Of course there are peculiarities...

4th Amansdae, the 30th day of the month of Semens (Sem), the 3672nd year of Salvation's Landing

With Freighla leaving there was a lack of propriety by the standards of Polivandria. Now was the same true for those from the Northern Duchy? Reglin could imagine the northern people being a bit less complicated in such matters. Yet, he felt a bit uncomfortable being alone with the Nordling noblewoman.

He shifted his feet as the white-blonde buxom beauty continued to work the seams on the lower half of his Nordling-styled uniform, “Well, my Lady, if there is nothing more for me-”

“How long have you and the laundress been… involved?” Those blue-green eyes came up from her work to regard the guard. A smug upturn of her lips formed.

That had left him dumbstruck. Reglin was sure that his mouth hung open. Catching himself, he closed it and gave his most eloquent response that he could come up with, “Uhhh…”

Setting the trousers aside, the smile on her pale face grew. She then rose and smoothed her dress. As she smoothed the rear of it, the arch in her back greatly accentuated her massive breasts that were barely contained by the immodest dress. When she looked at him again, he knew that was fully cognizant of what she was doing. “Reglin… It is obvious. I was able to sus that out with just a bit of observation last night. And I doubt I am the only one.”

‘Get a hold of yourself’ Reglin thought. He squinted his eyes and peered at Wilmyna in all of her sexiness, but tried to betray as little of his nerves as possible. Tilting his head to the side and down slightly, the guard put wished to put forward more of an intimidating aura about himself. “Careful what you think to do with any knowledge you think you might have…”

He was, of course, bluffing. He had no way of recourse with the noble woman. But judging by the way she stopped in her tracks and her eyes opened wide, it looked as though it did have some reaction. He only regretted that she had to cease that seductive swing of her well-rounded hips as she approached. Those gifts of his were helpful.

To the woman’s credit, she gained her composure quickly, “Oh, I don’t care what you may do with the girl… for now. She’s quite pretty. A nice, rounded rump on that filly.” Her words rang of nervousness in Reglin’s ears. “You have said that you are to be titled land to the west, correct?”

That was an abrupt change in thoughts, causing his head to rock back slightly. “I am… Or so Lord Bormley said, at least. Though young, he seemed honorable and true to his word… Why?”

Wilmyna rose a forefinger up and tapped her lips in thought for a short time before she explained somewhat, “It may be necessary information for my father to know… And do you think that you will be the Polivandrian champion in the Counsel Tournament coming in a week’s time?” Having regained herself, the pale temptress resumed her slow, embellished strut as it took her around him.

What was this woman getting at, bouncing from topic to topic? Reglin’s head tilted even more so, betraying his sense of confusion and looking like a dog who’s heard something it can’t reason out. “I cannot say with the greatest of confidence, but fairly so… Once again, I ask… why?” His head had to keep turning to track Wilmyna as she made her slow orbit around him

Pausing to look at immense guard from behind, Reglin had to crane his neck to see her. He refused to twist himself about, a strange point of contention that had arose in him. She looked at his butt with appreciation, though her cheeks betrayed her thoughts with rosiness rising in them. “Let us just say that it would in your best interest to do so. And to win the Counsel tournament as well…” She stated it all as though it was really a choice for him to make.

Reglin’s body rocked with a single grunt of a laugh, “Of? If it only were so easy that I could snap my fingers and be the Kingdom’s Champion…” He shook his head in ruefulness. “I would still like a bit more explanation than that, if you will…”

Resuming her sexy strutting, it was hard for Reglin to keep his eyes from drinking in the voluptuous form, especially her mesmerizing bust that was just about out for him to see. “In a few days my father will be here. He will be accompanied by his honor guard, to include the Havemurae Champion. That champion happens to be a brutal warrior called Vannar.” She paused in both speaking and strutting then.

Havamura was her family’s name, Reglin remembered. So, this Vannar man was her father’s chosen champion for the Counsel Tournament apparently. So he would more than likely be an adversary if Reglin were to earn the right to be the King’s champion.

“And Vannar is almost the man that my father seems to want me to marry…” That sentence sounded like it came with a healthy dose of dismay, “It would tie Vannar’s house to ours, further expanding the Havemura ring of influence.” Another pregnant pause from the woman, her breathing had become deeper, accentuating those amazing breasts of hers. “Only, I have no interest in the man at all. He is single-mindedly focused on how much he can prove his worth in combat. I shudder to think what that kind of personality would bring to a marriage bed.” And she did actually shudder after she said that.

