I wanted a nap before dinner but feared if I tried to take one in my room that one of my new sisters would drag me out of bed. Therefore, I grabbed a pillow and a throw blanket, and snuck off to one of the lodge’s unpopular sitting rooms. It had a fireplace but no view. I had yet to see anyone inside of it. A long couch faced the fire, and a few chairs and tables were scattered around with stones boards upon them. Feeling I had outsmarted my friends, I curled up on the couch and had just started to doze off when an argument woke me.
“He is an excellent match, and your fathers approve of the marriage contract he offered. Why are you so hesitant to accept?” a woman asked.
“I don’t love him,” another woman said.
The other woman made a scoffing sound. “You should have married years ago. A young woman your age should have at least two husbands. Think of the example you are setting and the disrespect you are showing to the families of the young men who you have refused.”
“I have thought of those young men! It’s why I haven’t accepted any of them.”
“How rude! I am disappointed in you. I had thought that your fathers and I had raised you better. I think it best that we not speak for the remainder of the evening.”
I heard a swish of fabric as someone entered my nap room and closed the door. Then, I heard soft puffs of sound and angry grunts. I peeked over the couch and saw the owners’ daughter hurling pillows with all of her might against the wall.
“If you want, we can go outside and blast some stuff. That usually makes me feel better.”
Tear-filled, brown, doe-shaped eyes stared at me in shocked, embarrassed surprise. “Princess Probus, please forgive me for intruding. I will leave at once.”
“Please, don’t. Anyway, I’m supposed to be in my room. I snuck in here to take a nap.”
“And, I have ruined it,” she said in distress.
“No, I understand how you feel. I’ve had similar conversations with my momma.”
“You have?”
“Yes. I’m sure she has all of my future husbands all picked out. It makes me angry because it’s my love life, but I love her and want to make her happy. We lost so much time together.”
“It’s frustrating,” she said.
“Yes, deeply. I’m Teagan.” I held out my hand.
She replaced the decorative burgundy pillow she had scrunched in her hands onto the chair from which she had plucked it. A small pile of them were on the floor against the far wall where she had hurled them. “I’m Terre.” We shook hands, and she wiped her eyes.
“Who does your momma want you to marry?”
My question made her eyes fill once more with tears. “A young male serving in the military branch. There’s nothing wrong with him. I just don’t feel anything here for him,” Terre said as she pressed her hands to her heart. “Isn’t love supposed to be beautiful and noticeable?”
Thinking of Yukihyo and Zared, I said, “Yes. It’s unmistakable. The bonds my Laconian husbands and I have formed were undeniable and breathtaking. However, love can also catch your attention in other ways.”
“How?”
Thinking of Quaid, I said, “With uncontrollable desire.” Then, I thought of Nico and Fitz. “Or it can grow gradually with loyalty, trust, and kindness.”
“You know a lot about love.”
I smiled at her. “I’m learning. However, I wasn’t always so fortunate as to be surrounded by people who care for me.”
The look in her eyes made me look down. As a Parvac citizen, she knew my story. She sat beside me on the couch, so I shared my blanket with her. Companionably, we sat in silence.
After we had watched the flames in the fireplace for a while, she asked, “What should I do? Mother is so angry with me, but I can’t bring myself to accept any of the offers made to me. I wish I had more time to think.”
“What do you want to do if it isn’t marriage?”
“I don’t know. I simply feel so….”
“Trapped, stifled?”
Terre gave me a sad smile. “Yes, precisely.”
My eyes lit up. “How would she react if you were to become one of my Imperial attendants? Then, you could come with us on our trip to Thalassa! That would give you time to think.”
“You don’t mean it!”
“Oh, yes, I do. Would she allow you to go?”
“Are you joking? Mother would be overjoyed to know I had even spoken to you privately. To serve as one of your attendants would bring great honor to House Dacia.”
“Great! Let’s go get coffee. You can join us for dinner and meet my sisters and Dario. Now, Terre, if you aren’t happy with us or just decide you want to return home, you must promise to tell me. My aim is to help out a kindred spirit and not to cause you more aggravation.”
