Chapter 86

"I, Penelope Dorn, Princess of Dorn by courtesy and Duchess-Regnant of Shang by right, do hereby swear to keep the trust and confidence of Roxanne Updyke for so long as I live, in perpetuity throughout the universe," Penelope swore.

"Thank you," I said. "So, the reason for that oath is because of a secret class of mine, called Incubus. And thanks to recent archaeological findings in the Red Forest, I have very compelling reasons to believe that the Incubus class was the secret weapon that enabled the Emperor of the era before the Elven Epoch to build that global empire in the first place. Uh, if you're familiar-"

"I know about the Elven Epoch, and the legends of a global empire whose fall caused the Epoch," Penelope said, nodding. "What... does Incubus do?"

"The thing that's the most powerful, that I've found so far, is that it allows me to harvest Traits from monstergirls and create potions, enchantments, and even spells that grant those Traits," I said. "I have fucked the Red King of the wood elves, and harvested her fluids to give myself a lifespan of a thousand years. I have milked cowgirls and bunnygirls of the Traits that make monstergirls produce more fluids as well as more monstergirls. And my four Familiars are a Kitsune, a Dragon, an Angel, and a Demon, and I have absolutely harvested their powerful, Trait-locked classes from each and every one of them."

"Oh," Penelope said, blinking.

"And this is where things become directly relevant for you," I continued. "When I cum inside someone, I have the ability to grant them the Succubus class. They have access to most of the same abilities as an Incubus, and the most core of those is the ability to generate a resource called Reified Lust. And if I make you a Succubus, then you'll be tied to me through that class. As your Incubus, I have the ability to spend my own Reified Lust to purchase abilities and unlocks for you, as well as to take your Reified Lust to spend it on myself- something I'll be wanting to do in order to level up my own Incubus class faster."

"I see," Penelope said, nodding. "So... you wish to penetrate me, so that I gain a class that gives me more options, and which will also make you more powerful from the fruits of me doing what I was already going to do?"

"Precisely," I said, nodding. "I'm gonna be honest, I'm not totally clear on Dornish Aristocracy's customs surrounding premarital sex, but...?"

"You're lowborn, and hardly expected to be a virgin before marriage," Penelope said. "I, meanwhile, am expected to be a virgin before marriage, but it's hardly like anyone has any way to tell if I am or not, so long as I don't get pregnant."

"Ahhhh," I said.

"My opinions on having my ass fucked are, in fact, grounded in experience," she elaborated.

"Well, as it so happens, one of the broad abilities Incubus offers is intuitive sex magic, and one of the specific things sex magic can do is perfectly reliable birth control," I said. "So if you'd like to try that whole penis in vagina thing, it is an option."

Penelope considered this carefully.

"...I was always going to have a political marriage," Penelope said, shrugging. "I never even particularly cared about preserving my maidenhood for my wedding night. And for you, darling? I will happily give that over to you, for the sake of last night."

"I'm glad you're so enamored with Nicky's body," I said. "That girl deserves every bit of body worship she can get."

"But," Penelope said.

"But... there's a caveat?" I asked.

"While I do like you well enough to be your lover, not just your wife, I'm also aware that my time as your wife will likely come to an end in a few years."

"Probably sooner, honestly."

"Wow, you do not like commitment. Well, while you will always be welcome in my home, and especially in my bed, I will still need a Duchess-Consort of my own after your departure," Penelope said.

"Fair enough," I said. "So, before I can take your virginity and make you a Succubus, I've gotta find you another lover who's long-term wife material?"

"Precisely, yes," Penelope said. "I want... someone who's already accustomed to the aristocratic way of life, who I won't have to coach in the ways of the nobility."

"Already cutting down the choices pretty heavily," I said. "There's a lot of aristocrats in Dorn, but for some reason, none of them want to visit New Shanghelm, and I don't really have the time to go traveling the country and getting to know all the aristocratic heiresses who could make for a good wife for you."

"I also want a wife who's at least as busty as Nicky is," Penelope said.

"...I've got magics that can do that to anyone, but you're gonna want that to be toggleable in private if you don't want people asking a lotta pointed questions," I said. "Restricting myself to compatible aristocrats who're already that ridiculously stacked is gonna seriously limit my options... well, probably. Iunno, if aristocrats can marry- or at least take as mistresses- the most attractive commoners to catch their eye, then it's entirely possible that aristocrats are bustier than average, and there're a few candidates who meet the standard Nicky has set."

"As it so happens, I do, in fact, have two specific candidates in mind," Penelope said. "Valerie and Vanessa Vega."

I blinked a few times.

"...Okay, sure, they're both aristocrats who're also very curvy," I said carefully. "However... while Vanessa Vega is personable enough, I happen to already have plans for her that would conflict with her being your Duchess-Consort."

"Oh dear," Penelope said in a sarcastic monotone. "It would seem that your only option is to somehow convince the busty blonde milf with the roundest ass I've ever seen to be my wife. What an absolute shame."

"No, see, it is a shame because the both of them are the sorts of high-falutin' aristocratic bullies who embedded all of that shame and guilt into Nicky, my darling girlfriend who I love dearly," I said. "I'm willing to consider giving Vanessa a pass for that because she was also a kid and has clearly expressed remorse for her actions and a wish to undo them, but Valerie was an adult when she did all that shit, and if she's sorry, I haven't heard her say it yet."

