Chapter Seven
“She’s… pregnant?” I gasped out as I saw stars in my vision. “You are sure?”
“That’s what I said,” Phylas said, and she eyed me closely. “Are you feeling okay?”
I’d grown up without a father figure, so I wasn’t sure what would be expected of me in this new role, but I would do my best to get it right no matter how many respawns it took.
What would it be like to be a father with a reset button? I could predict slips and falls, figure out lies and tricks, and never forget a birthday.
Being a father was going to be awesome, and I took a deep, steadying breath.
“I’m feeling great.” I grinned, and then I proceeded to interrogate the medicine woman about everything concerning childbirth and pregnancy.
Elissa giggled behind me when I blanched during the description of the birth itself, but after a short while, I was practically an expert on all things baby.
“You are a curious young man,” Phylas observed. “I’ve never answered so many questions before.”
“Thank you for all your help,” I laughed. “Even though you won’t remember this, I will always think of you fondly.”
“I have a keen memory, son,” the medicine woman informed me. “I don’t forget much.”
“What are you talking about, Bash?” Elissa looked up at me from the table with a curious expression on her beautiful face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I can’t wait to tell you this news myself, my love,” I said, and my grin widened even more.
Then I reset back to my save point with a wave of my will, and I was still smiling like a fool while the chime rang in my ears. I was in the tent with my beautiful women, and Elissa was peacefully snuggled up in her sleeping roll beside mine.
All was well.
I sighed, and I placed my hands behind my head as I gazed up at the roof of the tent. I was still in a state of shock over the new information, but I had the rest of the night to process it before my wife started to throw up again. I wouldn’t be freaking out this time, and I was excited to give her a better husband during this run through.
Would I have a son or a daughter?
I shook my head in disbelief at my life. Not only was I given god-like powers, loved by several gorgeous women, and adored by the king of the realm, but now I was going to add dad to my list of titles. Then I realized I didn’t care if it was a boy or a girl, as long as it was healthy. I sighed, and I pulled Elissa against my side before I dozed off into a peaceful sleep.
I had dreams of children calling for their dad all night long, and my eyes popped wide open at the sound of Elissa throwing up. I quickly crawled out of the tent, but I made sure to grab the water skin and a piece of string before I crossed the distance to be by her side.
I gently rubbed Elissa’s back while she puked, and then I handed her the water skin without her even having to ask for it. As she rinsed out her mouth, I pulled her hair back and tied it up with the string, and I completed it with a pretty decent bow.
“Thank you, Bash.” Elissa flashed me a tired smile, but then the sickness overwhelmed her again.
“You’re welcome,” I chuckled as I continued to rub her back.
I stayed by her side until the spasms subsided, and the contents of her stomach were emptied onto the ground. Then I helped her back to her sleeping pad. By this time, the other women were awake and worried about Elissa, but I had gestured that everything was okay.
Mahini pierced me with her gaze as soon as I emerged from the tent where Elissa now slept, and I gave her a broad smile.
“What’s going on?” the desert goddess asked as she furrowed her brow with concern. “What’s wrong with Elissa?”
“She’ll be okay,” was all I said, and I planted a kiss upon Mahini’s cheek. “Thank you for being worried about her, though. If it was anything serious, I would take her to a healer straight away. There’s actually a medicine woman in the next town over less than a day’s ride away.”
“So, you’ve traveled here before?” Ako tilted his head to the side, and his tail swayed behind him. “I thought you said you’d never been to these lands.”
“I haven’t, but I’m a god.” I shrugged. “You’ll get used to it.”
“I am trying.” Ako smirked. “I suppose if you must accommodate the strange ways of a shapeshifter, then I can tolerate the oddities of a god.”
“That’s one way to look at it,” I laughed. “I like to celebrate our differences. After all, it would be an awfully boring life if everyone was the same.”
“Is your wife okay?” Ako frowned. “I heard her sickness.”
“Yeah, she’s resting now.” I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. She’ll be okay.”
“I take it you know what caused her sickness?” Ako arched one eyebrow, and his honey-colored eyes filled with curiosity.
