Heather the Necromancer - Book 6: Chapter 34: A boy becomes a man

The doors to the adventurers guild burst open as two undead knights held the doors. The sunlight streamed around two forms, one a massive giant of metal plates, the other a woman with blond hair and piercing eyes. The metal giant walked down the central corridor as every eye turned his way.

“Is that Prince Frank?” a man whispered to a companion as Frank’s shadow passed over them. Heather stayed by his side as thirty soldiers followed them in, drawn from undead, goblins, and human guards. Every one of them wore the city’s colors and carried a shield with the unicorn emblem of Gwen.

“You!” Frank growled as he spotted the group near the message board. He strode toward them like an engine of destruction as nearby players quickly moved out of the way.

“Is that the prince and princess?” one of them whispered to another as the group packed up.

Frank approached like a storm, his yellow eyes glaring through the slits of his helmet. He stopped only when he was close enough to tower over the group, even the big warrior who acted as their tank.

“You lured a player into the dungeons and murdered her,” Frank accused with a pointed claw. “You know players are forbidden to fight in our lands.”

Heather joined his side, wearing a full green dress with white lacing. She folded her arms as thirty city guards of zombie knights, Goblins, and humans marched up behind them.

“We did no such thing,” the blond-haired woman shouted. “She was already dead when we found her.”

“Is that so?” Heather asked as she smiled slightly. “Grettah, will you come out here.” She noticed how they flinched as Grettah stepped out from behind the soldiers and nervously made her way to the front. The group looked annoyed when Heather asked if these were the people who had betrayed her.

Grettah nodded and even pointed out who had played what role before the gathered crowd. Now they stood accused of the one crime Heather wouldn’t tolerate, abusing a player simply because she wasn’t human enough for them.

“Get out of the kingdom,” Frank commanded. “Or I will mark you as enemies, and every guard and NPC will attack you on sight.”

“You can’t do this to us,” the blond woman cried. “The rule of the land is monster players aren’t welcome in hero cities.”

“I am a hero player!” Grettah shouted in protest.

“You’re a beast,” the big warrior laughed. “You may as well be a monster player.”

Frank let out a low grumble and reached up to take off his helm. He revealed his gruesome face to the group, causing several of them to look away. He wanted to make sure they understood who they were talking to.

“Do you see what I am? Are you going to tell me I can’t allow monster players in my city?” Frank asked as he tossed the helm aside. The warrior scoffed at him and stepped up with a smile, refusing to be intimidated.

“You had better watch your step,” he said. “Somebody might let the powers in the north know what is going on down here.”

Heather wasn’t surprised when Frank’s arm snapped up, and his massive hand wrapped around the man’s neck. Then, with supernatural strength, he lifted the large man from his feet and held him face to face.

“The powers in the north already know what is going on down here,” Frank said in a cold dead voice. “And the south is not part of Kevin’s empire.”

“Everything is part of his empire,” the man groaned and beat on Frank’s wrist.

“Try telling Queen Gwen that,” Frank laughed and squeezed tighter. He wondered if he was taking this too far but quickly put that thought aside. These people abused and bullied another player just because she didn’t fit their opinion of what a hero player was. Thus that meant she was as worthless as a monster player and deserved what she got. He felt swells of anger as he was reminded of how people like this had treated him the same way. He wasn’t going to allow it to happen here, and certainly not to his friends.

“Put him down. You’re choking him!” the blond woman protested as her friends stepped back.

“You and your friends are why we started this kingdom,” Heather replied. “We wanted someplace where hero and monster players could play properly. If you can’t appreciate the advantages that offers, then you need to play somewhere else.”

“He’s already thrown us out of the kingdom,” the wizard countered. “So we have no choice but to go someplace else.”

Heather reached up and put a hand on Frank’s arm, urging him to put the man down.

“Frank, just let him go,” Heather begged.

Frank dropped him to the floor and curled his massive claws as if about to rip their throats out. The group responded with tense reactions and glances for the nearest means of escape.

