Noble Solutions

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Noble Solutions Page 34

by Schinhofen, Daniel


  Hallie was about to ask what he meant, but she just moaned and shuddered when his tongue met her flesh.

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Hallie sighed happily as she stroked Sean’s hair. “Good morning, husband.”

  “Good morning to you. Was it everything you hoped for?” Sean asked.

  “Goodness, it was so much more...” Hallie whispered, leaning in to kiss him.

  Their kiss lingered for a minute, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Master, breakfast will be soon.”

  “We’ll be out in a minute,” Sean replied. “Which room is Hallie using?”

  The door cracked open and Myna peered inside before stepping in. “We have her with Aria and Helga in the other dressing room. Hallie had expressed interest in getting to know Helga better, so that’s what we went with.”

  “That’s fine,” Hallie said as she got out of bed. With a pleased sound, she reached up high, stretching. “Do we always feel this good the day after?”

  Myna smiled. “All of us do, yes. Come, let me show you the dressing room. Your things have been brought up, but you’ll need to store them the first time so the staff can know where you want it all.”

  “Let me just slip this on,” Hallie said, reaching for her dress.

  “Use this one,” Myna said, pulling a light sundress from her belt pouch and handing it to her. “It’s easy to keep one in your bag so you always have it with you.”

  Hallie stared at the pouch for a moment, then looked at Sean. “Another of your wonders?”

  “Oh yeah, we need to do that for yours,” Sean said, getting out of bed. “We’ll do it after breakfast.”

  Myna stared at Sean with hungry eyes. “Breakfast sounds good.”

  “Myna, show her the dressing room,” Sean smiled at her. “I’ll be in ours.”

  Myna snagged Hallie’s hand, dragging the barely-dressed woman from the room. “Come.”

  Hallie blinked in shock and was taken from the room with little objection.

  Sean shook his head, then pulled his pants on before stepping into the hall.

  “Husband,” Fiona smiled as she came toward him, “what did you tell Myna? She was dragging our poor wife down the hall like she was promised a reward.”

  Sean coughed, looking away. “I think she misunderstood what I said... Umm, I might be a little late to breakfast now.”

  Fiona laughed, kissing his cheek. “She’s even more herself right now. Her emotions are amplified. I spoke with her mother and it was the same for her. It comes from their Feline bloodline. If you try to back out, it’ll hurt her more, so just do as you need to. I’ll let Glorina know to delay it a little, but try not to take too long, okay?”

  “Yes, dearest,” Sean murmured, grabbing her for a quick kiss. “I’ll be quick, but not so much that it hurts our wife.”

  “Good,” Fiona murmured. “Go on. She might beat you there, otherwise.”

  Sean nodded and walked away. Looking back, he saw Fiona doing the same. His heart beat a little faster and their shared smile was full of love.

  ~*~*~

  Sean led Myna into the dining room. “Sorry for the delay.”

  As he went to his seat, Myna detoured to Hallie and whispered to her before taking her seat. Those with exceptional hearing were able to hear what she’d said.

  Sean was starting to blush as he took his seat. “I’ll just summon the cooks,” he said quickly.

  Fiona wore a knowing smirk as he used the bellpull. She kissed Myna’s cheek and whispered to her as Myna sat, “Does she smell that good?”

  “Yes. I bet she tastes even better,” Myna whispered back. Her eyes darted over to Sean, who was turning even redder. “We can ask him later.”

  Prita gave a small giggle. She’d been watching Sean become red, her acute hearing having caught everything they’d said. When everyone looked at her, Prita blushed and looked away, but she fidgeted in her seat when she thought about what Myna would say when she finally had her turn.

  Luckily for Sean, it was then that Glorina, Lona, and Mona came into the room with the food. Sean looked at the biscuits and gravy with a thoughtful expression.

  “Is it snowing again?” Sean asked.

  “A light snow, still,” Glorina said. “We want to make sure you’re all fortified for the day.”

  “Thank you,” Sean smiled. “You make a great gravy. Just the right amount of pepper.”

  “Thank you,” Lona said. “I make it the same way my mother always did.”

  “Oh, I had no idea it was you making it,” Sean said. “Good work.”

  Lona beamed and served the end of the table.

  Everyone focused on their food, which Sean was glad for. When the meal came to an end, he took a slow breath, as he had things to tell everyone.

  “Ladies, tomorrow night is the party,” Sean began. All the conversations stopped so they could listen to him. “I’ll be taking Helga only.”

  Myna started to object, but Fiona put a hand on her arm. “He has a reason, Myna.”

  “Since you’re all carrying our children,” Sean nodded, “I don’t want you anywhere near him, especially since I’ll be doing my best to provoke him into a fight.”

  “Husband,” Hallie said, “you need to take me, as well. My father will announce our marriage during the party.”

