Sanguine After Story - Short Sequel - Part 6

  Dear Reader, this part is extra long because my story is no longer a SHORT story, lol. It's officially a novella, and to keep the plot coherent, I needed to add quite a bit of non-erotica. To break the non erotic stuff up a bit, I added more to this part than I planned to, that said, I personally feel that the story is getting better than ever, so please try to stick with it if all you are here for is the erotica. Thank you :-)

My dad and sisters left as soon as they could because they didn't want to be caught in bad winter weather. I couldn't blame them even as I secretly felt that they just couldn't wait to get away from me. I couldn't stay mad for long though, because winter was particularly heavy that year.

My birthday is, of course, in the dead of winter, and we were snowed in so badly that the dungeon was empty for weeks! Well, empty except for the one prisoner who had been reformed just before the blizzard hit. He was a minor criminal, caught stealing food from the food stalls on more than one occasion. The punishment in our Kingdom for that offense used to be to have a hand chopped off, but our current King and Queen changed that over the years. Now, torture and reform were the preferred methods of handling most criminals. However, some law enforcers still liked to follow the old ways.

Anyway, because his offense was not a violent crime, he was given more rewards for good behavior, and allowed out of the dungeon more. He wasn't given free reign or anything like that, but led around with a collar and leash like a dog. Glacèe preferred to keep him in her bedroom at night, which meant that the guards assigned to the dungeon all had some much needed time off too.

The two days before my 17^th birthday, Sang-Soif, Glacèe, and Ardent all acted very strangely. They kept giving me mysterious looks and whispering in each others' ears. I already figured that they had something special in mind, but when they stopped talking abruptly as I entered the room for the third time, I started to feel annoyed.

Thankfully, my birthday arrived soon enough. I woke up in anticipation, and then looked around my room in astonishment. Ardent hadn't woken me up! It was clearly after the sun had risen, but there was no early bird in my bed. I felt strangely disappointed and abandoned.

All through breakfast, I dwelled on why – for the first time since our first time – Ardent had decided not to come play with me. Why on my birthday? I was hoping to play for three or four extra hours today!

After a while, it occurred to me that maybe she was giving me an opportunity to have Sang-Soif all to myself for the entire day. I was still utterly in love with Sang-Soif, but she acted as if I was nothing more than a fun and interesting lover. She didn't seem to want anything to do with me unless I was practically forcing myself on her. It rather hurt my ego! So, the prospect of spending an entire day making love to her was highly appealing.

After I finished eating, I searched the castle for her, but she was nowhere to be found. Not in her bedroom, not in the study or library, not anywhere I might normally find her. I could only conclude that she had to be in the dungeon.

I was tempted to seek out Glacèe to ask if she knew where Sang-Soif was, but I just knew that the moment I found Glacèe, she'd tie me up and I wouldn't see Sang-Soif for the rest of the day anyway. Sighing in disappointment practically every five seconds, I moped around the castle.

Eventually, a maid informed me that lunch was served, but when I sat down to eat, I discovered that I only had some hot buttered bread and a glass of milk.

“Wait a minute,” I protested grouchily. “I want something more mouthwatering for my birthday lunch!”

“I'm so sorry, my Lord,” the maid murmured, looking at the floor in shame. “But Mistress Sang-Soif told us not to give you anything more than this. She said that you might have a very bad experience later if your stomach was full...”

My eyes narrowed unhappily, but I waved the maid away. I was beginning to think that my lovers were perversely trying to make sure that I had a very disappointing birthday after all. I ate my bread without tasting it, and drank my milk with a frown. They had better have something outrageous planned after this!

I sat staring at my empty plate for a long time, trying to decide whether to demand more food or simply wait to see what my lovers had planned. Just when I was about to pull the bell and order a juicy steak or something, my lovers all entered the room. They were wearing heavy cloaks, as if planning to go outside for a while. I frowned at them, still grumpy.

Sang-Soif sighed nervously. She stepped forward and took hold of my hand. I studied her for a moment before looking over at Ardent and Glacèe. They both looked almost afraid for some reason.

“Wh... What's wrong?” I asked slowly, a sinking feeling hitting my stomach. Please tell me that they weren't all about to leave me!

“Gavin...” Sang-Soif murmured, deciding to sit down before she told me whatever was on her mind. Glacèe and Ardent both sat on the edge of some chairs, seemingly ready to run away at the slightest provocation.

“What?” I pressed, my heart beating in terror now.

“Gavin,” Sang-Soif began again. “We uh... We... We ran out of herbs. We were being really stupid I guess and didn't even think about them! Each one of us thought that there would be enough, but...”

I twisted my face in an expression of confusion. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Sang-Soif opened her moth, but apparently couldn't say whatever it was out loud. Glacèe looked to the floor, her expression guarded with a hint of worry. Even Ardent looked like she might be about to cry.

“We're pregnant!” Ardent finally blurted out.

“What?” I wondered, not sure I had heard them correctly. They were acting like the worst tragedy ever had happened, but generally babies were considered a good thing.

“It's true,” Sang-Soif confirmed softly. “We're all with child.”

When she said it like that, I could see why they might think this was a bad thing. I felt the blood drain from my face. “All?”

Sang-Soif and Ardent nodded solemnly, but Glacèe shrugged indifferently. She was the one who – not looking me in the eye, or even anywhere in my direction – told me the rest. Picking at some hair on her cloak, she obviously put a great deal of effort into remaining emotionless.

“There are things we can do to get rid of them, if that's what you want.”

My mouth dropped open in shock and disbelief. “Is that what you think?!”

All three of them looked at me in surprise. Ardent leaned closer to me. “Well, isn't it?”

“Why would you think that?!” I roared incredulously.

