Harem House Chapter 45

Arthur sat with his food in the spot between Selene and Kelly. Selene had left the space open for him and patted it as he approached. The picnic table bench wasn’t overly long. It had enough space for Kat, Selene, him, and Kelly on one side. Rani, Mindy, Katelyn, and Maria took the other side. Mark sat at the end next to Maria, and Brad and Jen took the other end, with Brad in the chair and Jen sitting sideways on his lap. 

Nine of these tables rested under a wooden canopy, and they sat in the far back corner. The food stalls and vendors did well. People crowded the canopy, filling the other tables. Pedestrians hunted for seats and checked availability at regular intervals, but had to find other canopies or tables to rest their plates. Some were friend groups, others were family groups, with parents trying to corral children who wanted to race between tables and smack each other with their new toy swords. 

A stage along the side remained empty, though a mic and speakers suggested a musical show might happen here soon. Arthur would have to check the schedule. As it was, the smells from the vendors along the lane made his empty stomach growl its annoyance. Food of every variety was available throughout the Faire. Many of the shops had gathered in a court near the entrance. 

Some of them had spent as long shopping for food as they did waiting in line, but Arthur knew what he wanted. A bacon-wrapped turkey leg wrapped in foil sat before him beside a small carton of potato wedges, a cob of corn, and a Scotch egg. He topped it off with a cup of hot, well-seasoned apple cider. It was more than he typically ate with other people watching him, but he’d been hungry. His hunger grew with the amount of walking they’d done, not to mention the rage room, four bouts of sex, and two ‘fights.’ 

Beside him, Selene’s bread bowl of broccoli and cheese soup smelled delicious. It wasn’t cold enough for soup in his mind, but it was a good choice. Her cup of cider matched his, though she’d opted for a drop of rum in hers. 

Mindy had a pickle on a stick in one hand and a skewered sausage in the other. She made everyone laugh by trying to put both in her mouth at once. They were too thick, so she focused her efforts on the sausage first. She had opted for a paper cup of Pepsi, since she couldn’t imbibe the alcohol that others might enjoy. 

Mark had gotten a soft pretzel, a chicken sandwich, and a cup of iced tea. A slab of chicken breast grilled to perfection, layered with a leaf of lettuce and several tomato slices on a rich bun of honeyed bread. Arthur wondered if he should have gotten that, but he could get a chicken sandwich anywhere. Turkey legs were harder to come by, especially the huge ones they sold at the Faire. 

The conversation gradually shifted from Arthur’s bouts and Mindy retelling her escape from Mike to the quality of the food, the Faire, and the plans for the afternoon. The midday sun left the canopy in shadow while the shadow’s border crept past the edge of the posts as they ate. Arthur participated little in the conversation. He watched those around him and enjoyed their storytelling, teasing, and conversing while he ate. 

Brad and Jen showed off the matching superhero rings they’d bought at The King’s Arms. Mark and Maria showed the LARP brochure they’d picked up at a booth to a curious Kelly. Selene kept one hand on Arthur’s thigh under the table, but didn’t reach for his crotch. It wasn’t an erotic gesture, but a tether, to share the meal with him in an intimate way while she ate her soup spoonful by spoonful. Together they watched the others, basking in the glow of fellowship. 

“So, how many women can we get to join us if we party tonight?” Rani asked the table at large. She had stopped at two vendors, getting a bread bowl of mac and cheese from Lady Gouda’s and cinnamon-roasted pecans from The Duke’s Nuts. The vendor’s name (and sign) had made everyone laugh as they passed it. Her water bottle was plastic and out of place among their costumes, but no one protested.

“What?” Kelly asked, confused. In her defense, the question came out of nowhere. She’d been focused on her smoked brisket. It was tender enough to fall apart at the slightest provocation. She ate it with a fork from a paper bowl, with a side of potato wedges beside her plate, drinking spiked cider with Selene.

“Manasa is DTF, if we want,” Rani explained. “A few other women have eyed Arthur. Has anyone seen anyone they want to fuck?”

“You mean besides Maria?” Selene asked, winking at her across the table. 

Maria winked back at her. She’d bought a smoked dragon bowl, which was a bread bowl filled with pulled pork, smoked and seasoned with red pepper. Its sweet-and-spicy chili sauce made everyone’s mouth water. Her plastic chalice of wine didn’t match her meal, but she was saving it to enjoy with her dessert of strawberry shortcake.

Arthur wasn’t sure what either wink meant, but he’d address it before they got out of hand.  

“Oh, that girl in the green dress had it bad for him,” Mindy said. “She was at the belly-dancing, too. She’s sexy, but too shy to make a move on him.” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. If that woman had been into him, she hadn’t shown it. He was still worried that he’d frightened her during the unseelie queen’s march to the chess field. 

“And Ana might be interested, though she’s not interested in women,” Rani said. Their tattoo artist supplied the girls' henna tattoos. Her artwork was gorgeous. The Lady of the Lake clasped Excalibur’s hilt with her sleeve billowing into waves. ‘The Sisterhood of Excalibur’ encircled the blade from its cross guard, and each woman had their harem name inscribed on the blade. 

Arthur’s Wifey, Arthur’s Brat, and Arthur’s Concubine (though hers was in an Indian alphabet) had gotten their tattoos that morning. Kelly bore hers on her shoulder. Kat had hers on her collarbone, which her one-strap crop top exposed. Rani had hers on her hip, leaving it out of sight at the table. Selene, Mindy, and Katelyn still needed to get theirs. 

“Why are we inviting more women? There’s not enough of Arthur to go around as is.” Kat’s tone remained even and unimpressed with Rani’s suggestion. Her plate of fish and chips smelled delicious, and the arctic cod was bigger than Arthur expected. The food here impressed him, with several vendors trying for ‘authenticity’ while others offered more typical carnival fare. Her cup of coffee was still steaming on the table.

“Because it’s fun?” Rani asked. “We can set our record for an orgy.” 

“What’s the current record?” Katelyn asked, curious. Katelyn had opted for fried chicken strips and fries, despite Kelly’s protests that she should try something more Faire-specific. Still, Katelyn liked what she liked, and she seemed happy as she ate and watched the conversations going on around her. 

“Well, seven,” Rani said. “The six of us and Arthur.” 

“Oh, my,” Jen said, chuckling and adjusting how she sat on Brad’s lap. “All at once?” 

Brad’s turkey leg was as big as Arthur’s, though it lacked the bacon. His mug of ale was a commemorative keepsake. Jen’s steak kabab looked delicious, though she preferred her meat cooked well past what Arthur considered edible. Her mug of ale matched Brad’s, and they toasted before they drank, laughing and enjoying themselves.  

Rani chuckled. “Well, yeah, but we’ve never had us plus guests.” 

Arthur thought back and nodded. That was the most partners they’d had, and it was within the harem. When someone outside the harem joined them, like Beth or Thalia, it was with only a few members present. 

“We could always ask the grandma Arthur was flirting with,” Kat said. Her tone was teasing, but the accusation annoyed him. 

“Her name was Angela, and we weren’t flirting,” Arthur said. “I can smile and be nice to people without wanting to… You know.” 

“Have sex with them?” Mindy asked. 

“Fuck them?” Rani asked, raising the bar. 

“Blow their backs out?” Katelyn asked, giggling as Kelly shot her a knowing smile. 

“Fulfill their sexual fantasies and make them orgasm so hard they become addicted to your cock?” Selene asked. 

“Okay, that’s enough,” Arthur said, raising his hand. “We’re in public.” No one had overheard their teasing, or if they had, they assumed it was just teasing. Arthur still didn’t intend to encourage that, though. He didn’t want to explain anything to anyone. 

“He’s got a point,” Kelly said. “With the flirting, I mean. Arthur’s friendly. It’s part of his charm, but he’s not an intentional flirt.” 

“Thank you,” Arthur said. 

“And I don’t think Ye Olde Grandma was flirting with him,” Katelyn said. “She was just chatty.” 

That was a fair point. 

“I don’t know, but fucking Arthur might be too much for her frail heart,” Rani said, putting her hand over her heart. “Can you imagine?” 

Mindy giggled. “Death by snu-snu.” 

“His sword would give her a heart attack,” Maria joined in. 

“Enough,” Arthur said, his tone so adamant that each of his girlfriends stiffened. He seldom demanded control outside of the bedroom, but they yielded to him when he grew serious and used that tone of voice out of reflex. “Angela was a nice older lady, and a talented costumer. We discussed theater and costumes without flirting. Not every woman I meet is a potential sexual partner, okay? My default is to assume no one is interested in me that way. I keep sex out of my mind when I meet people. Maybe I compartmentalize too much. I don’t know, but that doesn’t mean everyone is flirting with me either. I smile and act friendly so I don’t intimidate anyone or come across as a weirdo. You need to stop treating them that way. They’re people. Not conquests.” 

The edge of anger crept into his voice as he spoke, and everyone listened. Brad and Mark looked across the table at one another with raised eyebrows. 

“Sorry,” Rani said, breaking the silence first. “I was only teasing you. It’s good that you see everyone that way, but an orgy might be fun. And if everyone consents to it, and it meets our rules, why not?”

Kat frowned, glancing sideways at Arthur but remaining silent in contemplation. 

Kelly patted his thigh. “We’ll stop teasing you. You’re right, of course. If we thought you’d hit on that grandma, we wouldn’t laugh or tease you. We know you don’t think about people that way.” 

“That’s why we do it for you,” Mindy said. “If we want to experiment with women outside the harem, we need them to be on board with you, and vice versa, right? So if we think they’re flirting, or into you, isn’t it a good thing to point it out?” 

The girls nodded. 

“Don’t we have enough competition for his attention?” Kat asked. “Do we need to bring in outsiders? Beth is nice and all, and I’m sure Thalia was great. Maria and Jen have their own partners, so I don’t mind them, but can we stop adding one-night stands and guests?” 

“You’re the one who brought me in,” Katelyn said. “Well, you, Kelly, and Arthur. Can you blame the others for wanting to sample different people? Isn’t experimentation and exploration in a safe and consensual environment part of the reason for the harem?” 

“That’s different,” Kat said. 

“Is it?” Selene asked. “We aren’t competing. We’re cooperating, sharing, and encouraging one another. We each get less of Arthur’s time, but we have each other, right?”

“Is that why you’re so crabby about how much time you get with Arthur?” Mindy asked Kat. “Because you’re straight, so you can’t vent your sexual desires on the rest of us?” 

Kat huffed. “It’s not about sex.”

“It’s about attention,” Rani said, as if realizing. 

“Maybe you need to spend time focusing on your platonic relationships,” Selene said. “And not just your new boyfriend. Especially since you’ve had a lot of time with him today.” 

Kat frowned, but she couldn’t argue. The others looked at Selene in surprise, not expecting such a comment from her. She was right, though. Kat spent time with him last night, woke with him, had her rage room fun with him, and he’d fucked her like a barbarian on the bus. She’d had time, and would still have more. He needed to make sure he didn’t neglect the others. Today was a group outing. It wasn’t just him and Kat. 

Whatever happened, he needed to assure Kat that the others, and any outside guests they might bring into the harem, weren’t a threat to her. No one could shake his affection for Kat or rob her of his love, even if they took up his time. His brain started working on ways to do that. 

“No one in or outside the harem is a threat to you or my feelings toward you,” Arthur reminded her. “You’re still my submissive, and I am your sir.” 

Kat blushed, but nodded. She closed her eyes, and Arthur could tell she was reciting her mantra in her head. 

“Is she submissive, though?” Katelyn asked, her voice teasing. “No offense, but Pussy Kat is as obedient as a feral cat.” 

Mindy giggled. “As opposed to a domesticated cat?” 

“A domesticated cat is at least somewhat tame,” Rani said. “Our Kat unleashes her claws and runs away too often. She’s feral.” 

The others chuckled, checking to make sure the joke hadn’t pissed off Kat. She shook her head and laughed with them. 

“I’m submissive,” Kat said. “Arthur just has to remind me sometimes. The harder the better.” 

“He reminded you pretty well before the chess match. Aren’t you sore?” Mindy asked, gesturing to her lap. 

“A little,” Kat admitted. “But he could have gone harder.” 

Maria raised an eyebrow. She’d seen him go hard on Selene last night. He didn’t doubt she was picturing him doing the same to Kat.

Arthur sighed. “We’re still in public.” No one was eavesdropping on their conversation, but he didn’t want anyone overhearing them. “Let’s discuss something else.” 

“Is that a no on the orgy then?” Rani asked.

Arthur sighed. “That’s a — we’ll discuss it later in a more appropriate setting.” 

“Yes, my King,” Rani bowed her veil-covered head in deference, though her smile suggested she took the lack of ‘no’ as encouragement. 

Arthur didn’t know how he felt about the idea. If it were with people they’d never see again, why not let loose and have fun? But bonding with his girlfriends was more important than fucking random women.

Selene squeezed his thigh, and Kelly mirrored her action, clutching his other thigh and leaving her hand there. 

Arthur tried his best not to react to their touches. The leather briefs beneath his loincloth left little room for arousal. He focused on eating his corn on the cob while the others conversed. 

“So who’s up next for their tattoo?” Kelly asked, looking across the table. 

Katelyn raised her hand. “I’ll get mine next, since I did my tournament match.” 

“We still need to do ours.” Maria gestured between herself and Jen. 

“And a few shows we want to see,” Rani said, nudging Mindy with her elbow. 

“Mermaids!” Mindy said. 

“And fire dancing,” Rani added. 

“We’re going to the final joust, right?” Brad asked. “And you mentioned staying for the afterparty stuff? Is there a masquerade?” 

“I don’t know, but there’s an adults-only event after the Faire,” Kelly said. “Eighteen and up.” 

“And we got tickets, right?” Maria asked, looking at Mark, who nodded. “Wet chemise contest, here I come!” She jiggled her massive tits, making the others laugh and drawing a few eyes. 

“Are you gonna do that?” Brad asked Jen. 

Jen chuckled. “I’d lose fast if Maria’s my competition.” 

“Aw, I love your breasts,” Brad protested. “They’re perfect.” 

Jen blushed a deep crimson that she hid with her hair as she turned her head. She swatted Brad’s chest, but there was no anger in it. 

“There’s a cleavage contest during the regular Faire,” Kelly said.

“I’d lose that too,” Jen said. “Let’s not make that mine and Maria’s tournament challenge.” 

Kelly laughed. “No, I have you two assigned to the balloon fencing.” 

“Oh, I want to do that too,” Brad said. “Not as part of the tournament. I just want to sword-fight with Mark or Arthur, whoever will face me.” 

“I’ll fight you,” Mark and Arthur said at the same time, making each other laugh. 

“Sounds like fun,” Arthur said. 

“And I still need to find a hat,” Kelly frowned. “So everyone keep their eyes open for a decent haberdashery.”

“A what?” Mindy asked, tilting her head. 

“A hat shop,” Kat said. 

“Well, why didn’t you say that?” Mindy asked, teasing Kelly. The others laughed with her.

Arthur flinched as Kelly’s hand slid along the inside of his thigh. Her long, manicured fingers traced delicate patterns over his skin, making him stiffen as he tried to eat. He looked at Kelly, and she winked at him, which didn’t help him soften. 

Arthur coughed and drank some of his cider. Behind them, the lake meant no one could see what she was doing. Selene and Kat blocked any view from the table on their left. Across from them, the table blocked the view so long as Kelly didn’t move her arm. 

Arthur took a deep breath and kept eating. He cut into his Scotch egg, slicing through the sausage to reveal the egg. 

“What is that?” Kelly asked. 

“A Scotch egg,” Arthur said. “It’s just a boiled egg wrapped in ground sausage, fried and baked. My mom used to make them sometimes. They’re good. She used better seasoning, though.” 

“Maybe I can ask her for the recipe,” Kelly said. “It smells delicious.” 

“Do you want a bite?” Arthur asked, offering her the basket. 

“No, I’m okay,” Kelly said. “You’re hungrier than I am, so you should eat.” 

Arthur nodded. “It’s been a busy morning.” 

“I’m so proud of you,” Kelly said. 

“Hm?” Arthur asked, confused. He’d done nothing special that he could remember. 

“I’ll explain later,” Kelly said, squeezing his thigh. 

“Okay…” Arthur said, hesitating. 

The table behind Rani, Mindy, Katelyn, and Maria emptied as the family who had been eating there left and cleared their trash. Another person swooped in to claim the spot before they even reached the trashcans. A young man in a leather cuirass sat and spread three bags across the bench, saving seats for his friends. The young man’s eyes lingered on Rani’s backside, though his eyes scanned the others and met Arthur’s eyes. He flinched. 

“Arthur, are you okay?” Katelyn asked as she looked behind her. The young man turned his attention away, looking for his friends in the lane. 

“You looked pissed off,” Maria said. “I thought Yvonne was behind us.” 

“Hm?” Arthur snapped out of it and looked at Maria. He smiled. “No, sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. The guy behind you was checking out Rani, and I guess I’m more territorial than I thought.” 

Rani smiled, lowering her lashes as she looked at Arthur. “Mm. How brutish of you, my King.” 

Arthur chuckled. “Sorry.” 

“Did I fuckin’ ask you to apologize?” Rani asked. “Way to ruin the mood.” 

Kelly squeezed his thigh, then slid her hand closer to his briefs. “You’re allowed to be possessive of us,” she said, grabbing him under his loincloth. “Kat’s not the only one who enjoys it when you go primal.” 

Maria chuckled. “Seeing that last night was, whew,” she wiped her brow and fanned herself, “something else.”

“I’ll say,” Mark said. “It makes me glad you’re not a violent person.” 

“I don’t enjoy fighting,” Arthur said. “Stage combat is one thing. I don’t mind that. But a proper fight? A fistfight? That’s not my cup of tea. I’ll leave that to Kelly.” 

“Mm,” Kelly hummed. “There’s nothing wrong with fighting back, Mister. Or fighting to protect your woman.” 

“Isn’t that anti-feminist?” Mark asked. 

“Lecturing a woman about what’s feminist is anti-feminist,” Kelly countered. 

“Touché,” Mark said, raising his hands in surrender.  

“Well, fancy seeing you again, Arthur!” A familiar voice cut through their conversation as the old woman, Angela, set her plate on the table behind Rani. Apparently, the young man who’d stared at Rani’s ass was her grandson. He left as she arrived, eager to get his own food. 

“Hey, Mrs. Angela,” Arthur said, adding the title because he was sure she was married, even if he hadn’t met her husband yet. After all, she was a grandmother. 

“Are these your friends?” She asked, “Which one is your girlfriend? The one who took the pictures?” 

“Oh, uh, that’d be Rani.” He gestured across the table as the others checked each other’s expressions. “And this is my girlfriend Selene, my girlfriend Kat, my girlfriend Mindy, my girlfriend Katelyn, and my girlfriend Kelly.” He signaled to each with his finger. “That’s my buddy Brad, and his girlfriend Jen, and Mark, and his girlfriend Maria.” 

“Wow, there are a lot of you,” Angela said, overcoming her confusion as he referred to each girl as his girlfriend. “Forgive me if I don’t remember all your names. I barely remembered Arthur’s name at my age.” 

The girls chuckled. “It’s okay,” Kelly assured her. 

“Ronnie, was it?” Angela asked, looking at Rani. 

“Rani,” Rani corrected the pronunciation. 

“You are gorgeous,” Angela said. “I love your costume. Did you put it together yourself?” 

“Aw, thank you, and yes,” Rani said. “Though I haven’t been back to the bus yet. I have necklaces to add.” 

Arthur glanced at the other necks at the table. Kelly wore her three-strand pearl choker. Selene wore her new chainmail collar. Kat wore a pink rubber choker. Rani’s neck remained bare. Mindy’s black rubber choker circled her neck. Katelyn’s was probably the most obvious, as the pink pet collar with its bow and silver bell clung to her neck. 

Angela didn’t seem to notice. “Well, the jewelry you have is stunning. I was telling your boyfriend he looks like something out of a pulp magazine. So do you!”

Kelly winced as if Angela had meant it as an insult. Arthur supposed it could be, if she’d meant it as one, but Rani seemed to take it as a compliment. She smiled beneath her face veil. 

“Thank you! I was going for a Dejah Thoris vibe, but had to cover up more since it’s family-friendly,” Rani said, nodding. 

Angela chuckled. “Oh, of course. You know, I modeled for an artist once. He did a lovely painting of me as a sorceress that I still have somewhere. Though it’s not family-friendly.” She shot a wink at Rani. 

Rani grinned. “I like you. I approve if you want to invite her tonight,” she said to Arthur. 

Angela raised an eyebrow as Arthur choked on his egg. 

Kelly clapped him on the back, dislodging the bit of dry egg yolk that tickled his throat and the clump of egg whites that clogged it when he swallowed wrong. 

