Chapter 138 – Making the Rules

"My Lady, do not bring the maids into this. They will bring the food when you remember your manners," Aurora calls out.

"Sorry. I'm a slave who worked at a brothel. They always had the food ready for me so I could have plenty of time to please the greedy nobles that wished to rape me," I say. "And, of course, before that, I helped my Mother make the food, so there was no need to wait. I was looking forward to spending some time with my Mother in the kitchen again, but you all decided to take me away from her. So, please try telling me how this is better?"

Shimmer stands up after my little outburst, her dress hiding her figure from me.

"Shimmer, what are you doing?" Isda calls out in a tired tone.

"The etiquette was killed from the start of this dinner," Shimmer responds. "No need to worry about it now. Maids, I'm sorry you are getting caught up in the wive's struggle. Alzi is just frustrated, and rightly so, and is trying to show us this any way she can. I know she meant you no disrespect. The house is grateful for your hard work." She gives them a small nod before walking up the table towards me. All eyes watching her walk up.

"What?" I ask as she nears me.

"I'm sorry, Alzi, for the pain we have caused you," Shimmer says, bending down to give me a hug. "We do care about you, and we wish to make you happy. Could you please greet the amazing people at this table for me? I would appreciate it. Then I think we can have dinner served and let the maids leave so we wives can work out the details of this strange marriage. How does that sound, Alzi? Will that work?" Her breath was warm against my neck as her hushed voice offered up the plan.

"I don't care," I say back. Fighting my instinct to pin the stupid woman to the table and ruin her stupid figure for the next nine months.

"I can work with that, I suppose," she says with a kiss. "Dear, does that work for you?" Shimmer stands up, a hand calmly petting and combing my hair.

"Yes, I guess that should happen," the Princess says with a sigh.

"Thank you, I know this isn't how the dinner was meant to go. But it sounds like that is a common theme for Alzi," Shimmer says on her way back to her seat. "So I think we can all suffer through one night of it."

"Maids, if you could just bring the entire meal out," Isda says with a forced smile. "I'm sorry for ruining the dinner plans, but it is for the best."

An older-looking maid steps away from the edge of the room before giving the table a short bow. "It is no issue, my Lady. We all understand the issue and are happy to help," she says. The maids all react to her words, moving towards the door on the far side.

The table is silent while the maids do their thing. Dishes start to crowd the table, and silverware, plates, and bowls are handed out. They work quickly to bring out everything. Wine bottles are placed throughout the table just before cuts of some wild beast are put down, signaling the end of the maids' duty. The maids all give a bow and leave us with the mountain of food and silence.

The Princess doesn't break the silence, but she does grab some soup and takes a sip. The rest join her shortly after. I just go to the meat looking to piss them off a bit more.

"Alzi," Isda starts, but Shimmer quickly cuts her off.

"Let her eat. I already said the etiquette has ended. No need to worry about it between us. I know she'll behave tomorrow," Shimmer says. "Now, back to those rules you were setting, Elora. I think we need to set out the plan first. What this family wants and how to reach it. This needs to include what Alzi wants and true plans to reach them. We forced her to be here without a chance to negotiate. The rest of us knew what we were getting into and had a choice."

"Alzi. I am aiming to become the Queen. Until that moment happens, all our plans revolve around that. After I am the Queen we can work towards what you wish for," the Princess says.

"How long will that take?" I ask.

"A few years. It could be ten with how active my Mother still is. She had a kid recently; the little thing just turned one," the Princess says.

"I'll be a slave for ten years?"

"No, you'll lose the collar once I can see that you won't run off the second it comes off," she says.

"So, ten years," I say. "I won't wait ten years to have a plan to marry my Mother. I had a plan to marry her in less than a year. Then, Yuki, Mai, and Kelly. The Duchess that fucked me also said she would marry me, and she seemed nice."

"The Duchess was Fluvis, and she was interested in joining the harem, but some of the plans fell through, so she won't be joining us," Isda says. "I know it won't take ten years for you to like us enough to stick with us. I think we can get Yuki into the harem soon. She is strong and would be a good ally with the Kitsune. It's rare to get that, and it would be a welcome addition."

"I think we also need to talk about the kids thing. We aren't waiting that long to just watch Isda have kids," Geta says. "Maids need the reward, and so do we."

"I fully plan on letting the maids get pregnant, just in a controlled manner. I can't have the entire house cycling through pregnancies," the Princess says. "Alzi can get us pregnant whenever she wishes. So we don't have to worry about long plans for the pregnancies. We can plan ours out to almost the minute. We need two years of hard work from us all to make up the lost ground then we can work on pregnancies for us. I don't want to wait a decade any more than any of you. Alzi can also carry kids if she wishes for any of us. I don't want any of us to ask her to do so, just if she wants to do it."

"I won't be getting pregnant for any of you," I say firmly. I continue to enjoy the tender meat while everyone else works on the silly soup. All of them have started drinking the wine, which is definitely not watered down like they give out at lunch—except Shimmer, whose glass remains full.

"That is your choice. Maids can get pregnant tonight if Alzi is willing. I just need to limit the number so we don't get overrun with kids, and we need enough maids in working condition to let this house run. I don't want Alzi to put too much strain on us during our pregnancies while we look to gain power. That is all those rules were," the Princess demands.

