The Pirate and The Wish, Part 4: A Trial and Some Construction

Airika

Well, I’ve been suckered-punched real good, haven’t I?

Airika, clad only in heavy chains, awaits her turn in court, as she had for the last few weeks. She is ashamed and angry and hurt, even more so now she is in line in the court itself instead of in a dingy cell. While Mattie did say that she’d get Airika out of this jam, she suspects that the prim and proper princess won’t let the siren slink away into the night. So, I did a lot of piracy? So what? Shouldn’t my couple of months guard duty make up for enough of that to get treated with some respect?

The queen looks exactly like that bitch princess, too, if aged half a millennium. I’m screwed, aren’t I?

The guards nudge her forward. The queen glares at the siren. Airika stands as tall as she can, bravado against what she knows is coming for her. The guard whacks her leg with the haft of his halbred. She falls to her knees. The queen nods, then begins, “Airika Ysgarlad, you are charged with a lifetime of crimes, including piracy, ****, arson, and jaywalking. How do you plead?”

What a sham. If they thought I would be able to convince them to let me go, they wouldn’t be treating me like this. “Is there a point to pleading? I think you have already drawn your conclusions.”

“Admitting your guilt now will influence sentencing.”

Airika snorts. Like I’m going to get a fair sentence, even if I confess. “Belt you. I’m innocent.”

“Very well,” the queen declares, “Let us begin the trial. Would anyone like to speak against the accused?”

The witnesses come forth, both in person and via letters, read by the court herald. The sheer number of responses feels overwhelming. Her efforts to counter the in-person testimony falls on mostly deaf ears. In an era of cell phones and surveillance footage, it is hard to argue that one did not rob someone at sword-point when someone films it. Of course, Airika tries anyways. She’s stubborn. It seems to all fall on deaf ears. Belt that prim and proper princess.

When the trail of letters and people finally end, the queen asks, “Hearing the evidence laid against you, do you still wish to plead innocent?”

“I’m not going to humor this inquisition by pleading guilty. Just get on with it.”

The queen declares, “Would anyone like to speak for the accused?”

The silence in the court is deafening. Should have tried to run when I had the chance.

The queen, after a pause, begins, “By the power vested in me, I now declare you...”

The herald shouts from the back of the court, “Tyalangan, Crown Princess of Nimlith Grove, arriving to court on her own accord.”

The clack of heeled boots ring out, approaching the kneeling Airika from behind, coming to a halt beside her. She looks up. Princess? She’s even hotter than last time.

“My Queen, while Airika here is certainly guilty of her crimes, it is a grave misjustice to give her the normal execution. She is effectively my prisoner, as I first caught her and ensured she could not escape for long, so I should be the one to decide her fate. I charged her with defending Teleptafelya after we dealt with the harpies until the siege here was over as a way to start repenting of the crimes she has committed. Airika did that duty without complaint or mischief. Here, a letter from Ellyjoybell Flabblestabble, steward of Duchess Heart-Taker, commending Airika’s efforts as a town guard.”

The princess hands off the letter to the queen, who opens it and reads it. The crowd, quiet during the princess’s entrance (almost as if she comes to court often), starts to murmur. The queen, not even looking up from her reading, asks, “You think a few months of guard duty is sufficient punishment, Aranel?”

“Not at all, Tari Kaelisterie, but my prisoner, my responsibility. I volunteer to supervise her rehabilitation. You may heap whatever crimes she commits under my watch upon me, if you wish.”

That statement makes the audience gasp in shock. To be fair, Airika is dazed, mouth agape, too. To think that she would stand up for me. The look the sea elf gives her is one that Airika will remember for the rest of her days, a look that seems to say: the princess will always keep her promises.

“A bold declaration, Aranel, how do you intend to ensure the pirate’s compliance?”

“You know how.”

Apparently, the queen does, as she stands. “We shall finish this in my private chambers. Come.”

The princess offers a hand to Airika to help her stand. As they follow, she leans in to whisper, “I’m sorry that I was not there at Teleptafelya when you were picked up. Rebuilding efforts are keeping me busy. Are you okay?”

