A Dragon's Tale Ch. 46

"No she's not." He shook his head. "I'm pretty sure she's really shaken from watching someone die right in front of her."

"That's hard." The Fey teen nodded.

He looked at her. "That sounds like you know from personal experience."

"I was a healer at the mine Master." She gave him a pained smile. "Not everyone made it."

"Oh."

"Um Master." The Fey teen glanced over at him. "Can I change the topic? I don't like talking about the men I couldn't save."

"Sure." He replied, being reminded that Kendra wasn't his only wife with internal scars.

Taloni was silent for several seconds, and he could almost feel the nervous energy coming off of her as they started a slow, gentle turn through the sky, only a few dozen feet above the treetops.

"Um Master, at the service a couple days ago, I told you no."

He almost smiled. "Yes you did; I was wondering when you would bring that up."

"You promise you're not mad?"

"Actually, I'm more upset by you snapping at me than you telling me no." He replied. "And to be clear, I'm hardly upset about that at all; that might be the first time you've ever snapped at me."

"I'm sorry I snapped." She didn't look at him.

"I forgive you." He replied. "I'll always forgive you."

"Thank you, but I don't want to take advantage of that."

"That's a good thing." He smiled.

"And I'm sorry I lost my temper." She added. "And I'm sorry that I called that luminar names; I shouldn't have done that."

Ethan wanted to add 'even if he deserved them', but decided to be mature about it. "It sounds like you're leading up to something."

She nodded, then frowned. "Can we land to talk about this? It's easier to hear without the wind and I prefer speaking to telepathy."

"Sure." He looked around and spotted a rocky outcropping that was high enough above the surrounding area that no orc could easily climb it or shoot arrows at anyone on it. He pointed it out to the Fey teen and they both made for it. It was a stretch that was perhaps thirty feet wide and fifty feet long, covered in grass with a few small, scraggily bushes.

They landed, his third wife touching down daintily with her toes before her delicate-looking wings relaxed against her back. "Master, I'm sorry about a lot of things that happened that morning."

"But?"

"But it made me realize something that I don't like, and I almost feel like I need to apologize for that too."

"What?"

"I don't think this would happen Master." She began, and she was looking down with a sad expression. "But if you ever told me to do something that Illuminar doesn't allow, then I..." She took a deep breath. "...then I would have to disobey you." The Fey teen then added quickly. "I wouldn't want to, but if I had to choose between obeying Illuminar and obeying you, then I would have to..." She took another deep breath. "...I would have to obey Illuminar."

Ethan cocked his head to one side.

Interesting.

He supposed that this wasn't entirely surprising to hear from her. In fact, considering that she read the Book of Light every morning and was easily the most devout of his wives, it wasn't surprising at all. Well, maybe alittle surprising, but certainly not shocking.

"That really bothers you, doesn't it?" He finally asked.

She nodded. "Master, I don't think you realize that Ilike obeying you."

She spoke firmly, and he was struck by the calm confidence in her voice. It had been less than two months since they had gotten married and the difference between her confidence then and now was nothing short of astounding. He had seen glimpses of it with how she'd grown as an airship pilot, but it looked like her confidence in that area was spilling over to other parts of her life as well.

It was good to see.

"You like obeying me." He finally said, and it was almost a question.

"Yes Master, very much." The Fey teen crouched down and ran her hand through the grass, which was still wet with the morning dew. "It genuinely makes me happy. It always has."

"Is that because you were a slave most of your life?"

"I don't think so." She stood and cocked her head to one side. "I don't remember my parents very well, but I do remember being a very compliant daughter. I did what they asked because I wanted to please them; to make them happy. It's the same thing with you. I actuallylike making you happy, and I like doing what you tell me to do. It was similar with Thaltien, even though I was his slave and it didn't feel nearly as good as with you or my parents."

"I don't want you to be my slave though." He pointed out.

"I don't want to be your slave either Master; I don't want to beanyone's slave." She said firmly with iron behind her eyes. "I know I was treated well for a slave, especially one near Arcanum, but I wasn't happy. I wanted to fly and do something with airships, but I couldn't. Instead every day I descended into a dark, dank mine. It was so lifeless, so dead, and so..." She closed her eyes and shuddered. "If I ever was a slave again, I know I'd feel the same regardless of where I was."

"That makes some sense."

"It might be different if they had done things the way Illuminar ordained." She added. "If I could've been looking forward to freedom I don't think I would've hated it so much." She looked at him, a sad smile on her face. "I felt trapped until you rescued me. I only realized it recently, but I was dying a little bit inside every day that I went into that mine. Even if I had a good master, I know I would feel trapped again if I was a slave again. I couldn't do it."

"I didn't know you felt that way." He said, though he certainly remembered her tears of joy the day after they'd gotten married when it hit her that she wouldn't ever have to go back into the mine. "You certainly seemed supportive of it when we were talking at Arven and Ketura's house the other day."

