*** Mistress, a few days ter ***

  The princess let me know she was ing in today. Finally, I'll get an answer about Alzi. I hope she doesn't buy her. I don't want to deal with an angry Yuki. I have a feeling she is spying on me now. The past few days she seems to always know where I am. I don't know how; she should only have eai csses, but kitsune be tricky, and she is old, possibly as old as my Mother—plenty of time to build up some spying spells.

  The meeting is happening in the m, leadio think I'm not going to get lucky. The princess requested I leave my day free, hinting at a loing about the details of the sale. While I wait, I've been sweeping my offi mana, trying to find if Yuki's mana is present. I haven't found anything in the past hour, but I don't have any maion skills, so it wouldn't surprise me that I missed something when the knock finally came.

  "Please e in," I say through the door, retrag my mana aing up from my chair. The messenger es in promptly and heads straight for the firepce. I had the firepce lit already, so I just join the fake princess and wait for her to start the meetings.

  She sits for a minute before finally speaking. "I pn to buy the sve. The sale and tract will be made now, the official transfer will happen after she has given the Duchess a child."

  "I uand. Just to let you know, I had made a promise to the sve not to sell her. If you are ok with this, we tih this discussion." I say for the first time, letting the princess know about the promise. It's likely much too te to do anything, but I o try now.

  "I know. One of the girls I sent to che her mentio. I'll hahat problem."

  "Alright. Her sve tract is up in about 11 months. I want her tract to stay the same; in no more than a year, her ust fall off." I say. The most important part of this tract besides the gold is this.

  "I have little use of a sve. Very well. Anything else?" The messenger asks.

  "Yes, I would like Yuki and another brothel girl I have here to have a spot in your harem. They already have pns for when Alzi leaves here, and I don't want to ruin that."

  "No, Yuki has already turned doot in my harem, and any irl here is much too weak to join." Some anger ing into her words.

  "I'm sure the only reason Yuki turned you down was to stay with the sve. She would be happy to join you and her in your harem."

  "No, she said she didn't want in, so she won't get in."

  "Well, then, Mai and Kelly o be in. Kelly is a healer, and Mai is the sve's sed friend. Kelly would be a big help in dealing with the sve's rge pregnancies and already has a great retionship with her. You'll have problems keeping her happy if you don't at least let Mai into the harem."

  "She's joining a princess's harem. She'll be plenty happy. All the nobles who have been pying with her will have to look up to her and listen to her. I don't need a brothel girl to make a sve happy."

  "She doesn't have a good retionship with nobles. A priaking away her pnned future is not going to sit well. She doesn't care about your power. She wants a family with people she loves." My firepce is going crazy as I start to ahe princess. Before, she said, she was willing to let a few girls into the harem. What happened?

  "I don't have room. I thought one of my sisters was going to back out soon, instead another joihe fight for the throne. I 't carry around useless women. Sorry, I'll have the sve and my healer. I have no use for a third and the brothel girl without an affinity is useless for nobles. Maybe I take them as simple maids, but not wives." She takes a few deep breaths, and the firepce settles down a bit.

  "You said before I could have a few spots. At least take them as es, or let them be Alzi es. She'll need support. I know that if I didn't have them here at the brothel, Alzi would've gone crazy forever ago."

  "Why are you using a name for a sve? I told you things have ged. I 't have dead weight around. They be maids no more."

  "That is her name; she has a timed sve tract. Timed sve tracts don't lose their name." Shit, I messed up n hard to find a way out of this faster. The Queen's underlings sent a respoo my formal request for an audieh a simple reply, stop wasting their time.

  "Fine, Alzi is powerful enough to be in. Yuki and you are the only others in this brothel who are strong enough to make it in. Your affinity isn't very useful, so I likely still wouldn't let you in." A big sigh came from her. "This isn't a simple noble marriage. This is a fight for the throne. I 't have women who 't help me."

  "They will help you; they'll keep Alzi happy and w with you."

  "I do that without them."

  "You're w with a girl from a small town that only has dragonkin; she doesn't think or behave like the nobles you're used to. You only deal with citizens who see you as a hero. Here, you'll be a vilin, taking her from her lovers. You'll want help."

  "Don't tell me what I need. I need powerful wives. Give me girls like that, and I'll let them in."