“Oh, let me introduce my husband,” Angela said as a man her age approached. He wore a Tudor costume to match hers—a white tunic, a red-and-black outer robe fringed with gold, a poofy black hat with a red feather, and black pants and boots. “This is Tony, my husband.” 

Arthur and the others nodded.

“Tony, this is Arthur and his friends. He was the barbarian at the chess match today,” Angela said, making the introductions. 

“Ah, yes, I saw! Well done,” Tony said, setting his food down. “It’s nice to meet you.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Arthur said. He couldn’t quantify his relief at not having to explain to Angela what Rani was suggesting. He glanced at Rani, who grinned and did not apologize. She might be teasing, but they’d just discussed that! 

“Come,” Tony said, placing his hand on the small of Angela’s back. “Time to eat.” 

Angela nodded. “Nice seeing you again,” she said. “And nice meeting you.” She waved to the group, and they nodded or waved back as she turned and joined her own table. 

“See?” Selene asked. She nudged Kat and lowered her voice to a whisper that only Kat and Arthur heard. “She was just a nice old lady, not someone interested in fucking Arthur.” 

Kat straightened in her seat and shook her head. “Those two things are not mutually exclusive.”

Selene groaned, Arthur facepalmed, and the others laughed. Arthur stopped laughing when he spotted another young woman who sat at Angela’s table. It took him longer than it should have, but the air of familiarity around her didn’t fade as she approached, and he remembered where he recognized her from. 

Angie was fifty pounds heavier than when he last saw her at graduation. She’d swept her mahogany hair into a bun and wore a Tudor dress in the same style as her grandmother. The velvet green covered a gold-patterned floral design on her skirts and sleeves. Her bodice was several sizes larger than he thought possible for her, which surprised him. In high school, she’d been supermodel skinny with a golden ratio of a body. She’d plumped since then, though it spread evenly. It confused him. In his mind, she’d remained the cruel, skinny beauty she’d been, but reality hadn’t preserved her features to his expectations, creating a dissonance he had to overcome. 

She’d been the mean girl at school, ruling with an iron manicure and always mocking him with the others. Angie had been the one to turn Lynn into a bully. Looking at her now, no one would ever guess she could have been so cruel. Her cheeks were soft and cherubic, pudgy and pinchable, and his mind made the comparison to himself. Lynn had stayed the same since high school. He and Angela had traded places. He was the hot one now, and she was the one with extra weight. 

Arthur stiffened as his eyes tracked her approach to Angela’s table. She sat across from Angela, who blocked his view of her and her of him. Had she seen him? Had she known who he was? Did Lynn send her? No, they’d gone to different colleges, but they were still friends on social media. Right? They had to be. 

Despite his panic and consternation, she didn’t look his way. Her eyes canvassed the canopy tables, but only in search of her grandmother and family. Was that intentional? A diss meant to provoke him into saying something to her? That level of condescension reeked of Angie’s high school years, and he refused to give her the satisfaction. It was best to ignore her. She had nothing to do with his life. She never would. 

“Everything okay, Master?” Selene asked, whispering in his ear. 

“Hm?” Arthur asked, surprised, before his brain caught up with her question. “Oh, yeah.” 

“Mark was just asking if you had any interest in LARP,” Selene explained. “But you weren’t responding.” 

“Oh, sorry. I zoned out there,” Arthur said, shaking himself out of it. “Uh, maybe? I ought to play a game of D&D before I try the live-action version, right?” 

Mark shrugged. “It just seemed like something that’d be up your alley. Especially with how theatrical we are.” 

“I do love theater,” Arthur said, nodding. LARP didn’t seem that much different in theory than what he’d done during the chess match, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Was it too nerdy? Did that matter? He’d try it if his girls wanted to try it, but he couldn’t picture Kat, Katelyn, Rani, or Kelly roughing it in the wilderness or sleeping in a tent. Selene did whatever he told her to do. She had that adventurous spirit of trying anything once. She might try it. Mindy might give it a shot, too, if it sounded fun. 

“There’s an event in December,” Mark said, holding up the brochure. “A Yule Ball, that looks fun. And they’ve got a whole weekend event in the spring.” 

Arthur checked the brochure. The pictures appeared professional, though not every costume did. Still, it wasn’t that different from Faire, with people laughing and having fun. He showed the leaflet to Kelly, who kept peering over his shoulder to read it. 

“It looks fun,” Kelly said, reading it in his hands. “You make a character and play for a weekend? What are the accommodations like?” 

“Yeah, that’s the gist. I think the weekend in the spring is in tents,” Mark answered. “It’d be a camping trip. I think the Yule Ball would be at the hotel they listed.” 

“Well, the Yule Ball sounds nice,” Kelly said.

“Not a fan of camping?” Maria asked. 

“Oh, on the contrary, I can rough it,” Kelly said. “But I’d hate to argue with the girls over which one of us is sharing Arthur’s tent.” 

Rani chuckled. “Just get a family-sized camper, and we’d be fine. I’m sure they make a yurt big enough.”  

“Do they make sleeping bags that big?” Katelyn asked. 

“The word you’re looking for is air mattress,” Kat said. “And no, they don’t.” 

Arthur chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind roughing it for a weekend. I’ve always wanted to go camping and sleep under the stars.” 

“You’ve never been camping?” Mark asked, confused. 

Arthur shrugged. “Maybe when I was little. I grew up in the city and the suburbs. My dad never took me. He always said we would, and he made plans a few times, but work always came first.” 

Kelly patted him on his back. “We should do this then, in the spring. Look at how much fun you had in the chess match, right? Fantasy and theater? That’s you to a T, and it might be fun. We could make characters, too. We’d go camping with Arthur, right?” 

Rani and Kat shrugged. 

“I’m in for the RPG of it,” Rani said. 

“I’d try it once, for Arthur’s sake, but uh, I’m a running water and indoor plumbing kinda gal,” Kat said. “I don’t think I can go a weekend without toilet paper.” 

“Yeah, I’m with Kat on that one,” Katelyn said. “Besides, I’m not sure I’d be any good at playing a character all day. That sounds like it’s up Selene and Arthur’s alley, though.” 

“I’d try it,” Mindy said, more curious than anything else. “But spring is too far away to worry about it.” 

“Fair,” Rani said. “I can’t believe how quick and slow these last few weeks have been at the same time. So much has happened, but only what, three weeks have passed since we started the harem?” 

“Yeah, it’s nuts,” Mindy said, stealing a pecan from Rani’s dish. 

Kat chuckled. 

Rani deadpanned in her direction. 

“What? That was a good pun,” Kat said, defending her laughter. 

“See? Even Kat likes me. I’m everyone’s favorite.” Mindy winked at Rani, and the two laughed together. 

“Does anyone want my potato wedges?” Arthur asked, gesturing to his basket. “My eyes were bigger than my stomach.” He patted his stomach, and the fullness there reminded him to sit straight to show off his abs.  

Six hands reached into his basket, leaving two wedges. The girls giggled before each bit into the top of a wedge. 

“Wow, you’ll need to stock up on food whenever one of them says, ‘I’ll just have some of yours,’” Maria said. 

They laughed again, and Arthur felt his chest loosen with the laughter. It was fun and easy to spend time with his friends and girlfriends. Sure, sex and domination could be demanding, but the relaxing moments made the effort worthwhile. Kelly, Selene, Katelyn, Mindy, Rani, and even Kat smiled as they finished his food. 

“Hm,” Arthur hummed as he sat straight and put his arms around Selene and Kelly. “Thanks.” 

Kelly rested her head on his shoulder. “Anytime, Mister.” She took another wedge. 

“I’m ready to head out when you are,” Arthur said, looking around the table. Everyone had finished their food, more or less. Selene had stopped picking her bread bowl apart a while ago, though she’d still eaten Arthur’s wedges. 

“The food here is so good,” Selene said, taking his last wedge. 

“Hm.” Katelyn hummed. “I’m ready to sit for twenty minutes while someone paints my sisterhood tattoo.” She patted her stomach. “I have a food baby.” 

“You’re glowing,” Rani said, chuckling. 

“Let’s go,” Brad said, tapping Jen’s back. She hopped off his lap and helped him to his feet. 

“Are you ready to lose?” Jen asked Maria, who grinned at the challenge. 

“Oh, I intend to sweep this whole competition,” Maria said, shooting Arthur a wink. 

Arthur chuckled. “This is for the wildcard, right?” 

“Right,” Maria said, nodding. “Unless you change your mind.” 

She stood and stretched, rolling her shoulders back, which hefted her massive breasts. 

Mark swallowed, brushed his lap, and stood. He offered Maria his hand. “The balloon fencing is near the jousting field, so we’ll have time to walk off our lunch.” 

“Good,” Rani said. “I need to wash my hands first.” 

“I have wipes you can use if you’d prefer them,” Kelly said, producing a packet of wet wipes from her purse the size of a small tissue box. She cracked it open and passed it around so people could wipe their fingers clean. 

“Behold, the wonders of a mom bag,” Katelyn said, pointing at Kelly’s massive purse. 

“Keep that up, and you can carry your own water bottle,” Kelly said. She didn’t sound angry, but Katelyn stopped teasing her about her purse and its contents. 

The wipes made the rounds, and she returned the packet to her purse as people added the used wipes to their growing piles of garbage. 

“I’ll take Katelyn to get her tattoo,” Kelly said, patting Arthur’s thigh. “Come on.” She rose from her seat and gathered her trash along with Arthur’s, Katelyn’s, and Mindy’s. Selene gathered her trash, Kat’s, and Rani’s, ferrying everything over to the garbage and recycling bins near the entrance to the canopy. 

Arthur and the others rose and left the table. They hadn’t left the canopy before another group of weary travelers took it. He and his friends drew gazes as they left. Arthur steeled his will not to look at Angie. It was possible she hadn’t seen him, and he didn’t want to risk the drama. Not today. Besides, he had nothing to say to her, just as he had no intention of speaking to Lynn. 

“Leaving without saying goodbye?” Angela asked as Arthur slid between the tables. 

He turned around and waved goodbye, not trusting himself to speak. It wasn’t Angela’s fault that her granddaughter was a bitchy mean girl. At least, he hoped that the blame fell on her parents or anyone else. Angela seemed nice. The people at her table glanced at them. The young man eyed Rani again, but his eyes swiveled to their outfits as they passed him. They lingered on Selene’s waist chain longer than Arthur appreciated. Angie looked confused, looking between them as Kat and Mindy waited for Arthur in the aisle between tables.

“Perhaps I’ll run into you again!” Angela said, waving goodbye. Her husband, Tony, smiled at him, then went back to whatever he was discussing with the young man Arthur assumed was Angie’s brother.  

Arthur nodded and let Mindy pull him along in her enthusiasm as she placed the witch hat upon her head. Her black costume was a skirt made of two strips of black cloth, exposing her sides beneath her black corset. The wide-gap fishnets, a pair of tall boots, and her wide-brimmed, pointed witch’s hat completed the outfit. She flipped her low twin braids over her shoulders, letting them fall down her back, and giggled at Arthur as she held his hand. 

“Come on, Boss, we’re falling behind!” 

Arthur chuckled and followed her lead as she brought him to the group. Kelly kissed him on the cheek before she and Katelyn departed, and Katelyn mimicked her farewell with a kiss on his opposite cheek. Then she and Kelly turned aside, holding hands as they walked toward the tattoo artist. 

Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen waited for Arthur at the end of the lane, so Arthur walked between Rani and Mindy. Each of them hung on an arm, holding Arthur’s hand in one of theirs, and letting their other rest on his bicep as they walked. 

“This way, we don’t get lost,” Mindy justified it, but she didn’t need to. 

Kat walked ahead of them, and Selene walked behind them, keeping her eyes low on Arthur’s heels. 

Rani jingled as she walked with her jewelry, belled bracelets, and anklets, drawing the eyes of passersby. Her red, semi-transparent veils, embroidered in gold, complemented her gold and ruby jewelry, which covered every inch of her body except her neck. 

“We should get your collar,” Arthur said, glancing at Rani. 

“Oh, yes, please. It’s back on the bus,” Rani said. 

“You guys go ahead, let us know who wins! We’re going to run to the bus real quick!” 

“Christ, man, don’t you ever run dry?” Mark asked, teasing him. 

“If he did, he wouldn’t have that many girlfriends,” Brad said, joining in on the teasing. 

Arthur didn’t mind their ribbing and teasing him, even if thoughts of his high school bullying had been high on his mind. Mark, Brad, and the others teased him out of love, not disgust. There was no judgment from Mark, except astonishment.

“You and Rani go,” Mindy said. “We’ll stick with the tournament. Selene, Kat, and I had our turn on the bus.”

Rani and Arthur stopped as the others continued. They waved farewell before turning aside. 

“Do you have the energy for some fun?” Rani asked. “My stomach is heavy with food, but I can get in the mood if we walk it off first.” 

Arthur grinned and walked with her on his arm as they changed direction and headed toward the nearby gates. “We can do a lap of the parking lot, or shop around the Faire before heading to the bus.” 

“Oh, date time? I’ll take it,” Rani said, squeezing his bicep and his hand. “You can buy me something pretty. Or I’ll buy you something.” 

“You don’t have to go spending money on everyone,” Arthur said. He’d known Rani’s family had money longer than the others had, but everyone knew now. He only hoped it didn’t make things weird. Not that he opposed either of them spending money on the other, but if Rani went crazy with lavish gifts for everyone, it’d disrupt their group’s balance. She’d paid for the bus, and the others were chipping in for the hotel tonight. He didn’t want anyone suggesting she should pay for their accommodation, too. He didn’t intend to use her that way, nor should anyone else. 

“I know,” Rani said, patting his butt. “But I can buy my king a gift if something catches my fancy, can’t I?” 

“You don’t have to,” Arthur said. 

“Does it make you uncomfortable?” Rani asked. “Would you prefer to spoil me?” 

“I don’t know,” Arthur admitted. “Part of me has always had that traditional expectation of being the breadwinner, providing for my family, but there’s nothing traditional or expected about our relationship.” 

“Katelyn and Kelly were discussing babies earlier. You were so cute with that chess match fight,” Rani said as they passed a group of children who ran past them. Their parents walked behind them, monitoring their terrors but tired of calling after them.

“Yeah, I saw the text chain,” Arthur said, chuckling. “You took terrific photos.” 

“Thanks! Even my ovaries were like, fuck, put a baby in me,” Rani said, laughing at Arthur’s sudden panic. “Not that I want kids,” Rani said. “I’m happy being an auntie, but is that something you want? A traditional family?” 

“You know, sometimes I miss small talk,” Arthur said, stopping to check the wares of a shop. The small blackwood building had large glass windows with maps hanging in them. ‘Carter’s Cartography’ had a wide variety of maps for sale. Several laid out the real world in gorgeous detail, in medieval and modern styles and everything in between, but it was the fantasy maps that caught Arthur’s attention. The idea struck him as unique and interesting. A map of Tolkien’s Shire made him stop and examine the shades of green and the hand-painted beauty. 

He pulled Rani into the shop with him, but she didn’t protest as she followed him. 

“Are you avoiding the question?” Rani asked. 

“To be honest, I don’t know,” Arthur said. “I guess that would fall under traditional expectations, but my expectations have changed several times in my life. I had a plan for most of my childhood. Then I assumed I’d go through life alone. Then a girl made me think I’d found the love of my life. Marriage, kids, and a future seemed possible. Only she decided she didn’t want that. She didn’t want me.” 

“Lori,” Rani said, recalling his ex’s name. 

“Yeah.” He wasn’t sad when he said it, like he might have been. That pain was a memory on the other side of weeks of pleasure he hadn’t dreamed he’d ever experience. If his present was wild and unpredictable, then who was he to claim any knowledge of the future?  

“Her loss, our gain,” Rani said, squeezing his hand. 

“Yeah,” Arthur agreed. “And now everything with the harem has moved fast. I mean, it makes sense. I’ve known Kelly and Selene for years, and Selene and I were close before this started. Then Kat joined in, and I haven’t known you and Mindy long, but we’re close.” 

“Yeah, well, we’ve shared some pretty intense moments,” Rani said.

“In a way, we’re a family, and I don’t mind that. I love that. It’s helped me make decisions in the best interests of our group, our family. That was my mom’s advice when Kat and Selene were fighting. So, if I toss aside my traditional expectations, I imagine we might add kids to our family one day. What that might look like, or when that might be, I don’t know. It’s far off, I’d imagine, certainly after graduation.” 

“That’s for the best,” Rani said, agreeing with him. “If Kelly goes the stay-at-home partner route, she’d be an amazing mom.” 

“Yeah,” Arthur nodded. “If that’s what she wanted.” 

“Oh, you can’t tell?” Rani asked. “That bitch has so much mom energy I’m surprised she’s not already pregnant.” 

Arthur laughed. “Well, thankfully, that’s not the case.” Kelly had shorts on under her asymmetrical pirate skirt because of her period, so the chances of her being pregnant were zero. 

“The real question is, which of us would you marry?” Rani asked, eyeing Arthur as she did. 

Arthur didn’t panic, but tilted his head as he considered the question. “I haven’t given it a ton of thought, but if we were interested in marriage as a legal step in the relationship, we might form an LLC.” 

“An LLC?” Rani asked, confused. 

“A limited liability company,” Arthur answered. 

“No, I know what an LLC is, but I’ve never heard of one being used in place of a marriage,” Rani said. 

“It’d allow us to pool incomes, gain a few tax benefits, that kind of thing.” 

“Hm,” Rani said, considering the idea. 

“But that’s a ways off. I’m not ready to propose to anyone yet,” Arthur said. 

Rani laughed. “One knee, and so many rings.”

“Right? We’ll figure it out,” Arthur said, patting her hand in his. “For now, let’s enjoy the present.”

“Yes, my king.” Rani bumped him with her hip, making skin-to-skin contact that sent a thrill through his blood. “Do you want to buy a map?” 

“No, I’m just enjoying the time with you, shopping around, chatting. It’s nice,” Arthur said, perusing a few maps on a rotating stand. 

“I agree,” Rani said. “Oh.” She stopped his perusal and moved one back to show a map of a desert continent and islands he didn’t recognize. “I’m getting this one.” 

“What is it?” Arthur asked, reading the names of cities he didn’t recognize. 

“Al-Qadim,” Rani said. “It’s a second edition campaign setting based on Middle-Eastern folk tales instead of European fantasy. My cousin ran his games in this setting, but resources for it are sparse. It’s, uh, problematic. Most of the books are cringeworthy, written by white guys in the 90s. My cousin added a ton of homebrew and corrected or abandoned the cringe shit. It was a fun game. It’s what got me into D&D.”

“Oh, cool,” Arthur said, looking for the shop owner. He spotted the shopkeeper, a young man in a brown monk’s robe with a rope belt. The Franciscan haircut was a level of dedication to costuming that impressed Arthur. He’d never do that.

“May I help you?” The man asked. He approached, and his eyes roamed over Rani in an un-monk-like fashion. 

Her red bikini, veils, and gold jewelry displayed so much of her skin that it was a sin to look away. Still, Arthur positioned himself between the man and Rani, putting his arm around her waist in a more possessive manner. 

“Yeah, I wanted to buy this map for my girlfriend,” Arthur said. 

“Oh, of course. Let me see…” He checked the sticker on the poster frame and followed it to its corresponding cubbyhole along the wall. Rolled maps in the deep wine racks were a clever storage method, Arthur thought, but it wasn’t intuitive to navigate. Still, the monk had no trouble. He found the map. He passed the rolled map to Arthur, who unfurled it and showed it to Rani. The laminated poster wasn’t what Arthur expected from a Ren Faire map store, but he supposed it’d be unreasonable to expect canvas or parchment. 

“Perfect,” Rani said. “Are you sure, Arthur? You don’t have to buy it for me, you know.” 

“I can still buy you a gift if I want to,” Arthur said. “Come on.” He led the way to the register and made his purchase. It wasn’t a very expensive map, but Rani’s smile widened as the man tucked it into a cardboard tube and sealed it. 

“Thank you,” Rani said, nodding to the monk. 

“Any time!” The monk said. “Come again soon!” 

“Do you run your games in Al-Qadim?” Arthur asked as they left the shop. 

“No, I use a homebrew setting. I use more Hindu and Buddhist mythology to build my world, though. So, it’s different from the typical European-based fantasy worlds.” 

“Is it okay that I know nothing about that stuff?” Arthur asked. “I’d love to learn, of course, but I’m only passingly familiar with Hinduism. I’ve read some Buddhist philosophy, but that was more summaries and analogies of Buddhism in textbooks, not any Buddhist texts themselves.” 

“Respect and willingness to learn are all I ask,” Rani said. “And you’ve always respected me and my culture. You’re too good at respecting people sometimes.” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. 