"I'm supportive of it because Illuminar allowed it, and it did prevent me from starving when I was a child." The Fey teen replied. "But I never want to be a slave again. Ever; I would die inside."

Again, her voice was firm.

Resolute.

"The way you treat me and like calling me 'Master' gives the opposite impression."

"That's different." The honey blond said as she bent over and picked up a small wildflower. She smiled at it, smelled it, and then tucked her hair behind her ear and slipped the flower into her hair above that ear. "Iwant to treat you like my master, Iwant to obey you, and Iwant to make you happy; but I don't want to be anyone's slave ever again, even yours. I might want to obey you like I was your slave, but actually being one..." She shook her head. "Never."

"That looks good." He indicated the flower. "And I'm glad to hear you say that about being a slave."

"Thank you Master." She beamed, then looked at him. "I really like making you happy, and I really like obeying you because it makes me happy too. That's partially why I don't like the idea that I would have to disobey you if it meant breaking one of Illuminar's commands."

"I'm not sure it's healthy to wrap your happiness so completely around me." He pointed out.

"I don't, or at least not in every area." She took off her shoes and started walking in the grass, which was still wet from the morning dew. "Pleasing you makes me happy as a wife, but I'm also happy piloting the Argo, or talking with my fellow wives."

"Hmm." He frowned. "Well at least that's good."

"I know you've never been comfortable with me calling you Master." Taloni added as she wiggled her bare toes in the wet grass. "Thank you for letting me, and thank you for letting me obey you."

"It seems really weird to be thanked for 'letting' someone obey me."

"But thank you anyway." She smiled at him. "I kind of need it. I don't think I realized that until recently, but I really do. I don't think I would be happy if I didn't have someone to serve, someone to make happy."

As Ethan thought back on it, he remembered that on the day after their wedding he had sent Alana to ask Taloni's friend Prayla about this. He'd wanted to know if she was always so compliant and -- for lack of a better word -- submissive. Prayla had told Alana that Tee had indeed always been that way. It seemed that part of her had limits though, which was a good thing in his mind.

"But not as a slave." He finally said.

"Never as a slave." She said firmly.

"I can live with that." He smiled.

She smiled back at him, then looked down slightly. "I'm sorry for disobeying you when you told me to calm down. But I'm not sorry I said something because that luminar was blaspheming Illuminar. I should've been calmer though, and most especially I should've obeyed you when you told me to calm down."

He looked at her for several long seconds before speaking again. "I agree that someone should've said something and that calmer would've been better when you spoke. But I'm not sure you need to apologize for disobeying me."

"But I promised to obey you at our wedding Master. I made a vow, and Illuminar says that we need to keep our vows."

"I probably shouldn't have let you make that particular part of the vows." He replied.

"It wasn't your choice to make." Taloni countered, reminding him more and more of his other wives, Alana and Rachel especially. She clearly had been spending time with them and their confidence was rubbing off on her.

It was good to see.

"I promised to obey you because Iwanted to." The Fey teen continued. "And I feel really bad when I don't. Not only because I'm breaking Illuminar's command to keep my oaths, but also because Iwant to. It makes you happy, and it makes me happy."

"Hmm." He frowned, turning what she'd said over in his mind.

On the one hand, it was a very 'Taloni' thing to be happy because she made someone else was happy. On the other hand, he could see the potential for that to be a bad thing as well. On yet another hand, she did seem to have some balance. She wasn't wrapping her entire existence and happiness around him -- which made him glad -- but he still wasn't sure he liked the authority dynamic that she so clearly wanted and enjoyed.

"Master, I noticed that you didn't deny that it makes you happy."

He looked at her, then cocked his head to one side. "Huh, you're right."

"You're still not denying it." The Fey teen pressed with an impish grin.

He opened his mouth, then realized that he wasn't sure that he could honestly do so. He did like it; it made everything flow so seamlessly and well without any friction. He had always clashed with his ex-fiancé, and previous girlfriends as well. His marriages lacked that friction and it was nice. He wasn't sure it was good, but itwas nice.

"I'm glad your wives obey you Master, because if no one had the final say it would be really hard to make a decision, especially with so many wives." Taloni said, unknowingly echoing what he had been thinking. "I like that you have the final say."

"You do?"

She nodded. "I can make suggestions and I know you will always consider what all your wives think, but I would hate feeling the pressure of making the final decisions like you do. That would be horrible. You're such a great husband that I always feel like I have a say, but don't ever feel the pressure of making the final decision."

"Hmm." He cocked his head to one side and made a thoughtful frown.

"I think your other wives feel the same Master. I can ask them if you don't mind."

"Go ahead." He nodded.

