Aidan

The Realms

Seventhday, 4th week of the 9th month, Age of the Chosen 1

Early Evening

Aoife's Chambers, Termondoon, Mistvale Highlands

Aoife took another step towards Aidan. Her breasts jiggled in their silken prison, drawing his eyes despite himself. With great effort, he shifted his gaze back to her face. "Aoife, I don't think I can now, knowing what you've told me."

"You say that," Aoife purred. She traced a fingertip from her lips, down her throat, across her sternum, and then between her breasts. Aidan's eyes followed as if magnetized. "Your eyes tell a different story, Lord Aidan." Somehow Aoife was in front of him, her hands tugging at the bindings on his armor. "You like what you see. You should; I am beautiful, and for tonight I am all yours in any way you want me."

Aoife's hands continued stripping him of his protection, but Aidan could only focus on her golden eyes as she leaned into him. She stood up on her toes and tilted her head, then her lips pressed against his. The sudden contact jolted Aidan's mind into action again, and he stepped back, shaking his head. "Aoife, I can't. It's not right."

Aoife tugged at a buckle around his waist, sending Aidan's faulds sliding down his legs. She looked at his crotch, then back up at him. "You're... not hard?" she asked, uncomprehending.

Aidan shook his head and caught Aoife's hands as they moved for the laces on his pants. "No, Aoife. You're a slave being forced to do something you don't want to do. That doesn't arouse me in the slightest, despite your beauty."

"You don't understand!" she exclaimed, looking up at him with tears shimmering in her eyes. "If you don't make use of me, I'll be punished! If... if you want to be kind, then be gentle with me, but please, don't turn me away!"

"Go 'head," mumbled Sunnild from the bed. "I getter next."

Aidan shot her a look. "You're drunk. Go back to sleep."

"Yer drunk too," Sunnild said, levering herself up on her elbows. "An' I know yer not gonna let 'er be punished. 'Sides, I wanna play, too." She busied herself with removing her armor.

Aoife twisted her hands in Aidan's grasp until her fingers entwined with his. "Please, my Lord. Lady Sunnild speaks the truth; you are attractive and kind. I might not be standing before you naked in other circumstances, but this is where we find ourselves. I am as willing as it is possible for me to be, Lord Aidan." She brought one of his hands between her legs and pressed it to the silk covering her lower lips. "The collar binds my actions, but it cannot make this happen." Heat burned Aidan's hand, and he could feel the dampness soaking through Aoife's clothes.

Aidan felt himself wavering. Sunnild was right; he wasn't going to let her be punished just to keep a clean conscience. The harpy wrapped her arms around him from behind and nibbled on his earlobe. She'd already slipped out of her armor; Aidan could feel her breasts squishing against his back. "Brighid won't mind," she whispered. "Ya know she wants ya to have as many girls as ya ken handle. If it makes ya feel better, visit 'er dream tonight an' talk to 'er. But you know you'll regret it if ya end up hurtin' Aoife by bein' stubborn."

Aidan sighed and gave in, leaning back into Sunnild's embrace. "Okay, okay. But you're going to have to do the work of getting me up, Aoife. Between the wine, how tired I am, and the situation, I really am not in the mood."

Aoife took a shuddering breath, then gave Aidan a gentle smile. "Thank you, my Lord. I know that this is not something you want, and I appreciate your sacrifice. Please, allow me to dance for you." She stepped back from the bed and walked to the center of the room, then turned to face Aidan and Sunnild.

Aoife stood with her back arched and her shoulders pushed back, presenting her breasts to Aidan. They weren't as large as Brighid's, but she didn't come out poorly in comparison, given Aoife's smaller frame. "Mm," Sunnild said into Aidan's ear. "She's so pretty, so soft an' I jus' wanna pet 'er an' bury my head in 'er boobs."

"These?" Aoife asked, cupping her breasts and bending forward. "You can touch them, my Lord, my Lady. You don't even have to ask."

Aidan's eyes were drawn into the valley of Aoife's cleavage for a moment before he raised his eyes back to her face. "You promised me a dance," he said. The catgirl's lips spread into a smile.

"I did," she agreed. "Then watch me, Lord Aidan, Lady Sunnild."

Aoife began to sway from side to side. Her hands dropped from her breasts to her sides, then traveled across her belly to her thighs before Aoife raised them above her head. She walked towards Aidan, placing her feet in a line pointed directly at him, her hips swaying with each step. She stopped a few inches out of Aidan's reach and gave him a sultry smile, then started to roll her hips from side to side.

