Alana discretely looked around the room, taking in the smiling people and quiet conversation. When Lou said she wanted to throw a party, Alana imagined…well, something very different from the current sedate gathering. Nothing as crass as a house-wide orgy, though if she were being honest that option hadn’t been off the table, but certainly something more than polite, or not so polite, conversation over drinks.

Nevertheless, a good mood hung over the small crowd. Which was the point. Lou hadn’t organized the event for lecherous reasons but to have the happy homecoming she’d been craving. One denied by the maneuverings of the lord of Quest, the guilds, and the crown.

Alana’s emotions about the situation were divided. One the one hand, she understood why Lou was a wanted woman. She had taken the law into her own hands when the guilds snatched Howie and her actions had resulted in the deaths of two dozen people, not to mention countless injuries.

It was a senseless slaughter, something Alana was very much against. Murderers deserved to be punished. Normally, if she heard a noblewoman had rampaged through the city, killing people and causing who knew how much in damages, there would be no question about who the villain was. But she had plenty of questions.

While someone looking at the situation at a distance could easily paint Lou as a madwoman and a destructive element, being up close revealed a very different picture. Her violence had been prompted by another crime, her actions done to prevent a terrible fate from befalling her friend. She had killed people but only after she gave them the option of peace.

Going straight to fighting without alerting the guards had been a questionable decision, letting Geneva run wild through the city without supervision was a mistake, and using an untested spell was complete idiocy, but Lou’s heart was in the right place. Despite everything that had happened in the year they’d met, Lou’s heart had never been in the wrong place. She was petty, childishly so at times, but she was never malicious. Whatever she’d done to anyone, they’d deserved it.

Perhaps except for Robert. As Lou liked to call him, Mr. Talented. She supposed that killing the boy’s pet wasn’t that bad considering he had tried to kill her, but Alana considered it too far of an escalation given that Lou was in no real danger. She agreed that Lou was justified in not intervening when the supposed assassin attacked but throwing Robert’s failure and the death of his friend in his face had been incredibly petty, verging on cruel. But not unprovoked.

The same applied to the business with the hunters. By both the ancestors and the saints, Lou had actively tried to help the hunters, but they had followed the words of an idiot anyway.

There was less leeway when it came to Lou defying the king’s law by keeping succubi but was it fair for her to be punished when the law could be seen, no, was undoubtedly an attack on all summoners, Lou included?

It was the Tome family’s legacy. Their entire way of life. It was like banning the James from hunting manabeasts beyond the peaks. Or banning the formation of private knight orders. If the crown dared, there would be war. It was only because the summoners were a marginal group with no support from the nobles, thanks to the actions of the Grimoires, that the king was so blatant in targeting them.

What was Lou supposed to do? Take the royal shafting with a smile? Become the crown’s puppet, doing something she completely despised? Or let herself be chased out of her home? Alana wouldn’t take either of those options and would pull her sword on anyone who wanted to force them on her.

Not that she expected most people, specifically the people of Quest, to agree with her. Alana had been raised by a group of violent lunatics. Worse, her opinions were completely biased when it came to Lou.

It would take something drastic for Alana to turn against her. So drastic, the James daughter couldn’t imagine it. She was already so gone that she could find Lou standing over a room full of bodies and her first reaction would be to wait for the explanation. So far gone that she was more than ready to go against the whole kingdom. Not because she was sure it was the right thing to do but because said kingdom…had made Lou sad.

Something she would never say out loud. She was getting better about being open with her feelings but there was only so much embarrassment she could take before exploding. Her actions would do the talking.

The March was the first time Alana saw anything but thoughtless joy, rampant concern, or somehow endearing anxiety from her wife-to-be. She never wanted to see such an expression again. After Lou had stormed out of her bedroom, she promised herself that she would never make Lou cry again. And that she would cut down anything else that dared.

In her mind, that threat was aimed at some shameless woman that would try to take advantage of Lou’s relentless generosity but if the first target of her determination was a king, then so be it.

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It would make a good warm-up for dragon-slaying.

A loud clap drew her attention. Lou stood in the center of the room, smiling brightly. Alana felt a slight heat come to her face as she took in her lover’s handsome features. It really was unfair. Lou was never an unattractive woman, despite not being a delicate beauty like Yulianna, but after redesigning her body, she was eye-catchingly, heart-stoppingly beautiful. The kind of woman that ruined marriages by walking down the street. And it wasn’t just because of her exotic violet eyes or perfect teeth. It was her confidence.

