“That’s fine,” Andrea said. “Sean, do you mind if Rumia helps me in the shop?”
Sean blinked. “Uh, no. She’s filled in for you before, so that’s fine.”
“Lucky,” Cali muttered under her breath, looking at Rumia.
“Ladies,” Fiona said softly, “we don’t want any hard feelings. Rumia is the one most able to step away from her job for a few hours. That’s why she is picked.”
Cali blushed and looked down. “Sorry, Fiona. I know that. I just…” She trailed off.
“We know,” Fiona said. “Fel, can you take some time tonight and dream with them all?”
“If they are willing,” Felora nodded. “Rumia had a dream with me the other day. How did you feel about it?”
“I feel better about my place here,” Rumia replied. “A lot of my insecurities faded afterward. Being able to see the bog was good, too. Thank you so much for that.”
“Please?” Cali asked, looking up.
“Me, as well,” Xenta added.
“Yes. I should, too,” Tiska nodded.
“Can we all do it?” Prita asked.
“Yes,” Felora smiled. “Tonight’s group will be just you four. It does take from me to manage it, though you’ll all be paying some, as well.”
Glorina led the cooks into the room to lay out breakfast. “We have eggs, bacon, biscuits, and gravy for breakfast today.”
“Thank you, Glorina,” Sean said.
“Can we dream with you tomorrow?” Quinna asked Felora.
“Hmm... yes, that would be fine,” Felora said, seeing Quilla nodding with her sister and Arliat’s hopeful expression.
“Dreams?” Lona asked as she placed the food on the table.
Felora repeated what she’d offered the maids.
“Oh, can we do that, too, please?” Mona asked quickly.
Felora saw all three cooks’ hopeful expressions and smiled. “Yes, the day after them.”
“Good,” Fiona said. “Ladies, we trust you to do your best, and Felora can help you. We understand that there might be bumps, but just do your best.”
Cali blushed. “Yes, ma’am. Sorry.”
Sean exhaled, glad that Felora was going to help them and that the moment wasn’t the disaster it could have been. He finished serving himself, then recalled a question he’d had last night before his wives scrambled his brains.
“Fiona, I had a question— I’ve heard Ryann vow on the Queens before, but last night, when Amedee and Toivo pledged on the Queens, a weight settled on the table. Why?”
“One of them took notice,” Fiona said with shock. “To invoke the Queens like that is to bring their attention to you… it doesn’t happen often, but it can happen. If you upset them by doing so frivolously…” Fiona trailed off with a shake of her head.
“Does the Queen see them or just know what happened?” Sean asked, suddenly very worried.
“I don’t know,” Fiona whispered. “Only the Queens do.”
Sean took a deep breath. “Okay. Hopefully, it doesn’t mean they took interest in more than just them.”
The table was sober as the idea of the Queens taking an interest in Sean occurred to them all.
~*~*~
Everyone left for their tasks except for Sean and the cooks, who were collecting the dishes. “Ladies, you have your throwing knives on you, right?” Sean asked.
“Of course, sir,” Glorina said.
Sean looked at her, as he didn’t see them. “I wanted to see about binding them to you like your other weapon.”
“Oh, yes, please,” Mona said, going right to his side. She lifted her left leg, placed it on the chair beside him, and pulled her skirt up. One of her throwing knives was strapped to her thigh.
Sean blinked at the expanse of exposed skin for a moment— his lips pursed as he really looked at her leg. It was different. She had a long, upward-tilted foot. What he knew was her ankle, others would think was a backward bent knee. Never really looked at their legs before, Sean thought. That explains the bounce and why they’re able to move quicker.
“Sir?” Mona asked, her cheeks heating as she nibbled her lower lip.
“Huh?” He blinked, looking away from her leg.
“Are you going to bind it?”
“Oh, uh... yeah. Sorry,” Sean said, feeling his face heat. “Um... how did you expect to get to that quickly if needed?”
“There are slits in the skirt to manage it,” Glorina said as she continued to collect dishes. “It still slows us, though. Having them as rings will make it much easier, but I wonder how they will return without the sheath.”
Sean stared at her— the thought hadn’t occurred to him, and he sighed. “That’s a good question, a really good question. Hmm... this might take more thought than I gave it.”
Mona sighed in disappointment and pulled her foot off the chair, her skirt covering her long leg again. “I understand, sir.”
“Glorina, when you all finish with the dishes, come out to my shop,” Sean said, standing up. “Maybe I’ll have an answer by then.”
“Yes, sir,” Glorina said, bowing her head. “We won’t keep you waiting long.”
~*~*~
When Glorina knocked and entered the workshop, Sean was holding a bow in his hands. “Sir?”
“Come on over, Glorina,” Sean sighed, setting the bow back on the desk. “These are still giving me grief, but I answered the knife question, at least.”
