The Fantasy Trove

Bobby learns what First Knight truly entails.

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Chapter 04

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Test Results

Movement on my right brought me awake. With reality’s return came all the memories from last night. Which is why I absolutely, without a doubt, did not give an undignified squeak at finding myself naked in bed with two gorgeous women. I have no idea why Shayna giggled into my bare chest.

“What’s the deal with this pendant?” she asked me, fiddling with the chain around my neck. Her voice remained quiet; I’m guessing not to wake up Al and Jolene. Elly looked up at me; something had awoken her.

“Yeah, I wondered about it last night, also,” Elly added. “I didn’t notice a clasp to take it off, and it seems kind of plain.”

Her words didn’t bother me. It wasn’t the first time someone had commented on my good-luck charm.

“My mom gave it to me when I was four or five,” I told them, also keeping my voice down. “She said it was a family heirloom.”

“I’m so sorry,” Elly placed her hand on my chest and lifted up to look me in the eyes. The worry and concern in her expression struck me as overkill for such a simple comment. “I didn’t mean anything by my comment.”

I chuckled to let her know I wasn’t bothered, and she relaxed. “Don’t be,” I reassured her. “It is plain and simple. When she gave it to me, she told me never to take it off. She claimed that an ancient ancestor blessed it always to keep the wearer safe. No idea if the metal pendant ever had a design. My head was a lot smaller then, and I could have lifted the chain over my head. Now, I’d have to break the chain to take it off.”

“It must mean a lot to you,” Elly said, her voice solemn. “To have kept it for so long.”

“I think it’s cute and endearing,” Shayna chimed in, a grin spreading on her face. “Not as cute as the monster stiffening below my thigh, though.”

“How can you even be thinking about that?” Elly groaned. “I’m still sore from last night, even though I know he took it easy on us.”

“Well, we have other ways to please our husband,” Shayna chuckled as she reached down and firmly gripped me.

“Husband?!” I choked on the word as it burst out. Husband?!? The word echoed in my mind as both women gave me a perplexed look.

Before either could answer, someone pounded on the door, startling the bejeezus out of me. I bolted for the door, forgetting in my panic my state of undress. When I opened it to see who it was, the skinny bellhop looked down at my still-stiff sturgeon then back up to my face.

“Get dressed,” he ordered me in an even tone. “You and Al are requested to follow me once you’re decent.”

I wondered briefly how he knew Al was here, then recalled that we got the room together last night. Then I wondered what was wanted from us? Had we screwed something up? Were we in trouble? Husband?

No, don’t think about that, I ordered myself. Get dressed, see what’s going on, then get the hell out of this hotel. Sure, I took their virginities, and the night was wild—how did virgins even know how to do half that stuff? No! Don’t think about that. I barely know them. Shayna has a reputation as an ice queen. All I remember of Elly is that she always wears unflattering clothes. If I’m lucky, I can avoid them and put this whole thing behind me.

“Looks like I have to go,” I told them, unable to meet their gazes. “Al, you too.” I felt like shit, abandoning them, but I didn’t sign up to become a husband to women I barely knew!

“Any idea what they want?” Al sat up with a yawn. The sheet covering them slid back, and I got a good look at Jolene in all her glory. She didn’t seem to care about her nudity any more than the other women.

“None,” I said. “The bellhop seemed like he was in a hurry to take us, though.”

It took me a moment to find my pants and the rest of my clothes. I made the mistake of looking at the bed I slept in—and oh, so much more!—and noted the worried looks on Elly’s and Shayna’s beautiful faces. How the hell do women manage to wake up so damned beautiful with their hair in a mess?

“I’ll, um, see you at school?” I asked them, feeling like the lowest piece of shit. What was I thinking last night? I went months without hooking up with anyone, despite many opportunities thanks to my so-called blurse. Then, after one night of giving in because I thought it was the end of the world, I turn into one of those guys that fucks without a care? That’s not me! I’m in no way, shape, or form anything approaching a feminist, but I’m better than that!

“Are you okay?” Elly asked, and it sounded like she was on the edge of tears. My heart ached, knowing I was the cause of that.

“Yeah,” I lied, placing as much bravado in my voice as I could muster. “I’m just worried that I screwed up last night. Wait, no! I don’t mean with you. I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, whatever it is they want to talk to us about. At the party before meeting you. Not that meeting you was a mistake. I’m rambling and will shut up now.”

Shayna nodded and placed her hand on Elly’s pale, bare thigh. “They’ll explain it to him,” I heard the darker woman whisper. “It’ll be all right.”

I pretended not to hear, and then, because I didn’t think I could sink any lower, I walked over and gave them each a quick kiss. “I’ll see you later,” I tried to provide them with a comforting smile, but their expressions told me it didn’t work.

“I love you,” Jolene told Al, then kissed him with enough passion that I feared I’d have to drag him out.

“I love you more,” he said when she allowed him to breathe.

“We love you!” Shayna and Elly said in unison as I rushed out the door, still slipping my last shoe on. Because I’m worth less than a moldy piece of cheese being dragged into the sewers by a disease-infested rat, I pretended I hadn’t heard them.

My heart broke at the hope I heard in their voices and at my own actions in ignoring them. I mean, I’m justified in not loving two women I barely know, right? That shit is crazy!

“Are you okay?” Al asked when he joined me a few seconds later. “That didn’t seem normal in there.”

“Right?” I asked him, glad someone else saw the absurd situation as well. “What about you, telling Jolene you love her, though?”

The redheaded man gave me an odd look, but the bellhop interjected before he could respond.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat and indicated to follow after him. “Consul Willmont is waiting for you. Hurry along.”

I had no idea who that was, but that rank suggested it was a Paladonic Knight. How high up are the Consuls? I had no idea and hoped to learn before I stuck my foot in my mouth.

Again…

The bellhop led us to an elevator as I worked to salve my conscience. I felt terrible for those women, but they had to be crazy if they thought that having a threesome with them would win my heart. Relationships were much more than just sex. Seeing how my own mother suffered because my father was never there taught me that. He only ever showed up for sex or to abuse her. When I married, I intended to be a better man. A better father…

Fuck! I came in both of them last night. Shit. Shit, SHIT! I knew better than to believe the old wive’s tale about virgins not being able to conceive. It was bullshit. Hell, I came in Charlotte too! How dumb can I be? I needed to stop thinking with my dick and start using the head on my shoulders.

The elevator opening into a grand office was the only answer I had for my stupid behavior. I vowed right then to think more with my higher brain and less with my dick.

Al and I stepped out, and we realized that the bellhop didn’t follow. Without saying a word to each other, we started walking down the spacious room’s center to a man sitting behind a broad desk. On our right was an elaborate virtual reality practice golf setup. On our left was a burbling fountain, replete with giant koi fish. Our feet carried us down the long room on marble floors, past living plants and statuettes of men fighting in full armor.

As we approached the man, we saw an older gentleman with a full head of white hair and sharp brown eyes. His Latino descent was apparent with his skin tone, though his name didn’t match. The midmorning sun rose behind him, through a window that spread from wall to wall, looking over the city. I could even see the ocean in the distance.

“Good,” the man spoke with a voice that was rough but firm, “You’re finally here. I’d ask if you were feeling well after last night, but I know that neither of you drank a drop of alcohol.”

Al and I glanced at each other, then back to the man. Were we watched that closely? Neither of us spoke, waiting for Consil Willmont.

He regarded us over steepled fingers before indicating for us to sit in two rich leather seats. We remained silent as we obliged.

After a few more tense seconds, Willmont spoke again. “You two made my job much harder last night. Al, if your father was alive, he’d be demoted for telling you that First Knight is a test. I sincerely hope you don’t reveal that to your children.”

His words reminded me of my recent foolishness, and I felt my heart sink further.

I felt terrible for Al also. He idolized his father, and to get the brunt of that stare for revealing that they were being tested couldn’t be easy.

“And Bobby,” that iron-willed glare landed on me, and I swear I shrunk two inches into the chair under it. “I have half a mind to throw you out on the street and cut you off. You royally screwed the kobold on this one. Before I wipe your mind and leave you outside a gibbering idiot, how did you counteract our surveillance spells?”

“I…  What?” I stared at the man, confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What spells? I don’t know anything about—” Between my guilt at how I treated those women, and the way Willmont was attacking me, I felt way off balance.

“Cut the bullshit,” Willmont snapped and pounded his fist on the table. His dark eyes grew darker as he glared at me. I didn’t miss the way Al leaned away from me, though I didn’t blame him. This man might be much older than me, but he exuded an air of powerful menace that had me wishing I were back with the crazy women instead of here. “You’re not immune to magic, like the Daughters of Respite. The spelled succubus pheromones affected you. So the only explanation why the spells to read your thoughts, track your location, and sense your emotions failed is because you counteracted them somehow. I want to know how.”

“I don’t know!” I told him. My heart started to pound as I watched him lift a stick off his desk and aim it at me. I’d seen enough Harry Potter films to recognize a wand. The tip started to glow, and I developed diarrhea of the mouth. “I really don’t know! I don’t know what spells were cast. I don’t know any magic. I wouldn’t have the first clue on how to protect myself or counteract them. I didn’t even know spells were cast on me!”