Alana always found her the most charming when Lou was unapologetically herself, reveling in being called a pervert. Her transformation had given Lou confidence. Now, she was always herself, for better or for worse. Alana didn’t know what kind of strange tastes she had but she found the woman cocky enough to strut around naked in the middle of the Sanctuary, during the tests that would determine the rest of her future at the Hall no less, dazzling.

“I’m sure everyone has noticed the incredible garden on the property. Normally, entering it is a death sentence, both because we don’t like creepers and there are plants between those trees that can swallow you whole. Specially you, Mikey.” She winked at the youngest attendee. Alana was sure it was meant as a joke, but the young man shivered, clearly more unnerved than amused.

“However, today is a special day. For one night only, you are all allowed to see wonders from the elven continent up close. We even promise you won’t die doing it! While Talia prepares for her performance, we’ll be conducting tours. If you’re interested, go around back.”

As the room discussed the appeal of looking at a bunch of plants, Alana’s gaze stayed on Lou. She watched as her lover bowed her head and whispered something to the alchemist. Violet eyes looked up and met Alana’s stare. Lou never looked away as Cynthia patted her chest before leaving the room.

Alana swallowed as Lou walked over, standing before her. Seated, her gaze was almost level with Lou’s crotch and she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about what was inside those pants. She had to restrain herself from leaning forward and rubbing nose against the fabric. Her common sense and sense of decorum were gradually being worn down, but she had enough of both to not act like such a wanton woman amidst company.

Lou smiled down at her, long enough to give the impression she knew exactly what was on Alana’s mind, before turning her attention to Gabriel. She casually hauled the older brother to his feet and motioned for Michael to stand. “Why don’t you help him outside? One of my servants will meet you out there with something to perk your brother up.”

“Um…I, uh—"

“You sound scared. You don’t need to be. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

“…alright.” Michael ducked under his brother, throwing one of Gabriel’s arms over his shoulders and helping him across the room. Once they were gone, Lou turned back to Alana. There was plenty of room to sit down but she remained standing. Another clue that she had to know what their positions were doing to Alana.

It was funny. Lou was terrible at keeping her thoughts off her face, but she was also incredibly insightful about others, in certain respects.

“Kierra gave me a gift tonight.”

Alana shivered hearing that tone full of promises. “Yeah?” she asked, clearing her dry throat after.

“Mm.” Strong hands grabbed Alana by the shoulders and her brain stalled, thoughts halted by a vivid picture of a very different situation their positions could be applied to. “She said yes.”

“Yes?” It took several moments for her to connect the words to the flirting alchemist. “Ah.”

“Mm.” One of the hands on her shoulders gravitated to her hair, gently massaging her scalp. “But she’s not the only person who needs to approve. How about it, sweetie? Do you mind if I have a little fun tonight?”

Alana breathed in. She swore she could smell Lou’s growing excitement.

“Would you like it better if I said you could watch?”

This is my life now. And what a life it is. She jumped to her feet, whimpering slightly as her nose brushed against the front of Lou’s pants. She looked up into the smoldering violet eyes looking down at her. “What are you going to do?” she asked, dropping her voice to a whisper.

“I don’t know. Maybe I should let you decide.” Lou’s free hand went around Alana’s waist as she laid her hand on the shorter girl’s shoulder. “You can ask me to take her upstairs and take a seat beside the bed. Should bring back memories. Unless we’re still pretending you don’t remember that night.”

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Alana muttered.

“Uh-huh. Well, if you want to pretend, you don’t have to be seen. You want to wait by the slightly cracked door, like a dirty little girl peeking in on mommy and daddy?”

Saints, where does she get this stuff?

“Or maybe you’ll hide in the bathroom. That close, you may as well be right next to me. I’ll hear every groan and whimper. Every breath. Every command. You can be right there, telling me what you want. Whether you want me to take her fast or slow. From the front or the back. How about Alana? Would you rather watch my ass as I pound into a horny woman or her face as she loses her mind?”

“You do have a nice ass,” Alana grumbled. Then she flushed, not believing that she’d uttered the words out loud, no matter how softly. But it wasn’t enough to stop her. “What if I said I wanted you to throw her up against a tree, pull up her dress, and take her from behind with your pants around your ankles like two sloppy teenagers?”

“And how would you know what that looks like?”

“The north doesn’t have a lot of space, especially for younger soldiers.” Memories of her shameful habit played in Alana’s mind. All the times she crouched or lied behind previously prepared snowbanks around frequent hook-up spots. Peeking over the edge while two trainees stole a few moments together.

“Such a bad girl.” Alana felt her knees shake as the hand in her hair tightened, not enough to hurt but enough to suggest…something. Then it let go and the hand around her waist retreated as Lou stepped back. She smiled. “I love it. Come on. Let’s get this tour started.”