“Because you are a Lord! You have too much to do as it is without having to worry about three bastard children running around underfoot!” Ardent cried out, her emotions as hot as ever.

“But I love children!” I blurted out. “It may be true that the timing could be better, but I always assumed that this would happen eventually!” I bit my lip and tilted my head to the side. “Not all at the same time, but...” I muttered, shrugging.

“So...” Sang-Soif began hesitantly. She looked at Ardent and Glacèe, who each looked around at each other too. “You're not mad?”

“You don't want us to get rid of them?” Ardent asked, sounding confused.

“Because it would probably be better to do that now,” Glacèe added, sounding resigned to the inevitable.

“Don't you dare!” I shouted at her. “I couldn't live with myself if I knew that children of mine were purposely killed!”

“Really?” All three asked, staring at me hopefully.

“Because we all agreed that we don't want to have babies if they aren't going to be loved,” Glacèe added. “The world doesn't exactly look kindly at bastards...”

“I don't care if everyone else in the world hates them, I am going to love them with all of my heart!” I insisted a bit rashly since I had never been a father before and could only guess at how I would feel.

Ardent burst into tears and threw her arms around me. “I just love you so damn much!”

Sang-Soif brushed a tear from her eye, looking away to try to hide this from me. Glacèe pushed Ardent aside and grabbed me by my shirt. “You had better not be lying to us!”

“I'm not!” I promised, and then surprised her by squeezing her tight. She resisted me for a moment, and then clung to my shirt and buried her face in my chest. When she pulled back, I turned to Sang-Soif and pulled her into a hug as well.

“The thought of you having my child makes me so happy I could cry,” I murmured in her ear before kissing her. Holding her close as long as she would let me, I looked around to find the other two staring at me with expressions of relief.

“Have you three been agonizing over this long?” I wondered, mildly amused.

“Yes...” Ardent admitted softly.

“See?” I asked a bit snidely. “This is what you get for not including me in these conversations to begin with!”

Sang-Soif chuckled softly, but Glacèe and Ardent both snorted: “Ha!”

Ardent and Sang-Soif both gave Glacèe a significant look, and she responded by cackling and casting me and evil look. “Well, now that that's settled...”

So they did have something special planned for my birthday! I don't yet know what because they had insisted that I wait outside Glacèe's bedroom while they got ready. However, from what I could gather, whatever they planned involved all three of them, which made me grin in anticipation. I'd never had more than one of them at the same time before, and the thought of doing so had me more excited than I thought possible!

After what seemed like hours, the door opened to reveal Sang-Soif and Ardent kneeling before me. Each had a collar around her neck and wore a tight bodice made out of leather – black for Sang-Soif and red for Ardent. Their breasts heaved above the bodice in a way that just barely managed to cover their areolas. Even more exciting, their femininity was quite suggestively hidden by tiny matching garments made out of lace. I think I got hard faster than I ever had before!

“Come on in,” Glacèe invited with an angelic purr. I was immediately suspicious, but decided that the reward was probably more than worth the risk. She shut the door behind me as soon as I stepped into the room. I grinned as I noticed that she was wearing the same outfit in blue, except for the collar.

“Happy birthday, my Lord,” Sang-Soif murmured, her voice soft and sensual. Ardent repeated the phrase shyly, blushing. “Happy Birthday...”

Glacèe walked a circle around me, tracing a finger across me as she did so. “Happy birthday, Gavin...”

“Do I get to tie you up for a change?” I asked, joking.

“No,” Glacèe stated softly.

“Didn't think so,” I murmured.

“Ardent,” Glacèe stated, not saying anything else, but still, it was a command that Ardent understood even if I didn't.

“Right,” Ardent agreed immediately, standing up and grabbing a rope from a nearby table. I mentally sighed, realizing that the three of them probably just wanted to tie me up and use me however they wanted. I wasn't opposed to the idea, but if they gave me a choice, I would actually prefer it the other way around.

To my surprise, Sang-Soif held out her hands for Ardent to bind. After tying the wrists securely in a way that even I could see wouldn't hurt Sang-Soif despite being impossible to escape from, Ardent tugged on the rope to pull Sang-Soif over to a table. I was fascinated as I watched Ardent tie Sang-Soif to the table. Clearly, they had practiced this at some point!

When done, Sang-Soif was literally unable to move. Her bound arms were stretched above her head and secured by a rope that trailed over the edge of the table and wrapped around one of the legs. Her back was cushioned by a thick pillow, but her legs looked supremely uncomfortable! They were tied in a way that her ankles were bound to her thighs, and then her thighs were forced to be wide open by other ropes that traveled down to the table legs. Even her butt looked uncomfortable, nearly hanging over the edge of the table. In this position, Sang-Soif was literally helpless to stop us from doing anything we wanted to.

I glanced over at Glacèe. Considering that she delighted in bondage and torture, my poor beloved could be in for quite a rough ride! Only the fact that I knew Sang-Soif loved this sort of thing stopped me from ending it right now.

Standing before the table – sort of between Sang-Soif's legs, I noticed that I had a clear view of Glacee's bed. Looking around, I also realized for the first time that the sole male prisoner was naked and obediently staring at the floor as he stood off in a corner. Glacèe noticed me frowning at him curiously, and laughed softly.

“Yes, my well-trained dog has a part to play in today's fun,” she informed me. “In fact, his part is supposed to start right now. Do you want to see it?”

I looked at Glacèe, looked at the prisoner, glanced to Sang-Soif's vulnerable position, and then return my gaze to Glacèe. “Not if it involves touching Sang-Soif,” I stated possessively.

Glacèe looked impressed. “Is that so?” She smirked at me. “Well, don't worry.” She snapped her fingers sharply.

