1-160 A Father in search of a family

Jaina held her breath as Roric considered the offer, every second becoming a tense eternity. She wondered what he might be thinking and how badly he wanted that discount. He had already ordered her to be a lesbian and had an entire harem of girls to satiate his desires. What would it matter if Jaina was restricted to women and never knew the force of his lust again?

“No,” Roric said as Jaina nearly cried for joy. “I am sorry, but that is my slave girl, and I will not be restricted from using her body as I desire.”

“A pity,” the woman said with a wry smile as she held Jaina's hungry tongue to her body. “How about another girl? I hear Princess Hannah is part of your harem.”

“That’s never going to happen,” Chandice said with folded arms. “Hannah is the jewel of the crown. None of the masters are going to agree to restrict her.”

“Can’t blame a girl for trying,” Fiona said between gasps. “I suppose we will have to settle for the original deal.”

Jaina was relieved beyond measure to hear them settle on the original offer. Jaina pressed on, giving the woman a good shattering orgasm that forced her to lean over the counter.

“Enough,” the woman groaned. “Or I won’t be able to start on the armor until I have a long rest.”

Jaina pulled away but gave her honey-soaked mound a final kiss before standing up and returning to Chandice's side.

“You love doing that,” Chandice accused.

“I most certainly do,” Jaina replied with a broad smile. “I am surprised you didn’t agree to her terms.”

“You're mine,” Roric said as he locked her eyes. “Nobody else is going to come between us.”

Jaina loved the committed way he laid claim to her and expressed how much he still valued her service as a sex slave. She couldn't help but smile as Chandice put an arm around her back and pulled her in tight. Money was paid from magical bags, and Fiona promised to work on the armor right away. She said it might take as long as two days to complete both sets, but she would send a message to the harem if she got done sooner.

Roric took them into the street, and they walked down the wide lane as people noticed the sexy procession.

“I still get goosebumps when people look at us,” Gisley admitted as she waved to a man obviously taking her in.

“So do I,” Jaina agreed as she walked with a sexy strut, intentionally oozing sex. She could still taste Fiona on her lips and relished the taste of another sweet pussy to add to her list. They rounded a corner when suddenly Gisley nearly jumped for joy. A soft voice carried across the morning air as Hannah sang to the city from the balcony of her palace.

“Oh, she’s singing!” Gisley squealed as she bounced.

“Her voice is heavenly,” Evalynn agreed.

“For a devil, it sure is,” Chandice said.

“Look at the flowers!” Gisley cried, drawing their attention to the gardens around them as flowers burst into bloom, vivid colors carpeting every surface. Faint trails of magical pollen drifted in the wind, and Hannah's magic carried across the city. “I love living here!”

Jaina looked up to the palace but it was too far to make out Hannah. Still, that magical voice enchanted the city with its power as the entire population looked up.

“The queen of flowers has chosen to bless us again,” a nearby man said.

“The queen of flowers,” Jaina repeated. “What a lovely title.”

“It is a fitting title,” Roric agreed. “We should tell her that people call her that.”

“I wish I could sing with her once in a while,” Gisley said.

“Sweety, why don’t you ask her?” Jaina pressed. “I am sure she would say yes. She loves you.”

“I am certain she would say yes as well,” Roric agreed. “But you should sing with her at night for the lullaby. That’s when your magic will be strongest.”

“I will ask her tonight,” Gisley bounced excitedly as the air filled with the sweet scent of flowers and petals began to rain from the sky.

“How can a place this beautiful exist?” Evalynn asked as they all looked up at the pink and white blooms.

“Because Hannah had the courage to ignore the rules,” Chandice replied. “She doesn't care what the North wants. All she cares about is players being happy together. But how long can she keep this up before she rouses the North, and they come here to stop it.”

“Gwen will never let that happen,” Jaina said.

“Gwen is one person,” Chandice corrected. “If the North comes in force, there will be plenty of people her level to deal with her. Not to mention there are people even higher level than she is.”

“That’s a sad thought,” Evalynn said as she caught a petal. “It breaks my heart to think all this might end.”

“I didn't mean to cast a sour note on the moment,” Chandice sighed. “I guess I work with Hannah too much. I have started to worry like her. I know Gwen would fight tooth and nail to protect this land, but don't forget she was basically imprisoned for over a year. I am sure her enemies were leveling while she was stuck.”

