Chapter Sixteen
The duke sent for Kane, and we all waited in tense silence while the old man made his way to the audience chamber. In the meantime, I paced the thick rug and peered out the windows while the nobles whispered in hushed tones.
“He can freeze time,” one said in an awed voice.
“No, he just goes back in time,” another mused.
“He created time,” a third insisted.
I chuckled to myself as the snippets floated into my ears. They could keep on guessing all they wanted, but summoned from an alternate reality didn’t exactly roll off the tongue, so I let the NPCs continue their babbling, and I turned my attention back to the architecture of the room.
It looked fit for a king, and the duke’s audience chamber could have fit Elrin’s entire house inside of it. It made me wonder how much wealth came from the small towns the duke was sworn to protect. He could be bleeding the peasants dry while living it up in his small palace, for all I knew.
Either way, I was going to change that soon enough.
Kane finally trotted into the audience chamber looking winded and tired. “You called for me, sir?”
His robes were wrinkled, and exhaustion was settled into the lines of his face, but he stood with his shoulders straight as he faced the duke.
“I have an opponent for you to best with your magic,” the duke informed Kane in a pleased tone. “Go ahead and burn this imbecile to a crisp.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Kane said as he bowed.
I watched the old man’s gray eyes scan over me, but I saw no recognition spark there. Of course, he didn’t remember me, but I certainly remembered him, and all his spells as well.
“Are you ready?” I asked the old man, but he merely nodded.
Kane and I circled each other in the center of the room while the guards made a protective enclosure around us with their armored bodies. The duke watched with mild curiosity from his high chair, but the nobles were more blatant with their earnest expressions as they peeked between the torsos of the soldiers with wide eyes.
The first thing Kane did was summon his magical shield, but I knew he had a tendency to peek around it even though it was translucent. I waited for my opening while I watched him take the stance for a fire spell, and just as he moved his head around the magical barrier to fling his magic at me, I cast negate.
His spell flickered out like it had never been cast, and in the court wizard’s momentary confusion, I lobbed fire and ice at him from both hands.
“Fur, chs, fur, chs,” I chanted as I took long steps toward him, and I cast a spell with each motion.
It was all Kane could do to keep his shield up over his face, so I stopped to give him a chance to fight back.
Kane darted sideways and threw out an ice spell, but I hopped over it, and then I hit him with disarm. Since the only thing he had was his shield, the magical barrier sputtered and then vanished.
I really wanted to drive home my point, though, so I summoned all of my will power before I cast the next spell.
Then I hit him with a fireball bigger than any I’d summoned during our lessons, and the adrenaline of the fight must have enhanced my magical strength, or something, because my head didn’t even hurt.
The fireball raged across the room and barreled into Kane, and he screamed out in pain as the flames ate away at his robes. I felt bad for the old man, so I ran forward and covered him with ice to put out the blaze.
He moaned and rolled over, and he was still alive, but the magical duel was over almost as soon as it had started.
I was victorious once more, and I realized again that I hadn’t had to restart.
I turned to gauge the duke’s reaction to my victory, and he looked like he was about to faint. The duke’s eyes were wide with fear and awe, and his hands shook as he clasped either arm of his throne-like chair.
“Can it be true?” he breathed. “You are the God of Time?”
“How else do you explain what just happened here?” I countered with a grin. “You can throw whatever you want at me, Bullard, but I will always come out on top. You can bet your treasury on it.”
“Kane has never been bested in a magic duel,” the duke continued as though my words didn’t even register in his brain. “I would have sworn this would be over as soon as he entered the room, but look at him… He may not survive the encounter… No wonder Lucian lost in combat to you, he was a talented swordsman but no match for a mage.”
“Your court wizard will live,” I assured the duke in an even tone. “Now, about our deal.”
“What sort of arrangement are you looking for?” The duke seemed to suddenly remember my presence, and he scurried to rise from his chair and stand before me.
“I want you to forfeit all claims on Bastianville, formerly known as Addington. That includes the copper mine and all the citizens of the town.” I clapped the duke on the shoulder and gave him my best smile. “Easy, right?”
“Y-Yes, o-of course, Great One,” the duke stammered out quickly. “Your wish is my command.”
Well, that was almost too easy.
I made a new save point since the duke had just agreed to give me my main goal, control over Bastianville, and I continued to see what else I could get from him.
“If that’s the case,” I said in a cocky voice, “how about you call me Duke Bash from now on, or Your Grace.”
“What? Preposterous!” The duke looked like his head was about to explode, and his eyes flicked to the pile of weapons nearby. He knew as well as I did that I could kill every man in this room if I wanted to, and he looked torn. “I-I couldn’t. The title of duke is bestowed upon me by the king himself. I am not capable of giving it to you.”
“The king, huh.” I scratched my chin as I realized I hadn’t even thought about who ruled over the duke. I’d just have to go see this king guy myself.
With that decided, I thought over my other options. I wanted to see what my limits were with the duke, so I reset back to my save.
Chime.
“Anything I wish?” I mused out loud as I built up dramatic suspense. “Then half your holdings pay fealty to me.”