  "Then I don't think this sale tinue. You aren't upholding your end of the deal."

  "Are you sure that is a good idea?" is all she says baot that I'm paying any attention to her words. My eyes are glued to the fire. I feel dread filling my body as I stare into it. I'm not sure how, but all I see dang in the fmes is my death.

  "Please, you made promises. I've made promises. We don't seem to be able to keep them all with this deal."

  "I think we ; give me a few girls with some actual power, and I'll marry them. All promises are kept now."

  With the finish of her statement I feel a fme jump and pass through my heart. Sweat drips down my face as I realize I don't have a choiymore. Shit, Alzi, sorry, I'm not dying for you.

  "I don't have any irls to hat's fine. I 't ge the price."

  "Don't worry about that. In a week, a tract will e. Sign in, and the gold will move to your safe. I'll give you some extra due to not marrying any irls. I'll be having a few girls e by every few days to che Alzi's progress. The tract will have with it a way to tact me; use it when Alzi goes into bor. What is her current status? I want to know csses and level."

  "Yes, her current level is nine. Csses are Sex sve, Prostitute, and Breeder. Her current css is current one is High Breeder."

  "I work with that. If she mao get to twenty-five, don't have her pick a new css. I'll choose it."

  "Yes, yhness."

  "Mana?"

  "Sixteen thousand."

  "That high? No wonder she was able to go all night. Any nonsexual skills?"

  "No."

  "Very well. I expect you to sign the tract the day it is sent." She warns, getting up and leaving, not waiting for my response. I sit for a while, wishing I had figured a way out before this mess happened.

  *** Yuki ***

  That bitch. Should I kill the princess? No that'll spark a war likely ending with me sacrificed. The princess did threaten the Mistress; I could try to get the Queen to rule, saying it is an illegal tract. But I'll have to fear the princess shing out, killing Mai, Kelly, or even Alzi. The Queen won't do much for the death of any of them. Well, maybe Alzi, but the rest won't get the princess more than a sp on the wrist. She's likely just forced to sit out of the race, which she'll have to do anyway when she loses Alzi.

  I'll have to work to get the Queen to grant me a request. The request will be to marry the princess or if she hasn't married Alzi yet, take Alzi for myself. I'll o find a few girls to fight alongside me. Mai, Kelly, and Alzi's Mother only be home support. I'll have to find a few other strong advehat want to marry the stupid fug princess. Fug hell, this bitch is making me wait for a kid. I'll have to ask for help from a friend. I find strong enough warriors in the capital, but the strong mages will be taken already. Shit, I don't want to deal with that crazy girl, but I don't remember anyone else willing to leave our realm.

  I let my body move by instin my current appoi; my pitch to Nakuma the Crazy and Mother is more important right now. Nakuma doesn't care that much about kids, her main focus is me and magic. Which is first depends on the day or sometimes the hour. Hopefully the promise of travel and me should vince her. My Mother is different. Our leader for a millennium likely won't be happy I haven't checked in for the st y years. But Alzi will be an easy sell; a rainbo appear casually.

  When my dances finally cludes, I give a half-hearted bow and quickly leave. I don't have a parade, allowio run back to the brothel. Ariawyn will be left behind, but she's smart enough to know I ran ahead. I don't stop for anything and head straight to my room, where I start up a unication spell.

  "Daughter you finally decide to che." An arrogant voies out.

  "Yes, I'm sorry. I got a little caught up, but I have found a good seed, which I think makes the wait worth it." I say, trying my best to be respectful.

  "Really? Is this seed in a whore house, or have you beeing it on the locals to make sure it's good enough?" ing through a mog tone.

  "Right now, they are a sve in the brothel. So, yes I guess I am testing it on the locals and finding it a successful test," my smile crag.

  "Oh, I knew a virgin couldn't tell good seed from trash. I warned you to spend some time with the men here befoing out, but no, you swore you would be able to do it. Almost a hundred years, and you're talking about some whore."

  "She is..."

  "She! Why are you talking about a she?! Men, he, have seed, not she. Are you still a virgin? Did you not listen to a sihing I taught you? Useless, how is my daughter this useless." Her room is shaking violently from all the mana rippling off her. Thank the Goddesses we are not in a room together; I would be dead or crippled by her anger. Sorry to any maids in her room.