“This is true,” Roric agreed. “That’s why we are considering how to power level the girls. More of us need to be ready to meet this challenge when it comes.”

“Maybe it's Gwen we should be leveling,” Jaina said offhandedly, then noticed the others were looking at her.

“Do you think she would agree?” Chandice asked as she looked puzzled.

“I don’t think so,” Roric said. “It would require a lot of sex, and she wants to be able to do that anonymously. I doubt she would agree to chains of men fucking her by the hundreds. She might agree to one long session with a single partner. But the only one of us who has the endurance to do that is Frank, and he’s her son.”

“Not true,” Chandice said with a finger in the air. “There’s somebody else.” She turned to Jaina with a broad smile before expounding on her idea. “Zorac.”

“Zorac?” Jaina asked.

“Yes,” Chandice said with a nod. “Don’t you remember how you two fucked all night and were still hard at it when I came to get you in the morning?”

Jaina thought back to the day she and Zorac met and the intense hours of passion that followed. They had made love for nearly six hours, with Jaina having so many orgasms she had nearly forgotten where she was. She corrected Chandice and pointed out that they had taken breaks, usually ten to fifteen minutes, where they cuddled. However, the sessions in between went on for over an hour and had been very intense.

“So he could level her,” Evalynn said. “Two hours a day should be reasonable experience.”

“But would she agree to do it?” Jaina asked again.

“Technically, she has no choice,” Chandice said. “She's a harem girl and will do what she's told.”

“Let's not push that button,” Roric cautioned. “She's a harem girl like Hannah is a harem girl. She holds a position of great respect and is still treated with the respect of her station outside the harem. We can ask her, but we cannot force this on her.”

“I know that,” Chandice replied. “I would never retort to ordering her to do it. I guess I am still surprised she made the leap and accepted the mark.”

“Gwen is a very sensual woman,” Jaina said. “And she is trapped in a life where intimacy is hard to find. She has to micromanage everything and keep up a constant wall of stone between her and the world. I think she accepted this because she needs an outlet for her stress. She craves intimacy, and having this part of her life be out of her control helps make it more exciting.”

“Hmm,” Roric nodded. “I think you’re right. If we approached her about this properly, turning it into her master addressing a slave, she might find it arousing.”

Jaina dwelled on that thought as they went into a dress shop so Chandice could look for more outfits. She picked through some sexy outfits and used her mimic power to model them on her body. She tried to imagine Gwen and Zorac locked in heated passion as an idea dawned. She paused when she saw a sexy black outfit with red lace and the word princess written on the back of its very sheet panties.

“I am so buying this for Hannah,” Jaina said as she held it up. She took it to Roric and Chandice, who agreed to get it for her before she shared her idea. She wanted to visit Zorac and convince him to come with him to the temple. Gwen would likely be present, and they could have a little encounter where Zorac would give her a good couple of hours of fun. Then, they could ask Gwen how much experience she gained from it and suggest she do it again to level up.

So let her experience it once to see what it’s like before suggesting it become a regular thing,” Chandice said as she looked at Roric.

“It couldn’t hurt,” he agreed. “That is what she’s at the temple for, and she has no reason to protest. She might even like the idea once we explain what we are trying to accomplish, but it will ultimately be her decision. Harem girl or not, Gwen is still the ruler of the entire kingdom.”

“What about Lydia and her group?” Gisley asked. “They should level, too.”

Jaina wasn't sure she liked that idea. According to Hannah Lydia, the vampire and her various undead friends had tried to capture them so they could see them to the paladins. It was all done under duress with a gun to their head, but could Lydia be trusted? All she knew was that Finneous thought so, and Gwen was growing fond of Finneous. Come to think of it, what kind of endurance did a werewolf have? It was an important question considering the person involved. Gwen secretly desired to build a relationship with Finneous, but her station prevented it. The one time Jaina arranged for Gwen and Finneous to be together, he wouldn't lay a finger on her.

