Harem House Chapter 46

“Arty? Farty Arty?”

Angie’s question might as well have been a thunderclap that shocked everyone into sudden stillness. Kat didn’t believe her ears. Arthur had mentioned someone named Angie when he told them the truth about what happened with Lynn. She was the mean girl Lynn wanted to impress, the chief bully at Arthur’s high school, and the one responsible for so much of Arthur’s pain. That bitch. 

“Wait, you’re–you’re that Angie?” Kelly asked, the shock making her voice shake. “That’s not–that can’t be.” 

“She is,” Arthur said, adamant. 

Kat watched Arthur, waiting to see what he‘d do while her conscience warred within her. Should she say something? She’d heard Angie’s story, well, part of it, and she was nothing like Lynn. Maybe she had been someone like that once, but life hadn’t allowed her to stay that way. She’d grown, to hear her tell it. But had she? What if she’d been lying? And did her pain absolve her of her past mistakes? 

Arthur released Rani and Katelyn’s hands and clenched his fists. His knuckles shone white with the strain, and his forearms flexed as he set his jaw. His furious glare left no question in Kat’s mind. This was the angriest she’d ever seen him. Either he didn’t have the energy left for self-control, or he didn’t have the paralyzing trauma he had with Lynn with Angie. 

He looked every bit the barbarian on the brink of releasing a primal scream and ripping someone apart with his bare hands. In any other context, Kat might have found it arousing. Hell, if he’d acted this way in his fight against Mike, she’d have soaked through her costume. But he wasn’t facing Mike. He was facing Angie, a new mother, a widow (sort of), and a woman with no hope of defending herself. 

“Oh my God,” Angie said, repeating herself. “Farty, I didn’t know that was you! You’ve changed so much!” 

“STOP CALLING HIM THAT!” Selene’s scream made several passersby stop and notice the scene. It stopped several people around them in their tracks. Each of them turned to see who was screaming. 

Angie blanched. “I’m sorry!” she said. “I didn’t mean to! It’s just that we called him that so much that that’s his name in my head. I—” she looked around her, but the faces were impossible to misread. 

Even Kat glared at her. If she’d been telling the truth and changed, she should still have known better than to call anyone by such a nickname. As it was, the surrounding jury glared their verdict. 

“I’m so sorry!” Angie said. “I–I must have imagined what to say to you a hundred times over the years, but Arty–” 

“It’s Arthur,” Kelly corrected her. “His name is Arthur.” 

“Fuck her, let’s go,” Arthur said, his tone so harsh and commanding that the others looked at him in concern. “I mean it. We need to go right now, or I’ll get kicked out of this Faire.” 

Kat swallowed, her throat dry. She recognized the panic behind Arthur’s eyes, the way his chest heaved with every breath. “Arthur.” 

“Not now, Kat,” Arthur said. 

“No, Arthur, listen to me,” Kat said, moving between him and Angie. She wasn’t sure this was the right thing to do, but she had to try. 

Arthur’s glare turned toward her, but she took it. His fury wasn’t for her. He was in pain, going through a thousand emotions that boiled over into one cloud of rage. Arthur was a hair’s breadth from the edge, and somebody had to talk him down before he did something he’d regret. 

“She’s not the same girl you went to high school with,” Kat said. 

“She’s—” 

“You’re not the same boy you were in high school, either,” Kat said. “Right? Things have changed. You two need to talk. To sit and talk.” 

“No, I need to leave,” Arthur said. “Or I’ll–” he hesitated, “I’ll do something I’ll regret.” His hands shook, and Kat recognized the impulse to flee or destroy.

Staring Angie down was only fueling his fury, and if he let it, it’d carry him away. It was unfair that he couldn’t explode, as Kat so often did, but he had too much strength to lose control of it and not suffer life-changing consequences. Even now, though, Kat wasn’t afraid of him. He could rage, but he was her sir, and she was his submissive. She’d prefer he take his anger out on her, though she’d prefer it in a more intimate setting. Even then, he was in the wrong frame of mind for that. He was too close to losing control, and as often as she’d desired to see him lose control, she couldn’t let it happen this way. 

“You need to calm down,” Kat said, holding her hands out toward him. “Breathe. You were just convincing me this morning that blowing up at people and running away isn’t the answer, right?” Kat asked, knowing that he wouldn’t appreciate the answer. 

Arthur clenched his jaw. The muscles behind his sharp chin tightened, and Kat swallowed. This was the tipping point. He could push past her and punch Angie in the face. No one was strong enough to stop him. Kelly might stand a chance of holding him back, but not for long. Nor could they stop him from storming away. He could spend the rest of the day on the bus if he wanted to. Manasa would keep him company. 

Kat stepped forward, putting her hand over his fist and holding onto his forearm with her other hand. “Please, Arthur, just talk to her. Sit and talk. If you need to take a moment to calm down, that’s okay. You can have that.” 

She’d always preferred to talk things out after she’d calmed down. She understood most people wanted to hash things out in the heat of the moment, but that had never worked in her favor. If she tried that, she’d only say the wrong things and regret everything, but blowing up and running away wasn’t the answer either. They had to find a middle ground. 

Everyone stood nearby, waiting to see what would happen. Kelly, Selene, Mindy, Rani, Katelyn, and even a few strangers beyond them who didn’t know what was going on. 

“The rest of you can go to the mermaid show,” Kat said, suggesting it to Kelly more than anyone else. If she rallied everyone, it’d give Arthur and Angie the privacy they needed. 

“Fuck that,” Selene said, her eyes narrowing onto Angie. “Was this just a sick and twisted setup? Have you been lying to us this entire time? Messing with us? Fucking Christ, that’s something Lynn would do, except she’s awful at it. You had us fooled!” 

“What?” Angie asked, confused and panicked, looking between them. Every single person around her had a furious expression on their face. “No! I’d never! I’m not–I mean, I might have, in high school, but I’m not that person anymore! Everything I said was true! I have photos! I showed you photos!” She clung to the bit of proof in her hands, her lock screen image of a swaddled infant asleep in a bassinet. 

Arthur’s brow wrinkled, but he didn’t relent from his fury. His arm was tight, and he kept his fists clenched so that Kat couldn’t pry her fingers into his. She tried, but holding her hand meant he’d have to relax. If he squeezed her hand as hard as he was clenching his fists, he’d break it. 

“Arthur,” Kat said, her voice soft. “Please, Sir?” 

Arthur’s eyes turned toward Kat, and the look he gave her shattered her. He wasn’t angry with her, but hurt, as if she’d betrayed him and taken Angie’s side over his. Yes, Angie had hurt him, but the only way for him to get over that pain was to face it. Angie wasn’t that person anymore. Not unless she was psychopathic and the most talented liar Kat had ever met. If the simplest solution was often the most genuine, then it was more likely that Angie was telling the truth. 

“I can explain,” Angie said, looking at Arthur. “Well, maybe not explain, but I mean, it’s not like you were perfect in high school either, right? You’re not still stalking women and chasing after them in your underwear, are you?” 

Kat closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. Angie had been standing in a minefield of potential things to say, and she’d jumped on the biggest possible trigger with both feet. 

Arthur’s nostrils flared, and Kat put both hands on his chest, pressing her palms flat against his muscles as if she might stop him from charging forward. She had as much chance of stopping a car. 

“Can someone please explain what the fuck is going on?” Rani asked. “How the fuck did Lynn’s BFF get here? She just happens to be at the Faire the day after we get her out of our hair? Did Lynn send you here just to fuck with us? Do I need to go nuclear? Someone call security. I’ll get you tossed out of this Faire so fast your fucking head will spin.”  

“You guys know Lynn?” Angie asked, confused. “Lynn Barrera?”  

“Yeah,” Arthur said. “Of course we fucking know Lynn.” The hatred in his voice was unmistakable.

Angie blanched. “I didn’t realize you were still–” she stopped herself. “I mean, what, did she press charges or something for senior year?” 

“Grah!” Selene charged forward, causing several onlookers to gasp, but Kelly snapped into action and stopped her, grabbing her wrists and pinning her arms to her sides. 

“STOP!” Kelly barked into Selene’s face, making Selene flinch and then glare at her. 

“We’re making a scene,” Katelyn said, stating the obvious. She gulped and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Her hand hovered between herself and Arthur, as if wanting to touch him, but afraid that he’d lash out at her. 

Kat was confident he wouldn’t hurt anyone. At least none of the harem. Yet he wasn’t thinking. He had every right to be upset. From what Angie said, Kat assumed she had Lynn’s version of events from their senior year, not Arthur’s. Still, she needed to stop saying the wrong things. 

“Everyone needs to calm down, okay?” Kat asked. “Kelly, why don’t you take the others to see the mermaids? Arthur, Angie, you stick with me. The three of us are going to sit, and I’ll act as the buffer between you two. We can talk things out.” 

Kelly hesitated. “You’re going to act as mediator?” 

The question startled the others out of their apprehension.

“What?” Kat asked, straightening her spine. “I can help. Plus, I’m the only one of us not obsessed with gawking at underwater women.” 

“And you can stay calm enough?” Kelly asked. “I can do it.” 

“No one needs to do it,” Arthur said. “I won’t sit down and talk with this bitch.” 

The others looked wary. 

Angie nodded. “I understand,” she said. “I’m, uh, sorry about the nickname. For what it’s worth.” 

“Shut your fucking mouth,” Arthur said, still raging as he pointed at Angie. “Or I will shut it for you.” 

Angie gulped. The threat was so unlike Arthur that the others shared concerned expressions. He never talked to anyone that way. Not outside of a scene. Hell, even then, Kat’s rage-baiting had never riled him to this level of anger. She could tell the difference. He wasn’t playacting. Pure rage made the veins in his arms stand out, and the tension under her hands was astounding. She was pressing against a wall of solid muscle to hold him back, and had no effect. In any other circumstance, it would have been so fucking hot. Wasting it on Angie was a tragedy, and one Kat needed to prevent. 

“Arthur,” Kat whispered, her voice soft and scared. She might lose him over this. He could project his anger from Lynn and Angie onto her and cast her out from the harem forever. Still, she couldn’t leave him in this state, or let him be so wrong. Not when she had the power to help him move past his problems. “Please? You’re better than this. You always tell us to talk things out, to communicate to overcome our issues, so let’s–”

Arthur seized her wrist, grabbing her forearm in his hand to move her aside or pull her with him; she wasn’t sure. His fingers were iron bands. His grip sent such a sudden spike of pain into her arm that she whimpered, even as she clenched her other fist to endure it. 

Arthur released her, stepping back and swallowing. “Kat, I–” 

“It’s okay!” Kat assured him. “I didn’t use my safeword, did I?” 

“That’s not,” he shook his head. “No, that’s not okay. I–” 

“Don’t run away,” Kat said. “Don’t run from this, okay? Look. I know it’s unexpected, and that you’re angry. This is, well, very hot in a way, but now’s not the time, right? Save that for later; right now, you need to let me help you. Please?” 

Arthur gulped, then hung his head, releasing his fists. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” Kat said, holding up her unmarked wrist. “You just surprised me. You didn’t hurt me, I promise.”

The panic faded from Arthur’s face, and Kat couldn’t help but enjoy the flood of relief that filled her. The momentary distraction had interrupted his fury at Angie, but now he was wrestling with himself, and shame threatened to overtake him for acting so upset. 

“You’re allowed to be angry,” Kat said. “And upset, and hurt, and afraid. It’s okay.” She hugged him, squeezing her arms around him even as he shifted away from her. He stiffened at first, then relaxed, releasing the air in his lungs. Katelyn joined the hug, then Kelly, and the others. Angie stood several paces away, shifting as the world around them began to move again. 

“Are you sure you can handle this?” Kelly asked, looking at Arthur. 

Arthur shook his head. “No, but Kat’s right. I should try. If it gets to be too much, we’ll meet you at the bus.” 

Kelly frowned. “We can all stay,” 

“No,” Arthur said. “No reason to ruin everyone’s day. Go see the mermaids, and whatever else. I’ll catch up.” 

“Are you sure?” Kelly asked, as if his answer might change between heartbeats. 

“I’m sure,” Arthur said, though he didn’t sound confident to Kat’s ears. 

“I’ll stay,” Kat said. “And I’ll call you if anything happens, first thing.” 

Kelly seemed to take solace in that, and she gave Kat a grateful smile. “Thank you.” 

Kat nodded, releasing Arthur as the others let go of their embrace and shifted away. Mindy held Rani’s hand. Kelly held Selene’s hand as if it were a leash. Kat remained beside Arthur, and Katelyn hesitated between the two groups as the other four walked past Angie, glancing back at Arthur. 

“I can stay,” Katelyn said, looking at Kat. “You shouldn’t have to do this alone.” 

“It’s okay,” Kat said. “You wanted to see the mermaids, too.” 

“Yeah, but,” Katelyn protested. “You’re more important than the mermaids. You and Arthur, I mean.” 

“We’ll be okay,” Kat said, grinning, though there wasn’t much joy in it. “Go on.” 

Katelyn’s concern meant a lot to her, though she didn’t know what Katelyn intended to do if things became heated. No, she’d have more fun watching the mermaids, and she wouldn’t be much use. If anything, it’d be awkward because she wasn’t as close to Arthur as he was with the others. Kat, however, could help. So long as she kept a cool head on her shoulders. 

Katelyn relented and followed the others, but kept glancing back to make sure Kat was okay. 

That left Arthur and Angie staring at each other, both ashamed and unsure what to say. Kat stood between them, racking her brain for what to do. She looked around them and spotted a table somewhat off the beaten path.

So soon after lunch, the nearest open-air tavern looked empty. A table in the nearest corner appeared private enough. It was that or suggest they retire to the bus. Plus, snacks might help calm the situation. Drinks were a bad idea, unless it was tea to soothe Arthur’s nerves. The thought reminded Kat of the teahouse she and Katelyn had visited. It was peaceful and soothing in there, but too cramped for this conversation. There needed to be more than one exit just in case things went south. Having it in the open gave them a chance to discuss everything without feeling trapped. 

“Okay,” Kat said, breaking the silence. “Follow me.” 

~~~

Mindy’s approach to the mermaid’s canopy was slower this time. She and Rani walked hand in hand. Kelly and Selene walked behind them. Katelyn had caught up and took Kelly’s other hand, walking with them through the lane toward the live mermaid show. 

Worry suppressed Mindy’s usual cheery enthusiasm. Arthur was the strongest person she knew, and not just physically (though he was stronger than her brother, dad, and every other guy in her life). His emotional strength staggered her. She’d been through emotional events in life; she’d had her share of trials and tribulations over the years, just like anyone. Yet she felt her difficulties in life paled compared to his. 

Sure, his parents were there for him, but so were hers, even if she hadn’t thought they would be. They might not support polyamory, but that was because they didn’t understand it or have any experience with it. They’d learn. She trusted Arthur and Rani would show them how much they cared about her. Her parents would have to accept that she was loved and cared for, and that was what mattered. 

The Arthur she fell for was a loving, respectful, and handsome man with infinite patience. He taught her everything in the office and never once raised his voice to her or grunted in frustration. Arthur could be clueless and guileless, especially concerning office romance signals, yet intelligent and charming. 

The fury in his eyes, the murderous rage that twisted his handsome features into something dark, didn’t excite her. It terrified her. She’d never, not once, ever feared Arthur until today. Her hands were still shaking from it, or they would be, if Rani weren’t holding her steady. 

She hadn’t even been able to speak. Not that she’d wanted to intervene. Kat seemed the bravest of them, willing to stand between them, but Arthur could have tossed her aside.

“Hey, are you okay?” Rani asked. 

Mindy gulped. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I’ve never–I mean, sure, he’s been ‘mad’ before, and I’ve seen him with Lynn and stuff, but not like that. He scared me, Rani. I thought he was going to hurt her. Kat, I mean. He did, I think, when he grabbed her wrist.”

Rani hugged Mindy to her side as they walked, letting her hip press against Mindy’s thigh. “It’s Arthur,” Rani said, as if robbing his presence of any danger. “Sometimes, we forget that he’s just as human as the rest of us, right?” 

“What?” Mindy asked, confused. 

“We put him on a fucking pedestal, because he’s so fucking perfect all the time. It’s annoying, right?” Rani asked. 

“I never found it annoying,” Mindy said. “He’s… I respect him. Everyone does, especially at the office.”

“Yeah,” Rani said. “But perfection is overrated, and Arthur has too much of it. He always seems to know what to say or do, and he works hard to do and say the right things. Even if he sometimes makes mistakes, he tries.”

Mindy furrowed her brow. She supposed, if she looked back over the semester, that she could see times where his jokes fell flat, or where he’d been uncertain. Yet to her, he was so much more confident than Mindy. He and Rani were older, wiser, and competent at everything they set out to do. In and out of the bedroom, he was her guide, and she looked up to him. Was that putting him on a pedestal? Did she hold him to a higher standard than she did herself?

It wasn’t rational to think of him as perfect. He was only human. Yet, Mindy sometimes forgot that he wasn’t a fictional character from her porn comics or anime. 

“I’ve never seen him lose control before,” Mindy said, shivering. “I think… it scared me.” 

“Yeah, well, we’re used to seeing him in control,” Rani said. “The man is so fit because his self-discipline and self-control are core parts of who he is. We give him control of ourselves because we trust him not only with our pleasure but with our safety. He’s the boss, the coach, our king, hubby, master, or whatever else. We trust him to control those little, impulsive, intrusive thoughts everyone gets. We let him spank us, choke us, and fuck us with that monster of his, knowing that he’ll keep himself in check. That he’ll heed our safewords and keep our desires at the forefront, right?” 

“Right,” Mindy agreed. 

“So what you just saw was less than perfect. Arthur made a mistake, but Kat’s okay. She likes things rough, she’s fine, and even though he didn’t mean to do it, she forgave him,” Rani said. 

“But that means he can lose control,” Mindy said. “Right?” 

Rani looked at her. “Well, of course, he can lose control. He’s human. None of us are perfect. Well, except me, but I’m one-of-a-kind.” 

She was joking, trying to lighten the mood, but Mindy didn’t giggle. She nodded, contemplating what Rani was saying. Arthur wasn’t perfect, but he was still the best person she knew. 

“Honestly, in his place, having been through everything this week, to come face-to-face with the woman responsible for all of it?” Rani asked, as if asking herself. “I’d have straight-up murdered the bitch. Full stop. You and Manasa would be helping me dig the fucking grave right now.”

Mindy grinned, but it wasn’t her usual wide smile. Still, Rani had a point. If Mindy put herself in Arthur’s shoes, dealing with the stress, confronting her abuser, overcoming the trauma that had been on her shoulders for years, and coming face-to-face with the cause the very next day? His fists had shaken, his voice had risen, but he kept himself from murdering Angie. He threw nothing, punched no one, and didn’t blow up the way she might have—the way Kat often did. 

Besides, Mindy had lost her temper before. Everyone had. It was an understandable, human reaction. Did that make everything that he did in those moments okay? No, but she forgave him for it, and Arthur and the harem could move past it as a unit. 

“He’s still our Arthur,” Rani said, rubbing Mindy’s back. “He’s still the guy who sent that asshole hitting on you packing without throwing a single punch. And he’s allowed to be angry. We can cut him some slack when he needs it, right?” 

Mindy nodded. “You’re right,” Mindy said. “It just threw me. It was so unexpected, and honestly, he handled it better than any of us would have.” 

“You’re fucking right,” Rani said.

“We should go back,” Mindy said. “We should be there for him.” 

“No,” Rani said. “We’re being there for him the best way we can right now, by getting out of his way.” 

“What do you mean?” Mindy asked. 

“Arthur can’t clear the air with Angie and hold Selene back,” Rani said. “He can’t cry and not worry that it would set the rest of us off, and he shouldn’t have to safeguard our emotions and his own all the time. I might be a better mediator than Kat, since I don’t cry easily, but I’m far from impartial. Kat and the others know more of this bitch’s story than I do. The story she spun them anyway. Whatever it is, you can bet I’ll fuckin’ check. Trust, but verify, that’s my motto.”  

Mindy considered that, unsure of what Angie had told the others. She’d been getting her tattoo, but she was sure they’d fill her in. 

“The best thing we can do now is give Arthur the space he needs to work through this,” Rani said. “He doesn’t want to ruin our day, so we enjoy ourselves. We watch the mermaids, we play our tournament, and we see the shows. Then, when it’s over, and Arthur’s ready for us to lift his spirits—we strike. We suck and fuck him so hard he dies, we resurrect him with black magic, and then we do it again until he doesn’t even remember that bitch exists.” 

Mindy giggled. What Rani said made sense. It always did, but Mindy still wished she could be there, hugging Arthur, letting her soft body calm him. But she was right. The harem would only distract him and cause him to worry more. This wasn’t something on which they could be impartial, for sure. Mindy didn’t even know the woman, but from what Arthur had said at the harem meeting? She’d help him dig a grave if he asked. He always had her back, whether it was at the office or with guys like Mike. The least she could do was return the favor. 

They fell quiet, leaning against each other as they approached the mermaid’s canopy by the lake. The enormous tank at the back had three mermaids bobbing in it. Their luminescent tails reflected the afternoon sunlight in prismatic colors, glimmering beneath the crystal-clear water. The overhead canopy sheltered it from direct sunlight, but the afternoon was bright enough to keep everything bright and cheerful. 

Laughter and the amazement of the children in the seats made Mindy’s grin more genuine as they selected a bench halfway along the aisle. Rani slid in first, then Mindy. Selene sat on her other side, and Mindy took her hand, running her thumb over Selene’s knuckles. Selene’s grip on her hand was tight, but softened. 

“I hate this,” Selene muttered. “I should be there.” 

“No,” Mindy said. “We’d only be in his way. He’d worry and wouldn’t let himself open up if we were there.” 

Selene looked at Mindy as if she’d slapped her, furious. Then her anger concentrated into a frown, and her brow furrowed, considering what Mindy had said. She sighed, then shook her head. “You’re right, but I hate it.” 

“I know,” Mindy said. “Me too.” 

Selene squeezed her hand, and Mindy returned the gesture before resting her hand on Selene’s bare thigh, for comfort, not arousal. Selene did the same, and soon they were holding thighs instead of hands, which made Mindy smile. Rani, Kelly, and Katelyn joined the thigh-holding, and the electric connection between them sizzled while the mermaids stole everyone’s attention. 

The three gorgeous women in the tank swam in circles, surfacing to wave hello, then dipping under and letting their hair come alive as it fanned around them. They twisted, spun, flipped, and danced beneath the water as if it were their natural home. Of course, it was, because they were mermaids, but Mindy knew they weren’t actually mermaids. 

Still, from where she was sitting, it was hard to tell. Their costumes were amazing, and their undulating movements stole her breath away. 

A woman with aquamarine netting and pink seashells in her hair stepped onto the stage with her lute. She played a few notes to start the show and beamed her smile at the audience. “Welcome to the Siren Singers Show!” 

The audience cheered as the mermaids waved and shook their tails as if they were belly dancing beneath the water. The woman on stage started singing as she strummed. Two of the mermaids behind her sang harmonies, and the third danced. She swam, moving her arms, torso, and tail in time with the words to present a graceful pantomime of the song’s events. 

“Okay, that’s hot,” Rani said, squeezing Mindy’s leg. “I see why you like this now.” 

Mindy giggled. She could watch these performers dance forever, and they were gorgeous, but it wasn’t hotness that drew Mindy to the mermaids. They were soft, magnificent creatures, yes, but more than that. They were fantasy made real, and if they were real, then any dream was possible. She could believe in beautiful things, in a hopeful future, and see the wonder in life. 

Rani watched beside her, spellbound by the mermaid’s dance. The music enraptured Selene, who watched the singer more than the mermaids behind her. Kelly smiled as she watched them, her anxious expression fading with every measure of the song. Katelyn rested her head on Kelly’s shoulder, relaxing and letting the song wash away her tension. Mindy loved every moment, letting the mermaids and their siren songs distract her from the hardship Arthur must be going through. 

