When I became coherent, the Lord Commander smiled down at me. The moment he met my eyes, he grabbed my neck, and hoisted me to my feet.

“Well, boy. You live and that’s more than I can say about anyone else.” He laughed and dragged me behind him.

He carried me out of the building and to the next, a warehouse almost. Unlike typical warehouses that were large spaces, this only provided a counter, and enough space for us to take four steps. The man behind it smiled up at me through his bushy, white eyebrows. He slammed down a brown bag that was thicker than a knight's chest resting on top of the counter.

They both looked at me.

I sighed, untied the brown string, and opened to see golden-brown robes of the Golden Lion Legion which were the elite killers with mystical flame ability. I blinked away the excitement that ate at me. Other people might not have had a chance in nine hells to join an elusive group that focuses on pure demon hunting. They rarely got their hands dirty with human issues which meant they were less likely to sin.

I ran my hand over the fabric; feeling the toughness but also softness. A huge smile took over my face.

“Stop admiring it like a woman and put it on. Tired of seeing that chocolate ass of yours.” The lord Commander laughed while slapping my back.

I glance down and put the clothes on with a little speed. It felt amazing when I tightened the sash with the flaming lion emblem around my waist. However, when the white-haired lifted up a longsword in a golden-red scabbard.

My heart jumped.

Just from the twin lion's hilt and the red gem in the pommel, I could feel the extraordinary air from it. I reached out and gripped it but the Clerk didn’t stop. He placed a red recurve bow and matching quiver followed by a ring that looked simple but also adorn with a lion.

“This is the standard equipment of the Golden Lion Legion. Before this moment, you might have joined them and obtained glory for our nation. Yet, we are sorry to admit to diminishing your honor for our selfish goals.” The Lord Commander wore a serious expression but then he burst out laughing. “Sigh, wish I could have had the chance to marry instead of hunting for glory like a hound. Boy, you have it good.”

Without another word, he turned and left. I hurried and grabbed my tools of the trade, following like a lost puppy. Mixed feelings between rubbing my sword and trying not to trip over my new boots and their soft fur insides. We walked to a pair of stallions and he waited until I sorted my weapons before leading me on horseback towards the docks.

My lips twisted at the thought of actually journeying on the sea. Well that was until I saw the two girls standing with small bags on their back while looking completely out of place with the guards in golden armor. To make things worse, I could feel Alaine staring at me from the railing of the three-mast ship. There was not an ounce of hiding her puckered lips and nose bridge that climbed up like a mutt trying to show off its fearsomeness.

“Good luck, boy.” The Lord Commander turned and guided his stallion away.

I jumped off the back of the stallion and walked up to the Captain of the ship who had a wooden cup in his hand that he spat tobacco spit into.

“You can board. One of my men can show you to your room after Her Highness is done with ya. Don’t worry about the horse. We are professionals.” The Captain gave me a look of pity and motioned for two of his men to move towards the horse. One of them unloaded a bag behind the saddle, and I admit, this is the first time I noticed it.

Taking a deep breath, I walked up the catwalk and realized my usual hairstyle must have come undone for my hair was whipping my cheeks and neck.

The Princess turned to me with her right brow arched and her arms crossed over her small chest. Her feet tapped out a rhythm that would have taken my music instructors only moments to pull out their swords and kill themselves. Behind her stood two burly women with short blonde hair and the kind of scowl you expect to see on a bear staring you down for entering its cave.

I walked over and bowed to the Princess then took in the deck. It wasn’t as impressive as I imagine but things rarely were. So I turned back to someone who was supposed to be my wife if we were talking in a traditional sense but noble marriage was rarely so clean.

“I guess this is what you meant by seeing you tomorrow,” I asked.

She squinted and thrust a hand at the two girls who nervously stood some distance from me and the angry midget. “I didn’t know you had servants.”

“Does it matter?”

“To me it does.” She gestured at two male standing in white robes with black sash around their waists, denoting their servant status. “These are your two servants from now on. Those girls can serve my Knights.”

I shrugged. “I didn’t eat breakfast, and doesn't dawn look beautiful? Let’s eat on the deck and watch the sunrise.”

