Questions before the day starts

4th Domusdae, the 27th day of the month of Semens (Sem), the 3672nd year of Salvation's Landing

After Reglin took a cloth and wiped down himself and helped his lovers do the same, all three got into the giant stone basin. The water was steaming, and they were relaxing in no time. With Asha invigorated by Tabitha’s magicks and Reglin’s energy buoyed by ‘Vigorous Body’, the conversation was livelier than most would expect at the ninth smallbell. Whatever means Tabitha maintained her energy levels was unknown to him for now, but she was very much active in the discussions.

They talked of varying topics while lying about in the hot water, but Asha seemed keen on finding out if they might be able to repeat a night like this one, hoping it was not a one-off occurrence. Tabitha assured her that they could indeed, but if she didn’t want to be completely wiped out by the spell, they should plan those on nights that Asha is off the next day.

Finally, Reglin got around to asking Tabitha for advice regarding the Affection Artifact. “So, Tabby… There’s a particular channel that I can open that interests me called ‘Shaping Culture’… to sum it up, it says that I can impact culture through my approval. But it says that the first tier will only impact small cultural phenomenon.” Asha floated her way over to him and was backing herself onto his lap.

Appearing thoughtful at the topic brought to her, Tabitha was quiet for a good minute. Reglin took the opportunity to rub Asha’s back, working her muscles with his fingers. She groaned loudly under his touches and he could see her spine lose rigidity.

“So minor cultural keys… that could be a number of things obviously. But what struck me is that culture tends to move slowly. With patience, someone with that capability would be able to build their ideal society…” Tabitha was still grinding away on this in her mind, Reglin could tell. “So, if you were to open this one, what are some ideas you would plant?” She started to float over to him as well and settled next to him. “On a different subject really quickly: Asha, what are his hands doing to you right now?”

Reglin deferred to Asha, knowing that Tabby wanted to do some research. “I still feel those tingles his fingers always produce, but now it feels like it’s going into my muscles and just turning them off. Completely relaxing…” Tabitha nodded at Asha’s barely cogent explanation. The rubbing had softened her thoughts as well.

He gave a small shrug, finding it interesting just how Reglin’s abilities manifested in others besides what the scroll said. Getting back to Tabitha’s question though, he spoke, “I have a few ideas. Some altruistic. Some entertaining. I’d like to loosen some of the puritanical ideals of Polivandria. Luckily, I think I might be able to do so with the help of existing members of the Kingdom. If I were push Northern fashions, women would be able wear clothes that they could feel sexy in. I admit, that’s a selfish one that wormed its way into me after spending just a bit of time with Lady Wilmyna and her handmaid, Freighla. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t think it could be a factor in pulling out of unnecessarily strict social constructs.” The guard continued to massage Asha’s lovely creamy white skin on her back.

Giving a wicked smile, Tabitha seemed to find some humor in that notion in the least, “I agree. It would be a first roll of a stone on a hill, true.” She moved closer so that her hip and his touched. “What other ideas? And I wonder how they would proliferate?” She tilted her head so that it rested on Reglin’s shoulder.

A chuckled came from Reglin at that, “I don’t know. If my opinion were suddenly seen with merit, a Royal Advisor might be able to do so. Something like, ‘I heard a guardsman say the other day that he wished he could see… Whoever you want to say, in a Northerner’s dress.” He turned his head and kissed the top of Tabitha’s head in a purely loving gesture. “Not sure if that’s how it works, but maybe?”

“Maybe it’s as simple as that…” Tabitha admitted as a possibility, “Thinking on it some more, I like the ideas… How much mana will it cost you though?” Her hand ran along the outside of his thigh slowly before leaving it. Judging by Asha’s sudden shiver, it seems Tabby’s hand went to her leg instead. Something Reglin was more than alright with. He found that he really enjoyed the two women he loved flirting and playing with each other.

“The first tier of it is five hundred…” Tabitha whistled quietly at that.

Asha’s head rose, reengaging herself into the conversation, “Is that a lot?” her voice was barely a murmur with how tranquil she appeared to be feeling.

