The final choice, was that he could take the choice out of her hands, and sit at one of the chairs caddy corner to the head of the table. That would give her little choice, no matter where she sat it would be casual, because she couldn’t choose the foot and put her back to the door. She ruled here. In fact, if she chose the head of the table, that would make their conversation the most casual and intimate, because it would put them the closest together without any table between them at all.

  He chose the latter, and he sat down in the chair to the left of the head, then took a sip of the coffee. It was some kind of caramel mocha, and while he didn’t usually like flavored coffees, he had to admit it was delicious.

  Well, there had been a fourth choice, but even he wasn’t bold enough to sit at the head of the table which faced the door. That would be an insult, and something to be avoided.

  She didn’t keep him waiting long. In fact, she came so soon after he sat, he rather wondered if she’d been watching on camera to see what seat he’d choose to sit in. He’d bet everything he owned and his power as a knight, that she’d had three different approaches and pitches prepared just based on what choice he’d made.

  When the door opened, he stood up respectfully and nodded his head, while she smiled lightly. A political smile, but one that did reach her eyes. Reserved might be a better word to describe it, her smile wasn’t faked.

  She didn’t speak until she’d rounded the table, and to his surprise she sat at the head of the table. She was less than two feet away from him, and he wasn’t blind to her beauty. Leanne may have been leagues above her that way, but the prelate still would’ve ranked an eight or nine on that scale, depending on taste. To be even cruder, he’d happily bedded many a woman who didn’t come close to her allure.

  Point being, his initial impression of her being a petite blonde bombshell hadn’t changed, and there was an attractive glint of intelligence and ambition in her eyes.

  No, he wouldn’t be underestimating her at all despite that appearance. Not after she’d called his opening move, and then sat in the seat next to him instead of across from him.

  He sat back down a second after her ass hit the chair, and he leaned back in his chair with his arms open, laying on the arm rests. Open posture and relaxed body language.

  Hers was a little aggressive, but also intimate, as she actually leaned forward shortening the distance between them even further by a few more inches.

  She said, “It’s good to meet you in private, I trust your stay on our world has been pleasant.”

  Fine, if she wanted to start with small talk, that was fine with him, and well within his comfort zone.

  “Very pleasant. Your world is beautiful, the temple welcoming, and the guide you provided a joy to spend time with.”

  “You’ve taken to our Leanne, then?”

  I nodded, “You could say that, yes. She’s quite a woman, by any measure.”

  Aria smiled, “I expected you to be blunter, how interesting.”

  He shook his head, “I’m not being polite. Those were honest assessments and the blunt truth.”

  She chuckled, “I see, so we made up for the… misunderstanding on your arrival.”

  “I’d say so, yes. That wasn’t you or your government anyway, not officially. Nor was it anyone in your military, I’d say a rogue high up.”

  She tiled her head, “You’d be right, though we don’t know who. But what makes you so sure it wasn’t a military captain or admiral?”

  He shrugged, “Because the plan was pitifully stupid, and doomed to failure. Anyone knowledgeable about space battles would’ve planned it better. I suspect the captain did the best he could, with the bad orders he was given.”

  She nodded in agreement, “So, your king wanted this meeting. I’ve read the missives, which is asking for a similar non-aggression treaty.”

  I replied, “True, but you wanted me here, and you want a closer relationship with our kingdom than simple non-aggression and respecting each other’s borders. We could dance for a bit, I think that would probably be fun, prelate. But why don’t you just tell me what you want, and we’ll take it from there.”

  She shook her head, “That’s the bluntness I was expecting. Okay, you want me to put all my cards on the table?”

  “I have some idea of it. You’re in a tough position, the majority of bishops and above liked your ideas better, but the strongest among them are skewed toward expansionist leanings, with the excuse of spreading the word of the one goddess. You need a win to solidify your rule, and you needed me because they want to prevent that. They can either murder me in the hopes of starting a war from the other direction, or they can even murder me and you, and claim I did it, which will incite the population into wanting payback, as well as cover their asses.”

  She nodded, “Succinct and essentially correct. The truth is a little more complicated than that. The ones that want to keep the status quo are small in number. And, that number does not include myself. I campaigned on the platform of aggressive expansion without war. Because I believe in it, and I believe in the goddess and think that’s what she wants of me in service. What I don’t believe is that the goddess cares a whit in expanding our government to other worlds. Just the religion.”

  That… was interesting, he hadn’t really seen that coming.

  “Without war?”

  She nodded again, “Yes, that compromise is what allowed me to seize the moderate vote. They want to spread the word and enlarge the church, but they also have a soul and don’t want thousands of soldiers to die, or to spend all the money a war would require in replacing ship losses, fuel, missiles, and so on.”

  He nodded, “I’m following so far.”

  She continued, “So only the ones that want to expand the government, using faith as an excuse, still want to go to war. That number is few, but they are influential and powerful. They’ll do almost anything to prevent you going home with a treaty.