“Sure do.” I grinned. “But I think she has the right to be the first to know. Until she wakes up and is ready to hear it, my lips are sealed.”
“Fair enough.” Ako inclined his head. “I can respect that. I shall question you no further.”
“You can’t be convinced to share?” Eva stuck out her bottom lip in a plea for me to share my knowledge.
“You have to wait,” I chuckled.
“Fine,” Eva sighed, and she crossed her arms over her perky breasts. “I suppose we’re staying here until she is ready to ride?”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “Be ready to ride before noon, though.”
“Alright,” the duke’s daughter replied, and her smoky-gray eyes brightened. “Thank you, Bash.”
“My pleasure.” I smirked. “What else are gods good for?”
“I can think of lots of things you’re good for,” Eva murmured, and desire filled her gray gaze.
Ako cleared his throat, and his tail flicked anxiously from side to side. “Shall I give you some privacy?”
“No worries, Ako,” I assured the cat-man. “We have all the time in the world. Elissa is the most important thing right now, so anything else can wait.”
“I know.” Eva smiled. “Let me know if she’s hungry. It won’t take me long to warm up something to eat.”
“I’ll see how she’s feeling,” I suggested.
I returned to the tent with the eyes of my companions on my back, and I shook my head in amusement as I dipped inside the temporary structure. It was heartwarming to see everyone be concerned about Elissa, but I’d had some time to process. Since I’d already visited a medicine woman and thought about becoming a father all night, I was finally ready to tell my wife she was pregnant.
Elissa’s gem-like eyes fluttered open as I entered the tent, and a smile immediately leapt to her lips when she saw me.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, and I brushed some of her flame-colored locks away from her freckled face.
“Better,” Elissa sighed. “Thank you. Maybe it was something I ate. I’m sorry for causing such a fuss. I’ll bury my mess when I get up.”
“Don’t worry about any of that.” I grinned. “It wasn’t something you ate.”
“Oh?” Elissa pushed herself up on her elbows as she creased her eyebrows in confusion. “You know what caused me to throw up?”
“Lissy,” I said in a voice thick with emotion. My heart thudded loudly, and my palms began to sweat, but I was more excited than nervous. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat, and I could feel the suspense building. Finally, I took both of her hands in mine, looked her in her beautiful eyes, and gave her the biggest smile in my repertoire. “You’re pregnant, my love.”
“I-I-I’m pregnant?” Elissa gasped as her hands immediately leapt to her stomach, and she cradled her abdomen with a loving embrace. “Can this be true?”
“You missed your moon flow, your breasts have been achy, and you’ve been hungrier than normal.” I shrugged. “If you spoke to a medicine woman, she would say the same thing, but I can take you to a village nearby if you want confirmation.”
“I believe you,” my wife assured me. “I’m just… I know we have been trying… it’s actually happening! We are having a baby!”
“It is wonderful,” I chuckled.
“We haven’t even been trying for very long,” Elissa mused. Her face was flushed, and her gem-like eyes were bright with excitement. “This is such a lucky occurrence. It speaks well for the health of our children. You have a strong seed, Bash, so our babies will be just as strong.”
“I’ve never thought about my sperm like that before.” I raked a hand through my hair. “I’ll just have to take your word on it.”
“Come on,” Elissa suddenly gasped, and she rushed toward the entrance of the tent. “Let’s go tell the other women about our happy news. I’m sure they will be pregnant soon.”
“I kind of hinted at it already,” I confessed with a sheepish grin. “But I promised I would tell you first before I could explain to them what was going on.”
“They must be so worried about me,” my wife said, and she beckoned for me to hurry up.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I chuckled, and I followed her out of the tent.
The rest of our companions were seated by the campfire, and Elissa received wide smiles and hugs upon her arrival among them. Once my wife was situated comfortably on a log, Mahini’s eyes locked onto my face, and her dagger-like gaze cut into me with razor-sharp focus.
“Okay, okay,” I said as I held up my hands in surrender. “We came out here to explain.”
“It’s about time,” Mahini said, and she crossed her arms over her chest.
