Three Square Meals Ch. 107

*You know as well as I do that John's not playing by the normal Progenitor rulebook,* the blonde replied, undaunted by her fellow matriarch's bleak assessment of their situation. *Who'd bet on a teenage girl in a gunship against a million battle-hardened Kintark in a fleet full of capital ships? I would, when it's my friends...*

Edraele's smile returned as she thought about the irrepressible redhead. *And you'd be right to do so. You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep... and your closest companions are magnificent.*

*That includes you too, Edraele,* Alyssa insisted. *You might not be physically with us, but you're a constant presence in our minds. I know how much John appreciates your support... and he's not the only one.*

*You're very kind, Alyssa,* the Maliri Queen said, her heart warming at the blonde's earnest praise. *I hope you know how much I care about you too.*

*Likewise, beautiful,* Alyssa said with a happy sigh. She hesitated for a moment, then continued cautiously, *I was actually hoping to ask your advice about something; it's important... and it's for John.*

*I'm all ears,* Edraele replied, smiling as she remembered John using that Terran idiom.

The blonde giggled and when she explained what she was planning, the Maliri laughed too. *You think he'll like his surprise?* Alyssa asked, a nervous undercurrent to her voice.

*He adores you, Alyssa. You know you hold a special place in his heart,* Edraele said affectionately. *Yes, I think he'll love your surprise.*

*In that case, I better call dibs on lunchtime!* the blonde exclaimed, sounding eager now. *Dana already sucked him dry this morning!*

The door to Edraele's study opened and Luna glided inside, long ago granted permission to enter freely without asking. "Ceraden has arrived, he's waiting for you in the audience room."

"Ah, wonderful. Thank you, my love..." Edraele said with a brilliant smile.

"You look much happier, my Queen," Luna purred, walking over to her lover with an exaggerated sway of her hips. "It's lovely to see."

Edraele turned and pulled the assassin into a close embrace, dipping her slightly as she gave the yellow-eyed Maliri a smouldering kiss.

"Mmm, you are in a good mood," Luna murmured, gazing lovingly into Edraele's purple eyes. "And so forceful this morning..."

"Having my hope rekindled has inflamed my passions... and you're an extremely beautiful woman, my deadly paramour," Edraele said with a playful smile. "After the meeting this morning, I expect to find you waiting for me in my bedroom..."

"Whatever my Queen commands," Luna whispered, punctuating her reply with a tender kiss.

Edraele released her with obvious reluctance and glanced towards the door. "I had better not keep our guest waiting..."

***

Ceraden trailed his fingers along the back of the chaise lounge, enjoying the feel of the soft luxurious fabric under his fingertips. He could only marvel at how at ease he felt, despite being in Edraele Valaden's personal quarters. Barely more than a month ago, just the thought of being summoned to the diabolical Matriarch's lair, had filled him with entirely justified dread. As astonishing as it might seem, it appeared that his old friend had somehow managed to tame the most terrifying of tyrannical despots.

The door to the study opened and Luna prowled out, politely inclining her head to Ceraden when he glanced in her direction. The dreaded assassin was another of Edraele's inner circle who'd undergone a dramatic transformation, her long flowing white hair making her look positively radiant. However, it wasn't just her appearance that had changed; the whimsical smile on her lovely face was a testimony to the profound personality shift that seemed to be sweeping through the upper echelons of Maliri society. Luna gave him a playful wink and Ceraden couldn't help watching the seductive sway of her hips as she sauntered out of the room.

"She's a naughty girl," Edraele purred, her rich, mellifluous voice coming from just behind his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll find an appropriate way of punishing her for being such a tease."

Ceraden turned and found himself looking into Edraele's enchanting purple eyes. She was an astonishingly beautiful woman and one look at her exquisite face left him feeling quite mesmerised. Standing this close, he could see that her skin was as smooth and clear as a thirty-year-old maiden's, despite the sultry vixen being over five times that age.

He moved back a step so he could perform a sweeping bow. "You're looking absolutely resplendent this morning, Queen Edraele Valaden! How may your most devoted servant be of service to you today?"

She reached out to clasp his hand and gave it a friendly squeeze. "Enough of that, Ceraden, you can drop the flowery facade," she said affectionately. "And I've told you before to call me Edraele."