It made more sense to Reglin now. His face lit up with comprehension then, “Ahhh… So, if I were to best this Vannar, he would be proven to be lacking in skill. I assume that it would prove to be a bit of stain on his honor?”

Smiling vaguely at him, Wilmyna gave a small shrug of her shoulders, “It would no doubt sting his honor. But that would only be a welcome perk…” Pausing, she took a deep breath. Reglin saw more color flood her face and neck. She then spoke, much more rapidly as opposed to her norm. “More importantly though, it would prove the mettle of a newly landed warrior who might wish to woo the Havemura Chieftan’s daughter…”

That color was positively making the woman’s skin glow as she refused to make eye contact with Reglin for the time being. Reglin himself was once again, poleaxed at the last sentence. “Woo his daughter?” He peered at Wilmyna once more. “If I am understanding this, if I were to be the Kingdom’s Champion, your father would be open to that champion ‘wooing’ his daughter?”

The woman managed to look at him once more, though her eyes did flit about nervously. “When accompanied with the concept of a union offering an even stronger tie to the King. What I say is: Become the Kingdom’s Champion and I will allow you to court me…” Wilmyna looked as though her cheeks were to catch fire at any moment after that, though she tried to put on a good front about it.

This was a bit more than just besmirching the honor of a man who Wilmyna’s father wanted to marry her off to. It was a test for a different suitor. “Lady Wilmyna, as honored as I am at the thought of that, and as much as I would love to do just that, there are other factors to take into consideration...”

“If you are regarding that Asha girl, feel free to keep about what you have been doing. Perhaps I will thank the girl for preparing you for me… Though, if we are being honest, her and I are hardly alike.” The woman was putting on airs from Reglin could tell. She wouldn’t look him in the eyes while talking. Her eyes were directed toward his lower half, though he could not tell if she was truly looking or just averting his gaze. The color in her cheeks also betrayed.

Giving a soft snort of a chuckle, Reglin leered at Wilmyna. “Perhaps you will have to thank her for any advice she may give you, my dear.” The guard was pressing some luck with the antagonistic tone, but he liked his artifact-assisted chances. “I could be wrong, but I am thinking that were to come to my bed there is going to be some time given to you for instruction. Might have to have Asha or someone else on hand for some tutelage.” He knew he was being a bit of an ass, but the way she just spoke of Asha had riled him up.

And her response came back at him with her own heat. “And what is that supposed to mean? That you doubt I can please a partner? This will end very poorly for you if you wish to continue down this path.” Her face was a mask on indignation. The flush now could very well be anger, given her tone. Folding her arms beneath her nearly exposed tits, they were pushed up in a remarkable fashion.

There was no way that Reglin would not be able to at least glance at Wilmyna’s enormous fleshy orbs. He opted to lean into it, almost literally. The large man’s eyes focused in on her massive cleavage and talked directly at her chest. “Oh, I have no doubt that you will please your partner. The weapons you bring to bear for such an occasion are truly astounding. I just think that, perhaps you are not so familiar with those weapons as you make out to be. Not that I care at all. You wouldn’t be the first lacking experience. Just an opportunity to teach you the ‘right’ way to please me. Or whoever else I may bring to the bed.” He peered at her then, trying to gauge her reaction to his bringing up the topic of others. “You wouldn’t mind, right? If I were to bring another… or two… or more?”

With each amendment Wilmyna’s eyes grew a bit larger. Was she taking this as an affront to her wiles? But remarkedly the woman did not take the bait. She appeared to be mulling over some thoughts in that mind of hers. She finally spoke with a coolness in her tone, though not angry if he could tell. Just reasoned. “In my land, champions and heroes often return home and are often allowed to pick any or all the women of men that owed them their life or honor. It is not uncommon for bastards to be raised by friends. We are not so… prudish about such things.”

That was interesting to hear. Reglin’s brow raised, “Oh? So, the men pass around their lovers just like that? Allowing another to plant his seed in her womb?” He tried not to sound astonished, but he did not expect much in the way of cuckoldry from these people.

