TSS 3: Knight's Son Ch. 14

Bobby Works with the women in his life, trying to find balance.

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Chapter 14

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Bridges

I barely had time to crawl into bed, with a wife snuggling up to each side, before I found myself in my portion of the shared mens mundi: the luxurious (to me) hotel room I'd left it after a fantastic night with Elly. The place had a king-sized bed complete with a canopy and two other bedrooms.

"Bobby?" I heard Shayna call out from one of the bedrooms. "Oh, Elly! I haven't seen Bobby yet."

"I'm here," I said as I joined them. This room was a duplicate of the one I had just walked out of, giving me some strange déjà vu. "Do you mind cluing me in on this deal you plan to strike with the succubus?" I asked my petite wife.

"How can I be sure you're you and not some trick of hers?" Shayna pressed me, a dagger suddenly appearing in her hand and pointed at my heart.

"Shayna!" Elly snapped, but my darker wife didn't flinch or look away from me.

"Because she apparently knows what this deal is, and I'm left in the dark," I said, annoyed but also glad that she was being cautious. "She doesn't have a reason to ask you."

"Unless you're her and trying to trick me into thinking you're you and using that as a trick," Shayna shot back.

This was not how I saw this meeting going, but I couldn't see a straightforward way to convince her. Luckily, Elly came to my rescue.

"Shayna, this is Bobby's side of their mind space. I recognize the feel and sense of it." Elly came to stand by my side and put her arm around me. "If you place your hand on his chest, you'll feel it's really him."

I wasn't sure what Elly was talking about and saw plenty of holes in her logic, but I kept my mouth shut. Shayna hesitated momentarily, her eyes darting between me and Elly, before she cautiously approached and laid her hand over my heart. I felt her fingers tremble slightly, and then relief washed over her face.

"It is you!" she said softly, lowering the dagger. "And... I can feel your love for me. Me and Elly!"

Now that she was convinced, I concentrated momentarily on the dagger, which became a bouquet of flowers. Shayna gasped, and I sensed her trying to change it back, but I held the image firmly in my mind. Finally, my left hand grasped her wrist, and I brought the flowers to her chest.

"Shayna, please stop trying to defend yourself," I pleaded with my wife. "I promise I'll protect you. Though, if I'm being honest, how you handled Adam tells me you know how to defend yourself."

"Of course I do," Shayna said in a surly tone, but she stopped fighting for mental control and instead wrapped her arms around Elly and me. "I take it you still haven't read our files? Both of your wives know multiple forms of martial arts and self-defense."

"That explains how Elly threw me to the ground so easily the other night," I mumbled and hugged both wives.

Shayna actually giggled at that. "Yeah, she told me about that."

"I guess I never apologized for that," Elly said. "I shouldn't have—"

"No." I cut her off gently. "I got too handsy and tried to get you to stay when you wanted to leave. That was on me."

"Turned out better for you last night, anyway," Shayna teased, and I pulled back to look at her. "What? Our wife doesn't keep secrets from me. She told me everything that happened last night."

"Do you want to have this discussion here or on my side?" Charlotte suddenly asked from the room that connected our minds. "I think my side is more comfortable, but I can respect if you want to do it on his side instead."

"Your part is gaudier," Elly quipped, but her voice held no heat. "Besides, Bobby can make this place into whatever he needs."

"It'd help if I knew what this was going to be about," I said. "Should I make a conference room, a jacuzzi, or a battle arena?"

"You just want to see your two lovely wives in swimsuits," Charlotte teased, though I sensed from her face and body language that she was being careful. I noted that she hadn't included herself in that statement. Part of me had to admit that she was pretty attractive in her human MILF form, but I knew better than to admit that out loud.

"Why don't we go with our living room—minus the blood stains?" Shayna said in a level tone. "We can always switch to a battle arena if things don't go well."

For a split second, our surroundings became a Roman-style gladiatorial arena, the women decked out in impractical but sexy metal armor. Then I got my mind focused, and we were sitting in our living room, my wives on either side of me on the couch and Charlotte in a recliner across from us.

The women smirked at my mental flub but thankfully remained silent.

