Chapter 186 – A Waiting Game

*** Tanatsu, Yuki's sister ***

"Dear, looks like I have to go for a bit," I say.

"Just give up," she says. "I don't want to leave you. But this is too far."

"No, I have just what I need walking into my hands. This dragon is the champion of fertility and sex," I say, petting my lover. Her beautiful black ears are now a terrible grey. "What more could I need for you? She'll owe me a favor for saving her dear Mother and child. My own Mother may even thank me for helping stupid Yuki complete her quest finally."

"Don't hurt her," she says. "You've hurt too many trying. Don't hurt her."

"If you demand it," I say. "Anything you wish besides giving up. Now I have some work to do. If I don't save the dragon, I don't get the help."

Those three up top have messed up this one. They should've just taken it themselves rather than risk an amateur on this. I'll have to bring it to the Queen's attention as well, so they give up. A dragon holding Alzi's child is not something you can risk. They have to know by now that Alzi is a royal.

"Ok, dear," she says. "Please be safe. The dragons are dangerous."

"So are we," I say. The table starts to move down into the freezer. Ten rings of runes are etched into the side. Each filled with mana every day. My friend will not die before me, and I will not let her become an undead.

To do that, it seems I have to help a slave out.

First, I need to find who ordered this stupid assassination. I can have Audrey turn it into the Queen. Yuki should've removed that collar the second her heist was over. Audrey isn't a stupid girl; she knows not to get revenge.

But it works out for me. She'll be thankful for me giving her a reason to go to the Queen and get her collar removed and come to me for anything she needs. Then I need to see what is going on with that assassin and then use it as an excuse to check out the pregnant dragon. The dragons have rules about checking on their unborn kids too early, but Kitsunes don't, so I can see if there is some gold in that womb. Mother would love to hear about that.

A gold mine of opportunity is being placed in my lap by some idiot. It almost makes me want to cover for them, but there's no need to get caught by the Queen and ruin everything.

Popping into the archive, I find the transaction quickly and find someone has been naughty. The paper doesn't fill out who ordered the attack. Stupid three really think I'm going to protect them against the Queen? I could probably fight the Queen, but her harem would kill me. Even if we take the harem out of it, the Queen would leave me with not enough mana to keep my lover alive.

Of course, that is a problem for them, not me.

"Audrey," I say, shifting over to her. "I need you to give this to the Queen."

"Fuck you shouldn't run up on people like that," Audrey says. "Why do I have to?"

"So you can show her the collar and make the Kitsune Princess give you your freedom," I say. "Do it soon. Today would be best, really. Now, I have an assassin to follow. Need to look cool for the dragon."

I pop outside and start moving to my sister's new house. Seems like the dragon may have more than one in her womb with the new house size. Should I just walk in and introduce myself as a friend of Yuki?

No, Yuki would get mad if she found me meddling in her life too much. Best show up when she has no choice but to thank me.

I just pop up on the roof and wait.

*** Audrey ***

"How did you know?" I ask to empty the air. Is space magic this common?

Would the Queen really free me? I mean, I have less than a year to go, and I doubt she would like dealing with that annoying Kitsune. She did strangely help me with my wife.

It will be good not to babysit those village girls. Buying a house for her was painful. Why did we tour a house so much bigger than she could possibly understand? There were mana tools that she didn't even know existed. I should've just told them the first house would be good enough.

She is nice and overwhelmed and I think I'm seeing why I was fighting with my wife.

Just wait until someone relieves me and then run up. It should be soon. We have started getting a schedule so we can know if someone was assassinated. It makes the job a lot better. I'm still looking to quit early. Maybe that elf can get me a job without the threat of death.

...

Finally, a bitch comes to relieve me. Some of these people need to get a pocket watch or something. I'm already late for dinner, so I might as well have a better excuse than work.

Flagging down a carriage, I start my journey to see the Queen.

Yuki did command me not to say what happened, but luckily, you always have to be able to tell others who your owner is, so I just need the Queen to see the collar. Then she'll ask, and hopefully, she'll get the Kitsune to take it off me.

"Here!" the driver calls back.