Taloni telepathically explained how she felt about decision making to the rest of his wives and asked what they thought

As usual, Alana was the first to reply. *I agree sir. I love knowing that my opinion and ideas matter to you and will be considered, but not having to make the final decision.*

There was a long pause, then Beth answered with much less than her usual enthusiasm. *I agree.* Ethan almost got the impression that someone had nudged her to get her to reply.

*I do as well my lord. We have influence because you listen to us, but none of the stress of final decision making. I like that.*

*I'm used to making my own decisions Drago, but I do prefer the advisor role because there's less pressure. Plus I know you care about us, so I know you'd never make a decision unless you thought it was best for us. You also wouldn't make a decision without asking our opinion, which I like.*

*Can I chime in?* Selene asked when Kendra had finished.

*Sure.* Ethan replied.

Taloni grinned at him, and that's when he realized he'd done it again; he had taken charge almost automatically.

*I've never liked the idea of the man being in charge.* The Brazilian beauty said. *But the way you do it is the least objectionable way that I've ever heard of. You listen and consider everyone's ideas, and only then make a decision. I've never heard you make a decision that didn't make sense, even if I didn't totally agree. If you're going to accept the 'man in charge' view of things, your way might be the best way.*

*Thanks.* He replied, shocked and more than a little surprised at her assessment.

*Any time.* Selene replied. *Now if you'll excuse me, Kendra was in the middle of schooling me in sparring.*

He laughed. *Okay.*

Taloni walked up to him, barefoot with a flower in her hair and a wide smile on her face. "You see Master, everyone likes obeying you so you don't have to feel guilty about it."

He nodded his head in concession, still not entirely comfortable with it. However, he had to admit it worked pretty damn well and everyone else was happy with that arrangement. Even Selene wasn't as bothered as he thought she would be.

Taloni smiled at him, then leaned up on her toes to kiss him tenderly, leaning against him with a contented sigh afterwards. "Master."

"Yes honey?"

She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. "Will you finally accept that you're in charge and your wives like following you?"

He chuckled. "You know what honey, I think I'm starting to. I won't pretend I'm entirely comfortable with it, but I'm starting to."

"Good." She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him again.

They talked for a few more minutes about unrelated things before Tee suggested that they head back to the Argo, which they did.

They were flying back when he saw it.

An orc.

The large green-skinned humanoid was in a clearing far below them and appeared to be alone. The clearing was actually more of a rocky outcropping that overlooked a small waterfall. The orc was standing, leaning over something that it looked like he was working on. There was a large two-handed Dane Axe within arm's reach, and a shield next to it, but he otherwise appeared to be alone. He also appeared to be working on something that Ethan couldn't see from his angle.

But that's not what caught Ethan's attention.

It was the symbol on the orc's leather vest.

It was a blue circle.

All of the orcs he'd seen so far had a red hand on their vest, not a blue circle. That was interesting and caught his attention.

Hmm.

*Beth, do you know how orc clans differentiate themselves from one another?* He thought to everyone.

*I think symbols on their clothing Dominus.* The blonde replied after several seconds, but he could tell she was distracted.

*Thank you.* He replied, then thought to everyone. *Ladies, I just spotted an orc who had a blue circle on his vest instead of the red hand that all the other orcs I've seen had. I think he might be from a different clan.*

*That would make sense.* Kendra spoke up. *Clannish cultures often like to display their allegiance prominently.*

*I'm going to escort Taloni back to the Argo, grab my weapons and armor, and then I'm going to go say hi.* He said. *Hopefully this clan is a little more interested in talking.*

*They might be.* Alana replied. *We're not that far from Dotmier, so maybe he's part of the clan that originally bordered the mine?*

*Here's hoping.* He replied, determined not to let his mission to stop the orcs from eating the miners get derailed again.

It had taken far too long to deal with those airships, and now it was time to get back on point. The only thing that even tempted him to hesitate was his desire to fly back north and check on Talven and Salma. The couple that had told him about the corrupt Reeve might be suffering for doing so, and he wanted to check on them. However, dealing with the orcswho were eating people was a higher priority.

It was time to start actually solving the orc problem.

Finally.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Note: This chapter began on day 93 of Ethan's life in the Ten Kingdoms, and ended on day 94. Also, I'm in the final stages of finishing another story that's just over 100k words spread over 5 chapters. It takes places 7-8 years before ADT and tells the backstory for Lord Kalus, Shara, and Lyra. I hope to get it finished and start submitting this month, but no promises. I won't start until it's done and I currently plan to drop one chapter per week.

I submit new chapters on the last Wednesday of every month, and they usually drop after the 2-3 days review process. Thus I'll submit the next chapter on June 28th, and it'll probably drop on the June 30th or July 1st.

I'd like to extend a very special thanks to two of my patrons, one of whom didn't want to be credited by name. So "Anonymous" and Joseph: thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it.

STORY TAGS: dragon, magic, medieval, elf, teen, romance, virgin, harem, cuckquean