“You’re lousy at race play because you’re afraid of being racist, which is the point of it, my king,” Rani explained. “The degradation is part of it, right? But you know I’m not into degradation most of the time, so you tried, but well, yeah. You suck at it.” 

Arthur shrugged. “I tried for Thalia’s sake. She was into the idea, but yeah. Race play makes me uncomfortable, which I guess it shouldn’t if you and Mindy want it, but–” 

“It’s okay,” Rani said. “You’re allowed to have your limits too.” 

Arthur fell silent at that. He appreciated the sentiment. Sometimes, he lost track of where his preferences and limits lay because he wanted to give his girlfriends the experiences they desired as his submissives. He took responsibility for their pleasure and satisfaction, and dedicated himself to that effort. Sure, part of it was for his own fantasies and desires. A lot of it was. Cutting loose and fucking the fury out of Brat was satisfying and cathartic, but it wasn’t the sole reason he did what he did. 

“Come on,” Rani said. “Let’s drop this map off at the bus and pick up my collar and necklaces. And, if you’ll let me, my king, I can thank you properly for your lovely gift.” 

She put enough sultry sweetness into her words that Arthur stiffened in his briefs, wincing at the lack of give the leather gave him. He huffed and took Rani’s hand, leading her toward the gates. 

“Mm,” Rani smiled. “Lead on, my king.”

~~~

Selene walked through the Faire, holding Mindy’s hand. The tether served two purposes. It kept Mindy from wandering away whenever something caught her attention, which was often. And it kept Selene from doing the same.

Selene and Mindy walked behind Kat, Mark, and Maria, who followed Jen and Brad. Jen held a copy of the map, and Brad pointed out the landmarks they passed as they navigated toward the balloon fencing. The arena was near the jousting field, where most of the combat-themed amusements waited. 

Mark and Maria seemed content to observe the crowds, pointing out different costumes to each other as they walked. Kat kept her eyes straight ahead, watching where they were going. Mindy was more interested in the booths they passed, but Selene’s mind was on Arthur. 

Something seemed off toward the end of their lunch. Selene couldn’t put her finger on it, but something had bothered him. He was trying to hide it, but Selene noticed. Of course she did. She knew Arthur well after years of friendship, and she loved him. Besides, she had to make up for ignoring his needs and inviting herself and her friends to the guys’ night.

“Hey, did Arthur seem okay to you during lunch?” Selene asked Kat. 

Kat shrugged. “Yeah, he wasn’t too angry about the teasing.” 

“No, after that,” Selene said. “When Angela’s family sat down?” 

Kat frowned and furrowed her brow as she recalled the moments Selene mentioned. She shrugged again. “Was he mad that guy kept checking Rani out?” 

“Someone was checking Rani out?” Mindy asked.

“Oh yeah, a guy our age, must’ve been Angela’s grandson or something, but his eyes were on your backsides,” Kat said. 

“Gross,” Mindy shivered. “That’s so creepy!” 

“People are going to look,” Selene said. “At least he didn’t approach us.” 

“Well, Arthur told Angela we were his girlfriends,” Kat said. 

“Yeah, but I don’t know if she knew what he meant by it,” Selene said. “She might have assumed he was gay and calling us his girlfriends, ironically or something.” 

Mindy frowned. “I guess it’s going to get old explaining the polycule every time someone asks about our availability or partnership.” 

“Yeah,” Selene and Kat agreed. 

“Why do you ask?” Kat asked. 

“Oh, no reason, just a feeling.” Selene shrugged. “I’ve been trying to pay more attention.” 

He’d been laughing, grinning, and teasing for most of the meal, then a dark cloud passed over his expression, and she had to wonder if he’d been thinking of Lynn. Angela had said nothing to trigger that response, as far as Selene remembered. Nobody had, so why was he thinking of Lynn? Were they not enough to distract him? If six passionate women in scanty Renaissance Faire costumes couldn’t distract him from his sadness, he might need to consider medication. 

There were only so many ways she could make her costume sexier. None that crossed her mind were possible without her getting kicked out of the Faire for indecency. The chainmail bikini top was small enough to make her round breasts look good and showed a ton of flesh until the waist chain resting high on her flat stomach. The silk wrappings couldn’t get much shorter. She could break her chainmail bikini bottoms and turn them into a loincloth, but it’d be indecent. She could get rid of the chainmail and wrap a bikini from the white silk, but that’d be lewd. 

No, she couldn’t distract him any more than she had. So what had caused it? How could she prevent him from being sad in the future? 

“Do you want to get your hair braided?” Mindy asked, crashing Selene’s train of thought.  

“Hm?” Selene asked, turning to see the stall Mindy pointed at. The ‘Twists of Fate’ hair braiding stall. A pair of chairs sat in front of the booth, and the two workers braided their customers’ hair into different styles, depending on their tastes and textures. A mother-daughter pair inhabited the chairs, getting matching Dutch braids. “Oh, wow, maybe? I wouldn’t want to change it without running it past Arthur.” 

Maria, walking ahead of them with her hand in Mark’s, chuckled. “Do you need his permission to change your hair?” 

Selene grinned. “Of course.” 

Mindy giggled. “Have you ever had short hair?” 

“Not since I’ve known her,” Maria said. 

“Once, in middle school,” Kat said. 

Selene sighed. 

Mindy looked at her with expectation in her eyes, waiting for a story. 

Selene shot a glare at Kat before answering. “I argued with these girls from dance class, but I don’t remember what about. The teacher snapped at us. They got in trouble because they were talking over each other when she turned around. To get back at me, these girls pulled a ‘prank’ and stuck gum in my hair. We had to cut my hair this short.” She indicated a length between her chin and her shoulders, longer than Kat’s current cut, but not by much. 

Mindy’s eyebrows rose. “Wow.” 

“She cried for days,” Kat said, adding her commentary to the story. “Grandma tore their parents new assholes when they tried to claim it was an accident.” 

Selene nodded her agreement. “Yeah, they did it maliciously, but it didn’t end well for them. They got kicked out.” 

“Harsh, but fair.” Mindy huffed. “Why are people so mean sometimes? Is it that hard to be nice to people?” 

“You’ve never not gotten along with someone?” Maria asked. 

“Mmm,” Mindy tapped her chin with her finger, thinking. “No, not really. People like me! I get along with everyone.” 

“I would too if I had your tits,” Kat said, honking the air in front of her breasts. 

Mindy giggled. “You’ve got great tits, and no, you wouldn’t. You’d still have to smile and be friendly.” 

“Oh, yeah, that rules Kat out,” Selene said, which made everyone laugh, including Kat. 

“I can be nice,” Kat said. 

Selene and Mindy both gave her the expression of someone in severe doubt of her claim, and Kat chuckled again. 

“I can be,” Kat said. “I choose not to be.” 

“That’s worse, right?” Mark asked, making everyone laugh again. “Willful meanness?” 

“Willful describes Kat to a T,” Selene said. “But it’s okay; we love her. She doesn’t count as mean.” 

“What about she-who-shall-not-be-named?” Maria asked, referring to Lynn. 

“Well, she’s an exception, but she’s mean. If she’d been nice, I would’ve been nice to her,” Mindy said. 

“I wouldn’t,” Selene said, frowning. “I’m only sad I didn’t do any actual damage.” 

“Not for lack of trying,” Kat said. “I thought you were going to rip her ear off with your teeth.” 

Maria chuckled. “Selene’s the feral sister.” 

That made Kat laugh louder than the others, but they joined in the laughter. 

“Lynn’s a great example of a meanie, but why is she so mean? She has rich parents, right? She can afford whatever she wants, and lived without consequences for so long, why be mean?” Mindy asked. “Why was she so unhappy that she couldn’t live and let live like Arthur wanted?” 

“You’d have to ask her,” Maria said, shrugging. “But I wouldn’t recommend it, based on Selene’s expression.” 

Selene fixed her face, or tried to. Mindy bumped her with her hip, squeezing her in a side hug. 

“Don’t worry, I’ve no intention of asking her,” Mindy said. “I might need to talk to Rachel, though. Her trying to out me to my parents was just mean.” 

Maria raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Rachel?” 

“My roommate,” Mindy said, frowning. “She showed my mom my sketchbooks and told her about Rani, Selene, and Arthur.” 

“Oh, that bitch,” Kat muttered. 

“Sketchbooks?” Maria asked. 

“I draw, so I have a bunch of sketchbooks under my bed that have my drawings in them,” Mindy explained. “I sketched a ton of Arthur after I met him, in, um, various poses. There are drawings of the other harem members, too.” 

“What kind of drawings?” Selene asked. 

“Hm?” Mindy asked, turning her attention to Selene and away from the cart selling painted animal masks. 

“Pencil sketches?” Kat asked. 

“Oh, yeah, mostly it’s just pencils. I did paintings in high school, but there wasn’t much in the way of an art program at Reedville High.” 

Selene nodded. There hadn’t been an extensive art program at her school either. People didn’t respect the arts. Arthur’s private high school might’ve had more theatrical programs than most, and Rani probably had a similar experience, but the public school that Selene attended couldn’t afford it. Donations flocked to football because blue-collar donors preferred sports to musicals. 

Maybe that was why she enjoyed the Ren Faire. Art was everywhere, whether it was handcrafted chainmail jewelry, anime posters, or everything in between. The Ren Faire’s world contained so much art and artistic expression that it overflowed the stalls and covered the crowds that flowed through the dirt-covered lanes. 

Music flowed through the lanes from a plethora of stages hosting open-air theater. Any closer and they might compete, but it became a journey as one song faded into the next while they strolled. Crowds reacted to the shows with laughter, singing along, or amazement. An acrobat stole Selene’s attention as she danced thirty feet in the air, suspended on silk while a fiddler and a drummer played below her.  

Maria laughed, pulling Selene’s attention back to what they were talking about. “You drew him naked, didn’t you?” Her accusation didn’t bear heat, but it carried confidence. 

“I may have sketched out my fantasies, yeah,” Mindy said. “But she had no right to go through them or show other people. She did it to be mean.” 

“Sounds like you need to discuss boundaries,” Mark said, joining the conversation. “I had to have a similar conversation with Caleb when we roomed together our freshman year, and he ate all my snacks.” 

Selene laughed. She knew Caleb well, and boundaries were not his strong suit. He wasn’t malicious, but he crossed lines others considered sacred without batting an eye. “Did he listen?” 

“Yeah,” Mark said. “It just didn’t occur to him that I’d be mad. We had a good heart-to-heart. I explained my side. He was homeschooled, so there were a few oddities to iron out, but it was no big deal. He bought me new snacks after he got a job, and we were square.”

“Hm.” Mindy seemed thoughtful as they walked. “I’ll have to figure out what to say, but I guess it’d be better than avoiding her.” 

“Probably,” Selene said. “You can always ask Arthur for help. He’s good at peacemaking.” 

Mindy nodded. 

“To be fair, you think he’s good at everything,” Maria said, winking at Selene. 

Selene beamed. “Well, yeah. You’ve seen him fuck.” 

Mark, Maria, Kat, and Mindy laughed, which made Jen and Brad check to see what they were missing. 

“What’s so funny?” Brad asked. 

“I was just teasing Selene,” Maria said. “She thinks Arthur’s good at everything, and she said, well, yeah, we’ve seen him fuck, but I should point out we’ve seen him play carnival games.” 

“Ha!” Mark laughed. “Good point.” 

The others chuckled and continued their walk, following Jen’s map and Brad’s navigation through the crowds. The lake was a good marker, but it wasn’t always visible. It depended on how many lanes, buildings, or tents separated them from it. Halloween decorations mingled with the Faire decor, adding to the barriers, creating more visual obstacles with their stiff scarecrows or dew-kissed spider webs. 

Balloon fencing was further away than Selene thought, but they reached the arena fenced in by wooden posts and tapered beams slotted into them. Two older gentlemen worked the booth with tables full of equipment and racks of epees under a white canopy next to the fence.

One was tall and thin, with a full gray beard, and dressed in a suit of armor that reminded Selene of Don Quixote. His face was stretched thin, with a hawkish nose and sharp eyes. The other was short and round, with a fluffy white mustache but no beard. He reminded Selene of Belle’s dad, Maurice, from Beauty and the Beast. Both wore white aprons, faded with time and spattered with dirt. 

“Good afternoon to ye!” Don Quixote approached the group as they reached the tent. The people in the ring dueled with epees under the intense supervision of the other worker, who reminded Selene of Maurice. “Are you looking to duel today?” 

“Yes,” Jen said after double-checking with Maria. “The two of us want to duel. Is there a long line?” 

“Nope, just have to wait for our current fighters to finish before you can enter the ring,” Don explained. “And there are only two at a time. How many of you want to duel?” 

Mark and Brad raised their hands. Mindy raised hers and Selene’s for her. Selene looked over at her, but Mindy grinned. 

“It’ll be fun!” Mindy assured her. 

“I’m just here to watch,” Kat insisted. 

“Okay, and you two first?” Don gestured between Jen and Maria. 

“Yup!” Maria nodded her agreement and stepped forward. 

“Alright, let’s get you fitted so you can go next,” Don said, gesturing for Jen and Maria to follow him into the canopy.  

Selene split her attention between the fighters in the ring and the man helping Jen and Maria select their equipment. Mindy stood next to her at the fence. Brad, Kat, and Mark stood on the other side of Mindy, watching the current fight. 

The equipment looked cumbersome. It reminded Selene of football equipment. A chest plate slipped over the head and attached to shoulder pads with a fencing helmet. The full-face screen at the front allowed people to see through it without risking an epee striking someone’s eye. Black balloons attached to the equipment—one on the chest, one on each shoulder, and one on the head. 

The game was simple: pop your opponent’s balloons and win the match. 

Two current fighters, guys in Halloween store Knight Templar costumes, had just started. One of them had popped the other’s shoulder balloon with an overhead strike. They circled each other, swatting, stabbing, and parrying as best they could while Maurice gave them pointers from the sidelines. Their friends cheered them on from across the arena, splitting their encouragements. 

Mindy watched from the sidelines. She dropped Selene’s hand to put both on the fence. The square, fenced pen surrounded a ring of small bricks that marked the fighters’ boundary. Stepping over the bricks was the same as losing a balloon. One fighter learned that when their opponent charged, they staggered back to avoid a blow to their shoulder. 

Meanwhile, Jen slid into a set of armor as the man helped her strap it into place. She had to let Brad hold her cape, leaving her in her leotard, which had a tantalizing backside Selene hadn’t noticed. The high cut of the outfit showed a generous portion of each cheek, and Selene could tell Brad enjoyed every ounce of flesh. She checked his expression, but his nervous expression didn’t match the excitement she expected. 

He glanced around and stepped closer to Jen. His protective nature made Selene smile. It was cute that he was protective of Jen getting too much attention, but she didn’t seem to care. To be fair, they’d spent the day in these outfits, and harassment had been low. Not zero, thanks to that asshole hitting on Mindy, but lower than Selene expected, given their costumes. It helped that much of what they wore was normal for the Faire. Or, if not normal, at least it wasn’t out of place. 

A red-headed woman walked by in a scale-mail loincloth and sports bra, as if to prove her point. She was curvy, not muscular, but that made the Red Sonja outfit even sexier. Selene elbowed Mindy and pointed to her as she walked through the lane beside a woman dressed in black leather pants and a black leather doublet. 

“Think we should invite them to the orgy?” Selene asked. 

Mindy giggled. “Are we doing that?” 

“Arthur said no,” Kat said, cutting into the conversation. 

“Arthur didn’t say no,” Selene said, grinning at her. “He said he’d decide later. I won’t invite anyone unless he says yes, but there’s no harm in window shopping. We can’t let Rani be the only one to invite people.” 

“You just think she’s hot,” Mindy said. 

“Who, Red Sonja?” Selene asked.

“Yeah,” Mindy said, nudging her with her elbow. “Do you wanna ask her out?” 

“Arthur would think she’s hot,” Selene said, biting her lip. “I mean, look at her: hips, bust, cleavage for days, juicy thighs, what’s not to like?”

“Wow,” Brad said. “Arthur’s right. You objectify women too much.”

“Don’t be anti-feminist,” Selene said, joking when she said it.

“Don’t be sexist,” Brad countered.   

“Selene’s not sexist. She’s an equal-opportunity sexual opportunist. She objectifies men, too,” Kat said. “Well, Arthur.”

Brad shook his head as Mindy and Selene giggled.  

“You’re terrible,” Mindy said, bumping Selene with her hip. “Come on, Jen and Maria are about to fight.” She turned Selene to face the ring. 

Sure enough, Maurice held the gate open for the combatants to exit. Only one had a balloon left: the one on their head. They left, and Maria and Jen entered, wearing safety pads and guards that covered their arms, shoulders, chests, and heads. Jen’s was smaller than Maria’s, whose larger frame (and chest) required more coverage. The epees were the same size, though. 

Maurice reviewed the rules of conduct with them while the other two returned their gear. Both of the Knights Templar were their age, to Selene’s surprise. They laughed and rejoined their friends who were waiting for them in the lane. They walked away as the group relayed the fight’s finer moments. It made Selene happy to know they weren’t the only group enjoying the Faire. 

“On your mark!” Maurice called as he closed the gate. “Fight!” 

Maria and Jen circled each other with epees raised. Maria held her sword with both hands, looking like Darth Vader in the black safety gear. 

Jen raised her free hand for balance, like a fencer, and kept her stance low. Her back turned toward them. Brad whistled his encouragement. Jen smiled without looking at him. 

Mark and Brad cheered for their girlfriends from the sidelines, and Selene found it impossible to choose who to root for between them. She knew Maria better. They’d been friends for years, club members, and coworkers. She didn’t know Jen well, but she could tell she liked her. She was good for Brad and, hopefully, a sex-positive influence on campus. Selene wondered what impact her article would have. 

“Ooh!” Mindy shouted. “So close!” 

Maria’s blade had nearly popped Jen’s chest balloon, but the thrust only grazed it as Jen turned aside and countered with a thrust that failed to pop a balloon. Maria didn’t have to worry about her modesty as much as Jen. Her peasant outfit showed plenty of cleavage, which the safety gear covered, but the skirt was long enough to cover her legs. 

Jen surprised everyone with a lunge forward. She closed the distance, stabbed forward, and popped Maria’s chest balloon with the tip of her weapon. 

“Yeah! That’s my girl!” Brad cheered. 

Jen looked back at him, and Selene imagined she was blushing as she retook her stance, but Maria capitalized on her distraction and popped the balloon on her right shoulder. 

“One-one!” Maurice cried with the second pop. 

Maria took another swing for the other shoulder, but Jen knocked her blade aside with a parry and returned by stabbing at Maria’s shoulder. Maria turned away, forcing them into a circling pattern as Jen turned to keep Maria ahead of her. 

“You can do it, sweetie!” Mark said. “Stab her in the heart!” 

“Hey,” Brad said, hurt.

“Sorry, it’s just trash talk,” Mark said. “Jen can take it, right?” 

“Smack her on the head!” Mindy cheered, though her intended recipient wasn’t as clear. 

Jen and Maria circled each other, waiting for the other to strike first. Whoever struck first risked a counterattack. The epees were too light to hold locked together. Instead, deflection became the fundamental defense. Knocking aside the blade left the opponent trying to regain control while the blade in her hand was inside their guard, leaving them open to your strike. 

Unfortunately, when both people want to go second, it becomes a game of patience, and Maria let her impatience defeat her good sense. She raised her sword in an overhead strike, attempting to smack the balloon on Jen’s head. 

Jen blocked the blow by holding her epee horizontally. She slid Maria’s blade over the domed guard and stepped forward, swiping at the balloon on Maria’s head and cutting it off. 

“Two-one!” Maurice shouted. 

“Damnit!” Maria barked. 

“It’s okay, sweetie! You got this!” Mark cried. 

“It’s just for the wildcard, right? It doesn’t matter.” Kat said. 

“Yeah,” Mark said. “But we’re both hoping Arthur changes his mind and considers taking Maria at some point.” 

Kat stared at him. Jen still had three balloons. Maria had two. 

“You want that?” Kat asked. “It’s not something Maria put you up to? You’re not ugly or maladjusted or anything. You don’t have to put up with that.” 

“You don’t either,” Mark said, confused. “Don’t you enjoy watching Arthur sleep with other people?” 

Kat grimaced. “I mean, sure, it’s hot to watch, but that’s different. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite thing.” 

“So if Arthur said to hell with the harem, he’d only date you from now on, you’d be fine with that?” Mark asked. 

The question caught Kat off guard. Selene and Mindy had both gone quiet, listening to their conversation while Brad shouted encouragement toward Jen and Maria, who were back to circling after a brief clash. Was that what Kat wanted? It wasn’t what Selene wanted, but she’d do her best to be happy for her sister. However, she didn’t know if she could forgive that level of betrayal. They were in this together. No one in the harem should want to steal Arthur for themselves. That level of distrust could wreck everything. 

Kat looked at Selene and Mindy, frowned, looked at Mark, and shook her head. “No, that’d crush the people I care about. That’s not how our relationship works.”

“Well, your relationship works the way you want it to, then, right?” Mark asked. “It’s different from the norm, sure. Ours is too, and it’s different from yours. Maria doesn’t have a harem of guys, but we do have a list of close friends I’m willing, heck, eager, to watch fuck Maria. Or guys we’d be willing to have a threesome with, if they’re into it. Like you guys, we have rules, and we’ve discussed how it works for us and what we both want. So everything’s good. There’s no one-size-fits-all for this stuff, right?” 

Kat considered that distracting everyone until Maurice shouted: “Two-two!” 

Maria had popped Jen’s chest balloon with a feint that only Brad saw. He applauded the maneuver, then stopped when he realized he was rooting against his girlfriend. 

“You can do it, Jen!” Mindy cried, throwing her support behind her. 

Jen tried to roll her shoulders, but the heavy gear impeded the movement. She readied her blade and stepped forward, thrusting toward Maria’s right shoulder. The balloon didn’t pop, but squeaked against the blade as it slid upward. Maria blocked it moments later, knocking her blade away and striking at Jen’s left shoulder. 

Jen blocked and thrust for Maria’s left shoulder. Maria spun, and Jen raised her blade, swiping over Maria’s head, and blocked her blade before it could come at her from the other direction. With two balloons each, the battle raged between them. 

“If Maria wants to sleep with Arthur, she’s going about it the wrong way,” Kat said, watching the fight. 

“Trying to win the tournament?” Mark asked. 

“Pushing when he’s said no,” Kat said. “That’s my thing. Arthur pushing my limits and boundaries is fun because I’m a brat. I own it. Arthur’s a dom, not a brat, and with his history? You need to listen and stop pushing when he says no.” 

Mark stopped at that. 

“Maria’s pushy sometimes; it’s just her personality, but I agree with Kat,” Selene said. “Arthur won’t change his no to a yes if Maria doesn’t respect his no.” 

Mark frowned. “So we should give up?” 

“For now,” Selene said, patting him on the back. “Let us put in a good word for her, or request her as a guest. It might not change his mind. I’m not sure how he feels about you watching, but he let you guys watch last night, so I don’t think that bothers him.” 

Mark nodded, taking it in. Selene recognized the expression of calculation on his face as he crunched the information into digestible bites and plotted out future courses of action. It was the same expression she’d seen on Mark’s face a thousand times before, when something went wrong backstage, or if plans went awry. Recalculate and move forward, even if it was in a new or opposite direction. 

“It might not happen tonight,” Kat said. “But you have to ask yourself if pushing for something to happen sooner rather than later is worth your friendship with him. If Maria pushes for something Arthur doesn’t want, she risks more than losing Arthur as a friend. She’d make him an enemy, not to mention what Kelly or Selene might do if they thought they needed to step in and protect him.” 

Mark looked at Selene, who chomped her teeth at him, then giggled. She wouldn’t hurt Maria, but if it came to protecting Arthur from anyone? She’d bite a bitch. Chomp chomp. Arthur would do the same for her sake, though he’d handle it with words and giant muscles instead of using teeth and nails. 

“Okay,” Mark said, nodding. “I’ll talk to Maria, but this might not even matter if she doesn’t win the match.” 

“Talk to her anyway,” Kat said. “Even if she loses, it’d be good for you to be on the same page.” 

“Yeah,” Mark said, agreeing. “Good point. Thanks.” 

Kat nodded and turned her attention back to the fight. Selene did the same. 

Jen and Maria had been going at it the entire time. Mindy and Brad cheered them on. Strangers passed by, watching the two women sword-fight. Most of them paid more attention to Jen, whose leotard had ridden up, revealing even more flesh than before. 

Maria pushed forward, striking with rapid blows that set Jen on her heels. She backpedaled as Maria used the momentum to drive her to the edge of the ring. The fight drew more attention as Maurice and Don complimented their styles and shouted encouragement. Maurice was on Team Maria, while Don encouraged Jen. 

With her back to the ring of stones, Jen did her best to hold Maria at bay, but ended up having to slip aside. She swiped at Maria’s shoulder as she passed it, but missed. Maria did the same to her and popped Jen’s head balloon. Unfortunately, Maria’s momentum carried her forward in the absence of Jen’s body, and she stumbled out of the ring. 

“Three-three!” Maurice called. 

Maria looked confused. 

“You stepped out of bounds!” Maurice said, pointing at her feet. “Remove a balloon of your choice!” 

Maria sighed, but grabbed the balloon on her sword arm and popped it in her gauntlet. 

Each woman now had a balloon on her left shoulder, the hardest spot to hit. They joined blades, and parries flew as they attacked, countered, and moved. Jen tried stepping left, but Maria kept pace. 

Jen lunged, but Maria side-stepped, determined to win. 

Maria stabbed toward Jen’s balloon, but ducked the thrust. Maria’s blade squeaked against the top of Jen’s balloon, but didn’t pop it. She responded by knocking Maria’s blade aside and trying to swipe at Maria’s balloon. Maria parried the swing and lunged for Jen’s balloon, falling forward more than she meant to and stabbing upward as Jen attempted to duck once more. She moved the balloon into the blade that would have otherwise struck her shoulder pad, and it burst in a final pop. 

“Yeah!” Selene and the others cheered as Maria secured her victory. “You did it!” 

Maria raised her arms in victory, and Jen sagged in defeat. Maria helped her up, even as Jen helped her stabilize so that she didn’t topple over in her exaggerated lunge position. 

Maurice, Don, Mindy, Selene, Brad, Mark, and Kat applauded, as did a few strangers who had gathered to watch the match. Maria and Jen lifted their helmets and pads off, and Brad wrapped Jen’s cloak over her shoulders. She accepted with a smile and kissed his cheek. 

“Did it look ridiculous?” Jen asked. 

Brad smacked his forehead. “Oh, I should have recorded it!” 

Mindy held up her phone. “I got you! Well, some of it. Most of it!” She said. 

“Can you send that to me?” Jen asked. 

“Of course!” Mindy said. 

“Me too!” Maria said. “I want proof of my victory over the huntress.” 

Jen chuckled. “So, what’s next?” She asked. 

Kat checked her phone. “Looks like Kelly has Selene and me down for archery.” She looked at Selene. “Want to do that?” 

“Yeah,” Selene said. “But why did we get archery?” 

“I don’t know,” Kat said. “I think Kelly pulled these at random based on what was available and fair.” 

“Don’t suppose you’d prefer a dance-off?” Selene asked. 

Kat scoffed. “Not unless you’d like to do literary trivia instead.” 

“Aw,” Selene whined. “Come on! You had so much time with him this morning!” 

“And I’ll have more time tonight, once I defeat you,” Kat mimed shooting an arrow at Selene. Selene caught the arrow with her fist over her heart and rolled her head back as if shot. 

Mindy giggled. 

“Are you okay if we stay?” Maria asked. “Brad and Mark wanted a go.” 

“Oh, sure,” Selene said. “We’ll catch up with you at the fire dancing?” 

“Or we can watch the guys,” Mindy suggested. 

Kat and Selene shrugged. “Okay, let’s cheer them on, then we’ll go to archery.” 

Maria, Jen, Mindy, Selene, and Kat watched from the fence as Brad and Mark put on their gear and readied themselves for combat.