“I may have another idea,” Jaina said, sharing the thought with the others. Roric shrugged and said it didn't matter who the man was, provided he was up to the challenge. Chandice was in favor of trying, as Gwen would probably feel more comfortable sharing that level of intimacy with a man she was already interested in. The trick was finding out how long Finneous could go. Anything less than an hour wouldn't be useful, and two hours would be ideal for the queen. Many heavy tanks and warriors had the stamina but not the self-control. They found it impossible to avoid the orgasm for so long, and if the slave used prolong, it drove them mad. In Jaina's experience with Roric, he was often out of his mind within five minutes of his orgasm being held right at the edge. How would a man fare after an hour of such treatment? Frank was once again the answer to it all because he could come and keep going, not even slowing his pace. So he wasn't driven wild by the denial or forced to rest after a climax. However, there was no scenario where Gwen would spread her legs for her son-in-law.

“We need to be sure Finneous is up to the challenge,” Jaina said.

“Well, that's easy,” Evalynn said. “All we have to do is have one of us sleep with him and find out.”

Jaina wanted to smack her forehead at the simple solution and wasn't surprised when Roric told her to do it. He wanted her to go to his keep today and ask him to play. She could use some seductions if necessary, but Roric clarified that he did not want Jaina to twist his arm.

“If he's not interested, then let it go,” Roric cautioned.

“He won't be affected by my seductions if he's not at least curious,” Jaina replied. “The system doesn't allow seduction classes to change a person's mind, only heighten what they already feel.”

“A nice neat way to avoid a rape, but let’s be honest, what man isn’t at least interested?” Evalynn laughed.

Jaina agreed as Chandice collected a few outfits and then stopped at one that made her smile. It was a girly pink dress with white ruffles, stockings and gloves. She smiled at Gisley as the fairy woman tried to hide behind Evalynn, shaking her head vigorously. When they finally left the shop, Gisley was wearing it, and Jaina struggled not to laugh. The poor fairy looked absolutely cute, with little white bows on her antenna.

They finally headed home and returned to the palace by a magical portal on the ground before it. Jaina and Evalynn were then urged to seek out Finneous and see if he was up to the task they had in mind for him.

“It’s funny how you always end up being my guardian,” Jaina said with a smirk as they walked for a vast magical archway that linked the harem in the palace to the one in the Jade temple. From here, they walked to a secure hall magically protected from intrusion. It was also guarded by Rajeen's most powerful tiger guards, a few of Hannah's undead knights, and even a few gnoll rogue slayers. This hall linked to all the magic doors scattered about their various homes and they used one to return to Roric's camp. From here, they wandered out to the mesa village as various gnoll guards eyed Evalynn hungrily.

“Have you fed the gnolls recently?” Jaina asked as they passed some guards.

“Roric has had me in the palace harem,” Evalynn replied. “I haven’t been available to the camp for over three days.”

“Oh, these poor boys,” Jaina teased. “They are going to ravage you from dawn to dusk when they get the chance.”

“I hope so,” Evalynn replied with a smile, causing them both to laugh. They crossed one of the long rope bridges to another portion of the camp, where a ring of trees grew along the back ledge. Several were magical forest doors and acted like the ones in the palace. They knew exactly where to go, and with a second magic step, they were at the far edge of Quinny's forest, coming out between two nondescript trees.

“It’s much nicer that the Lovewood and Quinny’s haunted forest are blended,” Jaina said.

“It’s nicer, but it’s kind of a waste of points,” Evalynn explained. “I had to spend a gross amount of points to mark that much land as part of the Lovewood, but I can hardly build on any of it because Quinny is already using it.”

“Well, it does have some advantages,” Jaina said with a smile as she ran a hand up Evalynn’s back. “We can have sex here and earn the tattoos now.”

“That’s basically all it offers us,” Evalynn said. “I have maybe two dozen trees in all of the forest.”

“Only because Quinny hasn't had time to sit down with you and make changes,” Jaina reminded as they set out for the south road. It would take them five minutes of walking through the forest to reach the edge of the trees and see the road, but that was part of the tradeoff. In order to keep the door hidden, it had to be out of the way, and until Quinny extended south, this was as close to Finneous as they could get. Quinny planned to expand soon, turning the region into a low-level zone. Her current forest was a good challenge for a level one to ten player. However, Quinny wanted to add a couple of small dungeons on the mountainside that were good up to level fifteen.