“Why don’t we give them one more chance?” Heather asked. “I think people didn’t believe we were serious about what we wanted. We should give them a chance to understand it, even if they made a terrible mistake.”

“That should be Grettah’s decision,” Frank said as he turned to look at the frightened woman. “I will run them out of the kingdom for you.”

“I don’t want that,” Grettah replied. “I got most of my stuff back. I just want them to pay for a new spear.”

Frank nodded and turned back to the group, his horrid mouth snarling. “You owe the lady a spear.”

“Fine,” the big warrior gasped as he rubbed his throat. He reached into a pouch and drew out a bag of coins that he tossed at Frank’s feet. “Take that. It should buy a better spear than she had before.”

Frank picked the bag up and handed it to Grettah before urging her to go. He then returned to the group and warned them they would be watching.

“Oh, and your guild progress is being reset,” Heather said with a wicked smile.

“What?” the blond woman cried. “But we were halfway through the ranks!”

“Sorry,” Heather replied, tossing her hair and turning around. “You should have thought of that before you killed an innocent player.” With that, she hooked Frank’s arm, and together they walked out of the guild. It wasn’t until they were well into the streets that Heather started to snicker and finally looked at Frank.

“That was a dirty way to get ahead of them,” Frank said.

“They deserve it,” Heather argued. “I was more than generous by allowing them to stay. “

“I am surprised you decided to do that,” Frank said. “I wanted them gone.”

“I did too, but then I realized that if we’re going to rule, we can’t do it the way Kevin does. We need to understand that people have been conditioned to think as they do and show some forgiveness. We will drive everybody away if we take a hard stand on every case. If we want things to change, we need to lead by example and give people a chance to follow.”

“That is very mature of you,” Frank said with an approving nod.

“I learned it from you,” Heather sighed. “All those times you told me I was making a mistake and then had it blow up in my face. You always picked me up and put me back on my feet.”

“That was because I loved you,” Frank pointed out.

“And we need to love our subjects,” Heather said. “I don’t want to lord it over people. I want to show them that your beautiful dream of hero and monster players working together can come true.”

“I love you,” Frank replied, putting a massive hand around her waist. He swept her up and put her on his shoulder, causing her to giggle as they walked down the street.

“So, you think it’s time to begin?” Heather asked.

“I think it’s needed,” Frank replied as he drew stares from the people who saw the princess riding on the shoulder of a massive ghoul as a parade of soldiers followed behind. “We need a presence in the city that will remind people we are here and intend to enforce the rules.”

Heather couldn’t disagree with his point, but things had become so complicated of late. Now that they were all together, they had a plethora of places to live. Frank had a home in his tunnels and Quinny one in her barrow mound. Heather had two homes, one in her tower and another in Gwen’s castle. They collectively had a home in Umtha’s goblin fortress, and now they were going to build one in the city.

She brought up kingdom heart and opened the display as she rode, reviewing the final details. She was going to build a large floating stone platform of white marble. It would be perfectly square with four waterfalls, one in the center of each side. The water would tumble in thin streams to basins on the ground, but the spray would create rainbows when the sun was right.

The outer ring would be gardens, and the center a large white and gold temple with a dome of glass and metal. Massive banners of green and cream with golden unicorn heads would hang down to signify whose kingdom this was. Gwen was still Queen over the entire region, while Heather and Frank were her children.

Gwen had shown them how to create a fortified private area where no external magic could reach. Players couldn’t teleport in or use magic to see or hear into the region. They would have absolute privacy in their palace and a safe place to be together. Only those invited would be allowed to enter the platform, and guards would be stationed everywhere.

A magic door would link this location to Rajeen’s temple, adding it to the hub that united all their homes. It allowed them all to function like one big family, something Heather was becoming very fond of.

“So we agreed on the design?” Heather asked as she looked over the layout.

“Well, we agree on the island,” Frank replied. “I still don’t like all the flowers.”

