We decided to postpone the meeting until after dinner, which turned out to be a good thing for Dantae, who’s stomach had been rumbling since she smelled the bread at the entryway.
She was still practically glued to me, and any of my attempts to separate from her and get a little space of my own back were promptly ignored in favor of more hugs.
“Wow, she really did miss you, huh?” Hazeel leaned in on my left, the side that Vanessa wasn’t occupying, and planted a kiss on my cheek.
I shrugged. Well, I shrugged as well as I could with one arm since Dantae was glued to the other.
“I honestly thought she’d want to talk with me after regaining her memories, but I didn’t think it’d go so far as into the realm of developing a fear of physical separation.”
“Shut the fuck up! It’s not a fear, I just want to be comfortable, and your arm is a very reassuring object for me right now.”
I rolled my eyes and Hazeel giggled, not fooled in the least by Vanessa’s shaky excuse for her own behaviour.
“I’m so confused.” Leresa said in between bites of bread. “Why is she not acting like the cool and aloof person from before? I thought that was her true personality.”
Vanessa stopped stuffing her face long enough to stick her tongue out at the Silver Continent Princess. “Stop paying so much attention to things that don’t concern you.”
Leresa recoiled at the response she received and turned to me with worry in her eyes. I couldn’t help but to laugh at her expression, and said, “Dantae is a bit of a special case. You would think the opposite, but the closer you get to her, the more rude and crass she becomes.”
Dantae gasped and pinched my side, hard enough that even with my enhanced body, I still winced in pain. “How dare you! It takes a very discerning lady or gentleman in order to fully appreciate my love. I daresay you’ve lost the sense of respect for me that you had before.”
Dantae frowned, and continued to poke and prod at me while I finished my meal. While Hazeel sat by my side, and Leresa still looked to be unclear on the situation regarding Dantae’s recovered memories, Rexir looked on with a small smile on his face, and a mirthful glint in his eyes.
Unfortunately, that expression only lasted a brief moment as his gaze once again returned to the steely visage that he wore when he read the letter.
We put away the dishes, and all sat up straight, including Dantae and Hazeel, who sensed that now wasn’t the time to be playing around.
Rexir mimed a sigh, and turned to Leresa, who nodded at him. “Ok. Now that we’re all finished with dinner, Rexi and I would like to share with the both of you the response that his father gave him.”
Rexir tapped on the table twice to get our attention, then held up a hand with his pointer finger sticking straight into the air.
“First off, how many of you know about the politics in the Gold Empire?” Leresa said, and my eyes immediately shot towards the wood elf who had battled them for the better part of her adulthood.
“Don’t look at me, Leo. Just because I fought against them in the war, doesn’t mean I had any understanding of what their chain of command was like. The Azure Continent’s armies just went off of what we assumed to be a similar situation to our own.”
I nodded and turned to Dantae, who looked even more lost than Hazeel and I. “So what you’re telling me,” Leresa said, “Is that you all have no idea how this country is run?”
The three of us looked at each other and nodded, drawing out a long, irritated sigh from Leresa.
“Honestly, I don’t know why I assume you all just know everything.” Leresa cradled her head in her hands, and received a solemn pat on the back from Rexir.
“I know it’s dangerous to assume things! Stop telling me!” Leresa snapped at Rexir, who laughed at her silently.
“Anyway…” Leresa coughed, and with a small blush on her face due to her outburst, she continued, “There’s really only one thing you need to know about the Gold Continent and it’s succession rites: The next emperorship is earned, not given.”
“Ok… but what does that have to do with us and our situation?” Dantae asked, leaning forward on the table as she said so.
“I’m glad you asked.” Leresa spread the letter from the Emperor onto the table in front of us, and pointed to a part of the text.
“Leo, why is this Japanese?” Dantae asked, and I sighed, having been through something similar when I had asked the same question to Jane Clairborne.
“Later Dantae, focus now.” She clicked her tongue at my response, but quieted down after that.
“Sorry for the interruption, please continue.” Leresa and Rexir were giving me warm smiles again, and glanced back and forth between Vanessa and I.
“Rexir wants you to know that he is really happy for you.” Leresa said from out of nowhere, causing me to look to her for clarification.
“‘What I mean is, you seem so much happier with Vanessa having regained her memories than before, when your desperation really came through in every action you took, and every word you spoke,’ is what Rexir said.”
“Really?” I asked, and Rexir nodded his confirmation.
“He said that it was obvious to anyone who’s halfway decent at reading other people that you were always moving for a different purpose than to what those around you moved for.”
I could feel my face start to heat up at their comments. I looked to Hazeel for some support, but she avoided my gaze sheepishly.
I sighed, and muttered, “Well, thanks for your feelings, but can we please get to the heart of the matter? I, for one, would like to know what we’re about to have to plan around next.”
