A Tour and a Meeting

While Sassafras gave the contestants their tour of the manor, Ginelia took the opportunity to show Caelan his new residence for the next several weeks. She teleported him inside the manor. When Caelan wanted to say something to her after they reappeared, his words died in his throat as he looked around at his new surroundings.

“These are the Master’s Quarters,” said Ginelia. “Take a moment to admire them. There is no need to be afraid or hesitant.”

Caelan wondered if this was what the Ocowyth royal family was used to--it far exceeded anything he’d ever seen, including the palace guest room he temporarily resided in. The bed alone was larger than anything he’d ever seen. Tentatively, he reached out to touch the surface of the elaborately embroidered bedspread, and when Ginelia gave him a nod, rested his hand against the surface. He let out a relaxed breath, as he felt the comfortable support.

“Is the whole place like this?” he said, after almost a minute of incredulous inspection of his surroundings.

“Of course, dear Caelan. You also have your own bathroom, solar, and training room. Your sword and armor are in the training room, since I know you prefer not to be separated from them.”

“Where are my spare clothes?” he asked, and then realized how stupid he sounded. He had, after all, seen the ornately carved wardrobe in the room.

Caelan then went up to the wardrobe, opened it, and immediately grabbed a new shirt, similar to the one he’d given Adalheid. Ginelia suppressed a sigh as he donned it. The portion of the audience that liked men would be disappointed that he was no longer shirtless. But no matter, the audience would be satisfied soon enough.

“Now, look at the painting on the wall next to the wardrobe. Tell me, what do you see?”

“It’s…a map,” said Caelan. “Of a...of the manor?”

“Correct! It’s a magical map. All you have to do is point to your destination, and it will teleport you there. There is one like it in every room of the manor, only visible to your eyes, and only usable by you. As the master, you deserve the best.”

Ginelia then guided him to an ornate metal statue of a stylized hand holding a bell, mounted on the wall, near the door of his bedroom.

“But that’s just a statue!” protested Caelan.

“Touch it, and see for yourself.”

Caelan did so, carefully and with a bemused look on his face. He was surprised when, at his touch, the metal hand rang the bell with a clear but gentle chime. And then, Sassafras appeared in front of him, wearing a gentle smile, and dipping a curtsy.

“What do you need, Caelan? Milady?” said Sassafras.

“H--the bell, it’s to call you,” spluttered Caelan in shock.

“Of course, Caelan. As the Master of Harem Hotel, your every need and want must be attended whenever you wish. Unfortunately, I cannot meet your sexual and romantic needs--that is the duty of your harem. If you take those matters into your own hands, you need only think of your harem.”

“Thanks for explaining that, Sassafras. You may go,” said Caelan.

When the maid disappeared on his words, which of course he should have expected given what had happened before, Caelan shook his head. He then turned to Ginelia. “It’s…this is all too much for me.”

“No, no, it is not,” said Ginelia. “You are the Master of this season of Harem Hotel, the hero who is being rewarded. So it is only natural that you get the best accommodations. Your word is as good as divine, and your harem will know it by the end. They will be punished for disobeying and displeasing you, and rewarded for pleasing you.”

Caelan’s face twisted with shocked rage, and he opened his mouth to reply. Ginelia cut him off with a cough. Her expression was stern.

“I can see it on your face, that you want to refuse to participate, knowing that. But it would damn all the women you claim to care for so deeply. Would you really do that? Are you capable of sentencing all of them to an eternity as trapped puppets?”

You love them, but you aren’t ready to admit it. If you were, then your new transformation would have activated, thought Ginelia. Perhaps this will be the push you need.

Caelan heard Ginelia’s words, wanted to retort, and then stopped himself. His shock and outrage burned away, and were replaced with a cold, familiar determination. He would do his duty, and be the master of his season of Harem Hotel to save all his friends…friends? Friends.

But was it really such an onerous task for him as he wanted to think? Did he even want it to be a chore? And would they consent? He would never do anything to them without their consent. But he needed to save them--he would not let them become mindless puppets, not while there was blood in his veins and breath in his body.

“I’ll do it. I’ll be the Master of this season of Harem Hotel,” Caelan said slowly, hoarsely.

“A wise decision,” replied the goddess.

From the smug smile on Ginelia’s face, she saw his internal turmoil as clearly as she saw the room around her.

