“Do we owe Karana anything by tradition for her spell?”

  Saria shook her head, “No. It’s one of the only things a mage will do for free, by tradition.”

  We finished breakfast, and then headed for the old Baron’s supplicant and reception room, which I supposed we should call the council chambers from now on.

  Once again, I set up next to the dais on the side of the room, while Saria took her place on the dais with Jaren and Karana. The doors were still closed and barred to the public, and I wondered if there’d be more people to heal today. There’d only been about twenty yesterday, which was a tenth of the free human population. The former slaves of course, were already all healed and in perfect condition. I’d see soon enough.

  Karana winked at me when she caught my eye, the dark elven beauty as usual was dripping with sensuousness, and she had on a dark red mage’s robe which hugged her curves. It covered everything, except for a small amount of cleavage, and went all the way down to her ankles, but was somehow sinfully sexy anyway.

  I winked back and deliberately checked her out in an over the top teasing way that made her grin. I’d decided the flirting between us was harmless. There was heat there between us, but I was fairly sure that was just my human mind misinterpreting her signals as a dark elven woman. Either way, it was harmless and kind of fun, and my mates wouldn’t mind. The only problem with that theory was she didn’t flirt with other men quite so blatantly, and neither did the other dark elven women flirt with me. I had a theory though, that she was doing it to show her people I could be trusted, and in a small way tease Saria, who she was obviously fond of and knew very well.

  I wasn’t sure how, maybe as the high advisor to dark elven royalty she’d visited the light elf city of Lelmalond often and had befriended the younger princess? Saria seemed just as fond of Karana, if a lot more reserved about it.

  Jaren said, “We should take time to discuss ideas between ourselves every morning, before opening it up for the public requests, accusations, and complaints. As I see it, our biggest priority is to prepare for the king’s response, I doubt we have more than ten days before we see it. A part of that is our second biggest priority, gaining better control of the free human section of the city.”

  Jaren shook his head, “We need a better name for it, since my people are free now as well, there are no slave sections. Regardless, we need to make sure there are no traitors among us in that section, either out of greed or backlash for our policies against abusing women and less powerful men among them.”

  Saria nodded slightly, “We should lighten the guards on the walls, so we can form scouting and hunting parties to hunt down any of the king’s men who haven’t fled. We also need to set up pickets in the forest around the city several miles out, so we know when he’s coming and what the makeup of his forces are before he arrives. As far as the city, it might be better if we left that in your hands and with your people. The humans are uncomfortable with us, and I fear it will just breed resentment if we become their guards and judges.”

  Karana said, “I’ve looked through the mage’s spell books that was here, last night. I found the spell they used to disable elves in a large area, and already have some ideas of how to block it. I should have the wards on the walls updated with that in a few days, so we won’t have to worry about being overwhelmed quite so quickly. I’ll also work on creating charms for the scouting and hunting parties, it should protect them from that spell as well.”

  Jaren grunted, “Good. I can have my people continue to take on the city, the elves move faster and quieter out in the forest anyway, and all three of our races can take the walls. I’m sure we’ll run into more problems, and we’ll review our progress each morning.”

  Jaren turned to me, “Can I count on you to keep our soldiers in top form?”

  I nodded, “That’s the plan. The people as well.”

  Jaren asked, “What do you wish for your service?”

  I hadn’t really given that much thought.

  “I have rooms in the keep, food and drink provided to me, and the respect of the council. Eventually, if this rebellion works out I’d like to build my own home and family in safety, and I can consider what to charge then.”

  Jaren grunted, “I don’t mean the people, that’s between you and them, I mean for working with this council and healing our troops. A bed and meals aren’t sufficient, especially since your wife deserves that suite on her own as one of the councilors, and I do not wish to be in your debt.”

  Translation, he didn’t want me to influence the council or try to take rule using the leverage of my power and their dependence on me.

  I looked at Regina, and she winked.

  She said, “Two gold a week, to support his family past the needs of somewhere to sleep and the food already provided.”

  That was a lot, and I stopped myself from looking startled or widening my eyes.

  A single gold piece would buy one of my wives a full wardrobe of dresses for every occasion and riding clothes. Or it would buy a decent steel weapon, or a horse, or even a large plot of land. Two a week was a shit ton of money, but I supposed it was a seller’s market, and Regina wanted to make sure we had plenty of money to build our home, my practice, and our family when the time came. Hopefully, peace would come, and I wouldn’t always be in danger from men like the king.

  Jaren replied, “One gold a week, with a ten-gold bonus should our rebellion be successful. After that we’ll renegotiate to a case by case fee, much like you’ll heal the commoners, if you continue to live in this area.”

  Regina nodded subtly.

  “Done,” I said.

  Jaren said, “If there’s nothing else we should open the doors.”

  Saria replied, “A small thing before we do that. With your humans moving into the main city and houses that were abandoned, we have the opportunity to spread out. We’re going to modify the barracks a little and claim the human barracks to spread out and add more of life’s minimal luxuries.”