Vanessa was not only happy to hear that I had been a complete mess in her absence, she was over the moon. She leaned in closer to me, and sent me some very risque things mentally before I had to tell her to stop, as she was even causing Hazeel, who could hear every thought, to become embarrassed.
“Of course. The letter that was sent to Rexir contains a very clear message: if you want to give up your freedom and responsibility to the empire, you must prove yourself more valuable than the empire.”
We were all silent at the table, until Hazeel came out and bluntly asked, “And what, exactly, does that entail?”
Rexir’s smile faded from his face, and Leresa rubbed his arm to reassure him. “That means that Rexir will have to undergo the gauntlet, and defeat his younger brother and younger sister in a game of their choice.”
Again, a pregnant silence as we parsed through the information. “He has to defeat them in order to vacate the seat of crown prince? That doesn’t seem like it makes too much sense to me.”
This time, it was Vanessa who voiced her concerns, a sentiment which Leresa echoed as well. “Yeah, I don’t really get it either, but Rexi assures me that this is the proper procedure for his family. His father is a real stickler for the rules, after all.”
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“Odd.” Was all Hazeel said, and I had to agree with her.
“Regardless, for better or worse, Rexir will have to earn the right to throw away his nobility.”
“What did he say about just giving a piece of land to the Azure Continent? I imagine he couldn’t have been too happy about that.”
Hazeel asked, and I was momentarily taken aback. She spoke the language and had been communicating with both Leresa and Rexir since we arrived at the continent, so I had forgotten that the only language she could read was Azurian.
“On the contrary,” I said, “The emperor trusts Rexir in his decision wholeheartedly, and believes that since Rexir made moves to do so, he shall also begin to walk down the path of reconciliation with the Azure Continent.”
Rexir smiled, and Leresa translated, “He really does hope things work out between our two countries. He believes that Queen Belladonna is a breath of fresh air, and her reign will bring about a new wave of prosperity for those allied to her.”
“Rexir also believes that his brother will most likely pick a war game, as those have been his favorites ever since he was a boy, and his younger sister will choose something very skill-oriented in nature.”
I nodded, looking Rexir in the eyes. “So our next destination will be your home town then?” I asked, and Rexir shook his head.
“This is Rexir’s hometown.” Leresa explained. “Ashita-shi, the capital of the Gold Empire, is where Rexir spent his childhood. He was born in this village to a mother too weak to stay in the royal court.”
“Ok. So we’re going to be going to this new city in order for Rexir to gain the approval of his father, and by proxy, allow us all to go and defeat the dragon?”
“Exactly.” Leresa confirmed with a nod. “We should set out tomorrow, as soon as morning comes. The sooner we deal with Rexir’s family, the better.”
I nodded, and stood up. The other’s did the same, and soon, we were all standing around the table. “Thank you, Leresa and Rexir for keeping us in the loop. I know you didn’t have to share anything, let alone show us the entire letter, but just know that your trust didn’t go unnoticed.”
Rexir smiled and bowed to me, which I reciprocated. “Let’s head off to bed now then. We’re going to have a lot of preparatory work tomorrow.”
Rexir nodded, and grabbed Leresa’s hand, dragging her off upstairs and, presumably, into their waiting bedroom.
Meanwhile, Dantae apparently had the same thought process as Rexir, and grabbed me by the hand, leading me back to our bedroom. I looked back at Hazeel, who remained seated at the table. “I’ll give you both some alone time. Don’t worry though, I’ll join you in a bit, Leo.”
---
Once we were through the door to the room, Vanessa practically threw me on the bed, creating a loud thud that resounded from the impact of the frame hitting the wall.
“Calm do-” My words got stuck in my throat as Dantae stripped off her shirt, and let her breasts fall into my vision.
My heart started to race as it finally hit me: Dantae was back. She had remembered me, and she was doing things out of love and affection rather than the fear I would abandon her.
“You’ve changed, Leo.” Vanessa smiled at me. As she stripped off her lower wear, and started to work on my clothing.
“Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice as I spoke, and she finished removing my clothes within a matter of seconds.
She leaned in and kissed me long and deep, throwing both her arms over my shoulders in a hug, and grinding her body on top of mine.
We finally separated, and her tongue went from my mouth to licking my neck, shoulders, and then moving on to my chest.
“It’s not a bad thing." Vanessa said, rubbing her chest on top of mine. I could make out the feeling of her nipples as she leaned in to kiss me once more.
Our tongues explored each other’s mouths in what felt like the first time in an eternity. I reached down for Dantae’s genitals, and she moaned as I made contact with her wet hole.
She reciprocated the favor, and started to stroke my shaft gently, gliding her fingers across its surface, and slowly but surely elevating my lust along with my member.
“Wow… you’re soaking…” I said in between gasps of breath. Vanessa hadn’t taken a break from kissing me, and it was all I could do to separate her lips from mine.
In response, she finally gave me some breathing room, and a great view of her tanned body. “It’s because I’m so happy to finally be with you again, in mind and body.”
