TSS 3: Knight's Son Ch. 04

Consul Willmont raised his grey eyebrow, then shook his head. Opening each of the folders on his desk, he pulled out the paper on top. I saw that it had my name, picture, and some biographical information. That info even included a portion on intelligence and potential. I glanced between mine and Al's and noted that he had a much higher potential listed than me, though our intelligence was about equal. He was also listed as a follower, where 'Leader?' was placed on mine.

"Every woman is given a folder with all the initiate's info on it like this," Willmont informed us. "They knew your name and more about you than your own mothers. If they chose to kiss you, it's because they liked what they saw."

"This even has my porn preference!" Al gasped in dismay as he read over his paper. "That means Jolene knows I have a foot fetish." That's what bothered him? Not that his information was boiled down to what was on that paper?

"We'll get more into the women later," Willmont snapped and pulled the papers back. "At least I understand what you thought at the time. Good to know you don't think with your penis."

That you know of, I chided myself. I chose not to add that Meg's name also reminded me of my ex.

Willmont gave me a look as though he'd read my mind, but with the pendant, I knew better. Or had he lied to me about that? Had I said something about Megan? I couldn't remember.

"The next room you chose was the game room," Willmont went on as though he were satisfied. "I'm a bit surprised, Brody, considering your proclivities that you didn't stay longer. What made you leave so fast?"

"I wasn't there to play video games," I replied, barely remembering that room. "If it was a test, I didn't think it was in our interests to goof off."

Willmont grimaced before he spoke. "I've already revealed more than is customary and plan on telling more. Guess I should explain the purpose of this test. First Knight is designed to do several things. One of which is to determine how people act in certain situations. We try not to make it stressful, but it allows us to see what makes people tick. It also allows us to guide new recruits into jobs and positions that suit their strengths and preferences. Stopping and playing games isn't a bad thing unless you do it to the exclusion of all else. Doing this allows us to gauge what kind of potential you have as a Paladonic Knight. Well, moving on. McKay, your fixation on how attractive a woman is would be a detriment if you didn't already know that you were looking for your future wife."

My heart stopped as I heard those words, and I started choking. Was everyone crazy? Willmont gave me a look that made me swallow before he said, "You'll understand when I'm done and if I'm satisfied."

I nodded and kept my mouth closed. I struggled to swallow my coughs until my throat cleared.

"We already discussed Al's desire for the pharmacy. That is perhaps the one room where it is a bad idea to enter and stay. Very few ever make it out of there. But then you chose the cocktail lounge. As long as you were both in there, I'm shocked you made it out. Even with as little food as you ate, you already had the aphrodisiacs in your system. The cocktail lounge is pumped full of pheromones. Those women have been in the system for some time, and they tend to get a bit desperate. Yet, despite the apparent evidence that it affected you both, you moved on. Impressive show of willpower. Especially coupled with your performance in the last room."

I cringed, remembering how insistent the women were in the cocktail lounge and glad to move on. Until I remembered that meant we were about to discuss Elly and Shayna.

"Initiate Mckay, you saw what you wanted and went for it. That can either be a good trait or a bad one. Considering how aroused you must have been, your ability to hold back is impressive. Security is always on high alert when a man successfully leaves the cocktail lounge without a woman. Rape is not tolerated. And Brody, your willingness to look out for your friend instead of jumping on the first woman you saw is also to be commended. You both handled yourselves well with intelligent women."

"What was the overall theme for that room?" Al asked, forgetting that he was supposed to remain quiet. "The other rooms, I understood. Dancers in the dance halls, women unafraid to eat in the dining room, and so on, but the conference room wasn't much of a conference room."

Willmont glared at Al for a moment before answering. "The women in that room have the most business potential and intelligence. Jolene Hogahm is working on her economy major while balancing cheerleading and a full-time job. She is driven, dedicated, and has a bright future ahead of her if you let her."

I had to wonder why she would work if the Knights provided for her? Willmont turned to me, and for the briefest moment, I thought his demeanor turned rueful. I had to be imagining it, though. "It is very uncommon that a man leaves with two women on First Knight. The women know what that entails and usually avoid it."

