the kingdom. The most shocking part was it was all on his behalf.
The baron must’ve known Cinder well, because he didn’t even blink an eye at her confrontational behavior.
Naris nodded easily in fact, and said, “I agree. I just wished to hear his take on it.”
Cinder blushed and turned away. Which was interesting, did the woman that was driving him crazy actually like him in truth? He had no time to think about it right now.
He said, “I’m alarmed they’d use me as an excuse for war, or more accurately my concubines. In truth it’s about my sister’s goal to force failure in my walkabout, and to bring shame on my honor and perhaps death on my return home. We’re not supposed to get involved in local matters of politics and power as a rule, but me being the central cause to an interkingdom war would be even much worse than effecting local politics to a kingdom. I’d be judged harshly.
“Daca is just as much of a victim to her efforts, although their darker ambitions play a part and have made her task easier for her. If I can, I won’t let it come to a war over me, but I’m not sure how I can prevent that yet. Not without interfering so heavily I make it even worse.”
Carmen changed the subject, “I don’t suppose there’s a chance we could meet April?”
April giggled, and she became visible as she landed on my shoulder.
They both gaped for a second, then Naris shook his head.
“Remarkable, and you’re quite beautiful.”
She curtseyed on his shoulder, and then she gasped in mock outrage when he shrugged his shoulder with a chuckle to knock her off balance.
“Thank you, your grace.”
Carmen grinned, “If he was forty years younger, I’d be worried. Hell, If I was forty years younger myself…” the duchess trailed off with a wink.
April beamed, then slapped his earlobe hard for his earlier shrug attack.
He chuckled, “If we must, we’ll fight. The one thing I won’t do is forsake my wife or the kingdom dear to her heart.”
They moved on to other subjects at that point, and they got to know each other a little better avoiding anything too sensitive. He decided later that afternoon that he liked them, as they left to rejoin the others and return to the capital.
Cinder had also been unusually quiet for the rest of their talk, but in hindsight he’d decided it was far more likely she’d been defending the princess, and not him at all. Women were confusing, and Cinder was in a class all of her own in that regard.
It was raining again the morning they left the city behind. He’d spent three nights in a row with his princess, and he’d see her again the night after the next day. The rain was a light misting rain, which was better than the downpour of a thunderstorm, but was also much more likely to last a lot longer and be just as miserable.
Well, except it was a great excuse to practice his water magic further to keep dry.
Willow was riding to his right. Her long and wavy damp chestnut hair was clinging to her neck distractingly and then flowing down her body. She was an incredibly alluring sight. Nysa was on his left side with a content look on her face, and she looked happy to be back on the road where his ladies had them all to themselves. Nysa loved the princess, but like the rest of them was happier when he was there with them.
His succubus and the evil redheaded minx were riding point about fifty feet ahead of them, with their heads together. Every time they giggled naughtily, he had to suppress the desire to ask them what the hell they were talking about.
The last two days since her defense of his marriage to the princess, Cinder had warbled between ignoring him, warmly speaking to him, and flirting with him. She was still driving him crazy, and much like his Shar he had no idea how she would react at any one instant if he engaged her in conversation.
Shar wasn’t nearly as annoying, but he wondered if that was because Shar sucked him off often, and she fucked his brains out on a regular basis. Surely that wasn’t the only difference, was it? The way they acted were remarkably similar at times, but there were enough differences to put that theory in doubt. For instance, Shar never challenged him to the point of insult,