the servant before I entered King Frederick’s personal chambers.
The rooms beyond the painted door put the west wing to shame, and I tried to control my expression as I scanned the richly decorated space. Everything looked valuable, from the porcelain flower vases to the marble tables that held them. My footsteps were silent as I walked across the thick rugs, and I imagined how hard it was to clean them without electric vacuums.
“Ah, Sir Sebastian, there you are at last.” The king clapped his hands together as he stood from the low sofa situated in the middle of a large living room. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Then your messenger walks slow,” I replied in a dry voice. “I came as soon as I got the request.”
“Forgive me for disturbing you so early in the morning,” the king said with a sympathetic smile. “I hear you were celebrating until the early hours.”
“Yeah, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to make this quick so I can go back to sleep.” I crossed my arms over my chest as a yawn escaped my lips. “What’s so important, anyway?”
“The Duke of Edinburg is gone.” The king furrowed his brow and pursed his lips. “His cell was found bare a few hours ago.”
“He left without telling you goodbye?” My eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Yes, it appears so,” the king sighed, and he entirely missed the sarcasm in my voice.
The duke had done me a favor by fleeing justice, though, since now I could openly condemn him. He’d made himself guilty through his own actions, and I didn’t have to lift a finger to get him to do it.
But there was one thing the Duke of Edinburg hadn’t thought of before he turned tail like a coward.
I was the God of Winning, and I would always come out the victor.