~~~

Kelly stood nearby, waiting as Ana painted Katelyn’s tattoo onto her. The lanky young woman in the spaghetti-strap fairy dress had chosen to apply to her sternum. Her current dress split open between her breasts, so it left a decent canvas. Katelyn had petite A-cup breasts, though that didn’t seem to deter masculine interest in her thanks to her long legs, cute butt, and pretty face. She supposed it was a good sign that Katelyn was overcoming her insecurity about her breasts, but time would tell. 

“So, how are you enjoying the Faire?” Ana asked as she worked on the tattoo. 

“It’s been fun!” Katelyn said, beaming at Kelly. “We had a minor hiccup this morning with one of our friends. Kat, you met her–she’s the girl in the jungle bikini. Well, she got angry at our other friend, Rani–she’s the one with all the jewelry, but they worked it out.” 

“Well, I’m glad to hear it, especially since they both have this henna,” Ana said, smirking. “I’d hate for the sisterhood to break up before I finish these tattoos.” 

Kelly chuckled. “No danger of that while Arthur and I are on the case.” 

Ana smiled. “Rani is the Indian one, yes? She asked me if I’d be interested in partying after the Faire.” 

Kelly sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Of course she did. She’s trying to throw an orgy.” 

“Is that what she and Kat had a falling out over?” Ana asked. 

“Oh, no, it wasn’t your fault,” Katelyn assured her. “Kat’s just volatile. She doesn’t enjoy surprises, and is prejudiced against rich people, and it turns out Rani is super rich.” 

“Katelyn,” Kelly said, her tone full of warning. 

“What?” Katelyn asked. “It’s not a secret anymore.” 

Kelly nodded. “That doesn’t mean everyone needs to hear our relationship issues.” 

“It’s okay,” Ana said, waving away her concerns. “I don’t mind. I imagine poly relationships come with more baggage and more problems than normal relationships.” 

“Yeah,” Kelly said, sighing. “You’ve got that right.” 

“Trouble in paradise already?” Ana asked. 

“Oh, there’s been trouble since we started, but we get through it together,” Kelly said. “The relationship hasn’t been in danger of breaking up, but we’ve faced trouble together.”

“Oh, I see,” Ana said, nodding. “That’s good, yes?” 

“Oh, yeah, it’s great,” Katelyn said. “It’s alienating when you’re on the outside, but once you get invited in, the sisterhood is strong.” 

Ana smiled. “Hold still, please.” She put a hand on Katelyn’s thigh to stop her from swinging her legs as she sat on the table. 

“Oh, sorry,” Katelyn said, stilling her feet.

“Need me to hold her down?” Kelly asked. 

Ana chuckled. “No, but thank you.” 

Katelyn rolled her eyes at Kelly, but Kelly winked at her, and Katelyn grinned. 

“So, how does one join your polycule?” Ana asked. 

“Unanimous vote,” Kelly said. “Except we’re closed for the time being. But we can play with people outside the polycule under certain circumstances.” 

“Ah, the rules that Rani mentioned. Your King Arthur must be there?” Ana asked. 

Kelly laughed. “Yeah. Well, that, and no men. If Arthur wants to sleep with someone outside the harem, one of us has to be there and approve.” 

“Sounds unbalanced to me,” Ana said. “Why no men?” 

“Because we’ve got the best one,” Kelly said, smiling to herself. “Arthur’s a tough act to follow. That, and, well, there’s a power dynamic we’ve agreed to in our polycule.” 

“He must be quite a man with six sexy women wanting his name tattooed onto them,” Ana said. She noted the tattoo on Kelly’s shoulder and the one she was painting onto the center of Katelyn’s chest.

“Kelly’s been in love with him for years,” Katelyn said, grinning at Kelly. 

“Katelyn,” Kelly said. 

“What?” Katelyn asked. “That’s not a secret! You’ve been daydreaming about wife-ing it up for him since before he and Lori broke up.” 

Kelly grimaced. It might be true, but that didn’t mean she wanted it spoken aloud. Her friendship with Lori came first. She’d never make a move on Arthur while he was still dating Lori. 

She’d floated the idea of a threesome past Lori in jest. Lori had gotten so angry at the joke that Kelly apologized and never suggested it again. 

They had a friendship that Kelly fought to preserve, but Lori just threw it away because she cared only about herself. How she could throw away everything Kelly ever wanted mystified and enraged Kelly. Even if she profited from Lori’s stupidity, it was still a huge mistake on her ex-friend’s part—a mistake she didn’t need to make, and not the first one either. 

“Hey,” Katelyn said, breaking Kelly’s train of thought. “Are you okay?” 

“Hm?” Kelly asked, raising her eyes to meet Katelyn’s. “Yeah, sorry. Talking about Lori still puts a nasty taste in my mouth.” 

“Ex-girlfriend?” Ana asked. 

“Arthur’s ex,” Katelyn said. “They broke up before the polycule happened.” 

“Ah,” Ana said, following along, or at least seeming to keep track of the names. “If your boyfriend is so great, why did they break up?” 

“Because Lori self-sabotages,” Kelly said, answering for Katelyn. “She didn’t want what she could’ve had.” She sighed. 

“Lucky us,” Katelyn said. “The Sisterhood of Excalibur never would’ve formed if she and Arthur were still dating.” 

“Fair enough,” Kelly said, agreeing with Katelyn. “She wasn’t the sharing type.”

“Kat said Lori was like a guard dog whenever she and Arthur went anywhere,” Katelyn said. “I believe it.”  

“Does your boyfriend sleep around?” Ana asked. 

Katelyn and Kelly locked eyes and laughed. 

“No,” Kelly said, recovering from her laughter. “We were just discussing that at lunch. Poor guy never knows when someone is into him.” 

“He never would have slept with me if it weren’t for Kat and Kelly pulling me in,” Katelyn said. 

Ana raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question the statement. Kelly didn’t deny it either. Arthur had admitted his attraction to Katelyn, but he wouldn’t have acted on it if the harem hadn’t agreed to it. She trusted him on that. He was loyal to Lori for years without issue, and if she or Selene had asked for exclusivity, he’d have been faithful to whichever one of them he chose. 

“Oh, this looks fun,” a familiar voice chimed in as a pair of women stood by the tent, examining the tattoo designs framed on the walls. “It’s henna?” 

“Yes, Miss,” Ana said, looking away from Katelyn’s tattoo to say hello. 

Kelly turned and saw Angela and a young woman who must be her granddaughter. She recognized her from the pavilion, but there was something familiar in her face she couldn’t place—staring didn’t help, though Angela intercepted her attention. 

“Oh, it’s you again!” Angela said, cheerful as ever. “We just keep running into your party. Is Arthur here?” 

“Oh, no, he’s running an errand with Rani,” Kelly said, smiling. 

“The photographer, right?” Angela asked. 

“Right,” Kelly said. “I’m Kelly, and this is Katelyn. I know the introductions were quick at lunch, and there were a lot of us.” 

Angela laughed. “Oh yes, quite a few of you. I’m Angela, and this is my granddaughter and namesake, Angie.” 

Kelly turned to see the pretty, if pudgy, young woman. The name Angie buzzed in the back of her mind. She felt as if she should know it from something, but she couldn’t think of any Angie at school. If Angie were a college student, she didn’t attend Pendleton. 

Angie had dressed in a Tudor gown much like her grandmother’s. She was about their age and quick to smile at Kelly, who bowed from the waist. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Angie said, nodding. “Kelly? You said your name was?” 

Kelly nodded. 

“Perhaps you can settle a bet for us,” Angela said. “Young Arthur introduced you as his girlfriends. Angie insists that the young man is gay. She claims it’s common nowadays for a gay man to refer to his female friends as his girlfriends. But I saw the way you were together. I think you’re all dating the same man in a free-love arrangement. Which is it?” 

Kelly smiled, though it was awkward. Angela’s guessing polyamory surprised Kelly, but she tried not to let it show. The younger Angie would’ve been the more open-minded in her estimation. 

“We’re dating the same man. Most of us are dating each other. We’re in a polycule together,” Kelly said, trying to explain it. 

“Ha!” Angela threw her fist in the air in triumph and held her hand out to Angie. 

Angie groaned and pulled a twenty from her purse. She put it in her grandmother’s hand, and Angela stuffed it into her bodice. “I thought it was a safe bet, what with that body of his and his charm.” 

Kelly chuckled. “He works out.” 

“What gym does he go to? Is it nearby?” Angela asked, laughing at herself.

“Grandma!” Angie cried, mortified. 

Angela laughed. “Don’t worry, dear, I’m only kidding. I’m not about to leave your grandpa for a roaming barbarian and his horde. My free-love days are way behind me. The Summer of Love was a long time ago. It was fun, though.” 

Angie covered her face in embarrassment. 

“You’re allowed to meet new people, though, and keep living, aren’t you?” Angela asked. 

Angie grimaced in response. “Grandma!” 

Angela chuckled. “Don’t worry, I meant no disrespect,” Angela said, assuring Kelly. “I’ve got no designs on your boyfriend. Neither does my granddaughter, I’m sure.” 

Kelly chuckled. “Oh, good. For a second, I was worried I’d have to beat up an old lady.” 

Angela laughed. “Oh, I like you.” 

Angie, still mortified, stayed behind her grandmother. 

“That’s a lovely tattoo,” Angela said, looking at Kelly’s shoulder and noticing the same design, partially finished, on Katelyn. “Does your entire group wear the same design?” 

“Yeah,” Kelly said, showing her the tattoo. 

“The Sisterhood of Excalibur,” Angela read the words that ran around the blade from the crossguard. “Oh, that’s cute. It’s not much of a sisterhood with a man, is it?” 

“Well, he, uh,” Kelly hesitated, unsure how to explain. “His name is Arthur, so…” 

Angela’s confusion lingered on her face and then vanished in a blink as realization slapped her in the forehead along with her palm. “Oh my!” she laughed, sliding her hand to her mouth and covering it as she giggled. “That’s hilarious. Oh, I love it. Excalibur is his sword, right? Who doesn’t love a good dick joke?” 

“Oh my god, Grandma!” Angie hissed, mortified. 

Kelly hid her smile with her hand. Katelyn giggled, trying her best not to move as she did so. Ana stopped painting, just in case, and snorted. The joke was old four-tattoos-in, but it amused her to see the realization unfold in real time. 

“I’m so sorry about her,” Angie said. 

“Oh, shut it. When you’re my age, you don’t have any fucks to give,” Angela said, shaking her head. 

Angie continued in her mortification. Kelly and Katelyn laughed. 

“Maybe that’s Rani’s secret. Maybe she’s secretly sixty or something,” Katelyn said, giggling. 

“Oh, you think I look sixty? Well, thank you!” Angela said, chuckling. “I like you too.” 

Angie sighed behind her, a signal that she was ready to move on to the next tent and end this embarrassment. Angela ignored her granddaughter. 

“What do you think, Angie?” Angela asked. “Do you want a tattoo? I might as well get a third, especially if it’s not permanent. We can get matching tattoos!” 

Angie’s face scrunched in confusion. “You only have one tattoo, Grandma, on your calf.” 

Angela rolled her eyes as if to say, ‘Do you see what I have to deal with?’ without speaking. “I have two,” Angela said. “I should know.” 

“Where’s the second one?” Angie asked. 

“That’s between your grandpa and me!” Angela declared. 

Kelly bit her lip to keep from laughing. Angie looked ready for death, if only to end the embarrassment of having a grandmother who didn’t observe social niceties. Yet she had only herself to blame. 

“Do you want to get matching tattoos or not?” Angela asked. 

“No, thank you,” Angie said, declining her offer. 

“Fine, but I’ll still get one.” Angela perused the designs, seeking inspiration. 

“Well, you’re done,” Ana said, tapping Katelyn’s bony knee. “Send me the next one, though they might have to wait in line if I’m working on another customer when they get here.” 

“That’ll be Selene. It’s down to her and Mindy. I might send them both. Buddy system and all that.”

“Why don’t you go with them?” Angela asked. “Make new friends.” 

“Oh, I don’t want to intrude,” Angie said, glaring at her grandmother’s suggestion. 

“It’d be good for you to stretch your legs, get your steps in. You’ll never drop that baby weight if you don’t start trying,” Angela said. 

Angie frowned. 

“Aw, you have a baby?” Kelly asked. 

“Yeah,” Angie said, still glaring at her grandmother. “He’s with my parents this weekend. They thought it’d be a good idea if I could get out of the house, so they sent me here with my grandparents.” 

“Do you have any pictures?” Kelly asked, excited. 

Angie smiled, pulling out her phone. “I have a whole album.” 

“Oh my gosh, he’s so cute!” Kelly squealed. “Look at those chunky thighs!” 

Angie chuckled. “Yeah, he’s a porker. Ten pounds nine ounces at birth, and he’s been growing ever since.” 

Kelly hissed in a breath of surprise. 

“Is that heavy for a newborn?” Katelyn asked. 

Kelly nodded. “The average is about seven? Seven to eight pounds?” 

Angie nodded. “Ten’s a lot.” 

“Did you have a C-section?” Kelly asked. 

“No, natural birth at the hospital, but it took a while to recover. That’s why I’ve had trouble losing the weight that my grandmother oh so delicately mentioned.” Angie glared at her grandmother. 

“How old is he?” Kelly asked, still looking at photos.