“I-I wouldn’t be able to survive like that, Great One,” the duke stammered in a worried tone. “The small holdings keep our books balanced.”
“I’m sure you could part with one or two of them?” I persisted.
“I couldn’t, Great One, please,” the duke begged as his chins jiggled in dismay.
I rolled my eyes at the pompous nobleman blathering before me. I would make a much better duke than him, but that was a challenge for another day.
Chime.
“I expect the royal treatment while I am staying in the castle,” I announced. “I’m actually on my honeymoon, and I was hoping we could enjoy your town and castle while we were here.”
“Oh, yes, of course, honeymoon, you say?” the duke gasped and eyed the two women behind me. “Which one is the lucky lady?”
Mahini cocked her hip to the side and planted one hand on it. “Both of us.”
The duke’s cheeks turned crimson, and his eyes flicked from woman to woman for a moment before returning to my face. “I suppose y-you a-are a god.”
“Yep,” I chuckled. “So, we have a deal?”
“Yes, of course, Great One,” the duke replied, and he grabbed my hand to shake it eagerly. “Addington, now Bastianville, is under your rule, and please enjoy my castle for as long as you wish.”
“Thank you,” I said with a small bow of my head.
I was satisfied with the result since my main goal was to free Bastianville from the duke’s reign. I was excited to see how much the town had flourished during my absence, but in the meantime, my little trio would be able to enjoy our honeymoon in a gigantic castle.
“Let me introduce you to the nobles here,” the duke said in a nervous, high-pitched tone, and he beckoned for the small crowd of people to come closer.
Their eyes were wide with awe, but it was an expression I’d started to get used to, so I scanned them over with a scrutinizing glance. They wore finely made clothes out of expensive looking fabrics, and both the men and women had powder on their faces.
I shook hands with all the lords, ladies, and various other nobles who had been included in the private session with the duke, but I wasn’t very interested in learning all about their family trees. I wanted to get to the fun part, where Mahini, Elissa, and I got to be alone again.
After many formalities and a tour, the duke finally showed me to a guest room with a humongous king-sized bed.
Elissa giggled and ran across the room to jump into the center of the very large bed. She was immediately swallowed up by the lush green duvet, and she bounced on her butt until she got situated.
“Come on, Bash,” she urged. “Join me. You, too, Mahini.”
“I’ll leave you to it, then.” The duke cleared his throat. “I’ll send a servant to your inn to gather your belongings and bring them to you.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” I said with a grin. “That will be all.”
Then I waved my hand dismissively, and I crossed the distance to the bed without looking back.
There was a new god in town, and he didn’t answer to the duke.
“It’s quite a lovely bed,” Mahini observed as she stood hesitantly beside it.
“It will be lovelier with you in it,” I declared, and I grabbed her by the waist and tossed her onto the giant bed. Then I dive bombed in after her to a chorus of giggles and cheers from the ladies.
I cuddled up next to my women, and it was amazing how much room we had to spread out. We still settled into our favorite position, though, with one woman under each of my arms, and their heads were on my chest.
“What’s next, my love?” Elissa asked as she threw her leg up over my hip.
“More adventures?” Mahini suggested with a coy smile.
“Lots of fucking,” I answered with a shit eating grin. “We are here to enjoy our honeymoon, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
“Our pottery will be ready in a couple of days,” Elissa reminded me in an excited voice. “I can’t wait to paint them.”
“Trace said it was called a glaze,” Mahini reminded her in a teasing tone.
“I know.” Elissa wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue at the desert goddess. “I just prefer to call it paint because it’s the pretty part.”
“You can call it whatever you want,” I assured her with love swelling inside my chest.
There was nothing better than laying in a monstrously big king-sized bed with two beautiful women, and I hoped nothing interrupted us until I’d had my fill of their curvaceous, delicious bodies.
Whatever came our way, I knew I could handle it with ease. I was the God of Time, and the world was my oyster.
As long as the king didn’t get in my way first, we’d be back in Bastianville soon enough, and then I’d work on expanding my empire some more. Carleone would be a good place to start, but I planned on setting my sights high.
I wanted the world, and I knew with enough attempts, I could accomplish anything.
We took a short nap since the bed was so comfortable, and when we woke up, the sun had started to settle along the western horizon. Huge beams of orange light basked the cold stone floor in warmth, and it created a cozy ambience for the room. All three of us yawned in unison, and then we laughed.
“I guess we all needed the rest,” I observed.
“It felt amazing!” Elissa sighed as she flung out her arms. “This bed is so soft!”
“Almost too soft,” Mahini countered. “I can’t wake up.”
“You two can stay in bed, and I’ll go get us some food,” I suggested as I climbed over the mattress to reach the floor. I’d fallen asleep in my full armor, and I was surprised we’d all slept so peacefully with the metal pieces still strapped to my body.
Being a god could be exhausting, sometimes, I supposed.
I was hesitant to take it off, though, since we were still in the unfamiliar castle. The duke seemed good and impressed with my godhood, so I didn’t think any assassins or anything were coming after me, but a cautious feeling I couldn’t ignore settled inside my chest.
