Alana munches down on a few of the small “finger” sandwiches on the counter and takes a few more pulls from her bottle before she’s willing to face the party. As we exit, Gajin enters the room carrying three large drums under his arms. Earl brings him a stool as he climbs onto the stage and sets up his instruments. I smile as I hear the eccentric gardener apologizing to the others for being late because his babies were riled up, the tours having disturbed the incredibly delicate balance of the garden. We’re going to be fighting against the entire city soon, maybe the kingdom, but his only concern is for his plants. It’s both refreshing and comforting.

The group from the Temple have certainly made the room livelier. Especially Fox-Ears. I don’t know if she sucked down a few drinks while we were taking our break or is an excitable person, but I can hear her laughter over all the other chatter in the room. The soft swaying of her bushy tail and twitching of her ears are like honey to flies, causing the young men of the room to orbit around her.

Poor William. He can’t know how weird he looks as he stares at her with an uncomfortable intensity, practically drooling on himself. Then there’s the brothers. Gabriel is more focused on his drink as he stands at his brother’s shoulder, but Michael is blushing furiously as he stands close to the fox-girl. It’s cute. Not him, but the awakening of a young libido. Reminds me of my own longing gazes in the past.

One of Arthur’s guests, a lean young man with scruffy blond hair but a well-groomed beard, is also a captive of the fox-girl’s charm, but surprisingly, the pirate son with the most egregious libido I’ve ever seen is nowhere near her. He’s standing near the stage…talking to Jac.

They aren’t alone. Kierra is there and as I scrutinize them, Cynthia weaves through the crowd to join the conversation. Yet all my mind can see is the two of them talking, my cousin energetically making points with dancing hands. Arthur is a very different person these days, but a dog doesn’t change its tail. The thought of them together…ugh. Ugh.

From the corner of my eye, I see Junior sulkily slipping back into the room, noticeably damp and wearing a different set of clothes, but I ignore him, looping my arm with Alana’s as I stalk across the room. Arthur feels my intentions before I am anywhere near him. He freezes and his eyes sweep the room, quickly finding my own.

His exaggerated grimace is almost enough to make me laugh and once I’m close enough for Jac to notice me, he takes a deliberate step away from her while she isn’t paying attention.

“You clean up nice as always, cousin,” I say.

“Not as nice as you.” She squints as she looks at me. Heh, is she finally noticing my changes? Must have been more tired than I thought. “You’re looking very…purple.”

“Thank you.”

“I guess that’s your wife’s touch.”

“She helped.” I turn to look at Arthur, who looks distinctly uncomfortable. “I see you’ve been socializing.” The last word is bitten off, the threat impossible to miss. The pirate son scowls at the accusation and decisively shakes his head in the negative…but I don’t trust it.

“You’ve got to be kidding, captain,” he hisses in a voice softer than a whisper, aware of my incredible hearing. “I’m sure she’s…lovely but the first time we get into an argument, you’re going to take off my nuts with a rusty spoon and feed them to me. No way.”

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That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I’m not so crass as to intervene in someone’s relationship. He’d have to do something pretty drastic for me to take his nuts, heh. But it’s a convenient misconception so I don’t bother correcting him.

“I’m not the only one,” Jac says while looking toward Alana. My future knight is leaning against me, one hand tightly grasping my arm while the other has just as tight a hold on the bottle of Herbanacle. I really should take that from her. Magic can only do so much. If she drains that bottle, she’ll be passed out on the floor in minutes.

“Right, you haven’t met. Jac, this is Alana James—"

“James?” she questions with a sharp voice. “As in, the James family James? The duke of the north James?”

“His youngest daughter,” Alana says.

“Alana, this is my cousin, Jacquellin Tome.”

“A pleasure.”

I can’t quite read Jac’s expression. It’s somewhere between shock and exasperation. “Do I even want to know how you two know each other?” The question behind her question is why am I associating with a northern barbarian, no matter her status. Being from the capital, all she knows of Victory are the rumors about their bloody campaigns and suicidal knights. Which aren’t wrong but are most likely horribly exaggerated.

She probably thinks that all Victorians are madmen and women who rip the hearts out of manabeasts and eat them raw while howling at full moons. An image better suited to the members of the Temple. I imagine she doesn’t think much of the north and, by extension, doesn’t think much of Alana. We can’t have that.

“She’s my second wife. To be. We’re still working out the details.”

Amusingly, her first response is to look to Kierra with a fearful gaze, as if the elf will murder me for daring to step outside of our union. My cousin relaxes when she finds a smile on Kierra’s face instead of murderous rage. With her fears assuaged, she lets her curiosity reign.

“Allow me a moment of clarification. You—" She points at Kierra. “And you—" She points to Alana. “Both want to be married to Lou. And don’t mind that there’s also a mistress in the equation.”

“Yeah,” Alana mutters.

“Do not forget her many dalliances,” Kierra adds, clearly amused. She waits until Jac meets her gaze before not-so-subtly looking toward Cynthia. The alchemist smiles at her briefly before turning her attention to me, as it has been since I’ve come over.

“…why?” my poor cousin asks, very confused. There’s so much confusion in her voice that I’m a little offended. Is it so hard to believe? “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’m only in it for a bit of fun,” Cynthia says with no shame. “I had the same thoughts as you and thought I’d find out the answer. I must say, for once, the rumors were understatements. I’m not at all surprised that she can keep multiple women satisfied. She certainly has the…physical qualifications.”

“For my people, multiple partners are normal,” Kierra says. “Lou is talented and loving. We can build a future together. That includes our growing clan.”

All eyes turn to Alana, who freezes. The quiet expectations weigh on her until she eventually grumbles out an answer. “She’s a bit of an idiot but she’s strong, wealthy, treats me well, and makes me laugh. I can deal with her being a giant pervert.”

She moves to take another swig of the Herbanacle, but I swipe it from her hand. She glares at me. “Really? After I just said those nice things?”

“Thank you but no drinking till you pass out.” It won’t help anyway. She likes to pretend she doesn’t remember what happens after she drinks heavily but we both know that’s a convenient lie.

She starts to grumble but I cut her off with a kiss, aggressively pushing my tongue past her lips. The grumbling stops as she sucks on the end of my wet muscle, closing her eyes in contentment. They snap open as I pull away, but she doesn’t try to retrieve her bottle, leaning against me more with a soft huff.

“Strong, is it. I take it your studies at the Hall have been fruitful?”

The question surprises me. It takes a moment to remember she has no knowledge of my prime form, not even the rumors of my ridiculous strength of durability. Didn’t Alyssa say she wanted me to show her hunter friend some of my strength? Well, I can give her a demonstration and liven up things a little.

“You have no idea…so let me show you.”