“Five months old now. Today is the first time I’ve been away from him for more than an hour,” Angie said. “It's killing me.”

“It’s good to take a break,” Angela said as she sat on a chair and smoothed her skirt. She showed Ana the tattoo she wanted. “And get your walking in.” 

“If you’re looking to drop weight, Kelly’s the perfect girl to talk to,” Katelyn said as she climbed off the table and brushed off her backside. “She’s a personal trainer.” 

“Well, I’m working on getting my PT license. I’m not a PT yet, but I’d be happy to go over strategies and give you pointers if you wanted them,” Kelly said. “Want to walk with us to fetch our girlfriends?” 

“Oh, uh,” Angie looked between them and her grandmother. 

“Do you do N-S-F-W tattoos?” Angela asked Ana. “Like, if I wanted to add a naughty word or picture to the design–” 

“Yeah, I’ll come with you,” Angie said, leaving the tent to wait for them in the lane. 

Kelly laughed, but waited for Katelyn to pay for her tattoo before joining Angie. Together, the three women left the tattoo artist behind and began their journey to rendezvous with the others.

~~~

Arthur led the way to the bus, holding Rani’s hand and leading her through the security gate once more. A shepherdess in her mid-forties checked their stamps at the gate. Secure in their ability to return, they left the gate behind them. 

The walk to the bus was pleasant. Arthur held Rani’s hand, and her grip was soft, an emotion he rarely associated with Rani. She had her moments, but she was far more spicy than sweet. Tender moments, walking side by side in comfortable silence, weren’t her usual fare. She rested her head against his arm, which he took as a sign she appreciated his gift of the map as they walked. He hoped she enjoyed their time walking and shopping as much as he did. It was a delightful break that let them see the sights. 

Cars covered the grassy fields surrounding the Faire, ungrazing beasts in colorful rows that refused to form a coherent pattern. The sun shone off their windshields and hoods, glaring and reflecting in waves. Most of their occupants were in the Faire, but a few wandered out of the gates. Some visitors had left. Others ate their lunches in their cars, having packed food. Others reapplied sunscreen and bug repellent or made emergency costume adjustments. 

Arthur wondered if Manasa had eaten. “We should have brought Manasa something. Should we go back and get her something?” 

“I’m bringing you, isn’t that enough for her?” Rani asked. 

“Something to eat, I mean,” Arthur said, chuckling. 

“She’ll gobble you up if she gets half a chance,” Rani said. 

“You shouldn’t pressure her,” Arthur said. 

“I’m not! She’s been blowing up my phone!” Rani said, showing him the texts, though he didn’t read them. 

“Rani…” Arthur groaned. 

“You’re bringing her me then,” Rani said, laughing at him. “But trust me, I’m not the one doing the pressuring. Manasa doesn’t get as many opportunities for sex as we do. She’s starved, poor thing.” 

Arthur rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. Think she’d enjoy a turkey leg?” 

“No, she’s vegan,” Rani said. “We could grab her a salad, but you’d have better luck offering her one of Kelly’s smoothies.” 

“Oh, I forgot Kelly packed those,” Arthur said. “Yeah, she can have mine. I can text Kelly to make sure, but I’m sure there’s plenty.” 

Rani grinned. “So she can have your juice?” 

“Kelly packed juice?” Arthur asked, ignoring her euphemism and leaning into the humor. 

Rani laughed. “You’re a doofus sometimes, you know that? A cute doofus, but a doofus.” 

“Is that a good thing?” Arthur asked, laughing with her. “What’s the difference between a doofus and an idiot?” 

“Hotness, and the general level of irritation,” Rani answered without hesitation. “Hot, harmless, and dumb, that’s a doofus. Ugly, annoying, and dumb, that’s an idiot.” 

Arthur laughed. He knew what she’d been referencing with her euphemism, but he ignored it. He didn’t think his question was that funny, but he was glad it made her laugh. 

They approached the bus, and Rani knocked on the door. Manasa set her book aside and slipped out of the driver’s seat.

“Miss Shah, Mister Clarke,” Manasa said as she opened the door for them from the inside and stepped down. “Do you need to get on the bus, or are you here for, um, other things?” 

“We need to access the bus, please. I need that purse I left with you, and I wanted to drop off my camera,” Rani said, pointing to the camera bag slung over her shoulder. “And call me Rani.” 

Manasa nodded. “Of course.” She held the door open for them.

“Have you eaten lunch?” Rani asked. She climbed the steps onto the bus. 

“Oh, yes, I packed a bag,” Manasa said. 

“Do you want anything from the Faire?” Rani asked. “I’m sure we can find something vegan. Maybe funnel cake? Arthur volunteered to run and fetch it for you. Or we’ve got fruit smoothies in a cooler that we brought with us.”

Manasa gave Arthur a grateful expression. “Thank you, but no, I’m not hungry.” 

Arthur slipped inside after Rani. The interior of the bus’s cabin smelled like sex and air freshener. They’d cleaned up after themselves, but it was still an enclosed space. It was dark since the bus was off, and warm given the cool breeze and hot sun. 

Rani took a deep sniff. “Oh, Kat must’ve had a damn good time. I see you brought out the trunk to play as well?” She prodded the traveler’s trunk with her foot as she walked past it. They’d moved it into the spot by the karaoke machine. “Hot.” 

“I, uh, have to use the bathroom,” Arthur said, snaking his way past them. 

“You go ahead. Manasa and I can catch up out here while we wait for you. You don’t mind, do you, Manasa?” Rani asked as she sat. 

“Oh, of course not, Miss Rani,” Manasa assured her. 

Arthur eyed Rani, seeing what she was doing, but he didn’t protest. He visited the bathroom. It still smelled like a porta-potty, but it was much nicer than the ones at the Faire, and having a private bathroom was amazing compared to the dirty men’s rooms. He finished, washed his hands, and entered the back of the bus to see Rani and Manasa whispering as they sat on the bench. 

“I’m going to the bathroom,” Rani announced as she stood. “You two get to know one another.” She winked at Arthur. 

Arthur raised his eyebrows, but stood by the pole as Rani slid past him. 

“She’s down if you are,” Rani whispered as she passed him. “Consider it? As another gift for me?” 

“We’ll see,” Arthur whispered in response. 

Rani blew him a kiss, gave Manasa two thumbs-up, and closed the bathroom door behind her. 

Arthur looked at Manasa, who looked down at her hands as she sat with Rani’s purse on her lap. She was older, but not by that much, around Beth’s age. He wasn’t sure if it’d be rude to ask. 

“So, Manasa, how old are you?” Arthur asked. 

“Twenty-eight,” Manasa said without hesitation or looking at him. 

“Really?” Arthur asked, surprised. “I thought you were older.” 

Manasa flinched, looking at him in surprise. “I don’t wear as much makeup, I guess, and I’ve always looked old for my age.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that as an insult,” Arthur said. “You just seem more mature. I’m not sure how to explain it. I’m putting my foot in my mouth.” 

Manasa nodded. “It’s okay. I grew up fast, so everyone says I look older than I am. It’s been that way since I was a teenager.” 

Arthur nodded. Some people looked younger than they were, while others looked older. He’d age a few years if he grew a beard. Did Manasa’s makeup have a similar effect? It wasn’t worth interrogating her over. 

“And you?” Manasa asked. 

“Twenty-two,” Arthur said. “My birthday’s early in the school year, and I’m a senior.” 

“Oh, I would have thought older. Rani mentioned you’re getting your master’s degree. You’re handsome, and you have a, uh, regal bearing, even in such clothing.” Manasa’s eyes wandered over his bare torso. 

Her figure fit his tastes, too. She had a large chest, though her uniform hid most of her lower features. She wasn’t gym-fit, but her body showed she’d put in some effort. Her brown hair was pretty. He hesitated to call her beauty exotic in case that was insensitive, but he appreciated her beauty. She had a pretty face and compelling maturity. 

Still, she wouldn’t look at his eyes as he sat across from her. She moved her eyes to her hands. 

“So, uh, you know Rani?” he asked. “You two have a history?” 

“Yes, I’ve worked for her uncle for a few years now, and I’ve been her driver since she started college,” Manasa answered. “I drive her to and from college.” 

“Oh, when she visits home?” Arthur asked. 

“Yes,” Manasa nodded. “And on special occasions.” 

Arthur nodded. It made sense. Rani didn’t have a license or a car on campus. It made sense that she didn’t drive. She didn’t need to if she had someone to drive her whenever she needed to visit her folks. 

“And you’re Rani’s boyfriend?” Manasa asked. “Like, her proper boyfriend, not just a fuck buddy?” 

Arthur laughed at the term’s crudity compared to Manasa’s typical formality, but nodded. “Yeah, we’re more than fuck buddies. We have genuine feelings for one another, and I care about her and her happiness.” 

“That’s good,” Manasa said, nodding. “She needs that. It sounds like she’s found a relationship that works well for her.” 

Arthur nodded. “She explained our relationship to you, I take it?” 

“Yeah, we talked on the phone before I drove down. Did you know about Rani’s family before the trip? Or did she tell you when she told the others?” Manasa asked. 

“She told me before, but after we started dating, if that matters. I shared my deepest, darkest secret with her, and she felt guilty, so she offered me hers.” 

Manasa grinned. “You have deep, dark secrets? You seem so normal.” 

Arthur chuckled. “Thanks. So do you.” 

“Does your family have money, like the Shah family?” Manasa asked. 

“They do okay, but no, I doubt my folks have that level of money,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “I’m a business major, though, so maybe I can close the gap over the next few decades.” 

Manasa chuckled. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Arthur said, scratching the back of his neck.

Manasa looked down, staring at her knees. “So, she tells me your group is open to non-romantic partners that you both agree on for fun?”

Arthur glanced at the closed bathroom door, but nodded. “Yeah. Something like that. My girlfriends and I agreed we can add temporary partners if two of us agree.”  

“So if you, me, and Rani were to mess around while the others were busy, that’d be okay?” Manasa asked, biting her lip. “Or does it need to be everyone?”  

“It’s okay with the three of us.” Arthur nodded. He didn’t know why it was awkward, but the directness made him laugh. Rani was so direct that he should’ve expected her friends to be too. 

“Do you find me attractive?” Manasa asked. 

“Do you want me to?” Arthur asked, uncertain. “I don’t want you to feel pressured into it because you work for Rani’s family, or because Rani could get you fired or anything.” 

Manasa shook her head. “I trust Rani, and besides, it’s not Rani’s desire. It’s mine.” 

“Oh?” Arthur asked, sitting back in his chair. “Are you bisexual?” 

Manasa nodded. “I prefer women to men, which didn’t go over well with my family. So, they threw me out, and I’ve been busting my butt ever since. It doesn’t leave much time for relationships.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Arthur said, not sure what to say. 

“It’s okay,” Manasa said. “It was years ago. Life is much better now. I have the apps for hookups when I want them, and life is my buffet, as they say.” 

Arthur nodded, smiling. “So are we dishes in your buffet? Is that why you want to mess around with us?” 

Manasa blushed. “I have this recurring fantasy about an attractive customer, like Rani, coming onto me, and…” She twisted the fabric of Rani’s bag as she spoke, rousing her courage to continue. “And convincing me to sleep with them, tipping me with sex, and fucking ruining me. The idea of a couple doing that is hot, but I’d never suggest it with an actual customer. Rani’s different, of course. We’re friends, and…” 

“Lovers?” Arthur asked. 

“Fuck buddies.” 

Arthur coughed and considered her fantasy. He had to admit that it was hot. He understood the allure of work fantasies, though they had different jobs. Mindy had a similar fantasy, and so did Beth, so it wasn’t unusual, he supposed, but the directness still surprised him. Playing a couple dominating their chauffeur could make for a fun session. He had a few ideas and shifted in his seat. 

“Are you usually this direct?” Arthur asked. 

“Oh, no, of course not. Rani just said that, well, you prefer direct and honest communication, and that you don’t pick up on subtle cues. So I should be more direct like her.”  

“Well, I guess she has a point,” Arthur said. “I can be thick, I guess.” 

“Fuck yeah, you can,” Rani said. She strode in from the bathroom and shut the door behind her. “It’s nice and thick.” 

Arthur looked at her, confused. 

Manasa chuckled. 

“So, are we fucking?” Rani asked. 

Arthur considered the question. He and Rani bonded while they shopped, so was it time for bondage? Maybe. Sex was a pastime to Rani and a significant means of growing closer to her. Doing something intimate with Manasa might give her the fantasy she craved and help him grow closer to Rani. 

Manasa was pretty, but she wasn’t someone Arthur intended to develop a relationship with, so was it wrong to sleep with her? No, right? Casual sex wasn’t a moral issue; it was fun. He wasn’t using Manasa or being unfair to her, though there was the possibility that she was using him. Did he mind her using him? No. Besides, he enjoyed treating Rani to her delights. 

Why not have fun? It wasn’t what he’d planned, but it could still be fun. She was like Thalia, right? This session was more for Rani, but he was getting a fun threesome. To be safe, though, he’d take the reins. He’d make sure they didn’t have another flimsy experience like when they tried race play. He’d give Rani a better experience this time. Besides, this fantasy was one he knew how to play. 

Manasa looked at Arthur, waiting for his answer. 

“Let’s do it,” Arthur said, standing. “Fair warning, this’ll be more for you than for me. So, don’t feel guilty if I don’t, uh, get there this time. Did Rani tell you the safewords?” 

Manasa’s eyes widened. “Safe words?” 

“We’ll play out your fantasy, and Rani’s,” Arthur said. “If something happens that you don’t want, or if you need to stop for any reason, just say ‘red light,’ and we’ll stop.” 

“Wait,” Rani said, raising her hand. “Is this what you want? What’s your fantasy?” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Making love to you is my fantasy,” Arthur said, brushing her hair over her shoulder with his hand. 

“Doofus,” Rani said, smiling. 

“Oh, come on,” Arthur protested. “Dominating my proud queen, bending her to my will, and making her serve even this lowly new concubine she’s brought me? That’s hot.” 

Rani gulped and shook out her hands, making her bracelets jingle. “Shit, fuck, yeah, okay, that’ll do.” 

“Okay,” Manasa said, eyeing the traveler’s trunk by the doorway. “I’m not as experienced as Rani is, so, uh, is it okay if we ease into it?” 

“Of course,” Arthur said, offering Manasa his hand to bring her to her feet. “Do you have any limits or things you hate that I should know?” 

Manasa eyed Rani. 

“I told you,” Rani said, patting Arthur’s chest and resting her hand flat against his chest as she hooked her leg over his thigh. “My King is next fucking level. Not for the faint of heart.” 

“No blood or fluids, beyond the usual ones, I guess?” Manasa asked. “I don’t mind rough, but don’t hurt me, okay? I need to drive.” 

Arthur nodded. “That’s reasonable.” 

“And my, uh, my breasts are very sensitive. Playing with them is a huge turn-on, but please don’t be too rough.” Manasa said. “Oh, and no spanking. My job is sitting.” 

Arthur licked his lips and lowered his eyes to her chest. He met her gaze afterward, showing her a hungry expression that made her lips part. “Good to know.” 

“Oh, yeah, that’ll work,” Manasa said, her breath catching. “So, uh, how do we start?” 

Arthur grinned and looked at Rani. He pulled her to him and kissed her, lowering his lips to hers and sliding his tongue into her mouth. Rani reacted viscerally, sliding her tongue against his and crossing her wrists behind his neck, pulling him closer as she half-climbed him. 

~~~

Kat was enjoying herself. It was fun to watch people she knew smack each other with swords. Mark and Brad’s fight was swift. Mark had popped one of Brad’s balloons, but Brad had him down to one at that point. The last pop came when Brad faked him out and smacked Mark over the head with his epee. 

Selene and Mindy were halfway through their match when Katelyn, Kelly, and Angie approached the fence where Mark, Maria, Brad, Jen, and Kat watched, cheering them on. Selene and Mindy’s costumes had drawn a crowd as they fenced. Their costumes covered their private bits, and the safety gear covered a bunch, but flashes of skin kept appearing as they fought. Several gentlemen of various virtues and ages lined the side fence. 

Every clash of the epees made strips of fabric on their skirts bounce. Well, skirt was a generous term for the panels of silk and scarves on Selene’s costume. Selene’s chainmail bikini and white silk slave-skirt displayed her curves rather than hiding them as she moved.

The double split in Mindy’s skirt showed every inch of her legs, too. Long strips of black cotton bounced and disappeared between her fishnet-clad thighs. 

Kat tugged the hem of her miniskirt as a few eyes swept her way. She wasn’t flashing anyone, but the draft against her privates kept her legs closed. She missed her thong. It wasn’t much protection from the elements, but it was better than nothing. It had gotten much warmer than this morning, though. The heat of the day spread a dry breeze, as if the trees throughout the Faire were ablaze, and not just wearing the colors of a late-night bonfire the week before Halloween. 

“Come on, Selene! Aim for her chest balloon!” Kat shouted her encouragement. She’d taken her sister’s side in the cheering section, but she had nothing against Mindy.

“Did I miss a change in the tournament?” Kelly asked as she slid beside a cheering Kat. 

“You can do it, Selene!” Kat cried, then turned her attention to Kelly. “No, they’re just doing this for fun. Maria beat Jen, Brad beat Mark, now Mindy and Selene are taking a turn.” 

“Oh, okay,” Kelly said, nodding. “Are you fighting next?” 

“Selene and I are heading to archery after this,” Kat said. They’d meant to go over sooner, but the fencing was fun, even if it was too active for Kat’s current garb. If she took a fighting stance, her miniskirt would ride up, flashing everyone watching. She didn’t need that attention. 

Kelly nodded her understanding. “You can do it, Mindy!” 

A new voice calling her name made Mindy turn to see Kelly waving at her. The distraction cost her a balloon. Selene lunged forward and stabbed the black sphere on her chest. 

“Two-three!” Maurice, the scorekeeper, shouted. 

“Oops,” Kelly said, grimacing. 

Katelyn patted Kelly on the back. “She can still make a comeback. Look, she’s got one balloon left.” Katelyn pointed to the balloon on Mindy’s right shoulder. Meanwhile, Selene still had her chest and head balloons. 

“You can do it! Go, Mindy!” Maria cried. She stood beside them with her arm around Mark. 

Mindy wasn’t a skilled swordswoman, but she did her best. The bulky safety equipment offset Selene’s natural grace and practiced athleticism, neutralizing her flexibility as they fought. Her instinct to dodge instead of deflect had cost her two balloons so far. It cost her a third as she ducked a swipe from Mindy’s sword that caught her head balloon and popped it against her helmet. 

“Three-three!” Maurice cried from the rear gate. “This is a close one!” 

“You can do it!” Don, the other worker, cried from the equipment table as he helped the next person in line into their gear. A few people watching wanted a try. 

“That looks like a lot of fun,” Angie said, making Kat, Maria, Jen, Mark, and Brad turn toward her at once. 

Kat remembered her from the lunch canopy, but gave her a closer inspection now. She appeared their age, but her face was pudgy, and she had extra jiggle in her arms. Not that Kat had an issue with that. She wore it well, and it gave her face a cuter appearance than Kat’s harsh features. Even though Kat’s body was rounder than Selene’s, her face had always been harsher. 

Meanwhile, Angie’s cleavage above her bodice was full, and her Tudor-style gown bore intricate embroidery. The green and gold motif looked elegant, though Angie didn’t carry herself with any specific poise. If anything, she looked awkward standing there, waving hello. Kat wondered why Katelyn and Kelly had brought her with them. She hoped it wasn’t for the reasons she suspected. 

“Hi! I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Maria,” Maria offered Angie her hand for a handshake. 

“I’m Angie,” Angie said, shaking her hand. 

“I’m Jen,” Jen said, gesturing to herself. 

“Brad.” Brad raised his hand. 

“Mark.” Mark raised his hand.

“And Kat,” Kelly said when Kat didn't introduce herself. In her defense, she had returned her attention to Selene and was busy encouraging Selene to kill and slaughter Mindy. 

“Don’t worry if she’s prickly,” Katelyn said. “She might be feral, but she’s a sweetheart once you get to know her.” 

“Oh, because of the jungle costume?” Angie asked, smiling. “You look great.” 

Kat gave her a fleeting smile at the compliment and raised an eyebrow at Katelyn. “You made a friend?” Kat asked. 

“Yeah, this is Angela’s granddaughter, Angie. We ran into them at the tattoo stall. She needed an escape from family, so we figured she could hang with us for a while,” Kelly said. 

“Uh-huh,” Kat said in a tone that suggested Kelly might have ulterior motives. “Selene’s been scouting people, too.” 

“Oh, it’s not like that,” Kelly said, shaking her head and waving her hands. “We just made a friend!” 

