Hectic days and dangerous captives

Three days... it can be such a short span of time. But at times like this three days feels like an eternity. The noblewomen have taken their captivity well enough, then nuns are mostly frightened, but the mercenaries... you've had to wake up twice each night to deal with escape attempts. Most are less than inspired, but still an issue if they had enough time. Some are downright ingenious, like removing the bolts from a small cooking stove in one room and using them to jam the door while Patrick was delivering food.

You had to 'go away on the king's business' again, just to have enough time to deal with all the emergencies. With you and Patrick both working it's just enough to keep the women supplied. Sandra helps when she can, but she needs to spend most of her time with your other wives and with the many catgirls in the main hall. The plan was to wait and recover so that you could do more. The plan went out the window in the first six hours. Since then you've had to transform eight mercenary girls. Eight! And that's not counting the senior nun, mercenary captain and the two noblewomen you transformed in the first 24 hours. Who knew mercenary girls could be this much trouble? Today you finally felt it safe to blast a room of them with one of your wands. With another six girls comatose you and Patric can finally catch a breather.

"How's it going today?" asks Sandra. She's a little worried that the three of you have overreached. She's told you that when this current disaster is over she wants you to find at least two more trustworthy people to aid in your enterprise. She's worried enough that she agreed the two noblewomen and the girls you've had to transform quickly don't need to be impregnated right away. Of course Sandra did ask that you use a touch of magic to make sure they are nice and receptive when handsome human men and human sperm come calling. She's aiming to make these former mercenaries some of the first catgirls to choose a human mate. Sandra will be Sandra.

"Fine for the moment" says Patrick. "Stopped them forcing out the window pane."

"Yes, though I think we need to cram them into another room. The seals won't hold against what they tried."

"Can we swap their rooms?" asks Sandra.

"Yes, that will buy us a little time. Each group will have to discover new weak points."

After an hour of dragging **** women around the mansion you stop for a breather.

"If we're ever dumb enough to kidnap this many women again can we please pick waifs? All these women have muscles as dense as stone."

"Yes. Never this many again. But... you must admit the results are something else. Don't tell me you aren't thinking about Inara."

"Oh, I can't deny that. As a woman she was tall and thin and rough and cute. A perfect tomboy. But as a catgirl, with those wide amber eyes and that soft creamy fur... she's a Goddess."

Sandra comes in, shaking her head. "I just overheard the last of that. You really like playing with dangerous women, don't you?"

"What can I say? They're more fun with claws." All of you have a good laugh at that.

Sandra looks back and forth between you and says "I hope you two are well rested. It's already dinner time." Despite yourself you groan in sympathy with Patrick.

"You don't get to complain! I'm more than nine months pregnant and I'm helping."

You stand and give her a hug. "Yes, and you're an inspiration. You don't need to carry any of the food."

"Don't be silly. I can balance it on my tummy. Besides, I'm just carrying the single plate for lady Emira." With that you, Patrick and Sandra split up and deliver trays of food to the various rooms. You had considered using magic, but with all the transformations that's not happening. Most of the rooms have dumbwaiters, but you still need to load those.

A few rooms don't have any way to get food in save for through the door and you have to be careful with those, working alongside Patrick to make sure no one tries anything. You put noblewomen and nuns in them to minimize the chance of someone brave or foolhardy making your life even more difficult. You and Patrick are just meeting up for the first run to one of those rooms when you hear a sound from down the hall that sends you both running.

When you come around the corner you find the last thing you wanted to see. Lady Emira is free of her cell and she is marching Sandra forward in front of her, a sharp bit of glass carefully wrapped in cloth held to Sandra's neck.

"Ah ha!" she says when she catches sight of you. "I knew a mage was involved." Then her eyes take in more of your appearance than just your style of dress. She clearly recognizes you as she takes a firmer grip on the glass shiv. "Damn. I don't know what kind of favor you owe Velcorrin but I want out. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I am not letting that bastard get his hands on me. I've escaped from his people twice, I'll do it again!"

"Velcorrin?" asks Patrick. "We're not working with that asshole."

That seems to give her pause, but she's still tense as all hell. In fact you doubt that most of your magic would work right now - her mind is so active and her body so ready for fight or flight, that it's unlikely you could get a spell off faster than she could move her hand. All you can do is use some of your magic to help you remain calm. With Sandra's life on the line it's a tall order.

You hold your hands out to your sides. A non-threatening gesture. "I'm no friend of count Velcorrin. In fact I kidnapped you and many others to make sure he takes the blame."

"A convenient story" she says. But she pauses and you see the gears turning behind her eyes. "But not the first story I would come up with were I faced with an escaped prisoner." She thinks a bit more. "Prove it."

"I hired an all women mercenary company to guard a shipment of nuns and noblewomen. The nuns are from an order called the Red Circle, who Velcorrin hates. Every one of the noblewomen have been problems for him in the past."

"Still sounds good" she says. "I've heard of the Red Circle and he definitely doesn't like them. So the noblewomen then. Who?"

"Lady Fallian's eldest daughter Siggra, Lady Cavone, Baroness Ruthine..."

"Good, good. I know two of them and they would be fine choices for framing him." She bites her lip, almost hard enough to draw blood. "If what you're saying is true... how were you going to deal with all of us? You would have to make us disappear."

"Yes. I've made it look as though all of you were put on a ship at the port of Larrender, headed for Jalsenn. The paperwork and bribes will convince everyone the mercenaries were betrayed by Valcorrin as well to cover his deeds."

Sandra adds "Plus we set it up so it looks like Velcorrin was trying to frame Lord John. But John was at a wedding along with the king."

Lady Emira shifts slightly behind Sandra. "Hmmm, not just a pretty face. If she's in on the plan... yes, she's your lover, isn't she?"

"Wife actually."

"Then I will be very, very careful. I did say I don't want to hurt anyone. That's even more true now." She pauses, and you recognize the signs of a person searching their own mind, a careful check for magical influence. "If you really have set up Velcorrin then you've done me a favor. And if you care about her... I probably wont leave alive if she's hurt."

"Yes." You can't really help but say it in a tone loaded with menace.

"I'll release her, but I want to talk. I want my freedom. I have had enough of cages and prisons in my life." She pulls the glass shard away from Sandra and puts it down on a shelf beside her. Sandra is in your arms in an instant, but she's not crying. Instead she's just hugging you close.

"I knew I'd be safe" she whispers.

"I believe it is past time for introductions. Oh, and perhaps you can tell me why both your companions are cat people?" says lady Emira, looking a bit like some of the wind has been taken out of her sails.