“I’m pregnant,” Elissa announced without any preamble, and our companions gasped.
“Pregnant?” Eva’s eyes went as wide as saucers.
“Congratulations,” Caelia breathed, and a smile stretched the corners of her lips. “What a blessing.”
“So, she does not require a healer?” Mahini nodded. “This is good news.”
“I will need a midwife eventually,” Elissa informed her, and the tiny goddess played with a rogue strand of her fiery tendrils. “But for now I feel okay. I have been getting tired more easily lately, but I think that is part of pregnancy, too.”
“We will all help to lighten your load, Lissy,” Eva assured her, but then the duke’s daughter wrinkled her nose. “Are you sure you don’t want to wash out your mouth after you were sick?”
“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Elissa giggled, and she excused herself from the fire circle to go clean her mouth. “I’ll be back shortly.”
“Congratulations on the wonderful news, Sir Bash,” Ako said, and his honey-colored eyes lit up with joy. “You will make a good father.”
“I hope so.” I grinned. “We’ll see, I guess, but at least I have some advantages.”
“Yes, I’m sure being a god comes with its own set of perks,” Ako chuckled. “Still, parenthood is not for the weak, but I can tell you’re up for the challenge.”
“I better be,” I laughed.
I had been climaxing deep inside all three of my women for many weeks now with the intent of getting them pregnant, but it was just beginning to set in what that entailed. I hadn’t been expecting the sickness, but the medicine woman had said it would come every morning for several weeks. I would be better prepared for the next stage of this crazy new journey I’d just embarked upon, and my wife wouldn’t have to worry about anything with a god as her husband.
“Bash,” Elissa whispered as she tugged on my sleeve and pulled me out of my thoughts. “Bash, come down here.”
“Sure.” I grinned as I leaned over so the petite beauty could whisper in my ear, and her breath was hot on my skin. The sensation of her lips pressed softly against my earlobe made my blood heat up, and I reminded myself she wasn’t feeling well.
“I want to show you how happy you’ve made me,” my wife whispered in a husky voice, and she flicked her tongue against the edge of my earlobe. “Now.”
“Oh.” My eyes widened as realization struck me, but my body instantly responded, and my cock hardened against the restraint of my pants. “Oh, yes, please, Lissy…”
“Come on, silly,” Elissa giggled, and she took my hand in hers before she led me away from the fire pit and toward our tent.
“I’ll be back,” I said as I flashed an apologetic smile over my shoulder at the others, but I was only met with amused smiles from my companions, so I turned all of my attention on the tiny goddess leading me away to heaven.
I made a new save point before things continued any further since one of my favorite activities was resetting to enjoy sex countless times, and I had a shit-eating grin on my face as I followed my wife back to bed.
Elissa crawled inside the tent in front of me, and I took a moment to appreciate her perky apple bottom as it disappeared between the entrance flaps. It looked a little juicier than I remembered, and I wondered if the pregnancy was already beginning to change her body. I was eager to witness every shift that occurred because it meant I was one step closer to holding my future child in my arms. Then I crawled in to join her on the sleeping pad, and Elissa was already pulling at the fabric of her shirt.
“Take your clothes off,” she instructed as her eyes filled with need. “Hurry.”
“What’s got you in such a rush?” I asked. “We have all the time in the world.”
“I need you to be inside me as soon as possible,” my wife admitted, and she ripped her shirt over her head in one fluid motion. “Less talking, more stripping and lovemaking.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I growled, and I fumbled for the fastener of my pants. Then I pulled my belt loose, ripped off my shirt, and kicked off my boots.
Elissa was in my arms a moment later, and our lips met with urgent need. My wife moaned against me as my tongue explored her depths, and I wrapped her up in my arms to hold her close against me. Her skin was soft and silky smooth, and I explored every inch of her with my hands as I delved deeper into her mouth.
“I have missed this,” Elissa breathed as we came up for air. “Since we’ve been spending so much time on the road hunting down the duke, we haven’t been able to get you alone nearly enough.”
