Author's notes:

Expected chapters.

19: Elf (Neesha)

Chapter 6 rewrite. (Un/Alek)

20: Tsai Ting (Un/Alek)

21: Consequences (Neesha)

22: The Wounds that Don't Heal or Damn Them all to Hell (Neesha)

23: King's Port (Neesha)

24: Moon Eater (Alek)

25: Burning all the Bridges (Alek)

26 / epilogue: Death and Forest Spirits (Tsai Ting)

There was a meaty thud as Alek's shield impacted Neesha's body, though not as heavily as last time. The head of her wooden practice axe latched on to the top of his shield and pulled. The point of her wooden practice sword slid over the top and directly at Alek's face. He parried the blade away and shook the Tel’ani girl off his shield, he then stabbed forward to where people normally stood during such an attack. Neesha wasn't there this time. She was good at never making the same mistake twice. Hells, she was faster than him and pound for pound, quite possibly stronger. Though he severely out massed the small framed woman. Most impressive to Alek though, was that she learned by herself what took weeks to beat into his own thick skull.

The axe then came around the bottom of the shield and pulled. Alek punched the top of his shield forward, causing it to pivot along his forearm and snap the bottom towards him. Neesha's axe when flying between his boots and the loud crack told him that her head may have been in the way. She fell backward, rolling along the ground to break contact like a good girl. She was clearly dizzy and unstable, but managed to keep her feet.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just… give me a moment."

Alek looked down at the axe and kicked it toward her. "Let's just call that my win."

"Sure."

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

Alek wished he could brag how good of a teacher he was, but Neesha wasn't as stubborn and hard headed as he had been. She charged him, same as before, and same as before, he bashed her with the shield, though she didn't hit as hard as the previous go. Again she stabbed over the shield and again he parried. Her axe grabbed the bottom of his shield, again. Out of curiosity more than anything, he punched the top of his shield, again. And of course her axe flew between his boots, again. Unlike last time however, there was no resistance, quite the opposite. The pommel of her practice sword latched onto the top of his shield and pulled down aiding the momentum he had given it. With a moment of surprise, Alek found Neesha coming over his shield at him. He parried the blade and twisted, freeing his arm for the shield. In one smooth motion, Alek pushed Neesha's sword to the side, placed his elbow against her neck, and pushed her over his leg. She fell to the ground, her breath leaving her lungs in a single "oof."

"Huh? You won."

"How do you figure?" Nessha asked with a sucking inhale.

"Goal was to get past the shield, remember?"

"Oh. Right."

"Wanna go again."

"Don't you have an appointment?"

"Eh, later. Get up."

***

Alek hated elves. Hated the twitchy way they moved. The cadence of their speech. Their stupid eye colouration and the way they could look at you and know the deep dark shit that festered in the deepest recesses of one's soul. Randoliin might have been the perfect butler for Emixie, but Alek just wanted to punch the fucker. He stood in the corner, still as a corpse, as Alek sat at the far end of the table waiting for his meeting with Emixie. The serving staff entered and set the long dark oak table. He didn't miss the setting for three people. He sat on the far end, Emixie's spot was on the end by the door, the third place was on the side directly in the middle.

Emixe walked into the room in full demon form sans wings. They probably got in the way. She smiled pleasantly and took her seat, her current dress showing a lot of cleavage and shoulder, a thin black and lacy collar around her neck. The girl liked black and it suited her. Next entered a vaguely familiar blonde girl who walked with the gait of a damn noble. She wore a tasteful blue dress and gave him a nod as she sat at the open place between them. The serving staff filled the wine glasses and removed the tray covers before exiting the room. Alek made note of the blonde girl's lack of concern about the demon before his attention was fully had by the scent of the blackened fish, steamed vegetables, and full salad in front of him. He needed to get a dedicated cook.

"Alek." Emixie started. "How is your woodsman experiment going?"

"Going quite well actually. I expect it will pay back the investment by first snow."

Emixie raised her glass to him. "Congratulations then."

Alek returned the gesture. The blonde girl paused in her drink, clearly unsure if she should be toasting as well.