“Other than being hungry and wanting to wring your betrothed’s neck for handing me over for this, I’m just peachy,” Airika mumbles.

“Again, my apologies. Assuming Mother goes along with my intentions, we will get one of those requests handled shortly.”

Hoping to hurt the prudish princess but expecting a real meal instead (the first since arriving from Teleptafelya), Airika follows along. Soon, it is just the three of them. The queen sits at her desk and exclaims, “How much does the prisoner know?”

“She knows that we were captured by the Hotel. Again, I captured her, more or less, from a harpy meat rot pit during Aelene’s date at Teleptafelya. I presume my companions that brought her in did not update her on my current Level, but she does know it is considerably higher than one would expect and she is aware that I can override Ioun’s will concerning the level of my companions.”

“So, she knows a lot. Too much, perhaps?” The queen pauses, staring Airika down. The bitch queen is looking for a reason to lop my head off still?

“I can keep a secret.” Airika snarls, trying to anticipate the objection.

“That is not in doubt, prisoner. Quiet. I am speaking with the Aranel.” Turning to the princess, she asks, “What sort of magic do you intend to use to ensure the prisoner’s compliance? I assume you plan on using magic. Geas from your dragon, perhaps?”

“Hotel magic. I intend to offer her a spot in the harem as a reward for good behavior, which will have the added benefit of ensuring she will never stray again.” The description the princess offers sounds much more ominous than last time, with the implied threat that Airika will suffer immensely if she goes against the princess’s will. Still, banging that princess should be way better than trying out the executioner’s ax.

The queen looks disturbed as well, especially when the princess provides the requested details, which, if anything, assuages Airika’s fears. Eventually, the two royals decide Airika’s fate.

“I shall grant the prisoner a reprieve, at least for a few months to determine if the rehabilitation plan of the Aranel is feasible. If the plan will not work, the prisoner shall be executed. Prisoner, both the nature of Tyalangan’s time in the Hotel and the levels of those kidnapped there are state secrets. Divulging either of those things shall be grounds for immediate execution. Is that understood?”

“Aye, aye, Brenhines Cnawes.”

The princess looks unmoved. The queen, however snarls, “You do realize I speak Sylvan, right?” Before the queen can truly bust out some wrath, the princess grabs her arm and teleports away.

“What was that, Airika?”

“Just telling the queen how I felt.”

“Yeah,” the princess declares, hand rubbing the back of her neck, “Maybe you shouldn’t antagonize my mother, especially since you are alive right now partially due to her benevolence?”

Not wanting to acknowledge the rebuke, Airika changes the subject, “So, since I’m sworn to secrecy and all, can I at least get a Level update?”

“Sure.” the princess offers her face to the level scrying effect. Airika presses her thumb in the right spot and then is aghast. What the hell did I agree to back then? There is impossible and then there is impossible. Princess here is definitely the later.

Josie

“All the power of artifice at my fingertips, and you have me assembling the gym equivalent of IKEA furniture,” Mattie grumbles, loading plates into a chest press machine. Starting a gym from scratch means a lot of equipment assembly. No one told Josie that before she began. She can tell the work is pleasing the astral elf, even if she won’t admit it.

“You were the one asking for something to do at breakfast, Stars.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the astral elf dismissively states, “I get it. The joys of my big project being ‘planting a garden to troll a contestant on another season.’ Not much to do other than wait for a while. Once the statue I commissioned is done, though, then I can have some fun.”

“What Erin do to you, anyways?”

“She insulted the sacred honor of threesomes by denying the importance of some girl-on-girl action.”

Josie laughs out loud. Really? Mattie is such a dork sometimes. They both get pensive for a bit. While it’s been a couple of months, the effects of the show on all of them still lingers, some good, some bad. The old lady, frankly, has it the worst. At least Josie can tune out most of the harem organization hassle and work on her own thing. Harper has the constant worry about leaving someone behind in the back of her skull nagging her and being groomed to take over a queendom is not a light, easy thing when one takes it as seriously as Harper does. Josie still hasn’t worked out exactly what she and the old lady are, but they are more than fuck buddies and less than girlfriends. Josie is honestly okay with it, at least for now. Tina is already a handful, not to mention adding Scarlet and Nyadia and sometimes Mattie or Daphne into the mix.

