Chapter 300 – Married at Last

*** Alzi ***

Aurora led us to the temple, which did need a short carriage ride. They must still be getting some things ready since they took us to a side room. It was quiet, both the trip and the room. I'm starting to think that I only really want these two women in the room, along with Mommy's wives. They were nice and helped Mommy, and they never promised me anything that they failed to deliver. They just finally married Mommy.

"They did their best," Mommy says. "Kelly isn't wrong that it should've been Yuki who shared the news. Please don't be too hard on her about that. I don't know about Yuki, but Kelly did her best. The rest will have a chance to prove the truth of their words. Some are new, like Nanoka. She is going to be strange with how old she is. But she seems to care about you."

"I guess," I say. "Why did Nature and Justice have to do this? I didn't do anything to them."

"I don't know how they think. I'm sorry that I can't be of much help," Mommy says. "Why they would want to hurt a sweet girl like you, I will never understand. Why anyone felt that hurting you was ok, I don't know, baby."

"They are ready," Aurora says. "You three can walk in together."

"Ok," I say.

Aurora leads us back through the halls to the main entrance. The Queens are sitting in some pews with the two kitsunes from before. Yet, only Tanatsu said anything. I don't even know the second one's name. Why is she here?

"Hello again, Champion," the Priestess says. "I'm glad you don't have the collar on this time."

"The situation hasn't changed that much," I say. That's a bit of a lie. I'm only marrying the women I love through Love this time around. But others will still be getting added to it eventually.

"Well, you can stand over here, and the others will group up over here," the Priestess says.

I wonder if it is weird for the Priestess to hold ceremonies in the Goddess of Love's name for women who don't love each other? That would likely be rude to ask right now, or the Queens might get mad at me. Add on that Love doesn't like me, and I won't be getting that question answered for a while.

I don't see Sarania around. I guess they are letting my kids sleep in one of the manors.

"Can you hurry up?" I say. "I don't care for this and just want to go to bed with Mommy and check on my kids."

"Sorry, they are on their way from the room right now. I think the babies distracted them a bit," the Priestess says. Then the crowd of women starts to file in. Mother's wives walk in at the front, with Mai right behind them and Kelly taking up the rear.

Nanoka pops in when they all stop by the altar. She's in a black and gold dress, and the same flowers from her tails are the patterns on the cloth. She gives me a soft smile, and her tails disappear until just one is left. Does that mean she didn't show me all of them before? Or is it just an illusion?

"Well," the Priestess says. "I've been asked to move this along. So, all I will say is that I hope you all find happiness and love together. It takes work, and it is worth it. Now, the required words. Do you all love one another and promise to work together in your marriage?"

"Yes," I say.

Why wouldn't Love force me up? Why didn't she try to intervene in my first marriage?

"You aren't wrong," Love says. "I'm mad that I had a circus of Goddesses and that damn demon in my realm. Now, you're trying to cut me out of yet another marriage of yours. A contract? You know they'll be your wives before the two years are up. Why are you sidestepping me?"

"Things change," I say. "I don't love them. So why would Love care to connect me to them?"

"Marriage is meant to be a bond of love; that is the basis for a family. You're starting a family with those women, and they'll have connections of love between you all with the children. I told you the divorce before was pointless, as you'll end up loving them. Am I a joke to you?"

"I would say so," the Demoness says, strolling in with a big smile. "Bold of you to ask me to come by without any of your Goddess friends here to help you. Do you wish to bleed?"

"If you could make me bleed, you would have taught Nature, Sex, or Justice a lesson already, and this wouldn't be happening right now. You're risking a lot by coming here. Why do you care about this stupid marriage?"

"Every marriage you oversee is stupid. You're the Goddess of Love. When you had Alzi married the first time, you didn't care that it lacked your affinity when you tried enforcing it. So just let this go, or we'll see who wins in the end—me or you. I never said it wouldn't be a fight; I asked if you wish to bleed, and I'm certain I can make you bleed. I'm not about to risk angering those idiots and making things worse for Alzi. My descendants have messed up enough that I don't need to be adding to it."

"I'm not going to let you out of another marriage, Alzi. Be careful about who you marry."

"I'll just keep trying for kids until the Goddess of Marriage is born," I say. "I'll go begging Fertility to help me."