Aoife backed away a step and spun on her heels, now facing away from him, the motion of her hips drawing attention to her heart-shaped ass. She turned again, presented her profile, ran her hands from her neck down to her calves, and then raised them back above her head. As her wrists crossed, Aoife shifted to face her audience and bent forward, shaking her torso to set her breasts jiggling. Aidan was so distracted that he didn't notice Aoife's hands slip behind her until her top's ties fell to her sides. Instead of letting the silk fall, however, Aoife cupped her breasts, pushing them up and out towards Aidan as if offering them to him.

Aidan's hand twitched as he suppressed a drunken impulse to reach out and touch her, but Aoife whirled away, returning to the center of the room with her back to him. She watched him over her shoulder as she pulled the silk free of her torso and released it to flutter to the floor. A moment later, she was backing up toward him, her hips swinging in an exaggerated fashion with each mincing step until she was once again barely out of arm's reach. Her tail trailed through the air behind her, brushing Aidan's face every time her hips rolled back toward him.

Sunnild reached out from behind Aidan in an attempt to grab Aoife's tail, but the catgirl whirled in place; Sunnild made a quiet, pleased noise and dropped her hand. Aoife's breasts sat high on her chest, soft and heavy and jiggling with her every movement. Their outer slopes were covered in downy light grey fur, nearly white, but there was an oval of pale, hairless skin that reached from her sternum to her belly button, leaving her nipples and most of her breasts bare.

It was all Aidan could do to keep from reaching out to stroke the pale flesh dangling before his eyes. As if sensing his resistance, Aoife took another step forward, her legs almost touching his, and leaned down to shake her breasts mere inches from his face. Then, just as his resolve broke and he lifted his hand from his lap, she danced away and spun in another half-circle.

Aoife bent forward, arching her back to present her swaying rear, and placed her hands on her thighs, then slid them down her legs, bending further as she went. Her tail snaked higher and higher in the air behind her, lifting her diaphanous skirt as it went. Aoife's hips rolled from side to side, offering tantalizing glimpses at her inner thighs without ever quite revealing what lay between them. This time, Aidan didn't miss her hands plucking at the knot holding her skirt around Aoife's waist. He focused on her fingers as they unraveled the fabric, then parted it.

Even as the silk fell from her hips, however, Aoife turned to the side, leaving him staring at her thigh. He growled in frustration, drawing a giggle from Sunnild and a rumbling purr from Aoife. The catgirl raised her hands over her head again, then arched backward until her palms pressed against the floor. Gathering her strength, she slowly raised the leg nearest Aidan straight into the air, then tensed her arms and lifted the other. She balanced upside down for several seconds before straightening her arms and moving her legs into a perfect front split.

Aidan could see her muscles straining, but Aoife wasn't done yet. She brought her legs back up until they pointed at the ceiling again, then turned to face away from him. Her muscles in Aoife's back and ass bunched up even tighter as she bent her elbows, then straightened them with a snap to launch herself into the air. She twisted, somehow, mid-air and landed on her feet, facing Aidan and Sunnild.

Before either of them could react, the grey-furred catgirl sashayed toward them, each step causing her breasts to bounce and sway. She reached out and plucked Aidan's hand from his thigh and placed it on her belly as she shimmied in front of him. She took another step forward, now standing between his legs, and Aidan's hand slid up onto Aoife's right breast. The short, thin fur on her chest was soft like satin. Aidan could feel Aoife's chest vibrating in time with her purring as he cupped her breast and ran his thumb over her stiff nipple.

Aoife swung one leg up onto the bed, then the other, straddling Aidan's lap. Sunnild reached around and grabbed the catgirl's ass, pulling her more firmly down onto him. Aoife's tail looped around the harpy's wrist and arm, and her purr rose in volume as she ground herself against the bulge in Aidan's pants. "It feels like my Lord is in the mood now, yes?" she asked in a husky moan.

Instead of answering aloud, Aidan rocked his hips against hers and rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Aoife sighed in pleasure and arched into him, eagerly pressing her breast into his hand. As Aidan and Sunnild explored her body with their hands, Aoife gyrated in Aidan's lap, grinding herself against him until the hard bar of his erection lined up with her pussy. Once she found the fit she was looking for, she started to slide back and forth in Aidan's lap and begged him, voice thick with arousal, "Please, my Lord, be merciful with your servant, please do not tease me!"

