Jebidiah's Change Bk. 01 Ch. 04

"As a token of her gratitude and a reminder of the danger you now find yourself in, the assassin's blade will be cleansed of any taint and presented to you."

"I thank you, Your Highness. But that sword may be better served by someone within the Keep trained in its use."

Stephanie ignored Jebidiah and continued. "If I may correct your assessment, cousin, you are not under house arrest. However, you are now classified as Crown assets and under the full protection of Her and His Majesties. You are being treated with the same restrictions as any Minister actively under threat. Personally, I would keep you here under constant supervision, but there is some urgency on getting your pod training underway. With that in mind, we are moving up your schedule and you will depart for the Academy grounds at the end of this tenday with a company of guards."

"That seems a bit excessive, a full company?" Dana asked.

"We may require more if we discover the nature of the enemy. Accomplishing what they did in the Lower Keep takes a lot of time and resources. We are clueless what lengths they may go to. If I were them and I was aware of when and how your transfer to the Academy was going to happen, I would have a damned good ambush prepared.

Your personal belongings are being gathered and brought up here. I would not suggest unpacking since moving day is coming shortly."

They all could hear a commotion in the guard room as chairs were scraped against the floor and voices were raised but there were no shouts. The Princess smiled and said, "Our next guest has arrived. Master Jebidiah if you would please stay seated when they enter. I would see the burden you hold undisturbed."

The door opened, and a taller, older man entered as the Princess and her silent wizard companion stood and then knelt. "Your Majesty," they said in unison, causing panic in the rest of the room as everyone except Jebidiah and Crystal attempted to kneel properly, saying their obligatory "Your Majesty" as soon as they were able.

Prince Consort Matthew Mayhill Tonstar, Duke of Evergrow looked about the room and nodded at Jebidiah then looked down at his daughter. "Having fun again, my dear Stephanie? You didn't warn them I was coming, did you?" He was a tall thin man sporting black slightly grayed wavy hair along with a black beard peppered with more gray and some white. Stephanie had his nose and mouth, but that was as far as the family resemblance went. Notably, he was lacking the family line steel gray eyes and red hair. Those differences marked his origins as outside the royal bloodline. He was wearing a fine set of comfortable robes in the family blues and grays with only a small Tonstar family crest on his upper breast pocket.

"Master Jebidiah," he said, "please remain seated as you are. I would like to see your Crystal in a minute but I must play my part and deliver the Crown's decision on these matters. The rest of you, please rise and regain your seats. There is much to discuss and little time." At the mention of her name, Crystal finally turned her head away from Jebidiah to regard the Prince with an unobstructed eye.

"It would be a massive understatement to say that the last few tenday have shown your pod may be the most momentous happenings within the kingdom since the Dragon Flight. Because of this, and in no small part the Houses involved with your members, we have decided to bend or break some crown rules and laws. I will start with the more unpleasant decisions and get them out of the way first."

The Prince turned to Stern. "Stern Blackrock. You are being transferred to a different pod lacking an established male." This brought shocked sounds from everyone, including Crystal. Stern looked crestfallen but would not question the Crown directly. "I know this is unpleasant, and I apologize for the manner of its presentation but it most likely would have happened regardless. Your physical size presents a problem with... future obligations and we will find you an appropriate physical match with your new pod." He held up a hand to forestall the beginnings of questions on everyone's lips and continued, "I realize this begs commenting but please allow me to continue. Some questions will be answered while even more questions will come to mind. It would do us all well to chase the answers at the end instead of dragging our discussion out."

This made a lot of sense to Jebidiah, and from some of the guilty looks quickly hidden by the girls, Jebidiah surmised they may have already discussed the problem. Stern was a huge man, a massive outlier on the average Human physical standard. He was already able to effectively wield a two-handed sword single-handedly. His size included more than his hands and feet; his cock was as long and thicker than Joy's forearm. That meant all the girls were able to do with him was utilizing their hands, boobs, or tongues. Even Joy's wide mouth would not accept him. Mating was a major concern with physically accommodating him inside their bodies. Dana and Tenner had joked with him once that if they did get pregnant the baby was liable to grow too fast and split them open like an overripe grape. The inevitable conclusion was an outside male would have to be brought in.