“I’m sorry if you feel neglected,” I murmured as my hand inched lower down her body. I caressed her with gentle fingers, and I was rewarded with a shiver of delight from my wife. “I’ll make sure you have all your needs met from now on.”
“Oh, I don’t feel neglected,” Elissa assured me, and she wiggled her hips to urge my fingers further south. “I just miss you.”
Elissa spread her legs ever so slightly, but it was enough to allow my fingers to roam around in search of her red downy mound. She gasped when my digits found her special place, and she arched her back to allow me more freedom to explore. I went tantalizingly slow, and Elissa wiggled beneath me.
“Mmm, Bash,” Elissa breathed. “You’re teasing me.”
“Do you like it?” I chuckled, and I pulled back my hand ever so slightly. “I can stop…”
“Don’t stop!” she commanded, and she grabbed my hand and then shoved it toward her soft slit. “Please!”
“Okay, okay,” I laughed, but I obliged the needs of my wife while I seized her mouth with another kiss.
“Mmm, yesss…” Elissa moaned against my lips, and her legs spread open to allow me access to her entire body. I didn’t take the gift lightly, though, and I caressed her sensitive area with gentle motions. Her hips bucked upward to encourage me, and then she wiggled in my grasp. “Faster…”
I increased my pace as I nibbled on her chin line, and I trailed kisses up to her ear before I sucked her earlobe between my lips. Elissa gasped, and her gem-like eyes shot wide open, so I had a feeling she liked it.
Then I worked her up until she was panting with need, but I paused before I brought her over the edge. I wanted to taste her juices as she climaxed, so I repositioned myself between her legs, and I pushed her thighs back to bring her pussy up to my lips. She was already dripping-wet and pulsating, and I knew she was close, so I dipped my tongue into her well of pleasure.
“Oh, Bash!” Elissa gasped, and her hands leapt to my hair where her fingers quickly tangled themselves in my brown tendrils.
“Patience, my love,” I chuckled against her inner thigh. “I’m just getting started.”
“I’m in no hurry,” Elissa breathed, and she gazed at me from beneath hooded eyelids. “I have the rest of my life with you to look forward to.”
“Good girl.” I grinned. “Now, lay back and enjoy this moment. It won’t be long before our privacy is interrupted on the regular.”
“Yes, sir,” Elissa giggled, and she closed her eyes.
I proceeded to eat my wife’s pussy like nothing else existed, and I was cheered on by her moans and sighs of pleasure. I built up the tension until she shuddered with delight, and then I slowed down to do it all over again. I licked her up, down, and sideways until her tunnel pulsated around my tongue and fingers.
“Bash, Bash, Bash,” my wife chanted as she tossed her head from side to side. Her eyes were rolling into the back of her head, and her skin was dappled with perspiration.
My cock was throbbing against the sleeping pad by this point, but I wanted to ignore my own desire for a little while longer. Once I was sure Elissa was in a post orgasm coma, I repositioned myself over top of her, and I leaned down to brush my lips against hers.
“You’re wonderful,” I murmured, and I trailed my kisses across her freckled nose, chin, and neck. “You’re going to make a wonderful mother.”
“Oh, Bash…” Elissa’s emerald eyes welled with emotion, and she wrapped her petite arms around my neck. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy and giving you many children.”
“Let’s start with one,” I chuckled, and then I slid inside her with one long thrust. “Since it is already growing.”
“Thank you, Bash,” Elissa moaned as she clung to me, and she buried her face in my neck. “Thank you for making love to me.”
“There’s nothing in the world I would rather do right now,” I assured her, and I pulled her legs around my hips.
Then I began to thrust in and out of her with slow, loving motions. We made love gently while staring into each other’s eyes, and I wanted to freeze the memory in my brain forever. The two of us were starting an awesome new adventure together, and this was the best beginning I could have imagined.
We came simultaneously while stars exploded in my vision, and I laid my head upon her chest while we caught our breaths.
“I want to make love to you a million times,” I murmured into her flame-colored locks. “But I’ll make sure the final time is just as sweet as the first.”
“I don’t understand,” Elissa said, and she peered up at me with a curious expression. “Final time?”