~~~

Arthur spent several minutes in line at the tavern. He needed to cool off, so he bought two water bottles, one for him and one for Kat. He didn’t buy a third. This was the last thing he wanted to do today, but when would he have the opportunity to face Angie again? 

Hopefully never. 

Kat and Angie sat at the table, waiting for him. It was in the corner against the fence, where a small garden of shrubbery separated it from the walking lane. His mood was dire, but the day was otherwise gorgeous, warm, and peaceful. People laughed as they walked past the tavern. The few patrons drinking or eating laughed with their groups. Comedic songs from the theater next door caused laughter with every punch line and innuendo. 

Yet there was no joy on Arthur’s face as he thanked the wench behind the till and took the water bottles to the table. Kat and Angie were leaning close to one another across the table, their voices low. He’d been in line a while, but not long enough for them to become conspirators, he hoped. 

He set the water bottle in front of Kat. She slid it across the table to Angie, and Arthur glared at her. He dragged it back and put it in Kat’s place. She looked at him, but his expression didn’t let her argue. She sulked instead. 

“What were you two talking about?” Arthur asked. His tone was harsher than he meant to make it, but he stood by it. He’d cooled off, but there wasn’t a world in which he looked at Angie without rage. If it weren’t far less than she deserved, he might have felt guilty for acting like such a brute. 

“You,” Kat answered. “I told her what happened with Lynn during your senior year.” 

“YOU WHAT?” Arthur asked, raising his voice. No one reacted to it around them, but Angie flinched away from him. Her eyes watched his arms, as if worried he might reach across the table and throttle her—a tempting idea. 

Kat didn’t flinch at his anger. She sighed and opened the water bottle. “You’ve had to relive the experience multiple times this week. I didn’t want you to have to go through it again. So yeah, I took that bullet for you. You’re welcome. You can spank me for it later, if you want to, when you’re in the right frame of mind again.” 

Arthur closed his mouth, clenching his jaw as he stared at Kat. It made sense, but his heart didn’t care. It felt like a betrayal, regardless of her intentions. Besides, the chances of Angie believing her? Slim. He glared toward Angie, defying her to say she didn’t believe it. 

Angie’s eyes had tears in them. “Arthur, please, believe me, I didn’t know.” 

“I don’t believe you,” Arthur said, harsh and unapologetic. “Lynn said the whole thing was your idea. That you told her to do it.” 

“NO,” Angie said, her voice louder than she meant it to be as she shrank away. “No, that’s not what I—” she stopped, her face contorting as she wrestled with her words. “She told me she was going to give you a chance. I told her–” 

She swallowed. 

“I told her you weren’t worth it, and not to bother. She could find any guy to date. And I didn’t mean that to hurt you, or whatever, but it was true. Lynn was a total hottie. She could get most guys at school. Half the guys, and all the lesbians, worshipped her.” 

“They worshipped you, too,” Arthur said. “So did Lynn.” 

Angie blushed at that, but not as if it had been a compliment. She blushed as though she were ashamed. 

“Arthur, when Lynn asked me for advice, I didn’t know what I was talking about. I had a few boyfriends, sure, but I didn’t know what I was doing! No one did! We were eighteen!” 

“I know,” Arthur said, his voice low. “But that doesn’t excuse you or her.” 

“No, I didn’t–” Angie exhaled. “I didn’t mean it as an excuse or a reason, even, just, well, I was dating Bobby, you remember him?” 

“The quarterback, yeah,” Arthur said. “He was an asshole.” 

Angie nodded. “Well, yeah, looking back, but the whole macho thing? The asshole who thumped his chest and pushed everybody around? That was an act. He was popular, but his dick was,” she held her fingers up approximately two inches apart. “He had a lot of insecurity, and, well, he was into weird shit.”

“Like what?” Kat asked, glancing at Arthur. 

“He enjoyed being told what to do, for one. He wanted me to make him do things, like wear my underwear, that kind of thing,” Angie said, rolling her eyes. “It was weird and gross.” 

“We try not to kink shame,” Kat said. 

Angie looked surprised, but pushed forward. “Anyway, that was my only experience with guys at that level when Lynn came to me and asked me for advice on what guys enjoy. So, I told her.” 

Kat nodded, encouraging Angie to continue when Arthur remained silent. 

“I never told her to do that to you,” Angie said, making herself clear. “But I assumed you’d enjoy it, because well, that’s what I thought guys wanted in the bedroom, you know? You were so quiet and reserved, I figured, well, maybe you were the same. Plus, if you weren’t getting anything out of the humiliation, then I don’t know why you kept coming around for it. It’s not like we went easy on you.” 

“Because I was young, and an idiot, and in love.” 

Angie swallowed. “Well, yeah, I was a young idiot, too. And I was a bitch, a total bitch to you. I’m sorry for that. Truly, I am so sorry. I can’t imagine what I’d do if someone treated Leo the way I treated you in high school.”

Arthur’s expression wrinkled in confusion, but he didn’t ask questions. 

“I know it doesn’t mean shit to you. Not after what I put you through with all the teasing,” Angie said. “I was a monster. Not to make excuses, but–” She stopped. “No, no buts. I was a monster. Yes, circumstances in my life influenced me. Many had a greater effect than I realized, but my decisions were still my own, and I’m responsible for what I did and said. I won’t make excuses.” She looked at him, making eye contact through her tears. “I can only apologize. I’m sorry, Arthur, so, so sorry for the teasing, tormenting, bullying, and for any role I played in what Lynn did to you, even if it was unintentional.” 

She reached across the table, as if to clasp his hand or wrist. He yanked his hands away from the water bottle as she neared, and she withdrew her hand to her lap. 

“Sounds like you’ve been to therapy,” Kat said, looking at Angie. 

Angie nodded. “I’ve been working on myself for a while. I started seeing a professional after Danny died, and postpartum therapy after Leo was born.”

“Leo is Angie’s son,” Kat said, explaining to Arthur. “And Danny is her late fiancé.” 

“I don’t care,” Arthur said. 

“Arthur,” Kat said, trying to soften him with her tone. 

“No,” Arthur said. He turned his glare toward Kat. He couldn’t believe she wanted him to, what, forgive Angie? To care about her emotional turmoil because she had a baby and a dead fiancé? Fuck that. She didn’t deserve his forgiveness just for regretting her actions. There was nothing she could do to make up for what she’d done. Oh, so she had a son now, and she’d care if people treated him the way she’d treated Arthur? That wasn’t empathy, that was just more goddamn selfishness. 

She’d learned nothing except how to eat more snacks than she had in high school, and she deserved every terrible thing that happened to her. 

“Arthur,” Kat tried again. She reached for his hand, but he pulled away from her, too. She grasped his thigh instead and scooted closer to him.

“Can I tell you what’s happened since high school?” Angie asked. “You can tell me the same. We can catch up. I know we were never friends, but, well, I’d like to move forward, if we can. I’ll be–” 

“No, fuck that,” Arthur said, slashing his hands in front of him. “I don’t give a single fuck what you’ve been through since high school. You fucking deserve it.” 

Angie flinched, the tears in her eyes spilling over. “I know.” 

Arthur had to wrestle with himself. Making a woman cry was so against his instincts that he had to wrestle with the guilt. But this was Angie. The woman Lynn idolized. The woman Lynn chose over him, and the one who’d turned Lynn into a monster like herself. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise him to learn that this was an act, an elaborate prank. She might have gained weight and lost her beauty, but she’d need to undergo multiple monstrous mutations to match the ugliness inside her. 

“Look, in high school,” Angie said, as if starting a story. She wiped her eyes, but she didn’t stop crying. “I was a dumb bitch. I made up for my academic failures with my parents’ money, clothes, a personal trainer, the latest fashions, and, yeah, it bought me friends. Then I got boobs, and bam: every guy at school was drooling when I entered the room. It was weird, but I liked the attention. Attention that you never gave me.” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. 

“You were so into Lynn, you never looked at anyone else. It drove me crazy,” Angie said. “Whenever a guy liked her over me, I mean.” 

“But I was Farty Arty,” Arthur said, confused. “Why did you care?” 

“I mean, yeah, you didn’t know how to talk to girls. You were super-obsessed with your hobbies, liked weird little board games, fantasy novels, and nerded out over musical theater. And your style didn’t do you any favors, like at all,” Angie said. 

“Uh,” Kat said. “This isn’t helping.” The clenching muscles in his leg must have cued her in to Arthur’s growing anger.  

“I’m going somewhere with this,” Angie said, lifting her hands in surrender. “Everyone was weird when we were kids, right? I had a major obsession with Agatha Christie detective stories and threw those murder-mystery parties every year for my birthday. I made everyone dress like it was the 1920s. Every single year.” 

“Yeah, I didn’t get invited to those,” Arthur said, deadpan. 

“Right,” Angie nodded. “My point is, everybody had their things, right? Yours was musical theater, and yeah, you could have used style tips, but you were always cute, under the greasy hair. And Lynn was right, you clean up well.” She gestured to Arthur’s current features, but it only made him scowl at her. 

“So, yeah, I wanted you to be into me, even if I didn’t want you. I know that doesn’t make sense, and makes me out to be a total bitch, but just–” Angie grimaced. “Lynn was hot. I think I just wanted to be hotter than her, and you were like, the scorecard. So, yeah, I treated you like shit.” 

“Because you thought that would make him like you?” Kat asked, confused. 

Angie shrugged. “It worked with everyone else! At least in high school. The worse I acted, the more people gave in to me. The meaner I was to them, the more they craved my approval. Except Arthur never gave a damn about me, and that–it pissed me off.” 

“Well, that’s an interesting excuse for making my life hell for four years. Thanks. I’ve always wondered why I was your favorite punching bag. Turns out all I had to do was ask you out, and you would have stopped?” Arthur asked, though the question was rhetorical. The answer was no because nothing he said or did stopped his bullies. Angie might have been their ringleader, but she wasn’t the only one, nor was she the one who hurt him the most. 

“I don’t know,” Angie said. “It–it doesn’t even make sense to me anymore, to think that way. I don’t even think I thought that way, consciously. I just lashed out at you every time you paid more attention to Lynn than you did to me. Every time you approached her, or tried to get closer to her, instead of giving me your attention. It was dumb, and evil, and stupid, I know. And I’m sorry.” 

Arthur scowled at her. 

“And I’m so sorry about your nickname,” Angie said. “That haunted me, even back then. We both know you didn’t deserve it.” 

Arthur clenched his jaw. The anger in his body was hardening, stiffening his joints. Half of him wanted to backhand her. Part of him wanted to hear what she had to say so he could tell himself he had fulfilled any moral obligation anyone might place on him. The rest of him wanted to leave. He wanted to drag Kat back to the bus by her hair and fuck every drop of frustration out of his system. 

“I farted,” Angie said. 

Arthur and Kat exchanged surprised glances. 

“That day in class,” Angie said. “It was me. I’d been gassy, and I shifted how I was sitting, and, yeah. It was me. I didn’t tell Lynn to blame you, but she did, and at first I was grateful. I thought it’d be a funny thing, and everybody would move on. But you got so upset, and that made Bobby refuse to drop it, and it was cruel of us, and wrong, but I’m sorry for my part in that, especially. It still haunts me sometimes, when I remember those cringiest moments in my life, that’s one of them. It’s kept me awake at night, and if I could take it back, I would.” 

Words were easy, and it cost her nothing to say she’d take it back when she couldn’t make it so. It wasn’t like she’d text their classmates and tell them the truth. Such an act might make him feel better, though. No, that was ridiculous. It was eight years ago, and most people from high school probably didn’t even remember him. 

Arthur folded his arms over his chest. “Did Lynn send you here?”

Angie looked confused. “What? No. I haven’t even talked to Lynn in years. I had no idea that you two were still a thing.” 

“We’re not,” Arthur corrected her. “She tried to move into a house my parents are renting out, but she’s living with her parents.” 

“I see,” Angie said, nodding. “Well, she was one of the toxic friendships I cut off when I deleted my social media. It was our sophomore year of college, and she’d message me now and again with gossip, but she never mentioned you after senior year, I promise. I had no idea that you changed your, well, everything.” She gestured to him again. 

“I started working out after that incident at the motel; it paid off,” Arthur said. His tone remained dry and even, uninterested in having this conversation. 

Angie swallowed. “Yeah, I can see that.” 

“So what do you want?” Arthur asked. “What is it you’re hoping to get out of this?” 

“Out of this?” Angie asked, confused. 

“This conversation.” Arthur gestured between them. “What do you want me to say? Huh? It’s not like we’re ever going to see each other again.” 

“Well,” Kat said, hesitating. “I wouldn’t say never.” 

“I’m taking classes at your college next semester,” Angie said, bracing herself for fury. 

Arthur threw his hands up in the air as if giving up his fight with the universe. “Of course you are. You and Lynn, great. The BFFs are back in town, and you can rule the school together.” 

“No,” Angie said. “It’s not like that. And, I had no clue Lynn would be there, too.” 

“She hasn’t changed since high school. If anything, she’s gotten worse,” Kat said, which made Angie grimace. “Lynn had this whole vendetta against us, and we just got her out of the house. She and Arthur had this huge confrontation last night, less than twenty-four hours ago.” 

“Jesus,” Angie said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know, I swear, I didn’t even recognize you, I mean, how could I? I never would have joined Kelly and the others if I’d known.” 

“Yeah, how did that happen?” Arthur asked. He’d wondered how in the world Angie had appeared among his girlfriends. 

“Oh, that was my grandmother’s doing. She wanted me to socialize and take a walk. She’s been on me about my fitness, and trying to make new friends.” 

Arthur opened his bottle and drank some of his water. He set it on the table and sighed. “Well, at least you got your steps in.” 

Angie’s expression fell, but Arthur didn’t know what she’d expected. 

“I’d appreciate it if you left us alone—all of us. Pendleton is a big place. I hope that I never have to see you again,” Arthur said. “I don’t want to be your friend, and my girlfriends? They’re off-limits. I won’t let you ruin them the way you ruined Lynn.” 

“Arthur,” Kat said, squeezing his leg. 

“Katerine,” Arthur said, using Kat’s full name in a way that made her frown and stare at him. Yes, he had fury raging through every pulsing vein, but he shouldn’t take it out on her. Still, it annoyed him that she kept trying to make him, what? Treat Angie with more kindness? With softer words? Fuck that. 

“This isn’t you,” Kat said. “It’s the anger talking. We’ve made progress, but you–” 

“But I what?” Arthur asked, annoyed. “Whose side are you on here? Huh? Mine? Or your new friend’s? The bitch who tormented me for four fucking years?!”

Kat glared at him. “Yours, of course. How could you even ask me that?” 

“Because you keep defending her!” Arthur said, gesturing at Angie with his hand wide open. “You keep jumping in to correct my tone or to get me to be nicer to her! When what I should do is flip this fucking table and throw her in the fucking lake!” 

Angie started crying again and leaned away from him as Arthur stood and freed himself from the table. 

“Arthur,” Kat said, reaching for him. 

“I’m going for a walk,” Arthur said, unable to hide his frustration. “Go catch up with the others. I’ll meet you once I’ve cooled off.” 

“I’ll come with you,” Kat said, rising from the table. 

“No,” Arthur said, as if it were a command. “For once, just do what I fucking tell you without being a brat and leave me the fuck alone for five goddamn minutes!”

Kat froze, swallowing and looking at him as if he’d hurt her. “Fine,” she said. “Go to the rage shack or something. Message the group when you’ve got your head on again. I’m sure one of the others will be glad to help.” 

Arthur left, walking into the lane and joining the passing crowd. Kat and Angie were at the table last he saw them, but he didn’t care. He was too angry to worry whether he’d hurt Kat’s feelings after she made him talk with that monstrous bitch.

Rage muddled Arthur’s head. His thoughts weren’t a linear progression of words, but a dull buzz of fury. Stupid Angie. This was her fault. She showed up without warning and integrated herself into his girlfriends. It wasn’t even as if she’d made friends with Maria and Jen; no, she’d gone straight to his girlfriends. He’d been content to leave her alone and had thought he’d ignored and avoided her once.

Was she lying about not recognizing him? It was possible. It’d been years since they’d seen each other, and it wasn’t as if she often looked at photos of him. Hell, Lynn hadn’t recognized him either at their first reunion, and that was Lynn. They’d spent their childhood together, and it had taken him talking for her to look at him, examine his face, and realize who he was. 

That might be the problem. Arthur’s barbarian loincloth and bracers left little to the imagination. It was wishful arrogance to assume his abs or naked torso distracted them. His hair hid parts of his face for most of high school. Was the change in style that drastic? 