"Like that will ever fucking happen. There is a reason I have this control. Now, I don't want to see you for a long time."

"Yes," Mommy says, kissing me, not even noticing my short absence, or trying to ignore it. Her eyes look a bit worried.

The rest echo her, and my screen fills up with all their names, copied down by the Sexual Focus Skill. What fun. Sarania is also there, with my maids, including that stupid Annoris. I need to check in on Calli.

I can get a cat, dog, and fox tail to brush all at once, and our kids'.

There are some good things about this, Alzi. Just ignore the rest of it.

"I'm tired," I say. "Where are we sleeping tonight?"

"I have a manor set up for you," the Queen says. "Elora will be in the one next to it on the castle grounds. We don't have much time before Nature attacks, so we need to handle the north and then prepare for Nature's assault. And I'm sure the Phoenixes will want Alzi to visit before they fight the dragons, so we have a lot to do after this union. Everyone will need to work hard."

"Goodnight, Mommy," I say, my world going black.

*** Sarania ***

"If you fuck this up," I say. I had to have Nanoka teleport us to the manor that the Queen gave to Alzi. Too much needs to happen. I know I promised I'd watch the kids, but this has to be done right now.

"How could we?" the pregnant dogkin says. "I care deeply for Alzi; I'll watch over them. I already got a potion to let me lactate since I was hoping Duchess Fluvis would join us, but it's working out now. So do what you need to. We can handle the kids."

"Fine," I say. I was hoping I could put this off until I had a night off, but I doubt that whatever that stupid Goddess did to help my Mistress get through the negotiations is good for her mental health. And it isn't like Osanna deserves more time before she begins serving her.

I move quickly, feeling out for the stupid demon that haunts more than a few corners of my Mistress's brain. I feel a few other demons, but they didn't do anything to Alzi. And then there is my sister deep below the castle. Hopefully, my Mistress can help me save her. But right now, there is too much going on to even think of bringing that up to her. The stupid Goddesses are also throwing a hissy fit at the worst possible time.

The streets are already empty, the sun now gone from the sky.

And here we are, a nice little house she was living in while my Mistress was in a single room. You will learn to serve her well, Osanna.

I blow open the door. I'm not here to ask nicely anyway, and I really shouldn't be leaving my Mistress's children with others for too long. Not when they were put in my care by my Mistress.

"Osanna! I know you can feel me. Get your sorry ass down here!" I shout. A few maids peek out around the corner, but eventually, the woman I want finally stands atop the stairs.

"What are you doing here?"

"My Mistress needs help, and you are going to provide it. How you are alive after letting yourself indulge in another's fear, I will never understand. If I tried that, they would have me strung up in the square and tortured. But it doesn't matter. The great Mother wishes to support Alzi, and you will be providing Alzi with some very important services." I leap up the stairs, grab her by the base of her hair, and drag her back down. "Your wives can join us or stay here. I don't care. But if they join you, they will be Alzi's servants."

"What is going on?" the pregnant one asks.

"Your wife is paying for her stupidity," I say. "You are coming, too, actually. Alzi should get to raise more of her kids, and you're ready to pop."

"Osanna?" the pregnant woman says.

"Do as she says," Osanna says. "We aren't strong enough to stop her."

"Very well," the woman says—the perfect submissive. Alzi will have some fun with her, I think.

"Hurry up," I say. "Your pregnancy is no excuse to make my Mistress wait. This one never cared about her pregnancies at the brothel."

"I will try."

...

Maybe I shouldn't have taken the pregnant woman with us right now. She is so slow. I thought I would be dragging Osanna through the streets; instead, it was just an awkward walk. But we've made it back to the manor, and I can practically feel my Mistress's nightmare.

"Fix it," I say. "Eat the fear you helped put into my Mistress."

"But-"

"I don't care. I'm more than willing to torture you, and my Mistress is skilled at keeping pregnant women alive if we need to include your harem."

"Fine."

*** Victoria ***

"Well, this is a dreary fucking wedding," I say. Not a damn woman here looks happy. Maybe I should've asked the fucking Queen for a better damn daughter to marry.

"Do you all love one another and promise to work together in your marriage?" the Priestess says.

"Yes," I say. Yuki and Nakuma say it quickly, too, and this damn ordeal is finally over.

Time to sleep.