“I promise.”
I dabbed at her tears with the corner of my blanket as we walked toward the door. Now, her doe-shaped eyes were filled with excitement. Movement in the room behind us frightened me, making me jump. Cadet Cedrenus stepped from the shadows and bowed his head to me before following us from the room. I took note of the blasters he wore secured in holsters and wondered how many additional weapons were secreted on his person. Like most Inquisitors, he had average looks with brown hair and eyes. For a moment, I was unnerved by him. He motioned for one of his team members standing outside of the room to take my pillow and blanket from me and back up to my room.
“There you are. We have been looking for you. Our table is prepared,” Dario said as he flashed me a sexy smile.
“Can we make room for one more?”
“I will see to it at once, Princess Probus. Will the lovely Lady Dacia be joining us?”
I glanced up at Dario. He had probably studied dossiers on every individual, whether an employee or guest, on the resort’s grounds. “Vice Admiral Dario Galerius, please allow me to introduce Lady Terre Dacia, my newest Imperial attendant.”
Dario didn’t look surprised as he bowed over her hand and kissed her fingers. I wondered if he had listened outside of the door, or if he had placed a listening device on me or my clothing.
He said, “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Dacia.” Dario offered each of us an arm and escorted us to our table. A waiter had already set another place.
Tracy and Terre began chatting amiably. I turned my attention to my plate and couldn’t help but to scowl at it, stuffed mushrooms. It seemed like each time I had mushrooms, it was a precursor to a pregnancy. My thoughts returned to my three children. Peter had plenty of my stored breast milk, which I had been adding to a few times a day. He had enough to last a week. Peter was much smaller than Niklos and much less demanding which had allowed my breasts to return to a more manageable size. I loved my children and being a mother, but I wasn’t ready for another pregnancy, even though I had agreed to try when Yukihyo had asked. It all made me think of Luca and the baby we had lost.
Dario waved a waiter over and told him to bring me something else before I could regain my composure enough to tell him otherwise. The chef appeared in seconds concerned that I was displeased. After I had assured him that it had nothing to do with his culinary skills, he sent out a cheese-stuffed ravioli which Sparrow decided we were sharing.
Around a mouthful, she asked, “What was that about?”
While avoiding eye contact, I admitted to her where my thoughts had gone.
To Terre, Sparrow said, “You’re from here. What would be fun for us to do after dinner?”
“Have you gone sliding through the ice tunnels? They extend for miles underground, and there are hidden chambers and alcoves where you can stop to catch your breath. At the end, there is a small café in an ice cave that provides warm beverages. It’s lots of fun.”
“We’ll do it,” Sparrow said.
I did my best to smile and feign happiness. Even though the Empress remained hours away from Naxa, Zared found me through our bond and eased my emotional suffering. When Sparrow sent me to my room to change, I called him. Seeing his solid black eyes was as much of a relief to me as our empathic and telepathic bonds.
“Thank you.”
Zared inclined his head to me.
“Will you do me a favor?”
“Yes, anything.”
“Will you give Neema, Niklos, and Peter extra hugs and kisses from me tonight?” I concentrated on keeping my breathing slow and steady so I wouldn’t cry. It was one of the benefits of seeing the therapist Fitz and I had been visiting. “I keep wondering what I might have done differently to change the outcome of those events. What would it have been like if our baby and Luca had survived?”
Gently, Zared said, “Teagan, nothing could have been done to save your embryo. I often wonder if I could have done something differently in that alley.”
I looked up at his image on my vid-screen. The ache in my voice subsided enough for me to say, “You were lying there broken and bleeding. Your consciousness was gone. What could you have done?”
“You were at the mercy of a powerful male who betrayed our trust, one who had just enacted a coordinated attack against us. What could you have done?”
“I don’t know.” I lost my fight with my tears. Someone started signaling for entrance at my door. I brought my vid-screen with me to answer it.