Assuming she didn’t recognize him, he had to wonder how she came to be with Kelly and the others. Had they run into Angela again? Arthur couldn’t believe the two women were grandmother and granddaughter. Angela was so nice, cheerful, and friendly. Angie was a hateful and selfish bitch. Or she had been, or was still, but pretending otherwise. 

So how had she inserted herself into their group? Kelly had called her a friend, as if she were a new woman they had met at the Faire and welcomed into their group. He couldn’t deny them making new friends without his approval, but why had they felt the need to make a new friend? Were they still trying to throw that orgy? 

That wasn’t happening. Not with Angie. Fuck her in every way but that one. 

He didn’t understand why Kat was taking her side and trying to defend her. Why hadn’t she been furious? He should have been holding her back the way Kelly stopped Selene. Instead, she’d been the one to block his path.

Angie wasn’t Lynn. He’d admit that, even if he didn’t want to. She hadn’t hurt him the way Lynn did. But she had still caused him tremendous suffering. Wasn’t that worse? Why did the others defend her? Why did Kat want him to sit and talk things out with her? 

Kat should have been on his side. She should have blown up and raged at Angie with him. Instead, she’d tried to keep everyone calm. What a lousy time for her to learn to keep her temper under control. It bothered him that he was guilty of doing what he’d accused Kat of doing earlier, what he’d advised her not to do, as if he were above losing his temper. He was a hypocrite. 

Arthur kept walking, without paying attention to where he was going. The Faire continued around him. Shows played on their stages, people milled as they shopped, and the storyline wove through the open spaces. An unseelie goblin offered to buy his soul with a bag of chocolate coins. A noble lady begged for his help to send the goblin away. Arthur ignored them and kept walking, keeping his eyes on the ground ahead of him, and shutting out the world. 

He passed the Rage Shack as he walked, and perhaps it was a good idea to go inside, but the line was too long. The urge to run welled up inside him. It would help him relieve his rage, tire him out, flood him with endorphins, but he couldn’t run here. Not without drawing attention or getting into trouble. 

He grumbled, and his expression churned as he replayed the conversation with Angie. It was difficult to relive it without years’ worth of memories flooding back, making comparisons between how she acted then and now. She seemed like a different person from high school, and the added weight even made her look different, but it was still her. Something about the eyes, sharp as ever, even as the rest of her appeared softer. Her softness was a lie; she was a bear. She might look round and cuddly, but she’d rend the flesh from any bone with a single bite. 

Angie’s apologizing didn’t undo the bullshit she’d put him through. She may have tapped into her humanity and developed a conscience over the last four years, and maybe she felt guilty. So that was why she was apologizing. To ease the burden of her guilt. She didn’t care if she’d hurt him; she just didn’t want to feel guilty anymore. Well, she could go fuck herself. No one else was going to. 

The thought stung him as it crossed his mind. That wasn’t something he’d say to anyone, but it was what Angie would have said in high school. Was that who he was now? Someone who fought fire with fire? 

Maybe he was just tired of running away. He might not enjoy violence, but he grew tired of being the one everyone treated like shit because he wouldn’t stoop to their level. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to hate Angie for her new looks. 

Besides, it wasn’t as if her appearance made any difference to his opinion of her. She’d need a few warts and prosthetic facial pieces to match the monster she was on the inside. So he didn’t need to take shots at her looks. He had plenty of legitimate reasons to hate her, to rage against her, and to ignore her apologies. How could he do anything else? 

Arthur considered himself a good person, sure, but no one was that much of a saint. Even God didn’t forgive the devil his sins and welcome him with open arms because Lucifer said, “Sorry.” It wasn’t a magic spell. 

So if he wanted to move past this, did he have to forgive her and reconcile with her? What if he ignored her for the rest of his life and lived happily ever after with his girlfriends? Did she even want to reconcile? How could he trust what she’d said at the tavern? What would he have considered proof? What reparations could Angie make to prove that she’d changed and would never hurt people that way again? 

Arthur didn’t know. Was that his responsibility to level a task or twelve for her to complete? What Herculean trials might aid the Sisyphean task of forgetting her cruelty? 

Arthur’s fury faded the more he walked and thought. He didn’t have the energy to sustain that level of wrath, and the Faire wormed through the buzzing in his brain. Arthur stopped, standing by a tree and looking out between two shops over the lake where a few patrons rode in swan-shaped paddle-boats. 

He borrowed the lake’s peace, focusing on the sound of the water and the firmness of the earth beneath his feet. 

Whatever he did about Angie, he should apologize to Kat. Arthur sighed. Not that saying he was sorry would magically make everything better. He was such a hypocrite. But at least he could make it up to Kat. He’d buy her something nice, though that might piss her off. He could offer her angry makeup sex, though that would be for his benefit as well as hers. Whichever way he made it up to her, it’d have to be something she wanted. 

“Excuse me, Mister Barbarian?” 

Arthur turned, but didn’t see anyone. The voice was faint, as if far off, and whoever had spoken must have been talking to someone else. He wasn’t the only barbarian at the Faire, after all. Hordes of them strolled around the grounds. 

Even as he thought it, a curvy redhead in a Red Sonja bikini walked past, and he remembered the girls’ suggestion of an orgy. She looked as if she were with someone, though, and none of the girls were likely thinking about that anymore. His phone’s silence told him that Kat hadn’t told the others what had happened yet. She was probably waiting until after the mermaid show. He doubted they’d be able to recruit anyone to join them anyway. He returned his attention to the lake. 

A peaceful breeze swept over the water, and he took a deep breath, drawing in every bit of anger and releasing it in one long exhale. He repeated the exercise twice more, recalling exercises he’d done in therapy. He’d gotten heated discussing Lynn and Angie in the past, and his therapist had helped him through it. Arthur relied on those tactics now, diverting himself to happier thoughts. He’d survived their torture, he’d endured, he was strong, and he was safe from them. Lynn couldn’t hurt him. Angie couldn’t hurt him. He was free of them, so long as he released his resentment. 

That may be the problem. It was easy to let go of his resentments when Lynn and Angie were only memories. Flesh and blood staring at him made him realize that he had never let go of those resentments, only ignored them. What else did he have buried inside that he thought he’d released?  

So how did he let them go? Ignore them until he forgot they existed? No, that’d only last until he saw them again, and they’d both be on campus next semester. Forgiveness was the only alternative his mind conjured. An actual conversation, a confrontation, and, if he could, making peace. 

No. Arthur couldn’t do that. Why should he? What had they done to earn such forgiveness? They deserved every bit of hatred he mustered. He hoped they choked on it and died. 

Yet they didn’t carry the burden of his hatred. He did. Did he deserve to let it weigh him down? Kat didn’t deserve for it to come between them. Nor did the others deserve for him to focus so much on Angie and Lynn that he couldn’t enjoy a single day with six gorgeous girlfriends. 

He was such an idiot. 

Forgiveness wasn’t for them. It was for him. But he still didn’t know if he could do it. He wondered if Doctor O’Cinneide would answer if he called. The health center hotline wasn’t a direct line to her, but would she help him through this crisis? Did she need to? He knew what she’d say to do, and asking her wouldn’t make her give him a different answer. She’d tell him he knew the answer and to do his best. 

Arthur checked his phone, not sure if he was hoping to see a message from the harem or from Kat, but there were none. The only notification on his screen was a text from Lori. 

Lori: Hey, I guess you’re busy with all that attention, but let me know when you have a second to talk. I miss you. I hope you’re doing okay. 

Part of him wanted to call her. Not text, but call and talk to her. A year ago, even last semester, she would have been the person he talked this out with. She’d have known how to handle Lynn in a heartbeat, and she’d have had an idea about what to do with Angie, too. 

Another part of him warned him it would be a betrayal. Lori hadn’t wanted to be friends after they broke up. She thought a clean break was best for everyone. Well, she got her fresh start, so she needed to stop looking behind her. 

Besides, if Lori was reaching out, it was because she had a reason other than ‘let Arthur process his problems with me.’ Whatever her reason was, Lori’s messages were another burden, not a way to remove them. 

Arthur pulled up her contact, and his thumb hovered above the ‘block’ button. Was this ignoring another problem that would fester into a disease? Perhaps calling her and talking things out, telling her how he felt about her ‘clean slate’ idea, would be healthy. No, not in his current state. He’d end up yelling and throwing his phone into the lake. He put his phone away and rejoined the world around him.

“Excuse me,” a louder voice than before said. 

Arthur turned to see a couple, a man and a woman, standing beside each other. The woman was in a green-and-black plaid dress, and the man in a matching kilt. Between them, a little girl in a Merida costume stood, looking up at him. 

Arthur’s grumpy expression flashed away into surprise, and then he grinned at Merida. “Well, hello,” he said. “What can I do for you?” 

“She insisted on speaking with you,” the woman said. “I hope you don’t mind.” 

Arthur shook his head. “No, I don’t mind.” 

“I wanted to say, I’m sorry I killed you, before, during the chess game,” Merida said. “I know you’re not really a big, scary barbarian. You were only acting. My dad said so.” 

Arthur glanced at the man, then back at the girl. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m sorry if I frightened you, but I was just trying to act like a barbarian for the crowd.” 

“Thank you, but you didn’t frighten me,” Merida said. “They told me that you’d lose, but I’m sorry I was rough with you, and that I stomped on your chest.” 

Arthur laughed. “It’s okay, you didn’t hurt me.” Arthur patted his chest. “I’m pretty tough.” 

Merida giggled. “See?” She asked her mother. “I told you.” 

Her mother smiled at Arthur. “I told her she shouldn’t have hit you after you were down.” 

“Oh, well, I guess that’s good advice,” Arthur said. “You should listen to your mom. Next time you slay an enemy, don’t kick them while they’re down. Give them their dignity in death.” 

The girl’s grin grew wider, and she giggled. 

“Could we get a picture of you two? Do you mind?” The mom asked. “We meant to ask at the chessboard, but it looked like you had a bit of a fan club.” 

Arthur chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. Their description of his girlfriends had amused him. “Oh, sure. Do you want me in the death pose?” Arthur asked, gesturing to the ground. 

“No,” the mom laughed. “Standing will be fine.” 

Arthur nodded and stood straight as the little girl stood in front of him. The mom backed up several steps to get them both in the picture. Arthur put his hands on his hips, and Merida checked his pose, then mimicked it herself, straightening to make herself as tall as she could.

“Adorable,” the mom said, snapping several photos with her phone. “Thank you so much.” 

“No problem,” Arthur said, assuring her. 

The smile on his face became more genuine as they spoke. As angry as he’d been, his fury fled in the face of someone too fragile and vulnerable to witness it. Perhaps that was why Kat had tried to shield Angie from Arthur’s fury. His instinct to protect the fragile happiness of someone else wasn’t unique. The biggest difference was that Angie wasn’t innocent, but Merida was. 

The man in the kilt laughed as Merida bounced with impatience. “Okay, we’ve taken enough of the nice man’s time. Come on, you wanted to ride the unicorn, right?” 

“Yeah!” the little girl said and ran off toward the unicorn rides. 

Her father rolled his eyes and ran after her. “Wait!” 

She did not wait, and he was off to keep up with her. 

“Oh, to have that much energy,” her mom said, chuckling. “Thank you for being so good with her. Do you have kids?” 

“Oh, no,” Arthur said. “But my girlfriends have been discussing it since the chess match.”

“Girlfriends?” the woman asked, confused and emphasizing the plural. 

“Oh, yeah, we’re polyamorous,” Arthur explained.  

“Oh!” the mom said, surprised. “Well, thank you again! I should catch up with my husband.” 

“Sure thing,” Arthur said, nodding and letting her leave. 

She hesitated, but thought better of what she was about to say and jogged to catch up with her husband. She caught up with him as he caught up with their daughter, scooping her up in his arms. Arthur watched the happy family walk away. 

Once upon a time, as a kid, that had been the life he’d imagined for himself and Lynn. He hadn’t thought of the Ren Faire as a valid employment option back then, but they could have even worked here. The theatrical aspect was fun. Life, however, hadn’t unfolded that way. Nor had it worked that way for him and Lori. 

And if he were honest with himself, it wouldn’t happen for him and the harem. He loved his girlfriends, but that dream of a normal, happy family was one he had to sacrifice for them, and one he couldn’t provide for them. They’d always be abnormal. 

Was that so dreadful, though? No, he didn’t think it was, and he wouldn’t trade it. Besides, he couldn’t tell what the future held. Still, he had to make things right with Kat and smooth things over with the others if he wanted a future with them. Otherwise, they might become the next Lori or Angie in his life, and he didn’t want that. 

Lighter, but weary, he rejoined the lane and started walking toward the mermaids, hoping to find Kat with the others. 

~~~

Kat plopped back onto the bench by the table and turned to face Angie as she wiped her eyes with her arm. It’d only been a few hours since Kelly had done her amazing makeup job on Kat, and she couldn’t ruin it so soon. The tears welled up, but she held them back. 

“I’m sorry,” Kat said, defeated. “I tried.” 

“I’m the one who should apologize,” Angie said. 

“You apologized,” Kat said, taking a sip of her water.

“I don’t know what else I can do to make amends. I mean, nothing will make up for the years of teasing, bullying, and humiliation we put him through,” Angie said. She put her head in her hands with her elbows on the table, hiding her face as shame flushed against her cheeks. “We were so mean to him, Kat. Every day, and yeah, he was this grungy nerd who creeped on Lynn, but he was harmless. He didn’t deserve the public humiliation or the violence.” 

Kat was quiet, drinking her water and trying to think of how to help. She wasn’t good at this and had to wonder if she’d fucked it up by pressuring Arthur to discuss it sooner rather than later. The others gave her shit for it, but there was wisdom in venting the rage, cooling off, and then having the face-to-face. Was the sequence not the problem, but the method of venting? Blowing up at Angie in the street would have been wrong. But walking away, going for a run around the parking lot, and then approaching her for a conversation might have worked.

This whole situation was just another clusterfuck to add to her list of failed attempts at reconciling with people. Any of the others from the harem would have been better, except Selene. Selene would have just gutted Angie on Arthur’s behalf, with or without his orders. If Kelly were here, she’d know what to say, and she’d make things better. Arthur respected Kelly and listened to her, and she had a soft spot for Angie. 

Rani would try to convince Arthur that the only way for Angie to prove her penance was to make her a concubine. Rage sex healed all wounds? No, that was dumb and not going to happen. Even if Arthur agreed to it, Kat didn’t trust that he was in the right frame of mind. He’d hurt someone, and not in the sexy way. 

Mindy or Katelyn would’ve gotten Arthur to soften his tone. Yelling at Mindy was like kicking a puppy, and Katelyn was so frail that a proper shout might break her. She wondered if they would have been more effective, or if Arthur would have snapped at them the way he had at her. 

“I don’t know,” Kat said, being honest. “I don’t know what I’m doing, but I wanted to help Arthur through it. He’s been there for me when I’ve blown up, multiple times. He’s helped me no matter what, calmed me down, and helped me reconcile with people. If you were my high school bully, he’d have sat with us, and we’d be friends right now.” 

“It’s never that easy,” Angie said, chuckling. “I don’t know that I can even hope for friendship, but for peace?” 

“It’s not that easy,” Kat said, agreeing. “But if the shoe were on the other foot, he would have done a much better job helping us reconcile.” 

“You think highly of him,” Angie said. “The way you talk about him, it, well, it reminds me of Danny. If he were here, he’d tell me something like: keep trying, or making things right is a journey, not a single act.” 

Kat chuckled. “I swear, usually I’m the one blowing up and having the unhealthy temper tantrums, and Arthur’s the one with lines like that, philosophizing. In the heat of the moment, it’s annoying as fuck, but afterwards he’s always right.”  

“Right?” Angie asked rhetorically. “Having a mature partner is so frustrating. Sometimes you just want to scream: Can’t we be on the same page? Can you rage with me for five minutes?” 

Kat chuckled, her memory casting back to the Rage Shack. She hoped Arthur went there to smash things, or did whatever he needed to do, so long as it wasn’t go back to the bus and fuck Manasa. Not that he’d do that without one of the others. She hoped. 

She stomped that jealousy flat as soon as it rose. Arthur might have lost his temper, but he wouldn’t cheat or break their rules. 

“Is it okay that you’re still talking to me?” Angie asked, surprising Kat. 

“What?” Kat asked. “Like I’m just going to leave you here alone?” She supposed she could, but instinct warned her not to. That shit Rani was spouting about women helping women had gotten to her. Add to that the creeps like Mike, and even if Angie’s costume wasn’t that risque, Kat’s was. She preferred safety in numbers. 

“He told me not to talk to any of you, remember?” Angie asked. “The least I could do to make amends is to follow his wishes.” 

Kat frowned, unsure of what to think. Arthur might be their leader, and they submitted to him, but did that give him the right to tell them who they could or couldn’t befriend? Even Arthur would say no, that it didn’t, but this wasn’t the first time he’d expressed such a desire. He didn’t want them going anywhere near Lynn either, but was that out of a sense of protection for them, or fear that they’d fall under her influence? Both? 

He should trust them more than that, but she could see where it put Angie in a tough spot. The poor woman needed friends. She needed people she could talk to who weren’t her family. Kelly had been quick to take her under her wing. Kat had been less inclined to accept a new friend with open arms, but that was before she knew her. 

Where did that leave them now? 

“He was angry and upset,” Kat said. “It’s my fault for making him have this conversation before he was ready for it. I thought if he avoided the pattern I usually do, it might work out better.” 

“What do you usually do?” Angie asked. 

Kat chuckled. “I have anger issues and jealousy, more than others. So when I get pissed off, which happens a lot, I blow up at whoever’s nearby, rant and rave, then storm off to cool down. Once I’ve cooled off and thought everything through, I come back to talk things out when I’m calm. That was even before the harem, though. I’ve been doing it since childhood.” 

“Harem?” Angie asked, more out of surprise than confusion. 

Kat sighed. “It’s an inside joke,” she said. “It’s what we call the polycule, because it’s only one guy, Arthur, and the rest of us are girls.” 

“I thought you called it the Sisterhood of Excalibur?” Angie asked. 

“That too,” Kat said, nodding. “It’s both.” 

“Oh, okay,” Angie said, accepting the explanation. “Well, for what it’s worth, thank you for trying. Honestly, you probably stopped him from punching me in the face and throwing me in the lake, which I would have deserved.” 

“I had less to do with that than Arthur did. He’s opposed to physical violence on an extreme level,” Kat said. 

Angie’s brow dipped in pensive contemplation. 

“What?” Kat asked. 

“Nothing, it’s just, well, that explains why he never fought back when Bobby and the others pushed him around,” Angie said. “They’d shove him, hit him, slap him, and even beat him up. He never threw a punch.” 

Kat frowned, her face becoming stiff. 

“They thought they were being gallant,” Angie said. “He was always trying to sneak up on Lynn, even after she made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Even I kicked him in the nuts once or twice because he startled me.” 

“You know they were friends, right?” Kat asked, raising an eyebrow. “Lynn and Arthur.” 

“Before high school, yeah,” Angie said. 

Kat raised an eyebrow. “She hung out with him every day after school. Well, not every day, but most days. They lived on the same floor of their apartment building, right across from one another. She had him do her homework and help her cheat on exams and stuff; it was a whole thing. So, whatever she told you about not wanting to have anything to do with him? She was lying.”

Angie’s eyes searched Kat’s face, her eyes moving as she reviewed her memories. One by one, missing pieces to several mysteries fell into place. Kat didn’t doubt she could recount thousands of instances in which Arthur had spoken to Lynn in the hall, tried to speak to her in class, or even between classes. The flimsy excuses Lynn made, or snide comments, and how her grades never seemed to match her conversational intelligence added to the evidence. 

“Oh my god,” Angie said after several moments had passed. “That explains why her grades were so much better than mine.” 

Kat laughed. “Oh yeah, I’ve met the girl; she’s dumb. Devious, but dumb. Thank God. Imagine the damage she could have done if she were smart?” 

Angie smiled through her nerves. “Yeah, I always wondered how she could be so… ditzy, but then get straight As when I was getting Cs, and that was with a tutor.” 

“Well, if you need help when you get to Pendleton, I can make recommendations. I work at the tutoring center,” Kat said, finding it easy to default into professionalism. 

“Thanks,” Angie said. “I might take you up on that, if it won’t get you in trouble with your boyfriend.” 

Kat’s small smile faded, but she didn’t withdraw her offer. 

“How do you know Lynn? She goes to Pendleton now?” Angie asked. 

“She’s starting in the spring. Apparently, Lynn used to go out of state, but she had a whole thing where a professor got caught changing her grades. She flunked out,” Kat said, not sure if this counted as gossiping, but not willing to spare Lynn the shame. “Their families have always been close, so Arthur’s mom, Deb, offered her a place to stay at the house they’re renting us.” 

Angie tilted her head in curiosity. 

“Arthur, Kelly, Katelyn, Selene, Mindy, Rani, and I are moving into the same house. Lynn was going to live in the basement apartment, but Arthur told his parents what happened between them during their senior year, and they kicked her out. She did some messed-up shit, though, after meeting us. She outed Mindy to her parents, she messed with my sister at her job, she’s been harassing us and trying to make our lives miserable.” 

“Why would she do that?” Angie asked. “Not that I don’t believe you! I just don’t understand why she’d go from crawling back to Pendleton to harassing you.”  

“My best guess?” Kat asked. “From what I’ve gathered, she wanted Arthur to help her cheat again so she could make it through college. He refused, so she lashed out. They had a whole confrontation last night.” 

“And Lynn survived?” Angie asked, almost smiling at her own joke. 

“Arthur freezes up when he’s around Lynn,” Kat said. “He can’t get a word out. She slapped him, and Selene went feral. We had to haul her off Lynn, before she clawed her eyes out or ripped out her jugular with her teeth.” 

Angie laughed as if Kat were joking. Kat didn’t, and realization dawned on Angie’s face. 

“I guess I should be thankful Kelly stopped her when she charged me,” Angie said, swallowing. “And that Arthur can overcome his more violent impulses. I don’t know if throwing me in the lake would help him feel better, but if it helps, well, he can. I can swim. Though it might be difficult in this dress.” 

“He won’t throw you in the lake,” Kat said, shaking her head. “Though it might make him feel better, he’d feel guilty. He doesn’t hurt women.” 

“Didn’t he hurt you when he grabbed your wrist?” Angie asked. 

“No,” Kat said quickly. “It surprised me, is all, but seeing him lose control is often a turn-on for me.” 

“I’ll try not to kink shame,” Angie said, grinning. “Your entire group is weird, to be honest, and I’m not saying that to bully you or anything.” 

“Oh, trust me, we’re aware,” Kat said. “But it’s kinda great. Having a group who gets it, a group of women that you can talk to and even rely on, is fantastic.” 

“The community aspect sounds amazing, so long as everyone gets along,” Angie said. 

Kat nodded. “We do. We have our little tiffs, as does any family, but we love each other, so we’re stuck with each other.” 

Angie nodded. “Is that what this is? A tiff? You seemed pretty upset with Arthur when he left.” 

“I was, or am, I suppose,” Kat said. “But if he’s the man I know him to be, he’ll come back and apologize. I’ll forgive him. Lord knows he’s forgiven me enough times that I owe him that much.” 

“What do you think it’ll take for him to forgive me?” Angie asked. 

Kat shrugged. “Honestly? No idea. Time and counseling? Yours isn’t a single indiscretion, and the history between you two is complicated. I’d say you two need to discuss things to move forward, but, well, you need someone better at mediating than me. Whether that’s Kelly or someone professional, I don’t know.” 

Angie nodded her acceptance as she pondered. “Well, either way, I need to pump. It’s getting painful, and I don’t want to leak all over this dress.” 

“Are you okay if I come with you? I can stand guard outside the car,” Kat said. 

Angie stood, extricating herself from the table as gracefully as possible. “Are you sure you’re allowed to? He was adamant that I not hang out with you or the others.” 

Kat frowned as she stood, adjusting her tattered miniskirt and costume to make herself presentable. “Well, I understand why he said that, but you’re not as much like Lynn as he thinks you are, not anymore, right?” 

“Right,” Angie said, circling the table to join Kat. 

“So he can yell at me for it later, if he wants to, but I’m not letting you go off through the Faire alone. If the harem has taught me anything, it’s that we girls have to stick together, right? Women helping women, and so on,” Kat said, offering Angie her arm. 

“That’s gallant of you,” Angie said, looping her arm through Kat’s. 

“Thanks, I learned it from my boyfriend.” Kat chuckled, but there was very little humor in it. 

Together, they walked away from the tavern and headed toward the gates arm-in-arm. Angie guided them, and Kat followed her lead. They stamped Angie’s hand at the gate, but Kat’s mark was still there from earlier. Angie made it to the minivan her family arrived in and slipped inside the tinted back after turning on the air-conditioning. Kat stood outside, texting the group to fill them in on everything that had happened. 

Brat: I failed. Arthur stormed off to blow off steam. I don’t know where he is. I’m with Angie at her car so she can pump, and I’ll rejoin you once she’s back with her family. 

Wifey: You let him run off? 

Brat: It’s Arthur. I didn’t let him do anything, and he’s not thinking straight. He needs to vent and calm down. 

Wifey: Where is he?!

Brat: I don’t know, but we need to give him space. He asked that we leave him alone for five fucking minutes. His words. 

Wifey: He’s hurting. We need to be there for him. I can’t believe you let him go! How long did you wait before texting us? 

Brat: A few minutes? 

Wifey: I’ll come to you, and we can track him down. 

Brat: Give him space, Kelly. I’m telling you. He’s too angry to rationalize anything. If we ambush him, it’ll only end in tears. He can’t do or say something he’ll regret if we leave him alone. 

Wifey: I don’t like it.

Brat: I don’t either, but I’ve been where he is enough times to know what he needs. 

Wifey: Fine.

Kat sent a thumbs-up emoji and sighed, leaning against the van. Wherever Arthur was, she hoped he was venting what he needed to vent. 