“Yes Mistress,” the prisoner intoned obediently, seeming to come to life. He strode intently towards Ardent, who took a few deep breaths but held her ground. I wondered if they were supposed to fight or something. A moment later, my mouth hung open in shock as the prisoner grabbed Ardent by the arm and threw her onto the bed. Ardent was the one most likely to kill anyone who treated her like that, but she simply let him!

With no real preparation or warning, the prisoner pulled Ardent's lacy garment off and shoved himself inside her. She gasped in surprise, but then dug her fingers into his shoulders and held onto him as he pounded into her. I was confused and looked to Glacèe to see if she would tell me what the hell was going on.

Glacèe laughed at my expression. “Part of you wants to protest,” she murmured. “You want to claim that Ardent is your territory – that no one else can touch her – but deep down, I know that you like watching her with another man.”

I bit my lip as it occurred to me that she was right. I didn't have a problem with Ardent having sex with another man, I simply objected to the way he was doing it. Roughly and without trying to please her at all.

“Watch how he rams himself into her. How powerful he is...” Glacèe whispered in my ear. I watched for a long time, inexplicably fascinated by exactly what I objected to at first; his roughness.

When Glacèe decided that I'd watched long enough, she pointed to Sang-Soif. “Just look how wet she is! She can only half see them, but what she can see, she clearly likes.”

This certainly seemed true. Sang-Soif was craning her head to watch them, but the view had to be upside down considering how she was tied. Even so, the lace covering her womanhood was sopping wet. She moaned as if begging.

Glacèe handed me a sharp knife. My eyes boggled as I considered all the things she might want me to do with the knife. No matter what, I would not cut up my beloved!

“Cut the sides of her panties so that you can remove them,” Glacèe ordered, gesturing up the sides of Sang-Soif's hips.

It seemed like a shame to destroy such a delightful garment, but I could see that there was no other way to get it off of her when she was tied up like this. Careful not to injure her, I did as Glacèe suggested, and then yanked the lace out from under my beloved. The sight of her naked womanhood was enough to make me groan in longing.

Glacèe held up a hand and gestured for me to do the same. She took the knife back from me as I did so. “Make a fist,” she insisted, doing the same with her hand.

I did so slowly, wondering why she wanted me to do this.

“Place your fist right here,” Glacèe said, guiding my fist to Sang-Soif's slippery opening. “Now push it inside her!”

“What?!” I spluttered in shock.

“You heard me!” Glacèe roared, grabbing a whip she had dangling from a hook at the bottom of her leather bodice.

“But!” I tried to protest just as she whipped me. It was hard enough to sting and take my breath away, but not hard enough to break my skin.

“Please,” Sang-Soif cried out. “My Lord... Gavin... please?”

Feeling sort of like an asshole (who hurt women), I took a deep breath and sort of squinted my eyes as I slowly pushed my fist inside her. Once it was in past my wrist, I held still.

“Good,” Glacèe purred. “Now watch them again. “ She pointed at Ardent and the prisoner. “See what he is doing? Do that with your fist. Don't think about what you are doing, just watch them and do it!”

That's easy for her to say! I was so terrified that I would damage the woman I loved more than anything in the whole world, so I decided to compromise. I would do as asked, but I wouldn't go all the way in, keeping my fist relatively shallow.

Staring at Ardent, I made frequently little punching motions. Not only was Ardent vocally enjoying her sex, but Sang-Soif was moaning and gasping in encouragement. I found the situation so hot that I was already dripping!

“Don't you dare cum already!” Glacèe growled, whipping me to get her point across.

I groaned, unsure that I could stop myself, but I tried. Thankfully, I was able to comply. Glacèe turned her attention to Sang-Soif, striking her repeatedly with a multi-tailed leather whip. Sang-Soif sounded like she was near her personal heaven.

Meanwhile, Ardent decided that she'd had enough of the prisoner being in charge, so she kicked him off of her and sat on his face. “Glacèe tells me you know how to do this, so you had better do a good job!”

Either she was already close, or he was much better with his tongue than I was, because he had her squealing in less than a minute. I could feel Sang-Soif get noticeably tighter when she heard Ardent's cries, and realized that she must be close too. Even Glacèe crossed her legs and bounced in a way that made me wonder if she was about to orgasm as well.

The moment Ardent flopped off the prisoner in an attempt to rest, he rolled her onto her stomach, lifted her hips off the bed slightly, and thrust back inside her. She gasped and then sighed happily, wiggling one of her hands under her, presumably to rub herself until she orgasmed again.

Sang-Soif suddenly reached her climax, wailing so loudly that I was tempted to cover my ears. Glacèe grinned in satisfaction, and then pointed at her prisoner.

“You! Dog! Get off her now!” Glacèe commanded, her tone threatening to kill him if he didn't comply immediately.

“Yes Mistress,” he replied, groaning in disappointment even as he obeyed.

“Go stand in a corner and face the wall!” Glacèe ordered him. “We'll let you know if we need you again.”

“Yes Mistress.”

I was impressed as I watched him trudge to a corner and stick his nose in it. I'm really not sure I would have been able to just stop like that! Poor man...

“Ardent, will you please come help me?” Glacèe asked extra politely, probably trying to avoid an argument because it was my birthday.

“What do you need?” Ardent asked curiously, coming over to us. I took the opportunity to slide my fist out of Sang-Soif. She had been tight enough – especially at the end – that my fist was now sore, but it was a small price to pay to make her happy.

Glacèe and Ardent worked together to free Sang-Soif from the table, but then retied her hands behind her back. Glacèe grabbed a fistful of Sang-Soif's hair and dragged her over to the bed. With a silent gesture to Ardent, she apparently signaled the beginning of the next part of their plans.

