After a few minutes, Vanessa calmed down and let Helena go. “I'm sorry. I don't know why I reacted like that.”

“I'd say it's a mixture of both relief and happiness.” Helena said as she reached up and wiped at Vanessa's face. “Becoming legitimized so soon in a contract almost never happens.”

The Baroness nodded. “I was surprised you added that stipulation to the clauses.”

“I can't let her languish in obscurity until David graduates.” Helena said with a bit of a laugh as I handed her a handkerchief to assist the cleaning up of Vanessa's face. “David, hand me the box in the drawer of the writing desk.”

I walked over to the desk and opened the drawer, retrieved the small box, and walked back over to her.

“Open it and say the words.” Helena ordered and I opened it. It had a piece of paper inside and I read the note. I tucked it into my pocket without anyone seeing and lifted out the first of three white gold bands.

“I, Lord Drake, do hereby complete the contract's stipulation of physical representation and pledge to fulfill my duties to the best of my ability.” I said and slipped the ring onto my ring finger.

I took out the next one and slipped it onto Helena's finger. I took out the last one and Vanessa's hand shook as I gently took it and added the last ring to her finger. I turned my hand over to hold hers, with the rings touching, and Helena put hers on top, also touching the rings.

I infused the rings with my magic and both Helena and Vanessa gasped as their hands tingled and the rings glowed brightly. “I promise to assist you in all things, offering up my material wealth, my magic, my knowledge, and my whole being to do so.”

The rings shimmered as they reached saturation and I stopped adding magic to them.

“By the Son's Light.” The Baroness said as the glow from the rings didn't quite completely fade. “How can you have so much to share? Aren't you exhausted?”

“No, I've been infusing potions for years.” I said without explaining that I could charge a mage's storage crystal without becoming tired at all, which probably would have shocked her even more than these rings did.

“With that out of the way, we can sit and talk like normal people.” Helena said and waved at the couches for everyone to sit.

The Baroness gave her a disbelieving look for a second and then nodded.

Helena moved down slightly as she stayed on my right, pointed where she wanted me to sit, then had Vanessa sit on my left. The young woman blushed as Helena pushed her into my side and I put my arm over her shoulders.

“I told you that I would be sad if you couldn't cuddle, remember? We've signed the contracts, so you have my official permission.” Helena said as she sat and I put my arm over her shoulders, too. “However, do not take extra liberties with him. I won't stand for him being used like that.”

Vanessa gasped and looked flustered. “No! I would never... I mean, I would love to...”

Both Helena and the Baroness nodded in understanding and Vanessa composed herself.

“I would never cross social boundaries in such a manner. He can hold me and hug me as much as he wants; but, it's not proper to do anything even remotely sexual until the contract is in full force after your wedding.” Vanessa said, her voice firm. “However, I do reserve the right to let him kiss me properly and in appropriate places.”

“I assume you meant buildings and things and not just parts of your body with that last statement.” Helena said and then laughed softly as Vanessa's face went to a deep red. “You don't have to be embarrassed. I know you've only shared a single real kiss in all this time and only on the lips.”

Vanessa nodded. “That was a special occasion and your sister Selena witnessed it.”

“She was positively livid after she recovered from the shock from seeing it.” Helena said and gave the Baroness a knowing smile. “I don't have to tell you what an overly possessive younger sister is like.”

“Highly jealous and covets everything you have?” The Baroness let out a laugh. “No, I know all about that.” She glanced at her husband. “Some men are not as reserved or restrained as your David is.”

The Baron clamped his mouth shut and didn't rise to the bait.

“I sincerely hope it was well before the marriage.” Helena said and the Baroness nodded.

“It also lessened my sister's options when it came out.” The Baroness explained. “She's married and has three children now and completely denies it ever happened and protests that she's always been as good as gold.”

Helena laughed and the Baroness joined her. Even I knew that it was ironic when someone so bad claimed to always have been good.

“So, did you consider our offer?” Helena asked.

“We have, and I admit that opening a business together where we provide the workers and you provide the materials, is quite the venture.” The Baroness said.

“This contract was to benefit both of our families, so ensuring that we both make money from this is the only real way to make sure everyone is happy until the contract's completion.” Helena said. “What are your thoughts on the range of products?”

“Delighted!” The Baroness said with a grin. “Everything from fancy plates and tables to clipper ships! It's an astounding and completely shocking business to propose, let alone have the means to start.”

“We've had the means to start it for a while, it's just been too hectic getting everything settled and done here at the mansion to consider diverting our efforts to do anything else until now.”

