by Randi Darren
And if the situation continued until they couldn’t have a child, he’d have them removed for lack of an heir.
“That’s really all I have to do?” Kimberly Helit asked. “Let you… let you put a child in me?”
“Ask Brianne,” Alex said, going to his desk. He started writing out a formal order for Dan to siege down Twil. It felt like a good time to expose Brianne, since they were both fairly certain she was pregnant. “I’ve been trying with her since we put Bethany in her county. With any luck, Brianne’ll find out next week if we’re all done. Then she’ll get her barony.
“Then it’ll just be you two to keep me satiated when my Numbered are busy.”
His Numbered were never actually busy and always made time for him, but Alex had to make time for his concubines to receive him. It was annoying. Annoying and convoluted, but that was the situation he’d created.
Alex signed the order and folded it. He wasn’t going to bother to seal it with wax since Dan would probably just burn it once he received it.
His generals didn’t seem to fear Alex backtracking on orders he’d given them.
“…said you didn’t!” Kimberly hissed, looking at Brianne.
The baroness shrugged her shoulders, looking unfazed by the other woman’s anger.
“I lied,” she said. “Good luck, by the way. I’m fairly certain I’m with child, so… I’ll be back home soon with a garrison of Brit soldiers to protect me. I’ve already started up a good rapport with Bethany and Alexandra. They’re rather nice. They want to set up play dates for the kids. As well as dates we all plan to vacation in Brit with Alex.”
Alex nodded at that. Brianne had taken all the information available to her and made an informed decision.
Where Bethany and Alexandra had acted impulsively, Kimberly and Elizabeth had dug their heels in. Brianne had walked the middle.
Even now, a new garrison was being built on the border between Helit and Twil, and between Helit and Stoneson.
Alex was going to take the “bases everywhere” approach from his homeland. His military budget was going to be massive, but worth it.
Then again, I’m probably one of the richest men in the empire.
“Alright. Off we go to the baronies of Twil,” Alex said, then turned to Adania. “While we’re riding, you can tell me everything you know about them, what they need, and what they’re looking for. With any luck, the simple fact that you’re with me should give them pause.
“Maybe even convince them to swear their allegiance to you right then and there, before Twil falls.”
“I think I can manage at least one of them,” Adania said with a grin. “The closest barony is my father’s, after all. He might actually send soldiers to help you siege his brother-in-law. You’d just have to promise to save my cousin and my aunt.”
“If I can do so, I will,” Alex said. “But if they die due to starvation or other siege conditions, there is little I can do for that. That’s just how war goes.”
Chapter 22
Drumming his fingers on the saddle horn, Alex was feeling impatient.
Not for the first time, he wondered if he’d perhaps made an error. Sending in Adania by herself to speak with her father probably wasn’t the best idea.
For all he knew, the man would lock his daughter up and consider the matter closed until the duke came calling.
Which the man never would.
Letting out a slow sigh, Alex started to question his own actions again.
“Only been a few hours,” Nannie said from beside him. Carla, Rebekah, Riley, Sylvia, and Valeria were all sleeping.
They’d ridden straight from Twil without rest through the night. Only he and Nannie had decided to stay up.
“For all we know, she took a nap,” Nannie grumbled. “I kinda wanna nap myself. Only staying up ‘cause you are.”
Looking over at the once-berserker, Alex couldn’t help but smile.
Her hair was a touch shorter now. At some point, she’d trimmed off all the dyed locks. She was a natural blonde through and through.
On top of that, her complexion, her skin, and even her weight had all balanced out.
Nannie was a beautiful woman, but now she had a loving heart that only made her more attractive.
Surprisingly, she was even wearing just a hint of eye makeup. It made her eyes brighter.
This was a perfect time to free her.
She was confident, in control of herself, and able to decide for herself what she wanted.
“Nannie,” Alex said softly.
Nannie’s head snapped over to him, looking like a deer in headlights.
“I free you from all your oaths to me, Nannie,” Alex said. The sudden and massive crack he’d come to expect was unmistakable. Everything that had bound Nannie to him was gone. “I free you from all of them.
“By the way, you’ve looked ravishing lately. The eyeliner, the haircut, the way you’re styling yourself, even what you wear when you’re not in your armor.
“You’re beautiful. Both inside and out. I find myself absolutely falling more and more in love with you every day.”
With her mouth turning down into a severe line, Nannie stared hard at him.
Then she snorted, reached over and grabbed Alex by the front of his tunic. She hauled him over, almost out of his saddle, and kissed him hungrily.
Her tongue slipped into his mouth. She mauled him with her lips and tongue.
Alex went with it. As he kissed her back, his hands came up to hold on to her.
Eventually, Nannie broke the kiss and pressed her forehead to his.
“I love you, Alex. You’re a stupid fucking idiot though,” Nannie grumbled. “I think… I think I’m going to give you back all those oaths. I’ve enjoyed it so far, and honestly… it’s nice to have someone else pulling on my reins when I can’t figure things out.”
Nannie still had him partially out of his saddle.
“Come on. We’re going to go have sex, and you’re going to bury it in me,” Nannie said, getting out of her saddle. Throwing Alex over her shoulder, she started walking toward the modest tent she had for herself.