Sparrow stood there in warm clothing. She entered and shut the door. “I’m sorry you are hurting,” she said. I was surprised by her empathy. It was becoming more natural for Sparrow to recognize the feelings of others. Having been raised by robots made understanding emotions a challenge for her. Turning her attention to Zared, she said, “We are going to have fun now. She needs to change her clothes.”
Sparrow took my vid-screen, hung up on Zared, and tossed the device to the bed. Then, she stared at me without expression until I did what she wanted. Afterwards, Sparrow held her hand out to me, and I took it. She laced our fingers together.
“What are you doing?” I asked while continuing to sniffle.
“When I’m sad, Xavier holds my hand. It will make you feel better. Watch.”
“Oh, Sparrow.” I hugged her and then took hold of her hand again.
We joined the others while being followed by the cadets. Dario observed me with concern. I avoided eye contact as our group walked along with Terre outside. She said, “Years ago, Grandfather had these tunnels built to amuse Mother and her friends. Now, we have them rebuilt each year. They are open to the children in the morning hours. If you begin to feel claustrophobic or frightened, pull off into an alcove, activate your beacon, and an attendant will come for you.”
“Were you born here?” Tracy asked.
“Yes, I’m a third generation Parvac citizen. Mother and I were born on Naxa. Both my maternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmother were human, and came to the Empire unwillingly. However, soon after my grandmother’s arrival, she embraced the Empire’s customs and became a very wealthy female. My mother follows in her tradition and fails to understand why I have not done so.”
Tracy asked, “She wants you to marry several males?”
Terre nodded.
“Just like that with no romance?” Sparrow asked.
I grinned.
Terre asked, “What amuses you, Princess?”
“Sparrow has a collection of romance novels if you ever need to get your mind off of your troubles.”
Sparrow nodded. Terre laughed, and it was a beautiful sound, like falling ice crystals tinkling together. We followed her into a cave made of packed snow. Carved-out tunnels, like long winding straws, diverged off into different directions.
“Here,” Terre said as she selected what she referred to as a toboggan.
It was similar to the plasti sleds we had used previously but curved upwards along its edges and had padding on which to sit. Sparrow selected a bright-red toboggan and got comfortable on it. Then, an attendant gave her a push. I giggled at her gleeful yells that echoed back to us from within the tunnel of ice. The chill in the air made my laughter visible. Soon, Tracy and Terre disappeared into the cylindrical ice tunnels.
Dario selected a longer blue toboggan and placed it down before me. “I thought you might be more comfortable if we were to ride down together.” Remembering my nervousness when sledding for the first time, I agreed. I sat between his long legs which provided me with a feeling of added security. Dario put his arms around me, pulling me back against his chest. “Ready,” he said to the attendant, who gave our toboggan a push.
White-blue ice began to blur past us, and we moved up onto the sides of the tunnel as we raced along its length. I clutched at Dario’s arms afraid we would spin upside down.
“Do you want me to steer us into the alcove up ahead?” Dario asked. He had been laughing the entire time.
“Yes! Let me catch my breath!”
The scratchy sound of ice under the toboggan took on a new quality as he pushed a peddle with his foot and steered us over into a small snow cave to the right.
“It’s so fast!” I closed my eyes and took a breath.
Dario shifted and leaned over, cradling the back of my head with his right hand as his hot mouth claimed mine. As he deepened the kiss, my troubled thoughts of earlier began to fade. I could feel him hardening at my back, rivalling the ice around us. A moan escaped me. Dario drew me onto his left thigh and moved his hand from my hair and underneath my jacket and shirt. His cold palm closed over my breast, and liquid heat pooled between my thighs. I was in the process of straddling him to relieve the hard ache he had created when the sound of an approaching toboggan stilled my hands on the fastenings of Dario’s pants. It was Cadet Cedrenus. I stared at him in annoyance.
“Forgive me, Princess. I believed myself far enough behind you to ensure your safety and allow for your privacy.”
With a sigh, I returned to my seat between Dario’s legs.
“I’ll be certain to tell Inquisitor Gordian how diligent you have been in guarding the Princess,” Dario said with a touch of frustrated anger lacing his words.
