by Randi Darren
“I… I think I’ve been eating more regularly than I did living in the city,” she said. One of her hands came up to toy with an errant curl of red hair. “The person you said would come cut my hair did. They just trimmed it up. Said they hadn’t heard from you what you wanted it to be yet.”
“Well, you look good. Beautiful even.
“And your collar really fits your neck quite well. Would you lift your chin and show me your tag?” Alex asked. He made sure to phrase it as a request, not an order.
Riley lifted her head up immediately and met his eyes, her left hand cupping her tag and holding it out to him.
“Ah, you’ve kept it clean, good girl. How are you otherwise, One?”
“I’m good, Master. I’m good. Though I like eating as often as I get to, I think I’m… I’m very tired of eating the same thing every day,” she said, still holding her tag up to him.
Alex smiled at her and gestured at the tag with a finger, indicating she could drop it.
“I see. What else?”
“I’ve… I’ve had my moonblood a day ago. I’m afraid I dirtied the sheets on accident, Master. The guards took care of it and were very polite about it.”
But?
Alex waited, smiling encouragingly at her and leaning up against the bars.
“I’d like to have a bath, but the guard said it wouldn’t be available anymore when you returned. That you had given it to me since you couldn’t be here.
“I think I could do the previous deal you offered me… now, for it.”
Poor thing. Doesn’t she realize that it means little if she wants it?
“I’ll consider it. Not sure what a bath tub will run now that I’m back.
“For the change in meals though… are you looking for just different food, or better food?”
Riley looked shocked at his question. As if she hadn’t even considered the possibility of better food.
“Better food, Master?”
Alex grinned, in what felt to him a wolflike way.
“I’ll upgrade your meals to what’s served in a local inn, and change the variety, but the price will be…”
Riley was staring at him, her eyes a bit wider than they were previously.
Alex did his best to watch her as he started to offer the deal. He wanted her craving the deals to get more for herself.
To look forward to them.
Even when he asked her to demean herself.
“That you take training as a personal maid. I’ll have you working with a keep servant to begin learning the roles and duties of a personal maid to me. Exclusively. You’ll even receive pay equal to the job.
“In addition, you’ll be swearing to be celibate. To not touch another man or woman in any way that could even be thought of as romantic or sexual, without my permission.
“You won’t be leaving your cell just yet either, but I do need to find a use for you.”
This time, a carrot. Next time, the stick.
“I swear, Master. I accept the deal, and swear on the oath,” Riley said immediately.
“Good. Thank you, One. I’ll think on the bath. I’ll probably drop by later on, alright?”
“Yes, Master. Of course, Master. Should I make myself nude for you next time?”
“Ah, no. As much as I enjoy the view, it isn’t needed. You look too good in your uniform. It’d be a waste. Wear your uniform going forward; we’ll take each day as they come. Until next time, One.”
Alex gave her a tight smile, then headed for the door to Sylvia’s cell.
“Until then, Master,” Riley called after him.
Without responding, Alex ducked into Sylvia’s cell, then froze as the door shut behind him.
Standing in the middle of the cell was the wraith he knew as Leah.
“Hello, Alex,” she said.
“Ah, Leah. It’s good to see you,” Alex said, pinning his screeching thoughts into submission before they could give anything away.
She chortled to herself, as if even recognizing his attempt for what it was.
“Your favor. I do believe it’s time to collect on it,” Leah said.
“Ok. Ah, I was wondering what the possibility would be of having a… second crystal. One that I could offload other deals to for future months’ debt.”
“You’re thinking of Eugenia, I take it?”
“Yes, and no. I have no… reason… to make more deals this month. At all. In fact, my deals in your name will dry up faster than the desert until the new month.
“There’s just nothing to compel me to do anything. There’s no reason to offer more deals when I get nothing from it.
“No motivation.”
The wraith paused, her head tilting to one side.
“Yes, I can see how your mind views that. Works it. Your wife triggered this thought in you. With Holly’s contract,” Leah said.
“That’s right. She did. Providing me with another crystal so I could preload my debt would make me work a month in advance.”
“And yet no further than that, after that. One crystal wouldn’t change your thinking… no.”
Leah stood there, unmoving. Then she suddenly snapped her fingers in a very humanlike gesture.
“I have it. I’ll give you a crystal column. As big as a grandfather clock. Whatever excess deals you commit to will fill it. If you were to turn it completely black, it’d be the equivalent of twelve months’ worth of deals.
“What do you say to that?”
Alex almost resisted the urge to think about that. Almost.
With that much leeway to work with, I’d be able to store a massive amount in advance.
Though I wonder, if I filled it completely, would she take something in trade for it and give me a new one?
“Oh, that’s a good idea. Yes, I would, but we’d have to dicker on the price, of course,” she said.
“Could you stop reading my mind? It’d be nice to have a thought to myself, and then convey it to you if I actually wanted to do it.”
“Sorry, bad habit. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try.”
Grumbling, Alex ran a hand through his hair.