  Karana’s hand twitched, and one of the dark eleven guards in the room glided to the door and removed the bar, before pushing the door open.

  Several men walked into the room, there were no women at all in the group. I tensed slightly as I saw Saria move her hand onto her sword hilt, she didn’t fuss with her sword at all usually, and was comfortable with it, which meant she sensed trouble.

  Now that I looked closer, the men all looked rough around the edges, and had an arrogant bearing to them. One man stood in the front, clearly the leader based on all their body language. He was in his thirties, six foot one, with brown hair and eyes, and in shape. With a quick look via my magic, I saw he had telekinesis, which is probably why he was in charge.

  One said, “I’m Coren. I’ll join the council and lead my section of the city.”

  Jaren waved a hand, “And all these men?”

  Coren said glibly, “My guards.”

  Karana smirked, “And did you have a vote, or are you simply seizing control?”

  Coren glanced at Karana with a dismissive look in his eyes, before looking back at Jaren. The man obviously didn’t respect women in the least. Sadly, on this world that didn’t mean he was a complete asshole, it was just the culture. Still, I wasn’t getting good vibes from him besides that.

  I frowned, as one of the guards with Coren had been checking out three dark elven female guards, but he stopped when he reached Regina, and was devouring my mate with his wandering eyes as if judging her value as a thing. It made me realize why Regina had latched onto me that day so quickly, if these were the types of men she’d normally met. I resisted the urge to knock him out.

  Coren let the seconds drag on a bit further before answering.

  “No one objected, and I see no one else here to claim the position.”

  Jaren grunted, “Very well, do you have any concerns for the rest of us?”

  Wait, what? Seriously? This asshole was being accepted on the council, and Jaren didn’t want me on it? Not that I wanted to be on it, but this guy wasn’t right for the position.

  Saria said, “Perhaps, but his authority will be short lived if we discover no one else was here this morning by intimidation and violence.”

  Jaren looked annoyed by her comment, but he didn’t disagree.

  Coren ignored Saria too, and said in answer to Jaren’s question, “I do, your men are interfering with families, and the right of a man to keep his women in line.”

  Chapter Five

  The council degenerated even further after that statement, and Coren took his place in it. It was clear he was against giving females any rights, including a right to dignity. At one point I had to stop listening, Coren was unable to sway Jaren, Saria, and Karana away from making rape and physical abuse illegal in Eastguard, but he still did his best to curtail the guards’ authority to intervene without a direct complaint from the abused.

  Regina’s studied indifference to Coren’s guard’s ogling seemed to frustrate the man, and I knew there was going to be trouble already.

  There were very few people that came in for healing that day. I was frustrated, and quite angry by the time the council broke up for the day.

  When we got back to our suite, Regina started to massage my shoulders, which felt amazing. It wasn’t just her firm fingers digging into my muscles, but the little sparks of pleasure that helped my muscles relax as well.

  Saria said, “I appreciate your anger, but politics makes strange bedfellows. I find Coren to be odious, and I’d like nothing better than to introduce him and his men to my sword. But… he’s clearly on board with rebelling against the king and will get results when he searches out traitors and plants. He more than any of us has the pulse of his part of the city, and his one vote won’t be enough to overturn the suggestions you made to protect women.”

  Regina leaned down and kissed my neck, “And the looks don’t bother me, I’m used to it, and am content with having my husband’s respect.”

  I frowned, “Was I that obvious?”

  Saria grinned, “That you wanted to kill that leering bastard? Only to us, and Karana. Regina’s right, she can take care of herself that way.”

  “I’ll continue to restrain myself, but I won’t pretend I’m okay with it. How do you know Karana so well?”

  Saria replied, “She’d come often to our court when I was still a child, and she spoke for her king and queen in trade agreements and such. She’s not much older than me, fifty years or so. I was in what humans would call their mid-teen years, and she was exotic, wild, and kind to me. We formed a bond of friendship over the years.”

  That made sense, Karana looked around my age, twenty-five.

  “So, you’re both saying I need to put up with him?”

  Saria nodded, “Unless his district pushes someone else forward, or accuses him of a crime, there’s not much we can do. I know you care, and I do because you do, but I can live with him on the council if it helps us against the king.”

  I knew I couldn’t change the world, and it was naïve to think I wouldn’t encounter resistance in my desire to at least change this city in how it treated women. They were right though, we couldn’t refuse his position in the city based on him being an asshole. To be fair, back on my world doing that would take out most of our politicians as well.

  “That feels amazing Regina.”

  I could hear the smile in her voice.

  “You’re welcome love.”

  Saria said, “I’ll be back soon, I need to check on my people and fill them in on what’s going on, organize scouting and hunting parties…” she trailed off.

  I stood and gave her a lingering kiss, “Is it pathetic I’m going to miss you?”

  Saria grinned, “We both are then, I’ll be back by dinnertime.”

  She slipped out of the room, and I did miss her presence. I’d been around her constantly for a week, and we were just mated last night. But, until her people went back to the forest, I’d have to share my mate with her own responsibilities as a princess and commander of the light elves in this city.