"Alek, this is Lady Sarah Blackshift." Emixie said, finally introducing the young lady. "Sarah, Lord Alek Harbinger."

"Have we met?" Alek asked.

"Mmm. You helped me get Lothar's autograph at a banquet nearly a decade ago. My condolences on his loss."

"Ah right, thanks. You were like… six yeah?"

"Nine."

Alek nodded, putting some of the memories in place and filling out the picture. "You look like Beth."

"That is normal, for siblings."

Alek couldn't tell if she was bemused or annoyed. "How is she?"

"Okay. Married, three kids, content I think."

"Good."

Emixie was eating. Actually consuming the food, which was a new experience. She was less mobile and hadn't started touching herself. Sarah seemed more comfortable now that she had been formally introduced. The food was good. Except for the damnable elf in the corner, this was almost pleasant. Alek looked up as he took a drink of wine and noticed Emixie staring. Her elbows on the table and her chin resting on her folded hands.

"Probem?" Alek asked.

"No. I'm actually a little surprised at how well this is going. You are already familiar with the Blackshift family and have even previously met Sarah. The only thing that baffles me is your lack of questioning why she is not concerned about me."

"I assume you've mind fucked her in someway."

"Ah. I see." Her face twisted into something a bit chagrined. "I haven't had much success in that lately. I'm afraid I broke my step son."

Sarah cocked an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything.

"Sarah?" Emixie asked. "How many demons are you aware of?"

Sarah took a bite of salad, leaned back in her chair, and chewed thoughtfully. "Including you, four." She watched Alek's face, apparently pleased or humored, she gave him a cute smirk.

Emixie gave him a far less pleasant grin. "The nobility are far less savory than you feared, yes?"

Alek took a deep breath. This was going too well in general even with the new knowledge of the nobility having more demonic influence than he'd prefer. "What's the punchline?"

"Punchline?" Emixie asked.

"The part of the joke where the pieces come together and you either get laughter or snears." Sarah explained, pouring herself another glass of wine.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Emixie looked unamused. "Business then? Fine. Alek you lack money."

"Yeah?"

"You also lack social standing and the ability, by yourself, to tie various powers to me."

"Okay?" Alek said, unsure where this was going, but not necessarily disagreeing.

"So I'm fixing that. The Blackshift family is sympathetic to my cause. They grow tired of the king's never ending war and are looking to reach beyond their little corner."

Alek had a sinking feeling in his gut.

"So I've arranged a marriage between Lady Blackshift here and yourself."

Alek barked a harsh laugh. "Great punchline. I'm not marrying a kid."

"I am not a kid." Sarah protested.

"This isn’t really up for debate." Emixie stated. "Randoliin is already working on the wedding plans and you'll need to sire an heir as soon as possible."

"Sire and heir? First off, no. Second, why the hell do you care so much about breeding people?"

She stared at him like he was an idiot. "Firstly, I'm a succubus. You know this. It's my nature. Secondly, I'm working on a different timescale that your pathetic mortal lifetime can't comprehend. It's going to take twenty years before I can start the next phase, I'd rather not wait thirty. Thirdly, I apologize that I have to use you, but I fucking broke the only other noble in this region. My bad. You will marry the girl. You will produce offspring. And you will continue to do so with the others I stick with you."

"Others?" Alek crossed his arms and sat back in his chair. "Nobody does polymory anymore."

"The nobility does. You're a noble now."

"Sarah, your dad have multiple wives?"

She looked at him, an expression that said he might not get the answer he had wanted. "No. Not technically."

Emixie managed to look smug. "And how many mistresses does he have?"

"Six or seven I think."

Alek glared at the demoness. She sighed. "Alek, this is a business deal. You're getting married, end of story. You are allowed to make demands." She smiled. "Come on, compromise with me."

"You expect me to marry someone I don't care about?"

Sarah snorted, but the pained look on her face and the way she reached for the wine said she had been swallowing something. "Ek, erm, sorry, forgot you were a peasant."

"It's a political marriage. You don't have to like each other."

That was actually a thing, but Alek didn't have to like or accept it.