“Sure,” Kat said, nodding as if she understood. 

The idea of an orgy had taken root among the others. That was great for them. They liked women, and if they could hunt out bisexual or lesbian hotties, that meant more Arthur for Kat. The downside was that if those girls were interested in Arthur, she had more competition for Arthur’s attention. So, was Angie a distraction or competition? It might be better to stop thinking of people in that way. Arthur hadn’t enjoyed her teasing comments about his flirting. 

“Anyway, it’s, uh, nice to meet everyone,” Angie said, curtseying in her Tudor gown. “Forgive me if I have to ask your names a few more times.” 

“Eh, don’t worry,” Katelyn said. “There are a lot of us. Even I get tripped up on names.” 

Kelly chuckled. “Most people trip up over Kat and Katelyn.”

“That’s why the volleyball girls just call us the Kats,” Katelyn said, chuckling and flicking the silver bell on her pink collar. 

“Cute,” Angie said. 

Kat returned her attention to the fight, but Kelly put her arm around her and squeezed her. “Everything okay?” 

“Yeah,” Kat nodded. “Can Selene and I still do our tournament bracket? Or does she need to get her tattoo?” 

“Oh, you still have time,” Kelly assured her. 

“Oh! Way to go, Mindy!” Maria cried, applauding as Mindy popped Selene’s final balloon. 

Mindy raised her arms in victory as Selene hung her head in shame. They laughed and hugged each other before making their way out of the ring. The guys watching cheered more for the hug than the victory. If they only knew. Kat could still hear Mindy’s gasping moans from the bus.  

Kelly approached Mindy as soon as she left the gate. Kat had to assume it was to drive away the guys lingering at the edge of the tent. The crowd gathering at the edge was keen to introduce themselves to the two sexy young women.  

Kelly kissed Mindy after she removed her helmet, despite the salty sweat on her lips. “You did great!” 

“Thanks!” Mindy beamed. 

Katelyn did the same to Selene, kissing her. Kat’s eye twitched. Selene appeared as surprised as Kat, but she returned the kiss before breaking away with a smile. Annoyance rose in Kat’s stomach, but she stomped it flat. 

Katelyn was free to kiss whoever she wanted in the harem, but it was weird to see her kiss the others. She’d never thought Selene was bisexual until the harem started, and now Katelyn was showing bisexual tendencies. Kat wondered how much of the display was a performance for the strangers eyeing Selene, and how much was because Katelyn wanted an excuse to kiss her. She was too affectionate with other people.

“Smooth,” Maria said as they rejoined the others. 

“Well, Arthur’s not here, so somebody had to do it,” Katelyn laughed. 

“No word from him or Queenie?” Selene asked.

“No, I imagine they’re still on the bus,” Kelly said. 

“It’ll be a while, that’s what. Master’s fifth time today?” Selene asked. “Once when we woke up, you before we left.” She gestured toward Kelly. “Katelyn on the bus ride, and Kat after her blowup.” 

“Ahem,” Kat cleared her throat and nodded toward Angie. The young woman raised both eyebrows and looked away when everyone turned toward her.  

“Oh! Hi!” Selene said, cheery as ever. She sounded as if she hadn’t just been discussing how many times Arthur had cum that day in front of a stranger. 

Selene had said nothing explicit, other than referring to Arthur as Master, but it wasn’t difficult to put together. Arthur was their boyfriend, and he’d had a busy day today. They were each pushing for him to have the best day possible after last night’s drama. Poor man, by the time they made it to the orgy tonight, he’d be exhausted. 

“Maybe I should check on Arthur and Rani?” Mindy asked, which was more of a suggestion. 

“You need to go get your tattoo,” Kelly said. 

“Can’t blame me for trying,” Mindy shrugged. 

“Selene and Mindy, meet Angie, Angela’s granddaughter,” Kelly made the introductions.

“Angie…” Selene tapped her chin. “Why is that name familiar?” 

It sounded familiar to Kat, too, but she couldn’t place the name or the face. It must have been because it was so close to Angela, the older woman who flirted nonstop with Arthur. He might not call it flirting, but Kat did. Poor Arthur was too hot for his own good. He hadn’t always been that way, though, so he didn’t think of himself that way. Kat considered that stupid. He was hot, but he wouldn’t believe her when she told him that most women were into him. It wasn’t their fault, or his; there was just something primal about him.

“Well, I’m named after my grandmother, who was in the chess match with your boyfriend. I’m not sure who’s part of your group and who’s not,” Angie said, looking over them. 

“Oh, we all are, except Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen. They’re our friends,” Katelyn said. She gestured to the five of them as Angie’s eyes wandered over them. “And Rani’s one of us, but she’s not here at the moment.” 

Their Ren Faire costumes weren’t their typical attire, but each was still beautiful. Kat, Kelly, and Katelyn each had the sisterhood tattoo in a different place. They wore chokers or collars in different styles, matching their costumes, except for Kat, who wore a pink rubber choker that contrasted with her one-strap crop top and tattered miniskirt jungle costume.

“Come on,” Katelyn said, taking Mindy’s hand. “You and I can get your tattoo. Kat and Selene have to do their archery for the tournament.” 

“Tournament?” Angie asked. 

“Oh, well, we’re competing with each other for fun,” Kelly explained. “Just some nonsense between girlfriends.” 

“Oh, cool,” Angie said. “So, just so I understand, you all date each other and the same guy, too? You’re gay?”

“I’m straight,” Kat said, raising her hand and singling herself out. “But the others date each other, more or less, yeah.” 

Angie looked surprised and confused as she looked them over once more. 

“Do you have a problem with that?” Kat asked, defensive on the others’ behalf. She might give Selene shit, but that was her right as a sister. She wouldn’t let a stranger hate on anyone in the harem.

“What?” Angie asked, surprised. “No, of course not. I’m sorry, I’m just trying to wrap my head around the whole modern free-love dynamic. It’s just so different from what I’m used to.” 

Kelly patted Kat’s back. “She lost twenty dollars to her grandmother. Apparently, Angela bet we were poly, but Angie thought Arthur was gay.” 

“To be fair, he’s super hot,” Angie said. “And he introduced you as his girlfriends, so it was one or the other.”

The girls laughed. 

Katelyn squeezed Mindy’s hand. “Let’s get you inked.” 

Mindy giggled and waved goodbye to the others as she and Katelyn headed toward the tattoo artist. Kelly guided the others across the lane toward the archery range, where they had to wait in line. The dozen people ahead of them gave them time to work it out. 

“So they give you five arrows. Score five points for each ring, and whoever does the best wins,” Kelly said. 

“I’ll help judge,” Maria offered. “I can be impartial.” 

“Good idea. You tally Kat’s score. I’ll tally Selene’s,” Kelly said. 

“I think I’ll try my hand at archery, too,” Angie said. “Not for your tournament, obviously, but just for fun.” 

“It looks fun,” Jen said, watching the participants shoot at the targets. 

The archery range was an outdoor attraction with wooden dividers built into a low fence. The open range beyond the fence housed large, painted straw targets. A wall of hay bales and a net behind the targets caught any stray arrows. Six people at a time filed past the rope, listened to an instructor, took up their bows, and fired five arrows into each target. When everyone ran out, the participants filed out for the next batch as two workers retrieved the arrows.

Mark, Maria, Brad, Jen, Kat, Selene, Kelly, and Angie made eight. With Maria and Kelly scoring, they had a perfect six to file into the archery range when it was their turn. Mark, Brad, Jen, Kat, Selene, and Angie took up their spots and listened to the instructor. 

The older man had a wispy red beard that unfurled to his belt when the wind wasn’t brushing it aside. He dressed in colorful garb, a scarlet archer with an expensive bow in his hand. 

“Ye’ll want to hold the bow with your non-dominant hand and pull the string with your dominant hand. Turn sideways, hold like so, aim, and release.” The instructor said as he demonstrated. “Notch the fletching, like so, with the odd-colored one out.” He turned the bullet tip arrow so the odd-colored fletching stuck out, drew his bow, and released the string, hitting the bullseye of Mark’s target. “Do not fire your bow without an arrow!” He fetched the arrow he’d shot, then moved to their side of the fence. “Okay, pick up your bows, aim, and shoot when ready!” 

Selene and Kat aimed, while most of the others let their arrows fly more haphazardly. Selene’s first arrow missed the target, falling short. 

Kat grinned as her first arrow struck the target at the top, sticking into the outermost ring. Five points to Selene’s zero. It was rare for her to outshine Selene in something athletic, but Kat could win this. Both adjusted their aim to compensate after their first shot, and their second arrows struck nearer to the bullseyes. Ten points each. 

Selene hissed as the bowstring caught her right forearm when she fired her third arrow. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. The stall wall wasn’t long enough to block Kat’s view. 

“Are you okay?” Kat asked. 

“Yeah,” Selene said, taking a deep breath. “Fuck this belt, though.” 

“It was the belt’s fault?” Kat asked, confused. 

“No, but I’ve learned my lesson! Every little thing is just, ugh,” Selene drew in a long inhale. “It’s torture, and there’s no relief!”

Kat chuckled. She knew Selene was wearing a chastity belt under the white silk she used to disguise it. It had nothing to do with her score. The poor girl must be desperate to get pleasure, and the pain from the bowstring was an aphrodisiac to Selene. Still, Selene’s arrow flew true, striking the bullseye. 

Kat released a long exhale, drew, aimed, and fired. She managed not to hurt herself with the bow. The pullback on the bow wasn’t heavy. It was enough to launch the arrows forward. Even if someone were to shoot over the wall, the arrows wouldn’t go far. Kat imagined that was by design. She, too, hit the bullseye. Fifteen plus ten plus five was thirty to Selene’s twenty-five. 

Kat struck to the left of the bullseye with her fourth arrow, while Selene’s shot landed higher, forty to thirty. 

“Fuck!” Selene grimaced. 

“Are you okay?” Kelly asked. 

“Yeah, I just don’t think I can win,” Selene said, pouting. “Damnit! I’m never gonna get this thing off me!”

“Calm down,” Kelly said, assuring Selene. She leaned in and whispered against Selene’s ear, so Kat had to lean in to hear. “Even if you don’t win, I’ll talk to Arthur. I’m sure he’ll let me remove it before the after-hours event.” 

“Thank you, Miss–Kelly,” Selene said, catching herself halfway through calling Kelly ‘mistress.’ 

Kelly nodded her assurance and let Kat and Selene fire their last arrows. 

Kat wondered how long it would take Kelly to resume her role as mistress. She claimed she didn’t trust herself, but she was still a natural leader in the harem. Had she gone too far last night? Yes. Should she have listened to Kat and not bullied Lynn? Also yes. Did her refusal to accept the role mean she stopped being the person everyone looked up to? No. 

Still, Kat didn’t envy her. How did Arthur do it? He had so much self-control and discipline that he never lost control or gave in to his desires, which required so much concentration. Even when she pushed him to the edge, she could never be sure if he was acting. She trusted him more than she trusted herself to observe safewords and to keep her head amid passion. 

Kat took a deep breath and let her last arrow fly. 

Selene’s arrow struck near the bullseye, and Kat’s landed within it, cinching her victory as Kelly and Maria tallied their points. The others had finished firing. The group shuffled aside to make room for the people behind them in line. 

“I did pretty okay at that,” Angie said. Her arrows had struck the target in a variety of spots, but she hadn’t missed the target with any of them. “Jen, right? You were amazing.” 

“Aw, thanks,” Jen said, not looking at her target. Kat did, spotting that most of her arrows had fallen inside the bullseye. 

“You did better than me,” Brad said. “I hit the target, though, so I’m happy.” 

Mark laughed. “I only missed once, but the rest of mine landed close together just above the bullseye. It’s hard to aim. No wonder they invented guns.” 

Maria put her arm around Mark again, and Jen and Brad held hands as they walked. 

Angie chuckled. “So, what’s next?” 

“Well, we have free time. Should we go shopping?” Kelly suggested. “I need to buy a hat.” 

“Oh, I saw a cute hat shop in the other lane, by the pirate ship,” Angie said, pointing the way. 

“That sounds perfect!” Kelly exclaimed. 

“You go ahead,” Mark said. “Maria and I want to go to the cleavage contest.” 

“Oh, that sounds naughty,” Angie said, chuckling. 

“I hope so! Do you want to come? You’d have a chance of winning.” Maria said, nodding toward Angie’s breasts. 

“Oh,” Angie scoffed. “No thanks. They only look this good because of the bodice. I’ve got nothing on you. Besides, shopping sounds more fun than getting ogled by a bunch of horny men.” 

“To each their own,” Maria shrugged. “Brad, Jen?” 

“We’ll come with you, to cheer you on, at least,” Jen said, not volunteering herself to compete with Maria. 

They waved farewell, and Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen left for the cleavage contest while Kelly, Kat, Selene, and Angie walked in the opposite direction toward the hat shop. The walk was quiet, giving Kat a chance to listen to the thousand sounds of the Faire around them, until Angie broke the silence. 

“So, how did you come to date each other? What’s your story?” Angie asked as they walked. She walked between Kelly and Kat, with Selene walking behind them. “I’ve never met a group relationship.” 

Selene always walked behind whoever was leading the group. Kat wondered if she was still in slave mode and how Kelly might react if she refused to be a mistress. Kat sure as hell wouldn’t take responsibility for her, even if it presented a prime opportunity to boss Selene around. 

“Oh, well, we attend the same university,” Kelly said. “Arthur asked me out, but I wanted to keep things casual. Selene approached him, and they started dating. Then Kat and Mindy asked him out. Rani joined Mindy and Arthur’s date, and well, we asked my roommate Katelyn to join us, but that was later.” 

“So he was dating each of you separately?” Angie asked. “Sounds like a player to me.” 

“No,” Selene said, speaking up. “He’s the opposite. But yeah, we convinced him to date casually, then we discussed it and decided, why not cooperate instead of compete?” 

“That’s pretty mature,” Angie said.

“Thanks!” Selene said. “It’s worked well so far.” 

Kat nodded. Cooperation, not competition. She had to remind herself of that sometimes. 

“So you go to the same university. Which school?” Angie asked. 

“The University of Pendleton,” Kat said. “It’s a decent trek from here.”  

“No, really?” Angie asked. “I’m transferring there! I have a few classes to finish.” 

“Oh?” Kelly asked. “Do your parents live near there?” 

“Yeah, they live just outside of Crofton,” Angie said. “I went to college out of state, but with Leo, I had to move back home during some of my pregnancy. My mom agreed to watch him while I go to night class. I start in January.” 

“Oh, that’s nice of her,” Kelly said. 

“Leo?” Kat asked, confused. 

“My son,” Angie said. “He’s five months old.” 

“Aw!” Selene clapped her hands together. “Do you have pictures?” 

Angie chuckled and showed her pictures from her phone as they walked. 

“Oh, he’s so cute!” Selene looked at Kat for agreement, but Kat just shrugged. She saw the pics, but she didn’t have as much interest. Babies were cute; that was their whole deal, but seldom in person. They smelled like poop and screamed far too often for Kat’s liking. She wasn’t opposed to the idea one day, but she had her reasons for not wanting one now. However, Arthur’s being cute with his fight earlier came to mind. He’d be a better father than Francis any day of the week. 

“You had Leo before you finished college?” Kat asked. The idea of anyone getting pregnant with the end of academia in sight frightened her. She was one and a half semesters away from graduating, and she was ready. 

“Yeah, he wasn’t part of any plan,” Angie said, her voice dropping. “But he’s a blessing. I love him so much it’s disgusting. I keep checking my phone for updates, but he’s napping right now.”

“Can’t his dad take care of him while you finish school?” Kat asked, earning her a harsh look from Kelly. It was rude to ask, but Kat didn’t like the idea of deadbeat dads. 

“No, Leo’s dad passed away before he was born.” Angie went quiet. 

Kat grimaced. She shouldn’t have asked. She didn’t mean to touch on a sensitive subject. Though in her defense, there was no way she could have known. “Sorry.” 

“Oh my God,” Kelly said, stopping and taking Angie’s hands. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Thanks,” Angie sniffled. They stopped, standing in the center of a wide stretch of the lane. People moved around them without paying them any heed. She wiped her eyes. The mood had shifted from leisure to somber, and Kat felt guilt for the shift weighing her down. 

“Sorry, it’s been overwhelming,” Angie said. She closed her eyes, steeling herself. 

Kat couldn’t tell if she was preparing to keep walking or vent. 

“He passed away last year. He was in a car accident about a month after we found out I was pregnant,” Angie said. Her sudden explanation prompted the others to share expressions of surprise and dismay. “We were engaged, but, yeah. It’s been a hell of a year.” 

“I can’t even imagine,” Kelly said, glaring at Kat. It was her fault, but she couldn’t do anything now. 

“What? I didn’t know.” Kat defended herself. “I mean, come on. How could I have known?” 

“No, it’s okay,” Angie said. She swallowed, trying to shake off the heavy conversation topic. “Sorry to unload, but well, here we are. Is it okay if I talk about him?” 

“Of course!” Kelly said before Kat could try to divert the subject. Kat held in her sigh. Selene and Kelly were hooked. They were adamant about women helping women, making friends, and taking care of people. Kat buckled in for the ride. She couldn’t offer as much comfort as the others, but she listened well. 

“Most people assume I picked a deadbeat for a baby daddy,” Angie said. “But Danny was so excited to be a dad. It was earlier than we planned, but that didn’t matter to him. He was a year ahead of me in school, so he would have graduated just before Leo was born.” 

“How did you meet?” Kelly asked. 

“Spring break,” Angie said. “I was a party-goer my freshman year, and my friends got a group trip together. Danny was the total opposite, but his roommate dragged him along. We met in the hotel lobby. He asked me about The Tale of Genji I was carrying because I had to read it for class, and I thought I’d try to look smart at the pool. The next thing I knew, I had missed the first night of the parties. We talked all night and spent the day together. We hit it off, you might say.” 

Angie sniffled. “Danny was so kind and genuine. Hot, too, but he didn’t act like a hot guy, you know? He was a total farm boy, but was so freakin’ smart. We fell in love, obviously. You know how it goes. He was such a great guy. Not like the other perverts and assholes I’ve dated. We moved in together last year, and well, it turns out condoms aren’t one-hundred percent effective.” 

“Hence, Leo,” Kat said, not sure of what else to say. Angie’s eyes were watering. The story meant a lot to her. Kat wondered why she was unloading on total strangers. Was she that desperate to talk to people who weren’t her family?

“Sounds like you loved him,” Kelly said. “I’m so sorry. Do you need a hug? Can I hug you?”

Angie nodded. “Sure, I could use a hug.” 

Kelly hugged her tightly. “I have tissues in my purse. Kat, Selene?”

Selene dug through Kelly’s bag as Kelly hugged Angie, found an open pack of tissues, and pulled them out for Angie to use. 

“It’s okay,” Angie said, taking one. “It’s not as fresh as it once was. I still get emotional, obviously, but I’m not bawling my eyes out every time someone mentions Danny, so that’s progress. I moved back in with my parents. My friends are out of state, and I’ve got different priorities now. I’m sorry for dumping on you like that.”

“No, you weren’t dumping,” Kelly assured her. “You needed to talk, that’s okay.”

Kelly nodded and took a tissue from Selene. Kat didn’t need one. Selene proved sympathetic, but not as prone to tears as Kelly. Kelly took it the hardest, as if she were imagining herself losing Arthur after discovering she was pregnant with his kid.

“So yeah, that’s my life story,” Angie said after a deep breath. “What about you? How did you meet your boyfriend?” 

“At auditions. He’s a year older than me, too,” Selene said. “He played Prince Charming, and I was an ugly stepsister.”

“Aw,” Angie wiped her eye. “That’s a cute meet-cute.” 

“I met him freshman year,” Kelly said. “We were gym buddies for a long time and started dating earlier this semester.”

“No wonder you’re both so hot,” Angie said. 

“Thanks,” Kelly said, still wiping her tears away. She’d have to fix her makeup.

“And you?” Angie asked Kat. 

“He, uh, he stepped in and stopped these guys who were harassing my roommate and me,” Kat said. “He had a girlfriend, but I didn’t forget him. Then he and his girlfriend broke up last semester. I asked him out around the time everyone else did, when the polycule formed.” 

“He sounds gallant,” Angie said. 

“Yeah,” Kat agreed. 

At least with her trauma, Angie wasn’t likely to throw herself at Arthur or the girls for an orgy hookup. Kat had trouble taking people at face value, but it seemed like Angie was just a girl who could use new friends. The poor girl was alone, having spent the last five months in solitude with her family and her baby. 

“Well, hey, at least you know us, so you’ll have friends when you start at Pendleton next semester,” Selene said.