It wasn't long before they encountered a pack of skeletons prowling through the trees. The monsters looked directly at them but made no move as the girls were on the friends list. They walked right past them without a second glance, passing through the mist that often flowed around the dark trees of the forest. They encountered a zombie wolf, then a little later, a grave spider, but none made any move to threaten them. The treeline arrived, and they passed beyond, heading for the road that would take them south. Idris's village was a mile away, and they passed through that without incident.

Jaina looked down the road that would take them to Lydia's region and brought up Gisley's comment. Maybe it would be wise if all the nobles under Gwen's domain leveled up, including Lydia. If what Hannah said was true, Lydia had become a cruel pawn. The vampire woman was put in a trap where she was allowed to have her kingdom, provided she never leveled very far. Kevin's minions would routinely rampage through her domain, using her lands as a training ground. Once Lydia and her friends got above level twenty, a group of paladins would accidentally reset them. There would be an apology of sorts, delivered with laughter as they walked off to leave Lydia to begin the slow process of rebuilding. It was the kind of cruelty that Hannah stood against, but the vampire woman wasn't innocent. She had complied with orders from the North and helped lure monster players into the trap, hoping to barter them for protection. It was an amazing act of mercy that Hannah allowed this woman to settle in their kingdom, taking her into their protection.

“Thinking about Lydia?” Evalynn asked as they headed down the road.

“I think Gisley is right,” Jaina replied. “The nobles must be as prepared as possible for a future conflict. I hope it never comes, but Gwen's power growing has already upset her neighbors. They know she is angry at them for how they treated her while she was crippled. They fully expect her to visit that back on them.”

“She doesn’t strike me as the vindictive type,” Evalynn said.

“Gwen isn’t vindictive, she’s calculating,” Jaina replied. “She won’t forget what they did, and if she finds herself in a position where visiting some of that pain back on them will help stabilize her power, she is going to do it.”

“Which only means her neighbors won’t hesitate to do the same,” Evalynn added.

“Exactly,” Jaina said. “Right now, you can bet everyone is looking for an advantage. If Kevin does take notice of what's going on here, he will find a host of people ready to throw Gwen on the fire.”

“Hmm,” Evalynn said as she shifted her glaive to the other shoulder. “Our happiness here is just an illusion, isn’t it?”

“No, it's genuine, but we may have to fight for it,” Jaina replied. “Hannah, Frank, and Gwen are prepared to fight for what they want, and we need to be ready to stand beside them.”

“And that includes Lydia,” Evalynn agreed. “And thus, it should also include Finneous.”

“It should,” Jaina agreed as the road turned to the east, slowly following the rim of the swamp that was slowly appearing. She looked to those distant waters as she wondered what the future had in store. It took nearly an hour to reach the village and keep that marked Finneous’s home and headed through the outer buildings.

“This is coming along,” Jaina said as they passed through a village with over a dozen player homes and a few shops.”

“I think he’s reached his limit,” Evalynn said. “He is only a village builder. I doubt he can get much larger than this.”

Jaina assumed she was right and headed for the stone walls of a keep nestled on the edge of a cliff. The cliff was a unique feature, separating the upper swamps from the lower swamps, and was dotted by dozens of small waterfalls. The keep originally belonged to Gwen, but she gifted it and the land around it to Finneous as payment for agreeing to marry her. He married her solely to meet the criteria Gwen needed to name Hannah her daughter, but their marriage was empty otherwise. Finneous was never acknowledged as king and didn't even live near his supposed bride.

The village was dominated by a town center that was part of Finneouse's build, but the man preferred to live in the keep. The guards didn't bat an eye as they walked in, passing players who took an interest in the slave girl walking beside a sexy knight.

“I hope he's home,” Jaina said as they passed more players, using a few service shops built inside the walls. Jaina noted that at least twenty men in full armor were standing on the walls, and perhaps eight more were patrolling the grounds inside. Finneous seemed to be taking an interest in security, and she wondered if maybe something had happened to make him more cautious. They were allowed to walk right into the fortified structure and directly into a modest hall.