We sat in uncomfortable silence, waiting for someone to speak first. I had no idea what Shayna wanted, and even though Charlotte did, she was letting my wife take the lead. Elly sat on my left and clasped that hand in her own, giving me a reassuring squeeze. She didn't offer any clues if she knew what this was about.

Shayna seemed to gather her courage as I placed my hand on her right mid-thigh and gave it a squeeze. "Charlotte..." Shayna trailed off and took a deep breath. Then as she continued to speak, the words flowed from her in a rush. "I owe you an apology. I called you a liar and denied that the Knights tortured or hurt magical beings. I was always told—I believed that the Paladonic Knights fought against evil and were pure. I trusted in their name.

"But, after meeting with that maid and hearing how she was treated, I don't know if I can believe it anymore. I'd overheard my father talking about the slave spell when I was a child. He told me they only do that to evil criminals to ensure they can't commit more crimes. Maybe he didn't know the truth, but I have difficulty believing that now. Over the years, I've seen the company he keeps, and Ariberto Willmont was one of his clients. I remember him returning from Ariberto's home, clothes disheveled and drunk. He told me he'd had too much to drink, but now that I think about it, I can't pretend that... Well, I might owe the maid an apology for him also."

I saw these admissions hurting my wife and gave her leg a comforting squeeze. She placed her dark hand atop mine and gave me a squeeze back. No one spoke, giving her time to work through her emotions and thoughts.

"I was raised to think and feel a certain way. Seeing it now feels more like grooming and conditioning from a cult." Tears started to slip down Shayna's cheeks as she stumbled over her words. I moved my hand from her leg, putting it around her shoulder, and pulled her to my side. When she spoke again, her voice took on a higher-pitched mocking quality. "Wives were eternally blessed to be with their chosen husbands. Only humanity is good and pure, and anything else is evil. The Knights don't care about skin color or religion, but I see now they are the most sexist and racist group I know of. Truly racist, where race matters more than anything. I was always taught the ends justify the means, but I'm beginning to see that they're full of hate."

"You don't—" Charlotte broke in during the next pause after Shayna mocked the beliefs she once held, but my wife shook her head and didn't let the succubus finish.

"No, I do owe you an apology!" Shayna wiped at her eyes and stood up, raising her voice. "I've treated you like a monster, but all you've done is help and protect Bobby. Of course, I've treated him poorly as well, and I'll make it up to him later, but to you... Dammit! Even knowing you're not evil, I still struggle. An annoying whisper in the back of my mind makes me doubt. Are you just playing the long con? Hell, when I first came into this imaginary place, I practically attacked Bobby because I was terrified of putting myself into your power. I suggested coming here, but I was still scared. Even after Elly made it clear that we'd be safe."

"It'll be hard for you to break so many years of lies," Elly said softly. "But you've already completed the first step."

"And you!" Shayna spun on her friend and lover. "We practically grew up together. How do you handle it so well? Why aren't you freaking out like me?"

"Because I already knew that not all non-humans were evil," Elly confessed. "I never drank the purple Kool-Aid but pretended to do so. The Knights took me in and gave me an education. It was too easy to follow along and pretend to get what I needed from them."

I remember Elly telling me how a dryad cared for her after her family kicked her out. Until then, I hadn't realized what a burden carrying that secret with her must have been.

Shayna blinked a few times in shock, trying to comprehend what she'd just heard. "I... I never knew. Why didn't you tell me?"

Elly offered her a sad smile as she explained. "I never had any proof beyond my own experience. I knew how you'd react if I said anything, and I couldn't lose you as a friend. But I also couldn't risk losing a roof over my head, food, and an education. The Knights took better care of me than my parents ever did, but that didn't mean I believed their propaganda. Then, until that elf told you her story, and I saw realization dawning on you, I never thought you'd see things as I do."

"But, you let me go on and on about how evil they were," Shayna said wide-eyed. "You never questioned me. Why?"

"I never agreed with you, either," Elly said.

"But... I thought you were just being a good listener. Why would you do that?" Fresh tears streamed down Shayna's cheeks, and it didn't take Elly's degree in psychology to know my petite wife felt betrayed.

