Chapter 80: Repercussions

Orlana wound up kicking in the door when it wasn’t opened fast enough. Luckily the three women had been able to put on some semblance of clothing, though Ann had just managed to get a kilt on, Kat her pants, and Rosalyn was in one of Ann’s shirts. Orlana was dressed in simple leathers, pants, and a pair of metal boots that clinked ominously as she strode into the room. Her expression was dark as she glowered down at the three on the bed.

“Afore ye start,” Kat blurted. “It was an accident. We did the best we could, an’ I paid tae fix the bathroom.”

Orlana stood there, her jaw working like she wanted to speak, but just couldn’t find the words. She turned, looked out the door, and ordered the guards who had come looking for the source of the crash away. She closed the door, summoned a maul, and laid it against the door to keep it closed.

“Kat. Fer fuck’s sake. Do you know how many people’re talkin’ about what ye did last night? The entire fuckin’ court is blabbin’ their gobs off. In a fuckin’ washroom? In the middle o’ the Brawler’s Guild on a tournament night? Explain. Now!”

“That’s kind of mostly my fault,” Ann said. She instantly regretted speaking up as Orlana glared at her. “It’s… my Path that got us in trouble,” she added hurriedly.

“Right. And this explains ye fucking my daughter in all but public loud enough a busy bar could hear how?” Orlana asked bluntly. Fury shone in those eyes.

“Ma,” Kat tried to cut in, but was hushed by a raised hand.

“She gets one chance tae explain,” Orlana growled.

“My path. You know what it is. It’s got a stat. A resource, really. It’s tied to my libido. Apparently, if it goes over, I lose control until my drive is satisfied,” Ann explained truthfully. She didn’t want to mince words and risk pissing off the queen more than she already was.

“Tell me this was the first time,” Orlana groaned.

“Um, no. First time was when we met Rosalyn,” Ann muttered, lowering her eyes. She found she was shaking and clenched her hands between her thighs to try to quell the trembling.

“So ye knew the consequences an’ did it, anyway?” Orlana asked coldly. “Thinkin’ we need tae reconsider our approval o’ yer relationship wit’ our Katlyn.”

“Ma, that’s not yer…”

“If it is impactin’ our standin’ wit the kingdom, it sure as the hells is, Katlyn,” Orlana almost shouted back. “Ye know how serious all that shite is. Yer father is havin’ a time o’ it trying to keep this entire fuckin’ thing from boilin’ over and ruinin’ yer whole reputation. Ye like ‘avin some o’ the privileges o’ yer station, right?”

Kat nodded mutely. While she may hate being treated like royalty, she did appreciate the freedom that came with it. That much, Ann knew for certain.

Orlana sighed and sat heavily in a chair. “Kat. Ye’re a grown woman now. Young, just o’er fifty, but a woman. I can’t control everythin’ ye do, but I also can’t keep ye safe from the consequences as much as I could before.”

“I never asked fer that,” Kat grumbled.

“No, but it’s me job as yer mum tae do it all the same. Ye coulda handled that much differently. Dragged ‘er off tae a more private place. We both know they ‘ave ‘em in the Guild. Restrained yer girlfriend until ye could safely deal wit’ the situation.”

“Tae be fair, I didn’t think it’d go on that long,” Kat muttered. “Last time was only a half hour or so.”

“We did kinda get cut off by Rosalyn passing out,” Ann reminded her.

Rosalyn squirmed, not having spoken a word. She’d balled up under the pressure of the situation and was doing her best to not attract attention. Ann almost wondered if she’d used her camouflage skill to hide better.

“Right. Regardless, you’re going to have issues, Kat,” Orlana warned. “Ridicule and mockery at best. Ostracization and schemes against you at worst. Ye’ve exposed a glarin’ weakness, and yer enemies are gonna be lookin’ tae exploit it.” Orlana turned to face Ann and Rosalyn as well. “That goes fer all three o’ ye. Ye’re tied intae this political game, now. Shite like last night can’t happen. Even if ye’re the Champion of Orenous, there’s only so much we can excuse. Propriety, manner. Fuck, common decency. All three of you should know better.”

“But,” Kat started.

“No. Buts,” Orlana said tersely. “My last, an’ I mean it this time, Kat, line o’ keepin’ ye safe ‘ere. Ye’re not the heir tae the kingdom, but ye’re still important. Please. I know ye hate the burdens o’ the title, but fer us, fer yer brothers an’ sisters. Please lock it down. Jonathan’s old enough tae have friends who’ll talk. Kierran’s still too young, but imagine having tae grow up wit’ a sister who has that reputation. It’s not fair. I fucking know it’s not. It’s the burden we ‘ave tae bear.”