  “She’s right,” Fiona nodded.

  “Okay. Just Hallie and Helga,” Sean conceded.

  “Sean, do you think it’ll be as bad as the last party?” Ryann asked.

  “No. It should just end up with me versus him... maybe one or two others, but nothing like what happened with Evan and Klein.”

  “How are you going to provoke him?” Andrea asked.

  Sean’s smile was not pleasant as he thought of the gift he was going to bring. “I’m giving him a statue of his son.”

  The table went still.

  “The moment I plunged Dark Cutter into his head,” Sean added.

  “That should work,” Ida whispered.

  “It will get a reaction,” Aria said. “With the Lady and your allies, you might be able to leverage him into a fight, especially now that you’re a Knight.”

  “Which is why we agreed to Hallie joining us,” Fiona said. “Hallie, you’ll be needed not just for this, but for more later. Are you still committed?”

  “More so now, Fiona,” Hallie said quickly. “I thought I had understood before, but now that I have truly been Bonded to Sean, I know I was impulsive and foolish to be so certain of my offer.” Hallie stood up, looking up and down the table. “I thank all of you again. In time, I hope to show you how grateful I am. Tomorrow night, I will be his helper in bringing Sharpeyes down.”

  “Good,” Felora said softly. “You will do us proud. Of that, I have no doubts.”

  “Besides working on the statue,” Sean said, dragging the conversation back to what he wanted to address, “I will help you make the bus for Saret. There will be no sparring again today. Once we finish, we’ll stop working and spend time together. I just want a day of loving all of you.” He quickly added, “Not like that,” when he realized how some of his wives might take it.

  Felora let out a dramatic sigh. “Ahh, I was going to say.”

  The majority of the table laughed.

  “Sean,” Mizuki asked, “how certain are you?”

  “He’ll win,” Myna said simply. “Sean won’t play with him like so many with power do. He’ll use everything he has and gut him in short order.”

  “Myna isn’t wrong,” Sean said. “If he has illusions like Evan did, they won’t help him. I can see past them. Troll’s Strength doesn’t matter, either. I can best that, and have twice already. I doubt he can resist fire, lightning, or any of a half dozen other things I can do.”

  “Sean,” Helga said softly, “we should visit the bog so I can claim more souls, just in case.”

  “Yes,” Ryann said quickly. “We’d feel better if you let her take as many as possible, for her and you.”
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  “Tonight,” Sean said. “We’ll visit the bog and the manor. Chastity and Lilly should know.”

  “That’d be good,” Andrea said.

  “After the Oaken Glen, though,” Sean said. “I want to let them all know what I plan to give as a gift and check with them before this party happens.”

  “I’ve been a bit worried about the party,” Fiona said. “Sharpeyes all but demanded every noble attend. That’s nearly unheard of.”

  “Dealing with me and making a point of it. He wants to solidify his position.”

  “Sir, we believe in you,” Rumia said.

  “Thank you,” Sean smiled. “Okay, I’ll join you all for work in a bit.”

  ~*~*~

  Sean watched the guard recruits being led down the street as they passed them going the other way. “How long is that going to be, do you think?”

  “Maybe another tenday?” Hallie suggested. “They are likely showing them each patrol area of the city. That way, they understand the scope of how things are divided.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Sean nodded. Giving Helga and Hallie a smile, he switched topics, “We’ll be in the private room tonight, so we can discuss the party.”

  “Yes. A war council is always a good idea just before a battle,” Hallie nodded.

  “Agreed,” Helga smiled. “Your family taught you many important lessons.”

  “Thank you. I couldn’t do as much as they could physically, so I learned what I could. Now, I can do as much as anyone else and I can put all of that knowledge to use for our family.”

  “Thank you,” Sean told her. “It proves that you’re as forward-thinking as my other wives are.”

  Hallie beamed and patted his knee. “We try.”

  The bus slowed and Helga stood up. Going over to the door, she held onto the rail that Sean had installed. “This handle is very useful, Sean.”

  “Yeah, it can be.”

  “We’re here,” Arliat said when the bus came to a stop.

  Helga and Hallie exited the bus first, then Sean followed them out. The light snow was still falling, and Sean hoped that the Winter Queen would continue to ignore what was happening in the city.

  Sean waved to the people who greeted him as they crossed the taproom of the Oaken Glen. He was comfortable there and felt a touch of melancholy that, in time, he wouldn’t see it again. Passing the bar, he gave Allonen a smile, getting one in return.

  Helga knocked and entered the room before Sean. “Good evening,” she greeted the room.

  Hallie smiled broadly as she walked in, greeting everyone, as well.

  “Thanks for making sure we have the room, Amedee,” Sean said.

  “Of course,” Mageeyes said. “Having a war council before the party is a good idea.”

  “We should wait for the drinks,” Fredrick said, using the bellpull to summon Tabitha.