I was proud of the fact that I didn’t go running or try to hide. Sure, I was terrified, but I was also a little relieved, if I’m completely honest. If this guy wiped my mind, I wouldn’t have to worry about how much I hurt Shayna and Elly. Hell, with my mind gone, I wouldn’t even have to worry about myself.

But I was never one to roll over and just give up. Besides, not counting my recent behavior, I rather liked who I was and didn’t want to lose that.

As those thoughts ran through my mind, I realized that I still had a mind to have thoughts. I saw Willmont’s lips moving as he muttered something, and after a moment, the light went out on the wand. His shrewd eyes regarded me for a long moment as we sat in silence.

“What do you have around your neck?” He asked me in a tone that was more of a command than a question.

“My neck?” I asked, then remembered the pendant. I also remembered the conversation this morning and fished it out from under my shirt. The simple chain was short enough that I couldn’t pull it off, and it didn’t have a clasp to remove it.”This? My mom gave this to me as a kid. She said it offered protection. I didn’t think it was real, but I kept it on anyway.”

Willmont set the wand down, then stood and walked around his large desk. When I stood as he approached, he waved me to remain seated. His weathered brown hand reached out for where I still held the medallion but halted a few inches away. He stood there for only a few seconds, muttering, before returning to his seat.

“It’s very real,” he informed me, his voice now sounded tired and worn. “I don’t know where your mom got such a powerful artifact, and I don’t know what it’s fully capable of. Wear it always. Also, keep it hidden. Many would take it from you. I can’t fully say they’d be wrong. But the truth is, some artifacts can’t be stolen. They have to be given. I sense an affinity for love and affection in that. Perhaps that’s a requirement.”

“What can it do?” Al asked, speaking up for the first time since the focus moved to me. He shrank back into his chair when Willmont looked his way, but when the older Knight spoke, his rough voice held no rebuke.

“It offers some protections, I think.” He leaned forward and regarded me over steepled fingers again. “It’s not perfect, but from what I can tell, it’s potent. I sense it protects your mind, but it doesn’t protect your body. It would take some experimentation to discover, and I don’t have the time nor the energy for that. I also suspect that it would be rather unpleasant for you.”

“Thank you,” I said, tucking the chain back under my shirt. Suddenly, it felt like I could breathe again, though I don’t remember holding my breath.

Willmont heaved a hefty sigh, then typed something on his computer. A hologram of Al’s and my faces popped up between us. Next to Al’s image, a long string of text scrolled by. Mine barely showed anything.

“I still don’t know how to score either of you,” Willmont said, indicating the two images. “Knowing that you were being tested skewed the results. Not having all the information doesn’t help.” This time he pointed to my picture. “I believe you didn’t intend to ruin everything, or else we’d be having a very different conversation, mental protection or not. Last night was already a big enough headache due to the number of new initiates. We usually have four or five, and it takes a small team to parse the data and provide me the results. We had nearly fifty last night. When there are discrepancies like you two, I have to determine how to handle it personally.”

“Very sorry to cause you this problem,” Al spoke up in a quiet voice. I nodded my agreement. I hadn’t wanted to be a Knight, but it was still my best option for my future. Unfortunately, this didn’t seem to be the best way to start out. Compound this with whatever creature I came into contact with last Wednesday, and my future looked dimmer and dimmer.

“Normally, we don’t reveal all of this to you,” Consul Willmont went on as though Al hadn’t spoken. “I’m doing so to help you understand what you’ve done. This isn’t the first time someone knew it was a test. Like I said before, we usually demote the Knight that revealed it, then analyze how the initiate handles the information. Do they spread the info, trying to garner favor? Do they hoard it and mock everyone else? Both of those shows poor decision-making on the new recruit. Initiate Mckay; you shared it with someone you viewed as an ally. Your thoughts showed that you weren’t trying to be better than the others but wanted to help your friend. That’s laudable.”

It took me a moment to realize that Al’s last name was Mckay, but I smiled at my friend when I did. Regardless of how this ended with me, I was glad he wouldn’t end up in as much trouble.

“Some of your thoughts through the rest of the night weren’t as favorable,” the Knight continued. “Multiple times, you showed jealousy or didn’t appreciate what Initiate Brody had to say.” He paused and scrolled through the text associated with Al’s hologram. “Here, you mentally cussed him out for pulling you from the dining hall. And here, you disagreed with his decision to avoid the pharmacy but kept quiet instead of speaking up. And finally here, near the end of the night—”

“Do we really need to go into that?” Al cut in, his cheeks turning even redder than his freckles made them.

“This is usually done with more privacy, but with these circumstances, I’m bending the rules,” Willmont informed him in a tone that said, ‘Do not interrupt me again.’ “I’m sure Brody had some thoughts about you as well, but I don’t have a record of them. Now then, as I was saying. At the end of the night, you showed jealousy not at the fact that he had two women and you only had one, but at how thick his cock was, compared to yours. You balanced that out with pride in how long yours is.”

“I’m sorry, man,” Al whispered to me, shaking his head, his expression mortified.

“Don’t be,” I whispered back, then lied. “I had the same thoughts, but in reverse.” The truth is, I never noticed what he was packing. I turned back to the older Knight, wondering if that level of detail was truly necessary. I saw those shrewd brown eyes regarding us, then he nodded and typed something in. Was he trying to drive a wedge between us?

“I think the best way to continue from here is to go through the rest of the evening and let you know how you performed.” Willmont scrolled to the top of the texts for both images, then focused on Al’s. “This way, you’ll understand where you both stand. After discussing things outside the first dance hall, you both entered and took stock of your surroundings. Brody, I appreciated what you said about the mental state of beautiful women. However, it was a bit reductive and stereotyped them. It also doesn’t hold true for the women here.”

I thought back over the conversation and remembered telling Al how beautiful women tended to be crazy, cheaters, or too self-serving. Of course, considering how fast the women fall in love, I’d have to say they were indeed crazy. I chose to keep my mouth shut, though.

“Neither one of you drank, though our files on both of you indicate that you’re not averse to drinking alcohol. Even if one of you is underage.” Willmont pulled two folders out from his desk, and I saw our names printed on the front. I suspected they had all of our information documented in them. I felt uncomfortable with how much info they had. I remembered the questions the lawyers asked me, coupled with the interrogation afterward. If they had all that, why perform this other test?

Because it allowed them to get our thoughts, I realized, answering my own question. Last night’s test let them see how we thought in a controlled environment.

“Mckay, your decision to move on was good, but so was Brody’s caution. You two make a good team. Of course, it’s a good thing that Guardian Mckay—your father—didn’t give you any more advice. He already told you too much.” Willmont’s voice smoothed out as he spoke, though it never lost its rough edge. “Once in the hallway, you evaluated again and made a decision based on your stomach.”

Willmont scrolled down, looking between the two images for a moment before he spoke again. “Your food choices don’t make much of a difference, but you chose to waste food. Care to explain, Initiate Brody? You were the one to abandon that room. The women were attractive, and the food was delicious.”

I looked at Al as I remembered the situation. Taking a moment to think back, I told him, “Both were good, but… I prefer to get to know a woman better, and she was a bit too forward for my tastes. If she were willing to kiss me like that before even getting my name, I wasn’t interested. Who else had she been with?”

Consul Willmont raised his grey eyebrow, then shook his head. Opening each of the folders on his desk, he pulled out the paper on top. I saw that it had my name, picture, and some biographical information. That info even included a portion on intelligence and potential. I glanced between mine and Al’s and noted that he had a much higher potential listed than me, though our intelligence was about equal. He was also listed as a follower, where ‘Leader?’ was placed on mine.

“Every woman is given a folder with all the initiate’s info on it like this,” Willmont informed us. “They knew your name and more about you than your own mothers. If they chose to kiss you, it’s because they liked what they saw.”

“This even has my porn preference!” Al gasped in dismay as he read over his paper. “That means Jolene knows I have a foot fetish.” That’s what bothered him? Not that his information was boiled down to what was on that paper?

“We’ll get more into the women later,” Willmont snapped and pulled the papers back. “At least I understand what you thought at the time. Good to know you don’t think with your penis.”

That you know of, I chided myself. I chose not to add that Meg’s name also reminded me of my ex.

Willmont gave me a look as though he’d read my mind, but with the pendant, I knew better. Or had he lied to me about that? Had I said something about Megan? I couldn’t remember.

“The next room you chose was the game room,” Willmont went on as though he were satisfied. “I’m a bit surprised, Brody, considering your proclivities that you didn’t stay longer. What made you leave so fast?”

“I wasn’t there to play video games,” I replied, barely remembering that room. “If it was a test, I didn’t think it was in our interests to goof off.”

Willmont grimaced before he spoke. “I’ve already revealed more than is customary and plan on telling more. Guess I should explain the purpose of this test. First Knight is designed to do several things. One of which is to determine how people act in certain situations. We try not to make it stressful, but it allows us to see what makes people tick. It also allows us to guide new recruits into jobs and positions that suit their strengths and preferences. Stopping and playing games isn’t a bad thing unless you do it to the exclusion of all else. Doing this allows us to gauge what kind of potential you have as a Paladonic Knight. Well, moving on. McKay, your fixation on how attractive a woman is would be a detriment if you didn’t already know that you were looking for your future wife.”