Elly gave me a sad look then and closed her eyes before answering. When she spoke, I felt my heart break along with hers.

"Because I was madly in love with you. I never told you why my parents kicked me out." I felt Elly's hand, still clutched in mine, begin to shake as she worked to control her inner turmoil. "My parents were super religious. Their beliefs didn't allow for a child like me. I was only seven, too young to truly understand, but they saw it. They saw it and thought I was an evil abomination sent to test their faith. They beat me and tried to change who I am. They hated that I questioned anything, much less their vaunted religion. Well, they proved that their faith was greater than a child's and her parents' bonds."

"What? What does that have to do with you never standing up to me?" Shayna asked, now as confused as I was. I knew some of this, but Elly hadn't really told me why she was kicked out. Only admitting her parents couldn't handle her. I'd assumed it was because she was too intelligent or precocious. An impression I'm sure she wanted me to have, but I now suspected was wrong.

Oh, how wrong I was!

Elly opened and closed her mouth several times before shaking her head. She buried her face in my shoulder and began sobbing in earnest.

Suddenly, Charlotte was there, offering comfort by rubbing Elly's back. The succubus had remained silent through most of the revelations, and seeing her caring for one of my wives admittedly endeared her to me a little.

"It's yours to tell," Charlotte said soothingly. "But I understand your pain and can speak for you if you'd like?"

Elly raised her free hand and patted the succubus's side but shook her head against her neck. She mumbled something I couldn't understand, but the demon apparently did.

"Okay, I understand, but I'm here if you need me," Charlotte said while offering comfort through her touch.

Shayna watched the whole exchange with wide-eyed shock and finally spoke up. "I still don't understand. We've always been best friends, Elly. I love you too. Why didn't you think you could talk to me?"

Elly lifted her head from my neck, her brown eyes red from crying, but I saw the iron of her will underneath. "Because I didn't love you as a friend. Or rather, not just as a friend. I always knew I was different. My parents kicked me out of the house because they could see it, even as young as I was. I was always more mature and developed than the other kids my age, but it wasn't until we became friends that I started to understand."

"Understand what?" Shayna pressed, losing some patience, even though I could see that she still cared deeply for Elly.

Once again, Elly gave me a look that broke my heart, and when she spoke again, I finally understood.

"I was a lesbian." The words were soft but seemed to echo around our imaginary living room. "I had no interest in men at all. I'd listen to you go on and on about how you looked forward to picking your husband; all I could think was that I couldn't lose you. It's why I never picked a man when I went to those First Knights without you. I waited for you, so we could be together. Even if I had to have a man and carry his children, I'd do it to stay with you."

"I... I knew you liked me, but I didn't realize it was so..." Shayna trailed off before shaking her head and returning to her original point. "But why didn't you ever talk to me about your beliefs or how you felt? There were so many opportunities to open up."

I had a different dilemma. I know I hadn't pushed myself onto Elly during our First Knight tryst, and I never would have suspected she wasn't interested in men. However, knowing now, I couldn't force her to be with me in good conscience. But what about last night? She's the one who came to my room and practically seduced me. Why would she do that if she wasn't interested in men?

"Because I was kicked out of a home for asking questions about my parents' core beliefs and liking girls over boys," Elly answered Shayna's question. "Because I lost my family for thinking against what they believed, even though I didn't understand that's what I was doing at the time. If I spoke up and the Knights found out, they'd have kicked me out, and I would have lost you. So I couldn't risk it."

I was torn. Part of me needed to comfort and hold my wife, but another part screamed at me that I needed to give her space and not force my touch upon her. She hadn't rejected me outright, but I felt dirty for my part in her becoming my wife.

Shayna took the choice from my hands as she pulled Elly up and hugged her fiercely. The two cried against each other, pleading to be forgiven and forgiving the other. It was a very touching and moving scene, and I wish I could give it credit in this journal, but I felt numb.

I know I shouldn't make this about me, and as I write this in my journal, I'm grateful that they came to an understanding. But at that moment, all I could think about was how I would back off and give these two women, whom I deeply cared for, the space they needed to be together. I would still be a part of my children's lives, but I wouldn't come between the two of them.