~~~

Arthur threw the two-handed axe overhead as hard as he could. It spun through the air with such fury that it sank deep into the wooden block at the end of its narrow cage. The strangers beside him threw theirs as well, though they hadn’t put the same energy into it. 

The second axe thunked beside it, and the third landed on the other side, each stuck in far enough that Arthur thought he might be good at this game. He straightened, rolling his shoulders back and cracking his neck. Arthur was shit at carnival games, but he’d at least enjoyed himself. He understood why there were only three throws, though. With three of them sticking to the target, it’d be tough to get a fourth one in there. 

An axe-throwing booth distracted him on his way to the mermaid tank. The line had been short, so he’d decided to blow off what little steam he had left. He pictured Angie standing before the target and threw his axes. Of course, it was high school Angie that he pictured, and not the older, softer version he’d met today. 

Unlike Lynn, he’d never seen Angie cry. She’d never had to use her tears to manipulate people. She held the power, and she let everyone know it. Still, the more he reviewed their conversation, the more regrets he held over how he’d handled himself. He should have been cold toward Angie, and he shouldn’t have yelled at Kat. She didn’t deserve that. Her wish to help was, in a way, sweet, even if misplaced. 

Helping him get over the things Angie put him through wasn’t anywhere near the same level of difficulty as the things he’d helped Kat through. Her tiffs and blow-ups with the harem members were ant hills compared to Angie’s Rocky Mountains.  

Arthur joined the others as the line filed out of the stalls and back into the lane. 

“Hey!” 

Arthur checked his surroundings as the familiar voice drew his attention. Robin Hood, Little John, and Cinderella were waving at him and walking toward him. “Hey, Caleb, Logan, Yvonne.” 

Yvonne looked embarrassed to be approaching him, but Logan and Caleb were smiling. Their costumes were still pristine, and Arthur’s eyes flicked to the black ribbon choker around Yvonne’s throat. 

“Hey, buddy,” Caleb said, drawing out the second word in a way that made Arthur realize this was going to be Caleb asking for a favor. 

Arthur chuckled. “What do you need?” 

“It’s not me,” Caleb said, raising his hands in surrender. “Look, I realize this might be awkward, given your–” he hesitated, looking around and behind Arthur, as if someone might be crouching behind him. “Where are your acolytes?” 

“My girlfriends?” Arthur asked. “They’re uh, watching the mermaids.” 

“Ah,” Caleb said, nodding. “And you didn’t want to?” 

“I uh, ran into an old high school bully and needed to blow off steam.” He gestured to the axe-throwing, where a worker was trying to leverage his axes out of the woodblock. 

“Weird how many people are here, right? I ran into an ex myself, but Logan handled it very well.” Caleb draped his arm over Logan and kissed his cheek. 

Logan rolled his eyes, but didn’t shove Caleb away. 

“Anyway, Logan and I have to leave early; we’ve got that gig, but Yvonne here wants to stay. She’s still trying to apologize to Maria even though Maria’s done everything she can to avoid her.” Caleb explained. 

“Oh,” Arthur said, hesitant, even as his mind worked out where this was going. 

“So, I was hoping we might turn her over to you,” Caleb said, batting his eyelashes and folding his hands to beg. 

“Caleb,” Yvonne said, complaining about his phrasing. 

“I get it’s awkward, but if Yvonne wants to apologize to Maria today, this is the only way. And you two patched things up earlier. Logan and I can’t stay, but she can if she gets a ride back with you,” Caleb said. “So, can you give her a lift?” 

“Oh, uh, we came together. Me, the girls, Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen,” Arthur said. 

“That’s perfect! If the carpool works out, it’ll give her time to talk to Maria.” Caleb said. 

“Oh, uh, well, we took a bus. So it’s everyone together,” Arthur said. 

“Oh, okay, well that’s even better, right?” Caleb asked. 

Arthur sighed. Caleb could be pushy, but he wasn’t oblivious. If he was pushing for Yvonne to stay behind and apologize to Maria, there was a reason. “Why is it so important that you apologize to Maria right now?” He asked Yvonne. “Why can’t it wait until we’re back at school?” 

“Because I hurt her,” Yvonne said, looking up at Arthur with sorrow in her eyes. “If you leave a wound to fester, it only gets worse. An apology might not heal things right away, but it’s best to clean and bandage it before the rot sets in and makes it impossible.” 

Arthur swallowed. That analogy hadn’t come from nowhere. He’d heard Lori use it before, after she and Yvonne had argued over theater business. He sighed, thinking of an immediate example for the type of wound that had festered too long to heal. One drama-free day was too much to ask for from any universal power.

Maria and Yvonne might not be best friends forever, but they were friends, or had been. Arthur was the most awkward person to get involved and mediate between them, but he could give Yvonne the opportunity to apologize. He’d forgiven her, after all, so Maria ought to do the same. 

“The only other problem I see is that we’re not going back to campus tonight,” Arthur said, trying to be honest. “We got a hotel nearby because we wanted to stay for the adults-only stuff after the Faire closes.” 

“Oh?” Caleb asked. “And we didn’t get an invitation to this Theater Club orgy?” He gestured between himself and Logan. “I’m offended.” 

“You had a gig!” Arthur said, then followed it up with, “And it’s not an orgy!” as quickly as possible. 

Caleb seemed skeptical, but laughed after a brief silence. “Relax, hot stuff, I’m only teasing you. What you and your girlfriends get up to behind closed doors is none of my business. Even if everyone on campus is speculating. But if you want to try out being bisexual, Logan and I–” 

“I’m straight,” Arthur said, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“I can get my own room, if that helps?” Yvonne said. “What hotel are you staying at tonight?” 

“Are you sure?” Caleb asked, looking at her. “I get that time’s of the essence, but that’s an expensive apology.” 

“It’s not just Maria I need to apologize to,” Yvonne said. “So, yeah, it’s fine. I have money set aside. Besides, I can stay for the adult-only stuff too, and I’ll ride back with the others in the morning. Is that okay?” she asked, looking at Arthur for permission.  

Arthur didn’t know what the girls would think, but if she got her own room, he could get her a seat on the bus back home. In the worst-case scenario, he’d offer to pay for an Uber for her. It’d be expensive, but that was what his emergency savings were for, and he wouldn’t leave her stranded. 

“Uh, yeah, that’s fine with me,” Arthur said. “You can stick with us.” 

“Thank you,” Yvonne said, breathing a sigh of relief. 

“It’s not a problem,” Arthur said, though it was an imposition. He had his own apologies to make. He didn’t know what atmosphere they’d have by the time they got to the hotel, but delaying would only hurt more. She was right. 

“Yeah, thank you,” Caleb said, smiling. “Have fun.” He winked at Arthur, then patted Yvonne on the back and leaned over to her ear, whispering. “And if you fuck him, tell me everything!” 

Yvonne elbowed Caleb, blushing, but Arthur pretended not to hear as the man folded in half. “That won’t happen.” She said. “That’s not why I’m staying.” 

“Uh huh, uh huh,” Caleb said, nodding as if he believed her. “Well, we have to get going, so enjoy the rest of the Faire for us! Let me know how the story ends. I’m invested after that chess match.” 

Arthur chuckled, and Caleb patted him on the back as he and Logan passed, leaving Arthur and Yvonne facing each other a pace away. 

“So, a high school bully?” Yvonne asked. 

“It’s a long story,” Arthur said. 

“Well, I’ve got time, if you can walk and talk,” Yvonne said, nodding toward the lane. 

Arthur sighed. It might be a mistake to trust Yvonne, but it might be beneficial to get everything off his chest to someone who could give him an outsider’s perspective. Not that he wanted to relive the experience with Lynn. He’d leave that out. 