My heart stopped as I heard those words, and I started choking. Was everyone crazy? Willmont gave me a look that made me swallow before he said, “You’ll understand when I’m done and if I’m satisfied.”

I nodded and kept my mouth closed. I struggled to swallow my coughs until my throat cleared.

“We already discussed Al’s desire for the pharmacy. That is perhaps the one room where it is a bad idea to enter and stay. Very few ever make it out of there. But then you chose the cocktail lounge. As long as you were both in there, I’m shocked you made it out. Even with as little food as you ate, you already had the aphrodisiacs in your system. The cocktail lounge is pumped full of pheromones. Those women have been in the system for some time, and they tend to get a bit desperate. Yet, despite the apparent evidence that it affected you both, you moved on. Impressive show of willpower. Especially coupled with your performance in the last room.”

I cringed, remembering how insistent the women were in the cocktail lounge and glad to move on. Until I remembered that meant we were about to discuss Elly and Shayna.

“Initiate Mckay, you saw what you wanted and went for it. That can either be a good trait or a bad one. Considering how aroused you must have been, your ability to hold back is impressive. Security is always on high alert when a man successfully leaves the cocktail lounge without a woman. Rape is not tolerated. And Brody, your willingness to look out for your friend instead of jumping on the first woman you saw is also to be commended. You both handled yourselves well with intelligent women.”

“What was the overall theme for that room?” Al asked, forgetting that he was supposed to remain quiet. “The other rooms, I understood. Dancers in the dance halls, women unafraid to eat in the dining room, and so on, but the conference room wasn’t much of a conference room.”

Willmont glared at Al for a moment before answering. “The women in that room have the most business potential and intelligence. Jolene Hogahm is working on her economy major while balancing cheerleading and a full-time job. She is driven, dedicated, and has a bright future ahead of her if you let her.”

I had to wonder why she would work if the Knights provided for her? Willmont turned to me, and for the briefest moment, I thought his demeanor turned rueful. I had to be imagining it, though. “It is very uncommon that a man leaves with two women on First Knight. The women know what that entails and usually avoid it.”

I stared at the old Knight, both curious what he meant and terrified to find out. When I didn’t speak, he went on.

“Shayna Lancel is still early in her degree path but intends to be a surgeon. I believe you met her father, one of the lawyers that you signed the forms with? She wants to be more like her mother than follow in her father’s footsteps.”

It took me a moment to think back that far yesterday. After everything else, it felt more like last week, instead of less than twenty-four hours ago. Peter Lancel was an obese man, and it was hard to reconcile the petite Shayna with having such a rotund father.

“And finally, Eleanor Macnamara is close to finishing her second doctorate, this one in psychology. Her first was in business administration. Before you ask, she graduated high school at fourteen, and it’s taken her less than nine years to get to where she’s at. I don’t know whether to congratulate you or pity you for finding a woman so much more intelligent than you.”

This all has to be a dream, I thought. I didn’t know if it was a nightmare or what, but this couldn’t be reality. Why would such women choose to leave with me? Why’d they give up their virginity to me? But, of course, Consul Willmont wasn’t done dropping the bombshells on us.

“All three women have passed on other men during previous First Knights. Both Jolene and Eleanor have been to multiple First Knights and have abstained from any suitors. This was only Shayna’s second since she turned nineteen. Still, her reputation in school as cold and aloof has carried over here as well.”

The silence that fell was loud enough to hurt my head. Or maybe I was overthinking everything. Why would women with such bright futures and smarts choose men like us? I’m not knocking on Al, but he hadn’t displayed anything that I knew women were attracted to. Unless there was something in those documents Willmont showed us? And what was this ‘husband’ business? There was something I missed, and my stomach churned with dread at what it might be.

Everything he just revealed contradicted the three love-struck women we left in our room. They were too smart to fall for men like us.

Then my eyes landed on the wand still sitting on Willmont’s desk.

“You used magic on the women.” The words were out of my mouth before I could think better of it. Then I didn’t care and let the words spill from my lips. It was too much for me to handle or hold back, and I didn’t like the implications that came to mind. “You said that rape isn’t allowed, but if they can’t decline, then it’s not rape. Well, it is, but… Why else would women of that caliber… And then the way they acted this morning—”

“I’m going to stop you before you say something you’ll regret,” Willmont’s voice cut me off with finality. “I already told you that the women knew who you were before you arrived. It is up to them to decide if they’re interested or not. Both Jolene and Eleanor have ignored plenty of other men. Men that many in the order felt were very worthy. We don’t force them to choose. That is left to them to decide. They also understood what it meant to give up their virginity to you.”

“What it meant?” I asked, though my voice was barely a whisper.

“Initiate Mckay, you seem to know more than you should. Care to explain it to him?”

I turned to face my redheaded friend, seeing him in a new light. He knew magic was being used on the women, and he still went through with it?

“I don’t know all the details,” Al hedged, shrugging his shoulders, then rushing on under Willmont’s glare. “From what I understand, every woman here last night knows that if they sleep with a man, they’re bound to them. It’s… Um… Well, it’s why I was kind of picky last night.”

“Bluntly put,” Willmont drolled. “Technically correct, but missing a lot of nuances.”

“Why would any woman agree to that?” I asked, horrified at the implications. Then I remembered how Elly and Shayna acted last night with one another and shuddered again. They weren’t just bound to me but to each other as well. Was that what Willmont meant earlier about the women usually avoiding what that entailed, or was there more?

“Most men would be happy to know their woman is devoted to them, without question,” Willmont said, the rough edge in his voice becoming more pronounced. “But I’ll answer your question as you asked it. Every woman here last night is either the daughter of an upstanding Paladonic Knight or was rescued off the streets. They receive the finest education, their needs are met, and they are offered the chance to attend their first First Knight when they turn nineteen. The only thing we ask is that they remain pure. If they don’t, then we turn them away, no questions asked, no debts owed. Then, when they turn twenty-seven, if they are still without a Knight husband, they’re given a choice to make it in the world on their own with the skills and knowledge we provided or remain pure and continue living off the Knight’s largess. They are not forced to choose a man but know that their emotions will be tied to any man they choose until his death.”

I sat, stunned at the revelations. If what Consul Willmont said was true, then Shayna and Elly picked me based on whatever was written in my file. It seemed like such a fragile thing to set the rest of your life on.

Then Al had to go and make it worse.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot,” he sounded way too excited for the news that was revealed. “Isn’t there some kind of enchantment to ensure that a child is conceived? I think that’s why Jolene’s navel piercing glowed every time I came in her.”

“Yes, that’s part of the reason we use the aphrodisiacs to increase your potency,” Willmont confirmed with an annoyed expression. “I’m almost surprised that you feel the way you do, Initiate Brody. Considering your mother was one such woman. Of course, it’s my hope that learning of the important work your father did would allow you to forgive him.”

My mother? I suppose I should have known, but it either never occurred to me, or I chose to ignore all the facts. Or everything was piling on top of me faster than I could sort out. It explained why she always cared for him, despite how he treated her. But why would she have picked him in the first place? Did that mean she was free of that emotion now that he was dead?

I don’t care what my father did his whole life. Al was proof that he could have cared more about his family if he’d wanted to. And looking around this opulent office, it wasn’t as if they didn’t have a little to spare for my mother. We grew up dirt poor, barely getting by on the scraps that fell from these men.

“I don’t remember saying you could go,” Willmont’s voice brought me out of my fugue. “Sit back down, Initiate Brody, and I’ll make the rest of this quick. There are a couple of things I need to say, then I’ll assign your first mission.”

I blinked, looking around. When did I stand up? My numb legs brought me back to my chair, but for the life of me, I didn’t know what he could say that would make any of this better.

“Initiate Alfred Mckay and Initiate Bobby Brody, stand up.”

I blinked, confused. Didn’t he just tell me to sit down? And why the formality? But, instead of saying anything, I did as told. The sooner I could leave, the sooner I’d get away from this madhouse.

“After reviewing the events from last night and seeing the way you care for your brother Knight, working as a team, as well as your concern for the welfare of your fellow humans, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Carpenter. May you do honor to the rank, humanity, and the brotherhood as a whole.”

*    *    *    *

My mind was a jumbled-up mess as I walked into the late morning sunlight outside the hotel. I didn’t know what to think or what to think about. According to Consul Willmont, I was as good as married. Typically, I would have only been married to Elly, with Shayna as our consort. But one of the few decent things that Ambassador Snow changed since corrupting the United States government was allowing plural marriages. I had two wives. Two women I barely knew were devoted to me and me alone. I was even more important to them than the Paladonic Knights. I remembered their faces as I all but ran from the room, making me sick to my stomach.

And they were most likely pregnant. Fuck me! No, on second thought, that’s how I got here…

And my mom… Twice on the cab ride to my dorm, I grabbed my phone to call her, but I didn’t know what I would say. ‘Hey, ma. Guess what? I’m a Paladonic Knight now. Oh, by the way, I finally understand why you put up with my abusive father. Your mind was fucked by the same Knights that I now belong to. Oh, and before I forget, you’re going to be a grandma! Sorry, I forgot to invite you to the weddings, but it was quite the blast!’