“Yeah,” Angie said, offering a small smile. “I’ll be commuting and taking classes part-time. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it, but it won’t be so awful. I can finish my degree, and I’ve got my family, and lots of single moms raise their kids to be good people.” 

“Eh,” Kat shrugged. “Our mom’s a single mom, and we’re okay.” 

Selene chuckled. “Yeah, we’re not that bad.” 

“Our mom?” Angie asked, confused. 

“Mine and Selene’s,” Kat said, gesturing between her and Selene. “We’re sisters.” 

“Sisters,” Angie said, looking between them. “In the same relationship?” 

“We’re dating the same guy, not each other,” Kat said. “I’m straight, and Selene’s, well, I don’t know about Selene anymore.” 

“I’m spaghetti,” Selene said, turning it into a joke. “Straight until wet.” 

Kelly laughed into her tissue, shaking her head as she crumpled it and threw it away. “Come on. Let’s find a hat, or somewhere I can fix my makeup.” 

“Yeah, sorry again for that,” Angie said. 

“No, you have nothing to apologize for, I promise,” Kelly said.

“It’s been a rough few days for us, but it’s nothing compared to what you’ve been through,” Selene said, trying to be supportive. 

Kat disagreed by default, but most of what they’d been through in the last few days had been second-hand trauma. Arthur was the one who’d been through the most, and they were doing their best to keep his spirits high. She didn’t see any reason they couldn’t do that for Angie.

“There are tables over there, we can sit,” Angie said, pointing. 

“Perfect,” Kelly agreed. “Come on.”

~~~

“Mm,” Rani moaned against Arthur’s lips as she pressed him backward. Her hand against his chest guided him. She couldn’t force him if she tried. His thick muscles, sinews, and thews could withstand her efforts without trying. 

Still, he sat, spreading his arms over the bench in the lounge cabin of the party bus, facing the opposite bench just ahead of the stripper pole. Manasa stood nearby in her driver’s uniform, watching them, waiting for her moment to interrupt. Rani’s lips left his, and she remained standing as he took his seat. 

“My king,” Rani said as she sank to her knees between his thighs. “I’ve brought you a present. A new concubine for you to fuck. Her name is Manasa, and she’s eager to serve you.”

Manasa lowered her head, still standing nearby, unsure of how to get involved with the game they were playing: Queen Rani offering King Arthur a new toy. She removed her blazer and vest and set them on the bench toward the entrance. 

“Shall I present her to you?” Rani asked. 

“Yes,” Arthur said. He stretched out and made himself comfortable on the bench, still wearing nothing but his sandals, bracers, and loincloth. “Let me see how she looks without those drab clothes. Strip her. Present her to me, and then I’ll decide how best to pleasure her.” 

Rani rose from her knees, using Arthur’s thighs to balance her ascent. She swayed as she approached Manasa, swinging her hips. The skirt of two strips of red veils that overlaid her bikini hid nothing. The red silk bikini she wore beneath the veils preserved her modesty, but only just. Arthur received a generous view of her backside as she stood before Manasa, unbuttoning her black collar shirt.

She started with the collar, pulling it toward her to draw Manasa’s attention. Manasa looked into Rani’s eyes and smiled. The heat in her eyes met its match in Manasa’s gaze. Rani unclipped the clip-on tie and tossed it onto the bench. A pity. If it had been a real tie, she’d have left it. Manasa’s new master enjoyed a collar and leash. 

Rani paused at the first button, her fingers against Manasa’s throat, waiting for her signal. Manasa nodded, and Rani opened the first button on her blouse. It opened to show Manasa’s smooth, delicious neck. Rani pulled the collar aside and kissed her neck, drawing a gasp from Manasa’s lips that sent a shiver along Rani’s spine. 

The second and third buttons revealed Manasa’s light-brown skin across her chest. Her skin tone was lighter than Rani’s and seemed lighter still as Rani’s fingers traced over her cleavage. Her dark digit hooked and curled between the soft, warm flesh of Manasa’s round, heavy breasts. Breasts that rose as Manasa drew in a deep breath and held it in anticipation. Rani straightened her finger as she slid it along the slope of Manasa’s chest, coming to the next button. 

The fourth button unfastened, allowing her shirt to fall open enough to reveal the cups of her black bra. Half of each cup was black floral lace, from the curve of her cleavage to the supportive, solid bottom half. 

The fifth and sixth buttons revealed her soft stomach. It wasn’t as flat as a Rani’s, but showed a healthy tone. Manasa’s embarrassment caused her to turn her head away from Arthur. 

“Eyes on me, Concubine,” Arthur said. His voice was deep and commanding, drawing both women's attention. He laughed. “I suppose I should call Manasa something else.” 

Manasa looked confused. 

“Concubine is my harem name, sometimes,” Rani said. “See?” She turned her hip toward Manasa, showing her the tattoo where “Arthur’s Concubine” was on the blade in a Hindi script. 

“Oh,” Manasa said, her lips parting. “That’s hot?” She didn’t sound sure. 

“Right?” Rani grinned as she tugged Manasa’s shirt out of her pants. “But for now, I’m Arthur’s queen. That makes you his concubine. Understand?” 

“Yes,” Manasa whispered. 

“You may refer to me as your queen, and Arthur as your king. Understand?” Rani asked. 

Manasa nodded. “Yes, my queen.” 

“Mm,” Rani hummed. “I do so enjoy that.”

Arthur grinned and cracked his neck, watching as Rani unfastened the remaining buttons on Manasa’s shirt. She’d been a concubine more often than a queen, but today she felt like a queen. Her garb was slutty and concubine-ish, but the bridal red and ornate gold elevated her above the lowly, unadorned woman before her. And Arthur? Arthur was always her king. 

Rani opened Manasa’s shirt and pushed it over her shoulders. Manasa moved her arms behind her, letting the shirt slide along her arms. The cuffs caught around her wrists, but Rani didn’t tug the shirt free. She left it there, keeping Manasa’s arms behind her as if cuffed. Rani turned, sliding past her and pushing Manasa so she was standing sideways to let Rani move behind her. 

“Look, my King. Your new concubine was thoughtful enough to wear lingerie for you,” Rani said. She groped Manasa’s breasts through her bra, sliding her finger over the lacy material. The cups hid Manasa’s nipples, but the top of her areola peeked out from under the lace. The dark circles against her light skin stood out when naked, but the lace obscured them. Still, that didn’t stop Manasa’s nipples from stiffening and tenting the smooth satin of her bra’s cups. 

“He enjoys lingerie,” Rani whispered in Manasa’s ear. “If only it were front-clasping.”

“I’m sorry, my queen,” Manasa said, hanging her head. 

“I expect better of you next time,” Rani said, tracing her fingers over the curves of Manasa’s cleavage from behind her. She tightened her grip, squeezing the soft flesh in her palms and drawing another gasp from between Manasa’s lips. 

“Yes, my queen.” 

Rani slid her hands over her bra, then against her stomach, smoothing the flesh there until she came to Manasa’s belt. Rani’s fingers unbuckled her belt, pulling it free from its loops. 

Manasa looked away from Arthur, but Rani grabbed her chin and turned her head in his direction. “Look at our king. See how handsome he is? You’ll be his concubine, my dear, his fuck toy. I envy and pity you. He’s going to ruin you in ways you don’t understand. Other men won’t satisfy you after he fucks you. You’ll belong to him, and long for him, long after he sends you away.” 

Manasa gulped. 

Arthur blushed at the praise, but didn’t protest. He played into Rani’s words and embraced the role of king in this drama. 

Rani unbuckled Manasa’s pants and lowered her zipper. “Did you wear lingerie below as well?” 

“Yes, my queen, as you instructed,” Manasa said. 

Rani smiled, peeling Manasa’s slacks over her hips and pulling them over her thighs until they fell free and pooled around her feet. It left Manasa in a pair of black lace panties. The floral-patterned lace stretched over each cheek, narrowed into a two-finger-wide band, and disappeared between her thighs in the front. A small patch of opaque black material covered her private parts, but hid nothing else. Her shaved mound had short stubble in a landing strip above her pussy lips. Arthur’s eyes dipped low, tracing the patterns in the lace as they wound over Manasa’s curves. 

Rani slid her hand over Manasa’s ass, groping her cheek and making Manasa stiffen. She enjoyed Manasa’s body. Her slacks hadn’t done her curves justice, nor had her blazer and uniform. She was top-heavy and couldn’t match Rani’s width or roundness below the waist, but her butt was a healthy apple shape and well worth a squeeze. 

“You’re teasing that poor woman,” Arthur said. His voice lacked any reprimanding tone, though. “Leave the panties on for now, but remove everything else. Then remove the bikini beneath your veils. I want you in nothing but your jewelry, my queen.” 

“Yes, my king,” Rani said, obeying him as she expected Manasa to obey both of them. She tugged the shirt free from Manasa’s wrists and tossed it toward the bench. Then she knelt behind Manasa and unfastened her squeaky leather dress shoes. She moved Manasa’s thigh from behind, lifting her leg out of the slacks one socked foot at a time. 

“May I keep my socks, my king?” Manasa asked as Rani hooked her finger over them. 

Arthur considered the request, stroking his chin to show he was thinking. “No.” 

Rani grinned. Arthur wasn’t into foot stuff, so it wasn’t that. He was testing Manasa’s comfort level and submission, seeing if she’d push back or utter her safeword over the first tug of war with his dominance. Would she play along and be his concubine? Or would she only do that so long as he gave her what she wanted? 

She yielded. “As you wish, my king.” 

Rani removed her sock, then the other, after letting Manasa stand on her bare foot. She stood, still hiding behind Manasa, but hooked her fingers behind the hooks of Manasa’s bra. Rani cinched and pulled, releasing the three clasps that kept Manasa’s breasts hidden from their king. She slid the straps over Manasa’s shoulders and moved her hands forward. The bra slid over her arms and fell to the floor before them to join the heap of her slacks, shoes, and socks. 

“Very fine indeed,” Arthur said, adjusting himself on the bench. “You’ve delivered a lovely, busty concubine.” 

“Mm,” Rani moaned her approval and groped Manasa’s tits from below. 

Manasa gasped with pleasure, standing rigid as Rani weighed her breasts in her hands, toyed with them, and pushed them together. Her nipples were rigid, unpierced, and natural, with her heavy breasts colliding under Rani’s guidance. 

“Would you like to fuck her tits, my king?” Rani asked. “How are you at blowjobs, Manasa? Have you trained yourself in the arts of male pleasure?” 

“I uh, have training, yes,” Manasa said, playing along. “I’m not sure how good I am. That’s for our king to decide.” 

“Good answer,” Rani said, smacking Manasa’s rear end. 

Manasa jumped at the sudden impact, but she didn’t complain at the light swat. It was far from a real spank. She blushed instead and nodded her gratitude. “Thank you, my queen.” 

“Don’t spank my concubine without my permission, my queen,” Arthur said. “If you damage her, I’ll have to whip you.” 

Rani swallowed and bowed her head. “Yes, my king.” 

Arthur stood, but only to drop his loincloth and set it beneath him, sitting on it and letting his dick swing free. 

Manasa’s eyes widened as Arthur stroked himself, bringing himself to full-mast as he watched them. She stared at his dick. “Fuck.” 

Rani giggled. “You’re going to swallow that sword, even if I have to hold your head still as he fucks your throat, understood?” 

Manasa gulped. “You said he was big, but–” 

Rani squeezed Manasa’s breast, drawing a yelp from the woman. 

“I mean, yes, my queen,” Manasa said. 

“Good,” Rani said, pushing Manasa forward toward Arthur. 

Manasa took a step forward. Then another. Rani drove her forward from behind until they reached Arthur. She positioned Manasa between his legs, then pushed her down. She held her by the hair behind her head and brought her lips to the tip of Arthur’s dick. 

“Wet his cock, you slut. Get it nice and sloppy, then put it between your tits and fuck him with them while he watches me strip for him,” Rani said. “If you do well, I’m sure our king will reward you. If you displease him, I’ll have to think of something nasty.” 

Manasa nodded and opened her mouth. She surged forward for Arthur’s cock, but Rani pulled her hair back, keeping her from it by a matter of millimeters. Arthur’s dick twitched as her breath warmed his cock head, and Rani smiled. She gripped Arthur’s cock at the base and lined it up with Manasa’s mouth, aiming carefully. 

Manasa’s eyes remained fixed on Arthur’s cock, making her cross-eyed until she slid her eyes toward Rani. She stuck her tongue out, trying to lick Arthur’s cock, which earned her another yank on her hair. “She’s so eager, my king.” Rani moved her eyes to Arthur’s. “Are you ready for your concubine to suck and fuck you with her tits?” 

Arthur cupped Rani’s chin. “Yes.” 

Rani pushed Manasa’s head forward, slamming Arthur’s cock into her mouth and throat, making the woman gag. She slobbered over his dick and Rani’s hand, and Rani pulled her away, then repeated the process several times with ruthless efficiency. They’d discussed this, and Manasa said she could deep-throat, so Rani didn’t hold back. 

Manasa kept her hands on Arthur’s thighs, holding onto him for balance as she knelt between them and face-fucked his cock. 

Arthur pulled Rani’s face to his, making her release Manasa, who kept the pace on her own. He kissed Rani and moaned into the kiss to signal his pleasure. Rani’s tongue wrestled with his until she felt satisfied he was preoccupied with Manasa throating and gagging on his cock.

Rani pulled away, standing and reaching behind her. The red silk top wasn’t as slutty as her others, but it was easy enough to remove. She tossed it to the side, reached under her transparent skirt, and hooked her fingers over her briefs next. Rani lowered her bikini bottoms to the floor. She left the veils and the jewelry in place, showing off her dark skin, darker nipples, and gold piercings. Unlike the barbells she typically wore, she wore studded rings of gold on her nipples that hung well as she bent over, catching Arthur’s attention. 

She moved and stood behind Manasa, spreading her legs so she had a foot on either side of her. Then she put her hand on Manasa’s head and leaned on her. Manasa swallowed every inch of Arthur’s cock and kept her nose pressed against him, with Rani keeping her there. Rani leaned over her and kissed Arthur again, reveling in the pleasure as he met her passion, and Manasa gagged beneath her.

Arthur played with Rani’s breasts, groping her and sweeping his fingers around her piercings. He slid his hand further, reaching toward her, but unable to reach her pussy. 

Rani straightened and released Manasa’s head so she could breathe. She took several gulps of air, then eyed Arthur’s cock. It was slick with saliva, lubed and ready for sliding between Manasa’s massive tits. “Tit fuck him,” Rani said. “Keep going until I say stop.” 

“Yes, my queen,” Manasa said, her breath catching as she straightened and groped herself to squeeze her soft breasts around Arthur’s rigid cock. 

Arthur slid his hips forward on the seat, bringing himself closer to Manasa to help her. Manasa pillowed her breasts around him, letting him slide against her sternum as she rose and fell, moving from her knees. She opened her mouth, letting the tip slide past her lips and over her tongue on every downstroke, and sucking him until he left her on the upstroke.

Arthur patted the seat beside him, and Rani sat on it, turning halfway toward Arthur and halfway toward Manasa so she had a good view of the titfuck. 

Rani moaned. “If only Slut were here, I’d make her eat out Manasa while you fucked her tits.” 

“There’s not much room,” Arthur said. The aisle wasn’t wide enough for too many clever arrangements. “But she’s doing a great job.”

“Yeah? Are you enjoying your new fuck toy?” Rani asked. “Would you like to try one of her other holes?”

Arthur swallowed as Manasa squeezed her tits together and moaned. Rani grinned. She’d said her breasts were sensitive, but Rani didn’t think they were that sensitive. She was just trying to do a good job. 

“Poor girl, she’s trying so hard to make you cum,” Rani whispered in his ear before kissing his cheek and moving to his neck. 

Arthur tilted his head, giving her access.

“Do you want to fuck her, my king? She can climb onto your lap and ride you, if that’s what you want.” Rani kissed his shoulder. 

“Mm,” Arthur took a deep breath. “Not yet. I don’t think she’s ready. Why don’t you check?” 

Rani raised an eyebrow. 

“Concubine, stand and put your hands behind you on the pole. Queenie, strip her panties off, and take a taste,” Arthur commanded. “Let me know if she’s ready for my cock.”  

Rani nodded and moved aside, helping Manasa to her feet as she outstretched her hand. She held Manasa’s hand, moving with her to the stripper pole. Manasa stood with the pool cleaving her backside and reached behind her to grasp it. 

“No, put your hands above your head,” Rani said. “Should I cuff her, my king?” 

“Yes, I believe some light bondage might help her realize her position,” Arthur said. 

Rani grinned and fetched the leather restraints and a small steel clip from the trunk. The padded restraints fit over Manasa’s wrists. Arthur stood and checked the fit before giving Rani the okay. 

Manasa raised her hands, and Rani clipped her cuffs together so they were behind the pole and above her head, reaching toward the ceiling. 

Rani knelt, turning Manasa by her hips to face her. She hooked the waistband of Manasa’s panties from the front and dragged her fingertips and nails against Manasa’s soft, fleshy mound. Her finger slid between Manasa’s wet pussy lips as she pulled the panties away, and Rani grinned. 

“She’s wet, my king, but I don’t know if she’s ready.” 

Manasa blushed and looked away. 

“Look at me,” Arthur said. His tone commanded obedience, and Manasa turned without hesitation to meet his gaze. 

She stepped out of her panties, and Rani offered them to Arthur, who stood behind her and held them in his hand, using them to stroke himself. The texture of the lace didn’t seem to bother him. 

Rani lowered her lips to Manasa’s mound. She removed her half-face veil and set it aside, then kissed her pubes before she made her way in tender kisses to Manasa’s pussy. She let her tongue probe first, extending it to the base of Manasa’s slit and lapping upward, tasting the droplets of arousal coating her and relishing the taste. Mindy was sweeter, but Manasa’s flavor reminded Rani of their nights together, from before. 

“Oh,” Manasa said, shaking as her arms strained to pull themselves forward and clacked the clip against the pole. 

“That’s it,” Arthur said, standing behind Rani once more. “Get in there. Show her what a queen can do.” 

Rani licked and sucked, eating Manasa out. Arthur’s hand slid under her veil and gripped the back of her hair. She let him push her face into Manasa’s pussy and redoubled her efforts. Above her, Manasa’s heavy tits blocked Rani’s view of her face. The way they danced as Manasa twitched and bucked under her onslaught was all Rani needed to see. 

Arthur pulled Rani away roughly before kissing her from above. He licked his lips as he pulled away and grinned at Manasa. “My new toy is delicious. Make her cum, my queen. Then I’ll fuck her while she repays the favor to you.” 

Rani nodded and returned to work as Arthur shoved her into Manasa’s crotch. She held on to Manasa’s thighs, gripping her fleshy legs until her thumbs and fingers cleaved valleys. 

Manasa tilted her pelvis toward Rani to make it easier and spread her legs as far as she could, still using them as a base to support herself. She couldn’t hold herself in the position by the pole alone, especially since her hands couldn’t grip it. Instead, they stuck past it on either side, with a link between her wrist cuffs holding her in place. Rani worried Manasa might break the link or damage the pole if she came, but they held steady. Even Arthur probably couldn’t break steel.

Arthur took control, moving Rani’s head as she pursued Manasa’s orgasm with her lips and tongue. Manasa, meanwhile, moaned a sudden, loud moan of pleasure as Arthur clamped his mouth over her breast and sucked her nipple. Her toes curled and clenched against the floor. 

“Oh, I’m going to–” Manasa warned them, but that only made Rani redouble her efforts. She ate Manasa with every ounce of skill and practice she had, driving her to the edge as quickly as possible. The force came from Arthur, who used Rani like a toy against Manasa’s resistance. She writhed against the pole behind her, clenching her fists and squeezing her eyes shut. 

Rani sensed Manasa was close, but there were many distractions on the bus. The chill of the pole, faint squeaks from the bus whenever Arthur stepped, cold tile flooring, growing humidity, and the clock marching ever onward competed for her attention. 

Rani had to counter each one with skill. Her tongue did most of the work, applying swirling pressure to Manasa’s clit. Her lips groped and massaged Manasa while she worked. 

“That’s it,” Arthur encouraged her. “Cum for me, Concubine.” He sucked on her nipple again, making Manasa’s back arch. 

She cried out, and Rani slipped her tongue into Manasa just in time to feel her orgasm tighten every muscle in her body. She shuddered with her release, moaning and slackening as her arms and legs lost their tension. Arthur caught her, holding her up against the pole as she came down from her climax. 

“Wow,” Manasa said. “You’ve gotten even better at that.” 

Rani grinned and wiped her mouth with her arm. She rocked to her feet and held herself steady on Arthur, who pulled her to him and kissed her. 

Manasa licked her lips as they kissed. 

Arthur stopped kissing Rani to kiss Manasa. 

Rani bit her lip as she watched them, admiring the way Manasa melted under Arthur’s rigid passion. 

Arthur unclipped Manasa’s cuffs, freeing her from the pole but leaving her restraints on her. He reattached them behind her back without the pole, leaving her free to move through the bus. 

“My queen, take a seat.” Arthur gestured to where he wanted Rani to sit. She sat, and Arthur sat across from her after a brief trip to the trunk. He sheathed his cock in a condom and gestured for Manasa to join them. 

She walked with her arms bound behind her. 

“You’re going to sit on my cock, facing Rani. She’s going to scoot her legs forward, and you’re going to lean across the gap and eat her out while I fuck you. Understand?” Arthur asked. 

Manasa furrowed her brow as she pictured what he described. Rani had to admit it would be a challenging position, but she was up for it if they were. 

“Yes, my king,” Manasa said as she moved between them. 

Arthur guided her, holding her in his powerful arms as she lowered into a squat on his bench. She squatted over him until she was just about to impale herself on his dick. Arthur guided her onto it, holding her by the cuffs and guiding himself into her as she moved to her knees. 

“Oh, fuck,” Manasa gasped as he slid home. “FUCK that’s–He fucks your ass with this?” 

Rani chuckled. “Sometimes, yeah. Just wait. You know what’s even more impressive than my king’s dick?” 

“What?” Manasa asked, huffing as she adjusted. 

“That he knows how to use it,” Rani said. “I warned you he’d ruin you. Get ready. You’re going to cum harder than you ever have.”

Manasa swallowed, and Arthur lowered her over the gap with his hands groping her breasts and holding her. She couldn’t put her arms forward to brace, but his hands guided her as Rani moved into position and let Manasa’s lips meet her pussy. 

“Oh, I see you’ve gotten better at this, too,” Rani said as Manasa’s tongue explored her wet slit from bottom to top. 

Arthur rolled his hips and interrupted Manasa’s efforts, plunging into her with a force that Manasa hadn’t expected. Meanwhile, his legs, Rani’s legs, and his arms held her in place. Manasa was nothing but a helpless toy, bound, fucked, and supposed to be fucking. The more Arthur did, the less Manasa could do. 

“Come on, Manasa, you’re supposed to bring me to orgasm,” Rani said, grabbing the woman’s bun and holding Manasa’s face against her crotch. 

Manasa redoubled her efforts, working hard to eat her out but still having difficulty. Arthur unclipped her wrists and let her brace herself against Rani. That made a significant improvement in Rani’s pleasure as she reclined and allowed Manasa’s tongue to drive her closer to the edge. 

Arthur, meanwhile, let his newfound freedom loose. He didn’t have to hold Manasa in place anymore, so he planted his feet and fucked her much harder than before. She let her cries of pleasure out against Rani, screaming her throaty vibrations against Rani’s clit as she held onto Rani’s hips for dear life. 

Rani held her head in place and ground herself against Manasa’s face while her tongue worked within her. Every stroke rocked Rani’s world, whether it came from Manasa’s tongue, Arthur’s hips, or Rani’s efforts. The three participants were racing toward the edge, but Rani knew Arthur would outlast them. His face bore a focused expression, his jaw set, his eyes blazing with lust. 

“Oh, FUCK,” Rani panted. “My king, I’m about to–” 

“Cum for me,” Arthur said, his voice low and rumbling through gritted teeth. “My queen.” 

Rani came. She couldn’t tell if she came before Manasa did, or if her orgasm had triggered Manasa’s, but she came. Her thighs clamped around Manasa, who slowed and then stopped her tongue-lashing as she sucked on Rani’s clit and held herself in place to ride out the orgasm. Meanwhile, Manasa’s entire body shook, shaking Rani’s hips as Manasa’s hands slid around her and gripped her ass cheeks, squeezing and holding on. 

Arthur gripped Manasa’s hips, holding her and stilling himself with a grunt. Rani couldn’t tell if he’d cum, but the lack of jizz in the condom when he slid out of Manasa told her he hadn’t. Instead, he helped her lie down on the bench beside Rani. 

Rani remained slumped against the bench, watching Arthur take care of Manasa, even as her heart raced from her orgasm. It muddled her brain, but pleasure washed through her as she caught her breath and moved to a proper sitting position. 

“Is Manasa okay?” Rani asked. 

“Yeah,” Arthur said, still attending to her. He stroked her side and moved stray, flyaway hairs out of her face.

Manasa gave Rani a thumbs-up. 

“Her orgasm was intense,” Arthur explained. “She didn’t get much air with your thighs clamped over her head.” 

“Fuck, I’m sorry, Manasa. Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” Manasa assured her. “Well, not fine, wrecked, but, yeah. Wow, that was intense. That was everything you said it’d be. You are so strong.” She patted Arthur’s arm.  

Rani chuckled. “Right?” 

Arthur smiled at both of them and retook his seat across from Rani. 

“What about you?” Rani asked, looking at Arthur. “You haven’t cum yet.” 

“He didn’t?!?” Manasa asked, not looking up as she rolled onto her back. “Holy shit.” 

Rani waited for him to order her to him, but Arthur closed his eyes as he caught his breath and his stiff rod softened. He removed the condom and threw it into the garbage bin. 

“We should get back to the others,” Arthur said. “We’ve got to finish the tournament.” 

Rani pouted. “Are you sure? Don’t you want to cum?” 

“I’m sure,” Arthur said, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs. “I’ve had a busy day, so it’s okay if I hold off until later.” 

Rani pouted, but she wouldn’t push him either. She’d had her fun and couldn’t keep him on the bus forever. 

“As you wish,” Rani said, standing on shaky legs. 

Arthur rose to help her, steadied her, then they grabbed their clothes and began redressing. Both of them took turns doting on Manasa as she recovered from her ordeal. Arthur removed her cuffs, and Rani rubbed her down.

“I’ll clean everything,” Manasa said, sighing. “But first, I’m going to relax.” 

Arthur chuckled. “Okay,” he said as he slipped into his loincloth. 