“Okay,” He said as they walked side-by-side. “It started back in high school...”

~~~

Kat and Angie walked side by side, not saying much after they left the van. The people at the gate let them through with their hand stamps, and the walk from there to the cafe where Angela waited was short. She met them outside, showing off her new forearm henna tattoo: a dancing pixie whose outline and silhouette lacked any sign of clothes. Her dancing frame was graceful; it reminded Kat of Katelyn, but with bigger boobs. 

Angela looked strange with one of her sleeves rolled to her elbow to let the tattoo dry, but the seventy-something woman was as unapologetic for her oddities as Rani. Kat envied that. 

Her salt-and-pepper-haired husband was with her, and their college-age grandson, who was holding a cup of coffee. The grandson’s eyes widened when he saw Kat, and she crossed her arms over her stomach as his eyes roamed lower and lower. She flattened the tattered miniskirt bottom of her jungle bikini against her thighs. 

“Where’s everyone else?” Angela asked, laughing. “Did they run off and leave you?” 

Angie and Kat didn’t laugh, and Angela’s face fell. “What’s wrong? Did something happen? Is everyone okay? Was it that young man with the axes?” The maternal instinct of a grandmother roared to life in an instant, reminding Kat of her own grandmother. The memory laid a gentle pain in her heart. 

“We’re okay. You remember Arthur?” Angie asked. “The Barbarian?” 

“I’m not likely to forget him soon,” Angela said, still wary. “I’m not so senile that I’d forget such a handsome man.” 

Tony, her husband, coughed. 

“Oh, don’t be jealous. You’ve got nothing to worry about. You’ve got it all over that young buck, and you’ll appreciate the inspiration tonight,” Angela said, shooting Tony a wink. 

“Oh, that’s so gross,” Angie’s brother said, his eyes taking their inspiration from the way Kat shifted her weight. 

“Well, turns out we went to high school together, him and me,” Angie said. 

“Really? You didn’t mention it before,” Angela said, confused. 

“Yeah, well, I didn’t recognize him. Back then, he looked different. You could barely see his face through the greasy hair, and he didn’t have the muscles,” Angie said.

“Oh, well, why do you make it sound like a sad thing? Shouldn’t that be a joyful reunion?” Angela asked. “One automatic friend.” 

“Oh, no, uh, the opposite. My friends and I picked on him a lot,” Angie said, as if admitting she’d broken something irreplaceable. She wrung her hands as she spoke. “He recognized me right away, though, and he was not happy to see me again. I don’t blame him.” 

Kat noticed the shame on her face as she admitted it. The anger she kept expecting to rise in her at Angie’s transgressions against Arthur never appeared. Instead, pity and sympathy took anger’s place. The others’ insistence on sisterhood had perhaps affected her too much. 

Angela frowned, exchanging a look with Tony, who shrugged. 

“So when we met up with Arthur, well, he reacted better than I expected. He’d have every right to toss me in the lake,” Angie said, shrugging. “But he didn’t. We tried talking it out, but it didn’t go well, and he stormed off.” 

Angela looked between Angie and Kat. “Why in heaven did you pick on such a nice young man?” 

“I was a total bitch in high school,” Angie said. 

Tony coughed again. 

“Sorry, Nonno,” Angie said, apologizing for her language.

Her brother laughed. “Wait, is Arthur the same Arthur as Farty? The schlub that kept creeping on Lynn?” 

Angie winced and nodded. “Yes, but he wasn’t a creep, and he despises that name.” 

Her brother laughed again, and Kat’s flat expression turned into something ugly. His laughter continued as if Angie had just told him a hilarious joke.  

“So what, those thots around him are just teasing him and leading him on all the time? Bossing him around like a simp?” Her brother asked. “Or did he come out of the closet?” 

Angie sighed. “It’s not—” 

“We’re his girlfriends, jackass,” Kat said, snapping at the guy. “He’s dating the six of us, because unlike some people, he doesn’t just gape and leer at everyone who flashes skin. You’re a bigger creep than he ever was, the way you stared at Rani’s ass and keep trying to peek between my thighs.” She pulled her tattered miniskirt down, emphasizing her point.  

Angie’s brother stopped laughing and looked at Kat in shock. Lifting his eyes from where they’d been shooting every few seconds. 

Tony smacked the young man on the back of his head, tilting his head forward and knocking his gaze to the ground. 

“Sorry,” the young man said, raising his hands in apology. “I didn’t mean any disrespect to you. You’re just hot! I’m uh, I’m Benny, by the way.” 

Kat rolled her eyes and turned to Angie. “I’m going to meet up with Kelly and the others. It was nice meeting you, even with, well, you know.” 

Angie nodded, giving Kat a hug that surprised her, but she accepted it. 

“Thanks for trying,” Angie said. 

Kat nodded. “Of course.” 

“Sorry about Benny,” Angie said. 

Kat nodded her acceptance. 

Leaving her embrace, Kat waved farewell to the others and turned around to take the shortcut to the mermaid tank. She left Angie to answer whatever questions her brother and grandparents had. Benny didn’t watch her walk away, but that might have been because Tony stood in the way of his path, with his back toward Kat. 

The path was short, but it took her longer with the number of people between her and her destination. It gave her time to contemplate everything that had happened. However, try as she might, she couldn’t think of how to sway Arthur to show his trademark chivalry and forgiveness to Angie. She’d hurt him much worse than Kat, Yvonne, or anyone besides Lynn had. 

Hell, Arthur even attributed Lynn’s sins to Angie, which wasn’t fair. Kat hadn’t been there, so she couldn’t know for sure, but she had the distinct impression that much of Lynn’s behavior was Lynn’s responsibility. She might have wanted to impress Angie, sure, but was that Angie’s fault? It’d be like holding Kelly accountable for the rest of the harem’s respect toward her. Or holding Arthur accountable for the way Selene acted around him. Drawing that parallel for him might help things or damage them beyond repair. She wasn’t sure. 

Kat had to figure out what to say to Arthur. She still despised the things he’d said to her, but there was no heat in it. No, her anger had faded, but he’d still hurt her. It hurt her to think that Arthur could think her capable of betrayal. She’d told him she loved him, and she meant it, but love didn’t mean she had to agree with everything he did or said. He was only human, and she’d done her best to help, but she’d failed. She was a failure at many things, but this one stung the most. 

At least she’d beaten Selene in archery, but the prize was tainted now. She couldn’t be sure she’d want to spend the night in Arthur’s bed if they were still fighting. Maybe there’d be room in one of the other beds. She still wanted nothing sexual with the others, but she wouldn’t say no to a cuddle to help her feel better. Katelyn was great at those, despite being bony. 

Kat stopped at the flower crown stall, looking at the laurels and hair wreaths. There was one pink-and-white flower crown that made her think of Katelyn. She wanted to buy it, but at $20, it’d mean cutting into her dinner money. She’d spent more money today than she’d expected and had dipped into her ‘extra’ that she’d brought along just in case. Too much spending meant using her credit card, which was doable, but her mom would see the charge. 

She sighed. It wasn’t worth the criticism. Their willingness to fight with their mother was probably the biggest difference between her and Selene. She turned away from the stall and kept walking, reaching the edge of the mermaid tank canopy toward the end of their finale. The crowd ahead of her forced her to wait in the back, despite spotting the harem on a bench to her left. 

The mermaids were gorgeous and talented at their dancing. She could see why Selene and others appreciated them. They reminded her of the belly dancers, but with tails instead of skirts. The musician on the stage played her heart out, but people weren’t there to see her. Still, she played with skill. The tune was catchy, and everyone was having a good time. 

The mermaids behind the musician drew everyone’s attention, and the last notes of the song ended with them surfacing to join the last repeat of the chorus. 

Come with me, and we will go

Where the rocks of coral grow.

Follow, follow, follow me.

Follow, follow, follow me.

The invitation was tempting, as the mermaids took turns waving to the audience and swimming away, disappearing behind a hidden contrivance in the tank that Kat couldn’t see. It was as if they had left the audience and returned to the lake. Clever stagecraft, talented singing, and swimming. It was a wonder these places weren’t more popular, though live theater wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The children gathered before the tank, eager to follow the mermaids, but the glass, the stage, and their parents kept them from doing so. 

The song ended, and applause filled the canopy. Several children waited in line for souvenir pins, faux-gold coins, and other treasures to remember the experience. Their accompanying adults waited in line to pay for them. 

Otherwise, the crowd stood and dispersed, letting the others see Kat as they rose and waited for a chance to leave their bench. They waved, and Kat waved back, unable to rejoin them until the crowd thinned. Once it did, they met in the middle and left the canopy for the sunshine in the square by the gazebo. 

“Still no word from him?” Kelly asked. 

“No,” Kat said as Katelyn embraced her. “I left Angie with her family.” 

“Okay,” Kelly said, putting her hands on her hips. “Let’s go find him.” 

“Or,” Rani said, “we can call him, because we don’t have to wander the grounds hoping to run into him. It’s not actually medieval fantasy Europe. We have technology. But if you want my vote, I’d suggest giving him his space until he’s ready.”

Mindy giggled and slipped her arm around Rani’s waist, holding her close. 

Selene glared at Kat. “I still can’t believe you took that bitch’s side.” 

“I didn’t!” Kat yelled, louder than she meant to, as several strangers turned to look at her. “Be mad at Kelly,” she said, quieter. “She’s the one who stopped you from getting arrested.” 

Selene frowned. 

“And I didn’t take her side,” Kat said. “I was trying to do for Arthur what he always does for me and help him and Angie reconcile.” 

She didn’t need to tell them how badly it went; they knew from the texts. Still, it bothered her that Selene voiced the same recriminations she’d given herself. It wasn’t her fault it had gone poorly, but she worried it was, and assurance that she did everything she could wouldn’t go amiss. 

“So, what should we do next?” Katelyn asked, changing the subject but keeping her arm around Kat and hugging her as if she could squeeze comfort into her. “Rani and Mindy still have to do their tournament bracket, right?” 

“Yup!” Mindy said. “What are we doing?” 

“I had you guys down for the hammer strike,” Kelly said. “I think you’ll be evenly matched since you’re the same height and probably the same strength?” 

“Any chance designing a circuit board is one of the tournament brackets?” Rani asked. “I’d like to win.” 

Mindy giggled. “That wouldn’t be fair.” 

Rani rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s go hit something with a hammer.” She nodded toward the lane, and the others followed as Rani and Mindy led the way, their arms around each other while they walked. 

Kat expected them to draw attention, but at this late in the day, people had overcome their surprise and awe at the sexy costumes everywhere. Instead, they focused on the surrounding entertainment. Katelyn held Kat’s hand as they walked, which Kat didn’t mind. It was comforting, anchoring, and she needed that right now. Katelyn always knew when she needed that. 

Selene and Kelly walked behind Rani and Mindy, while Kat and Katelyn walked behind them. Selene’s phone dinged, and she almost dropped it in her haste to check it. 

“Maria won the cleavage contest!” Selene showed them a picture of Maria, with a big blue ribbon pinned at the center of her low neckline. She tugged her peasant top down to show even more boob, but it worked for her. 

“Damn,” Kelly said, admiring the picture. “I don’t know whether to be jealous or turned on right now.” 

“Jealous,” Kat said, making Katelyn beside her chuckle.

Kelly’s face flickered with a smile, but she looked ahead. 

“Kelly, I’m sorry I didn’t let you be the one to mediate,” Kat said. “You’d have done a better job.” 

Kelly shook her head, looking at Kat with a small, grateful smile. “I’m sure you did the best you could, and I don’t know that I would’ve done any better. I’m just anxious about Arthur being out there on his own.” 

“Worried that another girl will swoop in on our hot boyfriend and be his shoulder to cry on?” Katelyn asked. 

“Well, I am now,” Kelly said, frowning. “I hadn’t even thought of that!” 

“Arthur’s not in the crying mood. At least he wasn’t when I saw him. It’d surprise me if anyone went near him with how furious he looked,” Kat said. “I’m hoping he’s at the Rage Shack, working it out.” 

“He’s doing a lap around the parking lot or something,” Selene said. “He likes to run to process things.” 

Kelly nodded, agreeing with Selene. 

“He’s hot when he’s angry, though. I see what you like about riling him up,” Katelyn squeezed Kat’s hand. 

She was trying to cheer Kat up, and Kat appreciated that, but she wasn’t ready to smile, laugh, and cajole the others. When Arthur returned, and they patched things up, when she was confident that everything was okay between them, then she’d be okay. Until then, peace avoided her. 

“I should find him,” Selene said. “If he needs to vent…” 

“You’re still in that belt,” Kelly said, patting Selene on the shoulder. 

“Besides, he’s too angry for that,” Kat warned them. “He promised not to do that kind of thing unless he was in the right headspace, remember?” 

Selene’s shoulders sagged. “But it’s so hot when he drags me by the ankle.” 

“Damn,” Katelyn said, swallowing. “That’d be hot.” 

“You have no idea,” Selene said, nodding. 

“So, what should we do?” Mindy asked, looking behind her. “Should we just keep pretending everything’s normal until Arthur cools off enough to talk?” 

“I don’t see how we can do anything else,” Katelyn said. “It’s not like we can fuck the anger out of him here at the Faire.” 

Selene closed her eyes and grinned, making Kat roll her eyes. 

Kelly nodded. “Come on,” she tugged Selene by the hand. “Let’s get the final tattoo on you, then if Arthur still hasn’t gotten in touch with us, we’ll go find him. If any of you hear from him, let me know ASAP, got it?” 

“Yes, Mistress,” Rani teased her, but Kelly didn’t smile. “I promise,” Rani said, assuring her she was serious. “If we so much as see him, we’ll shout it out in the group text.” 

Kelly nodded, “Come on.” 

“Yes, Mistress,” Selene said, following Kelly as obediently as she might follow Arthur. 

Katelyn chuckled as they left the group. “Your sister is really into playing her part.” 

Kat sighed, but didn’t argue as they reached the hammer strike game. 

Three wooden pillars of ascending height framed metal poles with cylindrical weights at the bottom. The round pads for striking had scuff marks on them from the nearby mallets, but the game looked fun as they watched the people ahead of them play. The shortest pillar was the one for kids. The man working the game–a Scottish highlander complete with a thick red beard and long hair–directed people to their pillar. 

“I’ll admit, I might have a slight advantage with this game,” Rani said, glancing at Mindy. 

“Oh?” Mindy asked. “You think you’re stronger than me?” 

Rani smiled. “It’s not strength,” she corrected. “It’s physics.” 

“Okay, so?” Mindy asked, raising an eyebrow. “I took physics in high school.” 

“That’s cute,” Rani said. “You think physics is your ally, but you adopted the equations. I was born in them, molded by them. I did not see a textbook until I was already a woman, and by then, it was useless to me! Science betrays you. It belongs to me!” 

Mindy looked at her, confused. “Is that from Batman?” 

“I put my spin on it, but yeah,” Rani said. “Maybe I should have done the Bane voice.” 

Mindy giggled. “You’re such a nerd.” 

Kat envied their nonchalance about the drama between Arthur and Angie. They hadn’t been part of the conversations with Angie, but it still made her wonder if they were taking this as seriously as they should. 

“How can you two be so unbothered by what’s going on?” Kat asked, unable to stop herself. 

Rani shrugged. “I can’t speak for Mindy, but I’m not making a big deal of it because, well, being upset won’t help, and I trust Arthur. He’ll calm down. When he comes to his senses, everything will be back to normal. Angie’s gone, and we don’t have to engage with her again if we don’t want to. Arthur might never reconcile with his high school bullies, but that’s okay. It’s okay to cut people from your life who hurt you. Friendship requires consent, just like any relationship, and it’s fine to say no. You don’t have to be friends with everyone, right?” 

Kat didn’t answer. She didn’t have an answer. Was it okay to cut people out of your life? Wouldn’t that just make things work? Or was letting people go the same as letting go of your issues with them?

“And I’m worried,” Mindy said. “But, well, Rani was right. Arthur’s allowed to be angry sometimes. We all are. We’ll be there when he needs us, but I can’t force him to be okay just because I care about him, right? He has to work through it, then we’ll fuck and suck him until he dies.” 

“Yeah! We’ll resurrect him with dark magic, then fuck and suck him again!” Rani said, high-fiving Mindy. 

The woman in line ahead of Mindy turned around to glare at them. 

Mindy giggled. “Sorry, inside joke.” 

The woman wasn’t amused. “You shouldn’t use that language in public.” 

“Fuckin’ prude,” Rani muttered, making the woman glare at her. “What? Did I fuckin’ stutter?” 

The woman huffed and faced forward as the line moved. 

Rani shrugged. “I just hope he’ll be back in time for the orgy. We can’t throw one without him.” 

“I don’t think that’s happening,” Kat said, almost laughing at the prudish woman’s annoyance at the word ‘orgy.’ 

“Wouldn’t hurt to start recruiting, though,” Rani said. “Just in case. Not that bitch, though.” She pointed her thumb at the woman ahead of them. 

Katelyn and Mindy laughed at Rani’s hopeless horniness, and the line moved forward again.

“How are we scoring this? The one who hits it higher wins? Or are we doing points?” Rani asked, looking at Kat. 

“Uh, we did points for the archery, so points?” 

“I’m okay with that,” Mindy said, nodding. 

Their turns came, and Mindy took hers first. 

The others watched as the highlander sent her to the middle tower. She took a few practice swings with the mallet. Her skirt looked enticing as she spread her feet, letting the black panels fall, her boots and fishnet thighs escaping their coverings. 

“Damn,” Rani said. “Mindy is so fuckin’ hot.” 

Katelyn chuckled. “It’s the hat.” 

Kat scoffed at that, making Katelyn smile. 

Mindy swung the mallet three times. Each time the cylinder rose to a few marks below the bell, not quite reaching its target. Still, her grouping was excellent, but it didn’t seem to matter how much strength or grunting she put into the strike. Each one hit the same mark, no higher. Still, she’d done better than the guy who’d gone before her. 

Mindy turned around and posed like a strong woman, flexing her arms. “That working out with Kelly helped!” 

“In a week?” Kat asked, unconvinced. 

Mindy laughed and skipped to the exit, where she waited as Rani took her turn. Kat and Katelyn shuffled over to join Mindy, watching from the fence. 

If Mindy’s outfit was revealing, then Rani was nude. The transparent veils that covered her bikini slid apart as she squatted and readied herself to strike. Her backside was much larger than Mindy’s, and every guy watching looked down. Even Kat checked her out as she swung the mallet, squatting with the swing. 

The cylinder reached two marks under Mindy’s strikes, and Rani readied herself for another. She struck again, shifting her feet wider and squatting lower. It matched Mindy’s mark, if only barely.

Rani took a deep breath, coming out of her squat and shifting around to loosen her shoulders. She jingled with every movement. 

“You can do it!” A random stranger shouted from the sidelines. 

Rani didn’t pay them any attention as she readied herself for her final blow. She swung overhead and smashed the mallet into the disk. The cylinder rose, climbing just above the mark she’d hit before, but not reaching the one above it, or the bell. The weight fell to the end, and Rani raised her arms in victory. 

“Ha!” she said, pointing at Mindy. “Eat me.” 

Mindy bit her lip. 

“Mindy won,” Kat said, her voice flat but cautious. 

Rani looked confused and then nodded. “Right, we said points, not highest. Fuck!” 

Mindy giggled, but a few people around them looked annoyed at the outburst. 

Rani didn’t apologize, but she rejoined the others, and they started walking with no clear destination in mind. “I guess you’ll need to eat me then, as a consolation prize.” She winked at Mindy. 

“Mm,” Mindy hummed, as if contemplating the idea. “Yes, my queen.” 

“Oh, shit. Maybe we should go to the bus instead of the fire-dancing show,” Rani said, wrapping her arm around Mindy. 

“No, I want to see the fire dancers, too,” Mindy said. “We’ll do it later, when Arthur’s there to take me from behind.” 

“Okay, you need to stop teasing me, or I’m dragging you back to that bus right-the-fuck-now,” Rani said, slapping Mindy’s butt to emphasize her point. 

“Yes, my queen,” Mindy said, batting her eyelashes at Rani. 

Kat sighed, annoyed at the antics that were making Katelyn blush in discomfort. Or, if not discomfort, arousal, which was worse. She was about to tell them to cool it when her eyes fell on Arthur, and she froze. 

~~~

Arthur and Yvonne had stopped at a tavern as he told her the story of his experiences in high school. He left out the drama with Lynn in his senior year, but left in everything else. The teasing from Angie and the others, the beatings they instigated, and everything that had happened with Lynn and Angie. He told her a modified version of last night’s events, where everyone still had their clothes on. He didn’t mention anything other than ‘watching a movie’ with the others. He stopped after he told her about his conversation with Angie and her claims of having grown since high school. 

Yvonne looked thoughtful, but didn’t comment as he spoke. She listened as she sat across from him, holding a beer in a glass that she sipped as he sipped a cider. Cinderella, sitting across from Conan, drew a few passing glances from other patrons, but the novelty of seeing people in their costumes had worn off by the afternoon. 

“So Lynn is the girl you loved, who never loved you back,” Yvonne said, as if putting a puzzle piece in its place. 

Arthur looked confused. 

“You mentioned one when we had our conversation before,” Yvonne said. 

Arthur nodded. “Yeah.” That was an accurate assessment of their high school relationship. “But I’m not still in love with her. That ship has sailed.” 

“And you blame Angie for that,” Yvonne said, summarizing. 

Arthur considered that. If it were Angie’s fault that Lynn abandoned him and turned against him, then yes, everything that happened since then was her fault. “Well, yeah, it’s her fault,” Arthur said. “If she hadn’t corrupted Lynn in high school, then none of that would have happened. Lynn and I might still be best friends, or more by now.”  

Yvonne nodded, not in agreement, but in absorbing the information. Still, her frown and creased brow suggested she was processing and coming to a different conclusion. 

“You don’t think so?” Arthur asked. 

Yvonne hesitated, her lips parting long before she spoke. “Let me ask you something.” 

“Go ahead,” Arthur said, taking a sip of his drink. 

“What’s the difference between Angie and me?” Yvonne asked. 

Arthur’s confusion must have been clear because Yvonne continued. 

“I spread rumors about you around campus, remember?” Yvonne asked. 

Of course, he remembered, but that differed from the opinions that Angie spread in high school. For one, Yvonne didn’t have the same power as Angie. She didn’t sit at the top of the social hierarchy at college. Angie had never had such a direct lie to tell others, either. Her assaults against his character were more nebulous and more damaging because they were more believable than what Yvonne tried to peddle. People’s imagination filled in the blanks with the worst of what they might believe. In contrast, Yvonne had presented a specific scenario that Selene refuted. 

“It’s not the same,” Arthur insisted. 

“I was mean and rude to you, and argued with you for years,” Yvonne said. “Granted, I thought we were flirting, but you were never mean to me. And from what you said when we talked, I take it you’ve forgiven me for what I did. You accepted my apologies when I offered them, and you were kind and understanding. Infuriatingly so. You had every right to scream in my face at the cafe, and you never said an unkind word or glared at me because that’s not who you are. You’re so goddamn perfect that–well, never mind that, but—” 

“That’s different,” Arthur said. “You went back to the people you talked to and set the record straight. You put the work in; you didn’t just say ‘sorry’ and expect everything to be better.” 

“So, if Angie approached your high school classmates and told them her truth, you’d forgive her, too?” Yvonne asked. “What if she reached out to Lynn so that you and Lynn could be friends again?” 

Yvonne didn’t know what she was saying, but Arthur didn’t want to have that conversation again. He let it slide and moved along. 

“That’s ridiculous,” Arthur said. “First, Lynn is beyond redemption. She’s full-on crazy. Physically attacking people, levels of crazy.” 

“Okay, forget Lynn then. Angie apologized and wants to reconcile and move forward, as you and I did, right?” Yvonne asked. “Like, that’s why I’m even here at the Ren Faire. I’m trying to find everyone I wronged and apologize to them, and they’re all here. I know I asked us not to be friends or see each other for a while, and here we are, but I was wrong. It’s just so hard, seeing you and the others, but Caleb was right.” 

“Caleb was right?” Arthur asked, confused. 

“He’s been taking care of me,” Yvonne said. “He’s made me face the things I’d prefer to ignore. It’s been a rough semester for me. But well, Rani helped me without knowing it was me she was helping, and Caleb helped too. He told me I shouldn’t throw everything away just because I didn’t get my way. I’ve worked hard to improve the Theater Club and do what I can for it. I’ve built friendships that should last my entire lifetime with Maria, Selene, Brad, Mark, and even you. And I threw a tantrum and tried to throw it away because I couldn’t have you as more than what you wanted to be to me. I was wrong to do that.” 

Arthur’s eyebrows rose. “Caleb convinced you of that?” 

“Well, him, the emergency crisis therapist at the health center, and you when we talked,” Yvonne said. “Not necessarily in that order. The point is, I was wrong, and as you said before, I have to own my mistakes and make them right. The sooner I do it, the easier it will be for everyone. If I let things stew, if I wait and don’t act, well, hearts harden. People reinforce their resentments, and then it’s too late. Nothing I say or do will convince them I deserve a second chance.” 

Arthur swallowed at how uncomfortably parallel that was to his own situation. He’d had years to forge and reinforce his resentments toward Angie and Lynn. They’d even added to those burdens over his high school years, and Lynn had done a fair share in the few short weeks she’d been back. Angie, though, the only sin she’d committed recently was ingratiating herself with his girlfriends. If he believed she didn’t know who he was, well, that might be forgivable. Everything else, though? 

“That’s why I’m willing to shell out for a hotel tonight. I’m trying to convince everyone to forgive my temporary insanity, even though I don’t deserve it,” Yvonne said. “I’ve apologized to Rani and Kat so far, and you, of course. Selene and Maria are my white whales. It sounds like you’re Angie’s. The one person she’d need forgiveness from the most to prove to herself that she’s not a horrible piece of shit who doesn’t deserve love or happiness.” 

Arthur’s brow furrowed. “What?” 

“I know what it’s like to think that of myself, that I don’t deserve love or happiness.” Yvonne swallowed, holding back the tears that pressed at the corners of her eyes. She wiped them with the back of her hand, steadying herself and recovering. 

“You deserve love,” Arthur said. 

Yvonne gave him a look. 

“What?” Arthur asked. 

“You can’t say stuff like that in that tone and then tell me you’re not flirting. I’m not saying I don’t deserve love, but we both know you don’t feel the same way for me that I do for you,” Yvonne said. 

“We’ve discussed this,” Arthur said, concerned. 

“We did, but my feelings for you haven’t changed, Arthur. I still love you. And yeah, that sucks. It hurts, but I can’t lash out at you or others for it. My burdens aren’t your problem. Still, I won’t apologize for loving you. I can’t, because I’m not sorry for it, but I am sorry for everything I did that hurt anyone,” Yvonne said. 

“So what changed?” Arthur asked. “I’m confused. I thought you must’ve gotten over your feelings for me if you wanted to be friends again and rejoin the Theater Club.” 

Yvonne put her head in her hands and did her best to control her breathing. In and out, her chest rising and falling as the corseted bodice confined her torso. It let her off-the-shoulder neckline show plenty of skin with the top of her ample breasts. 

Arthur hesitated, unsure of what to do or say. 

