As I stepped out of the meeting chamber, I found Reshma standing outside the door, hands folded in front of her, expression guarded.

  “Were you eavesdropping?” I asked.

  “Yes. I was worried for you.”

  I tried to smile, but couldn’t.

  She took me by the wrist and pulled me along.

  “Where are we going?”

  Instead of answering me, she kept walking, my guards following behind us like lambs.

  “Don’t disturb us,” she told them, leading me into my chambers, locking the door behind us.

  “You look terrible. What happened?” she asked.

  “It’s this stupid body,” I said in frustration. “Jack’s feelings for Eirica are messing with my mind. Are you sure she won’t spill my secret?”

  “No. She has too much to lose and nothing to gain from it. Undress,” she ordered.

  “It’s not a solution.”

  “No, not a permanent one,” she said, voice soft, “but you can’t be spiraling like that. Not when your work is still unfinished.”

  She approached me, and began untying my belt.

  I let her undress me, while she gauged me like a doctor examining a patient.

  Then she began undressing herself, slowly. Her dusky skin glowed under the shafts of sunlight, highlighting her enticing curves. My thoughts began to fade in the background.

  Goosebumps rose on my skin as she stepped close and nuzzled into my neck.

  “You’re still thinking,” she murmured in my ear.

  My hands found her waist, warm, solid and supple. “Only about you.”

  She turned to face me and claimed my lips.

  Eirica, the nobles, the executions and my plans vanished. The world shrank to just Reshma and me.

  We sank into the bed together, limbs tangled.

  I covered her warm, soft body in kisses, then tried to fuse with it for half an hour. She held onto me tight, legs locking me in place.

  My doubts and misgivings bled away with each thrust.

  “Keep going!” she said between gasps from the sheets, as I drove into her, one hand pushing her further into the soft mattress.

  As my unwelcome thoughts tried to assert themselves again, she pushed back into me, breaking their hold over me.

  I pulled myself out of her and flipped her over.

  Looking me in the eyes, she bit her lip as her nails raked my back.

  Stay here, with me.

  Answering her unspoken plea, I sheathed myself fully inside her in one stroke, her flesh eagerly yielding to me. Both of us gasped with pleasure.

  As I resumed moving, Reshma’s hips rose up in response to each thrust, letting me in deep inside her.

  Feeling my climax arrive, I tried to pull out of her, but her long legs locked around me, keeping me in place. When I kept trying to disengage, she finally uncrossed them.

  Looking at her wilted face, I bent down to kiss her.

  She did not reject me.

  Screw it.

  I drove back, slamming into her, making her scream into my mouth. Her inner walls eagerly invited me in, as I tried to fuse our bodies together.

  She clung to me tight as I ground myself against her. Soon, her moans had their intended effect, as I was coating her insides, her walls encouraging me by massaging my entire length.

  She looked at me with deep longing, her hands pulling me towards her, as if that would yield more of my release.

  Finally drained, I rolled over and fell on the bed, making it squeak.

  For the first time that day, I wasn’t searching through my patchy memory or calculating the future.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  I was just there, tired.

  Spent and empty.

  Reshma lifted herself up to look me in the eyes.

  “How do you feel?” she asked.

  “Better.”

  “Come here,” she said, as she pulled me into her chest, firm and possessive.

  I hugged her back and let sleep claim me.

  A few hours later, a knock on the door woke me up.

  Reshma stirred, removing her reassuring weight from my body. “We’re expected,” she answered my pout.

  We washed and dressed ourselves. She went to her chambers and came back dressed with one of her darker gowns. Burgundy; understated and expensive without being ostentatious. She took my arm possessively.

  We entered the main hall, packed with the highborns who had been present at the executions. The large hall was bathed in the golden light of candles, fractured by crystal chandeliers.

  I stopped in my tracks, craning my neck at them. It couldn’t be glass. What people here produced was still murky, while those crystals were definitely not.

  “What are those crystals made of?” I asked Elric, who was sitting nearby.

  “Quartz, Sire.”

  “Get me the largest of the clearest pieces. I’ll pay well for them.”

  Time to get me some lenses.

  “As you command,” he nodded.

  Eyes followed us as Reshma and I made our way to the main table.

  Not hostile. Wary. The kind of attention given to a strange dog. Good. I had shown them I could be both dangerous and benevolent. Now if they would just choose the right side, I could go back to my Aprilia and Chadom.

  I sat on the Count’s seat; a large, intricately carved wooden chair placed at the center. Lady Erenna sat to the right, watchful. Isanna, Baron Wulf, Dowagers Nordhaven and Nebelhain and Eirica were already there. Reshma gracefully smoothed her skirts and sat to my left.