The chest press machine is set up, the last bolt tightened. Mattie brushes off the seat and gestures to it. “Wanna give the girl a whirl?”

Josie selects the bottom plate so she’s pressing the entire 300 pounds, then does a set of 10. “Feels good. You wanna go?”

Mattie snorts, “Nah, I’d hurt myself lifting that much. Appreciate the offer.”

Shaemus shouts from the bathrooms, “Little help? I’m having some electrical issues that someone with some magical know-how needs to address!” The lights in the gym flicker, ominously, then turn off. Mattie pads her way over, shouting “Comin’ Pops!”

It’s weird how Pops Smythe has integrated so well into the harem family thing. Josie bought the land the gym is built on in the Royal Quarter from the estate of a family that, frankly and unfortunately, did not survive the siege. Pops handled hiring a demo crew, then built the building from scratch. He gutted the storefront Scarlet got for her monk spa thing, then built up the inside of the space to work for Scarlet’s needs, too. Harper is working with him and a bunch of others on some expansions to the castle (3 new wings: one for the harem, one for a nursery for the kids, and a third for “symmetry”), though they are only in the design phase (and will be, at least until the town has more or less recovered). He even helped find the right people for Daphne’s family pool idea, though it won’t be fully implemented until the harem and nursery wing expansions are well underway; still, the mermaid and sea elf have a decent sized saltwater pool to play in / rest their lungs in, respectively. Very handy guy, Pops is.

Even more than being helpful, Pops is trying to be the parent most of the girls need. Some, like Tina and Harper, never really had a dad before and Pops is doing a decent job at parenting a bunch of weirdo adults. He seems to get along with the queen well enough, too. If only Sinead could be so accommodating.

The front door dings. Josie’s wolf ears perk up at the sound. She jogs her way to the front, shouting, “Sorry, we aren’t opening up for another couple of weeks. Can I offer you a rain check for a free first class or something?”

“Only if it’s one of your special Pilates classes,” the girl walking in purrs. Said girl, Alex, has been hanging out with Scarlet ever since the group came back from the monastery. Alex has been very forward in wanting to join the harem and Josie doesn’t know exactly how to feel about that. Alex is beautiful, in a skater punk goth kind of way, and she’s Scarlet’s long dead fiancé brought back to life. Her concern is mostly for Harper; can the sea elf handle another harem-girl that seems more interested in a harem-sister than she is for the future queen?

“Hey, Alex? Scarlet coming along shortly?”

“Eh, her and Mrs. Smythe are working on lunch and sent me to fetch the gym crew. You gals and Mr. Smythe ready to eat?”

A gurgling stomach Josie has been trying to ignore for the past 15 minutes answers the question, to some giggles. The lights spring back on, whatever ambient magical power issue resolved, and the two handy folks work their way up front.

“Hey,” Mattie greets with a flirty wink.

“Hey, Sweetie, I assume you’re the lunch bell?”

“Sure am, Mr. Smythe. You ready?”

Pops is already halfway out the door, the other following behind. The bustle of the Royal Quarter at midday is well underway, as nobles, other well-to-do people, and servants all find places for lunch or other such things to occupy their time. The group found a relatively quiet part of the park between the castle and the storefronts, pretty well away from the rather large free-use sex section, that has served as a good place for those not at the castle to eat together.

Of course, even if they are away from the main sex attraction at the park, it doesn’t mean they are perfectly isolated from sex, as the only places one can completely escape it are the child friendly parts that you need to have kids to use. The flames popping up from their usual place means that someone likely tried to hit on Sinead again. Josie jogs ahead, just in case. A trio of rapidly fleeing luchtoni (2 male, 1 female) run by. One of the males wolf-whistles the wolf-girl. Great. Gonna get to deal with the guard again.

