Fostering Faust 3

by Randi Darren

  “I… positively love it when your brain gets working,” Rebekah said. “Come on, baby. Take me to your bedroll and tell me more about what you’re going to do while seeing if you can’t make me moan.”

  Out of nowhere, and like an explosion he was talking about, Alex was suddenly very in the mood.

  Rebekah had already drawn the flap shut to his small bedroom area and was working at the buttons on her “noble concubine” uniform. Her eyes were wide with excitement, and she was sporting a smile that promised many things.

  ***

  Coming out from his bedroom, Alex was surprised to find all his Numbered, Quinn, Aerin, and Saoirse gathered together.

  All we’re missing is Coffin, Katherine, Mary, and Anna.

  “All done with Seven?” Nannie asked with a dark chuckle. “For a minute there we thought maybe you’d lost it and were murdering her.”

  “Uh… no,” Alex said. He’d gotten rather into it with Rebekah. To the point that he’d actually worn her out in just one go, though it’d taken the better part of twenty minutes.

  “No you’re not done with her, or no you didn’t murder her?” Valeria asked with a sweet smile. “If you’re not done… I could come join you, maybe?”

  “Yes,” Eleanor said as Sylvia nodded her head quickly.

  “I’m not dead,” Rebekah said from his bedroll. Naked, sweaty, and clearly not getting up. She looked like she was minutes away from falling asleep.

  “Oh, I suppose that means you’re not done with her then,” Valeria said quickly, getting up.

  “Ah… later,” Alex said, walking to the other women.

  “I’ll hold you to that. A five way, later,” Eleanor said.

  Sighing, Alex turned to Saoirse as she was the newest to his retinue.

  “Don’t look at me,” Saoirse said with a small smile. “I’m not very much into other women, but I might watch here and there. I’m afraid my education has been sorely lacking.”

  “Oh? You can join me then,” Riley said, smiling at the princess. “I’ll come get you tonight before he grabs Five. It should be her turn tonight.”

  “What? No, fuck you,” Nannie said, glowering at Riley. “You’re not supposed to watch me.”

  “Okay, yeah, not… the subject I wanted to talk about,” Alex said, interrupting them. “We’re going to split off from the army and go for Glint’s capital.

  “Saoirse… I need to ask you a few things.”

  The princess gave Alex a fleeting smile.

  “I’ll assist you in whatever way I can, since I’m your wife and… and there’s no way to turn back the clock,” Saoirse said.

  “That reminds me,” Valeria said, and then laid a sheet of paper in front of Saoirse. “Your copy of your marriage certificate. Signed by both Alex and your father. The other copy I’m keeping for Brit family records.”

  Saoirse looked down at the paper. She lifted a hand and ran a fingertip along one edge of the paper. “I see. I… no… put this copy with the Brit family records. I’m Saoirse Brit, legally. You’ve collected my dowry and everything.”

  Valeria took the sheet of paper away and then turned and handed it off to Sylvia, who made it vanish.

  “Your country speaks a different language, right?” Alex asked.

  “Indeed. We speak Hefenig,” Saoirse said, then said something in a language Alex didn’t understand.

  “Right. So… either we need to hire a whole lot of translators, or I see if I can’t broker a deal with our goddess,” Alex said with a sigh. “Except she hasn’t responded to me or Seven in a while.”

  “She hasn’t?” Carla asked.

  “Who?” Saoirse inquired.

  “Leah, our goddess. She binds all my deals and… watches over me. Us, really,” Alex said. “And no, she hasn’t responded for a little while. Let’s see if I can’t raise her.”

  Leah? Are you there?

  There was no response to Alex’s thought.

  “I’d be willing to make a deal to put my soul back into your personal ownership,” Alex said aloud.

  And yet there was still no response from her. If she didn’t respond to that, it meant she wasn’t able to.

  She isn’t back yet.

  Rike?

  Yes. I’m here. I’m spending as much time here as I can while Leah is in what is more or less time-out.

  Can you make deals on her behalf? Or on your own?