Ardent took hold of my hand and led me to the bed as well. “Watch,” she whispered in my ear, then stood there holding my hand as we watched Glacèe remove her panties and then shove Sang-Soif's face in her womanhood. Sang-Soif didn't need to be told what to do, and practically attacked Glacèe in her enthusiasm.

“Do they do that often?” I wondered, finding it hot just to think about it.

“Never,” Ardent answered. “But we were running out of ideas of things to do to make your day special.”

“Besides,” Glacèe added with a smirk. “I'm almost certain that you are going to imagine this every day for the rest of your life!”

I nodded, certain that she was probably right. Ardent and I slowly climbed into bed, getting comfortable as we watched the show. Ardent shifted so that she could suck on me and still see what was going on. I inhaled a soft gasp, utterly in love with the way she made my toes curl.

Glacèe moaned in a way that let me know she was having a small orgasm. She smiled at me, understanding that I could interpret her noises so accurately. A moment later, she pushed Sang-Soif away and gestured a command for Sang-Soif to join Ardent.

The two of them each tickled opposite sides of my shaft with their tongues, taking turns trying to swallow me every now and then. I put my hands behind my head to give me just a little bit of leverage to see them better, and then thoroughly enjoyed the show. For about a minute!

Glacèe tugged on my hair and forced me to look at her. “Forget about what they are doing and focus on pleasing me!” She settled herself on my face, but for the first time ever, my hands were free to hold her hips. This excited me so much that I dug my fingers into her and held on tight while I licked her.

As much fun as I was having with Glacèe, the other two made it impossible to ignore what they were doing to me. After at least a quarter hour, I was praying that one of them would simply put her mouth on my shaft and suck as I pumped her full! I whimpered without realizing it, even as I didn't stop licking Glacèe for a single moment.

Ardent – I think, it was hard to know for certain with my face buried in Glacèe, but the way she felt made me think of Ardent. Ardent straddled my waist and then lowered herself onto my shaft. By the feel of it, she was facing away from me. I felt hands – more than likely Sang-Soif's – fondling my balls.

It took me some imagination, but I figured out that Ardent was slowly rocking back and forth rather than bouncing up and down because Sang-Soif was busy licking her. I had to see this for myself and so shifted Glacèe out of the way quite abruptly. She was more curious than upset by my action and turned to see what I was looking at for herself.

“Well now!” Glacèe purred happily. After looking her fill, she returned her attention to me. “But don't you dare do that again! I was so close!”

I chuckled and whispered a promise not to disappoint her again. Focusing on her pleasure gave me the stamina I needed to resist shooting my load into Ardent when she got super tight and started rippling on my shaft, though I did groan from how magical it felt.

To my surprise and delight, Sang-Soif took a turn riding my shaft. She never wanted to be in a position of control, so it was the first time she had ever done so. By her frequent gasps, I figured that Ardent must be doing something painful to her, but I honestly couldn't imagine what.

Glacèe was shaking from her impending orgasm. She gasped from not just pleasure, but also surprise as a fluid gushed out of her. It was sweet and copious enough that I almost choked, but I managed to swallow it. When she was done, she flopped to the side and panted to catch her breath.

“Oh wow...” Glacèe murmured softly, almost like she was saying a prayer of thanks to whichever God had blessed her.

As much as I loved having Sang-Soif riding me, I had never had an opportunity to simply have sex with Glacèe. Even when I wasn't tied up, she was always on top or in control somehow. The thought of having her under me was intoxicating!

“Ladies, can you please stop for a while?” I asked politely. Even on my birthday, I didn't trust them to simply obey me if I somehow offended them. Even Sang-Soif could turn back into a professional torturer if I tried to order her around when she wasn't in the mood to obey.

She and Ardent looked at me in surprise, but then nodded and shifted to the side so that I was free to get on my hands and knees. I crawled on top of Glacèe and pulled her legs over my hips so that I could thrust inside her. She was slippery from her orgasm and moaned as I entered her.

She chuckled deviously. “Go ahead and enjoy this while you can, because I am going to have to punish you for your impertinence tomorrow! And remember, if you dare to cum inside me, I'm going to have to make your punishment all the more harsh.”

“Mmmhmm,” I murmured in agreement, knowing she was going to say that before she did. It was fun to pound into her, taking full advantage of her goodwill, but eventually, I got too close to shooting my load to continue. I withdrew abruptly and panted until I could be certain that I wasn't about to go off.

Glacèe was shuddering lightly, and sighed in contentment. “Yep, I think I'm ready to take a nap!”

Chuckling, I decided to let her and turn my attention to Sang-Soif. “Now...” I looked to Ardent as an idea occurred to me. A grin so eager stretched my lips that I thought they might split open! The only question was, would they agree to it?

“Ardent, will you please lay on your back?” I asked. She knew that I always tried to make our sex fun and agreed pretty easily. I then had her raise her hips so that I could stuff a couple of pillows under her.

Knowing Sang-Soif liked it rough, I yanked her by her hair until she landed on Ardent, and then pushed her around until she was in place. Lucky for me, they were pretty even in height. I had them positioned so that they were pressed breast to breast and mound to mound. Immediately in love with this position, I probed them with my hand to make sure that their “lips” were open and able to rub against each other freely. Then I slowly slid inside Sang-Soif.

To my eternal shame, the moment I was inside her, I had to pause and try to control myself. All I ever wanted to do was pump her full! If I could somehow manage to do so forever, I'd be the happiest man alive! However, that would be a sad waste of such an excellent opportunity, so I firmly clamped down on my desire to fill her up.