“Uh, Nannie, I really—”
“Shut up, Alex,” Nannie said, one hand on his rear and the other across his legs. “You’re going to give me what I want, and you’re going to like it.
“Because right now… right now I’m about to fall apart. I want to just cry and bawl and snuggle and love you. I can barely hold it together, and I desperately need you right now. Okay?”
Oh.
“I understand. I love you, too. Is it Nannie or Five, by the way?” Alex asked.
“Five,” Nannie said with a short nod. “Five is the better woman. The one who’s mam thinks so highly of her. The one who has a man she cares for. The one who can read and write. The one—”
Nannie’s voice strangled off in a sob, her shoulders heaving.
Alex was in a weird position, but he patted Nannie on the lower back from where he was.
“It’s okay. I understand,” he said. “I love you, Five. You’re a good woman.”
Nannie didn’t say anything, just took him into her tent and closed the flaps behind her.
No sooner had the fabric fallen shut, Alex heard her sobbing softly.
Dropping to her knees, she set Alex down and remained where she was. Her head hung low, her shoulders slumped.
Immediately, Alex stepped forward and wrapped her up in his arms, pulling her head into his chest.
“My poor champion,” he said soothingly, his fingers slipping through her hair and smoothing it back. “Are you upset? Happy? Sad?”
“Happy,” Nannie said, her hands coming up to rest on Alex’s hips. She rubbed her face back and forth against his tunic. “I don’t think I can be your champion anymore. I’m not strong enough. I don’t like fighting. I don’t want to kill anyone. I want… I want to just be with you now.”
“Mmm, but I need you to be my champion, Five,” Alex said. “Y
ou may not like it, but you’re still very good at what you do. And I need that. I need you to protect me and be my strength, because I don’t have it. Would you do that for me?”
“Yeah,” Nannie said while sniffling. She continued to sob gently, turning her face fully into his tunic. “Only because I love you. I’ll be your strength. Because without you I’d be nothing.”
Alex stood there holding on to the champion of Brit, stroking and soothing her.
“I’m proud of you, and amazed by you,” Alex said. “You’re a good person who clearly had a bad life, and you managed to come back out the other side in a reasonable fashion.”
“I did a lot of wrong, Alex,” Nannie said. “A lot. There’s no way I could atone for all of it in one lifetime.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that. I have it on good authority that Leah will give you a pleasant afterlife,” Alex said.
Nannie didn’t respond to that, but she nodded her head a little.
Slowly, she pulled back and looked up at Alex.
“Alex, can I ask you a weird question?” Nannie asked, her brow creasing. “It’s been bugging me and we’re alone right now so…”
Alex grinned. “Sure. What is it? I’m curious now.”
“Why didn’t you ever ask me to… service you?” Nannie asked. “You teased me about it a few times, but you never actually asked me to.”
“Oh, that’s an easy question to answer,” Alex said, cupping Nannie’s face with both hands and running his thumbs over her cheekbones. “Because you’re so fun to make love to. You’re so tender, so warmhearted, so generous. The way you snuggle and cuddle during and after is absolutely endearing. You’re a giant teddy bear who wants to be made love to gently and with care. It’s hard to resist. I look forward to it.”
Nannie had a quick burst of laughter and just smiled at him.
“Guess I am,” she said, her cheeks coloring slowly. “Am I… is anyone else like that?”
“Anna is sometimes. Three every now and then. One at least twice a month. But no one is anywhere near as often as you, my lovely Five. You and that adorably soft, loving heart of yours,” Alex said. “And don’t mistake my statement. I love how you wish to be loved. It’s… just amazing. It helps keep my own heart warm and willing.”
Nannie took in a slow breath and then let it out.
“Okay. I’m going to suck your—service… you,” Nannie said, grabbing his pants and starting to work at the belt buckle. “Because I want to. Because I bet I’m good at it, or that I’m no worse than any of the others.”
Alex wasn’t about to argue. The idea of Nannie blowing him sounded amazing.
A pretty woman like her looking up at him with his shaft wedged between her lips was just what he wanted right now.
“Do the others swallow when you’re done?” Nannie asked, pulling his belt free and sliding his pants down.
“Anna does when I ask her to. Mary can do it but gets coy about it, makes a show of it. As for the Numbered… really depends. In general, yeah. They do. I think Seven trained them,” Alex said.
“She offered to teach me how to do it all, said I’d learn on my own,” Nannie said, and then she simply took his erect manhood into her mouth, sliding it right down to the base on the first go.
Turning her head slightly to the left and the right, Nannie managed to get all of him into her mouth. His tip stuck tight in her throat.
Her eyes turned up to him, her lips straining against his shaft as if she could pull more of him in.
She swallowed, her eyes closing partially, and then slid him out of her mouth.
“Mm. Not too bad,” Nannie said after he fell away from her lips. “I can do this. Okay, I’m going to start now. Never done this before, so help me figure out what to do?”
“Uhm, sure,” Alex said, watching her. He was suddenly thankful for training the concubines on how to give oral.
Smiling up at him, Nannie ducked her head in again and took him into her mouth much more slowly this time.
