The sound of feet pounding the marble tiles, furniture scraping, and angry demands left me sitting on the grand, spiral staircase. I held a crystal clear goblet with silvery liquid spinning to the rotations of my hand. A strong thirst for something stronger than mere fruit juice tickled my throat.

“Your holiness,” Teresa said with a smile. She placed a hand on the pearl railing and took one step up at a time in her new, lovely gown. The green looked good on her and it hid her figure quite nicely. A little too traditional compared to the modern gowns that are worn now.

“You seem like you don’t like the hub and bub.” She glanced down at the moving servants moving in more furniture. “Or is it that something rubbed you wrong?”

I raised my eyebrow upon her sitting down next to me. I didn’t know if it was me or if Teresa maybe was one of those that maybe believed in fantasies. For she put her hand on my lap during daylight without an ounce of hiding the desire in her eyes.

Moving her hand, I stood up and looked at the vaulted ceilings. “Even though the country moved forward with their old beliefs, it hasn’t moved that far.” I took a sip and walked down the stairs.

“I apologize, your holiness.” She stood up and bowed, retreating down the stairs.

The corridors of the manor, while plain as of now, actually were more gilded than anything I have been afforded to live in before. It made me wonder if the church valued my talent or the fact I was an easily accessible chest piece. Which then made me think, what value did Alaine have or more precisely. What value did the Queen place upon her to make the men of the church to use me as so?

Licking the juice from my lips, I put the empty goblet into a passing servant's arms. The lad blushed upon seeing me and then he vanished around the bend while I moved on to the training ground. Like ghosts, my two servants appeared behind me with my sword in hand. They slipped off my coat as my feet stepped upon the green grass. Before I even caught the sound of a gruff voice yelling at squires, Alaine came trotting over with a hand tugging her dress up. It left me puzzled because I saw her both in neutral clothing and feminine, yet, lately. She has been in nothing but gowns that left me looking more than once.

“Come,” She said while grabbing my arm. “I have found some men that are used to hunting in the wild lands and a wizard who maybe has clues to a secret plane.”

“Oh, you will rely on these fools instead of searching for it on our own?” I followed behind her. “I can round up ten holy knights to lead your band of soldiers. From there, we can slowly expand our business but I would recommend starting from the pharmacy.”

She slowed to a stop and turned to me with raised eyebrows. “Why is your idea better than mine?”

“Because it doesn’t rely on a fraction that just wants to put spies into your home. Or a foreign heretic that somehow stumbled upon coordinates to planes that nobody has ventured in but him.” I rubbed my chin and then continued. “We have plenty of space in the back. We can begin importing rare flora and run a greenhouse. We can transform them into healing and training resources. You can then sell them and use the funds to begin preparing for the academy like you said.”

“So you agreed with my idea and weren't just nodding your head?” She glanced at my servants and then sighed. “Alright. Take over the planning of our wedding. I’m going to work out the plan with my advisors.” She took a step then paused and pulled me down into a kiss.

Normally, I would consider the location, the time, and the means but lately. My ego has been taking one hit after another and thus, I lifted her up and pressed her into the wall. Sliding her dress up and unhooking my britches all in one go. However, I didn’t aim for my pleasure, I dropped to a knee and hoisted her over my shoulder. Allowing her dress to shelter me and then I did what any man needed to, to gain the upper hand in an unbalanced relationship. My mouth works not to spill out sweet words that decayed like pretty flowers but to coax the honey from them.

***

The Commander walked with me in his best garbs. A black suit with a line of silver buttons running down the coat. White gloves hid the scars on his hand and he stood beside me, looking at an assortment of clothes with a bloody grin that didn’t seem to melt under my glare.

“Do you like the purple satin, your holiness?” The seamstress stood rubbing her hands together. “The Duke’s son used this very same during his wedding. Layer across the banisters like swooping–” She moved her hand to illustrate the arches.

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I ran hand through fabric and then pointed at the black. “What about that?”

“You want to use funeral clothes for a wedding boy?” The commander rubbed his nose, his eyes squinting. “Maybe you want to ask the guests to come in wearing pink informal dresses huh?”

I glance at him. “Can you shut up?” I dropped the purple and shoved my hand into my pockets. “Why did she ask me to do this? I have no clue about this nonsense.” I tilted my head back and let out a deep grunt. “Bloody hell, give me the golden-red. Do it like you did that duke’s boy, eh?”

“Because you are a woman,” the commander said through bright laughter. “Never seen a man out here picking flowers for his own wedding.”

I ignored him and moved out the door towards the stallion.

“Boy, wait up!” Commander laughed and caught up. “We still need to prepare the menu and hand-write the guests' invites!”

“You are going to be helping,” I said. “With every bloody thing.”

“Sure, but my handwriting hasn’t been practiced since I became a bodyguard to a pretty boy. I don’t think your wife will approve of it?”

“You better start practicing then.” I boarded my horse and steered it towards the monastery.

“I have to ask. Why don’t you get the Deacons and Priests to do it? They are reading men, no?”

