41: Decision

I woke up refreshed the next morning. The good mood from last night’s activities vanished when I realized today might be another day of being cooped up in the soldiers’ suite. Another day dodging the curious courtiers would test my sanity. I wished the Queen would quickly finish her bloody tests.

Fortunately, a page arrived with a request to break the fast with her. Good. At least one uncertainty would be resolved today.

I dressed and let him guide me to a private chamber. She was already there, gazing at the sea, bathed in the morning light. Her beautiful red and white gown swayed lightly in the gentle breeze as she turned towards me.

Looking at her eyes, I could tell she had come to a decision.

I sat on the chair she indicated. She crossed the room and without a word, settled herself right onto my lap.

I froze in disbelief, before the gears in my mind began turning again. I slipped an arm around her delicate waist, gently drawing her closer.

“That's certainly one way to announce it,” I chuckled.

“This… feels nice,” she whispered, fingertips brushing my shoulder. “You feel strong.”

“Thank you. I am indeed quite strong.”

“Who lacks humility now, ass?”

“Just stating the facts like you, Liru.”

She smacked my arm lightly. “Don't say that out loud! You are, at the moment, known as the dead, brash, soft-hearted fool who abandoned his noble house to save a bunch of refugees. I haven’t told anyone about your identity or that you killed your own father. Your image will have to be improved to make you worthy of my hand in the eyes of the aristocracy.”

“Should be easy for you.”

“I will reinstate you as the Count of Nobart.”

Even the warmth of her soft curves pressing against me couldn't stop me from grimacing. Jack's mother and sister were alive, and the more time I spent with them, the higher the chance they would figure out that I'm not their son and brother. There could also be more traitors there like that Sigmar bastard among the Nobart's vassals.

On the other hand, having access to the resources of a whole county, especially one closest to Chadom, would be a massive boon.

“That will be troublesome,” I said out loud. “I did kill my father, which will not go well with many people, regardless of the reasons. I don't want to stay in Nobart for long. What if I appoint a regent to rule on my behalf?”

She shrugged her slender shoulders. “Fine by me.”

She drew a deep breath and her posture shifted; looking a lot more vulnerable

“There's another matter you need to know before we marry.” She visibly gulped. “I'm deathly afraid of childbirth. My mother died giving birth to my third sibling, who didn’t survive either. Your claim that you can do something about it influenced my decision more than I want to admit. Can you truly do something?”

“Yes,” I said, meeting her eyes. “It will take work, but I can create a compound that puts a surgery patient into a deep sleep, so they don't die from the pain of being cut open. The other component is a medicine that fights off sickness which can follow. That is more elusive,” I emphasized. “Not impossible, just could take more time to produce.”

The very first effective anesthetic, Ether, indeed wasn't that difficult to manufacture, just difficult to handle, as it was volatile and flammable.

Just dehydrate ethanol with concentrated sulfuric acid above 140°C and you have Ether, but if the temperature goes even slightly higher, above 160°C, it blows up. Dangerous stuff.

Extracting penicillin in large amounts would be harder, but still possible.

It was a mold that grew on bread and citrus fruits, went from gray to blue-green at maturity, and looked like a brush under the microscope. If I could make a microscope, I could identify and grow some penicillin.

“That is enough for me. Nobody else could offer even that.” She exhaled and some of the tension in her shoulders softened. She draped an arm around my neck, then abruptly pushed her upper body away, suspicion narrowing her eyes.

“I was too mesmerized by the potential of all your claims to ask you, but how do you know all this? Weapons no one has ever seen, and now miraculous medicine. There were no tales of a wunderkind Viscount of the North until now.”

Her beautiful eyes stared at me with the intensity of a predator.

I broke through my hesitation. “Would you believe me if I said I met God and He blessed me?”

“You... met God?” she repeated, as if I was speaking a foreign tongue.

“Yes. There's more to it, but I don't want to divulge it right now,” I said honestly.

What kind of reaction would she have if I tell her that I am from a different time or world? Probably think I'm crazy and change her decision. I couldn't risk that. She could be angry later on, but at least I hadn’t deceived her about what really mattered; my character and motivations.

“You do intend to help me though, right?”

“Yes,” I said, looking her straight in those hypnotic eyes.

Her shoulders eased. “That is all that matters to me. Should I call you Your Holiness now?” she teased.

“No, but I wouldn't mind you praying on your knees regularly, if you know what I mean,” I parried.

She smacked me again, though the blush creeping on her face betrayed her thoughts.