“Oh, my,” Jaina gasped as they looked to the end of the hall where a series of paintings hung. The centermost one was of Gwen, resplendent in a silver gown. She stood beside her throne, a crown of authority on her head. She looked resolute yet feminine with that regal charm she pulled off so well. Beside it was Hannah in her blond human form, standing under a garden archway covered in flowers. Breanne, Quinny, Umtha, and Even Blackbast decorated the walls in prominent positions. However, one picture caught Jaina's eye. It was of Frank in his ghoul form, standing like a giant with a Hannah in a yellow dress hanging from his arm. A metal plate on the frame said my son and daughter, and beside it was a date to mark their wedding.

“He's certainly family-orientated,” Evalynn said as she joined Jaina's side.

“This is not what I expected,” Jaina said.

“Why not?” came a gruff voice as a human man with thick black hair and a stern gaze entered the hall. “What did you think you would find?”

Jaina and Evalynn were taken aback by the man who was usually smiling. Now, he looked troubled and dour, as if something terrible were weighing on his shoulders. He stood in the center of the hall, waiting for his answer as the girls became uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry,” Jaina began. “That sounded worse than I meant it.”

“How did you mean it?” he pressed as cold eyes bore into her. She got the impression he was not happy to see them, or perhaps not happy they had seen his wall.

Jaina turned back to the wall and tried to quantify what it was she found strange. This seemed like a man celebrating his family and their many achievements with pride.

“I guess I didn’t expect you to care,” Jaina said as she looked back. “About all this.”

“Why wouldn’t I care?” he asked as he walked past them, going to the wall to study his many paintings. “I have a wonderful family worthy of being proud.”

“But, you never show any concern for them,” Evalynn dared. “I mean, you're never involved.”

Jaina heard the sigh and saw how his shoulders sunk as Evalynn's word touched a nerve. She realized this situation wasn't what he wanted, so he watched his family from afar.

“Finneous,” Jaina said as she stepped closer. “You care, don't you?” His silence was deafening, and she dared another step, coming to stand behind him as his face looked to Gwen.

“I am just the man she needed to check the box,” he replied.

“Oh, don’t you start that,” Jaina countered. “You wouldn’t have a wall to remind you of your family if that was all you were.”

“Maybe you should go,” he said with a glance her way.

“So you're not interested in why we came out here?” Jaina asked.

“I assume you have some selfish plan to try and bring Gwen and I together again,” he replied.

Jaina’s face was frozen in shock as he revealed his knowledge of the truth. He had known all along that Annasara was Gwen, but how could he possibly have? The disguise was a physical change in her body, down to her pores and no amount of examining would reveal otherwise.

“If you are wondering how I know, it's the scent,” Finneous said. “You, of all people, should know that you women each have a unique scent.”

“You can smell the difference like Roric can,” Jaina gasped.

“He can probably do it better than Roric,” Evalynn said.

“Much better,” Finneous agreed and resumed looking at her picture.

“But, if you knew that was Gwen, why didn’t you make love to her?” Jaina pressed. “I had her delivered to your arms on a silver platter.”

“Why?” Finneous asked with a hint of anger in his voice. “You think I was happy about that? You think I was pleased to see the woman I love dressed like a whore and presented to me as one?”

Jaina stepped back in shock at his sudden surge of anger. He went on to explain that his first act of love with Gwen wasn't going to be under false pretenses or lies.

“He's in love with her,” Evalynn gasped. “I mean, really, truly in love with her.”

“But then why haven’t you said anything?” Jaina asked.

“What am I supposed to say?” Finneous retorted as he turned to face them. “She made it clear I was to have no role in their lives and that she wanted me out of the way. Then I discover that she’s spreading her legs like a whore in that temple.”

“She's doing that because she's lonely,” Jaina countered. “She's trapped in a situation where having a proper relationship is a risk she's afraid to take. So she turned to the temple as a means to feed the itch all women have for sexual intimacy, and probably because I persuaded her to do it.”

“You?” Finneous growled. “Do I have you to thank for turning my daughters into whores too?”

“Now, hold on,” Jaina countered. “I don't think that's fair.”

“What's not fair about it?” he asked. “They are growing and building a wonderful family, then they meet you, and all of a sudden, everyone is sleeping around.”

“You can’t draw that conclusion,” Evalynn insisted. “Hannah is her own person. She and her family discussed this idea for days before putting it into practice. Besides, they were in slave collars long before we met them.”