I merely grinned, and then I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
I watched her crawl inside the tent with greedy eyes, and I was half naked by the time I followed her inside the temporary structure. I captured her mouth with my own, and I cupped her cheeks with gentle hands as I explored her depths. I was more demanding this time, and I thrust myself inside her with urgency.
I didn’t want to be too rough given her current state, but I took what I wanted all the same. I still made sure she had several orgasms before I released my own self-control, and the sensation of our simultaneous climax blew my mind.
Chime.
I pulled her away from the tent with a mischievous wink, and the two of us ventured into the shadows of the trees in search of a new location. Elissa rode me in reverse cowgirl position on the banks of a small creek, and I sprayed my load all over her ass as she wiggled with delight.
Chime.
We giggled as we crawled into the tent, and I grabbed her juicy ass on the way inside. I wanted to bury my dick deep inside her while her cheeks bounced in front of me, so that’s exactly what I did. I fucked her doggy style until I exploded my load inside her slick tunnel, and she chanted my name while I tangled my fingers in her fiery tendrils.
Chime.
Chime.
Chime.
When I’d finally filled my ears with the sound of my wife’s orgasms to my heart’s content, I reset yet again, but this time I went slow and gentle once more. I wanted to give Elissa a sweet memory for us both to cherish, but I would never forget the countless times I’d filled her up.
“I love you, Elissa.” I snuggled her head against my chest, and I stroked her hair gently as we caught our breaths. “I can’t wait to become a father with you by my side.”
“I love you more than anything in this entire world,” Elissa swore in a serious voice, and she lifted her face up to meet my gaze. “You’re going to be the most amazing father, I can already tell.”
Well, I did have the ability to redo any mistakes, so I was inclined to believe her.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay on the road?” I frowned as concern for her safety filled me. “Isn’t riding horses bad for pregnant women?”
“Don’t worry, husband,” Elissa said in a reassuring tone, and her emerald eyes danced with amusement. “Once my womb swells, and my stomach begins to grow, I will stay home to prepare for the birth, but we are raising warriors.”
“Warriors?”
“You are a god, Bash,” Elissa pointed out. “You will always have enemies. Our children will have to adjust to that harsh reality early on in life, but they will have your strength.”
“I’m excited to meet our children.” I smirked. “But I’m not sure how my godhood will affect the babies. I have never had a child before.”
“I hope I give you a healthy son for your first offspring,” Elissa mused.
“It really doesn’t make a difference to me if it’s a girl or a boy,” I said. “Just as long as they’re healthy and happy.”
“See, you’re already being a great father.” Elissa grinned, and she squeezed her arms around me tightly.
“And you’re sure you don’t want to return to Bastianville?” I kissed her forehead. “It won’t upset me either way, I just want you to be comfortable.”
“I don’t want us to be apart,” my wife countered. “I will let you know if traveling becomes too much for me, but I would still have to ride a horse back to Bastianville, so I might as well be helpful.”
“Alright,” I chuckled. “I see your point. You can stay.”
“Thank you,” Elissa giggled.
We relaxed for a little while longer, but then my quest began to weigh on my mind, so after a short while I crawled out of the tent to rejoin my companions. Everyone was busy with various activities, but they all noticed me emerge from the entrance flaps.
“He lives,” Ako observed with raised eyebrows.
“Sorry if you heard some of it,” I apologize with a sheepish grin.
“Oh, no need to apologize, Sir Bash,” the cat-man replied with a coy smile. “Reminds me of my younger days.”
“How old are you?” I chuckled. “You look like you’re around my age, but you sometimes say things that make me think you’re much older.”
“My people age differently than humans,” the shapeshifter explained. “It is difficult to explain.”
“Hey, I know time can be weird.” I smirked.
“You better than most,” Ako agreed. “So, how does your wife feel? Better, I take it.”
“Much.” I grinned, but then my expression turned more serious. “I offered to send her back to Bastianville, but she refused.”
“I understand her thinking,” Ako said, and he gave me a sympathetic smile. “And yours. Do not worry, my friend. Trust your woman.”