“I shouldn’t have said I’m still in love with you,” Yvonne said, but not as if it’d been a lie, only that it was the wrong thing to say. “You’re not obligated to love me or even to like me. I mean, you’ve said my personality is the reason you won’t date me, right? And yeah, my crisis session helped me realize I could use some work on myself, so I’m putting in the work. I don’t want what happened between us and the stupid mistakes I’ve made to cost me my hobbies, my friends, and everything I’ve worked for since coming to Pendleton. So, here I am, trying to sort things out, and it’s messy, and unfair, and not what I planned, but I’m trying.” 

“Your personality isn’t all bad,” Arthur said. “I’ve always admired your strength.” 

Yvonne frowned and sniffled. “Don’t do that.” 

“Sorry,” Arthur said, keeping his voice low. “If this is painful for you, we can–” 

“No,” Yvonne said. “I’m happy to listen to you, Arthur, and to help you. I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it. But yeah, it’s hard. And that’s okay.” 

“Okay,” Arthur said, confused. Hurting Yvonne wasn’t something he wanted to do, but he appreciated her powering through it to help him. He wasn’t sure he understood why she was doing it, but he didn’t protest either. 

“Let’s get back to what we were talking about. This is about you and Angie, right?” Yvonne asked, not waiting for an answer. “If I convinced you that my apology was genuine because I put the work in undoing what I’d done, is that what you need Angie to do?” 

Arthur hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“Did you and Lynn ever try to reconcile or talk things out?” Yvonne asked. 

Arthur shook his head. “No, Lynn apologized before, but it was never genuine. It was always for vague bullshit that she didn’t own up to in her apologies, and a transparent attempt to manipulate me because she wanted something.” 

“Is that why you don’t trust Angie’s apology?” Yvonne asked. “Because you associate her with Lynn, so you figure her apology must be a manipulation instead of genuine?” 

Arthur blinked. That was something he’d expect Doctor O’Cinneidh to ask, not Yvonne.  

“And how is that different from mine?” Yvonne asked. “I mean, not to shoot myself in the foot, but my first attempts at reconciliation were me trying to convince you to give me a chance to join your harem. Isn’t that a manipulation?” 

Arthur coughed, shaking his head. “It’s not the same. You owned what you did, and you made it right.” 

“Well, did Angie own what she did?” Yvonne asked. 

Arthur hesitated, reviewing his memories of their conversation. Angie had owned up to what she’d done, except for manipulating Lynn. Hell, she’d even confessed to being the source of the flatulence that started his misery in high school. If he believed her, it’d been bothering her for years, even during their school years. 

Arthur frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Arthur,” Yvonne said. “Come on. You’re better than this petulant defiance.” 

Arthur’s frown deepened. He was being petulant and defiant. Yvonne was right, and he had to concede her point. “So what should I do?” 

Yvonne released her breath. “I think you should talk to Angie again and accept her apology. No words will magically fix everything between you, but it’s a start. Maybe you can wipe the slate clean and pretend she’s someone new that you’ve just met. Start fresh.” 

“I don’t know if I can do that,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “There’s too much history.” 

“What you mean is that you’ve built up too many resentments and reinforced them over the years,” Yvonne said, calling him out on his bullshit. His hackles rose in defense, but he smoothed them again. She was right. 

“You got this way from one crisis session?” Arthur asked, confused. 

“Are you kidding?” Yvonne asked. “I’ve been meeting with a therapist since Brad convinced me to go, like, two years ago.” 

Arthur chuckled. Brad was a vocal supporter of physical and mental health. 

“So, was I right?” Yvonne asked, with the condescending glee of someone who knew they were. 

“Yeah,” Arthur said, sighing. “I’ve got a lot of resentments I’ve been holding on to for years. Does that make me a hypocrite? A bad person?” 

“Arthur,” Yvonne said. “We’re all hypocrites, and no, you’re not a bad person. You’re just a person. The question is, is it worth putting the effort into dismantling those resentments when the only reward you’re likely to get is peace of mind? You don’t want Angie, right? Romantically?” 

“No,” Arthur answered, shaking his head, unsure if he should be wary of the way his answer made Yvonne relax. “I don’t even want to be friends, but I’m tired of holding onto this hatred and anger. It’s not healthy.” 

“Then you know what you have to do,” Yvonne said. 

“Thanks,” Arthur said, swallowing. “I know it’s awkward between us, but… thanks for helping me talk this out.” 

Yvonne smiled, tight and painful, but a smile. “You’re welcome.” 

They sat in silence, and Yvonne knocked her beer back in one long drink that took several swallows. Arthur drank his cider, but had less of it to kill than Yvonne did. Yvonne slammed the glass on the table when she finished and caught her breath as she wiped her mouth. 

“Damn,” Arthur said. “That was impressive.” 

Yvonne chuckled. “I needed that.” 

“Clearly,” Arthur said, standing from the table. “Let’s go find Maria.” 

Yvonne nodded and rose from the table with him, leaving the tavern to join the lane. She walked beside him, but her hoop skirt kept her at a comfortable distance. Arthur wondered where the others were, but he didn’t have to wonder for long. They turned the bend in the lane to find Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen walking toward them.

“What the fuck?” Maria asked, a few paces away from Arthur. “Why are you two hanging out?” 

“We ran into each other and got to talking,” Arthur said. “And Yvonne was just looking for you.” 

Maria’s eyes slid from Arthur to Yvonne, and her expression stiffened. 

“Well, all of you,” Yvonne said. “But especially you, Maria. I owe you an apology for how I acted and what I did at the last Theater Club meeting. Can we talk?” 

“I’m in a good mood. I don’t need this,” Maria said, annoyed. “Fuck off.” 

“Maria,” Arthur said. “She’s trying to apologize and make things right.” 

Maria stared at Arthur, blinking in disbelief. “You’re standing up for her? After everything she did to you?” 

“Of course he is,” Brad said, chuckling. “It’s Arthur.” 

Arthur sighed, ashamed of how he’d handled everything with Angie, but not letting it distract him from helping Yvonne and Maria reconcile. “Give her a chance, okay? You two should talk.” 

Maria frowned. “Go on,” Maria said. “Apologize, if that’s what you’re here to do. Say what you came to say, then get lost.” 

Yvonne gulped as everyone’s eyes turned toward her. “Well, first off, I’m sorry for dragging you into my vendetta against Arthur and Selene. That was unfair of me to use the Theater Club to hurt them, and I shouldn’t have tried to manipulate any of you that way. It was callous of me, and wrong. I’m sorry for lying to you and everyone else. I’m sorry for quitting and throwing away our friendships as if they didn’t matter. That was childish and stupid. You matter to me, not just you, Maria, but Mark and Brad too. You were my friends. I don’t want or expect to be made President again or anything, but I’d like to come back to the club if you’ll have me. And I’d like to repair the damage I did, and be friends again, if we can.” 

Mark and Brad exchanged a glance, then both looked at Arthur. 

“Yvonne and I have had multiple conversations and apologies,” Arthur said. “She’s corrected the people she misinformed and done what she can to make things right. We’re still not through the woods, but we’re working on it. It might be awkward for a while, but I’m not holding anything against her. It’d be good for her to return to the Theater Club, now that we’re on the same page.” 

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but that was damn near the best apology I’ve ever gotten from anyone ever,” Mark said. “How long did it take you to write and memorize that?” 

Yvonne blushed, looking down at her hands that were clutching her purse for dear life. “Caleb helped.” 

Brad chuckled.

“But just because I worked on it and it’s not spontaneous doesn’t mean it’s insincere. I mean every word,” Yvonne said. 

“I believe you,” Brad said, shrugging and looking at Arthur. “Look, Yvonne, I have no stake other than the Theater Club. You were always closer to Maria, Caleb, Selene, and Lori than me, but if Arthur forgave you after everything you did to him? Well, I can’t hold something you did against him against you if he doesn’t.” 

“Same,” Mark said, looking at Maria. 

Maria sighed. “What does Selene say?” 

“I haven’t talked to her yet,” Yvonne said. “I was hoping she’d be with you.” 

“She’s getting her sisterhood tattoo,” Jen said, speaking up for the first time. “Hi, I’m Jen. Brad’s girlfriend.” She put her arm around his arm in a possessive gesture. 

“Nice to meet you,” Yvonne said, nodding and looking surprised between Brad and Jen. She’d missed their getting together, but she only had herself to blame for missing that development in her friend’s life. 

“We’ll talk to Selene next, then,” Arthur said. “I need to catch up and apologize to my girlfriends.” 

“What do you have to apologize for?” Maria asked, surprised.

“Long story, we ran into a high school bully of mine, and I stormed off after saying some insensitive things to Kat,” Arthur explained. 

“Lynn’s here?” Maria asked, alarmed. 

“No,” Arthur said. 

“Damn, dude, how many bullies did you have?” Brad asked. 

“A few,” Arthur said. “But to get us back on topic…” He nodded toward Yvonne. 

“If Selene accepts your apology, then I accept your apology,” Maria said. “As for coming back to the Theater Club, we’ll vote on it at the next meeting. After we’ve had time to think.” 

Yvonne’s shoulders sagged, but she nodded her acceptance. “Okay.” 

“We could vote on it now,” Arthur said. “We’re all here except for Caleb, and I can call him or text him to get his vote.” 

Maria raised her eyes to glare at Arthur. “Let’s see what Selene has to say about it.” 

“Won’t she just agree with Arthur, as usual?” Mark asked, earning himself a glare from Maria. 

“It’s okay,” Yvonne said, speaking up. “I need to apologize to her. So, we’ll let you four go back to what you were doing. Congratulations, by the way, on winning that contest.” She pointed to the blue ribbon on the front of Maria’s shirt. The gold lettering spelled out ‘Best Cleavage’ in a stacked font. 

“Thanks,” Maria said, her voice still icy. “Good luck with Selene.” 

“Or break a leg,” Mark said, making Brad and Arthur chuckle. 

Yvonne smiled softly. 

“We’ll come with you,” Brad said. “We were looking to rejoin the group. The girls still have to finish their tournament.” 

Jen grinned, and the group walked toward the tattoo booth. Arthur and Yvonne led the way, while Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen followed them.

~~~

Kat’s frozen stance caused Katelyn to stop as well, searching the crowd for the cause. 

“What is it?” Katelyn asked. “What’s wrong?” 

Mindy and Rani stopped as well, seeing if they could see what Kat saw. 

“It’s the boss!” Mindy said, pointing ahead. “Should we call out?” 

Kat frowned as she realized who was walking with Arthur. The group had their backs to Kat, Katelyn, Mindy, and Rani, who were walking in the same direction, but a dozen shops, tents, and shacks behind them. The Cinderella beside him was none other than Yvonne, while Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen were walking on either side of them. 

With no sign of Caleb or Logan, they looked like a trio of couples, which drove a spike of protective jealousy into Kat’s heart. She had half a mind to storm over there and scream at them, but the fury that often flooded her veins didn’t rise to the occasion. 

Exhaustion, or wisdom, prevented her from raging. She couldn’t tell which one was responsible. Awareness settled over her instead of her trademark wrath. She was being ridiculous, and she knew it. Arthur wasn’t skipping out on the harem to have fun with Yvonne. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen must have collected her at the cleavage contest, then crossed Arthur’s path. He looked much better than when she’d last seen him. 

The hard-stamped earthen lane under their feet connected, but crowds of bustling people separated them, making them hard to see for longer than a few seconds at a time.

He was far enough away that Kat would have to race to reach him, and getting farther every second since they’d stopped. 

“Hey, there he is,” Rani said calmly. She cupped her hands to her mouth. “HEY! ARTHUR!! WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?!?” 

Her shout startled several patrons between the two groups, and a pair of birds abandoned the nearby tree they’d perched on. Kat winced, stepping back from Rani as everyone, not just Arthur, turned to see who had shouted. Mindy clamped her hands over her ears, miming her pain. 

Katelyn chuckled. “Wow, your lungs are as big as your ass.” 

Kat snorted, making Katelyn grin in victory at having broken her mood.  

Rani waved at Arthur, and Arthur abandoned the group he was with to trot over to them. Then the trot turned into a run, and Kat’s frozen position warred with her instinct to run. Arthur wasn’t running at her to hurt her; she knew that much, but the instinct of a muscular barbarian man in a loincloth barrelling toward her was hard to overcome. 

Katelyn yelped and jumped aside as Arthur arrived, scooped Kat off the ground in his arms, and spun to keep from falling. 

“AH!” Kat screeched as she threw her arms around him and clung to his solid frame with every bit of measly strength in her arms. “What the fuck?! Put me down!” She yelled even as she clung to him like a monkey with her legs tight around his hips and her arms over his shoulders. It made her skirt ride up, but his body prevented her from flashing everyone. 

Arthur stopped spinning and held her to him, one hand on her upper back and the other on the back of her head. He kissed her, and she kissed him out of reflex, forgetting to keep her feet on the ground. Surprise gave way to passion, which cooled as reality crashed back into the world with a wolf whistle from a stranger. 

Kat lowered her legs, keeping them together and pointing them downward. Her body pressed against his, and she closed her eyes to enjoy his firm muscles against her soft flesh. He grounded her, even with her feet in the air. 

Arthur let her slide down his body, but he didn’t let her go. He held her close, even as Katelyn moved over and tugged Kat’s skirt bottoms for her. Her toes touched the earth, and her soles followed until she was standing before him with her arms under his, hugging him. His arms wrapped around her.

“I’m so sorry,” Arthur said, holding her tight, his voice soft. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you, stormed off, or acted the way I did. You were only trying to help.” 

Kat’s momentary panic gave way to relief, then a weighty mixture of emotions. That’s right. She was supposed to be mad at him. He’d hurt her with his words, and he shouldn’t have directed his stubborn anger at her. She couldn’t let him off the hook just because he made her heart flutter with a grand romantic gesture and a steamy kiss. 

Yet, as he held her, all she wanted to do was hold him, rest her head against his chest, listen to his heartbeat, and tell him it was okay. The world around them faded into stillness, as if time itself held its breath. She reveled in his secure hold around her. Sandalwood and mint soap, Old Spice aftershave, and the salty scent of pure Arthur filled her nostrils. 

The steady thump-thump, thump-thump of his heart relaxed her own, and the tension in her shoulders dissipated. She’d been worried, but he was okay. She’d been angry, but more at herself for failing him. Here he was, holding her, and she couldn’t find her sorrow.

She exhaled, and time released its breath with her as the world came crashing back into her awareness. 

“Aw,” Katelyn patted Kat’s lower back. “Does this mean you two made up? Is everything okay again?”

“Sh,” Mindy said. “They’re being too cute.” 

“Don’t worry, I took a picture,” Rani said. “Multiple.” 

Kat did her best to ignore them. “I’m sorry I pushed you when you weren’t ready,” Kat said, squeezing him in her arms. “I should’ve let you cool off first. You weren’t expecting to deal with Angie today, and it was a whole thing. I did everything wrong.” 

“No, you didn’t,” Arthur corrected her. “You did an amazing job, but I just wasn’t ready to hear it. I was the problem, not you.” 

“I should’ve let Kelly mediate,” Kat said, hiding her face in his chest. “She’d have done better than I did.” 

“The result would’ve been the same,” Arthur assured her, squeezing his arms around her in response. “I needed to cool off. You did amazing, everything considered.”

“It’s too bad you couldn’t mediate yourself,” Kat said. “You’re always the best at talking me down. I was just trying to do for you what you do for me.” 

“I know,” Arthur said, kissing her forehead. “But even I would’ve done a worse job than you did. It took me time to cool off, ponder everything, and work through it.” 

Kat closed her eyes, relishing his lips pressed against her skin.  

“Does that mean you’re ready to talk to Angie now?” Kat asked. 

“No,” Arthur said. “It’s–” he hesitated, closing his eyes and resting his cheek against the top of Kat’s head. “I should forgive her, you’re right, but it’s hard. I’ve got a lot of resentment.” 

Kat could understand that. The problems between him and Angie weren’t momentary lapses of emotion. If they’d been strangers and had had one argument today, that’d be different. Instead, their scars ran years deep, and no one, not even Arthur, could overcome years of trauma in a day. 

“That means you have a lot of work ahead of you,” Kat said. “Are you ready to take it on?” 

“Yeah,” Arthur said. “One step at a time.” 

“Okay,” Kat said, holding him tight. “I have her number if you want it.” 

Arthur swallowed, nodded, and kissed her forehead again. Kat blushed, raising her chin as he pulled away to ask for another forehead kiss. Arthur chuckled and granted her a third. 

Katelyn, Rani, and Mindy joined the hug, throwing their arms around Kat and Arthur as Mark, Maria, Brad, Jen, and Yvonne reached them. 

“I won’t pressure you,” Kat said. “That was wrong of me. When you’re ready to reach out to her, let me know.” 

“Thank you,” Arthur said, still holding Kat. 

“You’re welcome, Sir,” Kat said, opening her eyes to see Yvonne turning her face away from them. “Hey,” she called out to Yvonne. “I’m sorry I was a bitch this morning.” 

“It’s okay,” Yvonne said, waving her concerns away. “I’m the one who owes you an apology.” 

“You do?” Katelyn asked, straightening. “Why? Did something happen between you and Arthur?” She glanced between the two of them. Kat wasn’t the only one to notice how close she’d been walking beside Arthur then. 

“What?” Yvonne asked. 

“No,” Kat answered for Katelyn. “This is Yvonne, the girl who was spreading rumors about him on campus.” 

“Oh,” Katelyn said, her eyes looking into Arthur’s. “And we’re okay with her now? Or is this more drama?” 

“She apologized and set the record straight,” Arthur said. “We’re, well, somewhere between co-workers and friends again.” 

“Well,” Yvonne said, hesitating. “Yeah. We’re trying to be. I still need to apologize to Selene.”

“Then we’ll see where things stand,” Maria said, chiming in. 

Rani eyed Yvonne from behind her dark lashes, the half-face veil covering her smirk but not hiding it. “Do you still want to fuck him?

“She still wants to fuck him,” Maria said. 

“It’s not like that,” Arthur said, shaking his head. 

Mindy giggled. “Let us do our job, boss. If everyone’s okay again? Does that mean the orgy is on?” 

Arthur sighed as the others released the hug, and even Kat chuckled as they gave Arthur his space. She kept his hand, though, holding it in hers. The tension she’d felt in him earlier was gone. His limbs were soft and his grip on her hand tender, as if afraid of hurting her. She squeezed his hand as tightly as possible, and he flexed his forearm to answer her grip in silent assurance. Not as tight as he could, but enough to let her know she didn’t need to worry. 

“Please?” Mindy begged. “After the Lynn drama, and the Angie drama, and drama, drama, drama, can’t you let us just drown you in tits?” 

“What a way to go,” Rani said, chuckling. “I volunteer as tribute!” 

Kat rolled her eyes. 

“Not that tits are the only things we’re attracted to,” Rani said, having noticed Katelyn’s annoyed expression. 

“Wait, is this orgy a real thing happening tonight, or is this just girlfriends teasing their boyfriend?” Yvonne asked, looking between the girls for her answer. 

“Oh, it’s real,” Rani said. “If our King Arthur will let us host one.” 

“Calm down, everyone,” Arthur said, holding up his hands. “We need to discuss that as a group.” 

“You lead the group, Sir,” Kat said. “They’ll do whatever you say.” 

“Well, we’re not the only ones we have to consider, right?” Arthur asked, gesturing to Mark, Maria, Brad, Jen, and Yvonne with a sweep of his hands. 

“I’m fine with an orgy,” Mark said, raising his hand. 

“Me too,” Maria said. “I was hoping for one.” 

“I think it’d be very educational and worth writing about if my editor will publish it,” Jen said. “Names redacted, of course, but yeah, we’re in.” 

“We are?” Brad asked, surprised. Jen gave him an ‘Are you kidding?’ look, and he gulped. “I mean, uh, yeah! It could be fun.”

“Don’t let me kill your fun,” Yvonne said, raising her hands and taking a step back. Kat caught her significant glances at Arthur, but didn’t call her out on them. There was no reason to lash out at her, yet.  

“So, yes orgy or no orgy?” Mindy asked again, looking at Arthur as he rubbed the back of his neck. “We need to know! Rani can’t be the only one inviting people!” 

“Oh, yeah?” Rani asked. “Who are you inviting?” 

“Not, Angie,” Kat said, nipping that in the bud. 

“No, of course not,” Mindy said, as if shocked Kat might suggest it. “The girl in the green dress! I just have to find her again.” 

“Uh,” Arthur looked around. “There are a lot of green dresses. You want to ask a random person to an orgy?” 

“You should ask the Unseelie Queen. She’d be down to bone for sure,” Rani said, more amused than anything else. “I’m surprised that white dress of hers didn’t have a spot after watching Arthur fight.” 

The girls laughed together, and Kat watched as Arthur pondered the points before him. Her instincts were contrarian, but when she considered it, she didn’t oppose the idea of Arthur fucking a random person, so long as they stayed that way. She didn’t want to add any more people to their seven-way relationship.

Arthur stroked his chin and relented. “Let’s talk to Kelly and Selene first, and we’ll see where we’re at.” 

“Yay!” Mindy said, pulling Rani along to get everyone moving again. “Selene will be DTO.” 

“DTO?” Yvonne asked Mark. 

“Down to Orgy, I assume,” Mark said, shrugging. 

“And everyone’s okay with this?” Yvonne asked, looking at everyone. 

“You get used to it,” Brad said, shrugging. “After last night, and the bus ride, well, once you’ve seen everyone naked and banging, it’s not such a big deal, I guess.” 

Yvonne still appeared confused. 

“Hanging out with the harem is a wild, lusty ride,” Jen said, trying to clear things up for Yvonne. “No complaints, though. You just have to agree not to shame anyone. Relax and have fun. No one’ll push you to do anything you don’t want, right? That’s why we have safewords.”

Yvonne looked even more confused, but the assurance that she wouldn't be pushed comforted her.  

“Oh, congratulations on winning the contest, by the way,” Kat said to Maria. “I like your ribbon.” She pointed at the blue ribbon between Maria’s breasts. 

“Thanks!” Maria said. “It was fun.” 

“Maria loves nothing more than enticing a crowd to laugh and cheer,” Mark said. He eyed her with adoration in his gaze as he slipped his arm over her hips and kissed her cheek. “That’s my girl.” 

Maria blushed, and Yvonne looked down at the ground as they started walking again, heading toward the tattoo booth.