"Since this leaves your pod without a Talented male, Her Majesty will be amending the current law next tenday during the council session. Jebidiah, an exception is being carved out, and your pod will have the choice of bonding you or finding another."

Joy painfully grabbed onto Jebidiah's arm. Dana, who had been maintaining body contact against his side and leg, tensed up as did Crystal in his lap. Jebidiah was hyper-focused on the Prince's words and was not sure who let out a short-lived squeal or what the other's reactions were. He felt a huge portion of his brain power kick into gear as the future plans held in his head began to alter.

"Even with Stern's departure, your current pod size of eight is slightly over the average final group size and close to the ruled limit of ten. We feel that once again, due to the Houses involved, only having four Talents is insufficient for your needs. Your final Group will be allowed an exception, and it is expected for you to add an additional three or four Talented to enhance your abilities. That may also require more than the four Artificers you already have."

Jebidiah did the quick math in his head and interrupted without thinking. "Your Majesty, does that mean I am keeping Crystal?" Crystal turned her head fully into Jebidiah's chest and managed to tense even more, bordering on petrification.

"Yes, Master Overton, if you so wish," the Prince answered, and Jebidiah could feel Crystal renew quiet sobbing. The Prince noticed as well but continued, "As well, in light of your part in recent adventures, the uniqueness of the political disposition of your pod, your demonstrated aptitude, and with the recommendation of several others, including Master Standing and my niece, it has been decided to grant you Master Artificer status as a Chronicler. You, of course, may, with further study, add additional certifications to your Master status."

"Finally, with regards to your bonding, you will all enter the Academy starting the tenth of this tenday which is outside the normal cycle for admittance. The law is being amended to allow your bonding to happen on this Summer's Eve instead of upon graduation. It is felt that the benefits of bonding are too important to wait. The law is also being amended to allow for the expansion of your bond at a later date to give you time to find and vet additional Group members. Tournament rules will be changed to impose handicaps to cover the additional advantages your pod will possess allowing you to still compete for prestige and rewards. Stephanie has additional details about your Academy training. Now that the salient information is out I have a few minutes to answer questions before other needs demand my time."

"Your Majesty," While everyone was still digesting the news and formulating their questions Stern already had one at the ready. Jebidiah looked over to him and saw the sadness on his face. Stern would never be a card player, always wearing his emotions on his sleeve. "I understand your decision and I think why, but if I abstain from mating duties would it be possible for a rule change to allow two males in the bond?"

This produced cross chatter amongst the girls and caught Jebidiah off guard. It was not any more unorthodox than the other decisions already made and would put Stern in the same position as Jebidiah. His brain took over, and before the Prince could answer, he interjected, responding directly to the Prince, "If the girls choose to bond with me, they will already have the need for another male for mating, so wouldn't changing that law already be in place?"

The Prince grimaced before staring directly at Jebidiah and answering, "Yes, the law will be changed to allow bonding with multiple males, but the exception planned would allow it only if there is an objection from the women with choosing you as a mate. Another amendment to the current laws will permit mating with Talentless when deemed necessary." He turned back to Stern and continued, "We discussed commanding you to stay within the Group without mating privileges; however, we ultimately decided your promising talents would go to waste. If this really is something you wish to pursue, your pod will need to discuss the ramifications among yourselves and let us know your decision."

Crystals sniffled and pulled her head from Jebidiah's chest to look fully at the Prince and raised her hand in the air. Jebidiah had to suppress a chuckle at raising your hand to gain the attention of the second most powerful person in the known Kingdoms.

"Yes, Miss Stark?" The Prince said with an amused smile.

"Your Majesty, my position has not been addressed but if our pod is staying together and with my presence included in this conversation..." her voice started cracking and she sniffled looking down again. "Go on, it is ok," the Prince gently prompted.