  "Herm, both parts. I know she gets girls pregnant. I am still a virgin; if I let her ihe ces I walk aregnant are too high. I 't get pregnant right now, or I lose the ce to get her."

  "Fuck that is the point. Get pregnant and e back here. If you bring the seed, do so. That was your mission."

  "I love her, Mom. She has a sve colr ht now. It is supposed to e off in a year, but she was just sold. I need some help marrying her. I o impress the Queen enough to be granted a request."

  "Just get pregnant."

  "No, you fought for a tury to get my father's love. Why would you deny your daughter something you fought so hard for? I just need Nakuma; I'll hahe rest. Then you have two girls bring kids to the realm. Plus head of the harem will be an Elf; we'll outlive her and bring back the dragon to our realm."

  "Is this elf trying to bee the Queen?"

  "Yes."

  "The Queen that joins the Queen's harem?"

  "Yes." I didn't think about that. Well, we should be able to leave the harem at that point.

  "You think you leave when the Queen es, right?" reading my mind perfectly.

  I nod.

  "You'll need help. vince me to give it."

  "A rainbon."

  "You found it. Hahaha, you found the girl. I've been waiting for you to che to ge your mission, and you found the bitch. Good, I'll obviously give you the help you need. You said she was a sve. You'll have to get the colr off before bringing her here. Sves don't survive the trip to our realm. Get pregnant if you and send me a grandchild already." A rge smile formed on my other.

  "Mother, you have grandchildren already."

  "Yes, but they aren't between the rainbonkin and kitsune. Do you know how cute those girls will be? Every time you and Nakuma get pregnant, a celebration will be happening back here."

  "I don't have time to waste being pregnant. The faster I build up to a request, the more likely I won't need your help getting her home."

  "Fine, I'll give you a few more years before you have to sneak into her bed a pregnant."

  "That should be all I need if I get some help."

  "As long as your help is that crazy friend of yours."

  "Yes, I know I wouldn't be able to get anyone else."

  "Good, I'll get her here." Stepping out of frame.

  After a few minutes, a multicirl flies into the spell. She is one of the few beings that have three affiwo are useful, the st being balloons. Fun at parties but useless during fights. The other two are more traditional for kitsune, space, and illusion. I have two: illusion and sound. She has pleted five csses and is w on her sixth, like me.

  "Hi Nakuma. I have a request to make of you..."

  "Yes, I'm already pag." She says, her tails flowing chaotically behind her—blurs of bck, red, and e flying around.

  "I didn't say anything about the request?"

  "Your mom told me. I accept. I've been waiting for you to need help. The irls thought you would e back empty-handed about forty years ago. I knew better. I knew you would need my help. I even pleted my sixth css. My new css is 'Archmage of Trickery' so much fun. I've finally got a spell that uses my balloon affinity fhting. Want to see it?"

  "Not now, Nakuma. My Mother won't be happy for you to use magi her room. Show me when you get her. Do you need instrus?"

  "No, I already know where you're at. I make it there in a month."

  "What? Have you also been stalkihis eime?" She hasn't ged o. I've caught her with my underwear a few too many times now. I really wish I didn't her out here. Maybe she'll calm down when Alzi knocks her up.

  "Yes, it has been good training for effitly using mana during trag. I wasn't able to send bay sounds ht but I have known where you are almost the eime."

  "That is a little scary, but it is ing in useful now. You don't o be here for four months; three would be best, I guess."

  "Don't worry, I'll be there in a month. I pn some time with the girl to make sure you're right about her."

  "Please don't."

  "Don't worry, I'll be smart about it."

  "Sweety, you're never smart about sex things. You would steal my underwear and then wear it the day to the bath."

  "Well, I didn't think you would look at me when I was stripping."

  "You would keep talking to me, so I didn't have much of a choice but to look over."

  "Ooh, that is why you always caught me. Hmm, I'll pretend to be mute."

  "Fine, you aren't allowed to talk. I'll tell you the day to show up. You'll just get a massage. I'm going to get pregnant from her before you."

  "Ok, that sounds nice. Well, bye. I o start leaving now."

  "Wait, how are you packed already?!"

  "Magic?"

  "How you be so good with magid so bad with everything else, and she's already gone great?" Please don't spoil anything for Alzi. Please, whatever Goddess is listening, help Nakuma not mess up my pns.