Orlana sagged in the chair, for the first time letting her stern front fade away. “I love ye, Kat,” she said, her tone much softer. “I love all ye kids. It’s hard tae keep all ye safe from the dangers ye either don’t know about, or choose tae ignore. That, plus the whole fuckin’ kingdom.”

“I’m sorry,” Kat said, fidgeting with her hands in a manner reminiscent of Rosalyn’s fidgets. Ann read the shame clearly as they sat there in silence for a few long moments.

“I’ve seen ye three out an’ about,” Orlana continued. “Ye didn’t see me, but I’ve been watchin’. Ye all seem good fer each other. It’s just this one part we really need ye tae work on.”

“We’ve… talked, some. Last night,” Ann said, catching Orlana’s attention. “It really was my fault. I got overexcited. Too eager to impress Kat, and forgot about the limit. I need to apologise too, for even letting something like this happen.”

“You, well, you’re young, and new to your Path. Ugh, I can understand gettin’ in o’er yer head. All too well considerin’ me younger days. Had me own share o’ dalliances. Some more scandalous than others. I just want ye all tae have an easier time o’ things than I did.”

“Ye don’t talk much about tha’,” Kat said, flopping back on the bed.

Ann knew how she felt. They just woke up, and she was already a bit tired.

“Well, maybe I should. Not now, though. Fer now, I want tae talk wit’ you all. How can I help you deal with ye’re unique situation? Not as a queen, but as me. A concerned mom lookin’ out fer her kids.”

“I mean, I think this is all on us, right?” Ann said, reaching over to hold Rosalyn’s hand. “I guess we got used to being more… free when we were out of civilisation.”

“Can’t really blame ye for that,” Orlana shrugged. “Though I feel a bit sorry fer Bren if he has tae ‘ear that every night.”

“He’s been… figuring out things,” Ann said, shifting her eyes.

“Well, I can help wit’ tha’ at least. Know an enchanter that’ll be able tae make somethin’ fer him. Already ‘ave them workin’ on something, so that’ll just be an add tae the order.”

“I can’t really think of anything that’d help besides advice, really,” Ann continued. “Just, if you were in my skin, what’d you be doing?’

“Well, first off, I would be much more careful with the libido stat. Ye already knew tha’, though. Not helpful. I’d also be lookin’ fer ways tae be more discreet. Sex seems tae be part o’ yer nature beyond yer path. If the need arises, how’re ye gonna handle it? Fuck like a rabid beast? Or keep a handle on it until ye can let loose? I’d also be tryin’ tae figure out contingencies fer if ye do overload yer Libido. Stealth in some way. Hidin’ while ye deal wit’ it. Sound an’ sight’re gonna be yer biggest issues.”

“I… can help with the sight part,” Rosalyn said, voice barely above a whisper. “Camouflage does that a bit. I can’t do sound yet.”

“Well, there’s one part solved. Second part is trickier. Providin’ ye don’t wanna gag each other.”

“Ma!” Kat cried out.

“Oh hush. Providin’ ye don’t want tha’, somethin’ tae muffle the sound would be my next objective. Talk tae a couple enchanters. I’ll pull a list together fer ye. Some o’ the more, let’s just say, open-minded individuals on the market.”

“Thanks,” Ann muttered.

“Ah, an’ yer father added one other thing. Ye’re on reserve. Any official mercenary duties that’re required are tae be handled by ye and yer team. Annita, ye’re getting yer weapons soon?”

“Yes ma’am,” Ann nodded. “Should be today.”

“Good. Got somethin’ fer ye that’ll be done tomorrow. Rosalyn, somethin’ else fer ye. A symbol o’ me thanks fer keepin’ me daughter safe.”

Both women nodded and expressed their thanks before Orlana stood and left. She lifted her maul with ease and set the door back in the frame with a heavy clunk.

“I’m scared,” Rosalyn sighed. “Holy hells your mom is like a Quillbear in mating season.”

“I mean, we fecked up,” Kat said, visibly relaxing. “Real bad. Can only expect so much slack, an’ she gave us good pointers tae help fix shite. Or at least get away wit’ it in the future.”

“Was kinda surprised she went that way instead of trying to get us to stop completely,” Ann admitted.

“Nae, tha’s me da’s approach. She probably owes ‘im a favour or somethin’ fer gettin’ tae handle this one. Bettin’ he’ll drag ‘er tae a ball in a dress wit’ no armour.”

“That’s… unique,” Rosalyn said, cocking her head to one side.

“Come on, let’s get breakfast,” Ann said, standing and pulling on her shirt. “Betting Bren’ll have a lecture and a half for us as well.”

Bren, indeed, did have a lecture for them. He fumed and sputtered for a good while, hardly touching his breakfast. Eventually, he fell back into his seat with his head in his hands.