~~~

Selene vented her fury as she followed Kelly, who led her by the hand to the tattoo stall. Ana was busy with another customer when they arrived, but she was nearly finished with them, and Selene was next in the queue. 

“Can I help you?” A woman behind the counter asked. She looked identical to Ana, the tattoo artist. The same face, light brown skin, rich brown eyes, and long dark brown hair. Her costume was very different, though. Where Ana dressed in a peasant costume, this woman dressed in a belly dancer costume. Her costume was more modest than Selene’s or Rani’s, and she lacked the jewelry Rani wore, but she made up for it with ink. 

She acted as a walking advertisement for the booth. Intricate henna designs decorated her chest above the strapless tube top she wore over her medium-sized breasts. The designs continued over her stomach, back, arms, and legs beneath the transparent harem pants. The modest briefs beneath the pants were opaque, but she was fit and attractive, at least in Selene’s eyes.  

“I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Kelly,” Kelly said, offering her hand. “My girlfriends and I have been getting group tattoos from Ana.” 

“Oh, the Sisterhood of Excalibur? She’s mentioned you to me,” the woman said. “I’m Ellora, her twin.” 

The customer Ana was working on rose from their chair, checked the tattoo in the mirror, and paid with a smile. They cut between Ellora and Kelly, but Kelly stood aside as Ana approached Selene. 

Kelly spent her free time scrolling on her phone, waiting for news of Arthur. 

“Can you keep me updated if Arthur calls or texts?” Selene asked as she laid on the table after showing Ana where she wanted the tattoo. 

“Of course,” Kelly agreed. 

“I still can’t believe you and the others took her side,” Selene said. 

Ana raised an eyebrow. “More drama in the sisterhood?” 

“You remember that girl we left with? Angela’s granddaughter?” Kelly asked. 

“Oh, of course,” Ana said, nodding.

“Turns out she used to bully Arthur in high school,” Kelly said. “They met and–” 

Ana’s laughter cut her off. “She bullied Arthur? Your boyfriend? The six-foot-four barbarian hottie who looks like he could fight Thor?” 

Ellora’s eyebrows rose. “Whoa, you didn’t say he was that hot.” 

Kelly’s annoyance at the disbelief faded. “He wasn’t always. She bullied him before he had the muscles and the confidence to show them.” 

“Ah, childhood bully,” Ana said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” 

“Well, yeah, so we went to introduce her to Arthur, and he knew who she was. He recognized her, but she didn’t recognize him,” Kelly said. “Kat’s trying to play peacemaker between them right now.” 

“Burn the witch,” Selene said as Ana started stenciling. 

“Selene, it’s not that simple,” Kelly said. “Angie’s been through the wringer. She’s not the same person Arthur remembers, and given the opportunity, she’d try to make things right.” 

“Really?” Selene asked, surprised. “Lynn’s BFF wouldn’t be the type to deceive you and play you for a fool while enacting a complicated vengeance scheme? No, you’re right, let’s trust her completely and ask her to join us tonight.” 

“Selene,” Kelly said, using a tone of command that suggested Selene had gone too far. 

Selene sighed, doing her best to breathe with her chest rather than her diaphragm as Ana worked. 

“I’m sorry, but can’t we at least verify what she told us?” Selene asked. “Especially if you want to befriend her when Arthur will order us to avoid her like the plague. It’s what he ordered us to do with Lynn.” 

“Yeah, and that worked out great,” Kelly sighed. 

Ana and Ellora shared a look, but said nothing as Ana worked on Selene’s tattoo. Kelly turned her attention to her phone, doing her best non-social-media stalking to verify anything Angie had told them. Selene remained quiet, doing her best not to talk, laugh, or breathe too much. Any stomach movement risked damaging the final product. 

Twenty minutes later, Selene rose from the tattoo table to show off the tattoo. She’d wanted it on her mound, but the disguised chastity belt made that impossible, so she’d settled for it to rest higher. The Lady of the Lake’s arm billowed into waves just above her belt line to the left of her navel. The sword’s tip pointed toward her breast and ended just before her tightened waist chain. 

The Tengwar script reproduced from her phone read ‘Arthur’s Slut’ on the blade. Someone would have to be in her personal space to read it, and even then, unless they understood the lettering, they’d only think it was a LOTR reference.  

The result was gorgeous as she posed and checked it in the mirror. It was wetter and heavier than she expected. Ana, the artist, assured her that the paste would dry, flake off, and leave an identical tattoo behind for a few weeks as it faded. Selene’s mind flipped through possibilities, wondering what it would be like to have a tattoo artist stencil and ink ‘Arthur’s Slut’ on her pubic mound. 

The idea made her gush as she imagined not only the sensation but the humiliation as a stranger inked the words onto her forever. Would Master let her? She knew better than to surprise him with it. She’d learned her lesson about surprises. Permission was one-hundred percent necessary, but if Master wanted to mark her as his in a permanent way, she’d do it in a heartbeat. The chainmail jewelry collar around her neck was gorgeous, but temporary. A permanent mark of ownership would be so much better. 

“What do you think?” Selene asked, turning to show Kelly, who was standing nearby on her phone. 

Kelly looked up from her phone, taking in the sight of Selene from head to toe, and ending with her henna tattoo. She observed the lettering, and her full lips slid into a grin on the left half of her face. 

“Very sexy,” Kelly said. “I love how each one is the same, but with its own unique twist on the engraving.” She twisted to see her own in the mirror, with the words ‘Arthur’s Wifey’ on display. Illegible in the mirror, but readable up close in English. 

Selene beamed her smile for the entire world to see and turned toward Ana. “What do I owe you?” 

“Oh, I paid for yours while you were getting it done,” Kelly said. “I figured you wouldn’t say no to me treating you.” 

Ana nodded to confirm. Ellora smiled, standing behind the register and having aided Kelly’s scheming generosity. 

Of course, Kelly didn’t mean that Selene wouldn’t protest because she had no money, but because Selene wasn’t a brat. Kat often took charity as an insult, but Selene accepted people’s generosity. It might be self-serving, but who cared? If they offered, even for the wrong reasons, they were still offering. 

Besides, even beyond the basic philosophies of life, she submitted to Kelly, especially in Arthur’s absence, just as she did with anyone else in the harem (except Kat). So there was very little danger of Selene saying anything other than, “Thank you, my lady.” 

The tone and cadence in which she said ‘my lady’ were full of submissive respect. She couldn’t say ‘Mistress’ since there were other people in the tent besides the two of them and the artist. 

The effect was the same: Kelly straightened and set her shoulders back, adopting a more dominant posture. She relaxed again, realizing that she wasn’t supposed to be playing mistress anymore. Selene wondered how long that resolution would last, but she hoped it wasn’t for much longer. Kelly enjoyed playing mistress over the harem, and Selene enjoyed her doing it too. Arthur was, of course, her preference, but when it was just the girls, she preferred Kelly’s leadership over Rani’s. Kelly was softer, even though she was strict. 

“Thank you so much, Ana,” Kelly said. 

“Of course,” Ana said. “Was that the last of them?” 

“That’s the last one,” Kelly said, admiring Selene’s sisterhood tattoo. 

“And what Rani mentioned about tonight,” Ana said, “is that still happening?” 

“Oh, uh, we’re not sure,” Kelly said. “We haven’t discussed it with everyone yet.” 

“Well, let us know,” Ana said. “Rani has my number.” 

“Of course she does,” Kelly laughed. “Does that mean you’re interested? I thought you weren’t into women?” 

“We’re not,” Ana said, gesturing between her and Ellora. “But we enjoy a good party, and if the guys there are as hot as your King Arthur, well, we don’t mind.” 

Kelly chuckled. “I’ll let you know.” 

Ana nodded, and Kelly took Selene’s hand, drawing her away from the tent and into the lane. They rejoined the traffic of the Faire, following the crowd bustling ahead of them around the corner from the tattoo tent. 

“We have to get them to sleep with Master,” Selene said, looking up at Kelly’s surprised expression. “If he’s in the right frame of mind again.” 

“What?” Kelly asked. “Why?” 

“He’s always wanted to sleep with twins!” Selene said. “It’s one of his fantasies! He’d be so happy! It’d make him forget this Angie and Lynn bullshit.” 

Kelly chuckled. “I’m a twin, don’t I count?” 

“No,” Selene said. “Not unless he fucks your brother.” 

Kelly snorted, and Selene giggled, both of them laughing at the very thought as they walked.

“I should tell my brothers that Arthur and I are dating,” Kelly said, wiping her eyes. “Before they find out from someone else.” 

“Do you think they’ll approve?” Selene asked. 

“They don’t get a say, but yeah,” Kelly said with amusement settled into her eyes. “They’ve always supported my romantic life, though, to be fair, that was when I was dating women. I don’t know how they’ll react to me dating a man. Kyle will give him the stereotypical brotherly intimidation talk even though Arthur doesn’t need it.” 

“You haven’t told them you’re bi?” Selene asked, confused. 

“Oh, I told them,” Kelly said. “But they’re still expecting me to date women. Kyle used to joke that I’m even more into women than he is, and he goes through girlfriends like some guys go through Kleenex.” 

Selene raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Really?” 

Kelly shrugged. “He’s way more into casual relationships than I am. Kyle was one of the people suggesting I give casual relationships a try for the last few years, so I did.” 

“And now you’ve got a boyfriend, four girlfriends, and a brat, so it worked out,” Selene said. 

“I suppose so,” Kelly said, chuckling. “No idea what they’ll say regarding the polycule, but so long as I’m happy, that should be enough for them.” 

“We’d better do our best to keep you happy then,” Selene said, squeezing her hand. “Wouldn’t want to cause you any family strife.” 

Kelly squeezed her hand, and they walked through the lane hand-in-hand, taking their time as they window-shopped the booths, tents, stalls, and shops that faced the lane. The Faire had a surprising number of temptations to offer beyond food and hot women, and Kelly proved especially prone to examining the wares on offer as they strolled. 

Selene, meanwhile, spent more time people-watching than shopping. The crowds appeared thinner than they had this morning, though that might have been because most people were further along the looping paths of the Faire. A few workers, dressed as unseelie fey, attempted to exchange chocolates for souls. People ignored their offers as they stood by a pillory, calling out to passersby. 

“Aw, I wanted to get photos of us in the stocks, with Arthur behind us,” Selene said, nudging Kelly to point her attention to the pillories side by side. Three of them stood in the center of the lane, the perfect spot for photo ops. They waited for anyone who wished to commemorate sticking their heads and hands through wooden holes to reminisce over medieval torture and public humiliation.

Of course, the humiliation did it for Selene, especially since no one would recognize her here except her friends. When she and Arthur started this adventure, she hadn’t thought she’d want anyone to know she was his slut. Yet, after playing with the harem, she realized she enjoyed the freedom of being herself around the people she trusted. That included the harem and the Theater Club. The strangers at the Faire were different, but they wouldn’t recognize her. Oh, except her ex, and Yvonne, and Angie, and Angie’s family, so maybe that wasn’t the best option to pursue today. Either way, Kelly appeared less convinced that it would be fun. 

“Once we have the gang back together,” Kelly said, nodding. “We’ll get pictures for sure.” 

“No word from Arthur yet?” Selene asked, worried. 

“No,” Kelly said, shaking her head. “I just wish I knew he was okay. Should I call him? What if he did a lap around the parking lot, and Mike was out there waiting for him and jumped him?” 

“He will be fine,” Selene said, not having thought of that worst-case scenario until Kelly mentioned it. Sure, it was possible, but… “But maybe we should call him. I mean, it’s Arthur, he can handle that asshole, and they have security in the parking lot, too, right? I’m sure he’s just doing whatever he needs to do to calm down from encountering Angie. He and Kat will reconcile with a conversation and fucking, as they always do.” 

Kelly sighed. “Let’s hope.” 

As if summoned by their mention, Selene heard Arthur’s voice behind them. 

“Selene! Kelly!” Arthur called from the down lane, waving at them. 

Yvonne stood beside him. She wasn’t touching him or holding onto his arm, but a pang of fury stabbed Selene until she spotted Kat on his other side, holding his hand. Mindy, Rani, Katelyn, Brad, Jen, Mark, and Maria surrounded them as they walked, a small crowd within the larger bustle of bodies. 

“Is that Yvonne?” Kelly asked, her eyes narrowing at the buxom young woman in the Cinderella costume. 

“Yeah,” Selene confirmed. 

“What’s she doing with them? I thought she didn’t want to be friends,” Kelly said, confused. 

“I don’t know,” Selene said. “She’s on an apology tour, and it’s Arthur. However, if he was in the mood that Kat says he left in, he wouldn’t have had a good run-in with her, right?”

“Let’s find out,” Kelly said, leading Selene toward the group. 

“Hey,” Arthur said when they got closer, waving with his free hand, but Kat didn’t release her grip on him. The groups collided before a small sitting bench off to the lake's side of the path. The privacy wasn’t total, given that they were within earshot of other pedestrians who passed by, but it was better than standing in the middle of the lane. 

“Are you okay?” Kelly asked, her voice snappier than Selene expected. 

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Arthur said. “I just needed to process and get away from the situation.” 

Kelly smacked his arm. Not hard, but enough to express her displeasure. “Next time, tell me where you are and that you’re safe! I was so worried! You could’ve gotten jumped or stabbed or–” 

Rani laughed, and Kelly shot her a look so hard that it slapped the smile off her face. “Oh, you’re serious.”  

Arthur gave Kelly a bashful expression and offered her a hug, which she accepted. Kat released his hand, but kept her hand on his lower back as Kelly kissed him. She took longer than her usual kisses, but Selene felt sure that was for Yvonne’s benefit. Kelly was marking her territory. 

Yvonne looked away, as if their kiss embarrassed her. Selene’s eyes narrowed. She’d seen Yvonne do the same thing when Arthur kissed Lori. Selene had done it herself several times, too embarrassed by how aroused it made her to watch them together. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen watched. 

“I like to think I helped these two get together,” Brad said to Jen. “I had to wingman for Arthur so hard in the gym. Like you wouldn’t believe.” 

Jen chuckled, kissing Brad’s cheek. 

Arthur and Kelly smiled as they pulled apart. “Do you forgive me for running off on Kat?” Arthur asked. “It wasn’t her fault. She tried to tell me not to.” 

“Yes, but you’ll still have to keep in touch, or share your phone location with me next time,” Kelly said, poking him in the chest. “Or I’ll hunt you down, Mister, no matter what the others say.” 

Kat frowned, but didn’t protest. “If you were that worried, you could have tracked him down.” 

“I was trying to give him space,” Kelly said. “But if no one had heard from him by the time I got Selene back to the group, I’d have gone hunting. And next time, you’ll let me know you’re okay, right?” 

“Hopefully, there won’t be a next time, but never say never, I guess.” Arthur shrugged, but Kelly was still waiting for her answer. “And yes, I’ll check in if it ever happens again.” They kissed again until Kelly stepped aside, nodding a greeting at the others and giving Yvonne a small wave. 

“Are you mad at me?” Arthur asked, looking at Selene.  

“Of course not, Master,” Selene said, bowing her head. “You worried us. I just want to make sure you’re okay.” 

Calling him Master in front of Yvonne had been unintentional, but satisfaction filled Selene as confused pain flickered across Yvonne’s features. It was less than she deserved. If hurting Selene had been her goal, spreading rumors around campus and calling her a slut, Selene could have handled that. Instead, she’d gone after Arthur, and Selene was far less forgiving for that sin. It brought out her cruel streak and made her realize she could never be a dominant. Not unless her partner was a true masochist and pain slut. 

“Hug?” Arthur asked. 

“You never need to ask, my lord,” Selene said, opening her arms and hugging him tight. “I’m yours to hug, kiss, or fuck whenever you want, you know that.” 

Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen appeared uncomfortable with nervous glances at the people out of earshot around them, but they’d heard and seen far more intimate activities than this. The suggestive words and tone didn’t faze Kelly or the others from the harem, but Yvonne’s cheeks tinted just enough to tell Selene she’d heard. 

Arthur hugged Selene, then kissed her, though it was a more chaste kiss than the one he and Kelly had shared. Selene could only endure so much contact with him before she self-immolated, thanks to the damn chastity belt locked around her. She wished she were free to climb onto Arthur’s cock and ride him like a reverse backpack for the rest of the day. But no, she was still enduring her punishment. She’d earned it, and she had to endure it until Arthur decided she’d had enough. 

“Yvonne had something she wanted to say,” Arthur said. “It’s about what happened at the last Theater Club meeting, and the stuff before that.” 

Selene looked at Arthur. “Are you sure we want to do this now? We’ve got a lot of other stuff going on. Today was supposed to be drama-free, remember? Now we’ve got two crises?” 

“It’ll only take a minute,” Yvonne said. 

“Where’s Caleb and Logan?” Selene asked, looking for them. 

“They had to leave early to get to a gig,” Arthur said. 

“Then how is Yvonne getting home?” Maria asked, piping up from behind Arthur. 

“Well, I agreed to give her a lift,” Arthur said. “I thought, if things went well, she could hang out with us. She agreed to get her own hotel room, and then she can ride back with us?” 

“On the orgy-mobile?” Maria asked. She must have chosen her words to make Yvonne uncomfortable, because she succeeded. Yvonne squirmed in discomfort. 

“I don’t intend to make anyone uncomfortable. If it’s a problem, I’ll catch an Uber and be out of your hair,” Yvonne said, shaking the mental images out of her head.

“Good on Caleb for getting another gig,” Brad said, trying to change the subject.

“Their band is getting popular,” Mark said. 

“Yeah, Caleb’s a hell of a singer,” Maria said, agreeing. 

“I liked his band,” Selene said. “Even if they play country music sometimes.” 

“You don’t enjoy country music?” Kelly asked, surprised. “Don’t tell Katelyn.” 

“I’m right here, Kels,” Katelyn said, chuckling. “I have ears. Their band was great, though! What little I heard of it.” 

A slight chuckle rippled through the group, and then silence fell as everyone waited for Yvonne to speak. Selene figured she knew what was coming, but she wouldn’t make it any easier on the diva.

“So, Selene, can I talk to you in private?” Yvonne asked. 

“No, we can do this here,” Selene said. “These are my friends. I don’t have any secrets or anything. I’m not the one with anything that might make me feel shame.” 

Yvonne swallowed, glancing at the others. Selene might’ve discarded her sense of shame, but Yvonne hadn’t. She glanced at Rani, who nodded her encouragement, which surprised Selene. Then she remembered that they’d talked before. 