  I unfortunately can’t act on her behalf. The amount of worship I receive from this plane is very minimal. In fact, it’s almost nonexistent.

  It’s only from you, and only when you think of me.

  I see. Is there a way I could make a deal with you for something? I’m not sure what the price would be.

  I’ll of course listen to anything you say. I’d be a poor wife otherwise.

  We’re not married.

  Though… can you speak aloud?

  Yes. I can do that.

  “Rike, I’d like to make a deal,” Alex said. “I want everyone in this room to understand Hefenig on the same level as Saoirse does. As if she taught us all.”

  “I see,” Rike said, her voice coming from directly above them. “I don’t have the power to do anything for that. As I said, I have no worshipers on this world.”

  “Is there truly no option?” Alex asked.

  “I would have to use a part of my divine self to do it. The cost of that would be infinitely harder to justify,” Rike said. “It would take at least a year to regenerate that amount just to settle your request.”

  Alex thought hard on that, then sighed and held up his hands in defeat.

  If he was going to be forced into something, he might as well get something out of it.

  “I won’t fight marrying you,” Alex said. “I’ll wed you, bed you, and cherish you as a wife. I’ll have as many children with you as you like. And if you wished it, I’d be your champion. All for the low, low price of—”

  “Already done,” Rike said, her tone sounding quite excited and energetic. “You all speak Hefenig now as if you’d been born to it. Thank you, my champion. I cannot wait for our wedding day. Leah has taught me everything about having a successful relationship.

  “Thank you!”

  Alex nodded and then turned to everyone else.

  His Numbered looked rather accepting of the situation. They’d all heard or dealt with Leah by now. Apparently, the appearance of a second goddess was no surprise.

  Aerin looked shocked, but not completely at a loss. He imagined she’d suspected something along these lines after she’d been forced into her oaths.

  Saoirse looked absolutely stunned. Stunned and as pale as parchment paper.

  “Right,” Alex said, realizing that Saoirse was the only one here not working under obligation oaths. “I think it’s time for you to swear your oaths to Leah, Saoirse.

  “After that, we’ll pack up and head out for your father’s capital. I plan on introducing myself as the ambassadorial envoy to King Harold and Duchess Regina. It’ll take some time for the real one to actually arrive. That’ll be our window to wreak as much damage as we can.”

  Chapter 28

  Everywhere Alex looked there were men and women. They all had dark hair and dark eyes and spoke in their natural tongue. Though they were all quite pale.

  Makes me wonder where Katherine’s family is from.

  Alex turned to his group. All of his Numbered were here. As well as Aerin and Saoirse.

  Behind them were twenty or so of his personal house guard. The best of the best from Brit’s armed forces.

  In the middle of all that was a two-wheeled cart and a horse. The rest of their horses had already been stabled in the noble quarter.

  Catching Saoirse’s eyes, he gave her a smile.

  “Ambassador’s offices?” he asked.

  “Ah, that way,” said the princess, pointing down a street. “I think. I’ve never… never had to navigate the streets on my own. My steward, guards, or chaperones were always there.”
>
  “Just how much a spoilt woman were you?” Nannie grumbled.

  “I ah… I think a great deal, to be honest,” Saoirse said. “Most of my days were spent being taught how to be a queen. Economics, politics, curbing vassals, law, managing my backers, history, science. Things of that nature.”

  “In other words, your ma never taught you how to take a cock?” Nannie asked, easing someone out of the way.

  “N-no. I’m afraid not. My first lesson was with Alex, as you saw,” Saoirse said, her tone mortified.

  “You didn’t do too bad,” Nannie said, grabbing a man by the head and shoving him physically to one side when he refused to move after meeting Nannie’s eyes. “Need to roll your damn hips more though. You went all dead fish on him.”

  “And who are you to be giving advice?” Carla asked with a dark chuckle. “We both know you—”

  “Shut it and I’ll owe you,” Nannie growled.

  Carla said nothing more.

  “How about we all cut Miss Brit a break,” Rebekah said. “I’m fairly certain we all had our broken bits before baby fixed us.”

  “Why do you all call me that? Miss Brit?” Saoirse asked.