“That’s good news,” Glorina said as she led the other two to Sean’s side. “We’re ready, sir.”
Sean looked up and gave them a grin. “Oh, good, all of you are here. This will be fast. Okay, unstrap your knives and hold them sheathed in your hands.”
Three skirts went up as the cooks went to comply with his request. Sean swallowed and started to turn away, then reprimanded himself mentally and instead just raised his eyes to their faces. When they finished, they found him watching them with a smile and all three blushed lightly.
“Okay, now, when I ask you to, push your energy into them like before,” Sean said. “But come closer so I can… hell, I only have two hands.”
“I’ll go first, sir,” Glorina said, stepping a few feet closer.
“Okay,” Sean smiled. “Hands out.”
When Glorina extended her hands holding the sheathed knives, Sean took hers in his. Sean watched her as he pushed his energy into the weapons. Glorina blushed hotter and kept eye contact with him, her lips parting slightly as she breathed slowly.
“Now, energy,” Sean told her. He blinked as he felt her flood the knives, then melded their energies together.
The sheathed knives warped and shrank down into pinkie rings that slithered around her fingers. Glorina swallowed as the knives shifted in her hands. The feeling was soft, gentle, almost loving.
Sean removed his hands from hers after a second. “All done. Now, if you summon them and throw them, the blade will return to your hand. Go ahead.” He motioned with his head toward a target across the room.
Glorina spun and threw in rapid succession at his nod. Two blades sunk into the middle of the target before they vanished and reappeared in her hands. Looking at her hands, she saw the mithril rings were now leather bands. “Oh... The sheaths stay as rings and still work.”
“Yes,” Sean grinned, lifting his hands to show off his own pinkie rings. “Mona, you’re up.”
Glorina willed the knives back to the sheaths and the rings became mithril again. She stepped aside, but her eyes shone as she watched Sean. He was focused on Mona when she moved up, so he didn’t see the adoration in Glorina’s eyes.
When he finished with their rings, he stood up, grinning. “Okay. Myna isn’t here, but I am. I’m going to be busy again shortly, but first, sparring. Let’s go.”
All three cooks stared at him for a second before they headed for the door. Sean trailed them, smiling as he thought they were all bouncing a little more. When they stepped into the yard, he saw that Quinna and Rosa were already the
re.
“Ladies?”
“We thought you might be leading their sparring and are here to help,” Quinna said.
“Excellent,” Sean grinned. “Okay, Glorina, you’re against me. Mona with Quinna, and Lona with Rosa. We’ll rotate who fights who so you get a good mix of styles.”
“Yes, sir,” all five women said as they paired off.
~*~*~
When sparring ended, Sean started to head to the baths, but paused when Rosa and Quinna went the other way. “Ladies?”
“We’re working on the mulch. We’ll shower after that,” Quinna told him.
“It’ll be unpleasant, so the shower afterward will be better,” Rosa said.
“Okay,” Sean said.
Making it to the bathroom, Sean was surprised that Prita was there. “Just leave them with me, sir,” Prita told him. “I was working on some linens, but I’ll do the clothes first.”
“Oh, thanks,” Sean said, sitting down to get his boots off. “How are you, Prita?”
“Good, sir. Everything has been so good since you rescued me.” Prita’s smile was bright as she looked at him, her hands still washing the clothes the cooks had given her.
“I was glad to help, Prita,” Sean said, standing up and stripping off his clothes. “You do a great job, too.”
“Thank you, sir,” Prita replied, her smile going wider.
Sean handed her his clothes, all too aware of her eyes dropping for a moment. “Keep up the good work.”
“Yes, sir,” Prita squeaked.
Sean felt his face heat as he walked to the showers and saw the backs of the three cooks. Taking a deep breath, he picked up some soap on the way over to them and lathered his hands. As the cooks stepped out of the water, he said, “Ladies, I’ll start down here with Lona, but I’ll get your backs, if you’d like?”
“Please?” Lona was quick to ask.
“None of us will deny you, sir,” Glorina said. “Could we… get yours after?”
“That’d be fine,” Sean smiled. His face heated more— he was determined to not be the guy he was when he came to this world.
Chapter Twenty-three
Sean stepped out of the carriage with Myna beside him. He was a little uncertain about bringing Myna, but when he said he could bring one of them, she had been the first to ask.
“I’m sure they’ll take care of you while you’re here,” Sean told Arliat and Helga.
“Most nobles do, sir,” Arliat replied. “Can you ask them where they want me to go, please?”
Myna looked at the guard on the front door of the manor. “Where does she go?”
The guard blinked, then motioned around the manor. “Carriage area is in back.”
“I thought so, but it’s best to ask,” Arliat said. “We’ll be ready to go when you are.”
“Thanks,” Sean said as he offered his arm to Myna. “Ready?”