No matter how it played out in my head, it sounded insane.

“Dude, you look like crap,” Joshua informed me as I walked into our room. “Seeing you like that is why I don’t go to parties. Especially not on a Thursday night. At least class is out until after next week.”

“Uh-huh,” I nodded and fell onto my bed. I buried my head in my pillow and willed the world to go away.

“Speaking of classes being canceled,” Josh went on as though I were the most attentive roommate in the world. “They’re offering grief counseling for anyone who wants it. My church is also volunteering to assist anyone who’s been affected by everything. Did you have any family along the Gulf Coast?”

I didn’t answer, and after a moment, he went on, his voice somber.

“Oh, right. Your dad died, didn’t he? Man, the whole thing is tragic. Florida is all but wiped off the map. Louisiana isn’t much better. No word on the Bahamas or from Mexico. I guess whatever happened even knocked out satellites, so communications are spotty. It’s hampering the relief efforts.”

“Do they know what happened?” I asked. Maybe if I focused on this, I could ignore everything else for a bit. I lifted my head and rolled to face Joshua.

“No one knows for certain,” he told me. “The news agencies report that there was a bright flash, then a massive tidal wave took out everything around the Gulf of Mexico. There’s speculation that the Paladonic Knights set off another massive bomb, this one many times stronger than the one in Wyoming. But no one knows why they would do it. What was their aim?”

Nope! The conversation came right back to them. Damn the Knights! Why did they have to screw up my entire life?

“So, got any plans for the weekend? Do I need to give you some space to bring someone back here?” This was one of the things I usually liked about Josh. He might disapprove of how I lived my life, but he didn’t judge me or try to change who I was. I knew others in his religion that weren’t as open-minded.

“I won’t be bringing any women back here, ever again,” I said and didn’t miss how hollow my voice sounded.

“Wow, it must have been some party if you’re swearing off women completely!” Josh chuckled, and I knew he was trying to cheer me up. It didn’t work. I didn’t know how to explain to a Mormon of all people that my issue was having multiple wives. I know most Mormons hadn’t practiced polygamy since the eighteen hundreds but didn’t want to discuss the stigma from that.

I also couldn’t discuss the mission that Consul Willmont assigned me as I left. Even if I wasn’t happy about being a married man, how was I supposed to follow the orders I was given?

“Oh, before I forget, I found that red envelope under the door when I got up this morning. I put it on your desk.” I looked over to my desk and noted the red envelope with black handwriting on it. There was no stamp.

Probably some scam or attempt to get money out of me, I thought with a dark chuckle. Little did they know I had nothing to give them. No money, no life, no future, and even my soul was spoken for. I had nothing left to give. I almost tore it up and tossed it in the bin, but morbid curiosity got the better of me.

I was wrong. Not only was it not a scam, but there was something else the Knights could take away from me.

“What is it?” Josh asked, concern thick in his voice. “You look like you’re going to vomit.”

“It looks like you’re going to need to find a new roommate,” my voice came out empty and broken, just like me. I had lost the one place I could still almost call my own. Sure, I didn’t own the room or the bed, but it was my little slice of the world to sleep in. “I’m being relocated to a new address.”

“What? Why?” Josh demanded. “We get along great! I don’t want to have to get used to someone else. We respect each other. Did you lose your scholarship? Did I offend you?”

I shook my head as I read over the notice again. Movers would be here within an hour to get my stuff and take it to a special place for my two new roommates and me. I knew what that meant, even if the paper didn’t spell it out.

Jumping off my bed, I grabbed my overnight bag, stuffed it with some clothes that I’m pretty sure were clean, and barely said goodby as I charged out the door.

I rarely ever drive. Not because I don’t like to, but because most of what I need is on campus or a short cab ride to where I have to go. When I go to ladies’ night—went to ladies’ night—someone else either drove or covered the charges. Also, my gas-guzzling, rusted-out, brown Chevy Cavalier isn’t the most reliable vehicle.

Still cheaper than a cab to where I decided on the spur of the moment to go. It took a moment for the engine to start, but once it did, and I waited five minutes for it to warm up so it wouldn’t die immediately on me, I was glad it had a full tank.

My destination was only a couple of hours north. The FM stereo didn’t work, and I wasn’t about to listen to AM. Setting my phone on the dash, I blared techno from its teeny speakers. No one listens to techno? Fuck you, Al and Eminem! I needed something with an upbeat rhythm, and it worked. I should have brought my headphones since they produced better bass, but I’d left them behind in my rush to get out.

I wasn’t prepared for the flood of emotions as I parked out front—or the memories. I’d skinned my knee when learning to ride a bike coming out of the driveway. Pidgeons used to roost in that tree, and every spring and summer, they drove me nuts with their cooing. I had my first kiss when my neighbor invited me behind her garage, and…

I cut off those thoughts and walked up to the front door. I wondered at the unknown vehicle in the driveway where I used to park before moving out. The little blue Datsun truck looked in only slightly better condition than my car.

Years of conditioning kicked in, and I attempted to walk in. Instead, I face-planted against the door when I couldn’t stop my body and found the door was locked.

“What the hell?” I muttered as I rubbed my nose. I know this is California, but my mom lives far enough out that she rarely locks the door. Of course, this is the first time I’ve stopped by unannounced since—

“Who the hell are you?” an unknown person demanded from the other side of the locked door. The voice was muffled enough that I couldn’t make out the gender. “And why are you trying to knock down my door?”

I took a step back and looked at the house. Did I accidentally pull up to the wrong one in my distress? I wondered. But, no, I knew this was the home I grew up in. Over to my right was the mark I’d left in the siding when I crashed my pedal bike into the house. I wasn’t an excellent bike rider, if you couldn’t tell. But I got really good at taking a fall. Eventually, I managed to ride all over the neighborhood, but—why am I writing this down? No one cares about my childhood bike riding woes.

“I’m here to see my mom,” I told the voice on the other side of the door as I continued to rub my nose. My eyes were watering, but I was pretty sure I hadn’t broken it. “Who are you?”

“I’m the one paying enough rent to ensure weirdos don’t come barging into my home,” was the surly response I received.

“I’m not a weirdo,” I called back. “I used to live here.”

“Your voice is slurred like a weirdo.”

Who the hell is this? And where is my mom? I wanted to shout and bang on the door to let me in, but I took a deep breath and steadied my nerves. Whoever this was thought they lived here. My mom hadn’t mentioned moving or anything, so I wanted to get to the bottom of this, and losing my temper wouldn’t help.

“I sound like this because I hurt my nose trying to walk into my mother’s home,” I groused and dropped my hand, so it wasn’t muffling my voice. “Is she home?”

“Depends,” came the quick reply. “Who’s your mom?”

Seriously? I balled my fists and took another breath. “Susan Brody.”

“If you’re her son, why don’t you have a key?”

I almost lost it. I came here to collect my thoughts and hopefully find some answers. After the last couple of days, the last thing I wanted was to get interrogated outside of my childhood home.

“Because I’ve never needed one to see my own mother,” I snapped with perhaps a little more heat in my voice than I intended. “She rarely ever locked the door when I was here.”

I heard the door unlock and watched it open. “Yeah, I’ve been telling her that she needs to be more mindful, but Susan has a huge heart.”

Based on the muffled voice and the attitude, I expected a grumpy old man or an old woman. Instead, I saw a redhead about half a foot shorter than me with piercing blue eyes. I immediately hated her.

“Who are you?” I demanded, taking a step back from her.

“Curious,” she regarded me with a thoughtful expression. “Your mom told me a lot about you. She said you were handsome—which I see now is an enormous understatement. But she also claimed you were polite and friendly. I guess she didn’t really know you. And… oh, wow! You reek of sex.”

I stopped myself from grinding my teeth at her blunt statements. I realized I hadn’t showered since the day before after swearing in to become a damned Knight. She didn’t have to wrinkle her nose and back away from me like that, though. I avoided thinking about why I stunk like sex.

“I’m sorry, but it’s not often I come to visit my mother and find a stranger in her house,” I told her in the calmest tone I could muster. But, from her facial expression, I could tell it wasn’t very effective.

“I’ve been renting the spare room for about three months now,” she told me. “I’m not a stranger to Susan. You’d know that if you bothered to visit her a little more often.”

Spare room? Mom doesn’t have an extra room, unless… “I guess that means you’re in my old room.”

“I guess it does,” she matched my annoyed tone. “Since I’m paying for it, don’t think you’re going to be getting it back.”

“I need to talk to my mom,” I stated, trying to steer the conversation to the reason I drove all this way. I looked past the woman but couldn’t see my mom in the tiny house. “Is she here?”

The redhead’s eyebrows drew together as she regarded me. After a few seconds, she answered, “Something is off about you. I can’t place my finger on it. How do I know you’re her son and not some doppelganger? I mean, you look like the pictures she has hanging in the hallway, if a little scruffier. You never know these days.”

I felt myself starting to shake with rage at the accusation before I could calm myself. She thought I  was an imposter? I wasn’t one of those freaks! And if she knew what I looked like, why the third degree before opening the door?

She noted my reaction and sniffed with disdain before grimacing.