Aidan slid his hands down to Aoife's butt, supplanting Sunnild for a moment as he stood up. Aoife's arms and legs wrapped around him, but Aidan only held her up for a moment as he turned in place and laid her down on the bed. Sunnild pounced before the catgirl had a chance to reorient herself, leaning down to press her lips to Aoife's. Both moaned as their lips parted and their tongues probed each others' mouths. Aidan took advantage of the girls' distraction to get his hands on Aoife's breasts again. He kneaded them for a few seconds before bending down and kissing the side of the catgirl's neck. She squirmed and arched her neck as best she could while maintaining her lip-lock with Sunnild, baring herself to Aidan's lips.

Aoife's purr grew louder and louder as he trailed his lips down her torso and up the slope of her left breast. To Aidan's surprise, despite the fur covering her body, none of the strands of hair got caught in his mouth or teeth. Aoife jerked her mouth free of Sunnild's hungry kiss and gasped out, "My Lord!" when Aidan's lips closed around her nipple. Her hand tangled in his hair, holding him against her pillowy bosom while he lashed her stiff nubbin with his tongue. Her legs lifted up and wrapped around Aidan's hips, giving her leverage to arch up against him. He stroked her thighs as he feasted, switching back and forth between Aoife's heaving peaks every few seconds at the prompting of the hand in his hair.

After a few minutes worshipping Aoife's breasts, Aidan began to kiss a trail down her body. He tucked his arms under her legs, then lifted them up onto his shoulders. A loud moan above him drew Aidan's attention. "Oh, my Lord, my Lady, please!" begged Aoife. Her other hand was buried in Sunnild's crest, holding the harpy girl's head to her breast. "Please, my Lord, don't stop!" Aidan smiled and kissed her belly button in apology, then settled himself between her wide-spread thighs.

There was no fur on Aoife's lower belly, upper inner thighs, or groin, save for a thick tuft on her mons. Her lower lips were parted as if in anticipation, slick with her dew. Aidan leaned in and began to lap at Aoife's pussy, running his tongue from her perineum all the way to where the head of her clit poked out from its hood. Aoife's thighs tensed around Aidan's head, pulling him deeper into her, and he began to wriggle the tip of his tongue against her entrance. "Please!" she begged, and he answered her request, burrowing the thick muscle into her inner passage. Instantly, her hips lunged up at him, the hand in his hair alternating between stroking his head and digging into his scalp as she shuddered and writhed beneath him. "Aidan!" she cried out, then, "Sunnild! Oh, yes! I—I—" her words dissolved into a keening cry.

Fluids gushed across Aidan's tongue and into his mouth, and Aoife's muscles tensed and spasmed all around him. He didn't let up, however; if he had to be seduced to keep Aoife from being punished, he was going to damn well make sure they all enjoyed it to the fullest. Aidan grabbed Aoife's thighs to pin her hips in place and sought out her clit with his tongue. She cried out, voice sharp, and Aidan felt five points of pain in his hair before Aoife flung her hand aside to clutch the bed. She tried to squirm away from him but couldn't resist his grip. Aidan could feel her tail lashing against his hands and arms beneath her as he flicked his tongue back and forth across the hard little nub between her legs. Her thighs tensed again and her heels dug into his back, her body begging him wordlessly to continue.

Aidan kept it up, licking and nibbling at Aoife's clit and eating her pussy, until at last her legs slipped off his shoulders and her hand pushed at his forehead. Aidan relented, pulling away from her, though sticky strands of her wetness stretched between them. Aoife collapsed back onto the bed, panting as if she just ran a marathon. After a moment, Aoife leveraged herself up onto her elbows, looking through half-lidded eyes at Aidan and Sunnild. "Lord," she started, but her voice was hoarse. She swallowed and started again. "Lord Aidan, Lady Sunnild, thank you. No one here cares for the pleasure of the ones who serve them like you have. Please, my Lord, allow me to return the pleasure."

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It was difficult to read Aoife's expression, but by this point, Aidan was all-in. He stood up and unlaced his pants, then kicked them off his legs, freeing his erection to slap against his belly. Four eyes, golden and gray, locked onto it as it bobbed in the air in front of them. "Suck," Aidan commanded them both.

"Yes, Sir!" "Yes, my Lord!"