I stared at the old Knight, both curious what he meant and terrified to find out. When I didn't speak, he went on.

"Shayna Lancel is still early in her degree path but intends to be a surgeon. I believe you met her father, one of the lawyers that you signed the forms with? She wants to be more like her mother than follow in her father's footsteps."

It took me a moment to think back that far yesterday. After everything else, it felt more like last week, instead of less than twenty-four hours ago. Peter Lancel was an obese man, and it was hard to reconcile the petite Shayna with having such a rotund father.

"And finally, Eleanor Macnamara is close to finishing her second doctorate, this one in psychology. Her first was in business administration. Before you ask, she graduated high school at fourteen, and it's taken her less than nine years to get to where she's at. I don't know whether to congratulate you or pity you for finding a woman so much more intelligent than you."

This all has to be a dream, I thought. I didn't know if it was a nightmare or what, but this couldn't be reality. Why would such women choose to leave with me? Why'd they give up their virginity to me? But, of course, Consul Willmont wasn't done dropping the bombshells on us.

"All three women have passed on other men during previous First Knights. Both Jolene and Eleanor have been to multiple First Knights and have abstained from any suitors. This was only Shayna's second since she turned nineteen. Still, her reputation in school as cold and aloof has carried over here as well."

The silence that fell was loud enough to hurt my head. Or maybe I was overthinking everything. Why would women with such bright futures and smarts choose men like us? I'm not knocking on Al, but he hadn't displayed anything that I knew women were attracted to. Unless there was something in those documents Willmont showed us? And what was this 'husband' business? There was something I missed, and my stomach churned with dread at what it might be.

Everything he just revealed contradicted the three love-struck women we left in our room. They were too smart to fall for men like us.

Then my eyes landed on the wand still sitting on Willmont's desk.

"You used magic on the women." The words were out of my mouth before I could think better of it. Then I didn't care and let the words spill from my lips. It was too much for me to handle or hold back, and I didn't like the implications that came to mind. "You said that rape isn't allowed, but if they can't decline, then it's not rape. Well, it is, but... Why else would women of that caliber... And then the way they acted this morning--"

"I'm going to stop you before you say something you'll regret," Willmont's voice cut me off with finality. "I already told you that the women knew who you were before you arrived. It is up to them to decide if they're interested or not. Both Jolene and Eleanor have ignored plenty of other men. Men that many in the order felt were very worthy. We don't force them to choose. That is left to them to decide. They also understood what it meant to give up their virginity to you."

"What it meant?" I asked, though my voice was barely a whisper.

"Initiate Mckay, you seem to know more than you should. Care to explain it to him?"

I turned to face my redheaded friend, seeing him in a new light. He knew magic was being used on the women, and he still went through with it?

"I don't know all the details," Al hedged, shrugging his shoulders, then rushing on under Willmont's glare. "From what I understand, every woman here last night knows that if they sleep with a man, they're bound to them. It's... Um... Well, it's why I was kind of picky last night."

"Bluntly put," Willmont drolled. "Technically correct, but missing a lot of nuances."

"Why would any woman agree to that?" I asked, horrified at the implications. Then I remembered how Elly and Shayna acted last night with one another and shuddered again. They weren't just bound to me but to each other as well. Was that what Willmont meant earlier about the women usually avoiding what that entailed, or was there more?

"Most men would be happy to know their woman is devoted to them, without question," Willmont said, the rough edge in his voice becoming more pronounced. "But I'll answer your question as you asked it. Every woman here last night is either the daughter of an upstanding Paladonic Knight or was rescued off the streets. They receive the finest education, their needs are met, and they are offered the chance to attend their first First Knight when they turn nineteen. The only thing we ask is that they remain pure. If they don't, then we turn them away, no questions asked, no debts owed. Then, when they turn twenty-seven, if they are still without a Knight husband, they're given a choice to make it in the world on their own with the skills and knowledge we provided or remain pure and continue living off the Knight's largess. They are not forced to choose a man but know that their emotions will be tied to any man they choose until his death."