  “’Cause you’re not one of us, and you’re not the mistress,” Nannie said. “You’re more like a Numberless… but not?”

  “You treat me as you do Aerin, though she’s a concubine,” Saoirse said.

  “Aerin will probably be a Numbered in time,” Riley said, clinging to Alex’s left arm. “She belongs completely to the master.”

  “None of this makes sense,” Saoirse said.

  “Not your concern,” Eleanor said curtly. “Service our Masterful Lordly Husband, give him children, and commit your life to your duty.”

  “Husband?” Saoirse asked, sounding even more confused.

  “Just how she refers to me,” Alex said. “Alright, I think… is that it?”

  Alex lifted a hand and pointed to a rather chunky-looking building. It seemed more like a fort than anything else. Or like it had been a fort at one point.

  “Yes. That’s… that’s the building,” Saoirse said.

  “Grand,” Alex said. “I’m going to go up there. Saoirse, Two, Three, Seven, with me. The rest of you stay here.”

  Valeria moved quickly up to Alex’s side and slid herself onto his hip and arm. Rebekah took a single step behind and placed herself on Alex’s rear to the right. The place of a concubine. Carla meanwhile stepped forward and to Alex’s left.

  Saoirse trailed behind like a lost puppy.

  It was odd, watching them shift positions around like that. It was as if they’d practiced who would be where depending on who was with him.

  Opening the door, Carla stepped into the building, followed by Alex and Valeria.

  “…vil are you? Do you even know where you are?” asked a man sitting behind a desk. He had light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He looked to be middle-aged.

  “I’m Count Brit,” Alex said, walking over to the man. Valeria remained at his side, though her hands seemed to be hovering near her hips.

  I wonder if that’s where she keeps a few knives.

  “I’m the ambassador for Duchess Regina and King Harold in the war with King Glint. As per Imperial decree, I’ve come to announce myself, receive my devices as ambassador, and begin negotiations,” Alex said.

  The man blinked several times, then bobbed his head.

  “And this is my wife, Saoirse Brit, formerly the princess of Hefen,” Alex said, indicating Saoirse. “She’ll need credentials to that effect.”

  “Your Highness!?” asked the man behind the desk, looking extremely confused and even scared.

  “Good morning,” Saoirse said, stepping up beside Alex. “I am indeed Count Brit’s wife and can tell you he is indeed acting as the ambassador for King Harold at this time.”

  “I… I don’t… okay,” said the man, looking mortified. Apparently the princess had more of a public presence than Alex had expected. The idea that she’d been given to an enemy count seemed too much for the man.

  Several minutes passed as the man put together several documents, a signet, a medallion, a key, and a small chest he filled with coin.

  “Here you are,” he said, setting everything down in front of him.

  Valeria stepped away from Alex and gathered everything up except the chest. Turning around, she signaled to two house guards Alex hadn’t noticed who’d followed them in.

  “The manor is… it’s just across from the palace. The blue one,” the man said.

  Saoirse nodded. “I’ll show my husband the way.”

  Taking that as his cue, Alex smiled at the man and then left without a word.

  Rebekah smoothly slipped into Alex’s side to take Valeria’s place. Though she was considerably more handsy than Valeria.

  “You robbing everyone blind, my beautiful little comfort wife?” Alex asked, glancing down at the thief. It was time for her to provide him with one of the biggest skills she had in her repertoire.

  Thievery.

  “You have no idea,” Rebekah said with a giggle. “I can’t wait to share it with you. I took a really nice ring from a man who tried to get close for a feel. I think you’ll like it, should fit your thumb nicely.”

  “He what?” Alex asked.

  “He tried to get close to touch me. Don’t worry, he didn’t get anything but a thread of my skirt. I’m all for you, baby,” Rebekah said. “Anything you want me to focus on in the palace?”

  “Same as last time. Letters, signets, things like that. Anything that can get me some intelligence,” Alex said.

  “You got it, baby,” Rebekah said with a content-sounding sigh. “It’s so nice to be rewarded for what I do.”