"As you wish... Edraele," he replied, returning her smile.

She glanced at the coffee table in the centre of the room, where a crystal decanter was positioned beside two fluted-crystal goblets. "I thought it too early for wine; would you care for some Natalla berry juice?" When he nodded, she gestured to the chaise lounge. "Please sit."

Ceraden watched with a sense of amused disbelief as the leader of the Maliri Protectorate calmly poured him a glass of the mauve liquid. She handed it over as he sat down, then filled a glass for herself and joined him on the comfortable sofa.

He took a sip, then nodded at the pleasant taste. "What a wonderful choice, I haven't sampled Natalla berries in years."

"I made sure we had a copious supply here at Genthalas... it's a favourite of Nyrelle's, and the other girls have taken a fancy to it too," she said, an indulgent smile on her face. "I'm attempting to indulge their cravings wherever possible; I remember how unrelenting they could be when I was pregnant with the twins."

"And how are the matriarchs faring?" he asked politely, putting his glass on the table. "I hope mothers and babies are all in the peak of health."

Ceraden was still struggling to believe that John Blake had bred four of the most powerful women in Maliri Space, but Myriana had been most insistent that his old friend was the father.

"They're positively blooming... and so happy," Edraele replied, her smile widening. She met his curious gaze and as if to answer his unspoken question, she added, "Although they all long for John's return."

He inclined his head in admiration at her perceptiveness, which earned him a modest smile.

"And how about your family?" she asked looking at him intently.

"Are you referring to my previously wayward daughters, or the dazzling beauties I had the incredible good fortune to lead astray from your shipyards?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Ceraden tried to keep his tone light and playful, but there was an undercurrent of concern there too.

Edraele hesitated for a second then brushed her fingers across the back of his hand. "You sound unsettled, is everything alright?"

He looked away for a moment as he gathered his thoughts, fighting an inner struggle as to just how much he could trust himself to confide in her. Although Edraele seemed incredibly sincere, he couldn't help feeling a niggling doubt...

"You can trust me, Ceraden," she said softly. "I hold you in the highest esteem; I'll do whatever I can to ensure your happiness."

He shook his head, staring at her incredulously. "This is all just so surreal!"

"Tell me," she urged him, looking into his eyes. "You have my permission to speak as freely as you like. What's bothering you?"

He rubbed a hand over his face and muttered, "Everything?"

"Perhaps narrow it down just a tad?" she asked with the hint of a smile.

Ceraden couldn't help chuckling at that, then he nodded reluctantly. "I suppose I'm struggling with just how much my life has changed in the last month," he admitted, his voice quiet and introspective. "It started when I met Myriana, who is, to put it simply... a precious treasure beyond compare. She's nothing like any Maliri woman I've met before; so thoughtful, loving, and kind... I freely admit to being thoroughly besotted with her."

Edraele remained silent, but nodded as she listened attentively.

His expression grew pained as he continued, "As you know I was estranged from my daughters, all four of whom had become snide, caustic, and defiant. Then as if by magic, they're doting on their previously spurned father and desperate to apologise for all the terrible things they said and did before turning away from me. It's as if the personal demons that had corrupted them over the last two decades have been exorcised from their souls..."

"What else are you struggling with?" Edraele prompted him when he trailed off.

"I returned to Genthalas and discover that far from being the exception, Myriana has five equally delightful friends who longed to have a child with me. Not only is my budding relationship with all of them nothing like the fleeting dalliances I experienced with the noblewomen who bore my five daughters, but I now find myself being loved unconditionally... it's been absolutely intoxicating." He gestured towards the regal woman sitting beside him. "And finally, there's the enigma that is Queen Edraele Valaden..."

She smiled and gave him a knowing look. "The cruel psychopathic despot, who suddenly seems to have turned over a new leaf? You're not buying my benevolent Queen act and wondering what twisted game I'm playing?"

He chuckled and nodded. "I wouldn't have put it quite as bluntly as that, but yes, exactly."

Edraele sighed and looked at him with regret. "I know you've been anxious Ceraden. You fear that all the wonderful things that have happened to you recently are just some ruse... that at any moment, you might lose both your daughters and the women you've fallen in love with. I can only apologise for the part I played in nurturing such well-earned mistrust and suspicion."