I sat, stunned at the revelations. If what Consul Willmont said was true, then Shayna and Elly picked me based on whatever was written in my file. It seemed like such a fragile thing to set the rest of your life on.

Then Al had to go and make it worse.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," he sounded way too excited for the news that was revealed. "Isn't there some kind of enchantment to ensure that a child is conceived? I think that's why Jolene's navel piercing glowed every time I came in her."

"Yes, that's part of the reason we use the aphrodisiacs to increase your potency," Willmont confirmed with an annoyed expression. "I'm almost surprised that you feel the way you do, Initiate Brody. Considering your mother was one such woman. Of course, it's my hope that learning of the important work your father did would allow you to forgive him."

My mother? I suppose I should have known, but it either never occurred to me, or I chose to ignore all the facts. Or everything was piling on top of me faster than I could sort out. It explained why she always cared for him, despite how he treated her. But why would she have picked him in the first place? Did that mean she was free of that emotion now that he was dead?

I don't care what my father did his whole life. Al was proof that he could have cared more about his family if he'd wanted to. And looking around this opulent office, it wasn't as if they didn't have a little to spare for my mother. We grew up dirt poor, barely getting by on the scraps that fell from these men.

"I don't remember saying you could go," Willmont's voice brought me out of my fugue. "Sit back down, Initiate Brody, and I'll make the rest of this quick. There are a couple of things I need to say, then I'll assign your first mission."

I blinked, looking around. When did I stand up? My numb legs brought me back to my chair, but for the life of me, I didn't know what he could say that would make any of this better.

"Initiate Alfred Mckay and Initiate Bobby Brody, stand up."

I blinked, confused. Didn't he just tell me to sit down? And why the formality? But, instead of saying anything, I did as told. The sooner I could leave, the sooner I'd get away from this madhouse.

"After reviewing the events from last night and seeing the way you care for your brother Knight, working as a team, as well as your concern for the welfare of your fellow humans, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Carpenter. May you do honor to the rank, humanity, and the brotherhood as a whole."

* * * *

My mind was a jumbled-up mess as I walked into the late morning sunlight outside the hotel. I didn't know what to think or what to think about. According to Consul Willmont, I was as good as married. Typically, I would have only been married to Elly, with Shayna as our consort. But one of the few decent things that Ambassador Snow changed since corrupting the United States government was allowing plural marriages. I had two wives. Two women I barely knew were devoted to me and me alone. I was even more important to them than the Paladonic Knights. I remembered their faces as I all but ran from the room, making me sick to my stomach.

And they were most likely pregnant. Fuck me! No, on second thought, that's how I got here...

And my mom... Twice on the cab ride to my dorm, I grabbed my phone to call her, but I didn't know what I would say. 'Hey, ma. Guess what? I'm a Paladonic Knight now. Oh, by the way, I finally understand why you put up with my abusive father. Your mind was fucked by the same Knights that I now belong to. Oh, and before I forget, you're going to be a grandma! Sorry, I forgot to invite you to the weddings, but it was quite the blast!'

No matter how it played out in my head, it sounded insane.

"Dude, you look like crap," Joshua informed me as I walked into our room. "Seeing you like that is why I don't go to parties. Especially not on a Thursday night. At least class is out until after next week."

"Uh-huh," I nodded and fell onto my bed. I buried my head in my pillow and willed the world to go away.

"Speaking of classes being canceled," Josh went on as though I were the most attentive roommate in the world. "They're offering grief counseling for anyone who wants it. My church is also volunteering to assist anyone who's been affected by everything. Did you have any family along the Gulf Coast?"

I didn't answer, and after a moment, he went on, his voice somber.

"Oh, right. Your dad died, didn't he? Man, the whole thing is tragic. Florida is all but wiped off the map. Louisiana isn't much better. No word on the Bahamas or from Mexico. I guess whatever happened even knocked out satellites, so communications are spotty. It's hampering the relief efforts."