Alaine glanced at the sky and it held her attention for a moment. After that she snorted and led her entourage up a set of stairs that lead to a door above the Captain’s cabin. Yet, she made sure one of her knights gathered up the two girls who did a good job of using me. Not that I could blame them. It is rare to get a chance to change your lifestyle, anybody would take it the moment the opportunity jumped out.

Sighing, I turned to my two servants who stood as straight as javelin. “Let’s go eat.” They led me down into the bowels of the ship, right to the cafe.

Not long after I finished eating, I returned to the deck only to be led up a set of stairs that bypass the captain quarters. The door slid open and the Princess sat on the bed, cross legged. Her motley crew of servants and guards sat in a corner looking like they were waiting for her to say something.

I motioned at the door and the whole crew left.

“Why are you sending my people away?” Alaine raised her eyes and stared at me with those pink lips puckered in a frown, or maybe her lips were just that bid.

I could definitely see some islander in the way she sat. Those hips span out just perfectly even if her top side was a little underdeveloped. Instead of replying to her, I sat my bow on a hook, unlatched my quiver from my back, and bent down to unstrapped my boots. I stepped out of them and carried my sword over to the bed, leaning it against the bedpost and wall.

“Do you think just because you have been given a title and became a Holy knight that I can’t order you around?” Her voice took on what she must have assumed was a dangerous tint.

In actuality, with her half-islander features and half-highlander, she looked cute with that wavy, blonde hair that dripped down her small back. Her blues didn’t take away from the round shape of her head or the uptilted nose that made her seem comical when she tried to pursed her lips.

She kicked out one of her legs as if she was going to stand but I grabbed her tiny fists that tried to punch me. My lips locked against her kissable ones and I leaned her down against the bed. Her eyes were wide and her little nostrils flared. Those lush lips parted like thunder clouds and when I leaned back, to see the surprise in her eyes.

“I didn’t expect your lips to be so soft.” I chuckled, my hand slipped under her tight, red shirt. It crept over her toned abdomen, the muscle flexing with every breath she took, and she took plenty of deep breaths. My fingers grazed the underside of her frilly bra and thenthey pushed them up and aside. My fingers tasted the soft flesh and creeped up to her nipple which was much thicker than I had imagined, not that I was very experienced.

“Are you done,” she asked, while her fingers tried to ball my hand up every time the pad of my index finger rolled over her nipple.

In response, I kissed her again and this time–she responded instead of staring stupidly at me. I worked my other hand down and fumbled at the lace that kept her pants up. They were tied in a set of three knots which was crazy. How did she expect to get the pants down if she had to pee? No way she was working them down around the flare of her hips. I’m not even going to imagine the frustrated cries that would occur due to that.

Her body jerked upon my knuckles touching the flesh just below her waist line. She pushed me back with her free hand and I removed my hand from her breast. I lowered myself into a squat, began unstrapping her boots, and then pulling them off her small feet. The arches were still there to the point that just her toes sitting on my fingertips, her heel couldn’t even touch down.

“Let’s stop,” she said in a hesitating voice.

Mm, I heard her but I didn’t. I still work the leather over her hips and down her legs. Following back up with my hands grazing her tone calves right to her thighs that tensed up and you could make out every muscle group as she shifted on her butt. I leaned forward, kissed her thigh, followed by working my hands back down her legs with her frilly pink panties.

When I pushed her legs apart, I was surprised at the blonde patch between her legs. Many blondes I have seen in brothels had black hair down stairs. Not that I did anything with them, just noticed it.

Yet, it didn’t stop me from leaning forward and putting my lips on her mound. Or using my two fingers to get a clearer path to her clitoris. The little nub pressed against my lips and my tongue reached out, pushing it around.

Her fingers reached out and grasped the top of my man-bun that I roughly threw it in. The surprised squeak from her sounded much like how I heard Nuns murmuring when greeting us, ‘ai-yo’.

The boat rocked and I dropped to one knee to steady myself. This action must have hit some kind of spot on her because she shoved her crotched into my face, her heels dug into my back, just below the neck. I glanced up but I saw the creamy expanse of her skin, a few hills where her ribs pressed against her skill, right to the front steps of her rounded-breasts. Focusing back on the important matter, I licked her down, while slipping the tip of my index finger into her. I knew she was tight, expecting it but she wasn’t as tight as I thought. I mean, still tight enough to make it hard for my fat finger to fully enter her without feeling like I was pulling skin back. Yet, after a few seconds, my knuckles were grazing the flesh of her ass and labias.