“Okay, um, I wanted to apologize,” Yvonne said. She swallowed her pride and looked Selene in the eye as she spoke. They were friends, or so Selene had always thought. Not close, and often rivals, but that was just the nature of things. Yvonne could condescend, but nobody was perfect. 

She had a crush on Arthur, but everyone did, so she thought nothing of it. She’d never expected Yvonne’s enmity and found it pitiable. If she’d only talked to Selene, she’d have realized that sharing Arthur turned Selene on more than anything else. Yvonne’s opinion on sharing, however, could use work. She was too selfish, and if she wanted Arthur for herself, she’d only find disappointment. 

“For what?” Selene asked, playing coy. 

Yvonne struggled to conjure the words. She was either having trouble remembering them, or she wanted to make sure she covered everything in a spontaneous apology. Somehow, though, Selene realized she’d rehearsed this apology.

“I’m sorry for ruining our friendship with jealousy and anger,” Yvonne said. “You love Arthur, but I love–loved–him too, and thought I was doing the right thing by fighting for him. It was fucked up, and I shouldn’t have spread rumors about you or lashed out at him.” 

“And?” Selene asked, going down the list of Yvonne’s sins in her head. 

“And I’m sorry for trying to kick you out of the Theater Club,” Yvonne said, swallowing again as she conjured her words. “I’m sorry for quitting when I didn’t get my way. That was childish. Your friendship has always mattered to me, Selene, even if we’ve competed or had our tiffs over casting or choreography. I shouldn’t have thrown that away over a boy. No offense, Arthur.”

“None taken,” Arthur said, shrugging. 

“You don’t have to forgive me,” Yvonne said. “Honestly, I don’t expect you to, and you have every right to hate me for the things I told people about you, even if I retracted and corrected them later. It was still damaging to you.” 

Selene considered that. Sure, people on campus thought she was a victim, but overall, the response toward her had been vague pity. A professor had even tried to help her, so she didn’t count it as a total negative. The entire diversion might have even helped her realize she needed to change majors to something more personal and exciting. 

The damage to Arthur, however, wasn’t as positive. Hurting him, the man Selene loved, earned far more scorn than if Yvonne had only hurt her. The feral instinct within her fought for control, but Selene suppressed it with Arthur and Kelly standing so close to her. 

“I don’t want or expect to be president again,” Yvonne said, “but I’d like to come back to the club if you’ll have me. And I’d like to repair the damage I did with my words and actions and be friends again if we can.”

Selene waited, but that was the end of Yvonne’s prepared apology, and the others waited to see how Selene would respond. She looked at Arthur, knowing what she’d see in his eyes. He surprised her, though; instead of the golden-hearted encouragement she expected, he appeared embarrassed and uncomfortable. He’d been the one receiving an apology earlier, and he’d stormed away. Should she? 

No, that Yvonne was with him and apologizing, told Selene that this speech had Arthur’s approval. He’d forgiven her and wanted to be Yvonne’s friend. Selene had been there for their heart-to-heart, off to the side, eavesdropping with Caleb. She didn’t envy Yvonne’s misery. Perhaps she enjoyed it too much. She couldn’t imagine how crazy she’d be if Arthur had turned her down, then hooked up with Yvonne and a bunch of women she didn’t know. 

“What should I say?” Selene asked, looking at her master. 

“Told you,” Mark said, accepting a five-dollar bill from Maria. 

“Well, that’s up to you,” Arthur said, making Mark pass the five-dollar bill back to Maria. 

“But what do you want me to say?” Selene asked Arthur. 

Maria returned the fiver to Mark. 

“Well, what do you think of Yvonne’s apology?” Arthur asked. 

Selene frowned. The apology was a good one. Yvonne took ownership of her mistakes, covered the bases Selene could think of, and sounded genuine. Still, something unsettled her. Perhaps it was the formality, the knowledge that she’d drafted, revised, and memorized the apology, but didn’t that make it even more genuine? The effort that went into choosing shouldn’t cheapen the words she used. 

“If it were just against me,” Selene said. “I wouldn’t care as much, but you tried to hurt Arthur.” 

Yvonne nodded. 

“And I’ve forgiven her for that,” Arthur said. 

“Of course you did,” Selene said, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I know you’re still mad at Angie, but you always do the right thing, sir.” 

Arthur blushed, swallowed, and frowned, but he didn’t protest. 

“And you went after him like a spiteful bitch,” Selene said, looking at Yvonne, who flinched at the hatred Selene put into calling her a bitch. She didn’t regret her choice of words, though. If anything, ‘bitch’ was a kinder term than the one she wanted to use. 

“I did,” Yvonne said, nodding. “It was wrong and childish. I won’t make excuses. I know why I did it, and I’m working on it, whether you accept my apology or not. But that doesn’t change what I’ve done or the consequences. We can’t undo the past, right? But we can move forward, and I’d like to rejoin the Theater Club, if you’ll allow me.”

Selene considered that, looking around at everyone. They stood off the path in a patch of green, but there were so many in their small group that others had to step aside to give them any berth. No one was listening to them, though, so Selene felt free to speak her mind.  

“I’m a spiteful bitch, too. Especially where Arthur is concerned,” Selene said. Arthur chuckled out of nervousness, but everyone else took her seriously. Kelly even stepped closer to her, as if to grab her should she try to strike Yvonne, which she hadn’t ruled out yet. 

“I get that,” Yvonne said, nodding. “You love him. I’m well aware there’s nothing you won’t do for him. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.” 

Selene narrowed her eyes. 

“I don’t mean that as an insult or a slut-shaming thing, either,” Yvonne said. “If he asked you to, you’d forgive me. I don’t doubt that for a second. But this is about our friendship, you and me. He’s forgiven me for what I did to him. The question is, can you forgive what I did to you and to him? Will you let me return to the Theater Club?” 

Selene’s eyes slid over the group, stopping at Arthur, who held her gaze. She wasn’t the only person Yvonne had wronged, but she was the last to receive an apology. The others had forgiven her. After all, Arthur had, and her sins against him were the most grievous of the lot. Only Maria appeared still annoyed at Yvonne. Even Rani had offered her sympathy. 

“And that’s my decision?” Selene asked, looking at Maria. 

Maria nodded. “Everyone else has voted to forgive Miss Diva here. I said I’d wait to see how you felt before welcoming her back. We’d have to vote her back onto the leadership. She’s not still president, though. That’s the bylaws. We need to pick a new one.” 

Selene checked Brad and Mark’s expressions. Caleb would welcome her back, Selene supposed, but he was also a supporter of the ‘tough love’ approach and might want Yvonne to accept her consequences. Still, Selene understood what it was like to lose a hobby she poured her passion into. She checked Kelly’s expression for guidance and found Kelly looking at the nervous, uncomfortable Yvonne with pity in her eyes. 

Still, Yvonne had a cruel streak and a temper that Selene had seen one too many times. What was the point of forgiving her and going through this drama if she’d only lash out next week when she didn’t get her way on something? No, she had to learn her lesson, and there was only one way Selene could teach it. The same way she, Kat, and the others learned their lessons. 

“You mentioned repairing the damage,” Selene said. “How do you intend to do that?” 

“Well, I corrected the people that I lied to,” Yvonne said. 

“But they’d passed it on,” Selene said. 

“I know, but they don’t remember who they discussed it with. I could write something for the school paper, a retraction, if that would help?” Yvonne’s suggestion wasn’t a very good one, in Selene’s opinion.

“What about punishment?” Selene asked. She looked at Maria again, then at Arthur. 

“Punishment?” Yvonne asked, her tone nervous. 

“Yeah,” Selene said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few weeks, it’s that punishment can be very cathartic. There’s nothing like it for renewal, forgiveness, and it’s a great way to show sincerity.” 

Arthur raised his eyebrows. 

“Well, I’m not president anymore, and I’ve lost my friends, and I’m a pariah on campus. It’s not as if there were no consequences,” Yvonne said. 

“Not consequences,” Selene said. “Punishment. If you’re sorry, I want you to prove it to me by an act of… what do you call it?” 

“Penance?” Mindy suggested. 

“Penance,” Selene confirmed. 

“Like what?” Yvonne asked, confused. “What do you want me to do? Stand on the campus walk with a sign or something?” 

Selene rubbed her chin. There was a guy pledging a frat who’d worn an embarrassing sign on the walk for a weekend last year, but that wasn’t enough. 

“Since you mention it, how do you feel about public humiliation?” Selene asked. “You humiliated Arthur and me, so it’s only fair, right?” 

“Selene,” Arthur said, his tone full of warning. “That’s not—” 

“I’ll do it,” Yvonne said, cutting off Arthur’s objection. “Depending on what you had in mind,” she amended her words at Selene’s shocked, but pleased, expression. “I’ll wear a sign, or post a video, whatever you need.”  

Selene hadn’t expected her to take it seriously, but she’d wanted to test Yvonne’s commitment. If she was just trying to apologize so she wouldn’t have to face the consequences of her actions, then Selene didn’t want to grant her the forgiveness she sought. If she proved her sincerity, then Selene would forgive her. 

“You’re getting a hotel room with us?” Selene asked, having a wicked idea. It was cruel. Far crueler than Arthur would approve, but it wasn’t as egregious as making false, life-threatening accusations. Her rumors could have gotten him expelled, at the very least. They hadn’t, but that wasn’t the point. She’d hurt Arthur, so she deserved her punishment. It made sense to Selene. 

“Not with us,” Arthur clarified. “But at the same hotel, yes.” 

“And this apology isn’t a ploy to sleep with Arthur?” Selene asked. “You’re not just waiting for us to drop our guard so you can claim him for yourself?” 

“What? No,” Yvonne said. “I–I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still have feelings for him, but I’m not trying to break up your polycule. I’ll hole up in my room for the night, I promise, if I don’t Uber home.” 

“That’s an expensive Uber,” Maria commented. “It’d be cheaper to get a hotel room for the night.” 

“If you’ll give me a lift back, I’ll take it,” Yvonne said. “If my presence puts a damper on your trip, I’ll Uber. It’s okay. Friendship is more important to me than money.” 

“Would you object to a blindfold while you’re on the bus?” Selene asked. 

Yvonne wrinkled her brow, considering the question. “I–I guess not.” 

“Selene,” Arthur said, using her name as a warning again. 

“I want two acts of penance,” Selene said, capitalizing on her momentum. “Well, one. The other is a stipulation on your crashing and riding with us.” 

“And what are those stipulations?” Arthur asked. He had every right to be nervous, knowing what was constantly on Selene’s mind. This time, however, she didn’t intend to throw Yvonne at Arthur, no matter what their fantasies might have entailed. No, this was Yvonne’s punishment, and she considered it a just one, even if it was more cruel than she might endure if the shoe were on the other foot. 

Selene gestured for Arthur to bend down, and she whispered it in his ear. 

“You can’t be serious,” Arthur said, making Yvonne and the others exchange curious and nervous glances. “Selene…” 

“Please?” Selene asked. “It’ll prove that she’s sorry, and it’ll teach her a lesson. She’ll learn better than to do what she did ever again, and then we can move on from a fresh start.” 

“That’s not how this works,” Arthur protested. “You don’t get to be mean to her just because she was mean to you.” 

“She was mean to you, Arthur,” Selene said, straightening her spine and making everyone in the group look at her. Yes, he was her master. He could punish her for this later. She hoped he did. In the meantime, she’d stand up for him, even when he didn’t want to stand up for himself. “You won’t let me murder Lynn,” 

“That’s illegal,” Arthur said. 

“Kelly won’t let me maim Angie,” Selene pointed over her shoulder with her thumb toward Kelly. 

“Also illegal,” Kelly noted. 

“This isn’t illegal. Sure, it’s playing into a fantasy of mine from way back, but it’s voluntary, and she can even have a safeword. Or, if she says no, she says no. I’ll abstain from whatever vote takes place to bring her back into the Theater Club’s leadership. We can move on.”

The argument that it was a fantasy of hers was an unfair tactic against Arthur, who hesitated to forbid it outright.  

“But if I do this, you’ll try being friends again?” Yvonne asked, her voice full of hope. “I really am sorry, Selene. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that it won’t happen again.” 

Selene looked at her, softening. 

“Part of the reason I’m doing this whole thing, apologizing to everyone, is that I don’t want to throw away my friendships. That includes yours and mine,” Yvonne said. “I miss my step-sister, and the way things were before you started dating. Not that I’m suggesting you break up,” she added, “but I’d like us to be friends again. So whatever I need to do to prove to you I’m sorry, I’ll do it.” 

“It’s inappropriate to ask that of her,” Arthur said, still not acknowledging Yvonne’s acceptance. “It’s not right, and it’ll make everything weird.” 

“Do you forbid it?” Selene asked. “Am I not allowed to ask her?” 

Arthur frowned. Selene was blurring the lines between their play as master/slave and their friendships. Arthur hated that, but there was no way around it. Yeah, it’d be weird at first, but they’d soon get over it. Lust could bridge awkwardness in ways few other things could, and no matter what he might say, Arthur lusted for Yvonne. He’d never act on it, but it was there. She had it too, and now she had an opportunity to make it a reality. The only way she’d drop it was if Arthur told her to. 

“I don’t want you to,” Arthur said. 

“Do you forbid it?” Selene repeated the question. “My lord?” 

“Yes,” Arthur said, crossing his arms. “I forbid it.” 

“Okay, then I won’t ask,” Selene said. A heavy silence followed.

“What was it?” Yvonne asked, impatient as ever. Her familiar demanding tone reappeared despite her best efforts to hold herself in check. It was just enough to show Selene her sincerity. “Just tell me what you wanted to ask!” 

Selene grinned and gestured for Yvonne to come closer. She leaned over to her as Yvonne turned her head so Selene could whisper in her ear. “I wanted you to spend one hour in the pillory, the wooden stocks over there. Then, the rest of the night with us, as an observer-only, wearing a chastity belt to ensure your non-participation when things get spicy.” 

Yvonne pulled away, her eyes wide in surprise. She glanced at Arthur and blushed as the idea took root and obviously aroused her. Pink lust bloomed in her cheeks, and she bit her red bottom lip at the corner of her mouth. 

Yvonne gulped. “I–what about the others? They’d have to agree too, right?” 

“Selene just wants to get out of her belt,” Arthur said, keeping his voice low. “And I told her not to ask you.” 

“Oh, please don’t be mad at her. I had to know. The curiosity was driving me insane,” Yvonne said, looking at Arthur. 

He sighed, but didn’t mention any further punishment coming Selene’s way as she bowed her head and looked apologetic for answering Yvonne. She hadn’t asked her, but she’d told her what she wanted to ask.

“I–” Yvonne glanced at Maria and blushed. She turned to Kelly, and her face’s color deepened further. Her face had every appearance of a tomato as the blush reached her pale chest. She made the mistake of looking at Arthur. “Do you not want me to?” Yvonne asked, realization dawning. “With all your protesting, should I take an Uber?”  

Arthur stiffened. “I wasn’t trying to say you shouldn’t hang with us, as friends, but what she’s suggesting–” 

“So, what’s going on?” Kelly asked, looking at Arthur for an explanation. 

“I’d like to know that myself,” Kat said, glaring at Selene. “What did your perverted mind come up with? He’s not fucking her.” 

“No, he’s not,” Selene agreed. “That’s the point.” 

The harem looked at each other with confused expressions, then at Selene, who smiled. She whispered it to Kelly, and they played a game of Telephone as the word traveled from Kelly to Mindy, to Rani, to Katelyn, and to Kat. 

Kat sighed. “This is dumb, and it’s only going to end badly.” 

“You say that about all my plans,” Selene said. 

Kat glared at her. “And?” 

“So, are we all in?” Selene asked as Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen learned the plan from Arthur. 

“Holy shit, that’s cruel,” Maria said, surprised as she gave Selene a new appraising glance. “I’m in.” 

Arthur didn’t love Yvonne the way Yvonne loved him, but that wasn’t what they were discussing. Heaping her in with the group of friends who were going to see the show anyway, well, that was different. This was giving her a peek behind the curtain. A peek that she’d never get again. 

“But she’s not suggesting that you and I do anything, right? Can you object to me just seeing what all my friends are getting up to?” Yvonne asked. 

“Why would you want to?” Arthur asked, confused. “Why torture yourself?” 

Yvonne didn’t answer, other than to shrug and look down at the ground. “This would give me a chance to prove I’ve changed, right? That I’m willing to move forward and not repeat my mistakes? I won’t spread any rumors.” 

“Yvonne, that’s not why she’s suggesting what she’s suggesting,” Arthur said. “She’s being cruel and pulling you into her fantasies.” 

“Why would my watching you be her fantasy?” Yvonne asked, confused. 

“Selene?” Arthur asked, prompting her. 

“He’s right,” Selene said. “And I won’t do it if you don’t want us to, my lord, but it could be fun, right?” 

“It could get very messy,” Arthur protested. 

“But if I say it’s okay, and that I want to do it, to prove myself to Selene, and you, and everyone, and because I–” Yvonne cut herself off. “Because I want to, isn’t that okay?” 

“Everyone else would have to agree to it, too,” Arthur said. “It wouldn’t just be Selene and me.” 

“We are if Selene is,” Maria said, looking at Selene. 

“I guess it’d be okay,” Kelly said. “I’m not big on having an audience, but my participation’s limited, anyway. And if we’re hosting an orgy at the hotel, what’s one more?” 

Arthur rubbed the bridge of his nose. 

“I’m okay if Kelly and Kat are okay,” Katelyn said. 

“I’m fine with it!” Mindy chimed in. 

“Are you still in love with him?” Rani asked, looking at Yvonne. “Because if so, this could be a terrible idea. You’re already going through hell. I’m not opposed to having fun with guests, but if you’re emotionally attached, I’d vote no.” 

“Thank you,” Arthur said, looking at Rani like she was the only voice of reason. 

“Why don’t you want me to watch if you were okay with me staying at the hotel?” Yvonne asked, looking at Arthur. 

“In your own room,” Arthur clarified.

“He isn’t as cruel as I am,” Selene said. “He’d prefer to spare you the pain, but the pain is the point, right? It’s what proves that you won’t do anything stupid in the future. That you’ve changed and won’t repeat your past mistakes.” 

Yvonne frowned as everyone considered Selene’s point. Anyone not drunk on lust would have told her she was insane and stomped away to catch their Uber. Yvonne, however, kept sneaking glances at Arthur and blushing. Her lust for him was burning hot enough for Selene to see it on her face. Even if she didn’t get to be with him, a night of observing him would give her masturbation fuel for the rest of her life. 

“All in favor?” Selene asked, raising her hand. 

Arthur didn’t raise his, nor did Kat, or Rani. Everyone else did, including Yvonne, though she didn’t appear certain if she got a vote. 

“All opposed?” Selene asked. She looked at Arthur. “You can say no. I’ll obey.”

“Will you? You haven’t been doing an excellent job of it,” Arthur said. His tone was harsh. 

Selene bowed her head. “I’m sorry, my lord.”

“It’s okay,” Yvonne said, blushing. “I’m willing.” 

“No,” Arthur said. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, and with everything between us, it just isn’t a good idea.” 

“It’s not like it’ll make things weirder than they already are,” Yvonne countered. 

“Don’t think for a second that arguing with me about this will get you in,” Arthur said. “I might owe you for helping me out earlier—”

“You don’t, and I’m not holding anything against you to make this happen, so don’t pretend that I am,” Yvonne said, arguing with him.

It made Selene grin for a split second. Yvonne and Arthur arguing with the theater group standing around them made it feel like old times. Yvonne, however, looked abashed. The dynamic between them had shifted. 

“I’ll do an hour in the stockades,” Yvonne said. “Will that work, since Arthur won’t allow the rest?” 

Arthur looked at Selene. She was in enough trouble without pushing her luck. 

“That will work,” Selene said. 

Arthur nodded his approval. 

“Thank you,” Yvonne said. “Come on, let’s get this started. I want to be out in time to shop before the finale.” 

“I’ll see to it,” Selene said, gesturing for Yvonne to follow her. “The safeword is ‘red light’,” Selene said, grinning as Arthur rubbed the bridge of his nose again. She was teasing him, more than causing him genuine upset. With luck, she’d earned at least a spanking, though. But how could he blame her? Yvonne had featured in Selene’s fantasies for a while, and she’d jumped at the chance to watch them with an invitation this time. Too bad the others didn’t want her to join in the fun they had planned for tonight. 

Either way, though. Tonight was going to be fun.