Grabbing a rope of her long black hair in each fist, I used them like reigns to tug on her each time I thrust. She moaned happily, enjoying the way I was grinding into her and forcing her to grind into Ardent. Ardent also moaned, but she sounded more surprised than anything. Her next moan was blissful.

I was near heaven, and could only think of one thing to make this situation perfect. “Kiss her!” I commanded with an extra hard yank on Sang-Soif's hair. She complied instantly, making Ardent gasp in surprise. Her gasp was muffled, and once again turned to bliss pretty quickly.

I held out as long as I could. Long enough for both of them to reach their climax, but then I was officially out of stamina. Pumping Sang-Soif full felt so good that I thought for sure I was going to pass out from the pleasure! I collapsed onto them a moment later, already feeling the sweet oblivion of sleep closing in.

Sang-Soif purred happily, but Ardent protested after about a minute. “I can't breathe!” She gasped out in a faint whisper, leading credence to her claim. Sang-Soif helped me roll to the side, but I was clutching onto her possessively so she had no choice but to come with me.

“That was pretty fun,” Ardent whispered in Sang-Soif's ear.

“Mmmhmm!” Sang-Soif murmured in agreement.

Neither love nor money nor a castle-wide fire could have prompted me to move just then, but something niggled at the back of my head, making it impossible to go to sleep just yet. I craned my head to look over at the prisoner. He was still obediently standing in the corner. If that was me, I'd be dying to relax and get comfortable by now, so I took pity on him.

“Hey man, if you want to sit down or something, I think you've earned it,” I informed him quietly so that I wouldn't wake Glacèe.

“I've earned it?” He asked with an incredulous scoff. “I'm surprised that you didn't die from the strain of pleasing them!” Looking around, he decided to lay on the floor by the shackles I am almost certain he was used to wearing.

“It was a near thing,” I agreed, and then I don't remember anything at all because I was out cold!

Sanguine and her husband enjoyed having breakfast with her daughters and Danny. Prince Collin liked having such intelligent girls around and got along with them pretty well. The girls loved being able to dote on their baby brother, so it was pleasant all around. Even Danny and Prince Collin found it easy to be friends, however, Sanguine didn't dare take Danny on as her lover while in the palace.

Everyone knew that the girls were Sanguine's daughters, which made them sort of unofficial Princesses, so they knew that Danny, their father, was Sanguine's ex lover. This was a scandal that everyone simply loved discussing, which meant that if Sanguine and Danny were too friendly or seemed too interested in each other, it was instantly the latest gossip. The King and Queen were adamant that Sanguine gave the courtiers no reason to suspect that she was being unfaithful to her husband, so she complied by making sure that she was never alone with Danny, and more often than not, that Collin was with them at all times.

This both pacified and disappointed the Lords and Ladies of the court, who half wished that they could watch what could arguably be called the biggest scandal to ever happen in the history of their Kingdom. Some of the Lords were hoping to use the scandal to insist that Sanguine be thrown back to her own castle where she belonged so that they could step in and control Collin. But mostly, the court loved her and felt that she had improved the future of the Kingdom greatly by marrying their Prince and providing an heir.

Collin found it great fun to listen to all the speculation, and was frankly surprised that it hadn't once been mentioned that he might have taken Danny on as a lover. Perhaps his tastes were more well known than he'd thought! In any case, he would have given the lovers his blessing if the consequences weren't so severe.

Sandra grinned at her mother. “I have another dress fitting today. In just a few minutes in fact!”

“Good Gods!” Sanguine gasped incredulously. “What's this one for?!” As a Lady turned Princess Regent, she well knew that maintaining a fashionable wardrobe could be seriously time consuming, but she was frankly dismayed that her daughter was seemingly taking advantage of their Majesties generosity by having a new dress made almost every other day!

“Well, Lord Percival has requested that I accompany him to the Opera, and his Majesty thinks that the Lord and I might get along exceedingly well,” Sandra explained. Then she shrugged. “He seems a bit too stuffy to me, but he's bound to be better than Lord Borias! That man gives new meaning to the word boorish!”

Sanguine giggled even as she shook her head. “I do believe that His Majesty delights in matchmaking! He spent months last year watching his youngest daughter sort through all her suitors. I think he took a perverse pleasure in watching the suitors themselves bicker over her!”

Collin chuckled softly. “You'd be right about that! My father's motto is that you can learn a lot about a man from the way he pursues his love interest.”

Lily sighed grumpily. “I think you're just playing with all these suitor's affections because you can, Sandra. I don't think you have any intention of marrying a Lord, and I also think that you plan to pretend that you will for as long as His Majesty is willing to pay for your fancy dresses!”

Sandra half nodded as if agreeing with her sister for a moment, and then stiffened indignantly. “Hey now! I resent that! I actually do want to get married soon, and I wouldn't mind marrying a Lord who could treat me with kindness and respect.”

“Then why don't you just admit that you've already decided on Lord James of Clan Badger?” Lily demanded pertly, her hands on her hips.

“What?!” Sandra burst out in shock. “I don't even like him! What makes you think I want to marry him?”

“I've seen the way you look at him!” Lily stated defensively.

“That's absurd,” Sandra scoffed dismissively. “In truth, I think I might want to marry Auric, heir to Clan Lightstone.”

Prince Collin moaned unconsciously in longing, a dreamy look on his face. Then he shook his head and placed a hand on Sandra's shoulder. “I'm sorry to tell you this, but Auric isn't available to get married to you. He's already engaged to that girl from Clan Goldore.”

“He didn't tell me that,” Sandra stated, clearly upset by this news.

“Nor would he,” Collin murmured with a shrug. “He's rumored to be a Saint in the service of the Goddess of Love, which means that his calling is to … love everyone he can. He's not about to go around telling everyone that he's engaged.”