“I saw that the property wall has been completed.” I said and Helena nodded. “I asked the work crews to add the passage and walkway when they come back from vacation.”

“I've become quite good at making the potion, even if I'm not anywhere as prolific as you are with it.” Helena said and leaned her head on my shoulder. “It's going to be a key factor in this new business.”

“Your ideas for how to use my knowledge, brings more to our union than I thought it would.” I said and she reached up to her shoulder to take my hand and hold it. “I couldn't be happier about that.”

“I know.” Helena lifted her head and gave me a quick kiss. “I should tell you that the first thing we're going to have built is a ship.”

“I assume you're having the Sellwafers buy a building down at the docks and registering everything?”

“I have to. I can't be caught openly in competition with one of my old family's businesses.” Helena said. “Mother's bragging about the guild pilfering your ingredients has spurred me on to get this going as soon as possible.”

“We have a piece of property already and it only needs to be fixed up a little. We've also registered the business under our family name like you wanted, with the both of you as silent partners and investors.” The Baroness said with satisfaction in her voice. “We just need you to start sending through the materials and provide some trainers to teach our work crews how to do what you do.”

“That's already arranged and you'll see both first thing in the morning. All of the suppliers we had for this mansion and the dorm mansion are more than eager to keep making so much money from us.” Helena said, happily. “Frank will be teaching your crews and David will be there to supervise.”

“Lord Drake?” The Baroness asked, surprised. “I thought...”

“Yes, I have his schedule full for this week.” Helena said with a chuckle. “He's accepted it without protest and I admit that having him be so compliant to my wishes is a bit intoxicating.”

“I imagine it would be.” The Baroness agreed.

“I won't deny him seeing or helping to build his ship tomorrow.” Helena said.

“Wait, what? His ship?” The Baroness asked, clearly surprised.

“Yes, his flat bottomed boat is wonderful and can take him places, except it is limited in both capacity and versatility. David needs a real ship to use with a proper hold to secure his things without worry.”

“But... well, I suppose... he does have a lot of land and no real way to travel there consistently and safely.” The Baroness said. “All right. As long as you can keep it parked in the main harbour when you aren't using it, to advertise the business for us, then handing it over without payment isn't a problem.”

Helena laughed softly. “I'll use Vanessa's words here and say that I would never cross social boundaries in such a manner. You'll be paid as if we were a client, since our involvement as your backers can't be so blatantly obvious.”

The Baroness gave me a questioning look and I nodded. She had to smile. “All right, that's even more acceptable and it will give the public solid proof of our products as well.”

“I expect the money for the ship to be folded right back into the business. You can worry about sharing the profits when the orders start rolling in.” Helena said and the Baroness and the Baron nodded. “Then we can sit here and relax for another hour before David needs to get to work. He has ingredients to take care of and potions to brew.”

Everyone nodded and we shared polite conversation, a bit of gossip, and some light business planning. Nothing serious, since that could be handled later. This time together was just for our two families becoming acquainted with each other in a less formal setting.

When the hour ended, both Vanessa and Helena were reluctant to let me go. I gave them each a quick kiss, bid the Baroness and her husband a good day, and left the parlour. I went upstairs and changed into more appropriate clothing for potion brewing and went down into the basement to handle the ingredients. I had a dozen bags of them that were tightly packed while also keeping the ingredients protected from damage.

I prepped most of them for storage while also brewing up a batch of wound cleaning solution. When they were done and bottled up into twelve crates of 36 vials each, I started on the full power healing potions and kept working on the ingredients. I bottled the potion and made another batch, then another. I switched to general health potions and made two batches of them, since they weren't in as high of a demand.

Using my number ten potion copying trick, I really stretched the common ingredients I had harvested from the marsh and then switched to making number ten potion. Helena was going to need a lot of it for the initial startup for the business and I didn't want there to be any lapse in either the quality of the work or the amount of work produced.

I stopped working when Hope came down to remind me about supper and I followed her up the stairs to the bedroom. Sara and Tabitha were waiting there and I hadn't even had to say the magic word before I was stripped and dunked into the water. I was scrubbed gently, since they had a bit of time to do it, and then they both did the ritual when the bath was done.

I thanked them for their work and I was dried off and dressed in another meal suit and led to the dining room. I was only a little surprised when I saw that Vanessa and her parents were still there. I saw a glint of steel in Vanessa's eyes and a bit of anger on her face. I walked right over to her and gave her a passionate kiss, right on the lips, and it wiped away the look in her eyes and the anger.