The front gate, or I think this is the front. Most of the traffic goes through this space, so the main gate may be the safer term. Anyway, I head up to the guard and clear my throat: "Hello. I have something I need to show the Queen. It is important, so it needs to be today."

"What is it about," the guard asks.

"An assassination. Important and we all remember the trouble just a bit ago," I say.

"Follow me," she says.

I haven't been to the castle grounds often. The Queen just had a massive birthday party for her kid and then the weddings in the church.

Even in the cold, the grounds are beautiful. The few flowers that manage to bloom in the winter take over the flower patches as I am led to a waiting chamber.

"You'll be called from here," the guard says, leaving me alone.

With nothing to do, I sit down in the lavish chair and wait. My wives are going to be a little mad about how late I am, but I'll have good news for them.

...

"Lady Fulburne," a maid calls out. "You can follow me."

We go through the small maze and reach an office where the Queen is waiting. I give her a deep bow and say, "Your Royal Highness, thank you for seeing me this late. I believe it is worth it."

"Rise, Lady Fulburne," The Queen says. "What do you bring me."

"Information from the assassin's guild," I say. Feels a little weird that I'm not getting strung up for admitting to working there. "They just got an order to kill a pregnant dragon. One that Yuki is watching over."

"Really," the Queen says. "Do you have this order?"

"Yes, right here," I say, handing over the order. "The person who ordered the assassination has been left blank."

She looks over the paper. There aren't many words on it. Just the name 'Armirynth' and her address. Yet the minutes pass by in silence.

"Troublesome," the Queen says. "Thank you for bringing this to me and I'm guessing Yuki put that collar around you?"

"Yes, Your Royal Highness," I say. Oh please.

"That won't do. I'll summon you both when she is in the city and get that sorted out," the Queen says. "I will handle this paper. Find anything else strange in the guild let me know. I would love to come teach them a lesson. It seems Yuki didn't do a good enough job the first time. Go back to your family."

"Thank you, Your Royal Highness," I say with another bow.

The maid leads me back out of the castle and into a waiting carriage. It's nice of them to make it easy for me to get home.

*** Tanatsu ***

Boring. More than one person comes to stake out the place, so I guess some newer guilds also got the order. Or the Queen is already watching the dragon trio. There is the pregnant vampire as well. Alzi really is exactly what I need, able to give life to the nearly dead like that. How could she not fix my beloved?

Maybe I should've waited to tell the Queen about this. The assassins don't seem to want to do it just yet. They're chickens listening to the handlers' advice. Pathic. Just attack, and let me kill you all in a grand show!

But I can wait. I've waited a long time, and my dear is willing. I have a long life ahead of me, and with Alzi, my love will, too. And maybe even children. It almost makes me happy that Yuki could never finish an assignment.

Just attack before the Queen comes, you fools.

*** Fluvis ***

"Any sightings?" I ask.

"No, but they should be in the port already!"

"Well, we have the food to sit out here for a month, so just stay out of their range for now. We don't have the fleet to show Migate not to host kidnappers right now," I call back.

We made better time than I thought we would. The sea helping us along to make up for my missing wind mage. I really do need to be together with my wives for sailing. But I can make do. Lottie is more than capable of taking out the Princess with my help.

The one issue will be the kids. If they keep messing with my mana, I won't be much help, but they were good when I was helping their father, and I see them calming down to get her back. They just don't like to wait.

"Dear, you should be in bed," Lottie says.

"I cannot captain a ship from my bed. What will I say to the Queen if I fail?" I say. "Sorry, Your Royal Highness, your daughter, and her husband are still captured because I needed a few more minutes of sleep. No, these kids want their father back just as much as I want to save the pair. I can do it, and they will let me. I'm sure they would help if they could."

"There is nothing to do right now, my raindrop. I know what needs to be done," Lottie says. "I won't start the pursuit without you. But until then, rest. You are past looking full term."

"I'm almost done with the rounds, and then I will go to bed," I say. "There can be no mistakes. A little discomfort is fine. I want to see Alzi and Princess Elora well and with their abductor in chains."

"Go," she says.