I hugged her and held her close, and for a moment nothing else mattered. The only thing I cared about was the feeling of her heartbeat against me, and the assurance that she and I were really there.
I grunted at the unexpected wave of pleasure that hit me when she stuck me inside of her, burying me hilt-deep into her crevice.
We resumed kissing wantonly and passionately, and even though I felt my hips rise a few times in the minutes that followed, most of the movement was done by Vanessa. She shook her hips with little thought, searching purely for the most ecstasy with each movement.
Finally she slowed, leaving me inserted all the way inside, and instead opting to leave me there while grinding her hips against mine.
Our breathing was becoming more and more ragged, culminating in me releasing into Dantae as we held each other close. She leaned against my chest, and hugged me tightly. “You know… I think… that was the first time… we’ve had vanilla sex… since we first started dating.”
I spoke between labored breaths, drawing a smile from Vanessa. “You know, now that I think about it, you’re probably right. Do you think you can also handle feeding my masochism tonight, Leo?”
I thought about it while I resumed catching my breath. Much to my chagrin, my body answered for me, and Vanessa giggled as I became hard against her stomach once more. “Ok then, please do it the way I like.”
I sat up and slapped her across the cheek, not hard, but more to elicit the sound than actual pain. “I’ll do it the way that I like now, get on the floor and get on your knees.”
She bit her lip in anticipation, and followed my command perfectly. It was at this moment that Hazeel chose to walk in, and she began to strip off her clothing of her own accord.
“Hey, what are you doing!?” Vanessa sounded annoyed, but remained on her knees in front of me.
Hazeel came up and knelt next to Vanessa, in all her naked, pierced glory. “What, I told you that I’d join you in a bit. I figured I’d at least let you two behave like lovers before we drown in lust like beasts.”
Vanessa was still frowning, but couldn’t retort anything the wood elf had said. Finally, Hazeel turned her gaze to me, and then to my erect member. “You look ready to go, Leo. What orders do you have for me?”
I could feel myself slipping into the mindset of a sadist, one that Vanessa had cultivated in me over the duration of our relationship. “First of all, you shall not speak unless spoken to. Do you both understand?”
“Yes, Master.” Vanessa replied, so she was rewarded with her favorite set of leather cuffs. Her wrists now joined to her ankles, Vanessa looked up at me expectantly.
“Yes, Leo.” I turned to Hazeel, who was smiling devilishly.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that. I asked if you understood me.”
“And I said yes, Leo.” I sighed, and conjured an armbinder for the wood elf, who received the article of clothing with a smile on her face.
I couldn’t tell if she was being a brat for the sake of being a brat, or whether she was trying to find out what I would do if she disobeyed, but I decided not to think about it too hard.
Instead, I took a ring gag out from my storage, and harnessed it to the wood elf’s head. “You’ve lost your speaking privileges. In fact, I think the role of a masturbation tool would suit you just fine.
I watched Hazeel’s eyes light up in anticipation, but turn to confusion as I released Vanessa’s left arm from its bondage.
Dantae also looked confused, until I clarified my intentions with an order. “I can’t be bothered to use this sow myself, you’ll use her for me.”
Both their eyes lit up in realization, and Vanessa grinned, while Hazeel let out a surprised, “Ahh.”
“Permission to speak, Master?” Vanessa asked, positioning herself so that her free hand was grabbing Hazeel by her ponytail, and slowly guiding herself to my pelvic region.
“Permission granted, slave.” I watched as Hazeel’s breathing increased, until she was taking long, deep breaths just inches away from me. Drool started to pour out of the opening of the ring gag, and pooled on top of her large breasts.
“Ever since I met Hazeel, I’ve wanted to know what it was like to manhandle an elf.” Hazeel’s eyes began to water as she let out an unsettled moan, and that was the final noise she made before she was forced to swallow me.
Hazeel gagged, choked, and briefly fought against the foreign object inside her throat, but Vanessa held on firmly, making sure Hazeel’s full lips never left my pelvis. Hazeel let out muffled cry after muffled cry, but they went ignored by both Vanessa and I.
After ten seconds, Vanessa finally relented, peeling Hazeel off of me, and letting saliva fall out of the gag and onto the floor. The wood elf leaned back, her hair flying out of her face, revealing eyes alight with pure ecstasy.
Vanessa grinned, and started to rub Hazeel’s slit, causing the wood elf to moan. “Who said you could play with her?”
Vanessa turned to face me just as I grabbed her long, platinum hair, and forced her onto me, just as she had done to Hazeel.
She also fought it at first, but I was going to make sure that she would receive the same exact treatment that she had enacted onto the wood elf.
I let go of her hair, but Vanessa kept herself on me, only pulling away when she had to breathe. In her place, Hazeel started to throat herself, and I smiled.
Tonight felt like it was going to be a very entertaining night.