“Well, one person can only provide me with three hundred streams at their fullest affection, love and lust… Thought I get streams from the environment for achieving certain things… Last I checked, I had about seven hundred idle streams. So, I could get it.” Reglin was reticent to engage so many streams without talking to Tabitha about it. Though, it seemed like she approved of this notion.

Asha moaned and spoke softly, “I think that certain things making their way around the palace servants might not hurt either, Goldy…”

Raising a brow, Reglin nodded, “I suppose not. I’m sure your words would make their way around as well…” lowering his hands down her back further, he massaged her lower back, fingers slowly wandering toward that stupendously round ass of hers.

She knew where those hands of Reglin’s were going. Asha’s hips rolled a small circle and her ass slid back toward a bit, trapping his semi-erect shaft in the cleft of the bubble butt of hers. “Well…” She said in a sultry tone, “I suppose you will need to just find more girls to throw themselves at you if you need more mana for whatever it is you need.”

Something that Asha said drew a reaction from Tabitha. She leaned forward and put her mouth right to Asha’s ear and started to speak. Reglin couldn’t hear anything and thought that peculiar, given what Tabby and he knew about his interacting with mana. Tabitha spoke for almost a minute before sound started to originate from the area where his lovers were. Tabitha just glanced at him and smiled, while Asha turned and looked at him, as though it was the first time seeing him, “Interesting… I can imagine it.” She said to Tabitha.

They obviously didn’t want Reglin to know, but he couldn’t help but be curious. He decided to drop it for another time, “And I guess I wanted to consult with you as to what I should aim for next. There’s a channel called ‘The Love of the Masses’. It sounds like I could become some sort of folk hero, I guess. And that the people of my land will send streams toward me through tales of my deeds. I must say that one sounds like a way to gather streams.” He shrugged.

“I cannot help but think that you may be prejudicing my opinion, love…” Tabitha said in low, throaty voice. “You are giving me your thought process as to how these channels would help you, and I agree. But I just wonder if I could go over them with you as a whole some time so that I might be able to look at the big picture.” Her lips ended right next to Reglin’s ear. “But I can see where you are going with that plan. We would need to make your previous exploits in the Reaches known maybe… Although…” She paused in thought, “People can revere people for all kinds of reasons.”

Leaning forward away from him, Asha reached between her legs. Reglin then felt her hand take hold of him, her fingers encircling his girth. In just moments, she had guided him inside her excessively warm slit, tight folds grabbing hold of him.

“Maybe… Uhnn…” Reglin couldn’t resist thrusting upward into Asha’s heavenly pussy, “We can get together…” He grabbed her flared hips firmly and thrusted again, “and go over it. Introduce my sweet apple here to it…”

Half-lidded eyes watched him with a longing gaze. Tabby’s tongue played on her lips, perhaps her imagination was taking her places, Reglin thought. “We can do that. Not tonight though for obvious reasons… The little harlot bouncing her tight cunt on your thick cock right now is going to need some rest.” Reglin felt Asha’s tunnel clinch down on his shaft while Tabitha degraded her. “I say go forward with your idea and I will try to plant some seeds for both of those new open channels of yours… I will be interested to see just how long it will take for channels such as those to take effect.”

Thinking that Asha had lost herself fucking him, Reglin was a little surprised when she spoke up in her labored voice, “I have a question… fuck, that’s so good… Ummm… These channels… can you use them on others?” Her head was turned to look back at him, but her eyes looked mostly closed and entirely in ecstasy.

Reglin paused in his participation, “I-I… I don’t know…” He sat still and let Asha take over the work as he tried to puzzle out that question. “That’s interesting… I wonder how that would even work?” He looked over at Tabitha and saw that she was equally intrigued at the question, judging by her appearance. “Perhaps a call for more experimentation?” And Tabitha nodded at that absently, still deep in thought.

After making Asha quiver and cum more than once, Tabitha took over and enjoyed herself quite thoroughly. The two times that Reglin had shot his load, Tabitha sternly warned him not to dirty up their bath, so he would sit up on the edge of the basin and let his lovers take turns in keeping it tidy. Of course, they were trying to keep the water clear and not slurping down his seed out of selfish hunger, he thought to himself amusingly.