Inch by inch she took him, and when she reached the base, she started to ease her head back away from him.
Her lips tightened up on him as her tongue moved slowly under his shaft.
Cheeks hollowing as she sucked harder on him, she raised her eyes back up to his face.
“Really good,” Alex said honestly, interpreting her look as a question. She was doing a great job for her first go round. “Can I put my hand on your head?”
Nannie smiled around his girth and nodded slightly.
“Mmmhmm,” she said as she slipped his tip back down her throat.
Reaching out, he laid his right hand down on the crown of her head, then put his left hand to the side of her face.
Looking at her, Alex was momentarily stunned.
Nannie was beautiful, and watching her give him head fed a nasty little corner of himself. The same one that wanted to spend all day humping his way through his dungeon.
Sinking his fingers into Nannie’s hair, he began to lightly push and pull her head back and forth.
“Mmm?” she moaned around him after she sped up, letting his hand dictate the pace.
“Really good,” Alex said. “Just… needed it a bit faster.”
Nannie smiled again for a moment, her head bobbing back and forth at a good speed now. She never failed to move to the tip of his manhood and then all the way down to the hilt.
Her left hand came up between his legs, and he felt her fingers begin to lightly toy and play with his jewels. Her right hand was still pressed to his hip.
Nannie began to speed up again without direction. Her mouth made a wonderful ticking noise as she slid him in and out. Faster and faster.
Pausing for a second, she released his member from her mouth and adjusted how she was kneeling.
“Sorry, needed to shift,” she said, then took him back into her mouth with a loud, wet slurp.
She immediately fell back into her fast, deep rhythm, practically pounding him down her throat.
The sound of it made Alex immediately aware of how naturally sexy Nannie was.
“I need to cum,” Alex said. “You’re too pretty and doing too good.”
“Mm? Mmhmm,” Nannie said, giving his jewels a squeeze at the same time.
In her mouth? Alright. Not gonna argue.
Quicker than he’d expected, Alex could feel his climax coming on. It was right there, and he was right at the edge.
“Here it comes,” he muttered.
Nannie slid him straight down to the hilt just as he started to climax.
And held him there.
Gazing up at him with those bright eyes, she watched him as he pumped seed down her throat. Her fingers squeezed down gently on his nuts as he came.
Then she swallowed hard audibly after the second spurt.
Unable to help himself, Alex groaned and thrust up against her face a bit as he felt his member continue to spasm, emptying. The action only made Nannie pull on his hips, though, as if she could somehow get him deeper.
Swallowing after every pump, Nannie just watched him, her mouth tight and sucking hard at him.
When it was all over, Alex shuddered from head to toe.
The way Nannie had devoured him just now was something only Rebekah did for him. Everyone else tended to collect it in their mouth and then swallow when he was done.
Easing her head back, Nannie once more audibly slurped at his length, her lips tight and pulling at him.
Coming off the tip, she gave it a kiss.
“I do good?” Nannie asked, smiling up at him. Her left hand was still gently massaging his nuts, and her right hand had come around to lightly stroke his softening shaft.
“So good that I’m never having sex with you again,” Alex said, shivering again. “You’re blowing me from now on till you die.”
Nannie only laughed at that and leaned in to lightly suck on his tip again. “Sorry, my love, but that’s not how it’s going to be,” she said after letting him go again.
“Let’s take a nap. They’ll wake us up when she’s here.”
That sounds… like a great idea.
“Leah, please take my soul and give it to Alex. So I can go with him when we die. Put me back under all my previous oaths,” Nannie said, closing her eyes and slowly taking his much-deflated member into her mouth again to lightly suck at him. Making him tremble terribly.
“Accepted,” Leah said aloud.
Only Eleanor left. Rike says hi, by the way. Your wedding is set for the minute you die.
Be sure to give me a nephew or a niece as soon as you can. My family is massive, and I want it bigger.
Grand.
***
“Sire?” called a voice from outside Nannie’s tent.
“Mm?” he asked groggily, snuggling closer to the naked Nannie. They’d somehow worked up the energy for lovemaking, then promptly passed out practically atop one another.
“Adania is on her way back. Do you need any assistance?” asked the same voice.
Alex couldn’t identify it, but it was probably one of William Brush’s attendants he’d sent with Alex.
“No, I’ll be fine,” Alex said, then sighed.
Leaning up, he kissed Nannie.
“Wake up, my big ol’ lug of a love,” he said, rubbing at her bare hip. “Adania is on her way back.”
“Nnnnn, ‘kay,” Nannie said, then pulled him in for another kiss. Which rapidly got much deeper.
Ten minutes later than he’d expected to be ready—not that he minded going again with Nannie—Alex finally got in front of Adania.
“Sorry for the delay. I ended up taking a nap,” Alex said honestly. “How’d it go?”
“Father is sworn to me,” Adania said with a bright smile. “He also congratulated me on my informal marriage to you. That’s what he’s planning to call it. Be prepared to address that when the time comes, as I didn’t dissuade him of that notion.”
Thinking on it, Alex saw no reason to not let it be.
It’d sound like a step up from concubine, but still not a wife.