“Kat, come on. You have had lapses in judgement but this takes the cake. All three of you.” He lowered his head to the table and let out a muffled groan. “I will be hearing about this from everyone. Everyone! Gossip is already everywhere. I honestly do not know how this is going to affect us, or you, Ann. You need to announce your status as Champion, eventually. This is going to make it so much wooorse,” he groaned again.

“Or, and hear me out,” Ann said, leveling a fork with a sausage on it at him, “it makes things make more sense? Goddess of love, sex, and all that? I’m her Champion? Of course I’m gonna have some escapades.”

“That…” Bren paused, looking up at her before batting away the fork. “That could be true. I dislike how much sense that makes. Severely. Illdall protect us all if it does.”

“I promise not to abuse my divinely given sexiness for personal pleasures. Well, not too much,” Ann said, shrugging and returning to her meal.

“I guess that is about the best I can expect,” Bren said, heaving his hundredth sigh. “What is on the itinerary for today?”

“Got Pile at eleven, so we’ve got some time before that. Then in the evening, the three of us girls have a meeting with Rowena.”

“Why just you?” Bren asked, cocking his head.

“Oooh, did she not explain that to you?” Rosalyn asked innocently.

“Do I want to know?” Bren asked, looking at Kat pointedly.

Kat flustered for a moment, then wilted. “Nae.”

“Then I will not ask,” Bren nodded. “Keep things discreet. So, before Pile, let us go see if we can start on that list of enchanters Orlana left us. It should occupy our time.”

“Lookin’ fer magical soundproofin’ on the go so we can feck in peace?”

“Or to provide security for sensitive conversations,” Bren said insistently. “Gods, does everything have to be about sex with you?”

“Nae, but it’s more fun that way,” Kat shrugged. “There’s the fightin’ too. All that dealin’ with warped an’ helpin’ our Champion ‘ere figure out a millennia old mystery. The sex is definitely a perk though.”

Ann felt her face burning as Kat so casually laid it all out. Bren just rolled his eyes and returned to his food.

Half an hour later, they were in a carriage and headed to the first shop on the list.

“Wendyl’s Enchantments and Wares,” Rosalyn read off the list. “Guess we can see what he’s like?”

“Aye, could be a right fit. Though we might be lookin’ fer someone along our tastes.”

“If he can get the job done, who cares?” Bren pointed out. He was still a bit snippy, and the rest of the group was giving him time to calm down and vent.

“Yup. As long as he can do the enchanting, that’s fine by me,” Ann said with a shrug. “Though I wonder how the hell we’d soundproof a room. Or a space.”

The carriage pulled up to the store. It was fairly well off, with a dark brown wood front displaying the name of the store in glittering glyphs. The windows at the front displayed several devices on cushions that Ann couldn’t quite figure out the purpose of. All of them were metal of some sort, inlaid with gems of various types. Some glowed, others whirred and moved about on their own. They all looked sturdy enough.

A bell rang out as they pushed open the door, calling to the clerk. Surprisingly, a woman stood up from behind the counter. She was Inlon, with deep green skin and red eyes. She was fairly slim for her stature, petite breasts, and narrow hips. A bright pink mohawk that she let run down her back in a sort of tail topped her head. It was a very distinctive look. Her large, drooping ears had a couple gem studs pierced through them. She looked every bit of a metalhead that Ann was familiar with, save the black eyeliner and face paint. She’d probably look good in it, though.

“Ah, welcome to Wendyl’s Enchantment and Wares. How can I be of service?”

“Ye’re Wendyl?” Kat asked, confused, as she made way for the rest of the party to file in.

“Yes, ma’am I am. Well, my father is. So was his grandfather. It’s this whole thing that’s kinda silly, but they wanted to keep the name. I told them they should have changed it to their surname, make this easier, but no one wanted to listen to me until I got my Path. Oh well, family drama is family drama. You’re here for enchantments, right?”

“Yup,” Ann said, poking at a strange crab-like device. Her claw touched the ruby set in its back and it scuttled off on its own. It bumped clumsily into a box and fell over, copper legs flailing frantically in the air. “Looking for something to help with sound.”

“Sound? How do you mean? Amplify or reduce?”

“Reduce. Eliminate, if possible.”

“That can be done. Is this blocking out noise from outside, or keeping noise from escaping inside?” Wendyl asked, pulling out a notebook and scribbling out some notes.

“Keeping the noise in so people can’t hear what’s going on inside,” Rosalyn confirmed, eyeing a set of jewelry.

“Mhm, and how loud are we talking here? Whispers, normal talking, shouts?”

“Screams o’ ecstasy?” Kat said with a grin.