I didn’t think I stunk that bad, but I also knew it was difficult to smell your own body odor. I opened my mouth to tell her that I was the one and only Bobby Brody, but she cut me off.

“She went to work this morning and probably won’t be back for a couple hours. Which you would know if you’d called her, or she was expecting you.”

I wanted to ask if that answer really required the attitude or what her deal was, but she stepped aside to let me in.

I swear, if I live to a thousand, I will never understand women.

Stepping inside my childhood home, I was hit with all the familiar smells. I felt my anger leaching away as everything was pretty much how I’d left it. It actually looked a little cleaner than the last time I was here. I knew my mom worked hard, so I usually tried to keep the house tidy. It looked like this woman was doing that now.

“Thank you,” I said through not-quite-gritted teeth. “I probably should have called, but I left my dorm in a rush. I’ll wait for her in here.”

“Oh, no, you won’t,” the woman contradicted me. “I appreciate how civil you’re being—it looks like Susan raised a gentleman after all—but you’re not sitting on that couch stinking the way you do. I don’t want you using my shower, so go get cleaned up in Susan’s. Leave your clothes outside the door, and I’ll get them washed. I know where your mom put some of your old clothes, and I’ll pull some out for you in the meantime. Go on, move! I’m sick of smelling you and whatever trollop you were with.”

I’ve never hit a woman in my life. Never have and never will. I am not my father! But it took a lot of effort not to verbally chew her out.

“They weren’t trollops. They…” I trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence. What were Shayna and Elly to me? According to Consul Willmont, they were now legally married to me. One of the documents I’d signed while talking to the lawyers—and of course hadn’t read—would by now have the two women’s signatures on it. “Nevermind. I’ll go take a shower.”

“They?” her voice carried more curiosity than condemnation. I didn’t want to think of them or deal with this woman any more than I had to.

Shoulders slumped, I went back to my mom’s room, undressed, and left my clothes outside the attached bathroom. The hot water felt great, though I had to use my mother’s fragrant soap and shampoo. I’m willing to admit here that I spent a little extra time standing under the water and wondering where I went wrong in my life.

I know most men would be ecstatic to be married to two such beautiful and sexy women. Consul Willmont let me know just how intelligent and successful both women would be and that they were now wholly devoted to me. Elly was studying psychology and would have her second doctorate soon. Shayna planned on getting a doctorate as well, but as a surgeon. She hadn’t decided which type of surgeon yet but had plenty of time to decide.

That’s all well and good, but I didn’t know them. All I knew were the rumors, and those were rarely trustworthy. Sure, I’d seen Shayna cheering on the sideline of some of my games, but I also knew that every man that ever asked her out was shut down, hard. She was known as an Ice Queen and rarely seen with any friends. No one was certain how she became the head cheerleader.

And Elly was even more secretive! I have vague memories of her in Professor Bin’s class, and they aren’t flattering. Unless I’m mistaken, she’s that weird girl that always sits in the back of the class, wearing unflattering clothes, but also has the answer to every question the teacher asks.

Not exactly the type of women I’m usually interested in. I’m attracted to intelligence, but not cold-hearted women or the shy, introverted type.

And now, they would be a part of my life until the day I died. Willmont assured us that the spell placed on the women’s navel piercing was ninety-nine percent successful in ensuring a pregnancy. Of course, there was more to that spell, but I was too numb to listen by that point. I was going to be a father. I was damned determined to be a better father than mine, and regardless of how I felt about their mothers, I would be a part of my children’s lives.

I just hoped I didn’t get Charlotte pregnant Wednesday night.

And then there was the mission that Consul Willmont sent me on. It went against every moral fiber of my being. Doubly so because I’m a married man and expectant father.

The water started to get cold, and I got out, drying myself with a rough and worn towel. My mom couldn’t afford luxurious items like soft towels.

True to her word, the redhead left a set of my old clothes on the bed. I’d grown a bit since leaving home almost four years ago. The shirt was tight across my broad chest, and thankfully she’d grabbed me some loose basketball shorts. I looked at myself in the mirror and shook my head. In high school, I had terrible fashion tastes.

When I walked out, I nearly collided with the blunt woman. She sniffed at me and then grinned before I had a chance to say anything.

“You smell a lot better,” she said as her blue eyes sparkled. “Though I don’t think lilacs and vanilla suits you.”

I’d calmed down from our earlier confrontation, but seeing her red hair and her jovial attitude almost brought it back. Nevertheless, I still managed to be civil.

“It’s incredible what a little soap and water can do,” I told her, wondering what she was doing right outside the door.

“I was beginning to wonder if you were going to be in there all day,” she said as though to answer my thoughts. “Anyway, I’m heading out to meet with some friends and then off to work. Please don’t let me find you in my bed when I get home later tonight. I know it used to be your room, but I’m the one paying rent for it.”

“I can sleep on the couch,” I told her, annoyed that she kept reminding me that she was paying rent for my old room.

She glanced into the family room and the old couch, then back to me with a raised eyebrow. “If you say so.” She turned to leave. Despite myself, I couldn’t help but notice the way her jeans clung to her slender hips and legs.

“Wait,” I called out just as she reached the front door. “What’s your name?”

She stopped and turned her torso, giving me a coy smile. “Me? I’m nobody.”

Before I got the chance to respond to her weird statement, she walked out the door.

Shaking my head, I walked into the family room and plopped onto the couch. With a yelp, I jumped back up, rubbing my ass. Looking back at the cushion, I saw a spring poking out. I knew the couch was old, but I didn’t realize how old until that moment. Ms. Nobody was right. I wasn’t going to be sleeping on this couch.

I pulled off the cushion and determined it couldn’t be fixed. Then I took a closer look at the couch and figured it was a lost cause. Between the torn and patched spots, the exposed springs, and missing legs, it all needed to be replaced.

I decided the safest place to sit was the floor. The ancient LED TV turned on with a slight hum. My mother couldn’t afford one of the holographic displays that came out a decade ago. I was surprised to find that she had cable. Growing up, all we had was what came over the air or on a few occasions when someone brought over a movie to watch.

Stomach rumbling, I realized I hadn’t eaten lunch yet. I spent a couple minutes raiding a fridge that had a little more food than I remembered. Whatever I felt about Ms. Nobody, it seemed that her living here and paying rent allowed my mom a couple more comforts.

With a ham sandwich in hand, I lost myself in some mindless television for a few hours.

The garage door opening brought me back to reality, and I stood to greet my mom.

“Honey, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” she asked as she pulled me into a hug. “I would have taken the day off.”

I pulled back, surprised. My mom never took a day off. She couldn’t afford it. Before I could ask her about that, though, every reason for me coming here flooded into my mind.

“Mom,” I said, looking into her blue eyes, the same as mine. “We need to talk.”

She regarded me for a moment before heaving a sigh. “That’s never a good way to start a conversation, but I suppose you’re right. Let me set my purse down, and we can talk at the kitchen table.”

I waited as she went to her room and returned a few moments later without her purse or shoes. “Do you want anything to drink? I actually have sodas in the fridge now.”

Part of me wanted to get drunk before this conversation, but I knew I needed to be sober. Not that she was likely to have alcohol unless Ms. Nobody did.

“Sure,” I told her and waited. I’d noticed the sodas earlier but assumed they were Ms. Nobody’s and hadn’t touched them. She brought over a cup with ice and a can. I set the cup aside, preferring to drink from the can. It was cold anyway.

My mom drank from her can but regarded me over it as she did. Then, after swallowing, she broke eye contact and looked out the window. “I suppose they told you. The lawyers, that is?”

“You knew?” I asked, only a little surprised. If what I’d pieced together were confirmed, then I knew less about my parents than I ever suspected.

“That your father was a Paladonic Knight? Of course, I knew,” she confirmed my worst fears. If she knew and was married to him, then… “And the fact that you know means that your father’s wish for you failed.”

“My father’s…?” I asked, trying to figure out what that bastard could have wished for me. “What do you mean his wish failed? I’d thought he would be ecstatic that I’m following in the asshole’s footsteps.” Oh, how those words tasted like bile in my mouth.

“Your father never wanted you to be a Paladonic Knight,” she told me with a sad shake of her head. “That’s why we never told you. And also why he was rarely around. He didn’t want you to find out. And didn’t want you to live that life.”

“He never cared about me,” I snapped. I felt my irritation rising. She always defended him. Always took his side. No matter how poorly he treated her or me, she always spoke lovingly of her husband. Well, now he was dead, and I wasn’t going to put up with it. “He beat and abused you. Damn it, Mom. Quit shaking your head! I saw the bruises! And he never had a kind thing to say to me. You don’t want to know the things he called me growing up. Things no kid should ever hear, much less be called by their own father.”

I watched as her hand reached across the table to me but pulled back before she could connect. I saw the tears forming in her eyes, but I wasn’t going to let her speak highly of the man I despised more than anything else in this world.

“You don’t understand,” she told me, her voice thick with growing emotion. “Berny hated the Knights. Hated what they did and what he had to do. He wanted to make sure that if you ever found out he was a Knight, you wouldn’t be willing to join them. So he made you hate him so that you would hate them. You don’t know how much that hurt him. You didn’t see the tears he cried at night, knowing how you felt about him.”