“This isn’t the graveyard,” Heather grumbled. “You promised me I could make it look like a flower singer’s home.”

“I know,” Frank replied with a roll of his eyes. He went up the steps that would take them to a higher level of the city and the large plaza over which the floating island would rest. Heather looked up and tapped her panel, spending the points to bring the design to life.

Instantly the air filled with a blue light, and a shadow fell over them as the massive stone structure appeared. As part of the points spent, the underside was shrouded in mists that Heather had hoped would make it look like it was floating in the clouds.

“That doesn’t look as good as I thought it would,” Heather said disappointedly.

“It looks fine,” Frank replied, carrying her to a green circle in the middle of the plaza. “Take us home,” he said, and instantly, they flew up, magic carrying them in a beam of light into a hole in the island. They arrived in the center of the massive dome chamber, surrounded by soaring pillars and ornate stone walls.

“I feel like this belongs in a movie,” Frank said as he set her down.

“Will you stop complaining,” Heather said and nudged his arm. “I know the dome is big, but we needed a building that could be seen from the ground. Let’s just place the magic door and go to Rajeen’s inn. I want to get one of those sparkly drinks.”

“A glitter bomb,” Frank reminded as Heather shrugged.

“Yeah, one of those,” Heather agreed. “I don’t know why, but I always have good dreams after I drink one.”

Frank shrugged and led the way as they entered a side room that acted as a greenhouse. Here they placed the doorway into a stone arch built into the wall. They watched as it grew and filled the space, opening a magical link to Rajeen’s inn. They stepped into the protected hall and headed to a doorway at the end. This went to a balcony overlooking a private garden where Quinny, Breanne, and Umtha were waiting.

A few slave girls went by, nodding and smiling as the pair went to the railing and looked down into the beautiful yard. It was a sunny space cut into secluded areas by flowered hedges and garden walls to provide some privacy. Colorful trees were always in blossom filling the air with a sweet scent while a fountain bubbled softly with flowing water.

“Oh, they have a hammock,” Heather said as she saw Breanne gently swinging in a breeze. She hurried to the side and went down the steps to the hammock.

Frank reached into his pocket and grabbed the magical figurine. With a single word, he transformed into the human that changed his life. He leaned on the railing as Heather crossed the yard, heading for the napping Breanne. Frank watched as Heather climbed in beside Breanne, the two women snuggling together as Heather lay her head on the woman’s shoulder. He felt his heart move as they smiled and began to sway in the breeze, sharing a loving embrace. Umtha sat on the grass to the right as Quinny lay in her lap, sharing a red wine. He watched as Umtha plucked a flower and tucked it into Quinny’s hair, slowly decorating her head with a crown of color.

He couldn’t believe that these four women considered him to be their husband and, over the last few days, had expressed that in a very physical way. His life had become a dream and filled his heart with hope for the future he never believed possible. All he could feel was a sense of gratitude as he watched the love on display. He realized he enjoyed seeing them like this, together and expressing their love. He prayed that every day of their lives would be this peaceful and full of beauty. He looked up and studied the sky, wondering if the visitors were watching. Was it moments like this that they had come to study?

“Hello, Frank,” came a familiar voice drawing Frank from his contemplation. He turned to see the man who, in many ways, had been the catalyst of this moment. Roric was a silver mane gnoll, a beast-like class that was a blend of hyena and human. He had paws for feet and double-jointed legs, but from the torso up, he was shaped very much like a human. However, his head had a more canine-like appearance with a short muzzle and pointed ears covered in silver and black fur. Despite all that, he had a noble appearance, and the gaze in his eyes conveyed a sense of intelligence.

“Hey, Roric,” Frank replied and turned back to look at the scene below. Roric joined him at the wall and took in the sight before making an observation.

“Your harem looks happy,” he said.

“They are happy,” Frank replied. “But I have no idea why.”

“Why wouldn’t they be happy?” Roric asked. “They have a master who loves them and encourages them to love each other.”