"You said she was our wife, then laid out rule after rule that a wife should never have," Shimmer says. "The man of the house has almost free reign of any bed he wishes for, and Alzi is our man."

"Most men take a few months of trying to get a woman pregnant with one child. Alzi can knock up the entire house with several children in one day if given free rein," the Princess says back. I don't know if I could do the entire house, but I could definitely get half in a day. Not that I want to get that many women pregnant here. "I went too far with the parties. I will take that back. But I still can only let her get them pregnant with two kids. Our allies can't be burdened with too many kids. Fluvis has her entire house helping with her kids. Many houses don't have the resources to do that."

"Fine. No hints, no suggestions, nothing. Alzi will get full choice on who she gets pregnant and with zero, one, or two kids," Shimmer lays out. "That includes the maids. She may get two maids pregnant every month. Is that ok?"

"No, two every other month. I would prefer just one a month and no building them up. Each month, she may get one maid pregnant. If she misses a month, then we will just have eleven maids getting pregnant that year. Two would be too many kids and too many maids heavily pregnant at once."

"Alzi, how does that sound?" Geta asks me.

I have to finish my last bite before answering her. I can follow some of the silly rules: "I don't care about getting you all pregnant, maids or not. I will take the choice for the other women. But I have no plans on giving you all any more kids."

"I hope we can make you change your mind about that," Isda says. Her golden hair flicked my light around the grand room. I never really looked at it before. The annoying women took all my attention. But the room is just stupid. Red paint on the walls peek through the many paintings of different dead beasts with the Princess standing next to them. Two chandeliers like the one in the entrance to the brothel. An entire wall filled with wine bottles.

I'll need to be careful drinking tonight. I've seen what it can make people do when they've had too much to drink. Clients have shared too much while they raped me after having a lot to drink in the lounge. I don't wish to spill my secrets to these nobles.

Not that I have many as a slave.

"With my freedom another decade after what I was promised, don't plan on it," I say. "I sold myself to save my Mother. Yet here I am, forced to leave her for who knows how long. I was promised ten years. Think I will be pleasant to those who make it twenty?"

One of the other women offers, "You will be able to see her sooner than that. Maybe as a concubine?"

"I was promised to marry her. She's pregnant right now with my children. I want to raise them. No matter how you spin this, you took my Mother and my deal away from me," I say back. "Promise me I can marry the women I love when this collar is meant to come off, or just shut the fuck up."

"That is for Elora to decide," Shimmer says. "She won't say either way tonight. We've made some progress tonight and we can continue to work together to make everyone happy for this marriage. So, let's go down the line again for introductions. I think everyone is clear on Alzi, so it will just be us."

"That would be best," the Princess forces out. Pouring herself yet another glass. "I am Elora, a direct Princess aiming for the throne. I'm a warrior with a fire affinity as well. I am the head of this family."

I don't respond to my owner. I just continue to work through the oversized feast, careful to limit how much wine I drink. Mommy hid it from me for a reason.

"Elyne, Syro, Isda, Geta, and I are basically already introduced, so Ioelena, please go next," Shimmer instructs, gesturing towards a cute wood elf with colorful hair. Nobles just have to be pretty.

"Hi Alzi. I'm sorry for how this is, but I hope we can become friends. I'm a time mage with a bit of pixie blood if the hair didn't let you know that. So, my magic can get a bit wild sometimes. It won't hurt you, just surprise you," the elf says with a small nod.

"Hmm," I give her before taking another bite.

"Inanos, death elemental," the dark and gloomy figure says.

Is it strange that I like her the best now? It seems she knows I will never like her, so why try? At least, I hope that is why I seem to like her.

"Seems I'm last here," the high elf says. "Vanya a warrior like Geta and Elora. It will be nice having a healer around. I know you haven't gotten much of a chance to learn how to heal, but I think you'll learn quickly, and I'll likely give you plenty of practice."

Shimmer gives me a pleading look. Her eyes soften as she shows me her cleavage, and her smile begs me to say something.

"Fine," I mutter. "I'm Alzi, sex slave, prostitute, breeder, and high breeder. Not sure why you bought a breeder when you don't want kids, but here I am."

"Thank you, Alzi," Shimmer says. "I know right now is confusing, but as I said. I think we can learn more about each other and grow into a strong family. One that is willing and able to grow larger through a few means."

"Alzi will have us all growing larger eventually!" the Princess shouts out. "Alzi, this family has a good duty of helping everyone in the Queendom. To improve their lives to make them safer. My duty was drilled into me from the time I could talk till the war was over. This is what I need you for. I need you and want you to help this family soar to the throne and turn this country into something even better."

"Good for you," I say, standing up and getting ready to walk out.

"Alzi..."

"Let her go," Geta says, cutting Isda off. "She has plenty to think through, and tomorrow is her first party. She should get some sleep and it's not like this dinner is following any rules."

"Ok," Isda says. "I'm happy to have you here, Alzi. I'm hoping we can have you fall in love with us."

"Please hold your breath," I mumble back. Through the door an angry Aurora is waiting for me. Her eyes staring daggers at me. But she grabs my arm and guides me back to my room.

My other maids waiting naked in my bed already.