I didn’t believe her. I couldn’t believe her. It was too much. So many years of abuse and neglect, so I wouldn’t become a Knight? Well, a lot of good that did! “That doesn’t explain how he treated you,” I shot back. “Or are you going to claim that he beat and abused you to make me hate him also? Is all that abuse my fault, also?”

She let out a sobbing hiccup, making me feel like shit, but I had to get her to see how awful my father was. I hoped the spell was broken, and her eyes would be opened. She shook her head, still not seeing it, though. “It wasn’t abuse,” she told me after a few seconds. I let out a disbelieving grunt, wondering how she could say that after all the bruises and the nasty things he called her. Her voice grew a little firmer as she continued, though her eyes still watered. “It wasn’t abuse. I don’t expect you to understand, but I… I liked it. This is more than you probably ever wanted to know about your mother, but you need to see the man your father was, not the one you thought you saw. I’m a masochist. I loved the pain he was willing to give me. I got off on the things he called me. Yes, it was humiliating, and I loved every bit of it.”

“I…” I trailed off, feeling my stomach rise. The soda churned in my gut, making me want to vomit. She couldn’t really mean that, could she? Before I could put my thoughts back in order, she continued.

“The night your father and I met, I told him how much I liked to be dominated. He’d stumbled into the room I was in, pretty drunk. I convinced him to take me to a room and do whatever he wanted with me. It didn’t take much convincing.”

“Mom,” I protested. “I don’t want to hear this.”

“Well, tough shit,” she snapped at me, anger replacing the sorrow from moments ago. “You think I want to reveal this to you? I need you to understand the man your father was. That night, I taught him how to dominate me. How to take control and be the man I needed him to be. I got pregnant, of course. And he told me that his father forced him to join the Paladonic Knights. He didn’t hate the creatures from that other world. He didn’t want to kill. Despite what you thought of him, he wasn’t a violent man.

“We talked about it, and he wanted to keep what he did a secret from you.” My mother’s voice lost some of its heat, but compassion soon filled it. “He wanted you to live your own life. He knew other Knights who grew up knowing the truth and looked forward to the day they could take the oaths. He was afraid you might be the same. Terrified of it, in fact. He figured the best way to ensure you wouldn’t become a Knight would be to make you hate him. He knew you would find out eventually. He hoped that if you despised him, you would forge your own path. That’s also why I raised you with compassion. You don’t know how much it hurt both of us to do that to you.”

“I don’t know?” I demanded, feeling my own eyes watering up even as rage twisted my stomach into knots. “So all that childhood trauma was for my own good? That’s bullshit, Mom. Most kids that are abused grow up to be abusers as well. But something in your story doesn’t add up. I’ve seen how much money the Knights have. What was his excuse for leaving us dirt poor? I watched you work nearly every day, rain or shine, and barely make ends meet. How are you going to spin that so that it’s in my best interest?”

I expected her to shout or cry. I didn’t expect her to crack a smile. “We’re not poor, son. The Knights paid for everything. They paid for the house, all the bills, everything. I could have stayed home every day. We could have had a place twice this size, with a swimming pool and fancy cars.”

“Then why didn’t we?” I asked, shocked to hear this.

“A few reasons,” she said and sat back in her chair. “First of all, your father tried hard not to rise in the ranks. And just as he hoped you’d never join them, he failed at that. He didn’t make it to the top, but he did his best to keep his head down. His superiors saw how frugal he was, and I think that helped him get promoted. Second, every penny I made was for you. We’d planned on giving it to you when you got your degree. We were going to tell you about the Knights, and hope that you wouldn’t join them. That’s traditionally when new recruits join.”

This wasn’t the first time I’d heard we were recruited early. I guess all the Knights dying forced them to act sooner than tradition dictated.

“What else?” I asked when it appeared she wasn’t going to continue. She raised an eyebrow in question, so I added, “You said a few reasons but only gave two. Why did we live in poverty, and you worked your butt off if the Knights paid for everything?”

I saw her cheeks color, but I couldn’t imagine what would make her hesitate now after everything else she revealed. “When I was younger and hotter, I worked in a strip club. Then, when you became old enough to wonder why I was leaving every night, I got the only other job I could think of where people are abused regularly. I worked in retail.”

I sat there, stunned. I mean, what was I supposed to say? Gee, Mom. All these years, I thought you were sacrificing yourself to make ends meet; you were really just getting off. So glad you got to enjoy life while I was bullied for being poor. I had a lot more thoughts at that point, but I’m not going to write them down here. Suffice to say that I felt jilted and cheated of my childhood.

“Say something,” my mother said, reaching for my hand once more. This time I was too stunned to pull away.

“I… I think I need time to process this.” My voice sounded hollow even to me. I moved to stand, but she tightened her grip on me.

“Wait, please,” she begged. I didn’t want to be around her at that moment, but something in her eyes and voice stopped me. She’d raised me to respect women, and even though she disgusted me right then, she was still my mother. “You didn’t come here to hear my past. Since you joined the Knights, I’m guessing you attended First Knight?”

I was halted halfway up from my seat, but I collapsed back onto my butt hearing her mention last night.

“I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that you know about that, too.” I dropped my eyes to the can of soda, unwilling to look at her.

“Yes,” her voice still held that pleading quality, but I also heard compassion. “That’s how I met your father. I was in the dungeon room… I’m, um, sure you can guess why. Like I said, he was drunk, and I took advantage of that. I seduced him, and we were married that night, under the contract.”

“Wait…” I was still trying to process everything, but my mind latched onto something I could talk about. “Why did you choose him? You knew what was going to happen and did it anyway?”

She met my eyes as I looked up at her, and I was surprised to see a whistful smile on her lips. “Oh, yes, I knew. It was my fourth year attending those. Not many find the dungeon rooms. Did you? Never mind, I don’t really want to know. Anyway, I’d read his profile, and when I saw him, I decided to take advantage of him. He came from a long line of Knights and knew enough about First Knight that, well, it was part of why he was drunk. Most men that find the dungeon are serious sadists. I didn’t want someone who’d hurt me for the sake of causing me pain. I wanted someone who would do it to please me. Your father was that opportunity.”

The way she talked about that party, combined with my own experiences, made it seem like a hedonist’s funhouse, more than anything else.

“So, you had a choice?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking. Even taking into account everything she told me, I couldn’t imagine anyone picking my father.

“Of course,” she agreed, squeezing my hand again. “We all do. No woman is forced to accept someone. Naturally, some of them get desperate and will accept anyone, but I knew what I was getting with your father.”

Something else wasn’t adding up in my head, and after a moment, I figured out what. “Why would anyone put themselves into that situation?” I asked. “If you were hot enough to, um, exotically dance, you could have had your pick of drooling men. So why put yourself into a situation where you had to marry a complete stranger?”

“I didn’t say I was hot enough to strip,” my mom chuckled. “Just that I was hotter. But I still enjoyed the slurs and names they called me. Even with the insults, horny men and women will still tip well, and I made good money. I know I raised you to treat women better than that, but you’ve also always had a big heart.

“As for the rest? Did you ever wonder why you never met my parents? They kicked me out when I was twelve because I started showing interest in liking women. Their religion was rigorous, and they couldn’t have a daughter like me in the family. The Knights took me in, fed me, put a roof over my head, and gave me the best education I was willing to do. I never liked school much. In return, all they asked for was that I stay a virgin, and once I turned nineteen, to start attending First Knights when they occurred. They told me everything to expect and didn’t lie about anything. They said that whoever I chose would become my husband. That I would get pregnant after sleeping with that man for the first time and that I would love and adore him. They promised that I would be happy, regardless of who I chose, and they were right. I never regretted marrying your father. But you need to understand, it was all my choice. I was never forced to do anything.”

I thought of the cougars in the cocktail lounge and shuddered. “But what if you never found a man you were willing to be with?” I asked. What would it be like to be a forty-year-old virgin? “Would you really have to remain abstinent your whole life?”

“No. If I hadn’t picked by twenty-seven, I could leave, with no debts owed and free to live how I wanted. Few women choose to do that.” She paused to regard me for a moment before continuing. “I’m guessing from your expression that you ran into some older ladies? Those that stay past twenty-seven still live off the Knight’s largess. Once they hit thirty-two, they are placed in rooms that, shall we say, encourage them to pick someone. Of course, they are still free to leave at any time, but most don’t.”

“By encourage, you mean drugged,” I said, thinking of the older woman that all but molested me.

“Well, like I said. They are free to leave at any time.” Her answer came so easy, was so matter-of-fact that I couldn’t argue against it. “Despite what you might be thinking, they live in free housing, all of their bills paid.”

“But they can’t have love unless they find it during First Knight,” I said, still uncomfortable with the situation.

“Almost true,” Mom agreed. “Strong, shall we say friendships often form between the women. But they know what kind of a man they’re getting when they choose during the ceremony. Compare that to dating and having to guess at what the other person is actually like.”

