Chapter 163 – Princesses and Houses

*** Princess Elora ***

Shimmer really did go to every wife to say goodbye. I was surprised to find her running around the house looking for me, but I'm glad I got to watch her ride off.

She better come back. She and Geta picking a quest to do by themselves is a bit worrying. I know they are the strongest of my wives. Maybe Alzi will overtake them here, but I would still prefer they at least take a partner.

Shimmer should at least have the Baronness providing a group to hunt with. I don't know if Geta will even get that.

Shimmer also seems to be one of the few things that Alzi likes right now. My maid gave me an earful for taunting Alzi, and Shimmer hasn't shied away from correcting me either.

Maybe I should just bring her Mother here. Let her be a guest with the others. Aurora has said Oriphusa thinks it would be good for Alzi to learn from the midwife, and Alzi can hardly be a midwife to herself. Mai would solidify my connection with Countess Esmeralda.

Maybe I went too fast on this. Three weak dragons are still dragons I have in my house.

Then I can force that snobby white bitch into my house, and under my thumb would be nice. Hand her off to Nakuma, and I would have one of the strongest mages of the Kitsunes liking me.

Or if I could actually carry children for Alzi. I just have too much work going on right now to be burdened by however many kids Alzi would force into my womb. I'm going to look strange sitting on that throne when I do let Alzi have her way with me. My mothers could hide their pregnancies till the third trimester normally. I'll be lucky to hide it for a few weeks. If my morning after walking doesn't give it away.

I'll help her see what I want: a better place for the citizens, a stronger Queendom, and that I need her help to do it. Once there, I can turn my focus to my wives and shower them in love.

*** Yuki ***

"She wants me to hand over the gold? She had a damn noble right there and needed me to come by to drop it off?" I ask again.

"Yes. The woman said you would want your name on it or something. It would be best for you to do it. I can't read the contract and the noble that was helping didn't seem too happy to be there. I don't know how closely she was looking at everything," Armirynth says.

"Ouch," I let out. "No need to poke me so hard, Kelly. I'm doing my best here. I'll go and get a bit off for the hassle. I guess it will make it so we can move everything in quickly. Though that damn warrior will be asking us to pick a new mission immediately."

"I remember you saying you could handle this better. Yet here you are, coming back hurt again," Kelly says.

"This is hardly an injury. It would be healed in a day and was only received after fighting a hundred damn goblins rushing out of a cave," I say. "Why do you need to comment on every minor injury I get? I wasn't about to die. When fighting, injuries happen."

"Nakuma never comes back bloody," Kelly says.

"She is stronger than me and has space magic. I can't warp space, so my enemy's blood stays off my clothing. You can only dance around blood so much," I say. I guess today will just be repeating conversations.

"Done; here are a few potions. I know you've used the last few I gave you," Kelly says.

"I still have them," I say.

"Prove it."

I pull out the potions she gave me last time. "Three missions. I have been on three missions and come back a little hurt for two of them. I appreciate your healing and the potions, and I will use them if needed. But I don't like you implying I can't handle myself."

"Then try to show a bit of care for others," Kelly says before storming out of the living room.

"Thank you for your work, Yuki. She has been running around trying to get clients again. I just think she is under a lot of stress right now. I'm sorry she is taking it out on you. I'll try to find a way to help her," Armirynth says.

"No worries. I can take her stupid bickering. You need to get Mai to sit still. She is getting too far along to be running around the city. Mai is too small to handle even a single kid and be this active. She is going to get herself hurt soon," I say.

"I agree, and she knows. She just likes feeling useful. Once Mai stops, she won't have anything to do. Bed rest will be hard on her," Armirynth says with a sigh, holding out my shirt for me. I don't like that she acts as a maid for me.

I worry Alzi will somehow catch it and get mad at me for turning her Mother into my maid. But Armirynth brings up her class and says she needs to do it.

At least she doesn't fully dress me. I still have to put the shirt on my body. "I'll run over there real fast, and you can work with Nakuma to pack everything up again and move it. Try to get Kelly to stick around and let Mai know what is going on," I say, shuffling the shirt over my head. "You should be able to move everything over fast. Unpacking will take longer, but you don't need me and Nakuma for that anymore."