The other ladies joined us around the campfire, and the conversation turned to discussing what mine and Elissa’s baby would look like. Mahini remained silent, but her ice-blue eyes were warm every time we made eye contact. After a while, though, she cleared her throat to get my attention.
“While I am overjoyed to think your offspring will soon be a part of this world,” the desert goddess said in a reluctant tone, “I am concerned about our mission. The duke has evaded capture already, so how do we know we will find and catch him?”
“Oh, Mahini,” I said, and I gave her a reassuring smile. “You’re with the God of Time. We’ll catch him.”
“We should return to our quest,” she countered.
“I agree.” I nodded. “We don’t want to lose an entire day, so we will head out and get a few miles behind us before the sun goes down. Ako, do you mind getting the horses saddled while we take down the tents?”
“Not at all, Sir Bash,” Ako said, and he jumped to his feet with nimble grace. “Happy to help.”
“What a beautiful day!” Elissa emerged from the tent with a satisfied smile upon her face, and Eva and Caelia giggled at the sight of her. My wife’s flame-colored hair was askew, and her shirt hung half off her shoulders, but she shone like a star in my eyes.
“What a beautiful woman,” I greeted with a cocky grin. “We were just talking about departing on our duke hunt. Are you feeling up for riding?”
“Absolutely.” Elissa grinned even wider. “I was just coming to ask when we were leaving. Give me just a few moments to prepare.”
“As long as you’re sure you’re feeling okay,” Eva said in a worried tone. “We could always split up…”
“I’m staying with Bash.” Elissa lifted her chin at a stubborn angle.
“Very well.” The duke’s daughter dipped her head to hide her amused smile, but I knew she could relate to my wife’s insistence on staying by my side.
A short while later, the six of us had mounted our horses and were back on the road once more. As the sun began to set below the western horizon, we made it to the town where Elissa and I had visited during my previous run through, but my companions pressed me to keep riding by torchlight, so I continued onward into the night.
While it could have been helpful to interview the locals about whether or not they’d seen my target, I decided to skip my usual process of getting to know the townspeople. I would take the time to get one-hundred percent completion of every single town in the Duke of Edinburg’s territory after I’d captured the sorry excuse for a noble, but for now, time was of the essence. We set up camp a couple hours after midnight, and everyone slid off their horses with exhaustion written all over their faces.
“There’s no point in starting a fire tonight,” I said. “Let’s just eat cold rations and get some sleep.”
“Sounds good to me.” Ako grinned, clapped me on the shoulder, and then took Goliath’s reins from my hands. “I’ll unsaddle your horse before I catch some sleep.”
“You’re awesome,” I laughed. “I’m so glad you’re here with me.”
“I can do much more than handle a horse,” the shapeshifter informed me.
“Oh, I know,” I assured him. “But I can’t wait to see what else you have up your sleeves.”
“I made some notes on your map while we were riding,” Ako informed me with a sly smile. “I figured it would be easier to share my knowledge that way.”
“That’s great, thank you.” I shook my head in awe. “Let me take a look.”
The shapeshifter handed me the map, and I pulled it open as he held the torchlight over my shoulder to help me see.
“It looks like we’ll be reaching this town soon,” I said as my gaze landed on a good-sized city less than a few days’ ride from our current location.
“I’m surprised we haven’t encountered more travelers this close to such a big town,” Ako observed.
“I’m sure that will change over the next few days,” I said, and I rolled the map back up and shoved it into my saddle bag. Then I nodded my thanks to the shapeshifter before he led my steed away.
I wondered what awaited us in the city of Kassar, but I supposed we would find out sooner rather than later.
I crawled into my tent with a restless feeling, but I didn’t sleep for more than a few hours. The sun had barely started to peek above the eastern horizon when I emerged from my temporary structure, but I saw Mahini’s silhouette a few paces away.
I snuck up behind the desert goddess, and I tickled her sides. Mahini jumped, and she shot me a shocked expression before she recognized me and regained her composure. Then, to my shock and awe, the beautiful warrior-woman let out the tiniest giggle.