Myna purred as she took his arm. “Yes, Master.”
“Might be best to call me by my name for now,” Sean said softly. “We want to reinforce to them that you’re my wife.”
Myna pouted and nodded. “Yes. Fine.”
“MacDougal?” the guard asked as Sean got to the door.
“Yes, and my wife, Myna,” Sean said.
The guard’s eyes flickered to Myna, then back to Sean. “Yes, sir. The family is expecting you.” He rapped on the door and waited. When it opened, revealing a middle-aged man in butler attire, the guard spoke again, “MacDougal and wife.”
“Welcome to Bloodheart Manor, sir,” the butler said, inclining his head. “If you will follow me?”
“Of course,” Sean said.
The guard shut the doors behind them as they followed the butler. Weapons and tapestries of battles were displayed on the walls. Sean eyed the various weapons, noting their gleaming edges. Not just for decoration, he thought.
Glancing up he saw the two wisps hanging from silver chains and he frowned. Have to see if they’ll take the exchange from the association for those, Sean sighed to himself.
They were taken to a room only a few doors from the entrance. The butler knocked once, then opened it. “Guest MacDougal and wife, sir.”
Julian Bloodheart stood up with a smile. “It is good that you came.” His eyes went to Myna and his lips turned up a bit more. “Testing that we still accept your wife even here?”
“No,” Sean said. “Myna was the one who wanted to come.”
“My mother has worked with one of your families before, in Eastpoint. She said that the meal was delicious. I wanted to see if it was the same here,” Myna said.
“Ah. Well, we do try to set a good table for events. Considering the event, we have gone to lengths to make it even better than normal.”
“We were surprised to be invited,” Sean said.
“Mageeyes asked that you be present,” Julian said. “She said, barring her family, you’d be the best to be here to sit beside her.”
Sean blinked for a moment. “Oh. I’m honored.”
“It is we who are honored,” Toivo Bloodheart said as he and Mageeyes entered the room. “We would have been here to greet you, but we thought it might take you a little longer to get here.”
“The car goes a bit faster than many expect,” Sean chuckled. He shook Bloodheart’s hand, then kissed the back of Mageeyes’ hand. “Congratulations on getting your hearts’ desires.”
“We both felt we needed you here to thank you,” Bloodheart said.
“Indeed,” Mageeyes smiled. “We’ve come to accept that this day only happened because you helped change what might have been.”
“That is what Mas… Sean does,” Myna said, her lips thinning when she had to correct herself.
Seeing her frown, Sean kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry, Myna. You can call me whatever you want. They’re fine with us being as we are, it seems.”
“We are,” Mageeyes smiled.
“We’ll never speak against your family,” Julian said somberly. “You’ve done my family a great service. Sean, if we can do anything to assist you, ask. The debt the family feels it has is high.”
“I help my friends,” Sean said simply. “Toivo is a friend and has helped me before. I don’t think there’s a debt.”
“Julian, don’t try,” Mageeyes told him. “Sean is one of the most stubborn men I’ve ever met when it comes to debts. The best you can do is pay it back without telling him. We all do.”
“Yes,” Myna nodded. “Master resists the idea of people owing him. He can be infuriating that way.”
Julian sighed. “Very well. Are you ready to meet the rest of the family?”
“How many are there?” Sean asked, a little uncertain.
“A handful only. It is just the main family tonight,” Julian said. “My wife, my daughter, and my other sons.”
“We’ll follow you,” Sean said. “How is she today?”
“Hallie has been very active,” Julian said as he led them out of the room. “She seems to be trying to do everything she couldn’t before.”
“Reveling in what she can do. Good,” Sean smiled. “Now that she feels comfortable, she might start pressing you or Toivo for more instruction.”
“She might,” Julian said. “I’d be glad to teach her, now that she won’t see it as pity.”
He led them to a set of sliding double doors, revealing an informal dining room. Much like the one at home, it could seat over twenty people. The only people present were the ones Julian had said would be there.
“Let me introduce you,” Julian said. “Sean and Myna MacDougal, you’ve met my daughter, Hallie. This is my wife, Helen, and my younger sons, Timithy and Julius.”
Sean greeted them in turn. Helen was an older version of her daughter— from the auburn hair to the light blue eyes, the only thing that denoted her age were the small wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Her blue dress complimented her eyes. Timithy and Julius were obviously related to Toivo Bloodheart, as all three had their father’s broad shoul
ders. Their hair ranged from brown to auburn, and their eyes were all shades of blue. Their suits were sharply cut to enhance their physique. Hallie was wearing a form-fitting, light blue gown that stopped just below her knees, showing off her legs. She also had strapped sandals that revealed her feet.
Timithy’s eyebrows went up upon seeing Myna and he nodded stiffly. “A pleasure.”
Noble Solutions Page 21