Air grazed my ear reminded me to duck and weave under her legs clamping together. She rolled onto her side and let out a breath she must have sucked in. I threw off my robe and dropped my pants, kicking it out the way. My knee slammed into the bed, I bent to kiss my way up her delicate neck, feeling those veins throbbing under my lips.

“You don’t wear undershorts,” she asked.

Her mind was on the wrong thing but then I lifted my head from her throat. Maybe, she was focused on the right thing. I dropped onto my side behind her, lifting her leg up over my mine. My hand guided me to her entry but she took over. Her fingers grazed the tip for a few seconds before she gripped it more firmly, yet I say grip. Should be more like she was holding it in her palm because her tiny hands felt like my pants were just pressing my dick into my legs.

“I don’t think this will fit.” She turned, pressing her upper shoulder into my chest.

“It will take time, sure.” I slipped my bottom arm under her and then both under her shirt to seek out her breasts.

A grunt escaped her and she lifted up on her elbow. It took her a bit of work to get such a tight shirt over her head. She tossed aside the bra next and wiggled back into me.

I guided my tip in between her labias and pushed in until I felt obstructed. Plus she grabbed my arm at the same time. I reached down with my top hand and began rubbing her clitoris slowly. Occasionally moving my hips with the sound of her breathing.

We, maybe, stayed like this for half an hour and I barely got more than one-third of me inside of her. I doubted it was because I was big because Teresea actually took me in and she was a virgin. Or so she told me.

A knock on the door made Alaine tug on the blanket, unfolding much of the top layer to cover our waist and her chest. She stuck her little, round head out of the corner and glanced at me with rosy cheeks.

“Come in,” she shouted.

A blonde head poked in and the maid's eyes widened but she spoke clearly. “Lady Allison of Bentley County is requesting an audience.”

Alaine sighed and pushed the cover off herself. She glanced around and then threw my hand that was between her legs, aside. “Bring me something to drink,” she said, while sitting on the edge of the bed looking down. Her eyes were closed and her fingers massaged her fleshy, lower lips.

I grinned and felt proud. Pleasing a woman is always tough when dealing with someone of a higher status than yourself. If they didn’t like what you had to offer, then things got sticky. I have seen many instructors sit amongst the trainer yard afraid to head home and catch their wives in bed with someone else. Nobility is a cruel affair but relationships among them. Even worse to a man who strives to be the best survivor on the battlefield.

“What are you smiling at? Why can’t you be a little smaller?” Alaine hissed and turned to the three maids who came in with a pitcher and silver cups.

“I am average amongst my cohort,” I responded.

Alaine looked down at me and shook her head. “This is average?” She looked to the two female knights who stopped at the door and blocked it.

The maids opened the window and one made a come hither gesture, pulling water like a silk strand through. She guided it into the three-person tub that sat on stubby paws.

“It’s average, your Grace,” the blonde knight with a scar that went from her cheek to the top of her ear.

My heart skips a beat at being called average so easily. Like who has been bedded that is bigger than me? Did she not realize that I was being modest by saying average. It’s easily at the top of average, breaching abnormal. I might not be able to club my enemies if found bare handed but I can use it to flatten flour.

Alaine sighed. “How long do you think it would take for me to be able to fit it?”

The female knight shrugged. “Depends on how often you put in the effort. Took me a few days due to my partner just ramming it in and I didn’t know better.”

“What about you?” The Duchess nodded her chin at the other one.

“About two weeks but I only had sex twice a week at most and he was small to begin with.” The brown-haired knight shrugged.

I raised my eyebrow and grabbed my pants, pulling them on. “So why are you really going to this island?”

Red silk unfurled and rolled under Alaine feet, making a path to the tub that was releasing steamy breath. The maids stood around with their sleeves rolled up to mid part of their biceps, different tools in their hands.

“First, it's not an island but a peninsula that is surrounded on three sides by water. It just holds a city-state and is surrounded by several towns and countless villages.” Alaine stepped into the tub and sank down. “Secondly, it sits right next to the border of our ally. If they want to attack us, they must sail past that strip of land. Which means they have to engage us on foot which is our speciality. If they make the bad mistake of sailing past us, the only route leads next to the northern tip. Everything else is deep ocean and they don’t have ships capable of withstanding that kind of trip. Or navigating reefs that have a habit of wrecking ships tossed out from the sea.”