In the end, all three were well fucked and ready to take on the day. Smelling of the floral oils that was becoming a distinguishing trait of his, Reglin readied himself for heading out. Using the Affection Artifact, he opened up the channels ‘Shaping Culture’ and ‘The Love of the Masses’. Then the three formulated plans as to how make best use of Reglin’s new abilities. Asha decided what better way to plant seeds for him than just start gossiping about him to Lina and the other girls. She would talk about how Reglin noticed how beautiful whatever girl was and repeat this with as many servants with as many names as she could use. Word always got around in the palace.

Reglin liked the simplicity of that but made sure that Wilmyna’s name was prominent in there. He really wanted to see her again. “In fact, double up on that. Perhaps bring up how much I enjoyed her style of dress and mention how you might wear something like if it would catch my eye.” He grinned at Asha with that, “I know it’s more strategic than anything, but would you be lying? If I got a dress like that for you, would you wear it?”

He was shocked by the color in Asha’s cheeks after all they had done in the last ten hours or so. But this was different, he supposed. This would be her showing herself off for everyone to see. See was silent in thought and then the color faded, “Of course I would… Here in Polivandria, women should feel free to wear whatever they’d like. If it so happens to draw your eyes on me, more’s the better.”

Tabitha snorted a laugh, “I see that your powers are already trying to weave. I’m sure your intent will reconcile itself in our minds quickly, given that we played parts in the formulation and agree with it. I wonder how it would feel in you tried to change something that I found anathema?” Reglin smiled and shook his head at the way Tabitha’s mind was constantly searching.

Her own plans were to sow seeds in the Arcanists guild. The women were not numerous, but what they lacked in numbers, they made up for in influence. That small cabal could have certain rumors spread throughout the capital in a day’s time.

Reglin was indeed lucky to have women with influence in their respective parts of society, but he could not help but wish that he had another such a person to influence the nobles… He caught himself. ‘Stop that! You are thinking of strategies and not of the heart. Remember what this is all about.’

After having chastised himself, Reglin took some time to say his farewells to each of his lovers with a good deal of ardor. He was once more pleasantly surprised by the amount of affection that his lovers gave each other in their own farewells. They didn’t quite make out, but intimate kisses were exchanged, and sweet words of fondness were given. It made him beam widely at the two. Once they both swatted him for acting a buffoon, he and Asha left Tabitha’s rooms via the wardrobe exit and made their circuitous way around to the servants’ halls, locking up behind them. He gave Asha another more chaste kiss goodbye in the stairwell and made his way to the Watch room.

~This is knowledge for the Reader~

The Affection Multiplier

~Mana: 942 (-1000 +102) 60~

~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) 500, ~Vulgum Venerae (The Love of the Masses) 500

~Tabitha~ Affectionae: 100 Erosii: 100 Libidae: 100 (Effective 41)
~Lim~ A: 52 E: 2
~Boll~ A: 33
~Grahm~ A: 33
~Halpern~ A: 21
~Nimit~ A: 15
~Day's Shift Guards~ A: (+9)
~Lina~ A: 44 L: 3
~Asha~ A: 100 E: 98 (+2) 100 L: 100 (Effective 39)
~Princess Katya~ A: -52
~Maiden Caterina~ A: 18 E: 1 L: 2
~Maiden Gwynfuir~ A: 15
~Maiden Erynna~ A:5
~Lady Wilmyna~ A:17 L: 5
~Maiden Freighla~ A: 11 L: 3
~Lady Falina~ A: 12
~Maiden Deela~ A: 9
~Lady Vidala~ A: 6
~Maid Camilla~ A: 6 L: 4
~Night's Shift Guards~ A: (+6)
~Govren~ A: 2
~Princess Yelena~ A: 66 E: 3
~Maiden Oliyah~ A: 9

Achieved: Heart-filled Harem ~ You have won the heart, soul, and mind of more than one. Hold them tight. It is a sacred thing you hold. (+100 mana)