So, I left the armor on for the moment, and I dipped out of the room to find us some grub. Our saddlebags and packs were sitting outside the door in the hallway, and I quickly brought them all inside the room so the girls could change clothes if they wanted to.
Then I blew them each a kiss and headed out to find the kitchens. I ran into a servant in the hallway and asked for directions, and he pointed me the right way and then trotted off. It didn’t take me long to find the source of the food, though, since the smells greeted me several hallways before I hit the entrance.
The aroma of fresh baked bread, roasted meat and vegetables, and a cinnamon scented dessert hit my nostrils and nearly knocked me from my feet. My stomach growled with longing, and I picked up my pace until I stood in the doorway to the kitchens.
“I’ve come for some dinner,” I explained after I’d knocked on the frame. “I’m staying upstairs.”
“You’re the guest in the green room?” a plump woman with curly orange hair asked. She pushed a loose tendril out of her face and then wiped off her hands on her apron, and she’d just placed a pie down onto the counter when I’d walked in.
“I guess,” I laughed. “There is a lot of green in it.”
“I heard you’re a god,” the woman said plainly, and she scrutinized me with sharp hazel eyes. “Are you going to curse me?”
“What exactly do you think gods do?” I laughed again. There was nothing that would damper my mood.
“According to the rumors, you can stop time,” the woman countered as she planted her hands on her hips, but there was a twinkle in her hazel eyes.
“I can do a lot more than that,” I informed her with a grin, “but I came here for some food for me and my two ladies. Would you mind being a dear and fixing us up a tray?”
“You don’t want the full spread?” She cocked an eyebrow.
“Well, of course, I do!” I eyed the kitchen in hopes of finding out what the full spread entailed. If my nose was any indication, there was some roast beef somewhere nearby.
“Then it would take more than two hands to get it back to your room,” she replied. “Go on, I’ll send the servants up with your dinner so you can relax.”
I could get used to the royal treatment.
“Thank you,” I told her, and I blew her a kiss.
This elicited girlish giggles, and the orange-haired cook brushed her locks out of her face self-consciously.
Then I waved goodbye, trotted back up to my room, and entered the elegant bedchamber where me and my two beautiful women were staying.
“No food?” Elissa asked with a disappointed pout as she laid on her stomach on the bed with her chin propped up in her hands.
“The servants are bringing it,” I explained.
“How kind of them,” Mahini observed from her position in the bed with her legs crossed and her arms behind her head.
“Can you believe this place?” I spun in a circle as I finally got a good look at our room.
The ceiling went up two stories high, and large windows lining the wall from bottom to top were curtained in a rich green velvet with gold tassels to hold them back. A deep forest green rug ran underfoot, and the space was big enough to fit our entire house back in Bastianville. The bed alone would have filled up the living room, and the table in the corner could sit eight.
“It’s quaint,” Elissa said in a playful tone.
“Well, get used to it,” I declared. “This is how you’ll be treated from here on out.”
“It wouldn’t matter if it was a hovel,” Mahini said. “I would follow you anywhere.”
“I know,” I replied with a loving smile. “And I’ll take you with me everywhere I go. We are bonded, forever, and nothing can break that.”
“I’ll smash anything that tries,” Elissa quipped with a mock swing of an invisible mace.
“That’s my little Skullcrusher,” I snickered.
Then a knock sounded at the door, and I opened it to reveal five servants with push carts covered in silver domes.
“Your food, sir,” the servant in the front announced.
“About time.” I grinned and ushered them inside. “Put it on the table.”
A few minutes later, the two girls and I sat in front of a royal spread as the servants shut the door on their way out. Roast beef and vegetables, baked potatoes and butter, fresh baked rolls, and an entire apple pie was laid out before us.
“Dig in,” I insisted. “Honeymoon calories don’t count.”
“What are calories?” Elissa asked, but she already had a hunk of roast beef in her mouth before I could answer.
“A made-up thing meant to upset women,” I explained around my own mouthful of savory roast beef. I scooped up a spoonful of carrots and then grabbed a roll, and I shoved everything into my mouth all at once.
“Save some for us, Great One,” Mahini teased as she delicately lifted a spoon of vegetables to her lips. “It’s not going anywhere.”
“I just want to enjoy every last bite,” I explained with my mouth full, and both girls laughed at my antics.
I couldn’t be happier. It was the beginning of a new chapter of my journey, and as I looked back on all I’d accomplished, I really did feel like a god.
Since I’d been summoned, I’d defeated an evil sorcerer, killed countless kobolds, saved several towns, and convinced a duke to forfeit one of his holdings.
There were still many more adventures to come, though, and with the two most beautiful women in the world by my sides, I could handle anything that came my way.
I was the God of Time, the God of Death, and the God of Winning, and this was my world now.
“It’s almost time to break in this castle,” I told my two ladies with a cocky grin. “In the sexiest of ways imaginable, of course. It’s our honeymoon, and I intend to make good use of it.”
End of Book 2