“I’m not a master, and those collars belong to Blackbast,” Frank said before scratching at his head. “I have been trying to get them to give up the collars, but they want to keep them.”

“That’s because of what the collars do,” Roric said. “It makes intimacy significantly more powerful. My girls would rather die than make love without the collars on.”

“They have explained it to me a dozen times,” Frank agreed. “But I still don’t like it.”

“Is it because it makes them slaves or because those slaves technically belong to somebody else?” Roric pressed as he turned to regard Frank.

Frank sighed and held up his hand, revealing the figurine in his palm. “You see this?” he began. “It’s a magical figurine that allows you to transform into whatever it’s carved to resemble. I use it to take this human form and be more suitable to them.” He paused to stare at the statue, feeling a swell of pain and regret. He explained to Roric how he intentionally made himself horrific to keep girls at bay. It was a childish act of self-exile because he had been so clumsy with women in the real world.

“Every effort I made to have a girlfriend ended in humiliation,” Frank explained. “I wasn’t good-looking, or athletic, or anything a girl wanted. I was picked on, laughed at, and genuinely alone.”

“That must have been hard,” Roric agreed with a nod.

“It was, and by the time I came here, I just wanted to be left alone. It never occurred to me that I could be what girls wanted here. I chose the ghoul partly because I liked the idea of playing an undead and partly because I knew I would never be bothered by girls again. I figured I could interact with people by building my dungeon and creating an adventure for them to play in. But I quickly discovered that people despised monster players, and I was driven away. I found myself alone and isolated again, only now it was worse. I was in hiding, trying to convince myself that I was happy with my tiny graveyard, but I was lying to myself. I was hurting inside and about to break when along came Heather, and everything in my life changed.”

“You found a purpose,” Roric suggested. “Something to shine some light into the darkness you were in.”

“She was lost, confused, and terrified to look at me, but she needed my help. She stuck with me long enough to grow comfortable around me as I tried to help her find a way out. Over time we met Umtha, then Quinny, and finally Breanne. Heather saved all of them and swept them into our relationship without so much as a second thought. Over time she started to change, touching me, holding my hand, and even looking into my eyes. It was like she didn’t see the ghoul anymore or didn’t care what I looked like. Still, she never voiced any affection for me, that is, until this.” Frank turned the figurine over in his hand as he thought back to that night.

“So the figurine allows you to take this form?” Roric asked.

“Yes,” Frank said. “Once I started taking this form, all of them changed dramatically. They started flirting, playing, and Heather started referring to me as her boyfriend. Suddenly it was like we were all dating, and I was living a dream I never dared to have.”

“You had a harem fantasy?” Roric questioned.

“I spent most of my time alone, so I read a lot of manga and watched anime. I loved the harem stories and used to dream about having three or four girls of my own,” Frank replied. “I even like the ones that had slave collars, but I never for a second believed I could live that kind of life.”

“You will forgive me for being blunt, but what’s the problem?” Roric asked. “It seems like you have everything you ever wanted, yet I get the impression you’re not happy about it.”

“It’s this,” Frank said as he held up the figurine. “And the slave collars and all the work she did to help Heather and the others see who I really was.”

“Oh,” Roric said in understanding. “You’re talking about Blackbast.”

Frank took a deep breath and nodded. He explained how he owed all of his happiness to her and how she sacrificed to see them together. Frank was aware she was losing power while away from her temple. And he knew how important the slaves were to her class. The figurine was hers, so she could take a male form for the women who came to her temple. It was priceless to her, yet she had given it away to help him, and the girls come together. She had spent hours encouraging Frank and the girls to see the possibilities before them. Never outright saying they should have a relationship, just nudging them slowly toward it. She counseled Heather dozens of times to encourage her to see Frank as her partner. Everything he had now was because of her, and he had mixed feelings about that.

“I think there is something you should know,” Roric said, looking down at the girls. “It’s about Blackbast and how much she cares about you all. The issue with the ogre was staged. Blackbast asked him to make an offer on Breanne so she could get you to show your true feelings.”

