“You know, it’s enough if I go to greet her,” John pointed out to his gathered harem.

“I never fucking spoke to the bitch!” Eliana immediately shot back. “If I've got to share breeding time with another nympho whore, I want to know her.”

“Fair point,” John conceded immediately and checked his phone again. It was almost the agreed upon time. “You don’t insist on everyone coming through though, right?” All of them greeting the seer on top of the Palace’s roof was one thing. Funnelling them all through the teleporter and back would be more of a hassle.

“And go out there into the winter?” Rave asked, just as a blue light emanated from the teleporting pad. “Ya think I’m crazy?”

“Whoever would make such an assumption would doubtlessly be correct,” Lydia stated, as the glow of the activated Transportation Station faded away to reveal the foreign ruler in her full beauty. Her braid, shimmering with the colour of copper in the sun, lay over her right shoulder. Only a few wavy strands, framing the sides of her gorgeous face, escaped the orderly comb that led into that braid. The red of her hair seemed almost insignificant compared to her lips, coloured like ripe cherries and enticing to kiss with their shape. Only the hardness of her steel grey eyes dissuaded from that action.

During the swinging step that delivered her from the pad of the teleporter to the green lawn covering the roof, Lydia pulled off the black coat she wore against the cold of her home country. Underneath she had the typical combination of black pants and a golden shirt. The upper two buttons were open, compromising the military grace with which she carried herself with an open view of her braless cleavage. In the past, she used to also carry a rapier by her side.

Lydia raised a hand, pointing at John in an accusatory manner. “My love, it has been one and a half months,” she began a lecture, her finger waving around in wide gestures, “I patiently endure our separation and I greatly appreciate the time you did make for me to call. Yet…” she opened her hand to rub her forehead and sigh, “…yet you prioritize this meeting with a new woman.” The hand returned to gesturing. “Which, irritated as I already am, does no-” her words were suddenly underlined by the dark tones of a glockenspiel. Perhaps the intention was to give her words more weight, given the source of it, however, that was doubtful. Strimata, lying in the hand Lydia had been waving around, continued its reprimanding melody under ringing out with shock and awe, when its owner tossed it with all her might over the edge of the rooftop. “Accursed… ARGH!” the queen screamed, the momentum of her lecture completely ruined.

Which gave John the opportunity to swoop in and hug her from behind. “I missed you too, Lydia,” he whispered into her ear.

“Your sweet words do not eliminate my annoyance,” she swiftly chided him, even as she did lean against his chest. “Do you know what prolonged distance from you does to me? I love you.”

“I love you too,” John whispered to her. She turned her neck and they exchanged a lengthy kiss. The rapier that appeared on the ground next to the red haired queen resonated with clear notes. They both ignored it. “It’s unlike you to be unreasonable,” he pointed out. “I didn’t prioritize Lorelei, I wrote you several hours ago.”

“It should be clear that you must visit me after such a long time apart,” Lydia stated. “I have obligations to my guild too, my love, and I cannot oblige your schedule immediately.”

“Fair point,” John said, brushing over her neck with his fingers. Controlled breaths turned audible, as the touch inflamed another variety of yearning Lydia had for her partner. Gently, Lydia grabbed his arm and pulled it down. John let her. This was not the time for lust.

“Be honest with me, my love,” Lydia demanded in a tone soft by her standards. The irritated grey of her eyes had made room for a patient blue.

“I was too tired and distracted yesterday to check for schedules. It slipped my mind that this may get in the way of our reunion,” he confessed. “I’m sorry.”

“Kneel,” she said and he obeyed. On one knee in the grass before her, he watched the hourglass figure turn around and extend a hand to him. John graciously took it and kissed the back of her hand. “You’re forgiven – I desire my time, however.”

“You’ll get it,” John promised, while getting back up. He looked over to the rest of his harem. “We’ll all have our time together. After I get this whole healing affair done,” he gave an apologetic smile to all of them, “it is sadly time sensitive.”

“Saving a life is an acceptable reason to forego dates for the time being,” Lydia admitted. “To restate the point: meeting another woman is not. Next time you make this mistake, you will repay me with interest.”

“What would that interest be?” John wondered, brushing aside a strand of her hair.

“You will spend several days within my realm and accompany me on my affairs, not leaving me alone for a second longer than I desire,” she revealed to him.

“Woe is me,” John theatrically sighed before getting grabbed and kissed intensely by the wrongfully neglected royal. “I really do love you.”

“Such the mark on my body proves,” Lydia said and gave him a light tap on the side of his face. “I do desire to reprimand you further; however, as you rightfully stated, it is unlike me to be unreasonable.” She took a step back. “Your recent accomplishments do deserve a reward and I… have not awoken a single night this past month without requiring the care of myself or our fellow loves. Do introduce us to this potential addition to our circle.” Swinging her hips and the bubble butt she was blessed with, Lydia joined the rest of the harem. Standing among them, she gestured towards the teleporter. “We will take care of what you owe me afterwards. For that much, there has to be time before the Adventure.”

“I’ll make the time.” John grinned and headed towards the teleporter. By now there were a few minutes after the agreed time. ‘Hopefully they won’t mind… oh, who am I kidding, it’s Moira and William, of course they will mind.’

The blue light flashed and robbed John of his vision for just one moment. When the arcane energy subsided again, it wasn’t the group of his beloved women that looked at him, but two rows of knights that flanked a courtyard.