He had apparently said something that Wilmyna vehemently disagreed with given the gaping mouth and indignant eyes. She had to blink her eyes and shake her head, “You miss the mark completely… Goldy. If you were to save a battle brother’s life, he would offer to share with you what he values most in this world. If he were to offer you baubles, trinkets, or treasure, his woman would then have to question how much her man actually cares for her. And if your seed were to find fertile ground, he would raise that child as his own and tell that child of how it came to be his. The bravery and actions you took that allowed him to be there at that time. Heroes do not humiliate their brothers in arms. They just share with them what they hold most dear.”

Now that was indeed something to chew on, Reglin thought. His brow furrowed in consternation. “I see… I hope you know that I meant no offense to your ways.” He looked Wilmyna with a measured look. “I understand the sentiment now. I just do not know if I could manage such an act. And the women don’t take offense at being treated as such?”

Shaking her head slowly in what seemed a bit of dismay, Wilmyna had to chuckle, “The same holds true for her. If she truly loves her man, she will thank the man that helped to bring her love home. There is little one can do to show more love. If she raises concerns, then like before, perhaps he should reevaluate how much she truly cares for him.”

That made sense, in an alien sort of logic. It truly was all based in love, not sex. The strangeness of it lessened the more he thought about it. Yet, he could not be certain he had the fortitude to share his lover with another man. And he realized just how hypocritical that made him. What could he say? He was flawed. “That is touching, it truly is… But I am not certain it is relevant to the idea of me bringing Asha… or others to a bed we may share one night.”

He was not trying to be an ass any longer. He was legitimately asking Wilmyna’s perspective on this matter. She looked at him with a narrowed glare. “If you think that I will share bed with just any partner, you are so very mistaken… I do not think that you are meant to be tied to one person.” Another Gift’s blessing, “But that does not mean that I would stand for senseless whoring. I would have to approve of any woman that may lay in the same blankets as I.”

Putting on a face of doubt, Reglin gave a small smirk and folded his arms in front of him, shoulders flaring. “So, I you tell me beforehand that you will be making demands on me? That is good to know. I am not one to shirk away from a challenge. But if that challenge will include the possibility of you saying that I cannot be with someone I care about, perhaps it is good to know that now so that I can conclude it before it starts…”

The momentary flaring of her eyes in surprise was notable. However, she again composed herself quickly. Unfolding her own arms, she stepped forward and laid a hand on his exposed wrist, “Oh? So you admit to caring for others? Not just the expression of physical pleasure and release?” Her brow raised quizzically.

Giving a subtle nod was Reglin’s only physical movement, “Physical pleasure is all well and good. But I would much rather indulge in it with someone who I would like to give as much as I get. Much more gratifying in my mind… The giving of pleasure.” He was speaking in a low tone, almost a growl that he had cultivated for the effect he was going for.

That effect was seen on Wilmyna’s face and in the rise of her chest. She had involuntarily sucked in a breath at his words, making those tits of her all the more obvious. Her eyes were wide once more as well as she looked up at him. It took moments before she spoke. “W-Well… Well, that is commendable in a… a…”

“Lover?” Reglin offered as a word choice. “You can say it. Yes. A lover. I try to be attentive to the needs of my partners… my lovers. And if you are to say that I will have to stop doing so, then I am afraid that this journey may be at an end… Sadly, I must say.”

A look of panic took hold in the white-blonde woman’s face, “B-But… You could court a noble? Possibly marry into a powerful house. The house that leads the Polivandrian navy? With me on top of all that!” She must really have feelings for him, Reglin thought, or she really did not like this Vannar guy.

Quirking a brow at her once more, he continued with the low, menacing voice, “That all sounds splendid, indeed. But you have no knowledge of who I might be taking as a lover. You do not know what ranks I can climb if that were my intention…” He let that hang there for enough time to make Wilmyna shift under his gaze, “But that is not my intention. My intention with any woman that I may be with is to care for them for who they are. Not what titles they may hold. Coming from a farm, I know what it means to live with nothing. And I know that it can be done. But to love someone… to feel love from someone… There are no titles or lands needed for those feelings. From the highest station to the lowest of caste, they are all able to feel that. And I revel in that fact. When I lay in a bed with someone, clothes gone, titles gone… There is just the look in the eyes, The quickening of breath, the earnestness of a touch… That is what I care about…”