“Yes, Blackbast is to blame for that,” he replied.

“No, she isn't,” Jaina countered. “Look, those girls turned to Blackbast for help. She used the slave collars to disguise them so they could pass through the North unrecognized. Over time, they began to experiment with the collar's powers, and then they met us. If anything, all we did was show them what a family like ours was like. We never twisted their arm to make them join it.”

“We encouraged them not to,” Evalynn added. “We strongly advised them to consider this life change before making it.”

Finneous didn't seem moved by their explanation, but he did turn back to the paintings. He commented on how beautiful Hannah was and how much he respected Frank. He called Breanne graceful Quinny fun and smiled warmly for Umtha.

“I knew her from before,” he admitted. “I helped her escape.”

“Why did you do that?” Evalynn asked. “It put a bullseye on your head.”

“I have my reasons,” he replied, glancing back to show this line of conversation was dead. He then turned to a picture of Blackbast, and the first frown crossed his face. He stared at the black-furred feline woman as he sighed, then looked at Gwen.

“You can’t be angry at Blackbast for what’s happened,” Jaina insisted as she came to his side. “She was trying to help.”

“By turning my wife and daughters into prostitutes,” he replied.

“That isn't what's happening,” Jaina countered with a shake of her head. “Look, it would take a long time to explain this to you, and I doubt you want to hear it. The fact is, everyone is looking for some way to fill a hole in their lives. Hannah is trying to hide from her missing past, and Gwen is hungry for love but afraid to reach out for it. The rest of us have reasons for walking this path, but make no mistake, we are all happy.”

“How?” he asked while turning to face her. “How can you be happy this way?”

“Because this is what I want,” Jaina replied. “I love what I am and how I live. I have five masters who treat me like gold and a small army of harem sisters who are never short of love to give. My life is filled with love, passion, and companionship, where I play at my wildest fantasies and am happier than I dared to dream. Did some of that entice Hannah and Gwen to see if they could find it, too? I suppose it did, but that isn't my or Blackbast's fault.” She glared back at him with her final statement as he seemed to calm.

“And Hannah is happy?” he asked.

“Hannah is very happy,” Jaina pressed. “This lifestyle has given her a chance to escape the torment of her past. Honestly, none of us believe it's going to last very long. She just needs a little time to clear her head, then she will realize that all she wants is Frank.”

“But what about the damage she is doing in the meantime?” he asked.

“Maybe we should tell him,” Evalynn pressed, but Jaina shook her head.

“Tell me what?” he asked.

Jaina sighed and explained that she was sworn to secrecy on that topic. But she told him that the harem was taking extreme measures to help Hannah play at a fantasy while never actually exposing her to something she might regret. All she could tell him was that Hannah was extremely happy and that it was having some truly positive results.

“I guess I can't blame you for being happy with a choice I wouldn't make,” he admitted.

“I am very glad to hear you say that,” Jaina replied. “But it troubles me that you feel this way, considering the current situation.”

“What situation?” he asked as Jaina pointed to the wall.

“That situation,” Jaina explained. “You want to be an active part of your family's life and are dying inside as they make decisions you disagree with. You, Finneous, want to be a proper husband and a father.”

He locked her gaze with a matching stare that went on for a few seconds. Then he walked away, entering a side room as if they weren't there.

“Don't walk away,” Jaina called. “This is too important.”

“You never said why you were here,” he replied as he went to a table and took up a bottle of alcohol.

“I tell you what,” Jaina said as they followed him. “I am going to do something you are afraid to do. I am going to lay all my cards on the table and tell you everything.” He laughed and poured a drink as she stormed up to him with her hands on her hips.

“I came here to fuck you,” Jaina said, causing him to choke on his drink. He sputtered and coughed, setting the drink down as he turned around to acknowledge her.

“Why?” he choked.

Jaina explained the situation and how the harem was focused on finding ways to level. Thanks to the slave collars, the girls could level from sex, provided it was frequent and well-paid or one long session. He frowned at that comment, but Jaina continued, sitting on his desk as she did. She told him they thought Gwen could use the levels as well and hatched a plan to find a man who could handle it. That's when they thought of him, and Jaina was here to test him, to see if he had what it took. He looked disgusted, waving her off as he refused.