“But wait!” Sandra protested in outrage. “Why agree to marry anyone if he just wants to play around?”

Collin shook his head, every bit as baffled as Sandra was. “I don't know, but I suspect that he actually does have special feelings for his betrothed, he simply finds it hard to control his... calling...”

Sandra huffed, getting to her feet. “Well I do not like it one bit that he implied that marriage might be in our future! I am going to go to my fitting, and then I am going to hunt him down and loudly give him a piece of my mind!”

“Perhaps you should do so in a very public place,” Sanguine suggested with a mischievous wink, but then frowned in concern. “I find that I do not want you alone with him.”

Sandra scoffed impatiently. “I'm never alone with any of my suitors! But don't worry, I've been spending time with Aunts Soumettre, Panique, and Douleur, and I am fairly certain that I could defend myself from unwanted attention quite easily!”

Sanguine laughed softly, grinning. “I'm glad to hear it, but that's not quite what I meant. I'm simply saying that if Auric is in service to the Goddess of Love, you might find it very hard to resist his charm. … Which is fine if that's what you truly wanted, but somehow, I think you'd prefer your first time to be with someone who isn't just using you as another notch on the altar of his Goddess.”

“Don't tell her such things!” Danny grumbled with a blush.

“What?” Sanguine wondered in confusion. “To wait for someone that respects her?”

Danny tossed his head side to side, as if reluctant to concede her point. “Well, that I can agree with, but you're also implying that she can just give herself to anyone who strikes her fancy. You should be advising her to choose a suitable husband and –”

“Oh!” Sanguine exclaimed softly, not sounding annoyed though her expression seemed to be challenging him. “So you mean to tell me that you didn't bring our son to a brothel on his 16^th birthday? After all, that's the tradition for all boys, right? Why should girls have to get married practically on their 16^th birthday and never consider taking on a lover other than their husband?”

Danny gaped at her incredulously. “First of all, I did not take Gavin to a brothel! Secondly, girls are supposed to get married! Girls are usually ready to get married and start a family whereas boys aren't. And you know better than anyone that I wouldn't make Sandra get married if she didn't want to, but that doesn't mean that I think she should be taking on lovers left and right!”

“And why not?” Sanguine shouted. “What happened with your own sister should serve as a very good example of why girls should also have lovers to learn about relationships until they are certain that their chosen man isn't abusive!”

Danny narrowed his eyes and glared at her. “That's not fair. What happened to Christine is very rare...”

“That you know of...” Sanguine growled.

“Stop it!” Sandra shouted, slamming her palm on the table. “This is not something I want to argue about! I plan to get married and give my gift to my husband and no one else, but not because that is what I am supposed to do, rather because that is what I have decided that I want to do! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for my fitting!”

Lily pushed her empty plate aside and got to her feet. “I'll go with you. His majesty said I could have as many new dresses as I wanted to, so I might as well have some.”

Sanguine sighed to release all of her anger and frustration, and then smiled at them. “Have fun, my dears.”

“Have fun,” Danny murmured sincerely, more than a little glad to hear that his daughter planned to be a good girl.

After the girls left, the three adults were quiet for a few long moments, not sure what to say after an argument like that. A servant arrived with some paperwork for Sanguine to look over, and a letter for Danny. He accepted the letter eagerly, smiling at the maid in thanks.

“Gavin never writes me,” Sanguine murmured with a morose sigh.

Danny shrugged apologetically. “Perhaps he just doesn't know how to ask you his questions. Perhaps he is afraid that you'll be critical of him or think he's a bad Lord.”

“I would never!” Sanguine cried out. She completely understood why Gavin felt like she was a stranger, but it still hurt that he didn't trust her enough to ask for her advice.

“Anyway...” Collin interjected, hoping to avoid another argument so soon. “What does the young Lord of Clan Blood have to say?”

Danny took a sip of his tea as he read the letter, but then spit it all out in shock. He pulled the letter closer and read it again very carefully. His eyes bulged and his mouth dropped open.

“What???” Sanguine demanded, never having seen Danny so shocked before.

“Gavin writes...” Danny took a huge gulp of air. “That Sang-Soif, Glacèe, and Ardent are all pregnant!”

“What?!” Sanguine asked, not sure she had heard that correctly. “Pregnant? I had no idea that they'd all found lovers...” She looked to the ceiling as she thought this over. A slow smile spread across her face as it occurred to her that she was going to be a grandmother soon, sort of. “Does he mention anything about the fathers?”

Danny looked away from Sanguine evasively. He pursed his lips and refused to say anything for several seconds. In truth, after the argument they had just had, he was not looking forward to this conversation.

“What?” Sanguine asked curiously.

“Well...” Danny began reluctantly. “Uh... Well...”

“Danny!” Sanguine roared impatiently. “Just spit it out already!”

With a sigh, Danny forced himself to answer her question. “Gavin didn't have to mention who might be the fathers because – unless something drastically changed after I left – he's their father...”

Sanguine tilted her head to the side in confusion. “He's... going to be a father...? To which one?” She stared at nothing in particular while she thought this over. “Ardent?”

Danny cleared his throat uncomfortably, tugging on his collar. “Uh... all of them...”

“All...?” Sanguine parroted, still clearly unable to wrap her head around this concept.

Prince Collin chuckled. “Well done Gavin! Congratulations, my good man,” he thumped Danny on the back. “I'm sure that you must be excited at the prospect of doting on your grandchildren.”

“All?!” Sanguine roared, feeling both shock and anger. “You knew that Gavin was busy impregnating all three of my wards, and yet you dared to get mad at me for suggesting that Sandra be allowed to choose a lover?!?! Of all the –” She decided that she was far too angry and stood up abruptly so that she could pace across the huge apartment belonging to the Heir to the Throne.