By the time Josie found the nice flat rock they picked out, Scarlet has mostly cooled down. She did leave a big scorch mark on it, but it kind of blends in with the other big scorch marks. The oread really, really doesn’t like people flirting with her mom. Sinead looks both terrified and used to it at the same time. She has had a rough go at getting used to life here.

“Hey, Scarlet, you two okay?”

Scarlet stops those breathing exercises she picked up from the old lady. “Yeah, just so many guys see a human female and want to knock her up. It’s exhausting sometimes.”

“I hear that, Red. Had to chase off a couple of nosey wolves from your girl.” Mattie pads up with Alex and Shaemus in tow, “And the girl wolf wanted to bone Pops, but he politely declined like a good husband.”

And here comes the guard, who is sighing. It always seems like the exact same boi hoppalong guard gets stuck dealing with the situations the harem finds itself in. “Let me guess, someone hit on the human, you blew up in their face, caught fire, and they ran away?”

Scarlet nods. “Pretty much, guardsbunny. I made you an extra sandwhich, if you’d like?”

Another guard, this one coming from the path they took to get here, approaches the group. Before that guard can speak, the hoppalong boi sighs, “Let me guess, someone hit on those humans, and either the luchtoni or the astral elf threatened them, and they ran away?” The guard nods. “Let’s go fill out the paperwork. Maybe this time, the Captain of the Guard will actual put the humans on house arrest?”

As the guards leave to deal with the brick wall that is Aelene, the others sit around on the rock and sandwiches are passed out. Josie chomps down on hers. The others are more civil in eating. Scarlet’s spa is coming along nicely. With the construction done, she is already working on design and training assistants from among the novices at the temple. In fact, Scarlet is more likely to open her doors for business before Josie can.

After lunch, Scarlet escorts Alex and her mom back to the castle. Josie, Mattie, and Pops heads back to the gym. Break time is over. Let’s work on getting the weight room finished.

Skye

Skye is in a good mood this afternoon. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and she is out planting a vineyard. Lady Aelene is helping with the post hole digger to get the trellises up. Ms. Nyadia is carrying the posts for the trellises and helping to get them deep into the soil. Ms. Honey, who, despite being from a desert world, seems to be very good with plants, is helping Skye with planting grapevines and splicing branches. In fact, the only one complaining is the one Skye has been appointed to supervise: the siren pirate Airika, who is nailing crosshatched plants between the posts so the vines have something to crawl along.

“Ugh, this sucks. Can’t you magic types just magic your way through the job?”

“Quiet prisoner,” Lady Aelene snaps, slamming the post hole digger a little too hard in the process.

“Lady Aelene, our lady love put me in charge of Airika for a reason. Please be polite. And, to address your question, Airika, none of us have magic that would be particularly useful for the task at hand.”

Ms. Nyadia murmurs, “Actually, I do have Plant Growth, so I can magically improve the yield of these grapevines. But that requires them to have taken root and the support they will need to grow.”

“Why, that is wonderful, Ms. Nyadia! The Lady has blessed you with quite the useful spell.”

“Ms. McMattersen would appreciate your efforts in increasing the vitality of the botanicals in her garden,” Ms. Honey adds.

“The process takes a whole 8 hours and will cover both Mattie’s garden and Skye’s vineyard; we should wait until all of the grapevines are planted first.”

They continue working, Airika grumbling, Lady Aelene irritable, the other three content to enjoy the day, the effort to tend and make life grow. Soon enough, some castle servants walk out with refreshments and yet another note from the town guard for Lady Aelene to deal with. Airika slumps down beside the lazzorkat. Skye sits on Airika’s other side, asking, “What can I do to help you, Airika?”

“Can you make prim-n-proper over there not be a bitch?”

Skye speaks firmly, but with as much kindness as she can manage, “Please do not speak of my love like that, Airika.”

