Chapter 1.23

Ax

I slept hard, probably harder than I had in recent memory. Latona had dragged me to bed and made me lay down. I had things to do, but I saw how exhausted and run down Karson looked before Zahra dragged him away, and had no doubt I mirrored him. The healing ring cheat was no substitute for real sleep, and I had absolutely hit the wall. It reminded me of the night that me and a few buddies had stayed up late playing basketball, before hanging out and drinking all night. I had hit the wall just as the sun started to peek over the houses, before I crashed on my friend’s couch. At least this time, I didn’t have a hangover to deal with.

It was actually the opposite, in fact. Waking with a hangover was painful at best, when a headache is the first thing you wake up to, or nausea and generally feeling like shit at worst. But the first thing I realized this time when I woke was pleasure. A warm, wet mouth was giving me a blowjob. I groaned in pleasure. Latona’s technique had improved. Instead of the sloppy, amateur attempts she’d made so far, it was far more skillful. I’d have to complement her.

Then Latona’s arm flopped across my chest as she rolled over on the bed next to me. Her bare breasts pressed into my side. I jerked my eyes open and looked down to see a very naked Xene smirking up at me as she sucked me off.

“Xene?! What are you doing?” I hissed in sudden alarm as I struggled to sit up. Latona grumbled in complaint and flopped on her back, still asleep. Xene popped off my dick with an unrepentant grin.

“What does it look like?” she said in a sultry voice.

“Are you trying to get Latona pissed at me?” I retorted, still whispering and feeling panicked.

“Whose idea did you think this was? Well, I mean, technically, I was supposed to start with her first so we could wake you up together, but…”

My mind felt literally blown. Latona had hinted and all but blatantly said that she slept with Xene from time to time, but my dense ass hadn’t truly let that sink in. But Xene didn’t sit there while I gaped. She nuzzled Latona’s leg aside and wasted no time in licking her clit with obviously practiced movements. From the soft, pleasurable sounds coming from Latona, Xene knew what she was doing.

“Mmmm…. Xene… naughty girl…. You were supposed to start with me…” moaned Latona, stretching her arms over her head as she woke. She opened one eye and looked at me. “Why are you still sitting there? Go deal with our wayward concubine.”

That brought me up cold. Concubine? Holy fuck, this whole culture shock kept getting me. But Latona had already closed her eyes as Xene continued licking her. Xene eyed me with a smirk, pulling her knees further under her and spreading her legs invitingly. Well, I may not understand the culture, but I’d never had a threesome before. I didn’t need to be told twice.

I jumped out of bed and stood behind Xene, admiring her shapely ass and the explicit view of her sex. I slid into her, enjoying how tightly my cock was gripped. I sawed in and out of her slowly, drawing out the pleasure for both of us but without dislodging her from Latona’s pussy with my movements. Before long they were both moaning in time with each other. Xene climaxed first, finally moving from pleasuring Latona as I slammed into her. I was getting close myself. Xene gave a little shriek as she climaxed, then pulled off of me before I could finish and rolled aside, still shuddering.

“Finish in her, not me,” she gasped.

I didn’t even respond, I just climbed between Latona’s waiting legs and slammed into her. Latona gave an approving moan, and my own climax began to build even as Latona reached her peak. I shuddered and came inside her as she writhed beneath me, finishing even as I did. I sat back on my knees, gasping for air and sweaty with the exertion. I looked down at a very smug Latona, my seed spilling from her and onto the bed, her legs still spread. Xene bent over and licked her clean, eliciting a soft gasp and mini-orgasm from Latona.

Finally, both girls sat up. “What… what was that?” I asked.

“A good start to the day,” quipped Xene. Latona giggled, and found a dirty chiton in the corner to wipe the sweat and cum from her body, and Xene began to dress herself. I just stared, unable or maybe not quite willing to believe that this was actually considered acceptable. I wasn’t complaining, even in the slightest, but my luck couldn’t be that good.

“I need a bath,” said Latona, wrinkling her nose at me. “So do you. Xene, come attend us.”

I just stared, still sitting there naked.

“What?” she said.

“That’s it? You’re okay with… all this?” I asked.