“Thank you, sir. I do have my orders.”
Dario put his arms around me and maneuvered us back into the tunnel.
“Cormac ordered him to get into your way with me. Didn’t he?” Dario couldn’t see my smile, but I could feel his sexual frustration pressing into my back.
“Oh, I’m certain of it,” Dario said.
The girls had cups of hot cocoa waiting for us when we reached the end of the tunnel. The ice cave café had benches and tables made of chiseled ice. After warming up with our drinks, we were hauled back up the mountain of snow in an open transport with fur hides to huddle under for warmth. Dario sat beside me and shared my large brown fur. Cadet Cedrenus didn’t let me out of his sight. After our third trip down the tunnels, I was shivering.
“I’m going back. Stay here and play as long as you like,” I said to the girls, but they were already screaming and laughing their way back down.
Dario gave me his arm. “Join me in the sauna.”
“Good idea,” I said. No amount of effort would make my teeth stop chattering.
Back inside of the lodge and on the spa floor, I disrobed in a dressing room, wrapped a towel around myself, and scurried into the sauna where Dario waited. Two cadets waited outside of the door, presumably guarding me from the thick steam. I took a seat and waited for the warmth to seep into my bones.
“It’s nice to see you enjoying yourself for a change,” Dario said in a relaxed deep voice.
“This has been fun. I only wish Violet had joined us.” I laughed to myself.
“What amuses you?”
“I was just remembering a snowball fight Violet had with Kaoti.”
“The two of them make a good match and bring out the best in each other.” Dario moved closer and took my hand in his. “You are a remarkable female. I was impressed with your performance during the training exercise.”
“Thank you.”
Dario began to lean closer for a kiss, and the door opened letting the heat escape. I suspected that Dario might physically and brutally attack the interloper. The steam cleared enough for me to see the light-brown hair and eyes of Cormac Gordian. He entered the sauna, closed the door, and sat to my left. Cormac wore only a towel around his hips into which a trail of hair disappeared. The word had spread among my Military Advisory Committee that I had a weakness for male chest hair. Therefore, males in the know were no longer having it removed.
“Cormac, what are you doing here?” Dario asked in a tone that belied his rage. “Shouldn’t you be evaluating the cadets?”
“With the exercise complete, I felt a duty to offer assistance to Inquisitor Rovek.”
“How is he?” I asked.
“He continues to improve. He asked that I personally thank you for the flowers and for stepping in to rescue his cadets along with himself.”
“I’m glad we could help. Maybe, now you can call off Cadet Cedrenus and his boys.”
“I have done so. I have brought my own men along to guard you. However, the Empress will arrive by morning,” Cormac responded. “Are you enjoying your stay?”
“Oh, yes! Thank you for treating us!” I laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun.”
The sauna door opened again admitting Sparrow, Tracy, and Terre. They were bubbly with chatter and livened up the room to a considerable extent. It sounded like they were already making plans for the next day.
“Inquisitor Gordian, please allow me to introduce Lady Terre Dacia. Terre has agreed to become one of my Imperial attendants.”
Cormac and Terre bowed their heads to each other. I caught Cormac eyeing Terre’s long dark legs appreciatively and grinned to myself. She was beautiful. Maybe, some of my suitors would pursue her instead. It amused me that males were terrified to cast such glances at Tracy or Sparrow. Their fear of my Omnes Videntes was too deep.
In my mind, I heard Jazon say, “Believe it.”
Laughing silently, I asked Jazon telepathically, “How long before you arrive?”
Zared responded. “In the morning, before your first cup of coffee.”
I did my best to share my joy and happiness with my husbands across the distance. To the ladies, even though I was sure they already knew, I said, “Don’t make any decisive plans for the morning. Our husbands will be arriving. Terre, have you spoken to your mother?”
“Yes, I have. She caught me alone soon after dinner and is no longer cross with me.” Terre gifted us with her tinkling laugh. “She is quite pleased and has begun packing some things for me.”
“We’ve been preparing for a trip to Thalassa. Will you need to do any shopping?” Tracy asked.