  I sat back down and pulled Regina onto my lap.

  “It feels a little strange, we’ve been on the move constantly since we’ve met. Council is over, no one to heal, and it’s still only just after lunch. More than that, the last year and a half before we met I was pulling sixteen hour shifts almost daily, I’m not used to so much free time.”

  Regina smirked, and teased the back of my neck with her fingernails, “I think I can come up with something to fill the time.”

  I kissed her softly, and bridal carried her to the bedroom. She was insatiable, and made me so as well…

  Later that afternoon there was a knock on the suite door while I sat in the living and dining room area. I could feel both my mates through the mate bond, Regina was down in the kitchen at her insistence, and making a meal for the three of us. Saria had been moving around most of the day, and I could tell she’d be back soon, but in that moment was in one of the barracks in the old enslaved human quarter. No doubt she was done briefing her people and setting up scouting parties, but I got the sense she was making sure her people were settled in and content with the new sleeping arrangements.

  It was just a feeling really, a knowing of who she was and a sense of where she was and what she was doing. It was startling, and wonderful at the same time.

  I got up and walked over to the door, and opened it.

  Karana smiled and bit her lip. Her voice was sultry.

  “James, is Saria in?”

  I shook my head, “In the barracks. Would you like to come in? She should be back soon.”

  Karana grinned, “You can tell that? I’m impressed. But then,” her eyes flicked down my body to my crotch, then back up to my eyes, “I’ve always thought you were rather impressive.”

  I smirked, “You’re a bad woman Karana, you coming in?”

  Karana bit her lip thoughtfully, “I’d love to, but I’m afraid I’m not here for a social visit. Some other time perhaps?”

  “Anytime,” I said rather brazenly as I deliberately looked at her cleavage, and then back up to her dark red eyes. Two could play at that game. The innuendo was crude, but Karana’s flirting wasn’t even close to subtle either, and it was fun. I didn’t doubt she knew I respected her despite our game, and I knew she respected me as well.

  Still, this kind of flirting would get a man fired for sexual harassment back on my old world.

  She was a hell of a woman, and a part of me regretted that she was just fucking with me with some kind of game I wasn’t sure I comprehended, between me, Saria, and herself, and probably her people as well. Karana was complicated, and I doubted her games were just one-dimensional.

  She still had on the same dark red conforming robes, but she’d let down her long lustrous and shiny silver black hair. She was striking and exotic, and she let out a warm laugh that went right down my spine and made me stir below.

  “Yes, I’ll come by another time,” she held out an earring, and I took it with a questioning look.

  “Why I came by James, this is for Saria, and will make her immune to that nasty paralyzing magic the human mages have come up with. I have a few more to distribute.”

  I nodded, “You’re welcome anytime,” I said in a more serious tone.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said sultrily, I didn’t think she could help herself.

  She smiled, and turned, and walked down the hallway.

  I won’t lie, I was totally staring at her supple heart shaped ass until she’d turned the corner. I respected her as a mage, and as an intelligent woman, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t admire her other charms. At least, not when she didn’t mind, and would probably be offended if I didn’t. I wouldn’t do that to a woman who didn’t want the attention.

  Chapter Six

  A week passed as I settled into my strange new life, and most days went similarly to the first. More people showed up the day after for healing, but still not as many as I’d expected. There was nothing I could about it, it was up to the guard. I couldn’t force people to accept healthcare, that would be just as bad as others stopping people from coming to me.

  Coren’s attitude and selfish ambition annoyed me, but I had to admit Saria was right, it was that selfish ambition that had him motivated to make the rebellion successful. He’d never have a position of government authority under the king’s blessing.

  As for the leering guard, he stopped after the second day, I think he might have feared me, and let his wandering eyes move on. Still, I’d never let my guard down when any of them were in the same room I was in, even while surrounded by several elven, dark elven, and formerly enslaved human guards to stop any foolishness.

  My afternoon usually involved private time between Regina and I, and our bedroom, though in truth we did more talking and planning for our future than we did fucking, but there was a lot of that as well. She was insatiable, and maybe it was shallow, but I hoped that never changed.

  I got some alone time with Saria daily as well, she’d never stayed away as long as she did that first day, and I’d spend time talking with her, and other more intimate activities, while Regina disappeared into the kitchen for an hour to cook us dinner. I was fairly sure she could have been coming back sooner, but was allowing us our private time together to talk and make love.

  Karana and I continued our flirting game, and she even stopped by for dinner a couple of nights over that past week. I enjoyed her company and liked the close almost familial friendship she had with Saria, while she also got to know me and Regina. At the time, I thought of her as a family friend, valued ally, and far more than just a playful distraction, but at the same time I was careful not to read to deeply into our interactions.

  After dinner, the three of us were together the rest of the night, and shared intimate conversation and on three of the seven nights, another threesome. Usually by then we were pretty sated for the day, but things just led in that direction anyway. It was a natural extension of our love for one another and how much they meant to me, and I did to them.