She looked back up to the Prince, "I am Lost. Can I be bonded? If, as you say can happen, Jebidiah chooses to accept me and then the others accept him, could I be bonded?" Her voice grew quieter as she went until the last four words were almost a whisper. A tear broke from Jebidiah, and he put his nose down unto the top of her head to focus on something other than the others looking at him. Crystal's confidence level had always been on par with Dana's, and it hurt Jebidiah to hear so much uncertainty in her voice and mannerisms.

"The law is being amended," he replied as an answer. "My time here is short. Miss Stark, if you would please detach yourself from Master Overton. I would like a private word with you." Crystal hesitantly nodded, then gave Jebidiah a quick peck on the cheek, got off his lap, and went to kneel in front of the Prince. The Prince waved his hands, which turned quickly pale, then mouthed something, motioning Crystal to stand. Jebidiah could see her answer but heard nothing from the two who began talking, and the area around the two gained a washed-out look like they had been sitting in the sun too long.

The Princess took over her father's role and addressed the others. "I will have to assume the answering of any questions you had for my father and move on to the schedule for the next few days. Do you have any further questions?" For the next few minutes, the others asked a variety of questions, but Jebidiah mostly tuned them out. His focus was still on the Prince and his interactions with Crystal.

From where she was positioned on the couch when Jeb entered the room and later while sitting on his lap, Jebidiah had not been given the opportunity to fully look at Crystal in her Changed state. Even as a goblin, she was still a cut above what Jebidiah would have labeled 'cute'. Her skin was the color of olives in most places, but where light hits angles in her skin, it was a brighter green which accented her cheekbones as she talked. Her hair was the same shade of dark green he remembered but was fuller. The white streaks at her temples remained. Her irises had enlarged and turned a violet color instead of the blue she had sported as a human. Her teeth were more pointed, and she had two enlarged canines that poked down and slightly out from her upper lip. Her lips had thinned some from the nice plump human versions but still held their own charm as a goblin.

She was wearing the same simple cloth outfit as the rest of the girls. The tunic fabric was the generic gray with a matching obligatory black pleated skirt. Her toes, poking out the front of her sandals, remained stubby as before, albeit now green and topped with yellowish claws instead of her usual painted nails. Jebidiah kept an eye on her hands as she talked and noticed the same yellow claws in place of her fingernails. She was still Crystal, only different. He silently thanked the divine he had not lost her. Jeb lost focus when he was unceremoniously slapped in the forehead, knocking him into the back of the couch.

"What the fuck!" he said, forgetting who was present.

Dana was glaring at him. Again. "Hello in there? You still present? Or have you figured out how to astral project while running around taking out assassins on your lonesome? The Princess was talking to you."

Flustered, Jeb stumbled through an apology. "Once again, forgive me, Your Highness. There are many matters distracting me."

Joy snickered, "And one of them is green."

"I understand," said the Princess, "but we need your attention and focus. Master Standing will be sending up several volumes of material he feels you will need to study along with some suitable outfits for your new position. Some of you will all be issued with arms and armor tomorrow for your transfer to the Academy. Tenner, Charlene, Crystal, and you will be receiving your first spell books and scrolls to expedite your training. There is a joint funding account set up for your pod's expenses. The funding is from all the Houses involved and some extra from the Crown. Your artificers will be supplied with the details."

"At the Academy, you will immediately be entered into an abbreviated training regimen which will hopefully grant you a boost before your formal semester begins. Your placement level for that semester will be adjusted by a skill evaluation. Jebidiah, since you have been granted a certification, you have the choice of pursuing another or to attend some of your pod's training classes to learn more of their abilities and uses. Even though you are male, you should expect as much if not more deference by the instructors as any of the females in your pod. See to it that it does not become a liability."

"Yes, Your Highness. I will do my best," Jebidiah said.

Someone took his hand, and Jebidiah looked away from the Princess to see Crystal standing before him again. Looking past her, he took note the Prince was already gone. He gave Crystal's hand a quick squeeze and looked back to the Princess, who had continued. "If there are no more questions, I will take my leave and have food brought up. I am sure you all have much to discuss." Nodding to everyone, she collected her wizard companion and departed. The wizard had not said a single word to their pod the entire visit.