Rave had automatically assumed that it would be cold at John’s destination, but even by her standards New Orleans couldn’t be called cold. It was early March and the city lay at the southern coast of the USA. It was an unusually hot day at roughly 20 degrees, but not so unusual that John thought much of it. That the knights had their armour on for display purposes in this weather wasn’t much of a surprise either. That they were all of the Order’s upper leadership, however, was.

“John Newman!” William thundered from the opposite end of the courtyard. He stepped out between tall pillars that held up the roof of the half-open corridor of the medieval structure around them. They had stomped this up in the past month with some help from Gnome and all of the funding they were given by Fusion. For all of the lectures about virtue the Order held, they certainly loved their style.

Whatever criticism John had about that was gone when Lorelei stepped up next to the Lord-Protector. The ring she usually wore around her head was gone, leaving the entirety of her face uncovered. Her pale face was as adorable and attractive as John remembered from the short time he had seen it in Florida. Brownish pink lips of a light shade sat underneath a finely crafted nose. Her eyelids were closed, the dark grey eyebrows above contrasting with her white-blonde hair. It had been combed thoroughly today, yet the natural volume of her hair refused to be tamed to the same degree as Lydia’s, even if both women bundled the length of their hair in a braid. Consequently, that braid was a lot thicker than that of the woman John had held moments ago.

A brand-new dress adorned the seer. At its base it was grey. Splendid golden adornments all over the shoulders and her sleeves kept it from looking plain. The way the long skirt transitioned gradually into white elevated it to truly artful. A golden rose on a rich red background decorated the cloth that prevented her cleavage from showing. Additional layers closely covered the dress, allowing more of the golden, winding decorations to run across her midriff and down the sides of her legs.

“Your lateness is a grave offense – letting a lady in service to the Lady wait is nothing short of sinful!” William’s booming voice pulled John back into reality. For once he couldn’t even disagree on principle.

“I can naught but apologize,” the Gamer shouted back. Even with several metres between them, he could hear the Lord-Protector push the air out of his flaring nostrils. With a glance to the seer, William visibly swallowed and raised his arm. Lorelei took it. Moira, carrying a large bag, appeared closely behind her. The pair of Brightons wore no less fine clothes, and the Warden certainly looked no less attractive, but John only had eyes for the seer. With measured steps, she approached, guided by her leader like a woman by her father to the altar.

William, however, took more than the role of the father in this marriage metaphor. Once he stopped two steps before John, he asked, “Do you, John Newman, swear that you will take care of our seer, Lorelei of the hallowed house Varnik? That you will protect her from all harm?”

“I swear,” John answered immediately, staring at the gorgeous women whose paleness was gradually being replaced with an intensifying blush.

Moira placed the bag before his feet. “Will you swear to carry her burdens when she needs you to? Swear that you will never hurt her?”

The Gamer had a hard time biting back the question if this was meant literally. “I swear.”

“Go to him, Lorelei,” William said with a fluidity that surprised John. Even now, the Gamer didn’t think that the Lord-Protector would let him have anything without a fight. Then again, that fight had likely been had sometime this past month.

The seer stepped forwards, walking the rest of the way to John. Once before him, she opened her eyes and looked at him. They both knew, as blinds using magic to overcome their disability, that it was only a gesture. It was far from an empty one though as John was taken by the white of her eyes. It seemed polished and complete, her irises given to a higher purpose in their entirety. Something about the way he looked at her made her smile.

“I will be in your care,” the seer said and raised a hand for him to take. Immediately, he did.

Moira turned to the knights. “Give your salute to Lorelei Varnik. She will stay with us forever, but serve the Lady in a new capacity!” As one, the leadership of the Order slammed their weapons against the shields and stood at attention. Then, when the rattling of metal made room for the quiet, the Warden spoke softly to Lorelei. “You are always welcome to visit,” she assured.

“Thank you… Moira,” the seer said, only to yelp in surprise when the redhead suddenly embraced her. She wasn’t the only one startled by this affectionate assault. John blinked and William raised an eyebrow. Even the Warden herself seemed to be wondering what she did, suddenly tensing up a second after she had wrapped her arms tightly around her friend. A moment later, she eased up again.

They just stood there for several seconds, until Lorelei’s free arm wrapped around the redhead. “I’ll need to talk to you sometimes,” the Warden confessed. “You will always be my friend, Lorelei.”

“I… will come whenever I can,” the seer promised.

Moira nodded, then loosened her embrace and stepped back. “Lorelei Varnik, you are hereby promoted to the Order of the Golden Rose’s representative in the Fusion Federation’s House of Exceptionals. Do not forget your other duties: you are of the honoured house of seers.”

“I swore an oath to the Lady and you, honoured Warden,” Lorelei spoke, stronger now that she was back in the element of ritual. “I will never forget my sacred duty.”

William nodded strongly, both he and Moira taking a step back and bowing their heads respectfully. “Then go, accompany the Gamer to where you will make a new home.”

“Milord – I… I…” Lorelei stammered, then swallowed. “Thank you for all that you did for me. I will report back to you soon.”

John could feel her attention shifting to him before she turned her head. “Shall we?” he asked her, slinging the bag over his shoulder. It was a pretty poor start for carrying her burdens. As something approximating a gentleman, he would have done it either way.

The other hand, still held by the seer, was gripped a little bit tighter.