  Dowager Nordhaven leaned toward me. “You look refreshed, my lord. I was wondering where you had gone,” she whispered in her high-pitched voice, pointedly glancing at Reshma.

  I looked at my lover, trying not to show the rising panic. She rolled her eyes in response.

  She was right; it didn’t matter anymore. The claimants had been housed in a separate wing of the castle to keep them in the dark about us. After the meeting, we had relaxed the restrictions and the crone hadn’t wasted any time in putting it to good use.

  I briefly glanced at the old woman, returning her smile. Let her think she had some leverage over me. False assumptions were a wonderful tool.

  My gaze fell back on the two dozen or so people sitting in front of us. Too quiet and careful.

  “They still look anxious,” I murmured.

  “Still reeling from the shock of your offer of five years of pay,” Reshma whispered. “They’re wondering what the catch is.”

  Thankfully, dinner arrived to save me from more worrying. The smell of ginger and pepper wafted in the air as the servants placed dishes in front of us. I dug into the roasted venison and fresh white bread, sipping on spiced wine. The fruit tarts were an excellent dessert. Their trees would take years to plant and mature in Chadom, so I would have to import fruits for Aprilia and others till then.

  With everyone sated and slightly buzzed, the anxiety in the hall bled away. Shoulders loosened. A few laughs rose.

  There was no trust yet, but at least everyone had relaxed. Hopefully more open to the new system. The scaffolding that would, I hoped, hold the weight until something more permanent could be built.

  When the last of the plates were cleared, I got up. It had the intended effect, as the talking died down.

  I raised my voice, “My lords and ladies. Our county lost many loyal sons due to one man’s folly. I cannot bring them back, only promise you this: I will not squander the lives entrusted to me. I am working on creating a better future for us all. A future without pointless warfare. In service of that goal, I hereby announce the establishment of the Charter of Stewardship Councils of Nobart.”

  The hall went silent.

  “All the representatives of the five baronies of Nobart have ratified this charter,” I said, pointing to the people sitting on the high table with me. “These councils will be established here, at the county’s capital, and in each barony. Their members will be chosen by respectable people of the land such as yourselves, to advise their lords.”

  A murmur spread.

  “Each council will consist of at least five members. One landed knight or noble, one merchant representative, one senior soldier or retired officer and one town elder, to represent the interests of various sections of society. There will also be a member of the clergy present, to guide them on the right path, but without a vote.

  “If the lord is dead, missing or incapacitated, the council will govern the land, not rule, until the rightful succession is resolved.”

  No one spoke in the ensuing silence.

  Some were shocked, while hostility shone in some eyes. The smarter ones were weighing how they could benefit from the new system and what supporting it would cost them.

  I raised a hand. “Your soldiers will still be paid, your lands protected and titles respected.”

  A clap broke the silence.

  Another followed.

  It gradually turned into sporadic applause, hesitant and unsure. Some clapped because others did. Eyes flickered sideways, trying to gauge which way the wind was blowing.

  “I thought they would be more enthusiastic, now that they will have more of a say,” I whispered more to myself than Reshma.

  She sighed. “They are wondering what is the catch. Lords aren’t usually so generous with money and rights. The bootlickers and abusers of power are obviously angry.”

  “It would benefit us all in the end,” I said defensively. “Diffused power is a lot more difficult to seize at once.”

  Musicians began playing a flute and a drum. The people drifted from their seats, still cautious and tense.

  I found Baron Wulf standing alone, no one daring to talk to him besides his own men.

  “Did your people capture anyone attacking Blackrain? Someone who might know the new layout?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. We’ll discuss our plans regarding it tomorrow.”

  He inclined his head.

  I was walking toward the door that led to my chambers, when someone called for me.

  “Jack,” Eirica said, barely above a whisper, as she approached me.

  I stood rooted to the spot, breath stuck in my throat.

  She hesitantly met my eyes. “I owe you an apology. For what I said earlier. That was harsh of me.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “No. You almost died. That is enough to change anyone. I spoke from fear and longing, not wisdom. The new you is… strange, but maybe you are more suited to lead us and all of Nanon through what is coming than the man I knew.”

  “Thank you.”

  Then, her eyes hardened. “But if your reforms threaten my son, I will oppose you.”

  She bowed and left before I could say anything.

  I stood there for some time, then exhaled, turned and left the hall.

  Thank you for reading the chapter!

  I would be grateful if you would leave a comment, rating or review to let me know what you liked, and what you didn't.

  Follow and favorite it so you don't miss new chapters!

  Also, please consider joining my ? There are some goodies there, such as an , for every member, even the free tier!