“That was staged?” Frank gasped.

Roric turned to him and nodded. He explained that Blackbast knew he loved them all and wanted to help get him to this point. She saw an opportunity with Grumosh to draw his feelings into the open so all the girls could see how much he loved them. All she wanted was for Frank and the girls to have this moment where they saw him as their master, and he had his harem.

“Why would she do that for me?” Frank asked.

“Why would you bury your feelings for Heather deep inside and then risk being reset to trek across the world trying to help her find a way to escape it?” Roric asked.

“I did that because she needed my help,” Frank replied.

“No, Frank,” Roric said with a shake of his head. “You did that because you loved her.”

“Are you saying Blackbast loves me?” Frank said as he looked down.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Roric asked and put a hand over his. “I will be blunt. She has openly told Jaina she loves you and the girls but refuses to act on it because she is terrified it will damage your relationship.”

“Because of what she has to do in the temple,” Frank sighed. “How do I live with that?”

“Frank,” Roric began as he put a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Thanks to her, your girls were able to see past your flaws and love the man inside. Maybe it’s time you saw past her flaws and embraced the woman inside who loves you.”

Frank looked up as he saw the wisdom in that remark but was surprised when Roric leaned in closer.

“And one more thing. The only reason you don’t like the slave collars is because you see them as signs of oppression. You need to open your eyes to what they really are,” Roric said. “Those girls weren’t dragged into slavery by some outside force. They willingly fell at your feet and asked you to keep them. Those collars are symbols of their love and devotion to you, and I bet a big part of why they wear them is because they are proud to call you their master.”

With that, Roric patted his shoulder a walked away, leaving Frank with his thoughts. Roric was right, the collars were a symbol of their love, but it still bothered him that they belonged to Blackbast. It was her that held the most tension in his mind as he felt genuine gratitude to her for all she had done. Now that his eyes were open to having a harem, he struggled to ask her to join it.

Maybe he was being overly sensitive to the issue, but somehow he couldn’t see past it. He wanted Blackbast to be his and not have to share with other men. But, if he did manage to overlook that and bring her in, would her behavior spread to the other girls?

He and Heather had discussed this at length, and she had already agreed to accept Blackbast. She also laughed at the idea they might end up serving in the temple, saying it was never going to happen. That was reassuring, but that assurance hadn’t lasted long. He had spoken about it with Quinny as well, which was probably why he was so nervous. Not only had Quinny readily embraced the idea of bringing the woman in, but she teased they could all serve at the temple. He realized that was his biggest fear and what was truly holding him back. Breanne and Umtha hadn’t really discussed it, but Breanne had once admitted she liked Blackbast. Umtha was polyamorous by nature and considered it a normal part of relationships. He doubted she would be bothered at all. Still, he faced the very real fear that Blackbast would be a doorway to the women he loved being more like Roric’s girls.

“Would that be such a bad thing?” he said to himself but couldn’t accept the concept. Maybe he was too new to relationships or just more traditional in thought. All he knew was he wanted the girls to be his and his alone. He couldn’t bare the thought of sharing that love with another. But he would have to share Blackbast if he wanted to love her. Would she slowly change him? Would he grow so accustomed to her requirements that he would see no reason not to allow the others to do it?

He seriously doubted it, but then all of this was new to him. All he knew was that Blackbast sacrificed everything so he could have the love he had now. Thanks to Roric, he was now certain she wanted to be a part of it but, once again, was making a sacrifice for them. She willingly embraced isolation and loneliness to ensure she caused no harm to his family. She was where he was that day. Heather tumbled down the steps of his mausoleum.

He scratched at his head and stopped, realizing this was a nervous tick. This situation was becoming more and more stressful by the moment as he felt wrong for avoiding Blackbast after all she had done for them.

He decided to go down to the hammock where the two women were nearly asleep in each other’s arms. They looked so happy, and yet he knew Blackbast was not. The woman was miserable because nobody would love her the way she wanted to be loved.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Heather called and reached up with a hand to stroke at his cheek. Breanne smiled and reached up as well, the two women displaying their pleasure at seeing him.