Sunnild reached him first since she was already oriented the right way. Her lips pressed against his tip, then parted as he slid into her mouth. Aidan reached down to stroke his fingers through her dove-gray crest, drawing a hum of pleasure from her. Sunnild's tongue swirled around him, warm, wet, and wonderful. A moment later, Aoife joined her, nuzzling against his thigh, then parting her lips and licking his shaft. Aidan jerked and sucked in a breath at the sensation; he forgot that cats' tongues were so roughly textured, and the feel of Aoife's on him was amazing. She lapped at him, her tongue stroking along the length of him, swiftly eroding his willpower.

Aidan gripped Sunnild's crest and pulled her off him, then directed Aoife to the end of his cock. She supported herself on her knees and one hand and reached up to wrap her fingers around Aidan's shaft with the other. Her tail swished through the air above her raised butt, distracting Sunnild, and then Aoife's tongue found the bundle of nerves beneath his glans. Aidan moaned out loud and swayed forward, rubbing himself against the catgirl's rough tongue.

Aidan's fingers tightened in Aoife's hair. Her golden eyes snapped to his and turned molten at what she saw on his face. Her lips parted, sharp fangs gleaming in the lamplight, then he thrust into her mouth. Gods! Her purring is like a fucking vibrator! Aoife's catlike tongue molded itself against Aidan's shaft as he speared his way into her. Her eyes widened when she felt him nudge the top of her throat, but she tilted her head and swallowed him whole. The vibration from her purring was even more intense in the tight confines of Aoife's airway, and Aidan moaned again as the pleasure coursed through him.

"Does she feel good, love?" asked Sunnild, who had returned from catching Aoife's tail and was now kissing his thigh. "Is she bein' a good kitty an' suckin' yer cock? I bet 'er tongue is all rough an' spiky, innit?" Aidan groaned and nodded, easing himself out of Aoife's throat long enough for her to suck in a breath before burying himself again. "Mm, I want 'er to lick me while ya fuck her, love. I wanna watch ya plow 'er from behind while 'er little kitty tongue laps all the juice from my pussy. I want ya to make 'er yowl and scream yer name against my clitty when ya pour yer milk right into 'er belly."

Aoife's throat tightened around Aidan, and all of a sudden, he found himself at his peak. He clenched his fingers in Aoife's hair and pulled himself out of her mouth. Her tongue extended, chasing after him, and the sight pushed Aidan over the edge. He cried out in pleasure as his shaft jerked in Aoife's hand. She caught the first spurt on her tongue and lips, then aimed him down to spill his seed over her bare breasts. She smiled up at him, covered in his spend. "Thank you for your 'milk,' my Lord," she giggled.

"I'm not done with you yet," Aidan growled.

Aoife's eyes widened and her pupils dilated, then she lowered her head and asked, voice meek, "What does the Lord wish of his servant?"

"Get on your hands and knees. Present yourself for me."

Aoife scrambled into position, spinning around on the bed to place herself at Aidan's disposal. She watched over her shoulder as he approached her and guided the tip of his still-hard manhood to her lower lips. "Sunnild," Aidan said to his Companion, "go ahead and lie down in front of her. Aoife, you heard her earlier." Aoife turned her head back and yanked Sunnild into place, then leaned down and lapped at the harpy girl's folds.

"Oh!" Sunnild gasped. "Oh, that feels so good! Good kitty!"

"She is a good kitty," Aidan agreed and thrust himself into Aoife.

"Ooh! Oh! She's purrin'!" Sunnild's hands grabbed Aoife's head and held her tight as she thrust her hips upwards. The catgirl reached up and palmed Sunnild's modest breasts, drawing another moan from her.

Aidan pushed into Aoife until he felt his groin come to rest against her upraised ass. Her tail wrapped around his waist and brushed against his chest. She wriggled her hips, then pushed back against him. Her depths wrapped around him like a velvet glove, squeezing against him as he thrust in and holding tight when he backed out. Aidan could feel her rumbling purr all around him, and it drove him crazy. He pulled out of Aoife then thrust hard into her, watching her ass wobble and feeling her purring intensify with every stroke.

"Ooh, love! I'm gonna cum!" Sunnild cried out. "Her tongue's so good! Fuck 'er good!" Her wings beat against the bed as she writhed beneath Aoife's hungry mouth. Aidan watched as her legs spread wide, then snapped closed around Aoife's head, holding the catgirl in place as her hips thrust up rhythmically. Aoife kept right on licking and playing with Sunnild's breasts, and to Aidan's total lack of surprise, his love shouted again a minute later, "Oh! Aoife! Again! Keep lickin'! Keep—!" before shuddering into another orgasm.