"You told me that John was a distant relative of Mael'nerak and I've tried to believe you, but it's just so wildly implausible! That explanation simply doesn't fit with the man I've known for years... How can he be related to a villain from a child's story?" Ceraden asked plaintively. "None of this makes any sense..."

She gave him a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry, Ceraden. I've tried to shield you from the unvarnished truth because I didn't want to overwhelm you, but I think that might have been a mistake. The last thing I wanted was to leave you with doubts about the sincerity of feelings your daughters and lovers have for you."

He smiled at her and said, "If I promise not to get overwhelmed, will you tell me everything?"

Edraele studied him for a long moment trying to get a measure of the man. She finally nodded and starting speaking in a soft but clear voice. "This all began nearly four months ago, when Irillith first met John Blake at Geniya and recognised him for what he truly was..."

Ceraden listened to her in growing astonishment as Edraele explained everything that had happened, leaving nothing out. Her purple eyes watched him with concern as she relentlessly demolished his every preconception about the Maliri and their place in the universe. He was pale by the time she'd finished, giving her a wild-eyed stare, clearly teetering on the edge of a full-blown panic attack.

"You're going to break your promise, aren't you?" she asked, her voice filled with sympathy.

He held his head in his hands and breathed deep, trying to keep himself under control. "Just give me a minute... please."

"Of course," she said gently rubbing his back.

"It's just... too much..." he muttered, desperately trying to keep it together. "You died... John rules the Maliri... we're facing extermination..."

"Shh, just relax, everything's going to be okay," she whispered, her tone soothing.

Ceraden closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing. It took a few minutes for him to calm down, then he suddenly blurted out indignantly, "I can't believe he had sex with my daughters!"

Edraele shook her head and met his furious gaze. "He didn't know who they were, remember? I arranged that, so John could heal the mental trauma they'd suffered and restore your daughters to the lovely girls they used to be. He also didn't have sex with them; only the Maliri with long white hair are part of his... harem... for want of a better word."

"Like you, Queen Edraele Valaden," he said, glancing at her curiously. "I already knew you were sleeping with him, but that's a far cry from finding out that you're..."

"... John's devoted and unflinchingly loyal follower? His adoring bedmate? The future mother of his children?" Edraele finished for him, with a coy smile. "I freely admit to being all of the above."

"And you're... connected... to all my extended family," he marvelled.

"I am," she said solemnly. "Never doubt their feelings for you, Ceraden. Your daughters are overjoyed to be reunited with their beloved father and you've thoroughly enchanted Myriana and her fellow engineers; they're head over heels in love with you."

He nodded, feeling a weight lift from his heart as the doubts faded away. Looking into her eyes, he said earnestly, "Thank you for telling me the truth. It was hard to hear, but I needed to know."

She smiled at him and gently patted his cheek. "I'm delighted to hear that. Myriana told me she was worried about you, several of your women have seen you looking... anxious."

"So this meeting was simply to put my mind at ease?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I wasn't exaggerating earlier... as one of John's friends, your happiness is important to me," Edraele said earnestly. Her eyes twinkled as she added, "But you're right, I did have an ulterior motive too."

He laughed and bowed his head to her. "I suspected as much. So what might I do for you, my Queen?"

"I'm planning on building a massive space fortress and trading base on the Terran border," she replied without preamble. "And I want you to help oversee the commercial element."

Ceraden stared at her in shock, then laughed in bemusement. "Meetings with you are never dull, Edraele!" He gesturing for her to continue. "Please, tell me more..."

***

An hour later Ceraden ambled back to his quarters, the lengthy conversation with Edraele having given him plenty to think about. When he finally reached his door and opened it with a gesture at the security sensor, he had made up his mind. The sound of animated female voices reached his ears and he strode into his quarters.

"...and the initial field tests are showing incredible shield strength!" Syndra exclaimed, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Are you still having problems synchronising the harmonics in the Shield Modulator?" Thessalia asked with interest.

Before she could reply, Ceraden called out, "Hello, my dears! I'm sorry to interrupt, but I find myself missing your soft lips..."