“Heather, Breanne,” Frank whispered as he continued to push them. “Do you think we should invite Blackbast in?”

“Frank, we talked about this already. You know how I feel, and I promise you, your fear isn’t going to come true,” Heather insisted.

“What about you?” Frank asked as Breanne met his gaze.

“I wondered why it was taking so long,” Breanne said. “I assume you are afraid we might be temple slaves one day.”

Frank nodded, and Breanne shook her head slowly as she smiled. “Silly boy, you are our master, and only you could make that decision. If you want to keep us all to yourself, then that’s what you do.”

“She’s right,” Heather agreed. “I wore that ridiculous outfit because you said I had to. You make those decisions now, so you never have to worry. Only you can choose to allow us into the temple, though you might want to send Quinny.”

“She would have no trouble adapting to that life, Breanne agreed.

“I don’t want any of you doing it,” he insisted.

“Then that’s all you have to say,” Heather replied, touching his lips. “I don’t want to do it either, and the only way I am ever going to do it is if you command me to. The choice is all yours.”

“You really want me to have that kind of say in your lives?” Frank asked. “To make decisions about who can or can’t have your bodies?”

“Frank,” Heather laughed and looked him in the eyes. “We trust you. We know you won’t ever do it, so we don’t worry about it. But if it makes you feel better, why don’t we agree on some ground rules.”

“Roric did say they established some very serious rules before they agreed to this life,” Breanne reminded.

“Right, for example Jaina wouldn’t be his slave unless he agreed to never sell her,” Heather pointed out. “So I we will be your slaves so long as you promise not to share us outside our family. We will make this a ground rule, and if you try to break it we have the right to refuse.”

“I can agree to that,” Frank said as he well and truly felt better. Hearing them say they don’t want to do it, and they trust him to ensure they never will brought him some peace. Now that left the matter of dealing with Blackbast and asking her in.

“So neither of you are against the idea of her being a part of our family?” he asked.

“No,” Heather cooed as Breanne threw an arm around her to pull her close. “You and she are our masters, just like Roric and Rajeen are to the other girls.”

Frank had never looked at it like that before and had to take a moment to ponder that point of view. It made sense, and he realized it was foolish to keep putting this off.

“Then I am going to go ask her,” Frank said.

“What? Now?” Heather said as she sat up.

“Why keep putting it off?” Frank asked. “I feel like she is suffering and the longer we wait the longer she is in pain. I just want her to feel the appreciation we have for her and all she did to get us here.”

“She certainly did put a lot of her time and energy into this,” Breanne agreed. “I suppose we should get down and go find her.”

“No,” Frank said and held a hand out to keep them in place. “I need to do this myself.”

“You want to go alone?” Heather asked.

Frank nodded and explained that he was struggling to accept this new way of life. He felt that he was still a bit of a boy inside and that he needed to do this himself. If he was going to be a man he needed to be able to tell a woman he loved her without them at his side to hold his hand. Besides, he felt that she needed to hear it from him first. He explained how Roric had confided in him that Blackbast wanted to be a part of their lives, but was afraid to say anything because of him. So if he went to her and expressed his feelings first, then she would understand that she was fully welcome.

“Frank, that is very mature of you,” Breanne said with a nod. “I am proud of you.”

“So am I,” Heather said. “You are such a good man. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

“You fell down the right set of steps,” Frank reminded.

“Ha! So I did,” Heather agreed and settled back into her snuggle with Breanne. “Now go get her and bring her back.”

He leaned over the kiss the two women on the head, then headed off in search of the magic door. He found the simple archway that led to a room full of luxury with a large bed and ornate décor. This was Blackbast’s private chambers, and he wasn’t surprised at all that it connected directly to Rajeen’s inn. Unfortunately, the woman wasn’t in her room, so he searched the temple, looking through several bedrooms and baths, before calling out her name in the main hall. He knew she would hear her name being used no matter where she was, but she still didn’t answer. That could only mean she wasn’t in the temple and he worried that she might be with Rajeen, but she could also be outside.