“I may need to purchase a few items,” Terre answered.
Sparrow groaned.
“Violet and I will take her. You don’t have to go,” Tracy said.
Cormac said, “You ladies will do me the honor of accompanying me to the Inquisitor Cadets Award ceremony before our departure to Thalassa, I hope.”
Tracy, Sparrow, and I shared looks of disappointment. “Of course,” I replied in an attempt to be gracious. “If you all will excuse me, I believe I will call it a night.”
The girls joined me. I wasn’t sure it was wise to leave Dario and Cormac alone together, but they could work it out between themselves. Cormac deserved whatever he got after all of the intervening he had done with the cadets.
“What was the cause for all of their tension if I may ask?” Terre questioned as we returned to our rooms.
“Both of them want Teagan,” Tracy answered.
“Will you accept either or both?” Terre asked.
I shrugged.
“It was generous of Inquisitor Gordian to cover the expenses of your stay,” Terre said.
“Yes, it was, but I could easily afford to pay the bill. He pleased me more by allowing our participation in the Inquisitor Cadet training exercise.”
Terre looked surprised. “But, isn’t that only for males?” Now, she seemed downright scandalized.
“Yes, and I don’t think it’s fair or right.”
“But, certainly you realize that our circumstances within the Empire differ from elsewhere. With females being a minority amongst the population, participating in hazardous occupations is detrimental to our survival as a species. Male births exceed female births by at least four to one.”
“I just think some exceptions should be made.”
“Teagan thinks, and I agree, that females should have the same freedom to decide how best to serve the Empire as males do,” Tracy said.
“I know I’m not cut out for it. I learned that years ago when the Galaxic Militia rejected me. However, there may be the odd little girl here and there who dreams of commanding a warship. Well, goodnight.” I escaped into the privacy of my room, took a bath, and went to bed.
Hours later, I had become one with the mattress, but something threatened to pull me from my contented dreams and warm cozy blankets. I grumbled at it and heard a deep chuckle. My face was planted in the pillow, so the sound came from somewhere near my left ear. I felt my warm blankets shift and then felt cold, hairy man legs and feet to either side of me. I woke up and turned toward Yukihyo. His lips claimed mine, and through our empathic bonds, the passionate desires of my Laconian husbands overwhelmed me. I ran my hands up Yukihyo’s thickly muscled arms to his shoulders.
He paused our kiss long enough to ask, “Of what has our Lady Wife fantasized?”
“I believe she yearned for our love, to feel our caresses against her skin, to feel our bodies and minds joined with hers,” Zared answered as he softly ran his fingertips from my left ankle up to my hip.
As he ran his hand back down my leg, he spiraled pleasure through me, spiking my pleasurable endorphin response with his touch. I gasped and then moaned as Yukihyo claimed my breast with his warm mouth. My nipple became a hard pebble that he flicked with his tongue. Taking advantage of my distracted state, Zared moved down my body, pushing the warm covers from the bed.
“Don’t worry, female. We will keep you warm.”
I felt Zared’s long hair tickling my thighs as he positioned himself between them. Then, he found me with his soft lips and warm, wet tongue. Yukihyo captured my mouth with his own muffling the inarticulate cries of pleasure as I made them. Yukihyo’s kisses prevented me from begging to be filled, but with Zared reading my mind and emotions, he knew what I wanted. He removed his tongue from within me and replaced it with something much harder and larger. Yukihyo’s lips left mine, and I panted for air only to end up using it to moan. Zared pushed himself into me and set a hard, fast rhythm. Yukihyo began placing soft kisses along my neck and chuckled as I screamed with the intensity of my release.
I melted into the mattress. Zared’s thrusts became more and more erratic. I could feel his balls slapping against me and chuckled. The sounds I made along with the satisfaction he felt through our bond were his undoing. Slamming into me, Zared filled me with himself. I could feel the hot spurt hitting deep within me, tickling me, and orgasmed again.
“I want my child growing within you,” he said with desperate longing.
His words humbled me. He knew, they both did, what the miscarriage had done to me. It had hurt all of us.