That had struck her motionless and wordless. Her eyes stared up into his, darting from focusing on one to the other. Wilmyna’s mouth was open, as if trying to create something, but her breathing told him that he had scored some points with that. It was some time that he let her stand there, dumbstruck. She was finally able to speak in a much more muted volume, “I-I see… And if I… if I wanted those feelings… to see that look?” She collected herself with a deep breath, “Master Reglin, I want that!” the forcefulness she conveyed made him smile to himself. “You will be the Kingdom’s Champion! Or I will… I will…” Her thoughts ran into a wall. It really did seem that the only feasible way that she could see them together was by convincing her father of his worth.

Offering her a reprieve, Reglin bowed his head solemnly to the gorgeous woman, “That is truly my intent, my Lady. It was my intention beforehand, but with this wonderous prize on top of the title, how could I not give it all that I could to win?” He gave her a sly smile then.

A decompressing breath came from Wilmyna then, as though he had set her at some sort of ease. Her eyes had closed in her momentary relaxation. When they opened, they did so only part way. She looked at Reglin through hooded eyes. When she spoke, the words were breathy, Yes… Well… Before you go then, perhaps a small bit of encouragement.” With her hand still resting in his wrist, the noblewoman went onto her tiptoes and gave him the lightest of kisses from those pale, full lips.

When she came down off her toes and started to withdraw, Reglin’s hand snapped around her wrist, holding her fast. With ease, the big guard pulled her close to once more and lowered his lips to hers. The last thing he saw was the alarmed looked change to a close-eyed bliss in an instant.

He kissed her fully, pressing his lips to hers. The moan that came from her throat was both satisfying and arousing, causing his to part his lips and give an exploratory flick of his tongue. The voluptuous beauty was receptive and responded in kind, their tongues flitting about each other’s mouths. After some moments, Reglin had to **** himself to withdraw. Both were breathing a bit more laboriously. "That!... That is motivation... Perhaps for both of us..." He said to her.

Wilmyna looked like she had just finished a race by her breathing, "Indeed... Indeed..." She looked like there was a huge conflict going on inside her. "But, you must be on your way... Before I regret something further!" she turned from him then, and hurried off to her bedchambers, her face was beyond blushing.

It was Reglin's turn to be shocked. That was abrupt, he thought. His hang up with not using his aura reading was really to his detriment. But it did make him feel like he was peering into people's souls. It bothered him less with those he knew could read his back for some reason. He decided that this would have been so much easier though. The tall man turned then and left the quarters. It was time for him to catch up with Lim and Boll.

He made his way outside, knowing that it was the rovers time to perform their perimeter patrol...

~This is knowledge for the Reader~

The Affection Multiplier

~Mana: 535 (+17) 552~

~Mana Channels: ~Labiae Passionii (Lips of Passion) free, ~ Corpu Vigorii (Vigorous Body) 100, ~ Uirtau Proelium (Martial Prowess) 100, ~Mensu Lucidae (Bright Mind) 100, ~ Tactu Beatae (Blissful Touch) 100, ~Plurem Amatrixae Normalii (The Normalcy of Many Loves) 500, ~Corpu Libidaem (Lustful Body) 100, ~Corpu Spectabilum (Intimidating Body) 100, ~Mentulae Potencii (Potent Cock) 150, ~Limbu Infinitum (Endless Loins) 100, ~Voluptae Gustatum (Delightful Flavor, Gratify the Appetite), ~Figurae Cultura (Shaping Culture), ~Vulgum Venerae (The Love of the Masses), ~Corpu Vigorii Magii (A More Vigorous Body) 400

~Lovers~ A: 200 E: 200 L: 200

~Royal Polivander House~ A: 74 E: 43 L: 80

~Nobles~ A: 108 (+5) 113 E: 9 (+3) 12 L: 69 (+9) 78
~Lady Wilmyna~ A: 67 (+5) 72 E: 9 (+3) 12 L: 54 (+9) 63
~Lady Falina~ A: 16
~Lady Vidala~ A: 25 L: 15

~Royal and Noble maidens~ A: 192 E: 8 L: 122

~Day watch~ A: 249 E: 3

~Evening watch~ A: 22

~Night watch~ A: 6

~Palace Staff~ A: 64 L: 6

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