“You’re adorable,” I informed her in a serious tone. “I love you so much.”
“Please.” The corners of Mahini’s lips twitched into the hint of a smile. “I was just about to go saddle the horses. We should get an early start.”
“I know you’re worried about catching up to the duke,” I said in a comforting voice. “But don’t worry, we’ll find him, and we’ll take him back to Vallenwood before you know it.”
“We have lost much time,” Mahini said, and she bit her bottom lip as her eyelashes fluttered above her ice-blue eyes.
“We’ll catch up,” I assured her. “Go saddle the horses. I’ll rouse the others.”
“Thank you, Bash.” Mahini flashed me a grateful smile.
After everyone else woke up, we rode out at a brisk pace, and we didn’t slow down for hours. I was tempted to call for a break, but the horses didn’t look too winded, and my companions didn’t show signs of tiring yet, so we continued for a while longer.
I kept up this breakneck pace off and on for the next two days until we rode up to the walls of a massive town. It rivaled Vallenwood in size, but I knew there were larger cities still further inside Edinburg’s territory. He’d been the second most powerful man in the realm before I’d arrived on the scene, and it was obvious to me how he’d gotten there. Not only had Edinburg been born into a wealthy family, but he’d been given the rulership of the richest territory in the realm.
The gates to the city were wide open as we approached, and we joined the crowd of people pressing through the portal. The sound of a multitude of voices all clamoring at the same time created a high-pitched frequency that buzzed in my ears, and the smell of the unwashed bodies made my nose wrinkle in disgust.
It took me a moment to acclimate to the densely populated streets, but then I realized the flow of people we’d joined was headed in one direction. Everyone pressed into the city and down the street, and we had no choice but to go along with them. Otherwise, we’d have to fight against the current of bodies, and someone would likely be injured by our horses.
“What’s all the commotion about?” Mahini asked as she narrowed her ice-blue eyes. “Do you hear the shouting?”
I listened carefully until I heard the concentration of voices a couple of blocks ahead of us, and I nodded to the desert goddess.
“Let’s check it out,” I suggested.
Several armed soldiers stood at the end of the street before we turned toward the sound of yelling voices, and I noticed they wore Edinburg’s crest upon their breastplates.
Could the duke be here? Would he be so blatant after escaping from the king’s prison? Surely, his own people would know he was a wanted man.
I had to find out, so I clicked my tongue to Goliath to urge him forward as fast as he could go considering the press of bodies all around us. We trotted through the crowd, and a few people jumped out of the way of my horse’s hooves. My companions followed in my wake, and I caught a smirk upon Ako’s face as we made our way more quickly through the crowd.
Then I saw the horde of people grow even more in the square up ahead. There were too many people to count, and they filled every space of the market. A stage had been erected in the middle of the road, and a handful of soldiers formed a line behind a couple of men in thick fur cloaks.
Who the hell were these guys, and why the fuss?
I pulled Goliath to a halt, and my companions did the same with their horses. Then we watched from the sidelines while the man on the stage paced back and forth, and the words of his rant floated over the heads of the listening people to arrive at my ears.
“And your contributions will ensure the Edinburg name continues to hold the same weight in the kingdom,” the young nobleman said in a loud voice. “Do not hold back. Withholding from your lord and master is a crime punishable by death.”
I watched while several people made their way up the stage, and they dropped their coins, jewelry, and even some food upon the surface. I shook my head in disgust at how greedy these nobles could be. He was practically bleeding these people dry, and for what?
Then I leaned across Goliath’s mane and got the attention of a man standing near my horse’s head.
“Hey, who is that guy up there?” I asked.
“You do not recognize our Lord Edinburg?” The man’s eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t let him find out. He hates it when people do not grovel before him.”
“Lord Edinburg?” I pressed.
“The Duke of Edinburg’s youngest son, Lord Exavier.” The man shook his head in awe. “Be careful in his presence, friend.”
The Duke of Edinburg’s youngest son stood before me, and I couldn’t help the shit-eating grin that spread across my face.
This was the perfect opportunity to get the upper-hand on Edinburg.
All I had to do was seize it.