“It was my idea, wasn’t it?” she said, confused. “It seemed like a good idea.”

“In my… homeland… women are more… jealous?”

“Ah,” said Latona, finally understanding. She reached for a clean peplos. “I’m a noble woman, Axerios. You need not worry.”

“Can you… explain that a bit for me?” I wasn’t willing to let it go until I understood the boundaries here. This facet of their culture could seriously fuck things up for me if I didn’t know the rules.

She shrugged as she tied a belt around her waist, fiddling with the peplos until it hung right on her torso. “You will take other women. I have always known this. Other wives, other concubines, maybe even occasional lovers. Noble men do this. But you are only to spill your seed in me until our first son is born. That is my right as your first wife.”

“And do you… take other men as lovers?” I asked, my chest tightening in sudden jealousy.

“Of course not,” she said incredulously. “How would I know which child is yours if I did so? I may sleep with our concubines or the other wives, if they are interested, but not men. I won’t sabotage our House with such pointless dramatics. Houses have split and fallen from such selfish acts.”

O-okay,” I said, feeling a sense of relief. Then my upbringing kicked in. That wasn’t right. “How is that fair?”

“Since when is life fair? It is what it is. I know you have a very singular view of marriage; you’ve said as much. But we must build alliances, and that may mean you take another wife, or more, to cement the power of our House, whether you want to or not. What is that saying you have? ‘Man up’?”

I climbed out of bed then, pulling my chiton on. My wife had just told me to man up and fuck other women. Unreal.

“Come on, I want to get bathed so that we can eat, and there is much to be done today,” said Latona imperiously.

Xene gathered up a basket with soap and towels, leading us over to the bathtubs. Two myrmidons fell in behind us like bodyguards, only stopping outside the canvas wall of one of the bathing areas while we went inside. Latona stripped down and stepped into the tub, and I followed. Xene stripped down as well, but sat on the edge of the tub and proceeded to wash each of us in turn. Her hands lingered and teased, leading to some heavy petting amongst the three of us and another blowjob for me. Latona stood up in the tub and bent over.

“Finish in me, swiftly,” she said. “We linger too long.”

Despite already having slept with both of them earlier, I was so worked up that I had no trouble finishing again. Latona came also but it was much more muted than earlier, no doubt not wanting to put on a show for the guards on the other side of the curtain. We rinsed off once more, before getting dressed.

Xene and Latona left the bathing area ahead of me, marching off towards the cookfires to get some food. I looked up at the sky and realized it was easily early to mid afternoon. I’d wasted most of a day sleeping and fucking. I tried to feel annoyed about the lost time, but I’d just spent most of the day sleeping and fucking. I was in a great mood. My stomach grumbled, reminding me I had to eat, too. I stepped out from the bathing area and ignored the smirks on my myrmidons’ faces.

I made my way over to the cookfires, to see Latona engrossed in conversation with Crathis while delicately eating an apricot. I spotted some bread in a basket, so took a small loaf and a few figs for myself. As I ate, one of the peasants walked over to me.

“Milord? The helms for the Strategos are finished and crated.”

“Excellent,” I said, my mind finally snapping back to the business at hand. “Load up that little horse wagon with the spearheads and helmets. Send a messenger to the Strategos to let him know we’re coming. Then find Lord Karsos and see if he is available to make delivery.”

I sent for the last of the myrmidons that still needed their armor fitted. We wouldn’t enchant the gear until we were on the road, but at least I could make it more comfortable. Xene and her assistants already had the lining and glue ready, so they’d be armored once the glue dried. It was perhaps an hour or two later when I finished, to find the same peasant from before approaching.

“Did my brother leave with the shipment?”

“Not more than ten minutes ago, milord.”

“Excellent. Where is Crathis?”

“In the house with Lady Latona and Loxargos Lacedaemon, milord,” he responded.

I walked around the house and in the front door, to find Crathis directing dozens of men and women as they packed and organized. There was surprisingly little left in the house, mostly just sleeping mats and blankets. I had a few machines to break down for shipping in the workshop area, but that would take no time at all.

“Crathis, how are we doing?” I called out.