  “What do I want? I want to open temples on Moiroi Kingdom worlds, but I also know your king would reject that request. He’d be afraid, perhaps rightfully so, that our priests would be foreign spies as well, and that may even become true in the future, in a decade, five decades, or a century, even if it wasn’t my intention. Which it isn’t.”

  He replied, “You’re not wrong, that’s a non-starter.”

  She smiled, “Which is why I’m truly asking for something slightly different. I’d like to open our borders to both trade and missionaries. The missionaries would be there on visas, and they would find interested kingdom citizens to proselytize. That way, when a church to the one goddess is built in Moiroi, they will be built by kingdom citizens. Kingdom citizens that will be clergy of our church, but only regarding spiritual matters of worship, no government level involvement.”

  He pondered that a second, and he didn’t see much wrong with it on the surface.

  “As long as they don’t preach against the king, his family, or stir up thoughts of insurrection, I think the king might go for that. What are you offering in return, for the chance to expand your congregation into the kingdom?”

  She explained, “It would be situation ripe for abuse, on both sides. Which gets to my offer regarding Leanne. She would swear herself to you, a servant to her knight. She’s as smart as she is beautiful, which should say everything really, and will serve your will in all things. She will also be our go between of sorts. She will be aware of every missionary we send, and all details regarding them will be available to you as a result. She’d quite adept at spotting corruption in the church, even at her age.

  “That’s beyond the fact she’d be a credit to you, as she aides you in your missions. The king would have to consent to it of course, but she would be yours, and through you, the king’s agent as well. As a bonus, she’s also got a lot of information on the inner workings of our government, and I believe that will only serve to bring us closer together. Understanding does that, on occasion, when participants are open minded, which I believe we are.”

  He chuckled, “Alright, I can agree that will attenuate most risks to having missionaries of the church on our worlds. I’m also already convinced that Leanne would be a wonderful asset as well as a personal companion. But what does the king get out of it?”

  She said, “Multiple things. A friendly neighbor for one. That is not a threat, but I did promise my people an aggressive spreading of the word. We already sent missionaries to the free worlds, though that will not be enough. If he turns down the treaty I’m offering, then my position will be… unsteady. If one of my enemies takes advantage of that, he might find us at war as soon as they remove me as an obstacle.

  “I take no pleasure in admitting that weakness.

  “There is also the trade I mentioned. Trade between our worlds would enrich both our governments.”

  He pondered that, and he still thought it a little one sided. Oh, personally, for him, Leanne made it totally worth it, but he was here representing his kingdom, and his king would not be amused if he sent him such a lopsided treaty.

  To be frank, her unsteady position on her throne wasn’t their problem. They simply couldn’t be blackmailed into giving her what she wanted in fear of a possible war that may never materialize. Also, a trade deal would benefit her as much as it benefited the kingdom, so basically cancelled itself out as far as value to value. So again, there was very little balance to the first point of the negotiation, opening their borders to allow missionaries.

  “The trade is mutually beneficial, so doesn’t really balance out the missionaries. While Leanne would more than balance it out for me personally, I am here to represent the king and kingdom. They’ll want something specifically for that. It doesn’t even have to be that big, but it has to be something,” he threw her a bone at the end.

  She tilted her head, “Not big?”

  He shrugged, “Spreading your goddess’s word is a passion dear to your heart. Stopping you from spreading it is not dear to ours. Opening our border to your missionaries would mean far more to you than it would mean to us, in other words. For us, it is merely a security concern, which you’ve already partially addressed with the offer of Leanne to my service.

  “So, offer me something that would make that small security risk worthwhile. That’s the issue, and your goddess coming into our worlds or not is not and would not be our focus for an equal bargain.”

  She bit her lip in thought, “You didn’t have to tell me all that. I’m so committed to my mission and goddess that I never stopped to consider how a non-believer would view it.”

  That was the impression he was getting. Aria was very ambitious, but not on behalf of herself or her own power. She was ambitious on behalf of her goddess, and insightful enough to know her goddess didn’t care about who was ruling where, only about worshippers.

  Well, if she existed.

  He shrugged, “I’m not betraying my people or my oaths by saying it, on the contrary I’m supporting them by asking for a reasonable return in granting that. And… Leanne is a hell of a lady. Which is what you hoped for, isn’t it? This is as compromised as I’m prepared to get, offering you advice on what my king will need to say yes, without all the outrageous haggling and unreasonable demands that usually surround treaty negotiations. We need something else, that will only benefit the kingdom, and I’m almost sure the king will sign it.”

  She chuckled, “Fair. And we have been frank with each other. Another advantage to requesting you, and you’re a fresh breeze in comparison to what I deal with at home. Okay, any suggestions?”

  He chuckled, “I could send a communique home for advice, or you could offer something, and I’ll send the completed draft of the treaty home.”

  She sat back and sighed, “I was afraid you might say that.”

  He shrugged a little helplessly, “I’m not entirely sure what shortfalls my liege is facing at this time. I imagine you might even know more than me about that kind of thing, or if you have anything to offer that might quell one of them. But you’re right, if I write home then it’s likely the haggling will start in earnest, and I’d much prefer to keep this casual and between us, if I can be so bold.”