Prince Collin leaned across the table and whispered in Danny's ear. “You might want to make a hasty exit before she decides to tear you to shreds with her sharp claws...”

“Believe me, I know...” Danny whispered in return, and then sighed. “But I learned long ago that I cannot show her any weakness or fear if I want our relationship to be based on mutual respect.”

“You're not in a relationship with her anymore,” Collin reminded him. “I'm sure that she would understand your desire to live...”

“Maybe,” Danny murmured. “But I wouldn't respect myself if I ran away like a coward.”

Collin snorted in amusement. “It's your funeral, my friend. I'll be sure to say a few good words about you!”

“All of them!” Sanguine burst out mid-stride. “Gavin, what were you thinking?!”

Danny chuckled. “As I understand it, he's utterly in love with Sang-Soif and wants to marry her, but she won't even consider it. I know how that feels, so I felt I had to be supportive, even as Ardent loves him and Glacèe likes to... uh... I'm not sure you really want to know the details of that...”

“All of them???” Sanguine gaped incredulously. “Really? They all wanted him as their lover?”

“Yes,” Danny confirmed dryly.

“All of them?!” Sanguine reiterated as she resumed her pacing.

“Yes,” Danny repeated, chuckling again.

“How in the world has he survived long enough to knock them up?!” Sanguine blurted out. “I can't imagine that any of them make gentle lovers...”

Danny laughed outright. “Last I heard, Glacèe was in hot water with the other two for wounding Gavin, so it seems that Ardent and Sang-Soif prefer not to be rough with him and dislike it when Glacèe is.”

“All of them!” Sanguine stated one last time and then sighed. “Well, I guess if they are happy, then who am I to be upset, but... Seriously? How??? My poor baby must be loved almost unto death!”

Danny laughed again. “I'll admit to wondering that myself, but I honestly don't want to think about it too much.”

“Not that I am admitting to any first hand knowledge,” Collin murmured diplomatically. “But I happen to know a certain... Prince who just so happened to have a group of demanding lovers who kept him quite occupied for at least a month. It may occasionally feel like one is going to die, but it's so entirely worth it that one usually does not care!”

Sanguine snorted a harrumph. “Well that I can believe.” She stopped pacing completely and stood up rigidly straight. “So I really am going to be a grandma!” She sighed, feeling both happy and alarmed by this prospect.

“It seems so,” Danny murmured, also having mixed feelings about this event.

“Oh boy...”

“Sang-Soif?” I called out as I opened her bedroom door and looked inside. She wasn't inside, so I hunted for her in every other room that I could think of, even Glacèe and Ardent's! She was no where to be found. None of them were...

This could only mean that they were working in the dungeon. Groaning reluctantly, I decided that it might be for the best to go confront them once and for all. But first, I had to figure out how to get to the dungeon!

“Excuse me?” I addressed the first guard I came across hesitantly.

“Yes, my Lord?” He replied politely, clearly curious.

“Could you tell me how to get to the dungeon?” I asked, feeling guilty for some strange reason.

“My Lord?” He questioned in surprise, but then nodded. “Yes, of course. If that's what you really want...”

“Yes,” I confirmed with a squeak. Clearing my throat, I tried again. “Yes.”

“Follow me,” he beckoned, leading me to a half hidden doorway that I honestly had never noticed before. The door opened to reveal a long set of stairs that kept going down and down. By the time we made it to a well lit and astonishingly cozy room, I was more than ready to turn around and run away! “Wait here please...” The guard ordered me in concern.

I didn't want to admit that I was relieved, and tried to look petulant as I nodded in agreement.

Even before he could take a step down the stair that went even farther down, I heard a man scream from sheer pain and terror. Shuddering in horror, I shoved my fingers in my ears. To my dismay, his scream echoed around the room so loudly that my fingers didn't make much difference.

“Oh Gods no!” A second man wailed. His wail changed abruptly to a long and drawn out no.

“Quiet!” Glacèe roared just before I am almost certain that she struck him with a bolt of electricity.

“Sorry to bother you, Mistresses,” the guard interrupted. “But his Lordship is here to see you.”

“What?” Ardent asked incredulously. “He's here?”

I couldn't here a reply, so I imagined that the guard must have pointed in my direction. A moment later, my three lovers rushed up the stairs to see me. I am almost positive that my face must have looked bone white and nauseous.

“Gavin!” Ardent blurted out in concern. “What are you doing down here?”

I was literally shaking, both from anger and from confronting the reality of the situation. This place really existed, and these women really tortured men! I pointed emphatically down the stairs.

“The real question is: what are you doing down here?!” I demanded in outrage. “I thought we agreed that you were all too pregnant to do your job until after you have the babies!”

The exchanged mildly guilty looks. “Well yes, but we also agreed that we would finish the prisoners that we started and those few that are brought to us until their Majesties send out an order to have our prisoners redirected to other dungeons for the time being. We received a letter assuring us that these are the last ones we'll be getting until we ask for more,” Sang-Soif explained.

I know I was probably being paranoid, after all, they were only in their 8^th month and my mom said she worked right up until delivery, but I was so afraid that something would go horribly wrong down here. Or worse! That my babies would be born already familiar with the screams of terror that constantly echoed around down here.

“I don't like it!” I insisted, trying to sound firm and not scared like a child.

Glacèe laughed softly, smiling in a way that told me she secretly liked my fretting. “Don't worry. These three were all simple prisoners. They'd all been convicted of rape and simply needed to have a certain, uh... procedure done. As soon as we're done with the third one, we can let them rest and then release them in a few days.”