Aidan leaned down over Aoife's back, wrapping one hand around her chest to knead her dangling breasts. She moaned into Sunnild's pussy and pushed back against him with even more energy as he pressed her body down into the bedsheets. Aidan could feel Aoife's purr reaching a crescendo, but he had something else in mind. He slowed his thrusts and whispered in Aoife's ear, "Tell me what you want."

Aoife raised her head from her feast, replacing her mouth with one of her hands, and panted over her shoulder to Aidan, "Fuck me, my Lord! Use me in any way, every way! Please, just let me come!"

Aidan gave her a fast, hard thrust as a reward, but that wasn't what he was looking for. "Oh, I'll do that," he promised, "but tell me what you really want. Why'd you tell me everything? There's more to your story, and you definitely want something."

"I want you!" she cried out, struggling to move against him despite his hold on her.

"Not the answer I'm looking for!" Aidan slapped her ass.

"Ah! Please, my Lord! I—I—I cannot attempt to escape from my Master!"

Aha! Aidan thought. "Do you want me to try to buy you from Searlas?"

"Yes!" she gasped. "Please! I want to be yours! Please take me, make me yours, bring me—bring me—" she choked off, shaking her head back and forth.

"Shh," Aidan soothed her, "I understand now." He started moving against her again and laid a kiss against the back of her neck.

"Please," she begged, "I'll do anything, be anything for you! Please just—Mm! Ah!"

Aidan kept his hips moving slowly against Aoife but slipped his hand from her side to between her legs. "If I make you part of the negotiations with Searlas, it'll weaken my position enormously. You said you would do anything for me?"

"Yes! Anything!"

Aidan pulled out of Aoife, then manhandled her onto her back. "What if I ask you to be my friend and companion, not my slave?" He eased back into her, causing the catgirl's legs to wrap around his waist.

Aoife looked up at him, confusion and pain in her eyes. "Lord?"

"I don't mind if you want to be mine," Aidan told her, "but I want it to be because of this," he tapped her over her heart, "and this," her forehead, "not this," a third tap on the golden collar.

"Lord..." tears welled up in Aoife's eyes. "Lord, the collar won't come off. If Lord Searlas gives me to you, I will be your slave until you tire of me and give me to another. I will never be free."

Aidan shook his head, then leaned down to kiss Aoife. She looped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, meeting his lips with her own, tasting of Sunnild and salt. Aidan pulled away a moment later and told her, "You're not thinking it through. Then again, I'm not making it easy for you, am I?" He ramped up his movements, thrusting harder and faster inside the squirming catgirl. Her eyes started to lose focus.

"If I were your Master, you would have to obey my commands, correct?" Aoife nodded jerkily. Her thighs tensed around him, pulling his hips into hers with ever-increasing force. "What if I commanded you to act only of your own free will, ignoring any other commands from your owner?"

Aoife's eyes grew wide, her pupils expanded from slits to broad circles, her mouth opened, and then her body convulsed around Aidan. Her head snapped back at the same time her back arched hard, squashing her breasts into his chest. Her arms and legs clamped around him, locking him in place, and the muscles in her core seized and pulsed around him. Aidan kept thrusting hard and fast, his earlier orgasm giving him a little extra staying power.

Once Aoife's climax left her, Aidan ducked out from under her arms and sat up, still buried inside the panting catgirl. She stared up at him, golden eyes whirling with emotion. "Please," she whispered, "tell me you weren't playing with me. If you'd do that for me, I could never repay you."

Aidan reached up and stroked her hair. "I will negotiate with Searlas," he promised. "If I can, I'll buy you from him, and if I do, I swear that I will free you in whatever way I can."

Aoife's hips flexed against Aidan's, and her legs tightened around him. "Whatever you want," she promised. She turned her head to look for Sunnild, then pulled her until the harpy's legs were spread over Aoife's head. "I think someone said something about making me scream against her clitty while my Lord filled my belly with his milk?"

"Mm!" Sunnild agreed, lowering her hips. She smiled at Aidan and said, "You did the right thing, love. Oh!" Her eyelids fluttered as Aoife began to lick her again. Sunnild swayed and leaned forward until her breasts pressed against Aidan's chest. Her hands slid down his back and grabbed his ass, adding extra force to his thrusts into Aoife. "Fuck 'er good, make 'er cum on yer cock and fill 'er full of yer milk," she panted. "Love 'er, Aidan. Love 'er an' make 'er love you! Oh, god, she's lickin' me so good!"