"Have you heard her say anything at all?" Penelope asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Have you, in fact, actually spoken with this woman who you already hate for being a bad mother?"

"...You're going to make me, aren't you?"

"Mhm."

"The things I do for pussy..."

"Duke Shang, welcome," Valerie said warmly, ushering me into her apartment. "What brings you to personally visit a humble gentlewoman such as myself?"

"Well, you're hardly humble, are you?" I said, as she led me to a sitting room with an enchanted tea service already waiting for us, and an absolute eyesore of a color scheme that made me wish I was even more colorblind, just so I wouldn't have to look at it. I was beginning to regret giving her an enchanted paintbrush with which to decorate her apartment as she so pleased; clearly, she could not be trusted with it. "Depending on who one believes, you're either equal in rank to my own lady fiance, Princess Penelope Dorn, or you outright outrank her, as the rightful monarch of Vega who must live unrecognized in exile due to usurpers." I shrugged, waiting for her to sit down before seating myself beside her on the couch. "Frankly, I should beg your forgiveness for failing to attend you sooner, but I have faith a noblewoman of your standing understands the pressures of duty, and do not wish to embarrass you further with a poor apology."

"I also would prefer to avoid that embarrassment," she said, her eyes lighting up as I honored her rank without prompting. "And I certainly understand the pressures of duty, your grace. What matters most is that you are here now, and we can... get to know each other..." With that, she placed one hand on my thigh, just above the knee. "Tell me... How do you take your tea?"

"With ample sweetening," I said. "Alas, I have the palate of a child."

"I make no judgements about something so trivial as tea," said the woman who was absolutely judging me for drinking Brown Sugar Water, but was willing to hold her tongue for so long as I might prove useful as an ally. As evidence of her mercenary disregard of her own bullshit snobbery, she drizzled a big spoonful of honey into a teacup already full of hot, steamy leaf juice. "Now, your grace, how may I be of service to you?"

"I've been considering a few potential plans for the future," I said, calmly taking the offered teacup. "Idle hypotheticals. One of them could, possibly, be of interest to you. Although, of course, as a Duke, my word is law, and I would need an assurance that my daydreaming and speculation remain entirely between the two of us, you understand."

"Of course, of course," Valerie said, nodding. "I, Valerie Vega, the rightful King of Vega, do hereby swear to keep the trust and confidence of Roxanne Updyke for so long as I live, in perpetuity throughout the universe."

"...I appreciate that," I said. "It took some convincing for my fiance to swear the same; I am immensely flattered by your readiness to trust me."

"Being entirely honest, your grace, I hardly have any option but to trust you," Valerie admitted. "It would seem that, after nearly thirty years, my welcome in the palace of King Dorn has finally worn out, without moving one solitary inch towards retaking my kingdom. It's become clear to me now that something must change."

"And, indeed, something will," I said. "Let's say that, hypothetically, I was already engaged in some plot or another to unseat the current King of Vega, and replace them with someone perhaps more... cooperative, with certain goals. Well, naturally, I would want to speak with other interested parties, build a rapport, and establish certain... mutual interests."

"If I may be so blunt," Valerie said quietly, "what is it going to cost me to get my kingdom back?"

"I've already spoken with Vanessa on the issue," I said. "She has agreed to take the throne as my loyal puppet when the time comes, and I will not be reversing that decision. Where you come in, Valerie Vega, is quite simple: in order to further simplify the matter of succession, I've guaranteed that Veronica will abdicate her claim to the throne in favor of backing her older sister. You will also abdicate your claim to the throne, and support your eldest daughter's claim instead."

She nodded, silently, chewing on this carefully.

"Furthermore," I continued, lowering my voice, "my lady fiance has become quite enamored of you as of late. My planned marriage to Penelope Dorn is destined to be a very temporary one, and once I have divorced her, she desires your hand in marriage, so that you may be the Duchess-Consort of Shang."

"...Well, it would be a proper, rightful, and permanent home," Valerie said. "Would I be allowed to visit Vega, once this is done?"

"Certainly," I said, nodding. "Once your daughter is ensconced on the throne, her word is law, and there's no good reason why she would have you declared persona non-grata. The limiting factor would be more down to how much travel your new wife, the Duke-Regnant of Shang, would permit. She lives here, after all, and would miss you dearly."

Valerie nodded and hummed, considering this carefully.

"...What do you anticipate your relationship with Penelope will be like, after the divorce?" Valerie asked.

"Extremely amicable," I said. "I've heard it from her own lips that I will always be welcome in her home and her bed. However, I think you should be made well aware that, just because Penelope is willing to keep fucking me, doesn't mean she won't want to fuck you, too. So if you'd rather not..?"

"A good princess gets married off to cement an alliance, and if I'm to pass the crown to my daughter, then I am, in fact, back to being a princess," Valerie said with a shrug. "I certainly don't find her highness odious. I'll marry her when the time comes, if that's what it takes to put my own flesh and blood on the throne where it belongs."

"Excellent," I said, nodding. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to hear the news."