“Lady Wife, will you do that thing, the one with your mouth?” Yukihyo asked with a naughty grin. He laid back against the pillows with his erection standing tall.
Through the pale light seeping in through the curtains, I could just make out the pink and gold streaks filling his eyes. I waited until Zared laid to the side and moved to position myself over Yukihyo’s legs. Then, I licked him from his base to his tip. While his length jerked and bobbed, I licked the pearl of moisture at his tip. Yukihyo fisted his hands in my hair. I knew what he wanted and gave it to him.
“Oh, stars,” Zared said as he watched us.
The mattress shifted, and then I felt him behind me, running his hands up and down the backs of my thighs from where I kneeled on my hands and knees over Yukihyo. As I took him all of the way into my mouth, I felt Zared’s tip at my entrance. I was surprised that he had hardened again so quickly. I gasped around Yukihyo’s shaft at the feeling of steel pushing aside my delicate folds. Never before had he felt so deliciously hard to me. I pulsed around that hardness and shuddered with an intense orgasm brought about just by the feeling of him within me. Zared drove his hips forward, burying himself so deeply that his thighs squeezed against the backs of my own. I sucked hard on Yukihyo as I lifted up to his rim and swallowed.
Yukihyo’s hands tightened in my hair. His eyes were squeezed shut. “Yes, Teagan. Yes.”
Zared began driving himself into me. His thrusts set the pace for my mouth upon Yukihyo. I feared my own pleasure would cause me to leave Yukihyo unsatisfied. I had no sooner had the thought than Zared began spiraling pleasure through me. It passed through me and into Yukihyo. While I sucked hard on him, a loud, uninhibited yell burst from him along with his seed down my throat. Releasing him, I rested my head on his stomach. Zared held my hips and slammed into me with hard feral need. Another orgasm tore through me leaving me weak. He cried out with his second release, filling me yet again. I could hear him panting with exertion as he pulled himself from me.
Before I could collapse, Zared picked me up and laid me beside Yukihyo, my head on his chest where it was supposed to be. He covered us with the blankets and laid beside me. Yukihyo’s heart pounded under my ear.
“Are you alright?” Yukihyo asked.
I squeaked a response, trying not to black out from the pleasure.
“I was talking to Zared,” Yukihyo said.
They both chuckled in a manly fashion. I went back to sleep. Too soon, someone signaled at my door for entry. “No,” I mumbled.
Zared slid from the bed and completely naked walked to the door. Appreciatively, I gazed at the indents to either side of his butt as he walked. Then, I panicked. “Zared! It could be Tracy, Sparrow, or Terre!”
Heedless of my concerns, he opened the door wide. Dario stared at him in surprise. “I brought the Princess coffee,” Dario said.
“How thoughtful. I’m sure she could use it.” Zared took the coffee and closed the door in Dario’s face.
“That wasn’t nice,” I said as I held my hand out for the coffee.
“Neither was his plan in attempting to ignite your passion, but deny you fulfillment until you placed your palm on the marriage contract. Dario will need to be more creative.”
That information silenced me. I drank the coffee before joining my husbands in the shower.
In the restaurant, Drex, Eli, and Cormac each wore unreadable expressions at the table they shared which worried me. Tracy and Jazon sat at a private table for two. Each of them wore sappy expressions and had white sclera surrounding their eyes. Tracy looked tired. Zared chuckled at my thoughts. Sparrow and Xavier were nowhere to be found.
Zared whispered in my ear, “Sparrow had her own fantasies about Xavier in a gondola above the trees.”
I laughed and imagined one of the gondolas swaying dangerously above the tree line. Terre was seated at a table with her parents having a family breakfast before her departure. “Are my babies aboard our ship?”
“Yes,” Yukihyo said.
“Let’s just have breakfast on the Empress. I miss them.”
Yukihyo grinned and kissed my nose.
Out loud, Jazon said, “Don’t worry. We’ll bring Terre and her belongings with us when we return to the ship.”
I smiled at him, waved to everyone, and rode to the land port with Yukihyo and Zared.