Aidan tilted his head opposite Sunnild's and kissed her hungrily. She moaned eagerly, her lips parting on contact to welcome his tongue. Aidan held Sunnild against him with one arm threaded between her wings and held onto Aoife's hips with the other. He speared both women, reveling in the way their bodies squirmed and writhed all around him. Sunnild's wings wrapped around him, Aoife's heels drummed against his ass, both of their hands scratched and grabbed his hips and shoulders.

"Do it!" Sunnild urged him, breaking free from the kiss. "I'm so close. Make 'er cum all over ya and fill 'er belly with yer seed!"

Aidan's eyes widened with realization—he didn't know if it was safe to come inside Aoife—and he tried to pull out of the catgirl, but her legs flexed around him and pulled him back inside. "Do it!" Sunnild hissed, throwing her head back. "If ya free her, she'll be happy ta have yer kid, an' if not, she'll have somethin' ta remember ya by! Oh! Fuck!"

"In me!" confirmed Aoife, muffled as she was by Sunnild's thighs and groin. "Please! Lord Aidan! I'm—I'm—Ahhhhh!"

Aidan groaned and gave in to the inevitable, slamming his hips against Aoife as hard and fast as he could. Her body writhed and convulsed around him, drawing him closer, closer, and then he was there, roaring his own release as he lunged as deep into Aoife as he could manage, his seed pouring out into her womb.

Know this: You have sworn an oath to free Aoife from slavery, in name and fact.

Always remember, words have power.

Congratulations! Your relationship with Aoife has advanced from Neutral to Admiration.

She now views you as someone worthy of her utmost respect.

Congratulations! Your romantic relationship with Aoife has advanced from Interested to Lover.

She welcomes your attention and responds eagerly to your touch.

Congratulations! For earning a new Admiring Lover relationship, you have earned 2,500 experience points.

You have earned an additional 125 experience points from Novice rank in Animamancy.

All three held their positions until their shuddering subsided, then Aidan and Sunnild slumped down on either side of Aoife. Acting in unison without needing to speak, they wrapped their arms around her, pulling her into a two-sided hug. She rolled onto her side, facing Sunnild, and snuggled into their arms. "Thank you," she whispered. "I didn't dare—I couldn't say anything. Couldn't tell you—"

"Shh," Aidan soothed.

"We have you," Sunnild whispered and gave Aoife a tender kiss. Aoife shuddered and buried her head against Sunnild's chest, sobbing quietly as the emotions left her body.

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Aidan

The Dreamlands

Brighid's Dream

Aidan walked in the door to Brighid's forge. This was her dream, so he expected things to be a little off, but he was still surprised to see her working naked. And—is that a plate mail bra she's making? He had to laugh. Brighid whirled at the sound, then blushed and moved to block his view of the anvil. "Love! You're back already? I didn't expect you for another week, at least!"

"No," Aidan said, walking up to her and giving her a kiss. "This is a dream. I'm using Dream Infiltration instead of Shared Dream because I need to talk to you."

"Oh!" She gave him a smile. "Of course! What happened? Is everything alright?"

Aidan nodded. "Yes, so far, the mission's going well. We made it to Termondoon, the Mist Stalker village, and met with Lord Searlas. I'm not sure what to think about him; he seems like a good enough guy, but some things don't add up. That's not what I need to talk about, though."

Aidan took in a deep breath, let out a brief mental chuckle at the reflex, then said, "Sunnild and I just bedded a catfolk girl. She's Lord Searlas's slave, and I promised to try and buy her from him, then free her. I kinda... swore an oath, and the Realms recognized and sanctioned it."

Brighid laughed and smiled. "I trust you, my love. You don't need my permission to bed another woman, especially if Sunnild agrees with you, and you certainly don't need my permission to free slaves!"

"I know," he smiled back. "But there's something about all of this that feels wrong. I'm not sure what, but I wanted to warn you just in case. Aoife's not an ordinary slave; there's a collar around her neck that controls her actions to a degree. The hard part of my oath is that the collar can't be removed, at least by normal means."

"I see. Do you think she's a risk?"

Aidan shook his head. "If I can buy her from Searlas, I'll have her control bracelet, so she shouldn't be able to act against me. And if he won't sell her, there's not much she can do from Termandoon. Although..." he blushed. "I might possibly have impregnated her. Not sure if she's taking anything to prevent it."

Brighid giggled. "You had better watch out," she teased, "or you will double the population of Ceallach Macht by yourself!"