Myriana had been sitting on one of the sofas with her fellow engineers, but she rushed into his arms when he announced his return. "Ceraden! I missed you!"

Her welcoming kiss was matched in fervour by those he received from Syndra and Thessalia.

"And how are you this wonderful morning, lights of my life?" he asked with a loving smile.

The three Maliri engineers glanced at each other, then Myriana said softly, "You seem like a heavy burden's been lifted from you, my love. Was it helpful speaking to Edraele?"

"It certainly was... and it seems my flock of chattering Naethala-doves were behind it!" he replied, raising an eyebrow as he looked at each of them in turn.

They blushed a dark indigo and struggled to meet his questioning gaze.

He chuckled and pulled all three into a tight hug. "Don't worry, I'm not cross. Although I might need to have a word or two with John; Edraele explained about the recruiting room..."

The three women looked wracked with guilt, quickly babbling to explain that it happened before they even met Ceraden and that they'd never even touched the Protector.

"I'm teasing you, my loves," he said gently, giving each a kiss in turn. "Thank you for speaking to Edraele. She did an excellent job of convincing this cynical old fool that you really are just as genuinely wonderful as you appear to be."

Syndra gave him a flirtatious smile as she pulled away. "That sounds like something to be celebrated..."

Thessalia nodded, following after her friend as they headed for his bedroom, shedding clothing along the way. She glanced at Ceraden over her shoulder as her dress fell to the floor, her rounded hips moving with a seductive sway that did wonders for her perky bottom. "See anything you like, my Lord?"

Myriana grinned at him and grabbed his hand, tugging him after her. "Filaurel, Ioelena, and Farryn won't finish their shift for another hour... you can tell us all about accepting Edraele's offer when they return! Until then, I'm afraid you'll have to make do with just the three of us!"

Ceraden laughed and scooped the giggling young woman up into his arms, then carried her into the bedroom. With seven of them now sleeping together, one of the first things Ceraden had done to make their stay at Genthalas more appealing, was acquire a bed large enough for them all. That was where Syndra and Thessalia were waiting for him, the beautiful girls wearing nothing but an inviting smile. He walked over to join them, then climbed on the bed, placing a tender kiss on each of their toned stomachs.

When he glanced up at their beautiful faces, he saw angular eyes softened with love, a look that warmed his heart every time he saw it. He'd never had a chance to experience this intimacy with the mothers of his five other daughters and it saddened him to think that they'd all missed out.

"Do we get a kiss too?" Myriana asked him, tousling his hair with her fingers.

Ceraden turned and placed his hands on her hips, then kissed her gently, just below her navel. He imagined his baby growing inside this incredible woman, just as he'd done with their two luscious bedmates. Myriana knew what he was doing and the warmth behind her loving smile took his breath away.

"We're going to take such good care of you," she whispered, joining two other sets of nimble fingers in deftly removing his shirt.

***

Charles scanned through the preliminary surveys of the civilian docking bays, smiling with satisfaction when he saw the conclusions. 24% of the existing bays were considered to be adaptable for construction of battleship-class vessels, 42% large enough for cruisers, and 18% sufficient for destroyers. Those bays were more than adequate for his needs, allowing the last 16% to be dedicated to strike craft construction and saving him the costly effort of enlarging the existing docking facilities.

A soft chime from the desk console drew his attention, alerting him that it was now eleven in the morning. He took another longing look at the survey results and briefly considered ignoring the alarm, his mind still fully immersed in the data before him. Charles was finding it so much easier to forge ahead with his work without the ringing headaches that had plagued him for years. However, he then remembered the promise he'd made to the earnest young doctor that had saved him from that multitude of nagging aches and pains.

Rising from his chair, he picked up his bag from behind the desk and strolled out of his office. "Just heading to the gym, Victor," he said to his assistant.

Lieutenant Adams looked up from his desk, unable to keep the wry smile from his face. "The gym, Admiral? Good for you..."

"Never too late to start, Lieutenant," he replied nonchalantly. "Oh, and by the way, you can wipe that smirk off your face."

"Yes, Sir!" Victor replied, his lips thinning to a straight line, while his brown eyes sparkled with tightly suppressed laughter.