"You don't think…" No, she had already addressed that. What other argument could he make? What would convince the demon to drop this?

"Alek. You're marrying her. Demands, or you're marrying me and becoming my puppet. And in that case, you are still marrying her."

Alek glared at the woman and said the first stupid thing that came to mind. "Abolish slavery."

Emixie took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, but paused. She closed her mouth and stared. Without warning she stood up and made for the exit. "You two stay. Randoliin come."

Well, at least the elf was gone.

"Abolish slavery?" Sarah asked.

"It seemed ridiculous in the moment, but the more I think about it, the more I realize it solves a problem she had. So fuck me."

"Low population. Yeah you walked into that one."

Alek downed the rest of his wine and refilled the glass. "So what does she have on you?"

Sarah pointed a fork at the door. "Emixie? Nothing. No, it's my parents that set me up on this one. They gave me an ultimatum, marry the Harbinger, or marry Lord Melbourne."

"And you chose me?"

"I'd choose an Orc over Melbourne. It wasn't a choice, it was a threat."

"Oh, sorry."

"For what?"

"For this."

"Ha. Peasant."

Alek frowned. "Could you stop calling me that?"

"I should have been reprimanded at least a dozen times. Crass language at a table, talking with my mouth full, taking a drink before Emixie. You haven't noticed a single one because you're a peasant. A peasant with a title sure, but still a peasant. I'm the black sheep of the family, this marriage arrangement is the best I'm ever going to get."

Alek started counting off on his fingers. "I'm old enough to be your father. I'll never be faithful. Having children would increase their likelihood of looking like this." He pointed at his face. "And I guess I'm just personally against being told what to do."

"Technically true on the first. Would I be required to be faithful?"

"That would be wholly unfair, so no."

She smirked. "Do they have to be your children?"

Alek stared at her dumbfounded. "So long as I don't have to take care of them, no."

"Well, can't help being forced."

"Heirs don't have to be mine?"

"You'll have to legally adopt them."

"Huh."

Sarah held up her glass. "Hears to loopholes and peasants."

"Yeah."

"To be fair, your probably about to be fucked over. I think I'm a reasonable overture to make you comfortable. So don't back down too much."

"That's ominous. Anything specific?"

"Not really, I'm fairly sure I know who number two is, but can't figure out why I'm the easy sell."

"Explain?"

"No. Not supposed to and not willing to piss off a demon. Sorry."

Talk fell off as Alek waited for sentencing. There should be more options. Why couldn't he think of any? At least the food was good.

Emixie re-entered without warning, moved her dishes, and used her chair to step up onto the table. Sarah snatched her wine glass up and actually glared at the demoness. Said demon dropped to her knees and then her ass in front of Alek's plate, prompting him to also grab his wine glass lest it be knocked over. She stared at him. Her tail idly coiling in a way similar to Neesha when she was pleased.

"All forms of slavery are abolished by spring. You will accept ten wives of my choosing. You will attempt breeding once per month with each until they bear a child; failing this will invoke a geas."

"Abolishing slavery helps your manpower issue by opening an area where people can escape to. You should do that deal or not and therefore it lacks any real significance as a bargaining chip."

"It also causes issues by painting a target on us, general upheaval, and lack of infrastructure. Also I'm willing to play a slower game, so abolishing slavery really doesn't help me in the long run. You get, abolish slavery. Counter offer."

"Fine. All forms of slavery are abolished by spring. I will marry only her." Alek motioned to Sarah. "Her consent in breeding is required as is mine. One month is too restrictive, especially if I'm on the road. No geas."

Emixie considered. "The geas is mandatory in order to enforce the contract. All forms of slavery are abolished by spring. You will accept eight wives of my choosing. You will attempt breeding once per month if at home or once per three months when on the road, with each until they bear a child; failing this will invoke a geas. Consent of the wives is mandatory, yours is not."

In what world did it make sense that he would have to argue his own consent to sex? Some fucking retirement. "All forms of slavery will be abolished by spring, enforceable by geas." Emixie cocked an eyebrow, but whether or not she was annoyed, Alek couldn't tell. "I will marry only her. Her consent in breeding is required as is mine. Once per two months until she is pregnant, six months on the road."