~~~

Kelly grinned as she checked her reflection in the mirror. “What do you think?” she asked as she turned toward Angie and Kat. The bicorne hat was black velvet. Its large white feather stuck out of the side, and a bejeweled skull-and-crossbones rested on the front. Her red hair cascaded behind her, and she posed for them, showing off her regal look. 

“Cute!” Angie said, nodding. 

Selene turned from admiring herself in a tiara she was trying on. “Oh, pretty!” 

“Eh,” Kat shrugged. “If you want a pirate hat, it should be a tricorn hat. You look like a bedazzled Napoleon cosplay, and not a good one.” 

“Ouch,” Angie winced.

Kelly chuckled. She trusted Kat’s honesty, though. 

“What?” Kat asked. “I figured I should be honest.” 

“No, you’re right,” Kelly said, taking the hat off and returning it to its peg. 

The Blue Dragon Hat Shop offered a variety of hats made from different materials, with designs ranging from simple to intricate. Each hung from a peg, which covered every inch of every wall in the wooden building. It had multiple rooms they could move through, each with more hats. The wood-carved dragon, wearing a dashing blue cap, gave the store its name and mascot. The owner, a thirty-something woman dressed like a bar wench, frowned at Kat.  

“We have a selection of tricorn hats available,” the proprietor offered. “I’ll bring you any that give pirate vibes.” 

“Thanks!” Kelly said, beaming as she fixed her hair in the mirror. Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her purse to check the group chat. They’d had their time at the tables to collect themselves and fix their makeup, but there’d been no news from anyone. Now, Arthur and Rani seemed ready to return. 

Arthur: Rani and I are about to leave the bus. Where is everyone?

Kelly: Shopping for hats! Well, some of us. Katelyn and Mindy are at the tattoo stall. MMBJ went to the cleavage contest.

Katelyn sent a photo of a smiling Mindy as Ana waved at the camera and pointed at the henna tattoo on Mindy’s left boob. The fresh paste rested over her heart and just above the corset. The finished product looked amazing and drew the eye to Mindy’s pillowy breasts, which her black corset thrust into view. 

Rani responded with a fire emoji, then a water droplet emoji. 

Brad responded with a photo of Maria on stage with seven other women. Dave, Selene’s ex-boyfriend, stood gesturing to them. 

Mark: Maria’s a finalist in the cleavage competition! You should have seen Dave’s face when she volunteered, but otherwise, he hasn’t broken character! 

Arthur: lol. Okay. Kelly, where are you? Are Kat and Selene with you? 

Kelly: Yep! The Blue Dragon Hat Shop. It’s by the pirate ship. We can wait for you. 

Arthur: Yeah. That’s near the mermaid tank, and they have a show soon. We’ll swing by the tattoo stall, pick up Katelyn and Mindy, then swing your way for the mermaid show? We’re at the gates now.

Kelly: Sounds perfect! See you soon! 

Kelly returned her phone to her purse. “Arthur and Rani are on their way. They’re going to collect Katelyn and Mindy en route, and then we can go see the mermaids.” 

“Oh, good!” Selene put the tiara back onto the mannequin she’d borrowed it from.

“You didn’t like the tiara?” Angie asked. 

“I did, but it’s too expensive,” Selene said. 

“I’m sure Arthur will get it for you if you want it,” Kelly said. 

“It’s okay,” Selene said. “He bought me my collar and my waist chain.” She shimmied to show it off, and Kelly grinned. 

“Should I buy it for you then? Arthur shouldn’t be the only one to spoil you,” Kelly said. 

“Or she can buy it with her own money,” Kat said, though Kelly didn’t think Selene worked enough hours to produce large amounts of spending cash. “Besides, she has plenty of jewelry and tiaras and crap back home.”  

“Down, girl,” Kelly said, her tone gentle but her words firm. “No need to get defensive.” 

“I wasn’t being defensive, I–” Kat paused, mid-defense. “Shit. Sorry.” 

Kelly hugged Kat, stroking her back. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Kat stiffened at the hug, but returned it, then released Kelly as the shopkeeper returned. 

“Here we are,” the proprietor said as she presented three different hats to Kelly. The first was aged leather, made to imitate a well-worn sailor’s hat. It fit the pirate vibe, but it didn’t match Kelly’s outfit. Her black under-bust corset, flowy white off-the-shoulder peasant top, purple ruffled skirt, and black knee-high boots didn’t complement the dirty brown leather. It was oversized on her head as she tried it on. She passed it back, trading it for a black leather cap. 

The wide-brimmed second hat wasn’t a tricorn, but an oval rose in the center, with the right half of the brim pinned to the central hub above it. It reminded Kelly of a Stetson, and while it looked good, the crossbones pin on the black leather had a pirate motif; it didn’t fit her vibe either. So she tried the third one. 

The third hat drew an “Ooo” from Kat and Selene. They seemed to appreciate it as much as Kelly did. The black tricorn hat was simple, but silver embroidery ran along its rising and curling brim. A large purple plume stuck out of its side. Kelly angled it on her head and turned to see the girls’ opinions before looking in the mirror. 

“I thought that one might fit your outfit. Though it doesn’t have a skull-and-crossbones,” the proprietor said. 

“I love it,” Kat said. “It’s not pirate-themed in itself, but it’s perfect.” 

“I agree,” Angie said, nodding her approval. “With a different outfit, it doesn’t scream pirate, but with yours? It’s the exact vibe you’re going for, and very rakish.” 

Selene nodded. “What they said.” 

Kelly chuckled and spun to check her reflection. She posed and adjusted the hat as she admired her appearance. She lifted the hat and brushed her hair over her shoulder, letting it fall behind her. Then she re-donned the hat and set it to hold everything in place. 

“It’s perfect,” Kelly said. “I’ll take it.”

“Great!” the shopkeeper said. She trotted away with the other two hats while Kelly admired her new hat in the mirror. 

“It looks terrific on you,” Angie said. “But everything does. You’re gorgeous.” 

“Aw, thank you,” Kelly said.

“Are you hitting on my boyfriend’s girlfriend now?” Kat asked, grinning as though she were making a joke. Kelly could never tell when she was kidding. Kat was a challenging read. She relied on Katelyn, but Katelyn wasn’t there.

“What?” Angie asked, surprised. “Oh, no, sorry. I’m straight. I wasn’t flirting with you or anything. It’s just, damn. You’re a ten. You could model if your breasts were smaller.” 

Kelly chuckled. “Thanks.” 

Kat rolled her eyes. 

“You’re hot too,” Kelly said to Kat, patting her on the shoulder. “Even if you’re only into guys.” 

Selene giggled. 

“And you’re pretty hot yourself in that getup,” Kelly said, gesturing to Angie’s dress. 

Angie scoffed. “Thanks, but I know I’m out of shape. I used to be a nine. A ten on a good day.” 

Kelly chuckled. “Well, you had a baby.” 

“And ate my feelings after Danny died,” Angie said. 

Kelly nodded. “You’ll get back into shape in no time once Leo learns to walk and you have to chase him around. And I can send you my tips and tricks.” 

Angie laughed, hanging back as Kelly trotted to the counter to pay. 

Kelly paid for her hat and rejoined them at the edge of the building. She gestured toward the door. “We’ll wait for the others outside.” 

“I should rejoin my family,” Angie said. “I, uh, need to visit the car soon.” 

“Your car?” Selene asked, confused. 

“I have to pump every two-and-a-half hours,” Angie said, gesturing to her breasts. “It’s a whole thing.” 

Kelly nodded her understanding right away. “Of course.” She said. “Oh, add me on socials before you go, that way we can keep in touch.” 

“Oh, I don’t have those,” Angie said, shaking her head. “I deleted my social media during my sophomore year of college.” 

Kelly raised both eyebrows. “Wow, really?” 

“Yeah. I couldn’t handle it,” Angie said, shrugging. “I was addicted to it. My grades started dropping, and I had these toxic friendships in high school that I needed to escape. Danny convinced me to give it up, but it wasn’t easy.” 

“I imagine not,” Kelly said, surprised. “I couldn’t live without Instagram. I mean, I guess I could, but I follow a lot of instructional people, and I’d lose half my recipes.” 

Angie nodded her understanding. “You can have my number, though. We can chat the old-fashioned way: texting! Not that I’m hitting on you, just to be clear.” 

Kelly chuckled. “I get it, don’t worry.” 

“Sorry,” Kat said again. “I’m just having a weird day.” 

Angie gave Kelly her phone so Kelly could enter her number. Angie smiled at Kat. “Honestly, I’m not upset or anything. I can put your mind at ease. I’m not interested in your boyfriend or your friends. Other than for friends, I mean. My nonna might miss her free-spirited youth, but I’m over it.” 

“You might be the only woman not interested in the orgy they’re planning,” Kat said, crossing her arms as she stood by the blue dragon statue. 

“You’re planning an orgy?” Angie asked, surprised. 

“No,” Kelly said, denying it. 

“Well, maybe,” Selene said. “If we can convince our boyfriend.” 

Kat sighed. 

“He didn’t say no!” Selene said. 

“He didn’t say yes, either,” Kat reminded her. 

“That’s a no, then,” Angie said. 

“See? She gets it.” Kat pointed at Angie. 

Selene rolled her eyes, and Kelly chuckled. 

~~~

Arthur walked with his right arm around Rani’s shoulders and Katelyn’s hand in his left as they walked beside him. Mindy walked on Rani’s other side, holding her hand and testing the limits of Rani’s limbs as she exclaimed over the displays, booths, character actors, and shows they passed. Each displayed bauble became a shiny distraction for her to chase. Rani kept her on the path as they walked through the Faire to meet with Kelly, Selene, and Kat. 

“I have to admit, it’s nice to see your collar on,” Arthur said, glancing at the gold chain around Rani’s neck. It was one of many necklaces she wore, having pulled a bag of them from the bus. The gold and ruby decorations complemented her other jewelry, and Arthur had to wonder how expensive her outfit was. If they held a costume contest, she’d win in that category. 

“Just wait until tonight,” Rani whispered. “When I take everything else off.” 

Arthur grinned and kissed her head. 

“How do you like my tattoo?” Mindy asked, turning as she walked to face Arthur. 

To say they drew looks from the surrounding patrons and workers was an understatement. Rani had put her opaque costume pieces on, as had Arthur, but each of them showed a lot of flesh. Mindy showed less flesh with the tattoo on her breast, but it drew eyes. Arthur grinned at the Korean lettering on the blade of Mindy’s tattoo. ‘Arthur’s Whore’ wasn’t something she could display in English, but they knew what it meant.

“It’s very sexy,” Arthur said. “I’m eager to see how it looks without the corset.” 

Mindy grinned. “Hm. Well, we can duck into an alley on the way.” 

“Not if you want to make it to the mermaid show,” Arthur reminded her. “Besides, you and Rani still have to do your brackets in the tournament. And there’s the fire-dancing show, and whatever else we want to do. The day’s moving on without us.” 

“Well, someone keeps taking breaks to go back to the bus,” Katelyn said, patting Arthur’s rigid stomach with playful swats of her fingertips that lingered against him. “If you could swear it off for a few hours, we’d be fine.” 

“It’s not my fault you’re sexy,” Arthur said, shrugging and making Rani, Mindy, and Katelyn smile. 

“Look! There they are!” Mindy said, abandoning Rani’s hand to run and cross the distance between herself, Kelly, Kat, Selene, and someone Arthur didn’t expect to see with them. 

His blood boiled at the sight of her laughing with Kelly. The world around them, the food, shouts, and music of the Faire vanished from his vision as he focused on them. 

“What the fuck is she doing here?” Arthur asked, his voice angry enough to stop Rani and Katelyn in their tracks. 

“Arthur?” Rani asked, eyeing him. “What’s wrong? What happened? Are you talking about that woman with Kelly?” 

“She was at lunch. Wasn’t she sitting with that old lady?” Katelyn asked. “Angela?” 

“Angie,” Arthur said, as if the name itself were a curse word. He had to calm down. Somewhere, deep down, he knew that. His heart thundered in his chest, and the pulse in his ears echoed it. The situation reminded him of how he lost control the first time he’d seen Lynn again. The Rage Shack was too far away. He was an evolved human being who didn’t believe in violence. Yet a primal part of him screamed to punch that woman in the face.

He’d stopped walking, and Rani and Katelyn had stopped with him. Since they weren’t approaching, Mindy, Kelly, Kat, Selene, and Angie left the dragon statue they were standing beside and walked toward them. Rani squeezed his hand in hers, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand.

“Arthur?” Rani asked, her tone serious. “You’re scaring me. What’s going on?” 

“Hey!” Kelly said, waving. “I hope you don’t mind. We made a friend!” 

The girls stopped, and concern spread over Kelly's, Kat's, and Selene’s faces as they met Arthur’s expression. 

“Hi, I’m Angie!” Angie stepped forward from behind them. She offered Arthur a handshake, but froze when she noticed the fury in his eyes. 

Arthur didn’t shake her hand, but squeezed Rani’s and Katelyn’s instead. He kept them from moving their hands away when Rani tried to release him so he could shake Angie’s hand.  

“Um, yeah, I’m Angie.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Arthur said, glaring at her. The hatred in his eyes and the condescension in his tone made his girlfriends exchange worried expressions.

“She’s Angela’s granddaughter. Did Angela introduce you?” Kelly asked, trying to determine what was wrong. “What happened? Did we miss something?” 

“Did Lori text you again?” Selene asked, concerned.

“Again?” Kelly asked, looking at Selene. 

“No,” Arthur said, shaking his head. He gestured back and forth between himself and Angie. “We’ve met. We went to high school together.” 

Angie’s eyebrows rose. She chuckled, dry and low in disbelief. “Are you sure? I’m pretty sure I’d remember you. No offense, I’m not hitting on you or anything, but you’re mega-hot, and my age. If we’d gone to the same high school, I’d have known you, for sure. I had a pretty wide social circle.” 

“You did,” Arthur said, clenching his jaw as looks of horror spread across Kelly’s and Selene’s faces. “You’re Angie Marino.” 

Angie startled at her last name. 

“We spent four years together at Montgomery Academy in Crofton,” Arthur said. “You had decent grades for most of it, but had to repeat a year. You graduated with me in the class of 2017. I ran into you and your friends every day. We had several classes together. You threatened to jump out the window if the teacher paired us together in Chem. You were Lynn’s BFF. And you–I don’t even have words for how much I hate you.”

He didn’t know if it was more or less than he hated Lynn, but four years of her abuse had earned his resentment for years. Now, it poured out of him. 

Angela furrowed her brow and lifted her eyes from his abs and pecs to his face. She studied his furious features despite the bravery it took to hold his wrathful gaze as he spoke. She put the pieces together as he gave her the information, and each word shoved her closer to realization. 

“Oh my god!” Angela’s mouth fell open, and she covered it with her hand in a gasp. She stepped back as her eyes flared with shock. “Arty? Farty Arty?”