"Do they know what happened?" I asked. Maybe if I focused on this, I could ignore everything else for a bit. I lifted my head and rolled to face Joshua.

"No one knows for certain," he told me. "The news agencies report that there was a bright flash, then a massive tidal wave took out everything around the Gulf of Mexico. There's speculation that the Paladonic Knights set off another massive bomb, this one many times stronger than the one in Wyoming. But no one knows why they would do it. What was their aim?"

Nope! The conversation came right back to them. Damn the Knights! Why did they have to screw up my entire life?

"So, got any plans for the weekend? Do I need to give you some space to bring someone back here?" This was one of the things I usually liked about Josh. He might disapprove of how I lived my life, but he didn't judge me or try to change who I was. I knew others in his religion that weren't as open-minded.

"I won't be bringing any women back here, ever again," I said and didn't miss how hollow my voice sounded.

"Wow, it must have been some party if you're swearing off women completely!" Josh chuckled, and I knew he was trying to cheer me up. It didn't work. I didn't know how to explain to a Mormon of all people that my issue was having multiple wives. I know most Mormons hadn't practiced polygamy since the eighteen hundreds but didn't want to discuss the stigma from that.

I also couldn't discuss the mission that Consul Willmont assigned me as I left. Even if I wasn't happy about being a married man, how was I supposed to follow the orders I was given?

"Oh, before I forget, I found that red envelope under the door when I got up this morning. I put it on your desk." I looked over to my desk and noted the red envelope with black handwriting on it. There was no stamp.

Probably some scam or attempt to get money out of me, I thought with a dark chuckle. Little did they know I had nothing to give them. No money, no life, no future, and even my soul was spoken for. I had nothing left to give. I almost tore it up and tossed it in the bin, but morbid curiosity got the better of me.

I was wrong. Not only was it not a scam, but there was something else the Knights could take away from me.

"What is it?" Josh asked, concern thick in his voice. "You look like you're going to vomit."

"It looks like you're going to need to find a new roommate," my voice came out empty and broken, just like me. I had lost the one place I could still almost call my own. Sure, I didn't own the room or the bed, but it was my little slice of the world to sleep in. "I'm being relocated to a new address."

"What? Why?" Josh demanded. "We get along great! I don't want to have to get used to someone else. We respect each other. Did you lose your scholarship? Did I offend you?"

I shook my head as I read over the notice again. Movers would be here within an hour to get my stuff and take it to a special place for my two new roommates and me. I knew what that meant, even if the paper didn't spell it out.

Jumping off my bed, I grabbed my overnight bag, stuffed it with some clothes that I'm pretty sure were clean, and barely said goodby as I charged out the door.

I rarely ever drive. Not because I don't like to, but because most of what I need is on campus or a short cab ride to where I have to go. When I go to ladies' night--went to ladies' night--someone else either drove or covered the charges. Also, my gas-guzzling, rusted-out, brown Chevy Cavalier isn't the most reliable vehicle.

Still cheaper than a cab to where I decided on the spur of the moment to go. It took a moment for the engine to start, but once it did, and I waited five minutes for it to warm up so it wouldn't die immediately on me, I was glad it had a full tank.

My destination was only a couple of hours north. The FM stereo didn't work, and I wasn't about to listen to AM. Setting my phone on the dash, I blared techno from its teeny speakers. No one listens to techno? Fuck you, Al and Eminem! I needed something with an upbeat rhythm, and it worked. I should have brought my headphones since they produced better bass, but I'd left them behind in my rush to get out.

I wasn't prepared for the flood of emotions as I parked out front--or the memories. I'd skinned my knee when learning to ride a bike coming out of the driveway. Pidgeons used to roost in that tree, and every spring and summer, they drove me nuts with their cooing. I had my first kiss when my neighbor invited me behind her garage, and...

I cut off those thoughts and walked up to the front door. I wondered at the unknown vehicle in the driveway where I used to park before moving out. The little blue Datsun truck looked in only slightly better condition than my car.

Years of conditioning kicked in, and I attempted to walk in. Instead, I face-planted against the door when I couldn't stop my body and found the door was locked.