  Tabitha came and got their order, bringing back their drinks and extras a few minutes later.

  The moment she was out the door, Joseph spoke up, “Sean, we might not be going, but we’re behind you.”

  “We are,” Sam agreed.

  The other smiths all chimed in with them.

  “Is there anything we can do?” Joseph asked.

  “Just stay safe,” Sean said. “All I want is for this party to end with his death and all of us alive.”

  “You said you were going to provoke him,” Knox prompted. “How?”

  Sean smiled and pulled out the adamantine statue he’d made. Setting it on the table, he watched them all.

  “That should enrage him,” Bloodheart chuckled. “I can’t think of anything else that would do it more.”

  “Helga will be beside me,” Sean said.

  “An extra twist,” Mageeyes smiled.

  “Hallie will be going with her father to the party, where they will declare our marriage,” Sean added.

  “We will be waiting for him to move against Sean,” Hallie said. “We expect the first avenue will be to strip him of his title of Aspirant. That is when my father will explain that Sean isn’t one, but a Knight, instead.”

  “Oh, yes, that will gall him,” Flamehair nodded. “Will he try that before the gifts, though?”

  “Yes,” MacLenn said. “If Sean isn’t an Aspirant, then it won’t matter how extravagant the gift— he’ll be free to move against him. If the title stays in place, then he’ll need something, very much like that statue, to have recourse. Since we want protected recourse, this is a solid plan.”

  “Our families haven’t announced our ascension yet,” Italice added. “We’ll be doing that at some point during the event. We half-expect him to try tarnishing each of us invited to strike out against the head of our families.” Italice smile was dark. “Well, that would be breaking the Agreements the city has with our families.”

  Fredrick nodded. “Good. Small pieces that keep stacking up.”

  “A spring being wound too tight,” Sean nodded. “Perfect.”

  “He should snap when the gift is presented, especially if we’ve stymied all his other plots,” Mageeyes said.

  “I’ll be challenging Knight Solanice,” Bloodheart said. “I’ll likely have to do it before the gifts, or else I might not get the chance. I do not want to lose it.”

  “Do it,” Sean grinned. “Losing another major ally should tip him nicely.”

  “This is going to be a lively party,” Fredrick said slowly. “Eva, maybe—?”

  “No. I will be going, husband,” Eva Silvertouch said softly, but firmly. “I will not let you go alone.”

  “He won’t be,” Sean said. “All of my wives except Hallie and Helga will be staying home.”

  Eva’s lips pursed.

  “My wife will also be staying home. In fact, might she come to your place for the evening, Sean?” Giralt asked.

  “Sure,” Sean smiled. “Eva, did you want to come over, too?”

  “Hmm... yes,” Eva sighed. “I will accept.”

  “We’ll take my bus up to the manor,” Sean said.

  “Very well,” Fredrick said, “and thank you, Sean.”

  “In fact, everyone who’s going should just come over to mine first. The bus will hold us all, and I think the impact of all of us arriving together will be good.”

  “Even my parents?” Hallie asked.

  “Yeah.”

  The others who were going agreed to be there.

  Sean smiled, picking up his mug. “To the end of this stupidity and to the growth of Forged Bonds.”

  The others all cheered to his toast.

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  “Are we ready?” Sean asked as he settled into bed with his wives.

  “We have a request,” Fiona said softly, kissing his chest. “Would you be willing to allow the staff to join us?”

  Sean went still, his eyes going wide.

  “She means for the dream, Master,” Myna snickered. “We know you aren’t ready for more right now.”

  “Umm, how would that work?” Sean asked. “We’ve all had to be holding hands before.”

  “I believe I can do it,” Felora said. “I haven’t tried to exert all the power you’ve given me.”

  Sean exhaled slowly as he considered the request and what his life was likely going to be in the future. “Yes.”

  Fiona smiled, kissing his chest again. “Thank you, dear husband.” She raised her voice to say, “Ladies, come on in.”

  The door cracked open and Tiska’s head popped into the room. “Yes?”

  “Yes. Come,” Fiona replied.

  Sean swallowed as everyone walked into the room. The majority of them wore nightgowns similar to his wives, with a few exceptions— Rosa was wearing what Sean thought of as an old lady robe, while Quilla and Quinna were wearing very little.

  Damn, those two would break most men, Sean thought. Really, Sean? That’s what you have on your mind right now?

  “I’m sure they’d be glad to know how attractive you find them, Sean,” Felora giggl
ed.

  Blushes and a few slowed steps came from Felora’s comment, but all the staff arranged themselves around the bed, lying down close to it. Quinna and Quilla gave Sean a wink as they lowered themselves to the floor, making Sean cough and avert his gaze. All of his wives laughed at his awkwardness to accept even that gesture from the others.

 

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