“Oh, and by the way, your date with Ionanthe is in two hours. You should get ready,” said Ginelia. “It’s most impolite to keep a lady waiting!”

Before Caelan could say anything in response, Ginelia vanished from his room.

---

Ginelia teleported back to her office, and found one of Sassafras’s bodies waiting for her. The maid wore her usual neutral expression.

“What’s wrong?” asked Ginelia.

“Nothing is wrong, milady. I merely received some more suggestions from the Producers, now that your season has officially begun. Do not worry, they have no issue with the general light-hearted tone, nor your proposed elimination transformation.”

The goddess relaxed slightly hearing that. Nevertheless, she ushered Sassafras into her office and shut the door behind them. As they had been earlier that day, Ginelia sat at the desk while Sassafras stood.

“Was there a problem with the contestants’ tour?” asked Ginelia.

“No, no, quite the opposite. All of them were generally cooperative. However, Ionanthe took initiative and suggested a picnic under the stars as her date with the Master. I chose to commend her and prepare the basket, as she requested.”

“She was the only one who seemed to know what Harem Hotel was. It’s not surprising that she’d play the game, even if it’s only because she wanted to keep as much of herself intact as she could. But I will reward her for it all the same. Make sure that there are two Potions of Freshening in the picnic basket. I will not let her date with the Master be ruined by a pickled onion or slice of smoked salmon.”

“I will do so, milady.” Nonetheless, there was a flash of annoyance on Sassafras’s face that quickly faded.

“Ah, right,” said Ginelia. “You would never put such ingredients in a romantic picnic basket anyway, you’re too experienced for that. Sorry.”

“It is an understandable concern, milady,” said Sassafras, nodding her acceptance of the apology. “The host and staff are there to set the Master up for success on their dates.”

Sassafras then explained the true purpose of the meeting. “The Producers have two suggestions. The first is that the coming elimination challenge on Day 7 needs to be harder than the Strip Trivia game that you have planned.”

“It’s a sexy challenge, and it will allow everyone to learn about the harem members and the Master! What’s their problem with it?” pouted Ginelia.

“If I may suggest a solution, milady?” replied Sassafras.

At Ginelia’s resigned nod, she continued on. “You do not need to cancel Strip Trivia entirely--it is indeed a popular challenge for the reasons you cited. Instead, I suggest you downgrade it to a mini-challenge, perhaps on Day 3 or Day 4. You can move up one of the challenges that you had planned for later in the season, and make that the first elimination challenge instead.”

Ginelia sighed. “Fine, I can make Attic Exploration the elimination challenge instead, and move Strip Trivia to Day 4. And what was the second thing?”

Sassafras took a soft breath before continuing on. “The producers do appreciate that you planned the round to give all the girls a date before the new one is introduced. They understand that hurrying things along will not help the harem gel, and would be improper for a light-hearted season that you have planned.”

“And?” said Ginelia warily.

“They request that on Day 7, regardless of the challenge results, one of the new girls you have planned needs to join the harem. Waiting until Week 3 would make the competition unfair for the newcomers.”

“And they also want the drama from a new arrival,” added Ginelia matter-of-factly.

“Indeed, milady.”

Ginelia sighed. “Honestly, I agree. A new contestant would increase ratings. But which one?”

She turned around in her chair to look at the bookshelf behind her. Specifically, she studied the four objects upon it: a broken sword hilt, a scorched tiara, an eerily glowing purple gem, and a small hourglass filled with sickeningly brilliant green dust and whispers of black powder. For a solid minute, she pensively studied those strange objects, and then she smiled wide.

She turned to Sassafras. “I am glad they suggested it. It’s a good test for Caelan.”

“Oh?” said the maid, tilting her head curiously.

“He agreed to accept his role as the master, because he wanted to save his friends. I wonder what he’d do when he’s faced with someone he hates? Someone who would fiercely resist being rescued from **** of personality, only because Caelan is her rescuer? Or perhaps, someone he doesn’t even know, and wouldn’t trust him because of their prior bonds?”

“Is this one of your tests, milady?” asked Sassafras, a small smile on her face.

“Indeed it is. In fact, I know who would be perfect as the first test. Of course, you’ll help me test him?”

It was a question and not a statement, which was fair. Testing Caelan’s fitness for greater power was not part of the Harem Hotel plan.

“Of course I will help you, milady. It will make for an even more entertaining show, and quite frankly, I am interested in seeing the results myself.”