“I'll explain what happened with Mage King after we eat.” I said and she nodded. I kissed Helena next and I started the formal meal. We all ate the food and barely spoke at all the entire time. I gave the closing toast and they drank in response, then the Baroness let out a relieved sigh.

“Please tell me supper is not always this tense.” The Baroness said.

“Oh, no. Usually it's a very nice and relaxing meal. We even talk!” Helena said and that made the other woman smile. “I wasn't going to leave Vanessa ignorant of certain things, however.”

“I cannot believe she did that.” Vanessa said, the glint of steel back in her eyes. “That was... it was...”

“The claim to see her as a maid and ignore what happened is what made me angry.” Helena said, her face a mask. “If she had the fortitude to accept it as a mistake and owned up to it, I might have accepted it and moved on. As it is now...”

“What is the academy going to do to her?” The Baroness asked.

“We won't know until David goes back after the break.” Helena said. “Anything they decide won't be implemented until then.” She turned her head to look at Vanessa. “I implore you to not say anything, unless it's brought up in the general assembly that they might call in the morning the first day back.”

Vanessa let out a sigh and nodded. “I can keep my composure if they don't bring attention to it.”

“David's her only student right now, so her student and academy exposure is limited.” Helena reminded her. “She also doesn't leave her botany workshop very much.”

“Is that your subtle hint that no one will miss her?” The Baroness asked with an evil smile.

Helena gave her a stern look, then laughed. “I hadn't intended it that way. I meant that having everyone know she used David like that wouldn't impact her and only David will need to deal with the aftermath.”

“That's true.” Vanessa said and took my hand. “I'm not sure that letting people know how vulnerable you were is a good idea. Some might take it the wrong way.” She glanced at Helena, who nodded.

“Selena won't be told unless it's mentioned in the general assembly. If it is, David will let me know and I'll handle it.” Helena said and the others around the table nodded. “David, do you have much work left to do?”

“Not really. I can leave the potions simmering and bottle them later tonight or first thing in the morning.” I said and she smiled at me.

“Let's retire to the parlour again and relax. I need my own cuddle time.” Helena admitted, which made the Baroness chuckle.

“I think that's our cue to leave.” The Baroness said and stood. “Thank you both for a wonderful day.”

“It's been fruitful.” The Baron said and stood as well. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

“It's been a pleasure.” Helena said and stood with Vanessa and myself. “Hope.”

“I have your things and will see you out.” Hope said and held up three expensive bags.

I led Vanessa around the table to her mother and shook the Baron's hand. “Thank you for accepting and I'll see you in the morning.” I let his hand go and took the hand of his wife. “My lady, it was a pleasure to meet you.” I bent over her hand and kissed the back of it, then sent a touch of magic through it.

The Baroness shivered slightly and beamed a smile at me, because she had earned the real greeting from me. “My lord, the pleasure was all mine. Thank you for accepting my daughter and the terms of the contract without stipulating that she needed to be subservient to you.”

“I could have done that?” I asked her, showing surprise on my face, and she looked shocked.

Helena laughed and lightly slapped my hand to make me let go. “Stop teasing her by pretending to be the ignorant young man you used to be.”

I smiled briefly and turned to Vanessa. “Thank you for agreeing to becoming a part of this family.” I said and kissed the back of her hand. “I look forward to seeing everyone's faces after the official announcement tomorrow.”

Vanessa's face flushed a little red, then she put an arm around me and kissed me. “I can't wait, either.”

Helena and I walked them over to Hope, who handed them their bags with their meeting clothing in them, and I closed the dining room's door.

“She looked very happy.” Helena said.

“Which one?” I asked and Helena laughed as she took my hand and then led me out of the room and took me to the parlour.

“Both, I suppose.” Helena said as she locked the door behind us and looked into my eyes. “You were wonderful today.”

“I could say the same thing.” I responded and lightly kissed her.

“David...” Helena whispered.

“Yes, my dear. Of course I will.” I said and Helena's face flushed red. I led her over to the couch and very slowly stripped her off, kissing her all down her front as I did so.

“Oh, David!” Helena gasped as I kissed her womanhood. “I still don't know... how you can... do that and... OHHHHH!”

“That's why.” I said as she melted in my arms. I picked her up and carefully laid her down on the couch, gave her several kisses, then I stood and stripped off for her.

Helena stared at me as I did so and her eyes looked at my erection with lust and need. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” I said and then showed her just how much for the rest of the evening.