"We can handle moving everything if you handle your room. We should have the mana to move our stuff into a ring. I just don't want to go through your items," Armirynth says. I guess Kelly did get around to teaching them some stuff.

"Alright, well, I'll get the keys and return," I say. There's no need to make that annoying warrior wait.

I walk out of the living room and head for the office. Did they think a noble would lie about being associated with me? Or did they see a pregnant dragon and think I was scamming them with an illusion? How is handing them gold a scam?

I hustle through the busy streets and reach the office. My white tails do attract the attention of all the women working the counter, but none call me over. Is the stupid saleswoman not even working today? Another one better be able to finish the damn paperwork.

"I was told I needed to come down here to finish a sale," I call out, skipping past the few people in line. They are just lower nobles. I better not be expected to wait for them as well.

"If you could wait in line, please," they say.

"I am already wasting my time. I sent someone here to buy a house a few days ago, and you said I had to come here in person even though they had the money. I don't think you truly intend to make a Princess wait in line after calling me here," I say as I reach the counter. "Let me hand you the gold, with a discount for my troubles, and you hand me the keys. It was meant to be in the other women's name so you should hand me the deed for the land as well. The name would be Arminrynth."

"Please wait," the woman says again.

"No, give me what I need. There is no reason for this to take more than a minute," I demand.

"You will not be getting the deed. You are fronting the gold, not the dragon from a small village," the woman says.

"So I can't gift a dragon some gold? I won't be owning any land or property. I won't be gaining any control. She has no title, and this won't give her one. She has no influence and will not gain any from my gift. Now, I want the deed and keys. I have people waiting on me. Being a Princess and all."

"Yuki," a new woman calls out, coming out of the office.

"I'm glad to hear you know my name," I say. "But I think the sentence should be sorry for making you come out here for no reason. Here are the things I should've given Armirynth when she was here."

"No, that is not the right sentence. Why do you need to buy a new house?" She asks.

"Kids, really. The dragon was pregnant when she was here and another woman I have living with me is pregnant. I need more space. I already own a house and deed with the royal family, of course, so why would it be a problem to own another? If it is, I should be talking with someone higher up than you," I say. "So hurry it up before I'm forced to have Queens start talking about me owning a house."

"Are you really going to run to your Mother over a house for some exiled dragons? I don't think my Queen would care. You, being a foreigner with attachments to their ruling party, had extra checks, and you failed them. So go run to Mommy if you wish," the manager says, walking back to her office.

"Have fucking fun talking to the Queen about your stupidity!" I shout at her.

With that, I left and started towards the inner walls. Why go to my Mother when I can annoy the Queen herself? One look at my tails, and she'll yell about getting me what I want so she doesn't have to deal with me.

Plus, I think she went down to spend the night with Alzi after talking to me. It could be a good thing to check if Alzi can get old women like her pregnant.

It is a rather long walk to the Castle in the middle, but I'm sure I'll have a carriage to take me back home.

The crowd thins out as I start to near the castle walls. More and more guards are about. Some in uniform and plenty in hiding.

I even got a new tail now. It's nowhere near as pretty as my own, but it is fun watching it panic when I use a bit of mana.

Half the day is wasted by the time I reach the castle gate. A fact I will be hearing for at least a day after this. But I get to yell out now, "I need to speak with the Queen!"

"What business do you have with her?" a guard calls back.

"Housing, I was denied for some reason, and I don't think they did the paperwork correctly. I need it fixed before I can go out and complete another mission for this Queendom," I say.

"I need to send a message," the guard says back. It's a step in the right direction, I suppose.

"Make it quick."

"No need," a woman says, giving me a slight bow. "The home office sent a message that you would likely be coming up here angry. I can assure you no paperwork was done incorrectly."

"I believe I asked for the Queen, not one of her paper pushers," I say. No way a woman with as little mana as her is anywhere near a position to be talking for the Queen.

"No, Princess Yuki," she says again. "The decision is made according to her rules. There is no need, really."