“Because if I must suffer through planning a wedding then you must suffer right alongside me. Then, I'll beat you on the training yard.” I laughed and turned to the stench that socked me in the gut.

The Duke’s daughters rode by, in riding clothes fitted almost perfectly, and her hair danced with the wind. She turned to me and smiled gracefully. Yet, maybe she didn’t pay attention to the fact that her knights did not outnumber mine.

Both me and the Commander were off our stallions and crossing atop of a carriage. Our first glowed and we punched out, sending a flaming lion flying towards her. She responded by holding up her hand and a purple barrier surrounded her. Her knights responded in the next instant. The commander burst out into a laugh and went to attack the biggest guy on her side hand to hand. It left me to take on their Commander and we threw down like children. I was embarrassed to admit it but we acted just like children at a playground.

Yet, it felt–amazing. The stinging pain on my jaw, the burning cut on my brow, the hurt in my chest. I was proud that I held my own but upon backing up at seeing the incoming patrol. I felt like I was too hasty, yet, we boarded our horses and the Duke’s daughter watched us with smirks. As if she was amused at our antics.

“You are interesting, young man.” She turned forward and left us behind.

The Commander rubbed the blood off his jaw and patted my back. “I think she took a shine to ya. You better watch out. Her Grace seems like a right little pissier.”

“You reckon so?” I turned to him while trying not to wince at the pain in my ribs with every footstep of the dark horse.

“What do you guys think?” The Commander turned to the men who were smiling.

“Ah, I think the same. She would not have condone such behavior of the last holy son who in fact died of a strange illness.” One of the men laughed.

“You mean, the illness that took his loins and then festered his heart?”

“That exact one, yeah. I did.”

I turned to the Commander with a raised eyebrow. “They are joking, no?”

He merely shrugged. “It is a fact that he came down with an illness.” The commander's cheeks rose up and I knew he was having fun at my expense.

“You aren’t as funny as you think you are,” I said and made my stallion move on ahead.

The men burst out laughing and I couldn’t help smiling. First step in winning their hearts in progress. I just hope that I have the charisma that I think I do.

***

Plans were to take a trip to the monastery for a little but I ended up detouring back to the manor. Alaine looked at me with a smile that wasn’t a smile. It didn’t reach her eyes at all and her blonde hair pulled up into a bun like she did when we trained.

“I heard that my dress is to be something that another woman wore three summers ago.” She put a hand on her hip.

“Does it matter?” I turned to the other ladies who gave me such a look of horror painted on their faces.

“Yes, it very much matters.” Alaine pointed at a booklet bound by vines or that was the style resting on a table beside a bookshelf. “These are some sketches I had done before we left. I hope you can pick one of these and have it made. You apparently know my sizes, so I don’t have to explain it to you.” She waved a hand at it.

I lifted it up and flipped through it. She really did seem to have planned this. Some of the papers were yellowed.

“You don’t have one you like?” I glanced up at her.

“I can’t choose. We deliberated but we couldn't pick one.”

“And you want me, a man to pick one?”

“Is that a problem,” Alaine asked while crossing her arms.

I glanced around at the women who were whispering among each other. Sighing, I closed the booklet and set it down. “Okay, but you should really plan this out and maybe let me handle the other side?”

Alaine broke out into a smirk that I started taking to mean she was being mischievous. “What for? We, women have spent decades being the ones to look after the house while the knights run off to play. Well, as a Female Knight of my own standing, I’m going to run around and you will watch the kids.”

I blinked and tried not to show the growing ache in my stomach. Must have been hit rathered hard. “Kids, as in plural? Can we discuss this?”

“Nope. I want kids. At least eight and you don’t have a choice. I have already discussed this with my lady-in-waitings. The first will be from Claire, there with the black eyes. Followed by Samatha and then me if I finished the set-up procedures if not, it is fine. You will have kids to look after to keep you busy anyway.”

My only source of light started snickering behind his fist. He turned away when we looked at him and broke out into a fit of coughing. I pray that he coughed up blood.

“Don’t take it the wrong way,” she said while grabbing my hand, running her thumb over my hand. “I enjoy conquering you more than you enjoy swinging a sword.” She stood on her tippy-toes and pecked my cheek, then motioned to her ladies to follow her out of the library.

“I'll be honest,” The commander said and then slapped my back. “You are a real man. Me–” He shook his head. “I would have ran away by now. Damn the consequences. I can always repent under the Goddess but I can’t repent after being collared.”

I looked at him and then my two servants who tried hard to hide any signs of laughter but their cheeks were redden. “If my chest wasn’t hurting right now. I’ll beat you fuckers like an old drum.”

“Aye, you best save all that aggression for beating your woman in bed.” The Commander walked out the room. “Only area you will win in.”

My cheeks felt undeniably hot. I touched it to see if my forehead cut was bleeding but my fingertips were dry. Sighing, I slapped the booklet against my thigh and checked the sun position.

“Guess I might as well head back to the seamstress.”