The room became a bustle of activity and conversation once they were left alone. Jebidiah suggested they all move to the dining table to have a more cohesive conversation. He wasn't sure if he was reading too much into the situation, but it really looked like there was some contention between the girls as to the seating arrangement and who was near him. He thought had heard an actual growl from Crystal when she and Polly both grabbed one of the chairs positioned to his right, and Crystal won out, and Polly settled for the next. Crystal also scooted her chair closer to his and placed her hand on his thigh. Dana took position on his left. Joy, Tenner, and Henna settled for sitting across the table from him. He noticed Charlene sat the furthest away next to Stern.

Once everyone was seated, Jebidiah started the conversation. "I suppose this will count as our first Group Conference. I don't have my recording materials yet, but once we are done, I'll do my duty and chronicle what I remember."

Charlene piped in at that with, "Some Master Artificer. Five minutes into the job and you already suck at it." Everyone laughed, and Jebidiah politely showed her his middle finger by wiping at something on the tip of his nose.

"Sorry about that, Char," Jebidiah responded. He moved his raised middle finger slowly toward her and continued. "I was having trouble hearing you over this." More laughter broke out, including from Charlene, but Jebidiah noticed the laughter did not reach her eyes.

Once the laughter died down, he continued. "I want to call the first order of business. Stern." Stern had been very quiet and distracted but paid attention when he heard his name. It bothered Jeb seeing Stern left out and isolated. "Stern, I wasn't sure if your question to the Prince was out of curiosity on your options or if it was determination to stay with us. I don't want to put you on the spot this much, but I do want to know what your feelings are with everything, if you have any objections."

Stern considered for a moment before answering. "You all are my friends. Jeb, I may not have said it before, but I consider you my best friend. I know I am not yours, and that is fine. It is hard to compete with the girls," he waved about the table, "but I do not think I would do as well with any friendship outside of ours. I scare everyone. They may not say it, but I can smell the fear, hear it in their heartbeats. Every other strong man I have tried to befriend has only seen me as a threat to how they saw themselves. Anyone I could end up being good friends with I would have to kill before it reached that level."

"I am also hard on things though I try not to be. I break things. A lot. It is normally by accident, but it is hard to deal with. I have banged up some of our friendships over the years but never managed to break them. When I do find myself having a hard time, it is always one of you that helps keep me centered. I may never be able to have relations, to mate, with any of you, and if I did, I probably would break you like I do other things. I understood that long ago and have worried since I Awoke as a Human. It will bother me, but it is something I have already come to grips with. I would like to stay with you all if you would have me." Charlene rubbed on his back in compassion.

Jebidiah looked Stern in the eye and nodded slightly. "I am honored to have you as a friend, Stern. I am not the biggest fan of the word 'best' because I have many friends and each for different reasons. And you, my big friend, are one of my closest. Does anyone object to Stern's request to stay?" He looked around the table and neither heard nor saw anything except the shaking of heads and smiles. "So be it, Stern stays."

This time Crystal piped up. "Hang on, why are you holding votes when we haven't officially decided to keep you?" This brought several cat calls and hoots from the other girls and Stern even thumped the table lightly, causing a couple mugs to fall over. Crystal looked to everyone around the table then back at Jebidiah and said "Do I hear any Ayes for keeping Jebidiah in our Group?"

A series of "Aye!" were called and without breaking eye contact Crystal held up a clawed hand and said, "The Ayes have it. I won't call for Nays because if one of you bitches even tries I'll cut you." More laughter erupted. "Do I hear any Ayes for bonding Jebidiah as our primary?" This time the round of "Aye" came faster and louder with some added hoots. Crystal said over the laughter "The Ayes have it again." Smiling, she continued, now on a roll "Do I hear any objections for bonding Jebidiah as our male consort? Anyone not care to perform their wifely duties with Master Overton?" This brought some lusty calls of denial and even more laughter.