“So why must you go to this place?” I tugged on my tunic top. “While I admit you have a little skill as a warrior but your tactician ability is sorely lacking.”

“Isn’t that why you are here? Or do you think it’s because you look good?”

“Definitely because I look good or did you forget how you stood there staring at me the first time you came to the monastery?”

Alaine blushed. “Shut up.” She took a deep breath and tilted her head back as the maids began pouring water down her scalp, while the others combed the water out. “It’s because my Eldest brother is talented but our mother is still young. She isn’t going to give up her throne in the next century. My brother is already taking the City-State bordering the Mercer Kingdom. Which left me with this one and a need to marry someone of my choosing before my mother picked for me.”

Made sense, the part where she was thrown to a peninsula where she could be embroiled in war. Higher chance of her dying if the enemy invades. Most City-states held a population of fifty thousand to hundred thousand with a minimum of two hundred and fifty nobles. The chances of enemies picking that city-state to conquer were high.

Yet, what didn’t make sense is that Alaine isn’t big enough to be intimidating. She didn’t have the experience or achievements to lead a city let alone a town. Plus a city-state will already have someone in charge, usually a Duke who has built it up with his bare hands. Transforming an average landscape into a paradise which attracts peoples and greedy merchants. I just don’t understand, truly, how Alaine had any hopes of taking a city from such a person with more foresight.

“So I was your best pick? And you say it isn’t because of my good looks? That’s a hard sale, your Grace.” I laughed and tucked my legs under me.

“Shut up.”

“It’s okay to admit you dreamed about me.”

Alaine didn’t respond but climbed out the tub and flicked water at me. I couldn’t help laughing harder while enjoying the view of her pale skin being wrapped in silk.

“Anyway, what are your plans now that you don’t have to run to the battlefield like the other Golden Lions?” Alaine raised her arms and the maids put a red gown on her.

“Well, I planned to go swimming, hug my beautiful but short wife, and read under the shade of a tree.”

“I think you should make a statement like clean up all the foreign heretics. The bigger your achievements are, the more impact I have when using your strategies in the council room.”

“Depends on if the Archbishop is willing to allow me to have some form of authority. If not, then I would have to just kill all who oppose me.” I joked but she nodded all serious like.

“Great idea. I shall thank you ahead of time for the hard work.” She walked over on her tippy toes and kissed me before waving at her knights. “You can bring the Earl’s daughter up.”

I couldn’t resist wrapping my arms around her and grabbing onto those two mounds that made her gown sweep backwards. The look I got in return made my soul shiver in joy.

“She’s coming up now,” the blonde knight said.

Alaine pushed against me and I didn’t really want to let her go. But she knife-handed my solar plexus and the pain made me jump back. I rubbed my side while holding in the joy of having someone to tease.

“Don’t push it.” She raised her tiny hand in a straight plane. “You are here right now. People I don’t like—” Her other hand wasn’t all that far from the top hand. “-are here.”

I was going to reply but a brown hair vixen walked in. The dress she wore somehow exposed her breasts and even though it wasn’t all that impressive by itself. Add in her figure and the looks, then it's a different story.

“Oh, am I interrupting?” Her voice contained the kind of sweetness that gave you a stomach ache.

My sash somehow ended up under the bed forcing me to bend down and snatched it up. I quickly wrapped it around my waist and snatched up my sword. “I’m going onto the deck.”

“I’ll be down for lunch, on the deck,” Alaine asked and sat in a chair a maid dragged over.

“Okay,” I responded while strapping on my quiver. I threw a glance at the blonde that emphasized that I was average. “Want to spar?”

The big knight glanced at Alaine who nodded and we both walked down the stairs.

“What’s your name by the way?”

The blonde looked at me like she was trying to figure me out. I doubt I was that hard to figure out. After all, who didn’t want to talk to people around them as if they were people? Not knowing someone's name is akin to not knowing the specific name of a tool you're using or the inventor name of the tool. Yet, knowing that it is good enough to do the job at hand.

“Tabitha Bowers of High Grove.” She slapped her fist against her chest.