That got Wendyl’s attention. Looking up from her notebook, she took another look at who was exactly in her shop. When her eyes rested on Ann, she could practically feel the woman’s gaze crawling up and down her body.

“Who told you to come here?” she demanded.

“Does it matter?” Ann asked, bristling slightly at the sudden change in tone.

“It does if you’re one of my other type of clients,” Wyndyl explained cooly.

“Would it surprise you if I said the queen?”

“Considering that’s Katlyn Farragher right there? No, it wouldn’t. Not sure why she knows about that side of my business, but she sent you to the right place. I’m not far into my path, only ten levels in, but I’ve been trained by some of the best enchanters in this city. Namely dad. So, what’s someone like the princess and her consorts looking to buy from me again?”

“Something to keep us private while dealing with… urges,” Ann tried to explain.

“Keeping in cries of ecstasy, right?” Wendyl muttered, making some alterations to her notes. “Do you have a place that needs the soundproofing, or does it need to be portable? Always indoors, or does it need to work outdoors as well? I know your reputation, princess. I’m betting it’s the second one.”

“Can confirm tha’,” Kat nodded. “Outdoors too.”

Bren grumbled, but didn’t add anything.

“So, it needs to be portable, able to generate a field of sound dampening to keep anyone outside from hearing you all fucking. Congrats by the way,” she said, nodding to Bren.

Bren sputtered, raising his hands. “No, nonono, that’s those three. Not me.”

“Ah, ladies like the ladies? Fair enough. I have some other things you might be interested in later, but for now, your sound device.” Wendyl laid out a piece of paper before them.

Ann couldn’t really make much sense of the notes, but the device itself looked interesting. It was crab like, kinda like the thing she’d activated earlier. Four spiked legs radiated from the corners of a square box. At the centre was an octagonal gem, probably to be used for power.

“So, concept here is pretty simple,” Wendyl began to explain as Bren leaned in. “This, and five others like it, will be what this needs. Copper everything. Steel is something for weapons, and copper is better for delicate little pieces like this. You take this, tap it, and it’ll attach to the wall it’s placed on. From there, in theory, it’ll absorb sound that hits the wall from the side it’s placed on. I’ll have to make one that’ll work for outdoors too.”

“How does it stay powered?” Bren asked, looking at the diagram. “Erecting a field like that will cause issues with any continued use.”

“That’s where the fun part lies,” Wendyl said, grinning up at him. “So, when said cries of ecstasy, delight, and absolute debauchery are happening inside the field, it’ll take the vibrations of that and turn them into energy. I can set it up so it absorbs that and feeds the gem at its heart more energy. It should be fairly self-sustaining.”

“Interesting,” Bren mused, picking up the paper and wandering off.

“Hey,” Wendyl whispered loudly, grabbing Ann’s attention. “The rumours I’m hearing true? That you fuck like a stallion? So much so that the princess can’t keep her hands off you?”

Ann flushed. She’d expected the rumours to be happening, but not this fast. “Um…”

“Cause if so, I might give you a discount if you want to test out some of my other… wares,” Wendyl whispered. “Totally up to you.”

“I’ll think about it,” Ann whispered back. From the raised eyebrow, Kat had heard the whole thing. After a moment, she nodded. Ann took that as the go ahead.

Bren finished his inspection and returned the paper. “How long should this take?”

“Oh, not too long. A day. I’ve already got the base of a few of these made. I just need to carve out the runes and get them powered. You’re hardly the only ones looking to keep their fucking quiet. You would not believe how many scullery maids, lords with mistresses, and other people come asking.”

“Oh, I do not doubt it,” Bren sniffed, turning away from the conversation.

“Offer on the discount stands,” Wendyl reminded them.

“Is there any other type of enchanting you do?” Ann asked, looking over her wares.

“Well, so here’s the thing. It’s a craft, more than a Path. Yeah, the Path helps it, but a lot of this is in the know-how. Book work. Lots of reading, studying runes and how they work, the energies that they channel and absorb. If you have a mind for it, which my dad always said I seemed to have, it makes sense. Been working at it since I was a wee lass. Well, smaller than I am now,” Wendyl said with a mirthful laugh that made her ears flap. “So, you want an enchant? I can probably figure it out. Identifying too, if you need it.”

“Good. I have a feeling we’ll be needing some of your… services in the future,” Ann said with a toothy grin.

Wendyl just returned the grin, wiggling her pink eyebrows. “Don’t keep me waiting. Anyway, I’ll get to work on your order and have it ready for you tomorrow morning.”

“See ya then!” Kat called, holding open the door for her friends.

“One more odd craftsperson to the list,” Bren sighed. “Plus, we have another to meet in just half an hour. We should get moving.”