“Yeah, ok. I’ll take that as my favor then.”
Leah held out a hand to him.
Without thinking about it, he shook her hand.
“We have an accord then. Also, because I want you to live a long, happy life and earn me a number of souls and deals, I’ve taken care of another problem you had.”
“Oh? And what’s that?”
“The STD you had eating away at you. Marta the whore gave it to you. You already passed it on to Carla, who gave it to Holly,” Leah said deadpan. “I’ve already seen where you’re guiding your deals, and do approve. With that in mind, I’ve changed you a bit. Only a tweak, mind you. But still, I changed you. You’ll never catch an STD of any sort ever again. In fact, anyone you sleep with will be cured of their own. That’s how strong your body’s defense will be.
“Consider it my blessing.”
Alex wasn’t quite sure how to take that, but he was glad to hear it’d been taken care of.
He hadn’t even considered the problem, although he clearly should have.
“Feel free to go cure the world with your dick if you want, but I’d advise against it,” Leah said with a shrug, then vanished.
Chapter 15
“Alex?” came a softly whispered voice.
Grumbling, he turned his head in the other direction and shifted deeply into his blankets.
“Alex… we should probably start the day,” came the whispering voice again.
“No,” he complained.
“The sun will be up shortly. You said you were expecting guests today?” Anna said, pressing her lips to the inside of his ear.
“Unnngh. I’m the count; why do I have to get up before the sun?”
“Because you’re the count,” Anna immediately replied.
Sighing, he opened his eyes to the gloom of his bedroom and turned his head.
<
br /> Anna was curled up against his side, naked and smiling at him.
Last night had been awkward, painful, and altogether a strange experience.
Anna wasn’t one to hold back her thoughts and feelings, and apparently losing her virginity was not something she’d expected to be as painful as it’d been for her.
At least she seems as chipper as ever. Even if it was a bit of a fiasco.
“Good morning, my husband,” Anna said, her fingers patting his bare chest. “I look forward to trying again tonight. Mummy said the second time is better. Daddy didn’t want to talk about it.”
I imagine not. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to talk to my daughter about her losing her virginity and if it’d be painful or not the second time.
My apologies, Master Ulles. Thank you for dealing with her for so long.
“Yes, we should be receiving a guest today,” he said, ignoring her comment entirely. “Her name is Sylvia Griffon. She’s landed peerage at best. A step away from commoner status. I imagine she’s been doing some dirty dealings in the background to try and increase her stature.”
Anna nodded slowly, her eyes round and wide as if he were telling her a horror story.
“She was caught, and here we are. I’ll be trying her privately.”
“Are you going to turn her into a conquest?”
“I think so. We’ll see. I could use her.”
“Mm,” Anna said, then puffed her cheeks out at him. “I’ll sneak in when you’re away and talk to her. People tell me lots of things. I know I’m not… not smart, but I’m not stupid.”
Her voice took on a lower tone as she spoke. The first real deviation he’d ever seen in her.
I wonder about that… and how self-aware she is.
“I think you’re just perfect the way you are… wife,” Alex said, poking her between the eyes with his index finger. “And yes, please try to get what you can out of her. I think it’d be helpful. Now, you said we should start the day.
“Any plans?”
Anna gave him a bright smile, her demeanor switching right back to how it always was.
“I’m going to take Holly and meet everyone we can in the keep, to learn our new home. If possible, I want to head into town and buy some things as well.”
“Got it. Well, be sure to take Walter or one of his people with you so he can draw from my own account. I mean, what you’re buying are things we’d be sharing, right? Only spend your dowry on things that are specific to yourself.”
Anna’s face looked as if she couldn’t smile any wider. She chirped and pressed her face into his chest, as if hiding from him.
Unable to help himself, he smiled at her and patted her shoulders.
Looking up from his new wife, he saw a large, multi-faceted crystal in the corner. A massive pillar of a thing that stretched from floor to ceiling.
It was tucked into a corner and mostly out of the way.
What the…?
A soul crystal.
Constructed and fashioned by Leah, this pillar is meant to collect excess power and deals generated by Alex Brit.
The maximum capacity of the vessel is twelve units of generated power.
It is visible only to Alex Brit and Anna Brit.
The entire thing was as clear as glass. He wondered how much it’d take to fill it.
That and what would happen if a maid tried to clean that area.
“Anna, do you see that big crystal thing in the corner?”
Lifting her head from his chest, Anna shifted to one side. She took a moment to view the room, and Alex took a moment to view her naked body. Anna finally saw the crystal after she scanned the whole room.
“That thing? Yes, I see it. What is it? It wasn’t there last night.”
“Remember when you advised me to hold on to contracts until the next month? Your comment gave me an idea and I pitched it to Leah.
“She agreed, and then apparently provided me with that. It’s supposed to hold up to twelve months’ worth of power.”
Anna nodded her head, then molded herself back into Alex’s side.
“Thank you, Leah,” Anna said, pressing her face back into his chest. “For everything.”
***
Alex smiled and bowed his head to Sylvia as she entered the dungeon “lobby” area.