I know I turned visibly green! I really didn't want to think of what they might be referring to, and quickly rushed to bend over the nearest bucket. Sang-Soif rubbed my back sympathetically as I wretched uncontrollably.

“Ardent,” Sang-Soif murmured. “Why don't you take Gavin up to our room while Glacèe and I finish up here?”

“No problem,” Ardent agreed, anxious to have me out of her territory as soon as possible. She slung one of my arms over her shoulder, and then led me back up the never-ending stairs.

At some point shortly after finding out that my lovers were all pregnant, I had officially moved into the Lord's chamber. Prior to that, I had been staying in the bedroom my mother assigned me when I first met her. For some reason, I kept thinking that she would be coming back and would need her chambers, but...

When I thought about how I wanted my babies raised, I just knew that I would want them close to me, which meant the castle nursery attached to the Lord's chamber. My mother had turned it into a sort of storage room for her extra dresses and implements of torture, not to mention books and nicknacks. I'd felt like I had no business touching any of it, but then I received a letter from her giving me permission to make the Castle my own. She specifically mentioned that I might want to reclaim the nursery, which meant a lot to me. Especially considering that Sandra had written that mom hadn't handled the news very well to begin with.

Now that I was in the Lord's chamber, my lovers had gotten used to sleeping in the same bed as me (despite keeping their own bedrooms for when they needed privacy). Even Glacèe! She was still touchy about being woken up early, but so long as we let her sleep in, she made an effort not to electrocute anyone.

For the first few months, I had been in heaven having them all with me, but as time had passed, they'd all changed. Before, I had sex with each of them once a day, now I was lucky to have sex with just one of them each day. Not that I was really complaining because I simply adored being able to snuggle up with them at night. I feel the benefits of our current situation far outweighed the change our relationship had gone through.

Ardent helped me into our room, and then removed my shirt so that she could massage my shoulders while I sat in a chair. It didn't take too long before Sang-Soif and Glacèe joined us. Glacèe ruffled my hair affectionately.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, staring at me with deep curiosity.

“Better, I guess,” I answered with a shrug. “I'm still upset though that you were all down there in the first place. I was hoping spend a little time with Sang-Soif...” Considering that her birthday was tomorrow, it shouldn't be a big surprise that I wanted to spend some alone time with her.

“Oh,” Sang-Soif murmured softly. “I forgot!”

Ardent grabbed Glacèe by her ear and dragged her away. “Come on, let's give them some privacy!”

“Ow!” Glacèe hissed but didn't put up any kind of serious fight. “But you know how much I like to watch!”

“Yeah yeah,” Ardent muttered, still pulling Glacèe out of the room. They started bickering as soon as the door was shut, but they steady decrease in volume assured me that they were going away.

Happy for a rare moment of alone time, I pulled Sang-Soif onto my lap and held her tight. “I love you so much!” I whispered in her ear as I pressed my hands against her womb.

She ignored my statement as she put her hands over mine. “I swear! If I get any bigger, I'm going to burst like a lanced boil!”

“You look beautiful!” I assured her with a laugh.

“I feel like a whale!” Sang-Soif muttered darkly.

Shaking my head at her silliness, I helped her to her feet so that I could bring her to bed with me. I was perfectly content to simply hold her and marvel at the wobbling of her belly, but she was in an amorous mood. She made love to me in a tender and beautiful way that I just loved, much to my surprise!

“By the Gods,” she sighed morosely when we were done. “I simply cannot wait until I am no longer pregnant and can have you choke me properly once more!”

I rolled my eyes, not about to spoil her mood by thanking her once again for not taking risks with our baby's life.

The next day passed in sheer bliss for me. It was a gorgeous summer day, and I was able to take my beloved on a picnic for her birthday. She suffered through it mostly without complaint, but clearly wished that she hadn't been born during the hot and sunny time of year.

That night, Glacèe grabbed me the moment I entered my chamber. “Come here, my Lord,” she stated with a slight sneer. “We have plans for you!”

“Oh really?” I responded with a grin.

She tied me so that I was face down on my bed, arms spread wide but legs not tied at all. The fact that I was naked was a given. I chuckled as I wondered what she had in mind.

Glacèe grabbed my favorite whip and whacked me with it. I inhaled a gasp of pleasure, and then moaned as I waited for the next stroke. She busied herself whipping me, but none of the lashes felt normal for her. They felt... light...

Ardent interrupted her concentration with a loud yawn. “Please don't take too long to get off, Glacèe, I'm super tired tonight!”

Ardent said this a lot because she was an early bird and often wanted to go to bed hours before the rest of us.

“Me too,” Sang-Soif added, her yawn not quite as loud. She climbed into bed and cuddled up to me, probably hoping that Glacèe would whip us both. Ardent decided to risk a whipping too by cuddling up to my other side.

“Gods this is frustrating!” Glacèe roared as she threw her whip across the room. “I'm frickin' tired too!”

She had been kneeling between my legs as she whipped me, and inadvertently forced me to spread my legs a bit wider as she got comfortable. Then – curled up a bit like a child, I'd imagine – she rested her arms and head on my lower back.

I waited in silence for Glacèe to do what she always did, grab another whip and continue to beat me, but long moments passed. Soft snores told me that at least one of them was already asleep. I twisted my head side to side to figure out which one. Both Ardent and Sang-Soif were out!

“Glacèe?” I asked, trying to get her attention. She was a night owl; there's no way she was asleep already!

“Shh...” she grumbled.

“Glacèe,” I repeated.

“Shh,” she insisted, but this time, I realized that she was snoring too!

“Oh great!” I muttered, wondering how I was supposed to sleep like this. Time passed agonizingly slowly, but eventually, I managed to drift off.

Go To Part 7