Crathis turned away from the person he’d been issuing orders to. “Milord, the wagons are pretty much loaded. Any food we’re buying is being directly loaded now. The only thing left is bedding, your ‘machines’, and a few crates.”

“That’s good to hear, because I think we’re out of time,” said Antiope from behind me.

“Why is that?” I said as I turned around. Antiope was in full armor, helmet and all. Xia Fang was equally armed and armored. Both looked worried.

“I spotted two harpies circling the town,” she said. “They are very high in the sky, probably advance scouts for the enemy.”

“Are you sure?”

“If we are truly lucky, I am wrong, and we can just treat it as a practice drill,” she replied. “But we have pushed the luck of the gods already.”

“Let’s go, start loading everything. Get the children in the wagons, and prepare for an emergency exit. Every myrmidon, archer and slinger is to gear up and be ready to move.”

The room exploded into movement as I headed to my quarters. I needed my own gear. I ran into Latona going the other way, and caught her arm. “It’s time,” I said grimly.

She nodded and turned to follow me. We helped each other into our armor and geared up. She tied her hair back into a quick braid before putting on her helmet. She wore the same helmet that the myrmidons wore, crestless and simple, but enchanted. My own helmet was like Karson’s, with a black horsehair crest, only it was unpainted bronze. I held it under my arm after sliding my sword into place. My gauntlets with their new fireball and flamethrower enchantments were in place. I must have felt extra tense and worried, for my brass knuckles had not only showed up, they were coating my hand and forearm like a long glove.

We walked outside to see organized chaos. Men and women bustled back and forth, moving anything and everything that could be loaded going, the square crates piled high on the wagons underneath the round canvas covers that each sported. I’d improved on my earlier design, adding tie points so that the canvases could easily be removed or replaced, but it was otherwise unchanged. I turned back into the house and approached the machines. Only the weapon and helmet machines remained. Under the arrow machine, a bin half-full of bronze arrowheads lay forgotten. I had no time for anything fancy. I cut the link from the machines to the geothermal mana pumps, and used my magic to quickly slice them off the stone bins I’d conjured. One of my peasants ran over with a normal crate, and I stacked each machine in turn into it.

“Time to go. Is there any word of my brother?” I asked.

The peasant shook his head. “I’ve not heard word, milord.”

I walked outside again, to see Latona standing with Antiope and Xia Fang. The myrmidons were mustering in an organized block, facing down the narrow driveway we’d cut to the road. Crathis and two old men I didn’t know were directing people as they ran back and forth, and I could hear the low bellows of the oxen as they were being moved to the wagons.

“Three more harpies spotted,” reported Antiope. “That’s five total.”

“Loading finished,” reported Crathis, even as Lacedaemon approached, looking fierce and deadly in his armor. Several soldiers came around the house, each leading two horses.

“The troops are ready, milord,” Lacedaemon reported. Warning horns sounded from the town, and another soldier shouted, “Six more harpies!”

“Crathis, get the wagons and non-combatants moving. We’re leaving now.”

“We cannot leave Zahra,” said Antiope as she went to mount her horse. Xia Fang was right behind her.

“We’re not leaving her. Lacedaemon, take half the myrmidons and all the slingers to escort the non-combatants.” I turned to look Antiope in the eye. “We are heading to town to collect my brother and Zahra.”

Latona ran over, Xene right behind her. I turned to her. “Latona, I need you to lead our House and our people. Lacedaemon commands the troops, you command Lacedaemon. We will catch up before you get too far down the road.”

She didn’t argue, merely grabbing my hand and placing a kiss on my palm. “Be safe, husband.” Latona and Xene turned away, heading to the wagons. Crathis and his assistants followed.

“Mount up, we have extra horses,” said Antiope.

“Yeah, about that… I don’t actually know how to ride a horse,” I said. “I’ll walk with the troops.”

“You… all this time we’ve been training and you don’t know how to ride a horse?” Antiope said indignantly. “Now’s a fine time to tell me, when we can’t do anything about it! Who doesn’t know how to ride a horse?!”

“Not the time, Antiope, let’s move.”

And today had started so well...