“Now that we are to be wed,” she said, regaining composure, “will you finally tell me how we will achieve this utopia of yours? I remember how enthusiastic you were, when you suddenly stopped midway.”

Clever girl. I smirked in response.

“No. That part comes after the marriage. Let's keep some mystery alive.”

She pouted. So cute. I leaned forward and placed a peck on her lips.

I could see her considering taking it further, when she pushed herself off me.

“After the marriage.”

“You dare use my own spells against me, Potter?” I said indignantly.

“Who the hell is Potter and what spells?”

“Just a silly saying.”

I remembered something quite important I had missed.

“We moved quite quickly and in the haste I forgot to tell you something important. I have a woman back in Chadom. Aprilia. I didn't marry her in anticipation of a situation like this, but I'm not throwing her away either. Will you be fine with that?”

“I could be,” she paused for effect, “if she isn't trouble. I don't want a succession crisis.”

“She won't be any trouble for you. She's loyal and humble, and knew the nature of our arrangement before we got together.”

“What did you anticipate?”

“A chance for an alliance. Chadom is a powerful but small state. I kept myself available so I could cinch an alliance, and I found it.” I said, looking her in the eyes. “Such an amazing, gorgeous alliance.” I grabbed her hand and kissed it, eliciting a laugh.

“This Aprilia. You are truly committed to her?”

“Yes. She's a smart and sweet girl. Smart enough that I can trust her to represent me during my absence in Chadom.”

“Do you have a child with her?”

“Not yet, but who knows what the future holds.”

“The way you behaved with Reshma last night, I would assume you already had several.”

“She's quite something, your Reshma. Are you really fine with this arrangement? Three of us?”

She gave a slight nod, her blush deepening; the little pervert. Now my little pervert.

“You plan on throwing her at me and watch us wrestle until we're wed, don't you?”

I was thanking my good fortunes, when something else dawned on me.

“Would you like me to bring Aprilia here for a visit?”

Another shy nod.

“You want to see me put a child inside her, very vigorously, don't you?”

Her face turned into the shade of tomato as she tried to flee, but I caught her by the wrist. I stood up and pulled her by the waist into myself, in a desperate attempt to meld our bodies together.

“Do you feel my rising, hard desire for you, my pervert Queen?”

I so very, very badly wanted to pump her full of every bit of fluid I could muster, but a pregnancy out of wedlock would give her detractors fuel to weaken her position, so I took long breaths, flexed some muscles and reluctantly separated myself from her.

I gave the nape of her neck a kiss. “After we've announced our wedding, maybe we can practice a bit. Nothing that leaves marks or goes deep, at least there.” I placed a hand above her loins.

That sent her heart hammering, which I could tell by the heaving of those shapely breasts.

“After,” she whispered and slipped away.

That evening, I dined with Laira and Reshma in a small solar overlooking the sea. The golden light of the evening sun and candles made the contrasting beauty of the two women pop; Laira sharp and regal, Reshma warm and amused. The poor Queen seem to already regret our arrangement as me and Reshma kept sharing wicked little looks.

“Before you derailed our previous conversation with your inappropriate remarks,” Laira said, “I was going to ask you about Chadom. Why has no one heard of it?”

“It’s a secluded realm,” I replied. “The people don’t want outsiders to know much about them.”

“It’s just you and the Cha refugees, isn’t it?” she asked openly.

I neither confirmed, nor denied it, but the silence was enough for her to understand.

She exhaled sharply. “How am I supposed to deal with other nobles when they learn this?”

“Nobody is allowed to visit Chadom, so why should it matter?”

“And if they insist?”

“Tell them they are free to try, but they don’t get to blame you if the natives end up killing them.”

She fixed me with a stare, but relented. My weapons were just that amazing; worth taking the risk.

“I’m sorry about your Prime Minister. I heard he was a reliable man.”

“He is.” A shadow fell across her face. “He just thinks I’m a child who has to be kept in the dark for my own sake.”

“He wasn’t in league with the smugglers?”

“No. He was working with the morons to figure out their supply chain.”

“Are you sure you want to let go of such an experienced mind over such an issue.”

“You’re telling me to reinstate him?” she asked, incredulous.

“I’m not a politics veteran, but if his heart was in the right place, maybe he can still be useful? Capable and experienced administrators aren’t easy to replace.”

She seemed to take my words seriously, as her fingers tapped the table. “I will consider it.”

Bathed in sunlight, she looked every bit the ruler she was trying to become. Watching her, I made myself a promise:

Whatever came next, I would see her reign endure.