  “Isn’t it?” Valeria asked a step to Alex’s left. “We should sync up, Seven. You, me, and Four. This’ll be our time to shine.”

  “Think we can talk him into that four way?” Rebekah asked. “He never actually did it.”

  “Can’t hurt to try,” Valeria said. “You want in, Two?”

  “No. I’m only for Alex,” Carla immediately said. “Everything before this was a mistake I regret. I look forward to when I die and shed myself of this filthy body. To pledge myself only to Alex and let him have me in complete purity.”

  Rebekah and Valeria both looked somewhat shocked at that tone, but they said nothing further.

  Glancing over his shoulder, Alex saw Saoirse staring hard at him. There was a strange question in her eyes.

  She wants to know about the life hopping.

  Hm. Sorry, princess, but that’s something you’ll probably never need to know about.

  You’re as temporary as the other concubines. Doesn’t matter how fun you all are in bed.

  Temporary.

  ***

  Sitting down in the large living room, Alex smiled and looked around.

  It felt like a lot like any number of places he’d stayed back in Brit. Even going so far as to feel familiar to his own home.

  “Great time and monetary efforts were spent to make all the ambassador manses have the feel of home,” Saoirse said, trailing her fingers along the contents of a bookcase. “Grandfather felt the best way to get an edge in a negotiation was for the other person to feel at ease and not defensive.

  “Not confident, but… at ease.”

  “Smart man,” Alex said, then turned to look at Riley. “Hire who you need to hire—normal oaths, and whatever you need to do to ensure it. Try to limit the number of bodies, if possible.”

  “Of course, Master, my love,” Riley said, smiling at him. She leaned forward and kissed him soundly, her hands pressed to his shoulders. Seconds passed before she finally broke the kiss. “I love you. Do you need anything else from me?”

  She tilted her head to the side, her tag tinkling prettily, his view filled with only her face.

  “No. I’m good, One. I leave our home to your capable hands,” Alex said.

  “I understand,” Riley said, her smile growing
wider if possible. Then she kissed him again and left. Her shoulders were set, her back straight, and her bell chimed with every step.

  She was the confident and demanding head maid of the Brit household. Nothing crossed in front of Alex or Anna without Riley approving of it.

  “I don’t understand her,” Aerin said after Riley left.

  “Then you’re not using your mind. It’s not hard to understand,” Sylvia said, smoothing out her dress as she sat down in a couch. “We love Alex. He’s our master. Our caretaker. Our beloved. Our husband.

  “But we were all damaged. Broken. Some of us will never… be right. We do our best to fill those gaps. Some of us have it easier than others.

  “Don’t fret. You’ll understand in time.”

  The unspoken statement there was that she would have all the time in the world to figure it out.

  Nannie clicked her tongue, glaring at Aerin.

  “Use your brain, Numberless. Or I’m going to lose what little respect I have for you. You only good for warmin’ his bed?” Nannie said with some anger.

  “Anyways,” Alex said. “First steps. Three, Four, Seven, this is mostly going to be your show here, as you’ve already figured out, I’m sure.”

  Valeria sat next to Sylvia, crossed her legs, and then laid her hands atop her knees.

  “Oh good,” Rebekah said, sitting down on the other side of Valeria. The three of them looked like demure and beautiful noblewomen in their dress and posture.

  “How can we serve?” Sylvia asked.

  “First… I need someone to develop contacts with as many jewelers, goldsmiths, and silversmiths as we can,” Alex said. “And blacksmiths as well. We’re going to be spending a lot of coin on counterfeiting Hefen’s currency.”

  “We’re really doing that?” Carla asked.

  “Yeah. We are. It’ll be an absolute waste of money, but it’s not meant to enrich us. It’s meant to destabilize the economy,” Alex said. “The biggest choke points I figure are needing the dies for coinage and figuring out how much of a secondary metal to put in the cores of the coins so that the weight doesn’t change.”

  “The weight?” Nannie asked.

  “Weighing a coin is one way to make sure it’s real,” Eleanor said. “Taking a nib off the edge to test the metal works too, but that ends up ruining coins after a while.”