“I’m glad you returned, Sylvia,” Alex said.
It was still early morning. Just after breakfast. Holly and Anna had set out immediately, Rudolph becoming their personal guard captain.
“Of course,” Sylvia said with a grimace. Reaching into the bag at her side, she sighed, pulled out a large packet of papers, and handed it over to him. “Per our agreement. One of my people foolishly brought this to me practically as I arrived.
“I do hope your mercy is generous for one such as myself.”
Taking the paperwork in hand, Alex looked at the top page.
Then he snorted.
It was all black-book-type stuff, as it were, he guessed. When the top page was a list of payouts, to whom, and why, he could only imagine the entire thing was that way.
And since she’d acted the way she had, these were probably all illegal payouts.
“I’m sure we can come to an agreement, Sylvia. Come, let’s take this to your room,” Alex said, gesturing to the dungeon door.
“Ah… could we…?” Sylvia paused, looking around at the guards around her.
She wants to make a deal already? Huh.
Stick to the power play.
“I’ll be happy to sit, catch up, and talk about where we go from here. Let’s return to your room for now. Have you eaten?”
Sylvia shook her head, her face pinched and her mouth a frown.
“Douglas, bring breakfast for the lady? Come, come. Let’s be on our way,” Alex said, moving to the door and opening it for her.
Sylvia walked in with her chin up, her face clearing quickly.
Regardless of anything else, she was still of the peerage, and seemed to believe her station was unassailable, even if guilty of crime.
They entered her cell, went to her table, and both sat down.
Setting the packet down on the table to one side, Alex laid his hand on it.
“I take it this will be more than enough to… find you guilty beyond a doubt?” Alex asked.
Sylvia sighed and looked up to the ceiling, as if for guidance.
“And then some. I had the servant flogged to death and the body dumped. For all the good it did me,” she said, shaking her head. “To be perfectly honest, there’s more than enough in there to have me stripped of my lands, wealth, and what little title my family holds.”
“Ah… and if you had to guess, how long would it take for me to sort through this and track it all down?”
Alex didn’t like the idea of doing that. He could play the game and go through with it, but this seemed like a whole lot of ferreting out people and secrets.
“Years… if not longer,” Sylvia admitted. “That’s enough to get you started though, and then it’d just come down to how long it took you to unravel it.
“And due to the oath I swore, I cannot stop any of it. You really pinned me in with that one, Alex. I had no idea it would be as bad as it is.”
Nodding his head, Alex could only agree. He personally never would have sworn it. It would have been too hard to not get involved.
“I think this is a much longer conversation than I want to have at this time. Let’s assume for the time being that you’ll be my guest for a… long while,” Alex said.
A solid knock on the door got his attention. Turning to Sylvia, he smiled and held out a hand.
She smiled sadly and shook her head.
“Enter,” she called out, turning toward the door.
A guard with a breakfast tray slipped inside. Carla came in right behind him.
Smiling at his personal guard, he wondered how long she’d slept in her private room.
He’d only tried marginally to wake her, then had simply
gone about his day instead.
“Sir, I have your morning letters. They arrived by courier,” said the guard, setting down the tray in front of Sylvia. Turning to Alex, he held out several sealed letters.
“Thank you,” Alex and Sylvia said at the same time.
Carla moved to the corner of the cell, her right hand resting on a short sword at her hip.
“Sylvia, this is Two. Two, this is Sylvia. Two is my personal guardian. Sylvia is our guest for the interminable future,” Alex said by way of introduction. He flipped through the sealed letters one by one.
Carla grunted at that, staring at the woman.
Sylvia seemed perturbed when Carla didn’t leave with the guard.
“My lord… is she…?” Sylvia asked, indicating Carla.
“She’s literally my personal guardian. I trust her with my life, and have done so already,” Alex said, setting the letters down in his lap.
The king, and a duke I haven’t met. Great.
“Now, before I leave you to your meal, it seemed as if you wanted to discuss something,” Alex said, smiling at her.
“I was…” Sylvia paused to look at Carla.
“Ah, discussing anything in front of her won’t be a betrayal. Suffice it to say Two is sworn to my service,” Alex assured her.
Sylvia nodded at that, her fingernails—now brightly polished and well manicured again—tapping at her tray.
“I realize this won’t be over anytime soon. I was hoping to get better accommodations. Perhaps the ability to meet with others, and even enjoy the sun on occasion?”
“That could certainly be worked out. Let’s start with the first piece, then. A better room.
“I do have a number of personal rooms set aside in the keep proper for guests such as yourself. Would that be acceptable?”
Sylvia pursed her lips and then nodded, her eyes moving to his own. “Yes.”
“Great. Now, seeing others. Are you talking about household members, servants, or just friends?”
“All of the above… I worry for my house while I’m here. Until you take it from me, it’s still mine,” Sylvia said.
“A fair point. And lastly, the sun. I take it you mean go on walks inside the keep?
“Perhaps a trip down to the city every now and then?”