"I don't have to read your mind to know what you're thinking," Charlotte said, her lips suddenly close to my ear. "You forget that they both love you. Yes, there's a lot of drama, but you haven't been kicked out."

"But she's a lesbian," I said, a little louder than I meant to.

Elly lifted her head from the top of Shayna's and gave me a distraught look. "Oh, Bobby, no!" she pleaded, pulling me up and into a three-way hug with Shayna. "I was a lesbian. The magic spell from First Knight changed that. I was pretty sure it would, and that's why I went through with losing my virginity to you."

"But the spell was removed," I said. "After I died, you went to my mom, and she helped remove the spell. I'm so very sorry you had to force yourself to have sex with me—"

I didn't see the slap coming, but oh, how I felt its sting across my cheek! Stunned, I pulled back, placing a hand on my face.

"Don't you dare, Bobby Brody!" Elly glared at me. "I picked you that night just as much as Shayna did. But, no, I wasn't interested in sex with a man before that. If I'm being sincere, I probably wouldn't have been afterward without the spell. And before you go and bring up the fact that the spell was broken, so I should be a full-blown lesbian again, let me say this: I genuinely do love you, Bobby. I don't think I could ever be interested in another man, but you've proven yourself worthy of bending my inclinations. Last night wasn't just to fuck with you or get my kicks. I love you and want to be with you in every way a husband, wife, and wife can be. I'm not interested in any dick, but I am interested and attracted to you."

I was speechless and didn't resist when Elly and Shayna pulled me back into the hug. The feelings of warmth and togetherness I felt at that moment were incomparable and almost made me forget my stinging cheek. I no longer doubted their love for me. And while I still felt terrible that Elly had forced herself, I accepted it was her decision.

I'm not sure how long we stood there, but Charlotte was the one to break the silence.

"I hate to press on this, but I don't have the strength to speed time to a level that'd make any difference. Shayna, would you like to mention the deal you had in mind?"

Shayna grimaced as she pulled her head out of Elly's and my chest. "What's the point? You already know what it is."

"Because Bobby doesn't know, and Elly only has an idea," Charlotte said, not unkindly.

"In other words, you want it said in front of witnesses," Shayna accused, then shook her head again. "Sorry, that was uncalled for. It'll take some effort to eliminate old prejudices, and that's what this deal will be about. But, Charlotte, I want to tell you that I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. As long as you continue to care for our husband, we'll... we'll... we'llwelcomeyouwithopenarms!" Shayna finished in a rush, and I had to play it back in my head to understand. Once I did, I realized what an effort it must have taken for her to say those words."

Charlotte was silent for a long moment, which surprised me as I'd have expected her to jump at the opportunity. Especially considering how hard she worked on me to get her to accept her.

"Just so we're clear, no exorcists are lining up outside to kill me, right?"

If I'd thought it was quiet a moment before, it was triply so now.

"It looks like I owe you an apology as well," Elly said after a long pause. "I don't regret playing that ruse, though I admit it was at your expense."

Charlotte looked at her with an unreadable expression for a few seconds before a snort broke her mien, and she burst out laughing. The rest of us stared at her as though she'd lost her mind until she could get her mirth under control enough to speak to us.

"When I first read Bobby's memories of last night, I admit I was furious," Charlotte spoke while holding her stomach with one arm and wiping her eyes with her other hand. "I barely even talked to Bobby, though he didn't notice my silence. But then I realized how well you played that whole situation. I knew you were intelligent from the moment I met you, but you're actually kinda scary. I have thousands of years of experience, but I'll not challenge you to a game of chess."

The tension fled from the air at the demon's words, and I hugged my wives again, planting a kiss on Elly's cheek and the top of Shayna's head.

"Well, now that that's all settled," Shayna began, but Charlotte cleared her throat.

"Actually, I've heard from the two women—who I must say are way out of Bobby's league—but I haven't heard from Bobby."

"I thought you two were already good," Shayna said, sharing confused looks between Charlotte and me.

Charlotte met my eyes with her blue-green orbs. "Bobby?" she added with a raised eyebrow.