"Then go get her seal on a paper that says as much. Royalty should be talking to royalty. Go find a wife or a Princess of age to talk with me. You don't get to deny me," I say.

"Yuki," the guard calls down. "You may enter."

"At least the guards have some brains," I mutter, passing the silly woman. She doesn't respond, but I like to imagine her angry face as she knows I'm about to get what I want. The Queen really needs to get her lower workers in line.

A small door off to the side opens. A group of guards is waiting on the other side to lead me to whoever I get to talk to.

"This way, Princess Yuki," A guard calls out. I wonder who was talking to me before. I didn't recognize the voice, but it had to at least be a Princess if they didn't call me Princess. But then what is with the letter and the office worker?

The Queen needs to get her house in order here. Seems a number of Goddesses are messing with her.

I'm about to marry into a mess, it seems.

The guards take me for a short walk to a random bench behind the walls. A woman in red already sitting there waiting for me.

"Hello, Yuki. We all have heard a lot about you, but I'm guessing you know little about the younger Princesses," the woman says. "Sorry to make you walk in here, but I wanted to get a closer look at the famous singer. Here is the paper to get your house. A carriage should be coming this way soon to take you back. Mother has made it clear she doesn't want to talk to you."

The little elf holds out a letter with a royal seal stamped on it. I take it from her and look to the road. A small carriage moving down it. "Your name? I want to make sure I can point things back to people in case this fails," I say.

"No need. If it fails, I'll take her head myself. They may be annoying, but they aren't stupid. I hope we don't meet again, Yuki," the Princess says, wandering off.

The guards point to the nearing carriage, and I take the hint. The mysterious Princess did at least give me a carriage with the royal coat of arms on it, so the trip back should be quick.

The carriage comes to a stop, and I hop in and relax for the ride back.

"We are here, Princess Yuki," the driver calls back.

"Thank you," I say, hoping out. I stride through the doors yet again. "Someone better fucking help me now. I've wasted an entire day getting this house, and heads will roll if this takes more than half an hour."

"You got your answer," the manager says, strolling out of her office. "Go home."

"Should I report you to the crown?" I ask, waving the royal sealed letter.

"Hand it here," she says.

"Here you go. Read fast but accurately. I'm not having you waste more of my time."

Her eyes scan the short letter a few times over. Each time, her face scrunches up a bit more.

"The words aren't changing. Give me what I want."

"This says you can't have the house you wanted. But a house just outside the district."

"Give it back," I say, snatching it from her hands. That bitch will be giving me her name if she thinks that is acceptable. I scan over the lines, looking for where the Princess limited my options. "It says no such thing."

"It says you may have a house fit for your stature. As a foreign citizen, you are not fit for the noble merchant district. You are no merchant and not a noble of this Queendom. So you may not live there. Besides, you want it in the dragon's name. She is even less fit to live amongst the nobles."

"You know what happens when I run mana through the seal?"

"Yes."

"Do I need to?"

"Be my guest, Princess," the woman says. Her years of working at the desk show in her waist. Brown-haired elf with a smug face that should get wiped off quickly here.

My mana runs through the seal; a flame shoots out and eats the paper before giving out a yell.

"Princess Yuki, why do you have a paper with my seal on it, and why are you running mana through it? I know your Mother taught you better than that!" the Queen screams. "I do not have time to play babysitter for you."

"Then tell your home office that I can live on the edge of the noble district if I please. More than half a day was wasted on this. I wish to be completing missions, not running around. Your daughter said you wished not to speak to me, and the people here were annoying, not stupid. Your daughter seems to have those wrong."

"What house do you want, and what reason did they give for not letting you have it?"

"Just a small house for ten, I think, on the edge of the noble merchant district. I am taking care of my lover's Mother, and she is pregnant with twins. I need a bigger house. They say I am not a noble or a merchant, so I am not suited for the house."

"Jessica, give her the damn house and then never show up to the office again."

"Yes, your Royal Highness," the plump elf stammers out. "I was just following what your office told me."

"Give a report, and if it is accurate, you may get your job back," the Queen says just before the flame vanishes.

"Today, please," I say with a big smile.