Despite my misgivings, her words made sense. I thought back over last night and how the three women came out of the bathroom. Jolene had chosen Al, while the other two picked me. They knew what they were getting into and still picked me. What was in my profile that made them decide I should be their husband? And that they would share me! I didn’t feel used or like an object with that thought. However, both women were brilliant in their own way, so what did they see in me? Hell, Elly had a genius-level intellect. She was a year older than me but almost had her second doctorate completed. And Shayna, despite her reputation, could have nearly any straight man and probably a few of the gay ones if she wanted. She was also no slouch in the brain department.

Next to them, I was a nobody. Sure, I played basketball and football and was in a few gaming leagues, but I hadn’t decided on my major yet. Yet, both women knew what they wanted in life, and somehow that included me.

Thinking of how I was a nobody reminded me of Ms. Nobody.

“I need some time to process everything,” I said, wanting to change the subject. “What’s the deal with your renter? She seemed a little strange to me.”

“Nikky? You met her, huh?” Mom gave me a sly look. “What do you think of her?”

“Mom!” I said, shocked at her implication. “You know I went to First Knight last night, so you know I’m married now. I’m not going to cheat on my wives the first chance I get.” Even if the mission Consul Willmont gave me would require it.

“Wives?” she asked me, her turn to be shocked. “As in more than one? I’m going to be a grandma to two babies? Wait… You had the stamina to net two women? Impressive, Son.”

“I… Ugh, yeah,” I said, abashed as I rubbed the back of my head. “But I still don’t think they’d appreciate me sleeping around.”

Her blue eyes grew serious, and she gripped my hand again. “Listen, Bobby. Your father and I didn’t want you to join the Knights, but you should know something. Monogamy, or at least in your case fidelity, isn’t expected from you. Your wives will understand there will be times when you’re away for some time or on a mission and will sleep around. I know your father slept with many women, and I never begrudged him his fun.”

“He… You don’t….” Once again, I was stymied by her revelations. “Wait, does that mean you cheated on him?”

She grimaced but shrugged her shoulders. “Depends on your viewpoint. The only man I’ve ever been with was your father. But, I’ve been with several women over the years, when you were away on school trips or at a friend’s house. Your father knew and didn’t have a problem with it. Especially not when he joined—”

“Okay,” I cut her off before she could reveal even more about herself or my father. I already knew too much. “I think I’ve heard enough. Too much, in fact. Even if I were willing, I’m not interested in Miss Nobody.”

“Miss Nobody?” She quirked an eyebrow at me, but I didn’t feel like explaining. “Well, I can guarantee she’s quite the animal, and the carpet matches the drapes.”

“Mom!” I spluttered, exasperated with her. She’d never talked to me like this before. Now that I thought about it, why wasn’t she more devastated at his death if she loved my father so much? I decided after the turn this conversation went, I didn’t want to ask. “I’m going to go think for a bit and drive around. This… This was more information than I expected—or wanted—and I’ve got some stuff to figure out.”

“Okay, honey,” she finally let me stand up and walk away. “I was going to order takeout, but if you’re here, do you want me to cook?”

Once again, I was surprised at how she was willing to spend money. Growing up, we only ever ate out on special occasions. I nodded that that would be fine and went to my car. I didn’t drive far, just around to a nearby park. With the warmth, I cracked my windows and laid my chair back to ponder.

I didn’t know what to think about my dad. I couldn’t ignore years of abuse, even if he thought he was doing the right thing. And in the end, it failed precisely because my parents tried to make me believe they were dirt poor. Had I known my mom wasn’t struggling, I wouldn’t have joined. Now it was too late. I may not have read all the documents I signed yesterday, but I read enough. Becoming a Knight was for life.

Then there was Elly and Shayna. This morning I thought they were crazy women. Well, I still thought that, but I understood them a little better now. It boosted my ego to know they’d picked me. It also assuaged my concerns, knowing that they weren’t forced into anything. However, I was legally married to two women that I didn’t know. I was at a considerable disadvantage since they knew me, perhaps better than I knew myself. Worse, they were both carrying my child. I prayed to God that I hadn’t knocked Charlotte up also. Not that I was likely to ever meet her again.

And then there was my mom. She’d raised and cared for me. Bandaged my wounds as a kid, and I thought she worked her ass off to provide for us. Now I knew it was all a ruse. And what was all that ribald talk from her? I’d never seen her like that and didn’t like thinking about her as a woman instead of my mother.

I debated on going back to the dorm rather than home. Except, I was no longer living at the dorm, and I’d told my mom I would join her for dinner. I kept my commitments, even if they grew uncomfortable.

Speaking of commitments, if what my mom said was true, then Elly and Shayna wouldn’t have a problem with me completing the mission Consul Willmont assigned. I was determined to talk to them tomorrow. I hadn’t gotten either of their phone numbers, but that was a conversation that should happen in person. I would face what was and see how they truly felt. Which is what I should have done from the start, but it was too late to change the past.

Then, if that conversation went well, I’d find out if there was a succubus brothel being run in California as Willmont ordered me to do.

*    *    *    *

1069 A.D.

Ardin beamed down at his bride, still unsure what he’d done to earn this spot next to her. But, with her arms circling his neck, slight weight filling his arms, and a beaming smile filling his eyes, he loved this woman more than life itself.

And finally, after months of waiting, the priests announced Venita was fit to be baptized. He could still smell the slight tang of the ocean in her hair from the ceremony that morning. The surely way the priests looked when they gave their blessing told him that Venita rejected their advances. That alone showed she was a worthy woman to be his wife.

Karcher spent the entire previous day trying to talk him out of marrying a woman as old as Venita. “Eighteen is too old to start a family. Are you sure her health will hold up?”

But looking down at her as he carried her to their new home, he knew there wasn’t a more perfect woman in the world for him. She was intelligent, funny, understood his need to follow God’s plan, and despite what Karcher thought, she had good child-bearing hips.

“I’ve waited so long for this,” Venita breathed as he halted outside their door.

He’d spent the last month preparing their home, handcrafting the furniture he couldn’t trade for, and preparing it to start their family. If God smiled on their union, then their family would quicken within her womb tonight.

He managed to push open the door without dropping his wife—his wife!—and stepped through. Despite teachings that pride came before the fall, he could help but puff his chest out as Venita looked around and exclaimed how good their home looked. Their home! Together!

He set her down and was only slightly disappointed that she didn’t turn and kiss him. They’d waited years to reach this point, and she’d teased him so often about what pleasures tonight would bring. He didn’t want to wait a moment more.

“I know you’re excited about starting our family, but I told you there was one tradition from my homeland that I wanted to honor, remember?” Venita asked as she admired the bed. The way her hips swayed as she ran a hand along the blankets that were a gift from Old Maerta filled Ardin’s head with thoughts of what they would soon be doing under that blanket. It took him a moment to realize Venita waited for him to speak.

He met her eyes and had to swallow before he had enough moisture to speak. He felt like that young boy on the beach all over again. “You promise it’s not a pagan ritual? You’re baptized now and have vowed to put all of that behind you.”

She stepped up to him, placing her hand on his broad chest and looking up to meet his gaze. Her face showed complete sincerity as she spoke. “You are my husband, and I swear to make you proud. I will do nothing that will jeopardize our chances of reaching heaven together. I believe that you will be a great man one day, and I want to be by your side. Forever.”

She’d made comments about him being great before, but he dismissed such things. She loved him, just as he loved her. How could they not see each other as the greatest the world has to offer?

He nodded for her to continue. She reached into a pouch behind her back and pulled out a slim chain with a round, shiny disc attached. She held it out to him in supplication with both hands. Despite the last few years around her, Ardin had never seen her so solemn.

He took the fine jewelry with both hands and examined the pendant and chain. The workmanship was exquisite. Each link was smaller than the nail of his smallest toe, yet a slight tug showed its strength. The round decoration easily outweighed the chain and felt solid in his palm. The disc was carved with the image of an intricate shell, opened to the sun’s rays, and a brilliant pearl shimmered upon a soft oyster. Looking at the fine details, he almost thought he could hear the ocean birds calling. For an object about the size of one of his thumb knuckles, it was breathtaking.

“How…?” Ardin tried to ask but couldn’t find the words. Something like this must have cost a fortune. He knew no artisans existed nearby capable of creating this, so it must have come from the life she fled. Venita never spoke of that life, and he never pressed her. It was their future that interested him. Their future together.

“I have kept that with me at all times since I fled the wars of my homeland.” Her voice was soft, and yet he heard the longing she held for a life she’d abandoned. “I swore that I would give it to the man I married, and now it is yours to keep, my husband.”

He felt his emotions split. Gratitude that she would hold onto something so precious just to give it to him warred with the knowledge that had she given this to the priests, they would have allowed her baptism years ago. They could have been married all this time.

“I couldn’t stand the thought of those priests getting their hands on something that I knew was meant for you,” Venita told him, almost as though she could read his thoughts. He knew that was impossible, though. Only God knew what was in men’s hearts and minds.

His emotions softened as the import of what she said sunk in. She knew she could have sped up the process, but the act of giving this to him meant more than anything else to her. How could he react with anything less than gratitude?

Besides, he had occasion to see the greed of the clergy as they came through. They acted as though the villagers were beneath them, often grimacing when they had to actually touch one of them. Ardin couldn’t read the good book’s words, but he knew how to read faces and body language. Even if the clergy didn’t act the way they preached, Ardin promised to be the man he needed to spend eternity with Venita.