  She smiled, “I’d prefer it that way as well. Would you call me Aria in private?”

  Of course she’d prefer it that way, he was being a pushover. Just… not entirely. He was shooting for fair, and standing his ground on that. It was only working because he didn’t think she was trying to take advantage either. Soften him up maybe, with Leanne’s seduction and offer, so he’d be more open to the possibilities, but not trying to get one over on him.

  He smiled back, “I’d be honored, Aria. But only If you call me Dacen.”

  She said, “Dacen it is. How about this. Our healers have recently learned how to extend life by almost a factor of four. It is quite likely I’ll live to the ripe old age of three hundred, if my enemies don’t manage to shorten that.”

  That seemed… highly unlikely. Humanity has been trying to extend life for over a thousand years, as soon as they learned magic existed. There were ways, but they involved becoming a cyborg, or a shadow of the person you were, which most people rejected.

  He shook his head, “How? I thought it was impossible to regrow telomeres, we’re all born with an expiration date.”

  She shook her head, “That is impossible, but if I tell you how even in the most general terms, a celestial of your caliber will figure out the particulars by the time you get back to your quarters. It’s rather obvious, in hindsight, so I’m afraid I can’t explain it until the treaty is signed.”

  He nodded, “I think that will do it, and may even open the door to further scientific exchanges in the future.”

  She smiled, “Wonderful. I’d love to chat a little longer but I’m already late for the next meeting, and my son is sure to give me an earful.”

  “Your son?”

  She nodded, “You met him yesterday, he takes after his father. Benjamin.”

  He replied, “Alright, I’ll send word as soon as I hear back.”

  She said, “Good, expect a draft of the treaty in your room’s messaging interface by the end of the day.”

  “Aria, it’s been a real pleasure.”

  She stood up, and said, “For me as well, we’ll talk again soon. In fact, why don’t you join me and Benjamin for breakfast tomorrow. I’m afraid it isn’t often I can be myself, without counting the political cost. Now that our negotiations are done, it won’t get in the way of enjoying each other’s company.”

  He said, “And I’ll be gone in a week or less,” as he joined her in standing, which had them quite close together. For an irrational moment he was tempted to kiss her full lips, but he pushed it down. Maybe he was getting too much sex lately, and becoming addicted. Usually his lovers were military, and not with him every second of the day, much less having two sexy women at his fingertips twenty-four hours a day, who were if anything more randy than he was.

  She said softly, “That, and you’re good company. Breakfast, because if its early enough I won’t be pressed for time. Lunches and dinners are political events for me daily.”

  “I understand, and I’ll see you then, Aria.”

  It might’ve been his imagination, but he got the impression she really liked hearing her name on his lips.

  That hung there for a single moment, even as he wondered if the sudden sexual tension could possibly be real and not just his wild imagination, but he dare not use magic to find out. She was a hell of a woman, and of course the shallow as hell idea of pounding a prelate and leader of sixteen worlds had an appeal all its own.

  No, he was pretty sure it was all about the fact she was a golden-haired blonde bombshell in a petite curvy package, and because they seemed to get along really well. He respected her, and she did him. Even if it was in his head, and they just had breakfast, he’d be honored just to get to know her a little better and meet the real her. A privilege that probably wasn’t extended to very many in her life.

  Then the moment passed, and she was walking away.

  Which was his first opportunity to check her out from behind, and he heartily approved. She had the most petite bubbled ass he’d ever seen above her thin toned legs, it was tiny and tight, which gave her a slightly top-heavy look which wasn’t a bad thing. There was no comparing them to Leanne’s vast breasts, but the prelate’s rounded C cups still looked deliciously large on her otherwise petite hourglass five foot one body.

  He followed at a respectful distance, and he didn’t fail to see her lean in and whisper into Leanne’s ear. No doubt orders to get him to her part of the palace for an early breakfast tomorrow.

  He was excited, and a bit worked up. Not just at the surreal flirting moment he’d just had with the prelate, but at the idea he’d get to keep Leanne. That he might not have to give her up, like he’d had to give up every other woman that entered his life and bed.

  He took her by surprise by gripping her arm and turning her as soon as the door to their suite closed, and he claimed her just short of pouty lips. She was frozen for a split second, then melted into him aggressively and kissed back with even more passion.

  He crooked his finger while he explored her mouth with his tongue and caressed her lusciously bubbled ass with the other. In the hopes that Riesa had heard them enter and was there to see it. As he’d hoped, Riesa stood right next to them as they broke the kiss, and he gripped her by the back of the neck and pulled her in for a kiss too, signaling his intentions for a threesome.

  Leanne said breathily, “It take it things went well.”

  He moaned in agreement, as he deepened his kiss with Riesa, gripped both their asses to pull them tighter together, and then pinched their asses. It made Riesa gasp into his mouth, and his breathy Leanne let out a sweet gasp of naughty innocence straight into his ear as she started to suckle his earlobe and rub his erection through his pants.