“As the Mistress would say, The Argent Dancer is a goddess of second chances. You are being given a second chance. Perhaps you should start it by asking for forgiveness. The Knight-Commander over there is head of the army at Nimlith Grove. How many troops has she lost to bandits? How many to pirates like your past self? Your presence, without repentance, may merely be reminding her of the people she has lost. I know that if the Mistress brought an ultraviolion for admittance into the harem, I would not take it well.”

Ms. Nyadia is showing some vulnerability. I should, too. “There was this girl back home, Sheryl. I had such a crush on her, but she would tell me that I was so plain and unworthy of her attention. She was with the community that traveled here from my world. If my lady love asked me to let her into the family, she’d need to tell me she was sorry first.”

Ms. Honey looks confused. She often is when emotions are being bared.

Lady Aelene returns, looking even more frustrated. “Well, we need to talk about how to handle Scarlet’s parents again. I don’t want to confine them to the castle, but, with Mrs. Smythe being so sensitive to life here, we may need to.”

“Mrs. Smythe may be more comfortable once we have provided the harem with children, Lady Aelene.”

Airika snorts. Lady Aelene snarls, “Quiet, prisoner.”

“Ms. Copse-Wood, would you like my assistance in remediation? If our Mate wishes to save Ms. Ysgarlad, she will be with us for a long time. It would be best to ascertain whether the two of you can coexist.”

Lady Aelene stares incredulously at Ms. Honey. Ms. Honey’s antennae twitch. Airika stands up and brushes off some dirt from what Skye imagines is her indecent clothing. “I’m up for it if you are. Especially if it gets me out of the rest of today’s work.”

Ms. Honey starts to hover back towards the guest rooms the harem is using, a cocky siren and an annoyed high elf filing behind. I hope those two can work out their issues. Help them, My Lady.

Tina

Daphne is really proud of the pool she made. Sure, New Dad helped with hiring people to do a lot of the manual labor, but the mermaid helped them cheat with magic, temporarily turning chunks of the heavy soil into balsa wood to make it much lighter. The pool itself is water-tight and tiled, a mosaic of mermaids playing in a coral reef, with ports already built in for the inevitable “water tube network between the new castle wings” expansion. The filtration system that Mattie custom-built is beyond Tina’s comprehension, but the water feels clean. Daphne even got the first of many, many water slides done; the mermaid is especially proud of the water tube that leads up to the top of the slide for mermaids to skip the stairs.

“WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” squees the mermaid as she splashes down from the slide.

Tina watches, feet wading in the shallow end of the pool. While she really wants to just laze around in the pool all day, she has paperwork to fill out. Miserable, miserable paperwork. The bonny bunny groans in frustration.

Daphne swims over to rest her arms beside Tina and looks up at the bunny, shark teeth exposed in a big grin. The mermaid asks, “Hey, Tina, why so glum? Wanna swim for a bit, take your mind off of whatever’s bothering you?”

“I wish I could, Daphne, but I have sooooo many college applications to fill out. Do you know how frustrating these things are, especially with my academic records being in another dimension? These entrance essays are so tedious. How do high schoolers fill these out? I mean, Portia Hatter didn’t need to fill out paperwork to get into Borcyst.”

Daphne smiles still, teasing, “I mean, I didn’t find them that bad when I filled mine out.”

“YOU went to college?”

“Yup. I graduated from the Harem Hotel Correspondence College of Magic, majoring in transmutation. It’s not as prestigious as, say, SLAGG, but it was free for Hotel staff, so long as you were majoring in something related to your job.”

Tina summons her applications. “Help me! Pleeeeeeeease!”

“Go get a waterproof computer or something and come back. I want more pool time and will absolutely ruin your paper applications. These schools still accept paper applications?”

Tina is confused. “On-line applications are a thing?”

Daphne pulls herself out of the pool and sighs. She starts to shimmy back into the castle, waiting for her legs to reform. The mermaid looks back at the bonny bunny, saying, “Come on, Tina, let’s head to the computer lab. You need more help than you think.”

Tina plops the application paperwork back into her inventory, shrugs, and follows Daphne. I thought it would have been easy to get into magic college. Why are these essay thingies so hard?