He opened his mouth to thank her but found her lips pressed to his, silencing all the words he couldn’t imagine. Her breath, sweet from the treats they enjoyed after their wedding, filled his head with thoughts only a married man should entertain about his wife.

His thick arms pulled her tight against his chest as he lifted her and carried her to the bed. He placed her down gently, ready to finally lose their virginity together when his stupid brain got in the way.

“I…” He trailed off, ashamed of what he was about to admit. “I didn’t get anything for you. I know you told me about your tradition, but I didn’t… I mean, I—”

She silenced him with a slender finger pressed against his lips. “What are you talking about?” Venita asked as she worked to shimmy out of her dress. “You’ve given me a home and everything around us. You’ve given me safety. But Ardin? Most importantly, you’ve given me your love. There is nothing else in this world that could mean more to me than that.”

Once again, words failed him. Venita saved him from any embarrassment or need for speech as she cupped his cheek, lifted to her toes, and kissed him. Ardin became lost within her essence, and the next time they broke for air, he found they were already on the bed.

It’s finally going to happen, Ardin thought as he pulled back enough to remove his shirt. Finally, after years of teasing and promises, they were about to become one.

Then she went and confused him as he moved to undo his pants. Her supple hands gripped his, stopping him from doing what was needed for them to consummate their marriage. Was she just as nervous as he was? Was she scared? He’d heard that the first time could be painful for women. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he needed to make love to her after all this time. All of his willpower to deny her advances over the last couple of years fled now that the event was upon them. His desire for her became something that would no longer be denied.

Her smile somehow managed to put his thundering heart at ease while stoking his libido further. Her rounded face conveyed both innocence and desire as her hands worked to remove the last of his clothing. She gasped once his member touched the open air, and then he gasped as she gripped it, her hand circling its girth.

“It’s, um, wow,” Venita mumbled as she brought her face closer to his turgid pole. He couldn’t remember ever being this hard. It hurt, and he wondered if he could see his heart thumping through it. “I don’t have any experience to compare it to, but I suspect you are—or rather, I’m quite lucky.”

As Venita’s hand slowly slid up his length, Ardin recalled jokes the other men made about how short he’d last his first time. Years of her teasing him, making promises on what they would do once he let her, and it all led to this moment. He’d laughed off the other villagers’ jests, but as her hand twisted around the swollen tip—already dripping with his excitement—he understood what they meant.

“I’m…” Ardin managed to eke out, ashamed that he was going to blow too quick.

But Venita—ever the wondrous woman—smiled up at him and said, “The other ladies told me to expect that. They suggested we get the first one out of the way, then get down to it.”

Before he could formulate a response—the other women talked about these things?—Venita leaned in, while maintaining eye contact and swallowed the head of his cock. Ardin managed a shocked gasp that she would be willing to take something so filthy into her mouth when his world crumbled into blissful oblivion. His limbs shook, his firm muscles tightened and spasmed as he unloaded into her mouth. He’d awoken from sinful night visions, but neither the exquisite ecstasy nor the amount of ejaculate he expelled compared to those dreams.

At some point, Ardin’s knees gave out. Then, when he could think with any clarity again, he found himself laying on his bed, Venita’s naked body cuddled up to his side. He hadn’t even noticed when she’d undressed.

“That was almost more than I could handle,” Venita murmured as her left hand trailed up and down the ridges of his toned stomach.

“That was…” Ardin attempted to find words adequate to describe how great that felt but gave up. “You shouldn’t have done that, though. It was a sin to waste that seed.” No heat laced his voice, but simple truth. A profound lethargy swept over him, even as Venita started to trail kisses across his chest.

“Then we’d better make sure that the next one ends up in the right place,” Venita coo’d as her body shifted to be on top of him. “Oh, and it looks like the other women were wrong. You won’t require a few minutes to recover!”

Ardin became very aware as her hand circled his length once more, and he felt a bit of pressure, heat, and wetness slowly engulf his tip.

“Now, just, unf, let me go slow… Ah, as I… oh, that feels bigger than it looks….” Venita panted as she slowly lowered her weight onto him. She barely had any of his length between her nether lips when he felt the pressure increase, and she stopped. “Okay, hold there for a moment. Let me get used to you.”

She wanted him to hold still? The fog and lethargy that only moments before threatened to overwhelm him fled as he struggled to do as she asked. Yesterday, he had no idea that such pleasure could exist. He’d thought the feeling of her sucking him dry was intense, but to know that he was where a man should be when copulating with a woman made him want more. His hands flexed on her thighs as he fought the urge to drive deeper into her and increase their contact. Over the last few years, she’d teased him nearly to the breaking point, but his desire to live a righteous life always won out.

That desire and need no longer applied. They were married. It was Ardin’s right to do this with her, just as it was her right to accept his seed. This is what she’d asked for, and now she wanted him to hold still? When the ultimate pleasure was just a thrust away?

His hands on her thighs added pressure as his hips slowly rose. After all this time, he wouldn’t be denied this.

“Please…” Venita panted and begged. Ardin saw the pain on her face and came back to himself. Yes, this was his god-given right, but he promised never to cause her harm. He loved Venita more than life itself. Only Almighty God stood higher in his estimation.

Ardin released her thighs and dropped his pelvis back to the blankets. He needed something to do with his hands and found two perfect targets close by.

“Oh!” Venita started as he lifted his head, gripped her pendulous breasts, and sucked on one turgid nipple. He also felt her take a little more of his length. Her inner muscles rippled around him, making him moan into her tit. His muscles shook from the tension of not taking what he so desperately wanted.

He felt something wet land on his head, and he pulled back to look at his wife. Why is she crying? Did I hurt her after all? Before he could think to ask, he saw her take a deep breath, and then her weight sank fully on him.

“Oh, that’s deep. So deep!” Venita cried out and shook as her torso collapsed onto Ardin. He held her in his arms as she shuddered.

He spent a moment marveling at how tight and wet she felt after taking his entire length into her most sacred spot. Then, a new noise pulled at his attention, and it took him a moment to realize what it was.

Cheering.

The sounds of villagers yelling, clapping, and calling out encouragement came from all sides of their small hut.  His cheeks burned as he realized what they’d just heard Venita cry out. How was he going to face them tomorrow?

“I thought Risa was joking when she warned that they’d be listening in,” Venita whispered into his ear.

“You were told?” Ardin gasped. He hadn’t known. Growing up, his parents sent him to bed early after weddings. Now he knew why.

“Shall we have some fun with them?” Venita asked, lifting her torso a little and looking him in the eyes.

“What do you—ungh,” he cut short as his wilting member was pleasantly reminded that it fit snug in her warm, wet embrace. Venita’s hips swiveled, eliciting another soft moan from him. The older men told him yesterday how great sex could feel, but they’d underplayed it!

“No, slow down!” Venita suddenly cried out, though her hips maintained their own rhythm. “You’re already, oomph, stretching me. Oh, you’re… you… oh my—going to make me…” she leaned in and kissed him hard when he opened his mouth to ask what she was doing. Her tongue worked its way between his teeth while her nether muscles rippled around his invading girth. He lost himself in the sensation of her, in the very essence of her. Venita’s sweet breath as her mouth moved in counterpoint to his, and her firm breasts as she slid up and down his chest brought him closer to another culmination. Her sex began to make wet noises as she increased her pace. “Cumming!” Venita threw her head back and screamed.

Her action shocked him out of his trance, and it dawned on him that she was building up his reputation among the other villagers. Of course, he knew it was wrong to feel pride or even to broadcast such private encounters, but she felt so divine, he gave in and played along.

Ardin rolled Venita onto her back, making her gasp and moan as he managed to remain connected with her. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “You want them to know what we’re doing in here?” She nodded as he nibbled on her neck. “Then I’ll make sure they hear you in the next village.”

Ardin planted his knees and lifted her thighs in his meaty hands. Using his strength and her light weight, he pulled himself out all but the tip and marveled at the shiny length of his cock. Her lips stretched tight around his head, her lubrication shimmering in the dim light from a single candle. Then, without warning, he slammed their pelvises together, completely controlling their movement. Incoherent gasps, moans, and screams filtered through the walls of the tiny home as Ardin gave her everything he had.

At first, he feared he would hurt her, but as she took his length, again and again, mewling for more, panting to be filled, and begging for his seed, his lusts took over.

Actions and thoughts became a blur as Ardin gave his heart and soul into bringing Venita to her next orgasm. He forgot about the villagers outside, forgot about his desires to live a good and righteous life, and lost himself in indulgent bliss.

All too soon, he felt his second climax approaching and buried himself as deep inside her as he could get. He shuddered as his rigid muscles locked up, and he fired off deep inside his wife. He wanted to look at her beauty as he lost himself, but bright lights blinded him. It wasn’t until he lay next to her, panting, that he realized the lights must have come from behind his eyes from the power of the orgasm.

Drifting off into oblivion, he thought he heard moans and grunts outside. Were the villagers fornicating outside his home? He dismissed it as a fever dream from losing his virginity to the most wonderful woman in existence.

His village was too pious for anything so depraved and lecherous.

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From the Author

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Nikky (Ms. Nobody)

Venita

Ardin