“Well, congratulations,” Jaina laughed. “You are the first man to turn me down.”

“Are you upset with this idea because you love Gwen?” Evalynn asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Finneous said as he poured another drink. “And I am not having sex with you, so you can go.”

“Finneous,” Jaina sighed. “Do you know why Gwen was in the forest that day? Do you know why we invented a reason to put her in your camp?”

“You mean why you pretended to be Blackbast and lied to me?” he asked.

“Yes, you could smell the difference,” Jaina said, dismissing his comment. “But you need to know the truth. I did that because Gwen is just as interested in you as you are of her.” Now she got a reaction as he froze and then slowly set down his drink. She smiled while waiting for a reply but continued when it didn't come.

“We accidentally met her in the forest, and she admitted she was spying on you. We asked why, and she expressed a desire to have a closer relationship,” Jaina continued. “She was so desperate to learn what you were really like that she was willing to creep around in the trees and watch. So I came up with that plan to place her with you so she could learn what kind of man you were. She wants to know the real you and explore the possibility of being your wife.”

“So, you are saying she wanted to make love to me because she cared?” he asked.

“Yes, and you missed your chance,” Jaina replied. “You could have had your moment exactly how you wanted it if only you had looked past that appearance.”

“But that matters,” Finneous countered. “And you came to me cloaked in lies. For that matter, how do I know you're not lying now?” he asked as he turned to face her, his eyes full of pain.

“What reason do I have to lie?” Jaina replied. “What do I possibly have to gain from helping you have the relationship you want?”

“I don't know, but I don't like these games,” he insisted. “I prefer the truth to be in the open.”

“Says the man who has worked diligently to hide the fact that he is a werewolf,” Evalynn countered.

“I have my reasons for that,” Finneous replied. “People are hunting for me just as vigorously as they hunt for necromancers. I have a bounty on my head.”

“Because you betrayed the paladins and helped Umtha escape?” Jaina asked.

“I don't want to go into my past,” he replied, waving off the topic. “If what you are saying about Gwebn is true, then maybe I will reconsider approaching her as Annasara.”

“Finally,” Jaina sighed. “You both want this, so do what you just said. Get the truth out in the open and start being happy.”

“I won't let her serve in the temple,” Finneous said.

“Good,” Jaina countered. “And she won't have to because she will have you to fulfill her needs.” He was silent again, studying her as if searching for a flaw that would reveal the lie. She had no idea he was tormented by the events going on in his family. Now, she was compelled to help him take his place and begin the task of letting them know how he felt.

“This is pointless,” Finneous sighed. “How am I supposed to talk to her?”

“Simple,” Jaina replied. “You come to the temple and make love to Annasara.”

“I don’t want it to be like that,” he insisted.

“Finneous,” Jaina sighed. “We just told you she wants this, and it doesn't have to be like that. Go to her, look past her appearance, and make love like she's Gwen. Show her the power of your conviction and how much she means to you. But don't say anything about knowing who she really is.”

“Why would I do that?” he asked as Jaina smiled.

“Because you get to do the big reveal,” Jaina said. “You tell her how much you love and respect Gwen and how you wish you could be a part of your daughter's life. Let her talk to you about it for a little bit and offer advice. I bet she tells you how to approach herself and open the dialog.”

“She will tell me how to talk to her?” he asked.

“If I’m right, she will jump at the chance to help you,” Jaina said. “Then you make the big reveal. You take her hand and ask if you two can skip all that and stop pretending.”

He worked on that thought for a long moment, then slowly nodded.

“Good,” Jaina said with a sigh. “Because we already have a backup man to do the job if you refuse.”

“Who?” he asked, but Jaina shook her head. There was no point in dragging poor Zorac into this when there was nothing to be gained from it. She assured him that all he needed to do was treat Annasara like he would treat Gwen while telling her about his dream of a family. Then, when the time was right, he would reveal that he knew she was Gwen all along and ask if he could stand at her side.

She saw the light of understanding dawn in his eyes and perhaps a little bit of hope that his path might change. She took his hand and assured him that she would do all she could to help him and that Hannah would call him father one day. There was a twinkle in his eye as a tear threatened to form, and Jaina had seen enough. This was Finneous's beautiful dream, and she wouldn't rest until it was done.