"You're getting multiple wives and I'm hitting the limit of how much I'm willing to let you get away with."

"Hey." Sarah interrupted. "You're missing a clause I literally can't live without." Emixie gave her a bemused smirk.

"All forms of slavery are abolished by spring. You will accept five wives of my choosing. You will attempt breeding once per month if at home or once per six months when on the road, with each until they bear a child, no need if already pregnant. Consent of the wives is mandatory, yours is not. You can not kill, torture or maim any of your wives. All in this agreement is enforceable by geas."

Alek took a drink of his wine and sighed. "All this shit is enforceable by geas. All forms of slavery are abolished by spring. I will accept three wives of your choosing, provided I at least find them attractive. I will breed them," he put as much disdain in those two words as possible, "once per two months if at home or once per six months when on the road, with each until they bear a child, no need if already pregnant. Consent of the wives is mandatory. I can't kill, torture or maim any of the wives."

Emixie considered. Working her lips around in a gesture Alek might have found cute if he wasn't so annoyed with her. "Errmmm fine." She held an arm out to him. He reached out to shake on it only to have her grab his arm and pull. Due to his mass versus her's, she mostly just pulled herself to him, but that might have been her intention. They froze, motionless for a moment with their lips locked in an embrace that Alek found utterly terrifying. He felt the magic crawl beneath his skin. From his lips, down his neck, and to his left forearm where it burned its way into the underside. Emixie released him and pulled back. She smiled and pulled the collar of her shirt down to reveal glowing runes that created a new tattoo just above her heart.

"See how much I care about this one Alek? I'll leave it right here for a while." Alek felt his heart rate calm as the demoness backed off. She snapped her fingers and the ever present elf left the room. "You're such a pain sometimes Alek. You hold on too tightly to human ideals that mean nothing."

Alek's heart began to race again as the door reopened. "No." He said quietly.

"What's that Alek?" Emixie's smile stretched from ear to ear.

"No. No. I, no."

"Yes Alek. You've already agreed to it. This is Lady Tanalia Emerillia of House Den-Ludur. Your second wife. I'll give you six months before the wedding as you seem to have issues and I truly have a kind heart."

"No."

"Yes, oh, so quick to jump to violence Alek."

Alek turned his gaze from the female elf onto Emixie. He glared at her with rage and hate.

"Ah you're panicking, fight or flight am I right? You want to know why you agreed to any of this? It is poison, yes. In the wine. I was honestly worried you weren't going to drink enough."

In the background, Sarah looked at her wine, sniffed it, shrugged, and took another drink.

Emixie's face practically split in half. "Yes I can read your mind. Always could. No, I'm afraid Cameron never sent a letter to the church. He's been working for me since before I was on this plane. He made the poison. No, you can't win in a fight against me. Yes, maybe if Wrath was here, but he isn't." Emixie leaned forward, her demonic grinning face inching closer to his. "And whose fault is that?"

"Why play this game with me?"

She rolled herself to the edge of the table and hopped off. "Because you're smart enough to know better and arrogant enough to think you'll be fine. Because you're human enough to work in this world and inhuman enough to realize it's all bullshit. Because you're interesting. Because you have the whole hero's clout thing. Because when pushed, you'll solve any problem I throw at you." She circled around him, putting her hands on his shoulders and leaning closer to his ear. "Because you hate this wretched kingdom. You just need to let go of a few of those human tendencies that keep you serving people you despise. And Alek, I think you and I both know, if you had just let go of some of those less useful humanities earlier, Wrath would still be alive."

Emixie shot away from Alek a split second before he kicked the chair out from underneath himself and stood. The Harbinger glared destruction at the woman for a long, pregnant few seconds, then stormed out of the dining room. Emixie calmly made her way to her seat and sat down. Sarah waited for the demoness to say something and winced when another more distant door slammed shut.

"Why antagonize him?" Tanalia asked.

"Because I need him to serve me, not a king he already hates. He handles negative stimulation better. He'll be fine." Emixie lifted her wine glass. "That actually went better than expected."