He wandered out the main doors into a garden of winding paths and secluded areas to make love. He headed down the path choosing one at random that went to a small pond with a bridge to a gazebo of white marble in the middle. There she was, with her back to him as she stared over the water. She wore white silks trimmed with gold, the material drifting in a breeze that ruffled her black fur. He watched her tail gently swish as if she were lost in thought.

This was her life, an existence of long periods of loneliness punctuated by meaningless sex. He was grateful that she had built her home in the magic forest and had the doors to link her to Rajeen, but the previous years of isolation had to have been terrible. He wondered if the reason she had offered to help them was because her isolation was driving her mad. Now that he thought about it, she must have been desperate to have a purpose to her life that wasn’t just to provide comfort for travelers. He could end all that here and now, if only he had the courage to tell her.

He walked across the bridge as he felt tension mounting inside. This new life of talking to women to share his feelings was strange and alien to him. He couldn’t believe what he was about to do or how things had come to this, but there she was, and he wanted her pain to end. Somehow she didn’t notice his approach, so he announced his presence by putting a hand around her waist. She turned with a start and looked into his eyes, her tail twitching in anxiety.

“Frank, you frightened me,” Blackbast panted.

“I’m sorry,” he replied, struggling to sound confident. He saw her gaze go to his hand, wondering why he was holding her.

“Is there something I can do for you?” she asked as her hypnotic green eyes returned to him.

“Yes,” Frank said as he tried to think of some way to make this moment special. All he could think to do was lean forward and plant a kiss on her feline-like lips. He felt his cheeks prickle from her whiskers as her body tensed in his grasp. She put her hands to his chest and pushed him away, her expression one of shock.

“What are you doing?” she asked. “Are you here to use my services?”

“No, I am not here for your services,” Frank replied, putting his other hand on her waist. “I am here for you.”

“I do not understand,” Blackbast said as she started tremble.

“I want you,” Frank said. “I want you to be a part of my life, and the life of the girls.”

“You mean as in love?” Blackbast asked as her tail went wild with twitching.

Frank nodded but he knew he needed to make this moment count. He wanted to get his point across as clearly and powerfully as he could. Though it frightened him to say it he needed her to understand what he wanted.

“Blackbast, will you let me love you? Will you join our family to love and manage our slave girls?”

Her voice came out in a trembling gasp as she looked away. “You are asking me to love you and the others?”

“I am asking you to marry me and take charge of our harem,” Frank replied as Blackbast looked as if she might faint.

“What has brought this up?” Blackbast said as her eyes trembled. “I didn’t think you would ever ask me.”

Frank reached into his pocket and held out the figurine. He explained how he recognized what she had done for them and all the sacrifices she had made. He even told her he knew about Grumosh and how it was all thanks to her he had the girls. He was now happier than he had ever believed possible and looking forward to a future full of shining moments. Every part of this happiness was thanks to her, and he wanted her to share all of it with him. He knew she was lonely and desperate for somebody to love her for more than her services. He wanted to be that man, and wanted her to stand at his side.

“But what of my service in the temple?” Blackbast asked. “I will not allow what I am to damage your relationships.”

“I admit I struggle with that part,” Frank replied. “Heather and I have talked about it for hours and Breanne has shared her advice. They made me promise to never let them serve in the temple, and I agreed. I know you have to do it, but I love you too much to let that get in the way. So long as you can honestly say it will never diminish your love for us, I won’t let it diminish mine for you. I wouldn’t have come here if I wasn’t sure I could do this. Now, I need to know, will you be mine?”

Her eyes filled with tears as she threw herself into his arms, vowing her love would only grow. Before he knew it, they were kissing, and hands began to wander as they surrendered to their hunger. In an isolated gazebo, Blackbast’s pain finally came to an end as Frank claimed her as his.